Rewinding to Thanksgiving Day

Now that we're midway into December, let me put up a post about Thanksgiving!

(It doesn't make sense to me either, but it was the kickoff to our holiday season, and it just doesn't feel right to skip over it...)

Now I don't mean to start this post in a dreary way, but I don't have a lot of fond memories of the holiday season from my younger years. It was the busiest time out of the whole year for my working parents, and after putting in extra hours at our store, naturally they weren't in the most festive spirit upon arriving home. Cooking up a roast and gathering 'round the table just wasn't high up on our priority list. Some years we did the family gathering, some we didn't. Now that I think about it, our lives were dictated a lot by our store. I always knew other families celebrated in a different way, but I was never bitter or sad about it. I accepted that this was just the way things had to be .

Since coming to California, I've enjoyed the holidays in such a different way, and the only sadness I feel is the part of me that wishes my own family could somehow be a part of it. Maybe one day...

 This Thanksgiving was fun, food, and commotion with the Choi family (minus the ones out of town.) For dinner, we had traditional Thanksgiving dishes like mashed potatoes and green bean casserole but also  Korean deliciousness like japchae noodles and kimbap. It was the heartiest of hearty feasts. So much food, so much leftovers. Afterwards, the parents were huddled around the dining table scouring through Black Friday deals from the papers. The kids were decorating cookies, playing hide and week, and running around the house acting like hooligans. And me? I was minding Preston, who I must add was the hit of Thanksgiving. He entertained everybody by his mere presence. While I wasI was sitting back and loving every minute of the festive atmosphere.

Coffeehouse Date

Preston has made an almost full recovery. Green goopy diapers are still going on and diaper changes have turned into something of a traumatizing experience. That diaper rash of his is fighting to stay on his bum with a vengeance. Otherwise he is on the upswing. We are relieved and trying to slip back into our old routine.

I wrote the post below before he was sick. The Hubs and I went on a date. I was just sitting and reflecting on motherhood and the state of my life. I thought I might want to read back on it, so here it is. 

This cup of coffee happened. As our grandma took over Preston watching duties, We (Hubs and I) went to a nearby cafe, sat down with a cup of coffee and ate delicious Italian pastry, lingering on every bite (because who knows the next time we can do this again?!)  He studied a little, then took a nap on my lap as I was typing away my inner monologue that has produced this entry. Let me tell you, it felt glorious.  We are currently in the throes of Preston's worst night wakings where he has been waking every 2-3 hours. One night of poor sleep can be recovered by an extra dose of caffeine. Multiple nights of interrupted sleep? That wreaks havoc on your entire day, physically and emotionally, and I know it sounds crazy, but this day has been a long time in the dreaming.

Which brings me to this thought:  Being with a baby every minute of every day is beautiful but also complicated. You want to be present  in every moment you spend with your child , but you also desperately feel the need to weave in "me time" and step away from diaper changes and mealtime disaster cleanups to refuel. By "refuel" I mean have those quiet, reflective periods where you can actually hear your own thoughts.

And these periods are essential to me. These are the times I remind myself that dedicating all my energy to my child, my husband, and my home is not only doing good but doing work that's essential. My role as mother and wife does have an impact. I enable my husband to do his work well.  I'm responsible for someone's whole childhood. I know it is a gift to be present in their lives every day, and when I reach an old, ripened age, I know that  it will be the memories of those tender moments with my family that will be a barometer of a life well lived.

It's these thoughts that help dissipate my emotional heap of wariness, worry, and exhaustion and empowers me to carry forth in the midst of days that are mayhem.

Our Poor Sick Baby

Life could use a little extra cheer right anow. Our last few days has totally sucked. We've had a stomach flu epidemic in our household (that I've been doing my best to not catch on to).

It all started one day when Danny was working in the pediatrics department. He came home with fever, chills, other miserable symptoms (kids are so potent)!  He skipped dinner and went straight to bed that night and the next morning he was a new man. He's had to fight some of the lingering remnants of the virus and has still been checking into the toilet every other hour, but the worst of it was over in a day.

For Preston, things were a little... or a lot more intense. He caught on to the virus the same day as his daddy but has been in the throes of non-stop green goopy diapers and projectile vomiting since the beginning of the week. Our poor little man got so worn out and weak that he completely lost his appetite and stopped nursing. This is when we had to take him to the hospital, because we were getting nervous that he might be too dehydrated. Of course, we knew what was going on, but the doctors (to be sure) had to run a few blood tests and put an IV in him. I had to sit and watch, sometimes be the one to hold him down, as he was poked and prodded all night long. It was a mama's worst nightmare.



