Noah Positive Changes

Hello everyone!  Not much activity in the blog lately and it may seem like I am going to abandon it, but I will work harder at keeping this blog alive.  I care about this thing like my own baby, my 5th child.  I only realize how far we have come as a family by reading this blog myself.  If not for the blog, I will never be able to remember the funny little things my children used to do or say.  My kids will have a little chronicle of their lives saved and I hope they appreciate it in the future. 

I am happy to report that Noah is doing tremendously well with the start of the ABA therapy.  ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis and it is a repetitive behavioral modification program which works very well with the children on the autism spectrum disorder.  For example, if Noah whines when he can't get a turn, the therapist would have him say "I want my turn please" and when he says it independently, the therapist would let him have a turn.  It's like having him memorize what kind of things he could say or do to get the outcome he wants.  It's a good starting point for someone who is not verbally fluent in a language. 

Vivian, Noah's ABA therapist, has been working with Noah since early October.  Since then, he learned to ask "what's that?" and verbalize things that he never said before.  It's awesome!  The changes happened so fast that we are baffled at his ability to pick up information very quickly.  And... drum rolls please... he is potty trained!  At first, Vivian had taken him to go to the bathroom every 20 minutes and he would go sometimes but not all the time.  When he did go, he received a reward (a small marshmallow for example).  I put 20 minutes timer on and took him to the bathroom when it beeped.  It sure was hectic at first, but gradually he began to hold the urine longer.  All I have to say now is "Noah, please go potty," and he happily runs upstairs to the bathroom and sits, pees, wipes, flashes and washes his hands!  I am so proud of him.  That goes for #2 as well.  He does it all by himself.  Honestly, he was running out of size for training pants and I was wondering what to do if he gets bigger.  I am so thankful for Vivian and the others who were very patient with him. 

He sees his ABA therapists five days a week after school.  That means my busy schedule even got busier! The therapy is at the town next-door, so I have to haul all other children in the car to drop Noah off.   I arranged Sean's swimming during Noah's therapy and I am going to put the girls in the swimming lessons also.  Aly has her soccer (which is ending soon) and Sean ended his basketball lessons a couple of weeks ago.  Saya is still enjoying her gymnastics classes on Saturday mornings and this constant juggling of schedule is keeping me on my toes.  I am pretty tired by the end of the day and that is probably why I have been absent from this blog! 

I am very thankful though that my children are thriving and Mike has a job.  I won't be able to be this agile if I had to work full-time outside.  The work at an big IT company can be very stressful, but he is trying his best everyday.  I am glad I married an honest and hardworking man (who is quite handsome in my opinion).  I really have nothing to complain about!

Evergreen State Fair

How I am ever going to catch up to current stuff?

Going to state or county fairs reminds me of my youth when friends and I visited them in the past.  In small town America, it's an event everyone looks forward to and people splurge on.  I was surprised that they had county fair in Durango, Mexico as well and it was almost identical to the American version except for food, merchandise and music of course. 

Taking kids to the fair can be very expensive but decided to take the three kids (Noah stayed with Nana) because they could not stop talking about it ever since they saw a commercial for it on TV.  We decided to go to Evergreen State Fair in Monroe instead of the bigger fair in Puyallup since it is closer.  The parking was way easier and the traffic was lighter, so I am glad we chose to go to Evergreen.

The kids wanted to go straight to the ride area and we let them choose three rides of their choice.  Buying the unlimited wrist bands would have coasted us $90 and it didn't seem right.  Sean immediately chose the fastest and scariest rides.  That boy is a thrill seeker.  I am not sure if he is really my son.  Aly couldn't decide for a while.  She would decide on one thing then change her mind while waiting.  It took a while for the girls to pick but they chose some kiddy rides. 

There were many game booths covered with giant stuffed animals and other prizes.  Many people were proudly carrying their win and I am always surprised how much money people are dropping at those games, rides and food.  Fair foods are a little different from regular fast food.  They serve exciting items like elephant ears (deep fried flat bread) or chocolate covered bacon to satisfy the hyped fair-goers.  Everything about the fair is noisy, the food, colors and sales pitch.  It is a bit too much for sensory sensitive individuals, even for me who can handle crowd and noise. 

