3Wells

Follow Paul on Facebook or Twitter

2009-10-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

Due to time constraints, we will no longer be updating this blog. To see the latest pics of Jared or to learn what we've been up to, you can follow Paul on Twitter or on Facebook.

Thanks for understanding.

--Paul and Michelle

Schroeder

2009-02-08T12:29:00.002-08:00

While I may not be religious, I consider myself spiritual, and really, truly believe that things happen for a reason.

Recently, I was talking to my best friend who was telling me that her parents were getting another cat. I was telling her how having two cats was enough for me, and I would like the next cat I get to be an orange tabby cat.

Well, wouldn't you know it, about a week later a big orange cat shows up on the back porch. Meowing, eating Charlie's food. You open the door, and it doesn't run away, it comes straight up to you, charging you with his head down for you to rub her behind the ears. It attempts to come into the house. Sadly and predictably, we start feeding her, and she stays even longer. She started coming around 4:00. Then she would hang around and meow at the back door. The noise stops and we think she's gone, but when we look outside, she pops out of nowhere like a stalker. Then, we go back to watching TV, and just out of curiosity check the back porch at 11:00, and she's still there. In the morning, we wake up, and she's still there, sleeping on one of Charlie's pillows.

We think this is just temporary, but then she starts showing up meowing in the mornings, too. She sleeps on our front porch. She goes around to the back porch. She rubs up against the front door to mark it but she's kinda big so it sounds like someone's trying to break through our door. I leave the house to go next door and she follows me. She follows Jared. Jared says, "Why is orange cat following us?" We open the door and think she's not around, but then we suddenly see a bolt of orange fur running toward our door.

This has been going on for three weeks now, and one afternoon Jared and I even posted signs around the neighborhood saying we found a cat, but no one called to claim her. The cat may have been an indoor cat because every time we open the door, she's right there and trying to get in the house. We open and shut the door quickly, to get out of the house, to get in the house, to get the mail. It's like we're trying to prevent snow or a swarm of mosquitoes from entering the house. Now, when we need to get something outside, we prepare ourselves, and at the front door, I'll say, "Ready, Jared?" Then he'll squat down, get his little index finger out, and when I open the door to the minimal amount of space I can squeeze through, he'll lean forward, wag his finger, and say, "No, no, no, orange cat. You can't come in!" I'll grab the mail, while saying, "Back, back", squeeze through the small space again, and close the door. I'm not exaggerating. One time we were careless and orange cat ran into our kitchen then back out of the house.

While it sounds like I may be complaining, I am actually happy to have an outdoor cat. I admit - I feed her twice a day, brush her once a week, and will go outside to pet her and rub her tummy. When she's roaming the neighborhood during the day and I haven't seen her for a little while, I'll ask Paul, "Have you seen orange cat?"

For a while, we called her Annie, but this week while brushing her I noticed parts to make her a him. So, we were either going to call him Linus or Schroeder, but he looks more like a Schroeder. He continues to stalk us throughout the day, begging to get into the house. You look out the window, and he's jumped into the flower box to get a better look. You go to the back door, and he's sitting right there.

Paul asks if we're seriously going to "keep" Schroeder. Like he's giving us a choice?

Happy 4th Birthday, One Doggie!

2009-02-08T12:29:00.001-08:00

Much to my surprise, Jared woke up yesterday and announced to me that it was One Doggie's birthday. Wow, I did not know! He had already come up with plans, and the pictures with this blog tell the story of the little celebration we had for him.

If you do not know of One Doggie, you can read our previous blog about the trauma of losing him for a little bit to see the role this stuffed dog plays in the boy's life.

First, we had to make a trip to Target, with One Doggie of course. We had to get a couple of things and get One Doggie a birthday present. What do you get a 4-year-old stuffed dog? Come on, you know! After much hemming and hawing, circling around and around in Target, and driving Mama crazy, Jared finally decided that One Doggie was thirsty and wanted bottled water for his birthday.

Then we got home and had to make him a cake out of Moon Sand, out of "safe" eggs of course, because One Doggie apparently has food allergies as well. If you don't know Moon Sand, it's a fine moist sand that sticks together to make shapes and never dries out. We put it in a tupperware bowl and he put it in his toy oven to bake. While it baked, he wanted to make a card for One Doggie while I made a party hat. Why there is a picture of a zebra in the card, I do not know, but it is pretty cute.

When the cake was done, we put in the "4" candle which was purchased at Ralphs approximately 2 months ago because Jared can't wait for his 4th birthday, which is still 5 months away. Then we propped One Doggie up, put on the party hat, and seriously, had to sing Happy Birthday. Outloud. Then, he helped One Doggie pretend to blow out the candle, got his plastic Ikea knife from the kitchen, and cut him a piece.

I guess One Doggie ate too much because then he got a stomachache.

Happy Birthday, One Doggie!

Blog Guilt

2009-02-07T19:48:00.001-08:00

OK, so we're not the best at keeping up with our blog. We don't have the time or energy to maintain a daily report of our lives, and if you have kids, you know that a whole lot of the time, not much excitement is going on anyways.

Also, truly, I did not think that too many people look at our blog. But, I was surprised to be at a couple of birthday parties lately where people have told me they've read it and actually found some things kinda funny. So, I guess one of my minor New Year's Resolution is to be better about blogging. Minor. Not major, like me not eating meat anymore (yes, for at least 90 days); that's a whole other blog.

But when I get a chance, it is nice to see other people's blogs and see shiny pictures of their kids. I guess it might be a tad of blog-envy, but growing up Japanese has established a mind-set in me that no one's really interested in what we're doing and I should be "humble". Such conflict. I can only say I'll do my best. "Ganbari masu."

Halloween 2008 - Super Why

2008-11-03T17:56:00.000-08:00

This year Jared dressed up as his favorite superhero... no not Superman, or Batman or Spiderman... He dressed up as Super Why! Yes, Super Why with the power to read. Super Why is one of Jared's favorite TV shows on PBS. As you can tell by the premise of the show, Jared is quite enthralled by it.

