Going to IHOP on free pancake day has become a tradition for us. Although it has become more popular, the turnover is fast, so the wait is not too bad. We always end up surrounded by local high schoolers, which makes for interesting people-watching. The event is also a fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network, so it is a win-win.
Handcrafted Goodness
n is currently learning about wood for his science unit in kindergarten. A dad of one of his classmates came in to talk about his wood-working hobby. He also made a mini dry erase board for each person in the class. I was seriously so impressed by its clever design! There is a hole on the top where the dry erase marker goes. The top piece of wood swivels to cover the hole so the pen does not fall out, and there is a small magnet to keep the top in place. Genius!
National Napping Day
Did you know that today is National Napping Day? I took this picture on Saturday, but I thought it was appropriate to post today. This is proof that n can still fall asleep anywhere. Keep in mind that this brief cat nap was taken before the switch to Daylight Savings Time!
Cacao Chaos
Recently, we were sent a box of chocolates from Cacao Chaos. The chocolates were beautifully crafted, and the flavors were somewhat “exotic”. Our family’s favorite was mango (no surprise), but I also especially enjoyed the chai tea flavor.
A Tale of Two Sandwiches
Last week, we scored on free sandwiches. The first was from the grand opening event at The Bronx Sandwich Company, in Tustin. The pastrami sandwiches were really good! I also liked the bread, which is from OC Baking Co., I believe. The regular deli sandwiches were okay, but we’ll be back for the pastrami. 
The second free sandwich was from the Corner Bakery. They had sign-ups for their Asian pork sandwich. It was pretty good, if you are not expecting an authentic bank mi. I really liked the flavorful dipping sauce that came with it, since the pork did not have much flavor on its own. The canned jalapeño peppers were not a nice touch–reminded me of nachos at a baseball game. However, the rest of the vegetables were nice and fresh and crunchy. They provided a nice contrast to the soft meat and bread.
The Case of the Mysterious Sock
Somehow, one of n’s socks became precariously perched on the top edge of a picture frame that is just a few inches below the ceiling. I had to laugh when I saw it, and neither child has taken responsibility for it. I left it up there, partly out of sheer laziness, and partly to see how long it would take D to notice it. I think it has been about five days, and D just noticed it this morning. 🙂
MasterChef Jr. Viewing Party
There are not many television shows that we watch as a family. One of the few that appeals to all of us is “MasterChef Jr.” The kids like watching the kids cook and D and I just like to watch cooking competition shows. 🙂 Therefore, I was excited to win a prize from MasterChef Jr. which included fancy hot chocolates on a stick and branded mugs. We made the hot chocolate and had fun sipping it while watching the latest episode.
*One other show we like to watch together is “Travel With Kids”, which is on Amazon Prime.
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A Sick Valentine’s Day
Although this picture shows all smiles for Valentine’s Day, it has been a rough few days. n missed school on Wednesday and Thursday because he was coughing and had a fever. This triggered his asthma, and at one point I was SO close to taking him to the ER. Thankfully, he is now on the mend, but we are still putting him on the nebulizer in the middle of the night. He had to miss his Valentine’s Day party at school, which was sad. However, I had another mom pass out his Valentine cards and collect the other cards for him, so that definitely cheered him up!
After ten plus years, it was time to say good-bye to our refrigerator. It has seen us through an apartment in Los Angeles, a condo in Anaheim, and was still running fine in our current house. However, we bought it when we were a family of two, and it just was not serving our needs anymore. I always get nervous when making a big purchase, so it took me a good while to pull the trigger. I must say, I am liking it so far!
Nekter Acai Bowl
Last year I won a gift certificate to a juice bar called Nekter. A couple of weeks ago, we paid a visit and tried our first acai bowl. Since the normal recipe calls for cashew milk, we subbed in coconut water instead. Fortunately, the granola is nut-free, although we ordered it on the side, just to be safe. I really enjoyed all of the fruit on top. It was a refreshing, healthy treat! 
