Grandma Is Here!

I've been busy for a good reason for the past one week.  My Mom descended to Seattle from Osaka last Tuesday and we are all in a special vacation mode spending time with her.  She spent the first week following me around as I endlessly run around as usual in my van.  She volunteered with me in Sean and Aly's class and even went to Sean's psychiatrist appointment.  She washes dishes, folds laundries and plays with the children.  Moms are so good to have around! 

We ventured out to Seattle waterfront last Sunday to visit the aquarium.  With three adults, we could even take Noah although he was a bit of a challenge.  Seattle Aquarium is pretty small compared to the world class marvel in Osaka, but it's a great fun for the little ones.  Sean and Aly enjoyed touching the starfish and I touched a sea urchin for the first time.  Who knew that they can move those spikes and it even has a mouth!  The staff was very knowledgeable and it was an educational experience.  Noah, once he got out of the stroller, was in a mood to explore and wanted to open every closed door, even those for employees only or ones that triggers an emergency alarm.  He was whiny and unhappy that he couldn't open them.  I had to carry him half of the time because he was so unhappy.  I want him to get used to being in a public place, so it was a good idea still to take him.   It will take many tries I am sure. 

We walked on Alaska Way and did a bit of playing tourists visiting shops and eating ice creams.  The kids found a classic merry-go-round in one of the pier buildings and had lots of fun on it.  Lucky kids got a free ride on a bicycle taxi on the boardwalk since the bike guy offered and they had tons of fun (ended up tipping him - smart guy!).  It was a beautiful day with blue sky even though the wind was a bit chilly.  We had a great time being out together.  It was tiring but well worth it.

Unfortunately, my pictures from the outing didn't get saved correctly from the SD card onto my computer and I lost all my pictures!  There were some good ones and I am disappointed!  Well, it's all in our memory and I know my kids at least will remember the day for a while. 

My sweet hubby is so excited for tomorrow since it's my birthday.  He might be more excited than me.  He is taking a day off from work so that I can have a whole day to myself.  That is a big thing for me because I don't think I had an entire day to myself since I had my first baby.  I really don't know what to do with myself.  I kind of feel nervous about it since I don't want to waste any time.  Either way, it's going to be a great birthday.  Having a wonderful family and being able to celebrate with them is a bliss.  Life is good and I feel like the luckiest person in the universe!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I love America for having such a colorful holiday festivities every occasion.  It must have a deeper meaning than wearing green and leprechauns, but to this non-Irish Japanese and American family, it's all about having fun.  I made sure that everyone dressed in green this morning.  Alyson was very excited and she decked herself in all green, even her socks.  Sean had a gray shirt with green writing on it so it was all good.  Saya wore her green polka dot tutu and dressed the rest in pink.  Noah wore his green dino shirt.  I have a slow morning with Saya on Mondays, so I prepped for dinner in the morning.  Of course, I have the volunteer duty at Noah's school in the afternoon, so I made sure I have enough time to simmer the corned beef. 

Noah's teacher, Ms. Hubert, gives me all kinds of classroom materials to prepare for her class.  I have about an hour and fifteen minutes to finish all of them and it usually becomes a big rush towards the end.  I discovered that if I leave late, the parking lot where I park my car gets filled with parents lining up to pick up their kids.  I got stuck in the pick-up rush a couple weeks ago and I couldn't get out!  So, I have to make sure I finish everything on time so that I can actually leave school and get Noah off his school bus.  Somehow my brain works better if there is a deadline and I get pretty creative in order to be more efficient.   Of course, I don't want to do a mediocre job, so I don't skimp on quality.  I do the best job I can in a most efficient way possible.  It's a challenge a little different from everyday home situations, so I enjoy it very much.  I get a good brain power boost from it. 

