Our Rock 'n' Roll Family Photo Shoot

Last weekend, we got gussied up for our second-ever family photo shoot. This was no mean feat - the weekend had been a whirlwind of playdates, parties, and general family mayhem, and we were exhausted. But we took a deep breath, put on our Sunday best, and strutted our Chan family stuff out on the Venice boardwalk. I even managed to slap on some lipstick!
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Here's our photog Steph with all her gear. Stephanie leads a double life. In her civilian life, she's a loving mom to toddler Jaxon who I often see at the park and in the neighborhood. But in her superhero life, she's kickass photographer Stephanie of Stephanie Celine Photography fame.
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Benjamin, never one to shy away from a shutter click, was very excited. As we waited to get things started, he used the boardwalk as his catwalk and practiced his favorite Zoolander poses.
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I think all that practicing paid off! Stephanie caught this moment with Benjamin posing in an alleyway. That look on his face is just priceless! To me, it says, "Hey, sweetheart! How YOU doin'?

Calliope had a great time, too. At our first shoot, she was just six weeks old with no head control, no neck support, and no ability to smile. I mean, she looked cute, but let's be honest - at that age, you can't do much but just lay there like a little blob. But now that she's eight months old...

...she's really hamming it up!

If you want to see more, check out Stephanie's blog. Thanks for capturing these great family pics, Steph!

Two-fer

Two milestones in one blog post. I have to admit that I feel a little guilty about that, especially when I compare it to the nauseatingly over-the-top coverage that Benjamin's first haircut and first tooth received. I guess that's what happens with the second-born. Sorry, Calliope! If it makes you feel any better, my own mommy milestones have received short shrift, too. I never got around to blogging about the joys of sneezing without peeing. I've just been too busy. But if you'd like to hear more about that, dear readers, let me know!

2010: A Potty-sey

When I first started practicing Elimination Communication with Benjamin two years ago, I got a lot of nay-saying. "Why bother?" "Let 'em go in a diaper as long as possible - it's just easier!" "Sounds like a lot of work." These were some of the comments I frequently heard. One Debbie Downer scoffed, "You only have one baby right now. Let's see you do that with two kids!" I have to admit that her comment did get to me. It made me doubt that I would be able to continue parenting the way I wanted to once I had more than one child. Well, guess what? I've got two kids now, and we're doing it!

.The first time I tried ECing Calliope was right around her six month birthday, and she was less than enthused. With Benjamin, ECing seemed to click right away. I put him on the pot and he went. Every time. With Calliope, she'd just give me a puzzled look with her big doe eyes and do... nothing. So, I put EC on the back burner. But then several weeks ago, Calliope developed an ear infection and had to be put on augmentin. I decided hat it was time to pick up the pottying again. If you're a parent who's ever experienced the pleasure of dealing with the gastrointestinal aftermath of a child whose been on augmentin, you can understand why.

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For whatevever reason, EC clicked with Calliope this time! She didn't squirm or fuss when I put her on the potty, and it took only a few dry runs for her to understand what she was supposed to do once she was sitting there. Of course, it helped that the augmentin had liquefied her insides and needed a place to go. Sorry, TMI? Looks like Benjamin thinks that there's TMS: Too Much Smell.
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So, after going through the EC process of with one and now starting with a second, I can say unequivocally that I'm glad we're doing it. Did it help get Benjamin into underwear more quickly? Yes. Do we still have accidents? Yes. But that's a part of the process. Potty training has been more of a gradual learning curve for us than the sudden shift it is for most kids, and having the occasional "oops!" is to be expected. I will, however, say that almost all of his accidents are pees and not the other stuff, and I credit EC 100% with that. In fact, most of the Boo's poos have gone into the pot since he was a year old, and in the few weeks that I've been doing this with Calliope, I've only had change about four dirty diapers. Big ups for that, because I'd much rather clean poop off of this:

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Than this:
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Next step in the Potty-sey: teaching Benjamin how to get dressed correctly.

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She's Got Legs

She knows how to use 'em!

"I Shall Call Her... Mini-Me!"

A few weeks ago, my mom came for a visit. The last time she saw the kids was six months ago, so they had changed quite a bit. Calliope in particular had grown from a wrinkled newborn to a chubby little girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to her namesake. As you can see, she looks like my mom's Mini-Me; she has my mom's same smile and same face shape. My mom lamented that she even inherited her same fine hair, but the real lament is that she got that famous (or infamous) Josephine Liu temper. As Vince put it, it was long week with three generations of crazy Liu women under one roof!
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Along with her sunny disposition, Calliope also seems to have inherited my mom's love of music. We took her to her first music class, where she spent an hour joyfully banging on drums, clapping her hands, and shouting along with the music.
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A week later, my dad flew out from China to join the party. He was very excited to see his granddaughter, because he'd only had a chance to hold her once before she was whisked away to the NICU. Is it just me, or does he look like he's trying to keep a little distance between himself and the two Josephines in this picture?
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Of course, he was also very excited to see his grandson, too. Benjamin had a great time showing off his soccer chops to his Hao Gong. Check out that form! The height of that ball! And those knee-high pleather boots!
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Although Benjamin may have inherited his Dad's wacky blood cells, it looks like that mug came straight from the Liu side of the family. Guess my mom's not the only one with a Mini-Me!
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It's funny how I left home seventeen years ago only to find myself living with the same two faces again.

