Way to communicate!

We were outside in the yard, me gardening, and my husband raking. All of a sudden, our little Yuta started crying. Tears were pouring from his eyes. I immediately went over and asked what happened. He was signing "ouch" with his hands, while saying "shoes" in Japanese. So I checked his foot and I thought I saw a fire ant crawling into his shoe. So I asked him, "bug"? And he said, "Buh! Buh!" all the while crying. Our little Yuta was bitten by a fire ant! Poor guy! I took his shoe off and the little booger crawled out... within a few seconds it felt the Dad's rage. (got stomped) I soaked Yuta's foot in warm water. Thankfully he didn't seem to be allergic to the bite or anything so all was well... Oh, but I'm so proud of my little munchkin. He is communicating so well! Even in his state of trauma he was able to communicate exactly what happened. Good boy! 17 months and growing too fast...

Homemade Paint for Toddlers!

In my effort to foster creativity and prevent boredom (especially on a rainy day), I've started finger painting with my 17 month old son. I've tried several recipes for homemade paint on the internet, and I think I've finally come to the right mix. I used 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup water as a tester. For bigger batches you can try 1 cup flour to 3 cups water. They store well in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Here's how to make good homemade paint:

Ingredients
flour & water (1 : 3 ratio)
~1 tsp salt
food coloring

1. Mix flour, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Put the mixture on medium-high heat and whisk vigorously for a while, until the liquid is close to boiling and it starts to turn pasty. The amount of time depends on the consistency you want. If you want it more watery, you can take it off the heat earlier. If you want it more pasty, keep it on the heat to reach the desired consistency. I found it's really important to whisk well!
2. Take the mixture off the heat and let it cool for a bit. Scoop the mixture into little containers-- I like using the plastic egg cartons. Add food coloring to your preference in each of the containers. Voila!

I need more crafts and activities for inside the house. Any ideas?

Who needs life to be easy, anyway?

New look for my blog! It's spring. (sort of)

*Phew*. Boy, I am EXHAUSTED every night after I put Yuta to bed. It is just incredible how much work that little tod is. I've had quite a rough past 6 weeks. Call me a weenie, whatever! I know I KNOW many people have it worse and are strong enough to deal with it, but my recent philosophy is that if it's tough for ME, it's TOUGH ENOUGH! It helps me deal with things better. Thankyouverymuch.

So my husband underwent foot surgery at the end of February. We really couldn't think of a better opportunity to do it, and I'm glad we did. Ah, but going to the hospital 3 times within 24 hours, waiting there for god knows how long, all the while with my toddler in tow was THE hardest thing I've done. EVER. After that fiasco, I immediately started looking for a local babysitter. Anyway, for the past 6 weeks, I have been nightingale, mother to a toddler, wife, homemaker, and so much more. My husband was not allowed to put weight on his foot, and was ordered to keep it raised 24/7, so I brought him food three times a day. For the first week, I also brought and cleaned his potty (not my son's!), and medicated him regularly. Did I mention I still have a 15 month old?

I'm not really sure how I got through it all, but I did. My husband can now put weight on his foot and is relatively crutches-free. I cannot believe how appreciative I am of him being able to go get cereal by himself!!! He's still not able to chase after Yuta, but at LEAST he is able to move around and do minimal things around the house. It is incredible how much easier it is. And just in time, too, because Yuta has just started warming up for the terrible two's. WHOAH! Who, my adorable, quiet, passive, pensive, observant, cooperative, eats-anything, Yuta?!?! Yes. He is none of that now, with the exception of observant.

I have never seen so much exhibition of "I hate you but I love you". He yells, he cries, he shakes his head and adamantly says "no", but as soon as I leave the room he starts crying like it's the end of the world. He whines, rebels, starts toddling off in the store, but once he gets far, he starts crying "ma ma ma ma" and needs to be held. WHAT DO YOU WANT, SON?!?! "Should I stay or should I go?!?!"

It is like being with a girl with PMS. Incredible. It's a good thing I don't PMS too much, and I've been prepared for this. Still. What a difference a month makes.

Creative Home-made bath toy Part I

Today I made a bath toy for my 16-month old Yuta. He's getting bored with the things he normally plays with in the tub, including empty bottles, wind-up fish that swims, and random caps. (and don't forget the bubbles) So I took one of the disposable plastic tupperwares and poked a bunch of holes on the bottom. Voila! A little shower head. Just scoop up some water and you get a little shower. Pretty cool.

