Phew! Aubrey's Snake Cake Was A Success!

I really enjoy baking. I wouldn't say it's a passion, but it is a lot of fun and it's something I do well. Every year I take on the challenge of making a birthday cake for Aubrey. It's my gift to her and I'll do it for as long as she enjoys it. I know someday she'll want me to just drop her off at the mall so she can eat a Hot Dog On A Stick for her birthday, so this is something I want to make special for her while it lasts.

Her first birthday was my choice, so I made her a monkey cake:

Her second birthday, she chose a Yo Gabba Gabba theme and I think the cake turned out adorable, if I don't say so myself:

Last year, my mom sent me a Williams-Sonoma donut shaped cake pan as a just-for-fun gift and as soon as Aubrey say it, she wanted me to make it so we had a giant donut cake for her third birthday and made it a baker's theme. She got her own baker's hat and apron with her name on it too:

 

This year, a reptile guy came to Aubrey's preschool and the kids got to touch snakes, lizards, toads and more. Aubrey was taught to be afraid of snakes by some other parent and nanny in her life (a-hem) and she freaked out a little when it was her turn to touch the snakes, even though I was the parent volunteer holding the snakes.

Needless to say, I was a little shocked when she told me she wanted a SNAKE CAKE for her birthday this year! One of the many ways Aubrey amazes me is that she takes on the daunting task of facing her fears head on - all on her own. No one taught this to her, she just does it. She forces herself to confront her fears until she desensitizes herself and even starts to enjoy the thing that scares her. She's done it with hippos (yes, hippos), pirates and skeletons and now, snakes!

So a snake cake it was and I let her choose the color: "Orange with purple polka dots!"

The clock started ticking and I started planning the cake. I've decided to post the instructions and results here because after I finished it, everyone asked me HOW I made it. I admit that I stole the basic construction concept from some ideas I found online, but the rest is original and she was a real hit at Aubrey's party!

Here's How I Made Aubrey's Cute Girl Snake Cake:

It was a 3 day project, a little bit at a time.

BAKING MATERIALS: 

- I used one Giant Donut Cake Pan from Williams-Sonoma which is actually two ring pans and then an additional, slightly larger ring pan which I had a fairly hard time finding but finally got at a specialty cake store. I'm sure you can order online if you plan ahead... unlike me.

- I made marshmallow fondant from scratch on day 1. There are many recipes online and very basic to make, easy to store and work with. Just a sticky mess to make, but tastes WAY better than regular/store bought fondant!

Blurry pic of fondant process - powdered sugar EVERYWHERE!

 And also did some prep work like julienne slicing the licorice for grass and gathering together all of my decorations and tools.

Making grass from green apple licorice

- I made buttercream frosting on day 2 and stored in fridge

Buttercream icing for the crumb coating/fondant adhesive

- I baked the cakes on the 2nd night and cooled them, so I had 3 rings total. Also, a fun thing about this cake is you can make different flavors so I had a yellow cake ring and 2 chocolate cake rings.

Two smaller rings which made the top coil and the head/neck & tail

- The 3rd morning, I did all the decoration assembly with lots of help from another 2 hands. It was at this point that I'm going to publicly admit that I almost threw the entire thing in the trash! It was 8:30am and Aubrey's party was at 5:30pm. I didn't like the way the cake baked and my buttercream was overthawed, I had no idea how to apply the fondant and I was pretty sure it was going to be a disaster. In a nutshell, I felt like I was on one of those cake war shows. STRESS!

But I pulled myself together and made it work. Thus the PHEW in the title of this post.

For the design: I cut the larger ring lengthwise, in half to form 2 rings. These formed the bottom coil and the middle coil. Then one of the smaller rings formed the top coil and the last smaller ring was sectioned in two to make the tail and the head/neck. 

For the coils: I rounded off any sharp edges with a sharp serrated knife and ate the shavings because I was starving. Yum. I also trimmed out some of the center hole of the top coil so it was large enough to stick the neck through later. I also use a little of that piece that I trimmed to help form the head in the following steps.

For the tail: I shaped about a 1/3 of the one smaller ring like, well, the tail you see here and make sure it matches the height of the lowest ring so it looks "realistic" (all using a sharp serrated knife). 

The head: This was definitely the HARDEST part for me as the piece of cake you have left (2/3 of a smaller ring you just shared w the tail piece) doesn't look anything like a snake head. I had to use smaller scrap cake pieces to piece together a roundish head, then sort of hold them together and try to frost it all. An assistant (like my very nice boyfriend) is helpful at this point.

