Last week, I shared a bit about choosing kanji for my kids’ names. After we’d gone through the challenge for their given names, I realized that we needed kanji for our last name, which I imagined to be quite difficult. Many years ago, someone had mentioned a few options which I brought up to my… Continue reading Family Name
All in a Name
It’s the end of the school year and I’ve been in the process of getting “all the things” that everyone needs: crayons, pencils, bottles of glue, notebooks, new school indoor shoes, etc. And labels. So many labels. Sticker labels of all sizes. Laminated ones. Iron-on ones. Sew-on ones. Gym clothes labels. Swimsuit labels. All the… Continue reading All in a Name
Graceful Exits
Well, guys… Are you still there? I’m still here. And I’d like you to know that I’ve survived the lowest ranks of PTA. I was quite nervous to begin with and my initial interactions within the meetings were quite humbling. But after several meetings, events and countless messages and confirmations and relays of information and… Continue reading Graceful Exits
Incompetent Competence
Remember that I had one goal: Complete the easiest task on PTA with competence. So, after the introductory meeting, which I described in the last post, I went to the leader and confirmed what all I had understood. I actually had understood the whole meeting and what I would need to do and had actually… Continue reading Incompetent Competence
PTA, SOS and other Acronyms
You know how when no one in a group wants to do a certain task and so everyone points a finger to nominate someone else? Well, that kinda happened to me, unawares. Several months before the end of the school year, I realized that I had suddenly been nominated to be the next contact person… Continue reading PTA, SOS and other Acronyms
Back in the Saddle
It has been a very, very long time since I last posted. Last I wrote, I think I was stateside for a visit. It was a whammy of a trip– great, full of encouragement, fast-paced, but with some hard personal things that got thrown in my lap– and I arrived back to send my child… Continue reading Back in the Saddle
Essential Tips for Traveling with Tots
If I had to choose an audio intro to this post it would be that chorus— Hit me with your best shot! I don’t know about the rest of the lyrics, but I feel like this would be an appropriate chant for the approach of this topic. Friends… I am on my sixth or seventh… Continue reading Essential Tips for Traveling with Tots
A Little Slower
I have an electric bike which is a momma-must in Japan. It is absolutely wonderful. Lower to the ground, I have easier control for when my kids are wiggling around, or when they feel the instant urge to lean out and point at something. It also relieves a lot of the effort of pedaling 60lbs… Continue reading A Little Slower
Sugar Bugs
A long time ago, while I was still in college, I worked as a professional nanny in the summers. There was one family I spent a summer with and the mother of a very all-American family had an interesting way to stress the importance of brushing one’s teeth to her 3 year old and 18… Continue reading Sugar Bugs
Noises in the Night
A few weeks ago, we heard a startling cry in the middle of the night. I instantly knew it wasn’t my children. My husband had comically tumbled out of bed to a standing position, ready for action. I told him it wasn’t the kids and he peeked outside our curtains to see where the noise… Continue reading Noises in the Night
Ninja Mom 