My Two Munchkins

American Revolution

J is suppose to be Thomas Jefferson - 3rd President of the US.  She did a great job.  She is wearing her sister's old costume - she was Ben Franklin.

Happy New Year!! This is the year of the Dragon. 2nd daughter birthday sign - this will be very interesting year.

OMG, I am not so ready for Christmas. I heard on the radio that they will start playing Christmas song right after Thanksgiving. Let me ask you, are you ready for Christmas?

my new faucet

About a month ago, I found underneath the sink a puddle of water.  I didn't think too much and clean it up.  Then a couple of days later, when I went underneath again to find something, again there was a puddle of water.  This time it was worst!!  So I took everything out and line the bottom with newspaper and try to figure out where the water was coming from. 

Ahaa, we have a leak by the old faucet. 

 

The problem with the leak was the housing that was connected to the faucet was either worn out or there is a tear inside.  We aren't sure.  I told hubby since this is the original faucet, let's get a new one.  Well, he found one on Costco website.  The only problem this faucet is on backorder and Costco doesn't know when they will ship it.  So we wait with a bucket underneath the sink.

Well, after 2 weeks (yes that long) Costco sent us a memo they will ship the faucet in another 2 weeks.  Well, I was getting frustrated with emptying the water from the bucket every night.  I went back on Costco website and found this:

So I went ahead and order it and guess what, they will ship it 3-5 days.  Yes, houston there is help on the way.

Well, after  the faucet was delivered - we are talking now November 3rd, still leaking on the old faucet because hubby is away on a business trip in the East Coast.  So we wait some more with emptying the water from the bucket.

Finally on November 5th, we have a new faucet.

Sweet - this is the only appliance that got moved into the 21st century.  Still working on the dish washer.  So wish me luck on that one.

sewing

I have been given so many compliments on my sewing - gee, thank you.  Let me tell you, I really don't sew that well.  Lets put it this way, if my mom see all my projects, she would be going around saying "no, no".  My Mom is a perfectionist when it comes to sewing - she actually took one of my dress that I had sewn in class apart because she didn't think I was sewing it correctly and straight. 

Anyway, with Christmas coming up soon, I am thinking of making homemade things for the people I love.  The girls will get some more stuff but theirs can wait.

So, off to my poor sewing machine - it needs a tune up!!!

what to write about?

I guess I have been kind of sad and angry lately.  No don't worry I am over it.  For the last couple of years (yes, I was depressed) but now, I am living again.  I hid it really well.  The only one that really got the blunt of this is my family. 

How I got into that stage was what all women will go thru.  As I reach that age (you know it), the body hurts in many places you never thought there will be pain.  Then I was not happy with anything.  I found fault in everything.  And it didn't help matters when my MIL was always on my case about everything.  I was withdrawing from everything - my blog, my friends and most of all - my hubby (he didn't know what was going on). And also I was starting to eat at my free will - yes, I gained over 20 lbs and did not care.

Finally one day, I must have share one of my depression with my friend.  She and I start comparing notes on our problem.  Also I was wanting to come out and tell the world but was afraid.  Anyway, we told each other - we either go for analysis or get out of this now.  Yes, both of us decided we need our family and their love. 

So I am happy to say, I am back - I have lost over 10 lbs and still working on loosing more.  I am eating healthier but ocasionally sneak a bag of junk food in when no one is looking. 

Because I was withdrawing from my blog, I did not write for over a year.  I know I have lost a lot of my blogger friends.  That is okay because this blog was set up for me and sharing about my girls.  I have gone to FaceBook also.  So I am more on FB than here.

So I will continue to write when I can. 

 

 

 

Mom made one for me

As not to think J got a bag and K doesn't, I finally finish making K's bag.  The only difference is K wants a backpack.  Excuse me, can we just do something simple.  So I had to find an old backpack that was given to the girls as an advertisement campaign along time ago.  So without a pattern, here it is.

K wanted her pockets on the inside instead on the outside.  Whew, done.

sewing

Sorry for being away so long - school started and then getting them munchkins all settle in their school schedule.  Now that they are back into their routines, Mom here is left some time to herself.  Yes, I am doing my 4 miles walking (if the dr. is reading this - yes I do walk every other day).  Well on monday when I am with my walking buddies, we had set up a time to do some crafting and sewing.  Well crafting I am not good at.  I can sew but according to my late Mom, not a good sewer.  Anyway, I wanted to do something with the that extra time to myself.  I was looking at j/k's church bags, they need a new one.  So, I made J hers today - look at a new church bag for J:

 

Yes, J favorite color is "ORANGE".  I found a spool of these colorful material at Jo-Ann's.  The material is cut for the quilter to be used for a quilt.  I figure this is perfect for me so I don't have to go all over Jo-Ann looking for the material to match.  I am done with J and now I can start K tomorrow.

