72 posts tagged “james”
As a parent, I've discovered that there's some things in life you just can't teach your kid. Take turning on a light with a big foam hammer as an example. I would've never thought to use a huge foam hammer to turn on a light switch, but apparently James did. It just goes to show you - your kids are often smarter than you think!
On a side note, I'm finally learning how to use the Apple and all the programs that came with it, including iMovie. It looks like I have a lot to learn! Tonight, I found out how to include transitions and sound effects...how cool is that! Soon to come - title pages, credits, and other exciting movie magic!
I love taking photographs of everything - especially of the kids! I also love getting professional photos taken; so when I saw that the Picture People were offering a FREE Portrait Package that includes a 8x10, two 5x7, and eight wallet photos of the same image, I insisted that everyone get a haircut and dressed up because we were going to get photos immediately!
You don't have to purchase anything to get that Portrait Package, but after seeing how great the photos look, you'll probably end up buying something like we did! They display some of the best photos you take in beautiful frames before showing you all the photos - Dan and I ended up buying a "Trilogy Photo Frame" with pictures of James and Grace. Wow, did they turn out great! I think these are the best photos of James and Grace yet!
We also took several family portraits, and scored the free Portrait Package with those photos - but I can't post those just yet...those photos just might be our Christmas Card this year! :)
Well, I'm pretty pleased to say that we're pretty much caught up in the many adventures we had this summer. I did manage to leave out a few excursions including the many trips to various playgrounds, our visit to the Gilroy Garlic Festival (it was 112 degrees out - much too hot for the kids to want to come out from their shaded strollers to take photos!), and other little trips here and there.
So what's going on in the last few days? Well, it's official - as of September 12th, Grace is a crawler. She's not crawling on her hands and knees quite yet, but she definitely moves quickly doing her "belly scootch" crawl. Tonight, she surprised me by crawling from her mat at the foot of our bed to our bathroom by herself. This was especially surprising considering she figured out that James and I were in the bathroom in the first place! When Grace sees something she wants she doesn't wait for someone to bring it over to her - she crawls over to get it herself! She also figured out how to get into a sitting position from lying down.
As for James, a few days ago he decided that he wanted to try sleeping in the toddler bed instead of his crib. Instead of walking to his crib after brushing his teeth, he simply crawled onto the toddler bed and sat there. I put his stuffed Snoopy, Rainforest Soother, and his blanket in bed, turned off the light, closed the door, then peeked in on him about 20 minutes later to find him asleep. Tonight, James actually kicked Grace and me out of his room so he could go to sleep! We were all reading in his room to get ready for bed - James was reading his Truck Board Book, I was reading Notes Left Behind, and Grace was devouring Barney's Nursery Rhymes (literally). Around 9:30, James puts down his book, pulls his blanket up on his lap, looks me straight in the eye, furrows his brows and says "mneh!". I asked him if he wanted to go to sleep, and he responded by putting his head down. *sigh* And here I thought my son wouldn't start kicking me out his room until he was at least 11...ah well, so much for that!
August proved to be a challenging month for the Chan Clan. Much of the month was dedicated to shows, conventions, long days, not enough sleep, and long drives throughout the state of California. On August 30th, we left the house at 6 AM and drove 3 hours to Aromas, California for Aromas Day. Dan and I were not only going to perform for the Aromas Day festivities, but Dan was also invited to speak about how God has worked in his life to allow him to have the life he lives now.
Dan really put a lot of thought and effort in his testimony. To sum things up: he acknowledged how blessed he is to have a career that he loves and looks forward to advance in, supportive family and friends, and enough work to live comfortably. Dan also stressed that while this career path was not easy and can prove to be difficult at times, God always has and still provides for him, as He will for everyone who diligently follows Him. God is good, all the time!
