Blog With A View

I'm so glad we have an access to the beach only 20 minutes from where we live. After dinner we drove out there and took a stroll. 

I can't wait till I get my toes in them. I love walking on the beach. The air is irresistible especially in the late afternoon.

Hi Ladies - I am so excited to be a part of MomInspirations. I am a full time mom to a new chubby cutie (my two month old son) and a bright, beautiful 2 year old (my daughter) and full time wife to my amazing husband. I am also a part time children's director at church, and occasionally work on projects for a financial manager. Of course like most moms I am also a cook, maid, cheerleader, problem solver, teacher, etc... for my family. With so many "jobs" it is easy for me to forget my first and foremost title is "Child of God." This is one of the reasons it is so important to connect with other moms in order to encourage and spur each other on. I appreciate just sharing a laugh or a lesson learned. God has been revealing to me recently what a tremendous and miraculous blessing my family is. Daily He has brought me joy in the midst of sorrow, peace in the midst of chaos, and encouragement in the midst of defeat. Whether it is conquering the 10th load of laundry that day (due to one sick child and an infant who seems to constantly erupt from both ends) or greeting my husband at the door with actual patience an love (rather than pretending to listen and remain calm before venting my day's frustrations). God has been teaching me again about the depth of His love. Seeing glimpses of Him in my baby's coo, my daughter's smile, my husband's support and even this new venue of relationships - I feel awash in His love again.

I look forward to sharing more with all of you and seeing how God will work to connect, strengthen and encourage us together.
Goodbye for now as I must get back to my baby (no time for rewrites or drafts in my life lately so I will write as I think of it and hope you will forgive any mistakes).

Summerism

Now that the summer is approaching, and the children's vacation is near, I've got to start planning what and how we're going to spend our time together. It's funny how I get so excited about the vacation even more so than the kids. Since I have to take care of all three kids all day, this means hard work for me. But I love spending time with them and hopefully we'll create fond memories together for them to keep the rest of their lives.

There are few things I've been thinking about:

1. I'll be teaching them basic piano. Hopefully my 15 years of lessons (about 10 yrs. for Jay) will pay off for the good.

2. I'm giving them vocal lessons. Our 6 year old daughter is showing so much interest in singing, I can't resist :)

3. Aside from the arts, I think I might homeschool them. A lighter version of this is probably more appropriate since they ARE on vacation. 

4. Play, play, and playdates are vital!

5. Outdoor activities are a must. I think Jay is thinking about teaching them tennis since he's secretly hoping one of the children would become a pro.

6. Our church has 3 weeks of activities for the kids. Creative arts camp, sports camp, and VBS. I think we'll consider one or two options.

7. Beach, picnic, and BBQ. You can't say summer without these three essentials.

8. Lots of family time! (I'm hoping) Hopefully, we'll be able to squeeze in a nice getaway during the vacation. I already have one place in mind: The Longwood Gardens! I absolutely adore this place. This place is filled with my favorite things: beautiful flowers and awesome architectures. This place was one of my favorite place to go photo-hunting as a young girl. We've never been there after I got married, but hopefully we'll get a chance to create awesome memories like the ones I still treasure to this day. 

The list seems long, but it takes effort and planning to make useful of all the time we'll get. Time is so valuable, I'd hate to waste it on TV all day.

Hi, this is Caitlin.
I'm a young mom with a wonderful husband, a great 10-month old daughter and a strong faith in God. This has been the most challenging, most rewarding, and most humbling time of my life, and I'm so glad to be able to connect with other women in my position, to share my experiences and to hear from the other moms on the blog. Becoming a mother has definitely opened my eyes to my daily need for constant prayer, whether it's to be continually thankful for my blessings (even if it's just to be thankful that my baby is taking a nice, long nap) or to pray for patience (I have needed it). I have never blogged before, so this is something I am both a little apprehensive and excited about! Until next time,
Caitlin

Thank You Aquadoodle!

I have found a lifesaver! I think every parent should own one of these for their kids. Have you heard of Aquadoodle?

My kids and I love art and I want to encourage them to be creative every chance they get. But many times it becomes such a stressful event when it's time to clean up and that's another load of chores topping my list of endless things to do. Then I found Aquadoodle.

Aquadoodle is a big pad made like a canvas. It comes with a pen that you fill it with water. Just like magic, the water in the pen turns the fabric blue! It's a mess free art activity that doesn't stain, stick, or is toxic in case the younger ones decide to get a little taste of their art.