After cakes were cooled and cut and frosted in a "crumb coating" - I stuck in fridge as I went - it's a very easy cake to work a piece at a time.

Iced the top ring in buttercream

Obviously, start with the bottom coil and work up. Roll out your fondant and apply. I used long strips and because I'm not very skilled with fondant yet (this was my 1st fondant cake) I had to use 2 strips on each coil. I couldn't figure out how to apply it all in one piece without it getting to bunched up in the center, so I did it in 2 pieces each coil and you can see the seams - not the end of the world.

Applying fondant to the bottom coil

Two coils done!

Once I had the 3 coils covered in fondant and stacked up, I did the tail - wrapped in one piece and then tucked the end of the fondant underneath the bottom ring, molded it with my hands to sit near the body. And then the head. OH MY GOD! The head was tricky and all I can say is it took me a long time to gently stretch the fondant, trim it with kitchen scissors and tuck the bottom seam and edges in a way that wasn't too bulky and could be hidden along the bottom of the piece. I pinched the fondant at the end of the neck and tucked the piece into the center of the coils to have her peeking out, head resting on the top coil.

Oooh! She finally looks like a snake!

Then the fun, creative part... DECORATE! 

I used:

Eyes: Mrs Potato Head's eyes!! Perfect for poking right into the cake!

Mrs Potato Head's Eyes!

Polka Dots: Wilton Sugar Sheets (pain in the ARSE without their expensive cutting machine. I thought metal cookie cutters would work, but they don't. I had to have my boyfriend pound out each polka dot with the cookie cutters and a heavy duty rubber mallet! You might explore other options, although I think they look great. Apply with a light amount of water on a small paint brush.

Flower: store bought sugar cake decoration

Grass: Green apple licorice that I julienned - bought at bulk candy store

Rocks: Chocolate candy rocks - bought at bulk candy store

Cookie Lettering: Trader Joe's Cinnamon Schoolhouse Cookies - painted them orange with aerosol spray food coloring (bought at Michael's). Stuck them to the foil covered cutting board with dots of icing.

Nostrils: I had some Halloween colored cookie sprinkles and used 2 black dots from there - applied with a dot of icing

Tongue: cut out of a berry fruit strip (fruit roll ups work too). Tip - draw and cut out a guide on a piece of card stock first and then lay it on the fruit strip. Trace with a very sharp knife. (i.e. don't screw it up if you only have one fruit strip)

Used some of the chocolate cake batter to make one cupcake for the candle holder since I didn't want to put them in the snake, and my daughter really wanted the other little candles, so I made a little fondant candle holder for them.

The birthday girl and her snake cake!

Sad...

I had a blast making this cake, but it was a lot of work. The beauty of the decorating I used was that I could cover the seams and any imperfections with polka dots :)

Finished Snake Cake!

And that's my Cute Girl Snake Cake! I hope she inspires you and good luck if you try it.

Who's Bad?

About a month ago, I introduced Aubrey to Michael Jackson and now, she can't til she get enough. Literally, as soon as we get in the car she needs to hear an MJ song or she gets a little surly.


Bad is one of her favorites and here she is dancing and singing along to the video on YouTube. I hope you're having a great holiday weekend!

Kung Fu Panda 2 - The Good, The Bad & The Toys

Last week Aubrey and I wend to the Dreamworks campus in Glendale to attend a special preview screening of the animated sequel Kung Fu Panda 2 . This screening also included a sneak play preview of the Mattel KFP2 toys and a lunch where fried macaroni and cheese balls and mini bundt cakes were served, so we were pretty happy campers.

A VERY excited Aubrey!

Although Aubrey was a little disappointed that there weren't any slushies and popcorn at this screening (we saw the film in an actual Dreamworks screening room) she was very excited to see Kung Fu Panda 2. She has been a long time fan of the original Kung Fu Panda movie - even though I somehow have managed to never see it - and she was pumped and ready to go for this special event.

In this 2nd installment, Po (Jack Black) joins forces with a new group of animated animal kung fu masters to take on the evil peacock Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) and his deadly new firecracker cannon. 

So I'd like to start off with the positives: 

- Kung Fu Panda 2 is visually stunning and we didn't even get to see it in 3D. Ya done good Dreamworks and I'm sure it will be even MORE stunning in 3D. For anyone who is an animation geek, this one is a must see. It was even breathtaking at times. 

- The story was interesting and held most of the kid' AND adults' attention spans for a long time. Like I said, I had never even seen the first one, but I was able to jump right on the Panda wagon and get into it.

