Almost Halloween

I had some problems with posting photos on my blog and that made me delay in updating the blog.  If you were faithfully checking to see if I had anything new, I apologize!  It was the compatibility issue with the new browser Microsoft Edge and this blogger website.  Mike updated my laptop's operating system to Windows 10 and Edge.  I am not so much liking the Windows 10 because what I loved about using my Surface was the large panel touch screen interface.  It now works more like a traditional operating system and I am not sure why they chose to go back to having a small pop up menu when you press the Window's start button.  Anyway, enough about the new operating system.  Now that I figured out how to post pictures again, it's all good to go.

We have been having a pretty mild fall so far after the hot summer.  We are starting to get chilly mornings though and I finally pulled out the thick winter coats for the kids.  They leave home wearing them, but they never have their jackets on when they return from school.  It is still warm during the day.  It is about to change though this week since highs expected are going to be in mid 50s.  We don't expect a cold winter again this year.  I bet it is not going to snow much, either.  A bad news for farmers and winter sports enthusiasts.  It has been very tough on them for the past few years. 

We took the kids to a lake called Rattlesnake Lake in early October to see a dry lake bed that has been exposed due to drought.  I really wanted to check it out because a part of the village which went underwater by a bad flood in early 1900s reappeared.  That sounded so interesting to me because I love anything historical.   The small village was called Mocton and housed about 200 people.  You can read more about Mocton here: http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=2436

The lake was so pretty with many mysteriously large tree trunks.  I suspect the trees were cut when the railroad was built.  The tree trunks had rectangular holes cut out to put a wooden plank in to stand on it while chopping the tree.  The kids were mesmerized by the sights they have never seen before.  Noah soon ran towards the water, tried to get in, got a bit wet, and then ran towards then tree trunks and climbed many of them.  The girls and Sean had fun climbing on as well and competed each other in climbing more challenging trunks.  We took many pictures and enjoyed a beautiful day together. 

When Noah climbed onto a tall giant tree trunk, Mike and I didn't know there was a large hole in the middle of the trunk.  As soon as we noticed it, we immediately tried to get Noah off because we were afraid he would fall and won't be able to get him out.  Noah must have read our mind - despite our plea he disappeared into the dark tree trunk and he cried since it was dark down there and he could not move.  Oh, Darn!!! Was my thought.  Mike quickly climbed on to see how bad it was and his expression didn't look promising.  At that point, I asked Mike if I should call 911 and had a vision of flashing red fire trucks, ambulance and my face as red as those vehicles standing by shamefully.  Mike though got his hulk out and managed to reach Noah's finger tips to pull him out.   I was glad he trains his muscles in the garage that moment because it looked like he used all his power to rescue Noah.  Noah also has a very strong grip so it was a team effort.  I am glad we didn't have to call the rescue team.  That would have been a nightmare!! 

We quickly retreated from the scene and decided to go to a pumpkin patch at a nearby farm in effort to bring the fun back to the weekend.  Carnation WA is a beautiful area with pristine rivers and grassy green fields.  There are many farms that grow fresh fruits and veggies there and it is our go to place to get a little country in us when the weather is nice.  Remlinger Farm is the largest in the area and they created quite an enterprise with children's little amusement park with education centers and producing series of merchandise from fruits pies to salsas.  They are quite tasty.  We particularly like their strawberry rhubarb pie and avocado tomatillo salsa!  Yummy stuff!   We had fun in corn maze and took some pictures at their pumpkin patch.  We had some fresh ice cream at their food court and certainly were successful at cleansing the bad taste from the tree trunk incident!

I have tons more to write about, but I will be just glad I have one new post to report!

Welcoming Fall

Hello everyone!  The school had started and the new routine and new normal are finally starting to sink in.  Our babies are 4th, 2nd and 1st graders.  Time sure flies... chubby little babies are becoming so big, I have to look at their baby pictures to remind me how they looked like as babies.  They are very happy to be in their new grade and adjusted to their new teachers well.  I like to look at their work packed in their backpacks after school.  They are doing well despite not studying much during summer break. 

Summer was fun but I am so glad the school started!  The first taste of freedom in two and half months was so sweet, I smiled all the way home after dropping them off.  Maybe Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" was playing in my head.  I could dance my way home, but I restrained myself since there were many parents around.  I don't want to embarrass my children on their first day, of course.

I will volunteer at schools like last year, but I've decided to tone it down a bit.  My schedule last year was very crazy and it was impacting my stress level and taking time away from my workout regime.  This year, I want to focus on getting fit and being organized.  I am still doing Yoga with my friend and I am a tad more flexible and a lot stronger now.  I have still a long way from where I want to be, but I am on my good path to get there.  I say it's good because now my body and brain crave the rigorous routine at my friend's studio.  As hard as it is, it feels great after sweating off all the toxins.  Yoga for life and I think it is going to help me stay young physically and mentally.

