In the End, All that matters is .....

my hubby

my son

my daughter

and I

This is all I've learnt.

Phones ringing, me answering.

Blah Blah Blah for hours...

Knowing all the blah blah blah will help make the other person feel better.

Knowing it takes an emotional toll myself plus hours of productive time gone.

Off you go, after loading on me, you feel better....

I'm rushing like crazy to catch up with things I put on hold for your calls...

Wishing I could finish my latest project and imagining it all done.. but its just an imaginary ..

All for your depositing on me.

Did I get a Ph.D on psychology? NO... but I sure did a good job of being one

One quacky Dr I've become but hey... no charge on you. Deposit all you want..

One time I would like you to pay attention to me or my family

What do I get? Excuses excuses excuses....

Nothing but excuses or silence..... Gas is too expensive, gotta drive all the way there...

How about all the times I've spent listening to your problems?

All I see is Selfishness, Ignorance and Arrogance.

Blah, blah, blah and sob, sob, sob...

I'm always invited to these type of parties.

How about an invitation to a fun filled, laughing party when you host one at your house?

Nah, Kwannies, you are not good enough for those...

Kwannies, I just need you when I am down and out.

You are not family, you are just my unloader.

These are friends and family that comes in my life....

Either I shut up and be the nice, generous person

Or be the bitch and stand up for myself....

Now, its just gonna be me, hubby and 2 kiddos...

Talk to my hand!!!

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Merry Christmas !!!!

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Lazy mama homemade pasta sauce

I've always loved making spaghetti during winter, don't know why but its just easy cooking. A few years ago, a friend taught me how to make homemade pasta sauce as I always plant a few bushes of tomato plants. My all time favorite tomatoes are the celebrity. Prior to making pasta sauce, I would give away extra tomatoes as there is only how much tomato a person can eat at a time.

I thought making pasta sauce would be a big task as I googled it once and saw how much work was put into it. Here is the easy version that I've learnt. If you have someone that can't digest tomato seeds, you may not want to use this method.

1) Remove tomato skin:

In a big pot of boiling water, submerge tomatoes, about 30-45 seconds, you will see skin rolling. Remove from hot water and submerge into cold water. That will help cool tomato and you can remove the skin. Place tomatoes in a colander. You will notice the tomato will be slowing ozzing water out. Repeat removing skin of all tomatoes.

2) If you want, you can dice the tomato and remove the seeds but still leave it in the colander. You bascially don't want all the juice/water in the tomato. I'm lazy so I skip this step.

3) In a big pot,

I sautee diced red onions and minced garlic in lots of olive oil.

Then add the tomatoes. Here with my lazy method, I just use my hand and crush the tomatoes into the pot.

Add basil ,italian herbs(my miracle: I buy the tube of italian herbs in the herb section at the grocery store), salt, sugar and black pepper and bay leaf.

After letting the tomatoes cook for awhile, I will use a potato masher to mash the tomatoes as I do not want my sauce to be chunky. You don't really need to mash too much as the tomatoes will breakdown when they get cooked
Add 1-2 cans of tomato paste (depend on how thick or runny you like your sauce).

Let the sauce simmer until most of the water/juice is gone

4) Storage:

I do not can. I just bag 2 1/2 cups of sauce into 1 ziploc bag. Lay the bags flat and freeze them individually. Once all bags are frozen, I just pack them up in the freezer. You can bag the sauce according to your family usage. 2 1/2 cups works fine for my family of 4 with abit of leftover for the next day.

If you notice, I've not give any measurements, do not worry, this sauce is very forgiving.

My kids love when I add sauteed mushrooms and meatball to this sauce. I usually will cook them in a slow cooker for 4 hrs and the flavors of the mushroom and meatball makes this sauce even tastier. I do add a can of tomato paste to the sauce when I'm preparing my spaghetti meal as my kids like their sauce thick.

Good luck trying

Note: I wasn't solicited by any business to promote the Italian Herbs. I had to go buy this item myself. I always use this when I make this sauce.

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Happy Birthday Baby!!!!

Happy Birthday my baby.

You would be 4 today.

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Hair Clips with legs

My dad used to claim "things in my house has legs".

In recent months, I too have notice that things in my house has legs especially my hair clips. Yesterday, I had my haircut and since I can't tie my hair, I would need to clip my front. There I go to my drawer to get me one, and there were NONE. I asked Gilly if she took my clip and with conviction, she said "NO, I didn't touch them". Now, that started to irritate my early morning. I told her she better start hunting for my clips or she would be in trouble. 30 minutes later, she comes down with a handsful of clips. It was apparently all over her room. Ha!!! Like I'm a 41 year old senile woman who is imagining her clips walking. She is banned from using my clips for now. Let see how long before my clips starts to sprout legs again.

