Ddingkas

Christian went in for his 2 year check up about a month ago and was told to go see a pediatric urologist for a possible hernia in his left testicle.  Hmmm.  All this time, I thought his left testicle was of normal size and his right was a little small.  Apparently, I was wrong.  The right side was the normal size and the left was very swollen because of the extra fluid and intestine (or something ) hanging low.  The drs strongly recommended that he get treated sooner than later before it causes any serious complications.

I remember talking to my dad on the phone about it.  I explained that C has a hernia in his testicles.  My dad didn’t understand the word testicle.  So in my awesome Korean, I said “You know… the thing that guys have…”  Still didn’t understand.  C’mon dad.  “You know… the 2 things that hang down there.”   LOL.  It was so embarrassing but he got it.  I can  hear my mom in the background asking my dad to repeat what I said.  Hahaha.

Anyway, Christian went in for his procedure on Friday.  The poor guy.  He woke up in the morning all excited that we were going somewhere so early.  Little did he know his little set of jewels were going to be tampered with.  Poor poor poor guy.  Uggghhh… seeing him cry with a confused (or was it mad?) look as the nurse carried him in to the operating room just ripped my heart.  But, all’s well now.  He’s super clingy now… even more so than before if that can even be possible but he’s quite a trooper.  Still running around with his sisters being the big boy that he is.  The incision is right below his waist line and looks nice and neat.  They said the scar will go away in time.  I hope so.  Hope it doesn’t get all ugly like my c-section scar.

Christian cried when we entered and saw the nurses in their scrubs.  Cried some more when he saw Dr F.  Cried even more when we changed him into his gown.  Aigo.  It was painful.  After he woke up, he was hysterically crying.  I asked the nurse if he was crying because he’s in pain.  She said “No, he came in crying.  He’s on pain medication so he shouldn’t be too uncomfortable.”

Es and Mark finally got hitched this past weekend.  WOOHOO to the new Mr. and Mrs. Davis.  I’m so happy for them.  It’s a weird feeling… not really sad but just so proud of her and Mark.  When I saw her walk down the aisle to meet Mark, I was sooooo happy for her.  I wonder if this is a taste of what I’ll be feeling when I see my children get married.

So anyway, the wedding was in Atlanta, GA.  That’s where Mark is from.  Mark is a southern gentleman.  He’s really great for Esther.  He’s super tall (over 6′) but has a boyish face with his cute red cheeks.

Months before the wedding, Es told us she’s getting married in FL.  Yeah!  We’ll hit Disney while we’re down there.  I started looking into renting a house… and how cool, almost all of them comes with a pool   Nice!  Then, she breaks the news that they’re getting married in GA.  Ok.  What’s there?  And, what?  Plane tickets are mid 300s?  There’s 5 of us… plus 3 car seats and a stroller we have to check in.  Oh, and don’t forget the bags.  Spending that much and making it into a week long vacation wasn’t so bad.  But, spending that much for just a weekend seemed like a lot for us.  So, we thought of a million ways to bring down the price.  My friend, R, made suggestions that had us flying and driving up and down the east coast.  It was almost crazy and funny at the same time.

Well, I kept an eye on the flight prices and they started to drop to 200s so we toyed with the idea of flying.  But the thought of traveling with 3 kids seemed a lot to handle.  Besides, my parents wanted to spend some time with us before they move to Cali and insisted we do a road trip.  My mom kept saying there is no way we can travel with 3 kids.  She’s seen my diaper bag   And on top of that, Es needed a way to transport her dress without having to check it in.  So, road trip it is.  We all agreed that it’s going to be a tight squeeze so we can only take with us the ESSENTIALS.  The essentials for us meant, an ice box for Ellen’s and Christian’s soymilk.  They only like SILK’s unsweetened organic so we had to bring it with us because they’re not readily accessible at gas stations.  There’s also the stroller, 3 bags, and my dress and JH’s suit… and a box of cup ramen… oh, and another bag of wedding items.  My parents packed light.  They had one luggage and a carry on.  Nice.  Just as I told them.  Then, they started unloading other items.  Rice cooker, more ramen (I bought the box of cup ramen because they told me to but they brought extra!), fruit (incl bananas I only saw once when we were loading the car), and some other random items.  Our minivan rental was packed to the max.  I thought I had to carry Es’ gown on my head.  We were traveling to Atlanta looking like refugees.  HAHAHA.

