Arc of King County Interview

My neighbor, Rachel, asked me to be in a video, which Arc of King County was making last summer.  The topic was how I cope with raising children with special needs.   I am glad I was able to be a part of the project to help new families discover there are many ways you can move forward from the initial shock and children often surpass your expectations!   The video has been out for a while, but it's never too late to share here :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-RJI1Gc-xc

No Shave November!

Mike started to grow a mustache for "No Shave November" for prostate cancer awareness campaign.  At first, I wasn't a fan of his quirky look, but I kind of like it now.  He sort of looks like a Dad from 70s.  Tonight he asked me if I wanted him to shave tomorrow and I said to keep it!  I am also having him grow his hair a little.  Sometimes going backward in trend is a step ahead.  I think 70s cop look is not only for comedians.  What do you think?

A Visit to Carnation

We weren't going to go black Friday shopping and it was gorgeous outside, so we headed out to a park in Carnation which we'd been eying to visit.  Fall City/Carnation area is one of our favorite places to go since there are a lot of kid friendly farms.  It is only about 25 minutes from our house if we go the right way, but there isn't really a wrong way to go if the road to get there is a beautiful country road! 

The name of the park was John Tolt River Park, I believe.  It has a big hanging bridge, which was originally built in 1920s but since been redone.  The park has a ample lawn area which was still as bright green as in summer and the rustic color of the bridge and fall trees made it look even more beautiful.  We crossed the bridge, which swayed gently as we walked.  The river was gentle and we did not see any fish swimming.  The kids liked walking on the bridge, although Saya was a little afraid.  We ran around in the park a little and decided to go check out the Christmas Tree farm nearby.

The Christmas Tree thing was totally random.  We noticed a steady stream of cars with a tree fastened on their roof when we were driving to the park.  It turns out, the tree farm was located by the entrance to the park and it was hard not to pass the opportunity.  We grabbed a saw and went to hunt for a tree.  The lady showed us an area where they grow a type of pine that do not shed as much and we ended up bringing back a Korean tree with chubby needles.  Mike cut the tree and it almost fell on Noah (I caught it and I am glad I did because it was very heavy).  The tree is not a typical bushy kind, but rather has tiers and can see the trunk.  We chose it for the height and since it looked more natural.  It was a good choice. 

The kids decorated the tree when we got home.  I am too lazy to re-distribute the ornaments that are placed in the same spot, but it doesn't look too bad.  The current battle is keeping Noah away from the tree.  Sean and Alyson are police and are doing a good job stopping Saya and Noah from taking the ornaments off.  Now our living room is Christmassy and has a nice scent of fresh pine.  We will put the outside decorations up this weekend since Sean is very eager to do so.  Of course, Meagan across the street already done hers. 

So, slowly and steadily the Campbells are slipping into the Christmas mood. 
We are excited to have found a nice tree farm and I can see ourselves making the trip there every year!

The Turkey Day

The turkey was heavy and slippery.

The rub I made had grated sweet onion so it was naturally thick.

It wasn't overdone, but the skin had a nice golden color.  Maybe the sugar in onion helped!

Let's eat!

I need a lesson in serving turkey.  Slicing it nicely wasn't easy.

It's missing deviled eggs.  I almost forgot to serve them.

This is our tale of how the Thanksgiving went this year!

Jen and I hit the stores on Sunday morning at 8:30 am to buy ingredients for the feast on Thursday.  We wanted to make sure that no items on our lists are sold out at the store.  I had been gathering recipes for a while and finalized on the menu the night before.  Jen's menu sounded like something out of a fancy restaurant.  She was going to serve prosciutto wrapped pears! 

This was my menu for this year:

Herb Rubbed Turkey (13 pounder) with Gravey
Kale and Sausage French Bread Stuffing
Walnut and Sweet Potatoe Casserole
Deviled Eggs
Green Beans with Bacon
Gluten Free Corn Bread
Pumpkin Pie
Gluten Free Chocoalte Pumpkin Cupcakes

There were a lot of planning involved, because this was my first year hosting Thanksgiving.  I had an odd pride and didn't want to mess anything up.  I started preppping on Tuesday.  I baked chocolate pumpkin cupcakes on Tuesday.  I baked cornbread and had sweet potato casserole ready to go on Wednesday.  I also cooked kale and sausage for the stuffing and prepped green beans that day to make things easier on Thursday.   The drinks were well stocked and all we waited was the guests, grandpa Bob, Marsha, Aaron and Tina. 

