Couple days ago I got the memo from Bee's teacher and I freaked out !  No no no, this can't be happening.  An active case of head lice in her classroom, the newsletter said.  I can't imagine Bee being bit by those critters :S  then I thought about if she got it, we all will get it because we co-sleep !!!!!  Thought of my thick long hair being infested and that I'm about to give birth anytime now, I really can't deal with this now  :(  I am tempted to keep Bee at home until the issue is cleared at school, but for how long ?  that's not sensible.  Seriously, how could this happen ?  We went through 4 months of school lice free !  What happened after the holiday that brings on the bout of this scary critter ?  People traveled during the holiday, yes that must be it.  And if not, there's no point of trying to figure out what happened or find out which kid has it !  The creepy bugs are here and we have to find ways to keep all of us from them !!!!

I did some research around and here're what I found:

- Head lice is not a case of poor hygiene, lice actually prefers clean hair, but they generally like all types of hair !
- They live and feed on the scalp of our head !  And can live 24 hours off the host (us)
- They can't fly or jump, they crawl only (thank God !)
- Lice spread through direct hair-to-hair contact or indirectly by sharing things like hats, combs, hairbrushes, etc.
- They give birth to eggs, called nits and they firmly attached to hair shaft
- They don't spread diseases and don't live on pet (human only)

What are the signs and symptoms of head lice ?

- Tickling feeling of something moving in the hair
- Itching caused by lice bites

- Sores on the head caused by scratching

How did my kid get head lice?

- Head-to-head contact with an already infested person is the most common way to get head lice.
- Head lice can also be spread by sharing clothing or belongings (hats, hair bands, combs, hair clips, towels, etc.) or lying on bed, pillow, sofa or carpet that has recently been in contact with an infested person. This happens when lice crawl, or nits attached to hair hatch, and get on the shared clothing or belongings and furniture.

I grew up in Asia so lice isn't a new thing for me.  Despite knowing what they are, and probably had a farm of them on my head when I was young, I am still gross out by the thought of them.  I never want to see them ever . I am abhor by the thought of them crawling on any of us.

I remember reading somewhere about tea tree oil spray so first thing I did was get the tea tree oil.  C spoke to the pharmacist at Walmart and she suggest we mix together 1 part tea tree oil to 10 part water in a spray bottle.  Shake well before use then spray all over Bee's hair before she goes to school to deter the lice away.  The pharmacist also suggested we put Bee's hair in a tight braid everyday until the issue is cleared.  Done and done !  As for the smell, it is a bit strong but within 15 min. it's not very noticeable anymore.

I've been checking Bee's head everyday after school and praying each time that I don't see anything out of the norm.  I explained to her what we're doing and advised her not to share her hairband or touch her head with other friends.  She listened well as she's been declaring to me once she's home from school "We didn't touch head with anyone today!" .  She meant her friends and her didn't touch head.  So far so good.  I haven't been given a "cleared' notice from the school yet so right now everyday feels like we're playing russian roulette.  That and the tickling time bomb of baby in my tummy right now makes for very anxious day.

I came across this post that was published early 2015.  I'm guilty of buying some items at the dollar stores.  There are a few items I often go there for, wooden craft items, stickers, balloons, table covers, and gift bags.  I have always known that quality there are questionable because to keep prices that low, manufacturers must have to cut corners.  I'm wondering about their paper products now...

Below are the list for 10 most toxic items from dollar stores.  I still think there're some decent items we can get from dollar stores, like tissue papers, paper decorating banners, gift bags, etc.  I would be more mindful when I shop there though.  Even with big box stores, I wonder if ALL of their toys and plastic items are safe.  I guess at least there are some quality check being done by them in comparison to probably none from the dollar store.  *sigh*...If we can avoid all plastics that would be the way to go but it's hard to (I say this as I look at my kids playing with plastic lego :(

The 10 Most Toxic Items At Dollar Stores

The low price is not worth your health.

By Molly Rauch
When it comes to safety, dollar-store deals might not be a bargain after all. Recent testing of their products found that 81% contained one or more hazardous chemicals. The tests, conducted by the consumer testing group Healthy Stuff, found chemicals associated with cancer, obesity, diabetes, asthma, thyroid and kidney diseases, learning problems, lower IQ, birth defects and early puberty. Here are 10 items you're better off buying elsewhere.

