[189] just do it.

i'm a huge sucker when it comes to good marketing. i always get asked how i do it with four kids. like nike's slogan, "just do it" - i can simply say that i just do it. i just don't do it, but i do it with passion and love. i could never ever look back in time and regret not having babies. it's not easy, but i accept the challenge with full force. i don't get much help unless i ask for it, but for the most part, i ALWAYS want to watch my kids and hang out with them if i don't have to be at work. and, i'm so proud of myself. i survived three weeks of work!!! i couldn't believe it. i guess returning part-time helped me with the transition.

the one thing i love about work is that i finally have adult interaction again, but the one thing i hate (just HATE) is being away from my boys. although working part-time these past few weeks was useful, it gave me a chance to enjoy a little break because i have major attachment issues. being able to leave early was awesome too. oooohhhhh, thank you thank you, to california family right act!  

i always look forward to picking up my four boys and spending the afternoon with them by myself. i don't ever get a break, but that's ok. love spills from my heart and into my soul when i'm with them. they can drive me crazy sometimes, but for the most part, i'm living my dream of being a mom. i still can't fathom that i have four boys. it's uh-mah-zing. i've been so blessed that i can't wait to have our fifth. 

today, i was playing with lan lan and evan while aiden and dylan were playing in their bedroom. i love to sprinkle them with love. yes. yes. i really do. i'm also thankful that my camera was in lan lan's room. i was able to take a few photos (ta-da, see below). lan lan still looks like a mix baby at times. 

love my boys. xoxo

[day 176] one of a kind.

Our bond continues to grow stronger and stronger each day. We have this unadulterated love for each other.  He envelopes our family with joy and warmth, but his smile, it’s contagious. I swear, he’s such a happy little man and I’m sure there are plenty of other babies who are, too, but to have one that I own is a different story. It’s pure awesomeness. He bleeds perfection.

The house was so quiet for about two hours today with papa dang being at work and lan lan sleeping blissfully in his crib. Aiden and Dylan were on their way home. it was just evan and i. after i finished feeding him, he went straight to the crayon jar. It was his way of telling me he wanted to color. I couldn’t resist. He elected to rest his head on the floor with his coloring book and crayon. I love our laziness of not sitting at the table. Clearly, we were relaxing and enjoying our time together. With his coy smile, I knew I just brighten his day because i gave him the attention he yearned for.

I’m proud to be his mama.

Love my boys. XOXO.

[day 175] constant state of sprinting

i'm constantly taking pictures with my iphone now and post a few on instagram daily. yeah, it's doesn't create the best quality images, but good enough to capture the memory. there's something about this image that captivates me. it reminds me that everything that matters to me is wonderful. i have a wonderful family even though we have our share of bad days. it reminds me that we're healthy. we have a home, food, and each other. and you know, it couldn't get any better. life moves quite fast. sometimes, i just wished i could freeze time. 

So, lan lan doesn't sleep with us, he was just hanging out (you know the usual cooing, tummy time) when he knocked out with papa dang and eventually got moved back into his crib. He has been sleeping through the night since he was approx 2 months old. 

gawd, i've been lucky with all four boys. I don't know how i used to survive their nightly party (i'm talking night feeding and pumping milk). how i forwent sleep is part of sacrifice and love i have for them. then again, i'm quite used to it. my life since i had aiden in 2008 has been dedicated to being the best mom possible. i wouldn't have babies if i knew i couldn't take care of them.

love my boys. xoxo.

[day 174] out and about

people always wonder how i do it with four kids. well, one of things i encourage and make sure we do is eat together. while i was out on maternity leave, i wouldn't have survived at home alone with four boys if this was never enforce. but, just like work, i'll have a plan. i don't let our boys select what they want to eat. OK, maybe they can select what type of cereal. i always remind them that they should be thankful they have food to devour while others in the world or country may not have what they have. they're old enough to understand. you'll be surprise. kids truly understand and i constantly remind and teach them how to be appreciative. it's important to me. i also enforce that they pray and bless their food and family. they've been pretty good at it when we're alone together. they get shy when others are around. 

tonight, we had dinner at boudins. i was craving clam chowder and salad. sometimes, we don't have to pay for our kid's dinner here. every time they ride the carousel at the mall, they receive a coupon to different stores and if we're lucky, they'll get the free kids meal coupon with an entree purchase at boudins. also, don't be fooled by this image - our boys can behave at a restaurant setting as long as we are up and out within an hour or less. otherwise, my stress level would have gone to code red. they will not sit still. they'll get bored. what kid wouldn't?

afterwards. we picked up legos for aiden and dylan. aiden has been building legos for ages 7-12 since he was 4 years old. i personally think he's a genius. i taught him once how to follow the manual and he remembers. sometimes, he'll get stuck, but for the most part, he builds all his legos on his own. i'm glad he helps out his brother, dylan. they make a good team as long as they're behaving. yes, they have their moments.

love my boys. xoxo.

[day 173] too sexy for sports with clothes

one loves to do flips underneath the water while the other one is not as bold and daring. it was nice to see them together in the pool at their swim school. i love that they're close in age. they have each other back. i love that one won't go without the other. aside from getting on each other nerves occasionally, they have grown to be like peanut butter and jelly. they couldn't live without the other. aside from this, i am going to truly miss their instructor who has moved on to new opportunities. he gave his heart to our boys and now we're hoping the new instructor would do the same.

love my boys. xoxo.

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video 2 of 4. have a wonderful weekend. i'll be back to blog later.

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1 of 4 videos. enjoy this one for now.

[day 161] all you need is love

I wished I lived in Canada. I would have the privilege to be out on maternity leave for a full year.  In a few weeks, I’ll be returning back to work. The transition will be emotionally difficult for me. I’ll miss my babies so much!  But, I hope to one day be a full-time housewife and stay-at-home mom. Because life is short and it’s not only our dreams and money that makes us happy, it’s the little and big people in our life.  I’ve decided to work part-time for two weeks to help me ease back. I also plan to save a month of bonding time to use throughout the year.

Lately, I’ve been taking more pictures with my iPhone (like the one you see below). It’s nice to remember things and so easy with a click of a button. Well, today, I tried to play catch up with my laundry. I swear, laundry never stops in our house. I guess, that’s because (1) we take two showers (2) we go through 2-3 outfits per day and (3) blankets/sheets get washed weekly. I’m glad that I only have one more load to fold before I'm all caught up. This will only last for tonight though. It feels so good. I feel like a spankin' new person! Papa D says I think about cleaning too much. NOT!

Here’s a pic of my little cutie lan lan and evan watching me fold laundry while they watch baby Einstein earlier this morning. I’m definitely going to miss seeing their faces every single morning in a few weeks. Wah!

Love my boys. XOXO.