Chicken Curry

Ok, I think this deserves repeating - Prima Taste rocks.

We had chicken curry for lunch this afternoon; we had some lunch guests over and wanted to show off some Singaporean food. The Prima Taste Singapore Curry mix was fantastic. K and I had the leftovers with prata this evening for dinner. It was good.

J loved having people over. When we first told him yesterday that he'd have some friends to play with at home today, he was quite hesitant. Mainly he was worried that they would mess up his trains and train tracks. But once our guests arrived, he was Mr Sociable, bringing them to his playroom, bringing out a whole pile of books for a seventh-month-old baby to look at so that she wouldn't get bored, and generally chattering away at the top of his lungs. When they finally left, he was so crestfallen. Literally, his shoulders drooped down, he hung his head and he just had such a sad look on his face.

E had a harder time with our guests in the house. She wouldn't share! (As one of our guests said, she was being completely age-appropriate.) Any time M, who's two, picked up something, whether it was a book or toy, E would rush over, and try to snatch it away, and if she didn't manage to, she'd scream and cry. She'd make such a racket that M would eventually just give up and hand whatever she had back to E. I was mortified.

Explosion

While tumbling around in bed a few nights ago, just before bedtime, E managed to somehow bump J's nose hard enough that he had a nose-bleed. It hurt!

The poor boy, for I'm not sure what reason, has got it into his head that this could cause his nose to explode. He kept asking, "It's going to explode, Mum? Will it explode?"

Then today when he bumped his knee running around, he asked K again most plaintively, "It will explode, Dad?"

Little Photographer Boy

All these were taken by J.

Christmas, At Last

From the moment J woke up this morning, he gave us no peace until he was allowed to open his presents. The only thing we managed to do first was brush their teeth!

We brought J out to test his new digital camera. It's made specially for kids, so it's ok if they drop it. He loves it. Not unexpectedly, E wants the camera for herself. When she was playing with it later, and I referred to it as 'Kor-kor's camera', she corrected me by saying, "Me, me." She plonks it on her face, and keeps repeating, "Chee. Chee."

E's modelling her new hair-clip, a stocking stuffer.

Another of E's stocking stuffers was these bath crayons. J wanted so much to try them out that he started pestering for his bath almost immediately after breakfast - when he usually does all he can to try to get out of bath-time! They had fun with the crayons, with J saying, "Welcome to our art museum!" to me.

The Lost Shepherd

We attended the family Christmas Eve service at church this evening, during which J and E got to participate in a completely unrehearsed, spontaneous Navitity skit. The pastor just called all the kids to run up to the front of the stage, and for a few minutes, chaos ruled as everyone figured out what they were going to be, and put on a few simple props. Then they were ready to go! The pastor would read out what was happening, while directing the kids to move around the stage or repeat lines after him.

E was designated to be part of the host of angels and was given a little halo to wear around her head, but she would have none of that, and she pretty much ended up wandering up and down the stage as she felt like it. J was a shepherd and had a strip of cloth tied around his forehead so that he would look the part. Vaguely, at least.

It was incredibly funny. And fun to watch. At one point, the cloth around J's forehead drooped down to cover his eyes, and he piped up, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Uh-oh! I can't see!" To which the pastor quipped, "We have a lost shepherd here." One little boy who was supposed to be a sheep started waving and calling out to his mom in the middle of the skit. And another little boy who was a wise man bearing a gift for baby Jesus decided that he didn't want to part with his gift. Another wise man had to yank it out of his hands.

So much fun.

Away In A Manger - Part II

Away In A Manger

J and E's Christmas performance at church yesterday

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today we light the Fourth Candle of Advent, the Candle Peace. We remember the prophets who spoke of the coming of Christ, of how a Saviour would be born, a king in the line of King David. He would rule not with might and power, but with grace and humility. He would proclaim truth and justice. As we light this candle, we celebrate the peace we find in Jesus Christ.

When Jesus came, he taught people the importance of being peace-makers. He said that those who make peace shall be called the children of God. We light the Candle of Peace to remind us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and that through Him, peace that surpasses human understanding is found.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, Light of the World, the prophets said You would bring peace and save Your people from trouble. Give peace in our hearts this Christmas and always. We ask that as we wait for You to come again, that You would remain present with us. Help us today, and everyday, to worship You, to hear Your Word, and to do Your will by sharing Your peace with each other. We ask it in the name of the one who is the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, Amen.

J's Christmas Party At School

J's class had a Christmas potluck at school this morning. We were a little late and another mom told me that J had gotten a bit worried that we weren't there, and had asked, "My mommy's not coming?"

Anyway, he had a GREAT time. He loves socialising and he LOVES parties. E was quick to join him too. She went over next to him, and had her own plate of food (when she was not stealing food from J's plate).

