Bug and Bean Blog

Over the weekend we decided to take advantage of our Checkout San Francisco family pass to Zeum, a multi media arts children’s museum. The Checkout SF Family Pass allows families to visit popular attractions like Zeum, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Zoo,  SF Moma and the Exploratorium for free. Pretty awesome, especially for large families like ours! (Plus, we LOVE the library!)

Our favorite part of our Zeum visit was the Animators Studio where we were able to create clay characters and then use those characters to create our very own stop-motion movie. Nothing feels better than creating something with your own bare hands! I cannot tell you how much the kids enjoyed this experience. You could really see each child’s personality come through with the characters they created. The end result was a true collaboration between my little budding artists!

So without further ado, the debut of The Wong Family VERY short film “Summer Adventures” We hope you enjoy it and we look forward to making the sequel. We might actually know what we are doing second time around!

cast of characters from left to right:

ketchup the dog (and his ball)-by mom, tomato the fruit/veggie? fairy-by kaia, googly eyes the muscle man-by kadin, oregano the herb fairy-by kualii, pig dog the pig dog-by kiran and dad, big belly (not pregnant mom!)-by dad

Be sure to check out the upcoming NY/SF International Children’s Film Festival!

San Francisco Film Society Fall Season
NY/SF International Children’s Film Festival
September 24–26, 2010
Landmark’s Embarcadero Center Cinema

A three-day celebration of diverse, enlightening, inspiring and entertaining films for kids and teens ages 3–18 and their families, the NY/SF International Children’s Film Festival will bring short, feature length, animated and documentary films from around the world to the Bay Area.

The mixed media shorts program Party Mix and music documentary Sounds Like Teen Spirit open the Festival with an Opening Night party in between the screenings. Filmmakers in attendance throughout the weekend include Folimage founder and Mia & the Migoo director Jacques-Rémy Girerd, and The Secret of Kells director Tomm Moore who will lead an interactive workshop. From cyberpunk/sci-fi anime featureSummer Wars to the awe-inspiring nature film Turtle: The Incredible Journey, this fun-filled showcase has something for everyone.

For tickets and program information, visit sffs.org< http://www.sffs.org/Screenings-and-Events/Fall-Season/NY-SF-International-Childrens-Film-Festival> or call 925-866-9559.

Kiran’s little twin star, Taylor came to visit us today. She gave me about 5 seconds to take her picture! Good thing she is crazy cute and we were able to catch some great images. (plus I’m a ninja and gave her candy!) :) I love her giggles here! It’s one of those series of images that you could easily miss with a blink of the eye. Thanks for hanging out with us today Tay Tay. We love you!

Hard to believe the twins are turning one next month! I love my niece and nephew.

tonight my sweet boy goes to bed one and tomorrow he will awaken two. love you, my darling boy. “every day, in every way, it’s getting better and better. beautiful, beautiful boy.”

love,
mom and dad

“Today is the greatest day!” exclaims Bean. Bean is like any other typical 6 year old boy; easily riled up and just as easily sulky and dreadfully bored. Today was one of those busy work days where I had to send the kids to the playroom so that I could finish up some work. (Unfortunately, I’m guilty of doing that a lot lately.) The kids wandered out of the playroom after finding an old scrap of wood and asked me if they could paint it. The tired, not wanting to deal with the mess  mom in me was screaming in my mind NO! and the same tired and defeated, not wanting to deal with the whining and sulking mom said “sure, go ahead!” They went on and painted for a few minutes only to be terrorized by Bearzilla, our toddler. <grumble, grumble> “MOM! Bear is messing everything up!” Sigh, here we go. The baby had stuck his hand in the paint dish and was making a mess everywhere. As I was washing his hands, Bean asked me “Mom, can I paint my hand and stamp it on my paper?” He then quickly followed with a “Just kidding!” so as not to get in trouble for even asking the question. When did I become that mom that was so rigid? I guess having four kids will do that to you. I said to him “Sure, go ahead!” He lit up and his little sister Bubba quickly followed suit. That’s when he exclaimed “Today is the greatest day! I can’t wait to tell Bug!” (Bug is going on 9 and is at that age where she wants to hang out at her best friends house all the time.)  Then it dawned on me. I couldn’t remember the last time we all painted together. We used to do it all the time. When Bug was our only child we painted daily. I didn’t care if she got messy. I still had the energy to do all the “super mom” activities, I still remembered how to enjoy my child and my time with her. But somewhere after having #2 and #3 life got busier and I became that mom that was too tired, too easily short and bothered. I could see it happening to me. It was like I had switched to survival mode and I couldn’t get out. The shuttling of kids between school, different activities and nap schedules, minimal sleep, juggling clients and shoots, it wore me out. Being a mom is tough. Running a business is tough. Trying to do it all is really tough! I remember just as things started getting a little easier, we found out I was pregnant with #4 (Bearzilla). “wow, 4?!” Everybody always says. 4 kids ages 8 and under. How was I going to do it?  I don’t know when that turning point comes or what the magic number is, but somehow, having our fourth has been the best time of our lives. I’m still tired, still overworked still trying to find that work life balance (does it exist?!),  yet somehow #4 has taught me how to let go a little, to enjoy my kids again, to stop sweatin the little things, to enjoy life again. Sure, I still get short and I am by no means a super mom that has it all figured out. I am thankful for my children who remind me everyday of life’s simple pleasures. They are my greatest teachers. Today really is the greatest day.

THE scrap of wood

My mom lets me eat paint!

and one of me and my assistant on my hip for good measure.

P.S. My kids are standing over my shoulder as I am putting this blog post together and
Bean says “wow are you going to put those pictures up for the whole world to see?!” me: “I sure am!” him: “Cool!”

P.S.S Here is buggy who was missing in action today.