Browse Category: family

Portland

IMG_2404We took a trip to Portland this past weekend and it was a nice family vacation.  The weekend started with a late flight and a cranky baby that couldn’t’ settle down.  She fussed for most of the flight until I finally took her to the back to walk around.  Once it was time to land, I sat down in the back of the plane in an empty seat and she fell asleep.  When we got to the hotel, it was pretty late but we all settled in quickly and got a pretty good night’s sleep.

IMG_2429On Saturday (all day) and Sunday (morning), I went to class.  It was actually a good class and worth the trip.  On Saturday it rained but we still managed to explore the city.  We stayed at the Westin, which was located right in the middle of everything.  In fact, it was just a few steps from a collection of food stalls.  Unfortunately Nong’s Kao Man Gai was closed for the weekend so we grabbed a bite to eat at Kenny & Zuke’s Deli.

IMG_2412We had shared a tasty chicken noodle soup, pastrami sandwich, potato salad, and mac and cheese.  Even Kumquat got some!

DSC_1713On Sunday afternoon after class, we drove up to Multnomah Falls.  It was a short 30-minute drive and we got to see two waterfalls.  The first was Latourell Falls where we took a short hike up a hill.  We also saw a couple critters along the way.


Centipede a video by beakatude on Flickr.

Inch Worm a video by beakatude on Flickr.

Multnomah Falls was just down the street and so accessible!

DSC_1744Jes took the 0.2-mile walk up to the bridge and my lens was long enough to get a photo of him from down below.  He’s the guy in red. DSC_1745Pretty cool, huh?!

IMG_6823Later that evening, we met up at Pok Pok for dinner with Heather and her family.  I was so excited to see her and to finally meet little Daphne and her husband Brian.  It’s been about 8 years since I last saw her and it was just like old times.

IMG_2452 IMG_2455The food was good and had some really authentic flavors but with a twist.  It was worth the visit.


Baby Elephant a video by beakatude on Flickr.

The next morning, we met up at Oregon Zoo.  Heather has a membership so she got one of us in for free.  Thanks, Totoro!  The best part of the trip for me was seeing the baby elephant, Lily, who was born in November.

DSC_1799Daphne enjoyed the baby monkey that was also recently born.  Heather emailed me todayy and said that she won’t stop talking about the baby monkey and the mama monkey with the long boobies.  So funny.

DSC_1821I love this photo of the four of us.  I wish we lived closer to each other.  We’d have so much fun together.

IMG_2482 IMG_2484 For lunch, we stopped at Nong’s Kao Man Gai.  I was so excited as I waited for our order and when I brought it back to the hotel room, it was DELICIOUS.  There’s something so awesome about eating something that I grew up eating only at my house.  And seriously…can anyone tell me why there are SO MANY Thai restaurants in Portland?!  They’re just as abundant as coffeeshops!IMG_2506Kumquat needed to take a nap so I took her for a long walk in the stroller.  About 90 minutes later, she woke up in time to try on some shoes.  We ended up getting a pair of matching Nikes.  LOOK AT THAT MINI SHOEBOX!  So cute!

IMG_2527For dinner, we sat outside on the sidewalk.  It was a pretty warm day and comfortable enough to stay out until sunset.  These tables were all full when we sat down but emptied out by the time we left.  Weird.

IMG_2538 On Tuesday morning, we walked over to Voodoo Donuts.  I had walked past it the day before but there was a huge line.  IMG_2540Luckily there was no line in the morning so we picked up a maple bacon donut and it was pretty tasty.  I cheated on my low-cholesterol diet that morning and ate half the donut and made myself throw the other half away.  Yes, it’s true and a little bacon fairy out there somewhere cried a little that morning.

IMG_2555Our flight home went smoothly with the exception of an hour-long delay.  Luckily we hadn’t boarded the plane yet when they decided to delay the flight due to a mechanical problem.  We got to hang out at the gate instead, which worked out great for a 13-month-old who doesn’t sit still anymore.  IMG_2560Once on the plane, she did great and even got a middle seat to herself.  She made up for the horrible flight up on Friday night.

It was a fun trip filled with tasty eats, good friends, quality family time, and oh yeah…some professional development.

Mother’s Day #2

mothersdayHappy Mother’s Day!  With some of the alone time I had today, I had the chance to sit and reflect upon all that has happened this past year.  Last year I was in a bit of a daze being a mom for only less than a month.  This year, being a mom has really sunk in and I couldn’t be prouder of my little girl.  I have to admit that I’m proud of myself too.  I’ve managed to keep up with breastfeeding for over a year and on May 7th we were done.  It was hard but it was time. I also cannot believe that I’m still sane after going back to work full-time and coming home everyday to take care of my little munchkin.  It definitely gives me a greater appreciation for everything that my mom did for us.

cookingThis morning, Jes got up early, went to the store, and came back to fix me a tasty breakfast.

DSC_1681He made eggs benedict with smoked salmon and paired it with mimosas.  Yum.

mimosasHere are the Mommy & Me Mimosas.  Tee hee!

tulipsI also got some tulips!  Aren’t they pretty?  Thank you for a lovely morning, Husband!

Once Kumquat went down for her nap, I got the chance to go out for run on my own.  It was so liberating to be out there without a stroller and leash.  I even had the chance to go to the gym to stretch and workout a bit more.IMG_2346

At 2pm, I met up with Michelle and Amy at Four Seasons to celebrate and got another tasty mimosa with a view of Market St.

brunch

It was a good thing I went for a run because we were treated with quite a feast!  Amy’s husband is now the GM of the restaurant and he hooked us up with a variety of savory and sweet dishes.  I felt so spoiled!

friendsI had a wonderful time and it was such a fun way to celebrate motherhood.