My toddler loves painting, but the only problem is, she also loves to put everything in her mouth too. So I find this solution working very well in our house. All I have to do is give her a bowl of water and a set of paintbrushes to make everyone happy :P

Wherever You Are

I am at the Orthodontist office with one of my three kids. I am a volunteer counselor at a Crisis Pregnancy Center. I am doing my 4th load of laundry today. I am scrambling to put together a nutritious and delicious meal in 25 minutes again. I am explaining to my 15 year old the concern his father and I have with online Chatrooms. I am helping my 8 year old with her shower while paying my bills online. I am helping my 11 year old study for a test while getting ready for a well deserved evening out with my husband. This is where I am. Where are you?

My name is Carolina, but you can call me Nina. I am really excited to be one of the contributors at MomInspirations. I will be writing to you through devotionals designed to encourage and challenge you to live a purposeful life for God. I believe God wants us to be creative, to enjoy life fully, and serve Him with our whole hearts.

Wherever you are today, remember you are not alone. God designed you to be in communion with Him and with other women. Until we meet again, BFN. Nina

Late Night Movie Break

After a long day, I decided to give myself a little break. There were just too many things to think about, and when this happens, I usually watch a movie to get my mind to stop working. Since I'm a thinker, I find it quite difficult to get away from this secret world. Too bad the movie I watched tonight had an opposite effect. It was too much to handle so I crawled out of bed, trying to collect myself. The movie is called Becoming Jane.

I don't know about you, but I'm a die hard fan of Jane Austen. And of course, her renowned book Pride and Prejudice is my ultimate favorite book. I can't help myself. The first time I read the book was about 10 years ago, and within those years, I must've read about 20 times. Yes, twice a year I indulge myself with the book to keep my heart going.

When they made the movie, Pride and Prejudice about 3 years ago, I was a 

bit skeptical about watching it for I feared it might not do justice (as movies usually fail to do so). But I was overwhelmed by it. It truly was a masterpiece. It wasn't just a movie, it was more like art itself. Needless to say, it also is my favorite movie :) It knocked off my ultimate titles such as Roman Holiday, Sleepless In Seattle and Sabrina.

I still say Pride and Prejudice is my favorite movie, but Becoming Jane is having an unusual effect on me. It did portray very well how Jane Austen might have been like. I was able to see how and why she wrote the way she did. It was interesting. I don't think it's the way it was made, and honestly, I didn't like some of the contents. But something is definitely causing a stir in my heart and I don't know what. It's almost mysterious. Perhaps, I ought to sleep on it and analyze later. Late nights have strange influence on me. Pairing that with Norah Jones is worst for me :P

Another interesting blog I found: www.becomingjane.blogspot.com

Workaholics Anonymous

If there's such a thing, Workaholics Anonymous that is, I would definitely be the first one to be there right now. Ever since I took on the two projects, the pace of my life has accelerated even more, if that is even possible. I'm spending most of my time planning and researching, my brain right now is going through a major information overload. I sound like I'm complaining, but in reality, I'm savoring every moment of it. I think I can finally understand why and how people can become workaholics.

A part of my research is to find any websites or blogs that could be helpful to my two ministries I'm building. I couldn't believe my eyes when I was able to see a whole new world before me. As I'm discovering this new realm, I realize that I've been so oblivious all these years. There are so many resources out there, I can barely sleep. Literally. All this is good, but there are times I think of this saying now and then: Ignorance is bliss :P

I did find an interesting blog called Organizing Junkie though. Being an OCD, I fell in love with it instantly :) I wonder, if there's a way I could learn to organize all the scrambled thoughts and ideas in my head. Now that would be a nice treat.

What's my day like?

I still can't forget how I was at loss of words when someone had asked me the dumbest question about 5 years ago ( when my first daughter was just a toddler). We were watching TV together and all of a sudden this person said, "So Gina, since you're a stay at home mom, is this what you do all day?" meaning do I watch TV all day. I was so dumbfounded and upset I simply just said, "No, that's not what I do all day". If only this person had any idea what my typical day is like....

Here's my schedule:

A.M.
6:30 Wake up
7:00 Kids wake up
7:30 Breakfast
8:00 Kids go to school
8:30 Clean up/ Chores
8:30- 9:30 Activities with the toddler
9:30 Try to put the toddler to nap
10:00 The toddler finally naps (if lucky)
11:00 Prepare lunch
11:30 Wake up the toddler and off to pick up my preschooler from school
P.M.
12:00 Lunch
12:30 Clean up
1:00-3:00 Activities/ outing with the kiddies
3:00 My first grader comes home school
3:00-4:00 My 1st grader does homework/study while the other children play quietly
4:00 Prepare dinner
5:00 Dinner
6:00 Kids take a bath
6:30-7:30 Play/ activity time with kids, bed time rituals
7:30 Kids bedtime/ Put the toddler to sleep
8:00 Do the dishes and other chores/ shower
9:00 Time for work/ study/ spend time with hubby
12:00 or 1:00 A.M Go to sleep... finally

Yeah, I watch TV all day..... right.

