On Saturday, we had our semi-annual get-together with our China families. It is wonderful to see how much the girls have grown! When they were small, it seemed like they were triplets because the looked so much alike. Now that they're growing, they look so different.

They girls happily played together all day long. So much so, that the adults were tired! It was fun to watch them hold hands, share toys (yes, they really did!) and just enjoy having playmates their age.

Playing in the pool

On Tuesday, I took the kids to the Long Beach Aquarium. It was great fun to watch Peter really taking on the role of big brother with Caroline. He is turning 10 in a few weeks and I think he is starting to see himself as older and more responsible. He was helping Caroline see the otters by lifting her up, he was holding her hand and taking her to see some fish while I signed up for membership at the Aquarium. (Side note here: did you know that a family membership to the LB Aquarium is tax deductible? Me either!) Anyway, he was reading about the fish to her and comforting her when she was scared of the manta rays.

Beautiful tropical fish. So colorful!

Helping Caroline see the otters

Showing her how to gently touch the anemones

They were both quite enamored with the sea turtle!


Peter and the manta ray

Caroline finally pets the manta ray.

Outside the sea lion exhibit

We all recently had haircuts by Peter's Tae Kwon Do instructor, Master Yoo. He has his own salon in town. (a man of many talents!). Anyway, Master Yoo gave Peter what he called, "the Korean boy's cut". Not exactly sure what that means, but it looked good. After cutting Peter's hair, he put gel in it to stick it up. Now Peter wants his hair to do that all the time, except that I have mousse, not gel. "No, Mom. It has to be gel!" Too bad, kiddo. I have mousse. It works. Unfortunately, in this picture, I did not mousse his hair, so it is not sticking up. He was not happy with me.

Yesterday, he was bugging me about getting a basset hound. Now I must tell you that we HAD a basset hound before we adopted Peter. After adopting Peter, the dog snapped at 3 kids so we called the basset rescue (where we got him in the first place) and he was given to a bachelor with no kids.

So, anyway. We were at the mall and he and Caroline wanted to go to the pet store (WARNING! BAD IDEA!!) He made a beeline for the basset hound puppy. Now I must say that few things are cuter than a soft-eared, playful, "please take me home with you" soul-eyed basset. However, this is tempered by the price tag of said basset....$1000.00...in a deep recession, no less, when people are abandoning their pets because they can no longer care for them. I have always maintained that if we ever get a dog, it will be from the animal shelter and not from the mall, regardless of the economy.

When we left without the dog, Peter was pouty for a few hours. Nothing a good workout at the Tae Kwon Do studio didn't cure (heh!).

Just this morning he asks me, "Mom, could you make me some of your delectable french toast?" When I asked him why he wanted me to make it when he knows how to make it. He said, "Because I'm your miracle, remember?" I've always told him the he was my first miracle, and Caroline was my second. Who would have guessed he'd use it to manipulate french toast out of me?

Well, I'm off to make french toast now. Guess it worked.

Sooo, how much are hamsters?