The Chan Family

Davey’s 2nd Birthday

Dan — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:59:58 +0000

We celebrated Davey’s 2nd birthday today. Carolyn made a balloon cake at Davey’s request, and we managed to find him some helium balloons which were a blast. He’s been pretty excited about his birthday for the last few weeks and knows that he’s turned “two.” We sang through Happy Birthday a few times and Davey blew the candle out more than once. In the end the candle got back at him and singed some of his eyelashes but Davey didn’t seem to mind. So we begin with the terrible twos . Click the collage for a bigger version, videos of the birthday celebration are forthcoming.

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Olmsted County Fair

Dan — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:10:27 +0000

We went to our 3rd Olmsted County Fair last week and wandered around avoiding the dirty animals (I’m on infectious diseases right now and animal exposures just don’t mesh, especially with a pregnant woman). We ended up paying a fortune for one carnival game (and winning nothing) and letting the kids ride one ride exorbitantly priced ride (see the video) Fair food included a berry smoothy, mini-donuts, some chili fries, and the much loved turkey drumstick that Davey is still pointing and screaming “CHICKEN!” as I’m writing this right now. The seen but not tried disgusting wagon of the fair is the donut cheeseburgers that looked absolutely disgusting. The collage here sums up the pictures until I can upload a new gallery, but click the collage of a very big view.

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Fire Station Tour

Carolyn — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:02:21 +0000

We took a little field trip to the Fire Station this morning with some friends. I wasn’t sure what to expect but was trilled we saw so much. First a complete tour of the facility: bedrooms, workout center, entertainment room, and kitchen. When the “test” alarm sounded David was the only one of the 10 kids there that said, “loud; noise.” They have the firefighters on 24hr. shifts here (3 days a weeks I believe they said) so they really do spend a lot of time at the station and then have intervals of a few days off. Interesting; I had no idea. First we saw the big truck with something like a 150ft. ladder. Every Monday they do inspections and test of all the equipment so they were really more than happy to show us everything. They raised the ladder up, then the firefighter climbed up the ladder and rode around. They boys got to get in the bucket after it was lowered again.

They were able to get inside 2 of the trucks and explore all around. We saw the hazardous materials truck, “claws of life” from the rescue truck (used in car accidents) and just as the guide was about to show us his gear, the alarm sounded and he suited up and took off in the truck to a 3-car accident. Mikey finally understood the firefighters’ job.

Our new guide showed us the fireboat, off-roading grass fire vehicle, and a few others. It was quite the tour. And to top it all off they went home with their very own fire hats and sticker badges.

Of course we had to come home and learn all about fire safety. Here’s a few fun links I found for anyone interested in what we learned: Sesame Street Fire Safety Handout, Fire Safety Worksheets and Online Games (scroll down to additional resources).

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Hot Deal: Amazon 30% Off Diapers – Free 2nd Day Air Shipping!

Dan — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:39:37 +0000

Subscribe and save, amazon has diapers for 30% off and shipped 2nd day air to your door. You can cancel, que up, or postpone your deliveries at anytime. This is a substantial saving over Sams Club/Costco where we usually get them, and at 3 boys, all the poopy savings add up! Enjoy here: http://tinyurl.com/2cjqfrt

Tip, if you also have Parents magazine on page 40 of August 2010 there is a unique 20% off coupon that can be stacked to this promo making your first order 50% off!

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Nassau Sunrise Panorama

Dan — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:07:31 +0000

An early morning sunrise in Nassau, The Bahamas overlooking the port and silhouetting The Atlantis Resort on Paradise island to the left. One of my favorite vistas of the trip.

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The Blue Lagoon, Bahamas Panorama

Dan — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:41:29 +0000

The Blue Lagoon in the Bahamas was one of our day excursions during spring break and I took a change to snap a few pictures of the back beach before anyone got over there. Here’s a panorama of the results.

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Video Housekeeping

Dan — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:42:20 +0000

We’ve just tidied up the video page a little to make it more user friendly. You can check it out here: http://www.danandcarolyn.info/videos/ , in the meantime we’re updating our gallery with our Spring Break videos as well as everything between then and Mikey’s 4th Birthday videos (soon). Latest videos are displayed on the side bar, but just because the video changed doesn’t mean that it’s the only one updated, make sure to check out the playlist for all the videos in between your last visit. Enjoy!

