[day 37] happy easter

i couldn't believe the conversation that my two oldest son had while they thought i was sound asleep on saturday night. i heard their door open and immediately, covered my head with my blanket and played dead (well, asleep), which meant, i got my eyelids lifted. i continued to hold my straight face and laughter and it became a challenge. "mama, wake up." i rolled my eyes back and they found that humorous. then, they kept shaking me to wake up, but i never gave in. i wanted to see what they would do and if they would head back to their bedroom knowing it's time to go back in. instead, they sat at the corner of the bed where papa dang would normally sleep, but he stepped out of the house for 15 minutes to go pick up his bike. 

i'll post the video tomorrow on this post and you'll see what their conversation was about. i always remind people that they're bilingual in vietnamese and english. people normally don't see this side of boys. well, the obvious is that they're never around and when they are, they're  different. secondly, they're speaking in vietnamese, but i've translated it to english below:

A: look at this thing. (referring to the holy cross)

D: oh, who does that belong to?

A: it belongs to the virgin mary.

D: no, it belongs to us.

A: no, the virgin mary. it belongs to Jesus. Dylan, look at Jesus. Dylan, look at Jesus.

D: Oh, that's Jesus. He got hurt. Aiden, look.

A: Jesus got hurt. He has blood. And, he died.

honestly, what 5 year old and 3 year old would hold this type of conversation? i guess i have a part in it. i've read the same book to them about jesus over and over. i'm glad they've absorbed it. we also attend weekly sunday mass together and although, they probably don't understand everything, i'm glad they know he died and was hurt.

i let my kids be kids. i know it would take awhile for my young boys to absorb the accurate meaning of Easter and Christmas, but at least, they get the basic of it. i try to make it fun so that they can relate to the meanings of why we celebrate certain holidays and it may be easier for them to remember the true sense of Christ and the days selected to praise Him. plus, i married an extremely holy man and our religious belief is important in our family.

after Easter mass today (can i say, families who normally don't go to church, finally showed up - it was PACKED), we had lunch with my parents and sisters. it was nice except i devour so much food that made me sick to my stomach. i was also hurting from my pregnancy, which i think is too gross to disclosed right now. lets say, i had a difficult time walking today and nearly thought i was going to die. 

before we headed to our in-laws, we promised our boys after their nap that we would take them to go play soccer and football at the park. i have no idea how or why they wanted to play these two sports, but we granted their wish because we're AWESOME like that. 

i hope your easter was fabulous with your family.

love my boys. xoxo.

march photoshoot: bunny boys

aiden tyler dang [5 years old]

dylan tyler dang [3 years, 5 months]

evan tyler dang [1 year, 2 months]

this took less than 5 minutes to take so there are only a few images to share. hope you had a wonderful easter!

[day 36] easter egg(citement) hunt part deuce

they love their skateboard as much as they love their scooter.

i guess, my boys are active in a sense that i don't allow them to watch much television. they spend most of their time engaging in outdoor activities or doing things together. i think that's what helped them become the person they are. i'm not saying my boys are the best, most behaved boys you'll see around. i spend most of my time (if i'm not at work) with them to help encourage their good character because i can when they're this young. parents are solely responsible of how their kids turn out. some may think that they're born this way, but i would challenge that remark. just like being at work, it's accountability. it's important for good discipline. 

we also live in a culture that emphasize on winning or being the best, but that's never the case in our household. why would you teach that to your kids? i never want my kids to feel like they have to please or be nervous to fail. if you try your best, then that's all i want to see. 

today, i wanted them to enjoy themselves. they developed their own liking and were never forced to try out skateboarding, but rather, they developed a love for it when they've spent over a year watching skaters board at the VAN STORE with papa while I shop. they love it so much and were beyond ecstatic when they got their skateboards this christmas from grandparents bui! when i found out that etnies skate park in lake forest was having an easter egg hunt. i was thrilled beyond words and saved this day just for them.

it was a $5 dollar donation for those who participated in the egg hunt. they had a crazy easter bunny on a skateboard. bounce houses for kids to enjoy. it was really fun and i'm glad my sisters decided to come out with me. with my dinosaur-looking body, i wouldn't have made it up and down the ramp with all three kids. i feel blessed and had a wonderful day.

besides the fun, we spent the rest of the day at a birthday party and baby shower. again, how i survived today is amazing. i live for my family.

love my boys. xoxo.

