Had ourselves a merry little Christmas

Christmas was a pretty low-key celebration for us this year. With the impending arrival of Baby #2 (who still isn't here yet), we decided it would be best to keep things simple.

Traditionally, people hang stockings by the chimney with care and put presents under a tree. Not us. We just pile everything up around a secondhand toybox. How's that for holiday cheer?


Keeping with my family's Christmas morning tradition, we weren't allowed to open any gifts until after we consumed.....


CREAMED EGGS ON TOAST!!!

What is that nasty sounding concoction, you may ask? It's just a basic white sauce with hard boiled eggs in it, served over toast. File it under the category of "don't knock it 'til you try it". It tastes a lot better than it looks/sounds.


Oh, look. My mom showed up for breakfast. Actually, she had been here for a week at that point. My dad left a few days before Christmas for a business trip in Saudi Arabia. Since my mom was orphaned, we invited her to stay with us.


Thomas approved of the creamed eggs.

After breakfast, it was present time. Some of the greatest hits from 2010 were:


A pirate ship from Jiichan and Baachan. This amazing toy has the ability to play every annoying tune you could possibly think of. Naturally, Thomas loves it. Surprisingly, it doesn't grate on my nerves like I thought it would. Probably because I love to watch him dance to the music.

Books! Thomas loves books:


Grandma and Grandpa gave him his very own copies of "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" and "Where the Wild Things Are" - must haves for all little boys.

The baby didn't show up to open his/her gift, so I did the honors:


Thanks for the OU gear, Uncle Kenji!

And Kenta got me some cankle cover-ups:


Christmas threw up on my feet. I love it.

I got Kenta some awesome Lego salt and pepper shakers. I can't seem to find a picture of them....but I did buy him an awesome argyle sweater that he wore to church the very next day:


Thomas wouldn't let go of his new cars during the post-church photo shoot:


Thanks for coming, Grandma! Sorry the baby didn't want to come out and play while you were here!


One more Thomas picture. Just because he's cute. That's all.

Twelve Step Program

Do you ever wonder if you are capable of great things? Have you ever wanted those around you to stop and take notice of your extraordinary abilities? What if I told you that I hold the secret to single-handedly evacuating your entire apartment building? What? You say that's impossible? That it can't be done? That no one can accomplish such a tremendous feat? Well, I'm here to tell you that it CAN be done. Here are twelve easy steps to achieving your maximum potential of greatness and getting the whole world (or at least your entire apartment building) to recognize how unbelievably capable you are:

1) Saute some veggies in a frying pan. When sauteed to your liking, dump veggies onto a plate.

2) Leave the frying pan on the back burner with the spatula still in it.

3) Decide that you MUST have some potstickers to eat with your veggies

4) Place a pot of water on front burner to boil the frozen potstickers

5) Quickly choose a burner and turn it on high (it will help the water boil faster, right?)

6) Get distracted: check your email, change a diaper (diaper must be wet and or/dirty enough to involve complete disrobing of the child) while you wait for the water to boil.

7) Notice a strange smell and quickly dismiss it (it's probably just something that is on the burner from the last time you boiled something over...right?)

8) Hear a strange noise and dismiss it (water sure makes funny noises when it boils sometimes....)

9) Notice that the smell has gotten more potent. Also, the air inside the apartment has gotten hazy.

10) Run to the oven and discover a plastic spatula sizzling in the frying pan on the back burner (you know, the burner that you turned on HIGH)

11) Run to open the patio door and the front door that leads to the outside hallway

12) Realize there is a smoke detector in the hallway and scramble to shut the door...three seconds before all the alarms in the building go off.

13)* Watch your neighbors stream out of the building and look inside your apartment (the patio door is open, remember?) as you are trying to dress your son who still is not wearing any clothes.

*bonus step

Boys and girls - it is just that easy!

