Day 1

Of my golf trip. Looks like you did okay with The Baniqueds. Thank you. Golf is always better than not golfing. So that’s how the day went for daddy.

Tomorrow you get go enjoy your first mommy trip. Team Matcha Boba. I hope you guys have a great time. Mommy has lots of help once you get to Buffalo, but none on flights. Please be on your best and cutest behavior. I owe you one.

Wild Wednesday

It wasn't as busy as I thought it would be, but there's still a few things I wanted done before I left. I'm currently working on laundry. Also feeling bad that you're not taking my trip that well. Sorry.

Mommy didn't make it any better. She really enjoys seeing you cry buddy. Anyhow, I hope you and mommy have a safe and fun trip. Please try to bear with her. She really wants to travel on her own with you...I'm not sure if I'll be able to blog while I'm gone. I probably can post it, but I will try to keep writing. Love you. See you when I get back.

Terrific Tuesday?

"We Are Terrific!!!" Yes, we are. You, Mommy, and Me! Team Matcha Boba Milk Tea!!! I'm sorry we had a lot of hiccups today, but you still got to spend a lot of time with your family. You got to eat, drink, play and watch. Sorry it wasn't windy enough for your kite?

We finally made it home after a long day. Hope you enjoy the last couple days with Ong and Ba. You'll see them in Buffalo, but they're going home soon. I'll be gone for a little bit too. 

Monday Friday

We're off tomorrow, so today is like a Friday. Not sure what we're doing still, but I think we're supposed to do something. You were the winner today at So. Mommy probably doesn't like it, but YouTube was a good alarm clock this morning. I was able to make it to work earlier than plan.

It seems like you were okay hanging out with Ong and Ba while mommy and I went to the movies. That's good for future outings. I heard you didn't do well at My Gym, but you did okay. Miss Sana is nice. You need to be nice and good too. Hopefully, a day away from So won't make it bad, but you'll also be gone Friday. Praying that you have a safe and good trip with mommy to Buffalo. I'll see you when you get back.

Swim Sunday

Thanks for being a champ today. You did a lot. You did pretty good. We went to church early (you were a little whiney). We went to My Gym (you got promoted). We went to swim lessons (you talked a lot). You took a nap (and peed in your pants). We went to Shabu Gen (you ate okay). You slept with daddy (then you wanted mommy).

I'm sorry I have to wake you up early tomorrow and that I'll be wearing buttons. I hope you'll wake up happy and okay on your own. Mommy will pick you up early tomorrow and try to take you to My Gym. Then we get our last trip with Ong Ba before they go home. Hopefully we have a safe, fun, successful trip. See you in the morning buddy.

Long Day

That's today. You only napped 1.5 hours so I hope that's enough. Sorry, you didn't do so well at JJ today, but at least you "passed". Anyhow, we're waiting for mommy to get home so we can go to Uncle Eric and Aunty Tham's for cousins Ben and Chase birthday party. Maybe Uncle Truong will bring your kite...

Uncle Matt is into golf now. I might see if he wants these clubs the next time I'm in SoCal. He hits the ball much farther than daddy, sorry. But I think I can still beat him. Hope you're enjoying your time with Ba right now. I'm upstairs blogging and organizing. We're gonna leave soon. I need to go check on the laundry. You might get out of swimming tomorrow. Uncle Peter says I should let you skip it. We'll see what mommy decides...

Life Is...

Whatever you make of it. Today, your mommy and I tried to make it better for you. We won't know if we'll be successful or not, but we tried. Depending on mommy, we'll keep trying. We know you did not ask for life, so we want to make sure that we can give you the best life and chance at the best life as we can.

I also know, from personal experience, that what I think is the best, may not be what you decide is the best. I just hope you know that even though I'm a fan of results, you consider my intention when you're old enough to decide life for yourself. You always surprise me. Sometimes it's bad. Sometimes it's good. Tonight, you wanted me to sleep with you because "the ghosts might get me". Thank you for caring. Thank you for wanting to sleep with me. I didn't want to wake you up early since I have to get up early. I wish I could golf and go to your activities, but at least mommy and Ba will be there. Plus I don't think you'll miss me there yet. But know, that if something is important to you, I'll try my best to make it work.

