Spaz Attack

Thoughts from a big spaz who has lots to spaz about.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Last night when I posted, I was drowsy and feeling a bit drunk after taking allergy medication. It seems like, lately, I only write in here when I am out of it. Nice.

Ok, so the Yosemite trip wasn't totally awash. We went to Yosemite Sugarpine Railroad and Tyler got to ride a train and pan for gold. Riding the train was more for him and panning for gold was more for me cause I've always wanted to do that! I mean, always...ever since we learned about the Gold Rush in third grade. Who knew it was so lame, like just hold the pan and move it around in slight circles. Anyways, Tyler didn't care too much for it and has already lost the gold flakes he got as a souvenir. (Darn it. Thought my dentist could make me something special for my teeth.)

Couple of thoughts on the ride back from Yosemite.

Thought #1- I would really LOVE a reality show about farmers. Yes, farmers! Wouldn't that be so exciting. I'm not kidding here. I would love to see how they live, what they plant, etc. I'm sure they have some tricks up their sleeves about growing a thing or two and I would love to learn! Well, because, you see, I pretty much kill everything I plant. (Side story: Tyler's Montessori requests that every student bring in a small plant to care for while they are at school. I sent one and that died, so I sent another one and that died too! Just being touched by me means imminent death for poor plants!) I think it would be cool to see where these fruits and veggies end up? In America? For dinner at a home? Gourmet restaurant? 99 cents only stores? I just think it would be fascinating. Just a thought I had while we were driving down on the 5.

Thought #2- I hate freeway bullies! You know who they are. For a very short time, Jason asked if I would drive. This is the first time since we've known each other that he has asked me to drive while he was in the car so he must have been dead tired. Anyways, while I was driving, there was this BMW behind my car, getting all close, like, just threatening me to move faster. And, all the while the lane next to us was wide open! What a freeway bully, right? LOSER! I thought to myself. He doesn't have any power or success whatsoever in his life so he gets a nice car and bullies people on the road. For some reason, it irritates me more if the car is something equivalent to a Pinto. I don't know why, but it does. I don't drive a nice car, but don't be threatening me with a dang Pinto!

Thought #3- I think apple farms are very romantic. Don't you? There is something about rows and rows of neatly planted apple trees. Can't be any other tree. Only apple trees. It reminds me of Fall, of warm apple cider, of apple pies, of fresh baby applesauce, or crisp cool weather. You would think that I've gone to an apple farm before. Well I haven't and that is one of my life goals. To find an apple farm and leap through the trees with little to think about but how grand life is. Yes, I actually thought this while I was driving on the 5. Now, if I could only be certain that what I was looking at were apple trees.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm teaching Tyler's class at church. It's really nothing big. Only thirty minutes. Nothing to stress about at all. It's fun to look at Tyler when I am teaching. I wonder what he is thinking- Why is my mom weird? or My mom is so cool. :) When I first asked him if I could be his teacher, he said, "No, I just want you to be my mommy." When I explained to him that I could be his mommy and be a teacher at the same time, he said, "Oh, ok then." So cute, huh?

The other day he surprised me when he said, "Mommy, the mountains are marvelous." Marvelous! haha, I was laughing. What a kid!

He wanted to take his bike to camp and he said, "I think Chase will want this when we go camping." Funny kid. He knows that Chase can't ride it. HE wanted to bring it!

Before he goes to sleep, he starts every prayer with, "Dear God, Thank you for a wonderful day today and tomorrow...." And then adds the funniest cutest things ever. For example, I was telling him during the day that werewolves come out when there is a full moon and he added to his prayer, "Please protect me from the werewolves."

I love it! I love him! He brings so much joy and happiness. He is truly a good boy and I'm so lucky to be his mom.

And let's not forget Chase! He is growing so big, already looking like little boy. My favorite thing from Chase at the moment is when he walks to me with outstretched arms and hugs me with triumph.

I can't believe that once Chase leaves babyhood, there will be no more little baby noises in our house. Though I often say that I can't wait for that day to come, I'm sure that I will look back and miss these days with all my heart and try to relive these days in my memories.

My mind is kind of all over the place. Excuse me. It is 2:30 in the morning. I find this is the best time to write. The boys are quiet and the crickets are my only companions. The world is still and I just write....