On a slightly more serious note...my neighbors were pretty cool about the whole incident. They laughed and assured me that it was "So nice to have an excuse to be out in the sunshine!" (um...it was like 40 degrees outside and WINDY). The fire department had to come, even though I called the apartment office and explained what happened. They showed up with three trucks, and a troop of firefighters in full fire-fighting gear. Most of them paraded into our apartment, while one stayed behind to interview me. When asked if anyone was hurt in the incident, I responded, "No one was hurt - just my pride, that's all". After inspecting the damage (the frying pan and spatula), they declared the building to be "safe" and we were allowed to go back inside. Thomas and I waited outside the door while the firefighters finished airing out our apartment with their awesome fire-fighter grade fan. I thanked them profusely and apologized over and over again for causing such a scene. They assured me that it was "fine" and they were "just doing their job". I still felt so foolish.

On one hand, I feel like a complete idiot for disrupting a lot of people's lives this afternoon. On the other hand, it's good to know that I can count on our local fire department for a timely response in case there really IS a problem some day.

Oh. You want to see the damage, don't you? I thought you would never ask.

RIP Favorite Frying Pan. On a happier note, I finally have an excuse to replace that spatula....

Bottom's Up!

Good news, everybody! Baby's head has found its way into my pelvis. We are so delighted that this little one was comfortable with the idea hanging out upside down for the final weeks of gestation. You might recall the drama I went through trying to get Thomas to turn. I really could have spared myself a lot of emotional turmoil if I had just been able to see what life would be like a few years down the road. Now that I've had 20+ months getting to know Thomas, I can say with certainty that there was no amount of bargaining, pleading, reasoning, or coaxing that would get him to change his mind. It didn't work in utero and it still doesn't work today. Thomas does things on his OWN terms (even if my way is easier and better). What can I say? I'm happy to have a kid with conviction. I won't have to worry about him following the crowd or getting pushed around.

Anyway, after THAT emotional roller coaster, it feels good to be (almost) completely sure that this little kid is a little more cooperative than Big Brother and will probably stay head down until the end. And the best part about all of this good news? We got to see the baby again.

Oh, hi. What's up, everybody? Just chillin' in here where it's warm and cozy. I'll come out and party with you guys really soon. Oh, and hey - can you feed my mom lots of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving? Yeah. I really like that stuff. Okay, thanks. Bye.

We're really excited about meeting our new little friend. Especially Thomas:

So, Halloween happened like two weeks ago...

....and I'm finally getting around to blogging about it.

I think I exhausted all my energies and creativity into making costumes, so it took me a few weeks to recover enough to document their epicness. But first things first:

PUMPKIN PATCH!!

You may recall last year's trip to the pumpkin patch. I decided to be a better mom this year and take my kid before only reject pumpkins were left. I had visions of cute pictures of Thomas and pumpkins dancing in my head. This is what I got instead:



Okay, okay. He didn't hate every minute of it. There were moments of happiness. Like when he cradled a gourd:


and threw the little pumpkins behind the big pumpkins:


And sat in the wagon, watching the tractor roll by:


And after all that, we didn't buy a single pumpkin. Apartment dwelling has left me less-than-inspired to decorate for holidays. Or decorate for anything, for that matter. Sad day. Luckily Thomas did not care.

Lest you think I am the Grinch that stole Halloween, I will show you just how much I put into Halloween costume preparations this year.

Remember how I live in an apartment? And I have no place to store extra things? Or space to decorate? HA! That didn't stop me from concocting the most AWESOME HALLOWEEN COSTUMES EVAH!! It took weeks of planning and a week of spray painting on my porch (by the cover of darkness, so my neighbors wouldn't report me), but I was able to transform Kenta and I into:


Mother Hood Barbie and her KENta doll. We won second place in the costume contest at the most legit Halloween party I have ever attended. Our prizes: dinner for two at Chili's and tickets to a movie of our choice. It was worth every penny I spent on that blonde wig (that will probably never be worn again), every minute of sleep I forfeited sewing my shirt and apron, and every brain cell I lost from inhaling hot pink spray paint fumes.

