Day 354 - Lila

Thought of the day: Our house guests left today for a trip to Colorado Springs. We were left with a house that was strangely quiet and two girls again demanding our full attention. It was good to have the guests around as they offered generous help with our household chores. Even better, the girls always had company at home and they had probably played more games and puzzles in the past few days than ever before.  It would be good to have the guests back in two days and have the blessing of their company for a few more days!

Photo of the day:

Lila fooling around in her room before bed time.

Day 343 - Play

Thought of the day: Our chiropractor is a pretty amazing person. She has not only a reservoir of knowledge of her field, but also of other related fields as well. She is well connected to the local homeopathic community and is often able to introduce families to a variety of practitioners ranged from doulas to massage therapists. She is a go-to person you can trust. Today I found out that she has a good heart as well. There is a very unfortunate local family that lost their house in the Fourmile Canyon Fire last year and then suffered an even worse blow this summer - a drunk driver hit them, left the father dead and his toddler girl severely injured. Our chiropractor went to the memorial service of the father and was so moved by the desperate situation of the family that she and her colleagues decided to do something for them. They donated an entire day of their work for the benefit of the little girl. I am glad to be part of it and I am grateful to belong to a community that's so generous in heart.

Photo of the day:

Izzy playing with blocks on the floor of a theater. The injured girl is even younger than her. I hope the little girl will be able to fully recover and enjoy a normal life soon.

Day 315 - Three Girls

Thought of the day: Disasters on the news are overwhelming.  Sad stories among friends and acquaintances are overwhelming. I don’t know if something is wrong with this world we live in or if it’s just a natural shift of awareness as we get older. Perhaps it's both. Resilient as we are, our capacity for pain and suffering is not boundless. On some days it seems so overwhelming and hopeless. In a way, it’s a relief to bear in mind that we walk on this earth for but a blink of time. As such, we will only accumulate a limited amount of burden and carried it over a limited distance. My friend also kindly reminded me today that what we suffer in life we treasure in arts. Arts can transform pain into beauty and make it more tolerable. Being so busy with life lately, I haven't been able to read or appreciate music or other forms of arts as much as I would like to and perhaps that contributes to the problem. The well of life needs to be constantly replenished lest it will dry up. Conscious of it or not, this is the struggle that we fight every single day.  Today is not my day but tomorrow it will surely be better.

Photo of the day:

My girls and Jasmine's friend playing in our front yard.  The well of life is naturally strong in early life. The most important  and formidable task of a parent is to help it stay that way, nurture it and make it even stronger over time.

Day 307 - Lila

Thought of the day: There were only 3 kids in Lila's preschool this afternoon.  As a result, she got a lot of individual attention from the teachers which worked out really well for her.  The teachers said that she was getting adjusted to the new school pretty well.  Music to my ears!  It was certainly a relief and it gave me hope that she would thrive in this preschool just like her big sister did.

Photo of the day:

Lila playing in her preschool before we left for the day.

Day 292 - Sisters

Thought of the day: We spent a couple of hours in Palo Alto's Rinconada Park this morning. The kids had a fun time playing in the shallow outdoor pool. The air was a bit chilly but the water was pretty warm.  The pool facility was sufficient but outdated.  I was surprised that it didn't have solar water heater installed as Palo Alto prides itself on being a green city.  When I walk around the neighborhood, I can see a few green initiatives with my own eyes.  Quite a few neighbors have a "Palo Alto Green" yard sign installed which indicates that they have signed up for using renewable energy for their electricity.  A few major streets, including a segment of Arastradero Road, have been modified into one lane streets to discourage motor traffic and make room for bikers and pedestrians. Unfortunately much of the extra space on Arastradero has been taken over by parked cars which is unfortunate.  Palo Alto has bike paths but they are not well connected yet.  It looks like the city is moving toward the right direction and hopefully we will be able to bike around the city with ease in the near future.

Photo of the day:

Jasmine carrying Lila to the swimming pool.  Lila loves to be carried by her big sister - it's a rare treat for her!

