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Archive for August, 2008

Tonight we went to dinner with a friend that I haven’t seen in over 12 years.  We had a blast.  I loved his wife and his adorable 9-month old daughter.  They came to our house to visit for a while after dinner and the mochis had a blast playing with this new little baby that they’ve never seen before.  Big Mochi kept saying how cute she was and Baby Mochi was showing her how all her toys worked.  It’s funny when you’re young and single and don’t really think about what your life will look like 12 years later… married with kids in careers you never imagined with the cars and morgage payments.  So much responsibility compared to back then!  Who would have ever thought that we would ever become responsible for kids of our own when we couldn’t even decide where to have a meal back then?

Today I got my itinerary for my Japan trip in a few weeks.  So exciting!  The travel agency gave us a whole bunch of cool little things and reference guides along with our jam-packed schedule.  Within the reference magazine were tips for travelers.  Some included a few customs I have never heard of, like the fact that it’s impolite for women to blow their noses in public.  Instead, it says the proper thing to do is to politely sniffle until you can reach a restroom and then you can blow your nose.  It also said that the proper way to eat sushi was to dip the fish instead of the rice in the soy sauce (which I knew), but what I didn’t know was that you were supposed to eat the sushi upside down where the fish is on your tongue so you can savor its taste.  Now I don’t know about you, but I have been eating sushi for a very long time and I have never seen it eaten that way.  

There is a list of things I’d like to do while I’m there, like go to a foot-cleaning spa using fish who eat your dead flesh.  Hahaha!  Yum!

So the other day as I was leaving the house, I noticed the computer was still on.  I went to turn it off and realized it was taking way too long to get to where I needed it to be so I figured it was frozen and held down the power button until it shut off.  (I apologize to the bunch of geeks cringing at that last statement)  Yes, I realize it’s not the best thing to do with a potentially running computer but I had 2 mochis with shoes on ready to leave the house for school and if I had waited a minute longer, they would’ve lost their focus and I’d have to start chasing them around the house.  Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

So later that night G tells me his computer crashed.  I hide my reaction  and run to my phone to call the master geek of them all, my brother, and after running through a few unsuccessful boot-up attempts, discover that he needs a new hard drive.  Fortunately C&K are coming down tomorrow so we can get that taken care of – hopefully.   

Big Mochi is going back to Aunty’s house for a day because her “big-girl school” is preparing for the school year that starts next week.  Two of her friends are also leaving for big-girl (and boy) school so we made treats* for everybody!

Couple things, though… I think the New York fudge-filled patties are seasonal (boo!) so I could only get the peppermint ones, so I’m guessing the kiddies will enjoy the visual effect more so than the taste.  I would’ve loved to have used Keebler peanut butter patties but then I’d be sending my mochi straight to the ER.  

*Thanks to JustJenn for the recipe!

Cool:

• - Dancing mochis
• - Baby Mochi being able to assemble a 26-piece alphabet puzzle all by herself with great confidence
• - Big Mochi being able to draw our family (to scale) riding rollercoasters next to a tall giraffe eating apples out of a tree near her house with flowers growing in the garden under a smiling sun in a blue sky
• - Having someone close to the ground constantly picking up abandoned money everywhere we go.  I swear, sometimes she finds enough for a full lunch!  Piggy banks weigh a ton!
• - Baby Mochi bringing me footwear when we are about to go outside
• - Knowing why a mochi is crying because they are telling you with words instead of you guessing

Uncool:

• - Still not being able to find the remote control to the receiver after a year due to that “put things in the trash” phase
• - Trying to comfort a crying mochi about something beyond your control, like the weather or a broken soft serve machine
• - When cribs are able to be climbable
• - Big Mochis who mysteriously appear in your bed each night – and the only way they are discovered is because you get an elbow in the eye or a heel dropped on your belly
• - Crashed computers with downloaded and erased pics of your mochis

Today is one of those days where I surrender.  I would like to trade in Big Mochi for a day or two – for a goldfish.  Something quiet and obedient.  I mean, how ornery can a fish get?  “Stop staring at me!” hahaha!  Baby Mochi has been exceptionally good, so it’s been nice.  But then today Aunty told me she threw a fit at daycare today and wouldn’t eat or sleep.  Just great!  I give up! 

I found my memory card for my camera!  Guess where it was?  It was at the bottom of the dirty laundry in the bedroom.  ?????  I will start posting pics… in a couple of days.  Cuz now I lost my camera.  hahahaha.  I’ll tell Big Mochi to find it.  And she will.  She always tells me, “I’m a great finder and Mommy, you’re a great loser!”

Uhhh, thanks.

