Go Daddy Go, Yeah!! - Seattle Marathon

Our super Daddy ran a tough marathon today!  It was his first and he did great.  The course runs through streets of Seattle which is extremely hilly like in San Francisco.  Due to running up and down for 4 hours, his knees are shot.  They started to hurt from 10 miles on, but he didn't give up. He ran the whole way.  We are very proud of our Daddy!  Sean and I went to cheer him on and thanks to a cool app which let me track his where abouts, I knew exactly when he will be passing where Sean and I stood.  We positioned ourselves near the finish line on top of a hard incline since I thought he would need a bunch of encouragements then.  We spotted Daddy climbing up and waved and cheered him on.  Sean proudly showed him a sign he made which said "Go Daddy, Go Daddy Go Go Go, Yeah!!" (he is good at picking catchy phrase and words).  I am pretty sure Mike was so touched by that.  It was a very chilly day here in Seattle and Sean's little fingers were losing senses as we were standing on the side for a good an hour.  He said "Mommy, I can't feel my fingers", but he held the sign tightly and didn't complain at all. 

Marathon is such a tough sport that tests the physical and mental ability.  Mike impresses me for taking on a hard challenge like this and keep looking ahead.  Being a Dad to four young children in itself is a big challenge and I am very proud of him for being out there and expanding his horizon.  Maybe I should consider doing a half marathon soon?  I have to think about that one...

A Visit to Christmas Tree Farm

It's that time of the year again~  The clan headed out to Carnation Tree Farm on Saturday morning to find the certain something that lights up the room and smells nice - a Christmas Tree!

It was a misty morning, but the faint orange in the gray sky was a sure sign the fog would soon burn off.  Jagged deep green of the trees was a great contrast to floating shapeless mist.  I could have stared at the scenery for a long time, but we had an important business to do!

We knew what kind of tree we wanted, Nordman or Korean Fir.  Their needles are thicker than the typical pines and do not shed as much.  I held Noah's hand and he did great walking with me.  Sean and Saya ran ahead very excited.  We found "the one" shortly after we began our search.   We looked at it in all angles, close and far, shook it a bit, and it passed the test.  Noah and I stayed with the tree while the rest looked further to see if there is a better one.  Sean shouted "Mommy!!" and waved from the end of the farm.  They didn't find any.  Daddy cut the tree and loaded it on the trolley to have it netted.  Sean was happy and guarded the tree by walking right beside it.  Noah was a little whinny by then since he wanted to go check out the farmer's house (he loves front area of any houses, in particular the ones with some kind of statues), but he did surprisingly well walking with me.  Maybe we could become finally stroller free!? 

We had fun decorating the tree.  Sean and Saya competed against each other to put ornaments fast.  My only request to them was not to put the ornaments in the same spot and distribute them evenly.  I think they did a good job.  We like having a fresh tree for its natural beauty and calming scent.  Now it's officially the Christmas season in the Campbells household!

Happy Thanksgiving 2012

Tina and Aaron brought beautiful flowers and lots of tasty wines.

As the head of household, Mike was responsible for carving the turkey.

Let's dig in!

My plate and looking back, that is a lot of food!

Noah had fun playing with Tina.

The dessert section.  I made the pumpkin pie and the apple pie in the middle.

We had grandpa Bob, Shasha, Nana, uncle Aaron and Tina over for Thanksgiving this year.  To reduce the workload of the Turkey Day, I started to prep for the feast 3 days in advance by baking apple pie, chopping veggies and pre-cooking the beans etc..  It was a good decision because Thanksgiving morning was hectic as I imagined.  I had to "borrow" Jen's oven to bake the stuffing and I was running around in the neighborhood with casserole dish in my hands. 