Saturday, August 30, 2008

I used to post a lot more about Tyler's developmental milestones and realized that I haven't done the same with Chase. At 1 year and 1 month, he is able to:

- walk on average about 10 steps
- say Taitai (Tyler), wawa (water), uhbooba (piggback ride in Korean), bubbles, uhma (mommy in Korean), ahpa (daddy in Korean), ball, boo (book), mama (for food, bir (bird), buh (bug)
- do sign language for more which he uses when he wants something
- do moves for certain songs: pop the bubbles, eentsy weentsy spidar, the wheels on the bus, if you're happy and you know it, little einsteins.

So cute to see him grow up and interact with Tyler, especially now that he says, "Tai Tai" for Tyler.

Yesterday we went camping at Yosemite (said YoseMIGHT). What the heck were we thinking? Oh my, I knew I wasn't a outdoorsy girl but I thought I would give it a shot. So, it was A LOT better than when Jason and I went together before we got married (I'll tell you more about this trip later.), but it was still absolutely horrid.

Like, I didn't know there were no showers!! GROSS!! I recall there being showers when I went to six grade camp!! And that was "CAMP!"

We didn't know that there was so water for the WATERfall!! Who knew that there is no "FALL" at Yosemite FALLS in the summer?! I didn't! The ranger looked at us like we were crazy when we asked her where the falls were! haha.

How were we supposed to know that it would be like 104 when we made reservations like four months ago?

I didn't know that flies and WASPS love kalbi! I was screaming away from our picnic table for my dear life with kalbi in hand. Jason asked me to stop it because Tyler was copying me, but I told him that that's like asking me not to breathe. How can I stop something that I have NO control over? I had to remind Jason that that is fight or flight response and my response is to flight!

There was dirt everywhere! I thought we would camp on some nicely manicured grass! I had to remind Tyler to lift his legs up when he walked, not to shuffle his feet! Oh my, I could SEE the dirt going up my nostrils and making boogars! (Ok, not in my nose...in Chase's nose! Poor Chase!) So anyways, I had to model for Tyler how to lift his legs and walk like a horse, and told him to pretend he was a horse while we were camping.

Though it was really hot during the day. I mean- really hot- like, I could see sweat pouring down my Tyler's face. At night, it was really cold! Thank God I packed long sleeve shirt and pants at the last moment or else we would have froze to death.

How come the sleeping bag NEVER goes back into the bag that it came out of? Seriously, can't they just make the bag a little, wee bit bigger? For people like me! I used my all my fat body weight and fat ass weight to flatten it out as much as possible but it still wouldn't work!

I had to go to the bathroom at night but I refused to WALK a mile to the bathroom in the DARK and come face to face with a BEAR!! In the middle of the night, I even looked out of the tent to see if I could see the bathroom from where we were and to see if there were any bears in between me and the bathroom. I got too scared and told myself that I rather live and be a little bit unfortable than leave my children motherless and waited until I couldn't see the stars anymore and some light was shining on us.

Here is a recap of our trip: We drove about six hours, made the tent (or should I say watched and laughed at Jason attempt to make the tent. He did a good job, though there was a stick and some fabric left behind...hmmm....), took everything out of the car (TOO much stuff for just ONE DAY!!!), ate dinner, washed up in the freezing cold water, went inside the tent, slept, woke up, washed up with the freezing water again, ate breakfast, cleaned up and came back home (this time 7 hour drive).

Jason told me that he gets another vacation in October and asked if I wanted to take the kids somewhere. I told him , " I don't care where you plan on taking us. You could plan a trip around the world and it wouldn't matter cause I'm NOT GOING! Just take Tyler. I'm done traveling!"

Sounds kind of mean, but that's what comes out when you've been holding your one year for two days!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Hello! Not much going on. The drama this week concerned Tyler's schooling. After much waiting and anticipation, we finally got a call that Tyler could enter a Montessori in Irvine. With a wait of 12 to 18 months, you would think that it was the best school ever, right? WRONG.

My experience at this school confirms what I have always said about teaching. It doesn't matter what materials a teacher is given, it doesn't matter where the school is, or how pretty a school looks from the outside...all that matters is the teacher's heart and true intention to teach the children in her care.

This school has totally blindsided so many parents in Irvine. Parents just think, "Ooh, nice looking school, has all the newest materials, long wait list, expensive, so it's gotta be the best, right?" They don't see that Montessori means "child initiated." What does that truly mean? It's a fancy way of saying that the child teaches himself while the teacher just watches! Duh! Parents, read between the lines!