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Happy New Year !!!!

Happy New Year to you my readers the little few I still have. I had a busy 2010 doing volunteer work in school and church and that kept me from things I loved doing especially knitting. Friends and family, thanks for dropping by to see what we have been doing. 2010 was a nice year for me as we got to enjoy friends, family and we did our first major road trip all the way to Yellowstone National Park.

The year ended even nicer as I got rid of one of my volunteer jobs and that would mean I've more time to knit plus watch TV at night. But the best part of it was knowing that I've a few precious friends in my life that I know has not taken advantage of me and our friendship. They showed me in their own ways, how they appreciated me. I lost a friend who chose to leave my port and its OK. She taught me a few things and most importantly let me discover she introduced me to a better friend.

We had my aunt visit us twice this year and we had a blast during Christmas. It was nice to have family visit since we don't get that too much. It was sad when they left but there is always another visit again.

Kids are growing up quick and I just taught Gilly how to knit. My mom taught me how to knit a few years ago and now my daughter is learning. Maybe she will teach her daughter next time. Greg still loves to build things and maybe one day he will be my engineer or architect.

I hope it will be a good 2011 for all of us and we will come out happier and healthier.

Happy New Year to all that has brightened my life.

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Merry Christmas 2010

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Call me crazy but I'm so looking forward to next summer already

Its been more than a month since the kids have gone back to school. There has been more changes in our household. More than I can chew... I think. Gilly moved to an intermediate school and being in 5th Grade, she has not found it fun. First few weeks of school, she told me she hated 5th grade as there is so much homework. I think she is OK with the homework but not the datelines and consequences of it. Last week, I had to sign on a form that says she forgot her assignment. That was an automatic 20% deduction, and that's a C grade. After signing on that form, I had to make sure she puts it into her folder and watch her put the folder into her bag. Reason for paranoia and close monitoring... if she forgets to hand in the same assignment the 2nd day, it would be an automatic Zero or F grade. I wasn't risking that. She is always good at handing in her homework and I never had to watch her like a hawk.

There are so much extra curiculum at the new school and I suggested to her to try string program. She said NO and reason was boring. Next, how about trying the band? No, band teacher is mean. I sighed and told her.. "I can't stand the mean label you keep giving to teachers." I asked her "When I have 5 kids in the house, am I not strict? The band teacher has to deal with a band full of 100 kids, don't you think he needs to be strict?" I've learn that when kids says teacher is mean, they actually mean the teacher is strict. I finally got her to agree to try the instruments in the band. Even then, I had to physically push her towards a kid that was demonstrating a particular instrument. She finally tried the flute and loved it. All of a sudden (roll eye moment for me) she loves the flute so much that it was all her idea to try the band and flute. Remember the Nancy Drew moment I had with her... exactly the same scenario.... Gosh, I can't imagine how she is going to be when she is officially a teenager.

Greg has now joined boy scouts and is loving it. We are officially chinese rednecks this year.. we tried the rodeo and demolition derby. Back to Greg, he has started tap as well, at 2 weddings and our trip to the west, I notice how he is a wild John Travolta and asked if he wanted tap lessons. He jumped at my offer and is now enjoying his tap classes. Yes he only does tap, no ballet... so guys out there laughing at my boy.. he is braver than any 6 foot man. He is my easy child for now, he does his homework with less guidance, sometimes I feel like he is the older child as he doesn't need me to be watching him all the time... but kids change so we never know what will hit us in future.

Update: My daughter has since forgotten to bring her homework or textbooks home twice and after me going berserk on her, she is trying her best and isn't letting one particular girl distract her during packing minutes. She told me last night that she told the girl to not talk to her until her bags are packed. Apparently the girl left her alone.

I know I've got my handsful this school year, plus now having to deal with a pre-teen who is spending alot of time grooming herself before school. Its turning out to be a challenging year. I need to learn to letgo abit and let my pre-teen learn to walk on her own and yet at the same time guide her to making good decisions. I need to learn that she is becoming a lady of her own and she isn't my 2 year old for whom I decide everything. I do not what her to shut me off because she needs to know Mummy is one TO GO person when she is in trouble. I'm in for a rollercoaster year.... so summer please come quick!!!