Menu:

Appetizer

Grandpa's famous hors d'oeuvres platter with oysters, olives, cheese, radishes and creamed herrings
Guacamole with tortilla chips

Main

Herbs, garlic, lemon and butter infused slow roasted turkey
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce


Sides

Sausage and Herb Stuffing
Green Bean Casserole with Homemade Mushroom Gravy
Sweet Potato Casserole
Butter Loaf

Dessert

Crunchy Crumb Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie Tina brought
Vanilla Ice Cream
Canned Whipped Cream

The dinner turned out great.  Everything was made fresh except for canned pumpkin for the pie and the crusts.  The turkey was moist and the side dish had good flavors.  I will keep the recipes for next year.  One thing that I regret is not getting the measurements right on the crunchy apple pie.  I was supposed to add 1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP of flour to make the crumbs but only put 2TBSP hence not so crunchy topping.  I will be careful next time.  Good company and good food made the Turkey Day very special.  Thanks for coming family! 

You would think the night ended when the guest retreated and dressed in PJ, but I got a text from Jen at 10:45 pm asking if I want to head out to an adventure.  After all those talks about how crazy it is to shop on Thanksgiving day after dinner, my first words to her was "you are crazy!"  Ten minutes later, I was in her car heading out to Target.  The line at Target was winding between aisles towards the cleaning supply section, which took us about 25 minutes to get served.  I only bought a bag of coffee, but Jen saved $140 with her purchase.  It was a trip worthwhile for her and a fun one for me.  I secretly wanted to know what it's like to shop late at night in madness. 

It was a fun day all in all.  I am very thankful for my great family here in America.  They've always been good to me since the day we met in 1996.  Thanks for coming, Bob, Marsha, Jan, Aaron and Tina.  You were a great company and made the day perfect!

Baby Feet

I found a couple of pairs of Robeez in the closet and they reminded me of our sweet baby days.  Sean was willing to put them on for the photo and as I admired his feet he asked me, "are you sad Mommy?" sensing the emotion I was feeling.  "I am a little sad that you are growing up so fast," I told him.  I am bound to be one of those old ladies who talks endlessly about their grown children's baby days.

Halloween!

Beautiful home and presentation at Tom and Liz's house.

Saya was pounding the pumpkin away!

Halloween shaped sugar cookies are must have items for Halloween.

Noah at his school.  He looked pretty cute in his Buzz costume.

Staff at Foundation.  The owner/director, Paul, is the only guy in there on the right.

Pathway leading up to our house.  There are giant spiders placed on the bushes on each side.

Saya being terrified.  She lost the sight of me and was screaming for Mommy a moment later.

The scary house.  There is always a crowd forming in front of their house.

Nana the witch, aka candy giver.

Sean trick or treating at Parker's house.

Visiting one last house before we end the night.

 

Every year, the Halloween gets more exciting.  Sean has been obsessed with our Halloween decorations outside and asked all visitors who come to our house if they were scared to pass the skeletons and spiders.  Sean and Daddy went nuts on decoration this year while I was spending peaceful time in Japan.  We had three ghosts hanging in a row at the front door, for example.  We were the second scariest house in the neighborhood, he said, the first being the "scary house" on the cop corner of our street.

We had another busy one this year.  Liz and Tom invited us to their annual Halloween play date and they'd outdone themselves again this year.  The treats, the table settings and decorations were so pretty, I could not help snapping away.  Sean was an Ironman this year again, Noah was Buzz, and Saya was a princess cat.  Alyson in Japan was Tiana from Princess and a Frog.  The kids had a good time playing at Tom's house and even Noah did well, playing with toys and stayed in the area he was supposed to.  It's always nice to hang out with the Mereckis family because they are so put together.  They inspire me to be on top of things and believe me, I really do need that kind of boost!

Noah had a Halloween party at his preschool, so Saya and I went to see him.  Saya dressed up in her costume and went trick or treating in the school with them.  Noah didn't want to put the hood on to complete the Buzz look, so he sort of looked like a race car driver.  We decorated Halloween themed cookies and Noah licked all the icing off and was wanting to lick the entire package of icing.  He has a sweet tooth, that boy. 