JH drove most of the time with me as a relief when he was too tired.  My mom sat in the back in between the girls’ car seats.  I know it wasn’t comfortable… physically and mentally.   But what a trooper.  She kept saying she wanted to sit there.  I know it’s because she wanted me to be comfortable.  She was such a HUGE help with the bathroom breaks, drinks, and snacks.  I mean, does she like her grand daughters that much?  Or, does she love me that much?  It’s both.  I can’t even begin to tell her how much she means to me.  I don’t think she even knows how much I appreciate her.  I got to really see how much she loves us during the trip.  I’ll miss her so much when she moves.  Sigh.

Next post will be detailed accounts on the actual trip… the Kim style!

I have to say… my kids are pretty creative.  If mom and dad refuses to buy rollerskates, just make them.  And yes, ladies and gents, those thingamajigs on her feet are homemade rollerskates.  Originally, they had Christian’s little matchbox cars underneath the blocks so that they can roll (sorta.)  I told them that was too dangerous and had her remove them.  But how clever is that?  Depending on what they’re playing, sometimes they can also be fancy party dress shoes.  But today, they’re roller skates.

You can make them at home too.  You just need 2 triangular blocks and 2 hair ties.  If you have Fred Flinstone feet like Ellen, you’ll need sturdy ones… not thin ones that can snap easily.)  Tools or glue not needed.

And, remember, safety first.  Can’t go skating without a helmet (a plush Cookie Monster basket) and goggles (sunglasses.)

All girls love shoes…at least my girls.

When I take my girls shoe shopping, it takes forever to pick out the perfect shoe.  Long gone are the days when they didn’t care if their sandals looked like sturdy orthopedic shoes.  Now, they want something pretty… and big girl like.  I expected it from Elisa but not so much from Ellen.  But, she’s the same.  Even if she’s a little tomboy and her favorite color is blue, she likes pretty things.  Ellen’s like Goldilocks… the shoes are too shiny, too plain, too purpley, too pink, too… too… AGGGHHHH!!!!   Christian doesn’t care what’s on his feet as long as he can run and climb in them.  Barefoot is fine too.

Girls!

So, a few weeks ago, we went shoe shopping.  UGH!  But they needed new sneakers and sandals since both girls’ feet grow like weed.  We went to Stride Rite for another long extensive and painful shoe shopping experience.  Elisa FINALLY picked out a pair of sneakers: Stride Rite Danielle.  They looked really cute on the display… and she liked them on her feet as well.  Comfortable fit.  Nice Velcro straps.  She walked around the store in them and gave the final okay.

But, sad to say, I think we may have to buy her another pair of sneakers because despite the rave reviews (I think Zappos or one of those online shoe store),  they’re not very practical.  They’re great indoors.  Or, on well paved roads.  But once you hit the playground with wood chips… or roads with some twigs, dirt, pebbles and such, the little suckers find their way into her sneakers because of the gaps in between the velcro straps.  And her socks always get dirty too.  Whenever we are outdoors, she’ll ask to take off her shoes at least once to remove whatever got caught in her shoe.  And on top of that, this is not a big deal, but because of the gaps between the straps, you always have to be mindful of the socks she wears.  Light colored looks best… or ones with really cute designs.  Plain black or grey socks doesn’t look too pleasing.  But that’s minor.

Stride Rite Danielle:  For outdoor wear, I give it a thumbs down.  If you’re kid is indoors all the time (school for instance,) they’re okay.

