Upcoming Vacations

This innocently started with Michael making a comment about how he hasn't been on a decent vacation in a long time and suggested we take a holiday with just the two of us to Hawaii. The next thing you know, that comment has snowballed in to me going nuts at Gap Kids, buying swimming gear and summer clothing for the boys to wear when we travel to Hawaii in December.

Honolulu is one of our favourite places to go as we've never been to any other places in Hawaii. It is the perfect combination of the busy city life with the laid-back island beats: Moana Surfrider, Cheesecake Factory, North Shore waves, shrimp trucks, Ala Moana shopping center, MacDonalds that gives out pineapple, sunbathing turtles, Dole Plantation, ABC stores, Icees, Cold Stone Creamery etc......I could go on forever.

I am so very excited to take the boys on their first vacation! I have surprised myself in the research that I've conducted in seeing if a Hawaiian getaway was possible with 9 month olds twins. I'm sure there will be many "firsts" for them on this trip.

Not too long after our Hawaiian getaway, we'll be travelling to Las Vegas in January for an anaesthesia conference that Michael is attending. I'm not too fond of Las Vegas as it comes off more as a smoke-laden party hub, but I still would like to go, since Michael will be going. Let's see how much more I can win on this trip.

Then in March, I'm planning on taking the boys (minus Michael who has to work) to Hong Kong right after their 1st birthday. This all started because Meghan is part of the wedding party of a friend who wants to get married in HK. It works out perfectly as we can each take a kid with us on business class. We'll be staying with my aunt and uncle. I haven't convinced my mom to come with us yet, but she'll probably go since she says I'm very good at persuasion.

That's gonna be a lot of travelling in those few months!! Can't wait!!!

Update: Rather than attending the Las Vegas conference, it looks like Michael really has his heart set on the larger conference taking place in San Diego in October. It also happens to correspond with the away games the Canucks have in LA and Anaheim. It looks like Michael will get his wish to stalk the Canucks while they're on the road. Disneyland here we come!!

Strangers Who Have No Boundaries

It happened again.

A few days ago, my sister and I were in line at Costco when a man approached the massive stroller (with the babies in it of course) to point out something about its turning mechanism to his wife. Seconds later, he actually had the audacity to approach again and this time, take hold of the steering wheel, while my sister had her hands on it, to turn it and show his wife how the wheels works. Of course, this triggered the effect of his wife walking over to comment about how cute the babies are........wtf.

It takes a lot to make me angry and this was one of those moments. Where in his right mind is it ok to touch other people's things, let alone invaid their personal space like that!??!?! Would you ever poke your head in someone's car to do that???? I really regret not actually yelling at him for doing that.

As a first-time mother, especially to twins, I understand there is a fascination about them and they are kinda cute, but some strangers are so clueless and don't realize that it is absolutely inappropriate to try and touch them. A similar situation happened at Walmart, where a fairly scruffy-looking mom and her very dirty daughter (no joke, they looked like the hill-billy people from the Simpsons) came up to oogle and try to paw at the babies. Again, I had to pull the stroller away to hint that they were not to be touched. I'm so leering of people approaching the stroller now. Chinese people are the worst. I can live with the pointing and the "AIYAH!! TWINS AHHH!!!" but no way in hell am I going to let some stranger who is coming from a ethnic group that has one of the dirtiest hygiene practices and manners (again, I can say that because I am Chinese) to paw at my kids. FORGET IT!

I'm not a germaphobe. I know that some exposure to germs and foreign bodies are good for the babies and helps to build their immune systems. Heck, I'll even offer some people the chance to hold the babies (hehe, but once they get home, I will wash their hands) but that doesn't mean that I'm going to let every Tom, Dick, and Harry touch my children. OH and another thing, just because you're old doesn't give you the right to carry them either. It makes it even more of a no-no. What happens if their feeble arms give out and drop one of my babies?

They weigh a good 15lbs now. If you can't carry a sack of potatoes, don't expect me to let you carry my kids.

This is becoming more than just a pet peeve.....am I just being too sensitive?