1. Electronic Accessories
Extension cords, USB charging cords and cell phone charger cables from dollar stores tested high in chlorine, a sign that the items were made with a plastic called polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. PVC is made from vinyl chloride, a cancer-causing chemical that has harmed workers and contaminated communities close to the factories. Pick up these accessories from electronics stores instead.

2. Plastic Kitchen Utensils

Those black slotted spoons and spatulas may contain high levels of bromine, a component in brominated flame retardants, or BFRs. Though these are added to make the products resistant to fire, they've been linked to cancer, birth defects and impaired brain development, and have been banned or phased out in the U.S. So what are they doing in kitchen utensils? Suppliers are likely substituting cheap, hazardous recycled content–probably from old electronics–for virgin plastic. Products made with such recycled plastic can be contaminated with BFRs, and our regulatory system misses them. Instead, choose stainless steel.

3. Flannel-Backed Table Covers

Protecting your table from scratches and stains, these bright, reusable covers seem like a good way to add a festive feel to your feast. But recent testing uncovered high levels of lead, aneurotoxic metal that is especially harmful to fetuses and children. It can reduce IQ and cause behavioral problems. Vinyl tablecloths aren't a good alternative, because they're made with cancer-causing vinyl chloride. Instead, look for a reusable, washable cloth table cover or a disposable paper or plastic one.

4. Metallic Christmas Garlands

Saving on once-a-year items makes good financial sense. But these have tested high in bromine, indicating that some are made with recycled plastics containing BFRs. These can seep into household dust, possibly causingthyroid problems, memory impairment and other health issues. In general, clear and translucent plastics don't have the hazardous recycled content, so look for see-through garlands or paper varieties, or make your own out of good old popcorn and cranberries.

5. Silly Straws

These have tested high for levels of DEHP, a phthalate (pronounced "thal-ate") used widely in consumer products, usually to soften brittle plastics. Some phthalates interfere with the body's endocrine system, and studies have linked phthalate exposure to asthma and allergies, prostate and testicular cancer and type 2 diabetes. Six phthalates, including DEHP, have been restricted in children's products–but silly straws aren't technically children's products, so they can legally contain high levels of DEHP.

6. Vinyl Floor Coverings

Flexible, adhesive bath mats from dollar stores have tested high in both phthalates and chlorine. Jeff Gearhart, research director ofHealthy Stuff, is especially concerned about the impact of phthalates because they're used in so many different products. "Exposures are from multiple sources and affect multiple parts of our bodies," he says. He recommends avoiding products that have the word "vinyl" on the label.

7. Holiday Light Strings

Handling such products as you style your tree could spread toxic dust to your hands, and then you might ingest it. Hard to swallow, considering the high levels of chlorine and bromine (and therefore PVC and flame-retardant chemicals) in these have been linked to cancer and thyroid problems. When buying holiday lights, check the tag to make sure they are RoHS-compliant. ("Restriction of Hazardous Substances" is a European toxics standard that limits some flame retardants in electronics).

8. Metal Children's Jewelry

All that glitters is not safe: Recent tests showed earrings from dollar stores with high lead levels, exceeding Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations. Lead can leach out of jewelry when children suck or scratch it, and ingesting even tiny amounts of the heavy metal can harm children's brain development. Since most products never get screened for toxins, and can slip through even when they surpass federal safety standards, skip jewelry like this completely.

9. Metallic Beads

Mardi Gras may mean Fat Tuesday, but throw in some dollar-store garlands, and it's Toxic Tuesday instead. These necklaces tested high in bromine, indicating that recycled plastic was probably the filler ingredient for the beads. Gearhart has estimated that "a single year's inventory of Mardi Gras beads may contain up to 900,000 pounds of hazardous flame retardants and 10,000 pounds of lead." Unless you are partying in the French Quarter, just say no to metallic beads.

10. Window Clings and Removable Wall Stickers

Whether life-size photos of favorite sports stars or colorful holiday graphics, don't be tempted to redecorate your children's walls or windows with these. They tend to contain PVC, which the American Public Health Association has called "among the most hazardous of plastic materials" and urges action to phase out the material from homes, schools, hospitals and daycare centers.

