Tag Archives: family
Imagine this miracle and future
Sorry about the messy draft, Writing from my phone. But I wanted to share this story because it’s stories like these, that inspire me to write and maybe some day, even write columns. More importantly though, Stories like these prove that miracles do happen and in the case of the boys being in the right place at the right time? Proves that things do happen for a reason. Happy easter everyone! ^_^
Innocent game? NOT!
So, A cautionary tale for parents with iPad or iPhone. Especially if you happen to have your credit card information within. The other day, my little lady was playing a game on my ipad. I thought that’s fine since the game was free, no harm right? Wrong! The games named Restaurant story and Bakery story have in game pop ups. They ask the children if they would like to get extra coins or gems to speed up the game. The pop ups do not ask for password or even indicate that real currency is in use. So, children of course go for the highest value and tap. A few coins here and a few coins there, All the while the developer takes every hard earned dime you made from your very pockets.
So, how did I find out about the purchases? Well. I received the bill the following day. It was $560.00. She had tapped the game 5 times to purchase extra gems etc, it really makes you wonder doesn’t it? What kind of sick twisted app developer creates games to entice children into spending real money for in game bonuses? So, watch your kids playing on your phone / tablet. Otherwise you will find a very huge surprise in the form of a very large bill waiting for you.
Cupcakes!
If there’s ever a place that my little lady will always choose to go, It will be a trip to “Original Cupcakes“. They have several locations in downtown Vancouver and they are worth the trip!
I love how they make the place so easy to find, especially with a bit of a retro feel to it. The real attraction though? is their tons of selections of cupcake, the most popular is of course red velvet cupcake and then the lemon, followed by the chocolate.
If you order a boxful, they place them into this nice package. They fit very nicely and maintains freshness in the fridge, If you’re in the area? I super recommend you hear on down for one of these delicious treats! 
An Adventure Armed With Imagination
In the recent months, I found myself more and more in love with Photography. It became a passion as I saw everything around me become my canvas, everything from simple tree branches to sunlight and the side walk marks. I don’t have a DSLR but I figured as long as I had my Iphone 4, I could work something out. So, I started with taking simple pictures such as the tree that I saw on the way home.
I sat below it for a little bit, looking up the branches and wondering what my daughter must of seen in her younger years. The branches seemed endless and they all lead to their own little paths like never ending mazes, so it gave me the inspiration to use an app called Tiny Planet. Which, allowed me to create something unique.
The iPhone / iPad app created a tunnel of branches and leafs. It took a few tweaks and eventually I created what I saw on my mind. But, then it made me wonder even more when I saw the path in the centre. Where would it lead? I needed inspiration and the curiosity of a child, so I looked through my beautiful daughter’s pictures when she was only three. She had so many questions, so much to discover and so much to try. Just imagine, at her age everything is a new discovery.
This gave me an idea, what if she was to take a walk through the tunnel and discover a new world? what wonders would she find? will she find the mythical world of the giant above the bean stalk?
Stay tuned! more updates to follow in the little lady’s adventures through the unknown! there’s a world out there to discover still!
Weekend with my little lady
This weekend was special, my little lady wanted to go shopping at Aberdeen Centre Mall. She said she needed some supplies, so after her Kumon classes we went straight there. Then after spinning around the mall parkade forever we finally found a parking spot and went straight to Daiso, i love this little Gem. Everything in there is roughly $2 bucks to $2.50 on a two for one deal for snacks, they also carry everything from household supplies to school supplies too. Unfortunately my camera battery had gone next to nothing, so i couldn’t take a lot of pictures. I wish i had it better charged, because they had decorated the entire mall into the Chinese New Year Theme, it was neat!
We also spent a great deal of time chatting about my blog, as it turns out. She had been a huge fan of it and had been keeping up with my current posts, she didn’t ask me who my poems and quotes were for but enjoyed the posts about her very much. How do i know? because this lucky dad got a kiss on the cheek and a very loving hug for the posts! reading my blog reinforced her interest in writing and in creating stories at school, i see someone quickly becoming quite the blogger here! never too early or late to teach a child the art of expressing one self either on a diary or blog
Aberdeen Centre Mall
Dancing water fountain (Goes with music)
Chinese new year decor at Aberdeen
Hello Kitty Overload!
Lady & The Tramp + Puppies
Ducks!