Alf

Right next to the church that we attend here is a Museum of Paleontology. It's the only museum located on the grounds of a high school in the country.

It's not a very big museum; nonetheless, it was enough to fascinate J. E had fun checking out the dig pit.

I Love Christmas...

... proclaims J.

Me: What do you like about it?

J: Snowmen... Presents... And snow...

Whoever Heard

K made eggplant parmesan and spaghetti for dinner today. J is american-ised enough that he now tells us he loves spaghetti.

But he noticed that there were leaves of basil in the eggplant parmesan, and so he refused those little green bits. His words were, "Whoever heard of someone eating a green leaf?"

E will now eat pasta so long as it's plain, no sauce or soup (if it's macaroni) on it. Her concession is grated parmesan cheese. The more the better, on the pasta in her bowl.

When we do manage to give her something that appeals to her tastebuds, she now shows approval by saying "Hmmm" and rubbing her tummy.

Christmas in Disneyland

So when we started our trip out to Disneyland yesterday after lunch (J had school in the morning), J was so excited that he proclaimed in the car, "I have so much energy, I can't stop talking!". And he meant it too, he chattered non-stop all the way there. By dinnertime, he was so tired he fell asleep in the middle of dinner!

Disneyland is all decked out for Christmas

J and E have pretty much settled on what rides are must-dos: the carousel, the Dumbo ride, the rockets at Tomorrowland, and the spinning teacups are all favourites.

Here they are waiting to get on the teacups. J loves to spin as fast as possible, a little too much for E, who got a bit nervous mid-ride and clambered up on K.

We usually hit Toontown as well, where there are play areas tailored for J and E's size.

Following in Daddy's footsteps.

Taking a ride on the riverboat, the Mark Twain, was a first. J was sure to check first that he wouldn't get wet, before he'd concede to go on it. Once on, though, he loved getting up close to the mallards swimming on the lake.

You Never Let Go

You Never Let Go - Matt Redman

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We'll live to know You here on the earth

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

On J

Check out J's slippers! They keep his feet nice and toasty while at home. Actually, he just likes them because they help him slip and slide on the floor! E has a pair of bunny slippers too, but they haven't stayed on her feet long enough for me to take a picture.

At the Chino Youth Museum today:

J built this network of pipes, mostly by himself.

J wanted to dress up as a fireman, complete with boots, gloves and helmet. Not to be left out, E wanted to have the boots on too.

When Life Gives You Lemons

...you make lemonade.

Actually, the lemon tree in our backyard is heavy-laden with fruit, so J's been asking for lemonade.

Falling Off A Chair

Given J's inability to sit still for any long period of time, it was not totally surprising when he finally fell off his chair at the dining table yesterday.

From the floor, he called out, "Don't worry, I'm ok!"

We just about collapsed laughing.

O Christmas Tree

Getting the tree yesterday was a bit of a saga for us. While the tree looks really good now and everyone is really happy with it, I don't think we'll ever get a live tree again. It's just too much work!

The first tree we got was, unknown to us, crooked! So after K put the stand on, it literally leaned so far to one side that it couldn't stand up. It was distressing, to say the least.

Thankfully, round two was a lot better. The tree was fresher for one thing, cut only the day before in Oregon. The branches were fuller, and tree was overall more fragrant.

Everyone pitched in to help decorate (it helped that we got mostly ornaments that are unbreakable). The kids did so well, and really got into putting the ornaments up. J insisted on taking care of all the green balls, of course. E was very specific about where the balls went. K and I tried to do some rearranging, seeing as how the tree looked very bottom-heavy after the kids were done, but E protested each time we tried to move any ornaments!


As a treat, we also allowed J and E to each pick out one ornament of their own. True to form, J picked out a car; E has a little ceramic dog.

Souvenir from our trip to San Francisco in August.

The final look.

Let It Snow

No, it is not actually snowing where we are, but on the way to church this morning, we got a spectacular view of the San Gabriel mountains, snow-capped! We all marvelled over how much more beautiful the snow made the mountains look.

Listening to the water at the edge of things

The storms over the weekend have moved on to the Midwest, and have left in their wake pristine skies, clear air, and, best of all, snow-topped mountains visible right from our driveway. The San Gabriel mountains, looming over Claremont, no longer seem sere and stony; instead, dusted liberally with snow from their summits all the way down to 3,000 feet, they seem to bear a closer resemblance to the mountains of my earthbound, low-altitude imagination. These are mountains that lift my eyes, instinctively, from the roads and the buildings of our valley to the empty expanse of the sky above; these are mountains that make me long to listen to stillness, to the ageless sound of orogenesis, to the sound of water at the edge of things.