[day 35] park day with the alien

my friend asked me to take pictures of her one month old baby and i selected the park to give my kids time to play. really? she trust me to take pictures?? we spent about two hours together until another friend came out to watch my three boys. it was too difficult to do double duties. it only took me less than 10 minutes to snap pictures of ava (that's my friend's daughter). she's the cutest and chubbiest alien ever! 

you know, it still cracks me up as i sat there. i looked at my friend and said i'm in disbelief. i can't believe she's a mom. i've known her since our high school days. at first it was a slow trickle when i first got pregnant (age 25) because not many of my friends were having babies, but now, it's seriously like a downpour explosion! our lives now revolves around our babies. we have schedules for when they get up, eat, nap, take baths, and go to bed. at one point or another, mamas like myself will start to be zombie-like and milk dispensers, it sounds like a terrible life to be in, but you know what, it's hell of a rewarding life! OK, so i've had four babies back-to-back, but let me tell you, it was never that i couldn't keep my legs closed, it was my desire and love for having this kind of life. yeah, i can barely function sometimes, but that's why i have a good support system coming from my husband. i couldn't do this alone. 

every since i had my boys, i don't always have time for my friends, but true friends would understand my situation. friendship has to be different but it doesn't necessary mean it's the end of an affair. my boys will not be children forever and they're at the demanding stage, eventually, when time permits and space becomes available, i'm confident my friendships with friends would pick up again. 

love my boys. xoxo

[day 33] dear jedi aiden

Daar Jedi Aiden,

Oh, honey, where has time gone? Five years ago is when I met you for the very first time. It was love at first sight. I always talked about how scared I was about getting hospitalized and after you came out, you've been a total blessing that I ended up with three more brothers for you to play with! It's all because of you. You gave me hope and love. When I think about the night I met you, I'm still overwhelmed with a rush of tears. It was the best feeling beyond words. I didn't care that I ate so much and gained over 50 lbs. Once I held you, my life forever changed.

As your mom, I notice everything about you and honestly, I choose to only remember your best. You're always watching out for your brothers. You always make sure they're protected and not getting hurt. You have a soft spot for your brothers when they are sad. You've told them it's OK even when they've gotten in trouble.

I've learned so much from you over the years that I'm always moved by tears. I struggle as a mom at times because I'm not perfect, but I do try to be perfect in the things I do. But, you've showed me that my concept of being perfect can be flawed.

I've spent the past five years shielding you from harm and will continue until the day I die. I always tell you to follow your dreams because that's where your heart belongs. you should always do what you love and find passion in it.

at five years old, it doesn't bother me that you want to be jedi aiden and be the most powerful warrior in your own galaxy. in my eyes, it takes someone very special to be a grand master. well, my sweet little man, you're my grand master in my galaxy because you have a rare combination of skills (smart, motivator) that mama loves and you make a good leader for your brothers, who i would consider your jedi. 

"mama, i don't want to get in trouble. i don't want to sit in the thinking chair." My heart whimpers every time you say that to me, but you know as your mom, i always stand strong to help you. I don't like to make you cry, it happens. I always convince myself that you meticulously plan this out to fill me with mixed emotions.

Last night, I started flipping through my xanga entries and photographs of you, it was extremely sentimental.  It made me tear and I walked into your room while you were sound asleep to selfishly whisper to you.  "I love you, Aiden, please stop growing for my sake. I would be lost without you one day." i will never stop taking photographs of you. it's our way of sharing memories together.

You have a great sense of humor and that is a sign of intelligence, well, that's what they say. If that's true, your ability to make people laugh shines. You're so goofy in your own way like when i took your picture yesterday and you bent over to show me your head. you're so FUNNY!

