2023 Update!

 For some reason, as Mitchell was getting ready to go his SENIOR year Homecoming dance, he mentioned the "Happy Birthday" video from this blog. I wondered if I could still view it, and sure enough, here it is! Although I occasionally post Facebook/Instagram pictues or stories, or check on the kids BeReal posts, this old school type of blog is something of a comfort, as I think nobody sees it except for me. So...I guess I should quickly give you an update on everyone! 

Mitchell: 17, Senior at Laguna Creek, running Cross Country despite DESPISING it, a bit stressed about upcoming college apps, and still my sweet (but very angsty teenager) boy. He's like Jekyl and Hyde - from sweet to dark in a matter of an hour. Hopefully just a stage, and it gets less up and down as he navigates in finding himself and his people. He still has a pretty stable group of friends from elementary/junior/high school, but I worry about how it will be when he starts college in 1 (or 3?) years. I guess I'll know when I write this update in the next few years :)

Molly: 19, Sophomore at Cal, very involved in Taiko and hanging out at IBS and Berkeley Buddhist Temple, artsy girl, loving everything about Berkeley! She seems to have really found a place that matches her, and it's great that we can visit her whenever we head out to the Bay Area to see Bachi :)

Emily: 21, Senior at UCLA, just moved her in to her 4 bedroom 8(!) person apartment, had quite a 21st birthday celebration with friends in So Cal thanks to Lindsey, clubbing and going to music festivals. It was great to have her home for the summer, as she was great to hang out with on the pickle ball court with Shelley and Bryce Takaha, along with being up for hanging out with Mama and/or Mitchell when needed.

Lindsey: 23, just finished one year living in Glendale and working for Disney in the Corporate Alliances division, truly doing her best to live her "best life" as a young and recently single person on her own. It was a big surprise to find out that she decided to end her 5 year relationship with Ken Nguyen, but proud of her for how maturely she made the decision and how she handled the breakup. They are both good people, just with different ideas on where they want to be in life at the moment. Proud of her for being so capable and thoughtful. 

Me: 54, still working 4 days per week, 4 hours a day, "tracking off" every few weeks, second year working with English Learners as an Academic Intervention Teacher. I love the job for many reasons - decent pay ($40/hr) for pretty much all the freedom I want in terms of teaching, (mostly) sweet students who are predominantly from Afghanistan. It's just enough to keep me a little bit busy and getting out of the house. 

Gus: 56, second year at Akzo Nobel, making good pay for what I say is a kickback job. He's always looking for different positions as he's not thrilled with some of the management of the company (too much jumping thru hoops to travel, slow process, low budget), but as we get older we're getting closer to planning for retirement. Yay!

Taro: still hanging in there, not as genki as he used to be, more focused on food than being lovable, losing his hearing, but still excited to "go for a walk?" around Kloss Park. Emily says that if he dies, we can't tell her if it's during finals week. I think he still has 2-3 years in him!

Covid-19 Update :(

Wow - what a time in the history of our world. Nobody could have predicted the effect of the CoronaVirus spread. I'm sitting in bed on my Chromebook, no idea of the day of the week or time without taking a peek at my phone to check. Our family has been on self-quarrantine "lock down" since Mitchell's birthday on Friday. Poor guy. We were going to have a 14th birthday party at Rockin' Jump (a trampoline place), but due to the approaching spread of Covid-19, I decided to scratch that; wouldn't want kids jumping around amongst the germs at that place. EGUSD canceled a week of school before every other school district in the nation. We were at the SBC basketball tournament when we heard the news!

What we've done thus far:
Cleared out my walk in closet
Filling my minivan for a trip to goodwill
Picked tons of lemons from our tree and distributed to friends and old neighbors
Cooked: shepherd's pie, corned beef, sushi, tofu soup,
Screamed at the TV over 45's racist talk (Chinese Virus) and stupidity

3 Billy Goats Gruff

Still going back in time...here's when they used to PLAY! This was probably when we were waiting for Lindsey, who we were picking up at Pinkerton Middle Schoool. That makes our Troll (Emily) 5th grade, Billy Goat Gruff 1 (Molly) a 3rd grader, BGG 2 (Mitchell) a 1st grader, and BGG 3 (Mom) around 43 years old. Oh... to be energetic again! 

