Memorial day BBQ

It was a sunny breezy day to relax under the tree shades enjoying good foods and watching the kids running around having a blast. We had a good time.

3yo Birthday Party

Bubbles fun

36 month old

Dear Elle,

Happy 3 years old, my baby. Time simply flies by us so quickly. I still remember you were so tiny nestling snugly in the crook of our arm as we rockabying you. You still love to be rockabyed even though you're so big now that your arms and legs can't help dangling over our arms.

We're so happy to give you a bigger space to run around, a place we could call home now. Watching the excitements in your eyes and smiles on your face while you're sprinkling the grass with the hose, rolling your tummy on the ball in the lawn, picking wildflowers and sticks in the backyard and running around freely is all worthwhile. You have been a little upset over your precious pink bear had been missing for three days during the move. We couldn't find it anywhere we thought it should be at. Mama hopes your pink bear will show up soon.
Mama adores your imaginations.You wore your necklace on your back like a backpack and told us that's your backpack. You called a little wooden stick your baby, sang rockabye baby to it, and submersed it into your water cup telling us you're bathing your baby. You even made farthing sounds saying your baby was farting. That day, mama overheard you talking to a bug floating in the tub while you're taking a bath. It went like this: "... you're a girl... yeap, you're a swan. Come on! Swan. Swim to me.... Okay, swan...I'm going to catch you now...".
You make a face by pulling down you cheeks with both hands saying: "I'm grumpy.". You always praise us doing a good job and then pretend rewarding us a sticker. You'd say "bless you" whenever we sneeze. If we do not say "bless you" right after you sneeze, you'd say, "I Ah-chooo. Why nobody bless me?". That day, you called me and greeted, "Helloooo! I'm princess Elle.". I told you I'm princess mama and you said, "How about princess papa?". Silly you.

You're chatty, bossy and always want to show us the correct way ( a.k.a your way ) of doing things. That day, when I asked you why I need to follow you the way you did, you replied, "BECAUSE you need to follow the RULES.". Oh well!

You'd instruct us to stop the car when the traffic light turns red and drive when it turns green. You'd acted really angry if our both hands do not put on the steering wheels when we're driving. We couldn't rest our arm on the armrest or cross a hand over the back of the seat. Oh well!

You acted like a little adult, crossing your arms and then pointing a finger at mama's nose saying, "Now, you listen to me!". When you get frustrated of not getting the attention, you'd hold our face firmly with both hands, looking into our eyes and asked us to listen to you.

Some of your new sayings: "I'm thinking about something...", "I'm trouble", "Huh? What you saying?", "I don't know what problem I have?", and "Why you angry me? Don't angry me!", "Oppsy daisy", and "criss cross apple sauce".

That day, while you were playing with a 4-years-old girl in the playground, dada overheard a conversation between you two. The girl acted like a big girl warning you shouldn't do such as such because you're a baby. Out of nowhere, you blurted out, "But.. I'm taller than you.". The other day, we asked you to wait for you turn when seeing you and the other girl struggled to climb up the rope at the same time. You replied frustratedly, "I'm NOT TURNING! I'm climbing!".

You woke up on your birthday morning saying you want to look like a princess today. You picked out a dress, a necklace and hair-bow all by yourself getting ready for school. Oh, how fun to see your surprise face the moment you saw mama showed up at daycare with cupcakes to celebrate your birthday with your little friends. Mama grabbed a "time-out" chair to join you lunch and you all got so amused when mama said I got timed out from your teacher for being naughty. Oh boy, you and your little friends were so chatty, talking about which color cupcake each one of you wanted. It's a joy to see big smiles on the little faces were crusted over with frosting.

Mama made you a giant cupcake frosted with love in your favorite pink color and lots of sprinkles. Happy birthday, our princess.
Love,
Mama

Tulip Festival

This year spring is absolutely gorgeous in bloom. The first time I visited Holland Tulip Festival was in year 1995 and was mesmerized by the breathtaking tulip blooms, windmill and the Dutch culture. Every year since then, the bloom was never as pretty as the memory I had on my first visit until this year. A sea of rainbow, dreamy blooms greeted our eyes as we were strolling in the park. It's spring bliss.