Adventuring in DC :: Rock Creek Park Nature Center

Adventuring in DC :: Ippakutei (一白亭) Tea House at the Japanese Embassy

[一期一会 (Ichi-go Ichi-e)]

[strolling along Embassy Row (Massachusetts Avenue, NW)]

Virtual Guestbook :: The Grandparents

While I was in NYC, my in-laws made their way down to Maryland from New York City via Philadelphia. On their trip out here last fall, they spent a couple of days on the Chesapeake Bay to scope out a resort for future family vacations. They were generous enough to take Rupert and the kids there for Memorial Day weekend.

[both photos by Rupert]

Virtual Guestbook :: The Little Cousin

Rupert's brother and his family came to visit us for the weekend, and to celebrate Mother's Day morning together. We call this branch of the family A^3 because all of their first names begin with "A." Anyway, Daddy A is returning to his surgery residency program in June so they're making lots of visits to friends along the East Coast, and we were lucky enough to host them this weekend.

I love this picture of Little A following Maya during one of our walks. He's quite a bit younger than my kiddos so, in many ways, he's following in their footsteps. He's an adorable little fella but I'm getting to that point where I've forgotten what it's like to have a toddler, and so I was getting tired just watching him! But Ian and Maya both did really well playing with him and watching over him.

Virtual Guestbook :: Mama Buddy from Our LA Days

My friend J and her family were in DC to take part in the White House Easter Egg Roll, so I got to spend an afternoon with them as they toured some of the monuments. 

We became friends through a mutual friend when we all had wee little ones (my second, their first), and she and I bonded over our love of children's literature (she's a former teacher and now an Elementary Education professor specializing in literacy). Coincidentally, her husband and I briefly worked at the same non-profit and he was ahead of me in the Urban Planning program at UCLA. 

Anyway, she's another friend I don't get to see very often. After they moved away from LA, she and I met a couple of times at an education conference she and my husband were attending (and I was tagging along to), but I missed seeing her this spring when the conference was in Philly. So I was really thrilled she made another trek to the East Coast. Besides catching up with our kids' lives I absolutely love "talking shop" with her because she doesn't mind me going on on and on about children's literature. And I learn so much from her because she comes to the topic from an academic perspective and she is more well-read than I am.

Virtual Guestbook :: Lil Sis & Her BF

When we first moved out here, my sisters and I were hoping that they'd be able to visit together so we could do a Sisters' Weekend in DC. But with two busy career women (not me!), their schedules just didn't work out for a trip out here together. So, my younger sister planned her trip to coincide with the last weekend our mom was here. She brought her boyfriend along, and our dad babysat their dog back in LA. :)

[My sister, her boyfriend, and I got separated from the rest of the group during a Metro transfer so we walked from the Metro Center station along the Mall to the Tidal Basin where we met up with the rest of the family.]

Even though it was my sister's first time in DC, we didn't do too many touristy things besides going to see the cherry blossoms in DC. Since my mom wasn't feeling well, I took her (and Maya) back home early from the Tidal Basin while my sister, her BF, and my boyswent to a couple of museums. At night, my sister and her BF went exploring around Bethesda and Chevy Chase for dessert, but they were happy to hang out with us most of the time. 

On Sunday we went to C&O Canal National Historical Park and finally discovered Great Falls (the Maryland side)! We'd been to this park before and never walked in the direction of the Falls. Boy, we felt silly missing out on the view until now!

We also took my mom out for her first taste of Ethiopian cuisine. 

I really hope my sister comes out to visit again. I'd love to take her around to other museums and do some shopping and eating in DC.

Virtual Guestbook :: My Mom

I don't want to reduce my mom's visit to cooking and cleaning, but she really could not help herself, despite the fact she told me she was on vacation and was looking forward to taking it easy!

[Making her specialty: okonomiyaki]

[Like my mother-in-law, she couldn't resist the temptation of sweeping up dust bunnies!]

