The Fatal Disease we all have... Old Age

The folks are getting old.  It's inevitable.  And it's unavoidable.  The past decade we've experienced hospital stays, increase in medication, emergency operations and finally at hand... we're planning for their retirement. 

The most recent mountain to conquer - Medicare. 

Having to apply and register and selecting plans for mom has been the biggest challenge for me this year.  What to do? How to apply? When does eligibility begin?  Holy moly... how can anyone even remotely navigate through this?

As I'm going through this with mom and as I (a college grad with a full paid education) struggle with the meaning of the nooks and crannies... makes me wonder how all those senior citizens with next to no English background can figure anything out.  It weighs heavy on my heart to just learn as much as I can.... set up two chairs and a table in the middle of Chinatown... and just help people out. 

Another year...

Of all the things I can do... I pick tonight to go to Hometown Buffet with my best bud and his wife.  Ho hum.... right?

Well... it's hard to explain.  But Hometown was THE place to go to during college.  The few times we ventured down to Santa Maria for a crazy meal.  Hometown was THE place during my Co-Op times... when money wasn't great...but the food was amazing.  Hometown is the place where Nui-nui can have anything she wants for $2.99.

Until next year....

Daidai-stones

As Nui-stones take a side step... Dai Dai takes the spot light and gets his very first Daidai-stones posting.

Again, so unfair that Nui-nui got dozens of "nui-stones" (nui-nui milestones) postings.  Dai Dai may have had 1 or 2.  Even when I'm typing this, I'm thinking of Nui-stones I need to document immediately after this post.  HA!

So.....

A few weeks ago... Dai Dai takes his first step.  The first unofficial step was captured by the Nanny.  But we deny that it happened.  And as always... it happens the day after we go to the pediatrician.  Somehow...someway, the doc has a way of forcing things to happen.

We finally bit the bullet.... DaiDai with her Dragon Ball hairstyle quickly go from Gokou to Gohan.  In other words... we're putting to a test the old wives tale that shaving his head will bring back thicker and longer.  Did the own shaving myself.... got so excited of making it a clean shave, I even knicked him and caused him to bleed.  HA!

Found the culprit.... DaiDai turns out to be allergic to peanuts and dust.  Dust!?  Peanuts?! What's happened to kids these days? Back in my days, no one was allergic to anything!!  And after doing the "Bingo" Test, we think he's also allergic to milk / dairy.  Oh man.... poor kid.

Crazy how different he is from older sister. More active... less tactile.  More friendly.... less articulate.  More eating problems.... less healthy choices.  And where will the two of them end up....?  Geez.......

Cheap vs Frugal

Last night, I bought a large cup of MilkTea from Fantasia.  But because I was exhausted, I only finished half of it and went to bed.  This morning, I woke up, saw the cup, picked it up and threw it in the garbage.  I took all but two steps when I turned around... opened the garbage can, reached in and picked the unfinished cup of milktea out of my garbage can.

"It's only half finish!  I can nuke it... or put ice in it... and have a nice drink this afternoon!" 

I didn't grow up penniless... but I did grow up learning the value of a dollar. 

Thank you USA

I can't remember if it was the 2004 or 2008 Olympics that I read this... but there was an article that said that the world should thank the US for inventing the "hi-5."  And certainly true... I remember seeing every country's team giving each other the hi-5.... in a weird and child like way.  Much like what you would do to a 5 year old making as much of a slapping noise as possible.  That....to the world... is cool.

Course... Americans have evolved the hi-5 since the hi-5 first came into existence.

There's the

• Lazy hi-5 - Where the fingers barely touch, signifying, "yeah...we bad, but let's not make a big deal."
• Spider hi-5 - where the person that's being congratulated uses two hands and nonchalantly does a "lazy hi-5" with everyone
• Double hi-5 & 180 - Where both hands hit, then all four hands go around in a 180 on each side
• Fist Bump - perfected by President Obama himself
• Invisible Hi-5 - where two people are so far away from one another, they'll just go through the motions of hi-5ing one another

And as time goes on...there's the crossing of the two hands at the thumbs (like you're arm wrestling), and pulling the other person in for an embrace or a man-hug.  That is the latest fad I noticed the world is taking on

Americans have been doing it for years.... giving each other hugs, without giving it a full hug.  And the world is catching on.

Thank you USA!!

Stupid nap...

Bebe is sick...so this morning we woke up an hour earlier than usual.  This evening... around 8ish, I laid down with Nui nui and I drifted off to sleep.  Woke up around 10PM.  Now I can't fall back asleep.  Sigh...

夜詩

昨晚臨睡覺前, 開了囡囡的nighlight.  Nightlight 將星星和月亮照上天花板.

我就嘗試指著月亮解釋甚麼是"床前"... 甚麼是"明月光."

囡囡就很理想當然,指著天花板話, "咁呢個是床前明月stars"

快樂的一天

我今天很開心.

早上囡囡睡醒留在床上自己玩.
然後一家人到星巴刻吃早餐.
之後同囡囡由San Jose坐輕鐵到Mountain View.
晚上又一家人去吃晚餐, 免費聽Opera. 
真是一個簡單, 但快樂的一天.

We totally got played....

Last night we went shopping at Trader Joe's.  Nothing special....We line up... we pay...we go home.  I get home and unpack the grocery bag.  "Hrm...we sure bought a lot of stuff." 

Tonight... Joycie asks, "Why did you buy that bottle of sunscreen?"

Me.... "Uh.... I thought you bought it." 

Joycie... "She told me Babi wanted it!" 

Both of us... "We got played!!!!!!"  (by a 3 year old!!!)

Birthday Party

Went to our friends' daughters joint birthday party today... goodness.  A lot of work... a lot of setup... tear down... a lot of preparation.  And in the end...the two girls won't even know this day ever happened. 

Brings back memories of nn's first birthday.  And also reminded me of why we didn't have one for bb. HA!  Good job mom and dad.  I guess only the parents will truly appreciate what you've done.

Stumped

With absolute modesty....

I was born and raised a Catholic...
I grew up in a Catholic Church, went to Catholic school for 9 years.
I've been a devout Christian all my life.
I'm a small group leader.
I'm a Home Group co-parent.
I've taught both Children and Adult Sunday School.
I strive to be a berean... though I fall short.

And with all that under my belt.... I was stumped last night when my little Nui-nui asked, "Who is God?"