On a different subject, I was putting him to sleep today. He had his usual bottle of milk, and I hugged him close and sang while I swayed side to side. He leaned his head on my shoulder and once in a while peek into my face and smile. (AWWWW!!!) I ate it up. When I finished singing and laid him down on his bed, with a big smile he says to me "dya dye dee dyama dyoo" and I was so positive that he said "I love you" in Japanese. So I told him "I love you too" in Japanese, and he gave me another huge smile and became quiet to go to sleep. Geez. Sometimes I wonder why I even questioned becoming a mom...

Your gaze is MINE!!!

Yesterday, the three of us were chillin' in front of the TV. To paint a visual image, I was sitting on a chair, Yuta was on my lap facing me, and Josh was on a chair next to me. I saw something interesting on TV, so I turned to Josh to discuss it. I was laughing and chatting when Yuta put his chubby little hand on my cheek and turned my face towards him. He gave me a smile, but I was not fooled! He didn't want me talking to Josh. I kind of laughed. Josh, very interested in what he just did, told me to repeat my gesture. So I turned towards Josh again to talk. Again, Yuta put his chubby little hand on my cheek to turn my face.
It's one of those moments if you're not sure if you should be happy or worried. Jealousy strikes the 15 month old munchkin?!

Funny dream

I was re-reading some of the blog postings I put up on Xanga a while back. I've converted over to this blogger maybe about a year ago, but my Xanga one was still active.
I found this one to be funny, so I'm re-posting it here!

I am Superwoman! I had a dream last night that I was a super hero of some sort-- something like Superman. So I was flying around, helping people in distress... rescuing people from burning buildings, stopping a train on a broken bridge, take down a kitty in a tree, etc. Except... I had to stop every 2-3 hours because I needed to breastfeed. LoL. What a super hero!

Just when you think you've seen it all...

In the Japanese culture, there are many verbal formalities that go with actions. It becomes habitual after a while, naturally, but I think it's still nice. There's a verbal exchange that happens when someone is about to leave the home, for instance. The person leaving says "I'll be going now", and the person staying will say "go on, now". (rough translation) We also say a phrase before and after we eat. Before we eat, we say "itadakimasu," which means, I will graciously accept this food. After we finish eating, we say "gochisousamadeshita," which means, it was a great meal. (roughly)

I've been trying to be a model for such formalities in our home, as I speak mostly Japanese with my baby, and trying to teach Japanese to my husband. So I do the whole itadakimasu and gochisousama. Well, Yuta's finally got it. He knows that when I wipe his hand and wipe his mouth, it's "gochisousama." He doesn't say it yet, but he bows deeply! DEEEPLY. Like a samurai. It is so hilarious! We try so hard not to laugh because it is a great gesture, but it is difficult not to! My husband says it's because I do that when showing him gochisousama. I guess I do?! So many things I didn't know I do that I now know I do because Yuta does it. (got it?)

He also copies my fake laugh. "ha ha ha" Out of nowhere! He just does it! Geeeez. do I sound that bad??

When we get bored, we frolic on the bed. He loves it. He likes wobble-walking on it, falling down on purpose, trying to jump, me throwing him, etc. On bad weather days, it's a great way to get him to burn some steam!

All clear!

Ever since I've hit my teens, I've had an ongoing battle with acne. I've tried so many things-- lotions, creams, facewash, vitamins, herbs, you name it! But it kept comin' back. As many of you ladies know, it becomes worst before the wicked enemy visitation days. (I call my monthly discomforts as "enemy visits".) Lucky for me, my visits only come every 5 or 6 weeks. Still.

Not only do the acne appear, I have regional dry skin. My face starts hurting in certain areas because they are so dry. I thought dry=no acne?? Wrong. I could not figure out the chemistry, since my dry skin wanted more moisture, usually with some form of oi, but I thought acne prevention would require less oil. It seemed like a hopeless battle. I might end up in my 50s with acne.

Finally!! I've found a combination of products that work. I now use the Biore 4-in-1 face wash for a non-harsh cleanser. Apparently it has some sort of toner in it that helps keep the pores tight. For moisturizer, I use a product from H2O. It is AMAZING. I think I had bought it probably 10 years ago, and I don't know why I didn't come to using it regularly. H2O is a store that's more internationally known, not so much in the U.S. There aren't very many stores around, so I bought it online. It's based on sea minerals and sea kelp. It is so amazing. My skin feels unbelievably moisturized all day long. I never feel any discomfort! Not only that, it keeps it moisturized without causing oiliness, acne, or uneven dryness. How does it do it?? I don't know. Maybe I am an islander after all-- I need the sea products.

It is amazing to have clear, comfortable skin. If you have no skin issues, you are so blessed! Now I have to find a moisturizer that works for the rest of my body... I've got the winter dry, scaly, flaky, itchy, prickly skin... :(