It's Official. We're walking!

We saw on the news about the high school walk outs in support of immigrants rights. Tomorrow is the big immigrants rights rally and march Downtown. It's exciting that they're expecting maybe 50,000 people tomorrow. On the homefront, Maiya is officially walking now too! She has become a food-flinging, walking, toddler in front of our eyes! At home, she is probably walking about 80% of the time. It's so funny to watch her when she's trying to get somewhere fast.

I'm exhausted and just worn out from the week. It helps that Maiya is starting to sleep a little bit longer at night--3 nights she slept 5 hours straight in the past week or so, but I am still nursing 8-12 times a day, in addition to 3 meals a day. I worked Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday, we had a playdate with Maiya's friend Jessica, and Dean came over and hooked us up with an external CD drive so that I can back up 13 months of baby pictures. Then Thursday, I went to Great Leap for a meeting and to work on some grants, and then we went to the gym to workout, which about did me in. And darn it I still have that lingering cough. On a bright noter, this weekend, Tony and I are going on a date! It will be our first night out alone since his birthday last April. Wee hee!

Oh! Here are some pictures of the week and then it's off to bed for me!


Do you know how hard it is to take a picture of a toddler walking towards you? Trust me, not easy.

Walking in the kitchen while daddy makes dinner. See that kleenex I'm holding? I love to wipe the floors with it. Mama says, "Yuck!"

My 2nd drawing--the first one was pencil marks all over the kitchen cabinet! The funny thing is that she is holding the same bag in this picture that she is carrying in the March 14th photo of her on her little car. Funny!

Pix for Bubbe & Zeyde & 10 things

Here are some pictures for Maiya's grandparents up in Idaho...


Maiya in her Indian-style dress from Auntie Nobuko

Maiya playing guitar with daddy

Maiya playing outside this afternoon

Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted. It's hard to find the energy sometimes. Ten random things you may or may not need or want to know.

1. I found Maiya's favorite shoe last night!!!!! It's been missing since Feb. 5th. I looked everywhere except in the couch cushion--where I found it at 2:30 am this morning. I was so happy I wanted to wake up Tony, but I didn't. I don't think I can explain how happy I am about it.

2. Guess who got a cell phone??? Welcome to the 21st century, TonyO! So many times I've wished he had a cell phone over the years. We upgraded to a family plan with Tony's dad and uncle--we all got Razors! Mine is pink, and I love it!

3. We're excited about the I-word, that has been spreading... Maiya, can you say, "impeach?"

4. Maiya's walking now. A lot, especially at home. A lot of walking and falling. See the red mark on her forehead in the picture above?

5. Maiya went to the doctor today. She is now 18 pounds! I know, I know. She has a healthy appetite, but she's also very, very active.

6. I still have a darn cough, and coughing fits, usually late at night. Another sore throat... been off and on since November, maybe it's time to go to the doctor.

7. Tony's been cooking almost every night. I think my favorite time of the day is dinner time at the Kuida-Osumi's. Grandpa Larry has been coming over for dinner 1 or 2 times a week the last month.

8. I am addicted to red vines. I am eating a container of 330 almost all by myself. Ugh.

9. We finally went back to the gym the other night. We gotta make it a more regular thing.

10. We're making plans for continued home improvement. When I was pregnant, we were out of the bedroom for 10 weeks because we were painting 2 rooms and a hallway, and doing hardwood floors. It was a stressful time. Wish us luck!

** Well wishes **

* Deepest condolences to our friend Gary whose dad passed away recently. Maiya and I went to the funeral on Friday.
* Belated condolences to Sue, whose son passed away after a hiking accident last month.
* Feel better, Uncle Meg, who got a new defibrulator (pacemaker) last week.
* Hooray for nephew Kevin who had a cochlear implant surgery last week and is recovering well!
* Our friend John, who at 34 years old, had a heart attack and a triple by-pass surgery on Saturday.

Health, wellness and our best wishes to you all.

13 Months and counting

Hey, I've got bangs! Kinda, sorta...

Maiya turned 13 months yesterday. She's taking more and more steps. Yesterday, she took 18 steps, advancing about 3 feet, into my arms. Sometimes it's step, step, step, sit. Or hold something with one hand, pivot, step, pivot, step. She's getting pretty quick at scaling the walls, and then crawling for even faster mobility. Her old favorite foods, are now casually tossed onto the floor, tofu, avocado, potatoes. She is really into whole wheat bread, pasta and rice, and enjoyed fruits from the health food store the other day.

My most recent column came out yesterday, Working Mom: For the Sake of the Children, which I wrote about going back to work at LTSC in the Child Development program. I actually even uploaded it on our website.

In other news, it's time for a change. The man continues to lie about everything. About 9/11, lied about WMD, the levees. How much more proof do we need before we make a change?

Two links and a pushy baby

Ok, there's only 3 Japantowns left in this country, and one of them is at risk! Please check out the petition to Save the San Francisco Japantown! Click here and pass it on to a friend: http://www.petitiononline.com/jtown/petition.html

Have you heard about the Johari window? Well, here's your chance to check it out and tell me what kind of person you think I am. I know, I know, kind of like asking, how do you like me now? And in case you didn't know, Jenazon is my gaming name (from Diablo), and Jenazon40 is my AIM name. Click here: Jenazon's Johari Window.

