Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Post Christmas Organization
Fwd: Being Silly
-MaryAnn
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: "MaryAnn Young" <maryann.akimoto.young@hotmail.com>
To: "MaryAnn Young" <maryann.akimoto.young@hotmail.com>
Subject: Being Silly
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Santa's Workshop - Part 1
Enjoying a nice day in the backyard
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thanksgiving Part Two
Thanksgiving Part One
Mixed Emotion About ICE
Every year, a large hotel in the area has a popular holiday exhibit called "ICE!" where they bring in an entire team of ice carvers from China to carve characters for the year's theme. It is based Ina popular Chinese festival where prolonged freezing temperatures and an abundance of ice lends itself to a spectacular art. Unfortunately, Texas doesn't have either, so this hotel spends an enormous amount of money to have ice of different colors made, delivered to a temperature-controlled tent, and carved by men who travel from China to use their craft to sculpt famous children's characters.
It initially sounds like a great way to learn about a Chinese tradition, but I couldn't wonder if this exhibit was worth supporting. Not only were we viewing cartoon characters rather than the traditional characters one might find in the ice festival in China, but I couldn't believe how much money we spend on this spectacle. In the midst of an economic recession that has families struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table, those of us who do have the extra $35 per person are putting it towards this? Think of how much money it is costing the hotel to keep the temperature in this tent at 4 degrees? And it's electricity, a valuable resource which produces waste our children will have to deal with later, and all for a popular holiday exhibit. Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to be a scrooge. I enjoy holiday carols and holiday lights like anyone else, but I think there are far too many wasted resources here. I just feel like a hypocrit explaining to Rai why we don't waste water and then taking him to a gigantic fake ice festival held in a temperature-colored tent inside a hotel.
It initially sounds like a great way to learn about a Chinese tradition, but I couldn't wonder if this exhibit was worth supporting. Not only were we viewing cartoon characters rather than the traditional characters one might find in the ice festival in China, but I couldn't believe how much money we spend on this spectacle. In the midst of an economic recession that has families struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table, those of us who do have the extra $35 per person are putting it towards this? Think of how much money it is costing the hotel to keep the temperature in this tent at 4 degrees? And it's electricity, a valuable resource which produces waste our children will have to deal with later, and all for a popular holiday exhibit. Don't get me wrong. I am not trying to be a scrooge. I enjoy holiday carols and holiday lights like anyone else, but I think there are far too many wasted resources here. I just feel like a hypocrit explaining to Rai why we don't waste water and then taking him to a gigantic fake ice festival held in a temperature-colored tent inside a hotel.
Holiday Lights
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Happy Birthday Rai!
It's hard to believe that my not-so-little guy is 4 years old today. Today, we are thinking about Rai's birth mother who made a very difficult decision nearly 4 years ago.
We are thankful Rai has such a wonderful extended family. He has a birth mother who will always be in his heart. He also has a wonderful foster family, Omma and Appa, who are just a phone call away. And he has his family here is Texas who love him very much.
Thank you everyone who have shared this special occasion with us!
Happy Birthday, sweet Rai. May you have many more special days like today.
Monday, November 21, 2011
A beautiful day for finally having a backyard
This weekend was busy with birthday parties and unpacking, but it was nice to have such beautiful weather. Rai spent Saturday afternoon "building a zoo" with his new tools. Kobe kept a close eye on the zoo construction progress.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Warning: Santa Spoiler
For all of those parents with small children, I would like to begin this post with a warning that the story below is about Santa and may upset small children.
Most people know that Rai loves to talk. Yes, he can be shy at times, especially on the phone, but if you are around him for more than 10 minutes, you've probably heard him breathe maybe twice. I can't imagine where he learned it. :-)
Regardless, Rai said Monday he got to pick the song his class sings as they wash their hands, and he chose "Jingle Bells." I took this as a sign that he's just as ready for the season of holiday carols as his mom, so I created a "Children's Christmas Carols" station on Pandora for the car ride to and from school. Everything was going well ... until yesterday. "Here Comes Santa Clause" came on the radio station, and Rai was clearly trying to talk, not sing along. I turned down the radio, and he said "Mommy, Santa Clause isn't real. He's dead ... like Iron Man."
I almost had to pull over I was so confused. "What?" I said. "Santa Clause isn't real, he's DEAD ... like Iron Man." From my rear view window I could see Rai was smiling. I wasn't sure which was more shocking: the fact that my nearly 4-year-old thought Santa Clause was at one point alive and is now dead OR that he seemed to be perfectly happy about it. Finally, Rai explained that Santa Clause is dead, like the dinosaurs. FINALLY, I understood his thought process.
