Aaron and Tina's Wedding

Mike's brother Aaron married his soul mate, Tina, in a beautiful ranch in Stanly, Idaho in late August.  The drive from Washington was long, but it was definitely worth it!  We stayed in a newish two-bedroom condo equipped with everything you need and extra - a breathtaking view of the Sawtooth mountain range.  Sean and Mike slept together in one bedroom, Noah and I slept in the other room (so that I can keep an eye on him all night), and the girls slept together in a sofa bed in the living room.  They were so excited to sleep on a couch and thought that was extra fancy. 

We arrived very late the first night, so we settled in and went to bed.  Noah was being difficult during the night, wanting to get up and explore the condo and bring him back to bed constantly was tough.  Mike let me sleep in a little while all the children including Noah woke up early to start the day.  They couldn't wait to see the family at the ranch and see their uncle get married to auntie Tina.  Since Noah was being a bit tough since he didn't get much sleep, Mike decided to go with the other three kids to meet the family.  I stayed back with Noah at the condo since I was just a walking zombie myself.  It was getting stormy out there and the beautiful mountains were all covered up with thick dark clouds.  My thought was with the bride and groom.  We all wish for a sunny day for the special occasion.  But it somehow always works out at the end.  If they only knew the sun will peek out during the ceremony the next day!

I finally got to meet the family at the ranch during the family barbecue dinner that evening.  We decided to a leash on Noah the entire time he was there.  There was a pond in the yard which I knew he would gladly jump in and he would disappear into the sunset the first opportunity he gets.  We may have looked strange, but the safety comes first.  Besides, grandma Marie told me grandpa was on a leash too at some point in his life :-).   The ranch looked like it came out of a magazine!  It was a rustic log house with warm colors and western style decorations.  I loved everything about the house, especially the living room and the kitchen.  Kids enjoyed playing catch with auntie Tina's dog, Trooper, and uncle Kirk's dog, Pax.  They had a nice yard with a creek and the mountains laid across the tranquil pond.  It was gorgeous.  I felt lucky to see the scenery with my own eyes.

The family looked good, in particular, grandma Marie.  She is going to be 94 this November, but she is sweet, witty and stylish.  Tina was glowing with bridal bliss and Aaron looked extra sharp.  Mike and I took turns watching Noah and I felt like I was with him more than Mike but I didn't mind.  Noah preferred to stay upstairs in one of the bedrooms and I was sitting with him looking out the window, admiring the view.  I came down occasionally since Noah wanted to grab something from downstairs and that allowed me to chat with people a bit.  Everyone seemed to be having a good time and my children looked so happy interacting with their aunts, uncle and grandparents.  I felt happy just watching them being little grandchildren, nephews and nieces.

The wedding day was cloudy with rains on and off.  We all wish for the bright sun and blue sky on the wedding day and I am sure Tina was anxious about it.  I was confident though that the sun is going to come out for her.  And it did!  As the time for the ceremony approached, we started seeing blue sky and the mountains emerged from the clouds.  It was like verything was smiling and celebrating their matrimony.  Even the birds chirped happily as if to say you two are meant to be.  The wedding officiant was their close friend and performed a personal and touching ceremony.  The guests sat in circle around the couple and a group of children including mine sat close to the center to see the ceremony up close.  One of them got up and made faces when Aaron and Tina kissed.   I am positive that the ceremony was exactly how they wanted and more.  I was trying to take some photos for them, but I had Noah on my lap who was squirming around.  I was holding my camera with one hand and snapping as best as I could and I wished I could position myself better than taking them above Noah's head.  I think the pictures turned out OK though.

During the celebration afterwards, we saw some amazing displays of nature.  It rained as soon as the ceremony ended, but the sun was shining still.  Then a dark storm rolled out from the mountain and we saw foggy mist descending from the sky through the godly looking beams of light.  It was like a photo on a magazine but 1000% more beautiful since my naked eyes saw it.  Then when the sun went down behind the mountains but still lighting up the clouds in purple, orange and pink, Sean and a little boy he met at the wedding decided to get on a flat wooden raft, sort of like the one you imagine Huckleberry Finn used, to retrieve a football they lost on the pond.  Sean got on willingly but I could tell he regretted it a bit when the raft started to drift away from the shore.  "It's gonna sink!", he was shouting but actually coordinated very well with the other boy to make sure the raft stayed leveled.  I was a bit worried it might sink since some part of the raft was submerged in the water, but it stayed afloat.  The boys successfully retrieved the ball and safely landed to the shore.  I was amazed how collected they both were and achieved what they wanted.  And... I took some amazing photos of them on the raft.  It's one of the best photos I have ever taken in fact!  I might have to print them out on canvas and hang it over the fireplace.

