Tag Archives: daniel

Swim Classes

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Right now I’m a few weeks into a beginners adult swim class. I never had formal lessons as a kid and that seems to be common with other Asians. I have always wanted to learn how to swim but was too embarrassed to ask for help. It doesn’t help as you get older because it feels like everyone else knows how to swim but you. Well I’m glad that I’m finally manning up and taking some classes. I will learn how to swim!

Daniel completed a course a few months ago too. He was in an 8-week introductory parent-child swim class and it was fun that I was the parent. We mostly worked on getting the kids more comfortable with being in the water.

Daniel’s last class was on Saturday, November 17, 2012. The class was memorable because there were only 3 kids, including Daniel. Normally there are at least half a dozen kids and their respective parents. Daniel was apprehensive of getting into the water at first because it was unusual to see so few people in the pool. Additionally Shannon, the course’s instructor, was really pregnant and was instructing from poolside instead of in the water.

Once Daniel got in the water though, he was a completely different kid. He loved being tossed up in the air while we sang the words, “The kids on the bus go up and down”. He really loved it when Shannon blew bubbles from the edge of the pool. He let me hold him by his chest and waist as he kicked toward the bubbles so he could pop them. It was really cute seeing how much fun he had.

The swim course was relatively expensive but I’m glad we bought them for Daniel. I’ve always hated that I didn’t know how to swim and I don’t want my kids to grow up with the same insecurities. Daniel has a bit of a reserved personality but I was so proud of how comfortable he became in the water as the weeks went on.

Daniel’s Fun Day

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You never know how a toddler will react to having a new sibling. It can’t be easy going from 100% of our attention to something much lower than that. But Daniel has been as great a big brother as we could have hoped for since Matthew’s birth. So Tary and I took a day off from work last month (June 8th) and took him out for a special “Fun Day”.

We started by dropping Matthew off with my mom. We then headed to the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA. We got there at around 10:30 AM hoping to avoid the crowds but were surprised to find several buses unloading kids for a field trip.

It only took us an hour to walk the grounds and visit nearly every exhibit. Half of that time was navigating through various groups of people. The pathways were mostly stroller-friendly but some spots were still too bumpy. We saw a few birds, monkeys, reindeer, and bears. It was a little disappointing that there weren’t more animals.

The Stone Zoo was a little pricey for just an “average” experience. The zoo was on the small size but that makes it manageable for young kids. However the lack of animal exhibits combined with the crowdedness makes this a once-in-a-long-while destination.

We then went to the Rainforest Cafe in the Burlington Mall for lunch. The dining area was mostly vacant so we asked to be seated by one of the aquariums. We ordered a cheese pizza for Daniel. After we were done eating, we asked the waitress to box Daniel’s remaining pizza. As she started to walk away with his food, he thought she was tossing it away so he yelled out, “Hey!”

It was really nice spending extra quality time with Daniel. He is an amazing child. I hope when he is older, we can look back at pictures from this day and think fondly of our time together.

Lil’ Strikers

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Daniel completed a 6-week soccer class for kids between 1 1/2 to 3-years-old at the Tyngsboro Sports Center. It is a parent participation class with about 6 to 10 kids and their parents. The kids work on kicking, running, and jumping while engaging in various group activities. The whole experience has been a mixed bag for me but I’m glad we got to expose Daniel to this.

Each class would generally start with the coaches setting out some soccer balls to kick around. Daniel really enjoys kicking the ball all over the field turf.

We then gather in the center of the field and the coaches and kids introduce themselves. The kids stretch and rotate their arms in circles. Daniel does not like this part and continues to kick the ball around instead. I usually have to carry a crying Daniel back to the huddle.

The kids then line up along one side of the field and run to the other side. Daniel starts running okay but usually drops to the ground and starts crying for no apparent reason. Perhaps he feels self-conscious about his running ability.

Next the kids kick their ball from one of the field to the other with a series of “short” kicks. Daniel is reasonably good at kicking the ball and running behind it. Then they do it again with a series of “long” kicks. Daniel hasn’t quite figured out the difference between the two types of kicks but he seems to enjoy this game.

The next game is called “body parts” where the kids are free to kick anywhere until the coach yells “freeze” and announces a body part to place on the ball. Daniel has the “kicking” part down. “Freeze” and “placing a body part on the ball” are still works in progress.

The kids then line up along the white line around the goal area. They take turns kicking the ball into the net. Daniel is very apprehensive with this game. He usually skips a turn or two and watches the other kids do it before he participates. During one class, they tried a harder version of this game where the kid kicks his ball to the coach, gets a return pass, and then kicks it into the net. Yeah…that wasn’t happening.

