Say No to Drugs!

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN.
THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS.

I have been struggling with a chest cold. I took some decongestant medicine. I decided to make some yummy homemade chicken noodle soup. I started cooking the chicken in broth. It was time to pick up the kids from school. Before leaving my apartment, I felt like I was forgetting something... something was missing... what was it? I walked around the house a few times and then just left. An hour later I remembered that I left the chicken cooking on the stove!!! I called my neighbor to have her check my apartment and she said that earlier she smelled something burning and had the management check it out. Apparently my apartment was full of white smoke and about to blow.... yikes. Luckily no damage was done, just a big fat mess. The freaky thing is that the night before I dreamed my apartment caught fire.

Bottom line... Tracey is NOT allowed to OPERATE under COLD MEDICINE of any kind!

11 Going on 42

My Mom is always telling me that I don't give my kids enough responsibility and that I do too much for them. Maybe she is right. However, this particular day proved Shailey is amazingly responsible for an 11 year old girl.

I had an all day modeling shoot with Emma, Glenn had to work unusually late until 9:30pm, and Shailey ended up with a modeling audition that same night. I would not be able to take her to the audition, but she insisted she wanted to do it anyway, so I gave her maps for how to get there, and she called me from her cell phone at every stop. Here is Shailey's day:

8:00am -3:30pm attend 6th grade school classes

3:30pm pick up Jonas from school

15 minute walk to take Jonas to Napierski's house (family friends)

15 minute walk back to school for netball practice

4:00-5:00 netball practice

change clothes for audition

go to Hiroo and take subway for 7 stops and 1 transfer in Roppongi

5:40 meet agent at subway exit

5:45-7:00pm audition (which included some singing too)

take subway back to Azabu Juban this time, only 6 stops and 1 transfer

20 minute walk to Napierski's house to pick up Jonas

7 minute walk Jonas home

7:30 pm bathe Jonas and get him in his pajamas

cook herself eggs for dinner

8:30pm Mom gets home

WOW. WOW. WOW.

I did try to get a babysitter to help with Shailey's subway ride, but no one was available. Shailey tried to get a friend to go with her, but that did not work either. Glenn tried to come home earlier, but couldn't. It was a crazy day. I could not have gotten through the day without Shailey. She was MOM for the day and was a TROOPER. She is brave, independent, confident, responsible, and very very mature. I love this girl. She is my gem.

PS. for those who don't know, Japan is the safest country in the world with the lowest crime rate.... so the subways are not as scary as they might seem :)

Littlest Pets

Emma loves animals. Emma loves any kind of animal... from aardvarks to zebras... she loves animals. She doesn't care if they are real or stuffed because they are all real to her.

However, Emma was born to a mother who is also known as....

"THE STUFFED ANIMAL NAZI"

That's right. Emma has collected so many stuffed animals over the years I decided the new rule is that if she gets a new one, she has to get rid of an old one. Am I horrible? And yet, with Nazi mother and all these rules, she still manages to have a load of "stuffies" in Japan, as well as in Indiana.

Furry or plastic, big or small, it does not matter. A few years ago she started collecting "Littlest Pets". Originally I loved the idea of "Littlest Pets"... great name, great idea... collecting a lot of tiny animals that can fit into one shoebox. However, just like "stuffies", Littlest pets add up too and before you know it, you're inundated with them. Check out this pile. This is after she gave a handful away to her 2nd grade auction.

Then one day, I finally caved. Emma saved her money and bought her own first, real, truly live, PET (she said fish don't count). She got a hamster and named him "Pumpkin". She was in heaven!!! She kept pinching herself saying "is this real... do I really have my own pet.... this is the happiest day of my life.... there will never be a better day than this!"

Look at her face... it screams, "pure glee".

Shailey ended up buying one with her own money too. And Emma faithfully cleans BOTH cages each week and feeds BOTH hamsters daily without a complaint. She said she actually enjoys cleaning their cages... one word.... pet lover.

Emma got a little pet and they lived happily ever after.