Back in August, Tony and I took Rai to a museum for a special exhibit of Chinese dinosaurs. To help engage the children, the museum exhibit had robot dinosaurs next to the skeletons. Despite being obsessed with dinosaurs and learning names I can hardly pronounce, Rai was terrified and nearly ran through the exhibit to get out of the museum. I tried to explain to Rai that the dinosaur robots weren't real because there aren't any dinosaurs. They died a long time ago. Tony, my creative hero, managed to convince Rai to pretend to use his Iron Man powers to kill the robots. Rai and Tony went through the exhibit again holding out their hands to shoot ...whatever Iron Man shoots out of his hand ... at the robot dinosaurs.
So, Rai apparently thought that both Iron Man and Santa Clause were real at some time, like the dinosaurs, but we keep images of them that aren't real. I have to say, I'm impressed! To make things more amusing, I asked Rai why he thought Iron Man was real. "We saw the man in the movie. That man is real." (Ahh, good 'ole Robert Downey, jr. Rai saw the non-scary parts of Iron Man a few months ago.) I finally explained what an actor is and told him the lady from one of his favorite movies, Mary Poppins, is in many movies and pretends to be many people. After a few minutes, he said "I want to be an actor, so I can pretend to be Iron Man."
So, my not-so-little almost-4-year-old amazes me everyday with the things he understands and the ways he puts ideas together. I love being a mom and wish Rai's other mothers (Omma and Birth Mommy) could be there to share in these moments. In the meantime, I hope they read this post and have almost as hard a laugh as I did yesterday.
Note about Santa:
For any parents that think it's a shame Rai knows Santa isn't real (and isn't dead either), I want to share this quick story. Last year, Rai wanted a toy kitchen for Christmas. He told me. He told my parents. He told the teachers at school. He told his friends. He told Santa Clause at the mall. I thought it was a great way to let Rai play as I cooked dinner, something Rai and I struggled with since I became a single mom. One night, Rai and I had a heart-to-heart conversation about him being sad that he didn't have anyone to play with while I cooked. I reminded him that he would probably get a kitchen for Christmas. "No, Santa Clause won't bring it unless I'm really, really good." Ugh. He's such a good boy. Rai has never thrown a fit at a toy or grocery store. He hardly ever gets in trouble at school, and when he does, it's usually an issue he needed to talk through. He says "Please" and "Thank you" without being prompted first and gives hugs to kids who fall on the playground. I broke my heart to see him trying so hard to be good so he could learn how our new life together wouldn't be as boring during while I cooked dinner and cleaned up afterwards. So, I told him the truth ... Santa isn't real. Mommies and daddies (and sometimes Grammalyns, Great Pattys, and Obaachans) give kids an extra surprise on Christmas mornings. I told him that I knew he would get a kitchen, but in the meantime, he could have some of my kitchen tools (small spatulas and bowls) to play with until Christmas. I wasn't sure if I had just made the biggest mistake of my motherhood ... until Rai smiled. I made him promise he wouldn't tell the other kids since "they might get sad". Rai thought it was a big boy secret and kept his promise. That night, after I kissed him good-night, Rai said "Mommy, you're the best Santa Clause." I almost cried.
Being a single mom was a decision I made. It wasn't a popular decision, but I know in my heart it was the best decision. That being said, it wasn't an easy transition. That night, Rai made me realize how lucky I was. My little guy was excited about keeping his big boy secret and appreciative of his upcoming gift. I may have taken the "magic out of Christmas", but that night, it seemed like Rai and I finally knew things would be okay. And things have been more than okay. Rai is still the sweet boy he was last year, and we both still get excited about the holidays. I even have the tree up ... not decorated yet ... but up. We listen to holiday carols and talk about all the people coming over. Rai even uses the air quotes when he says he'll ask "Santa Clause" for something.
It's now a secret he and I share.
Most people know that Rai loves to talk. Yes, he can be shy at times, especially on the phone, but if you are around him for more than 10 minutes, you've probably heard him breathe maybe twice. I can't imagine where he learned it. :-)
Regardless, Rai said Monday he got to pick the song his class sings as they wash their hands, and he chose "Jingle Bells." I took this as a sign that he's just as ready for the season of holiday carols as his mom, so I created a "Children's Christmas Carols" station on Pandora for the car ride to and from school. Everything was going well ... until yesterday. "Here Comes Santa Clause" came on the radio station, and Rai was clearly trying to talk, not sing along. I turned down the radio, and he said "Mommy, Santa Clause isn't real. He's dead ... like Iron Man."
I almost had to pull over I was so confused. "What?" I said. "Santa Clause isn't real, he's DEAD ... like Iron Man." From my rear view window I could see Rai was smiling. I wasn't sure which was more shocking: the fact that my nearly 4-year-old thought Santa Clause was at one point alive and is now dead OR that he seemed to be perfectly happy about it. Finally, Rai explained that Santa Clause is dead, like the dinosaurs. FINALLY, I understood his thought process.