Back to St. Patrick's Day... Sean wanted to make a Leprechaun trap after school.  I had him finish his math homework first and helped him make a Leprechaun trap.  Ever since he made one with Daddy two years ago, it's something he looks forward to doing.  I gave him a plain paper bag, green construction paper, a pair of scissors and a glue stick.  He started by cutting out a door and asked me how we can trap him inside once he steps inside.  I thought about it for a few seconds and asked him to get two magnets from his toy box upstairs.  Then I had him cut a strip of paper wide enough to go through the door.  We laid the paper down and taped it inside the door.  We made it so that once a weight is on the paper, the door flings up.  We taped the magnets on inside of the door and the top of the wall where the door closes.  Once the door comes up, the magnets shuts the door tightly.  Brilliant!!  I was proud of myself and Sean was pretty impressed with me.  Mom's not so bad! 

The girls also wanted to make one, so I helped them make their own.  They used glitter glue sticks to make theirs look pretty.  Now their traps are sitting under their chairs in dining room.  I ran to Target after dinner and bought some small toys to put inside their bags.  They will be stoked when they see that a Leprechaun came by and left a toy for them.  Do they get presents for Easter, too?  I don't think I will but I know many children in America do.  My house is starting to look like the house in "Too Many Toys" by David Shannon. 

We had a nice dinner with Nana in the evening and children were too excited about this whole ordeal.  They were being noisy and a bit obnoxious during dinner.  I made corned beef, brussels sprouts, gluten free Irish soda bread and green salad.  They were ok.  Oh and I baked gluten free cupcakes for the kids to eat in the afternoon.  They put vanilla icing and green sprinkles on top!  We had a quite an exciting day and I am exhausted again from running around too much.  See you again next year, Shamrock and Leprechaun! 

 

Twins Well Check and Sean's Progress with Medication

"Do you want to play football with me?"

Aly got her face painted today at the St. Patrick's Day event.  She chose a snowflake.

Saya chose a dog!

Best dinner ever!!  - Sean

I took the twins and Saya to the doctor's last week for their 6-year well check.  Aly was worried she is going to get a shot but I assured her there won't be any (although I wasn't sure if that is true). 

The twins stats are as below:

Alyson
Height: 50 inches / 127 cm
Weight: 49.8 pounds / 22.6 kg

Noah
Height 46 inches / 116 cm
Weight: 44.8 pounds / 20.3 kg

Alyson is off the chart on height and 75% on weight.  Noah is about average height and weight. 
Noah looks skinny and small compared to Alyson, but he is growing ok.  He would be much bigger if he actually ate something, but he is doing well for not being a big eater.  The doctor recommended Alyson to take physical therapy for her torticollis and I think I will call a clinic in Issaquah.  She's always had a slight tilt to the right ever since she was a baby.  A lot of twins develop torticollis since they are crammed together in the womb.  I was hoping she would grow out of it but it never went away. 

I am happy to report that Sean is doing so much better at school and at home.  I got an email from his teacher that he finished his work on time and has gotten good points for his effort.  It's a big achievement for him because I know how out of sync he was with what was going on around him.  He would just stare into space and didn't do anything during the individual work time.  I witnessed the change myself when I went to volunteer at his classroom last Thursday.  I walked in and I noticed that he was busily writing his reading response in his notebook.  He was agreeable with me, too, when I suggested what he might want to include in his writing.  He was checking his checklist to see what more he needs to do and very quick to start working on his tasks.  That was what we wanted to see.  I am very happy to see the new, more engaged second grader. 

We are seeing some positive changes in his social skills as well.  I noticed that he befriended another boy in the class whom he never played before.  He is also a big fan of football and they talk about football together with wide eyes.  Their favorite topic now is of course drafting.  Currently the football teams are recruiting players to the team and who left and joined Seahawks is the talk of the town.  Those two passionate 8 year-olds talk like Sports Center casts and it's funny to listen to them talk.  They also play "air football" during recess time.  I overheard them excitedly exclaim, "Let's play air football together!"  I guess the school doesn't provide footballs to play during recess.  Poor boys are throwing and catching phantom football during recess and I guess that nurtures their creativity and theatrical skills (?) 