Sex and the City

It was a hot and steamy summer night in metropolitan Tokyo, when four sexy women slipped into their Zara jeans, strapped on their Steve Madden heels, and glossed over their lips for a night on the town. Jetting out on the hottest wheels around, they let the wind tousle their hair on their sweet ride into the city lights where nothing but deviant freedom lay ahead of them.

Recklessly they parked their fast machines in front of the very chic French Cafe, causing a stir of attention from the locals. These sexy women paid no mind, and carelessly laughed in delight.... they were shamelessly used to attracting attention.

They were four women, from the four corners of the earth, gathered in perfect harmony; there was tantalizing Veryan from Britain, coquettish Prue from Australia, demure Hideko from Japan, and voguish Tracey from America.

Once inside the cafe, they shared intimate stories of the men love and the work they hate, over tall glasses of sparkling water and four French courses. With such hot topics, no one even cared about the handsome young waiter who continued to blush at this stunning group before him.

When the evening grew long, the four friends parted. Each glamorously set off again on her fast wheels. It was an evening never to be forgotten or repeated. There has never been nor ever will be such "sex and the city" again.

(my favorite moment is when we met up on bicycles at Veryan's apartment and she said in her heavy British accent, "I feel like we are some sort of juvenille dilenquent gang meeting up at a shady hotel".... so funny)

She's Having a Boy

Five years ago, when I found out I was having a boy, I panicked. I was shocked and frankly disappointed. Maybe it was because I was raised in a house full of girls. Maybe it was because after having two girls I thought having all girls was also my path. I am not proud of the thoughts that swirled around in my head:

- I don't want to decorate a "dinosaur" theme room
- I don't like Lego's, cars, or trains
- Boy clothes are ugly
- Soccer, karate, and t-ball are boring
- Power Rangers are lame
- Baditude scares me

the sad list goes on...

Then one night, I had a dream of a young man with long sandy blond hair, playing a guitar and sitting around a group of teenage friends. He had friends from all walks of life and was very kind to them all. He had a great sense of humor and was really relaxed.... I would even say "cool". I woke up and it dawned on me that just because we were having a boy did not mean that he was going to be how I stereo-typed a boy would be (shaved head kid wearing a Thomas the Train tanktop and Tevo sandals). He would be raised by us, Glenn and Tracey. He would enjoy what we enjoy: Harry Potter, Beatles music, Medieval knights, basketball, dressing up in costumes, history, guitar and piano, reading, swimming, etc.

I had forgotten about these random pregnancy thoughts until one day in spring 2008, I walked in on this scene: Glenn teaching Jonas how to play the guitar.

And there he was, my son, being raised by my husband who I adore. He is a very cool 4 year old boy, who is more fun that I ever imagined a son would be. He is relaxed, he is funny, he doesn't have a dinosaur-theme room, and he doesn't wear Tevos... he wears flip flops. I think our favorite thing about Jonas is how much he loves dress up and creative play: Zorro, Superman, Power Rangers, Knights, Spiderman, pirates, and more.

And guess what else? I love Power Rangers, superheros, and Lego's. And, Jonas has already played on a soccer team... why? Because I love what he loves because I love him. Its funny how that happened so naturally. I love who Jonas is becoming and I am grateful for Glenn's influence in his life. I married Glenn because he is not the "typical" boy. He is creative, musical, intelligent, athletic, and best of all, he doesn't think driving in the mud in a lifted truck with giant wheels is a good time.

She had a boy and they lived happily ever after.

Tooth Fairy Bye Bye

April, 2008 Shailey said goodbye to her last baby tooth and goodbye to her toothfairy friend she's been writing for the past 6 years. She was sad that this chapter was coming to a close and could hardly write her last note.

Over the years, Shailey has asked the toothfairy to describe what she looks like. So, as a final gift, the toothfairy gave Shailey a tiny doll in replica to remember her always. Shailey was thrilled!

Bye bye T.F. we will miss you!

Unsolved Mystery

Riddle me this:

How does your 4 year old get poop on the heel of his foot without ever leaving the toilet?

If you or anyone you know can answer this unsolved mystery, feel free to comment.

