A Little Good News

It's so refreshing, once in a while, when I do my daily news reading on the Internet in the morning, just before Malia wakes up, to find stories like this. They're not always in there, but when they are, they warm my heart.

Not only is this man adorable, but he truly understands the concept of making life's lemons into sweet lemonade, and then giving it away for free. I've had it with people who have never even left the country having such strong, bitter opinions about some things. This man has been "there" & back and knows what "it" means. God Bless him.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/19/heroes.walt.peters/index.html

Dear Malia...

Dear Lili-bug,

Today you used the potty! The joy that this brought to the depths of my soul was shocking. I've heard from other mothers that this would be the case... and I know the road doesn't end here (you are FAR! from "potty-trained"... once does not a new trick make), but this is quite an accomplishment, especially for you. From birth, your digestive system has not been your best friend. Pooping is something that has always been difficult for you (and I can just picture your beautiful face glowing with embarrassment as you read this 10 years from now). Because of this, our attempts at beginning the potty-training process have all failed. You are almost scared of it.

We've purchased a little seat to make that big hole not seem so daunting. It even has little yellow duckies on it and bubbles that glow-in-the-dark. We've purchased a hot pink step-stool to make it so that your feet have somewhere to plant themselves and not dangle in the abyss. There is even a large jar of bribery M&Ms sitting right next to the toilet (which I'm sure has been the cause of great confusion of any recent guests). I've promised you dance lessons, which you've been asking for daily, once you master this crucial step into being socially acceptable. You have a "potty" in your own room that sings songs to you, lights up, and praises and applauds you when you push the flusher. None of these things have made using the potty appealing to you.

However, today, you were standing in the shower, playing with your toys as I got dressed when, out-of-nowhere, I heard the most magnificent 7 words ever. "Mommy! I need to use the toilet!" After pinching myself, I ran to your aid to see your soaking little nekkid body in the shower with your hand covering your little places and a look of concern on your face. I hoisted you up as quickly as my bulging belly would allow and set you on the toilet. And there, Niagara occurred! The joy that tinkling sound caused in my heart was insurpassable. All of this without any of those gimmicks we've spent far too much money on! After I helped you wipe, flush, & wash your hands, I gave you 2 M&Ms and a big hug. I told you how proud I was and the grin on your face was priceless. It was almost as if you were more proud for making me proud than I was of you. These are the moments that make the bond of a mother & child unbreakable... until you're 15 and hate me.


On Sunday, your father had a Priesthood meeting, and to pass the time, you & I took a walk. The moon was out and full and looked larger than usual. As we walked, hand-in-hand, you shouted with excitement, "Look at the moon, Mommy! It's so BLUE-tiful!" You made this statement at least a dozen times throughout our walk, with each time full of as much vigor as the last. It was inspiring to me. The simple things. You appreciate them in a way I've forgotten how. Thanks for the reminder, kiddo. I'm learning a lot from you.

You also were convinced that the moon is a living, breathing friend of yours. You shouted out to it, "C'mon, moon. Wanna' hang out with us?! It be fun!" I had to explain to you that the moon had an obligation to light up the night sky and that maybe it would play with you later. I am finding my poor excuses are working less as you get smarter, as you woke up the next morning and asked me, "Will the moon hang out with us today?" I just smiled. I was too tired to have a clever explanation.


Whenever we are in the car, you ask me over & over, "What're you gonna' DO today, Mama? A' gonna' DO today?" I usually tell you, but it doesn't stifle the questioning. Five minutes later, you ask again. The only time my answer seems to suffice enough for you to stop asking is when the answer pleases you. "We're going to play at Disneyland, Malia." "Yes. We are!" And then a lovely, peaceful quiet the rest of the way... until we pull into the parking structure, which usually then elicits run-on, yet somehow incomplete, sentences about which rides you intend to go on. You've definitely inherited that ability from me. You begin to speak, but it's as if your mouth is going faster than your brain, and you say the first few words to your sentence about 1/2 a dozen times before you figure out what it is you were trying to say. Sometimes you get distracted by another thought and your sentence detours in that direction. It drives your father nuts as he now lives with 2 women he can't communicate with.


I've noticed lately that most children your age are not very obedient. You are, and I am blissfully aware and grateful for this. When we are out & about, I will hear a parent shout demands and warnings to their children multiple times as the child completely ignores them and continues on their merry way. Not only do my commands usually immediately stop you in your place, but if you didn't hear what I said, you will turn to me, squint one eye, and pull up the corner of your mouth on that same side, which gives you a very adult-like perplexed expression, and say, "Wha' you saying, Mama?" Then I am given the chance to repeat myself and you obey. Honestly, could it get any easier?

Whenever I make a little noise and grab my belly in reaction to being kicked by your future (and incredibly powerful) little sister you will say to me, "Your belly hurts, Mama? 'ecause baby sister is kicking your belly. Be nice, baby sister!" I know the day will come when the 2 of you will be in cahoots against me, so for now, I appreciate your concern more than you know.

Love, Mommy

Ok, seriously? This kid.

This video was posted on my family's private blog. It was taken by my little sister, Tina, at my sister Cindy's wedding reception this last August. She does these faces on command. There are actually a few more, but I wasn't around to call them out and Tina was just going by what she'd remembered she'd seen. This kid, I tell you... is a HAM!



P.S. If you're wondering, that is a piece of gum in her mouth.

Didn't We Say "We Would Never Forget?"

I heard someone say recently, that "today is the last day I'll discuss, commiserate, or otherwise mourn the events of 9/11. Seven years is long enough." While I agree that it has been some time, and that moping and mourning about a tragedy does us no good after a certain period of time has passed, but who decides that length of time? And it's different for everyone. Obviously, as I was in a different country during the events of that day, I felt strangely disconnected and wanted desperately to find a way to connect to everyone who was here. There are others (i.e. my Japanese employers) who thought of it as "just another day. Get to work." And then there are those (family members, coworkers, and friends of those lost, public servants) who I think will never forget... and probably don't want to.