Day 289 - Fish Market

Thought of the day: My parents have a large, enclosed yard and the girls often spend hours there playing with each other.  They run around, play games and water the plants.  The backyard borders a creek but it's completely fenced in.  It's connected to the courtyard in the middle of the house which is also very safe.  In Boulder, our backyard abuts the open space with no fence in between.  That gives an open feeling to the yard but it can also be unnerving because of the real threats from mountain lions, black bears and coyotes that are not uncommon where we live. The girls can't play in our yard unsupervised but they can do it here. The peace of mind and extra freedom that a safe backyard can bring to a family like ours is immeasurable. I will surely miss that when I get back.

Photo of the day:

Palo Alto's Fish Market.  It seems to be a local favorite and lots of older people frequent this restaurant. We were there for dinner tonight.  Unfortunately it was not enough for Lila to run around in the yard all day long - she had some extra energy to burn off in the restaurant and raised a few eyebrows there.  Luckily, most people were very nice to her and smiled at her - perhaps she reminded them of their equally energetic grandkids.

Day 282 - Juggler

Thought of the day: Each day seems to bring along with it such moments - a moment of drowsiness when I feel lost in the ocean of movements or non-movements, a moment of angst when I feel irritable, and (thankfully) a moment of happiness when I feel quite at ease. At the moment of happiness, life is all good and everything is just the way it should be. And that's how I felt when I left Alfalfa's this morning and that's how I usually feel when I leave Alfalfa's every time.  Perhaps it's the power of caffeine but most of the time I only got herbal tea in their cafe.  Perhaps it's the friendly staff but I don't feel the same way when I leave Wholefoods and they are friendly there too.  Perhaps it's the yummy and healthy food.  Perhaps it's the cozy atmosphere. Perhaps it's the absence of ripped-off feeling because the food is reasonably priced here.  Perhaps it's the bike rides to and from the store which put me in a more relaxed mood.  In any case, it usually feels good when I leave that place.  There's always somebody asking for help next to the store and when you are in a good mood, it's hard to resist offering them something - a loaf of bread, a snack, or even some cash if there's nothing more appropriate.  If I were to ask for help from strangers, I would pick a corner just like this where people are in a good mood instead of the intersections of major streets. This guy standing at the corner today had certainly picked his place wisely.

Photo of the day:

A juggler juggling some letter blocks to form different words.  He performed in Jasmine's end-of-the-camp party today. Thorne Ecological Institute surely knows how to put together a fun camp and to top it off with a happy finale for all.

Day 281 - "Soup"

Thought of the day: I observed a father and a girl in a local cafe this morning.  The cafe was pretty quiet and calm because the interior and ambiance catered to college students and they were still out of town for the summer.  The father was working intentively on his Mac, while the girl was reading a Harry Potter book and chewing on her necklace.  Both of them seemed to be very focused and lost in their own world.  There was a serenity and harmony in this picture.  I had the strange feeling of wanting to tiptoe around this pair lest their peacefulness be disturbed.  I also left the camera in my bag - moments like this were to be savored and not to be intruded.

Photo of the day:

Girls collected "treasures" in the backyard and made up this pretty "soup" which was subsequently stirred and "cooked".  They apparently spent much happy time doing that.  I was not there but at least I got to capture the final product on camera.

Day 270 - Toy Truck

Thought of the day: In the summer, there're always some events going on in downtown.  This weekend we had the Boulder Arts Festival.  We spent a few happy hours there in the middle of the day.  Jasmine found a pair of cowgirl boots which were both blinky and very pink for her horseback riding camp next week and she was very happy about them. Both girls got an oversized rainbow shape from the balloon man and proudly carried it with them everywhere. I am glad that they can be entertained so easily by such little things like getting their hands wet in a water fountain or carrying strange shapes made of balloons. I hope this will be so for a while longer.

Photo of the day:

Lila playing with her toy truck before leaving for the Arts Festival.  This is one of her favorite toys -  it is only friction powered and can still go pretty far in a single run.

