Category: fun

Yoyo likes to talk a lot, and this morning she said something quite funny: daddy, you should not drink coffee or alcohol anymore, because they won’t help you grow. You should drink some milk. Then she handed her milk bottle to me. Sometimes, she likes to use some big words like “even”, “actually”, we think she learned those from her teachers.

There are also frustrating times, like, she does not like to say “hello” or “good bye” to her teachers, friends and parents. And, sometimes she say words like “go away” to us.

Spring Musical
That’s something we did not expect, and it totally blew up away. I can not upload picture or videos for the obvious reason (it includes other kids). But the teachers did a wonderful job teaching all the kids, and to make it more impressive, the kids bow after they sing the songs.

Overall, we are very impressed with the growth of our daughter. Here is the circle game, the song sing by both the kids and parents at the end.

My thoughts on Power ball
Thought it’s funny. I got a small win on Power Ball last Saturday, I matched the PB only, the prize is $4. Because the cost of ticket is $2, so the return on investment is 100%

I read an Christian Science Monitor article which talked about the government increasing dependence on the lottery revenue, which for the society is not a good thing overall, because there is hidden cost of people got addicted to gambling. The increasing publicity arising from the larger win from Power Ball or Mega Million is one factor to draw more casual players (people who usually don’t play, like me). The CS Monitor article is here.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2013/0517/A-record-Powerball-jackpot-isn-t-a-record-to-celebrate-video

I read (or heard form NPR) that a blue collar worker bought $80 worth of tickets. I would think one of my extended family member had similar thinking, when operating in the domestic A share stock market. Basically they extrapolate from my example: so if $2 can make $2, $200 can make $200, etc.

This is a very naive and dangerous extrapolation (thinking). I hope fewer people go to that route.

From a Massachusetts mother to her 13 old son.

NPR Talk of the Nation has a discussion on this today.

Very much applicable to myself (though not a teenager).

So in summary, no TV, limited iPhone, happy parenting 🙂

Hair cut

Mommy just cut Yoyo’s hair.

Mommy: wo yao kan kan wo de cheng guo. In english: I would like to see my fruits (results).

Yoyo: cheng guo ke yi chi ma? (Can I eat the results 🙂

Reading

Also, these days she just likes to be teacher, “reading” books to us. Sometimes she insists we sit on the carpet (that’s how it’s done ins her school).

Laptop

Seeing both my wife and myself are using laptop on bed, she got her VTech laptop and laughed at us 🙂

Same applies to Ruixian (my wife). Note for Ruixian I need to respect her authority as well (sometimes she lost patience when discipline our daughter).

Saw this from Saturday’s Kindermusik class, Serenity was a bit hyper that day (due to chocolate lollipop?). When the teacher asked the kids to put the sand blocks back, Serenity did not follow the instructions (she usually does follow instructions well). So the teacher asked “Serenity, could you put the sand blocks back”? Youyou hesitated for a few seconds, and walked toward the teacher. I was a bit relieved.

Another fun story from the Montessori teacher, on Friday, when the teacher read a story about a truck got stuck, Serenity suggested unload some of the lumbers, which surprised the teachers a bit (in a good way). That morning was also her first dental appointment, her routine was a bit off, and she played with food (run around) when they set up for the lunch. Of course she was disciplined. Serenity was a bit shocked (as I speculated) because she thought that teacher was the “nicer” one (more easy going).

I changed my job this Jan. I started working for a coal company as mobile app developer. Coal and mobile app (iPhone, iPad) do usually go together in the same sentence, I think. As coal is described as “dirty” in the media, especially by the environmentalists, the “green” people both in and outside government (think Al Gore, president Obama and his EPA commissioner Lisa Jackson). On the other hand, Apple the forerunner of smartphone, tablet revolution is famous for its environment friendly too, just recently they announced initiatives to replace coal powered datacenter by natural gas (they are like tube and box like, think those as natural gas modules). Those are developed by Silicon Valley based start-ups.

Back to topic, for me the rationale of working for coal company goes like this. I am a pragmatist (a pragmatic programmer 🙂 Coal is not the cleanest energy source and not renewable source. But before this year, Coal made up more than 40% if the US power generation (this year the number dropped to lower 30s). So, if one person really wants to make a stand on the issue (instead of just talking like the former vice president does, he got a huge mansion and uses a lot of electricity), the person can simple use 1/3 less of the electricity. That means, uses less light, AC, heat,…in her/his daily life. I am trying to be energy conscious on my life but won’t go as far as cut 1/3 of usage. At the same time, working for a coal company (5 minutes commute time), will help me be a part of the solution (less gasoline for commute for sure). I will be a stake holder in coal mining, as I recently learned, coal mining uses a lot of energy too (diesels, electricity etc.)

I have worked for my new employer for about 9 months, and so far I like what I see. Most recently I went on 2 mines, and met some down-to-earth miners. Since I went to Rolla (the former Missouri School of Mines, miner), now I became a real miner.

Presidential election will play a part in the coal industry too, as the current administration is very coal-unfriendly. I think green (renewable) energy is fine, but the traditional energy source (oil, gas, coal) got to be a part of the solution.

Last but not least, I have 2 scene kinda imprinted in my mind during the mine visit: when I eat the lunch comfortably in the office, I recall the miners eat their lunch in the tunnel. The devotion during lunch time from a few surface miners. In the HQ we sometimes lost touch of the toughness of the front line work. Now I do. At the same time, the company continues to do good things around the community, in all the locations. Here in HQ, we have the united way campaign. In a sense, we are all in one community.

I was involved into a car accident in the past weekend. We are all fine, so as the other party. The main thing is both cars got some damage. It’s funny when I drove the broken car on the road, I got quite a few “look back” from other drivers. And yesterday, at McDonald parking lot, the lady who looks after the parking lot, said “what happened to your car”. Not to mention, our daughter Serenity volunteered to repair the car.

Last but not least, my wife insisted I declare “Minjie is the one who got involved in the accident” 🙂

Fun aside, we are truly blessed we were not hurt.