Peg’s Journal

My girls participated in a fashion show over the weekend for Nordstrom at The Irvine Spectrum. The word-of-mouth production was not widely publicized… it was just a way for local kids and employees’ children to have some fun. In exchange for our participation, we recieved an additional 15% off the childrens’ apparel and shoe sale. I scored on a pair of Van’s for Ashlyn for $13 (nothing in Summer’s size), and some other great deals. I thought it was a clever way for Nordstrom to draw in shoppers bright and early.

But what I was most excited about was the fact that Summer wanted to be in the Fashion Show too!!! Unlike Ashlyn, Summer doesn’t like to draw attention to herself. Simple requests, like asking her to sing a song for the grandparents, requires a lot of pleading and bribery. HAHA! So imagine my surprise when I took Ashlyn in for the clothes fitting and Summer said she wanted to try on clothes too! By Saturday morning, Summer started looking like she had changed her mind (which I kinda anticipated)….but then we had her walk with Olivia & Erin, and it was all good. Summer smiled brightly, walked confidently, and had a really good time. Ashlyn is currently going through a self-concious phase. She looked scared and shy, even though we all knew she was soooo excited to be a part of the show.

Lauren, Taylor, Erin, Olivia, and Shelby also strutted their stuff in the Fashion show, and they were all so cute!
Click here for fashion show pics.

Saturday afternoon and evening was spent celebrating Karis’ 5th Birthday at Sam and Patti’s. I love parties at Sam and Patti’s…lots of good food and company, and the kids have so much fun running and playing in the spacious home and back garden.
Click here for Karis’ birthday pictures.

Sunday was a lax day. We met up with my father-in-law and some relatives for a late lunch in Rowland Heights. Aric, the kiddies, and I did some shopping at 99 Ranch, then came home to decorate our front yard and put up our Christmas tree. We finally upgraded our small faux tree (that we got for $6 when living in Taiwan) to a 7.5 foot faux cashmere pine (we purchased last year for 50% off after the holiday season…yeah, I’m all about bargains. hehehe).
Like last year, the girls had so much fun decorating the tree. Because they’re both older now, they are better at spreading out the ornaments on the tree…sometimes standing on the arm of the couch to hang some toward the top. hehehe
I used all the little plush toys my kids have gotten from their McDonald’s Happy Meals, or the keychain thingies they get from the dollar gumball machines, as tree ornaments. HAHAHA! I’m not just cheap, but creative, too. HAHAHA!
I ordered my Christmas cards and compiled my shopping list…and it’s really starting to feel like the holiday season is upon us now.
Click for more pictures.

Monday was a really busy and long day for me. Aric had a department dinner to attend, so I picked up Summer from preschool. By the time we got back home, it was nearly 4:30pm. Ashlyn had homework and I was up to my neck in laundry.

Lately, Summer’s been having a lot of “accidents”….at school, at home, and in Aric’s car (hence, the laundry). Yesterday, when I picked her up, she was wearing someone else’s spare clothes again (because she had already gone through her spare outfits last week). This time, she had also soiled her naptime blanket. Summer’s teacher asked if there was anything wrong. Which I replied, “no…everything’s fine”. Does “accidents” mean that something’s wrong? I always figured that laziness is the cause. Whatever the case, I talked with Summer last night and stressed the importance of going immediately when her body tells her to go. Hopefully that helped.

The girls and I ate an early dinner, Ashlyn finished her homework by 7:30pm, the kiddies changed into pjs, and watched “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas” while waiting for Aric to come home.

Tags: birthday party, kiddies, pictures, Summer, weekend

I’m recuperating from a glorious long weekend of feasting with family. I had only one meal today (dinner), because I’m seriously still full from the weekend. If I had lost any weight prior to Thanksgiving, I’ve already gained it back (and then some).