Before marriage, a Korean mother would teach her daughter the basics in Korean cooking.  Or so what I’ve gathered from Korean dramas.  LOL.  That really wasn’t the case when I got married.  I don’t know if it was an excuse but my mom would say that it’s best that I learn from my mother in-law so that I can adapt to my husband’s taste buds.  That never really made much sense to me because 1) my in-laws live in Korea so teaching me over the phone in their non-English and my broken Korean isn’t the ideal learning environment and 2) JH hasn’t been living at home for many years so he’s not completely attached to his mom’s cooking.  But I didn’t complain because I wasn’t really interested in cooking… just eating

And then, I got married.  JH showed even less interest in cooking than me.  But that was ok because as a newlywed, I wanted to try different dishes for my husband.  You know what they say.  A way to a man’s heart is through their stomach.  Or something like that.  Well, good thing I made my way into his heart before marriage because my cooking certainly was nothing to brag about.  In fact, we sometimes wonder what we ate during our first couple of years of marriage.  I guess it didn’t matter since we were in wedded bliss   He was satisfied in other ways

Then I had Elisa.  And not much has changed.  My in-laws came to stay with us for 6 months and during those 6 months, my MIL did most of the cooking.  They usually had me looking after Elisa because she was so clingy.  But, I guess I picked up a few thing just by watching my MIL cook from the side.  I have to admit, when I lived with my parents, I don’t think I ever paid much attention.  In fact, I was rarely in the kitchen when my mom cooked.

It wasn’t until I had Ellen when I really started to pay attention to what we ate.  She had milk and egg allergies so we ate out less and I began cooking a lot from scratch.  And to my delight, there were millions of recipes online.  I wonder why I never bothered to look them up before.  Everything from whole wheat, egg free pancakes to Korean soybean paste stew.

I am still a work in process.  I’m not a great cook but good enough for my family.  I think the difference now is I actually enjoy cooking and feeding my family.  I enjoy seeing them slurp up the last drop of their soup… or pick up that bit of food that fell between the prongs of their fork.   It gives me great pleasure when JH or the kids ask for more.  Although, I have to keep an eye on Ellen because she asks for more ALL the time.  But recently, I heard her say she’s full… twice!  That’s a new phrase for her.  I’m full.

Anyway… there is one thing that I was afraid to try.  Kimchi.  I don’t know.  It just seemed like too big of a challenge.  Making a massive amount of something and having to wait before you can tell if it tastes good or not seems so risky.  What a waste of all those ingredients if it ends up being too salty or too spicy.  But, my parents are considering moving to California.  And unlike before I got married, my mom began listing things I have to learn before she moves.  1) kimchi and 2) shikhye (not the drink but the North Korean delicacy consisting of spicy fermented fish.  I know.  It sounds weird and unappetizing but O M G it tastes so freaking good.  JH had it for the first time a little before we got married and he got hooked!  It’s one of those banchans that if you’re on a diet, you have to stay away from because you’ll eat bowls and bowls of rice… aka rice thief.)

So anyway, now that my mom has seen some improvement in my cooking (it only took 9 years… and besides, there’s no way but up from where I started) she decided to teach me how to make kimchi.  Besides, I made water kimchi on my own and it came out pretty darn good.  So, making regular kimchi can’t be too difficult, right?  You know… I should have known better than to expect to REALLY learn.  Not only is she a great cook but in addition to creating a million short cuts, she’s super speedy as heck.  So, learning from her is not ideal.  She moves at lightening speeds and calls out the ingredients like a surgeon calling for their tools during an emergency operation.  Garlic.  Check.  Pepper. Check.  Wait, lick.  Too spicy.  You have anything else?  Uhh… no.  Okaayyyy…  That okaayyy didn’t sound so reassuring.  But she’s checking off the ingredients too fast for me to ask any questions.  And, like most moms, she never uses a measuring spoon/cups.  I, on the other hand, measure the amount of garlic that goes into my daenjang jjigae.  I need precise measurements.  What does a little sugar mean?  Little like a spoonful or a cupful?