Day 268 - Grass

Thought of the day: It's mid-July and it's getting pretty hot outside in the middle of the day. We try not to use air conditioning in our house as long as we can and, luckily, I can often find a cool place to hang out during the hottest part of the day.  Today I found a refuge in the German Bakery which was just across the street from the Little Gym where Lila was having her gymnastics camp.  With tea, coffee, delicious desserts and friendly owners, it was a perfect place to hang out when it was hot outside. And the best part?  There was no internet connection there so I wouldn't be distracted by the bombardment of information online. I could instead focus on my own thoughts and actually get some things done. It was good to be unplugged once in a while as you can hear your internal voice only after shutting off all the outside voices.

Photo of the day:

Lila after her Little Gym camp.  Sitting or stepping on grass is another good way to cool down in the summer.

Day 262 - Water Play

Thought of the day: It was a summer day spent near water under the sun.  Too much sun, perhaps, as Jasmine ended the day a shade darker than when she started it.  She had her first swim meet in the afternoon.  It was more fun than competitive and she didn't care a bit what kind of ribbon she got as long as she got one. Whether it was a first place ribbon or a 5th place ribbon, she would accept them with equal giddiness and delight. I wonder when the spirit of competitiveness will eventually kick in.  I hope it won't be for a long, long time so she can enjoy the sport for the beauty and joy of the sport itself and won't be tormented by a singular desire to win.

Photo of the day:

Lila played with water in Lafayette's YMCA when Jasmine had her first swim meet this afternoon.

Day 242 - Green

Thought of the day: Manicured lawns don't seem to be very popular in Switzerland. Most of the homes we visited have small yards that blend into the natural environment, complete with pots of flowers, berry bushes, fruit trees, vegetable gardens and the like. Families with kids often have trampolines, tree swings, and sometimes even a zip line installed in the yard. It's also not uncommon for people to keep bunnies and chickens there. For Jasmine and Lila, it's always fascinating to explore and play in a yard. Actually, writing this reminds me of my dad's yard which is taking shape in a very similar fashion - flower pots, fruit trees, vegetable gardens, bunnies, and more importantly, the general feeling of being one with the nature. Despite the outward differences, there may be more similarities between the Chinese and Swiss cultures running deep within than one would imagine.

Photo of the day:

Jasmine playing with a friend's boy in a farmland abutting their house. We spent a fun afternoon with his family and everybody got a delicious fill of the berries, vegetables and fruits grown in their yard. In the background of the photo is Niederweningen.

Day 229 - Feeding Goats

Thought of the day: I had a nice run on Niederweningen trails this afternoon.  I ran through the town center and then onto the hills.  My plan was to run to the center of the next town but I couldn't quite make it.  I would certainly try again, but perhaps taking a shorter route next time.  I ran for well over an hour on quiet trails and didn't run into a single soul other than two groups of cows grazing lazily on the grass.  Watching the rolling carpets of farmland greens endlessly unfolding in front of my eyes, listening to the sounds of distant cowbells carried in the gentle wind, feeling the peace and serenity palpably emanated from this blessed land of rolling hills, dark forests, and picture postcard villages, I was coming to understand why my in-laws would never want to move away from their village.  For this is their home, and what a home it is.

Photo of the day:

Next to the school playground, there's a large enclosure of about a dozen of bunnies, some ducks, and a few goats. Kids love playing in the playground and feeding the animals.  Lila and Jasmine pay the animals a visit everyday if they can.  It's only a short walk from the grandparents' house.

Day 214 - Mossy Rock

Thought of the day: This afternoon, when I was cleaning up the aspen catkins in the backyard, suddenly I felt the familiar urge to travel.  Oh, the care-free traveling days, when you can just leave all your worries behind and enjoy new adventures every day as they come.  I am sure this over-romanticized view of traveling is somewhat faulty and there will be times when I will miss my home dearly, but at least I will no longer need to worry about those nasty catkins (aren't they pretty as they are?), dusty floors (isn't that part of the charm?) and dirty laundries (they can wait) every day.  Going to travel is like pushing a giant pause button on your real life and start a new life every day in a different place - a life that's ungrounded and without consequences as it's fleeting and temporary.  I will welcome the lightness of being for a while.  Yes, in just one more week, I'll be there.