Discount retailers can do better–Walmart and Target are responding to consumer demand for safer products, requiring their suppliers to phase out the most harmful chemicals–but so far top dollar store CEOs haven't responded to requeststo get toxic chemicals off their shelves. What should dollar stores do about toxic chemicals in their products? Click here to let the CEOs of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar General know what you think.

Heading into the last stretch of my pregnancy so C's been taking over all the night routine.  He bathe, floss, brush, dress and read to the girls !  After he takes the garbage out and walk Toby.  I must say I miss brushing the girls terribly !  They often would make me pause between brush, "ma, stop, can I ask you a question ?",  and ask something silly or say something silly that makes me laugh.  I enjoy being in the kids' presence very much.  I feel they grow a little too fast to my liking.

Latest fad of sayings in our house:

Bee:
- I love you to pluto !  how far is pluto ?  really far right ?  that's how much I love you.
- You're the best cook ever.  I like all your food ! (she doesn't eat everything I cook)
- I love you to the galaxy
- I love you to heaven
- Mommy I need to ask you a question...(she say this to delay something, like dinner time, or bath time)

- Jesus can help !

- We speak Chinese ! (we speak Vietnamese)

- Why you and grandma yelling at each other ?  (I explained to her when we speak Vietnamese we are just loud, not yelling)

Love
- Stupid is a bad word.  Some kid gonna timed out !

- Stupid means no brain on top (Bee told her that !  They hear the word Stupid on TV)
- Is this this way mommy ?  This way ?  or this way ?  (when dressed herself, she asked what side is in front and what is back when there's no label or tag)
- I love you to rocket ship.
- I love you to pluto far far away
- Stinkle stinkle little star... (I love how she say twinkle)

- Why can't we touch the sky ? We need a ladder!
- Awh, you mad at me
- Awh, you don't love me
- Awh, noboby love me
- Poo poo face
- I am mad at you mommy !  because I am not your mommy ! 

Baby is now full term and is the size of a winter melon, according to most baby websites.  I think I frequented over 10 different sites to see what they said about baby at week 37, to see if there's anything different.  The suspense of when baby will make an entrance into our world is killing me.  The anxiety, the anxiousness, the excitement of our meeting, the anticipation of contractions...it`s not fun at all.

I haven't have much sleep the past couple of weeks.  Even while working, I was functioning on 3-4 hours of sleep.  I felt fine though.  I still have lots of energy but moving around is starting to get difficult because baby head is down.  I need help getting up and rolling out of bed  :-)

I`m on "vacation" this week, and then mat leave will kick in the week after.  I should be resting and getting ready for baby but I just can't.  I find myself looking for things to do !  I find myself login into work, re-organizing stuff around the house, reorganizing my closet, and have to stop myself from wanting to vacuum all the time.  I feel at lost when I`m not doing concrete work, it feels like my day has no purpose.  When baby come it will be a different story but for now, I am not liking this very much.

Where are the kiddos ?  one is in school and one prefers to play on her own !  Lovebug was all about Lego and Playdoh.  We get to play a bit here and there which helped me with my sanity.  We napped together and also went out and play with the little snow that fell last night.  Come to think of it, I really only have about 3 hours where I wasn't doing anything...yet it felt like it was a long period of nothingness............When everyone is home I'm a happy clam !!!  Hubby told me he's happy to see me at home too, he said "It's nice you're home, because it's less worry for me, because I know you're safe!".  I know what he's saying, I don't want to go into labor in public either !!!  I just need to myself busy for the next short while...

There should be no gap between the meat and the wrapper !  Roll and wrap it tight. 
These are made by our girls so they are loose :-)

I'm almost 38 weeks pregnant so right now, cooking isn't something I enjoy very much at the moment :-)  I just want to eat and sleep !  We are planning on a quiet night in on New Year's eve.  We already have the virgin bubbly and dessert for the count down celebration but dinner ?  oh I don't know what to eat for dinner.  All the Christmas meals are still fresh in our head and we long for comfort food.  C suggested I make springrolls because he likes the way I make it.  Springrolls wrapped in crisp lettuce sounds wonderful so I said to him that I'll do the mixing IF he does the rolling and cooking. 

A little over an hour prepping, rolling and cooking, we were rewarded with tasty crunchy spring rolls with tender hot meat filling inside !  oh how I miss eating them.  It was so worth the effort.  Hubby and kids happily gobbled them up !  