It was a crash course on how to make the world’s fastest kimchi.  If you ask me to make another jar of kimchi by myself, I wouldn’t be able to.  At least not the way my mom did.  I’d have to go online and google kimchi recipe.  But, I did catch all the ingredients she put in and she missed a few that I saw on the online recipes.  When I asked her about it, she sort of said it’s optional.  Optional?  Her kimchi is the BEST.  I can’t eat store bought anymore ever since she started supplying us with her kimchi.  I should trust her but since when was ginger optional?  I mean, I hate catching a piece of ginger between my teeth when eating kimchi but isn’t that essential?  And what about the rice porridge?  And that REALLY STINKY fish sauce?  C’mon now… so after she left (she helped brine the cabbage and make the pepper paste) I added my own ingredients before adding the paste to the cabbage.  I also added an ingredient she told me not to add.  Oysters.  She usually adds squid to hers for that cool taste but I didn’t have any.  So, I went with what I did have.  Don’t know if it’ll turn out like my mom’s.  Don’t know if it’ll turn out ok at all since I added the extra stuff but… we’ll find out next week.  Can’t wait.

Oh… and she helped make the fermented fish.  But her method is sooooo different from the online recipes.  She skipped like a million steps.  She reminded me of Rachel Ray and her 30 minute cooking.  Fake baking and stuff.  As long as it tastes good that’s all that matters.  My grandmother was the expert on this.  But my mom never learned and she said she regrets it till this day.  But, she’s very good at reproducing by taste and memory.  I’ve tasted her version and they were just like grandma’s except not as dry.  Now I know why because that’s the part she skipped… drying the fish for a couple of days.

The fermented fish is sitting nicely wrapped underneath the kitchen table.  I hope it turns out good.  I’m so excited.  Sounds disgusting I know but don’t knock it until you try it.

Dinner at my house anyone?

This morning…

Elisa: Mommy?  Anna asked what’s your job.

Anna is Elisa’s best friend on the bus.

Me: I’m a mom.

Elisa: No, I mean a real job.

Me: Being a mommy is my real job.

Elisa: (quiet for a good minute) That’s a good answer.

Me: Why?  What does Anna’s mom do?

Elisa: I think she’s a doctor.

Oh.  A real job.  HA!

Esther’s bridal shower was this past weekend.  I got very little sleep the past week planning and prepping for her shower but I wanted everything to be perfect.

I LOVED the dessert table.  Props to my friends’ aunt who donated so much of the yumminess.  I asked R and M to pick up a pecan pie and they showed up with boxes and bags of dessert.  Thank you ladies!!!  When I started planning my sister’s shower, I came across a DIY instructions for crepe paper rose balls.  And I thought, instead of balls, I can make those flowers and make the letter E for Esther and M for Mark.  Well, it seemed really simple.  Twirl a few strands of party streamers and out comes a beautiful flower monogram.  I even told my cousin that she can keep the letter M for her daughter’s dol that was to take place the week after.  Yea… I emailed her and said ummm… sorry but it’s not going to happen.  I didn’t even finish the letter E.  My kitchen looked like a sweatshop the morning of the shower.  If you were unlucky enough to come early, you’re sitting there making paper flowers.  I even had my pregnant cousin who is due next month sitting there making them.  No mercy.  But, the table came out BEAUTIFUL.

The morning of the shower.  Ellen is ready with her “hat” for the southern hat theme.  She’s quite a character.

What’s a party without food?  I ordered 2 dishes and everything else was homemade… even the salad dressing.  I tried to prepare most of the food the night before… and whatever I couldn’t finish was left for the sweatshop ladies.  So funny because there were like 7 girls making the deviled eggs.  Dude, there were less ingredients than “cooks.”

The shower was held at my house since I have a fairly large sized living room.

Great times… lots of laughter and fun.  Greater times ahead for Es and the Mr.

My kids LOVE eemo and she is sooo good to them.  Patient, loving, kind, and generous.  I hope their relationship doesn’t change too much even after she becomes a Mrs.

Es is marrying a southerner.  And to honor her southern wedding, we decided to go with a big and fab hat theme.  I had big plans on getting a huge Kentucky Derby type of hat but ended up getting a hat the day before at Target for $15.  Hence, my rice picking farmer look.  So, the southern theme had a broader meaning.  Not only southern as in Georgia… but southern as in South Korea.  LOL.

Cheers to the soon to be Mrs. Davis!!!!!!

