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 My favorite segment is the library for unpublished manuscripts.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.

Our last-minute getaway to Myrtle Beach turns out great. Because of the winter, the beach is empty. Although the water is too cold for swimming, the kids love splashing and playing in the sand. Then they swim in the heated indoor pool for hours.

For me, I just love waking up, walking out to the balcony, and breathing in the beach air. The getaway is intended for us to unwind so we are not planning on going anywhere. We just stay at the resort, order in, or cook a little.

The first day we got here, I had a gout attack because of all the beef and booze I consumed over the holidays. Thanks to Aleve and apple cider vinegar, I recovered just a day later. I am now back on the no-beef-no-booze diet.

The boys volunteered to leave their iPads at home after their mom told them this is a bonding-time vacation. After finding out that they actually left them at home, I was shocked and worried. Will they go crazy without the iPads? I am happy to report that they haven’t missed it. They sleep, eat, go to the beach, swim in the pool, read, watch TV, and play Monopoly. They loved Monopoly so much that we played everyday now. Last night, my wife joined us (Đạo, Đán, and me) for a game that lasted until 11 pm.

I am loving the time here. Going to the beach in the winter is super fun. I am not into swimming anyway; therefore, I don’t miss it. On the flip side, I like the emptiness of it. It’s like having a private spot for cheap. Even the indoor pools are completely empty most of the time. That might change on the weekend, but we are enjoying our time until Sunday. I can’t believe a week is almost gone already. I haven’t even finished reading a short memoir yet. I am hoping to finish up before we go back.

In hindsight, I picked up this book because it was designed by Michael Bierut and Britt Cob. The layout and the typography are superb. From white space to large type treatment, the design has Bierut’s signature style all over it. The actual writing, however, is quite shallow. Timberlake only gives super short highlights of his life. Yes, he’s a superstar. Yes, he has super connection. Yes, he is super privileged. Even though I am not a fan of his, I already know the power of a white male celebrity. He has Sandra Bark ghostwrite his book and Pentagram design it. I am not knocking on his accomplishment. I just want to hear the real story that has not already displayed in public.