Apparently, the Super Why costume is THE number one costume for his age group. Seriously! This costume was sold out online at every retailer. We eventually had to give in and pay over $70 on eBay! Yikes! That's a lot of money for a quick 1 hour stroll through the neighborhood for candy. We keep trying to convince him he can wear it whenever he wants just so we feel it was worth the money. But he knows that Halloween is over and the costume continues to sit on the floor. Oh well.

Jared writes his letters and numbers

2008-10-19T19:08:00.001-07:00

Jared writes his letters and numbers
Originally uploaded by Paul Mitsui

Jared recently set out to write all his letters (upper and lowercase) and his numbers. We didn't realize he knew all his lowercase letters until he finished. He learned how to write all of the lowercase letters through a video game. Go figure... that's the kids learn things now. Is that bad?

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

2008-09-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

Lost in Translation

2008-08-01T19:41:00.001-07:00

A week after the boy's birthday, we took him to Disneyland. Another blog to follow with the details. During our last morning at the hotel, we left to have breakfast and planned to come back to get our stuff after eating. Upon returning to our room, it was already tidied-up, with a note on the dresser stating:
"I'm sorry. I will come back and finish clean leather [finish cleaning later]...Housekeep"

Then, after we checked out and got to Disneyland, we realized that we left something in the room fridge. Paul called the hotel and asked for housekeeping. After explaining that we left something in and fridge and could we get it back, a very nice lady with a thick accent said, "Excuse me. Can you hold me please?" To which Paul said, "Uh...sure" before the phone was passed onto someone else. He's such a man whore. I've gotta keep me eye on that guy.

Alphamania

2008-06-25T23:25:00.000-07:00

Most boys will be really interested, almost obsessed with one thing. For some boys, it's trains. They can't get enough of Thomas. For other boys, it's trucks. They can name any kind of construction truck, what it does, and can stand there and watch them for hours. For others, it's cars. They have millions of Matchbox cars and love things on wheels. Yet, my kid developed a strange obsession with the alphabet & numbers when he was a little past two years old.

Others kids have fun at Travel Town to look at the trains, collect a bunch of Thomas the Tank Engine toys, collect a bunch of Matchbox cars, and stuff like that. My boy, on the other hand, wants anything that has to do with the alphabet - alphabet pasta, alphabet stickers, multiple sets of alphabet magnets (both uppercase and lowercase), making letters out of popsicle sticks, making letters out of cooked noodles. He loves cucumbers cut out into letters. He likes writing letters in the air. He can and has looked at random buildings/plants/whatever and seen letters in them like some see Jesus or the Virgin Mary in a cinnamon bun.

Because of this, he has some unusual favorites places.

1) Michael's: for the alphabet stickers

2) Parking structures: for the letters and numbers to tell you what level and row you're in

3) Vending machines: for the letters and numbers you have to push to get your drink; this has been the majority of his imaginary play lately: "Mama, which drink do you want? A3 or D12?...Press the buttons! Here's your drink!"

4) The DMV: I AM NOT KIDDING. He went one time with Paul and LOVED it because when they give you your ticket for your turn, it's a bunch of random letters and numbers which they announce and flash on a screen when it's your turn. The boy sat there calling out each one. I think they waited almost 40 minutes, but he was happy as a clam.

5) The ultimate place?? Lakeshore: This is where they sell educational supplies/toys/crafts/books, etc for elementary school teachers. It's heaven to him. The last time we went, he did a girly giggle, announcing, "I love this place! There's numbers & letters everywhere!"

Also, just in case you're wondering, he has done this on his own. I wonder if others think I'm the crazy Asian parent endlessly pushing my kid. I so am not. Having had grown up as such a kid, I intend to do the opposite with my kid. He can be whatever he wants to be.

Name's Sake

2008-06-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

This is a picture from April when the boy wrote his name for the first time. There is a "J" , "A", "R", "E". amd a "D" next to and below the "E"!

Copycats!

2008-06-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

We have a long standing "feud" with our friends, the Arakaki family. The feud stems from the fact that they seem to copy everything we do. That's right Arakakis... you are COPYCATS!

Here's some recent photographic evidence to prove our point. In June of 2007, we took a a trip to Hawaii. In January of 2008, the Arakakis took a trip to Hawaii. Notice the similarities in the trips below. Remember that the Arakaki trip was about 7 months after ours.

Here's Jared with his own Diego luggage along with a picture of Makayla with her copycat luggage.

Here's video evidence that Jared did pull his own luggage:

Here's a picture of us at Hanauma Bay along with a picture of the Copycats at Hanauma Bay. Notice that the pictures are taken at the exact same location.

Here's another picture at Hanauma Bay. No major similarities but we just wanted to rub it in that Jared had fun in the sand while Makayla did not like the sand. :)

Here's Jared enjoying shave ice from Matsumotos. Oh and here coincidentally is Makayla enjoying shave ice.

Here's Jared posing in front of the Waikiki Aquarium sign... oh and what's this? Makayla posing in front of the sign too? On the same side?

Need I say more? Okay, one more tidbit. On Saturday, March 29th we went to the Wiggles concert at the Nokia Theatre. Oh and guess who should go to the concert the very next day??? Yup, you guessed it! Copycat Makayla!

Here's our blog post.
Here's Makayla's blog post.

He's No Letterman...

2008-06-16T20:13:00.001-07:00

Between the ages of two and three is an interesting time. It really tests what type of parent you are. There is separation anxiety, temper tantrums, the bossiness (which I call "commando-demando"), the blossoming of the personality, and most entertaining, the development of the sense of humor.

It's one thing if your kid is a bit clumsy like mine, and you kinda end up laughing at him. He's not trying to be funny. Then there are those things that kids do that they think are funny because you inadvertently positively reinforce them - spitting out their food, farting, hitting you. Stuff like that. My kid, though, thinks he's a comedian. It all started with his friend Allie, who is 4 and cutely mistold the old "Knock, knock" joke "Orange you glad I didn't say banana?" and he thought that was hilarious. This is the boy's version/interpretation of that joke:

(Literally on the other side of our front door)
Him: MAMA! Say knock knock!
Me: Knock knock
Him: Who is it? Say "banana"!
Me: Banana!
Him: HAHAHAHAH

This went on for many, many rounds. He's still laughing as hard as the first time. Then, we went to his friend Jaden's house. Jaden is a tad older and is more extroverted. He said something funny, to which the boy said, "That's a joke!" So, since then he's been coming up with his own material. It usually goes like this:

Version 1:
Him: Mama, knock knock
Me: Who is it?
Him: Chicken phone! HAHAHAHA THAT'S A JOKE!

