Last day

Day 30 - three wonderful things that happened this month

1. President Obama was re-elected. Best thing ever.

2. Bill's family came to visit. His grandmother got to hold Mina which was a really sweet thing to watch. She's the first girl in this family since Aunt Jennifer was born 50 years ago.

3. The boys won an Angry Birds basket at the school fundraiser. It may seem like a silly thing but Lucas had mentioned before that we never win anything. Sometimes it's just nice when it feels like the Universe hears you.

Days 27-29

Day 27 - a silly self-portrait
I take hideous self portraits of myself almost every day. Jennie and I send them back and forth randomly throughout the week. So I have oodles but I'll leave you with the gem below when I got Bill involved with my shenanigans.

Day 28 - a skill i'd like to learn
I can sew pretty well by hand and do really basic stuff on a sewing machine. But I'd like to be able to sew actual clothes for Mina. I see the cutest stuff online from brands like Misha Lulu and I want to learn how to do that. It doesn't look that complicated. It's just adorable fabric with sweet embellishments. Maybe I should just take some sewing classes and get myself a newer machine.

Day 29 - something i never tire of
Friends. The show. I could turn it on at any time of day, any episode, and I will watch it. If it was on TV 24-7 I couldn't turn it off. IT Crowd is another show I can watch like this. Actually I feel like watching IT Crowd right now...

Days 25 & 26

Day 25 - the contents of my purse
I don't carry a purse when I have a baby. So here are the contents of my diaper bag - bedecked in buttons and tchotchkes: gum, cough drops, lotion, angry birds band-aids, Hello Kitty wallet, coupons, Target receipts, diapers, Vaseline lip therapy, change of clothes for Mina, headband, extra socks, immunization record, wipes, puzzle books, ibuprofen, nursing pads, keys and sunglasses.

Day 26 - something i'm looking forward to
I'm looking forward to the awards assembly at school on Friday. Holden is getting his Honor Roll certificate.

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.