I had no energy left to even think about making a costume for Thomas. Lucky for me, he inherited a costume from cousin Abe, which was worn at the trunk or treat the following week:



I take absolutely no credit for the creation of the monkey costume. Props to my sister, Stephanie, and her mad sewing skillz.

I abandoned the Barbie box most of the night. Abandoned cardboard boxes are kid magnets. Every kid wanted a turn in the box. Thomas was no exception:


(he's peeking out of the armhole)

Kenta took Thomas out beg....uh, "trunk-or treating" for candy while I manned our candy station. He felt really guilty about making the rounds with Thomas, knowing full well where most of that candy would end up (our bellies). So after a few stops, he called it quits and came back to hang out with me.

Kenta basically foiled my Halloween plans with his honesty, but I did manage to ration our candies well enough while handing them out to have a stash of Skittles afterwards. (totally kidding - I over bought and ended up with an entire unopened bag of Skittles). Mmmmm...Skittles...

Hope your Halloween was as fun as ours!

A bicycle built for.....four?

Back in August, Kenta's dad gave us a call to ask us if we would be willing to pick up a bike for him in Philadelphia if he won a bid on ebay. Assuming that Philadelphia was just a few hours away (isn't that how everything is on the East Coast?) we said. "Sure!!!".

Then we got on to Google maps and realized that it was a little further than a few hours away (more like 6+) and would require Kenta to leave work early and an overnight stay. Oops. But we were happy to take the little trip because we weren't just going to pick up any old bike - it was a TANDEM bike. Plus, it's Philadelphia. What's not to love about the opportunity to visit some awesome historical sites and eat a real Philly cheesteak sandwich?

The drive down was totally fun. We got to see New York City from afar for the first time (okay...small lie. I went to NYC when I was four but I don't remember it, so it doesn't count):

(somebody help me out...I have no idea what bridge this is)

I let out a happy shriek of excitement when we passed this bad boy on the interstate:


Riding the Fung Wah is one of the most recent additions to my bucket list.


As always, Thomas was the best little backseat driver a parent could ask for. He basically sat in the backseat and exclaimed "Cars!! Cars!!" the entire time he was awake. He was happiest when a semi was following us. On a completely unrelated note, I have no idea what he smeared in his hair, but it looks nasty.

Due to some incompetent Quizno's employees at a New Jersey turnpike rest stop, it took longer than the expected six(ish) hours to reach our destination.

Oh, and the fact that our back door decided to quit latching at said New Jersey turnpike rest stop didn't help speed things along either. Luckily Kenta found some random ropes to jerry-rig something to keep the back door shut so we wouldn't have to worry about the back of the van flying open as we sped down the interstate:


The hotel was super nice (thank you, priceline!) and Thomas loved the view:


There was even a Betsy Ross and Ben Franklin sighting in the hotel lobby:


Random.

Lucky for us, it was only a short walk to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.



Of you look closely, you might be able to tell that these shadowy figures our actually us. (Just your run-of-the-mill failed photo op, courtesy of a fellow tourist)

We actually got to take a tour of Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were drafted and signed. It was pretty cool to be standing in the very spot where, essentially, America was born.

Thomas, as usual, was overjoyed at the prospect of seeing old rooms full of old furniture:


he didn't pull too many shenanigans during the tour:





I came to Philadelphia hungry for something to feed my nerdy love of American history. The tours left me completely satisfied. Kenta's stomach, however, was still grumbling for something else....

PHILLY CHEESESTEAK!!!!

He had to scarf that puppy down so we could get back on the road again, pick up the bike, and head home.

The ride home was pretty uneventful, other than some major traffic in NYC. The back door didn't fly open, however, so we really had no complaints.

