Happy New Year

Here is to 2013 bringing you laughter and new adventures!

Charlotte's Conversation of the Day

Charlotte: Daddy, Santa got me a kitchen!
Kayu: yea
Charlotte: He got me a puppy too! But he forgot my kitty, huh?
Kayu: He did...
Charlotte: Cause, I want a kitchen, a puppy, and a kitty!

The picture above is Charlotte with Tweet the birdie. He was found among our pile of Christmas ornaments. Tweet got disconnected from his Care Bear friend and has since become Charlotte's little pet friend. She once took him to school and gave him to a friend. He was later found on the floor at school and has managed to make his way back to our house.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2012 from Shannon Ng on Vimeo.

Christmas Crafts

I had wanted to make these ornaments last year but we didn't get around to it. I loved the simplicity of it. Applesauce, glue, and cinnamon. They made the house smell wonderful.
When I was in kindergarten we made red sweatshirts with a reindeer like this. I think this was the first time Charlotte didn't freak out about paint getting on her hands.

We made this baby from scratch and it was a 3 day process. I made the batter which had to refrigerated. Luckily Kayu rolled out the dough and cut it because it was so tough he basically had to man handle it. The last day we decorated. I tried not to be too obsessive compulsive about the candy placement =)

She makes my heart full

She told me that I am her best friend. And then she continued to tell me that the cat is her best friend. Well..at least I was first.

Raspberries always bring back special memories of spending the summer at my Grandma Phillips' house and picking fresh raspberries from her backyard. She always had raspberry jam on hand to smother our toast with.

This recipe was a bit consuming as you have to let the dough rest numerous times but I would definitely recommend it for special occasions. You can check out the recipe here.

Merry and Bright

In keeping with tradition, here is our 'decorating the tree' video.  Sadly Leroy didn't make his guest appearance like in years past. 2010. 2011.

Christmas Tree 2012 from Shannon Ng on Vimeo.
This year is proving to be even more exciting than years past.  When Charlotte sees the holiday decor she lights up and shouts "Christmas!"  We have even discussed getting her ears pierced.  We have been invited to a breakfast with Santa along with some other military families at the mall.  Anytime I mention having breakfast with Santa she brings up how we are going to get earring and how it is going to hurt {since I have been trying to warn her that there is  most likely going to be some pain involved}.

Watch out Daddy...there is a new boy in town

Charlotte is a little borderline obsessed with Cooper. She talks about him on a regular basis and every time she gets mad at either Kayu or I, she tells us that she is going to tell Cooper on us {which reminds me of a time when I used to tell my mother I was going to run off to live with Santa Claus}. Abigail and I joked about an arranged marriage, but at this point we might not have to worry about it. 

Charlotte's latest conversation with Kayu... 

 C: "Do you like Cooper, Daddy?" 

Kayu: "Yeah, I like Cooper." 

C: "Okay. That will make me happy." 

Counters

Farewell icky tiled counter tops! Our quartz counter tops have been installed and they look marvelous {and are so much easier to clean}.  We frantically tried getting all the painting done on the cabinets before Thanksgiving but unfortunately time was not on our side.  Currently we are two-thirds of the way done painting.  Now we just need to find the motivation to continue. 
 

Backsplash we picked out {Luckily Kayu and I agreed on one}

And the chaos begins...

The contractors came in and removed the old countertops. So now we are sinkless and stovetopless and dishwasherless. And the dishes piling up.

  

 

Kids say the darnest things

 

One day I asked Charlotte if she wants to be a teacher when she grows up since she pretends she is leading circle time and directs us to do certain things. "Now touch your nose."  She responded "no."  So then I asked her what she wanted to be?  She responded "a bee." Hmm.  I then asked her if there was anything else she wanted to be.  Her new response "a QUEEN bee."

 Today we had a Thanksgiving potluck at work and all the families were invited.  I was on shift so I had Kayu and Charlotte stop by our Ops floor.  Charlotte pointed to one of the computers and said "you have a computer just like at home?"  I told her yes.  Then this evening when I walked in the door she asks "where you playing on the computer again."

Our Casa

Family Room + plump cat

Computer/Craft/Play Room

Kitchen

C's craft corner

Dining room/Living room

Backyard...my favorite place

There are still a lot of projects that we want to do to update the house. I have learned the hard way with our Wyoming house that if you wait until the last minute, you don't really get to enjoy the updates. So with this house I am determined to get as much done right away. Here are some of the things we plan to do...
☐ Quartz countertops
☐ Backsplash
☐ Paint kitchen cabinets
☐ Bamboo flooring

Charlotte the Story Teller

Charlotte's Conversation from Shannon Ng on Vimeo.

Gma comes to town

It has been a crazy week.  I had to work 12 hour shifts and Kayu had to fly nights.  Luckily Gma flew in to save the day (rather week).  Charlotte had a blast following Gma around and helping her in the backyard.  They even managed to capture a large collection of snails and one lady bug in the bug carrying case my mom sent out.  I think Gma grew very fond of the snails because she would take them outside when she was working in the backyard and bring them in at the end of the day.  She wanted to take some back home to Michigan with her to show Samantha but I convinced her they should stay here.  When they released them, Charlotte told me they were going back to their Mommy and Daddy.
  

Latest from Charlotte

On our way to work, when we drive by the Marriot Hotel, she points and says "There's my house!"  She has grand dreams of being a princess

While making pancakes, she helped pour the flour in and says "I love flowers.  I have flowers outside."

