3T Tux

Al's Formal has them for 59.99.
Harwin has them for 19.99. Got one for L AND C!

I feel loved.

As I was getting all dolled up for my ladies night out birthday dinner, L walks quietly into my restroom. He looks at me with adoration and I can tell he is in love with me. He takes it all in, asks


L: What are we eating?
M: Tuna tetrazini

L: Where are we going?
M: you and daddy are eating pasta at home, I'm going with Co Ami and di Van.

L: L and mommy đi voi cô Ami and di Van.
Dady ở nha voi Baby C.

Q convinces him it's going to be fun to watch Cars, eat dinner and then have popcorn. L wishes me a fun time. Then as I walk put the door he wants me to come back. But doesn't put up a fight.

I missed him a lot actually. There was a beautiful dragon dance at Saigon Pagolac tonight. I wish he could have bees there to see it!

My ladies love me too. Thank you Tina for the decadent chocolate cake! It was divine!

Birthday!

We went to Red Lobster to celebrate my birthday weekend last night. When dessert came out with a candle, L's eyes lit up. As the server placed the cake in front of me, L bursted into tears.

It was hilarious! The poor thing was so excited to get a birthday only to be disappointed that it wasn't his after all. Poor thing.

He pulled himself together pretty quickly and dang Happy Birthday to me though. What a trooper.

Thank you Lincoln. I love you!

Sleeping through the night

L never really ever slept through the night. It's something we accept and to a certain extent even embrace.

Writing this entry reminds me that it might be the reason he's hyperactive- because he's not well rested.

A dear friend of mine shares that after family prayer, they tell the kids what will happen tomorrow if the kids sleep in until the designated time. I tried it with L last night.

I need you to sleep through the night. If you wake up, go back to sleep until the an comes up. Do not wake up Daddy to put you back to sleep. I know you can do it. If you slope through the night Daddy will take you to the mall playground tomorrow. If not, we will still go to the mall but we will walk past the playground.

He burst wildly into our room at sunrise this morning:
"L ngu giới!
Daddy cho L đi playground ở mall được không?!"

Precious.

Trying to eat better, but...

So of course as soon as I make a pb sandwich BOTH kids are crying. I had two bites. So much for that.

New Year breakfast

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year.

L woke up requesting:
I need waffle mommy.

Funny. I didn't think he liked waffle. But I sure do! So I fixed him some waffles and strawberries. Me: with bananas and walnut and whipped cream. Yum! What a way to get in our fruits.

Come to think of it, he had a VN waffle-shaped coconut leaf pastry yesterday at Ba Nois house. That's probably what he was asking for this morning.

Tet shopping

This year Tet shopping included taking the while family with the two boys in a double stroller to HK. It was Carter's first time to stroll around in the big bog seat.

Big brother Lincoln passed out shortly after we got there but Carter was do excited he stated awake the whole time, looking at everything. He did r fall asleep until the tail end of left wrapping- and it took over an to wrap these 6 gifts.

I love to Tet family with the traditional red cellophane wrapping. The gift wrapping lady commented that my gifts were meaningful, not any of the preserved fruit that no one eats, but foods each person would prefer!

Mommy, I'm sick

Monday- L bd, no more sippy cups, cold turkey
W- Blue Bell, Day 3 of no pullups!
Th- L wakes up saying he's sick
F- I cave and decide he can have a hard spout sippy cup of milk in bed and so I gave him one when he woke up from his nap. He took it and went back to sleep. He needs the fluids and extra rest.
Sat- L asked for milk in the morning. He didn't go back to sleep but he finished it!

First Day Trip of 2012

TX Children's for Carter's 4 month check up and shots
IHOP- blueberry French toast, sausage, scrambled eggs and potato soup!

Brenham!
Blue Bell factory tour and ice cream parlor, L picked the green one, mint chocolate chip
Greenhouse- to pick our own tomatoes
Stopped in the side of a country road to look at cows and horse
Windy's Winery- with two German shepherds
Volare's for dinner

Learning letters- fast!

We went to Tuyet's house on his birthday- Monday- after Stomping Grounds, and the kids played with Legos. Some had letters.

Lincoln can name the Q and T and J.
T like Chua' (Jesus)

I remember telling him the other day that Q is an O with a stick. And while we read the ABC book one night he asked what a letter was and I said J for Jesus. I can't believe the memory this kid has. It really does just take onc time for kids to learn!

