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They didn't call my name at the end. I went back to the court at 10 am yesterday and sat through several series of juror selection. They told us more about the case and the defendant, and it was a criminal case. I found that the legal procedures greatly interesting, especially the questions that the defense attorney raised to the potential jurors. It seems to me that not many people like the defense attorney. Anyway, they finally agreed upon their selected jurors, and they dismissed the remaining people including me at 3pm. Actually, I wouldn't mind being a juror because the court house is just 4 miles away from home. It takes me less than 10 mins to go there, and I won't be stuck in traffic for an hour.
Therefore, I get to stay home today with the kids. It is a good chance for me to see how Maria handles the children. Hmm..well..I have to say that... I really miss Martha.
Posted by Winnie 7:48 PM

Well, we now officially have a new live-in nanny. We didn't expect someone to move in so soon, but...well let me tell you the whole story. I am sure Winnie will want to add her thoughts as well. So we got a number for domestic service agency that caters to asian and hispanic families. The nannies they recommend are usually hispanic, but some are chinese too. On Thursday morning, Winnie's mom and I loaded up the kids and took off for Alhambra (Winnie couldn't go because she was on jury duty). I was told that the domestic agency was next to the post office. Actually it turned out that it wasn't a US Post Office, but a Postal Center, and the agency was not next to it, but in the back corner of the Postal Center. I went inside to check it our first, and when I walked in the back, there were about 24 hispanic women of varying ages and sizes lined up around the walls. So, I went back outside and got the kids and Mom and we went back inside. Then, you go to a sectioned off area where they explain the rules to you. All of a sudden I heard a......to be continued :)
Posted by Max 7:56 AM

I got the summons a month ago, and it is my first time to be selected for jury duty since I became an American citizen in 2000. I have to report this week, so I have already scheduled this at work. Under the new system, you only need to call the night before to see if you get selected or not for that day. I didn’t get picked on Monday, so I was hoping that I didn’t have to go for this week, especially after Martha left yesterday. Well, they called for my group today, and I had to report at the Torrance Superior Court this morning at 8:30pm. I guess things often happen this way. Luckily, my brother came back this morning with Janet (The sister of my brother’s girlfriend Tina) because he has a job interview today. Thanks to Janet. She helped my mom to take care of the kids all afternoon. I got back to the court after lunch at home and waited till 3:30pm before they finally called my name. I was among 30 other potential jurors that got sent to the court room. Then, 18 people were called to sit in the front jury panel and I assumed those were the selected jurors for the case. For a moment, I thought that would be all they needed. Not yet, the judge said that everyone needs to come back tomorrow at 10:30am. So, I have to go back tomorrow. I even scheduled an appointment with a nanny agency to interview some nanny candidates. Now, Jim and my mom will be going to the agency tomorrow without me. Hopefully, they will be able to find someone good.

Special Message for Judy:

We got your packet for the kids and the clothes are so cute. Thank you so much!!! I will make sure I post some pictures later.