[Reality check: As I write these last few words and contemplate what mountains make me feel, Joshua, who's sitting on the couch next to me watching TV, throws a huge temper tantrum when I can't find the latest "Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!" episode that we recorded -- the one "with a big house". He then runs to his room, where Fiona and Emma are napping, and yells at Fiona; I run after him and grab him out of the room before he wakes Emma up. In the midst of his screaming and crying, he forgets that he needs to pee, and proceeds to wet himself and the living room floor. Quite an earthbound, Antipodean moment to the reflections five minutes earlier.]

"The sound of water at the edge of things": that's a phrase that I've borrowed from Anne Lamott's irreverent, sassy and moving collection of essays, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith. After the children's sermon one Sunday at her church, the pastor asks the children to close their eyes for a moment; she then asks them what they heard in their brief moment of quiet. Most children replied that they heard dogs, cars and other sounds that comprise the undistinguished aural background of our lives; one, however, said he had heard the sound of water at the edge of things. All of us need to hear that every once in a while.

In every dream of heaven I've had, I've seen mountains. Mountains of various shapes and geologic origins figure prominently in the history of God's revelation of Himself to us: consider Mount Sinai, the Mount of Olives, Mount Nebo, Mount Carmel, the mountain where Elijah and Moses meet Jesus, and the mountain where Jesus issues his final, great command to those who would follow and listen. (I think I might have even written a paper on mountains and high places in the Bible for a class in college.) And so, seeing the snow-covered mountains this morning, after a few days of rain or dense clouds, my thoughts turned to heaven once more.

Life without the reality of heaven seems to me almost like trying to imagine a two-dimensional earth, without depth, without an infinite sky to put into perspective all that we construct for ourselves on the earth. Without the mountains and the sky, all I would see each day would be the dreary monotony of my muddy, misshapen feet. The startling, illuminating reality of heaven provides depth and clarity to my life; set against the presentness of heaven, my feet (and all my other grouses and angst about life as a thirtysomething husband of one, father of two, maybe three . . . ) become less urgent. When the sound of water at the edge of things surprises me, I do my best to listen. When God peeks in, like the sun, through the clouds of my tendentious stubbornness, I do my best to pause and see where the light falls and what shadows it casts.

When I woke up yesterday morning, I was only vaguely aware that I had a bad dream last night -- something to do with Harry Potter and cockroaches, I think. The more I tried to remember the dream, the more quickly it slipped away. Soon, I could only remember that I had a bad dream, but I could not remember the bad dream itself. I hope that's an echo of what heaven can do for us. I believe that when I take on fully the form and life that God intended me to have from the beginning of Time, I will only have the filmiest memories of the failures, the weaknesses, the scars, the pain, the regrets and the sorrows that I feel so keenly now. Every atom of my body yearns for that great liberation. And I think we'll all have a blast at the great wedding banquet up there.

* * *

Thinking of heaven also makes me reflect on the paths that lie before us. I learnt in Finding Nemo that all drains lead to the ocean; is that so for the paths and choices that present themselves before us? A week ago, I made a difficult choice to close the door to one possible path, a path that had seemed enticing, exciting, even liberating. Rejecting it was hard. But new doors have opened in the midst of dead walls. Life and opportunities, like dormant seeds in the ground awaiting winter rains, present themselves when we least expect them.

Two thousand years ago, a young, bewildered girl faced an impossible choice between the safety of respectability or the scandal of obedience. She chose to obey, with celebrated humility, serving forever as a reminder that God can make heaven in the hearts of the most ordinary people.

In her poem "The Annunciation", Denise Levertov reflects on the choices that confronted Mary. Levertov describes Mary as someone with the freedom to accept or reject the choice that Gabriel had laid before her. Levertov then reflects that most of us will find ourselves in circumstances similar to Mary's:

Aren't there annunciations
of one sort or another
in most lives?
Some unwillingly
undertake great destinies,
enact them in sullen pride,
uncomprehending.
More often
those moments
when roads of light and storm
open from darkness in a man or a woman,
are turned away from
in dread, in a wave of weakness, in despair
and with relief.
Ordinary lives continue.
God does not smite them.
But the gates close, the pathway vanishes.

Contradiction and thoughtful ambiguity, instead of unconsidered certainty, provide meaning in the fabric of our wounded lives. (For wounded we are, and wounded are as good as we will get.) In the shadowy forms of our present realities, we may discern the faintest echoes of heaven; thinking of heaven, our minds must trace the human arc earthwards once again, for we are, after all, earthbound creature. For now. For now.

And for now, the pathways open and close before us. Each day, in the midst of mundanity, we encounter moments requiring courage and obedience. In the midst of our unextraordinary, unremarkable lives, God's breath can fall, unbidden, on us, like a draft of fresh air in a stuffy room, like the morning sunlight streaming through my window that warms my feet, like the sound of rain, the sea, the water at the edge of things.