Consequences

I know you know the word and I'm pretty sure you understand the meaning. Here is an example of consequences. I was changing the lightbulb today and I was thinking about climbing down the ladder to throw away the burnt out one, but instead, I took the risk of trying to toss it in the garbage can knowing that there's a possibility that it would miss and break.

And it did. Sometimes I may not even think that bad things can happen and they do. Actions have consequences whether we know them or not. Whether they happen or not. Sometimes things can't be avoided. A lot of time though, you can minimize negative consequences by thinking beforehand, pausing before acting and making the right (sometimes difficult) choices. I tried to vacuum everything up, but hopefully I got it all. I would hate for someone to step on broken glass because of me...

A Long Time

Daddy rarely takes a long time. It's not that I rush things or do a half job, but it's more about being efficient, flexible, and have purpose. Here's a blast from the past. My golf buddies made fun of my back acne. I should have told them it's a side effect of pregnancy...

Anyhow, I can't reiterate enough how time is a limited resource. It's really important that you make the most of it. Sadly, it's not like money where you know how much you have and you can make more. We don't know how long we're here for so we gotta do the best with the time we have. I'm not saying you should spend your time running errands efficiently. It would be best if you didn't have too many errands to run. What I am saying is that whatever it is that you're doing, try to do it with purpose and efficiency so that you have more time to do other things. I don't know if you notice me working a lot, but I do that so I can have more time to do other things as well...

You Decide

There's a lot of ways to say the same thing, but saying it differently, might hit differently and make an impact. You have to make the most of the opportunities you have. Whether that's time, money, emotions, etc. Today I made the most of my time, money and opportunities by golfing, having lunch with mommy, going to office and working, getting you more jerky...

I didn't make the most of my emotions though. I let them get the best of me and I'm not proud of that. I don't think anyone saw it, but I felt it and I think, you have to be your own toughest critic (to some extent). So I hold myself to a higher standard and need to do better. I hope you're better at emotional intelligence than I am. I truly believe it's a skill that will serve you well. I need to be a better example for you too...

420

May you never know what this means. Unfortunately, I can't really control that. You did a good job impressing Ba with your knowledge of numbers. I'm not a good teacher, but hopefully you're understanding how to read double digit numbers. I can't tell if you're just matching the puzzle or the numbers, but either way requires some thought. Did Bac Kieu really give this to you?

You had a good poop today too. I'm sorry mommy is gone, but we're doing just fine. I think we'd do pretty good without Ong Ba as well, but you might as well spend time with them while you can so I can blog. I'm not sure you understand the benefits of getting things done or waiting, but I really tried to get you to shower early, but you wanted to wait. It's not like you were doing anything, but now we have to shower later. I hope you're not in a bad mood at that time. Mommy's halfway through her workday, but I hope you're sleeping before she gets home...

Family Time

San Jose Edition...It was a long day for sure. Thanks for sharing your stories with me. I think you did a decent job of being behaved considering the circumstances. I was surprised that you said you wanted to go back there again. That's nice, Thuy Vy really likes you. I feel like your Ba there wasn't as mean as she usually is. It's always still a little scary going there. I'm glad it doesn't seem like you notice that vibe.

I don't thing Ong Ba from Syracuse can go with us next time though, so it'll be just Team Boba. Extra pressure on us to entertain everyone. This is why I like big groups, but your mommy likes more one on one which means more work on each person. Anyhow, I'm thinking this Vinh Stories might be a good series...

Be Careful

I cut myself today trying to clean the mandolin. Luckily it didn't happen while I was cutting the mangoes. Anyhow, it probably couldn't have been avoided as I got cut because the blade cut through the sponge. Next time I'll just use the dishwasher, but I was trying to keep things organized and clean since there's not a lot of space right now. Try to focus on what you're doing, multitasking or being distracted is dangerous (like the jellyfish book). You never know...