I never want to stop cradling you in my arms. What would I be today without you today. I wouldn't be me. I wouldn't get to experience the beginning of what motherhood would be like. I love you so much and love all your inquisitive questions. Your commitment to schoolwork from learning how to read, subtract, add, trying to beat a batman lego game, completing puzzles - shows me that you're committed to making your future a success because you're determined to learn. i want you to remember this ..........

The sky is the limit. Please continue to fly high into the sky and conquer the world with your strength and will. No matter what you do, I'll always be your mama and proud of you!

Aiden, you mean the world to me ad never forget what i've told you since you were 3. Hopefully, you'll look at the sign and remember one day because that sign has been with you for the past 2 years.

Mama thuong con yeu (love you a lot). Yes, to the moon and back!

Forever yours,

Sweet Mama Dang

[day 32] baby babble

Today we celebrated my dad’s birthday. We had a nice family dinner together. As we were driving to the restaurant, I always turn to look at my boys to see what they’re up to. Aiden and Dylan normally talk about random things and occasionally, tease each other depending on their mood. Evan is constantly munching on something and would babble random things.

Then, it dawned on me as I sat in the passenger side of the car that my boys are growing up. They can talk! I still remember and it’s always a thrilling moment when I heard my boys talk for the very first time. Of course, their first words were always papa, mama, and mum mum (for food). I always made it imperative to talk to my baby right away from birth to help him master his vocabulary. It’s really true that a child’s capacity to process words is like learning any other skills and the more you talk to them, the more words they learn to help build their vocabulary.

 
Anyways, another month to go before we meet our fourth little man. It also means summer is around the corner and our family can have more outings to the beach. One of our all time favorite spot to be at during the summer! The image was taken below from August 2012.

Love my boys. XOXO.

[day 31] egg decorating night

i felt so nauseous driving home from la this afternoon. i don't know if it was the long commute, but my body just couldn't hang. i haven't seen my boys all day and as i drove into the driveway, dylan ALWAYS comes running out to open my door and carries my purse in (on days i don't pick them up from school). he does that ALL the time and makes me so content. then, evan is calling "mama" and i couldn't help but give him a hug and kiss, but said i'll be back since i went into the bathroom. i had an upset stomach, but couldn't vomit - instead, i changed out of my work clothes and rested for a bit. i didn't even have the energy to rinse my body, which i normally do just to feel clean. 

i don't know how many times my kids came over to see me while i laid in bed, but it meant something to me. i'm glad i have a supportive husband who didn't mind watching our boys while i rested for what was supposed to be 15 minutes that turned into 2 hours. i had to force myself to get up when my two oldest kept saying "mom, are you done yet. are we going to decorate our eggs today?" i would respond "i promise. give me 10 minutes.". i hear their excitement in their voice as they told papa dang and he kept telling them that i wasn't able to get up and they'll have to wait until tomorrow, but of course, aiden repeatedly stated that "mama said she's going to decorate with us." 

our house is not that big and of course, i heard their conversation. again, i made a promise as i drove home from work today when papa dang put me on speaker. i asked them "who wants to decorate eggs???" and of course, they responded "me, me, me!". papa ended up boiling 6 eggs per boy for me. 

and .... the promise was kept. they decorated two eggs each and was completely satisfied! i promise to decorate two more with them tomorrow since it was their bedtime. i bathe them and off they went - my babies went to sleep. sweet dreams my loves.

love my boys. xoxo.

these were taken with my iphone since my camera ran out of batteries. dylan's egg is the first image you see and aiden is the second. he actually had a star war decorating box but he accidentally slipped his egg out of his hand and the water from his coloring container spilled over his box. dylan ended up sharing his box with him.