Lincoln muon tam

As we were viewing pictures after the JCP photo session, L was watching the tv. Afterwards we asked him if he was ready to go and he said
"No, Lincoln muon' tam'"
I wondered what he was watching that made him say that. He knows his bath time routine is after dinner.
Then after we took the elevator down and as w were walking out the door he says
"Di chu' Thuong's shower?"

We were on our way to a baby shower.

Precious.

Reading and Writing

L has known how to write an O for a while. He learned the capital L a couple weeks ago and the lowercase i several days ago. Today he showed me C.

We read the a, b, and c baby Einstein books after dinner today.

Before he went to sleep L said:

Mommy? Can I show you O for octopus and L for Lincoln?
(Gets up and draws the letters on his pillow) and says: O for octopus and L for Lincoln and C for baby Carter!

I was so pleased to see the satisfaction he had of having mastered a new skill. It was also so exciting to see him learn his letters so quickly!

LiNcoln. Next letter to write: N

Open cup, underwear

So at bedtime after books and during prayer:

M: after your birthday party when you turn 3, you'll get to stop using a sippy cup. You'll drink only on open cups. You'll also get to stop wearing pullups. Underwear for naps and bedtime. Children who are three are big and (repeat news)

L: after my birthday everyone will use open cups etc but L will use sippy cups.

M: repeat.

L: thinks about it

Noi tiếng Viêt

We met up with my parents at Bac Du's house Saturday evening and Lincoln was talking to them in VN. Then Bac Gai' said that when they start school they lose it. I told her I'm afraid of that happening too so I'm trying very hard to keep it in our house.

Yesterday I noticed Lincoln speaks English almost all the time even at home. Gasp! When/how did this happen without my noticing it?

So I spoke VN all day and also translated everything he said into VN. It worked! By the time Q came home he could repeat himself in VN and ask for things in English, then VN. Whew!

Gotta keep my eye in the ball.

Brain Freeze!

Went to Phonecian Deli for dinner Sunday evening.

L loved the bread, liked the hummus. For the first time, complimented cucumbers and tomatoes.

Afterwards we checked out the Gelato selection. L got to try several flavors. We finally ordered a M w dark chocolate- for me, and forest berries- for L and Daddy. With two "spoons" in hand he said "I like forest berries!" We didn't notice how fast he was gulping down the ice cold cream until he wailed, the tip of his nose turning red, and whimpered "owie!". Brain freeze! Lol

We're definitely going back!

Cookies!

L balled up and cut how own sugar cookies! Two stars and a gingerbread man.

When the cookies were done he was so thrilled that he ate 2!

After dinner we also made walnut chocolate chip cookies from scratch.
He squeezed each scoop of dough onto the baking sheet.

A fun day!

A day in the life of Lincoln

Lincoln's first day back at YCP. He ate all of his strawberries, most of the cheese squares, and some of the ham squares. Over an hour of nap.

+ was able easily to match up snowmen's scarves
- ran out of line even after Ms Maria said to get back. Pouted upon correction

We went to Tina's house afterwards and she gave him THREE "shake n go" cars!
McQueen
Professor 2
And another

Lincoln wrote capital L's all on his own today.

He really gnawed on his pork chop bones tonight and asked if he could have more from "under the nong'"

Playing outside

Our first morning outside since Baby Carter. This is after playing basketball and two squares.

We just had a breakfast of waffle and berries and whipped cream and milk. I had to bribe him with basketball to get him to try blueberries for the first time. He liked it and ate three more!

L just "showed" me "how to make a triangle" by putting the ends if his sunglasses together.

Gotta go play!

Lincoln @ Jojo's

Took Lincoln to spend the evening with Co Tuyet and the kids. When I picked him up he was in his flannel striped pj's, hoodie jacket and carrying his "Bolt" doggie. What a sight!

I finally was able to capture him on camera singing Jingle Bells! Very cute.

He's growing so tall and knows so much! O yeah, I called Ms. Maria to see if YCP resumes today; it's teacher inservice but she did say that Lincoln is so fun to talk to because she "can reason with him". She also commented that she loved our Christmas letter.

These are the good days I'm going to miss. Glad I'm documenting!