His social skills are blossoming outside school, too.  When we went to a park the other day, he invited several random boys, some younger and some older, to play football with him.  I heard him introduce himself and ask their names.  I had to take a picture of him playing with new kids because I just couldn't believe my eyes.  That sort of thing never ever happened before.  I guess he was very anxious about everything... The medication he is on helps to produce more serotonin (relaxing/feel good chemical) and encourage serotonin to stay in the brain longer.  I am glad he is feeling better. 

He still throws tantrum at home, but the tantrum is definitely shorter.  He is saying "no" less and it's getting much easier to have a positive relationship with him.  We are going to meet with the psychiatrist at the end of March again and I want to ask him about the effect of certain medication on more severely autistic kids.  I was avoiding the route to medicate my children since it just seemed like a quick fix and unnatural thing to do.  Most therapists I talked to seemed to me that they are against using medications, too.  In the end though, when going on a special diet and spending time and money on therapies are not as effective as we want and the child is obviously suffering, I just didn't see the point of sticking to one philosophy.  A chemical imbalance is a chemical imbalance.  It needs to be fixed.  I am glad I took the step forward to meet with the psychiatrist and listened to his expertise. 

So, life's pretty good at this point!  I am really really tired today because I took the kids to the gym to play at their St. Patrick's Day event.  Sean insisted he wanted to eat the green spaghetti at the gym (they had a family meal special) so we ended up staying and having dinner there.  Presented with garlic bread and a HUGE plate of spaghetti, he exclaimed "This is the best dinner ever!!"  We ended dinner with a chocolate sundae and the kids were beyond happy.  Now I am ready to crash on bed. 

Taking Things Slow

Although I don't work outside my home, I look forward to the weekend.  I get to sleep in a little later and I don't have to pack lunch boxes or hassle kids to get dressed in the morning.   My elementary school teacher used to say, your life as a kid is easy because people tell you what to do and all you have to do is try to do the best job.  Once you are a grown up, you are in charge of your own life, whether you spend your time wisely or waste it, it's all up to you.   I often think of that especially on weekends since I am faced with more choices of how I spend my time.  Should I get the shopping done without kids or should I spend a quiet time reading?  I am terrible at taking it slow.  I hope I learn to slow down and spend much needed time for myself. 

After his 8th birthday, Sean started taking a medication for anxiety.  We saw a child psychiatrist in February and had him evaluate Sean.  He reconfirmed that he is on the autism spectrum and he has an anxiety disorder as well as attention deficit disorder.  It was not a surprise to us and I am glad we are on the path to figure out what we can do for him.  We mainly wanted to address his excessive day dreaming and explosive temper tantrum at home.  So far he seems chattier and became more social at school.  The teacher commented he finished more work in the class this week compared to how he had been in previous weeks.  That made me feel hopeful that the medication can make a difference. 

As you know, he is very into football at the moment.  I researched about junior football league in Bellevue and found a team called Bellevue Bears in Boys and Girls Club.  I contacted the rep to see if they can accept him since he is lighter than minimum 60 pounds weight requirement.  Today, I received a reply and they said "yes!"  I am very excited for him.  They said to make sure he gains a couple of pounds before August.  He is very motivated to eat now and started eating up his lunch which he never did before!  I can't wait to see him in a football uniform!

Noah, Noah... he's a trouble maker now.  He escaped twice recently and I had to chase him without shoes up the hill.  He runs fast for having much shorter legs than I do.  I used to be a decent runner, but I have hard time catching up to him.  Keeping him in the house isn't the only problem we have.  He now gets into everything and he loves eating lotions, soaps and toothpaste.  I have to lock up everything pasty and liquidy because if he can get a hold of it, he would eat it.  He exhausts me that boy.  I have to run around the house making sure he is not doing something naughty.  I've learned that he has pretty strong stomach and unusual taste buds...  He thinks sanitizers taste good!