The Truth About Ex-Pat Life

"Ex-pat" signifies "ex-patriot" and means that you temporarily live out of your native country. In general when you tell someone you are an ex-pat, they envision a glamorous life full of traveling around the world and getting paid well.... there is definitely another side of this coin.

There is also the packing, unpacking, packing again, unpacking, shopping for items you can't get in your foreign land and then shipping them, unpacking your shipment, and shipping again.... a lot of packing, shopping, and shipping....not so glamorous.


The look here on my face is candid.... Shailey snapped it with my camera.... it reads, "where do I start?"


So you're telling me that this stuff is supposed to fit in those suitcases? Hmmmm.

This summer I spent a good amount of time stocking up on the items we wanted to take back to Japan and then piling it up in my bedroom (where I could lock the doors and keep the kids out of it). My mom said to me, "This may be a silly question, but can't you buy this stuff in Japan... I mean, don't the Japanese use shampoo and soap". I see her point. Of course the Japanese use shampoo and soap. The problem is that when I am at a store in Japan, I cannot READ if the bottle reads "soap" or if it reads "wart remover". So unless I want to take Glenn to the store every time, it is easier (and CHEAPER) to buy whatever I can in the states and take it back with me to Japan. Capiche?

For example: Hairspray. Looks like hairspray, feels like hairspray, smells like hairspray, and is made by Pantene... so of course it is hairspray, right? It took a few minutes to realize why Shailey's hair looked like it had been smothered in margarine.... and never mind that I used the spray to make her hair look nice for a modeling audition.... no exaggeration. This spray turned out to be hair conditioner. So you see, for as much as it is a hassle to pack, unpack, and pack again, for the most part it is worth it (right Jen?). Whatever did NOT FIT in the suitcases, got shipped in boxes. Now you will understand why I can't bring myself to unpack the shipped boxes when they arrive. I spend the next week just staring at them until I get enough energy to unpack once again.This summer, I packed and unpacked 32 times.... ahhhhh the beauty of ex-pat life.

Holy Moly

My DNA codes for a lot of moles, mostly from my Dad's side of the family.... lucky me. I have moles from one end to the other... even on my toes (that got a chuckle from my dermatologist). This summer I got my annual "mole inspection" and it was determined several moles needed to be removed, including the one in the center of my forehead.... again, lucky me.

So for several days I walked around with this unusually large bandage on my forehead that made people uncomfortable to talk to me.... I mean, how can they avoid staring at the bandage hiding the UNICORN HORN I just had removed.

To make matters worse, forgetting I had this mole removed, a few days later I got my International Driver's License. When I got it back, I looked at the picture and laughed out loud.

Hello Mr. Bandaid.... we'll be seeing a lot of each other for the next several years. Holy moly.

Locks for Love

Shailey grew her hair for an entire year with plans to donate it to LOCKS for LOVE. This is an organization that collect hair donations to make into wigs for alopecia patients and cancer patients. I was so proud she came up with this idea all on her own. When Shailey learned her Aunt Trisha had alopecia , she was very sensitive and it touched her. Even though Aunt Trisha is fine now, Shailey felt like this was a way she could support the cause for her Aunt .

When the time came for her to cut it, I told her it was okay to change her mind (secretly I worried my sensitive "pre-teen" may not like it afterwards and have regrets). However, Shailey was not thwarted and went full speed ahead with her original plan.

BEFORE
AFTER
I went to the store and left Shailey home with Aunt Missie and came home to this..... she cut off 12 inches!!!!

Aunt Missie did a GREAT JOB!!!! She has such an incredible talent for hair! We are lucky to have her in our family. Shailey absolutely loved her haircut and had NO regrets. I think Aunt Missie had more regrets... she got teary and said to me "I'm sorry I made our Shailey look so old!" She is so sweet, I love Missie to pieces. She did my hair too, highlights and all. She is by FAR my favorite stylist. If only she lived closer....

The Progress of a Fit

It started out innocent... I snapped a photo as my son politely asked me if he could play at his friend's house, "No, Bode is going to bed now and cannot have company".

Jonas refused to take "no" for an answer and before you know it, a simple question turned into a full blown tantrum. Capturing this precious moment made me laugh... am I horrible?

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"