Weekend Visitors

San JoseMy parents drove up on Friday to bring my Aunt (Pa Jim) up to visit us in Northern California.  She’s visiting from Thailand and it’s been a while since I had seen her.  When I was younger, she stayed with us for a year in order to take care of me and Brother.  Brother was in Kindergarten and because it’s only half-day, we needed someone to pick him up and hang out with him until I got home.  She’s a funny lady and likes to do things her way.  In Thailand, she takes us around and her driving is quite an adventure from the backseat. They were staying with my uncle in San Jose so we all met up at Cousin Ishya’s house.  It was a lot of fun seeing everyone together again with the addition of three little ones taking over the house.

hair styleOn Saturday, my mom, dad, Pa Jim, and Uncle Sak came up to visit us.  Pa Jim, in her own funny way, played with Kumquat and even attempted to style her hair.

smileCheck out how she pinned down this wiggle worm.  Luckily, Kumquat didn’t mind it a bit.  Look at that wacky hairdo!

Pa JimFor lunch, we walked down The Embarcadero to the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market.  It was a gorgeous day in SF.  roli rotiOnce we got there, we headed straight to Roli Roti for some porchetta sammiches.  It’s been a few months since I’d had it and it was delicious!  Everyone else thought so too.

grandparentsAfter lunch, we kept walking down toward Fisherman’s Wharf/Pier 39.  It was a nice long walk and everyone got quite a workout.  Here we are taking a little break and letting Kumquat roam around a bit.mini donutsWhen we arrived, we picked up a dozen mini donuts from Trish’s.  Mmm…they came out nice and warm.

family

By the afternoon, it was time for them to head back down to San Jose.  Here’s a photo of 3 out of 6 Chamkasems together again.  Thanks for visiting!!!

Until next time…

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We left Maui on Wednesday (3/6) morning and it happened to be Brother and Joy’s wedding anniversary too. Happy Anniversary!

It was a good week of sun, water, and family time. The house we rented was awesome and perfect for the seven of us. Loved having easy access to the beach at any time and the convenience of a full kitchen. Of course we missed the whole “hotel feel” of a vacation at times but we were still able to get a taste of it at the Sheraton pool and bar that was just steps away from where our beach camp was located. It was also so nice to have family around to enjoy this experience and also to help out with watching Kumquat. What a treat!

IMG_0520Also, thanks to Yoon and Kurt for coming over from Oahu to hang out and that bucket of rice lasted us three meals!!

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The flight from Maui to Honolulu was short but painful since Kumquat decided to be h-angry right as we were landing. The 2-hour layover in Honolulu was just enough time to sit down for a proper meal.

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Luckily the longer flight from Honolulu to SF was not as bad. She slept for a total of 2 hours and I had the Ergo to hold her and plenty of snacks to keep her occupied.

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A vacation to Hawaii is definitely different now with a 10-month-old in tow but totally worth the extra luggage, lack of reading, and time lost in getting out of the house each day. Bringing her pack-n-play and feeding seat was worth it and Kumquat did quite well with the time change there and back.

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Also, thanks to my mom for keeping Koa company while we were gone. Hope you had a fun vacation in SF!

So our next trip will likely be back on Oahu again.  Not sure how we’ll be able to pull off staying at the Moana again but who knows what life will be like next year.

Luau

DSC_0686For our last night, we took Jason and Jia to Old Lahaina Luau.  Jia had never been to a luau before so this was a nice way to finish the trip.

DSC_0675 DSC_0683Kumquat had her plumeria and hula shirt on and she even got a lei.

DSC_0666Dinner was tasty and cocktails and wine was unlimited.  Our server, Vincent, was pretty funny too.

DSC_0745Here’s a photo of the tahitian dancers.  Shake it, ladies!

IMG_1097And check out my lava flow.  Brother pointed out to me that it looked like a little man in a hot tub holding my straw.  Do you see it?

Last Day on the Beach

Daddy and KumquatTuesday (3/5) was our last full day on Maui and it was spent at the beach.  In the morning, we took Kumquat out to say “Good Morning!” to Mr. Ocean.

familyWe tried to get a family photo but Kumquat was still not having it.

nookJason came along and was showing how easy it is to read on the beach with his Nook.  Silly Jason!

IMG_0668We then drove over to Ka’anapali Beach again for some more snorkeling and sun.  IMG_5889Brother and Joy had already set-up camp with an umbrella and chairs and Kumquat was ready to play!  IMG_5856We also took Kumquat to the Sheraton kiddie pool where the water was only one foot deep.  IMG_5879There were lots of other kids around and she blended right in with her floatie.

whaleFrom the beach, we were able to watch some whales playing pretty close to the shore.  There were also a bunch of turtles swimming in knee-deep water.  In fact, when Jes and I went snorkeling, Jes accidentally kicked one in the fin on his way out of the water.  They were THAT close.

beachKumquat had a decent time in the water too but then got splashed in the face.  Unhappy baby.

IMG_1059 Since we dragged the stroller out to the beach, Kumquat was able to take a nice long nap.  Jes stayed with her while the rest of us went over to the bar for a snack and some drinks.

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We had a nice spot overlooking the beach and shared a giant mound of nachos.

IMG_1060Here’s one of my tropical drinks.  This one was a melon-rita.  Tasty.

IMG_5914The weather was perfect and it didn’t get windy until the end of the afternoon.

IMG_5907Here’s a photo with my girls.  What a fun day!