Congrats to Waipahu who won the 2008 Little League World Series after beating Mexico!  Whoo hoo!

Today was MUCH better.  Lots of sleep, no fevers, no wheezing and no vomiting.  No M&M World, either, but we’ll save that for next time.  G and I even got to go out tonight and gamble a bit at the Wynn and Palazzo Hotels.  We lost (and when I say “we,” I mean “he”) at the blackjack table, but had lots of fun anyway.  The only bad thing I could say about tonight is that the Wynn needs to crank up their air conditioning.  It was HOT in there!!!  

Overheard earlier today:

• G: Who sings better, Mommy or Daddy?
• Big Mochi: Me

 P.S. Congrats to Hawaii for getting into the World Series finals against Mexico.  Whoo hoo!!!

Today did not go as planned.  And you need to be thankful that I haven’t found my memory card for my camera yet, otherwise you’d be blessed with some very unappetizing photos.

The day started off okay, but quickly progressed to a disaster.  Let me break down our events:

After breakfast, Big Mochi started coughing and had a major asthma attack.  Fortunately, her pediatrician rocks and called in a prescription to Target pharmacy (who are all finally all connected with each other!) and we picked up her inhaler medication.  I wasn’t prepared because she’s been off medication since late January and hasn’t had an attack in a long long time. 

We had big plans to hit M&M’s World and the World of Coca Cola, only to discover they were closed down* to make room for new hotels.

We decided to go to the Mirage to see dolphins and stuff.  The dolphins were outdoors and the mochis weren’t really feeling it with the 100 degree heat (frankly, neither were we with the $40 admission fees).

So we went next door to Treasure Island because they had a killer arcade with carnival games and stuff.  Turns out that killer arcade has been turned into a restaurant and the arcade is now in a closet consisting of about a dozen games.  The ice cream parlor next door was bigger and more happening than that. 

I gave the girls Capri Suns and we headed back to Tutu’s house for naps.  On the way, there were 3 accidents causing some major traffic, and Baby Mochi screamed her head off the entire time.  Well, not the ENTIRE time.  5 minutes near our destination, she coughed and threw up all over herself.  Meanwhile Big Mochi was sipping her Capri Sun looking rather pale and being very quiet.  In my experience, silence = sure sign something is very wrong.

Once we got out of the car, Baby Mochi was cleaned up and was fine.  I think she was sitting at a bad angle an didn’t get to burp so she was feeling icky until it all came out.  Either that or she ate something that didn’t agree with her.  I think this is the first time she threw up in her life.

Big Mochi now was wheezing, but getting better after her asthma medicine.  She was now sprouting a nice high fever and was splayed out on the couch moaning.

Obviously G and I weren’t able to go out.  Baby Mochi slept well all through the night.  We had to monitor Big Mochi and give her breathing treatments every 4 hours, keep and eye on her coughing, and dispense Motrin once more to keep her fever down.  In the middle of the night, she coughed so hard she threw up A LOT all over the new comforter and sheet and blankets.  And herself.  G threw her in the bathtub at 3 am and put her back to bed somewhere else.  I checked on Big Mochi, but not the laundry.  Until this morning when I pulled it out and realized what he had done.  G being G, he tossed everything into the washing machine, chunks and all.  Comforter, sheet, blankets – way too much for 1 load.  Then I guess he tossed it all in the dryer later.  In a nutshell, he had managed to dispurse whatever was stinky evenly throughout the load, and then put it in the dryer to bake it all in! 

So yeah, I’ve seen better days.

33) When you have a computer handy, it’s a good idea to make sure where you wanna go is still around, especially if the last time you’ve been there was 10 years ago.

*They weren’t actually closed down; we just didn’t go down the strip far enough.

When I got home from work today, we did the usual and then instead of heading to bed, we packed up and made the drive to Las Vegas.  I remember when it literally took me hours to pack up for Big Mochi when she was the lone baby.  Packing was a huge ordeal for me back then and we would travel to Vegas to much it was crazy.  The bathtub, the diaper things, all the food and/or formula and bottles, and the million little things like the diaper rash medicine, nail clippers, hair clips, Bunny, etc.  While I miss the size she was (so compact and portable back then), I don’t miss the amount of things I had to pack.  And then with 2, we did it all over again PLUS some.  And now that they’re both bigger and I’m an expert mochi packer, it takes just minutes and we’re off! 

The mochis have everything they need… but I forget things for me, like my hairbrush or underwear or socks. 