Version 2:
Him (with pretend phone): Mama, it's for you
Me: Who is it?
Him: It's chicken phone! HAHAHAHA THAT'S A JOKIE!

Lately, most conversations/monologues have the line, "That's a joke!". I briefly explained to the boy that if it really is a joke, more or less a good joke, it doesn't have to be blatantly identified as such, to which I get the response, "But it's a jokie! HAHAHA"

These are some of the highlights of staying home with him. Yes, he may tell the same ones over and over and over again, but he laughs just as hard as the first time. I wouldn't miss moments like that for anything...

The 40-Minute Catastrophe

2008-05-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't met this little guy, this is Jared's transitional object, One Doggie. Yup, that's what he named him. He goes everywhere with us. To the market, to Target, on trips. We have several pictures of One Doggie doing stuff, because Jared wants us to take a picture of him like he's a sibling or something. Last time was on a merry-go-round. Jared sat on one horse, and One Doggie got strapped onto another, and a picture was taken. He eats with One Doggie. One Doggie gets pushed in the swing at the park. One Doggie plays legos. One Doggie goes to preschool and My Gym. One Doggie goes out to eat with us. He even has his own seat in the car. And of course, One Doggie goes to sleep with him every night. He's cried in the middle of the night, "I can't find One Doggie"... "I lost One Doggie" and then I have to stumble in, feel around the crib in the dark, and securely put him next to him and then we can all go back to sleep. I have to sneak it away from him to throw it in the washing machine when it's all grimy, otherwise he will cry because literally, they would be separated for too long.

My friend Kasi's kid, Sinjin, has a similar looking dog, Barkley. Sinjin's stuck to Barkley as much as Jared is stuck to One Doggie. We've often talked about the tragedy that would ensue if the dog got lost. Oh my God. What would we do? I always joke that I should have a backup hidden in the house just in case. Kasi says, "You think I'm joking? I already have one. I might even get another one." We have had several close calls, Paul & I whispering to each other, "Do you have One Doggie?" "Is he in your bag?" "Is he in the car?" then frantic searching while trying not to arouse any suspicion from the boy, locating the dog and then shouting, "I'VE FOUND HIM!" like we tracked down an abducted child. We both give a sigh of relief and chuckle a little saying, "What if we had lost him?" Finally, last week, I told Paul, "I found One Doggie on Amazon. Maybe I should order it as a backup." It's $16.00. So, I hemmed and hawed. Will we need it? I finally ordered it on Thursday. It'll be here on Monday. Great!

Today the company that I work for provided a luncheon for employees and their spouses. The owners have a grandson same age as Jared and another grandson who is 10 mos old. Jared shows people One Doggie. "Oh isn't that cute? Is that like his security blanket?" Throughout lunch, Jared is fussy because we skipped the nap (which in hindsight was not a good idea), so Paul kept taking him outside to walk around and occupy him. After lunch, I get all my stuff ready. Diaper bag? Check. Camera? Check. Inhaler? Check (he has a cold right now). Ok. I go outside to find Paul & Jared. Paul says, "Do you have One Doggie?" I check the bag. "No," I reply. I'm still calm. "You don't have him?" "No." Anxiety builds. I put the bag down and say, "I'm going back inside." I go back to my table. I look on the table. Under the table. On the chairs. Under the chairs. Shit. No One Doggie. I go back outside. "Are you sure you don't have him?", I say to Paul in a low voice. "No. I left him on the camera so we wouldn't lose him outside." We look through the diaper bag five times. Paul goes back into the restaurant to look. It takes forever. I'm trying to distract Jared. He doesn't know that One Doggie is MIA yet. Paul comes back out empty handed. We switch again. He stays with Jared and I go back into the restaurant. I'm crawling under the table. I'm going under other people's tables in case it got kicked. I even get desperate enough to start looking in places you logically know it cannot be. I'm looking in the bathroom. I'm looking EVERYWHERE. By this time, all of my co-workers know about the disappearance of One Doggie. The owners sympathize, since they have the grandsons. Everyone's looking. I can't believe it. Where the hell is One Doggie?

I go back outside and Paul walks the perimeter three times looking for him, because you know, even though One Doggie was never outside, it may have magically flown outside. I take Jared inside with me because I have to go pee. As soon as we walk in, my co-workers are asking repeatedly, "Did you find the dog?" Jared looks confused. I try to keep calm and play it down so he doesn't get upset. But then he catches on. "My Doggie disappeared?"

We leave our phone number with the restaurant. The owner says there's a Toys R Us 5 minutes away. Best thing we can do is try to get a replacement. Damn it. We're screwed. Why didn't I order the backup one day earlier so it would have been at the house yesterday? How is he going to sleep? How long will he be upset about this? We put Jared in the car seat. He's crying now. "My Doggie disappeared." We decide outside of the car that we'll go to Porter Ranch. I'll go to Toys R Us with Jared and Paul will go to Wal-Mart to try to find a replacement. Let's go!

This is the part that kills me. We take the street up to Toys R Us. The crying turns into sobbing. "My Doggie disappeared!" Over and over again. Then, his little face goes into his hands, and he's sobbing, snot all over his face, body shaking, saying, "I lost my best friend!" Over and over again. At this point, I can't stand it. I keep saying I'm sorry, I know it's terrible. Then I start crying because he keeps saying, "I lost my best friend." For those of you who know me, I don't cry. But I was crying. Paul's getting upset. We can't seem to get to Toys R Us fast enough. He's yelling at people on the road. He's about to cry. He's convinced that another kid in the restaurant swiped One Doggie. "Who would do such a thing to a little kid?" he's shouting.

