Reflections from the Backseat

We have good days and bad days during carpool. Some days we laugh and play the whole way. Other days Maiya and Devin fight, yell, cry and say nasty mean things to each other and I arrive at work very grumpy. But most days they alternate between getting along, laughing a lot, with little flare-ups in between. Today was one of them, but I consider it a good day because I didn’t yell at anyone and I'm feeling pretty chipper, despite the 4 hours of sleep.  Maiya and Devin were drawing pictures on their magnetic Doodle Art boards this morning.

Somewhere in Culver City:
M:  Devin, how do you write your name?
D:  D-E-V-I-N.
M: Look Devin. I wrote “I love you Devin.”
(Devin’s response is sort of a chuckle/grunt.)
M:  Devin, if you want to copy it, you could change the last part to Maiya. If you want to.
D:  No, thank you.

On the freeway:
M:  Look Devin. I made a drawing of me giving you a dog.
D:  That’s not a dog!
M:  Yes it is! It is a dog!
D:  Well it doesn’t look like one.
M:  Devin. It’s not about fighting. It’s about peace. Right Mommy?
J:   Yes, it is about peace.
M:  Devin we are very baddest friends. Why do we always have ploblems?
D:  We don’t always have problems. Some times we are very good friends to each other.
M:  That’s true. But sometimes we fight.

Still later on San Pedro Street:
M:  Mommy, what are you doing?
J:    Exercising (to Rockett & Zoe's CD - Black Eyed Peas).
M:  It looks like you’re dancing. Devin, let’s dance.
D:   I don’t want to dance. Maiya, stop it! Don’t pin me! (Teasing him with hair clip.)
J:    Maiya, Devin says he doesn’t want to dance, please don’t bother him with your hairclip. He doesn’t have to dance if he doesn’t want to.
M:  But I saw him dance in his seat a little bit twice.

On First Street:
D:  Maiya, I think the shop owners will think that we are brother and sister.
M:  No! They can’t see us. The windows are (unintelligible).
D:   No they’re not. They can see us.
M:  Oh no, not another ploblem.

Turning in to parking lot:
M:  Devin, what do you think Ms. Yumiko will say about my sparkly headband?
D:  (Unintelligible)  Jenni, look at my fighter plane. It has fire coming out the back!
J:   Wow, that’s a great fighter plane. Ok, here we are. Everyone get your things together. Let’s take a picture of your drawings.  (See above.)

Venice Obon #2

Maiya dancing by herself at Venice Obon 2010

Time to go home!

We enjoyed Venice obon again this year.  We went with my parents, and Tony decided to walk and met us there.  We ate a lot of food (my review of the food is the same from previous years), lines were fairly long, parked a few blocks away, which is like most obons that we go to.  What I like about Venice is that it is close to home and we get to see many of the people who helped us on the Aloha Market Mural that we did 12 years ago.  Their kids, who helped us paint, are all grown up now.

Maiya was excited because she recognized Tampopo Ondo which she learned at preschool, and she recognized that Auntie Nobuko sings the song.  She was also happy because she got to say hi to Tula's grandpa.  I was a proud mama because Maiya asked if she could dance by herself.  It makes me feel great that she isn't afraid to try new things, or do things without me.  It was very cute to see her copying other dancers.  I think I took some video, I will post it when I find it.  Next week:  WLA.

Performing at Nishi Obon 2010

It's obon season again!  Here we are at Nishi Obon, you could say it is our home obon since it is where Maiya has been going to preschool for the last 2 1/2 years, and we are members at Nishi.   Between our family, we sampled just about everything there is to eat and drink this year.   This year was cool, not hot at all, and not as crowded as in the past two years.  It was fun watching the kids dance.  It was nice that my mom, dad and Auntie Keiko came to see her perform, her 3rd time on the Nishi stage.

Nishi kids getting ready to perform

"Futatsu" one of 3 dances from Odori class

Pretty sure we have a picture from last year in the same yukata, same location

except that she is wearing her great grandma's obi.

Grandma and Grandpa came to see Maiya and for the snowcones

Tony and Auntie Keiko having some obon foods

Somen time, slurp, slurp

Nishi Center kids penguin sumi-e paintings and figurines on exhibit

Tony hard at work at the snow cone booth

Kuida-Osumi, heading home 

A few more obons to go... pix to follow.