Mattel figurines

- The Mattel toys also seemed to be a hit and we were lucky enough to take a couple of them home with us in a gift bag. Aubrey received the figurines above and ended up playing with them for well over an hour later that night. However, I did hear her yelling her own made up line of, "DON'T YOU EVER KILL MEEEEEE!!" while pulverizing the bad wolf guy with the Panda. Which leads me to the "You Judge For Yourself" portion of my review...


Here are my not so positive opinions and then we'll wrap this up in a nice little bow at the end:


- The second half of film was fairly dark and violent and from what I heard from some of the parents who had seen the first one, it was darker than the first one. But I've seen this pattern in many kids' movies, including the uber popular Toy Story franchise. Toy Story 3 kind of made me feel like I was watching the family version of Saw at one point. Anyway, I digress. My daughter is almost 4 years old and generally doesn't have too much trouble sitting through an animated feature. The last section of KFP2 is quite violent, however, and while it is action packed, it did seem to me to just go on and on and on. Just when I thought, "OK, NOW the big fight scene is over," it would gear back up again.


I guess my heads up number one for parents of little ones is that this IS a rated PG movie. If your younger child has a tough time with darkness and bad guys for a prolonged period of time, maybe not for you. And maybe my kid was a little more sensitive to it because (sorry) she's a girl and she's never pretended to shoot anything in her life. I dunno.


- Here's heads up number two and this is something that I would have liked to talk about in a Q&A perhaps, but we weren't given the opportunity, nor would our kids have sat through it... but (MINI SPOILER ALERT!!!) in the movie, we find out that Po's panda parents abandoned him to save his life when their village was pillaged by Lord Shen and his bad guys. There is a heart wrenching scene where the mama bear is shown hiding Baby Po and then running for her life. And I'll let you guess as to whether she makes it or not (the mom ALWAYS gets the axe or the lock up in animation - Bambi, Nemo, Dumbo...). While they don't show the attack on her, it is implied and the scene actually made my daughter cry and get pretty upset. Oh and I was sobbing too and so was every other mother in the house. It's sad! But I was surprised at how emotional it made my daughter. She's older now and she's starting to "get it" which is cool and scary all at once. All afternoon I had to answer the questions, "Why did the mommy bear leave her baby," "Why was the baby panda crying?" and "What happened to his mommy?" Ugh. Wahhh!


The other part of this portion of the story line (MORE SPOLIER) is that we learn that the noodle house owning goose, Mr Ping (James Hong - YAY James Hong!) adopts baby Po and raises him as his own. As a Korean born adoptee raised by geese... I mean caucasian people... this actually got me emotional on different levels and with so many Americans parenting transnational and transracial children these days, I hope they, the parents, are prepared for the barrage of emotions and questions that will come after the movie. I explained to my daughter that I was adopted by my mommy and daddy just like Po was and then she wanted to know why my mommy couldn't keep me (I don't know). Did she abandon me (yes). Was I going to ever leave her - NO! So, even though we had a great time, it turned into a bigger day of emotions and issues that I was expecting. Anyone immediately touched by adoption (birth parent, adoptive parent or adoptee) is going to have some feelings about this movie. I'm just warning my people!


- And my final and most serious issue with the film is the whitewashing of the cast. This is an American made film set in China. Yes, it's a cartoon, but it is clearly set in China (not a Chinatown in the USA) and it draws it's story, character names, movement and imagery from the rich and real history of China and Chinese kung fu. So why weren't more of the actors of CHINESE descent? Or at least Asian American? I, as an Asian American actress, get a little upset about this kind of stuff and I don't think I'm being too ridiculous. While I never felt the film was mocking Asian or Chinese culture in a way that was racist or inappropriate, throughout the entire film I kept hearing recognizable voices of non-Asian actors and the handful of actors who were of Chinese descent were in lesser billed roles. The director of KFP2 is Jennifer Yuh and so... that's cool. But the stars of the film are all white. I get it that picture deals are made and contracts are signed and Dreamworks has to do it's job to sell this movie, but there's no reason Lucy Liu shouldn't have had Angelina Jolie's top billed role and no reason James Hong or Jackie Chan shouldn't have had Gary Oldman's leading role of Lord Shen. Although, James Hong steals the show in his role as Mr Ping. He is a true pioneer and a sweetheart to boot.


