Tiger or not Tiger Mom

For reading I don't consider myself a Tiger Mom, but definitely more strict than American standards, but less than other Chinese parents.

I think back to my childhood.  I don't remember my parents telling me to study, I did it on my own.  I had pretty good grades specially in math and science, but had a lazy side too (History was my kryptonite).

Homework was only a struggle with Mason in K.  He has been pretty self sufficient in 1st and 2nd.  He had both great teachers and we are amazed by how fast he learns new concepts and how much he reads. His IOWA assessment has his grade level equivalent at 5.1 at the end of 2nd grade.  In word analysis he has a GE of 7.3 and Math his GE is 6.0.  Listening (haha) is he lowest at 3.9.  

Audrey leaped ahead this year.  She started Kindergarten not reading, and homework has been a struggle, she has done great.  Her NWEA assessment at the end of K was 185 for Reading (2nd grade/99%ile) and 191 (3rd grade/99%ile) and identified GT in Math.

We are so amazed and proud of their hard work, and although they both have optional Summer packets, we are letting them decide how much they want to do.

8!

Mason turned 8 today!  We had a party at Battle Datz (nerf gun battle place) with about 12 kids.  It was a lot of fun!  He got about $250 in gift cards to use towards LEGOs and 2 larges sets from us, Gong Gong and Bubu (Helicarrier) and his friend Nat (AT-AT).  He also got a robotics kit and Nerf guns.  

I know I say it every year, but it's been so fast and I can't believe he is 8!  I'm honored to be his Mom.  Mason is compassionate, kind, smart and funny.  He is a wonderful boy!  

Italy!

My cousin Alice (my mother's borther's daughter) from Brazil, who lives/works in Hong Kong, is getting married to an Italian in Ancona, Italy this September.  At first, I didn't think of going.  That tends to be my initial reaction as we already had Summer vacations planned out, the wedding is after schools started, and it is a long trip from Denver x4 tickets.  Then, days later, after my parents made their arrangements, which included a trip to Crotia and Venice, I started thinking that we should go too!

I am not terribly close to my 4 cousins on my Mom's side mainly because they are all younger than me.  Alice is the oldest of them and she is 3 years younger, which doesn't seem much when you are 30 or 40, but a lot when you are less than 15.  

My Mom was also not as close to her 3 siblings back then, since she grew up on Shanghai and they in Taiwan.  They gotten closer over the years, but they will always lack the closeness siblings share when they grow up together.

But I do want to celebrate with Alice, meet her fiancé/future husband, see my uncles and aunts, and have them meet my kids (they have met Bill many years ago when we went to Brazil), and see Alice's younger sister, meet her husband and her baby.  It is a family reunion opportunity that doesn't come often.  

So, we have booked flights and will be going to Italy!  We cancelled the week trip to SF we were planning to take in August, so we can save up our vacation, and to be rebooked at later this Fall. We will be flying in and out of Rome, spending some days in Rome and Florence before going to the wedding. 10 days in total!  

Kitchen renovation

Our stove top has been slowly dying over the last couple of years.  It won't turn on easily or at all some times, and we don't have much control over the flames (it is basically one BTU all the time no matter how you turn the knob).  

So, we decided it was time to replace it.  And if we were to replace it, it meant we could replace the counter tops (dark granite tiles) with a solid surface and I wanted a light color I could tell when the counters were dirty.  The change in countertops leads to switching out the backsplash and sink.  I love my Kholer executive chef cast iron sink, deep and large on both sides.  I couldn't find anything of comparable size, so we are getting the exact same sink but the undermount version.

That is the typical sock leads to a whole new outfit scenario.  Although we are not switching out the cabinets or other appliances.  It is still a good amount of work.

We looked for different materials and colors of Quartz counters and backsplashes; found contractors/fabricators and got 3 bids.  And most importantly found the stovetop replacement we wanted - Jenn Air, larger 5 burners of diffenrent sizes has stovetop.

Scheduled and ready to go, we were counting on a 3-day demolition, install and backsplash process...  Until...  They found mold behind the sink cabinets due to poor caulking of the previous countertops.

The cabinets were damaged and had to be replaced that area.  Which leads to a 3-week wait to get new cabinets made (we actually found the original cabinet makers of this house).  

We LOVE the new countertops, backsplash, and stovetop.  We also added a overhang for the island so we can add a couple of barstools.  But we don't have a sink for 3 weeks.  We will have to manage with the laundry room sink for now.  I know, first world problems.  We are excited how everything has turned out so far.

Cupertino x 2 and Chicago

Kids are at Summer camp, weekly swim team and piano for Mason, dance, piano (she just started late May) and swim for Audrey.  Schedules are easier to coordinate as they are both at Broomfield Academy.  

I've 2 trips to Cupertino for work and Bill had a work trip to Chicago for a conference all in the past 2 1/2 weeks in June.  As my new boss is in Cupertino and I will have 2 reports there, my trips will probably continue to be frequent.

To add, I've been sick for the past week - sore throat and a cough that won't go away.  I am certain I got if from the lady sitting next to me on my first trip out to California this month.  You can't really isolate germs in such close quarters.  Luckily, kids and Bill seem fine.  

Weather in Colorado has been crazy: tornadoes, thunderstorms, hail, sunshine, rain, you name it, we had it.  But at least we have water (see the sad Californa lake picture I took from the plane).  Actually we have too much water resulting in flooding in many areas.