Seriously, Tyler was in a room of thirty students with one teacher and two assistants. Most of the day is free "work time" when students get to play with all the toys and activities in the room. The only true interaction that the kids had with the teacher was at circle time which lasted twenty minutes of the six hours that Tyler was there!

I am taking Tyler out immediately and sending him back to his old preschool. You never know how good things are until you don't have it anymore and you compare it to something else. Before, I just thought his previous preschool was ok, but NOW, I think it is the best school ever! :)

Well, most of you who are not parents probably don't care too much for this post! Sorry, but I just had to vent. It's kind of sad that a school has a good reputation for nothing. I was talking to another parent at Tyler's tae kwon do about how disappointed I am with the Montessori and she said she would never send her child there. I asked her, "Who are these parents that send their child there?" and she replied, "Well, they are definitely not teachers because we know better than to think kids will teach themselves. If given the choice, my students would do nothing or do the same thing every day!" haha, we got a good laugh at that!

So, to parents or future parents, beware of Montessori. Maybe if the Montessori philosophy is applied correctly, it might work, but the word Montessori doesn't mean anything at all. Just be cautious.

Seriously, I feel like the little girl screaming, "The emperor isn't wearing any clothes!"

Wednesday, August 13, 2008


One highlight of trip to SF...Tyler got to turn the cable car on the turn table! He was so happy and excited!

Monday, August 11, 2008



A recent picture of "both the guys." Thanks to Auntie Jenn for the lion walker with the funny laugh! Doesn't it look like Chase is wearing a skirt? hehe.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Gosh, it's been a long time since I last posted. What do I do with all my time? Well, for one, we have cable now! Yes to TV! Actually, since I haven't watched TV in so long, I don't even like it anymore. Everything I watch seems like such a waste of freakin' time.

Sorry I haven't posted about SF yet. I started writing something about it but never finished it and it sits as one of my drafts. We had an awesome time! It was so cool to travel with the boys mostly because Tyler was able to understand and appreciate everything that we saw. Weeks leading up to the trip, I borrowed books and DVDs about San Francisco and looked over it with Tyler, making sure he knew that he would be seeing it in person when we got there. Don't know if this added to the excitement, but seriously, Tyler had a blast. He didn't want to leave and he still talks about it.

Some highlights from the trip: Hung out with Jeannie, Brian, and Sophie in Chinatown and had some yummy Dim Sum and visited a fortune cookie factory, hung out with Jen and went to a Children's Discovery Museum (where I left Jen with both the boys for about thirty minutes!....felt so bad!), rode the cable car, Bart, ferry...ok, I realize that to do this trip justice and for the boys' sake, I will have to write more about this trip. Post forthcoming.

We had Chase's first birthday party. It was really small, mostly family and friends who live in LA cause we had it at a restaurant in LA. Can't believe that Chase is already one! MY BABY! Some thoughts from his party:

1. Don't have any do something for you unless you know exactly what they are going to do. Someone volunteered to do something and I didn't really like the end results. I should have just taken care of it myself or have been 100% certain of what this person was going to do. Of course, I can't get into specifics here, but I was so upset I cried myself to sleep feeling sorry for Chase and feeling like a bad mom, emailing Jen a ridiculous letter I am sure she laughed at. Anyways, I told myself that I would make it up to Chase somehow.

2. Don't wear patterns when you are going to take pictures. Pictures always come out better if you are wearing solids. Don't you think? Well, I do. For professional pictures, anyways. And of course, I never follow my own advise because I wore a pattern print and am sure my dress will come out looking like vomit. Dang, that is what I get for buying my dress the DAY of the party.

3. I wish presents would be clearly stated who they were given by. There were some presents without cards, some presents that said, "from the choi family"...um, there were like five Choi families! It just makes the process of opening presents and figuring out who to thank for what that much harder.

Dude, this is like a venting session or something, huh? Well, maybe it is my headache talking. Do you ever get into a grouchy mood when you have a bad headache? Well, obviously I do!

No, Chase looked exactly like Tyler on his birthday. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them.

Well, I don't really know what I am writing when it is late and my head feels like it is going to burst open at any moment. I don't think I should publish this post because I kind of feel like drunk with tiredness and a headache.

I'll try to write more later. Lots of things going on. After. some. sleep.