In the next game, the coaches scatter orange cones in front of the goal area and the kids had to knock over as many cones as possible by kicking their soccer balls at the cones. Daniel really liked this game. I thought it was cute when he kicked a few cones directly because it was a more efficient.

The coaches then lay out some rope ladders on the ground and the kids hop between the rungs. They also hopped side-to-side with alternating hops in and out of the ladder. Daniel really loves hopping but he only does it in a straight line.

The coaches also set out some tunnels for the kids to crawl through. This is another game that Daniel really enjoys. During one class, I especially enjoyed seeing him crawl through a tunnel as one of his coaches pretended to chase him.

The classes usually wrap up with the kids gathering around a giant soccer ball in the center of the field. Daniel usually ignores the giant soccer ball and would much rather continue jumping with the ladder.

Overall these soccer classes have been really hard for us. Daniel loves to kick the ball but he often cries when you try to get him to join the rest of the other kids as we move between games. I feel embarrassed when literally all of the other kids fully participate in each game and I am constantly chasing Daniel down or calming him down so that he would rejoin the games. It was especially frustrating when he simply refused to participate in any of the games on his last day.

I think the main takeaway is that Daniel simply isn’t ready for this. He is in the 90th percentile for height so he looks bigger/older than most other kids his age. It is easy to forget that he is only 2-years-old. Perhaps the other kids are closer to 3-years-old and are able to listen more. I guess I’ll just have to be patient and wait a little longer before he can “Bend it like Daniel.”

A Very Happy Birthday!

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Last month we celebrated Daniel’s 2nd birthday! I can’t believe our little man is already 2 years old!

The morning of his birthday party was really hectic. We were expecting a few people to help but they were unavailable for most of the morning for various reasons. Tary was stressed trying to get the house ready. I reminded her to relax and that we could only do what we could get to. We needed to ask ourselves, “If I did this, would it make Daniel any happier today?” If the answer was “no”, then it was okay to be left undone.

I went outside at around 9 AM to set up the bounce house. I left it overnight sitting just outside of my basement door. I spread the provided tarp on the lawn where I wanted the bounce house to go. I tried pushing the rolled up vinyl but it was too heavy; it would not budge. I did not care that it was over 200 lbs! I was NOT going to FAIL my son on his birthday!

I squatted beside it and started lifting upward. Slowly I got it upright. I pushed it over toward the tarp. I had to do it at least 3 or 4 more times to get it onto the tarp. Now I know what it feels like to compete in the Tire Flip event of the World’s Strongest Man competition.

I undid the straps and unrolled the vinyl material. I hoped the bounce house would open up facing the right direction. Unfortunately it opened up in the opposite direction. It was so heavy that I had to tug a few feet at a time at each corner until I got it facing the right way.

I hooked up the blower and turned it on. The bounce house was inflated a few minutes later. The inside was really wet from sitting outside in the rain the day before. Before I could dry it with some towels, Daniel saw it from the patio window. He excitedly shouted “Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!” as he scrambled to find and put them on. I wasn’t about to say no to him on his birthday so I brought him outside. He was apprehensive entering the bounce house at first so I went in first and he followed behind. I loved how happy he was jumping around. I also loved that it was just the two of us.

After we went back inside, Tary left with Daniel to pick up the decorations. It was nice that he got to spend some extra time with her. It was also a lot easier for me to watch Matthew by myself. They returned with a bunch of helium-filled balloons and other decorations. Tary shared that Daniel asked for a balloon and cried after it flew away when he accidentally let it go. Tary rushed to tie the remaining balloons in and around the house.

Tary left again to pick up the food after we put Daniel down for a nap. I gave Matthew a bath while she was away. When she returned, we managed to get the rest of the house ready by 2 PM. People started to arrive so I hurried to give Daniel a bath after he woke from his nap.

It was really great that so many kids were able to come to Daniel’s party. Our Godson Andrew was great with Daniel like a big brother. Sometimes the older kids would jump and cause Daniel to get tossed around in the bounce house. But Andrew was always mindful of Daniel and made sure Daniel was safe and had fun.

Daniel also enjoyed playing along our neighbor’s son, Jake. It was great seeing our neighbor Ramo and his son Aiden having fun as well. I haven’t spent much time around his son before but he quickly became comfortable playing with me. It’ll be nice if our kids continue to play and grow up together.

We just let Daniel play and enjoy himself for most of the afternoon. He had fun jumping in the bounce house, hitting balls off the tee, and running around. I shadowed him so he knew I was always nearby. I felt a little bad that I couldn’t socialize with everyone as much as I would have liked but it was Daniel’s day and I loved seeing how happy it made him that I was with him.