32) When going on road trips, always have a stash of non-perishable food and water on hand.  You never know when you’ll hit an unexpected delay.  It once took us 8 1/2 hours to get home.  Normally it would’ve taken us about 3 hours and 15 minutes.  I am thankful that we learned that lesson before we had mochis in tow!  I am reminded of a newscast I saw once where this family was driving a newborn baby home from the hospital and was stuck on the Grapevine (basically, there’s nowhere to stop) for hours and hours and it was so cold and there was no food or bathrooms around!

I found an old friend today.  Several of them, actually, but this particular one I haven’t seen in something like 12 years, and for the past 3 years, we’ve been living about 10 minutes away from each other… even eating at the same restaurants and not once have we run across each other.  Amazing how that works, isn’t it?  Something as impersonal as a computer can get you connected with people around the world…

The other day G and I were driving and there was a teenaged girl on the back of a motorcycle.  He launched into a speech about how one day our little mochis will be dating and we will have to discuss what they are allowed and not allowed to do (like ride on the back of motorcycles).  He likes to tell me that he’s going to get a gun and clean it in full view when a boy comes over to pick up a mochi for a date -  because they WILL be required to come to the door and meet him before leaving.

Then I consulted with an expert, who has been there and done all that.  Aunty mentioned a few things that I figured I’d list for future dad reference regarding dating daughters:

• Ask them their full name and do a search on them online while they are standing there
• Stand outside with a notepad and write down their license plate as they drive off
• Ask their parents’ names and occupations for background checks
• Find out where they’re going and once they leave, pack up the rest of the family and go out to dinner (guess where)

Me, I think I’ll start scrapbooking and display my collection of embarassing baby photos. 

… and lost.  See, I let this guy borrow my stamp pad a while back and since I rarely use it, I never asked for it back.  He wasn’t at his desk so I went down to the supply room and they had one down there, but it’s 8 x 5 1/2 inches.  That’s the size of a half-sheet of paper.  Who in the world has a rubber stamp that big?  What could it possibly say?  I mean, I’m sure they exist, but this is an office?  Whatever the case, I got it, and it was dry, so I had to bust out my bottle of red ink and as I was re-inking this monstrous red stamp pad, it leaked all over me.  Seriously looks like I had a very serious injury.  As I handed my boss his document, I said, “Damn papercuts.”  

It was a beautiful day and like we try to do on the weekends, we go out for a nice big breakfast somewhere fun.  Today’s choice was Corner Bakery at the Block at Orange.  I always get the baked french toast because oh-my-god it is unbelievable.  It comes with a tiny cup of fruit salad, syrup that is totally unnecessary because the french toast itself is sweet enough, and 3 huge strips of applewood smoked bacon (or something like that).  It is absolutely yummy to the max.  Just ask Baby Mochi.  She ate half of my plate along with the free saltine packets with strawberry Smucker’s jam that comes in those tiny individual packets.  Then she ate half of Big Mochi’s cheese and macaroni plate.  She was like one of those hungry hippos in that game reaching whatever she could possibly reach for.  After that, Dave and Busters was right around the corner so that’s where we were running around for the next hour or so.  So fun!!!  The new Mario Kart racing game is a blast.  We had each mochi on our laps and they take pictures of their faces with their character’s hats and noses and stuff.  If I had my camera, I totally would’ve shown you… but alas, my memory card is still beneath a pile of stuff I have to go through after our housecleaning spree yesterday.  

After long naps, they ate more (I swear, they eat like I never feed them sometimes) and headed out to the park for more action-packed fun!  Beach volleyball courts with sand is in the center of a small track and I picked up Baby Mochi and plunked her down in the middle of it.  Since we all know she doesn’t walk in sand, we just sat down on the grass watching her point out every tree, dog, slide, swing, kid, car, her sister, etc.  We eventually went and got her, but it’s so amusing just to see her stuck there.  I swear we should dig a hole in the middle of our house and fill it with sand for her to stand in when we need her to behave. 

Today was a busy busy day.  G had to work so I was on my own for the first half of the day with lots to do.  I got the mochis fed and settled for haircuts.  Big Mochi had a blast getting her hair washed, cut and had it styled with fancy ponytails and colorful flowers put in.  Baby Mochi was whimpering and straight-out yelling in protest the entire time so she didn’t even get a wash or a blow-dry.  They both looked cute, though.  Oh, and we were a half hour late to our appointment because of a giant accident about 15 miles away that blocked up all lanes causing a TON of traffic.

After that, we came home to prepare for our dinner guests.  Aunty, AM and family came to eat G’s mom’s famous barbecued pork ribs.  He was happy to just serve meat and rice but my mom would’ve flipped out, so I did her proud.  We had corn on the cob, orange chicken, rice, fried noodles, caesar salad, and Pillsbury crescent rolls!  Yum!  They brought over brownies by request, and a Marie Callendar’s lemon meringue pie!  By the end of dinner, all of us were nearly horizontal trying to digest – or at least… trying NOT to move because we might explode.