Right before our drive up to Norcal last Wednesday night, we had a pre-Thanksgiving celebration with Aric’s side of the family at Pat and Karen’s place. We enjoyed the traditional Thanksgiving fare (a huge turkey, mashed potatoes, cornbread, candied yams, stuffing, and cranberries) along with several chinese dishes (homemade and restaurant bought), and FIVE different desserts! Click for pics.

Thursday was spent sleeping in (since Aric, the kiddies, and I finally arrived at my parents’ house at 5am), hanging with my parents, sisters, nieces, cousin, and cousin’s boyfriend, last minute grocery runs, goofing off, overindulging in food and drinks, and feeling the love. It’s always awesome to have everyone under one roof again. Click for more pics.

Friday and Saturday was similar to Thursday…quality time with family, eating, braving the crowds at the mall for some shopping, eating, visits with friends, and more eating. Aric, the kiddies, and I left shortly after dinner on Saturday night to avoid Sunday traffic. We got in close to 3am Sunday. Click for pics.

We slept in Sunday, had lunch and met up with friends at the Spectrum, drove to my in-laws’ for dinner and to pick up Cookie, then back home in time to put the kiddies to bed.

This year Aric and I did not participate in Black Friday shopping. Last year’s experience scarred me. HAHAHA

I don’t need Thanksgiving to remind me of what I am thankful for: my incredible family (parents, sisters, cousins, nieces, in-laws), my amazing friends, my hubby and kids whom I love more than anything. *sigh*

We had such a great long weekend…hope you did too!

Tags: family, friends, NorCal, pictures, weekend, yummy food

revisiting the past

If you ever wanted to know what I looked like in high school, this comes pretty close (although I wasn’t allowed to wear this much make up, and I had more babyfat, braces, and zits).

Over the weekend, I attended a fundraiser for Ashlyn’s school at our local golf club. The 80’s themed event was cleverly called “Totally 80’s Fall Fund-rager”. HAHAHA! I spent the last couple of weeks looking for the perfect outfit. I victoriously won my dress on eBay for $20. It’s sad finding out that clothes from the 80’s are now considered “vintage”.

My date, Marie (a fellow mom), and I had a really fun time. We went, we mingled, we ate, we drank, we bid, we danced, and we went home with some goodies. I won 3 items from the silent auction: a portait sitting, a certificate for a massage, and the birdhouse that Ashlyn’s class decorated. We don’t need a birdhouse. But I had personally invested a lot of time and energy into that project. So imagine how bad I felt when I saw that no one had placed a bid on it. The starting bid was $100 (yeah, you read that right!) and that was very hard to swallow. It’s like paying 10 times the value of an item that I donated.
All in all, I contributed about $350 to the PTO/school that night….mere chump-change compared to what others shelled out. I watched in awe as people paid thousands of dollars for framed autographed Anaheim Ducks jersey, a Platinum Suite at an Angels game, and Grand Wailea Vacation (just to name a few).

You know what I discovered?…that after nearly 2 decades, pumping up my bangs comes second nature to me. Scary! HAHAHA! Click here for more pics (happy faces to protect the innocent).

Aside from my blast to the past and a birthday party, our weekend was spent mostly at home resting. I’ve been feeling under the weather and really need to get better before our Thanksgiving trip. The hubby and kiddies have been having fun with Guitar Hero (for the Wii). ROCK ON!!!

Tags: pictures, school, weekend

“Busy” and “Tired” are words I commonly use to describe my days as of late. I would love to post more…but my days are busy, and by the end of the night, I’m too tired. These days, I barely call my mom, and my dear sisters and friends back home never hear from me. This blog is the only forum for them to see what we’re up to….and even then, I’m lucky to crank out something once a week.

