Piglet Reads!

Lately, Denis has been making sure all of his stuffed animals are reading stories. He'll take one or two animals off his shelf, set them on the futon, and place a book in their laps. Usually, he leaves the books closed. Today, however, he opened not only the book for Piglet, but the flap hiding the baby's hands, too. How sweet is that? You can see it made Piglet's day!

Updates

• School's back in session.
  
• I'm still deciding to FB or not to FB.
  
• I've settled on The Wind in the Willows.  Guess I'm craving more English countryside. Tales from the Expat Harem is waiting in the wings for my trip to Istanbul.

Tickets to the Tigers

Today is Jon's birthday. Denis helped me wrap a couple of gifts this morning - tickets to the Hanshin Tigers baseball game for Monday night and a framed picture of father and son from our first trip to Kaliningrad. We're celebrating with a BBQ dinner with some friends tonight, and the plan is to get a lemon meringue pie in the oven this afternoon. Happy Birthday, Papa!

Captured!

Ever have a hard time moving on to a new book after you've finished one you particularly enjoyed? I recently finished reading I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, and since then I can't seem to settle into another book. Nothing is capturing my interest the way that one did. I enjoyed every word from its peculiar opening, "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink", to its bittersweet ending. I loved the setting - a crumbling castle in the English countryside; the characters - the eccentric and endearing and ever-so-helpless Mortmains; and the way in which the story was told - through the journals of a naive, yet wise beyond her years, teenage girl.

Below is the editorial review, in case you're looking for a good read. I highly recommend it!

"I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has 'captured the castle'--and the heart of the reader--in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments." 

What have YOU been reading lately? Anything worth recommending?

To Facebook or Not To Facebook?

That, apparently, is the question. And I hate to admit that it's even becoming a dilemma for me. I've held out for so long that I'm not sure I can give in now. I can see that there are real benefits to social networking, and I understand that email is almost considered an antiquated form of communication these days, but do I really need to put myself out there so I can be found by anyone and everyone from my past? Do I really need to know what everyone from my present is doing at any given moment? No, not really. 

But here's the thing. I hate that my husband now knows more about my friends' lives than I do. "Hey, did you know that so-and-so is...?" "Guess who's....?" "You'll never believe what....is up to!" And if you know my husband, you can hear him taunting me with such comments, making me beg for tidbits of news about my own friends. "Guess you'll just have to join Facebook to find out." Yes, he's cruel like that.

So, what's a girl to do? Is she to Facebook or not to Facebook? I need convincing, one way or the other.

Swine Flu and Cat Sniffles

One case of Swine Flu (or the H1N1 virus) has been confirmed in the Kobe area and one case of cat sniffles has broken out in our apartment. Authorities have called off school for the week to prevent the former (and admittedly more serious) health issue from becoming wide-spread. And I'm left wondering...what can really be done for the latter? Poor Nazca, I've never seen such a sneezy cat. 

Excuse me while I go wash my hands.

Animal Rites

The first thing Denis sees when he wakes up each morning - or after his nap - is his pillow. He loves his pillow. He especially loves the animals on his pillow. He loves them so much he wants to stay in bed long after he's woken up so he can look at them all.

Of all the animals on his pillow, the porcupine is his favorite. Don't see the porcupine? Here, let Denis point it out for you. (Please picture a stubby little finger tapping three times on the porcupine, tap, tap, tap, to the tune of "oooh, oooh, oooh!")

That stubby little finger then points to the books on a nearby shelf, and a pair of eyes begs you to find the right book. The right book, of course, is this one:

Ten stubby fingers then flip through this book...

...until they find THIS porcupine. This porcupine also gets three little taps of a finger, tap, tap, tap, but this time the tune sounds something like "a-na-na". Which means "another one".

We go through a similar process before going to bed at night. But now the animals of choice are found in this book:

A green frog and a red bird. "Oooh, oooh, oooh!" Guess who has a green frog and a red bird? And guess who wants to show them to you every single time you read this book? 

Tap, tap, tap. "A-na-na!"

Happy Mother's Day!

My first Mother's Day. It started with a snuggle in bed with my three favorite boys - Denis, Jon, and Pisco. There were hugs and kisses and purrrrs aplenty - a wonderful way to start the day. Denis and Jon then treated me to Sunday brunch at the Sheraton Hotel and a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers - my favorites. The rest of the day included a swim at the River Mall and a home-cooked dinner for three. I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate the day. 