I really want to post some beautiful pictures I took in Japan but since I have so many of them, I will post them bit by bit.  It gets very hot in Japan in July and August and that was affecting my mood to shoot away, but I tried to capture the essence of my trip and the beauty of my birth country.  People from my city, Osaka, is known for being friendly perhaps like how we characterize people from the south in America.  Friendly people have nice smiles, so I enjoyed taking people pictures as well.  I wished I studied more about my new camera as I planned to do so on the plane.  Being stuck on the plane with nothing to do would have been a perfect time to read the manual, but instead I was sucked in by the personal entertainment system in front of my seat! 

This post is a mish mash because I am trying to catch up two months of content into one, which is pretty much impossible.  We had another exciting event in August after the girls and I came back from Japan.  Our cousin Sam got married in Boise to her fiancé, Phil, whom she met in a college internship program.  Her new husband is a sweet baby-faced young man from the Midwest.  He seems like a very nice guy and I am glad they found each other to share their lives.   Sam looked beautiful!  She wore a classy strapless dress and wore her hair in a low bun which made her look like a princess.  I got teary thinking how little she was when I met her and how my little girls are someday going to get married like her...  I tell you, Mom business involves lots of tear production.

The kids did great on the trip for the most part.  The driving was smooth as they watched their favorite DVDs.  The hotel was the least favorite part of the trip.   The room was so small and the door was very close to the beds.  Being in a new place Noah was very unstable screaming occasionally. That made me stressed out because guests in other rooms can hear him screaming.  Sure enough, I could tell our temporary neighbors weren't happy with us when we saw them in the hallway!  It's a good thing we'll never see them again!  As a parent of two autistic boys, it's very easy to avoid going out or taking a trip as a whole family.  I don't want to deal with their public melt-downs or obsessive behaviors because people's stare hurts and I feel like shrinking into a shell and curl up.   A small ripple, but it left a big impression on me.  I promise though we will not give up on going on family trips!  We must not avoid challenges for the fear right? 

We were happy to see many family and in particular grandpa Bob's cousins from Arizona and our special little baby, Olive.  The Arizona cousins were friendly and such a lovely people, we had a good time getting to know them.  Grandma Marie talked about them often and it was great to finally meet them in person.  The baby Olive, my very first niece, was so cute.  I hadn't held a young infant in a while and I enjoyed the soft smell and the warm fuzziness I felt holding her.  The children grow darn so fast and for that moment wished my kids were babies again.  Everyone seemed be having a great time.  I was very impressed with aunt Wilma and uncle Kirk, Sam's parents, for giving their daughter away gracefully and enjoying their happiest day ever.   Congratulations Sam and Phil!  It was great to see our cousin found her happily ever after!

Well, this post if getting ridiculously long and I better stop now.  I am back to this blog after adjusting to the new schedule and recovering from the craziness of the summer break.  I will post regularly now, I promise.  My goal is to post 80 posts per year and I surely can do it now that I have more time!

The photos below are from Japan.  My aunt's family took us to Ise, where there is one of the most famous shrines in Japan resides.  It is a very historic place and was like a time slip to the past.

Japan Trip Summer Part II

How I missed you Ko-chan Ramen!  As always, Gyoza and Red Spicy Miso Ramen set at the counter :-)

My cute friend and her son.  He is so handsome!

Look, he is taller than me!!  Saya looks mad but she was happy.

A little window shopping became real shopping because of these people.

Aly rode my Mom's bike.  My mother has the ugliest bike in Osaka!

Alyson is brushing her teeth.  Boy, her hair is getting long!

Train ride becomes a playtime - playtime anywhere, anytime.

If you can zoom in, look at Saya's expression!  Poor baby.

They enjoyed the roller-coaster.  It was a kiddy one, but still Mom and I didn't want to ride with them!

Oh my, they were immersed in their play.  I want to collect all of Sylvania Family toys. 

It's hard not to love vacation in Japan where your only concern is to have the best time.  As you can see in the photos, the first week or I should say, the first few days were so much fun for us girls.  I got to see my friend and her son whom I met in Australia while I lived in Sydney.  The last time I saw them was in 2006, so I was surprised how big her son got and how little my friend changed!  I've known him since he was a newborn, so it really is amazing how the children change into a different human in such a short time.  He was all teen and wanted to chill and be cool, but I saw the little boy in him here and there when he was talking to his Mom.  My kids are going to change so much in the next 10 years.  It was a sweet reminder to hug the kids as much as I can now.  Sigh...

