9-11 Then and Now

Emotionally draining weekend past week and tomorrow won't be better. 9-11, it's still fresh to me like it was yesterday. The tears and grief hit me every time. People who weren't there just don't understand. At the time my sister and I lived in D.C. She was working and I was attending law school. I didn't know where my sister was, and since she worked next door to the White House at the time, I was a complete mess freaking out because I couldn't reach her. It started when I walked into my part-time job at the Georgetown Law Alumni Office and my co-worker said, "a plane just went into the World Trade Center." I thought she meant one of those little bi-planes that celebrities fly. In my wildest imagination I never thought it could be a 747 that would bring the entire complex down. Then I heard about the plane that hit the Pentagon and the one that was headed for the White House. When I finally heard from my sister, I was relieved to hear that she was with someone who would really take care of her. They're married now, and I don't doubt that having shared that experience brought them together closer.

When all of that happened, people in the U.S. appreciated being Americans and having such great freedom that others would attack us for it. It seems like when the economy went South, people forgot that and just focused on how they weren't achieving the mythical American dream. We can argue day and night about who's responsible for the housing market foreclosure debacles, but the point is that we can argue about it and anything else we want. Maybe we can't all live in 4500 sq.ft. houses built on nothing, but we all still have the freedom to think the way we want, to say what we want, and to take charge of our lives in a way that most other people in the world can't even begin to fathom. Having essentially grown up in this country, I embrace American ideals of freedom and liberty and justice for all. I even became a lawyer so that I could make the law my livelihood.

So when I hear of people in America committing atrocities because that's the way it was/is done in the old country, that just makes me sick. If you are going to act like that, then just leave. Don't give your daughters in arranged marriages when they are 3 years old. Don't buy girls through smugglers so you can use them as household servants or sex slaves. Don't beat your sons with baseball bats so they will get straight As in school. If you are here, then really be HERE and not try to re-create some sort of social enclave that only includes everyone that is from your country of origin. If you don't like it, again, just leave. Obviously I'm very bitter over something that has happened to my family recently with the excuse of it being culturally acceptable in the ancestral homeland. Well, I'm an American citizen and an officer of the court in New York and California and I am not going to excuse it, accept it, or condone it even a little bit. There are all sorts of terrorists--some fly planes into the World Trade Center and some terrorize members of their own family. Neither of these are acceptable. Zero-tolerance policy for terrorism! 9-11, never forget!

Back to School Time at Ross: Review and Giveaway

CONGRATS TO #9 AS CHOSEN BY RANDOM.ORG! PLEASE RESPOND TO MY EMAIL WITHIN 72 HOURS. Thanks to everyone who participated!

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R went back to school last week and H is going back next Wednesday. I was a bit surprised at R because he cried when I left him there. He had asked to go to this preschool since H had gone there and finally after two other preschools, it was his turn! Apparently he tried to hit his head on the ground repeatedly so that the teachers would call me, but instead they told him that was a fruitless endeavor that would only lead to his own suffering. Nice, finally a non-touchy feely school that understands how to be firm with kids. I remembered from H's experience that the teachers keep the kids in line, which is exactly what I need to feel secure that no one will attack R like they did in his old preschool.

  

H goes to 1st grade this week. Since 1st grade is "real school," we all decided to head to the Ross Dress For Less Back to School sales while we were in Oregon last week. It was an instant 10% discount on top of Ross's great prices because there is no sales tax in Oregon. Score! H is pretty set in terms of clothes because he grew into his size 6 and 7 clothes a couple of months ago. But what he really needed was pajamas. In the summer, it's fine to sleep in boxers but I know that in a few weeks he will need to get something more substantial. I was able to find two sets for him for less than $20 total for name brand items (unfortunately I can't tell which ones because of the agreement Ross has with the retailers). I know when E grows up we will be there frequently to buy all the cute things and stuffies (what my 7 year old sister would call all her treasures) that girls need. I noticed all the things that would be perfect for a college dorm room. You can check it out for yourself! My friends at Ross will give one Random Mommy reader a $25 giftcard to see all the fabulous Back To School specials that are available this season!

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:  Contest period runs from Monday, September 3rd at 12:01 AM (Pacific) until Monday, September 10 at 11:59 PM (Pacific). Enter by leaving the name of your favorite school supplies, and leave your e-mail address OR sign in to comments using your Blogger ID, making sure your Blogger profile is public and includes your e-mail address.