[She helped me cook 10 pounds of teriyaki chicken for Maya's school's Multicultural Night.]

[What I suspect will be a tradition when my parents come to visit: sushi night!]

One of the reasons for my mom's visit was to see the cherry blossoms. Luckily, the peak bloom was late this year and coincided not only with my mom's stay, but with my sister's weekend visit. Unfortunately, my mom was feeling under the weather that Saturday and was going to forego our outing to the Tidal Basin. But, after taking some medicine, we convinced her to make the trek into DC. Yes, it was super crowded and it was pretty warm, but it was absolutely lovely to see so many cherry trees. I'm really glad I got to share this experience with my mom. 

Virtual Guestbook :: Former Co-Worker

What a wonderful place to meet up with a former co-worker from Japan who now lives in NYC. She helped guide me through my 10-month stint in Tokyo, truly living alone for the first time, and in a country that felt like home but always wasn't.

It's been over 15 years since then, and we've only seen each other on a few occasions, so I was really quite excited that she and her husband decided to come down to DC at the last minute to see the cherry blossoms.

National No Housework Day

Today is National No Housework Day! I don't really need an excuse or a "holiday" to not do housework, but I will gladly take it. And, since my mom is here, I'm sure she'll pick up the slack! ;)

updated April 10, 2014 :: See, I told you she would do the housework I don't!

Virtual Guestbook :: College buddy

[The Capitol Columns in the background at the National Arboretum]

Virtual Guestbook :: Big Sis

[With my big sister at the National Building Museum for the Cherry Blossom Festival Family Days]

Girls' Day 2014

 

March 3 is Japanese Girls' Day, Hinamatsuri. We left the large set of Girls' Day dolls (hina-ningyou) back in California with my parents. (Click here to see a (crooked) picture of it.) Instead, I displayed the ceramic version my step-mom commissioned from her ceramics teacher when Maya was born. They're one of a kind, and I love the look of them: earthy but regal, simple but ornate. (Sadly, a piece from the Emperor broke off during the move, but I think I can glue it back on.)

I wasn't thinking ahead and neglected to buy hina-arare or ingredients to make Japanese food to celebrate. We're kinda snowed in today so I think I'll postpone the celebration until March 12 when I pick up my order of sakura-mochi and uguisu-mochi from a fundraiser sponsored by the Washington-Tokyo Women's Club.

Snow :: not as much as they predicted, but it's still more than enough!

The snow probably started in the early morning, maybe 5 or 6am. Since we already knew school was cancelled, I slept in until 7 and there was already an accumulation of snow.

And it continued to snow until after lunch. Knowing I have to leave the house tomorrow to volunteer at Maya's school (assuming there's school tomorrow), I geared up to start shoveling. But, first, off to look for a plastic ruler so I could measure the snowfall. Turns out we didn't get as much snow as the forecasters originally predicted yesterday: four inches, which isn't too bad, but still enough to warrant a good investment in time to shovel.

To motivate myself, I decided to listen to music. With some upbeat pop music blaring on my headphones I got to work. Music definitely kept me going (I'm currently obsessed with Pharrell's Happy) but singing along while shoveling in cold, dry weather is almost counterproductive. But I kept at it for an hour and a half and shoveled the walkway, the sidewalk to the driveway, the driveway, around the car, and a little bit on the side of the house.

 

I think we need to get another shovel, though, because the handle on the one we have seems short and I have to bend over a lot. Now my back is sore. Plus, it would help if more than one person could shovel at a time! Rupert and I had put off buying a second shovel because we were (perhaps naively) hoping there wouldn't be any more snow storms. Now we know better.

We're definitely done with snow for today (there's a slight chance of snow/rain on Thursday) but it's pretty darn cold, which means the ground is going to freeze and all the wisps of snow on the concrete is going to turn into a slippery, dangerous hazard. So, the question is: will there be school tomorrow?