We're back at home now and on the mend. We're seeing glimpses of his spirited self, but there are times during the day when Preston gets really quiet and somber and just lays his head against my chest. If you know our son, you know this is exactly the opposite of his default self, so it's heartbreaking to see.

I've been on an emotional rollercoaster. Thankfully, my husband and in-laws have been around helping me to stay calm and grounded. I am so grateful not only for distractions but for extra hands. When you and your child are covered in a divine smell like vomit, an extra pair of hands is a God send. So thankful, and also so ready to reclaim my mischievous son back. Any day now. Please?

Picking Our Perfect Pumpkin

From the day we began our lives together as a family, I knew exactly what I wanted: the vivid memories of my own childhood- going strawberry picking in farm fields, sledding down huge snow mountains, spending countless hours making sand castles at the beach, etc. I know Preston won't remember any of our family adventures at this age, but I find joy in building these traditions as a family. So, naturally, visiting a pumpkin patch was high on our to-do list this season.

The pumpkin patch we took him to was one called Tina's Pumpkin Patch in Sherman Oaks. One day, we'll get the purist experience of going out to a real farm pumpkin patch. For our first time, we really didn't mind that this was just a dirt lot off a busy intersection 

There were so many different pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, we had a hard time choosing THE one. Finally we went for the one that most resembled our sons head. Is this mean? Hahah. I think someone mentioned one time he looks like a little pumpkin, and I totally see it.

 

Instilled in my memory from this trip is Preston's look of bewilderment as he was examining this giant orange orb. In a short amount of time, he was decidedly dissatisfied with sitting next to a pumpkin and, in usual fashion, had to let his feelings be known with loud grunts. After much coaxing, dissatisfaction gradually ripened into tolerance and then fascination.

 

The day was so hot. We felt like eggs sizzling in a frying pan. Understandably, Preston looked like Mr. Grumps in 90% of the photos we took of him.

What I love about Preston at this age is how engaged he is with the world. His endless fascination with everything around him is amusing to both of us, but also a good reminder to not just look but try to really see and listen to the world in that untarnished way. 

Right now I am so smitten with the three of us. One day, probably in the near future, I know that I will want Preston to have other siblings to play with, but  at this instant, I'm smitten with our tiny little family. Pretty sure Preston relishes the attention too, hahah.  

A Secret Garden in Pasadena

After a crazy afternoon dealing with missing mail packages from USPS (don't even get me started...) and a nice family dinner, we came to Arlington Gardens in Pasadena. After doing my own little research, I came to found out this garden uses the same space as a demolished mansion called Durand House built in the 1900s. This was the largest home in Southern California at the time. (Isn't history neat?) After lying vacant for over 40 year, its been specially curated to be a quiet oasis for the public. And we Choi's are deeply grateful for this labor of love. Coming from the East Coast, pockets of greenery are a welcomed respite.

This is the kind of place most people probably drive by every day and never take notice of! It's such an ideal place to go if you want to sneak away on lunch break or just lounge in the shade on a hot afternoon. There's plenty of benches and tables for that.  We came on full stomachs, so we spent the hour meandering the pathways and enjoying the creative design landscape. We saw a few families having their own photoshoot,  so we joined in!

  

One of the sweetest moments... I was setting up our camera for a family shot and heard Preston's gurgly laughter behind me and started snapping just in time to capture this candid moment with his daddy.

So I know he's only 7 months old, but I swear he seems this close to walking. He hasn't even mastered crawling yet though.

  

We stayed until the sun was setting, and it was beautiful. I tell Danny the best time of day in LA is when the sun goes down. In the daytime, the sun is so glaringly bright that it blinds you from seeing anything. At night, the skyline isn't that impressive compared to some other cities. But when the sun sets, somehow the haze-filled sky produces brilliant twilight hues and LA looks perfect. So yeah, we ended the evening on a perfect note. 

Fall Bucket List

Pumpkin Bread Crumble Recipe

Nevermind that LA is still in 90 degree weather, I will not be deterred from fall baking! There's no fighting the pumpkin, and on one fateful afternoon after I opened this season's first can of pumpkin puree, a pumpkin bread was born (and all of the leftover puree was eagerly embraced by Preston, yay). Pumpkin bread is one of those warm, comforting treats that you need to balance with a cup of rich, black coffee on a fall morning, and your day will instantly be made better. Promise. 

