Đã lâu không nghe nhạc Lê Uyên Phương. Hôm nay thưởng thức tám tình khúc quen thuộc được giọng hát trầm và truyền cảm của Thái Thùy Linh bộc lộ qua phần hoà âm sang trọng và ấm cúng của Nguyễn Quang. Kết quả là rất phê, nhất là những giai điệu jazz như “Cho lần cuối” với chất blues nồng nàn, “Một ngày vui mùa đông” với nhiệp điệu bossa nova say sưa, và “Hãy ngồi xuống đây” với phong cách swing nhẹ nhàng. Đặc sắc là “Dạ khúc cho tình nhân” được soạn cho dàn nhạc classical thật tuyệt dịu. Như loài thú hoang ngắn gọn rất hợp để sưởi ấm tâm hồn trong những ngày mùa đông lạnh héo. Dĩ nhiên thêm vài ly rượu wine đỏ thì càng thấm thía hơn.

Sau ba tháng, cuối cùng cũng xin được tăng lương cho thằng lính. Nó làm khá lắm. Giúp tôi làm những công việc lặt vặt để tôi có thể tập trung vào những công việc cần nhiều thời gian hơn. Xếp của tôi cũng rất hài lòng khi giao phó công việc cho nó. Nó vừa làm vừa học nên có thể kéo dài đến hai năm. Sau đó thì tính sau.

Tôi làm ở trường này đã hơn bảy năm. Thời gian trôi qua mau quá. Công việc cũng đã ổn định. Giờ giấc cũng thoải mái. Muốn cầu tiến thì phải đi nhưng làm sau tìm được công việc mà có thể dành thời gian với con cái như bây giờ. Nghĩ đến đó thì đành phải ở lại cày tiếp. Chừng nào tụi nhỏ lớn tính sau.

Đã sang năm mới tôi vẫn không đống được Facebook. Đó vẫn là nơi để biết đến sinh hoạt của gia đình và bạn bè ở xa. Dĩ nhiên tôi vẫn lo ngại về vến đề riêng tư nhưng nếu đã dùng dến mạng rồi thì chạy đâu cho khỏi. Tôi đã bị ép vào Google và không thể nào tách ra được. Từ điện thoại đến email đến hình ảnh, và một số dịch vụ khác, tôi phải phụ thuộc vào Google. Vả lại trang blog này còn có gì mà tôi đã chưa từng nói đâu. Bỏ Facebook vẫn còn vướng vào thứ khác. Thôi thì điếc không sợ súng vậy. Chừng nào có chuyện tính sau.

Ừ thì vậy đi. Chuyện tương lai để tính sau. Bây giờ tính chuyện bây giờ.

After listening to an interview with Hillary Frank on her childbirth injury, I am glad that my wife went under C-Section when Vương was sunny-side up. Although Frank gave her child a natural birth, the episiotomy issue took three years to heal. I have profound respect for mothers who give birth to their children. The image of the C-Section still haunts me.

Malia Wollan shares some tips on teaching kids to share:

For better or worse, children are watching you for cues on how to behave among human groups. Let them see you be bighearted. Find ways to embody generosity. Donating money is great, but with very young children, it doesn’t really count as teachable, imitable behavior unless you’re collecting it in a jar and carrying it with your child down to the homeless shelter.

Noted!

Last night Đán reached page 100 in Let’s Read. He is finally getting the hang of sounding out the letters and recognizing the words. He reads a bit faster and he feels more confidence. I took the book with us on our vacation and he read five to six pages each day with me.

In retrospect, I was a bit too hard on him. I was anxious, frustrated, and impatience. I thought he had a problem with reading based on what I had experienced with Đạo. I expected too much from him. I thought we were not going revisit Let’s Read because he seemed to hate it, but it still turns out to be a great book for learning to read.

I don’t remember how far Đạo had read, but we stopped because he could read on his own. Đán is not a bookworm; therefore, I will continue to read with him until he can read on his own.

I am very happy with the progress he has made. I should have been more patience with him. I feel guilty and proud at the same time.

I really love last week’s episode of This American Life, in which they talked about libraries. My favorite segment is the library for unpublished manuscripts.

Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi writes in the New York Times:

The study, published in Current Psychology, found a substantial link between procrastination and clutter problems in all the age groups. Frustration with clutter tended to increase with age. Among older adults, clutter problems were also associated with life dissatisfaction.

I find clutter suffocating. Keeping the house tidy is quite challenging with for kids. The older I get the more irritate I become with cluttering. I need more time to reorganize and purge before it gets overwhelming.

On Friday, January 4, 2019, Vương laughed out loud for the first time. He was so cute. I am so glad and bless to see that is happy and healthy. He put on a smile every time we talked to him. All of his older brothers love him. Đán always wanted to hold his baby brother.

It is so nice to have four kids even though things could get chaotic at times. Too much energy. Too much screaming. Too much playing. Đán gives us headache the most. He has changed so much. He constantly does things that irritate everyone. I am hoping this stage will pass soon. Because when he is not misbehaved, he is such a lovely kid.

Đạo has his issues too, but he listens better. He is helping out whenever I ask him too. For the most part, he is doing great.

Xuân is going through his terrible-three phrase a bit early. The other day, I asked him to move from the edge of the bed to center of the bed, he replied to me, “Daddy, you don’t tell me what to do.” He uses his words eloquently for a a two-year-old. He already argues with his older brothers using words they said to him. He drives them nuts.

Xuân clings on too much a lot these days. He holds me and gives me kisses all the time. Every time he makes me mad, he would ask, “Are you happy?” Of course, I am very happy inside, but I just don’t want him to know. I love this charming kid.

In his gut-wrenching memoir, Laymon reveals the painful truth of his childhood. Through his raw-yet-refined prose, he reflects on the struggle with his weight, the complicated relationship with his mama, and the racism growing up black in Jackson, Mississippi. This is indeed a heavy read, but I love it.

Finally had a chance to catch up this hyped Asian big picture while vacationing. Unfortunately, it is just a forgettable romantic comedy. The storyline is predictable. The cast is decent. Other than the extravaganza lifestyle, I am not feeling it.