It’s funny how we prepare for guests.  We throw whatever is on a surface into the spare room and shut the door.  HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!  So now I will spend the next week going through it all.  And let me just mention that since my memory card for my camera was on a surface, it will have to be dug up before you will see any more pictures posted.    

As far as being irritable goes, nothing beats the tired and hungry combination.  With little sleep due to inflamed gums, Baby Mochi was wiped out and reportedly took a nearly 4 1/2 hour nap!  Not one tantrum and just in the best mood ever… until she got home, that is.  We gave her a small bowl of green beans as an appetizer while I finished preparing the rest of her meal, but she insisted on getting up on her high chair to eat them.  Then since she had to wait a while longer, G took her out of her high chair and she threw a huge fit.  Taking her outside always calms her, but not today… she just lay down on the cement driveway and screamed her head off.  Eventually I brought her in so the neighbors didn’t start wondering what was going on, but holy cow, what a sight that must’ve been.  G was just watering the lawn a few feet away while she was sprawled out on the driveway and Big Mochi was just playing around the both of them.

• Baby Mochi: Aaaaaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaaaaah! (high-pitched screams)
• Me: Do you want some applesauce?
• Baby Mochi: Aaaaaaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaaaaah! Yeah (her low boy-voice) Aaaaaaaaaaaah!

Hahahaha, cracked me up.

Eventually I figured out that she thought we were just not going to feed her anymore since she got out of her high chair.  And so she opted to stand up and eat using Big Mochi’s chair as her dinner table.  When she was finished eating her food and applesauce, she asked for a drink and was a happy camper once again – until 1 a.m., that is. 

Baby Mochi is teething again.  Her molars are coming in and it’s making her miserable.  I don’t care what they say, I am convinced fevers go hand in hand with teething.  At the very least, it lowers their immune system and makes them more succeptible to whatever is out there.  So Baby Mochi got over her fever and is not battling a stuffed up nose and inflamed gums, neither of which are any fun.  To make things worse, she’s kinda like a thumbsucker, but instead chooses the 2 fingers instead of a thumb… either way she can’t breathe and suck at the same time so she wakes up every 20 minutes and complains all through the night until she’s just too exhausted.  I hope those suckers bust through quickly!

• The Olympics are going on in Beijing
• I am listening to a James Patterson audiobook in my car that I’m not really that into
• I am thinking about what kinds of omiyage to take to our hosts while on vacation
• I am running reports at work
• I am wondering how G is doing at home with my fevered Baby Mochi
• I am waiting for the new season of Heroes, Grey’s Anatomy, Eli Stone and Psych to start
• I am out of ideas for this blog (hence this list – I’m all about lists)
• I am waiting to try out this new recipe of tabouli and hope G likes it
• I am wondering if I’ll be able to sneak out to Old Navy tonight and get shorts on clearance that I saw yesterday
• I have to remember to take pictures of something interesting tonight to post tomorrow.  hahaha!

Here is my tribute to the new chain of supermarkets that just recently hit Southern California: Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market:

• I love that they have poke (seasoned raw ahi cubes)!  It was advertised and I thought I’d take a look and see if it looked decent.  It was part of the 50% off special of the day so I couldn’t pass up the price and bought 2 packs.  Brought it home and even though G and I were hesitant about it being as good as home (home as in Hawaii), it was REALLY REALLY yummy!  Will definitely be going back for more!
• I love that they have only self-checkouts.  It makes it much more fun for Big Mochi who can help out like a big girl.  And that way I can bag my own groceries the way I like it, using my own recyclable bags that hook on to the side of the shopping cart for easy carry.
• I love that their fruits and veggies are priced well and are really good quality, almost like they take out all the bruised grapes and strawberries.
• I love that they have national products like Pillsbury crescent rolls that are regularly priced lower than using a coupon at my normal supermarket.
• But I cannot get over the family parking stalls directly in front of the store next to the handicapped ones!  It’s for “adults with kids” and makes it soooooooo convenient for moms like me with little kids!  You don’t have to cross the street with them, the cart return is RIGHT there, and it’s just… it’s just wonderful!!!
• $5 off $20 or more purchase coupons in the mail every single week!

Not a lot of people are ever in there, but I hope hope hope more people catch on because I’d hate to see them go away!  Shop there, people!