But I digress... Of the 13 top billed names on the cast, only four are of Asian descent . So shame on someone. And I'm going to go ahead and say it: It's because the roles are Asian. There's even a black guy in the main 13 characters of this movie. I've already discussed this issue with some friends and some people have thrown the "But it's just an animation and you don't see the actors who are playing animals so why does it matter" argument at me. But it does matter. Asians are now and have been the most underrepresented minority on tv and film for eons and it's because we are simply not given the due respect that other human beings are given in this industry. We are not seen as Americans and we are not respected as people with spines. Therefore, it is socially acceptable to cast The Last Airbender (yikes) and Akira and Kung Fu Panda with white and even black actors. If you think I'm being a tad overly sensitive, ask yourself this question: In an animated film where a character was a white person or a black person would they hire an Asian actor to play that voice? Kind of doubt it, but the reverse is always fine when it's a role of color, even when it's not animated! We'll get there eventually, but it's a slooooow row to hoe. Yes, I just said ho and set myself up for some horrible Asian actress jokes. Go ahead. Make them. Every Asian actress has played one or been asked to play one and we all own our own lab coats for auditions. (My big prostitute role was when I was 9 months pregnant too! It was a dark, dark comedy.)

Aubrey going SKA2OOSH!

But, once again, I digress. After all of that bitching and moaning, I still think you should go see the movie. I did enjoy it and my daughter did enjoy it. I think the film is more appropriate for kids who are a little older - perhaps 6 and up (remember, intense!), but overall it was a fun moviegoing experience and Aubrey can't stop talking about it. It also introduced her to more Chinese culture has piqued her interest in martial arts. Maybe I have the next Michelle Yeoh on my hands. BTW, she played the Soothsayer and was awesome! Did I mention we got fried macaroni and cheese balls?

If you would like to learn more about Kung Fu Panda 2, please visit these official sites:


Official Movie Site: http://www.kungfupanda.com

YouTube Experience: http://www.youtube.com/dreamworksanimation

Royal Caribbean Sweepstakes!! http://www.facebook.com/kungfupanda?sk=app_199032100139302

Lead AND Background

Aubrey is going through a BIG Michael Jackson phase right now. Here she is in the car, singing along to Beat It. I love how she sings all of the Beat Its - even the background vocals. She has Man In The Mirror, Bille Jean, Thriller and - her favorite of all - Bad memorized now. This was a couple weeks ago.

Four Is Not The New 30.

So, all parents whose kids are older than 5 years know that the "Terrible Twos" is a complete misnomer and even a joke compared to 3 and 4 year old behavior. 

Aubrey is rapidly careening towards her 4th birthday on June 6 and she is crazier than ever. There's an uber-irrationality that comes along with 3 and 4 year old mental processing and it's not worth anybody's time trying to figure it out. You try to get a straight answer out of a tired 3/4 year old, you get this:

This craziness is a result of Aubrey not wanting to pee before going to the park. Do you now understand why I can't be on time to anything for the next 14 years?

We don't use any corporal punishment in our household, but I now know who spankings were invented for. Every once in a while, the temptation is strong, but I'm very fortunate that Aubrey is, in general, a really fun, sweet, easy going kid and actually, quite easy to reason with. No really, she is fairly logical for a kid when she's in a good mood. It's only when she's tired that the beast is released and it always seems to be when I'm the most tired as well. 

It's all good. Once we get through this crazy 4th year, I hear things get quite lovely until they turn 12 or so. Then I'm supposed to prepare for the return of the beast x ten. 

Minnie's Masquerade And The Mickey Mote!

About three months ago, I wrote a review of the new Disney Mickey Mote, interactive kid's remote for use with special Disney DVDs. While we weren't thrilled with the Mickey Mote at that time, I knew it was just a little too soon for Aubrey to grasp the concept and have the patience to listen to the video's instructions before pushing the buttons. My prediction was that in a few months, she would get the hang of it and love it... and I was RIGHT! She LOVES the Mickey Mote now and just in time for a new interactive DVD. Am I clairvoyant or what?

Lucky for us, we got to preview the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse : Minnie's Masquerade DVD with the Mickey Mote and she is hooked. She loves anything Disney, of course, but especially Mickey, Minnie and Pluto. They are her current faves.

In Minnie's Masquerade - Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Daisy - take families on a new adventure as they dress up in costumes for Minnie's Masquerade Ball. This DVD features four episodes previously seen on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse TV show, a never before seen episode and a fun masquerade paper mask that kids can personalize.

Ignore the basket of laundry behind my child - I'm such a professional photographer.

Aubrey is having a great time with this new Minnie DVD and she even insisted in teaching her 64 year old nanny how to use the Mickey Mote with it!