Now testing out how to upload a new video via my iPhone! In the old days, I think I posted from my digital camera ! This was a recent trip to Oahu with Jich ❤️ At Hanauma Bay

2020 Update???

I can't believe that this Blogger website still exists, but I'm so very happy that it does! I was FaceTiming Lindsey - now a 2nd year student at UCSB - on her birthday, and she mentioned how much she wishes that I had blogged all of the silly, crazy stuff that she and her siblings did when they were little. Well, I referred her to this website, and it's still here! Before the day of Facebook, Instagram, and SnapChat, and Twitter, this was the best way to post random thoughts and antics. I cherish the videos - I have some on mini-DV converted to discs, but we don't really watch DVDs anymore! Technology - love it and hate it.

Testing out to see if I can still post a video...

Well, the video work, but this clip is OLD! It's little Mitchell on a field trip to Laguna Creek High School (which he will attend in 6 months!). He was probably in 2nd grade in this clip

Visiting the Cal campus made the kids jump for joy! Fingers crossed that one of them will be chosen to cross that gate one of these days. :)

Emily

Emily is my loudest child. :)

The Ellen Show!

Ok, so that was tough typing from my iPhone. Plus, it only gave me a few photo options - all older than a year for some reason - and I want to post current stuff. I'm now typing from my laptop to see if the process is any quicker. My typing is a whole lot faster; I think my girls can text faster than they can type *sigh* Sign of the times...

This is Lindsey and me in downtown Pasadena (CUTE little shops there!) before he headed out to the Ellen Show. It was the coolest experiene ever! I was so excited that I was losing my mind, tearing up when I found out we were assigned seats in the front row, tearing up when she walked out, and tearing up when she looked at me and nodded her head in acknowledgement ("She LOOKED at me!" I told Lindsey, as I clutched her arm in excitement). No free stuff or anything, but I'm dying to try again next season.

4 years later

Has it really been 4 years since my last post on this blog?! Yikes. I think there's a correlation with Facebook posts - they went up while the blogging went down. I much prefer writing out my thoughts here, but the time it takes for a blog-worthy post is just not a priority.

So this is just a test - to see how easy it is to quickly post something from my phone. I hope nobody sees it!

Group camping trip last summer (July 2014) with our playground family friends. Watsonville,

CA

My Little Goalie

Mitchell is playing soccer for the first time this fall. Just like on his T-ball team, he's the chattiest and silliest one of the bunch. He's still getting the hang of the game, so I'm really happy to have caught this on tape!

Mitchie, M.D.

Mitchell rushed home from school the other day to tell me about what he learned in science. Before I knew it, he had grabbed a bunch of ziplocs from the kitchen drawer, ran around outside to collect some stuff, and then proceeded to give me a lesson about "non-living things" in the "ecosystem". What fun to see such enthusiasm!

Mitchell Reading "Ten Apples Up On Top"

As goofy/silly/kooky as he is, Mitchell (5 1/2 years old) is reading even earlier than his sisters did at his age. Who'dathunk?!

Wait...when did that happen?!

From the time my kids were born, I constantly heard, "Enjoy it - they grow up too fast!" I guess I was too busy keeping up with kid after kid to stop and ponder that statement. I was just anxious to have them all potty-trained, in preschool, and able to dress themselves, hoping for some bit of relief Mommy duties.

Well, while sorting through laundry this morning, it finally hit me. I had to do a double-take on a pair of jeans. Mine or Lindsey's? Yup - in 11 short years, she has slowly but surely become more of an teenager than a kid. There were subtle changes in the last couple of years:


"Ew - I don't wear pink."


"Yea, go ahead and clear out most of the stuffed animals in my room."


"I can't think of anything I want for my birthday. Can I have cash?"


"The 'kids' are too noisy. Would you shut my door?"


"I can't find mine - can I borrow your zoris?"


"No, I don't want you to read me a bedtime story. I'll just read on my own."


"May I have more salad?" (When did she start liking salad?!)


"Look, Baachan! I'm taller than you!"



Ugh. I guess I have to accept it. Instead of missing my little girl, I have to enjoy the brief moments of childish behavior she occasionally displays:


"Where's MY kiss and hug?" (when I say good-night)


"Can you cut the crust off my sandwich?"


"Mooooommy! We made up a song for you!" (but if I videotape it, she says, "Don't put that on Facebook!")