Also, try to get things done when you have time. Don't try to do too much. I heard today, that busyness is not a good thing. It can be a sign that you can't say no, or can't prioritize your time. I never thought about it that way. I wish I could have golfed today, but I had lots of other things to do. So does that mean I need to say no more? I'm not sure if that advice applies to me, but for you, I do hope you are good at setting good boundaries. That's something I hope for you. I'm getting this blog done in case I don't have time tonight. I also tried to get work done because I'm not going to have time this weekend and Monday will be a long day for us all...I don't think I could have said no to any of those things...

Olivia Tran

You got a new cousin today. It reminds me that newborn babies are not cute. You weren't cute either, but you're super cute now. We also got new parts for your Tesla :( When we actually meet Olivia, please make sure you're careful and nice to her. Make sure you're nice to her mommy and daddy too. They're good people.

I'm sorry you had to go with mommy to So today. I'll try to pick you up a little early so we can go get you some more milk. No one told me you were out of the portable milks...We need to get you some eggs too. It's going to be a super busy weekend. Sorry about that. Sunday is gonna suck extra because you'll probably be home late and it's right back to So the next day. At least you don't have to work...

Errands

Thanks for running errands with me (and your Ong Ba Ngoai). Sorry it took longer than expected. We can go to Sam's Club on our own tomorrow. It'll be easy peasy lemon squeazy. I will not get an ice cream because that experience sucked last time. But I do need to get gas. Not sure what car we're taking Sunday to San Jose...

We say your Aunty Yen at SF Market today. She's nice to you as well. Too bad you probably may not see Eastin in the future once everyone stops going to My Gym (maybe not). Who knows. Anyhow, I'm glad we got some clarity on your chim. I think I'm going to try to error on the safe side and be preventative if possible in the future. It could be more expensive and cost more time, but it will prevent more headaches I hope (and if we can afford it)...

Forward Progress

It's tempting to try to do too much. It's also easy to wallow in despair when there's a lot to do. I was able to "fix" the garage today. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to fix your chim :( I hate, not knowing what to do, but when that happens, I think I would tell others to error on the side of caution (especially if they can). So since we have time and money, we might have to take you to the Urgent Care. It's too bad they don't have a frequent stamp card. Although, we haven't been there in a while.

Can you tell the difference between today and yesterday? I hope this stays good for "a while". We don't want to spend money on things we don't need or things we just need to work. Eventually, mommy wants a fancy one...I will probably google your condition to see what I can do. This is really gonna mess up the algorithm and my browser history...

Lemons and Lemonade

Life often doesn't care what you're going through. Sometimes, it's just gonna throw you lemons. You need to find things to do with those lemons. Otherwise, you're going to be stuck with a lot of lemons and nothing to do. An often used option is to make lemonade or other lemon things. Another option is to try to not be around lemon trees if you don't want any more lemons.

I'm sorry about your tickling chim problem. I hope it gets better tomorrow. It really sucks for me when your or your ong ba noi have issues. I wish I could take over the pain and discomfort for you, but that's not how it works unfortunately. Hopefully, you'll be able to better describe your issues so we can better address them. Until then, pray...

April 13th

Wasn't a Friday, but it was still pretty unlucky, but at least I got to go swimming with your Uncles. Look at Aunty Kim's Market. You're so lucky you got to enjoy some treats from her store. I'm sorry that Ong and Ba haven't been playing with you as much as you want. Same goes for Mommy and Daddy. That's why it's really important that you learn to be independent, so you don't need to rely on others. 

Speaking of others. I've told you before to learn from other people's mistakes because you'll make plenty of your own. I also think it's important that you try to keep people that bring you stress or don't bring joy to your life at a distance. Unfortunately, there will be times and people whom you can't avoid. That being said, try not to invite stress into your life. It will find a way to get in on its own...