1st day of school 2011/2012

Yeah!!!!  I love this time of the year.  Right after Labor Day's - school starts.  I know and don't ask, why the school system in our district starts so late - I don't have an answer.  But here they are:

 

The caption should read - "Hurry it up Mom, my backpack weights a ton".

 
My fashion expert is telling me "I love Nerds".  I closed my eyes on her outfit because that is what she chose to wear on the 1st day of school.

Mammoth Lakes

Yes, when you hear about Mammoth, your first though is "skiing".  Yes, Mammoth does have the best skiing in the whole Calif.  I have been there only once in the skiing season and nearly froze because I don't ski really well.  The other time you go up to Mammoth is to go fishing.  Now I know this because I have been up there a couple times - in college with my college friends and one time with hubby. 

Well, this time, we took the girls so they can enjoy fishing.  I know for a fact J will not like fishing.  She had a bad experience when we took her to SIL/BIL's parents home by the canel in Washington.  She freak out at a small fish so I was well prepared for her reaction when going fishing here at Mammoth.

On the other hand, K loves it.  Again same place in the canal and she just love catching the small little fishes on the canal.  So I wanted to see her reaction here in Mammoth fishing.

Well, just as I expected, J cast out her line and would you know it, she caught a fish (trout).  And sure enough, she was freaking out when hubby had her wheel it in.  She would/could do it so hubby had to bring the fish in.  When the fish was on the ground, she was still freaking out.

 

But on the other hand, K got the hang on how to cast out her line.  It took awhile but she too caught a fish (actually she caught 2 fishes and lost 2).

Here is her picture:

 

This little kid was the one really catching all the fishes in our family.  Like I was saying she caught 2, J caught 1, Hubby lost 1, and I lost one.  A lady came up to us and ask if we were keeping our fishes.  We told her we were and she gave us her fish (she was doing the catch and release but the fish she gave us was going to die if she had released it).   

Hubby and K went back another day and they got "skunked" - nothing.

Here is what we had for dinner...

 

 

Sunflowers

I don't know if you remembered but my late FIL was a gardener.  He was a great gardener.  Every other saturday, he will drive down from his house and do the gardening at our house.  He love it because he gets to come see the girls and also go out to lunch with hubby.  And also our yard is the best looking because we had a Japanese gardener doing it. 

Well sadly a couple of years ago, he was in the accident (he hit the wall of a market - he blanked out and he thought he was hitting the brake but he was pushing the gas pedal).  So after that accident, he gave up his gardening job here at our house. 

We hired another gardener but he isn't the same as my FIL.  So in front of our house, we have a half moon for growing flowers.  But we can't never grow much in this plot of dirt. 

Well, the girls decided they want to grow some sunflower seeds they got from Target.  I told them to see if they can grow anything in the dirt in front of our house.  Well, they dug a hole and put in 5 sunflower seeds.  Well, guess what, 2 out of the 5 germinated.  See below:

 

The one on the left is still growing and has not flowered yet. The one on the right you can see the flower petal and the seeds are still green.  The two plants are over 6 ft. and still growing.  I am wondering what our present gardener is thinking when he sees these two plants.

Big Basin, CA

Early in June we went camping.  This is going to be our traditional thing we as a family I think will be doing as long as the girls want to do.  The weather was great and our campsite was great.  The only fall back to this camping trip was we were eaten alive by the mosquitos. We had a late raining season so the bugs were in full bloom.  Of the this trip, I took this great foto of the girls and hubby.  Noone was around to take the whole family pic but that is okay - I don't really like to be in the picture.  Here it is.  The branch actually bent - mother nature way.

 

I have decided

I am keeping this blog but only to show you my amateur pictures.  I bought myself the Canon 40D a couple years ago - I was tire of getting blurry and yucky pictures.  I am still doing it but I know better.  I took  a very basic photography class on how to shoot that perfect picture without really trying.  Yes, also I took another class Canon was offering when we were in Yosemite last year.  So with all that knowledge - I am still an amateur.  One day I will get there.

Here is another picture I took while were in Alaska:

 

this and that

I was trying to figure out what to do with this blog - in the beginning I wanted to log in on all the stuff for the girls - it was heaven sent because I had a great time with them.  Now they are both entering soon to be "tween" and they don't want me to follow them anymore and yes, they want to be alone.  So my big debate, should I shut it down because I am on Facebook most of the time or just keep going with this blog but writing about something else.  The big problem is what is this something else???  That is where I am going.  So I am going to think this over and come back with my decision soon.

 
 

This is for your viewing - one of gazillion picture I took when we went to Alaska.

She is growing up too fast

Well, last week we went to the eye doctor's office and pick up her new glasses.  These are the glasses she want because she is currently reading book 6 of the Harry Potter's series.  When we were in the office, I could not get her to try on any other frames - she was so determine on this "Harry Potter" glasses.  So without much ado - my nerdie girl - new glasses, new braces and new haircut.