Bonus Entries (leave a separate comment for each entry, it counts if you've done any of these so leave a comment for each one)
1) Follow me on Twitter
2) Tweet this contest and leave the tweet url (once per day)
3) Like Ross Dress for Less on Facebook

If you don't leave a qualifying comment and your e-mail address or public Blogger profile, your entry will be disqualified. I reserve the right to extend the contest period. At the end of the contest period, I will utilize Random.org to randomly choose the winner. The winner will be contacted by e-mail and will have 72 hours to respond to my e-mail. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, the prize will go to the next place winner as decided by Random.org. This contest is open for US Residents only. A huge thank you and much appreciation to my friends at Ross Dress for Less for their generosity! Good luck!
 
I did not receive compensation for this post. I received a gift card to facilitate my review. 

BlogHer 2012 in Pictures

My friend Gleester with the Lorax! The Lorax speaks for trees!

BADGLEY & MISCHKA in person at the Iconix party. First time I've seen a real designer (other than my fabulous wedding dress designer Mika Inatome) up close and personal!

Snoopy and me at the Iconix party, the line was shorter for Snoopy!

Hello cans of Kahlua Iced Coffee at the fabulous SocialLuxe Lounge, you had me at Hello. That plus the massage and makeup refresher made my night! And the Dreyer's/Edy's ice cream! Right now if you upload a photo of you eating Dreyer's to Facebook, they will donate $5 for each photo to Operation Smile. The goal is to capture over 25,000 smiles, which will amazingly allow Operation Smile to complete more than 500 reconstructive surgeries on children with cleft palates, cleft lips, and other facial deformities. If that's not enough of an incentive, they will also send you a coupon for a free cup of ice cream for yourself!

Had to take a photo with the Kikko-wo-man! Soy Sauce ice cream, anyone?

Cake at Sparklecorn!

Milkman!!!!

That's Kate Gosselin, who was there representing CouponCabin. You might not recognize her without her 8 kids!

BlogHer Update of Sorts: Verizon Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Review

Last weekend at this time I was at BlogHer 2012 in NYC. It was a glorious four days of catching up with friends, catching up with my city, and catching up with the Blogosphere. I was already in my mind planning all of my fun recap posts. But then on the way to Newark, I got some really bad news about a good friend. The C-word. I was sobbing all the way to the airport, with nothing to wipe up my tears except a free bib I had snagged for E. Obviously when I got back, I felt like there was something very inappropriate about my shouting to the world about how much fun I had and what great insights, companies, and products I discovered when my friend and her family were going through something so difficult. I'm still conflicted as to whether I go on with my blog or if I should spend that time to pray and do things for my friend.

The photo I took and sent to Stewart when I won!

So today's post will be guest-written by my DH Stewart about the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 I won at the BlogHer 2012 Expo from Verizon. I decided to give it to Stewart for watching our 3 kids solo for 4 days (taking 2 days off work!). Without further ado, Stewart's review of the tablet:

I’m a proud owner of both an Apple iPad 1 and 2.  They are both excellent devices that “just work”, as Steve Jobs often used to say about his best selling creations.  I really never thought I’d need another portable device, since after all, the iPad pretty much filled every function that I’d need it for.  When I got my hands on the Samsung Galaxy 7.7, it quickly filled a niche that I never knew was even missing.  
 
First, let’s talk about portability, as these are “mobile” devices.  The Galaxy is just so much easier to tote around.  I can throw it in my pants pocket without that much of an issue.  With its small size, I’ve found myself carrying it around to many more places than I ever did with my iPad.  Its 12-ounce weight also makes it very easy to hold in one hand for extended periods of time.  I cannot say that same thing about the iPad.  I can hold it in one had for about 10 minutes before I start experiencing carpel tunnel like symptoms in my wrist.  Another bonus is that the small size actually makes the camera somewhat functional.  Taking pictures of video on my iPad2 is just ridiculous.  Perhaps that is why there are all these rumors swirling around about a potential iPad-mini.  The size truly does make a difference.  

Another big plus for the Galaxy is the amazing super-AMOLED screen which is amazingly clear and sharp.  It has wonderful HD resolution and makes webpages look vibrant. If there is one downside, it’s the lack of the latest operating system.  Alas, it comes with Android 3.2 Honeycomb and not 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.  Although Samsung and Verizon have both stated that it will come out, that’s about all they’ve said.   It’s been eight months now, and still, nothing. That said, the Galaxy is a wonderful device that fills needs that my iPad cannot.  Keep up the good work Samsung. THANK YOU VERIZON!