We get to Toys R Us, and Jared's still crying, but then gets distracted by the toys. We go see the stuffed animals. No exact replica of One Doggie, but I finally find one in a similiar size and color. I hold it out to him, "This one is cute!" He looks at it sadly and says, "That's not One Doggie." We go through every dog they have. Finally, he sighs and points to the original one, and says, "That's fine." "Great!" I cheerfully say, "Let's go look at the Thomas stuff!" I feel so bad for the kid, I'm offering to buy him everything in the store. I call Paul and he's at Wal-Mart. I told him we found a good-enough substitute until the backup arrives on Monday. Then he says frantically, "I'll call you back. I have another call." Click.

He calls back in two minutes, "IT'S THE RESTAURANT. THEY FOUND HIM!! THEY FOUND HIM!! You wait there, I'll go pick up One Doggie, and meet you at Toys R Us." WHAT RELIEF. I almost want to cry again.

Paul finds us in Toys R Us and he's holding One Doggie, pasta sauce smeared on one ear. Jared stares at it from a distance. Paul says, "I found One Doggie. He was still eating his pasta at the restaurant!"

End scene, right? No. Jared grabs One Doggie. He holds him tight and starts crying about the reunion. The lower lip turns down. It starts to tremble. Eyes get watery. Then heavy crying.

End scene, right? No. He seems okay now. We get into the car. He's holding onto One Doggie. Then he starts to remember again and starts sobbing again. "I don't want One Doggie to disappear ever again." I start crying again.

We don't know where One Doggie was during those frantic 40 minutes. The restaurant didn't explain, and really, in the end, it doesn't matter because we got the dog back, but it was the most heart-wrenching 40 minutes of parenthood.

Lights! Camera! Action!...Wiggles!

2008-03-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

As a treat, we thought it was a great idea to get tickets to the Wiggles show and take the boy there as a surprise. After breakfast, we just got in the car, and when he asked where we're going, told him we're going to a "surprise show". At the Nokia theatre downtown, he didn't get it yet. There were no blatant banners or signs, so I give him credit. Once we get there, it is kid madness. Toddlers running around with all their Wiggles crap (hats, light-up batons, Dorothy the Dinosaur hats and roses, Wiggles backpacks, Wiggles t-shirts) but he doesn't quite get it. Then we go into the theatre and bad planning had us sitting in our seats for almost 40 minutes until the show starts. Then once again, we've planned poorly. "I want a hotdog" Well, you can have some popcorn, this kind of old orange, and raisins in my bag. I want a hotdog. The sign says all-beef. That doesn't mean Kosher (most hotdogs have dairy in them, so he can't have them). I run around to the concession stand. "Are your hotdogs Kosher?" "They're all -beef" "I know. That doesn't mean they're Kosher. Is there someone you can ask?" Manager walks by. Worker: "Hey, are the hotdogs Kosher?" "They're all -beef." Great. No answer. Seriously, there were quite a few Orthodox Jews sitting around us. I survey and see if any of them are eating the hotdog. I kid you not. I'm looking in the hands of every orthodox Jew and look to see if they're carrying a hotdog. Even a sign of a hotdog, like the wrapper or something, because hey, if they're eating it, it's Kosher. Nothing. Then I realize that the orthodox wouldn't even eat it anyways if it's not cooked in a kosher kitchen. I try to call Scott to look it up online. He's not home. I call Bernard. He looks it up online. No definitive answer. We opt to not give it to him. Don't need the boy to go into anaphelactic shock during the Wiggles show. Next move: distract and help him forget about the hotdog. It works.

While in our seats and still waiting for the show, I want to know how long the show is. I ask the usher. "Is the show like 90 minutes?" His answer: "No, it's an hour and a half." Paul & I laugh about this for about 5 minutes. Idiot.

You think the kid would be excited or something. But instead, he's tired and cranky. We opted to skip the nap (he hardly ever naps anymore anyways), but of course, this was the day that he really needed it. He's laying on me, sucking his fingers, rubbing his eyes. Then the show starts. He just stares. Not an excited stare, as in awe, but an overwhelmed stare. 45 minutes into the 90 minute show, I have to go pee really bad. Really bad. "Mama has to go potty. Stay here with dada." "NO! NO! I stay here with my mama!" Crying. I can try to wait another 45 minutes. About an hour into the show, he snuggles against my chest. He's sucking his fingers. Next thing I know, he's taking my hand and putting it against his ear. "Too loud mama! Too loud!". Then for a rendition of Twinkle Twinkle, the house lights go off and then it turns to (with a loud whimper and then crying), "Ooh, oh! Ooh, oh! Too dark. It's too dark!" (a little like Rain Man) Sniffle. Sniffle. Hands wiping away tears. Hands rubbing his eyes. I tell him, hold on. Hold on. The song's almost over and they'll turn the lights back on. I show him how the audience has their cell phones on and their stupid overpriced-light-up Wiggle batons in the air and how it looks like stars. Lucky for me, he doesn't ask me why he doesn't have a baton. The song is finally over. Then he gets whimpery again. "I can't stay. I want to go home". HUH? I paid $165 and you want to go home early? "I can't stay mama. I wanna go home" I ask Paul how much longer till the end of the show. 10 minutes. Fine. It's not worth the crying and pee is about to burst my bladder wide open anyways, so we leave. Once we get out of the actual theatre, he says "Too loud mama. It's too loud." I keep apologizing. For what, I'm not quite sure. Once he's in the car, he's fine. We come home and play kitchen, he does his Word World game online and he's fine. As I'm rocking him in the chair before I put him down, he says sleeply, "It was too loud mama." I know. I thought it would be fun. It wasn't as great as we thought.

Paul & I discussed the show on the way home. How we were disappointed there weren't more of the classic songs. How the Dorothy the Dinosaur segments were actually boring, and how there were quite a few songs we didn't know. This is what has become of our lives. What happened to seeing Dave Matthews at Dodger Stadium and wishing he'd play "Watchtower"?

Damn Right My Boy Has A Kitchen...