The karma was not with us that day for all parties, unfortunately.  Bob and Marsha decided not to make the trip due to weather concerns (from Lewiston, Idaho) and Aaron got very sick with pneumonia.  When the fact finally sank in on Thursday mid morning, I stood in my kitchen staring at the pots and pans with mountains of food in them.  What are we going to do with all these food??  Luckily, my friend Hanae and her children decided to come over and I recsumed cooking until about 2:00 pm.

The food turned out great, so Mike said.  I thought the turkey was a tad dry, but Mike thought it was the moistest turkey he'd ever had.  The sweet potato casserole was a hit and my favorite was the french bread stuffing.  I am not going back to those dry bread cubes anymore!  Sean liked the cornbread and turkey.  He had a LOT of turkey that day.  Saya and Aly didn't eat much but they were distracted.  I had fun chatting with my friend and the children had fun playing together. 

I wished the family could joined us, but we will have many more opportunites to celebrate it together.  I feel bad for Bob and Marsha to miss it and Aaron for being so sick.  I wished I could send the food over to Aaron and Tina who are new to Portland and being far from family.  I had a great practice run, so I predict a fancy feast next Thanksgiving. 

I am surprised to say this but I really did enjoy cooking for two straight days.  Maybe I watch too much cooking shows, but for two days I imagined myself as a creative chef who knows what she is doing in the kitchen.   It was fun exchanging ideas and shopping with Jen, who is far more knowledgeable about groumet cooking than me.  Cooking turkey isn't easy and I will alter the temperature next year or perhaps use a V-rack and add some wine on the bottom to keep the bird moist.  I should get it eventually and will write the recipe down for my girls in the future.

For once, I felt like a good wife and mother.  That feeling is pretty addictive and I think I might have a potential to become one of those grandmas who whipps up food so comforting, everyone wants to come home and eat!

p.s.  I made tuekry udon the next day, turkey porridge the following morning, and turkey pot pie the day after.  I also made a huge pot of turkey broth by boiling turkey bones!

Beautiful Snoqualmie, WA

A group pic at the look out deck.  The Salish Lodge is on the left.

The fall is beautiful and the water looks silky.

At the train depot.

A precious cargo!

Our first Christmas decoration of the year!  Sean was excited to see the Christmas tree!

Us, Seattleites, have a tendency to feel wasteful to spend a non-raining day indoors, especially in the rainy season, and we found ourselves in Snoqualmie a week ago in the mid 30s temperature, just because it's not raining and it's been a while since we visited the quaint little town just 20 minutes away from our house.  Every time I visit the town, I think of the weired movie I watched two decades ago with an equally puzzled friend.  They filmed "Twin Peaks" there and the town still tries to hold on to the 15 mins of fame by hanging the sign "The Famous Cherry Pie from Twin Peaks" on a cafe facade.  I am drawn to this town since it's forgotten and mysterious because of the movie.  I still don't know what the film was about and I think I should watch it again now that I speak and understand English!

We first drove to the main attraction, Snoqualmie Falls, and got sprayed by ice cold mist from the fall.  The fall is large and the kids were impressed.  They even thought the freezing mist was kind of fun.  There weren't too many tourists and we got a good look at the fall.  I've been wanting to visit the Salish Lodge perched on the riverside right next to the fall, which apparently has a nice SPA and breakfast.  We took some pictures and left, since I was losing color in my middle finger!

We stopped at the outdoor railroad museum in the downtown and looked at old locomotives.  I cannot help but compare it with the grand railroad museum in Sacramento, the greatest museum of its kind, and it looks almost sad.  However, the kids had fun running around looking at the trains.  It was getting very cold and my fingers were in pain from losing blood supply.  We decided to go home to the warmth since we got our outing fixes met.

Pink Furry Coat

When I am stressed, I buy clothes for kids.  I guess it's a so called retail therapy, but something isn't right.  Shouldn't I be buying something for myself instead?  I guess I am a chicken.  The kids, especially the girls, are getting cute clothes due to my botched self-soothing attempt.  They received a pink faux (no doubt) fur coat and matching hat in mail the other day and they are in love with them!  They call it a princess coat and insist on wearing them even on a rainy day (which I won't allow).  Saya looks so adorable in them and many passerby comment how cute she looks.  She had a conversation with an older lady at Noah's school the other day as the woman rushed towards her for looking so cute.  The lady said "you have a pretty coat" and Saya proudly replied "yeah, it's pink!" 

I can't wait to dress them up for the Holiday.  Now, all I need for them are cute dresses...