The kids had a lot of fun though.  They enjoyed looking at animals and were not happy when we had to leave.  There were more animals to look at but we ran out of time before getting to the barn.  They reluctantly followed Mike and I to the exit but at least the girls were with sticky face and hands from their cotton candy.  They couldn't complain.  Sean soaked up all the excitement and was in trance.  I would say they had a very good day. 

School Year 2016 - 2017

Here we are, one grade up and Sean's last year at the elementary school.  The 5th graders looked so big and almost like a different species of children when Sean started school.  He is not exactly big and tall compared to some but he definitely is approaching the pivotal age in his life, a pre-teenager, a tween!  He is quite skinny but his shoulders are wide.  He is hopeful to get Daddy's big muscle, but he needs a big boost on male hormone for those.  He wants to be cool but still calls me Mommy.  He is in fact wearing a PJ with "Mommy's Little Monster" stitched on the shirt.   Still cute but it's the while-it-lasts stage.  He won't let me hold his hands anymore though.  Mom's not too cool anymore...

Sean was once again lucky to have his best friend in the same class.  He was happy that some boys from his group were able to remain together, too.  They often play a game called "laughing game" during lunch, which is a game of telling a funny joke or acting silly to make people laugh.  No wonder he always fails to finish his lunch.  He was not exactly happy the school started again, but so far enjoying school.  5th grade is a busy year with many projects and learning an instrument in band and orchestra.  Sean picked band and he chose clarinet.  I am yet to hear him play at home, but I believe it's going to be loud!  I am determined to have him participate in school activities this year to make the most out of this year. 

Miss Alyson is a happy girl. She is happy to be a medium kid and she likes her teacher a lot.  She made lots of friends and enjoys going to school.  I haven't seen her being so positive before.  She says she is one of the good kids in her class and the second tallest.  She grew tons during summer.  She is about an inch and half shorter than Sean.  He is very concerned she may become taller than him soon.  The 3rd grade is a big year because it's the year they begin taking standardized tests on math and reading.  Alyson isn't found of tests, but she will need to get used to taking them.  I hope her happy streak continues and enjoys being a 3rd grader.  She may become taller than me in a couple of years... 

Miss Saya had a rough start to her 2nd year.  She was so nervous about school, she convinced herself that she is miserable during school.  She was not being social which surprised me because she is usually an easy going girl.  I was worried about her for a while until a switch went on about three weeks into school and she was happy again.  I didn't know a change in environment can affect her so much.  She is feeling more pressure in her life and wants to be a good and successful student in her class.  It's wonderful that she wants to be her best, but she will need to learn that it's ok to fail sometimes.  It's going to be a hard lesson to learn because she is a perfectionist.  I am glad that she is enjoying her school now.  She exclaims every morning that she loves to go to school while Sean and Aly give her a cold stare!

Noah's transition to new school year was pretty smooth.  It surprised me how much he was eager to begin school, perhaps more than I was.  He often woke up in summer demanding in bed for his school bus to come pick him up.  When I told him there is no school, he cried.  He was wanting the routine and structure the school provide since the summer days are often without a routine.  I was happy he likes his new teacher and his para-educator.  The struggle he has is the medication.  He started taking a medication for his impulsiveness (ADHD stimulant medication) and calming agitation (anti-psychosis medication) in late summer. He was initially responding positively with increase in verbal communication, but soon started to be more anxious.  He was covering his ears often and preferred to stay in his bed all covered up under his favorite blanket.  We decided to taper off the ADHD medication due to his decreased appetite, anxiety and lack of sleep, but taking the anti-psychosis medication solely made him eat like a little piggy.  He was constantly hungry gobbling up any food he can put his hands on.  At first I was happy that he was finally eating, but quickly realized that it was not a healthy type of hunger he was experiencing.  So, we are in the process of tapering that off currently.  The doctor recommended another type of anti-psychosis medication, so we are going to gradually add it. 

I am very proud of all my children for striding forward to face the challenge and joy in their new grade.  I am involved at school this year as well perhaps even more so than previous years.  I volunteer partly because I like to see my children at school, getting to know their teachers and friends.  It's going to be another busy year and I hope I do OK as a parent - making sure I don't miss any events and due dates.  I am going to have the kids participate in as many projects and programs at school as possible this year.  After all, this is Sean's last year at his elementary school and last chance to make fun memories.   How can be that possible... my big boy's growing up!! 