You're Grounded

So you have to stay with me. Because I love you. Those are some pretty touching and hilarious words. You definitely say the darnedest things. I'm sorry that you had a little scare at my gym today, but I'm glad you overcame it eventually (I hope parents didn't judge my handling of the situation). I'm sorry it rained as well, but at least you had a jacket. Hopefully you were warm enough. Looks like today is the last day of rain for now. I'm worried still how cold your swim class will be Friday (it's not on the calendar...)

Anyhow, you did good and you ate well so far. There will be a treat waiting for you when you wake up. Mommy can help you figure out that "snack" we bought at the store today. Not sure what's for dinner, but please continue to eat well. Back to So tomorrow...

Golf Saturdays

I have to be honest, I actually shot a 79. It says 77 because that's what it should have been. Anyhow. I hope you're okay with me not going to Jiu Jitsu with you and mommy. If it makes you feel better, apparently, I'm going with you next Saturday (so I can't golf, www). And I'm going to be with you all day tomorrow :)

I hope you find something positive and productive you can turn to for enjoyment and relaxation (hopefully not something negative and detrimental like drugs). It's important to have good hobbies and good habits and good friends for that matter. It was just Uncle Peter and me, but it was still fun. It's too bad Uncle Tao can't golf anymore. I wonder if he wants to go hang out on the course. I hope they'll remain part of our lives for a long time.

And Then There's One

Just Vinh. Fin Fin and Lucas went home. You can still call and ground them if you want. I'm sorry they're not the nicest cousins. I hope you didn't pick up any habits. I'm also sorry you have to treat them differently for now. I would normally tell you it's okay to smack people who harass you, but I don't think mommy is going to be okay if you smack them.

I'm sorry Finley didn't share with you and I told you it's okay since she's leaving tonight and that you need to still share with her. In general, I don't think you should let people make you do bad things. Sharing and not smacking people are good things, but there will be times when you have to break that rule. Maybe next year I'll be okay with you smacking them. You're starting school soon and you'll need to learn to develop the skills to defend yourself and knowledge to know when. I need to stop confusing you with complex rules that differ for family and strangers. Family may not like it, but if they misbehave, they need to be smacked or disavowed. You did a good job ignoring them as much as you could. I'm proud of you for that. 

Quiet Time

Man, the house is so quiet. I guess it's like this on normal days when I'm working from home, but it feels different at night being so quiet. Sucks that I couldn't go with you to Wolf Lodge, but it also sucks that I can't really do anything cool while you're gone. So I guess it balances out. 

I cleaned the house, did the laundry, did the dishes. So just a normal night, but quiet. Don't be sad okay? Have fun with your family. I'll see you tomorrow. You're my favorite :)

Frienemies - Team Vinhley

That's your relationship with Finley. I know you try. I know you shared with her and she didn't share back with you. I know you play with her and she doesn't play with you. It's okay. At least you're doing what you're supposed to do. The real world is not the same as your home...You're going to spend the next few days with her and without Daddy. I hope you'll be okay. It's good to get some time away. Maybe you can build a deeper bond with mommy or something.

I'll be waiting here when you get back. Then Finley and Lucas and Aunty Trang will go home. It'll just be Team Boba and Ong and Ba. Life moves fast. I know you'll want to go home and see me, but I'll be here. Enjoy your time with people that won't be here for a "long time". Don't pick up any bad habits okay? 

Photos By Vinh

Haven't seen your photographs yet, but the photos of you photographing are amazing. Maybe you can be a photographer priest? You can make miracles happen and photograph them? 

I don't know how much was not captured by the photos, but it appears you had a great time today. Glad you were able to spend time with your family. Hopefully, this time away from So won't have the regression effects your "vacations" usually do. You still have to go back tomorrow, but then you get to skip So on Thursday and Friday. You'll probably be confused what day it is and where you're going now LOL. See you in a bit buddy. Guess who else is coming? Ong and Ba from Syracuse. Unfortunately, Uncle Brother Boy is not, but you'll see him in a few weeks for a little bit.
 