Posted by Winnie 10:20 PM

Well, Max had a restless night and we all awoke to a restless morning. As Winnie and I tried to get Max to enjoy one more hour of sleep, the phone rang. Someone was speaking Spanish, so I knew it was for Martha. Her light was already on, so I assumed it was a call she had been waiting for. I knocked on Martha's door, handed her the phone and went back our room to take care of Max. After about 10 minutes there was a knock on the door. It was Martha, and with a soft voice she said, "Sorry for the telephone, my daddy is no longer living." At the time, Winnie and I didn't know what to say other than we were very sorry. She went back to her room and frantically tried to contact her other family members. Winnie went to check on her after a few minutes to see if she was okay. I stayed in the room and fed Max. Memories of my grandfather and Winnie's father rushed through my head. I know what this must be like for her, but to be so far away, it just makes it even more difficult. So, I sat in our bedroom quietly feeding Max with all of my memories and questions about what was coming next. After Max drifted off to sleep again, I decided to take a shower and get ready for work. There was no use in trying to go back to sleep, it wasn't going to happen. As the warm water flowed over my tense muscles, I was able to relax a little. However, my thoughts never drifted far from Martha and what she must be going through. After getting dressed, I went out to the living room where I found Martha hunched over on the couch with with her face buried deeply in her now tear soaked hands. I didn't know how to approach her, or even what to say. I walked up to her quietly and offered my condolences, but received little response. I went back to the room to check on Max and Winnie, both were sleeping. As I stood there and watch both of them in slumber, I thought over and over how much they mean to me and how lucky we all are to have each other. I went back to the living room and Martha was now gazing off into the distance. I talked to her about her father and what had happened. Her father was 82 years old and apparently had been sick for about 3 years. He said no more hospitals and was just waiting for his time. I offered her help if she needed it, but she declined. She said that she had a ticket for Monday. I left the house this morning in daze. Winnie called me later and told me that she had told Martha to leave tonight. So it appears that our 5 month relationship with Martha is coming to an end today. We will all miss her so very much, especially Max. So, for anyone reading this...let's all say a little prayer for Martha and wish her the best. I only hope that we can find someone as loving and caring to our children as she was...
Posted by Max 8:58 AM

We celebrated my mom's birthday at home tonight. I bought ribs at 'Chicago Ribs', a local restaurant, and Jim bought a cake at King's Hawaiian Bakery. I invited Jenny and Paul over without telling my mom, so she was quite surprised when she heard Jenny calling 'Hi ARIEEEEEE'. We found out that it is really impossible to eat ribs and hold the baby at the same time, so I guess it was the wrong choice for dinner. Our hands were all messy, and the kids were trying to touch the food. Arie almost had some sour cream baked potatoes, and Max almost got some BBQ sauce. We had a great time talking, and the food was great. We then had cake after the kids went to bed. Alan couldn't make it for dinner though because he is still in Arizona. I think my mom had a great time, but I know for sure that she misses my dad a lot. I do too think of him often, especially around holidays and birthdays.
Posted by Winnie 4:48 PM

I always love Chinese New Year, it just brings back so much good old memories. When I was living in Hong Kong, Chinese new year was definitely my favorite holiday. I used to get at least a week off school and my parents wouldn't have to work for 3 - 4 days (my parent's only holidays for the year). So, we would take our annual family vacation during Chinese new year to places like Taiwan and China. 'Red Pocket' (money in a red small envelope) was another main reason that I love Chinese new year. Now that I am married, I can no longer get any money or red pockets from my relatives or parents instead we have to give to my brothers and cousins. But wait...since we have Max and Arie, I get to relive the old memories of collecting red pockets through them. Ok Ok...for those who has given them red pockets this year, don't worry, we will tell you what we tell them, it's going to their college fund. ; ) There were many rules and traditions that my parents used to have us follow like new clothes and shoes, no shower, no cleaning the house on the new year's day, etc... It was all part of the reason that I miss and like Chinese new year so much. We don't follow as close to these traditions anymore since we moved here to the states. Chinese new year is all about family and relatives, and I have celebrated many many Chinese new years with my relatives in Hong Kong when I was growing up. It has taught me so much about respect through the interaction between my aunts and uncles to grandparents. It is the only holiday that I miss and think of my family and relatives the most.

Uncle Joe and Aunt Ashley invited us to their company's Chinese new year dinner at NYC Seafood restaurant in Monterey Park last night. Actually, this year's Chinese new year falls on the 1st of February, this coming Saturday. We celebrated early because my uncle Joe will be busy on Saturday. We left early so that Jim could get his haircut before dinner. When Jim was getting his haircut, mom, the kids and I all went for grocery shopping. Well, it was a lot tougher than I expected to be doing grocery with the kids. It was not that they were fussy, but we got stopped almost every aisle by strangers asking if they are twins. The kids got so much attentions that it was almost impossible to do grocery. Of course, my mom and I both enjoyed these kind of attentions when they all gave the kids good compliments. Max and Arie were also very interested by all the carts going pass their strollers. So, dinner started at 6:30pm and the kids were happy to see their aunts, uncles and cousins. They both did real well, as they took a nap during the dinner. Max and Arie got a lot of red pockets from relatives. As they get older, I am sure they will be looking forward to getting more red pockets. John John, my youngest cousin, has already started to enjoy this as he couldn't wait to open the red pockets when we gave it to him last night. The dinner was great, and it was great celebrating new year with my relatives.
Posted by Winnie 9:32 PM