Saya and I went to a nearby farm today to look at some farm animals.  It's getting warmer here and it's pleasant when it's not raining.  We looked at sheeps, goats, rabbits, chickens and horses at the farm but Saya was more excited to find a cat sitting at the office window.  I took some cute pictures of Saya and the animals.  All children are natural models.  I love that they forget I am there with the camera and present me the most beautiful natural expressions on their little faces.  They can be uncooperative, too, so you have to be patient for a good shot.  Same is said for the animals.  The white horse kept moving even though I asked him to stop!

Another busy week gone by and time to relax.  I am going to RELAX and TAKE THINGS SLOW this weekend.  I will make that a priority especially after a busy month!

Happy 8th Birthday, Sean!

The baby who changed my life forever became eight years old last week.  Seven felt like an extension of kindergarten age but eight is a big number.  It is getting awefuly close to the tween age and I am starting to realize he is going to be more independent and I won't be needed so much in the coming years.  I am going to kiss him and hug him as much as I can this year as I think the time is running out before he thinks he is too cool for Mom. 

Sean had a good birthday despite feeling anxious about getting extra attention from his classmates.  He feels anxious every year and says he wishes we don't celebrate his birthday.  In the end though, he enjoys the cake, the presents and all his friends and family wishing him a great birthday.  This year, I took 31 fudge squares to his class since that is what he wanted.  He was originally requesting chocolate football cookies, but that I realized it was going to be pretty labor intensive decorating 30 cookies with icing.  I am glad he changed his mind since fudge is super easy to make!  Sean said the kids really liked the fudge and everyone had a chocolate face after school.  Sean stood in front of the class and his classmates "interviewed" him.  The teacher said one kid asked him how old he is and Sean responded "I am 103 years old!" which made everyone laugh.  He said Sean was being very funny and the classmates were surprised since he is usually very quiet at school.  I guess they saw his real side! 

We had a party at home after school yesterday and several of his classmates and neighborhood friends joined us.  I decorated the living room with football themed decorations and Sean thought that was very cool.  I showed them Sean's favorite movie of all time, Toy Story, and they were all glued to the TV for a little while.  That made things easy for me since I was the only grown-up.  I served up four boxes of pizza and they gobbled up four pizzas between twelve kids.  American kids sure love pizzas.  I am not sure if Japanese kids would like them as much as the kids here do.  I don't know how but they can fit four slices of pizza in their tiny tummy. 

They had some play time after the movie so they went kind of crazy chasing each other.  They were so loud, they could not hear my voice.  I am used to that kind of noise, so it wasn't a biggie.  I must be one of those people who can tolerate kid noises.  After a little playtime, it was a cake time.  This year, I baked a layered chocolate cake with chocolate cream.  I made Seahawk's mascot decoration and wrote "Seanhawk 8th TD" (TD = Touch Down) and I thought it was pretty clever of me. :-)  I worked on it all morning and I think it turned out very well.  I love the kids' reaction when I pull out the cake.  "Whoa!!" "Cool!"  "That's awesome!!" Most importanly, Sean was very pleased with the cake this year, too.  He requested a Seahawks cake and that is what he got with a special personal touch.  You can do that if you bake your own and that is why I do it.  I don't get tons of practice baking and decorating cakes since I only do it for kids' birthdays but I enjoy it very much.  Saya already put in an order for her cake which is going to be My Little Pony and a fox.  I don't know why she likes foxes these days but they are her favorite animal.  So I have to figure out how I can incorporate ponies and foxes together. 

Oh I almost forgot.  Sean's party didn't end when the guests left.  His best friend, Parker, stayed for a sleep over!  They were so excited, they didn't sleep until 11:30 pm.  They were having so much fun though so I didn't bug them too much.  You would think they will sleep in but no.   Bright and early with just as same energy level as before, ready to play, play and play.  They were very cute together.  At one point at night behind the closed door, I overheard them talking to each other about them being very best friends.  I thought that was so sweet.  I hope they remain each other's best friend for many years to come. 

So, I would say that Sean had an excellent birthday!  Now one more to go at the end of April!