This is the first summer boys are making dinner without any supervision – from meal planning to grocery shopping, from cooking to washing, they are on their own. From this chore, they learn budgeting (grocery shopping and looking for sales) and time management (dinner should be ready by 6pm).
Of course, there were screw-ups, we still eat it as is. How else will they learn? Nice that I get to take a break. I try my best to stay away from the kitchen.Ā š
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It feels great to take a little break from cooking this week since the boys are taking over. One of the things I’m having them learn is to budget. I give them $20 every day for the meals, so they can shop wisely. Today, they picked up some drumsticks that were on sale and cabbage for our meal tonight. Again, all hands are off while they whip this up.Ā 
Ah Lo has a such a bad temper (typical teenager stuff) these days that I’m so tired dealing with it. He’s not even in HS, and I already feel burnt out. I can’t imagine what that’ll be like in a few more years. I know it’s going to be ugly. Please GOD help me…
This is the guy who still willing to peck on my cheeks (when I ask him to), who still hugs me for no reason, who still opens the car door for me. He’s the same guy who dances with me in the kitchen while I’m waiting for the water to boil. He will come down the stairs to help me carry the groceries when I get home and place them where they belong.
How can this sweetest guy on earth be so temperamental? This same guy who blows up at the littlest thing and turns red, bangs the door, storms off. And then in 10 minutes, he returns like nothing happened. He will then do as he was told. Oh right, he’s a teenager and it’s his hormones flying all over the body. Now only if I have a magic wand and wave around every time when he goes through the tantrum. I think I won’t grey as quickly.
Being the 2nd shortest kid on the team, Dai Bee never stops to play fearlessly. He lovesĀ basketball but it is a big sport. He plays point guard, so he moves the ball. With towering people chasing him, big feet pounding on the court and constant massive bursts of actions all going after the ball, at times I worry. I worry will he get knocked down? He loves to be on the court. He cherishes the moments given to him on the court. He tries to do his best. Every time breathing the energy him in when he dissects the game and talks about the play, I forget about the power players. For each game, all I could do is sit and watch, cheer and let him play.Ā 
The night before elections, Dai Bee and Mr. Piggy were cramming last minute on propositions and candidates. This is a scene that’s never come to sight while growing up. First neither Mr. Piggy’s nor my parents ever voted. Now as the boys are older and with the ease of accessing information, they are both aware of what’s going on locally and globally. These topics often open up many dinner conversations for us.
Tonight, Dai Bee goes over the candidates’ bios with Mr. Piggy and carefully read through each proposition. They discussed to make sure they understand it correctly before filling in the bubble. Though I often reminisce when they were young, then again, particularly, these are the “adult” moments I find gratifying.
Last semester, Dai Bee’s Chinese class introduced him to Mah Jong, he wanted us to show him how to play. We did once or twice over the summer. On weekend nights, when we have an early dinner and a quiet day, we’ll plop in these seats and get the game going. We play with monopoly money and it’s still a learning phase for the boys.
In the old days, kids are not allowed to play mahjong as they are associated with gambling. Now we want them to play (not with real money), just so that they are off of the electronics). Ironic, isn’t it?
It’s only the third week of school and I’m already seeing 2 B’s and 1 C in Ah Lo’s progress report – all due to incomplete or missing assignments. I am seriously loss of words and ideas. I’ve tried giving him the electronics option (when done with HW), taking it away because of low scores. I’ve tried yelling, and then encouraging. I’ve made threats. I’ve tried having his older brother talking to him. He listens with his head down. Said he understands, and then reverts back to not turning in HW the next day.
Starting this week, we are trying a different approach. We agreed that he doesn’t touch any electronics throughout the week until Friday (when he comes home). He will check his grades, and if there are missing assignments, he won’t get the iPAD for the weekend. Not sure if this does anything, we’ll keep trying.
I understand grades are not everything. However, it’s hard for me to accept that a smart guy like him can have such low marks due to laziness. Perhaps he’s disorganized? Is he distracted? What else can I do? I’m not giving up though.
A Friday ritual.
A single photo ā no words ā capturing a moment from the week.
A simple, special, extraordinary moment.
A moment I want to pause, savor and remember āĀ {this moment}
DINNER is invariably one of the happiest part of my day. I love trying new recipes, prepping and cooking, but what I enjoy most is when the 4 of us sit around the table, chatting openly just about everything. I am always fascinated by the range of conversations (some new, some were continuation from last night/week) rolling around the dinner table throughout the week. The topics of discussions vary widely from school/work life we reflect on that day to world events, finances/investments, government, drugs, health, education, history, sports and so much more. We share opinions of family members, friends, classmates, co-workers, and give each other a chance to tune into anotherās affairs. Sometimes we reminisce our travels, and then brainstorm for next destinations. My boys are always impressed by the wealth of knowledge Mr. Piggy has about almost everything. I love to watch the boys as they listen with great admiration when their dad speak while learning a thing or two.
Tonight Dai Bee told us about his field trip to Angel Island with his Chinese class. From there, we switched to the success of business moguls such as Li Ka Shing (the most influential businessman in Asia), Jack Ma (founder and chairman of Alibaba), Warrant Buffet (one of the most successful investors of all time), and Bill Gates and his focus on philanthropy.
I love our dinners are never ājust dinnerā at our house. Besides exposing the boys to new food (and yes, we even talked about the types of food and their origins), there are always a lesson learned. We always leave the table with either a wacky or a in depth conversation. For this, my heart is always full. I wonder how many families get to spend this meaningful time together, as a family?
All About the Kids 