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Start of New School Year

Summer holidays are over, the kids are back to school again after almost 12 weeks of no school and homework. We had a nice summer lazing around the house and having an awesome roadtrip. But it was just time for them to go back to structured textbook learning. So, here are my kids getting on their schoolbus. I hit a milestone moment today, my Gilly told me not to take photo of her getting on her bus. I was surprise as I didn't expect that from her but I guess she is growing up (she is a 5th grader). I was the only parent at that stop that had a camera... heck the other mom was sitting on her chair and didn't even walk her girls cross the street to the bus stop.

Gilly going to school

Greg wish summer holidays are not over. He claims school is boring. He won't get to play with his toads. They both have been playing with toads as there is plenty of supply of them from my garden. I cracked up when I realize one of them was Papa Joe. They actually named those darn ugly toads.

Greg's school supply list for 2nd grade says he need to bring in a calculator. I gave him the same speech I did with Gilly. "Greg, you are not allowed to do your math homework in school. If I catch you doing that, I will scan your homework, deleted all your answers and print 10 copies of it and make you redo them 10 times!" Hopefully that will scare him enough to not to use that calculator on his 12 + 23 addition.

Greg off to school.

The kids are now on different buses, Gilly has moved to intermediate school while Greg is still in the same elementary school. Gilly told me she had butterflies in her stomach before she stepped into the new building but it all turned out fine. I told her mummy flew halfway around the world to come to USA to study and I only knew a handsful of people here when I first came, so its just natural to be anxious but it will be fine.

I now have 4 hours of quiet time.... my hubby expects house to be spotless and dinner on the table when he steps in.. hahaha yeah right... dreams....

ciao for now....

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Do what you do best !

I need to say something about this world is getting to. We are too politically correct to the point its getting ridiculous. A school that has 5 or 6 valedictorians because they don't want to dissapoint any kids. No competition between classes where the winning class gets a free pizza because they don't want to hurt the feelings of the rest of the kids. Now.. how are our kids going to go out into this world to compete for jobs? How are we going to be the so called developed nation we are if our future kids are not taught to compete.

Actors, Supermodels, Comedians, Singers... I love your talent .. but I have to say BUTT OUT OF GIVING ADVICE TO ALL OF US !!!! I rolled my eyes when I saw what Gisele said, 'I think a lot of people get pregnant and decide they can turn into garbage disposals [dustbin]'. I nearly puked when she declares that there should be a "law on breastfeeding". Yes, her life is a glamorous life and I bet she has all the nannies, personal trainers, dietician who is helping her out with her tremendous lucky life. But shut your crap. You don't need to make all the mothers in the world from feeling crappy.. just to make yourself feel good.

Now comes my favorite actress, Jennifer Aniston, how much I like you that I stopped watching anything that has Brangelina, but today, you dissapoint me saying, kids don't need fathers. Yes they do. When they are babies, they won't cry for one.. but when they start baseball or soccer, and seeing dads out there.. they will wonder why they are missing a dad. No matter how much your male friends help you out... they are still not the baby's father.

Those liberal celebrities.. no matter how much you hate or love your politician, shut the heck up. I don't need you to tell me how much greatness Obama is doing. My mom taught me from young, if you have $5 in your pocket, make sure you only use $1 and save the rest. Do not go borrow money from your friends cos you will need to pay it back or you have no dignity.

You guys always grumble about the papparazzi and how they bug the heck out of you. You always say you want your privacy. Please keep your damn opinions to yourself and put your talent to where its best shines.... in your movies and songs.

There, I've finally said it.

This is all my opinion, so if you don't like it, just click on the X button to close the window.

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Thinking of you today my baby

Thinking of you today my sweet... I can imagine you enjoying this song....

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The Birds and Bees Talk to my 10 year old girl.

My Gilly is will be 10 years old, my firstborn will be in the double digits in August. How a decade has passed so fast. I was talking to my girlfriend this morning about how Gilly, at 1 1/2 years old, would keep me on my toes with her energy. She would be into anything and everything without fear that every week, we would have a bruise somewhere on her face or hands and I pray DCFS doesn't come knocking on my door.

While on spring break, I got an email from the school. It was about how the 4th graders will be attending the "Human Growth and Develpment Program". My eyes rolled, great, now I've to make sure I talk to her about the Birds and the Bees before the school does. I did buy a book and was pondering, notice the word pondering, when I should show her the book. And now I've a DATELINE. Gosh, why did they have to break it to me when I'm enjoying myself in Canada.

The school gave us a date where parents were welcome to come and have a preview of what the kids will see. Being a first time mom, I made myself go eventhough I was exhausted. It was worth it as the school nurses were there to answer our questions. They basically said it was about the body development, stressing about personal hygiene. They told us they would be as brief and truthful to the kids but would divert our children's questions back to us so we the parents would decide how much information we want to give our kids. We were told the boys and girls will be separated which is good.