2008-03-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not a feminist, but I'm not old school either. The boy likes play kitchens. When we go to playrooms or other people's homes and they have a play kitchen, he plays with them. So, as a find at LA Kids Consignment sale, I got the boy a play kitchen. That's right. I even got him play pots & pans and a shopping cart and a cash register. He already had the play food. So, he likes to play shopping, taking the food home, and cooking. Of course, this requires me to participate as well, many times a day. It teaches him a lot. There is play money, so he's learning how to count out his money. Also, if you're not aware, the boy is afraid of his stuff getting scanned at stores ("NO BEEP BEEP! NO BEEP BEEP!"), so hopefully this will desensitize him. So, yeah, my boy has a kitchen. Doesn't mean a thing....

PS I have to clarify that this is Michelle writing this post, as the boy's father would not want anyone to mistaken that HE bought him the kitchen stuff.

Preschool Madness

2008-03-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

For those who don't have children or your children are somewhat grown, I have to tell you that getting your kid into a preschool these days is pure madness. It's stressful and it throws you back to the days you were applying for college.

If you're a new parent, it starts at about age 1 (2006 for me). "Did you sign your kid up for preschool yet?" everyone asks. "WHAT?" My kid's only 1! Then you think, "Eh, he's only one. There's plenty of time." Then people keep asking, "Did you sign your kid for preschool yet? Have you gone on tours?" Then you start to feel the pressure. I for one did not want to get into the frenzy. I said, "I am not getting into this chaos. There's plenty of time. I'm SO not thinking about preschool...I just want a good night's sleep!" The pressure continues..."I went on this tour and put my kid on the waiting list. Did you know there's already a waiting list for 2008? I've heard this about this school, and this about this school. I really hope he gets into this school." WHAT???? Containing myself, I think, "It's okay. There's plenty of time. These people are just crazy neurotics."

Then, just like Morgan Freeman says in Shawshank Redemption, "All you need is time and pressure." BAM! The anxiety begins. The frantic calls to the various schools, "Do you have spaces for fall 2008?" "No?? Can I get a tour? Can I get on a waitlist?" The running around. The endless tours. The endless questions at the tours ("What teaching philosophy do you follow? What is the student/teacher ratio? What do you do for discipline? What do you do about kids who come sick? What are you expectations for parent involvement? If my kid comes in the afternoons, what about naps? WHAT ABOUT NAPS? DON'T TAKE AWAY THE NAP!) "Can I put in an application?" "What's your registration fee?" "What's the monthly tuition?" "HOW MUCH??" It's like a car payment, and we're not talking about a car payment for a Hyundai or even a Civic. We're talking in the SUV range.

Then, there's the waiting. You wait and wait and wait. A year goes by, and you don't really think about it. Then, the closer you get to spring before the fall you're supposed to start, the anxiety and frenzy starts up again. "I'm on the waitlist at this place and this place. I'm just waiting to hear if we got in. So-and-so told me if you go to the mommy & me class you'll have a better chance of getting in... I heard that the school is having a silent auction. Maybe I should attend to show them I'm interested....Should I call them again? I want them to know I'm interested, but I don't want to harrass them.." It becomes the main topic of conversation among parents the same age as your kid. It is the topic of conversation on my block. "Did you hear anything yet? Did you get anything in the mail?" Then you get a sliver of information like they're supposed to call you after the 14th and let you know if you got in. You come home and ask "Did the school call?" You check your answering machine. Is that message light blinking? Yes, it is! Oh no, it's just the stupid LA Times calling again...

Then, like me tonight, you come home from dinner and that message light is blinking. YES! We got in to the school we wanted. It's such a relief, such (sadly) happiness, as if the great questions/mysteries in life have been resolved. We got in! YEA! You'd think it's damn Princeton or something. Of course, you have to then call your friends who were on the waiting list at the same school and do the "Did you get in?" thing.

I tried my best to not get caught up in all of this. I really did. I try not to be neurotic, even though I am. I know that I am, and I try to catch myself. I drive myself crazy. I drive Paul crazy. But you know, everyone wants what's best for their kid. And you'll do whatever you need to do to make sure they get the best start in life. Even if it's just preschool. You want to provide your kid with every opportunity that they could possibly have to be happy and well-adjusted. So, yes, I got caught up in the chaos. And in this case, it did just take time & pressure, because in the end, I figured, if I didn't get it together and get him into the best school for him, there would be no spaces in any of the better schools, and I'd have to end up sending him to the preschool next door to a 7-11 because that's the only school with openings.

So for now, we're good - until we have to find a school for kindergarten...

Asthma Sucks

2008-02-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

Jared recently caught a bad cold and when he gets sick, his asthma kicks in. Here's most of the steroids that he had to take through a neubilizer. Who knows how all of these meds will effect him in the long run. But what can you do? The kid's gotta breathe! For some strange reason, he started collecting all of the empty viles. This is about two week's worth (out of three weeks). How much was this? About $225.00. No kidding! The pharm companies suck.

2 new videos

2008-01-29T08:46:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to uploading a couple of videos of Jared singing his ABCs and spelling his name. Enjoy!

San Diego Part 2

2008-01-13T15:42:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from the San Diego Zoo,
getting ready for bedtime, and Kid City at the
Science Center.

San Diego 2007

2008-01-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures from our trip to San Diego in December. First we went to the Scripps Aquarium in La Jolla. For some reason, I (Michelle) don't know how to make this Picassa program publish more than four pictures at a time, so I'll have to do it in batches.

Come On Now...

2008-01-12T20:38:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not some left-wing, sky-is-falling, oh-my-god-global-warming-is-real, liberal tree-hugging hippie. I am far from it. FAR FAR AWAY.

Yet, if you do know me, you also know that I am SO type-A that I love efficiency. I don't like to waste. I'll use lemons to get juice out of them and then try to figure out what to do with the rinds. I love recycling everything in my house, so much so that my blue bin is pretty much full by the end of the week. Yet, mind you, it's not for the "environment". I just don't like wasting and I love efficiency. There's a difference.

There has been one thing I don't get. Starbucks. When you go there, there are coffees from around the world, and they like to project an image about global connection and how they work with foreign coffee growers to improve their lives. I've even heard them playing world music. Oh, aren't they great? Yea for Starbucks! Hip hip hooray!

My problem? THEY DON'T RECYCLE.

