Birthday Message for Maggie

By KEVIN DING

I'm in New Orleans now on Day 6 1/2 of this nine-day Lakers trip, the last long one of the season, and before here I was in Houston on Maggie's birthday, March 27. Can't really remember the last time I was home on Maggie's birthday, actually.

We did, however, have a nice dinner together sans kids right before I left and got in some meaningful conversation. Before that, we had that fun night out at Union Cattle with all her peeps. Before that, we got Maggie a new diamond wedding band she really likes from a jeweler I found (and we'll probably get her another ring to stack with it). And before that, we had a date to see the Taiwan-independence movie "Formosa Betrayed," starring "Dawson's Creek" legend James Van Der Beek. (Reasonably good.)

But on her actual birthday, I sent her an e-card with a little message that she is willing to share with you all, if you're interested. I'm willing to share it, because it conveys how highly I think of her. At the end, I reiterated words from my wedding vows that said I adore her, and I always will!

Sister Dynamic

By MAGGIE WANG

I haven't had a chance to really document the changes in the girls. I should, because in the past month the girls have changed a lot.

Maven is super vocal -- talking in complete sentences and constantly being inquisitive. She's asking, "Why?" and "What are you doing?" all the time. She loves her big sister and is always asking to be around her. She is also fully day-potty-trained, wearing big-girl undies (and trying to refuse diapers at night).

Maven and Sedona are really getting along for the most part, although Sedona sometimes outsmarts Maven.

When I give the girls a treat to share, for example, Sedona inevitably looks at the size of them and takes the larger piece or even outright declares: "I want the big one."

The other day, the girls each got a coin chocolate from A-Ma Alice. Sedona finished hers and then turned to Maven for a bite of hers; Maven agreed and offered it. Sedona's bite was so big that Maven didn't have any left! But Maven just smiled and licked her fingers. Other times, though, Sedona will get a something and tell Maven that she will get one for her also, and Sedona will.

Another interesting issue I have: Sedona will push Maven. Then Maven will say, "Sedona pushed me." I'll ask Sedona, "Did you push her?" Sedona will say, "No, she fell by herself" (and then maybe even display how Maven fell by herself).  I'll ask Sedona if she is lying and she'll say, "No." Clearly not true. But Kevin says research shows kids lying at this age is pretty normal, as is Sedona coming to some grips with physicality.

Overall, the girls really get along. In the car, they sing together and crack jokes to the point they are both laughing so hard it hurts my ears. 

Sedona is definitely taking the older sister role.  When we cross the street, she says, "Maven, hold my hand," to help her across. The other day, Maven was upset about something Kevin wouldn't give her, so Sedona said: "Maven. Stop crying. Why don't you just listen to Daddy?"

They are precious. Today, I brought them to the supermarket (Vons on Pier Ave to be exact ... my favorite!), and they have these mini-shopping carts for the kids to push. I can't even count the number of people who stopped to tell me how adorable they are -- and well, I have to agree!

The girls are quickly growing up, and I adore every piece of them. People say parenting gets easier after kids reach 2 years old. We are approaching that mark with our second child, and I would agree.

March Madness

By MAGGIE WANG

I know, I know! I'm a terrible blog mother! Where have I been? Let's see ... busy fixing life's disasters. They included but were in no way limited to dealing with the water-pipe leak in our girls' bedroom closet. (It required us to redo our downstairs guest-room closet from scratch also, and Kevin was out of town for much of the work.) But through it all, we're having some great times.

One of those fun times was building a crib for their new "American Girl" babies.  Sedona had a great time using the screwdriver. I think it is really neat that she knows how to use these tools from her Montessori school time. They teach play with real activities.

The crib is a gift from Laney and Kira Williford. Julie and I decided that rather than sending each other gifts for our birthdays (she and I are a year and 5 days apart) or sending our daughters gifts for their birthdays, we would send the girls a gift for our birthdays. We have been giving each other presents for so many years we have run out of ideas for each other, and getting the girls so many gifts for their birthdays when they are getting so many others doesn't make sense either of us. So we have this special pact! I love it!

Reading by their babies' new crib ...

The girls love to read these days. They hang out in our "library," which is what we call the guest room downstairs. In lieu of actual reading, Sedona makes up creative stories with the pictures, based on what she remembers about the books or just rooted in things going in her life, and tells them out loud for a long time. (She also likes to display the page for any audience, the same way that Miss Valerie and Miss Brittany do at school.)  Both girls are both becoming more self-sufficient each day.

Here is a picture of the girls' room since I moved furniture around (Dec. 23. 2009) so we could transition Maven to a big-girl bed at the time we installed our new carpets. (P.S. Maven's name is on the wall in there too, just not on the wall shown here.) 