Guess How Old?

My 4 year old preschooler brought home a gift bag filled with Mother's Day presents yesterday. At school he spent the entire last week making cards, drawings, a bouquet of tissue paper flowers, and a laminated "This is my mom, she is special" letter about me. There are questions and he had to fill out the answers. I got such a kick out of it, I thought I must share this. This is what it says:

My mom's favorite thing to do is: play hot wheels (miniature cars) with me.

My mom has a nice smile. I like to make her smile by: giving her a present on her birthday.

My mom is so smart! She even knows how to: cook pancakes.

My mom's age is: 99 years old (I think).

I love you mom!

Haha... I just love the way kids think. I'm glad that he knows how much I enjoy spending time with him ( we usually play with his hot wheels). I was taken back though when he thought I was 99 years old. So I asked him, "Do you really think I'm 99 years old?!" He said, "No". Then I said, "How old do you really think I am?" He says, "You're 90!" I then decided to leave it at that :D 

Happy Mother's Day

Hello Port Jefferson!

I heart Port Jefferson. It's such a happy place :) We'll do less with words today and more with pictures. Yay!

This is Pattern Finders. It's a fabulous shop filled with antiques and vintage jewelry, which I have a weakness for. The owner Staci has quite an elegant taste to her collections.

Next stop: The Children's Maritime Museum. You can read about it in this blog.

This place was more like a play area for kids than a museum per say. But everything they had set up definitely encourages kids to be innovative. They had a big boat and  a sand box filled with grains of rice. I loved this idea since playing with sand can bring about many problems during clean up time. For a flat fee of $10.00, the kids had a wonderful time and I didn't have to worry about the mess. What a wonderful gift for Mother's Day :P

What day is today? Today is Mother's Day!

Every year as Mother's Day rolls around, I get this automated sound system going in my head. It plays this song that I learned in grade school called, "What day is today? Today is Mother's Day". It must be the annoying but catchy tune that does it. Why am I writing this, I don't know. But to honor and celebrate all the mothers around the world, I must NOT sing this song.

Every year we usually celebrate the day at a restaurant, but this year I decided to attempt a "brunch" in our home. There's something about it that brings out the child in me. It's almost like Christmas morning where the excitement and romanticism meet together. Brahms could definitely describe so well in his music for he was a true romanticist. Which gives me the idea: I'm going to make a play list of Brahms and perhaps some Puccini for our meal tomorrow.

Thanks to Food Network, this is the menu:

Fresh Strawberry Bellini

Orange-Glazed Blueberry Scones

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Frittata

Roasted Asparagus Bundles

Roasted Chicken Sausage

Fresh Fruit Salad with Mint

Pasta Salad

If it turns out well, maybe I'll post some pictures :)

Talking about food, I went to Angels today and it was fantastic! I've always known they were good, but today was even better. It's a small but charming Italian restaurant decorated with guess what? Of course, angels :P

Here are some cheesy pics I took with my phone. I wish I had my camera with me, but too bad I'm often forgetful.

I didn't think all 12 of us could fit inside, but it turned out okay. It was pretty cozy actually. And plus, we were welcomed by more angels all around us. Even their tables had cute little pictures of angels on it. 

But this I thought was a little strange: Could it be Christmas in May? There was a wreath too but unfortunately I couldn't get a picture of it. Haha.... 

However, we did manage to have a great luncheon today and nice fellowship which matters the most. Too bad I always forget to take pictures of the dishes before I eat them. I always remember to take pictures after I'm halfway done, which of course, don't look all too appetizing :P

What is "bowah"?

It has been weeks since I've been trying to figure out what in the world does "bowah" mean. My 20 month old likes to say this word whenever we go out for a walk. After thinking, probing and analyzing, I finally figured out what "bowah" finally means: she's saying "flower". Ha ha... I'd have to admit, she's a darling and she really does lighten my life.

I guess even in the eyes of a 20 month old toddler, there's a change of a season, and a world of the beginning of life. She loves to pick flowers as we take our little walks. I truly wonder how the world looks like in the eyes of a little baby girl.