I took Sean and Saya to Foundation's (Noah's ABA therapy school) Halloween party as well on Wednesday.  Noah had therapies that day at Lakeside in Issaquah, so he could not attend.  The staff at Foundations are the sweetest and one of the most dedicated team I have ever worked with.  Kudos to them for being hands on and solution oriented with children who otherwise are thought to be incapable.  They give me hope and us parents need that light to be able to push ourselves further.  The party was great!  We met some new friends and the kids had a very good time.  They didn't want to leave but they agreed to since they wanted to be home for trick or treating.

Nana volunteered to hand out candies to little princesses and Spidermen at home so that we can go on to collect goodies.  Sean and Mike went first and I took Saya later.  Noah had to stay home because he is obsessed with going to people's yard and I knew that he would scream and cry if we don't let him go into the area where he badly wants to.  Saya was scared of going to many houses since it was dark out and was afraid of some decorations by the doors. 

There is a funny episode of Sean and Saya trick or treating at the "scary house".  The family there every year attempts and succeed in scaring the crap out of young and old with their theatrical approach to handling trick or treaters.  They have the dry ice machine spewing the mysterious fog and their house dark with only flickering light.  They have fake butchered body parts lying around on their porch and there sits a man with Jason mask.  Any adults would know the man is going to jump out, but little kids like Sean had no idea.  So, a group of little children including Sean went to their door, already a little terrified but decided to be brave.  They carefully approached the door and suddenly the man with chainsaw jumped up and chased them.  There were cries for Mommy, high-pitched screams and children scattering in all directions.  One of Sean's little friends were crying, but Sean would proudly tell you that he didn't.  In fact, he was brave enough to knock on the door again to get the treat.  He even agreed to shake the hand of the guy at the door with a zombie mask only to be startled again when his hand fell.  He was a good sport though and laughed.  He told us his brave story over and over again when he got home.   Saya had no chance surviving the "scary house".  She was frozen with fear and poor baby who still cannot tell what is fiction and what's not was terrified.  However, a candy is far more important to her than a moment of fear.  So, she decided she wanted to go to the door to get the candy.  She was very cautious and studied the man's mask and when the guy asked if she wanted a candy or not, she nodded and carefully picked a candy bar.  It's so fun to watch a little child weighing her options and problem solving!

So, we had a pretty cool Halloween.  What a fun event!  I love America!

Going Home Means...

I do want to move on to the topic other than Japan, but I cannot move on without one last post.  I will put it together in a photo essay because the pictures speak more than words.

Going home means...

 awakening my tongue to savor the good food and the memories that comes with every mouth-watering bite,

experiencing and seeing what we don't have in America,

feeling the love of my family who wants to give me the best experience possible,

seeing my daughters play like they don't care what planet they are in as long as they are together,

walking the streets of hometown with my daughters and realizing this is what I've wanted to do since they were born,

making sure my park is still there,

readjusting the mental picture of the neighborhood since there were some changes,

appreciating the things that remain the same,

celebrating my mother's 74th birthday with a homemade cake,

learning how strong Alyson has gotten,

and making my Mom and Dad smile in my own way because I can never catch up to their unconditional love. 

Japan was awesome - thank you for reading!

Japan Trip Part 5 - My Relatives

The family.  They are the reason why I wanted to come home so badly.  I was able to see many of them in the short visit and how nice it was to see the famiiar faces!

We met up with my cousin Sachiko and her two kids, Tokio and Amo, and Sachiko's twin brother Masuo's wife Tomoko and their three kids, Michiki, Sakura and Nana at a children's indoor gym in Suita.  It was a fun play gym with a big ball pits, a place to play dress up, and lots of space to run around.  A kind of place where my kids would go nuts!  Aly and Saya were red cheeked and sweating in no time.  Their cousins were equally in the full blown play mode and Michiki who is ten was literally bouncing off walls.  It was nice to catch up with Sachiko.  My twin baby cousins are Mommy and Daddy now and that makes me feel pretty old! 