Specifications for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 include the following:

7.7 inch Super AMOLED Plus display at 1280 x 800 pixels resolution

1.4GHz dual core processor

Android 3.2 Honeycomb

CDMA and LTE

16GB internal memory, microSD card expansion capability

1GB RAM

3.2 megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 1080p video recording capability

2 megapixel front facing camera

Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, and GPS

Dimensions: 7.74 x 5.24 x 0.31 inches and 12 ounces

VeggieTales: The Penniless Princess DVD Review

When I was growing up I wanted to be a princess. Not a fairy tale princess but a real princess, preferably of England. So naturally I was a huge fan of A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Sara Crewe is as rich as a princess and is treated like one, but then her father dies and leaves her penniless. She continues to act like a princess, however, in her manners and her deportment. Eventually the happy ending comes about that the diamond mines were real and she is even richer than ever. Maybe I wanted to believe that if I lived well I too would become a princess in the end.

When I was contacted recently to review an advance copy (available August 14th) of Big Idea Entertainment's newest DVD VeggieTales: The Penniless Princess-God's Little Girl, I signed up right away. Now that I have a daughter, I need to start building a library of fun movies for her apart from her brothers' cars and trains DVDs. My kids have other VeggieTales DVDs but I really like the recently released titles that send a special message to little girls. In this Veggie-version of A Little Princess, Larry the Cucumber stars as Captain Crewe and helps to teach an important lesson about knowing your own true worth as well as trusting God, no matter what happens in life, based on Romans 8:39.

I was really impressed that the movie stays so true to the book. There are some lines that are straight from the book, like when Sara tells her father, "I know you by heart." Having watched three different non-animated versions of A Little Princess, I know how drastically wrong the movies can turn. I was really happy that VeggieTales was able to to take a story that was close to my heart and make it into something wholesome that would inspire kids to look inside themselves for their worth.

One of the best features of the DVD was the new Silly Song, "Best Friends Forever." If you're a parent that doesn't know what BFFNMW or YCMU means, this funny song is a tutorial in texting that will make you LOL and even ROFL. Watch it here:




Other bonus features include a special tour of London with the popular French Peas characters (especially timely with all the Olympics the kiddos have been watching), a hilarious look at the history of the Teddy Bear, a discussion guide for parents and behind the scenes clips. This is definitely one I'll be watching again with E as she grows up. 

I did not receive compensation for this post. I received a product sample to facilitate my review.

Vacation with Cousins in San Francisco-Day 1!

View from our hotel room

 Earlier this week, Stewart's cousin M and her daughter C were visiting from Portland. We wanted to maximize our time with them so I decided to take the kids with me and stay in a hotel for one night in San Francisco. We wanted to get a room in a hotel with a pool, but those are few and far between in San Francisco. The Palace Hotel pool looks really great, though, so if there is a next time we'll definitely try to book it early (it was sold out by the time I made the reservation). We ended up at the Westin San Francisco Market Street, which is right by one of our favorite areas in SF, the Yerba Buena Gardens. The location is perfect, close enough to all the touristy things and to public transport, and to Beard Papa, which unfortunately was closed by the time we were ready for dessert that night.

Knowing we had a great place to rest that night, we were ready to explore the city. We started out after lunch with our first stop at Bi-Rite Creamery. Whenever we go on the weekend, the line is out the door to the corner of Dolores Street so we end up getting soft serve or the ice cream sandwich. Today we had perfect timing. Someone was leaving so we got a parking spot without having to circle the block. After several attempts, I parallel parked the minivan and we walked up to the ice cream hot spot. No line!!!! Amazing! I tried several of the flavors before choosing white chocolate with raspberry swirl, something I could share with E. R got his usual strawberry and H got his chocolate. Cousin C doesn't like ice cream so she chose the handmade pistachio caramel corn, delicious! Right after we arrived, though, a line had started forming and it was out the door and a few steps down. Such good luck!

Then it was on to Lombard Street. I had never driven on the street before, only climbed up the steps a decade ago. The drive up the road to go down the street was pretty steep. I thought we would flip over and fall off. Because of the long line of cars, it was stop and go and we started sliding backwards several times. Cousin M asked me if I had been doing it to thrill the kiddos, but no. Thank goodness I haven't worn out the brakes on the swagger wagon! R was scared to go down the street so he and Cousin M walked down. They walked faster than we drove. I put the car into 1st gear so we would go as slowly as possible. I'm not even sure that's right but it made me feel better. If you go, remember it's only one way beginning at Hyde St.

