Japan Withdrawl

A month later, I think Maya has adjusted back to the west coast time zone. When it comes to kids, I have learned that routine is good.

I have found myself daydreaming about Japan. At the end of the work day, walking home, I close my eyes and I can smell the Yakitori grilling from the corner butcher shop in Yokohama. Mmmm...Grilled animal parts.


Pan has gone back to Asia on business. She left on the 1st and will be back on the 19th. This is the longest she has been away since Maya has been born. Lucky for me, my wonderful Agoos (Helen & Winnie) and my cousin Connie have come down the past two weekends give me a breather. Maya got to try out her pool on the deck.


Maya has been sitting with Choco a lot lately. She likes to pet Choco's soft coat. Plus I think Choco is too old and lazy to run off...


...because of this, Maya has also been trying to ride on Choco's back.


Today was probably the most challenging. Maya has been more and more defiant. Pushing boundries of what she knows to be right and wrong. In the span of two minutes tonight, while I was preparing her dinner, I caught her trying to drink from the doggie bowl and then later eating crayons. As I explained to her why we don't eat the crayons, she smiled at me and there was bits of Green, Dark Blue and Pink crayon between her teeth. Part of me wanted to brush her teeth right away and another part of me wanted to chomp down on a few myself and see what combinations I could come up with.


In the end, the adult in me won. Maya was cleaned up for supper. I watched as she held the fork in one hand and stuffed her face with the other. [tear] Come home soon Pan!

Maya : Month 18

Maya has move up to the older kids room at daycare. That means a big change with no transition period. I wish she could have stayed in her current room where the ratio is 4 kids to one teacher, the new room is 6 to 1.

I drop Maya off in the big kids room in the morning. The room is for the three year olds, so the activities are vastly different than what I am used to Maya being around. Every morning as I leave, I have visions of Maya munching on handful of Play-Doh, washed down by a rainbow of crayons. The teachers tell me that she is a "Observer". She will walk up and just watch what the older kids are doing. I don't know if that is a good thing or not. Hopefully, more of her classmates will be back from their vacations this week.

I am finally getting into a routine when it comes to cooking her dinner. Protein, vegetable and fruit. I try to keep the meals simple. In the past few weeks of developing this routine of meals, I have noticed that I have lost weight in the process (bonus).

Japan Trip

Seat belt light is off.


Maya finally fell asleep 45 minutes before landing.


Asahi...[burp]...wish they would import it to the states again. You can really taste the difference.


Tako Wasabi, my new favorite dish to eat with sake.




Japanese Tea Ceremony food.






Tonkatsu. Perfectly cooked.




Grocery Store Sushi for 499 yen, better than 75% of the sushi restaurants in the states.


Delivery Sushi. Just leave the container outside by the front door when finished.


Every single piece was the best I can remember having. I actually used the Gari to clean my taste palate, so that I could savor the next piece. The sushi was so good that we went back a few days later.




The only disappointment foodwise this whole trip. For the money, I would not try this again.


Yebisu's answer to Guiness. Not bad.
The trip went by so quick. Every morning I would walk to the 7-11 and get a Onigiri and small Boss Latte. Every evening we would stop at the corner butcher shop, where at 5pm the wife would set up for Yakitori.

We were better prepared for the flight back. Maya slept about four of the eight and a half flight. I actually got to watch a movie. Both Maya and I were jetlagged for a week. Up at 2-3am, dropped Maya off at daycare, sleepwalk through work. Seriously, I don't how I made it through that week.

Japan Trip (Preview)

August has been a very busy month. We capped off the month with a trip to Japan for two weeks. Having never traveled with a toddler on a international flight before, we packed loads of snacks and toys for distraction. Things did not go to plan. Maya decided not to be a team player.

Snacks and activities done in the first hour and a half. Then a few hours of crying. Ten hour flight, Maya slept maybe two hours. The picture above is of me 10 minutes after deboarding the plane.