Sharing, Schmaring

For the longest time, Calliope wasn't much more than a noisy, messy little doll to Benjamin. She ate, she cried, she pooped, and sometimes, when we were really lucky, she even slept. But now that she's getting bigger, older, and more aware, she's interacting more with her brother, and I think he's really enjoying having a new playmate in the house.
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He loves to kiss and hug her, talk to her, read books to her, and sing to her. Whether I like it or not, he's even willing to trade sippy cups with her:
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His toys, however, are another matter entirely...

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Looks like we have to work on that whole sharing thing!

Obento, My Bento

Redwood Village is big on fostering independence in its young charges. As such, they prefer that parents prepare uncomplicated lunches kids are able to feed to themselves. Concerned that my petite Boo might not get enough from many kid-friendly American options like PB&J and mac 'n' cheese, I decided to go bento.

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Bento is Japanese in origin, and it means "meal in a box." Traditional bento have a 2:1:1 ratio of carbs/rice, meat/protein, and veggies. I don't go out of my way to adhere to this rule, but I find that many of the bento I prepare end up following these guidelines anyway. Bento-making seems to lend itself to healthy eating because it encourages you to include a variety of foods in small portions. Aside from being healthy, bento are also just so damn cute! I know this sounds ridiculous, but I love admiring my finished bento in all their kawaii glory. No, looks aren't everything, but what can I say? This is LA, baby!

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Preparing bento lunches is super-easy. It is, however, very important to follow proper food prep and storage guidelines. I've found the website Just Bento to be a huge help in this area. As far as tooks are concerned, you don't need much. You can find a wide variety of bento boxes in any Japanese market, but the Sassy containers available online or in Babies R Us are just fine, too. Fun extras are silicone baking cups in different sizes and egg molds. Oh, and don't forget something to pack it all in! I like to use an insulated lunchbox (with an ice pack, of course) in which I can place the finished bento flat so that it stays nice and pretty.

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So what do the Boo's bento look like? Here are a few recent ones...

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Hard-cooked egg (molded in an egg mold to look like a teddy bear); goldfish crackers; peas and diced carrots; and PB&Js cut into little heart shapes with mini-cookie cutters.
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Frittata of pureed cauliflower and broccoli, mozzarella, and egg nuked in a silicone baking cup; cantaloupe chunks; and whole wheat toast squares with dip made of peanut butter, honey and a little water.
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Cut-up cheese stick; goldfish crackers; PB&J; hard-cooked egg molded to look like a rabbit and tinted with a little dark soya sauce.
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Fried egg and turkey ham cut into strips and rolled together; plain onigiri (rice balls) with turkey ham in the center; baked yam cubes; and apple spears brushed with lemon juice.

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Frittata of egg, cauliflower, carrots, cheese, and peas; wheat crackers; banana; and cantaloupe chunks.
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Edamame; onigiri; cantaloupe chunks; and hard-cooked egg (molded to look like a car) tinted with dark soya.

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You've probably noticed there are several staples: rice, eggs, fruit, pureed veggies, and yes, even PB&J. I find that by offering Benjamin smaller portions of a variety of things he's more likely to eat what he's been given. I try my best to incorporate as many unprocessed, whole foods as possible. I'm also big on raw fruits and veggies. But at the end of the day, what are my favorite bento? The ones that come back looking like this:
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Our Muse of Epic Poetry

We're often asked how we came up with the name "Calliope." I answer that I come from a long line of singers and then, depending on how much time I have (or how much I feel like boring the asking party), I'll offer a few of the following tidbits:

• Calliope is the Latinized form of "Kalliope," the Greek muse of epic poetry.
• A calliope is a musical instruments consisting of a series of steam whistles played by keys similiar to those found on an organ. Calliopes can be found on steam boats and merry-go-rounds.
• A calliope is a species of hummingbird found in California.
• The name Calliope means "one with a beautiful voice."

Will she be a singer? A poet? Will she grow up to have a beautiful voice? You tell me...

Beautiful voice, indeed!

Sticky Situation

Benjamin loves stickers. What toddler doesn't? Unfortunately, any small piece of paper with a sticky back and an image on the front qualifies as a sticker to him, and that includes...
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...postage stamps. Oops! After I tried to salvage what I could from the three booklets of stamps Benjamin got into, I patiently explained to him that these were very special stickers that were not to be touched by his little hands, and that playing with them was akin to throwing away money (and yes, Benjamin knows what money is - after all, his dad is an accountant). Unfortunately, I don't think the message really sank in.
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