***Sap & Sentiment Alert: the rest of this post contains sap and sentiment. You've been warned. 

It feels good to have joined the ranks of mothers around the world and in my life. In my short three months' experience, I can honestly say that motherhood is the most challenging and rewarding thing I have ever done. There I things I know I do well when it comes to being D's mom, and things I'm hoping to do better. I hope I always feel this way. 

I'd like to wish a well-deserved Happy Mother's Day to some special mothers. Especially:

• My own mother. I lucked out in life being one of your brood! For as long as I can remember you've told me that your kids were the best thing that ever happened to you - and hearing that still makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. You're the one who made being a mom look so appealing, so satisfying that I had to see for myself.  Happy Mother's Day, Mom!  I love you. Please go back and read this post. 

• Margaret, my mother-in-law. I'm so glad I like you! ;) You always make me feel like one of the family, and have done so since the first time I met you at Christmas 2000. You're the kind of M-i-L that a girl can enjoy having an afternoon cup of Earl Grey with and playing a good game of Scrabble with (no matter who wins!). Your little Jonathan grew up to be a good man, a great husband, and a wonderful father. And for that I am ever so thankful. Happy Mother's Day, Mar!

• All my friends and family members who are mothers. You are far too many to list, but you know who you are. Please know that I've learned something from each and every one of you. You've all been wonderful role models - and I've been watching for years! For those I get to see daily, thank you for making every ordinary day extraordinary for Denis - playing with your kids is often the highlight of his day. For those I only see once a year or once in a blue moon, thanks for raising your kids to be kids I want Denis to know. I can't wait for him to meet them all - cousins and friends and neighbors galore! 

• D's first mother - his birth mother. Unfortunately, I'll never get the chance to meet you, so I'd like to honor you here. I wish I could tell you how thankful I am that you brought Denis into this world. I give you my word that I'll always help guide him through it. In the short time D was with you, I know in my heart that he learned how to be loved. That is the greatest gift you could have ever given him, and I am incredibly thankful for that. To you, M.V., wherever you may be, Happy Mother's Day.

• The caregivers at the orphanage in Kaliningrad. You all saw to D's needs after his first mother could no longer do so and before I was given the privilege. Each of you played the role of 'mother' to the healthy, happy, handsome little boy who is now my son. I will never know all that you did for him, but I know it was enough to keep him thriving and keep him growing. It was obvious that each of you loved him dearly, and I cannot thank you enough for that. Happy Mother's Day to each of you.

***Notice: sap and sentiment ends here. 

I'll leave you with a laugh. This is a song someone sent to me not long ago. Oh, the phases (and phrases!) of motherhood I have yet to experience!

First Swim of the Season

We went for our first 'swim' of the season this weekend. The weather has been beautiful and the 'river' just started flowing... So it was high time we got our feet wet! The Rokko Island River Mall is a perfect place for young ones to cool off and gain a little confidence in the water, as it isn't very deep. And for the big ones it's a great place for, say, a bottle of yuzu-flavored sake, a bag of wasabi-covered almonds, and some adult chit-chat. (Maximo is going to love it, Julie! Hope these pictures give you an idea of what to expect.)

A Rocket and Nose Story

I have a funny story to share. A story involving a rocket and a nose. Yes, that's right. A rocket and a nose. Wondering how those two things fit together? Let's take a peek inside D's mind. Here's the story.

Once upon a time, a couple of weekends ago, Denis attended a birthday party for three friends. At the end of the party he was given a goody bag. In the goody bag, he found this great toy rocket. I'm sure you can picture how this works. You put the rocket on the gray pump thing and squeeze as hard as you can. Even a two-year-old can squeeze the dickens out of this and send the rocket flying. It's a great toy. Even I love it. 

The cats love it too, as you can see from this poor rocket that escaped neither feline teeth nor claws. And you can imagine how that (the cats chasing the rockets around the room) sends Denis into a tailspin. But that's another story for another post.

Let's continue with the original story, shall we? For the past couple of weeks, Denis has had this nasty runny, stuffy, snotty, crusty nose. Poor kid can hardly breathe at night. So, being the good parents that we are, we employ the use of this handy thing. 

I call it the snot-sucker-outer, but I'm sure there's an official name for it. Nose syringe, perhaps? Anyway, as I was saying, we've been using this thing a lot lately. Especially just before bedtime. After each suck of the snot-sucker-outer, I say "oooooh..." and Denis says "aaaaah..." It's cute and gross all at the same time.

