10 things I am loving lately

There are so many things of our “life” lately that I love.

#1. Taking the girls to dine out! One day we went out of breakfast food at home and I asked the girls if they wanted to brunch. The answer was obvious. We had a Le Pain Quotidien close by so we went there. It was not quite the same experience as pre-pandemic as everything was packed as takeout. Yet, the girls enjoyed every bite of the belgium waffle and croissant with the hot chocolate (that they ended up drinking cold)

#2. Having two helpers with groceries. We go to Trader Joes and Whole Foods almost everyday to pick up few things. Girls have been helping me to carry them when daddy is not around. I love that they feel sense of being part of the family to share the burden of chores. In Manila, they barely did any chore because we had helper.

#3. All the playgrounds. It was amazing how much playgrounds can bring joy for the kids. Hubby and I tried to remember if we had any one when we were kids, and we can’t remember. It was not common to have playgrounds in the neighborhood in China in the 80s. How much we’ve missed. Girls love all the playgrounds we have visited, they are happily play there for hours without getting bored.

#4. Riding public transportation with the girls. They are used to cars, mostly with our driver in Manila. So not having a car in DC is very different. We have to either walk, take metro or bus everywhere we go. I was worried that girls would complain but actually they just thought it was an adventure. When we had to wait for bus, they’d happily eat some snacks or explore the area together.

and when we ride metro, Sofia loves to play the game of daddy telling her a station and she’ll find it in the map. Lizzy meanwhile likes to pretend “surfing”

#5. Husband cooks dinner. He rarely cooks but since we’ve here, he has taken up more opportunities to make dinner. Nothing fancy but I’m so happy that I’m not the only one responsible to feed the family. I’m also giving tons of positive reinforcement so he keeps cooking 🙂

#6. Taking walks with the girls. Sofia likes to walk but not Lizzy. But lately as we walk few miles a day, she’s getting better at it. She doesn’t complain anymore and is enjoying the new neighborhoods.

#7. Shopping! I’ve been ordering so many things since we arrive. Some of our clothes just broke magically and we are needing more. I love how convenient is to shop in the US, all online shopping and easy free return shipping. I’ve been intrigued by apparel in amazon and have ordered some with excitement. Unfortunately the sizing didn’t work for me and had to return all clothes ordered in amazon. On the other hand, nordstrom is very promising and I’m already ordering more. I forgot how fun is shopping as I haven’t done much in the last 4 years. Time to stock up! 🙂

#8. Watch a series with hubby before sleep. We have 3 TVs in our little apartment, one in the living room, and one in each of the bedrooms. Hubby and I rarely watch TV together but lately we’ve been watching 1 or 2 episodes of a series before sleep in bed. It feels so special and fun.

#9. Food abundance. I’m loving all the new food we are trying lately. We love exploring trader joes and whole food for new things to try. I will start taking photos to remember then. Things that I’m particularly loving: avocado toast with organic eggs, oranges, blueberries, dark chocolate with sea salt, bok choy, greek yogurt, all kinds of cereals that girls are trying.

#10. Slow/unplanned/unrushed mornings. Now that we don’t have schedule for school and work, I don’t need to rush anyone to get up and rush to finish breakfast. Everyone takes its time to wake up, get ready, eat breakfast. It’s so relaxing. My solo time remains in the mornings but it depends on when someone wakes up. I’m less stressed about it too. If I only got 5 min before someone walks into the living room, I’d just stop what I am doing and give her/him a big hug and smile to start the day.