Photo of the day:

Lila was a huge help in cleaning up the backyard today.  But of course, she mostly played.  Here she was trying to climb up a mossy rock near the play structure.

Day 202 - Playground

Thought of the day: I just finished reading a booked titled "How Doctors Think" by Jerome Groopman.  It was highly recommended to me recently by his niece.  I couldn't recall how or when I met her but the book was definitely worth the recommendations.  Dr. Groopman explored the unusual subject of how a doctor's thinking can adversely affect the diagnosis of a patient.  With 15% of the medical diagnosis being inaccurate, this subject is definitely an important one.  Doctors are only humans and their thought process can often be influenced by the past experiences, the emotional state, the affinity with a particular patient, the fear of litigation, the subtle and not-so-subtle financial incentives, and the pressure to think and act quickly under a time constraint often imposed by the insurance companies.  No matter how skillful or experienced they are, they can make mistakes in their thought process and make a wrong diagnosis which may severely affect the outcome of a patient.  I really admire the honesty and courage of Dr. Groopman for exploring this thorny subject, especially considering that he is a physician himself, as I am sure few physicians would admit or even realize that he is fallible due to his own weaknesses.  Many of the issues he raised in the book don't really have good solutions.  However, he did take away some of the mystique surrounding physicians, and he made a few suggestions for the patients to take more control of their own care and to steer the physicians away from some of the pitfalls in the thought process by asking pointed questions.  The book opened my eyes by offering a physician's angle of view on medical diagnosis and treatment, but hopefully I will not have to make use of any of his suggestions any time soon.

Photo of the day:

My girls playing in a Lafayette playground after Jasmine's music lesson.  I am so glad that they are healthy and capable of enjoying life in its full glamor.

Day 200 - Obstacle Course

Thought of the day: It's Mother's Day!  This morning I did a 9.9km race together with a friend of mine at the Boulder Reservoir, while rest of the our families played at the sand beach.  It was only my third run this year and I had a lot of trouble keeping a steady pace.  At the end of the run, I felt quite exhausted.  However, I am glad that I did it.  The view of the reservoir and mountains in the last kilometer or so was just stunning and that alone made the run worthwhile.  I can't imagine a better way of celebrating the Mother's Day for me.

Photo of the day:

Lila in the obstacle course at Boulder Reservoir.  It must be the favorite Mother's activity for the kids today, judging from the length of the waiting line at the entrance of the course.

Day 195 - Lila

Thought of the day: Lila had some pretty wild mood swings since I picked her up from preschool today.  The cause was pretty obvious: lack of sleep.  Her preschool set aside only half an hour for the kids to rest in the afternoon, which was way too short for Lila to take a proper nap.  As a result, she had been taking irregular naps since she started the preschool.  On some days she would skip it altogether, with disastrous effects on herself and the family.  And today was one of those days.  I have been routinely taking her out early so she could nap at home.  However, sometimes my schedule just wouldn't allow that.  The good news is that we're taking her to a different preschool in the fall, where she could get a proper rest.  Of course, by that time she may have already naturally outgrown her need for an afternoon nap, but even if she does, having some downtime to do quiet things is still way better than keeping going all day long without a real break.  I know it would be hard to convince a toddler that getting bored at times is better than getting overtired, but I wish her preschool had known better and had respected the kids' need to rest as much as they had respected the kids' need to play.

Photo of the day:

Lila in a residential neighborhood at Lafayette.  She was at a high point of her mood swings when I took this picture.