Lucky for her, I had technical difficulties, so I oouldn't post the crazy song and dance she made up for me. I will, however, add a goofy photo to document her silliness...


I love you, Lindsey girl!

Molly's Letter to President Obama

A couple of months ago, Molly (5 yrs) came home from kindergarten and told me that her friend Mary had written and received a letter from President Obama. She told me that she wanted to write a note to him too. As I do far too often, I just kinda said, "Yeah, yeah, get a piece of paper," and forgot about it.

As I was cleaning up her room last week, I found a folded up note behind Molly's bed. This is what it said:

to: presudit Obomu

you no Mary
She's my frend
My name is Molly
do you liv in the lite Haows?
I wish I cud see you own day
p.s. olso yore famulley.

from: Molly

I was really sad thinking that I hadn't given her enough time and attention to help her complete the process of writing and mailing the letter. It was a definite reminder to slow down and pay more attention to what my kids say to me each day; far too quickly, I'm sure they won't even want to talk to me very much!

We'll send the letter out tomorrow and I'll keep my fingers crossed that she gets something in reply!

My Life According to Make-up

I'm really weird when it comes to make-up. I've been fighting it my entire life. I'm very much a "less is more" kinda girl. I even go so far as to try to avoid applying it in front of my girls - as if it's something bad - so that they don't get interested. It doesn't work, though - I'm always finding uncapped lipglosses and eye shadows in my drawers!

Unfortunately, as I've reached my 4th decade, it now seems to be a necessary evil. Here's my make-up philosophy:

In your teens, too much make-up just looks silly and clown-like.
In your 20's, your skin is gorgeous, you have no wrinkles, and you're at your beauty peak - why mess with a good thing?
In your 30's, you can still get by with the bare minimum. I'd rather people be surprised by how pretty I look made-up instead of them being shocked by how tired my face looks when they catch me without it!
In your 40's, the age spots, wrinkles, and general worn-out look has finally caught up with me. Even for a quick trip to Costco or the park...pass the concealer!

Ugh - maybe I'll switch to Botox in my 50's...

Something Gus will be using in a few years...

APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION TO DATE MY DAUGHTER
Print out and submit as per instructions at the bottom of the form
1. Name :_________________ Date of Birth :_______________
2. Height :________ Weight :______ GPA :_________
3. Social Sec. #______________ Drivers license #_______________________
4. Boy Scout Rank :__________________
5. Home address :_____________________________________________
6. Do you own a van ?___ A truck with oversized tires ?____ A water bed ?____
7. Do you have an earring , nose ring , belly-button ring ?______ tattoo ?______
(If yes to any of #6 or #7, discontinue application and leave the premises)
8. In ten words or less, what does LATE mean to you ?_____________________
9. In ten words or less, what does ABSTINENCE mean to you ?_________
10. In ten words or less, what does DON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER mean to you ?_____
11. Church you attend :________________ How often you attend :____________
12. When would be the best time to interview your Father, Mother, and Minister ? ____
13. What would you want to be IF you grew up ? _______________________
Answer the following questions by filling in the blank. Please answer freely - all answers are confidential (I won't tell anyone - ever- I promise)
If I were shot, the last place on my body I would want wounded is in the ___________________
If I were beaten the last bone I would want broken is my ________________________________
The one thing I hope this application does not ask me about is _____________________________
When I first meet a girl, the thing I notice about her first is________________________________
(Note: If above answer begins with T or A, discontinue and leave premises: Keeping your head low and running in a serpentine fashion is advised. )

I SWEAR THAT THE INFORMATION SUPPLIED ABOVE IS TRUE AND CORRECT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE UNDER PENALTY OF: NATIVE AMERICAN ANT TORTURE, ELECTROCUTION, CHINESE WATER TORTURE, RED HOT POKERS, DEATH, AND DISMEMBERMENT.

Signature (that means your name, moron)____________________________________________

APPLICANT'S RIGHT THUMB PRINT IN BLOOD

Thank you for your interest. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for processing. You will be contacted in writing if you are approved. Please do not attempt to call or write. If your application is rejected you will be notified by two gentlemen wearing white coats and carrying a violin case.

Christmas Eve Checklist

1. Yummy steak dinner
2. Fabulous Christmas light show (thanks for the rec, Shelley!)
3. Santa letters written
4. Cleared out fireplace
5. Stockings hung
6. New pj's (Snoopy & Elmo) and board game (Perfection)
7. Cookies, milk, and carrots out
8. Kids in bed!