After the service, we got to check out the town of Aromas, supported the local farmers by buying some delicious white corn, and performed on the main stage. (Photo credit to jameskmetovic)
After our performance, we made a short drive over to Monterey. Because we had visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium not too long ago, we decided to go somewhere else in Monterey - My Museum!
The Monterey County Youth Museum (MY Museum) is an 8,500 sq. foot museum that is packed with a variety of "hands on" exhibits for kids. This museum is perfect for kids James' age and provides a safe and exciting environment for kids to explore! We were given free passes to the museum and got to explore for the afternoon!
There were so many things for us to explore and play with! James got to dress up like a fireman, sit in a little fire truck, and holler "wee-oh-wee-oh-wee-oh" ala fire truck siren:
He got to pop out like a gopher in the middle of a miniature golf course with dad:
...then later explore the tunnels and look at the critters below the golf course.
I got a taste of being a passenger in James' car in about 14 years...somehow I don't think I'll be smiling this much when he's driving for reals. I could be wrong - we'll see!
James even too Dan on an ambulance ride - with Dan in the front seat! To mix things up, he even put on a Tigger outfit. I guess even Tigger believes everyone deserves health care.
One very unexpected thing we learned that day - James can climb ladders BY HIMSELF. The first time he did it, I was standing behind him expecting him to need help. Was I wrong! James enjoyed the tree house and twirly slide at the museum so much that he climbed that ladder at least 8 times before getting a little worn out and running to the next exhibit (ie - I got worn out making sure he didn't fall off that ladder!)
There's a lot more to do at MY Museum than I could possibly blog - so much to do that we had to take a lunch break in between playing!
Fisherman's Wharf was a short walk away. We spent some time on the wharf sightseeing, window shopping, and getting some of the best clam chowders I've ever tasted. James enjoyed running around (or riding on Dan's shoulders) and taking in all the sights!
We had a wonderful time at Aromas, MY museum, and Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf. Monterey County is a fantastic place to visit!
NOTE: Why no photos of Grace at the museum? Simply put - she was asleep the entire time. Even despite all the noise, the screaming kids, and occasional stroller pushing from James, Grace was able to sleep through it all. We figured this was the perfect excuse to come back to MY museum in a few months! :)
In July, the Chan Clan was invited to visit Playland Not-At-The-Beach in El Cerrito. What an amazing place! For a small entrance fee, you get to check out the museum, play all the games at the penny arcade and all pinball machines you like, and see the amazing miniatures including Santa's Village, Cincus World, Charle Dicken's Village, and more! There were so many things to see and do for the whole family!
Dan spent a good amount of time playing many of the pinball machines. There were old machines, newer machines, and a lot that I've never seen before! The beauty of it - all the game play was included with admission - we got to see all those moving things in the machines go!
James had a good time looking at all the machines in the Penny Arcade. From what I gather, James learned an important lesson from one of those machines...
...while Dan enjoyed the exotic fan dance. Don't worry, it's not what you think!
Grace enjoyed the "rides" there. Well, it wasn't exactly a ride - more like a full bumper car for her to sit in! We're going to have to visit again soon - Grace can sit up by herself now!
As for me, I enjoyed checking all all the amazing miniatures there. There were so many different miniatures to look at! Here are a few of my favorites:
This hidden treasure has so much to see - you're just going to have to go there yourself to be amazed! Thank you Richard for letting us have fun at Playland Not At the Beach!!
I have but six words to sum up Gold Arrow Camp: Gold Arrow Camp is freaking AWESOME!!! For one of our many family vacations this year, we drove to Huntington Lake to visit Gold Arrow Camp. Dan was a counselor at GAC in 1997, and was invited back to perform a magic show as well as teach the campers some magic and juggling. What an exciting and fun vacation! While we weren't able to stay a full camp session, we did get to visit for a few days and were treated to lots of fun activities, delicious food, and we got to hang out with amazing staff and campers!
This was the first time that both James and Grace got to go camping - they loved it! While both were a little young to participate in all the activities (the age range for the campers is 6-14), they were allowed to try out some of the activities with Dan and me.
