Cornucopia of Reading Books

A nod and big thanks go out to our neighbor, Delaney and her mom for the wonderful books they brought to us. Delaney is a sixth grader in the CATS class (Chandler's Academically Talented Students), and has outgrown some of her library. Morgan was ecstatic to arrive home after school on Friday to see the stacks on the buffet table

We will be needing more bookshelves sooner than expected. Thank you Delaney!!!!!!!

This is only a partial representation of the lot.

Patriotism

From a Kindergartner:

My Friends Need Your Prayers

Please consider praying for my friends, Ash and Audra, and my friend Sara.

Sara has been my best friend and confidant since I moved to Arizona. She is newly diagnosed with cancer and is starting the path of a still uncertain course of treatment.

Ash and Audra were my college roommates. (Well Audra, actually. Ash was in the guys dorm). They have answered God's call to become missionaries in Peru for the next five years or so. They spent one year preparing for this journey, traveling throughout the U.S. with their three kids securing funding. During this past year, they also welcomed their daughter, Soraya. One of their requests to make life easier during travels was a baby backpack carrier. I blogged about this a few months back, and mailed our carrier to them in Georgia. Click here.

Now they have embarked on the second part of their journey in preparation to becoming missionaries - language school in Costa Rica. In order to serve as missionaries in the mountains of Peru, they must be able to communicate in Spanish, plus the indigious dialects. This will be a challenge.

You can read more about my friends here if you wish: http://www.opencircleperu.org/

Before leaving their home in Georgia, they took this picture on the 4th of July. Soraya is using Morgan's backpack carrier. Pictured with Audra, Ash, and Soraya are their older children, Kia, Alyis and Todd.

Road Paved With Good Intentions; Good Results

Yesterday was a day spent celebrating our daughter's fifth birthday. For weeks we strategized ideas for fun that would involve the entire family. We considered a Diamondback game, bowling, the Phoenix Children's Museum, Science Museum, IMAX theater, children's' plays, etc.

In the morning we settled on Crackerjax in Scottsdale - miniature golf, bumper boats, go karts, water balloons, and other activities. We confirmed the address and directions and headed out. When we arrived, the entrance was blocked with a sign: Closed For Private Party. Not like closed for a corporate party, it was closed for a kids party, bought out by wealthy parents. No mention of that on the front page of the center's website. We were not happy, to say the least.

With the help of Verizon, we got directions to Fiddlesticks (same concept, different location). In the end, it worked well. Our family had a fabulous day, riding rides, driving go-karts, playing skeeball and air hockey and laughing together. That's what it's all about, right?

Annika requested eggs and pancakes for her birthday dinner. After a day in the sun (109 degrees at the peak), we were happy to accommodate her simple request.

Our day concluded with presents and more laughs.

My favorite picture from the day:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SILLY GOOSE

Silly Goose; Chicky Mickey; Annika E.

All three names bring out a smile from my middle daughter. Her birth five years ago was an event not to be forgotten. I remember Woody going out at night to gas up the cars so we were ready. We had a serious local shortage of gas from a pipeline rupture which caused many, many stations to run out.

I remember Morgan waving to us as she was dropped off at a friends house on our way to the hospital. Her little backpack was packed with a Korean style sushi and rice breakfast. Her smile and wave was oblivious to the day's magnitude.

And then came Annika, five years ago today, on a Saturday morning.

Five Birthdays. Same gorgeous smile. Happy Birthday Annika!!!

A Call For Some Organization

As most of you know, I now have two children in elementary school. Two sets of schoolwork, two backpacks, two waterbottles, two lunchboxes, various library books and countless, countless papers, notes, school notices, and forms.

I finally shouted out [to no one, of course], we need to get more organized!!!! I have split the girls for homework, but until this week, had not found a single place to keep it all together.

We bought a monthly whiteboard to keep track of the "six day" schedule. In order to totally confuse helpless parents, our beloved school switched from a standard Johnny-has-library-day-on-Tuesday and Susie-has-music-on-Wednesday to the abnormal six day calendar which rotates what days [and for more confusion, what time of day] the kids have various special classes and P.E. I have to refer to a calendar to find out if I need to pack their book, or put on tennis shoes, or remember to dress in art clothes. The whiteboard has it all written down for the month, color coded for each kids [Thanks to DH].