And, with that question lingering in the air, I'm off to do Child's Pose to relax my back ... 

[updated March 4, 2014: No school today!]

I am not happy about this!

I'm beginning to regret saying things like, "I don't mind the cold too much." This year's winter seems to be never-ending. We're expecting another storm tonight and I'm sure they'll close school tomorrow.

All this after it snowed twice last week:

And the huge overnight dumping of snow the week before (which led to water issues in our basement ... again!):

It's not like Snowmageddon in 2010 when the DC Metro area got 18-32 inches of snow in one storm, but it's a different kind of weather annoyance: prolonged low temperatures with several significant (for the area) storms, leaving us with a few inches of snow each time. 

Keeping in mind this is nothing compared to what areas in the Midwest are enduring, the expectations of living here don't entail snowstorm after snowstorm after snowstorm. It's been quite the initiation into East Coast living.

Tomorrow I'll post pictures of this storm's aftermath ... with the sincere hope that they're the last snow pictures I post this winter!

Science Olympiad :: Maryland Regionals

 

Ian and his partners medaled in their events at the Maryland Science Olympiad Regionals today at the University of Maryland College Park. They're on the B Team but collectively the team scored high enough to be 4th place finishers in the middle school division (large school category). 

• Solar System: 1st place
• Shock Value: 1st place
• Helicopters: 3rd place

We're bummed that he won't be able to compete at the State tournament at the end of the month because he's on the B Team ... even though he and his partners have consistently performed better than the A Team. But, you know, who's keeping track? ;)

Virtual Guestbook :: The Grandparents

One Little Word :: being put to the test

With the recent snowstorm and today's warm weather, the snowmelt was pretty drastic and quick. I was getting nervous about it, and my concern was exasperated when I discovered parts of the side yard were flooded. I knew it could lead to flooding in our basement, which was an issue we had in the fall (we had only moved into the house two months prior).

The anxiety caused by that leak last time really put me in a bad place for a good month, month and a half. It led to all kinds of other uncertainty and negative thoughts and I was sad a lot. All that emotional turmoil was caused by something that wasn't, in the grand scheme of things, a life-altering incident. Was it a nuisance and stressful? Hell yes. But it's a problem that's solvable (albeit with a good chunk of change). Yet, I let it get the better of me and I was consumed with worry and negativity. It really wore me out.

Part of the reason I decided to take part in One Little Word was to help train myself not to go through a similar experience. I think about my word [today] a lot, even though I haven't really worked on the monthly assignments very much. And, here we are, facing another wet basement and I'm trying to talk myself through it in a manageable, realistic way.

• What can I do today to help solve this problem? Take action to dry the basement, come up with a plan to solve the problem long-term, and talk to people about what I'm feeling instead of bottling it up inside.
• Was today stressful and did I worry? Yes, but I was able to talk to my husband and my mom about an action plan. They reassured me it was going to be OK, and I know it will be.

There will be bumps in the road, I can already tell. (I'm not 100% calm right now.) But being cognizant of my thoughts and how I plan to manage my anxiety is going to help me get through this better than I did in the fall. I'm going to take it one day at a time, in chunks that I can deal with, and I have to think about only the things that are in my control.

My word is going to help me.

Virtual Guestbook :: High School Buddy

Half of a set of twins we've been hanging with since high school. We actually saw him back in July when we were staying at our temporary apartment in Virginia. He's back in DC again for work (he's in alternative energy) and we made him come out to Maryland to have dinner with us. 

We may not be particularly unusual, but I feel lucky that we're still very close with our core group of friends from high school. It's funny to think of ourselves as adults knowing what we were like 20 years ago, but, apparently, we've all grown up and are doing pretty well for ourselves!

One Little Word :: January

My word :: T O D A Y

Definition :: 1. adv. on this present day; nowadays, in modern times. 2. n. this present day; modern times.