Manic Monday

Only half a day with the Howards and man, what a day...I'm sorry that they didn't want to play with you at some points, but that's okay. I don't think mommy should have forced them too. They don't know how cool you are and that you don't want to play with them either. I do hope you guys figure it out though. They're only here for a week. Time goes by face.

By the way, Finley beat you at Tic-Tac-Toe. I don't think you understand that you need 3 Xs or Os in a row. She got 3 O's... Remember, it's okay not to be the winner. You can't win everything. You can't get everything when you want it. Patience and losing gracefully are going to be good life skills and good for your emotional intelligence. 

He Is Risen

Or is it has risen...Anyhow, Jesus came back today. Sorry My Gym was closed, but you still got to play at the park with Mommy. Maybe you can go see Miss Sana tomorrow with Mommy or I can possibly take you Tuesday. Glad we already did an Easter Egg hunt yesterday so we can not worry too much about having one today. Maybe we can just share eggs with your cousins, but not actually do a hunt...

Today is your last day of being the only kid in the house for a week. Please don't tell our guests to go home. Be nice okay? I know you've been enjoying candy the last few days, but we're going to have to get back on track now. Candy will be done soon and just a treat. Sorry you can't nap today, but you don't like napping or sleeping anyway. Some day I'm going to tell you how hard it was to make you sleep...

Easter Vigil

And Adriana's baptism. It was also the Easter Egg hunt for your jiu jitsu gym. Sorry we got there early and had to leave before winning the raffle. We'll plan better next time. It was a good time though. Although I was surprised you didn't want to get your face painted. I hope you take time and your use of time seriously when you get older. I hope you don't waste your own time or others.

I know you may have felt that sitting in Church today for 4 hours was a waste of time, but you got to see some of your Aunties and Uncles today. You got to share in the celebration for Adriana. And you got to get church done so you have more time to not go to church tomorrow. And mommy was probably super happy we went. I'm tired. I need a nap, but we have a few things to do today....

Good Friday

Sorry church today took ages. At least mommy was happy that you kissed the cross (I thought you were kissing feet...). Anyhow, enjoy not having to starve or refrain from meat while you can. Some day soon, you'll have to suffer like us (not like the hypocrites on the street who have already received their reward). Did you have fund have fun on today's episode of Daddy Day Care?

This time next week we're gonna have a full house. Remember to enjoy it while you can. Your cousin and uncle and aunty are only here a short time. Your grandparents from the East Coast will be here a little longer. I would say you'll see them again in a few weeks, but that will be a short trip. I wonder if you know what died/killed means. Jesus was killed today, but don't worry, he's coming back. However, please note, that most things that die or get killed don't come back. So don't kill or die anything.

Holy Thursday

I'm taking a break from work to blog. Not sure how much time I'll have tonight since we're going to mass and then you gotta eat dinner and we got the whole evening activities...Do you know where this photo came from? I have no idea. If you took it, that's pretty good...Anyhow, just a reminder that life is a little what happens to you, and a lot what you make of it. Resources are limited and how you use them is reflective of you and your priorities.

As you get older, you'll get more choices and freedom. I hope that we do a good job of providing you the upbringing to help you make the most of your life and opportunities. That being said, I'll start prioritizing my health and wellbeing so that I can be around for you as long as you want me. 

April Fools

Today was no joke or laughing matter. I had a lot to do at work. Aunty Lorraine is on vacation. Look who's still taking photos. Your lunch photo on Sundays was better. It's Hump Day today and we're almost to Easter. Sorry mommy is making us go to church extra this week, but I'll go so you don't have to be alone...

I was really disappointed with you today at Sam's Club. My reaction was probably multiplied by my frustration with the workers and for that I'm sorry. I do need you to remember to keep your shoes on outside the house and off inside the house. In both cases, there are exceptions. If you need one, ask. Like the beach...