Starbucks serves like a billion drink a year, yet they can't offer recycling bins. I have yet to see a single recycling bin in a Starbucks. I can't stand it. How hard is it to put out a bin for the top and a bin for the cup??? You put out this "world" image, but how do we really know that you're helping poor coffee growers in South America and Africa? Actions speak louder than words, and since we don't see any real action, what does that mean about your words? SERIOUSLY...

I asked a "barista" from my local Starbucks. "Hey, how come you don't recycle or have recycling bins?" "Uh, I don't know. That's a good question. If you want, you can fill out one of the comment forms and send it in."

So, I took one of their pamphlets at my local Starbucks, asking for comments. I filled the thing in with a mini rant about recycling (of course prefacing it with the fact that I am not an environmental fanatic), and waited for a response. About six weeks later, I got the envelope. Look, I wasn't expecting a letter saying, "Oh my God, we didn't think of that!...Good for you!...Wow, you're so smart...", but I was disappointed and frustrated to get a form letter basically saying we got your comment, thanks for writing it down, and we'll pass it on to the appropriate people.

Yes, I do go to Starbucks. Will I go there ever again? Honestly, yes. But from now on, I plan to take my own mug. This has been bugging me for like a year. It nags at me. It may eventually make me not go there. But seriously, I just don't get it...

P.S. Paul wanted me to clarify that he did not write this. Thanks for the support, sweetheart.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

After being abandoned by the Ishibishis, thereby breaking a 7 year tradition, we were faced to celebrate the new year on our own. Unfortunately, without other people around, the motivation to stay up until midnight was kind of low. We were watching Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest and fell asleep at 10:30. Then, for some reason, I woke up at 11:45, and promptly woke Paul up, only to be more groggy than ever. We then received a call from the Ishibishis, told them we're going to bed, and decided we had to take a picture since we had done so all these years. Therefore, New Year's morning we decided to take a picture with all three of us for the first time. We did the double thumbs up because it's Jared's new thing. So, happy new year, suckahs! Pictures of our recent trip to San Diego to follow...

To the Ass Who Hit My Car

2007-11-29T22:54:00.000-08:00

When I came out of Trader Joe's on Riverside Drive in Sherman Oaks on October 25, I was asked by a cute pregnant woman, "Is that your car? I've been waiting for you". She proceeded to tell me that she witnessed some ass trying to park in the space next to my car, cut the turn too wide, and proceeded to scratch and dent the entire driver's side of my car. This car then proceeded to back up and promptly leave the parking lot. This kind lady told me she tried to get the license plate number, but could not do so.

If this is you, you're a cowardly ass who can't take any responsibility for your behavior. It's one thing to ding someone's bumper as you're trying to get in, but by the look of the damage on my car, you entered the parking lot the wrong way and tried to turn into a parking space that was angled away from you. How stupid could you be? And to top it off, you flee the scene. What a chicken shit. For your information, you caused $1900 of damage.

Trust me, you may not get any reprecussions from me or the law at this point, but someone/something is watching you, knows what you did, and you will pay. Karma is not on your side. Because I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and what you give to the universe, you will get back, you will get yours ten fold...

"I Work"

2007-11-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

While I'm at my job 4 hours/week, Jared hangs out with Paul. Since Paul is working, Jared wants to work, too. "Dada, I work" So, the dining chair gets pulled into the office and Paul sets him up with the laptop. He pokes at letters, announcing each one as it pops onto the screen. He then sometimes bangs on the keyboard, imitating Paul like he's typing fast, and announces, "I work!". Sometimes he sends encrypted e-mails to his friend Sinjin. Other times, he just writes encrypted documents. Maybe he's sending code to 2-year-old terrorists or something. Then, of course, after a short while, very short while, it's time for a milk and pretzel break. It's all in a day's work.

More Halloween Pics

2007-11-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

Jared and Chloe, our neighbor, who is 4 days older than Jared.

Me & Jared with Charlie Brown (you can't see his face because he's too busy sniffing everything)

Novice trick-or-treater who doesn't understand why he has to wear the hood.

First Taste of the Good Stuff

2007-11-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

As a parent, the second main worry (after sleep) is what your kid is eating, and whether he's eating enough. You also want things to be organic, wholesome, and healthy. Pre-kid, I used to see parents at restaurants feeding their kids fries and chicken nuggets. I used to think, "I wouldn't do that. It's so bad for them". But when you become a parent, your perspective changes, especially if you have a kid that's underweight. Add on severe food allergies that narrow the scope of possible foods, and you get desperate for your child to eat anything. Yes, my kid eats fries & chicken nuggets. And yes, I feel paranoid at times, like some unknowing stranger that used to be me is judging me. Kids go through weird eating phases. For a while it was tofu in any way possible. Now, this week, it's thin pretzels ALL day long. Breakfast, snack, lunch, all afternoon, a couple in the bath before bed. The up side to all of this is that it has counteracted the diarrhea (which lasted 10 days, by the way) and now he is constipated.

One thing I wasn't too crazy about is juice. Unless it's like 100% juice from Trader Joe's, most juices are 100% pure sugar. I hesitated to give him juice - for a while I would water it down 50%. That was okay for a while, until he caught on, would follow me to the kitchen, and say, "No watey, no watey". I've gotten over all that. He still doesn't get all the juice he wants, but he gets it once in a while and only 100% juice.

The other thing is candy. You know that once you start that, you're headed for a slippery slope. I've tried to hold off on the candy for as long as possible, explaining that wrapped lollipops are just "colorful sticks", wrapped mints are just toys that have crinkly paper to make noises, and candy in boxes are just "shakers" like maracas. Yet, as some point you have to let it happen, in a controlled manner. So this year, the day after Halloween, I let him have his first tasting. I was at first hesitant about the Skittles - they're small, they can be a choking hazard. But, it was probably the only thing in the batch that wasn't a lollipop and non-dairy. So after a 5 minute lecture on "chew, chew, chew, chew lots", we let him go for it. Of course, after the first one, he said, "MMMMM". And after studying the bag and reading the letters, he shortly finished the bag, waved the bag, and pronounced, "DONE! I like candy". After he found another bag this morning, I had to convince him that he first had to wait until after lunch, until which he held onto the bag with both hands, did an evil laugh, and repeatedly said, "I like it. I love it." Then, I had to trick him and convince him that the whole bag only held 5 Skittles, conveniently one of each color. Surprisingly that was enough. He didn't ask for more.