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Baby Boy Three

Carolyn — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 03:20:08 +0000

18 weeks pregnant today and we just found out we’re having another boy! Can’t believe it. The ultrasound this morning looked great and due date is set for November 23rd! I happened to attend a friend’s baby shower this afternoon too and we played a game with everyone’s baby pictures. I couldn’t believe that hands down everyone guessed who I was. I was thinking it looking nothing like me but everyone said it was so easy to tell because “your kids look just like you.” I had no idea that the picture held any resemblance to my boys. That being the case, chances are this next little guy will look something like this:

Me at 4 months (the picture from the baby shower). Mikey at 4 months.

David at 4 months.

Thought I’d stick with 4 months to really see the comparision. I guess we do look at bit alike. :) Now I just have to survive the next 5 months of pregnancy and Dan and I have to somehow come up with yet another boy name – problem is finding one that we agree upon. Any suggestions?

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Spring Break 2010: Our Family Adventure to Florida and The Bahamas

Dan — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 01:33:35 +0000

So this year being probably our last ‘break’ for a while to come (no summer break for me this year, chalk that up to another upcoming licensing exam, followed immediately by 4th year rotations, then residency applications and another interview circuit come later this fall-winter and then intern year + only scheduled vacation time in the future), we decided to splurge a bit and had a mini family reunion with my sister’s family in Orlando, Florida. Instead of globe-trotting without the family (Europe, China), I finally got the chance to bring the whole family in tow and boy did we make the most of it! In the end I’d say we had an awesome adventure. To come will be my Spring Break 2010 entries with more details by the location of our travels in Florida and the Bahamas. In the meantime you can peruse the plethora of pictures that are already posted. Stay tuned!

Sea World Makahiki Luau (Photo Album)
Disney Hollywood Studios Park (Photo Album)
Downtown Disney (Photo Album)
World of Orchids (Photo Album)
The Orlando Wetlands (Photo Album)
Carnival Sensation (Photo Album 1, Photo Album 2, Photo Album 3)
- Freeport, The Bahamas
  - Paradise Cove, Dead Man’s Reef (Photo Album)
- Nassau, The Bahamas
  - The Blue Lagoon (Photo Album 1, Photo Album 2)
Disney Wild Animal Kingdom Park (Photo Album)
Disney Epcot Center (Photo Album)
Orange Lake Resort (Photo Album)
Disney Magic Kingdom (Photo Album)

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Mikey Stuff & Super Glue

Carolyn — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 04:28:36 +0000

Sorry I’ve been out of the blog world for quite some time now. Our trip to Florida last month just took me out of reality and I guess it took me a week or so to get back into the swing of things and what a month now to get back online. Michael was so cute today and wrote 3 letters to Santa Clause. First he asked me how much longer until it was his birthday and I guess that got him thinking about presents. Then he remembered Santa. He grabbed some paper and a green highlighter and drew pictures to Santa. I just realized I didn’t even ask him what he drew or what he was asking for. All he asked me was how to spell “North Pole” and then he handed me the letters and said, “Put these in the mail.” I explained he had to fold them and put them in an envelope. He folded one, but that is about as far as he got and I think they are sitting on the stairs as we speak. :) Fun boy. He’s getting very artistic these days with his drawings. Dan and he put together a geocache last Sunday and today he also made up his own. First he told me he needed tape, then he found 2 highlighters and taped them to the paper. Later I saw what he wrote: On one side he wrote YES and the other side NO. That was it. I love our little Mikey.

I was thinking I might post some Easter pictures but can’t find them at this moment, maybe the card is still in the camera. I did find one picture that is downloaded and I just have to tell you that this is my finger and it was a very unfortunate incident. See:

While in the process of trying to glue on the missing ear, I glued the bunny to my finger. I didn’t have any acetone based nail polish remover, called my sweet neighbor and borrowed the rest of hers. Dan helped me twist it off. Only took about 10 minutes. Hilarious. I never thought I’d actually super-glue something to myself. There’s a first for everything!

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The Long Thaw of Winter

Dan — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:42:33 +0000

It seems like there are really only a handful of snowfalls here in Minnesota. Sure when they come they dump a few feet of snow, but really I’m only remembering a real snowfall only three maybe four times this season. What’s different about Minnesota is that the snow here sticks, and it sticks all season long. Just like the sedimentary layers of the limestone that make up most of the bedrock here, the layers of winter have started gently melting away and I think we’ve uncovered the snow from the first snowfall this season. It’s a good thing too because for the life of us we haven’t been able to roll a snowball all season as the weather has been too cold, only making that squeaky snow that falls apart in your hands. We finally made a snowman the other day (see the video), and decided to go out for a walk by the Zumbro River just yesterday. Here are some pictures that came from our little adventure or in our winter sediment.

