Arthur's appreciation

I picked up Arthur from his school. He was sitting in the back seat and suddenly he started to thank me. He said, mom, you cook for me, bake good stuff for me, oh, you took the cake to my school on my 5th birthday, and everyone waiting in line for the cake. It was so good of you, thank you, Mom!

I am really touched by his word. Yes, on his fifth birthday, I baked a cake which was cap cakes under it. I put Alphabet letter's on the cake. Every kids just got one cake. Athur got the cup cake with letter A on it. He soon dropped the cake and came back to ask another one. Too bad I didn't have any extra. Then he started to cry. Two girls gave up their cake for Arthur but he only want the one with letter A on it. He cried very hard. It wasn't very happy memory for me. I am glad that he kept the good memory of that cake. I am also glad that he appreciate my work and remembers it. I don't want to raise a spoiled kid and took everything for granted.

弟弟两岁半

弟弟两岁半， 睡觉的时候读了书，亲昵一下，然后就会说：“妈妈你走”。他要枕着小星星枕头睡觉了。当妈妈的怅然若失啊，原来弟弟总是说，妈妈再陪一会，妈妈再陪一会，如果妈妈走了他就要哇哇哭，那时候总有被需要的感觉，现在呢，弟弟给训练出独立性了，妈妈又觉得自己不那么重要了。

今年老公不愿意弄圣诞树，老大要了好几次，最后是妈妈买下了。老公给取回来，居然要用个水桶装土把7尺高的树插进去。大晚上的我开车出去两次，终于把树的底座给装好，自己运回家，然后仔细给装饰好了。 松树的香味满屋都是，一闪一闪的小星星映在镜子了，小孩子真是喜欢，我也很欢喜。我准备以后每年都弄颗树。 小孩子能在我们身边快乐多久呢？ 等我们老了，装饰了最漂亮的树，又有谁围着树唱歌跳舞呢？

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我家打孩子屁股是惩罚手段 （打得不疼啊，但态度严厉），因为对老二没多大用，再加上弹脑门。对老大，time out 就很有用。老公说，只要对孩子爱，还有就是惩罚后要说明原因，惩罚就是对的。

现在想我们是不是太暴力了。老二好几次在我们眼皮下，因为其他的小朋友碰了他，就要去打人家。在家里有时候打爸爸妈妈哥哥，我们也不是太说他，说了也没用。有一次因为我不给他吃cookie, 伸手打我，真是手很重呢。昨天出门，我做了错事 （costco 哥哥坐购物车边上，我没注意，伸手拉车，结果哥哥掉出来了，哇哇哭），然后弟弟伸小手就打我，然后和哥哥一起哭。

我反思，是不是我家老二让我们给培养坏了，觉得谁做错了就要挨打。那我们家是不是错了也不能打屁股了。打屁股成习惯了，有时候不真打，嘴上也是顺口就说出来，现在不好改了。

老二是个急脾气，模仿能力又强，不太知道怎么教育他。

阿瑟得了奖!

我家阿瑟今天得了这学期的班里的最佳进步奖。 我还以为一堆孩子得奖呢。 今天早晨参加发奖， 一个班只选四个小朋友： 一个小姑娘得最佳行为奖， 一个中美混血小姑娘说是词汇量特别多得奖，她妈妈特意买了花送给她呢。 阿瑟和另外一个小男孩是学习奖。 老师说阿瑟是： 班里最小的孩子，基础差（little experience), 过去几个月进步特别大，现在居然能读书了。

我们也特别惊讶阿瑟的进步。 他上学之前的幼儿园是放羊，基本不教东西， 我们两个都忙，唯一坚持的就是睡觉前读书了，读书的时间还很短， 而且基本是用汉语读书。 他上学前笔都拿不好，也不喜欢写字画画，每天就是和弟弟玩火车汽车，然后就是看电视玩游戏。上K后，每天都高高兴兴去上学，很短的时间进步就特别快。每天回来都主动做作业，一周的作业周一发下来，周二就要交上去，如果拖到周四周五，那肯定是爹妈拖后腿。 现在能写字， 数字能写到100， 每天还尝试读书。早晨晚上都念念叨叨的， 什么7后面是8，哪两个词rhyme，等等。 九月八号开学，到现在11周，进步真是飞速。 我真敬佩美国学校的老师，这么密集的教学量决定是我们家长做不到的。

要知道阿瑟是个资质平平的孩子， 周围朋友家聪明伶俐的孩子智力技能都是超出阿瑟很多的。 另外他是个慢性子，特别专注自己的事情，给人感觉就是木木的。 现在有了个学习的环境，立刻就突飞猛进，表现出对学习的极大地热情，真令我们欣慰。 现在我们不羡慕其他的孩子写写画画了， 阿瑟现在最喜欢做的就是写字画画。