New Year Greetings & Sweet Moments
It’s here! the great countdown of the year, amazing isn’t it? it feels like only yesterday that we were counting down for 2011′s arrival. Where did time go? i feel like I’ve been asleep through it all, because i am still trying to remember it all. So, what was your absolute favorite thing that happened this year? the one that changed your life completely?
If you were to ask me, what changed my life? It would be having met incredible friends this year, whom am i referring to? why, all of you of course! without all of you my life wouldn’t be what it is now. Before i met you all, it was just day to day grind to work and back home and my thoughts would never be expressed, so this is me thanking all of you for a wonderful year and i wish you all the best! may you reach all your goals and dreams
My sweetest memories of 2011
Christmas Greetings And Presents!
Every year, there are only two things I look forward to. First, is spending my birthdays with my little lady and Christmas eve with her as well. She’s 10 right now, but I do know that she’s going to be a teen very soon. So, this year I have been truly blessed! I spent the second Christmas eve with her! we had a great time! watching my old childhood favorite movies such as “Honey I shrunk the kids” and “Home alone”. She didn’t understand the whole 80′s and 90′s but! isn’t that what passing on memories is all about? sharing thoughts and stories while having a great time?
Alina preparing gravy! a must have 
Turkey! we still have more than half leftover oy!
Baked marshmallow on Yam
Smoked salmon wrapped around cucumber
Greetings from me and my little lady!
Oh by the way, this year we don’t have an actual Christmas tree, we placed my aquarium in the spot that the tree normally seats. So, we bought a mini tree and put decorations on it. In the end though? it looked great! because all the gifts looked piled up good lol! so! I wanted to share it with all of you, hope you all had a great Christmas too!
Ikea shopping with my little lady
As a toddler, Alina had a tendency to grab anything made of cardboard or paper and destroying it. I guess that’s a way of learning about how things break and how things work, i have to admit. I was the same way when i was her age, but if there was ever one thing she never destroyed? it was the IKEA catalog, she would spend hours sitting down and pointing at the pictures she saw. Of course, at that age she had no idea what on earth Ikea was and she loved it when i took her there for the first time. Boy, we’d spend hours and hours! now, at the age of 10 we mainly go to shop for new living room and house decorating ideas. Also a way to catch up, today we went for some Christmas decoration ideas and to find a way to renovate my room, at the same time it was a chance for her and i to catch up on events that happened over the week. I only see her once on alternate weekends so i want to hear it all, it’s a great experience for me because she’s now 10 years old and i know that in a few years we might lose this moment. So, we decided to sit down with a cup of coffee for myself and a carton of milk for herself. With a side of a small cake, i had signed her up for more competitive swimming programs over the Christmas break. She was really excited about it, so she had a lot to tell me about what she would like to try next. I wish i had more time, i learn so much just watching her grow up
Sorry about the bad resolution, it was yummy! ice cream filling with strawberry
Almost an hour later, she wanted to go to the Kid’s section. She said she wanted to see how much things changed, reason being that she had grown up so fast. That she missed out on a lot of things, how fast? well i’m 5’11″ and her head is already past my shoulder. So, this was kind of a way for her to take a peek at how far she’s come. In some ways, it may sound like just another weekend but believe me! for a single father like myself? every moment is a precious one
If you don’t eat your greens! Mr. Carrot will come visit you? 
We wrapped up our shopping at IKEA with a bag of chips and a refilled cup of coffee along with a big smile, i got a chance to catch up some more and she got a chance to talk to me. Oh, in case some of you are asking how come i say catching up? well, things between me and my ex wife are very complicated and she won’t let me have any communication with Alina. So, we talk whenever we have a chance
Hey Ikea, how much to nail up my bed and my desk high up??
Vancouver Christmas Market!
Every Year, the city of Vancouver holds a Christmas Fair. It boasts some of the most incredible handmade crafts and traditional European dishes and toys, it’s always loads of fun because the people are friendly and it’s always great to see that the tradition of creating crafts by hand is still going strong in people’s hearts.
It’s amazing also that despite the fair being outside in the cold and weather being partly cloudy at only three degrees, the fair was packed with people from all over the city including people from out of town. Oh, when i say out of town? i mean people from as far as Germany touring the city were there looking around and they said they felt right at home! what higher praise can the organizers of the market hear huh?