Max and Arie had their first mashed banana, rice cereal combo this morning, and they both finished their bowls! I am sure it must have been a real treat for them after 6 months of nothing but formula (I've tasted it, and it ain't good). Next, we will probably try to give them pear or maybe apple. We just got back from the beach, and it is sooooo hot today Sorry to those family members in colder climates, we don't mean to rub it in ; ) The weather is so nice, no wind and sunny. Max is still sleeping in his stroller because we didn't want to wake him up. Once he gets woken up, it is hard to get him back to sleep. Arie is now awake and probably wanting to eat soon. They didn't eat much formula this morning after their banana and rice cereal.

Nanny Update
Next week will be Martha's last week here, we still haven't had any potential candidates for her replacement. My friend at work is checking with her mom's friends and will let me know tonight. My aunt Ashley also helped us to talk to Martha to see if there is something we can do to keep her here, but she really has to go back. We will definitely miss her a lot, and I just can't imagine having a different nanny. Max is so attached to her. I am sure it will be hard on the little guy. At least, Jim and I are so grateful that my mom is living with us, and she has been a great help taking care of both Arie and Max. With out her help, we really would be up the creek without a paddle. So thanks Mom!!! if you are reading this.

Posted by Winnie 1:30 PM

*** Video Now Works, Just Bigger ***
So as Winnie eluded to in her last blog, the kids can now eat solids. Winnie and I tried to leave work early and rush home to share in the experience of their first bites of solid food. The kids where having a tough time waiting though. By the time Winnie and I got home, Max was hungry and impatient, and Arie was asleep. So we made Max a bowl of rice cereal and turned on the Video camera. Max seemed to really enjoy eating at first. Then I think he got a little frustrated with the whole thing and wanted a bottle. Arie ended up sleeping through the night. Arie's first bite had to wait until the next morning. Fortunately Winne showed mom how to use the Video camera and she video taped Arie's meal the next morning while we were at work. I started converting the video to a version I can put on the blog. I will put it on for everyone to see tonight. Please be sure to comment on how cute you think they are after seeing it ; )
Arie First Bite Video (MPEG 815k)
Max First Bite Video (MPEG 619k)
Posted by Max 8:19 AM

Max and Arie had their 6 months checkup and an RSV shot yesterday. Dr. Sachs said everything looks good and they are ready for solids. They will start to eat rice cereal first, and they can also eat mashed banana or pear or apple. Here are their current measurements:

1. Max
Weight - 15 lbs 2 oz
Height - 26 in
Head - 17 in

2. Arie
Weight - 16 lbs 9 oz
Height - 26 in
Head - 15.5 in
Posted by Winnie 10:06 AM

Martha has been helping us with our kids for about 4 months, and I have to say that things have definitely gotten much easier since she came. She was referred by my aunt Ashley. We have been pretty happy with Martha. She is really warm with the kids, and she also helps out around the house like cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry for us. We never really asked her to clean the house for us, but she would just do it to help out. But lately, my mom and I notice that things are definitely changing. My Mom has always been the one who take care of Arie the most, so Martha really didn't have to watch her that much. Her time is mostly spent watching / walking / playing with Max. We have noticed that she hasn't been wanting to clean or cook as much. I still remember that first time she cleaned the windows and they looked so nice. But, we haven't seen her cleaning them since then. Please don't get me wrong, she is still very helpful as far as taking care of the kids. She is very loving and caring to both Max and Arie, and that's why Jim and I had never asked her to do any other things around the house. We all like her a lot.
The surprise was delivered to me early this morning. She said,'Winnie, I got a problem.' I already knew what she was about to tell me. She then told me that her visa is expired and she needs to go back to El Salvador to wait for her green card. I tried to ask her if it's about the money that she is leaving, but, she couldn't quite understand what I was trying to get at. I also asked if she will come back to the states, and she said that she might come back after 2 months. So, we are looking for a new nanny. I immediately called my friend at work to see if her mom can help me find someone from Indonesia. My mom also called Ashley too to check if she knows anybody who is good to help us. Obviously, Jim and I are both very disappointed that Martha has to leave, and it will be hard to find someone who is as loving and caring as Martha. Now, the kids will have to get used to somebody else, and we really feel bad for Max because he has just recently gotten stranger anxiety. :(
Posted by Winnie 5:37 PM

Time sure flies, Grandpa Castor has already left this morning back to Indiana. It was great to have him here to meet Max and Arie. On Sunday, we were able to take him to try 'Dim Sum', and it was his first time. He even tried 'Chicken feet', but it's just too much work for that little tiny bit of skin or meat for him. He loves the food and was amazed by so many variety of dumplings. The kids behaved well too, and we all had a great time. We hope to take the kids back to Indiana this coming summer, so that they can meet the rest of their relatives there. We also took tons of pictures too, and I will post them once I got the time.
Posted by Winnie 5:35 PM

Grandpa Castor arrived last night at 10pm from Indiana, and it is the first time he comes to visit us since we moved to L.A. The kids got up early as usual, well especially Max. He slept okay last night - only one feeding. Yet again, Arie didn't get up till 6am this morning. Martha fed Max in the morning, so Jim and I got to rest a little longer. Max and Arie were a little surprised to see a new face in the house early morning. When they first met grandpa, they both stared at him for a long time. Max didn't do too well with strangers, but he usually gets better after a while. He cried immediately when grandpa first held him, but he has gotten much more comfortable later on today. Arie didn't really have much stranger anxiety at all, and she giggled and talked right away with grandpa. After their morning feeding, we took a long walk to the pier. We like to take the kids out for walk because it's the only chance for us to exercise. We had a nice walk and good conversation. The weather was unbelievably hot, and a lot of people were in the beach.
We then got take-out at 'Rascal' for lunch, one of our favorite fast food places. We ordered turkey avocado burgers and fries. Hmm...that was yummy, but I ate too much again. We spent the rest of the day in the house, and we got addicted to an online game at 'Text Twist'. Now, the kids are sleeping and so as everyone else in house. I should probably go to bed soon before Max starts to get up for a bottle.

Posted by Winnie 10:53 PM

Max and Arie finally made their first video debut with a little video we like to call 'Eat the Parrot'. We hope you will enjoy.

'Eat the Parrot' video (Windows Media Player 200k)
Posted by Winnie 8:01 PM

We all know that Max likes to move his legs and arms. But, we never knew that he would still be moving when he is asleep until a couple of weeks ago. Jim and I have been having trouble keeping his blanket on his body or off of his face at night. He can move from one end of the crib the other end until there isn¡¦t enough room to move anymore. He loves to sleep on his side. He was fussing the other night, and Jim just turned him on his side and he fell right back asleep. Unfortunately, it doesn¡¦t really work every time.
On the contrary, Arie doesn¡¦t move quite as much or even at all when she is sleeping. She will generally move closer towards my mom¡¦s side of the bed by morning. When she sleeps by herself, she seldom moves.
Posted by Winnie 2:47 PM

I can't believe this !!!
Posted by Winnie 11:01 AM

Click here -->more pictures

Posted by Winnie 9:36 PM

Jim and I haven't gone for dim sum (Chinese dumplings) since I had to be on bed rest, so you know how much I really wanted it. The idea came from my mom because Tina and Janet were here visiting. My mom said, 'It's ok lah..if you guys can't make it...I know it's hard to take the kids.' At first, I wasn't quite ready for this challenge to bring the kids to such a crowded and noisy environment. Plus, you know all that preparation - packing the diaper bag, feeding before the trip, dressing up, and anticipating their needs. Well, we ended up taking on this challenge, for we were both wondering what to eat for lunch. We dressed them up and made sure they weren't too hot or too cold.