Here's the recipe !  It's my own recipe as this is how I remember the taste of springrolls in my childhood years.  I got the base ingredients from my aunt Ninh, who's the best cook in my mom's side of family.  Hubby and the kids likes it and even my picky mom said it's good.  I wanted to write this recipe for my girls as I hope they can make it and pass on to their kids.

Feel free to play with the recipe, experiment with ground chicken or turkey, add in a little shredded jicama or taro.   

As taste are subjective, TASTE TEST the meat before committing to roll all the rolls !  Take a bit of the meat mixture, either microwave or pan fried them, then taste to make sure it's to your liking.  Adjust by adding more fish sauce, salt or sugar.  Good luck :-)

INGREDIENTS: 
*makes about 50 of 4" X 1" rolls

- 2 lbs of lean ground pork
- 1 pounds of tiger prawn, chopped finely into small pieces (little more or less is ok)

- 2 cup of shredded carrots (loosely measured, don't pack it)

- 2 bundles of dry bean thread noodles (also know as angel hair or glass noodles), soak in boiling hot water for 3 min. to soften, makes about 2 cups, use scissor to roughly cut it into short length, about 1 1/2 inch

- 1/2 of a medium white onion, finely chopped

- 1 tablespoon of black pepper

- 3 tablespoon of good fish sauce (Red Boat or 3 Crabs brand)

- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of Lee Kum Kee chicken bouillon powder (if don't have it, add 1/2 tsp of salt)

- 1 1/2 teaspoon of organic cane sugar (white sugar is OK)
- 1 egg
- spring roll pastry wrapper (pack of 50, brand I used is called Spring Home, bought frozen, takes about 2-3 hours to thaw in room temperature)

The ingredients below can be omitted if you don't have them or don't like them !  I think they are for texture more than taste anyways.

- 1 cup of wilted bean sprouts (soak fresh bean sprout in boiling hot water for 5 min. Then pour into a strainer, rinse with cold water to cool then use hands to squeeze all the water out of the bean sprout.  They need to be as dry as possible.)

- 1/3 cup of thinly chopped wood ear mushroom (other names are cloud ear fungus or black fungus)

Cornstarch sealant (glue for the spring rolls)

- 3 tablespoon of lukewarm water
- 1 table spoon of corn starch 

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a bowl, mix well the carrots, angel hair, bean sprouts, and wood ear mushroom together.  Then add in the prawn, pork, pepper, fish sauce, salt and sugar.  Break in an egg to bind the ingredients together.  Mix well with your hands.  I have yet to find a way to do this without using my hands.  Fork and chopsticks just doesn't mix it as good as I like.

Once mixed, set up a rolling station !  in a bowl, mix the lukewarm water with the corn starch, this is your sealant for the spring rolls. 

Open the pastry pack, peel out 1 sheet of spring roll pastry and lay flat on plate (the pastry should look like a diamond in front of you).  Take a spoonful of the meat mixing and put it near the mid mark of the pastry, even the meat out to about 2 1/2 in length.  Fold up the bottom the pastry, it should look like a triangle.  Roll it once tightly, don't put too much pressure, just enough to make sure there's no air pocket, then fold in the two sides to close it like an envelop.  Roll it up to where the 2 sides end, you should now be left with a section of pastry, looks like a triangle.  Now dip your finger into the bowl of cornstarch "glue" wipe across the top two section of the triangle (like how you would seal an envelop).  Roll to the end tip and the cornstarch should seal the spring roll.  Repeat with the rest of the meat filling !

In a deep fryer (or a deep pot), fill with enough vegetable oil to fry the spring rolls.  If using pot, fill it with at least 3 inches of oil.  When oil is bubbly hot, with a thong or a pair of wooden chopsticks, slowly lower one spring roll at a time into the oil.  Don't over crowd the pot, the spring rolls won't cook evenly.  Lower the heat to Medium.  Keep turning them over until they turn nicely golden brown.  Usually it takes about 5 - 10 min. depending on the size of your springroll.  

When the spring rolls are done, you can put them on a rack to drain the excess oil or put some paper towel in a deep bowl and stand the spring rolls in there.  Give them a few minutes to cool down and you can cut them up and put over cooked vermicelli noodles, pour some Vietnamese dipping sauce over them and a side of sliced lettuce, cucumber, cilantro and basil.  Another way to eat these are to wrap each roll in a leaf of lettuce and dip in the Vietnamese dipping sauce.  