We had a great time in Stanley.  I had my doubts about going since I was so nervous about Noah getting lost and even had a dream about him missing in Idaho wilderness.  But, it all turned out well for all of us.  Noah had a blast!  He enjoyed throwing a ball to the dogs to fetch, he did go into the pond a couple of times but we had a change of clothes for him, and got to enjoy exploring the beautiful cabin which had many interesting things for him to feel and look at.  I benefited greatly from this trip because; 1) I needed a vacation, 2) the beauty of the wedding and the surrounding woke the photographer in me once again, and 3) gave me the major confidence to take Noah out to family outings.  Ever since we came back, we have been taking Noah out as much as we can. 

We are very happy for Aaron and Tina.  They are a great couple and we are so happy they found each other.  It reminded me of our own wedding and how special it is to have a partner whom I love and respect in my life.  My cousin's wedding is next!  Love is in the air for certain!!

Who is this boy?

Sean is eight and half and although he is skinny, his bones are big like Daddy's.  I was a skinny girl, too, but had a wee tiny bones that my Mom used to worry I would break by carrying heavy things.  For the record, I have never ever broke any bones even when I fell hard!   One day I felt Sean's chest and noticed that it had gotten much thicker than I remembered.  He flexes his skinny arms to show off his guns and there is hardly any visible swell at all, but I know pretty soon he is going to change.  He is Daddy's son.  I am pretty sure he is going to be a muscular man.  Mike and I are just so different physically in many ways - tall and short, light and dark, muscular and small, loud and quiet, hairy and non-hairy, full on Caucasian face and Asian face... you never know which path our children are going to take. 

The other day, Sean and I played a little game called "time machine game" which Sean invented.  The story was that Sean had a time machine and he could travel back in time and be in my life in the time he chose.  First he entered the year 2005.  It went like this:

Time Warped Sean:      Hello?  Is anyone there?
Mom in 2005:     Hello?  Can I help you?  Where did you come from?  How did you get in?
Time Warped Sean:      I just used  my time machine to come here.  I am Sean.
 Mom in 2005:       Hmmm. Ok, Sean.  Where do you live?  Where is your Mom and Dad?
 Time Warped Sean:    You are my Mom.  I am your son!  Really!
 Mom in 2005:    But I don't have a son. 
 Time Warped Sean:  I know, but you are going to have me next year!  I came from the future, 2014.  We live in Bellevue.
 Mom in 2005:  Hmm... ok I think I need to make a phone call (leaves room to call the police).

Time warped Sean leaves to avoid police.

2006 version went like this:

Timer Warped Sean:     Hi Mom, it's me Sean.
Mom in 2006:     Who are you?
Time Warped Sean:     I said I am Sean!  I am your son.
Mom in 2006:     My baby is right here.  This is my Sean.
Time Warped Sean:   Yes, I know.  That's me as a baby.  I am 8 years old now.  I came from the future. I used the time machine.
Mom in 2006:     That doesn't make sense... but you are a handsome boy like this cute little guy here.   Let me take a look at you closer. (a long pause)  Oh my goodness!!  It is you!  Sean you are so handsome! 

It was fun to play along and got me thinking at the same time that how much I would have appreciated if he did show up in my past.  In particular when he was three or four, during the uncertain times of dealing with the spectrum diagnosis, if older and perfectly verbal Sean pops up and tells me "Mom, I am going to be OK," that would send me to the moon!  It highlighted how far he has come and how both of us have grown stronger to deal with and find solutions to any hardships that comes our way. 

I love you Sean so very much.  You are really an amazing person and I feel very lucky to be your Mommy!

Sean and Daddy's LA Trip

Sean and Mike were so excited about the California trip, but I might have been the most excited of all.  Having a special need kid who is extremely impulsive and non-verbal, going on a family vacation to a place like Disney is out of question.  When I hear about friends going on a vacation to popular out of state destinations, I felt heavy in my heart that we couldn't.  Then, my parents offered to pay for a vacation of choice since Mike turned 40 this year.  They wanted for him to make a special memory in his 40th year.  That gave me the push to book a trip for Sean and Mike to LA.  Sure, going as a whole family would have been better but some of us being able to go is the next best thing!  The girls were very understanding about it and were happy for Sean and Daddy. 

Well, they had a blast!  On the first full day, they went to the Disneyland bright and early before they open just like they recommend on guidebooks.  They hit the popular rides first since there are no big lines first thing in the morning and then maneuvered cleverly to hit as many rides as possible.  Going there on Thursday helped, too, and they were able to conquer 13 rides, some of them multiple times!  That is far better than five rides the girls and I did in Tokyo Disney.  Sean is quite a thrill seeker.  He liked the Space Mountain the most.  He must have gotten that from his Dad.