Tina rode with us in the van, and she is such a great entertainer for the kids. They usually cry or scream a bit in the car, but not that day. Tina just kept them so occupied by their toys and stuffs, they didn't really complain much. So, for future road trip, we will make sure Tina is available. We got there around noon, and it wasn't too crowded. We even got a big table at the corner, so we can fit all the strollers and stuffs. One dim sum lady stopped me, and she kept asking me questions about the twins. She said,'Wah..so lucky ah..a boy and a girl ah..the girl looks like you ..and the boy wah...just like daddy ah...' It was kinda funny, but at the same time it was nice to get that attention from a stranger. Max and Arie got so intrigued by the noises and bright lights that they hardly blinked their eyes. We sat down for less than a minute, and we already had a table full of various dumplings. I ate so fast that I actually had to make an effort to slow myself down. Arie got a little fussy when we first got there, but she soon fell asleep in her stroller after awhile. Max fell asleep shortly afterwards too, but in Jim's arms instead. We ate and ate until we couldn't eat anymore. The kids behaved well, and we had a great time. So, finally we did it. We went out with the kids to a restaurant for the first time.
Posted by Winnie 12:08 PM

Alan has decided to come back to visit us and he brought Tina and Janet with him. He hasn't been home for over 3 weeks, so it is great to see him. I haven't seen Tina and Janet since October when we had the party for the babies. We are always happy when people come to visit us since we can't really travel too far from home with 2 babies...the most 2 hours away. The kids got up early as usual, but I had the luxury to stay in bed till 9am because Jim took the morning shift to feed the kids. The kids were excited to see their uncle, and Arie gave him a big smile. Max got so excited that he actually cried when Alan made faces at him. Max and Arie enjoyed the attentions and cuddling from Tina and Janet. We then all went for a walk to the beach while my mom headed for the mall with Jenny. The weather was so nice, and we had a great time talking to those guys.

Tina: Hello all of you blogspotters out there...I'd like to give a "shout-out" to my sistah Big-D, Stevie-Steevo and all you other Max & Arie lovers out there....Word to their mother (Winnie) :) Okay okay...i've been influenced by my hip-hopping too much...hee hee....j/k...anyways, take care and try to come out to AZ!
Janet: Yo!!!
Posted by Winnie 3:11 PM

Our mattress is making too much noise, and it is driving us crazy. It has gotten so loud that sometimes we are even afraid to walk near it. It hasn't woken Max up yet, but we surely don't want to wait till then to get a new one. So, Jim has been looking and it isn't easy. My mom's Sealy Crown-Jewel is great, but just too expensive and we don't like the pillow top. Any recommendations?
Posted by Winnie 1:36 PM

When I asked other parents on baby's sleep, I usually get the similar response like 'let them cry..', 'don't rock the baby', 'don't feed the baby at night..', 'play music...' or anything along those lines. It sounds easy, but it is much harder to execute when you hear them screaming or crying. So, Jim and I have been reading and researching information about establishing sleeping habits for Max and Arie, well actually more for Max. He still hasn't been able to sleep through the night. There are 5 different methods that I discovered at www.babycenter.com. The Ferber method which is a cry-it-out method that a lot people find it very useful. Several of co-workers said this method worked for their baby, but you need to be firm. The Sears book we have also talk about that, but it actually recommends you to sleep with the baby. Well, Arie is sleeping with my mom so I guess the Sears method works. But, Arie is starting to roll over soon, so I think we should start looking for a crib for her. Some also recommend letting your spouse / others who can tolerate baby's cry to train your baby to sleep through the night. I am not a light sleeper like Jim, so maybe I am qualify to do that, but can I?? Anyway, I think we just need to be firm and consistent regardless of which method we decide to follow, but training a baby to sleep on their own is definitely not a easy thing.