The DVD can be watched just like a regular DVD or used with the interactive Mickey Mote. I love the Mickey Mote feature too because Aubrey is actually engaged and thinking while watching rather than sitting like a couch potato (the way I like to watch tv - shhh) and it even works with our 3 year old, $39, total piece of crap DVD player. (Yes, I'm that cheap. Or broke. Or both.)

Look for this awesome new DVD in stores February 8th and you can pre-order on many websites now:
Single Disc DVD + Mickey Mote = $29.99
Single Disc DVD = $19.99

Aubrey Rocks Her Mullet

My daughter is three and a half years old and she really doesn't have much hair. What she does have is really thin and wispy and it seems to grow in a beautiful mullet shape. She's only had three haircuts in her life and it was because the front was finally starting to get in her eyes.


I know a lot of moms really want their little girls to have a glorious crown of locks and get upset when their little princess' hair ends up, well, like my kids hair. I, personally, could care less. Chances are it will grow into a beautiful, healthy mane and she will do something horrific to it in her early teens anyway - like chop it into a mohawk, color it orange or let her gay friend from drama class "style" it for her. Whatever.


I am the youngest of four kids in my family and the only girl, so my mom was chomping at the bit to play with my long hair. She braided it and put it up in pig tails and pony tails. In third grade, I got the Dorothy Hamil haircut that was all the rage and my mom sat every morning before school and tried to tame my stubborn Asian straightness with a curling iron, attempting to get the under-curl just right. This usually resulted in my neck getting burned and by the time I got to the bus, the curl probably straightened too. 


Aubrey is still a little tiny turkey and I don't want her worrying about her looks already. I'm not quite ready for that. So for now, we are enjoying the craziness of her little preschool mop and I wouldn't have it any other way. She's my little Muppet with a mullet and she's ready to ROCK!!

DISNEYLAND!! Family Fun... Even In The Rain!

Here's our whole crew with Minnie Mouse!

My brother, sister-in-law and nephew, David, recently came to for their first family visit to SoCal, so naturally, Aubrey and I joined them in a day at Disneyland and a day at California Adventure.


I am fortunate to be invited to a fair amount of Disney events and shows, but this is the first time I went to Disneyland and California Adventure just for the sake of going. This is also my first official review of Disneyland and California Adventure and I'm not putting it lightly when I say, man did we have fun!

Sampling the rides in Tomorrowland

My Aubrey is 3 and her cousin, David, is 4-1/2. They are terrific playmates and are both old enough now to really make a day at Disneyland a full, memorable experience filled with activities and rides that are just right for them.


We definitely had favorites together and apart. David being a little older and less fearless than my sensitive little girl, rode Pirates of the Caribbean TWICE and loved it. Here is the dialogue post rides:


David: Auntie Amy! Guess how many times I rode Pirates of the Caribbean!!
Me: How many? Twice?!
David: NO! I rode it TWO times!


He was pretty darn impressed with that ride.

I think Fantasyland is Aubrey's favorite!

And they didn't even fight over who got to make Dumbo go up and down!

Aubrey was really in love with King Arthur's Carousel and David and Aubrey got to do several rides together like Dumbo the Flying Elephant and the iconic "Teacups". 


Two really special things happened for Aubrey on this day in Disneyland: we got front row viewing for the opening for Sleeping Beauty's Castle when the band plays and the characters come out to dance. They invited some children to come up and dance with Alice and the Mad Hatter and some older kids beat Aubrey to the punch. She was sadly turning to walk back to me when Donald Duck noticed her and quick grabbed her hand. She got to dance alone with Donald Duck during the entire song and that cast member's quick thinking made a super special memory for my little girl rather than a sad one. We were both so happy! I caught it on video too:

The other really special thing that happened was we got to sit right up front for the night time Celebration parade down Main Street (we waited alost 40 minutes to get a good seat on a Mon night) and Aubrey got to dance with the characters and dancers, play a drum and lead a conga line! She also got hugs from Goofy and Pluto. It was such a fun time! I also caught this moment on video and then accidentally deleted it from my iPhone, gone forever. Wahhh. Oh well. At least it happened. 


Cheese Spoiler: At the risk of sounding like a TOTAL cheese ball, as a mom, I can't really describe how great it feels to watch your child experience something magical. To a three year old, these moments are unbelievable and bigger than life. The excitement and joy in her face is something I'll never forget and I hope she remembers some of it too. 


