Chop Sticks

Ok, so we recently had some pei wei (YUMMMMM!) and while we were there, i spotted this little girl (who was totally american, not even chinese!) eating with chop sticks and i was so jealous! Yes, it sounds so immature, but i really want to be able to eat chinese food with chop sticks darn it! And every time i try i end up getting so frustrated and break them in half, or in this most recent case, just tossed them to Jackson and he had fun banging things with them. Why is this so difficult?

Well, i decided i am going to learn and i am going to be good at it! thankfully in this techical age, we can find anything on the internet, so here is what i found, courtesy of Wikipedia, i hope it helps you too! :)

Here's how to say goodbye to that fork for good and put those chopsticks to work!

Things you will need: Chop sticks and food

Step 1: Pick up the first chopstick with the middle finger and thumb. Stiffen your hand for a firm grip. Have the broad end of the chopstick lay on the part where your thumb and index finger connect. Rest the narrow end on the tip of your ring finger, and hold it in place with the tip of your middle finger. (Hint: try holding it the way you hold a pen to write. It might rest on your ring finger or your middle finger, held in place by your index finger. Place the chopstick then lift your index finger so it can hold the second chopstick.)

Step 2: Grip the second chopstick with your index finger. Place your thumb over the second chopstick. Adjust your grip to a more comfortable position. Make sure the narrow tips of the chopsticks are even with each other to help prevent them from crossing or being unable to "pinch" the food.

Step 3: Hold it steady. This chopstick should not move when you attempt to pick up food. Alternatively, hold the first chopstick steady and move the second (top) chopstick by moving the tip of your index finger up and down while the thumb remains relatively steady, acting like a pivot point. The top chopstick remains pressed to the index finger from the tip through the first joint. The movement comes from flexing the joint closest to the knuckle. Straightening your index finger opens the chopsticks and bending it closes them, with perhaps a slight flexing of the thumb to keep the chopsticks lined up with each other. (Note: this alternative is different from the photos in how the top chopstick is held. The movement comes from the top chopstick, not the bottom one, so the top chopstick is held so that it can be moved easily. Use the method that is comfortable for you.)

Step 4: Practice opening and closing the chopsticks. Make sure the broad ends of the chopsticks do not make an "X" as this will make it difficult to pick up food.

Step 5: Pick up food at a good angle (try roughly 45 degrees from the plate); slightly lift it up. If it feels unstable, put it down and try again. (and no, that is not me in the picture.)

Ok, so was this totally useless for anyone else??

i will master this before i die...i will!!

This picture of grumpy Jackson taken last week before church, explains how i feel right now b/c using chop sticks is too hard!

A spankin new haircut!

Check out Jackson's new do guys!!

He got his hair cut REAL short! :)

A Blessing or a Curse?

Ok, so i know it's been FOREVA since i've written. Life has been a little crazy, and of course, work has been a little busy too. I have had to do actual work and i haven't had time to blog at work. How dare they?!?

Anyway, my family was in town for Easter and it was a wonderful time! We haven't seen them since November!! I know, for some that may not seem like a long time, but being as close to my family as i am, i was deeply looking forward to their visit and our time in Nash-vegas together. I miss them so!

Every time i am around my family i feel like i see something new about why i am the way that i am. Why i am who i am. And don't get me wrong - so many of the things my parents have instilled in me are fabulous, but here are a few that make me cringe...in a good way of course. (I love you mom and dad!)

1. Not being able to leave the bed UNmade: i know, this doesn't sound like a huge deal, but it's very anal and i figured out i could save 9.1 hours a year if i didn't make the bed every single day. Josh always tries to convince me to just leave the bed and not make it every morning. I JUST CAN'T!! And, i realized when my parents were here, that my mom has to make her bed (even if she's a guest somewhere) every day!! And most days, no one else even enters our home, but i still have to have it made anyway. WHY????????????

2. Go Go GO! My mom just can't sit down and relax...my dad neither for that matter. From the moment that last drip of her early morning coffee goes down, my mom is flying 90 mph and starting laundry and vacuuming and running to the grocery store (and i wasn't not even awake yet.) Both parents really have a lot of energy and don't really sit down or relax until the day is done, or they've crossed everything off their to do list. My husband on the other hand, could sit and watch a 2 hour movie any time of the day. I cannot.

3. Planning meals: My mom is always planning our next meal. But it's just so funny, we just finished lunch, and she raises the question of up what kind of pizza we are ordering for dinner. If she wouldn't ask, i prolly would beat her to it b/c naturally, i now do that too. This is so foreign to my laid back, minimal planning husband.

4. The love of Sweets: I have a sweet tooth - plain and simple. i have to have my dessert/candy/ chocolate fix daily at some point. All in moderation i say, right? But, a clue that this came from my good ole Daddy, is that while they were here, it was a nightly ritual that he'd seek out my candy bucket and ravage through it as if he hadn't eaten all day. Oh yes, it was hard for me to share my candy, but ya know, he prolly bought most of it, so i guess i should let him eat it right? Thanks dad for buying me more peanut M&Ms, you're the best. :)

5. Talking Loudly: Yes, this again is from my mother. I can't help it, but the volume of my voice naturally escalates when i am on the phone. Or, even if i am not on the phone. Sometimes it's not a big deal, but at times, it's a bit much. i know, i know.

6. The need for SPACE: I think every person in my immediate family needs serious space from other people, space from talking to anyone, and simply space from any responsibility - after a long day, or long week. Well, Ben is the exception, but that makes sense. :) Some people don't need space and are fine with a non-stop, always "on" lifestyle. Not me, not my sister, and not my mom and dad. I am a happier person, after some solitude and quiet.

Ok, let's switch gears for a minute.

Things my parents can do, but i simply cannot: (Why didn't they pass THESE things on to me??)

1. The ability to take a good nap: I know, i said above that they go go go, but how come they can also take a nap so easily? My parents, and sister and brother ALL have no problem just taking a nap in the midst of noise in a well lit room. I cannot. How come i can't just let things go and relax and take a 20 minute siesta??

2. The ability to make my "whites" so bright! No, i am not talking about my teeth, i am talking laundry. Yes, my mom flat out showed me how dingy some of our light laundry was. It's all good, many of our white socks are quite dingy, BUT now they aren't. Not after she got a hold of them and washed them.

3. The ability to cook a mean meal - and cook it FAST! Yes, another thing my mom can do is quickly cook a great meal without making a huge mess. And she can still have a conversation with you while she's doing it. Josh now knows he must steer clear of the kitchen when i am trying to cook a new recipe b/c i just simply cannot concentrate with him all up in my chillin'. And it looks like a tornado hit the kitchen when i'm done. But yum, miss mom's good meals.

4. Run marathons: Yes, the discipline and motivation involved in this is incredible. I am so proud of my dad for his consistency in training for marathons, or a half marathon for that matter. I feel as though i am a very disciplined person, but in this area, i could care less and would stand up a running partner any day due to the simple fact that running doesn't sound too fun to me. You go Dad, Kari & Ben - so proud of you!

All in all, i definitely inherited more wonderful qualities, than negative ones from my sweet parents, and i am so grateful for all the godly things they've shown me over my 29 years. It's just funny to see "them" in my ways now. And despite some of the quirks that i've acquired from them, oh well - gotta love those too!