[day 30] maniac sunday funday

how was your sunday? i don't even know where to begin or know how i survived today. we started off the morning attending palm sunday mass. listening to the gospel always give me these goosebumps every year. i guess it has something to do with remembering jesus exactly one week before his resurrection. mass was extremely long for our boys and i couldn't keep them standing still for over an hour. it was the biggest challenge ever no matter how much i tried and asked them to behave. after mass, i made sure our boys were fed and papa took care of them while i took off to my friend's bridal shower. it was an awesome event and was quite successful. 

sometimes, i feel as if i have an attachment issue. i kept thinking about my boys while i was sitting there eating my food and enjoying small talks with some friends. as hours passed, i realized, the day was almost over and part of me felt guilty that i haven't really spent time with my family. papa was on his way to pick me up and as much as i wanted to crawl into bed, i made the choice to head down to balboa island with our boys. i'm not the selfish person, plus it's one of my favorite places to hang out and that's exactly where we adventure out before we headed to our weekly dinner at my in-laws.

i learned that evan loves the sand so much, he cried when it was time to go. dylan and aiden didn't want to leave either. dylan ended up stripping down to his undies just so he could go into the water. evan was walking towards the water and wanted to jump into it with his clothes on. and, my conservative aiden, well, he didn't want to show his undies and was OK with watching his brothers.

as i sat there watching our boys play together after eating their ice cream, i once again found a place that brings peace, serenity, and happiness, but most of all, relieves me from all the stress i have. yes, the beach. honestly, it makes me think and sometimes i think way too much. i know, i have a clear sense of purpose in life and my family brings a strong sense of meaning to it. they're my pursuit to happiness. regardless of how busy my life can be sometimes, i would give up anything just to be with them. no one will ever know how deeply in love i am with them. it's beyond words can ever explain.

again, i highly recommend taking a trip to the beach with your family or significant other. you can take the ferry to balboa island. it only cost $1/person and kids under 5 are free (each way). our boys love the ferry ride and the ferris wheel. if you plan to go on the ferris wheel, it's $3/person, which isn't bad. it was a very inexpensive family outing and i would do over again any day, any time. i promise you'll love it!

if you ask me if i'm tired, yes, i am. i also wished i had my slr camera.

love my boys. xoxo.

[day 29] little mermaid birthday party

march madness started this week. i'm not a college basketball fan, but for me, the month of march is birthday madness! there are tons of birthdays and today, we were fortunate enough to make it to hailey's first mermaid bash in huntington beach. it's always nice talking to friends and family that i don't normally see on a daily basis. time is so limited nowadays, where the only time i see them is when there's a special event going on such as a birthday, wedding, or even birth celebration. i'm talking about family members outside of my immediate family.

i'm generally happy with being busy and although i do yearn for more "me" time, i'm content with my choice as a parent. my boys are not engaged in numerous activities right now, but i would only have them do what makes them happiest so that they can look back on it with some sort of perspective. i don't want them to ever be overly busy because they would have unstructured times. 

you would be surprised at how many birthday parties i attend in a year. and, when 2014 rolls around, it's going to double with all the new baby arrivals this year! 

i'm going to change the subject and must add that i got one hour break since my sister meow was bored at home and asked if she could take our boys (minus evan) to target. they came home with a bag of goodies. i guess, she really wants the auntie of the year award.

love my boys. xoxo.

[day 28] happy brothers in the tub

happy kids. happy mom.

this normally doesn't happen frequently on the weekdays where all three boys are in the tub together, but tonight, we had time so they were able to play together. i'm responsible for taking baths for our boys. papa and i normally split our duties and that's how we manage to keep our house under control. while i'm bathing our boys, he's normally downstairs washing the dishes and making sure the trash is empty into the trash bin. by the time i'm done, he's upstairs and the doors normally slams - well, aiden and dylan are ready to play hide and seek with papa before they call it a night and that's what they do EVERY SINGLE night. 

my boys are so funny together. yeah, they get in trouble every single day for some reason, but they're kids. the more kids i have, the more i feel blessed. with every new addition to the family, it brings new challenges and happiness into my life.

love my boys. xoxo.