The next day, they hit the beach.  The beaches in southern California are very different from the rocky and lush Washington beaches.   They decided to go check out the Huntington beach since it was closer to their hotel.  There they soaked their feet in warm tides and road around the shores on rented dual rider bikes enjoying the scenery.  Sean likes palm trees and he saw plenty of them.  It must have been mesmerizing to be in a completely different setting than where we live.  They ended the night with dinner at Medieval Time, a medieval themed dinner show complete with knights on horses jousting and sword fighting!  It was very exciting for Sean and Mike said the food was delicious.

The third day was just as exciting.  Sean met his cousins for the first time in person.  My cousin, her husband, and their three children moved to LA from Northern California after we moved to Washington.  We exchange Christmas cards with family pictures every year and Sean has been very curious about his cousins in California.  The oldest boy is a year younger than Sean, so they played video games and threw catch in the backyard.  My cousin is the only family living in America for me and I wish we lived closer.  But it is what it is.  I am glad Sean and Mike were able to spend some time with them.  After visiting cousins, they went to see Sean's favorite friend at his grandparents' house.  Yes, it's Parker!  Parker's family spends time in LA during summer so Sean hadn't seen him for over a month.  He was looking forward to reuniting with his best pal.  His grandparents' house is located on a hill overlooking the city.  They have a beautiful backyard with a big pool, so the boys played in the pool while Mike enjoyed the view from their patio.  They served homemade Korean dumplings and Mike was a happy man.

On the final day in LA, the boys decided to go to Disney California Adventure Park right next to the main Disneyland.  Being Sunday, Mike was worried about the crowd but he said it was surprisingly empty.  There was no line in most rides and were able to ride almost all of them.  Very lucky of them!  They have a replica of Radiator Spring, the town from the movie Cars.  Sean met Lightning McQueen and his friends and although he is a bit too old to be impressed by talking cars, he enjoyed meeting them.  Sean's favorite and I heard they did it more than five times was a ride called California Screamin'.  It's a loop roller coaster that is surely would make me pee in my pants but apparently such a big fun for my 8 year-old son.  I am glad Mike was the one who took him because he probably had to ride those all on his own if it were me.   They spent the entire day there until they closed and played hard.  Mike said they spent the last hour on a quieter ride over and over again since they were both tired and finally got off when they shut down the ride. 

They were tanned and all big smiles when we picked them up at the airport.  The day they returned was the hottest day we had in Seattle this summer.  I felt like they brought back California with them!  We do what we can to be able to do things in our own way.  It may mean going on vacation separately but that way we can go instead of excluding certain destinations.  Honestly, I felt like I were there, too.  Of course, I was constantly texting Mike wanting to know what they were doing then.  Mike did a pretty good job responding to me with pictures because I demanded updates from him or I will be mean.  :-) Thanks for the great trip, Mom and Dad!  They had a great time for sure.  Three kids had gone to Disney.  One more kid to go... and when he does, it sure would be a big moment for all of us.

Two Days Three Playdates

I didn't take pictures of Sean and Saya's friends, but these are Aly's friends and we made pizza for lunch.  They are the cutest little girls and we had a very good tome with them.

Sometimes my judgment goes wacky and kids have the best time.  We had back to back playdates with Sean, Alyson and Saya's friends at my house over two days and at the end of the whole affair, all I could do was lay flat face down on my couch.  They had been bugging me for a playdate with their favorite friends so I am glad they had a chance to get together.  They played a lot outside in the backyard, but managed to make a decent mess in the kids' rooms.  At least I didn't forget to warn Mike about it.  Summer is like riding an unpredictable motor bike for me.  Sometimes I fly with it, sometimes it slows down.  I certainly had a jolt of energy while planning these playdates and I am glad I did seeing everyone's smiley faces.  Next time, I will spread them out.  Unless...I get wacky again!

Lesson About Soup

Saya was eating a bowl of soup and rice the other night.  She wanted to scoop up just the broth with her spoon and pour it in the bowl with rice, but the stewed veggies and chicken pieces kept slipping into the spoon.  She was frustrated.  She tried again and again but the veggies and chicken would not stay away.  Saya started to kick her legs and whine.  Someone needs to solve her problem!  She knew who could rescue her and all the fussing was kind of directed to that person: Me, Mama!  I lifted the soup bowl and slowly poured broth only to her bowl with rice.  She carefully watched to make sure no veggies or chicken would slide in.  They didn't.  She didn't look happy after I saved her from the soupy crisis.  She had a look of disappointment and realization.  I asked her what she was thinking about and this is what she told me.

"My idea was to scoop the soup with my spoon and that didn't work.  You had a better idea than me to pour it from the bowl.  My idea was not a good one.  Mama, why is your idea always right?"  She is only five years old and looked so little and innocent in her adult sized dining chair.  I smiled and replied, "it's because Mama has been living much much longer than you and I experienced many things, so I know a lot more than you".  She understood me but seemed sad that she is still little.  I assured her that she will learn many things as she grows up and become a smart young lady someday. 