Thesaurus :: n. this day, the present, our time, this moment ... not yesterday, not tomorrow

I chose this word because :: I'm easily overwhelmed, which leads me to give up easily. This year, although I have lofty goals for myself, I'm hoping that breaking tasks down and taking baby steps will help me accomplish more. Dealing with things one day at a time is manageable, and I believe that focusing my energies (mental, physical, emotional, creative) on incremental change will be beneficial in the long run.

Quote :: "There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live." -- His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

In what way is this word already a part of my life? Every morning when I wake up the first thing I think is, "What am I going to do today? What's going to happen today? How do I feel about today?" And before I go to bed, there's at a least a moment when I reflect on how today was, whether it was the kind of day that will be motivation for another great day, or whether it's a day to put behind me so I can start over the next morning.

More // Less
More moving forward // Less looking backward
More positive thinking // Less negative thinking
More listening // Less formulating responses
More kindness // Less snarkiness
More patience // Less yelling
More enjoying // Less worrying
More creating // Less hoarding supplies
More reading // Less interneting
More moving // Less lounging
More thanking // Less complaining

What do I most fear in 2014? My biggest fear is that I won't change at all this year; that I'll continue with bad habits and negative thinking.

What am I most excited about in 2014? The possibility of really conquering my negativity is most exciting to me. Living with a more positive attitude will have such a far-reaching effect, not just for me but for the way I treat my family. I know that my negativity has leached out in hurtful ways and it's probably caused Rupert to worry about me sometimes.

Intentions ::
mental :: Positivity. Positivity. Positivity! Not letting the things that are out of my control bring me down. Focus on what I can change/affect and not sweat the small stuff. 
physical :: Move as much as possible, whether it's a 10-minute walk, yoga, or something more intense. Work my way up to running a 5K again. The important thing is that I feel good in my body, regardless of weight.
emotional :: Taking a moment to take a breath before I speak or let my emotions get the better of me. I really want to show my kids (and Rupert) more love. Be cognizant of my moods so I don't let them steer me in the wrong direction.
creative :: Get back into scrapbooking via Project Life and complete some sewing projects (like basic window treatments and cushion covers). Regain the joy in creating something with my own hands.  

Still cold ...

Are you getting tired of my cold weather posts yet?

The weather gods are constantly looking out for the kids: All of our Snow Days have butt up against a weekend or a holiday! This week, the kids had Monday off for MLK Day, Tuesday off for staff development, and today there's no school because of the weather!

Science Olympiad :: Frederick County Invitational

Ian joined the Science Olympiad team at his school and, although he's on the B Team, he's done quite well in the two invitationals they've been to so far. Today he medaled in both events he participated in at the Frederick County Invitational: 1st place in Solar System and 2nd place in Shock Value. Of course, it wasn't a solo effort; he worked hard with his partners to gain the knowledge needed to do well on the tests.

I think the thing that I was most pleased about, though, was seeing him interacting with his schoolmates. Changing schools during middle school is never easy and Rupert and I worried a bit about Ian's transition. It was really reassuring to see him dragged off by his friends to play cards the second he arrived at the invitational venue, and to see him high five-ing his partner after they got their medal. His social well-being is what he'll remember and take away from this experience more than any plastic medal.

The coldest it's been in 20 years

I'm going to feel really bad sending Ian out tomorrow morning (before 7am) when it's 3 degrees out! And it figures that it's going to be a clear day and freezing tomorrow, but warm (relatively speaking) and cloudy later in the week!

Updated January 7, 2014 :: Yup, it was cold this morning! Maybe not 3 degrees, but can you really feel the difference between 3 and 7 degrees?

First snow of 2014

I stepped out of the supermarket yesterday and was greeted by a flurry of big fat snowflakes (note the melting flakes in my hair). I was a bit surprised despite Maya having told me that morning it was going to snow and the brief precipitation I felt as I was walking toward the market 20 minutes earlier.