I think the most exciting moment for me of our day at Disneyland was taking Aubrey on her first real roller coaster ride in Toontown! It's a little bigger than a kiddie coaster with a decent sized hill and fast turns and twists. I wasn't sure if it would be too much for her, so I put my arm around her, but she LOVED it and begged to ride it again. We didn't have time as it was late in the day and we had to get ready for our big day at California Adventure and the Mickey And Friends Character Breakfast the next morning.

Now that's a kid friendly waffle

Doing a character meal is something I probably wouldn't have thought of as a local. You just zip down to the OC, hit the parks and head home. But since we had out of town family with us, they thought it would be fun to try a character breakfast before hitting the California Adventure park. I'm not gonna lie, it's a little spendy, but it was totally worth it. For one child and adult, it cost us an even $50 with gratuity included, but we definitely got bang for our buck.

All together now: AWWWWWW!

Disney has a reputation for doing things right and they certainly didn't fail us this time. While the food was good and nothing really special, it was an all-you-can-eat buffet and there was a good variety of healthy and indulgent including Mickey Mouse waffles, eggs, potatoes, fruit, pastries, cereals, etc. However, the whole point of doing a character dining experience is to meet the costumed characters up close and get to take photos, hug, high five them and dance with them. It's the perfect way to dine with a kid because periodically throughout the meal time, a cast member comes out and introduces different characters and leads activities for the kids like dance parties, rug surfing, hula hoops and more. 

I was also SUPER lucky to discover that the cast member running the Surf's Up themed activities is a friend of mine, Reggie De Leon! He was so great and made sure Aubrey and her cousin got an amazing experience. I could tell he really loves his job and he has the perfect demeanor for kid friendly fun. He's such a sweet guy!

With my friend, Reggie at the Mickey and Friends Breakfast!

After an exciting morning of frolicking with Mickey, Minne, Pluto, Stitch California Adventure is really cool, although there are some parts under construction right now which makes it not quite as easy to navigate, HOWEVER, I believe they are building a new Pixar Cars area which should be awesome for the little ones. 


The biggest problem of our day at California Adventure was the weather. Of course my relatives came all the way from MN to get rained on in SoCal. Oh well. We still had a blast, but my kid does not enjoy being cold or wet. Cold AND wet is a real problem, so there was a lot of whining and crying during the morning.


On a positive note though, we did some indoor things that we might have overlooked had it been sunny. Aubrey and I ducked out of the rain to catch the Playhouse Disney show which was perfect for her. We saw Handy Manny, Mickey and Friends and the Little Einsteins come to life with music and dancing and Aubrey went nuts when bubbles came down from the ceiling and confetti fell at the end. Your preschooler will dig this show. I'm not kidding.


We also checked out the Muppets 3D show which I loved (until Aubrey decided Sweetums was too scary so we had to leave) and my nephew really enjoyed too.


After that, we got a break in the rain so we took the kids to A Bug's Land for the kiddie rides and we also made it over to Paradise Pier for more rides and a bite to eat. The California Screamin' roller coaster is really a great ride. I'm a roller coaster enthusiast and this one is on my list of favorites for the blast up the hill and the smoothness of the track. 

On Heimlich's Chew Chew Train at California Adventure

My brother's family and I split up for a bit since Aubrey was just an inch too short for some of the rides. It was at this point that I took Aubrey back to A Bug's Land to ride the ladybug ride when we got drenched. A literal downpour hit us while we were on the ride and Aubrey was miserably cold. I had to leave the park early anyway as I had a red eye flight to Wisconsin that night, so we decided to hit the road. I ran Aubrey, in her stroller, through the rain back to our hotel about a mile away (she's lucky her mommy is a runner) and the good people at the Alpine Inn were very helpful in lending me towels to dry off and letting me change my child in the lobby. 


Even with the rain, we had so much fun, but I don't think I'll take Aubrey back to California Adventure until she grows an inch. She was pretty bummed she was too short for some of the kid's rides, like the Jumpin' Jellyfish and Soarin' Over California . She keeps asking me when she'll be big enough to ride them and at the rate she's growing, we should be good to get our Jellyfish on by the spring. Unfortunately, we had to skeedaddle before the much talked about World Of Color show, but my brother's family got to see it and they said it was awesome. Many of my mom blogger friends have seen it too and they all say it's amazing. Fortunately, my boyfriend and I will be heading to California Adventure sans three year old, in a couple weeks and we are really looking forward to a grown up day of amusement park frolic, including the World Of Color show!