The nutcrackers standing guard to these fine small ornaments!
I love this one, the nutcracker and sidekick!
I’m not sure who this is, but i liked it ^_^
This one’s amazing, when you light up the candles the propellers move! ^_^
I really wanted this one, but it costs $150.00 sigh -_-
Waffle on a stick with chocolate syrup and frosting! soooo gooood!!!
There must of been at least 400 ornaments wall to wall! O_O
Every bit of this ornament was crafted in detail by hand
Would you believe this is not fruit? it’s fruit essence soap! watermelon smells like watermelon and oranges smell like oranges etc! i wish i could of bought every single one lol!
What’s a fair without a carousel right? she looks a lil chubby because she had three layers under her, it was one cold morning!
Sweet little lady ^.^
In the past few weeks, Alina has been forgetting things at my place every time she comes for a sleepover. Then, I end up having to drop it off for her at school, why so soon? because it tends to be one of the things she really needs. Like, piano books or homework from her math and reading club! lol!
It’s funny, how kids these days imitate the little things we adults do, like finding reasons just so we can see someone again. There are times when she knows I’ll show up the next day, so she packs a little bag of cookies or a granola bar for me as a thank you for spending the recess with her. What more can a father ask for?? ^.^
Random thought
Earlier this morning, during my usual routine of sitting at the main reception area at work for the first hour i came across an interesting article. It was titled “Wash your hands before you touch mine”. The article spoke about how strangers have a habit of wanting to touch other people’s babies, When my little one was born. I thought i was paranoid when we were at the hospital and people would want to hold ‘n touch her, i of course politely declined and kept her in my arms as i didn’t want someone’s germs getting on her. Especially when she was only born a few hours! So apparently now they came out with blankets that say exactly that! “Wash your hands before you touch mine” what a great idea! gets the awkwardness of saying no out of the way right? what was the experience for you folks with your children when they were born? oh and am i making any sense on this post? 
Wonderful weekend with the sweetest daughter
This weekend sure was different, i normally would see my little lady on Saturday morning and we’d have our father ‘n daughter date. The original plan was to go catch Happy Feet 2 but she had to take her OFA Level 1 course at Saint John’s which meant i couldn’t pick her up until the afternoon, well that sure was a lot of fun finally getting to the school. Then finding out that i was out in the wonderful downpour with 6 other parents, i can appreciate the school safeguarding the students inside but yeah it wasn’t fun. Anyways, almost an hour later someone came out from the school to let us in. After i picked up my beautiful little cadet we went to do some shopping at her favorite mall! Aberdeen centre mall in Richmond to do some shopping at Daiso, can’t go wrong with $2 dollar stores that sell quality stuff from Japan including snacks!
After that, we went to our dinner date at Richmond Sushi (Yeah the link says that it is owned by a group called top gun but believe me, it’s just for the sake of the way it sounds in chinese. There are no Tom Cruise appearences i assure you). It was great! Alina and i got a chance to catch up over the week and discuss her interest in whether or not she wanted to work on her first aid skills or improve on her swimming competition readiness. She’s a natural swimmer, but she’s got a heart of gold that wants to help others so it’s a really difficult choice. Am i not such a blessed dad to have such a wonderful daughter? it was just me, her and the sushi which she absolutely loves! what a way to wrap up a stressful day for her since she was stuck in class for over 7 hours right? on Sunday, we just did some Christmas shopping and it’s pretty cute how she went from a 6 month old toddler i had to push around in a stroller to a 10 year old with wonderful gift ideas what can i say? this was the best weekend to ever ask for below, are some pictures of our hanging out and oh yeah i didn’t take a whole lot of pictures because i was too hungry at the restaurant what? i skipped lunch!
Trials and promises of a single father
My married life was complicated by several factors including a very angry mother in law, so my ex wife went through a lot of pressure being pregnant and playing mediator. In the midst of tension building up our daughter was born, she was too young to understand and went through a lot of confusion. I made a promise though at her baby crib after I held her to sleep, that I wouldn’t let this conflict hurt her.
It hasn’t been easy, my ex wife made several accusations that were all fabricated by her family and groups. But, I’ve stood my ground each time and in turn I’ve raised a very loving daughter. I won’t deny that it’s been difficult, I’ve had to go through a lot of trials but I’ve succeeded in them all. The key is to keep the children out of the conflict, this way they learn all of life’s difficult situations on their own.