[day 27] sharing his coloring skills

my boys love to show off their schoolwork to both papa and me, but they make it a point to always show me for some reason. papa was surprised dylan remembered to take it out of the car. i was even more surprised when i saw the pic below on my phone! you can see his little tiny fingers snapping the pictures. i guess, dylan and aiden got used to me taking pictures of everything and now they tend to mirror what i do!  future photographer in the making? i hope so. haha.

dylan loves to color. i mean, what little kids don't like to color. it gives them a chance to show off their creativity and build on their fine motor skills. it helps them with writing or even grasping objects, but also benefits them to have fun. lately, dylan has found this simple activity of just coloring to be fun. he probably colors more than he ever has his entire life. since he finds it important, i make sure this becomes part of his life for now. so yes, i've printed free coloring pictures on the web and also purchased numerous coloring books for his entertainment.

love my boys. xoxo.

[day 26] cuddling my babies

my boys normally falls asleep in their own room at the same time every night, but on some wednesday nights, there's always a twist to it. i usually get to relax for about an hour, but then part of me misses my boys even though i know they're right outside my door! i would carry one kid at a time into my bedroom just so i could cuddle up next to them before i fall asleep. sometimes, they end up there for a few hours because i've passed out and papa dang would have to carry them back to their bedroom when he gets home from the gym. SURPRISE! HAHA. so, yes, that's the only way i've ever been able to execute this. papa dang isn't home. he's at the gym. he wouldn't approve. this would break our routine and he's afraid our boys could get used to it. BUT, there's a reason why i do it.

cuddling is one of my way to demonstrate my love. it's the feeling of security and giving my boys the strength to deal with something. with three boys right now, dylan and evan probably needs more cuddles than aiden. but does that mean, i love them unequally? no. it's just that one child needs more than the other and i respect that. 

always remember that more love means more resilient kids. it has a long term impact on how my boys will turn out as adults. and to be honest, as a mom, this is probably the best part when i get to be lovey dovey with them! maybe, that's the reason why all three follow me like crazy!

love my boys. xoxo.

[day 25] boys only.

do you ever feel like you're so busy? i'm ALWAYS busy. anyways,i didn't make it home on time from work to pick up my boys from school. papa dang had the three boys to himself and took them on our family weekly visit to costco. he snapped me this image because i wanted it. i wanted to see my babies! too bad they didn't have their shopping cart with them this time. it was probably too hard to handle for one parent. in the end, i'm glad he took them while i was driving in traffic home. it was a trip about being together, buying food, and having fun.

love my boys. xoxo.

[day 24] mastering puzzles

aiden got frustrated after i allowed him to play batman lego on his playstation since he couldn't beat level 5. he's pretty good at playing video games and i believe it has something to do with his high degree of concentration and becoming totally absorbed. although, he's only allowed to play for no more than 30 minutes, today i was being extra nice and said he could play for an hour. since he was stuck and felt devastated, dylan asked him if he wanted to play puzzle with him. surprisingly, they find this as a source of entertainment. 

we have boxes and boxes of puzzles that we've purchased over the course of 2 years. aiden has mastered the art of puzzle since he was 3 years old. it really helps with the foundation of reading, math, and logic skills. he loves doing them over and over again because it's not frustrating. it's very rare that he ever ask for help. at 3 years old, he was able to do 24 piece puzzles. at 4 years old, he's able to do 48+.

tonight, he was proud of his new puzzle box that he helped dylan with. this is actually dylan's puzzle that i purchased for him. it's to help him recognize his alphabet letters and also promotes a dialogue with his brother by team-building. somehow, they were so proud of their work and took my phone to snap this picture. i was busy vacuuming the house and they went to grab me anyways. i figured this was a nicely captured and here i am blogging about it. the funny part is that they know i like the small puzzles pieces in ziplock bags. they always put it back the way mama likes it. haha.

i've always encouraged my boys to do puzzles since it's an excellent activity. it also gives me an opportunity to lay on the floor and watch them (i am a dinosaur). we'll have our mini-conversation and high fives when they put the pieces together. it's pretty awesome - except for tonight, they were doing it by themselves.

love my boys. xoxo.