I totally understand her slight sadness about where she stands in life.  When I was five I realized also how tiny I am and that made me feel sad also.  I saw a picture of earth surrounded by dark space with stars and came to a realization that if my favorite thing to do is going to a restaurant with my Mom and Dad and in truth the restaurant is a tiny dot on earth and the earth is surrounded by darkness, it is such a lonely thing to do.  I don't know how it reminded me of the feeling I had when I was five but her look told me she was having the similar moment as I did.  It was a pure moment I felt like a mother and I am here to teach her important skills in life.  Thanks, Saya, for a feel good moment.  You are just so adorable!

Backyard camping

Ready to camp!

My girls rarely play any video games but when they do they know what to do.  I am feeling old.  I used to be the one who knows the most in my house (in Japan) about those things.

Sean and Daddy had fun camping in the backyard while the girls went for a sleepover at Nana's house the other day.  We picked up a gas fire pit from Lowes just to do the s'mores.  You can't call it camping without a fire pit and s'mores!

We set up the tent and pumped air into the air bed.  The tent smelled like smoke from the last camping trip.  The fun memories with Sean and the Collins in the Hood River popped in my head.  It's interesting how a scent can trigger a rush of memories.  The camp was all set before the sunset and Sean and Mike had a good time roasting marshmallows.  Sean enjoys making s'mores but he doesn't like the gooey marshmallows.  He only eats crackers and chocolate.  He tries to feed me a bunch since he likes to make them.  The problem is, I don't like them so much myself, either.  It's way too sweet for me.  Every component has tons of sugar in it.  I don't know how anyone can stand that sweetness.  If I can somehow make less sweet version with maybe bitter chocolate and small marshmallows, it might be ok.  I've been here for more than 20 years, but I still can't get used to American sweets.

 I met up with a friend that night so I couldn't see them sleeping in the tent, but they said they had lots of fun sleeping out in the backyard.  It's very cute to see them do a fun father and son activity together.  A girly mother and daughters activity is calling next, I think.  The only thing I would change is to not allow any electronic devices.  I was surprised to hear that Sean was watching something on his tablet in the tent.  I rather have them play a card game under the lamp instead playing with the electronic gadgets.  Well, Daddy has to work on that one.  He would have a hard time parting with his toys overnight. 

On the separate note... I still cannot find my Photoshop CD.  I have some pictures I want to play around with but my little helper is missing.  Maybe I will remember where I hid it when the school starts and everything is quieter.  School!?   It's not too long from now.  The thought of it is giving me anxiety!!  My baby girl is starting kindergarten and then Sean has a busy football season.  Oh my!  I don't know why I am doing this to myself!

Ready for Football!!

Proud Daddy.  Just look at Mike's smile! 

"No, turn that way, bend your knees!!"

A football star gotta practice posing.  Then only thing is... his mouth thing looks like a pacifier to me.



Sean is going to be playing football in a local junior football team this season and picked up his gears on Tuesday.  He was so excited and anxious at the same time, he could not stop talking about it.  "Maybe the coach will make me a Wide Receiver," he said and then the next minute in the dramatic note said "what if I am a terrible receiver?".   I assured him that the coach will pick the best position for him and that all he needs to do is try his best.  Sean practices catching and throwing everyday.  He is a decent thrower although his challenge is making long passes.  His ball spins straight perfectly most of the time and it's better than most older kids throwing at parks in my opinion.

Mike took Sean for gear fitting and pick up.  He sent me some pictures of Sean being fitted and he looked so cute with huge helmet and shoulder armor.  He had a big smile on his face and looked like he was enjoying the moment.  They later went out to eat dinner and stopped at a sporting goods store to pick up a few things he needs.  When they came home, Sean modeled for us.  His helmet is huge on his skinny body and shoulder pads made him look like he is ready to battle the aliens.  I am not even sure if he can ran like that.  Of course he has do the test run, so he played catch with Daddy downstairs with the uniform on.  He moved a bit awkwardly, but I am sure he will get used to it.  Daddy was just as excited as Sean and was making Sean pose for lots of pictures. 

The daily practice starts on 8/12.  He will discover that being a committed athlete takes a lot of physical and mental effort.  It will be a good lesson for him and I hope he will stick with it.  He will be very busy once the season starts with regular practices and weekly game on Sundays.  I didn't have much opportunity to play sports when I was a kid, so I am happy that my kids are starting to participate in group sports activities.  The girls are currently taking gymnastics, but I will see if I can put them in soccer, softball or basketball. 

Before the football season starts, Sean and Mike are going to Disneyland in Anaheim in early August.  It is a surprise for Sean and 40th birthday present for Mike from my parents.  Mike is very excited to go on vacation with his firstborn.  Thank you so much Mom and Dad!  They are going to make an awesome memory together!!