Dinner at Melting Pot with the girls ...

 Their first time eating fondue! Here is Maven continuing to prove what a messy eater she is compared to her meticulously clean sister.

Fun at Art Zone with Maven and Dylan McCleary ...

Riley joined us while her mom was enjoying some friendly Marine League tennis. (Kidding. Marine League is fun but definitely not necessarily friendly. It is women's tennis in the middle of the week. Many of the women are fortunate enough to not have any other lives but to take Marine League way too seriously, which can be scary. I am guilty of playing too, but I'm far from one of those fortunate women with no work responsibilities!)

Doing a workout at My Gym ...

We have been to quite a few birthday parties at My Gym, but I never joined becuase the first time I brought Sedona she caught some illness, which was her very first time being sick. As I'm growing into a more laid-back parent, I realize this is something the girls would love to do, so here we are.

Maven had a great time at My Gym, but then we won five classes to My Gym's rival, Wondernation, in our Mommy & Me class! So, it was off to Wondernation!

I love bringing Maven to these classes. It's so amazing to see her interact. She is so outgoing, ready to do anything and a great listener. I feel so fortunate that I can still do these neighborhood activities with my girls despite having a job.

Our big little girl is growing up. Last year we tried to take her to the dentist, but she wouldn't open her mouth.  This time Sedona happily enjoyed the visit despite being told she has a cavity that needs to be capped. I am uncomfortable with this stuff, so I'm waiting for Kevin to bring her. Yes, I'm a wimp!

I am documenting it here in case it does happen and I can say I thought it might happen: I wouldn't be surprised if Sedona is a dentist when she is older. She loves brushing and flossing (we just started that post-dentist visit). She has always been this way since she started ... unlike Maven who is still fighting the process.

 Maybe we will enlist Sedona to talk some sense into her. Sedona more and more will try to reason with Maven and explain things to her. The other day on the way home from Sedona's school, Maven was being fussy and crying about Kevin and Sedona not giving her the car seat she wanted, so Sedona calmly said: "Maven. You're getting to be a big girl now. You're wearing underwear; you're not wearing diapers. If you want to be a big girl, don't cry. Maven! Big girls don't cry."

At Downtown Disney with Teddy Liaw (visiting from S.F.) & Debbie (from Houston) ...

The girls absolutely LOVE Teddy and Debbie (and Kevin and I got carry-out crawfish from this venture to Orange County, too!).

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The girls ate caramel kettlecorn before dinner ... only because Auntie Debbie wanted it and I didn't have the heart to tell her the girls couldn't have any.

Hanging at the Hermosa Farmers' Market with Ethan and Riley ...

Birthday party action ...

Today we hit up Katie's 3rd birthday party at Live Oak Park before attending Sabrina's 2nd birthday party at Under The Sea for this face painting!

Turning 32 ...

By MAGGIE WANG

I don't like to make a big deal of my birthday, but I'm super fortunate to have people who care to make it special for me.  I celebrated Friday night (March 19) with my original friend Debbie in town visiting and a few newer folks who made bold bull-riding auditions at Union Cattle Bar in Hermosa Beach.

Teddy Liaw's birthday is March 5, so it was a great opportunity to celebrate together with these lovely cupcakes brought over by Leslie!

Here he is, making his blog debut on the above left ... Tom Hindman, my mixed-doubles tennis partner.

Also new to the blog and pictured above, Inyork Wong & Angela Chou. They're recently married and they recently moved to our South Bay turf. We're thrilled to have them.

Thanks to everyone for making me feel very special on my birthday (and to Kevin for taking this photo, of which he is therefore left out!).

Kevin was gone for my actual birthday on March 27 (he was in Houston, ironically), so I spent the day playing tennis (and working!), along with having a super-nice dinner with my daughters and parents. 

I'll be hitting the spa with Anita next week and then Rosana the following week as bonus celebrations. Lucky me! My birthday lasts for a whole month!

"C is for cookie, that's good enough for me ..."

By MAGGIE WANG

Even though she actually hardly ever watches "Sesame Street," Maven is a huge fan of Cookie Monster. It's why Kevin bought her the stuffed animal a few months back and we got her this T-shirt recently at H&M. But it all started with a hand-me-down sweatshirt from Skyler; I remember requesting it in advance when I saw Skyler wearing it, never realizing it would become my youngest daughter's obsession.

The original Cookie sweatshirt -- with a hood that Maven will always ask to be put up by saying, "Hat! Hat!" -- is still adored by Maven, even though it has half an eyeball hanging off.