One Fall Afternoon

So our big Japanese maple tree in the front yard celebrated the big finale of its seasonal cycle by turning deep orange to bright yellow, and shedding all the leaves during two storms.  Its our sixth year admiring the tree's majestic transformation and third year having Jason clean up the enormous amount of leaves scattered across our front.  Every year, the kids play with the fallen leaves on sunny days and they are excited every year as if the leaves are first snow of the season. 

A couple of weeks ago, the girls and I got out on a sunny morning to play with the leaves.  It was a little chilly and they told me their little fingers hurt, but they had a lot of fun playing in the yellow fluff.  They raked the leaves with their hands and threw the leaves in the air.  The leaves are dump from the rain, so their little fingers took no time turning red from being cold.  Their noses turned red, too, but they were running around giggling.   

After a fun play outside, we settled in for a warm cup of hot chocolate.  I really enjoy a simple and slow moments like these since we are always on the go.  Jason cleaned up the leaves a few days ago and the front yard looks a little empty.  We will now bundle up and stay cozy because the winter is here!

Noah's New Beginning

Sean was chasing Noah around the house.... wait Noah!

Noah walks buy his hand in the poket.

Gee, I wonder why Sean wants to follow me.

I wish Mom would leave me alone.

I think I'll go upstairs to get away from those people...

My brother only wants to be in the picture, what a crazy boy he is!!

Noah has been a handful lately.  I have to constantly check where he is and what he is doing when we are at home because he could be up for no good.  The other day, he trashed his closet, pulling out all the clothes that were hanging and dumped everything on the floor.  After taking everything out from where they belong and creating a huge pile of everything, he climbed on top of the dresser and was about to trash the shelf above it when I stopped him.  At that point, I told him what I felt in a very firm voice since I was furious with him.  I told him it's not OK to make a huge mess like that.  He then sort of looked at me and smiled big, which made me even madder.  I demanded him to acknowledge me that he understood what he did was bad.  I taught him to raise his hand if he understood and after about 10th try, he raised his right arm.  Well, that made me a very happy Mom. 

Previously, I gave up in about 5th try since he completely ignored me.  I shrugged off and moved on, thinking he is not interested in listening to me.  So, this incident was a huge step forward in my book.  It changed how I interact with Noah in a big way.  Now, I expect Noah to communicate me either by signing or vocally every time I ask him a question.  After many tries, he does respond to me and he makes much more eye contacts now.  He even points to my eyes as if saying, "yeah, Mom, I know I am supposed to look at you."  He also grabbed my face yesterday with his little hands, brought me closer to his face and directly looked at my eyes and said "aaaah!!"   I think he was saying "YEEESSS!!!", expressing his annoyance in a humorous way.  I think that kid is going to be a joker.

Now Mike is using this method and we both are feeling good about Noah's progress.  Yay, to team Campbell!!  Despite the loss of BSU today against Texas Christian... boohoo!!

Cute Little 2 1/2 year-old girl

Hi, I am Saya!  I turned 2 and half on October 25, 2011.  I think I am a big girl because I am closer to three than two and I can talk like big girls do.  I am also good at singing songs.  My favorite song now is called "Cat, sometimes Tiger" on my favorite Japanese children's show.  I know all the moves and can singalong perfectly.  My best friend is my sister, Alyson.  She can be mean sometimes but we have lots of fun playing.  Alyson's favorite color is pink and mine is green.  I do like pink, too, but Aly has taken that color already  My brother, Sean likes blue, Noah also likes green, Mommy's color is orange (although Mommy says it's not her favorite color) and Daddy's is black.  I think this color coding was decided before I was even born.  

My favorite things are my Anpanman doll my Daddy brought back from Japan and a gray and white striped baby onesie that I used to wear when I was little.  I hug them when I go to bed and when I feel sad or tired.  My favorite food are rice with salmon sprinkles and mac cheese.  Mommy says I should eat veggies more, but I do eat peas, broccoli, tomatoes and cucumbers.  I like eating ice cream, too.  I get a scoop of mint (light green) ice cream when we got to Crossroads Mall.  Alyson gets a scoop of pink lemonade sorbet or strawberry, naturally. 

I wish I could spend more time with Mommy and Daddy alone, but I love having Sean, Noah and Alyson with me.  In fact, they are my idol.  I get a quiet time with Mommy on Thursday mornings while my brothers and sister are at school.  Mommy and I spend time together reading books or doing art projects.  We enjoy the time together and I can just sit on Mommy's lap and let the time pass.  Because I am growing up so fast and soon would not fit on her lap anymore.

Cartoonifying Our Faces

Mike was messing around with a fun iPad app that let you distort faces and we got some good ones.  What a good looking family, huh?