One of the games we played was Who REALLY Knows the Bride.  Lots at stake here.  A Kitchen Aid hand chopper (a PINK ONE!!!!) for the first place winner and 2 movie tickets for the 2nd.  I seriously thought everyone would want the movie tickets.  But, it was funny how all of her friends were trying for the hand chopper.  I always thought of Es as my younger sister but dude… her friends are ahjummahs too!  Needless to say, I didn’t win one… or anything.  Apparently, I don’t know her as well as I thought.  And neither did my cousins.  Or her non-family bridesmaid.  Or our almost like family friends.  Hmmmm…

We went to the Borgata for her bachelorette party.  WOWsers.  Call me a country bumpkin.  I’ve been to AC once many years ago.  And the one time I went, it was during the day… just to eat and play a little on the boardwalk.  It looked sort of shabby and run down.  But, at night, it’s soooo different.  I’m driving towards AC and all I saw were lights.  I felt like I was driving to another world.  A world where smoking is allowed indoors.  And people carrying around drinks everywhere… in what looked like a mall.  Glaring lights from the slot machines.  More ATMS in one place than bank tellers at a bank.  And, scantily dressed ladies everywhere.  I felt like I had too much clothes on.  But, I can see why people are drawn to AC.  I can’t even imagine what Las Vegas would be like.

We only stayed for the dinner while the rest of the girls stayed to party on.  While waiting for 2 other girls to leave with us, we were at the lobby people watching.  You know we’re ahujummahs when every so often we’re whispering “omo omo omo… did you see her shoes?  did you see her dress?”  My cousin (the one in the middle) goes “You know I’m getting old when I come here with shoes that doesn’t even have heels.  Heck, it’s made of rubber.”  LOL.

It was a fun evening and Es had a WONDERFUL time.  I was very happy how everything turned out.

Es was so happy she even took the ladies out for a mani or pedi after the shower.  It was a nice surprise… and almost outshone the really cute cookie favors we gave out.

A few days before the shower:

Es: What do you think of mini manis or pedis for the girls?  I want to surprise everyone for coming to my shower.

Me: That’s really sweet but will there be enough time?

Es: But what do you think of the idea?

Me: Well, the shower ends at 4 and the drive to AC is almost 2 hours.

Es: We can split up into little groups and go to different salons since there aren’t any that can accommodate all of us.

Me: Even still, it’ll be a little late, don’t you think?

Es: So, what do you really think?

Me: Ok… it’s a great idea.

Why she even asks for my opinion, I don’t know.  So, the girls went to get their nails done and I stayed behind to clean up.  By the time we got to AC, it was 9 or a little after 9.  But, as long as Es was happy.

A couple of months ago, Ellen had the big H problem.  You know.  The pain in the rear end.  I didn’t even realize she had it because she never complained.  She didn’t seem to have a constipation problem or anything.  But it was when I bathed her that I felt a little hard bump in her rear.  So I took a look and it did look like there was a bump.  The big H?  Could it be?  Do little kids get it?  My mom said all kids get it and not to be too concerned but to apply vaseline.  But, I took Ellen to the dr anyway… just in case.

Of course, it didn’t help that JH is jumping around saying she may need surgery.  I’m like no, she doesn’t need surgery… but the seed of worry has been planted.  At the dr’s office:

We’re waiting in the exam room and singing songs…

Me: Ellen, does your bbong bbong (that’s what we call her behind) hurt when you do eunga (poo)?

Ellen:  No.

Me: Does it hurt when you walk?

Ellen: No

Me: When does it hurt?

Ellen: When mommy touches it.

Me:  Ummm… you mean, when mommy wipes?

Ellen: No, when mommy touches it.

Ok, that can sound really weird.  Geez… I only touched it slightly during her bathtime to see how hard it was.

