Irvine Global Village Festival

We went to this event for the first time on Saturday morning with my sister and brother-in-law (who shall now be referred to as "BIL"). Even though we arrived less than an hour after it started, the parking lot was full, so we had to take a shuttle. On the way there, the shuttle was very crowded with a lot of kids.

The park where it was held ("Bill Barber Park") was larger than I expected. There were three separate sections of booths, along with three stages for performers. Of course, we were mainly there for the food. D and BIL opted for Korean bbq ($7). I had beef chow fun and some dim sum from Crystal Jade ($3). Sis had sliders from Rubys. D and I also shared some chicken tikka masala and a samosa ($4). BIL tried a "Chinese hamburger"--interesting. D and I also tried 1 green tea and 1 mango mochilato (mochi with gelato inside, $1 each). The green tea tasted just like mochi ice cream, but the mango had a more pronounced fruit flavor. We brought home a few desserts from Layer Cake Bakery also. I wouldn't say the festival was quite "global" in that Asia was definitely overrepresented...but it is Irvine, after all!






The green tea mochilato was melty and messy to eat!

Boy or Girl?

L had a ultrasound yesterday, and the doctor said that you probably won't be able to tell the gender at 4 months. So I decided not to attend the ultrasound since I would have had to take a half-day off and I was really busy at work. However, the technician was able to determine with 99% accruracy the gender. So since I wasn't there, the technician said that she would put the photo in an envelope (with a label of boy or girl) so that we could find out at the same time. L called me from the parking lot of the doctor's office and told me what happened. However, I told her just to open up the envelope, since I wanted to know right away and I was still at work. L said it's a boy!

Chugging Along

k is slowly adjusting to her new "class" at CBS. I am told she is crying less and does not have to be held as much. Can't wait until she actually starts enjoying herself and learning things! Meanwhile, her class at Cypress College was cancelled due to insufficient enrollment. Oh well.


On Saturday I went to the JEMS ladies' luncheon and learned how to make a lighted holiday garland and earrings. I think I was one of the youngest people there...how come it seems a lot of my peers aren't into crafts? It was fun. Maybe I'll show my creations on a later post. D and k had a fun day without me, going to HB for a long run and shopping at South Coast Plaza!

At night D and I went to Open Sesame in Belmont Shore, in part to celebrate our birthdays and just have a date night. We ordered an appetizer of fried potatoes (lots of lemon and garlic), falafel combo and beef skewer pita. D also ordered an iced green tea with orange blossom water and mint--very refreshing. We didn't have to wait because we got there early, plus they opened another Open Sesame (On the Corner), which is, you guessed it, just down the street, on the corner.

Dark picture of the falafel combo.

Today our church had service @ Mile Square Park, with a picnic afterward. It was fun to sit on our blankets and chairs and worship outside. The weather was pretty cool, too, especially under the trees.


Some people brought their dogs, and k was imitating one of them sniffing the grass during service:

Birthday Month

Our posting has become sporadic, mainly due to my lack of energy these days. That doesn't mean we don't have anything going on!

Last Tuesday my parents took k to the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. It was "seniors day" so they got in free. Baba bought k a turtle stuffed animal, and now it is the only animal that k will allow in her crib at night.

September is birthday month in our household since both D and I have September birthdays. D turned 32 on Friday. We went to Red Robin to redeem his free hamburger (just sign up for their e-club!) I told the waitress it was D's birthday so D was serenaded with a birthday song and received a sundae and balloons. Somehow, having k with us made celebrating D's birthday at Red Robin acceptable.



Saturday we went to a pirate-themed party for a three-year old. When we arrived she was wearing a pirate shirt, but by the time the party actually started, she had changed into a princess shirt--haha.

That night we had a joint family birthday celebration for D and me with my family. D received a heart rate monitor watch that he was very excited about. I received some sewing/cooking supplies...now I just need to get the energy to use them! k was excited to be able to spend time with her aunts and uncle. I think she likes having "new", but familiar people to play with.


k enjoyed her corn.

D+L+k+?

The Lim family is about to grow. We are expecting and the due date is March 13, 2009. We are all excited about our family growing from 3 to 4, well at least D+L. We are not so sure about k. We do not know if it is a boy or girl, however we should know in a month. Our little home is going to be bursting at the seams!

First Day of "School"

Not counting church, today was the first day I have left k with complete strangers. We started CBS, and k was put in the 12-24 month class. It didn't go too well. She started crying when I handed her over, and apparently kept crying. One of the caregivers had to hold her the whole time or she would start crying again. When I picked her up, she wasn't crying, but she was being held. I feel bad for her rude awakening to the "real world" where the ones closest to her aren't around, but I know it is a necessary step. We'll see how long it takes her to adjust!

I couldn't help but take a couple of pictures of k before she left for her class.

Sorry for the diaper shot, but she looked so cute in this picture, I had to post it.

k Update

k is growing up so much. I thought it would be a good idea to record some of the things she has been up to lately. She loves closing doors. She cannot stand the sight of an open door and must close it at once. However, she can't open doors yet, so sometimes she "locks" herself out. She also likes to say "buh-bye mama, buh-bye dada" before closing the door, sometimes giving us good-bye kisses too. k also likes Elmo...not sure why he is the most popular amongst kids. Is it his high-pitched baby voice? In the next couple of weeks k will start going to childcare for a couple of hours while I'm at CBS and going to a class at the local community college with either my mom or me, depending on my work schedule. Plus, she'll be able to hang out with other kids during my moms' group. Hopefully she'll get used to being around more kids!