Since the crumble is already so sweet and decadent, I didn't want the bread to be oversaturated with sweetness and went lightly on the sugar. It was still moist and flavorful as ever!

Yields: 6-8 thick slices

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Pumpkin Bread Ingredients

2 C. Flour 

1 tsp. Baking Soda 

1 tsp. Baking Powder 

1/2 tsp. Salt  

2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Ground Nutmeg

1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice 

1/2 C.  Brown Sugar, Packed

1 C. Pumpkin Puree 

1 Egg

1/4 C. Milk 

1/2 C. Coconut Oil 

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 

Crumble Ingredients 

3 Tbsp. Flour

3 Tbsp. Granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. Brown sugar

1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 Tbsp. Butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a loaf pan and then set aside. 

2. In one bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients (flour, spices, sugar, baking powder, baking soda)

3. In another bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, egg, milk, oil)

4. Add the wet ingredient bowl into the dry ingredient bowl and use a good ol' spatula to stir all of the ingredients together until moist (but do not overmix). 

5. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. 

6. Prepare the crumb topping by combining all of the crumb ingredients. Sprinkle over the bread and use your fingertips to disperse it evenly across the top. 

7. Bake for approximately half an hour (or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Let the bread cool completely out of the oven before cutting. If you can resist the tempting aroma, I think it only tastes more delicious with some time spent chilling in the refrigerator. Then, cut it into slices and enjoy!

Hello Fall

I hear today is the first day of fall. I knew it had to be coming. A few days ago, I even picked up bits and pieces anticipating the ushering of a new season. My pumpkin scented candle is aflame. Oversized sweaters will very soon be making appearances. But tonight... tonight I am sipping on my green tea latte (which should really be a pumpkin spice latte), hunkering into a good book, and slumbering into bed 'cause it's been a long, long day.

Labor Day Sale Roundup

I've never paid much attention to labor day weekend sales, but this year was one for the books. We went to the mall on Friday and I scored a dress and romper. On Saturday, my mom, Preston and I took the long haul over to the outlets in Massachusetts and unleashed our energy visiting every store that tickled our fancy from late afternoon until closing hours. It was good times, except that I  ended up leaving with a bundle of fall and winter clothes for my Hubs who actually cares niche about clothes.

Its tricky, you see, because the hubs is tall and lean. I am small and petite. Tall and lean means almost everything looks good on him. Small and petite means finding clothes is darn near impossible for me. It's not fair, it's not fair! But such is life.

A Very Special Spa Date

I have to say... each time I visit my parents, it breaks a heart to see the wear and tear that owning a family business (20+ years) has done to them. I see it in the lines in their faces, the calluses on their feet, their sapped energy at the end of the workday. Things are finally easier financially, but not much in any other capacity.

To get away from the daily grind, I thought it would be a nice treat to take day trips while I was home, so we got a chance to visit Lees, Boston, Lake George, downtown Albany. All of these trips were 

I also happen to know how much my mom enjoys being pampered, and I bought her a gift card to a highly reviewed spa close by for Mother's Day.  Unbeknownst to me, she's waited months for me to come home so we could go together (I should have known...) so that's what we did today!

An Introductory Post

Here it is! My little nook of the internet.

Hi blog.

I'd like to make a proper introduction, but I do detest doing things like this so I won't. This is my blog,  and I make the rules.

To make things simple, let's just pretend we know each other, and let me just tell you about what's been going on in my life.

I'm visiting my parents in Albany, New York right now. I love being here, but I miss my Hubs. His horribly long work hours coupled with the time zone difference is putting our chit-chat time to a bare minimum. Ok, bare minimum might be a slight exaggeration but it sucks a lot. How do long distance relationships even function?

To be honest, sometimes I get off the phone with him and I literally don't remember a thing we talked about. But that's not really the point, is it? For the last week, 6 month old Preston has refused to fall asleep anywhere but on top of me. I keep thinking a cushioned mattress has to be more buoyant and comfortable, but he will wail and wail until I position all of him flat on top of me. I suppose this and that are the same idea. We both just want to be comforted by what is familiar, whether it be the sound of a steady heartbeat or the voice of my beloved...

Hm. This post is taking a sad turn. Life isn't sad at all. Tomorrow is a very exciting day. My mom and I are having a ladies day (spa + shopping day trip)! I love that I get to enjoy all the things I never really have opportunities to enjoy while I'm in California with her. I love spending time with my mom, and I love that we do this kind of thing even after I've "grown up".

Ok. Now it's WAY past my bedtime. I need to give Hubs a wake up call at 8:30am so I bid you good night!