Day 194 - Lila

Thought of the day: We have out-of-town visitors staying with us for a couple of days.  Today was their last full day so we took them to Chautauqua as a trip to Boulder seems incomplete without at least a brief stop at Chautauqua.  Lila and I were both a little under the weather but we tagged along anyway (why waste a day inside when you can be out and about?).  We had a good time.  The part I particularly enjoyed was when Lila and I made our way slowly, I mean slowly, from the ranger cottage to the playground.  If you ever take pictures of kids, you may have noticed that coming down to their eye level is often the most important first step.  That's when you can establish rapport and see things the way they're seeing them.  It's exactly the same when you play with them.  You need to first bring yourself to their level and into their world.  In that world, a stick is not just a stick - it's a magic wand; a stone is not just a stone - it's a priceless jewel; a pine cone is not just a pine cone - it's a sea shell from far away; and of course, it's so silly to rush from one place to the other when you can have so much fun just exactly where you are.  Bringing yourself to their level is so important for developing your understanding, compassion and patience towards kids.  It's equally important for developing your relationship with adults who are different from you, which includes pretty much everybody in the world.  I love spending time with my kids.  In a way, they teach me more than I can ever hope to teach them just by being who they are.

Photo of the day:

Lila at Chautauqua - it was a little chilly today and even snowed a bit when we were there.

Day 190 - Tackle

Thought of the day: Our neighborhood has now a photo club!  It's nice to be able to hop on the bike or walk to a photo club meeting in a neighbor's home.  In the meeting tonight, we showed some of our recent photos to each other and then spent the rest of the evening talking about some random things.  For those of us who do photography as a hobby, or maybe even as a profession, you know that it's a labor of love.  But unlike a "normal" group activity where you get constant feedback from each other,  it can be a lonesome pursuit.  You can be taking photos for years without knowing whether you are really making progress or not.  You can be sending albums to friends and family for years and getting little feedback other than an occasional "This is great!" which, unfortunately, doesn't tell you much or help you much.  I wonder if the feeling of loneliness is shared by individuals laboring in different areas of arts, for example, painting, writing, composing.  Other than the occasional recognitions you may receive when you are really good or get really lucky, you mostly labor in the dark driven by nothing more than the love of doing what you're doing.  In fact, it's probably true in any field that requires you to work on your own for a long stretch of time - astronomy, biology, basic science research, you name it.  The feeling of loneliness is pretty much inevitable and it may even be a necessity for us to develop into who we are.  However, we are primarily social beings and we need support from each other to break the monotony, and that's when something like a photo club comes into play.

Photo of the day:

Little kids tackling a soccer ball.  It's certainly more fun for kids to play with others than playing a ball on their own!

Day 188 - Girls

Thought of the day: I just watched the documentary "The Business of Being Born".  The movie explored the birthing process and how a natural process had been turned into a business and treated routinely as an ailment and emergency by medical professionals.  When I was still pregnant with Lila, I read the excellent book "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" which delivered similar messages.  The information provided by doctors and by nurses who taught childbirth classes in a hospital setting was often one-sided and incomplete and only helped perpetuate the myth and disinformation of the birthing process.  The other side of the story is told by Ina May's book, this documentary, midwives, doulas and women who have had the natural, or alternative as regarded by some, birth experiences.  Sadly and inexplicably, not every pregnant woman has access to all the information that she is entitled to when she needs to make the important decision of how and where to give birth.  As a result, it's more likely for her to end up in a hospital and for the doctors and nurses to impose their wills on her and take control of the birthing process to make it more lucrative, convenient, and lawsuit-free for them.  That would help explain the rise of cesarean rate, which is currently at an astounding rate of 1 out of every 3 births in this country.  This has reached the level of an epidemic.  Right around Lila's birth, I distributed Ina May's book through a bookstore and other entities to pregnant women because I felt compelled to share the information.  Apparently that activity had not created enough impact as the cesarean rate kept on rising!  And it's rising in many other countries too, especially in China, where the cesarean rate is at a whopping 46%.  As a civilization, we are getting too technologically advanced to respect our body and too incentive driven to remember our soul.  We see the consequence of that in every area of our lives and the unnatural birthing process is just one of them.  Will we reach a turning point and reverse course?  I hope we will, and will soon.

Photo of the day:

My girls lying on the floor exhausted after some fun play in the house.  I love them more than what can be expressed in words.  I hope they will grow up in a world that's healthier in many ways than the one we reside in right now.