Happy Valentine's Day

every child is a gift from God and i can't help but feel darn lucky. i will never waste time to be angry at my kids or husband because i've always learned to love and forgive. every year, papa dang buys me a new tree and plants it in our front yard. this year, he purchased a pear tree to represent our love because when the tree is planted, love begins to grow. it will always be growing no matter if it rains or shine, through cold nights or hot days, the tree will always be in the same place. and no matter where life takes us. the tree will always be there just like how he will be there for our family. these were some of his words he wrote to me this year. oh, he always end up scoring major brownie points (not like he needs to) and i don't care if you think the tree is cheesy! i love it!

i love papa dang not only for giving me the greatest gift of all - our children - but believing and supporting me since 2007 and loving me even though i'm not perfect! i love that we're both on the same page with life. it's not about making millions of dollars, but living comfortably, being happy, and always being there for our boys and each other. i think this is what keeps our family bonded. we will always spend time together and find an equal balance between our work and family. my boys are my favorite people! :)

i hope you had a great valentine with your loved ones!

love my boys. xoxo.

Fun with Horses

aiden loves horses. i'll blog tomorrow.

Santa Monica Pier

i find myself getting busier, but still told myself i need to take advantage of my maternity leave to bond with my family. plus, it's good to get out especially during the weekend. this week, we decided to head to santa monica pier. i can't believe i've never been here and normally would just visit the shops on third street promenade if i'm in santa monica. i was not instantly captivated by the pier after pushing baby batman around, perhaps, it was too crowded and dirty compared to huntington beach. after 30 minutes, we ended up walking towards the shopping area to watch street performers and did some mini-shopping. 

baby batman was a trooper for sleeping the entire time. our boys had a blast and aiden asked if i could take him to the circus after seeing the cirque soliel tent. i couldn't believe that we managed to take 3 kids out again. i guess if you believe that you can pull it off and if it's what you want, it's cake. no problem, right? i knew exactly what i wanted. it's always to spend time with my family. my boys are young. i know that the realities and demands of my daily life is nearly impossible to do much of anything. it's hard to find time to even do my hair after i shower (hence, you'll always see me in a baseball cap now), but i don't care. being a mother is all-encompassing. it's gratifying and can be overwhelming, but i taught myself patience. you need it. if you don't have it, you won't survive with your kids.

love my boys. xoxo.

A Trip to Remember

i felt like they were celebrities. they were stopped by so many shoppers with their "ooohs and ahhhhs" and even asking where i purchased their shopping cart. it's one of the coolest purchase ever and makes their shopping experience fun rather than boring. if you have kids, i highly recommend investing in one. they're inexpensive and turns shopping into a learning experience, too.  trust me, shopping carts are not only meant for GIRLS. ha-ha.

(note: i love my iphone and how i can take pictures while on the go)

(1) it's meant for preschooler. they can push the cart down the aisle and watch it go.

(2) they're force to think about what items are needed and to follow the leader around.

(3) they can find items they like (i.e. dessert), attempt to reach for it, and then placing it into their cart.

(4) they can bring their favorite stuff animal with them for a stroll (check out buzz in aiden's cart).

(5) they can get mesmerize by all the video games they see within reach and hope they can just place them all into their carts. (yeah right)

(6) they can take a break from all the pushing and relax.

love my boys. xoxo.

Life Comes Along

motherhood is a challenge. along the way, there's always choices and whether i attack it by running full steam ahead or on my tiptoes, it has taken me down several path. i learned that i can wait for certain things to be done tomorrow and if i need to find time, i will make time to find the beauty in life, every single day and that is through my boys. you have to live in the moment. i look at my boys and can't believe how much they've grown. my blogs keep me on track and although, i don't capture everything we do (it could be nearly impossible) at least it will one day take me back where i once started. 

today, i buddied up with my cousin and we took our kids out on a play date to the park. aiden took a day off from school since he wasn't feeling so well the day before and was able to join us. i love being at the park with my cousin, too. it's nice to slip away and just catch up on our daily life while our kids find simplicity through each other and play. afterwards, we took them to the discovery science center to check out "dora the explorer exhibit". it's a great exhibit for preschooler. again, it was a day well-spent.

love my boys. xoxo.

Brotherly Love: Lunch Date

it was catholic school week nationwide. today, parents were allowed to come and have lunch with their kids. of course, i wouldn't miss this and aiden personally asked me if i would come with dilly and baby batman. baby batman ended up staying home with papa dang since he had some business to take care, but dilly and i brought aiden his favorite lunch. he always ask for rice, meat, and veggies. i know, what can i say. aiden was beyond ecstatic when he saw us at the door to sign him out. he picked the spot to have our lunch even though i brought a blanket for us to eat on the grass. it was really cute watching my boys eat together.

afterwards, aiden went into the playground to play with his friends. dylan was not allowed to play with the preschoolers due to insurance liability in the event that he gets hurt. it was nice to know that kids were trying to play with him from the fence. he was such a shy boy.

my heart melted. i felt so bad that he couldn't play with his brother so he stood there watching him instead. it was a sad scene, but overall, we had a great time hanging out with aiden!