4 Paones

I had an interesting experience at the pediatrician yesterday. I’ve been nervous about the MMR vaccine because of all the controversy and decided to hold on that vaccine until my kids were school aged. So I take my little girl in yesterday for her well child check up and ask the pediatrician if we can get her the MMR. My usually very pro-vaccination pediatrician told me she thought my decision was a good one –  to wait on that particular one until she was better developed. She said there’s a school of thought right now that a lot of the ADD cases may be related to children receiving this vaccine at a very young age. Anyways, that was interesting and confirmed that “gut” feeling I’ve had about that particular vaccine — that kids are better able to handle it when they’re a little older and stronger. I think it’s a useful vaccine, don’t get me wrong. I experienced measles as a teenager (even though I’d been vaccinated), but my case was a lot milder than my sister who hadn’t been vaccinated.

So the world is falling apart through earthquakes, tsunamis, wars and such. I am starting to avoid checking the news so much as I cry every time I read stories of missing loved ones, lost children, lost parents. .. ugh! Too much sadness. I want to fix it all.

In other, happier news, my baby girl is turning 5 in a matter of days. As I was working with her on her reading tonight, I thought back to when she was just a helpless little thing and how I couldn’t envision her any bigger or more capable than she was at the time. But here she is, full of thoughts, opinions, plans, jokes, hugs, ambitions, dreams, stories and best of all, all that unconditional love. She amazes me every day and I can’t imagine life without her beautiful smiles and cheery voice as she wakes me up with her trademark — “good morning, sleeping beauty.”  I am blessed! (and a beautiful sleeper?)

The West Coast in March is just about the best thing ever, especially when you throw in time catching up with friends. Violet and I just got back from a visit to San Diego/Ensenada. I had a little business to attend to and Violet, well… she was really just along for the fun. And have fun she did with all her old buds. Of course, I enjoyed myself ever bit as much. I’ve been catching up on sleep ever since.

That whole earthquake/tsunami has gotten me doing a lot of praying for the poor folks in Japan. Ihave been glued to the TV for the past week whenever possible. I can’t imagine what everyone there is going through and I’ve cried a number of times watching stories that are just too sad. My brother lives over that way, but is in another part of Japan that seems a little safer so far (minus the volcanic action) :p- Is anywhere in the world safe these days? These disasters always bring back the reality of how short life can be. Never knowing when your number’s going to get called makes me anxious to make every moment count with those I love.

Oh, and enjoy the super moon tonight. I hear it’s the biggest in 20 years. Guess where you’ll find me tonight.

We’re still here. A little too busy, perhaps, but alive and well and enjoying Houston in the spring time. (which I think is really the only time you can actually say you enjoy Houston weather). We live right next door to a beautiful park with biking and walking trails, so we’ve been heading over for bike rides and picnics every chance we get now that the kids have figured out bicycles and tricycles.

Violet’s right around the corner from turning 5. My little girl is so inquisitive about everything and has developed a real love for um… planning special events? I have no clue where she gets that from. Ahem! She’s also developing a burning desire for school time. She’s learning to read and my quiet little girl is learning how to be bolder, braver and how to make real Taek Wan Do shouts.

Jude is growing twice as fast as she is, has five times as much to say at ten times the volume. He is just as determined as his older sister to get his school time, although his school is more along the lines of Feed My Lambs (since the box looks just like his sister’s Hooked on Phonics box). Of course, he’s also learning his shapes and flash cards. We are not big pushers for too much school at an early age, so he’s mostly playing and learning as he goes.

As for Justin and me? Well, let’s just say we’re following Steve Job’s final advice in his Stanford Commencement speech to “Stay hungry and stay foolish.” We’re doing a lot of reading, working and discovering what it is we love to do. With a little help from friends and the Lord’s direction, I think we just may find it.

My 4 year old actually told my auntie she just wants veggies and fruit for her next birthday… and definitely no cake and no ice cream. Maybe I need to tone it down on the health talks.

Happy New Years 2011!

I loved spending the holidays with my family, although I really miss all my old friends and buds from California. Christmas was magical with the kiddos and family all around. The kids got way too many presents. Jude is now officially decked out with all things super hero and spiderman and Violet is now the proud owner of every barbie princess along with a few princes to round things out.  Jude didn’t make any friends by spraying the crowd with his spider webbing (thank you, Valorie), but at least there is only one of him. Nyahaha.  It just made me happy to see the kids enjoying their cousins, uncles, aunts, great aunts and uncles and grandparents.

And, folks, it’s official! I (think) I’m over the “party all night, stay up until dawn at New Year’s morning” phase of life.  I felt a slight tinge of wanting to accept the invitation to go party with friends, but in the end, I was all too happy to relax and chill with my glass of champagne, my husband and family and watch our overactive neighborhood spend their Christmas bonus blasting off fire crackers all night.

Bring on 2011!

I always wondered why parents lead their kids on about Santa clause knowing they’ll be so disappointed when they find out its not true. But now I’m thinking kids set themselves up for that. I’ve been very upfront with Violet that Santa and the North Pole are a fun story someone made up about Christmas, but then she will ask me… “But mom, can’t Santa be real?” Arg!… And then Jude lights up and gets so excited whenever he sees a Santa and wants to go see him. Maybe there is something slightly magical about the guy after all.

In getting ready to celebrate Christmas this year, I realized that my Christmas wish from last year has come true! Last year I remember wishing we could figure how to coordinate a family reunion so we could all spend Christmas together the coming year.  All of us kids have been here, there and every where for the past ten years or so, but here we are now. Everyone is here (except our Japanese side of the family) and ready to ring in our first Christmas for the first time since 1999. Now, for our Christmas tree to last till this weekend and be ready for the mountain of presents we have prepared for it.

Congrats on making it to the gateway of a brand new year! Love ya.

At first I freak out when I start to think of all the ground we still have to cover and the fact that some of our endeavors over the past 4 or 5 months haven’t panned out as planned.  After that, the possibilities start coming to mind and I am relieved to remember how much potential there is out there. (At least that’s what I keep telling myself.)  I actually love the feeling of newness and the thrill of not knowing what’s around the bend. I’m an explorer on a new adventure every single day.

On my drive in to work today, thinking about those “endeavors” of the past months,  I realized that all it means is that this particular “cheese station” (courtesy of “Who Moved My Cheese”) didn’t have as much “cheese” as we were hoping (so far at least) and we’ve got the winter to explore new stations. I  have a lot to be thankful for though. I’ve had some wonderful friends who’ve helped see us through our big move and all the adjustments so far. I’ve got the best family members ever and I get to spend time with them on a daily basis now. The kids are happy and healthy, although they miss having their dad around. We have a nice place to live.  And then… I get tired just thinking of all the many opportunities waiting for time to invest in them.

Someone posted the link to a commencement talk Steve Jobs gave to Stanford University Students a few years back and it was exactly what I needed to hear. Check it out if you haven’t already. It’s all about finding what you love, persevering and not being afraid of failure.  I especially love the part where he talks about starting over.

All that to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped Justin and me as we moved across the country and in starting over. You’re the best and we thank God for each of you!  And… pray for us!