On our first day there, James and I got to hop on a motorboat and putt-putt around the lake. James enjoyed the motorboat so much that near the end of the ride, he rested his head on my arm and fell asleep! (offhand, the boat was appropriately named "Sneezy". James had a runny nose all week!).
Dan, being more adventurous, decided to take James sailing for the first time. He discovered that James loves sailing as much as he does! Thank heavens that Dan decided to flip the Sunfish AFTER James got off! Because Grace was so tiny, she wasn't allowed to ride on any of the boats, but she loved to watch everyone boating!
This was the first time that both James and Grace got to go camping - they loved it! While both were a little young to participate in all the activities (the age range for the campers is 6-14), they were allowed to try out some of the activities with Dan and me.
On our first day there, James and I got to hop on a motorboat and putt-putt around the lake. James enjoyed the motorboat so much that near the end of the ride, he rested his head on my arm and fell asleep! (offhand, the boat was appropriately named "Sneezy". James had a runny nose all week!).
While Grace couldn't go on the water, she did get to interact with some of the friendliest people she's ever met - GAC staff and campers! She loved meeting and playing with everybody!
The kids' favorite place to hang out was the Arts and Crafts station. T-qoe was super cool; not only did she left James draw and fingerpaint with shaving cream at the station, but she also let him made two shaving cream marbling cards, a bead necklace (with car beads!!!), as well as a tie dye tee shirt (I helped a little bit..)!
Dan and I even got to do a few other activities on the side including archery, a ropes course, and lots of hiking. There was something for everyone to do!
We really hope to visit Gold Arrow Camp again. There's so many things we didn't get to experience, including horseback riding, pontooning, rock climbing, wave running, waterskiing...and that's just the beginning!!! If you want your kids to have an experience of a lifetime, please check out Gold Arrow Camp's website for more information. It's a fantastic place for kids to meet new people, build independence, perseverance, and confidence, to take risks in a safe environment, and most importantly it's a great for kids to have lots of fun!
Thanks to Sunshine and Monkey for letting us have fun at Gold Arrow Camp!!!
Thanks to Sunshine and Monkey for letting us have fun at Gold Arrow Camp!!!
James is growing up equally fast. He's now 21 months old and getting into all sorts of trouble adventures. Can you believe this kid has been to Las Vegas three times now, and he's not even 2 years old yet?!?!
This summer, James learned how to play the drums using two drumsticks:
Stayed up until 4 AM while roadtripping down to Las Vegas (everyone besides the driver was asleep while James happily sang to himself and looked out the window).
And he had a hoot going sailing, motorboating, running around museums, and just traveling in general with us. (But I'll be blogging about those trips later!) I can say this - visiting museums and traveling is a lot more fun when your kid really reacts to what's going on!
When not traveling, James enjoys chilling out at home. He's been learning a lot about problem solving recently. Much to his delight (and our dismay) he's figured out how to move chairs and step stools around the house so he can reach higher grounds. This includes our counters, sinks, and non-childproofed upper cabinets. Tonight, he used a shoebox to stand on so he could peek into Gracie's playpen. Nothing is safe anymore!
James loves helping me around the house quite a bit now. He generally picks up after himself, enjoys putting clothing into the washer and dryer, wipes down counters/windows/tables/chairs/etc with wipes, and even "vacuums" with me. This kid lives up to "Margaret Wong's Standard of Cleanliness"! James also loves helping take care of Grace - a little too enthusiastically sometimes! While we have to watch out for when he tries to help burp Grace, he does a fantastic job entertaining her. It's so cute seeing him give her a hug and a kiss on the nose in the morning!
Our little boy is certainly growing up to be a handful and a joy!