“Zumbro River in Winter” – Rochester, MN

Zumbro River Winter Pond Panorama

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The Great Backyard Bird Count

Carolyn — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:42:19 +0000

Male downy woodpecker like we saw at Quarry Hill.

Last summer I was thinking about how I need to learn the names of all the birds that I see and hear around my house. Just so happens that Feb. 12-15 is the weekend for the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count. So I am little late in posting this as tomorrow is the last day that this event takes place, but I thought it was neat. Taken right from their website www.birdsource.org: “The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.”

Basically you just go outside for at least 15 minutes and take note of what birds you see, then submit your info on the website. They have specific regional bird checklists for all over the US to help you identify the birds. This is just the kind of source I was looking for to be more informed about birds specifically around here. And they even have links to pictures and descriptions of each bird on the list. So if any of you are interested, join me tomorrow as I go out in search of birds… all I can recall seeing around here lately are big black crows, but maybe if I pay more attention, I’ll see a few others surviving the bitter cold. Oh, I almost forgot, we did see some pretty birds at the bird watch area at Quarry Hill Nature Center last week. But I doubt those woodpeckers and such will be flying around our backyard.

And a Happy Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year to all of you too. We had a fun day full of roses, big homemade hershey kisses (with rice krispies inside), cinnamon gummy hearts, Chinese sweet egg roll cookies, Chinese jelly candies, and all kinds of other treats. It’s not every day you get two holidays in one. We enjoyed the best of both.

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Serenity of Winter

Carolyn — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:29:19 +0000

I was just complaining about how long winter is getting and then this afternoon for just a few hours there was a beautiful, calm snowfall. I love it. I love the serenity of falling snow. Mikey and I watched it for a while (David was napping) and talked about going out, but never did. Mostly because underneath that thin layer of new fallen snow there are a few feet of ice. Playing in it really isn’t an option for now. I need to be better at enjoying the outdoors in wintertime. We did go out a few times this season. You might have even seen the video posted (on the right side bar) of our sledding adventure. I have to admit that the older I get, the more petrified I’ve been getting. Maybe it just has to do with my maternal instincts or something but Dan persuaded me to climb up this steep hill with Mikey and have a go. As much as I wanted to enjoy the exhilarating rush, after reaching the top I couldn’t get myself to go much faster than a turtle’s pace. I barely lifted my feet up. I just couldn’t do it. I imagined Mikey and I bouncing off some bump and crashing into the trees if I went any faster. Maybe it had to do with my watching a news clip the previous night about some kids getting concussions while sledding because the hills were so icy. I don’t know. But I know I never believed I would become such a scaredy-cat.

You may have noticed my lack of regular posting, so I have to admit that I frequently get swallowed up in the internet world once I get inside. I’m trying to stop getting swallowed up. But I have managed to finally post some good eats we’ve had for dinners over the past few months in the posts below. Yummm, good food. You should try some…

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Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

Carolyn — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:09:31 +0000

I wasn’t sure I would really like this, but found it very satisfying even with all the cabbage.

Oriental Dressing:
6 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 tsp. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Marinade:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
Grill seasoning

Salad:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped red cabbage
2 cups chopped Napa cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 Tbsp. sliced almonds, toasted
1 cup crispy chow mein noodles

Blend together dressing ingredients. Put in refrigerator to chill. Cut chicken breasts into long strips. Combine oil, honey, and vinegar and coat chicken strips. Sprinkle liberally with grill seasoning. Refrigerate while chopping the vegetable. Combine lettuce, cabbages, and carrot in a large bowl. Spray a frying pan with Pam and heat to medium high. Saute chicken strips on both sides till browned and cooked through. Set aside. Sprinkle green onions on top of salad, then toasted almonds and chow mein noodles. Top with warm chicken strips. Serve dressing on the side.

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Cashew Chicken

Carolyn — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:00:46 +0000

This is a very tasty cashew chicken, in fact I find there is never enough sauce to fully enjoy it. I would recommend doubling the sauce if you want even more yumminess.

1/4 cup oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. boneless chicken, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 to 1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch, dissolved in a little water (optional)
1/2 c. roasted cashews
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced

Slice chicken very thin. Heat a large skillet, then add the oil, garlic, chicken, sauces, sugar and white pepper. Turn the heat to high and reduce sauce until a glaze forms. Add corn starch and water mixture only if you prefer a richer looking sauce. Mix in cashews and then turn the mixture onto a serving dish. Garnish with green onion and bell pepper. Serve over rice.

*Acquired by Sarah Thompson

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