Japan Trip 2016 V

The girls and I visited Uzumasa movie village in Kytoto with my friend, Kayako and her daughter.  The girls were mesmerized by the Edo townscape and workers dressed in Shogun era costumes.  Kayako's little girl was so cute as she acting shy.  She is already four and I thought about the time when Aly came to Japan for 8 months to live with my Mom and Dad.  She was only 4 years old at that time.  She was so brave!  The kids got to train as ninjya and explore the replica of shops and houses.  They were all new to them and now they sort of have an idea of how people used to live in Edo back then. 

I am so behind in posts and although I still have a lot to write about many visits with my friends and family, I think this will be my last Japan post.  I mean the children are in school already and Halloween is coming up in a month!  How the time flies...

I will move on to the post about the new school year from next time!

Japan Trip 2016 Part IV

My hometown Osaka is a mega city.  It has over 2.5 million people living in the city, and area is considerably small (225 km2).  My kids are always shocked to see the wave of people exiting the subway and people busily crisscrossing amongst each other.  I have been living away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a long time, but the city senses come back whenever I return.  I never have issues being in a large crowd like some people do (like Mike).  I am a city girl by nature and I should call myself a hybrid city girl because I am ok with real nature, too, since I live in Washington.

Osaka is so large that there are many downtowns within the city.  My family live in the northern part of Osaka and we are closest to the downtown area called Kita which means north.  We frequent a town called Umeda there since it's a big downtown with great shops and restaurants.  Many department stores and shops are connected to train stations underground and they have a big web of underground shopping malls which I am sure those new to the area could easily get lost in.  You will never get bored there!

The photos above were taken in a downtown area called Minami which means south.  Minami to me is a little more touristy and also has more drinking party atmosphere than Kita.  You probably have seen a photo of Doutonbori before with bright neon signs over a bridge.  That is Minami and many tourists flock there to enjoy the lively Osaka atmosphere.  Minami is colorful and popular with fashion conscious young people.  There are many stylish stores and unique goods which attracts people who like to stand out, but once you step into the back street, there are scenes that haven't changed since 60s.  I love the intermingling of old and new.  That is what I wanted to capture in the photos.  I love my city Osaka and it's always good to return to my vibrant city.

Japan Trip 2016 Part III

My parents took us to Fukui prefecture, northwest of Osaka located on the side of Sea of Japan.  It's a windy and cold area in the winter and I could see how lonely and beautiful the countryside can be with snow.  Naturally, the crabs and shellfish are the best around there and Aly and I really enjoyed them.  Saya isn't much of a fan yet.  I know she will be in the future. 

The drive was long, about 3 hours, but the girls slept some and played well during the trip.  The first destination was an amusement park with great swimming pools.  The girls were so happy, they could not wait to get out of the car.  The weather was not ideal with few sprinkles and cooler than normal temperature, I think it was better than the usual heat in Japan.  Saya, Jiji and Aly rode a swing boat ride and the girls were so proud to be brave.  Saya's face though was frozen with fear when it reached the highest point.  She tells us though she was not scared at all.  Sure, Saya!

After playing for a while, we went to the pool.  The pool was huge with at least 10 pools with various amenities such as waves and slides.  There was an indoor area, too, jungle themed pools  There weren't many customers there since it was a cool day.  So, it almost felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.  I was cold in the water, but the girls thought it was fine.  My parents just watched.  I remembered when my Dad used to take me to the pools when I was a little girl.  He and I played chase, he would just throw me in the pool which I didn't like so much, but we always had a good time.  He had this classic 70's style swim pants with wide tri-colored vertical stripes (with draw string waist of course).  Those were the days when my parents looked big to me and I was a very skinny girl.  Now they look small to me and it is bitter sweet.

The hotel was an old traditional hotel with tatami floor and very hot bathhouse with onsen, natural hot springs.  I thought when I am an adult, I can bare the hotness of the bath in onsen like a wise old monkey, but I am such a wimp that I can only last about 10 minutes!  I feel like I am being tortured and although I try my best to act chill, my face and skin tell otherwise.  I turned red all over!  The girls were being cute with little naked bottoms moving about in the bath house trying out different baths.  They've decided that it is very hot though and didn't last that long, either.  We were sweating river from all the nicely opened up pores despite all the washing we did, but were content in our little Japanese robe.  The girls looked particularly cute in them.  They served the famous shell fish dish for dinner and breakfast which were beautifully presented.  Aly enjoyed the traditional Japanese style meals but Saya not so much.  We liked the large grilled abalone in particular!