-Yoshi1076
Weekend with my little lady
This Saturday, my little lady and I went to watch ” Puss in boots ” 3D. It was one of those movies I was skeptical on since this is the first time I’ve seen a character out of Shrek to star solo, but! hey! it had funny scenes and a lot of great punch lines. Although a few that made most kids go “huh?” overall though? great movie!
The only gripe I had was the theatre seemed to have problems with keeping audio going, it happens. The one other thing I hated though? was watching a mother of a child give her daughter nothing but horrid attitude, the mother grudgingly climbed a flight of stairs in the theatre and proceeded to hand her daughter a drink. The daughter was grateful and asked her mother to join her, then the mother yelled “Just take it!!” and stormed out the theatre, leaving the child completely baffled and lost in thought. It could of been a perfect moment, but then this had to happen. The father of the young girl gave her a hug and everything was alright in minutes.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter what the situation was. There’s no good reason for what happened there, the fact that the daughter wanted her mother to join? could of been a perfect afternoon, but to leave a child scarred emotionally like that? boy, it takes a different kind of low. That’s just my opinion though, my apologies if I sound harsh.
To look through innocent eyes..
I had been walking home from work earlier today as i normally do, listening to my music as usual and watching life around me. I always turn the volume down on my earphones as i walk past, there’s nothing more calming after a hectic day than the sound of children’s laughter. As i made the first of a series of turns i saw a young baby girl in her mother’s arms happily, until her father took a picture of her and she tried to reach over. Unfortunately, the father had his hands full carrying a camera. But, i could tell he really wanted to carry his baby angel. How i envied the young couple, This is the most beautiful part of parenthood. The tender love and the way a young angel says “I trust you to carry me” in her own way, they have so much to look forward to. Everything from the first steps, to the first complete sentences. If everyone was to see life in so much wonder such as that of through a child’s eyes, what a world would that be? wouldn’t it?
A blunt opinion on parenting
The other day, I overheard two different parents talk about ways to discipline their kids. One parent chose the ultimatum that either her son gets a job or she’s kicking him out of the house. The other parent was complaining about how her daughter has yet to give her anything for her bday. Yeah thats what her words were, Neither of them had any problems with everyone else hearing all this, I couldn’t help but wonder two things. First, what were they hoping to gain from doing this? and second why haven’t they considered talking to their kids? they ARE human beings too! I’m not saying I’m a perfect parent or that I have all the answers, but my daughter always tells me that her mother’s too busy to chat with her. So, what I do often is my daughter and I go out for ice cream and talk like best friends. Sometimes we go paddling a boat and just talk about my experiences when I was her age, as a result she understands my expectations and what’s on my mind too. Isn’t that much easier than ultimatums like those two parents? I certainly would think so..!
Video
A father is..
Someone who has lived his life and learned all there is, so he can pass it to his child.Someone who will sacrifice his own needs, for the sake of his child without question.Someone who understands that it is he who in part brought life, so therefore he should be responsible for his child’s actions.
Someone who sets an example of what a man should be like, to his daughter and what kind of man to grow up to be to his son.
Someone who won’t let anything get in the way of his child’s goals
Someone who will honor his wife and never give up, no matter how hard life ever gets.
Go karting weekend with my little lady
This is the first weekend I’ve spent with my little lady after my vacation, we went out to do some indoor kart racing, unfortunately i couldnt’ take my camera and drive at the same time. I guess certain rules apply even to indoors huh? anyways! we had a great time together! she’s learned a bit about drifting and i don’t have a problem with it, as long as it happens indoors lol!
Later on, we went to Londsdale Quay to do a little shopping for hair clips, we originally bought a pink one which is great because they are magnetic, meaning no teeth on the actual clips and holds on good! for $6 bucks that’s pretty good value
It was a good weekend!
This weekend wasn’t as exciting as my daughter and i had imagined it would be, we had to do some errands and look for a new digital camera that both she and i could use. I am going on vacation starting this coming Wednesday and won’t be blogging for about two weeks, so i wanted to take as many pictures as i can while i’m out. So, we celebrated that i’m getting out of town finally after awhile with cupcakes! yups! red velvet , mint , chocolate , cream cheese and sprinkles cupcake to be exact! yum!