Recipe for the dipping sauce is here:  http://www.tracycollin.ca/2013/09/how-to-make-vietnamese-nuoc-mam-dipping.html

TIPS:

- to test for when the oil is hot enough to fry, take a wooden spoon or wooden chopstick and stick it into the pot.  If bubbles formed around the stick then it's ready !

- you can freeze the rolled spring rolls for deep frying later on.  Just make sure you freeze them in single layer.  You can stack them in layers if you separate each layer with plastic cling wrap.  If you are using other brand of pastry wrapper, make sure the rolls doesn't touch each other.  This is to ensure the pastry wrap doesn't get stuck to each other and rip when you deep fry them.  When ready for frying, remove spring rolls from freezer and you can deep fry them in their frozen state, no need to thaw.  Add a few min. to cooking time.

- I've also have tried deep fried all the rolls first then freeze them once they cooled down.  The one I want to freeze, I fry them to a light brown, not golden.  Since they are already cooked, you can freeze as it, stacked up, no need for single layer or keeping them separated from each other.  When you want to eat them, reheat at 350 degrees for about 12-15 min and they're good to go !  Depending in toaster/oven brand/model and the quantity of rolls in it, it might take a few min. less or another 5-7 min. to completely heat up the spring rolls.  Please taste test your spring rolls for hotness.  

We're heading out soon for candle light service at church.  I enjoy this quiet time at Christmas, a time to reflect on the year and be thankful for all He's done for us.  I must say while I enjoy candle service, a small part of me I also miss church Christmas production.  Our current church isn't into those kind of thing.  I'm sure there's a reason but I hope they consider it in the future.  Growing up I love singing in choir at Christmas time or play the shepherd or an animal at the manger.  The excitement of opening night and the relief of successfully doing your part.  It's nice to see the church come together, young and old, putting on a production.  I never seem to get bored of the manger scene, the King of the universe came to save me in the most humbling way.

We had some time so I took some pictures of the girls !

My best friend and I are both pregnant and due about 2 weeks of each other !  It's quite a nice coincidence as we get to be both at home together and our kids will have each other to play with (like our first born, they were 3 months apart).

Over the weekend we had a shared baby shower at our place.  I went into baking mode the night before and was making cookies and cupcakes and more cookies and then burnt some and changed my mind on others and then on the morning off, went and made taro tapioca pudding !!!  My husband reminded me that my friends are not into western sweets like pastries and cakes and cookies, the kids like them, but our friends like asian dessert more.  He asked me "how many times do we ever finished a cake ?  even a small one ?", he's right, there's always so much left over cake.  I love it though, I would eat it for breakfast/lunch the next day :-)  No loss here.  But in this case, hubby meant that I shouldn't bake too much as it's a lot of effort with little yield.  And he's right, few cupcakes and cookies and eggrolls (purchased) went but the taro pudding went fast !  I made a huge pot and the bowl was scrape cleaned.  I must admit though, the taro roots I bought was good (luck of the picking as you can get not very tasty taro) so it was very nice with the coconut milk.  I highly enjoyed it.

I myself likes tea party !  As you can see from past photos, we do a lot of tea parties around here :-)  it's pretty to look at and fun and easy to set up !  Some sweets and/or some savories and some teas and you're set.  Anything goes !  So naturally I thought we should have a tea time after our meat heavy lunch.  While bestie, my kids and I sipped teas, our friends were distracted !  I think if it is a sans kids party, we all would be seating and sipping tea and giggles, but that's not the case with a full house !  Shortly after, I found myself refereeing 2 kids and then everyone else was attending to theirs.  It's normal and natural and expected.  But in the mist of all the busyness, we still managed to talk, to vent, to laugh and eat and drink !  Us women are queen multitaskers :-)  At the end of day, it was nice being in companies with friends while our kids get to run around and have their own fun.  Best part is after 7 hours together, the kids are all worn out and ready for sleep !

For me, I always have a great time with everyone over.  It warms my heart to hear people talking and laughing, kids yelling, and seeing emptied cupboards.  I like seeing my friends enjoying themselves, I like hosting and think it's helps that I have great friends who always lend a hand to clean up during and after the party.