I ran to Borders last Saturday to look for a book called "What's happening to my body", which has a boy or a girl version. The lady at borders told me that the American Girl's book is a better reference, I quickly browsed through it and figured why not since Gilly reads American Girl stories. At the same time I grabbed the boy version of the "What's happening to my body" as I figured I might as well buy them now instead of running out for it in 3 years time for Greg.

I gave the book to Gilly and told her to read it by herself. She gave me this weird look and took the book to her room. I told her to read it page to page and not to skip any pages. About 10 minutes later she came in with a "mummy, this is yucky" statement. She showed me what she meant, it was a cartoon showing the changes in the breast. I told her its not yucky and just a way of life. She can't all of a sudden have boobs popping out but slowly grow outwards. Now, was I peeing in my pants? No, but it was uncomfortable but I had to bite my tongue and the stop the urge to run, and made it as casual as I could. Later she came asking where was the uterus. Next day she came to ask if using tampons was uneasy.

My friends, this week has been a very interesting week, as I'm really on unchartered terrority. So help me God that I survive through the part where she asks me about LOVE MAKING!!!! I do have the book called "Where Did I Come From" all ready for that.

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Spring Break 2010 (part 2)

This was our view from the room, made us not want to leave the room. I'm glad I don't live nearby or I may just take this view for granted.

Here is our family photo taken at our hotel room. Kids love to sit by the window with their binocular trying to zoom into the falls.

Here's a photo of the kids with their Seh-Han-Ee-Poh (youngest grand aunt from Mom's side of the family). Somehow the kids just love to climb on the "telescope" I don't know what is their fascination about it.

The kids with their Uncle Josh, yes he is an Uncle to them. He is certainly very old. hahahaha

Greg was scared of the glass view at CN Tower in Toronto. He had to hold dad's hand for awhile but after that.... hahaha.... he was having fun.

See the ground view, yes a very very long fall, 342 meters or 1,122 feet fall.

Kids are pretending to be petrified. Yeah, like really petrified.

Greg with his favorite binoculars, he is busy studying what's down below.

This cracks me up because Dad's shirt looks almost the same as the sky.

Whenever we visit Toronto, we would stay at Richmond Hills which is near all the chinese eateries. We had dimsum at one restaurant and then later we went back there for dinner because they had Peking duck there. sorry no photos of the food as we just chowed down the food before I realize I could take any photo.

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Twitter Party Hosted By Chicago Moms Blog and Chevrolet

April 11th was an exhausting day for me, the whole week was exhausting as the kids were on spring break and I had guests from London. I was invited to a Twitter Party which was hosted by Chicago Moms Blog(SV Moms group) and Chevy. I just couldn't pass this invitation. It would be my first blogger's event. I was excited and yet nervous. You know little fish in a big ocean.

I said bye to my aunt and let hubby drive her to the airport while I drove downtown to the event. I didn't know what to expect except there were butterflies in my stomach. I was late for the roundtable discussion but managed to hear the end of it. The organizers and moderators, Jill Asher and Linsey Krolik, guided the conversation about how we bloggers and brands can work together in the new world of social media. Brands have realized how we bloggers can vocalize our opinions about their goods and services these days and our tiny voices can be heard by many in the world of internet.

After the roundtable discussion, we got to meet the brands personally, it was an interesting to learn about the new products and I made some new friends. I found another blogher The goodies we brought home was AWESOME. I had a few extra that I "won" from turning the wheels. I love wheels!!

I've always heard of bloggers events/convention but coming to one was definitely an eye opener. Its one thing to read somebody's blog but to actually see a person and know they are fellow bloggers just like you is another thing. I'm grateful I've a friend who is big time blogger, she encourages me to blog, and to be in a room full of bloggers was certainly a good learning experience.

These are the goodies I brought home minus Garrett Popcorn that was devoured almost immediately. Thank you to the sponsors/brand :

• 1-800 Baskets
• Army of Women
• Babies
• bitdefender
• BusyBodyBook
• Chevy Missions
• Cinnabon Cupcakes
• easyprintdesign
• ebay classifieds
• Energizer
• Garrett Popcorn Shops
• Hard Rock Hotel
• iGo green
• litl
• Peapod
• Powerade Play
• Schlage
• Stonyfield Organic
• The Oprah Store

I'd also like to thank Jill Asher and Linsey Krolik from SVMomsGroup and MJ for such a wonderful event.

Disclosure: I was invited to the event by the SV Moms groups. We got goodies, food, and parking.

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