As you may already know, I am no genius in the kitchen.  I know my way around, but I am not one of those people who can taste something, know what is in it, and recreate it.  I like exact measurements and dummy-proof instructions.  That way if it doesn’t turn out, it’s not my fault; I was just following directions.  So my Aunty sent me this recipe for the best banana bread ever.  It’s simple and worked out incredibly well!

*Not a family secret, and I doubt it’s even Chinese.  It was, however, passed down to me from my Aunty, who is half Chinese, but I think she got it off the net somewhere. 

Between Huntington and Seal Beaches, apparently there is a small Sunset Beach town that we never knew about.  Very cute place.  We headed out there and I got Big Mochi to fly a kite while Baby Mochi was in the water with G.  She didn’t like the soft sand too much so she made a lot of disapproving noises.  In the end, we planted her in a spot and she stood there and did not move.  It was kind of cool because she wasn’t complaining or didn’t seem to mind too much, she just wouldn’t take another step.  She pointed out things she saw, talked a lot, participated in conversation, but would not budge.  Perhaps I should create a circle of sand in the middle of my livingroom and prevent her from running around when I want her to stay still! 

Sweet Divas in Brea had a bake sale today.  It was fabulous as usual.  Who knew cream of cauliflower soup could be so heavenly?  And the scones… oh, the scones!  Not a big fan of scones in general, but THESE, I will drive very very far to get! 

After that, we used my handy new GPS to get to Joann’s to get sewing stuff.  Honestly, it took me longer to program the destination than it probably would’ve to just drive there aimlessly.  Kidding.  So now, even though it’s in the beginning of August, Halloween costumes need to be decided upon! 

The options:

• - Dorothy and the Wicked Witch.  But with a twist!  Because my witch cape would have a shiny white (ooh! or sparkly silver or sparkly red) lining, and so my mochi wouldn’t be walking in the dark wearing all black, I’d probably sew in or attach those blinky necklaces along the edges so she can be seen.  How cool would that be?
• - Dorothy and Toto, but I’m not too excited about sewing a Toto costume
• - Little Bo Peep and sheep – except that Big Mochi was a sheep last year already
• - and a duck, because the costumes are sooooooooo stinkin’ cute!!! 

Okay, I don’t mention G a lot, but I gotta just say… the poor guy is so bummed that Fanny Pak got eliminated from Randy Jackson’s America’s Best Dance Crew.  It’s not normally G’s character to be so involved in any tv show, much less a reality tv show, but this one, for some reason, he has been completely obsessed with.  Not only does he DVR it and watch it, he rewinds and watches it again and again.  AND when people come over, he makes THEM watch it, too!  So in my defense, the only reason why I know what’s going on is because I can’t help it since he’s always sitting there cheering.  (I never thought I’d say this but I kinda wish the Lakers and USC football season would start up again.  It just seems more normal to see him watch sports.)

So to make my last comment, I, too, believe that Fanny Pak and Super Cr3w should’ve been the last 2 to remain.  Not saying that SoReal Cru is junk, cuz they’re impressive, too… I just enjoy the performances of the other 2 better.  I grew up in the 80s, after all.

Here are the results for my quiz yesterday:

1) As far as I’m concerned, d is the only correct answer.  Bringing food or drinks of any kind into a restroom of any kind is absolutely gross.  Think aerosol!  However, I know people who use a-c as options because I’ve seen them spill or I’ve seen the drinks on the floor of the stall. 

2) d.  Although I can multitask with the best of them, there are several things I do that I like to do without interruption, and I am pretty sure these acts are the ones that involve not being fully dressed.  So if I can reach my phone at all, I’d shut it off, not just for me, but let’s face it… when a phone rings, everyone gets the urge to answer it.  It’s just common courtesy to NOT have it ring.  And umm, answering the phone while you and/or others are disposing waste of their bodies?  COME ON!!!  Who wants to hear that or a hearty flush?

3) c.  If you hang out with me, you will know not to speak to me while either one of us is in a stall.  See my explanation in 2) about not wanting to be disturbed.

4) d.  Unless you have kids or a relative in the hospital, I think the world can spare 2 hours without you.  Turn off your phone during a movie.  If you forget and it rings, turn it off then.  If you DO have kids or a relative in the hospital, b. is your next best option.  Whatever the case may be, STOP THE RINGING! and the goal is to be inconspicuous, as in SHHHH!

5)  a.  And if that doesn’t work, then d.  But this is just me.  I find that most people are polite enough to stop since they probably didn’t realize they were doing it in the first place.  If they don’t stop, don’t sit there getting pissed, or start an argument.  Just move.  Don’t be an ass about things.

6) d. In this case, I would imagine the person doesn’t realize how loud they are.  Some people are just oblivious like that, and again, don’t be an ass… just move.

The end!