The Bunk

I haven't taken a decent photo of their new bunk bed, but here is what I have from Mike's camera on the phone.  The bunk bed we ordered on 9/24 finally arrived the day before Halloween.  The wait was supposed to be two weeks, but it took them more than a month for it to arrive.  I wasn't a happy camper, but the bed is beautiful.  It's made of a sturdy material with a nice cherry finish.  Sean sleeps on the top and Aly the bottom.  We put a bed guard on Aly's bed so that she would not fall.  Sean was a little scared at first and didn't sleep very much the first few nights, but he is finally used to it now (the Halloween and the end of daylight saving time might have had something to do with his lack of sleeping).   Everyone likes to go up to Sean's bed and hang out.  I am hoping no one would fall because it is high.  Of course, I tell Sean not to lean over the railing and he does it more.  The kid never listen to me. 

Noah now has his own room and still sleeps in his baby crib.  He is tall but not off the chart tall like Alyson, so he still fits fine and he loves his crib.  Saya still sleeps in my bedroom in her crib.   It's working out fine for now, but I would like to claim my bedroom back free of Saya banging on the side of the crib like a cage fighter in the octagon.  She is a big dreamer (in a practical way) and she would sleep talk saying "No!! Sean, No!!!" or "Aly don't do that!!" and sometimes "Mama, where are you?".  It's cute, but my sleep is a joke. I haven't had a good one for the past six years!!  

The Benefit

Daddy suggested building a tent with a blanket.  Kids loved the idea and slided right in to the new fort!

There are some benefits to having multiple children close in age.  Alyways having playmates around is onf of them.  Sean, Aly and Saya play together from the moment they wake up till they sleep.  Normally, Sean or Aly invent a game or play.  They sure can make a lot of noise together, but I am glad they enjoy each other's company.   Noah joins right in if it's a game of chase.  He would giggle and get away from the others until he decides he had enough.  It reminds me of how he and Alyson used to play together as babies.  I sure miss those days.  Now that the weather is cooler with more rain, we tend to stay indoors.  The kids never would get bored though because everyday is a playdate with four kids in the house!

The Main Halloween Event!!

I am a handsome muscle man!

Noah's bus driver, Shirley, was a cat.

At the class party.  Noah ate the snack he brought from home and gfcf cupcakes.

Group picture with Ms. Elizabeth (pink crayon)

On the way to thearpy in their costumes!

Noah at PT.

Ready to trick or treat!

Saya crying because she was scared of a decoration.

Our bags are getting heavy now.  Saya was dragging her bag by the end.

Surprised Daddy with trick or treating at home! 

Sean could not wait for today.  He was so excited, he could not contain himself.  It's Halloween and it happens once a year.  Now that my kids are old enough to understand what happens at Halloween, it's also fun for me to see it from children's perspective.  It must be fun to dress up as their favorite character and visit many houses collecting treats.  I can see that it's going to make Aly and Sean's top five event of the year, easy.  It may be number three next to Christmas and their own birthday!

As you saw in previous posts, Sean was an Ironman, Aly a princess, Noah a muscle man, and Saya a super girl.  We had three superheros and a princess.  Noah had a party at school, so Aly, Saya and I went to see him.  There were lots of superheros in his class.  They make the costumes now days with built in muscles.  It's pretty funny to see little boys with big chests and abs. 

After Sean and Noah's therapy in Issaquah, Sean, Aly and Saya hit the street for trick or treating.  It was already dark by then.  Noah stayed home with Daddy for candy handing duty.  There were houses with scary decorations and Saya was terrified of them.  Sometimes a skeleton would talk or dance and that made them jump and scream.  I was laughing at them then, but not at the house behind Taguchis.  That is the house with very realistic decorations with skeleton and a man hanging from the roof.  I first walked up to near their door and noticed a light flickering inside in the dark and a figure, pacing around like a hungry lion in a cage.  I looked at him closely and he (or she) was wearing a mask.  I then looked towards the side of the house and saw a man wearing a black grandfather style hat walking towards us. I said "hi, there" and the man was just looking at me straight faced.  I thought maybe he is not a friendly person, but then figured out it was all an act!  There was a man sitting in the dark by the front door, too, and at that point I was terrified of getting even close to the door!  I coaxed Sean to knock on the door, knowing very well he will not, so that I can avoid doing this house all together.  Wow, what a theatrical display!  I was very impressed.   I heard later from Cat that they do something every year.  I cannot wait to see what they do in next Halloween!

The kids had so much fun trick or treating.  They were polite and said "Thank you!" loud and clear.  They were so cute carrying a big bag and walking together in their costumes.  Halloween might make the top five on my list, too.  So much fun~!