So, for those of you who see kids eating in the mall or a restaurant and say to yourself "I wouldn't feed my kids that crap", don't judge. Wait until you have your own, and then we'll talk...

Trick-or-Treat 2007

2007-11-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

The boy was a tiger this year. He didn't pick it - we did. He was obsessed with this stuffed tiger he has, of course, until recently, but that's okay. Here he is with his friend Sinjin, the spider. We also went with our neighbor Chloe, who was the leader of the pack. This was the first year of real trick-or-treating. The process is a very steep learning curve. The first few houses, they were timid about approaching the door and knocking. They would then usually stand there and not say "trick-or-treat", but trust me, after a couple houses, they got it. They would approach the door and knock. When the person with the bowl came out, they would just stick out their pumpkins to collect the goods. Halfway through the route, Sinjin just enjoyed knocking the door and then promptly leaving without getting the goods. He had to be reminded to get the candy. Mind you, neither of the boys have had candy, so they don't really know what's going on. They just know that people are oohing and aahing over them and putting stuff in their pumpkins. The boy got tired near the end. "Mama, too much treats. Pumpkin HEABY(that how he pronounces it)" Oh, my dear son, you will not be saying that next year...

B.F.F.s

2007-11-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

There's nothing more nostalgic than a picture of a boy and his dog. Jared was compelled to sit like Charlie, too. He likes to boss Charlie around, telling him to "Come, CharChar" "Sit here, CharChar". This made me wonder if he needs a sibling. Then that half-second was over.

Diarrhea 2007

2007-10-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

The stomach flu has hit our home. Except, for me (knock on wood). This is despite Jared getting a flu shot last weekend. Was the pain for nothing? This weekend, the two boys had poor appetites, grumpiness, and diarrhea. Yea! This afternoon's "rest time" consisted of a Little Einstein's DVD and popsicles to keep hydrated. This is Day 2. Hopefully that's it. I'm too tired to think of anything clever to say.

TAAAHHHGET!!!

2007-10-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

Paul decides to go with us to Target one afternoon. He usually doesn't go with us. We go to "secret" Target (only Valley people know what I'm talking about). We go the "back" route, and as you approach Target, there is a driveway that will take you behind Target and wrap you around to the front. Paul, not knowing this, drives past the driveway, meaning to enter the parking lot from the front, and Jared from the backseat says loudly and somewhat frantically, while pointing at the missed driveway, "Taaaahhhhget!". This is a sign that we go there way too often....

Geek Humor

2007-10-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you father is a geek. Only one person has laughed so far (besides Paul). If you don't get it.....congratulations???

Welcome Ichikawa twins!

2007-09-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

Friday night the Ichikawa twins were born after much anticipation, bedrest, and hemmoroids. Emma is the chunky one- 6 lbs, 6 oz., which for twins, is huge. Andrew came out a minute later at 5 lbs 9 oz. For twins, you're happy if they're at least 5 lbs each. They are very cute, and since they were delivered via c-section, they don't have the coneheads. Mama is doing well (You know, she on Percocet, so course she's happy)

This is the second set of twins out of three of people we know. Oh, fertility treatment is amazing. I tell you, I'll be staying away from that. Yet, at the same time, we're done, so we're not going to no baby doctor. Yes, that's right. We've pretty much decided that we're done. I don't want to hear grief from people; no guilt trips, please. No, Jared will not be lonely - he will have plenty of friends and "cousins" like Emma & Andrew.

Fly Patrol Update

2007-09-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

FYI, the Fly Patrol kill count is now up to: 7. The crew is working hard.

He's An Ar-tiste!

2007-09-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

Today, Jared was inspired to play with the legos. He was very motivated, mumbling something to himself, until I finally heard him. He kept saying, "I make horse." "What are you making, Jared?" "I make horse." So the building continued as he used all 50 pieces to build his "horse". Of course, I'm sitting on the side, shoving pieces on the bottom to make sure the whole thing doesn't topple over, surely resulting in a frustrated meltdown and throwing of Legos. "And then I put this....And then I put this..." All 50 pieces. In the end, here is the horse. The funnier thing is, he decided to give the horse his cup of cereal "babas". "What's the babas for?" "To eat!" So here is the masterpiece, babas and all... Paul was telling me about some article he read, where some 4-year-old has made $300,000 selling her "abstract" "modern" (paint scribbles) art and she's considered a "genius". Whatevah. But mind you, I wouldn't hesitate to sell "Horse" to any idiot who wants to pay more than what it costs me to replace the Legos (cup of babas will cost you extra). I only take cash or Pay Pal...

Playgroup

2007-09-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

You know you've had a good time at playgroup when you come home looking like this...

Doggie Duty

2007-09-06T21:55:00.000-07:00

Being two means wanting to do everything your parents do, even if it means grabbing your own plastic bag to pick up dog poo.

Hey, handsome!

2007-09-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

The boy discovers his own reflection and decides to flirt with it...

Showing Tiger the View from Above

2007-09-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a 3-day trip to Vegas with Grandma & Grandpa Kubota. We stayed at THE Hotel, and this was a very exciting experience for my parents. My mother was very impressed as to how nice it is ("It's nicer than the Cal!") and said to me during the trip and to my brother after the trip: "I opened the closet, and there were bathrobes inside!" and "There's a TV in the bathroom!" and in commenting on the modern art in the room, "Jared could of done that!" Otherwise, we went to the outlets, swam in the Mandalay Bay pools & river, saw the Wynn, and attempted to eat at Emeril's (despite a reservation we were still denied the yummy-goodness due to the kitchen being "shut down" because of an electrical problem). Jared enjoyed the plane ride, and there are perks flying with a kid - you get to cut everyone else by going in the pre-board line. Haha. Also, for the first time in his life, Jared got to sleep with us both nights after continuously jumping out of the hotel's crappy "crib" (pack & play) and running into our room crying, so needless to say, neither Paul or I got a good night's sleep. The first night, Jared decided to sleep perpendicular to us; fortunately for me, I got the head end, and unfortunately for Paul, he kept getting kicked in the face. The second night, I did not sleep well at all after having to contend with two restless shufflers & alternating snorers. You wouldn't think that a noise like that could come out of such a small 2-year-old.