But he was somewhat right. I do not want to dwell on the events of the past. I've been trying to develop a better ability to avoid hindsight, for hindsight is always 20/20 vision and can often depress me. However, there is no harm in using the past to learn things. And so, I would like to post an e-mail I sent out 4 years ago on this day. I learned something about myself that day that was a valuable lesson to me. And it's a lesson I am still working on perfecting in my life.

Subject: Lest We Should Forget

September 11th : 3 years later

I didn't even realize that today was going to mark three years since a tremendous tragedy, until yesterday, and that made me feel so ashamed.

I think back to 3 years ago and the pain, loss and tragedy that happened in our country. I think back to 2 years ago and the prayers and remembrances. And even last year, there was a beautiful memorial, telecast all day long. Yesterday I wrote the date on the top of my notes for class: 10 Sept 2004... and that was the first time I realized what day it was soon going to
be.

I was so embarrassed when I realized that I called myself a patriot, and had almost forgotten the day that caused me to turn to that portion of my heart. I felt selfish as I watched a report on the children in Beslan, Russia... over 300... dead.... and hardly anyone seems to care.

I wonder if patriotism can extend beyond a love for our country and become a love for all mankind. I found myself wanting to tell the Russian man featured on a small, seemingly insignificant, CNN report, who had lost his three children and his wife recently in the explosion of a school that it will be okay. "I'm sure you think it will," he might say. "When it happened to you, everyone actually cared."

In remembrance of what happened to us, let's pull outside of ourselves... just this once. Yes, a terrible thing happened to us, and we wailed and gnashed our teeth. Why, when it happens to others, do we not expect ourselves to care the way we expected to be cared about?

Just a thought...

God bless America.... God bless all mankind. God bless us to use His blessing to serve our brothers and sisters everywhere.

That is my prayer on this day : 3 years later. Find a new meaning to patriotism.

And today? I reiterate...

We're So GLAD When Daddy is Home!

I know we go to Disneyland so frequently over here that it probably seems pointless to actually document our experiences there once in a while. But it's not every day that Daddy gets a day off from work and can come with us. Thus, more pictures can be taken and we make more of a day of it versus our usual 1-2 hour jaunt over. So for Labor Day, we laboriously drove the 15 minutes to Disneyland and headed into the park for a little bit of family fun time. (WARNING: There are going to be a lot of pictures because I like them all - so run now or forever hold your peace).

Malia is so finicky about the characters at the park. Some days, she wants absolutely nothing to do with them. Other days, she wants to wait in a 20-minute line just to give them a hi-5. This day it was kind of off & on. Fortunately - we didn't have to wait in a line for her to "I wanna' hi-5" Chip. It was kind of a hit-&-run experience.

Pluto got all the action this time around. Maybe it's because she loves him. Maybe it's because his nose sticks out an extra 3 feet. Maybe it's because Mommy stood there with the camera shouting like a lunatic, "Kiss his nose! Kiss his nose!"

The one picture that I'm in. It was so muggy and warm that I was growing increasingly uncomfortably pregnant and pretty much avoided the camera after this point so that there would not be permanent proof of my miserable state.

Besides - David obviously poses much more entertaining...ly... than I do. Can we say possible predictions for the future? If Malia got anything from her Mommy, it's being a good offensive, er, I mean, DE-fensive driver...

We've reached a milestone! Malia was finally officially tall enough to go on her first roller coaster! She was so excited (I was probably more excited for her, but whatever). I just wish I could've gone with her. Darn "no expectant mothers" warning.

There were so many characters out this day. maybe because it was Labor Day so they anticipated large crowds. (It actually wasn't too bad... for Disneyland). But Malia had been asking "Where's Minnie Mouse?" ever since entering the park. We were fortunate enough to run into her within an hour. Malia is going to be Minnie for Halloween and has recently decided Minnie is her most favorite thing in the whole world because of it.

We went through Mickey & Minnie's homes for a little bit of AC, and this was the first time we actually decided to go see Mickey at the end because there was hardly a line. The family in front of us was ticking Mickey off. They were pushing and shoving and yelling... and even with that big ol' head, you could read in MM's body language that he was. not. coping. I'm always such a beaming proud mommy when Malia goes to see the characters because she is always polite and waits her turn and is slightly hesitant so they reach out to her and she runs to hug them. You can tell they just love her. Mickey stepped down to give her a big hug and didn't seem to want to let her go... probably out of fear of the next 100 possible hooligans he'd be encountering that day. Poor dude.
Malia wanted to "Go on the hodda coastah again!" so Daddy obliged. They got the front car this time which made it possible to get this cool picture. Dave was being such a good sport, acting like it was the best ride he'd ever been on.

But more exciting then that? Turns out you only have to be be 35" to ride the Matterhorn! So, yes. The wonderful parents we are, we sent Malia on a fast-winding, monster-riddled, dark, and scary mountain! David said she handled it really well. About 1/2 way through, she mentioned to him, "I'm done now. Ok, I'm done." But he said she never screamed or cried... just held on to his hands for dear life. She was such a trooper!
After we came home for Malia's nap, we then dropped her off at a friend's house who owed us a favor and David and I FINALLY got to see:

It was so good! He's my new favorite superhero based on this movie alone. Brilliantly done, this film. I'm a sucker for a good action movie that actually has phenomenal acting and a 1/2-way decent plot. So worth the $16 (thank heavens we went before 6 PM... or it would've cost more)!