Butterfly Kisses

I know I made a promise to myself, that I won't be the kind of blogger who writes to brag about their kids, but today I must break that promise. 

Do you remember the song "Butterfly Kisses"? I love that song. It makes me sad while hearing it, but the song can truly capture what we parents go through everyday. 

My 20 month old keeps me on my feet all day everyday. She's quite the explorer armed with much curiosity and many times she wipes me out. By mid-morning I'll already be ready to go to bed. Don't get me wrong... I love the fact that she's learning about life and absorbing the world around her, but it's just that once she goes through the house, it looks like the aftermath of a whirring tornado. 

Nowadays I find myself getting exhausted but not only that, I get frustrated with all the mess, the tantrums and endless demands. I need a break. I don't think I can fairly describe the desperate feeling I'm keeping. But in moments like this, there comes the song. 

When I'm absolutely exhausted and I lie down to collect myself, little toddler would climb on the bed. If I have my eyes closed (and only if they're closed), she leans over and showers me with kisses. That's exactly what I do for her when I put her to bed. And in those moments, I must admit, everything fades away. Sure, I'm still tired and achy all over. But those indescribable moments bring such joy and happiness that no mess and tantrums can ever stop me from enjoying her in this stage of life. I realize I can live through these moments only once in my lifetime. I mind as well should definitely enjoy every moment of this. 

Bug off!

Those of you who know me well, without a doubt know how much I dislike insects. In fact, it's a phobia that I wish I never have to face. But for some strange reason, no matter where I go I am destined to run into quite traumatic experiences related to.... of course, bugs.

I don't want to recall my various experiences nor the types of insects I'd dealt with. Actually I do with one account, where I lived in northern California (another name for gigantic ant hole), and I had to stuff every food item in the refrigerator because those vicious ants will get to and through anything edible. Opened boxes or unwrapped plastic bags are not obstacles for them. The only thing we were able to keep in the pantry ( without being attacked by thousands of ants) were the canned goods. I remember I couldn't even put food on the kitchen counter for five minutes or else it'll be covered with dusts of ants.

Why am I revisiting my nightmare? Because it's spring and we have unwelcomed guests. I simply don't know what to do. I think I've tried just about anything there is (the non-toxic way). Those ants are coming in through our sliding doors in the living room. I tried spreading salt, cayenne pepper, sprays of vinegar, citric smelling cleaners, chalk, etc. These suggestions were obtained from the internet and I can tell you right now, THEY DON'T WORK!

Maybe it's God trying to communicate to me that I have no control of my life. It doesn't matter how well I'm educated, how much I've accomplished and how much I plan, only He has the control and He certainly should for He's the creator of the universe. Even the tiniest thing is out of my hands and now I must learn to relax and not worry. This is not easy, especially for an OCD/perfectionist like me. However, it's good to know that He who's in ultimate control is my Daddy and the best thing about it is that He's truly PERFECT :)

Attempting Martha Stewart

I can assure you that I am not at all like Martha Stewart. Homemaking, I feel, is one of the most challenging thing I ever faced in life. Before I got married and had kids, music and career was my life. I knew I would marry, sometime after I turn 30, but have never fantasized about being a wife, a mother of three, and a full time homemaker. I used to find joy in listening to operas with the music scores in hand, mastering music analysis. My mind was filled with beloved poems of Goethe and my heart was beating with music arrangements by Schubert, Brahms, and Mahler. But after 8 years of twists and turns, time has brought me to a new dimension of life.

Of course, being a homemaker is not easy. It is such a challenging occupation. But it teaches you the most valuable lesson in life. You are not the center of your life. The best-seller book The Purpose Driven Life mentions about this. I won't get into this now since I haven't even gotten to my point yet :P But I do realize that being a mother has taught me be to be a giving person, and that is one of the greatest lesson learned.

Needless to say, although it's challenging in all areas of my life: emotionally, physically, mentally and even spiritually, I love being a mother and a homemaker. Whether I'm good at it or not is another story... or post. Ha!

One thing I've been wanting to learn is to sew. If  I can master this skill, it'll open up a whole new world for me. Okay, since I'm on a roll in being brutally honest, I have a confession to make. I am addicted to quilts. Sadly, I don't even own one, but I am totally head over heels with them. There's something so mysterious about them and it feels as if each quilt has so much stories to tell. I should stop myself before I get all philosophical over a set of blankets. But this is something I'd love to learn and gift each of my beloved children. I love Purl Soho.

They have the most exquisite everything!

Anyways, all my planning for the new ministry is coming along pretty well. Hopefully, I'll be able to meet all the deadlines.