Snowed In

Yesterday we had a little bit of snow and yet all schools, including George Mason, were closed. We ended up spending time together as a family.

The boys helped me shoveled the snow. We read books, played games, ate, napped, and took turn to hold the little baby. We had a good time. Yelling and shouting were inevitable, but they were minor. They two older boys behaved well so I gave them some iPad time.

I really love these simple joys. We don’t have to do much. Just being presence is good enough. The great thing with kids is that I can easily express my love to them. When I was growing up, my dad was hardly home to spend time with me. I was always with my mom, but she also had to make money. When we came to the States, she did not go to work for a while and yet she spent most of her days in the kitchen. She was there but not presence. In my childhood, love was never expressed. My mom and dad never said they love me, and never gave me a hug or a kiss. Of course, they loved me. They just never showed.

With my kids, I have no problem showing my love. These days, I take all three of them to school and daycare. After crossing the street to their school, I always give Đạo and Đán a hug, a kiss, and “I love you” before sending them off. The same with Xuân, but he always the first one that put out his arms for a hug and said, “Daddy give me a kiss.” He is such a sweet little fellow.

While it is easy to express love to my kids, even when they made you mad as hell, it is a bit harder with my wife. It is something I need to work on.