Back in August, Tony and I took Rai to a museum for a special exhibit of Chinese dinosaurs. To help engage the children, the museum exhibit had robot dinosaurs next to the skeletons. Despite being obsessed with dinosaurs and learning names I can hardly pronounce, Rai was terrified and nearly ran through the exhibit to get out of the museum. I tried to explain to Rai that the dinosaur robots weren't real because there aren't any dinosaurs. They died a long time ago. Tony, my creative hero, managed to convince Rai to pretend to use his Iron Man powers to kill the robots. Rai and Tony went through the exhibit again holding out their hands to shoot ...whatever Iron Man shoots out of his hand ... at the robot dinosaurs.
So, Rai apparently thought that both Iron Man and Santa Clause were real at some time, like the dinosaurs, but we keep images of them that aren't real. I have to say, I'm impressed! To make things more amusing, I asked Rai why he thought Iron Man was real. "We saw the man in the movie. That man is real." (Ahh, good 'ole Robert Downey, jr. Rai saw the non-scary parts of Iron Man a few months ago.) I finally explained what an actor is and told him the lady from one of his favorite movies, Mary Poppins, is in many movies and pretends to be many people. After a few minutes, he said "I want to be an actor, so I can pretend to be Iron Man."
So, my not-so-little almost-4-year-old amazes me everyday with the things he understands and the ways he puts ideas together. I love being a mom and wish Rai's other mothers (Omma and Birth Mommy) could be there to share in these moments. In the meantime, I hope they read this post and have almost as hard a laugh as I did yesterday.
Note about Santa:
For any parents that think it's a shame Rai knows Santa isn't real (and isn't dead either), I want to share this quick story. Last year, Rai wanted a toy kitchen for Christmas. He told me. He told my parents. He told the teachers at school. He told his friends. He told Santa Clause at the mall. I thought it was a great way to let Rai play as I cooked dinner, something Rai and I struggled with since I became a single mom. One night, Rai and I had a heart-to-heart conversation about him being sad that he didn't have anyone to play with while I cooked. I reminded him that he would probably get a kitchen for Christmas. "No, Santa Clause won't bring it unless I'm really, really good." Ugh. He's such a good boy. Rai has never thrown a fit at a toy or grocery store. He hardly ever gets in trouble at school, and when he does, it's usually an issue he needed to talk through. He says "Please" and "Thank you" without being prompted first and gives hugs to kids who fall on the playground. I broke my heart to see him trying so hard to be good so he could learn how our new life together wouldn't be as boring during while I cooked dinner and cleaned up afterwards. So, I told him the truth ... Santa isn't real. Mommies and daddies (and sometimes Grammalyns, Great Pattys, and Obaachans) give kids an extra surprise on Christmas mornings. I told him that I knew he would get a kitchen, but in the meantime, he could have some of my kitchen tools (small spatulas and bowls) to play with until Christmas. I wasn't sure if I had just made the biggest mistake of my motherhood ... until Rai smiled. I made him promise he wouldn't tell the other kids since "they might get sad". Rai thought it was a big boy secret and kept his promise. That night, after I kissed him good-night, Rai said "Mommy, you're the best Santa Clause." I almost cried.
Being a single mom was a decision I made. It wasn't a popular decision, but I know in my heart it was the best decision. That being said, it wasn't an easy transition. That night, Rai made me realize how lucky I was. My little guy was excited about keeping his big boy secret and appreciative of his upcoming gift. I may have taken the "magic out of Christmas", but that night, it seemed like Rai and I finally knew things would be okay. And things have been more than okay. Rai is still the sweet boy he was last year, and we both still get excited about the holidays. I even have the tree up ... not decorated yet ... but up. We listen to holiday carols and talk about all the people coming over. Rai even uses the air quotes when he says he'll ask "Santa Clause" for something.
It's now a secret he and I share.
Neighborhood Excursion
Yesterday we ventured out in the sudden cold weather to walk to our neighborhood playground. Rai has learned to give me directions to the house by telling me to "turn when you see the playground." Since we had a sudden change of plans yesterday, I thought it might be fun to spend some time outside. Rai likes any excuse to wear the jacket Omma and Appa sent him last Christmas, so he didn't mind the cold weather.
Once we got to the playground, Rai and I played sharks (the shark chases the person throughout the playground) until he decided we were Jedi in Star Wars. He's watched just enough of Star Wars Episode I and Clone Wars to know Anakin Skywalker but he gets confused when you mention Luke Skywalker (someone he's only seen in our Star Wars Legos game). After a brief explanation that they are different people, he decided to have a battle of the Skywalkers. :-) Now, he has to see the full series!
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