Travel for 2010 summer

Traveler's choice family awards: http://www.tripadvisor.com/TCFamily

One day or two days visit of Santa Barbara through Amtrak.
Amtrak SB Station: 209 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Visit: Ty Warner Sea Center: http://www.sbnature.org/twsc/224.html
Mission and Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. http://www.sbnature.org/about/68.html
Attraction: http://www.orangetreeinn.com/activities_and_attractions.htm

Transportation: http://www.santabarbaracarfree.org/howto.htm
Downtown Waterfront shuttle: http://sbmtd.gov/Lines/Line_Downtown.htm
Hotel: http://www.orangetreeinn.com/ , http://www.haciendamotel.com/

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Washington DC hotels:
River Inn at foggy bottom, full kitchen, very close to metro and a trader joe

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Palm Spring: http://www.pstramway.com/hotels.asp One Tramway Rd. Palm Springs, CA. 92262
Desert Hill Outlet(10AM开门)http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=6
http://www.livingdesert.org/
http://www.psmuseum.org/index.php
http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-palmsprings6apr06
http://www.goworldtravel.com/ex/aspx/articleGuid.%7BB5E1BDC7-AEC4-448E-8A43-8B024ECD3A53%7D/xe/article.htm

Hotel Choice (Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, La Quinta and Indian Wells):
Palm Springs Travelodge
WHERE TO EAT
Tyler's Burgers, 149 S. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; (760) 325-2990. Fabulous burgers, potato salad and coleslaw. Burgers start at $6; lunch only; cash only; closed Sunday. Sherman's Deli & Bakery, 73-161 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert; (760) 568-1350. Don't miss the matzo brei. Sandwiches start at about $8. Norma's, 4200 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; (760) 770-5000. Pancakes, omelettes, sandwiches, cocktails and more. Brunch dishes $12 to $1,000 (for the lobster frittata with Sevruga caviar). Villa Abbate, 69820 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage; (760) 321-6835, http://www.villaabbate.net/; Sicilian specialties such as pescatore fritto, linguini marinara and pollo limone. Pasta $17 to $26; main courses $25 to $40

个人养生

《易筋经》http://www.yangshengzhu.com/health/special/s23.htm

中医养生 http://www.tianya.cn/publicforum/content/no11/1/727037.shtml

三七生说感冒 http://bbs.zbgl.net/thread-224189-1-1.html

Arthur will start school!

I am so nervous! At least that I know his teacher's name: De la Cera.....


March 22, 2010

Artuhr has three more months to finish his kindergarten year. He has been such a great kid. He loves school and don't want to miss any class. He sit next to the teacher so he learned a lot even with his poor listening skills (Many thanks to Louise, or I won't know that he needs surgery in both of his ears). He got a couple of good friends. He loves painting and drawing. I still remember that I was a good student when I was at his age: loves drawing, good at reading and shapes. I must say that he is a better one than me.

Valley information

LA parents: http://losangeles.parenthood.com/ Camping in Park: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1029 Ginseng: http://www.schumacherginseng.com/ , 海华参茸药材公司850 jackson st SF 94133415-398-3708 http://www.jingping.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=69758 Ginseng: http://www.schumacherginseng.com/itemofmonth.html Ginseng: http://www.schumacherginseng.com/Page3.html Medicine: http://www.huaren.us/dispbbs.asp?boardid=347&id=719602 Sea Cucumber: http://www.oceanreefllc.com/ Xinxin Shenrong Haiwei Hang, 1252 Stockton St, SF, 415-677-9882 Ticket to China: http://www.travelsuperlink.com/ http://www.iflychina.net/ County Fair:http://www.venturacountyfair.org/ LA light show: http://www.dwplightfestival.com/2009/html/direction.htm LA County Garden: http://www.arboretum.org/index.php/visit/ Free Gym Pass: http://www.findmygym.com/index.php?page=browse&mode=search Buddhist Church: http://www.dharmaweb.org/index.php/California_%28Southern) http://www.sfvhbt.org/ San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Malibu Hindu Temple1600 Las Virgenes Canyon RdCalabasas, CA 91302 School Infor: http://www.greatschool.com/ http://www.movoto.com/ Vegi Restraurant in LA: http://www.jingping.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=70115 Asian Amerian Expo: http://www.ccyp.com/expo/sc/ Rodeo Drive free two hour parking: Brighton and Redeo crossing Movie Theater in the valley: http://www.regencymovies.com/main.php?theaterId=26 CSUN Planetarium :http://www.csun.edu/phys/department_guide/colloquia_and_planetarium/planetarium.html Trail in pasadena: Eaton Canyon Falls. http://www.ecnca.org/hiking_trails/hikes.html#Eaton_Canyon_Falls http://www.natureathand.com/Main/Gallery/Eaton_Canyon_Falls_62407.htm http://www.simpsoncity.com/hiking/eaton.html ranch 99 plant supply: http://mygreenmart.com/mygreenmart_c/location.html 400 W. Lincoln Avenue, CA 92865


Franklin Canyon Park: lamountains.com
www.cagold.com