As of this week, we've added signs in the house. No more is the backpack plopped where-ever it lands in the living/family room, kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, bedroom or left in the car. We are now Day 3 of our new ritual, complete with location markers:

Tonight's Reading

Tonight's reading didn't materialize. More than half of the family partook in a late afternoon nap. We missed the library, and had to drop off last weeks books in the after-hours bin. We missed one library DVD and had to return home and go back. Dinner was replaced with breakfast food. Evening baths became afternoon showers. And our phone stopped working unexpectedly last Thursday and still does not work. Is the Earth slipping off its axis, or did tonight's full moon really affect us?

We did read quite a bit Friday and Saturday night. We finished the library books. Most of them were Caldecott winner books. They have been a joy to read, especially those I remember from childhood. The newer winning titles are equally enjoyable.

Here's Ingrid reading a non-medal winner, Bee Bim Bap (aka Bibim Bap), a rhyming book about a Korean staple food dish.

I'm Two. Want to Know More?

As of this morning's well check up visit (gotta love Saturday hours!), Ingrid is 33 inches long (24%), and 23.3 lbs (10%). Her cold is waning. The visit went well, with only one shot. She was a Viking, little crying. Loved her sticker and the Welch-Allyn otoscope light show.

Speaking of light shows, this evening, the girls treated us to their own show. No title, no program, but there was plenty of Chung flair. The background was the Lawrence Welk show.

How's this for a birthday pic??

Happy Birthday Ingrid!!!!

Our beautiful baby is officially two years old today!! We celebrated last night, very low key. Ingrid has a cold with some wheezing. She'll be at the doctor this morning to look at her breathing and get her shot record in order.

Ingrid and the girls settled into chicken for dinner. Big Bird seemed to fit right in. After cake and presents, we had planned on watching an exciting Elmo episode, but Ingrid watched it earlier in the day during some down time.

Once she got the idea that the gifts were hers, she started enjoying them - especially the toy pots and pans and wooden food. That is, until we brought out the Bitty Baby bed. That caught her eye - and her mind. She beamed and giggled and simply was done with the party.

A little overexposed, but I love the smile.

Make a Wish!

Morgan shows off the doll's new costume

Baby's new digs.

Mobile Family Room

Unless you speaking about an RV, it's hard to conceive the idea of a family room that "moves". In the Chung house, though , it happens.

• For example, the room that was labeled "family room" on the MLS sheet when I bought the house has been turned into more of a playroom when my dad made Morgan a toy refrigerator and stove. The alcoves surrounding the fireplace now house shelves for games. When we play together, it's cozy and comfortable - it's the defacto family room.

• Before Ingrid was born, we used the middle bedroom as a home office. Morgan played at a small desk doing artwork or crafts or watching Elmo. Woody and I had a large U shaped desk and Annika was able to use the doorframe jumper. The room was cozy and comfortable - it became the defacto family room.

• In the winter we made a day trip to go sledding in Flagstaff. After some time we'd pile back in the minivan with the back seats folded flat, creating a "room" in the back. With our sleds outside, we warmed ourselves with hot chocolate and kimbap. We chuckled thinking we must be the only family sharing hot chocolate and Korean beef and vegetable sushi in the back on a minivan singing Christmas songs - very cozy and definitely, a mobile family room.

• When Ingrid was 6 months old (and still slept in a crib in our room), our HVAC unit went out. The only room with heat was the master bedroom. So we brought in the older girls and turned the room into a "family room" until the HVAC was replaced two days later. The room became our five person sleeping room, dining room and de facto family room.

• Last year, Woody built a home theater in our living room, which can be seen from the kitchen. It's a fun place to hang out and play with the girls. There's room to stretch out on the floor - nice in case our daughters get into a "dancing" mood. We enjoy it so much so we call it the "family room" because we're usually in the room together. Confused yet?

• Tonight I spoke on the phone to a friend for about 30 minutes after dinner. I realized that I needed to end the call and start baths and finish homework and read to the girls in a now condensed timeframe if they were to go to bed on time. Woody had gone shopping for diapers and other supplies. The girls were playing when I called them in to the master bath. Our TV swings into the large arched doorframe of the bathroom from the master bedroom. Yes, you can take a bubble bath and watch a movie or sports in HD at the same time. Anyway, Morgan was still finishing some homework that needed supervision. She grabbed a lap tray and settled on a towel on the floor of the oversized room. Annika got in the tub and Ingrid was still playing with her dolls, complete with the doll stroller, also, in the bathroom. I bounced from kid to kid and thought, this is, really, a normal evening routine for us. Our bathroom has become the daily de facto family room!