I was a little concerned that we didn’t order enough food. My concerns were validated; even though we had some extra prepared food from our parents, the food was demolished. I asked if people were still hungry but I was relieved that the majority of them said they were full.

It was around 5:30 PM and Tary got the cake ready. She ordered a strawberries and cream flavored cake (same as our wedding cake) from Russo’s. I gathered everyone outside. The wind made lighting the candles tricky and it was still light out so it was hard to see if they were lit. Tary held onto Daniel as everyone sang “Happy Birthday”. He was a little shy with all of the attention on him. Tary helped him blow out the candles. The cake was delicious!

Most of our guests had left and only a few of our closest friends stayed and continued playing with Daniel. Our living room was full of gifts. We waited until everyone left to open them because it took so long to open everything in front of everyone at Matthew’s baby shower 6 months ago.

It was a great birthday party! I’m so glad Tary thought of the idea of the bounce house because all of the kids LOVED it. Even some of the adults had fun jumping around inside of it. Daniel was so happy and was smiling the entire day. He did not whine or cry other than when he lost his balloon. So many wonderful moments still swirl in my mind. He kept repeating the words “birthday” and “party” all day.

After the party was over, I held Daniel in my arms like he was still a little baby. He completely wore himself out and fell asleep in my arms at around 7 PM. I held onto him for a while before laying him down to nap on the couch.

To help Daniel go to bed, we often lay next to him in his bed until he falls asleep. That night as I laid beside him, unprompted, Daniel wrapped his arms around my neck, pulled me close, and gave me the biggest kiss. We love Daniel so much and it is such a special feeling knowing how much he loves us in return.

Happy Birthday Daniel!

Boston Children’s Museum

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This past Saturday we went to the Boston Children’s Museum for a Trinh Family Fun Day. Well it was really mostly for Daniel but I really liked that we could all be together as a family. It also was the first time we got to try out our new double stroller (Joovy Scooter X2).

Once inside the museum, Tary brought Daniel to the “Science Playground” while I mostly stayed with Matthew looking on. It had various “raceways” where you could place golf balls on guided tracks and watch what happens to them. Some of the tracks launched balls through the air and into tubes positioned at the end of the track. Other tracks were suspended high in the air and spiraled toward the floor.

We then moved over to the adjacent bubble room. I don’t think Daniel was too crazy about it despite loving bubbles. The floor was very slippery from kids experimenting with bubbles. Daniel played a little bit before getting upset when Tary tried to drape an apron on him. Okay…onto the next room!

On the 2nd floor, Daniel really liked playing in an indoor basketball area. It was cute watching him try to shoot into hoops that were a little too tall for him. There was another kid in there that was clearly too old to be in there. He was running around between the younger kids and dunking and swinging from the hoops. I was worried that he might accidentally knock Daniel over.

We visited the “PlaySpace” next which was a play area for kids 0 to 3-years-old. I really enjoyed this area because it seemed more geared toward Daniel’s age and it had many of the same kinds of things that we have at home. Daniel liked playing with a train set. He then looked at some fish swimming in a fish tank in the wall. Then he explored the rest of the area before running around a tree house and sliding down a metal slide.

We bought some lunch from Au Bon Pain which was nearby. Tary and I got some fancy sandwiches and some chicken nuggets, carrots, and chocolate milk for Daniel. I liked how there was an indoor eating area between Au Bon Pain and the museum’s gift shop.

After lunch we returned to catch a live skit of Arthur. Daniel seemed to enjoy the first 5 or 10 minutes of the play. However Daniel got really distracted when one of the actors said the word “juice” so we had to move on.

We brought Daniel up to the 3rd floor where he played in a “Construction Zone”. He played with some toy construction vehicles and moved them along some ramps. He then thought it was funny to run around the floor so I let him explore while following him from a safe distance. It was cute seeing him laughing and smiling so much.

Before we left, we let Daniel have one more go in the “Science Playground” which I think was his favorite room in the museum. It’s no surprise that an engineer’s son would like the science room the best.

It was getting into the afternoon and we were fading fast. Daniel wanted to keep playing so we brought him outside and rested for a few minutes by the water. He really enjoyed looking at the local birds floating on the water and chasing after the pigeons which were brave enough to walk by him. Daniel started to feel warm and succumb to a cold so we finally had to take him home.