"I have a green car.  There is only room for Cooper, Piper, and Daddy.  Not you Mommy."

"Mommy, you are the whale and Daddy is the fish."

"Is that beer?  Beer is not for babies.  Babies drink milk."

"Oh I'm sorry."

"I know that!"

Pumpkin Patch

One of my favorite things about fall...going to the pumpkin patch.

2011

 

2012

  

Crazy how much difference a year can make

Zebra

In my infinite wisdom, I thought stripes would be a fun way to paint Charlotte's room.  After shaky hands (from trying to hold the laser straight) and mounds of tape later, I now think otherwise.  Through trial and error, my Aunt Jackie and I found out the hard way how to paint the perfect stripe.  You see, most walls are textured and paint tends to seep under the tape.  The best way to paint stripes is to tape the lines.  Then on the areas that you plan on painting color, you must take the white paint and create a seal on the tape by painting on top on tape and on the wall.  This prevents the color paint from seeping through and creating uneven lines.  Once the white paint dries, you can paint the colored stripes.  The trick is to remove the tape while the paint is still wet.

The finished product

August in Review

* We finished the last leg of our trip visiting my sister in L.A. We spent the day relaxing on the roof side of the W hotel. One of her kind friends offered to let us hang out at the pool. I could get used to the luxurious life. The cupcake ATM was among the must stops. Charlotte and I shared a delicious strawberry cupcake (pink of course!) * We finally arrived to our new house and the unpacking began. My aunt went straight to work painting. I had envisioned stripes in Charlotte's room and through trial and error (and lots hand cramps from holding the laser), my aunt and I mastered the art of painting stripes. * We are thoroughly enjoying our new house. The backyard is full of flowers and life. So far we have spotted a praying mantis, a humming bird, and little lizards that pile up in the pond enclosure. * Kayu and I did a quick high five changeover. We saw each other for three days and then I ventured down to central California for training. It has been fun reminiscing about my time here 6 years ago and catching up with old friends.

Happy Birthday Charlotte

Charlotte turns 3 from Shannon Ng on Vimeo.

July in Review

* We made a number of trips to Niceville/Destin to hang out with the Ono family. On the 4th of July we went paddle boarding. Abby and I spotted some sting rays below us when we were boarding. We also saw a pelican that looked like a statue on one of the buoys. * We rented a boat on Lake Martin and took the kids tubing. Cooper found it so calming that he fell asleep on the raft. * We explored Montgomery and found the Museum of Fine Arts. There was also a nearby pond that had turtles and ducks that liked to compete for food. * We celebrated Cooper's 3rd birthday! We felt very lucky to spend two months with our wonderful friends. * Squadron Officer School ended and we started our journey to the west coast. Charlotte and I stopped in Louisiana to see our previous neighbors. Then we stopped in Dallas to pick up my brave Aunt Jackie who drove the rest of the way with us. On the way, we stopped in Albuquerque and the Grand Canyon.

May & June in Review

 

* We celebrated our last Cinco de Mayo with our great friends Karen, Joel, Piper, and Cooper.  It was a great tradition going strong for 2 years.

* Kayu arrived home with a week and a half to spare before we journeyed off to Alabama.  We made a quick weekend trip to Boulder one last time.

* The movers came and packed up our house.  We were sad to say goodbye since it was the house we brought Charlotte home to after she was born.

* With boxes, cats, and toddler in tow, we drove to Michigan to spend a week with family.  The timing worked out so we could spend Memorial day with the fam.

* Charlotte stayed at Gama and Gampa camp while we drove to Alabama.  She had a great time having a sleep over with AV, UB, and Samantha.  She spent most of her days playing with Gwen, coloring, doodling with chalk, and her all time favorite-- blowing bubbles.

* AJ flew Charlotte out to Florida.  She had a blast flying and even got some Delta wings.

* While at school (and the surrounding areas), we have gotten to reunite with some of our great friends....Abigail, Tomo, Cooper, Kyle, Dave, Breanne, Matilda, Dick, Leona, and Pooja

Heat Wave!

My body is not made for this scorching heat and humidity.  And the munchkin is not a fan either.  Every day we pick her up from daycare she tells us it is too hot and to turn the air on.  We have been trying to beat the heat in Montgomery by hitting the pool as often as possible. 

Kayu has been hard at work trying to finish the deck before we leave {nothing like waiting until the very last minute}.  Charlotte can usually be found out there supervising or jumping on her trampoline.  Yesterday, I spotted her building on her own.  I love her little imagination.

Kayu is home!

He was the first to get off the plane and Charlotte welcomed him home with a big warm hug.  Her faced beamed from ear to ear.  She hasn't left his side since he got home.

Everyday

Charlotte has discovered the moon roof in my car.  When we are driving she will tell me to "open the sky."  

When driving, I occasionally get annoyed with other drives and say bad words.  Charlotte responds with, "okay mommy?"  Apparently she picks up on my frustration.

Today she found her clam shell toy that you click to make music.  It must have looked like the face paint that the lady used on her face last week because she was sticking her finder in the groves and then pretending to paint my face.

Runaway Toddler

Charlotte has been very into her suitcase lately.  Last week she wanted to take it in the car with us when we were running errands.  Then when we would stop she wanted to drag it behind her.  I couldn't help but laugh thinking people would probably think we were homeless.  
   

You know she isn't messing around when she packs "dee dee"