We have found that anyplace you spend time with your family can take the name "family room".
So for all of you reading this, enjoy time with your family, wherever that may be!


Good family life is never an accident but always an achievement by those who share it.” - James H.S. Bossard

Where'd They Go?

We've been here, diligently working at getting our PC, and one laptop, back up after a small virus attack. Nothing major, but it took some time. So much so, that I received an e-mail this morning. "One whole week and no new pics of the girls?" I'd read it more like, one whole week with a crippled computer? Did you suffer, Michelle? Well, yes, some. Woody worked many hours getting the two computers back in shape. All files (photos, grin) safe.

So you don't have to wait any longer, here a picture of the smiling three on their way to the library this afternoon.

It's been a busy week - school, work, crashed computers, dentist visit (Ingrid's first!), and a lot of reading.

Tonight's Reading

We just finished a book called, Rosie the Dancing Elephant by Maureen Daly, copyright 1967. The book is about an elephant, who broke her leg and the post break efforts of a boy to help the elephant mend and gain her confidence. All three girls were well into the story. It took two days to read the multi-chapter book to the girls.

Homework was interesting tonight. Morgan came home with her weekly packet of homework and her daily math sheet. Annika also has "official" homework. [For those of you reading last week's blog entries, Annika tried to quit Kindergarten over homework. We're happy to report that she's back in class and back doing homework.] With two girls at the table doing their assignments plus Ingrid coloring, it was easy to get distracted or become more interested in what the other sister was doing. We had to finally separate the girls to get it done. Hopefully, we can utilize the kitchen table in the future once the novelty of someone else's work wears off.

Two Books I Have Not Read

There are two books I haven't read yet. I thought I should flag for the future. One book I had heard about but never found the time to sit down and read it from cover to cover. Excepts are found everywhere and most people recognize the title. After thinking about the book this week, I thought Annika should have been one of the guest authors or atleast subject material. She certainly summed up her feelings about Kindergarten in very, very Robert Fulgrum style.



Here's how Annika responded to the axiomatic question about her experiences on the first day of school.

1. Annika said she held up her dress and still was able to avoid touching the toilet seat.
2. Annika said she burped real loud at lunchtime and the class laughed. And she was proud of it.
3. She didn't need to answer any more questions about 1-2-3-4, because she already knows how to write her numbers.
4. Her substitute teacher was Mrs Happy-Good. (Not true).

By Friday she announced she didn't need to do Kindergarten homework because she already quit the class so the homework was no longer necessary.... Very flippant, very funny.
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The second book I came across during a google search. We were looking for pictures to run through the laminating machine to show what was in our baskets on the kids shelves. We reorganized the puzzles and games to make things neater. We also removed some of the last infant toys.

This book looked intriguing while looking for a picture of the old "Cootie game".

Warman's 101 GREATEST BABY BOOMER TOYS
The Essential Baby Boomer Toy Guide - A Reference and Price Guide.
by MARK RICH

Techincally, I'm not a baby boomer, but I can relate to many of the games listed below, some of which we played this weekend.

I have a few different retro toys I would have picked for review, but the list looks interesting enough.

We Gave Up the Kitchen

We gave up our kitchen today, to three precocious girls. Our daughters were in charge of lunch today. No stove, no oven, no microwave, and no knives. This should be good.

It was a delightful meal that was well executed. The girls worked together to make sandwiches. Ingrid was in charge of yogurt on each plate. Annika and Morgan added organic cheese puffs, and precut pears. Milk for everyone.

Working together worked today...

Charlietime

Charlie came back for a weekend visit at the Chung house. We were very accommodating for our unexpected company. The girls played well with Charlie and, on more than one occasion, Annika asked if Charlie could share her room. As good parents, we intervened and said no, that was not appropriate.

Finally, it was time to say good-bye to Charlie. Annika gave him a final tour of the family room and the girls chimed together their farewells. Talk about a long goodbye...