Hello from the sky!

Guess where I am writing from?  Yes, up above 34,000 feet to be exact, flying somewhere between Alaska and Russian Islands.  All I had to do was pay $30 and I have the access to WiFi during the entire 9 hours of flight.  It's tltally worth it, don't you think?

The girls and I are heading to Japan for a three-week vacation.  The airplane tickets this summer was reasonable, so we jumped on it.  It is exciting because we will be there for 23 days compared to the usual 14.  Mike was able to take three weeks off from work, so it all worked out very well.  Of course, he would like to visit Japan but he is happy to spend time with the boys.  I am hoping they will have a wonderful time together!

So, here we are about 4 hours into the flight.  The girls have been watching the in-flight entertainment TV and movies.  They are doing very well.  I think Alyson is watching her second show now and still awake.  Saya is hanging on but looks a bit sleepy.  It is almost midnight back in America, so they should be feeling tired.  All the excitement though.  I don't blame them.

Leaving Noah was hard for me.  I tried to explain to him that I will be gone for three weeks but will come back.  I wrote some simple pictures on post-it notes and he was listening to me intently.  I hope he understood.  Mommy has been always around and when I am suddenly gone, he might become upset.  With the escape incident still fresh in my mind, he worries me everyday.  I know Mihe will make sure he is safe, so I should relax.

We have about 5 hours left in flight but if we make it to 3 hours, then it goes quick after that.  So if I watch 2 more movies, it should be all set.  I wish someone invent a faster plane.  Being stuck in a small space with a bunch of people for a long time is uncomfortable!  I will suck it up though.  It will arrive eventually!

Well I just wanted to post because... I can!
I am amazed at the technology now days!

Happy 4th of July!

Look at us already in the month of July!  June went by so quickly since the kids had school until the last week.  Noah's summer program will start on July 6 and we are excited for him to have a school routine he craves.  Let's hope he adjust quickly to the new program and the teacher and the para educators are the same high quality as his regular school year staff.  It is with a sheer luck that we live in an area with a great education system, even for the special education department.  Most of the teachers' I met here are very professional and good at what they do.  To be able to trust Noah's teachers so far has taken a huge weight off my shoulders.  Someone who understands his needs and eagerly willing to work with me to make sure the learning continues at home.  I feel very fortunate every school year to work with the school and we both are on the same page!

Today was July 4th.  We had Jan over for dinner with yummy food.  Mike made an amazing barbecue ribs.  It was so good that I had two servings!  I made a big plate of beef enchiladas, authentic version from my days in Durango, Mexico.  I really regret that I didn't write down the recipes the families I knew in Mexico used because that is the flavor I want to duplicate.  I am having a hard time pin pointing, but I think I did a decent job.  I put chocolate in the sauce, kind of like in Mole.  The chocolate adds sweetness and creaminess to the sauce and it is just so delicious!  I was going to make deviled eggs, but I ran out of time.  I roasted zucchinis with lemon butter and they turned out pretty well.  Mike's rib though... I have to ask him to make it again sometime!!

The girls helped me make some cupcakes in the morning.  They did a lot on their own for the first time and I can see ourselves being baking buddies more often now.  They cracked the eggs, added ingredients to the bowl, and put the batter into the cupcake tins.  They did a very good job!  They were waiting for the cakes to bake right in front of the oven and it was so cute!  Soon, Noah joined and they sat in front of the oven looking inside.  The girls decorated the cupcakes with blue sprinkles and strawberries later on a white whipped cream.  Noah really enjoyed it and I am not exactly sure how many he ate! 

We watched some TV and basically lounged around all afternoon.  I was so tired from the beer and wine I had and was ready to fall asleep.  The three kids wanted to go see the fireworks though so I decided to take them to the downtown park.  Aly ended up not going because she was naughty, so I took Saya and Sean.  We found a spot at the park and Sean started to act nervous.  He thought it was going to be so loud and hurt his ears.  He took Mike's noise muffling headphones to make sure it won't hurt him too much.  I don't have problems with noises, but I know some Asperger people have noise sensitivity.  Saya asked me to put a ear plugs on, so I put them in her ears.  It was her first time, so she wasn't sure how it is going to be. 

Sean did just fine though.  Soon he forgot all about it when the show started.  It was beautiful!  Bellevue must have one of the longest shows around.  It was one after another for nearly 30 minutes.  Fireworks remind me of summer in Japan as my family and I went to see many shows during summer.  I used to know the differences in styles between American and Japanese firework shows, but I can't recall anymore.  Hopefully, I can see some of them in Japan when I visit next week.  Yes, in four days, the girls and I will be in Japan for three weeks!! Yippee!!  I have to start packing and make sure I am ready by Wednesday.  I am excited but worried about the boys I leave behind in the U.S. with Mike.  I know they will have a fabulous time together but I hope they won't miss me too much!  (I am sure they will have a relaxed guy time without the nagging Mom...)

Noah Boah Escapes

Well, our little Noah gave us a big scare last weekend when he decided to open the front door which was accidentally unlatched and go on a door to door house invasion and free roaming adventure for an hour.   Mike and I were upstairs doing something and totally did not hear him open the door.  We have a voice alert system installed on doors so that we know when the doors are opened.  We also have a latch high on the door so that kids cannot open the door.  Somehow the latch was not in correctly and Noah was able to open the door!   When Mike discovered the front door wide open, I knew what had happened. 