Once home, we were excited to try out the bikes. Life was busy, so it took a few weeks before we could find time to take it for a spin. We headed to the local bike trail and had ourselves a good time:


And to give you an idea of how long the tandem PLUS the bike trailer was:


Yay! We were happy to ride it at least once before the weather got cold. And that back seat will need replacing. Even with my "natural" padding, that thing was hard and uncomfortable. Ouch.

(And word to the wise: don't try riding a tandem bike when you are six months pregnant. Your sense of balance is already sketchy, at best, so your tandem experience will be quite stressful.)

Lego Maniac

Kenta has a friend at church - a kindred spirit, if you will - who shares his love for all things electronic and gadgety. Last weekend, this friend introduced Kenta to the wonders of Lego mindstorms. He's pretty much been talking about legos non-stop ever since, trying to convince me of their undeniable usefulness. Last night was no exception:

Kenta - I just saw this awesome youtube video today.

me - Hmm....

Kenta - Yeah, this guy had programmed his lego robot to solve a Rubik's cube.

me - Hmm...how can a robot do that?

Kenta - He programmed it to recognize colors.

me - Hmm...really.

Kenta - Yeah! Think of all the things I could program the robots to do!

me - Like what?

Kenta - I don't know. What would you want a robot to do?

me - (glancing at the sink, overflowing with piles of dishes) Huh. I want a robot that will wash the dishes for me

Kenta - uh...Kendall...

me - Yeah?

Kenta - They've already invented something for that

me - ......?

Kenta - It's called a dishwasher.

Doh!

So much for my short-lived interest in lego robots. Kenta hasn't given up his efforts to convert me to lego robotism. He emailed me this video today:



I'm trying to decide where I would store something like that.

Train up a chid in the way he should go

This past weekend was busy around these parts. The first weekend in October brought us General Conference and - much to the chagrin of LDS Longhorn and Sooner fans - the annual OU/Texas football game. Being the pious types that we are, we taped the game and watched it after we enjoyed the Saturday sessions of conference - and didn't even sneak peeks to see what the score was. That takes an amazing amount of willpower, my friends.

Thomas had spent the morning absorbing the messages at conference (yeah, right), so we thought it would be good to balance out the spiritual knowledge that he had recently gleaned with a little secular football knowledge. Here he is, showing off his mad verbal skills:

(A little background on the video - "banzai" is Japanese for "hurrah!". It's something that (I guess?) Japanese people say to their kids, so they'll lift their arms up. It helps when you're changing clothes. Anyway, Thomas recently learned how to say it and is now always asking me to take his shirt off. Which I don't do.)



So there you have it. Our kid is a genius. And he got to experience, for the first time in his young life, the sweet taste of victory over the evil Texas Longhorns.

Lest you think we only watched football with Thomas on Saturday, he did watch Conference with us and pointed out every Jesus he saw on the computer screen. But mostly he just drove his cars around the living room floor. Lucky for us, he loves naps and cars. They kept him pretty well occupied while we watched Conference, so we actually got more out of it than we thought we would (parents of small children everywhere know what I'm talking about). Does that mean I have a notebook full of profound Conference quotes and insight that I gained while listening to the messages? Uh...I wish.

Unfortunately, there are lots of doodles of hearts,flowers and my name spelled in about a million different fonts (block letters, cursive, all caps, all lower case - you get the point). There are even some words in my actual notes that are only halfway spelled with the word ending in a crooked line (written as I dozed off and my hand slid off the page). So, I'm not the most alert Conference watcher. I couldn't tell you a lot of what was said. But I can tell you what I remember most - the most GORGEOUS arrangement of "Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd". So beautiful.

Since I don't remember a lot of the specifics of Conference, I've decided to choose one talk a week to focus on and study in depth. I'll double up with the shorter talks some weeks, and by the next Conference in April, hopefully I will have been able to internalize a little bit more.

In short: 8 hours of church (10 for Kenta)+ 1 Sooner victory + 1 new, useful word learned by Thomas = an exciting weekend!