I really enjoyed our visit to the Boston Children’s Museum and I was glad that we could take Daniel to do something special. It was easy to get in as well as getting out of the city. There was plenty of parking nearby and was reasonably priced for Boston standards. The museum itself had a lot of different exhibits for kids of all ages. I really liked how family friendly it was. Navigating around with our new double stroller was easy. I liked having plenty of places to sit down while Tary brought Daniel from one exhibit to the next. It was a little crowded and the single elevator was a bit slow but all in all, Daniel had a lot of fun and that’s reason enough to come back.

 

Daniel and Matthew

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My boys are growing up so fast. Daniel is almost 2. Matthew is already 3 months. Where has all of the time gone?

Daniel and Matthew have so much in common. I’m so glad that they are very laid back and easy-going kids. I’ve always thought that Daniel was very easy-going as a baby but I think Matthew is even more so. Nothing ever seems to really bother them and they are rarely fussy without an obvious solution.

Both boys are very happy babies. You can see the warmth in their eyes. They love being talked to. Matthew is in a very talkative stage so good luck getting him to stop talking once he wakes up in the morning (not that I’d ever want him to stop). They both smile all of the time. I’ve even gotten Matthew to laugh on a few occasions. He already shares my sense of humor.

Daniel and Matthew are both very sweet boys. Daniel absolutely loves his little brother and is very protective of him. He makes sure the other kids at daycare don’t get too close to Matthew and is quick to remind them to, “Don’t touch!” It’s also adorable when he leans in kiss Matthew on his forehead.

Both boys love being held but I think Daniel preferred demanded it a bit more than Matthew did. We have to lay Matthew down more often than we did with Daniel because Daniel requires so much personal attention at this age. Matthew seems to be okay on his back as long as you’re nearby or give him something to play with. I think it’s adorable how Matthew falls asleep as he’s being held.

My boys have a lot in common but they each have subtle differences which make them lovable in their unique ways. Daniel and Matthew are adorable babies and will both be handsome young men one day. However everyone always comments that Daniel has the biggest, cutest eyes. I can’t really argue there. Matthew’s eyes are considerably narrower than his brother’s but still very expressive. I swear Matthew’s eyes look just like my brother-in-law’s eyes.

One thing that I am grateful for is how quickly Matthew settled into a “normal” routine. I don’t know how long it took Daniel to get into one but Tary and I were exhausted waiting for it to happen. Matthew’s schedule is like clockwork. He usually falls asleep after his last bottle at around 11 PM. He wakes up to eat at 2 AM and then immediately falls back asleep. Ditto at 5 AM.

They both were very chubby babies but I think Matthew looks chubbier than Daniel at this age. However Daniel was both taller and heavier than Matthew at this point. Matthew was born a bit earlier than Daniel was so perhaps his growth pattern will catch up to Daniel’s pretty soon. Daniel is all grown up now and looks very much like a young boy. I hope Matthew continues to stay chubby because he is just so cute right now.

Daniel seems to prefer his Mommy right now while Matthew seems to prefer his Daddy. I’m glad I at least get one of them. I think since Daniel wants to be around Tary so much, I naturally get to spend more time with Matthew at certain points of the day. But I still melt whenever Daniel does his random acts of sweetness such as sneaking up behind me and hugging my legs, holding out his hands to be picked up, or leaning in to let me kiss his cheek.

I love my boys very much and I couldn’t ask for two better sons. My boys are growing up so fast. I just hope they take their time doing so. I’m enjoying it every step of the way.

Kid-napped

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As I briefly mentioned in my previous post, we had lunch at my parents on Sunday, February 19. After lunch my parents watched the kids so they could spend more time with them while Tary went grocery shopping and I got started on the ribs.

We returned at 4:45 PM to pick up our kids and found Daniel napping on some blankets on the floor. My parents said that he just went down for his nap at 4 PM! I did not want to interrupt Daniel’s nap so I told my parents that I would return for Daniel once he woke up. Instead my dad said something to the effect that Daniel was staying there overnight and that my dad would drive Daniel back home only if he cried for us.

I felt awful because it felt like my little boy was taken from us without our consent. I know that he can be a handful at times but he’s our handful. I really didn’t like not being able to get him back when I wanted him back. Discouraged, all we could do was pack up Matthew and return home.

That night we had friends over for ribs. I normally leave the front door unlocked when we’re expecting company. My closest friends already know to let themselves in. However I heard the doorbell ring. I yelled a few times for them to come in but the door remained closed. I assumed it was just one of my friends who do not come over regularly so I went to answer the door…

…and I was surprised to see Daniel being held by my parents! He literally jumped into my awaiting arms. I squeezed him tightly and kissed his rosy chubby cheeks repeatedly. I have never been so happy to see him!