I was still in PJ, so I asked Mike to go ahead and look for him while I get dressed.  I quickly put on my sneakers and ran looking for him.  Mike went to our neighbor's house in the back, but he was not there.  I asked our neighbors walking by if they have seen a little boy running and they said no.  I ran as fast as I could on our street and beyond looking for him, but there was no sign of him.  Sean helped, although I asked him to stay at home, on his bike.  He wanted to help because he was very worried about Noah.   I asked Sean to go look for him towards the school and the playground.  I ran and ran, but there was no Noah.  I then went back home and decided to drive around to cover areas more quickly.  I asked Mike to do the same.  I started to panic a bit, but I knew I had to stay calm and focus.  It was very terrifying to see something on the road because I thought it could be Noah.  Noah does not check for cars.  He darts across the street without even stopping.  There was a possibility he could get hit by a car and get injured. 

I finally called Mike and asked him to call police.  The time was ticking and every minute counted.  He would be in more danger as the time passed.  I focused and thought of all the places he might want to visit.  I knew that he wanted take a path out of school on the other side when I took him to play at the school playground the other day, so I drove to the back of the school and looked for him.  He was not there.  My neighbor whom I saw earlier posted a missing boy post on our neighborhood website.  I appreciated her swift action because that was what I wanted to do if I had time.  I was at loss to where to look for him.  I drove around slowly since he might jump in front of my car.  Every car I passed I prayed they won't hit my son.  It was just a horrible feeling.

The day before this incident, Noah and I hugged each other for a long time on the couch.  A terrible thought crossed my mind.  What if that was our last hug?  What if we never see him again?  I did not cry though.  I knew I had an important mission to accomplish.  I kept my calm the whole time and I was proud of how I was handling this situation.  I knew I was made tough and I am.  I drove around some more but I could not find him.  Mike called me then and found out that he was ok.  My heart just became a jelly.  Noah was all well in the police cruiser.  Apparently, he was on a busy street visiting homes on that street going in and out of people's homes scaring the residents.  One of the homeowners kept him and contacted police.  The nice person even put him in a fresh underwear since his diaper was full. 

The thought of this happening again is scary.  I almost want to build a cage around my house so that he cannot escape anymore.  It worries me that he has no fear when it comes to running away from home.  He tries hard everyday to break out from the house and I guess I am having a hard time understating why he wants to do that.  Is he feeling like a super bouncy ball that needs to be set free to bounce away to a bigger place?  He is very active in the house and is constantly moving around.  I know he is hyperactive and impulsive, which are the main traits of having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  Are his energy and impulsivity ruling his brain?  If so, it's time to book an appointment with Sean's psychiatrist.

So, the big-eyed boy scared the heck out of Mom and Dad, but he is as happy and energetic as usual everyday.  He still fiddles with the lock and he even tried to open the door getting the key from our key cabinet the other day.  Our escape artist in training.  Maybe he could become those performers who escape for a show.   He could escape and wow the audience but then he will keep running past the crowds, into the sunset.  AND I will mumble "there he goes again..." under my breath and chase after him with well toned legs for being a senior. 

Shasha and Grandpa's Visit

Shasha and Grandpa visited us with Archie, their new puppy a couple weeks ago.  Kids were very excited to meet Archie and of course, spend time with their grandparents from Idaho.  I got the house ready just in time.  I was warned that Archie is good at stealing things that are not tucked away.  I told the kids to keep their doors closed since there are many potential victims laying around in their rooms.  They are very easy guests, so no stress at all.  I picked up few things like wine and beer from the store and it was all good. 

They arrived in the late afternoon by which time the kids asked when they are arriving for the 100th time.  When they rolled in, the girls were jumping.  They couldn't contain themselves to meet the new puppy.  Archie is not exactly a puppy-looking anymore as he is 10 month old.  He is practically a kid in an adult dog body. He wasn't sure of us when we first met, but they were soon bouncing around together getting all hyper.  I would say, they got along great!

 It was a beautiful weekend in high 70s and they enjoyed a tad cooler weather from where they are from.  Us Seattleites are still getting used to the summery temperatures and it felt a bit too hot for us under the sun.  The three kids and I took Shasha to the farmer's market in Issaquah and had a lunch there.  Kids ate wood-fired pizzas and adults shared a Pad Thai dish.  I picked up a box of fresh strawberries.  I hadn't been to Issaquah market for a long time and was surprised to see variety of booths with arts, fresh produce and delicious looking meals. 

The Cougar Mountain Zoo is a small zoo with more animal statues than actual animals.  Kids and I go there maybe once a year because it is very close to our house and the small size is nice for adults.  Zoos, I think, is extremely tiring to adults usually.  Kids are all excited to explore and observe the animals, but us parents are usually chasing the children around in an ever lasting maze of exhibitions and become a step stool for kids to see the animals.  Maybe because I am over 40?  I used to like zoos.  Hmmm...

Mike and Grandpa went for dinner at I Love Sushi for Father's Day and Grandpa kindly paid for the dinner.  Thank you, Bob!  The rest of us had dinner at home and it was delicious.  I usually don't drink but I had some wine and beer while they were staying.  Ever since, I have been drinking a bit here and there.  It must be the summer.  Kids being home all the time makes me more hyper and active during the day.  I need something to relax, right?  So, thank you Grandpa and Shasha to remind me there is always alcohol to get through summer!  Thanks for making a trip over the mountain even though you are so tired from all the driving you have been doing.  We truly had fun and I am looking forward to seeing you at Samantha's wedding!  You will have all the grandkids there with you and that is definitely a photography moment!

P.s.  Grace was glad when Archie left.  Our cat, Grace, was hiding in my room when the doggy was here.  A brief encounter they had didn't look so promising, so it was good that they were apart!