Day 24 - something that makes me smile

I think this is my favorite picture of Mina so far. And she's pretty much like this all the time. I've never seen a baby smile and laugh as much as this one.

Day 23 - eight things you didn't know about me

1. I'm only 1/4 Thai. But I'm also 1/4 Lao.
2. I want to live in Paris some day.
3. I'm really sensitive to certain odors and have a strong sense of smell. I'm very particular about which scents I buy in detergent, deodorant, etc. I can smell weird things in the house that are overbearing that Bill can't smell at all.
4. I've been thinking a lot lately about going back to school. I don't plan to do it soon but after the kids are more grown. I value my time at home with them too much right now. But I've always wanted to be a teacher. Or maybe do cancer research.
5. I think it would be fun to pack the kids up in an RV and travel the US for a year. I would love to teach them about America by experiencing it and not just reading about it in a text book. The more realistic goal is to at least take a trip this summer for a few weeks in our mini-van.
6. My mom lost a baby right before me. I've always wondered what it would've been like to have a sibling close to my age. I've carried that around with me and it made me want to have my kids close together.
7. When I was little I wanted girl twins that I was going to name Rachel and Rebecca. Now I would never want twin girls and I'd never name them that.
8. I hate the sound of aluminum foil crinkling.

Days 20-22

Day 20 - something that means a lot to me

My Asian heritage is really important to me. Some people recognize it physically immediately and others look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them half Asian. Which for some reason is slightly insulting but this is how I look. I always wanted to look more Asian. But I'm happy it's a part of me no matter what I look like on the outside. One day I would really love to go Thailand and meet my Mom's side of the family and explore the land and culture. Some day.

Day 21 - a self-portrait

*see below - no filter - eye wrinkles in all their glory*

Day 22 - what i love about my job

I love that I get to work from home.

Day 19 - myself, one year ago

My hair was a lot longer. And I put makeup on for this picture. Probably the only time the entire year that I did. I look younger too. I saw some cool yearly photo project of a family of 5 - parents and 3 boys. The father barely seemed to age until his late 40s. But the mother aged pretty drastically in her mid-thirties. So I guess this is my time to get old quickly.

Day 18 - what i wore today

We sat around in our PJs all day yesterday. So here is what Mina and I are wearing today. I've scored two Marc Jacobs shirts for her off eBay for $5. Retail is $50 which is just damn ridiculous.

Days 16 & 17

Day 16 - someone who inspires me

I will forever be inspired my daughter. No little girl should be raised to think she is less than who she is. Or to not believe in herself or know she can become whoever she wants to be. I always wanted a little girl so I could raise her to realize how amazing she is and hopefully also be a good influence to other girls. Mina will always inspire me to be the best I can possibly be so she knows she can do it too.

Day 17 - my family

When we get a table at a restaurant and they ask How many? and I say 6, it still blows my mind a little every time. We are now complete.

Days 13-15

Day 13 - something i'm proud of
The kids got their report cards with lots of As and I'm super proud of them. Lucas got into some trouble last year. Nothing major but acting too crazy in class and talking too much. This year he's matured so much - other than a little chattiness occasionally his teacher said he's been doing really well. Holden had 4Bs and 1A at the mid-term and brought it up to 4As and 1B so I'm just super proud of how hard he worked to get those grades up. He made the Honor Roll which makes him feel really good and helps motivate him to keep getting good grades.

Day 14 - style inspiration for the season
So far I haven't really had the chance to enjoy fall weather much since it only cooled off last week but it's still 70s some days. I bought two new pairs of leggings from AE - polka dots and some tribal Aztec-ish ones. With boots they are super cute. I want to be able to wear some cute fall tops with them. Soon...

Day 15 - three blogs i always read
I read more than this but here are just a few I've been enjoying a lot lately. 
Treesalldance.com - a friend, fellow mom and knitter whose words and images inspire me
Suri's Burn Book - written in the voice of Suri Cruise, critiques fellow celeb kids' fashion - hilarious!
Bleubird blog - Simple and charming.