I had to find out what happened so I asked my parents for a quick report. They said that Daniel missed us and started crying for us so they had to bring him back home. I’m so proud of him. Daniel is so smart sometimes! He performed a self-rescue! That’s my boy!

Kid Klips

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Daniel’s hair was getting so long that I started to wonder if other people thought we were neglecting him or something. On Sunday January 29 we took him to Kid Klips, a barbershop for kids in Acton, MA. We were surprised to find a pair of Khmer ladies working there. They were from *surprise, surprise* from Lowell! They seemed equally surprised that an Asian couple would travel so far just for a haircut.

Tary got on the chair and held Daniel on her lap. The barbershop lady skillfully used power clippers to quickly clean up Daniel’s hair, mostly focusing on the back and sides of his head. Daniel cried the whole time but Tary was able to hold him very still. The haircut only took about 5 minutes. Tary and I were very impressed with the results and Daniel looks so handsome and so grown up now!

I think it’s safe to say that we’ll be continuing to come here for our kids’ haircuts for the foreseeable future. This place is open on Sundays and is not incredibly busy like Snip-its in Burlington.

Baby Hannibal Strikes Again

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Last Thursday (January 26) we received a phone call from daycare that Daniel was bitten again on his right cheek! This is the *SECOND* time Daniel has been bitten in the same spot. Does his face look like a juicy piece of steak? Baby Hannibal is out of control!

It is the daycare’s policy to keep the identity of the offending child a secret so other parents don’t label them as ‘biters’ but I immediately knew who it was. Let’s just call him B. I was not surprised by the news because B was in another one of his “bad moods”. He was intentionally throwing blocks at another child when I was dropping Daniel off that morning. The last time I saw B in one of these moods he shoved several classmates and then bit another kid on the cheek.

I really don’t know what is wrong with B. I know random biting is normal at this age but this is beyond frustrating as a victim’s parent. I don’t know if B bites because he is one of the smallest kids in the class and has some sort of Napoleon complex. Maybe his parents “play-bite” while playing with him at home and he thinks that it is okay to repeat at daycare. Regardless of the reason, his parents have received multiple incident reports so they need to figure out how to discourage this behavior.

As for Daniel, I’ve tried explaining to him that he should be extra careful when playing around B. I told him that if B gets too close that it’s okay to defend himself by judo-chopping B, spiking B like a football à la Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski after scoring a TD, flailing his arms and shouting “No way B!”

Sigh; a parent can dream. Fortunately Daniel is a much sweeter person than his Daddy and he would never intentionally harm another child. I’d much rather have Daniel be too nice than to be too mean. This incident reminds me of the following passage from Luke 6:29:

If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.

Daniel’s Pneumonia Scare

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December 7. Daniel’s drop-off at daycare was just like any other typical day. However a few hours later Tary received a phone call that Daniel had a high fever and had labored breathing. One of the teachers mentioned that another child had pneumonia a few weeks ago. She rushed out of work to take Daniel to his doctor’s office. Daniel had just come off of a cold and he lost a pound at this weigh in!

Tary brought him back home and her cousin Linda watched him while Tary had her own doctor’s appointment to go to. When she returned she brought Daniel to the hospital to get some chest x-rays to check for pneumonia. Linda had to hold him because Tary can’t go into the x-ray room while pregnant. I guess Daniel is quite strong for his age and made things difficult for Linda.

Our poor little Daniel had no appetite at home. He was also very clingy that night. He kept resting his head on our laps. His skin was burning up so we had to give him some Tylenol to help keep his fever down. We also used the nebulizer on him to help him breathe. The new nebulizer used a premixed solution so that made things a bit easier for us. It also helped that Daniel didn’t mind wearing the face mask attachment.

Later that night we received a phone call that the x-rays were negative and pneumonia was unlikely. The doctors think that Daniel just caught something on top of the cold that he battled most of the prior week. Thank God!

I stayed home from work to take care of Daniel the next day. Unfortunately I had to miss a company dinner that was scheduled for later that evening. I was really looking forward to being with my colleagues outside of a work environment but of course family always comes first with me.

Daniel certainly was feeling much better. He still didn’t eat as much as he normally would but he still drank a lot of liquids. He had so much fun that I couldn’t get him to nap at noon time. He kept playing until he eventually passed out at 5:30 PM! The problem with taking his nap so late was that he didn’t go down for the night until about 1 AM!

I was exhausted but I am glad that I got to spend some quality time with Daniel. And it sure seemed like he enjoyed the extra one-on-one time with Daddy.