Get Well Cards

I love that when one of my kids gets sick, the others seem to really miss the "fallen" one. They band together, deliver drink requests, pick flowers, bear gifts, and write notes to the sickie in bed.

Today Lindsey isn't feeling well, so she's resting in bed and received some cards from her sisters:

Emily's card has a picture of sad-faced Mommy holding out a spoonful of medicine to Lindsey with her eyes scrunched closed. The card says, "Dear Lindsey, I hope you don't have the swine flew. I dont thenk you should be sick for a nice girl like you. Love, Emily P.S. I think you deserve something."

Molly's card has picture of hearts hugging each other, Daddy doing a "hang loose" shaka, and a picture of sad-faced Lindsey in bed. It says, "I LOVE YOU LINDSEY I HOWPE YOU ARY BETTR SOON"

Lindsey loved 'em!

To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity

Gus RARELY forwards silly e-mails to me, but he knew I'd like this one!


1. At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars; see if they slow down.

2. Page yourself over the intercom; don't disguise your voice.

3. Every time someone asks you to do something, ask them "Do you want fries with that?"

4. Put decaf in the coffeemaker for 3 weeks; once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.

5. In the memo field of all your checks, write "For marijuana".

6. Skip down the hall rather rather than walk; see how many looks you get.

7. Order a diet water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

8. Specify that your drive-thru order is "to go".

9. Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you have a headache.

10. When the money comes out of the ATM, scream "I won! I won!"

11 . Tell your children over dinner, "Due to the economy, we're going to have to let one of you go.

And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity...

12. Pick up a box of condoms at the Pharmacy, go to the counter, and ask where the fitting room is.

Facebook & Karma

My Westlake Family

Mountain View Friends (elementary/junior/high school)

UC Davis Buddies

Recently, an old friend suffered the tragic loss of one of his best friends. Although death is an incredibly difficult subject to deal with - especially when the person is so young - he is using the tragedy to reflect upon and appreciate his own life. One thing he did to cope was to reach out to old friends from his past in an attempt to reconnect and find out how they are doing these days.

All of this really got me thinking about my life and how I've become the person I am now. Of course, my family - especially my incredible parents - has always been the primary influence in my life, but it goes beyond that.

Upon hearing about it from a friend, I joined the website "Facebook" last year. At first it just seemed silly - filling out interest forms, posting photos, and playing on-line games. However, over time, old old friends started coming out of the woodwork. Friends from old jobs, church and sports programs, my 2 years living in Japan, college, high school, middle school, and even elementary school were discovered. It's fascinating to find out where they are today - family, location, careers - many taking a more traditional path and some making my jaw drop! I feel "connected" to those that post personal info about themselves - family vacations, photos of their kids, job frustrations, even mundane things like what they had for breakfast. Whether or not I run into them now, I love to know that they are happy (most of the time!) and doing well in the world.

In Buddhism, the word "karma" is thrown around a lot. Many people think of it as a very black or white thing - if you steal something, "bad" karma comes along causing your car to break down; if you help an old lady cross the street, "good" karma helps you win $20 in the lottery the next day. In my opinion, karma is a culmination of everything - both bad and good - you have experienced in the past that has made you the person you are today. I look at the 200+ Facebook friends I have today - people from different stages of my life - and I am grateful for how they have affected my karma and helped me reach my current stage in life.

Back to my awesome family...my little sister Rina offered to once again "switch lives" with me for a few days before she goes back to work again. She came out to Elk Grove to play full-time Mommy to my kids, while I went out to the Bay Area for some R & R. When I did this earlier in the year, I spent my time running through San Francisco - eating out, getting a haircut, shopping, and visiting museums. This time, however, I decided to have just one "me" day (reading and movies). For Days 2 and 3, I used the time to catch up with people - friends from college and high school (I hadn't seen them in close to 10 years) and teachers from Westlake School (I left 5 years ago) - all of whom are the same warm, loving, interesting and beautiful people I remembered so fondly. It was as if we were all in time capsules that were just opened and we started right back where we left off. I look forward to seeing all of them again, and hope to visit more friends in the near future.

If you're reading this, I hope you're inspired to do the same.