With all the time that passes with little or no communication between my loved ones back home, I fear that we might drift apart. I’m saddened by that thought. Last night I drempt of my girlfriends. It was almost a collage of memories we shared of years past. In my dream, my girlfriends and I were preparing to throw a party. I was not married nor did I have children…but a part of me knew it was a dream. Just like in the movies, where you’re aware that you’ve been given a chance to go back in time, I asorbed being surrounded by those I love and miss…Bett - laughing and draping her arm over my shoulder. Ivy - sampling something yummy she made and talking with her mouth full. Wil - clapping and doing some silly dance with her crazy long arms. Sarah - sitting in a chair and giggling along. I felt utterly happy. After I woke up, I laid in bed still thinking about the dream…as my tears rolled onto my pillow. *sigh*

last week

Last week, I spent a lot of time at school (aside from work). Helped out with the Arts Masters program, visited the Book Fair (twice), and had Ashlyn’s class decorate the birdhouse for the Fall Fundraiser. Summer was home sick both Thursday and Friday with fever and cold. I had to drag my poor baby to work with me (since we’re so desperately short-staffed). Despite her discomfort, Summer was such an angel. She never complained, whined, or fussed….not once during the time she spent with me at work or at home. Of course, once her sister got home from school, it was a whole different story.

By Saturday, Summer was well enough to attend a birthday party with Ashlyn.

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Saturday night, Aric and the fellas took the kiddies to dinner and a showing of “A Bee Movie” while I enjoyed a much needed evening out with the ladies celebrating Patti’s birthday. We went to Honda-Ya for dinner, The Melting Pot for dessert, and swung by a friend’s “Playboy” party before calling it a night. The party was held at some mansion in the Orange Hills area with limo shuttle service. We didn’t stay too long….just long enough for a shot, a tour around the mansion, and some dancing.

Sunday, we spent the day at my in-laws’. We ate at a yummy Malaysian restaurant in Arcadia for dinner before catching a showing of “The Game Plan”. I loved the movie and I found myself falling hard for Dina’s man. hehehe

No school on Monday due to Veteran’s Day. The kiddies and I met with Grace (and kids) for lunch, frozen yogurt, and some shopping. My little one is still coughing and sniffly, so we didn’t stay out too long.

Today we resumed normal school schedule. Summer, having not gone to school for 5 days, kinda dragged her feet getting ready this morning. Today was a brutal day of homework for Ashlyn….I sat with her for 3 hours doing her homework packet. Then Aric sat with her for 2 hours completing her homework packet and reading/answering questions for the Jr. Great Books program. It normally takes her a couple of hours to finish her homework packet (for the week), but I don’t know what was taking her so long today. It didn’t help that her friends kept ringing our doorbell asking if she could play. I told Ashlyn that she didn’t have to finish it today, but she prefers to get it all done in one sitting. That way, she could read, review, and play at her leisure for the remainder of the week. Ashlyn totally reminds me of Wil that way. I, on the other hand, would wait to do my homework at the very last minute. HAHAHA!

My sinuses are acting up today… …I hope I’m not coming down with what Summer had.

Tags: birthday party, dreams, girlfriends, kiddies, movies, pictures, weekend

Goodness…is it November already? It’s crazy how quickly the months fly by now. The past couple of weeks have been busy (and what else is new?!). Aside from work, lots of time spent volunteering at Ashlyn’s school, birthday parties, Halloween festivities, errands, home improvements, and our usual social activities, my days seem like such a blur.

This past weekend was no different. Friday night was spent with our friends at James and Grace’s for dinner and some fun.
Saturday, we drove up to Stevenson Ranch to vist with Brian and Grace, and to meet their new addition - Baby Gradin!

Sunday, we woke up bright and early and participated in a 2K run (aka Dinosaur Dash) for our schools. Afterwards, Aric and I worked on the yard, I painted a large birdhouse (a 1st grade class project for the Fall Fundraiser), had a late lunch with the in-laws, laundry, played with the kids, gave the kiddies and dog a bath (not together), watched “Everyone’s Hero”, and called it a night.

I didn’t think Daylight Savings would have much of an affect on us…but this morning I woke up to find Ashlyn standing next to my bed, already dressed and ready for school at 7am! Then tonight, she fell asleep at the dinner table. Crazy!

Here are some miscellaneous pics from October.

Tags: friends, kiddies, pictures, weekend