On the second day, we visited a landmark called Tojinbo, a jagged rocky cliff looking over the Sea of Japan.  It's a well known tourist spot but the much of the touristy main strip and buildings seemed ran down and have seen the better days.  The unusual cliff formations are beautiful and matches very well with the rough waves of the ocean.  We took a boat to see the cliff from the ocean and discovered that Tojinbo was named after a corrupt monk who was pushed off the cliff by his colleagues and murdered.  I am not sure if the story is true, but the dark history makes the whole place look dark.  The salty ocean wind felt sticky but it was soothing to feel it on my face.  Aly and Saya were very excited to be on the boat and look at the unusual scenery.  The tour guide on the boat did an excellent job and entertained us while educating us with its history. 

We heard that there is an aquarium nearby therefore, we went to check it out.  It looked pretty small and dinky from outside, but we were impressed by the cute animals living there.  We could see penguins up close when they went for a "walk" and the dolphins did great on their show.  Unlike the mega aquarium at Osaka, the small size and less visitors gave more intimate feel and the girls loved talking and looking at the animals as long as they wanted to without feeling rushed.  By now, they were very good at making Jiji buy them stuffed animals and swiftly worked to charm him at the gift shop.  As a Mom, I want them to have good manners and I don't certainly want my parents to think they are spoiled little brats who feel entitled to everything.  My Mom understands they are in a special mind frame when they are in Japan and pick up a notch on begging activity, but my Dad must have thought the girls are helplessly spoiled.

My favorite part of the trip was the visit to the dinosaur museum.  Fukui prefecture is famous for dino bone excavation.  The facility was amazing with futuristic architecture style and great lighting.  The girls were half scared and half curious.  In particular, Saya was very interested in dinosaurs, volcanoes, rocks, and history of earth.  She asked me to read the plaques and signs and took her time learning about them.  Aly was hopping around exhibits and I don't think she spent much time learning about them.  Saya decided that her favorite dinosaur is brachiosaur.  It was the biggest one in he exhibit and she liked that it was a plant eater.  I need to get a dinosaur pictorial dictionary for her.  I used to have one and enjoyed learning about dinosaurs.  It will be a good subject to talk about to tie in with the changes in earth environment.  Their schools in Washington teach children to be environmentally responsible and the kids are very curious about the subject.   The girls each got a dinosaur stuffed toys and picked one for Sean and Noah, too.  Jiji must be glad we only come once a year.  He will go broke hanging out with the girls.

The girls were pretty tired and Saya fell asleep on the ride home.  We did a lot in two days thanks to my parents who are excellent travel planners and tour guides.  We made some memories together and those for us to keep forever.  Thanks Mom and Dad for taking us to Fukui!

Japan Trip 2016 Part II

 

The very first outing out of Osaka was a visit to my cousin's house who just had a baby in Mie.  My aunt Kyoko took us in her car and it took about two hours to get there.  We stopped at a rest area to take a break and the girls were impressed with the size and the amenities.  I am not talking about the toilets, but the shops and restaurants with many travelers happily roaming around, eating ice cream or choosing what to buy.  It's like a mini shopping mall on the highway.  The girls were given about $20 each from my aunt so they each picked up an item for a keepsake.  All of us agreed that Japan is so much fun!

My cousin, Aya, has a 3-year-old son, Shoma, and the new daughter, Wako.  She was a soft-spoken and sweetest girl cousin when growing up and she is a very gentle Mom to her young children.  My uncle Hideo and aunt Misao were there, too, and the girls were happy to see them.  The girls and I spent 3 days with them last summer so the girls and Shoma were good playmates.  This time though, Shoma was a little cleverer than last year and he didn't give the girls unconditional love compared to last year :-)  It didn't help that Saya is acting like a teenager these days with smug comments and standoffish attitude.  Can't we go back to simpler days?! 

The baby, Wako, was small and pure!  I love holding and watching a newborn baby - I get reminded, that the most important thing on this earth is to nurture and protect the tiny humans.  That is our animal instinct anyway and how far away sometimes we feel from our own natural instinct?  Watching Wako squirm and make little noises was very soothing to me.  Welcome to our family, Wako! 

I will write about the family trip we took to Fukui with my Mom and Dad in the next post!