James loves helping me around the house quite a bit now. He generally picks up after himself, enjoys putting clothing into the washer and dryer, wipes down counters/windows/tables/chairs/etc with wipes, and even "vacuums" with me. This kid lives up to "Margaret Wong's Standard of Cleanliness"! James also loves helping take care of Grace - a little too enthusiastically sometimes! While we have to watch out for when he tries to help burp Grace, he does a fantastic job entertaining her. It's so cute seeing him give her a hug and a kiss on the nose in the morning!
Our little boy is certainly growing up to be a handful and a joy!
Talk about fun filled and busy summer! We've been so packed out with shows, travel, and vacations that I haven't had time to blog! Here's a little sneak preview of what's to come!
Last Wednesday, we decided to stop by Monterey for plenty of fun, sun, and fish! Our first stop was on Cannery Row for some lunch, souvenirs, and sightseeing.
Lunch was nothing too memorable, however dessert was; we picked up FOUR chocolate covered caramel apples at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Now if you've never had a bite of a Rocky Mountain chocolate covered caramel apple, you are missing out! They have different flavors to choose from and all of them are divine! Our four apples were Rocky Road, Oreo Cookie, Mudpie, and Avalanche. Talk about YUM! We also picked up three chunks of fudge (which ended up in the freezer when we got home...can't eat everything at once, ya know!).
After sufficiently stuffing ourselves, we all went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium! It was a lot different for James to visit the aquarium this time in comparison to his first time. Not only was he able to comprehend what was in front of him, but he also got to interact with more of the exhibits! His favorite was the Coral Babies "Making Waves" exhibit. We lucky enough to have 10 minutes to ourselves so James could finally run across it! Of course, we also took some time to try on the costumes again. James decided to go as an angelfish this time.
Both James and Grace seemed to enjoy the Outer Bay exhibit - it was my personal favorite exhibit this time as they both decided to take a nap while we walked through it! Actually - Grace was asleep the entire time we were at the aquarium! We're definitely going to have to bring her back so she can enjoy all the sights, sounds, and animals there!
I just had to include this video somewhere. Hearing this woman cracks me up for some reason! Maybe it's because she thought the otters were weasels, or because she was seriously so amazed by them. Actually, it's probably because of her voice - something about it makes me laugh!
What a party I had last week! From June 13th through June 21, I was blessed enough to have my older brother, sister, and two nephews fly out from the Midwest. Each and every day we did something new, from visiting museums, to shopping, to going to the beach, to even sitting at home all day eating and playing video games! Talk about a super birthday gift! I'm going to have to blog about everything backwards as I can't remember everything and I didn't carry a camera with me on every outing (I have two kids - I forgot it sometimes!).
On Friday, we went to the new Aqua Adventure Water Park in Fremont. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera that day, but I can tell you this - James doesn't like cold water. It was really warm that Friday, but boy - did he wail when we carried him in the water! He didn't really like walking around in the grass either (I don't blame him, I hate walking in grass!) but he enjoyed playing with one the huge inter tubes! Grace enjoyed napping in her carseat while there, unlike her trip to Half Moon Bay (more on that later!) My two sisters, Dan, and one of my nephews went down the water slides at different times - those slides were a lot of fun! We're going to have to go back to this park when James is a little older.
On Thursday, we drove to Francis Beach in Half Moon Bay. While the beach was initially greeted with a little apprehension from James - he didn't like the feeling of sand on his feet - he eventually warmed to the experience and had a great time playing with his shovel and a bucket of water.
It was unfortunate that it was so windy that day! With all that wind, Grace was unable to sleep comfortably in her carseat! Luckily for her, there were plenty of hands that wanted to hold her and keep her warm! She particularly enjoyed having little chats with Auntie Lillian!
Of course, my two nephews had a great time. The beach is always a highlight when they come to visit California - hopefully next year we'll be able to go again!
My Groups
-
Voxaholic Updated: 3 minutes ago
-
Cuteologists Unanimous Updated: 1 hour ago
-
Asian Updated: 8 hours ago
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