I could see how excited my Mom was to see us.  She gave a present for the girls with a note "Welcome to Japan".    She gave me lots of money to spend in Japan, too, and I was grateful because I didn't have much to spend.  She also bought a reference book for leisure activities in Japan so we can look for the places we want to visit.  We found a place called "Toy Land" and well, the girls were sold.  It was very far, took us about 2 hours to get there, but we had lots of fun.  The best part was that since the school summer break had not started yet, the place was empty.  The girls challenged themselves to ride some thrill rides and hopped on Pirate Ship and mini roller coaster.  I could not see very well then but I can see now on photos that Saya was tense on Pirate Ship.  She said she liked it though :-)    The main attraction, at least for the girls, was Sylvanian Family play area.  The Sylvanian Family is called Carico Critters in the U.S. and they are popular amongst little girls all over the world.  I didn't know that it is actually from Japan.  They are tiny cute animal figures with play houses and loads of furniture etc...  My girls are a big fan of the series and they were so happy to be able to play with everything they make.  It was a Heaven for them.  They could have stayed there all day long and never get bored!

We had a good start and I am so grateful for my family to welcome us with open arms.  We felt loved and pampered. 

Japan Trip Part I

Hello Kitty Ramen at Puroland

The view from our hotel room.

Train system in Tokyo.  It looks like some kind of electric circuit board. 

Aly enjoying Hello Kitty Ramen.

Puroland entrance

Sleeping on Shinkansen

Saya fell asleep right away at my parents' house.

We are finally back from the trip to Japan.  We spent three eventful weeks in a busy yet orderly country and my mind and soul were stimulated and rested at the same time.  The memories we made are priceless.  I hope the girls engraved them in their hearts and remember them for a long time. 

The previous post was written on the airplane over the pacific on the way to Haneda Airport in Tokyo.  The girls did well on the plane, watching TV shows on the personal entertainment system.  I took a portable DVD player and two iPads with loads of new games, but they didn't even use them on the plane.  I felt pretty tired and dozed on and off since the girls were maintenance free.  They slept finally about the last two hours or so, but the short sleep was what they needed since we were arriving in Haneda at 10:30 pm and they needed to sleep in the hotel.

The hotel was right on the airport, so it was convenient.  We still had to take a shuttle bus to get there, but that wasn't too bad.  I arranged the suitcase to be delivered directly to my house in Osaka, so I didn't have a large suitcase to haul around.  Haneda is a 24-hour airport and we could see the planes taking off from our room.  It was taking off right next to our hotel, but we didn't hear the noise at all.  Amazing!  The girls slept very well overnight and didn't get up until 6 am.  That was very good because we usually get up super early in the morning due to jetlag on the first few days after arrival.  The breakfast buffet at the hotel was awesome!  They had all kinds of dishes including Udon and Soba, which the girls enjoyed the most.  I think Saya ate five bowls of soba that morning.  The girls were extremely hungry it seemed (they didn't eat the airplane food).  I was endlessly getting food for them from the buffet and I couldn't eat much myself (I got too tired to get my own food).

We had a plan to visit Puroland where the beloved Hello Kitty lives.  They were very excited to meet Hello Kitty and other cute Sanrio characters.  We took a bus to a city of Tama which was quite far from Haneda airport.  We walked from the bus stop to Puroland and felt the heat of Japan beating me up mercilessly.  I was prepared for the notorious humid summer of Japan but I suddenly felt like I may not survive it :-).  It takes a bit of getting used to I guess.  The girls were both red cheeked and walking like they have been walking in the desert for days.  Oh boy, I thought.  They have got to toughen up!

The Puroland was just as I imagined.  Hello Kitty was there and she was huge.  The girls hugged her and said she was soft.  They also saw My Melody, characters from Jewel Pet (Japanese girlie cartoon), and many more.  There were tons of Chinese tourists as those characters are popular in other Asian countries, too.  It didn't feel like Japan since many of the people there were foreigners.  We ate Hello Kitty ramen and it was so cute.  I was ready to get out of there though since we were to travel to Osaka on Shinkansen (bullet train) and see my parents.  We had a long way to go, find our way back to the main Tokyo area on a local train, buy Shinkansen ticket and ride it for two and half hours.  The train system in Tokyo looked like a maize.  It is far worse than the ones in Osaka!  We found our way to Tokyo station and the girls followed me like little ducklings through waves of people.  The girls lost to the fatigues and fell asleep on Shinkansen.  I became their pillow and was stuck in uncomfortable and unsexy leg spread position for two hours!  The things we do for children...

When we finally arrived to my parents' condo, I was so relieved!  The long never-ending journey to my parents' home was finally over and there were no surprises or accidents!  When you conquer a challenging situation, you feel empowered and that is what I felt and I always do.  It was not bad at all and I can do this again, I thought, just like when I drove to California and back by myself with three kids.  Let the fun begin, I sang inside, and was determined to not waste any minute and eat lots of yummy food :-)

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.