Happy Friday Thoughts!
It’s been quite the roller coaster week, I’ve been super busy with the concerts at the arena and trying to put as many hours as i can at work. Thus, my posts have been a little “eh” since I’ve hit what many affectionately call writers block lol! so i want to thank you all for being such kind readers and still visiting my blog!
On the personal level, this has been an incredible week! from my baby girl calling me to see how i’m doing to her emails telling me how much she misses me. She has helped me brush aside all the stresses of the week and given me constant healing, i’ll never know why the lord has blessed me with such an incredible child but i am eternally grateful! along this week I’ve also had a chance to really catch up with some coworkers i hadn’t seen for a very long time, so life is going good for a change <Happy!>
A great surprise!
My little lady called me from her home phone last night, it was adorable even for a 10 year old. I know some people will ask “So, what of it” and I’ve even had someone previously tell me that I spend too much time talking about her. But, to me it means a lot to hear from her since I only see her once or twice a week alternating.
Far too often I hear parents tell me that they have drifted too far from their children, that they have let them go because they feel they’ve done their part. I have no intention of letting that happen with my daughter, a father has no right to give up on his family no matter what happens. He doesn’t stop being a parent just because his child has decided to pursue her dreams, that’s just how I feel about it. So, how about you? what’s your opinion on this?
Rethinking priorities
I woke up yesterday with a greeting from my baby girl when I opened my bedroom door, she is so used to knowing when I wake that she greeted me with a hug and a “Good morning daddy!” it’s such a good feeling to know that despite all the lies and sarcastic remarks people make, there’s still some people including my angel that can stay
real.
Just thinking about this though, has made me realize that I have to make some changes. I need to let go of people who aren’t worth my effort to keep, with their sarcasm and lies. Just so damn sick of it, you know?
I know this sounds incredibly selfish but I want to be able to finish every night on a good note, instead of one with disappointment or pretending I hadn’t seen something.
Assumptions people make
It hasn’t been easy, being a single parent and trying to balance work with trying to finding someone that would accept my daughter into the equation. Time and again people have just been scared off by the assumption that i am asking them to help me care for my child, it’s almost laughable the way people assume. When you consider how she is 10 years old now, I am not asking for someone to help me pay the bills or babysit her. let alone become a parent with me, just someone that can treat my daughter and i right seems to be such a difficult thing to ask for, kind of gives you a picture into how so many people think in this day and age doesn’t it?
Another bittersweet weekend
Sure enough though, after i dropped my daughter off at the ex’s place i figured the evening would end just as good. Sure enough, it didn’t when i got flak for being friendly again! I didn’t even do anything to end up there either! all i did was greet a couple of times to someone and i suddenly become public enemy number one and i get cut off. Is that what it all has come down to now? meet someone’s perfect timing or you aren’t worth anything to them?
When our children remind us we are doing a great job
On my commute home the other dray, i walked into a train jam packed with people and an obnoxious passenger who had put his bike right in the middle of the walk way. Awkwardly i ignored him and went behind the wheel of his bike much to his disapproval but it didn’t matter to me because the bike was supposed to be on the LAST car, he reeked of alcohol too. He soon returned to his endless rambling.
As i looked to my left i noticed a mother had just napped her baby son in a small stroller, it amazed me that in a train full of people yacking away loudly. Earphones blasting so loud there was no point of hiding what they were listening to, plus a drunken old guy. That this little fellow could sleep so well, it made me wonder what could possibly drain the child so much and can they really block off the noise so easily? the drunkard yelled something out loud nearly interrupting my train of thought. I filtered him out and went back to my train of thought, the little boy reminded me of my daughter when she was around a year old. Her mom could never nap her, i don’t know why. But every time my angel climbed into my arms she’d fall asleep almost immediately, she would sleep soundly no matter the conversation in a living room. Time and again when i knew she was burned out, i’d pick her up into my arms and she’d be so much at peace that she didn’t want to go back down to the floor anytime soon.
I wonder if it’s the feeling of security and love we as parents give, if that’s the case? then i have to say that it goes both ways. It’s an amazing feeling that my daughter feels she can always come to me for comfort, but more so it’s like i’m being reminded i did a good job as a father and the approval of a daughter. Such an incredible feeling, if you’re a parent yourself? you know what i mean (‘,)
