It was pretty nerve wrecking to plan for a trip away from Julianna and Rachel for the first time, but thanks to answered prayers, and Jack's mom coming to help, they did really well! I had a meeting in Sacramento. It was near a rose garden...so beautiful! It rained the first night I was there so the air was also very fresh and crisp. I didn't get much sleep in the hotel though (I kept waking up every hour or two to look at the clock), so I was pretty exhausted by the time I came back. It's so nice to be home!
A highlight of the trip was being able to see Yung-Hsin, Hsin-Hsin, Veola, and Julien, whom I hadn't seen in over 4 years. It's amazing how fast kids grow! After Yung-Hsin picked me up in downtown, we went to pick up Veola and Julien from Kidspark, a play center/daycare center by the hour. (What a great concept! We definitely need something like that here!) Although it was a playcenter, Julien was doing his "math homework" for fun. :)
When we went home, Veola and Julien went to practice their piano while Yung-Hsin prepared dinner. Wow...Veola was playing a very complex piece and Julien played o mac donald and another piece even though he only started learning piano a few weeks ago. After their piano, they started on their math homework, a MPM (Multi Process Model) series. When we were eating dinner (noodles with tofu, egg, tomato, and chicken-yummy), Julien was more interested in observing and joining in the conversation than eating-gee, that reminds me of Julianna! Maybe it's the name? ;) After dinner, they went back to finishing their homework. Yung-Hsin told me about a property they purchased and the plans for Hsin-Hsin to teach the Jelic program, the experiences with contractors, and Yung-Hsin's detailed design and layout of the tiles.
After they finished their homework, we played a game of Operation. Veola and Julien also wanted to play a game of Sorry, but it was close to bedtime, so it was compromised that the kids took showers and change into pajamas before the game of Sorry. Playing these classic boardgames brought back many childhood memories...we had a lot of fun!
Shortly after they went to bed, Hsin-Hsin came back from her work at H&R Block (preparing tax returns). I really enjoyed hearing about their analysis of Veola and Julien...Veola is a lot like Julianna in that they are both pure in heart, cautious, and rule-followers; they are both shy but bossy; and they don't like to make mistakes. Julien adores his sister and they play together wonderfully well. When they play together, they laugh like Julianna and Rachel do. Veola and Julien are amazing kids...they have definitely found a special place in my heart!
I think Yung-Hsin put it well in describing my resistence to blogging-because of a self imposed pressure. So here is my attempt to overcome that. Will I continue blogging? Time will tell.
A highlight of the trip was being able to see Yung-Hsin, Hsin-Hsin, Veola, and Julien, whom I hadn't seen in over 4 years. It's amazing how fast kids grow! After Yung-Hsin picked me up in downtown, we went to pick up Veola and Julien from Kidspark, a play center/daycare center by the hour. (What a great concept! We definitely need something like that here!) Although it was a playcenter, Julien was doing his "math homework" for fun. :)
When we went home, Veola and Julien went to practice their piano while Yung-Hsin prepared dinner. Wow...Veola was playing a very complex piece and Julien played o mac donald and another piece even though he only started learning piano a few weeks ago. After their piano, they started on their math homework, a MPM (Multi Process Model) series. When we were eating dinner (noodles with tofu, egg, tomato, and chicken-yummy), Julien was more interested in observing and joining in the conversation than eating-gee, that reminds me of Julianna! Maybe it's the name? ;) After dinner, they went back to finishing their homework. Yung-Hsin told me about a property they purchased and the plans for Hsin-Hsin to teach the Jelic program, the experiences with contractors, and Yung-Hsin's detailed design and layout of the tiles.
After they finished their homework, we played a game of Operation. Veola and Julien also wanted to play a game of Sorry, but it was close to bedtime, so it was compromised that the kids took showers and change into pajamas before the game of Sorry. Playing these classic boardgames brought back many childhood memories...we had a lot of fun!Shortly after they went to bed, Hsin-Hsin came back from her work at H&R Block (preparing tax returns). I really enjoyed hearing about their analysis of Veola and Julien...Veola is a lot like Julianna in that they are both pure in heart, cautious, and rule-followers; they are both shy but bossy; and they don't like to make mistakes. Julien adores his sister and they play together wonderfully well. When they play together, they laugh like Julianna and Rachel do. Veola and Julien are amazing kids...they have definitely found a special place in my heart!
I think Yung-Hsin put it well in describing my resistence to blogging-because of a self imposed pressure. So here is my attempt to overcome that. Will I continue blogging? Time will tell.