My maternal grandmother Yone's ashes were laid to rest in Higashi Honganji Temple on 10/21.  Yone passed away 12 years ago and half of her ashes are buried in her grave and the rest was to be returned to the main temple of the family's sect.  My aunts, uncles and cousins from my mother's side came from Mie prefecture to attend the ceremony.  I was glad to be able to attend the ceremony since I could not go to her funeral 12 years ago.  My Dad, Mom, the girls and I took an express train to Kyoto and the girls were very excited to take a train trip with everyone.  Not knowing the distance, we took a cab from the station to the temple.  We were quite embarrassed that we arrived a few blocks later.  It could have been the shortest cab ride ever.  The temple was huge.  I've visited temples like this before when I was younger but now with more appreciation to old architectures, I was mesmerized with its history and grandeur.  I hope to visit more historical sites in Kyoto in the next visit.

Aunt Misao and uncle Hideo were waiting outside and I spotted aunt Yoshiko, uncle Iwao, cousin Mizuho, aunt Kyoko and cousin Morito soon after.  They taught the girls how to pray with the praying beads and kept them occupied while waiting.  We sat in a big hall on the floor and listened to the monk talk about... hmm.. ok I wasn't listening.  I think my Dad even fell asleep and guess where I got the inattentiveness from!?  We were then moved to the main prayer hall and what a stunningly beautiful place it was.  The hallway to get there was like walking in a museum with antique Buddha statues left and right.  A dim candle lit lanterns were hanging from the ceiling and the floor was dark polished wood that mysteriously reflected the flickering flame of the lanterns.  Too bad we were not allowed to take photos.  It was amazing!  I was able to capture the lunch banquet scene in my camera.  The food was a collection of traditional monks' dish and they looked beautiful and were delicious.  The girls only ate jello though and they were fighting over it.  I looked around and other little boys and girls in the room were eating quietly.  I rarely get to see my relatives from Mie and I was so happy to have had an opportunity to attend this special day.

I was able to see my Dad's brother, Ken, and his wife Sayko two days before my departure day.  They came over to my Mom's place and paid for the catered meal so that my Mom doesn't have to cook.  They've always been so thoughtful and generous.  Uncle Ken was great with the girls.  I've never seen his grandpa side, but I could just imagine how he is with his grandchildren.  Saya kept asking him to eat a cut piece of lemon to see his reaction.  He happily played along with her several times, giving the best sour face there is, and Saya thought he was hilarious.  I didn't get to see their daughter, Yoko, but hopefully I will be able to spend some time with her the next time.  They are a sweet family and I am grateful to belong to a family full of caring people.

It's nice to be reminded that I do have aunts and uncles like people around me in America, people who know me since I was wee small.  I already miss their smiley faces but now feel a bit warmer in my heart, their kind words still fresh in my memory. 

Sachiko and Amo

Very sweet little girl!

Nana, Tokio and Sakura

Tokio and Michiki

On the way to the playdate with cousins - it was Saya's first time on a train.

On the way to Kyoto.  Jiji was busy keeping an eye on the girls.

Entertainment by Grandma on the express train to Kyoto.

Magnificent Higashi Honganji Temple - Saya and Aly were more excited about pigeons.

What a big temple!

Aly and Mizuho-chan

Aunt Kyoko and the girls.  I guess Aly does look like my side of the family. 

Aunt Misao was teaching Saya how to pray with beads.  She was trying her best.

When the monk started to talk, Aly looked around and sat up straight like everyone around.  She looked like a big girl!

Lunch banquet at the temple.  The traditional monk food was very tasty.  It's all vegetarian and very healthy.



Girls got quickly bored with lunch.  I ended up eating most of their food.

The view of the lush green garden was beautiful.

This is my best shot out of 500 plus pictrues I took in Japan.  I just love the colors, two panel composition and Aly's innocence.

Walking with children, you discover lots of interesting things around.  It's fun to walk with children for that reason.  We were looking at Koi by the temple.

My Dad discovered that it takes forever to walk with small children. 

Kyoto Tower reflecting against modern Kyoto station building.  It looked dated, but I like seeing structures from the past. 

Looking at the view of Kyoto city from the top of Kyoto station. 

Dinner with Uncle Ken and Aunt Sayoko.  Eating dinner with them reminded me of childhood get together with family.  I miss those days and my cousins...

Saya making uncle Ken eat lemons.