Driving home was actually my first time driving in snow, but it was no different than driving in a light drizzle since the snow wasn't sticking. I knew the storm that hit the Midwest and Northeast was pretty bad, but I didn't have any idea it would hit us in the Mid-Atlantic as bad as it did. The temperature plummeted and the snow kept right on falling ...

[After it stopped snowing, the sky and snow made the neighborhood brighter than it usually is late at night. This picture was taken without flash.]

[Waking up this morning, I was greeted by the rising sun made all the brighter by the whiteness of the snow.]

The kids were delighted that it was another Snow Day, making it a three-day weekend. I had intended to get some shopping done today but decided against going out since I'm a bit freaked out about icy roads. Instead, I spent the morning reading in bed. Despite the blue sky and sunny weather, it was a gusty morning and the wind made it "snow" again: accumulated snow from the roof and treetops was blown loose, swirling up and sideways and back again. I could see the tiny flakes in the sunlight and watching it was not only mesmerizing but calming as well.

I managed to drag Ian out of the house for a few minutes in the afternoon to go on a walk to the cemetery behind our house. I've been meaning to go for months to see what it's like on the other side of our backyard, which we can only glimpse from our bedroom window. Although it's right along a major street, it's its own little world with gravestones from the 1800s to early 1900s, some toppled over, some surprisingly new looking. Clearly, it's not visited very often (in fact, I've only seen signs of (live) human life once since we moved in six months ago) and, strange as it sounds, I just wanted to let my "neighbors" know that even though I don't know who they are, they aren't forgotten; even briefly, I think about them everyday.

The snow does that to me. Not to be punny, but seeing even a few inches of snow freezes time for me and makes me rather introspective. No deep thoughts, but it gives me the chance to pause for a moment and think about something other than myself.

One Little Word 2014

My favorite scrapbooker, Ali Edwards, has been leading a year-long workshop called One Little Word (OLW) for several years now. The premise of the project is to choose a word in January that will help guide you through the year, whether it's towards self-improvement or to encourage you through a year that might be difficult. From Ali's blog:

Having a single word to focus on each year has made a difference in my life.

In 2006 I began a tradition of choosing one word for myself each January – a word that I can focus on, mediate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life. My words have included play, peace, vitality, nurture, story, light, up and open. These words have each become a part of my life in one way or another. They’ve been imbedded into who I am, and into who I’m becoming. They’ve been what I’ve needed (and didn’t know I needed). They’ve helped me to breathe deeper, to see clearer, and to grow.

What do you do with this one little word?

You live with it. You invite it into you life. You let it speak to you. You might even follow where it leads. There are so many possibilities.

Each January, when she blogs about her word, I think about choosing one too. And, in typical fashion, I don't follow-through and I muddle along for the rest of the year with no guiding principle to help me become a better Me.

2014 is going to be different, my friends. My plan is to find ways to hold myself accountable. So I signed up for the workshop, and I thought about my word and what I want my life in 2014 to be like (or not be like). A lot of the pain I bring upon myself comes from my inability to let things go. I dwell on the past. I focus on the negative. I worry. I know all of these things prevent me from enjoying the Now and just plain being happy. 

I seriously considered choosing "Let It Go" as my word, but if I could change my personality and just let things go, I would've done it a long time ago. Fundamentally re-tweaking the way your mind works and how it deals with things is a process, a long one at that. I feel like choosing "Let It Go" as my OLW would've set me up for failure. I needed to start off with baby steps, and to take this life change one day at a time. In the end, although it's a bit counter-intuitive, I decided on a word that's not a verb: TODAY. 

When I wake up in the morning I can ready myself to deal with one day. When I go to bed at night, I can rest assured that I either made a positive step toward my goal, or I can start over the next morning if I've had a bad day. TODAY is manageable. And that's what I need: realistic expectations based on my past actions, incremental change, and permission to mess up sometimes.

Let's see how this goes, shall we?