Pretending to be sorry for throwing his water bottle

Our final tourist destination of the day--the Golden Gate Bridge! I've driven over several times but I've never actually walked on it. If you go to the parking lot right next to the bridge and find it full, don't be dismayed! There is a bigger parking lot if you drive down a bit. The walk was a lot of fun. We made sure to wear our jackets because it does get very windy up there. Cousin M spotted quite a few dolphins, and Cousin C said she saw a shark. Maybe it was wishful thinking on C's part but I'm not about to go in the water to find out. Something of ours did go into the water, however. R couldn't resist the temptation to throw something over from such a high place. Of course, he chose his stainless steel water bottle. I know it was deliberate, because I had bought H&E new ones last week. Previously he had been the only one with a cool stainless steel one, but now it wasn't *new*. I had done something similar when I was a child. In kindergarten I wanted a new sketch pad so I put a line on every page of my old one so I could tell the teacher I was done. She saw right through that trick and made me keep the one I had. So R will go back to drinking from a plastic water bottle until he learns he can't be rewarded for bad behavior!


After the bridge, we made our way to the hotel. I had checked the yelp reviews and the first one said that parking at the Hearst Building across the street was $25/day, which is a steal compared to the Westin's $59/day. No brainer. When we walked out of the parking lot, we saw there was a California Pizza Kitchen on the ground floor. Again, no brainer. Mac&cheese and pasta for the kids, Korean beef taco for me. I would have preferred to go to Super Duper or Amber (Indian) but I knew the kids wouldn't eat much there. One thing that irked me at CPK was that, after we had walked in and the hostess grabbed menus for us, a couple came in. She decided to seat the couple first, I guess because she thought it would be quicker and less of a hassle for her. Not cool young lady, one day you will have kids too and being treated like a second class citizen because you have them will make you feel terrible!

Then nighttime at the hotel. 12 hours in one room with 3 kids. Imagine what you will.

To be continued with Day 2 in my next post.

Happy First Birthday Toddler E!

My last baby is no longer a baby! My Fourth of July baby celebrated her first birthday. It's taken since then for me to recover enough to write this post. Never ever have an event birthday party at a place other than a restaurant. You don't save money in the end and you're so busy running around during the party, you can't actually enjoy the party yourself. But I had to do it, she's my GIRL! I hope one day she will look at the photos and appreciate it. I think other people did enjoy it, though, although H&R seemed a little jealous of all the attention on E. It was very difficult to get them to take photos, and even when they did, their faces told exactly what they were feeling.

I was so busy with everything from food to balloons to favors that I couldn't even take the time to put on any make-up. Hence I will not be posting any photos of me where you can really look at my face. It was so awesome how people pitched in to help, though, otherwise it never would have come together the way it did. My sister and her husband were planning to come early to help but the erratic Bart schedule forced them to rent a car, which wasn't available until an hour before the party. They had come all the way from Philadelphia and it was ironic that it was the local transport that delayed them. Thankfully they stayed until the end of the way helping us clean and organize. Thank you Shinyoung Eemo and Uncle K! Stewart's side was just as well represented with his parents and cousins helping out. We're so lucky to have relatives nearby.

E was pretty overwhelmed. It's really interesting how I have to learn every day that every child is different. H&R did not mind the big crowds at their first birthday parties. E couldn't handle the pressure and promptly fell asleep for over half the party, then I had to wake her up so she could do the doljabhe. The Korean custom is for the child to pick her fortune on her first birthday. The traditional things laid out are rice (your storehouses will always be full of rice, thus you will never lack for anything), money (you will be rich!), pencil (scholar), and thread (long life). H picked the pencil. These days people have updated the custom and put out other things. When it was R's turn, we put out things like instruments and sports equipment in addition to the traditional items. R picked the orange golf ball. E was reluctant to pick anything. She mostly cried. She was reaching for the rice when the crowd started to ooh and ahh and she quickly drew back her hand. Then refused to do anything. So we're going to say she went for the rice!

It's really strange but everyone says that once your baby reaches her first birthday, it seems like there is an ascertainable difference. I think so. E seems older somehow. Maybe I'm just projecting. Hopefully she will grow up as sweet and nice and she is now. Or maybe the craziness is about to start. The day after her first birthday she figured out how to climb on chairs. And fall off. Must go now before she really hurts herself! Oh, and if anyone needs a crib, we have one to give away!