I can't recommend a family trip to Disneyland enough. Yes, the hype is true. It is "The Happiest Place On Earth" and magical things really do happen. Also, I know in this economy, it can be hard for families to afford a trip to Disneyland, but one money saving hint for those of you from out of town, the hotel that Aubrey and I stayed in is one of the best kept Disney adjacent secrets in Anaheim and I'm about to share it with you...


The Alpine Inn!! So inexpensive and nice, quiet and clean. No frills and the "continental breakfast" is coffee, juice and Little Debbie Snack Cakes but it is all you need to get you close to the parks. The Alpine Inn is a goofy looking little log cabin-y motel with fake snow on the roof, just around the corner from the Disneyland main entrance. It is a decent 10-15 minute walk over and according to Yahoo maps it is .87 miles from the entrance. The staff is kind and knowledgable and our room was really comfy. Seriously, it was cleaner than many 3-4 star hotels I've stayed in and we paid $30-$90+ less than all the other walking distance hotels I called that week. Come on, isn't this picture worth a thousand words?

Dreaming of Flying Elephants and Spinning Teacups!

We are so happy with our experience and Aubrey really can't wait to go again. She talks about Disneyland and California Adventure all the time now - even the parts that were a little scary for her are sort of fun to reminisce about - and I know we will be back to visit soon. I hope you and your family get an opportunity to visit the Magic Kingdom too!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!

My little schoolgirl!

Today is my birthday. At least it's the day that I celebrate as my birthday. Many of you know my little orphan backstory... I was abandoned on the streets of Seoul, South Korea, at the Yongsan Train Station on September 3, 1972. I was estimated to be two days old, so... September 1st was the birthdate I was given. It Could be correct or slightly off, so I guess we'll never know if my numerology charts are accurate or not. Dang.


Well, I'm officially 38, as far as I'm concerned and I really enjoy getting older. I love my birthday and like most people, I've never felt the need to lie about my age. Maybe because I still look 8-10 years younger than I am, but I don't want to brag. Let's face it, it's one of the great advantages of being of Asian descent. That and the ability to pretend you don't speak-y Engrish in difficult situations and then just walk away. It really works. 


Today is also my little Aubrey's first day of fall preschool! She already went for the entire summer, so it's just another day to her, but she will have some new classmates and will also be attending 5 days a week instead of 3 now. I'm so proud of my little turkey! She's a keeper. (Check back in with me in 10 years though.)


Better run. It's almost time to pick her up. Have a great September 1st everyone and if you need an excuse to enjoy a piece of cake today, please, feel free to use me. 

All The Single Mommies! All The Single Mommies! Put Yo Hands Up!

OK, single moms... so we're probably NOT at the club, but here's my shout out to you and your total amazingness. Most mommies in the blogosphere are awesome ladies, but we single mamas deserve some extra lovin from time to time. Check out my latest (and probably last) post for LAMomsBlog. Let me know what you think:

Can This Single Mom Ever Be Normal?

Now, I'm off to pick up the little turkey from preschool! It's gonna be ALL KINDS of crazy in my house for the next hour. She's always insane after school. Overly tired and stimulation overload. Ahhhh... good times. Today, one of her teachers told me that they thought they should get a clipboard just for Aubrey so they could write down all the funny things she says every day. She said there were so many things, that they knew they would forget them. Apple doesn't fall far people. I think I have a class clown on my hands! I'll write more about this later.

Have a great afternoon!

A Girl And Her Poor Dog

Aubrey and the very patient, Bob Barker

Aubrey is an only child (well, she has a half sister who is 20 years old and lives in the midwest, so for all intents and purposes, she's an only child) so I'm glad she has Bob Barker - our 5 pound chihuahua. They keep each other company and they bicker like siblings, but it has gotten to the point where I'm not sure who love/hates the other one more. Read my latest post for LAMomsBlog.com:

A Girl And Her Poor Dog

I Love You. You're Disgusting.

Ready for a little TMI? If you're not, then too bad. Read about the glamour, the beauty of the motherhood that is my reality right now. I dare you...

I was ill prepared for how disgusting motherhood would be. It started right away too - pregnancy is so gross. I don't care how much you LOVED being pregnant (I didn't), you have to admit it was rude. The gallons of toxic vaginal mucous and crusty stuff coming out of my nipples made me wish I had saved all those latte dollars for a surrogate.

At any rate, I made it through. Then came the super yucky delivery - placenta pate anyone? Truly horrifying recovery - fourth degree tear, couldn't wipe my ass clean after a bowel movement for almost two months. And infancy - poop pee poop pee poop pee and so on and so on and so on. I had changed dirty diapers before, as a babysitter in my teens, but I was really disenchanted by the other grossness of motherhood.