Posted by Winnie 10:03 AM

With the help from auntie Jenny and my mom, Jim and I finally got to go out for a date yesterday. We haven't gone to a movie for over a year, so you know how excited and anxious we were. We even talked about what to wear and where to go eat a week prior to our date. The weather has been unusually warm here in S.Cal., so we were able to take the kids out for a stroll before our date. When Jenny got to our place, we quickly changed and left. We ended up picking a Korean/Vietnamese restaurant near our home, and the food was just so so. We hurriedly ate our food so that we could catch a movie immediately without staying out too late. So, we saw 'Catch me if you can', and it was a great movie. It is definitely one of the best movies I've seen this year, well I haven't really seen that many... The story is great and so as Christopher walken. It was the perfect role for him. It was nice to get out on the weekends because we usually stay home. Thanks to Jenny. We got home just in time to feed and put Max to sleep. Arie was already sleeping.
Posted by Winnie 9:04 PM

Max has finally done it the past Saturday. It was such an exciting moment to watch him struggle on the play mat and to make that one turn. He did it with a little assistance from Jim's finger. Sorry, we got no pictures to prove. For Arie, she still hasn't shown any signs of wanting to roll over, but she sure loves to talk a lot. She giggles so much everything we put her in front of the mirror.
Max has also started sleeping in his crib, instead of the bassinet. He seems to like it because it gives him more room to stretch and move. Last night, He actually moved all the way up to the top of the crib. Arie is still sleeping with my mom in her "Crown-Jewel" mattress which is supposedly the top of the line mattress Sealy makes, and I think Arie still loves it as she can easily sleep there for over 5 - 6 hours at night. Sometimes, she would rather sleep than eat in the middle of the night.

Posted by Winnie 8:39 PM

This may be a shock to some of you that have become accustomed to seeing the end of my nose. However, I must regretfully inform all of you that it has been lost in a bizarre baby biting incident. One day a couple of weeks ago I was playing with Aire and she looked like she wanted to bite my nose...I thought this would be fun and let her at it. Unfortunately for me she sucked the end right off...here is the picture to prove it. Does anyone know a good plastic surgeon!?


Posted by Winnie 8:56 AM

I was feeling under the weather last night, so Jim had to take care of Max all by himself. It wasn't easy at all since Max couldn't sleep well. He even went to bed early so that he can feed Max in the middle of night. Well, Jim didn't even sleep more than 2 hours before Max started crying for a bottle. Max cried every time his daddy put him in his crib, even when he was sleeping already in his arms. Max ended up waking up his daddy at least 3 times last night and early morning without my help. Sorry, Jim. I feel so bad that I couldn't help Jim out last night. I am feeling a little better today, so it will be my job to night to take care of Max.
Again, Arie slept till am this morning and my mom didn't have to feed her last night. By the way, check out their latest pictures by clicking on the picture link on the left panel.
Posted by Winnie 4:24 PM

The day started out pretty early as Max needed to be fed at 7am this morning. We then watched the Rose parade on TV for a little bit, then Auntie Jenny stopped by to visit us. In the afternoon, we dressed the kids up in their new outfits and took them out for a walk to the Pier. It was such a sunny and warm day, the kids slept the whole time in the stroller until we got home. The beach was quite crowded since the weather was so nice.
Max cried for over an hour this early evening after we gave him a bath and a bottle. He was too tired to get into sleep..poor guy. Jim was frustrated and exhausted, so we just let him stay up instead of trying to put him to sleep. My mom then helped to change his diaper and clothes, he then fell asleep for an hour before waking up for a bottle. We have been having difficulties putting him down in his bed. Sometimes, he will cry or wake up when we put him in his bed even if he is already sleeping in our arms. It's just hard to know what to do sometimes when he cries for so long.
Posted by Winnie 9:33 PM