Oh, how the experiences and meaning of Vegas change once you have a kid....

Fly Patrol

2007-08-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, it's been hella hot here in the SFV lately (95-100+ the last 4-5 days) . Not much to do. Too hot to go to the park. Too hot to garden. Too hot to even walk to the damn car to go somewhere. The classes we've been taking are on break until after Labor Day. You can only go to the market and Target so many times, so we've been stuck at home. There is only so much TV you want your kid to watch, and there are only so many books that they want to read. So what do you do?
It's been so hot, flies come into the house any chance they get to get some relief from the heat. So, what's the new ritual in this house lately? Fly patrol.
This ritual usually starts with Jared saying, "Uh oh, fly." with one hand dramatically over an open mouth. Then, "I get towel!". Stomp stomp stomp to the Kleenex box. Pulls two tissues out. Then, "Dada! Fly!" Next ensues a 10-15 minute march around the house. Paul first with the deadly rolled-up magazine. Not far behind him is Jared with tissues in hand repeating, "I catch fly!" I then have to get into the ridiculous hunt. Imagine the three of us marching around the house. Calling to the fly, "Where are you? Where is it?". A 2 year old repeating "I catch fly". Then Jared usually gets ambitious and starts suggesting where the fly might be. "Fly in choo choo?...Nooo" "Mama, fly in bag?...Nooo" "Fly in window?...Nooo" "Fly in books?...Nooo" This is accompanied by the boy opening drawers, looking inside bags, opening books. It's quite hilarious. I'm usually the one that gets tired of marching around, but how do you disappoint the boy? I usually suggest to Paul, "Let's tell him it went outside and flew home to it's mommy & daddy", which usually works when other bugs/birds/cats go away. But then, Paul gets obsessed with getting the fly. So then I stand by and watch the scene of a grown man with a rolled up magazine grumbling about some fly and a 2 year old occasionally piping in "There it is!", when usually it isn't. Finally, after much pursuit, Paul approaches the poor fly who's landed on some random surface due to exhaustion, tells Jared, "Back up, Jared" and then a loud WHACK. That's usually followed by a couple more WHACKS. Then, it's Jared for the clean up. Approaching the dead thing, picks it up with the two tissues, and proudly announce, "I catch fly!" with a big smile. Then it's straight for the trash can in the kitchen. Everyone then celebrates with a cool popsicle.

Hawaii - Part 1

2007-06-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

Here we are!
We're here in Hawaii.

Day 1. Super Trooper Jared.We set out on our long travel day Friday morning. We were anxious as to how Jared would handle the 5 1/2 hour plane ride, especially knowing that he would not nap on the plane and that we woke up the other morning with a cold. He did really well, keeping himself occupied with toys, books, looking out the window, snacks, and Little Einsteins on the laptop. We got many compliments at the end of the journey. He was tired, and by the time we got to the hotel, wired, but he went to bed at 6:15 without a fuss.
There is a Japanese channel here. We were super tired, but got completely caught up in watching two Japanese game shows, Challenge of Fire and Happy Family Plan. Crazy ass Japanese game shows.

Day 2. Jared was up at 5:15. Not too bad. He was able to lay around in his crib until 6:30. He's still sick. We had to use the inhaler all day. We then got up and got to the beach by 8am. Not Waikiki beach, but one right near us. It was already hot, and we did a poor job of introducing Jared to the ocean. He was a little scared and wanted to retreat to the sand. When you look at it through a 2-year-old's eyes, it can be scary. The water moves back and forth. It feels like it's sucking you back into the ocean when the water retreats. Oh well. His mother doesn't like the ocean, either. He has learned to use the word "hot", so everything right now is hot. The sidewalk. Food. Ice. You know, everything. He has also learned the word "towel". So every instance he gets anything, major or minor, near his eyes, he likes to scream "TOWEL!". Geez.

We have a kitchen in our condo, so we decided to get some groceries for snacks and breakfast. There are two markets near us, and the first one at Ala Moana Center was closed, so we had to go to this place called Food Pantry. Talk about a rip-off. $3 for ONE avocado. $2.25 for 6 eggs. $5 for a small package of bacon. $1.15 for a single stick of butter. I just kept saying, "This is killing me". But what can you do? We ended up spending $40 and trust me, not getting too much.

Day 3. We went to the Waikiki Aquarium. It's small, but very well-maintained and has a few species that we had not seen before. We got free phone-like handsets that give you an audio tour. Jared was more interested in getting to know how those work, as to the actual fishes. He was really into just walking around with it to his ear, like everyone else was doing in the place. We decided to go to the hotel pool in the afternoon. Jared had a lot of fun there. No reservations. I guess we flew almost 6 hours to go swimming in the pool instead of the beach. We went to Hilo Hattie's to do some shopping and went to Sam Choy's for dinner. We liked it very much. Jared's asthma got very bad, so we had to use the nebulizer throughout the day, without much relief. Although he was constantly coughing, he was able to have a good time, until the end of the day when he was just tired.

Day 4. Today we went to the Honolulu Zoo. Jared's asthma is better. Very hot and most of the animals were smarter than us. They stayed inside their little caves and slept. It is much bigger than we expected, and we were disappointed by the petting zoo. Had a snack there. Jared just likes to scream "FRIES!" everywhere we eat. Sometimes, that's all he'll eat. I once went through a drive-thru at McDonald's. He's NEVER been to McDonald's or had McDonald's. While waiting in line, he starts to scream "FRIES!" How does he know? We tried the beach again, and this time Jared went into the water up to his stomach as long as one of us was holding him. Unfortunately, he wanted both of us to be with him all the time.I do not like the ocean, and prefers the sand. Paul does not like the sand and prefers the ocean. In the end, I spent a lot of time in the water. Went to eat at Ono Hawaiian Foods, which was recommended by our friends Harriet and Wendel. It was SO good. Chicken long rice. Lau lau. Haupia. Kahlua pork. Best part? There was a picture of my boyfriend Apolo Anton Ohno on the wall!