My little girl, Aubrey, is almost three. Three in June. She's sweet and kind. Snuggly and girly. She loves her baby doll and her stuffed animals. She loves to smell flowers and help mommy bake in the kitchen. She's also the grossest person I've ever met. Every day seems to bring a new level of yuck into our home, especially since using the toilet is still so funny, exciting and scary all at once. Lots of potty talk.

Now, before I go any further, I'd like to state that I do NOT have a weak stomach. I grew up with three older brothers and it's almost impossible to truly gross me out. I just can't believe how rude motherhood can be.

These are three actual, verbatim conversations I've had with Aubrey recently:

(Opening to Aubrey's bedroom door upon waking up in the morning.)

Aubrey: Mommy! Look! (running up her bed to her pillow, pointing to a gray, crusty blob on the wall) That came out of my nose!!

Me: Wow! That's great sweetie! Is that a big boogie?

Aubrey: YEAH!!

(She was SO excited.)

(Aubrey sitting on the toilet but not going potty, starts poking around down under. Like REALLY down under, to door number two. Then she sniffs her index finger and yells.)

Aubrey: What's that smell?! (holding her finger out to me) Smell it mommy!

Me: No thank you. I don't want to smell your finger. Are you done trying? Let's wash your hands.

(Aubrey is digging ferociously in her ear with her pinky. She pulls it out and offers it to me.)

Aubrey: Taste it mommy!

Me: Ummmm... no thanks.

I often wonder why I still like this person. If this were an adult, I would not want to hang out with them. Young children are so primal - like little animals. Sometimes I feel like I have a magical talking pet in the house. And it's times like these that make me realize the mother child bond really is something special. There's no one else in the world whose offer of "smell my finger" after touching their butt, would make me laugh and inspire me to write.

I know it's my job to teach her it's inappropriate to do these things. The trick is to do it without making her ashamed of or self conscious about her body or feel like she's naughty for exploring her world. It's a fine line and no one wants their child to be the gross-out kid at school.

I'm enjoying the humor in all of this while I can because I know, soon enough, my daughter will be a big kid who likes the feeling of being clean, washing her hands and brushing her teeth all on her own. I think it's right around that time she will start thinking I'm totally lame and embarrassing and I'll be writing about ungratefulness instead. So for now, I'll take the boogers and stinky fingers in exchange for all the hugs, kisses and I love you mommys. Totally worth it. Gross, but worth it.

Post Holiday 2009 Roundup

Now that "the holidays" are officially over, I'd like to recap some of the awesome holiday events I attended. Then next several posts will be dedicated to the holiday treats and surprises Aubrey and I were so fortunate to receive and experience. Happy 2010 everyone!

1) Help A Mother Out Playdate at the Treehouse Social Club



It was INSANE and awesome! The Help A Mother Out playdate charity event at the Treehouse Social Club in Beverly Hills. This super cool organization does diaper drives to support homeless and poverty stricken mothers and their children. Could you imagine not being able to provide clean diapers for your baby? Unfortunately, many mothers face this reality in the US and the babies suffer and often become ill from being in a soiled diaper for hours, sometimes days at a time.

Super awesome mom blogger, Kim Tracy Prince organized this diaper drive (and then got so sick she couldn't even attend her own event - boo!) and it was a great success. The kids were treated to live music, awesome kid snacks (Goldfish, mini cupcakes, gluten free cookies, juice boxes and more!) and there were grown up appetizers and wine for the parents. Aubrey played, snacked and danced like a maniac and she was excited to donate our diapers too. It was Aubrey's introduction to formal philanthropy and I think she really understood why we were giving the diapers. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity to help our community of moms and children and have fun at the same time! Please support this amazing organization... oh and on a side note...

I read an ignorant comment on a post about this organization on LAist.com. As you can see, this idiot, "claw" said, "People should just NOT HAVE BABIES if they can not provide for them!!!" It really infuriated me. This charity is not about judging people, women, mothers or parents. It is about helping members of our communities who are in need. Period. People who think homeless women are all slackers, drug addicts, people of color, uneducated, etc - you are wrong. Especially in this economy we are ALL only steps away from homelessness ourselves. Be grateful for what you have right now and do what you can to support others. It's so easy to do. If you have nothing to say but ignorant and hateful comments, just shut the fuck up.

Aubrey Gets Her Dance Groove on to Help Mothers & Children