Claremont's Christmas Tree

It was Claremont's Christmas tree-lighting ceremony this evening. We were too late to catch the actual tree lighting, but we checked out the tree afterwards. It's up right next to the Claremont train station.

It was raining today, so it was cold enough that the kids had to be bundled up.

J got his first candy cane today. Delight!

Fall

For reasons unknown, J and E have taken to waking up quite early for the past couple of weeks. Which has been somewhat distressing. Sigh. Although, admittedly, not as bad as when they used to wake up in the middle of the night.

Sidenote: Although this generally does not happen, J did wake up in the middle of the night last night and came to our room to ask to sleep with us. We try not to let this happen though so K brought him back to his room. This morning when I asked J what had happened last night, he said, "I thought there were monsters coming so I went to your room to hide."

So since we were already awake, we brought the kids out for a morning walk at Thompson Creek trail this past Tuesday.

Fall Colours

Each day we see more and more trees losing their leaves.

Willie Re-visits

We are guinea pig-sitting again this weekend, much to J and E's delight. J was very excited to go to school this morning because he knew that Willie was coming back with him.

E too has been having a good time with the guinea pig today. She was so excited that she was, quite literally, screaming. As in, high-pitch shrieks.

J got over the excitement of having Willie home with us quite quickly, and moved on to his favourite TV shows a short while after coming home from school. But E, she actually sat down in front of Willie's cage and started chattering to him in her baby talk. Periodically, she'd point to his water-bottle and say "wor-wor" (which is what she says for water), just so Willie knows. It's been so cute to watch her.

Mom's Day Out

Two ladies at the church we attend graciously volunteered to take care of the young kids at the church toddler room and nursery for three hours in the morning today, so that the moms could have a few hours off! What a blessing!

So while J was at school this morning, I dropped E off at the toddler room, where she had four (!) other boys, just a bit older than her, for company. She refused to stay in the nursery, where there was a higher girl-boy ratio. Not a baby anymore!

So K and I managed to have a mini-date over Italian sodas and green tea chiffon cake. It's been a long time! And it sure was nice to be able to sit down at a table and not have to entertain two impatient little ones.

Story Time with Joshua

This was a story that J came up with this morning. I've tried to record it almost verbatim.

Fourteen years ago, the trees became a rainforest. And then it rained in the rainforest. And then then sun came up. That's it.

It's Beginning to Look A Bit Like Christmas

So far, we have a eucalyptus wreath hanging on our door, perfuming the hall quite beautifully, I might add, and a stocking holder tree for our Christmas stockings. We're holding off on the Christmas tree for now, because it's still a while to go before Christmas, and we don't want a well and truly dead tree by the time we get to 25th December. This will probably be the only time in our lives that we'll get a real tree for Christmas.


Today's been the one of the coldest days we've ever had since we've been in Claremont. Around midday, it was about 15 degrees Celsius. The hardest thing is probably waking up in our nice warm bedrooms, heated by our portable heater, and then having to walk out into the cold, cold hall, so that we can turn the heating on for it. It is quite a shock to the system.

But ah, forward planning. Before going to bed last night, I had turned on the slow cooker to cook porridge overnight. This morning, the smell of the chok was, well, quite heartwarming. K and I had a good breakfast; the kids refused it all! The foolishness of youth.


Here's E modelling a hairclip sent all the way from Kong-kong and Ah-Ma in Singapore.


This is E's favourite thing to do at the playground in church. Today, I caught her screaming at a bigger and older girl, who had the audacity to want a go at the hoops. She has yet to learn to take on someone her own size.

Still On Christmas

I've a bit of catching up to do:

The day after we drove down to Pasadena to show the kids snow, we went to Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga to have a look at their 40-ft tall Christmas tree. This being Southern California, it warmed up enough for us to need some ice-cream to cool off.

The day after that saw a special event going on at the Claremont train station, just five minutes away from us. We saw a specially decorated Christmas train, replete with Christmas lights, (fake) reindeer, Santa and Mrs Claus, a snowman and some pirates. We brought some new toys to donate to the toy drive that they were running.

K's very busy with school - it is crunch time; he has presentations and projects and exams in the next couple of weeks. We've had to entertain ourselves somehow. Colouring is the activity of choice nowadays, especially for E. She loves it. I got them a big Diego colouring book and lots of crayons, so that's been fun for them.


In other news, K and I had Prima Taste's mee goreng for dinner tonight. So far this has been the least authentic, although that isn't to say that we didn't enjoy it. We welcomed the spicy-ness of it, especially since today's been a cold day - it's been raining all day. It hardly rains in Southern California (I think today's the third day that we've seen rain in all our months here), so when it does, it's a bit of a shock to the system.