Anyway, the dr showed some concern but said it’s probably just h but to make an appt with a gastroenterologist.  Did you know there’s like a 3 – 4 month waiting period to see one?  I called many and some even far as an hour away and they’re all booked.  Dang.  But after a week or so of being careful to wipe her with baby wipes, it went away.  I don’t know if it’s the baby wipes or my mom’s suggestion of vaseline.  Anyway, she’s fine now.  But now, I have it.  And the kids show no mercy.  Ellen wanted to sit at the table and play some drawing game with me.  I swear I thought my left leg was going to start cramping because I was sitting funny for a good 40 minutes.  Now, my husband is suggesting surgery.  NO surgery!!!  I don’t know what’s with him and h surgery.  It almost sounds like he’s enjoying my little misery.

One positive thing about having the h problem, JH has been super nice and does the dishes, bathes the kids, and just lets me rest

JH has his monthly one-on-one meetings with his lead or manager.  I have my one-on-one with my boss too.  They come with various titles:

Pediatrician (aka… director)

Is it just me or do other moms feel “well visit” = mommy appraisal time.

Pediatrician: Can your child do… ?

Me: (usually) ummm… no.

Pediatrician: I see.  (my interpretation: what kind of mom are you?)

Does anyone ever exaggerate the truth just a wee little bit?  I’m sure the pediatrician only wants to know and are not judging us but I feel the need to impress.  Dr Sung is SUPER NICE but it’s when I make an appt a little late and get stuck with another dr that I feel like my self worth is stripped down to nothing… leaving me feeling naked and vulnerable.  Sort of like my child sitting on the exam table with only their diaper on.  Sigh.  After having 3 kids, I know each child is so very different.  Average is average only because there are kids that fall in the low AND high end of the spectrum. I already know all this but still can’t help feeling a little nervous about our next visit.

I still have a month to get Christian to say more words and feed himself with a spoon.  He finally drinks from a sippy cup (only ONE kind… he can’t be fooled even if it’s the same color and similar size and shape, if it has a different spout.) 

Teacher (aka manager)

You see the teachers a little more often so there’s a more familiar relationship.  I just had our one-on-one today with Elisa’s teacher.  I came out grinning from ear to ear.  But then again, what kindergarten teacher will go off on your child?  I mean, can you really not do well?

Anyway, her teachers were going on and on about what a delight she is and how she’s definitely ready for 1st grade.  They showed me samples of her work.  It was pretty funny how her pictures of people were very multi-cultural.  Some had light skin… some dark… light hair… dark hair.  Very politically correct of her.

Your Child (aka THE BIG BOSS… CEO… PRESIDENT…)

My kids call me boss.  I tell them to clean up and they both yell “yes, BOSS.”  LOL.  It’s cute but that’s where the boss ends for me.  It’s more like I’m their employee.  I am their personal chef, driver, teacher, housekeeper, and… etc.

One of my greatest pet peeves… seeing Christmas decorations after January.  I don’t know why I get annoyed because I love Christmas… and Christmas decorations.  But when I pass by houses with a Santa doll or a reindeer trying to hold up its head in its full glory amongst the V-day hearts that are posted on people’s windows or red glittery garland (first of all, never understand why people decorate for V-day but it’s their house,) I’m thinking “c’mon now… give Santa a rest.  He’s been standing their sweating in his red suit thru Nov (some), Dec, Jan, and Feb.  It’s creepy looking at him staring at you with his “jolly” smile.  Now, it’s March… and a neighbor few houses down still has his Santa statue up in the corner of his house.  I’m thinking maybe he forgot.

But,  people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, right?  Because I’m driving into my driveway and I see a sign of spring sprouting on our tree branches…. already.  Is it spring already?  And, what do I see tangled up in the tree?????  CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AAAAAHHHHHHHH!

I put away our reindeer and other lights but that one is still up there… teasing me… thinking it can hide behind the sprouting little buds.

Notice how I only took the pic but didn’t bother to take it down?  Uggghhh…. so lazy.  I fall in the same category as the neighbor down the street.  I have another confession.  Our Christmas tree decorations are packed away in boxes… and still standing in our living room.  We rarely use our living room so it’s one of those out of sight, out of mind type of thing.  Gonna have to put those boxes where JH can see them.  Like in front of the basement door so he can trip over them whenever he walks into the kitchen.