Well, the other day, I was changing D's diaper before his nap. As I was taking care of business down there, he was playing with his rocket - shooting the ships all over the bedroom - stopping every so often to wipe the snot from his nose all over his sleeve. (You can see where this is going, can't you?) As I was finishing up the diaper, all rocket activity came to a halt. I glanced up to see why the sudden stillness, and guess what sight I beheld? Yes, Denis was using the rocket pump as a snot-suck nose syringe. Again, cute and gross all at the same time! But pretty darn ingenious. And possibly a bit dangerous. (Don't worry, grandparents, D and I had a little chat about which one goes in the nose - the white one; and who the only people are that can put it in the nose - Mama and Papa.) Anyway, you can see how the similarity caused the confusion...

Moral of the story? Partners in crime are partners in slime.

The end.

Denis Meets Peter Pan

In March, we enrolled Denis in Peter Pan, an international pre-school here on Rokko Island. He attends the morning session (9:00-1:00) once a week, usually on Wednesdays. Our thinking behind this was two-fold: (1) it would help set the stage for when he goes to Peter Pan full-time starting in August when I go back to work, and (2) it would give me a few hours "off" during the week. Granted, going to pre-school full-time (vs. once per week) will still be a tough transition, but at least Denis will be familiar with the routines at Peter Pan by the time August rolls around. And as much as I'm enjoying being a stay-at-home-mom, I do cherish these four free hours each week! I can read, sleep, hibachi hunt - whatever I want! - for four uninterrupted hours. Ahhh...

But here's the thing. I'd been feeling rather guilty about this for the past several weeks. Not the part about having time to myself, but the part where I was sending my new son off to pre-school at the ripe old age of not-quite-two. The first time I took him to Peter Pan, he loved it. He went right in and got busy playing with blocks. I don't think he understood, on that first visit, that I was leaving and that he'd be there without me.  Because the second (and third, and fourth, and fifth...) time I dropped him off, he cried and cried and looked at me with this desperate "please don't leave me!" look that about broke my heart. Each Wednesday, as I walked him to Peter Pan, I found that I had this nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. I could only imagine how he was feeling. 

Well, lo and behold! A couple of weeks ago when I dropped him off he put on this super brave face, took a deep breath, and walked through the door without me. He didn't cry until he turned around and waved good-bye to me. His little lips were quivering ever so slightly and I could see him trying to control his tears (how sad is that?). Last week, when I told him that it was Peter Pan Day, he practiced saying good-bye to me before we left the apartment and the whole way there - "bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye". And when I finally dropped him off ... no tears! Today, as we were saying "bye-bye" just outside the front door, he went up to a girl who was having a hard time saying good-bye to her mom and who clearly didn't want to go in.  He told her, "come" and gestured for her to walk in with him. It was so sweet, I about cried! I guess he's over the fear of going to Peter Pan.

Even on those days when he cried as I left, I know he loved being there because he's always all smiles when I pick him up in the afternoon. I keep reminding myself that separation is a good thing - it teaches him to trust that I'll come back. I'm glad it's only taken him a short time to learn that I will keep coming back. I'm here for good, D!

March 11, 2009

May 7, 2009

Mayday! May Day!

Ok, so after I wrote that last line of my last post about who would go to the trouble of making a May Day basket... I decided that Denis and I would. Shame on me for being so Bah-Humbug! Why not go to the trouble of making a little something that would brighten someone's day? Why not give D the chance to make some of his own May Day memories?

Granted, we didn't make the actual basket (next year - all homemade!), but we did pick the flowers and pack the basket full of love. Love in the form of a framed picture of Denis (for Papa's desk) and a few Hershey's Kisses. We delivered it to school, hung it on his office door, and ran away. May Day lives!

Memory Lane via Sesame Street

Having a toddler provides one with a great opportunity to take a walk on the wild side down memory lane. Recently, D and I have been meandering along Sesame Street. To my delight, I've rediscovered some of my favorite Sesame Street songs from childhood. My Martian Cutie has to be my all-time favorite, with The Ladybugs' Picnic coming in a close second. (Have you ever heard better lyrics?!) Won't you join me in my walk - to where the air is sweet - and rediscover your own SS favorites? You know you want to!

   

   

As long as we're walking down memory lane... I fondly remember making many a cone-shaped, construction-papered May Day basket (or were they made from brown paper bags...or old paper plates?) on this day - May 1st - and feeling giddy from setting them on neighbors' doorsteps and quickly running away. Did anyone ever catch and kiss me?! Does anyone celebrate May Day anymore? Happy May Day, everyone! Go catch and kiss someone you love. Because, really, who's going to go to the trouble of making a basket?