Hi!

Life is still busy these days... it really doesn't seem to slow down as the weeks and months pass. While there's a lot going on with each of us individually in every aspect of life (I'll update more on the on-goings in a later post), our main consistency (and life's stress reliever) has been spending time with our little Em as much as we can. It's amazing how everything is so new and exciting for her, and the excitement and her curiosity for the simplest, little details is so contagious. She reminds me that everyday living, which sometimes seems boring/mandane/routine, is really another opportunity for discovery. I am always looking forward to seeing what new excitements and fun she finds every day, and especially how she shows us.

Here's a back track and some catching up photos back from Em's birthday morning... her first birthday morning, walking into the living room, she was greeted by mom and dad with presents neatly piled in the middle of the room.

Safari We A Go

Another outing last weekend was to the Safari Zoo. It's spring time and they have a month long butterfly exhibit. At night, Em is fascinated by the moths that stick to the outside of our living room window, so we figured she would have a great time seeing a butterfly exhibit.

First stop was an enclosed bird exhibit where majority of the birds there, the California Lory, were super friendly.


People were allowed to feed the birds with a special nectar that you can purchase at the entrance of the exhibit. We were at the park with friends Debbie and Bill, who purchased some nectar which we were able to join in the fun of feeding the birds and having them come close.


Monkeys go "oo ooo ooo". I don't trust monkeys. The ones in Costa Rica would fling their feces at people when they got to close.. and I've been robbed.. twice.. by monkeys in Thailand. They are fascinating to watch though.


The butterfly exhibit. Everybody with kids happened to have been there, so there were tickets for entry time into the exhibit. Once in there, it was very humid and hot and crowded. But the butterflies were abundant and fluttered all over - above our heads, in between people, and landing everywhere. It was fun.


One landed on my hand for a while, so it was great for Em to see up close and personal. I think this one is called a Blue Morpho. The underside is brown and spotted.



Two Blue Morphos, with the bright blue topside and the spotted brown underside.


And of course, we always pay the petting zoo a visit. They had deers in there on this day. Really.. the fences there, are so parents can dangle their kids over for the animals to nibble at.. =P



And a rogue baby bunny that was also just chilling in the petting zoo, but definitely wouldn't let anyone come close enough to pet it.

Eggs, Eggs, and mo' Eggs

Last Saturday, I took Em to a not so local neighborhood's Easter Egg hunt. It was sheer madness! Kids, eggs, and candy everywhere. Both Em and I were wide-eyed at how many kids there were. Obviously, this is the first for us. Me still being a relatively new parent, and her.. well...a relatively new kid. We've never been to a congregation of so many little ones.


The egg hunt was an hour long, divided up by age groups in 10-15 minute increments. The kids line up at a starting line and then make a mad dash to the eggs at the sound of a horn. I kept Em on the edge to reduce the chance of getting trampled on as she is one of the smallest kids on the lawn. The photo above is I think age group 6-8... and take a look at all those kids in just one age group!


Em did quite well considering this is her first egg hunt. She grabbed handfuls of eggs (aka 2 eggs) right from the beginning. The concept of putting them in the basket/bag and getting more eggs was a moot point though, since she refused to let go of the two eggs she found.



She met Mr. Easter Bunny and was highly suspicious of it... but we did manage to get a photo in before she made up her mind about this suspicious looking character.


Em had no problem meeting doggy Wienerschnitzel (aka.. we don't know the name of this hot dog). I couldn't get a great photo, but the dog sat down to enjoy Em's rubbing its back.


Over an hour's worth in 90 degree outdoor weather, it was time to make a break for cooler temperatures (aka indoors with AC). Content to be in the shade after some play...

Birthday Thai Cooking

For Connie's birthday last Saturday, I got her an at-home Thai cooking class from the True Taste of Thai. She got to pick three dishes that she would learn to prepare:

Yum Nuea (grilled beef served with spicy salad)
Kao Neaw Kai Yang (grilled, marinated chicken served with sticky rice and sweet/sour sauces)
Pad Thai (thin rice noodles and tofu with shrimp in a peanut and tamarind based sauce)

The owner of the True Taste of Thai is Krong Na Songkhla. She is a Thai native, and graduated from a prestigious culinary school in Thailand. She definitely knows the in's and out's of Thai cooking. Krong provides all of the food, and works with whatever kitchen utensils you have available. She also ensures that you know everything you need to know to replicate the dish.

Here's Krong and Connie just getting started...


Time for the shrimp to hit the pan...


And the rice noodles...


Finished Pad Thai...


And the completed dishes ready for consumption...


All of the dishes were very good, but I think our favorite was the grilled beef salad. Also, the marinated chicken was surprisingly flavorful given that it was marinated for only a short time. I think Connie enjoyed the lesson, and I definitely enjoyed the food :^)

A Scootin'

My shiny blue Yamaha Vino has recently been revived after a 2 year hibernation. Ryan took it apart, cleaned out the carburetor, replaced previously damaged parts with new parts, and washed it! It looks so beautiful, even baby Em couldn't resist ooohing and ahhing at the shiny blues.




It was a great little scooter when I lived only a few miles from work. Unfortunately there's not much use for a scooter out here, so we're going to be selling it where it can hopefully have a better owner and less hibernation. =P

The Ol' Oak Tree Swing

The tree swing is finally up. It was more of an ordeal than I expected. First thing is figuring out how to attach it to the tree. I think most people just tie a rope around the tree. But some say that this could eventually harm the tree if the branch's growth is restricted by the rope. So the preferred method is to drill a hole through the branch, and use eyebolts. I found this method on the "This Old House" website.

Since the branch is about 8" in dia, I had to get a really long drill bit to drill through it. The rope is 5/8" polypropylene - not the best choice, but maybe the most economical. I expect I'll be swapping it out for something better sometime down the road. I used some oval carabiners and quick links to connect the rope to the eyebolts and chain.

Here's the completed installation...

The eyebolts go completely through the branch. Some people use lag bolts, but it feels safer to have the bolts going all the way through the branch.

The bucket seat seems to be the safest for kids this age. There's a lot of room in it so I think it will last her a little while. And it can easily be swapped out for a regular swing (or tire) when she's old enough.

And here's Emilia enjoying the ride...

It's reversible...

The downside of the swing is that she cries when I take her out. So maybe I should just leave her in it, and check back every hour or so. Just kidding, momma! ;^)