A Quick Maiya Update: Maiya isn't walking just yet, but the last few days, she's been taking more and more little steps. Today and the other day, she said "toast," but it sounds like "tostodt" or "dost" when I am asking her if she wants toast for breakfast. She loves her whole wheat toast. She's also been looking at pictures more intently and pointing to them and saying "bish" or "dish" or "dis" and babbling all the time. After 9 days, she is happily diarrhea free. And finally, since you haven't seen a picture in over a week, here's a picture of my favorite gal in the world. I call it, "Pushy Baby" just cause lately, she's into pushing chairs.


Pushy Baby

This week in pictures...

We had a small family BBQ for Maiya's 1st Birthday on Sunday. Daddy grilled lots of yummy food! Maiya and Grandpa shared a birthday cake (he's 75!). It was a carrot cake with cream cheese filling from Angel Maid. It was delish.


Happy Bday to me & Grandpa!

Me with Mama and Daddy in our backyard
Here's Maiya in her tie-dye onesie at Chris Iijima's memorial service. Auntie Nobuko sang a medley of songs from "A Grain of Sand" and there were a lot of other cool performances.


We are the offspring of the concentration camp,
we are the children of the Japanese gardener,
who will leave their stamp on Amerika!
This week, Maiya went for her 12 month appointment, and had some shots. We decided to delay the MMR vaccination. The doctor also told us that Maiya has lost weight in the last 3 months! Since then, she's had a fever, lots of vomiting (all over Mommy and Daddy) and diarrhea. Poor baby girl. But never mind all that, she's having fun on her new ride!


I like to drive my new car and put stuff in the trunk!
Some sad news this week. Finally, Auntie Tazu has been found. She was Tony's great uncle Chi's sister who had been missing since January 10th. Apparently her van went over a steep enbankment into the Williamette River near Bend, Oregon. It was amazing the generosity of hundreds of volunteers who organized and searched for her for over a month. Our deepest condolences to Auntie Tazu's family.

Tony on Japanese TV... Celebrating Chris

Tony was interviewed for JATV, a Japanese news show recently about the Little Tokyo Mural. The show aired on Saturday night. Tony, along with Kei, from J-town Voice! were interviewed about the recent high-end housing development and its affects on the residents and small business owners in Little Tokyo. I just learned that the interview is available on their website.

Here it is: Renaissance of Little Tokyo. Tony's part is only about a minute long... it's towards the end. Let us know if you're able to view it online.


Chris Iijima performing with Great Leap in 1997
On another note, this Saturday, Feb. 11th there will be a program Come-Unity, celebrating Chris Iijima's life and legacy at the West L.A. College Theater at 1pm.

Chris was Nobuko's musical partner back in the early 70s when they toured the country for 3 years and then recorded the first Asian American album--music and songs from the birth of the Asian American Movement.

In 1997, the year I started working with Nobuko at Great Leap, they had their first "reunion concert" at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State. Over the next 3 or 4 years, I booked over a dozen gigs for Nobuko, Chris and Charlie Chin, at colleges all around the country. Chris was many things in his life, a lawyer, activist, father, professor, songwriter, and more. I appreciated his righteous contributions to "The Movement" through his music.

There is info on the Great Leap website, and there is a Chris Iijima blog with info about this weekend's memorial service.

Since she turned one...

Maiya turned one year's old on Wednesday. Since that time, we've been busy! On Thursday, we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa had back surgery on Tuesday, and by the next day, he was up and walking again! I was so happy to catch such a cute, cute picture of Maiya with Grandma and Grandpa. Maiya had a fun day, being the center of attention all day long.


Maiya with Grandma and Grandpa on a warm winter's day
Then on Saturday, we had quite a bit of excitement when a photographer from PeopleMagazine came over to take pictures of us! We were interviewed about how we co-sleep with Maiya. Apparently, the writer who interviewed us, googled onto our blog and read that we share a family bed. Anyways, Maiya was a great sport for the first hour, but then in the 2nd hour, she was getting a little cranky, and so I nursed her to sleep. The photographer continued taking pictures of us all "sleeping"--I started smiling when I heard the even breathing of Tony dozing off! Anyways, it's possible that there will be an article and photos of us in the magazine in the next few weeks. The writer and the photographer were really supportive--hope the article turns out well.

Also on Saturday, Maiya Grace got to meet Grace Lee Boggs, our dear friend and mentor from Detroit. Maiya is named after Grace, an amazing community activist at 90 years young! Grace was in town for the weekend for the latest Great Leap workshops, "To All Relations: The Art of Weaving Faiths." We wish we had more time to spend with amazing Grace and our awesome friend Shea, but since we didn't, we'll have to try to get to Detroit this summer.


Maiya Grace and Grace
Finally, on Saturday night, we finally did a cake for Maiya. Tony got Phillips BBQ for dinner, and got a slice of carrot cake. We put a candle in it, sang "the song" to her, and took pictures of Maiya with her first birthday cake!!!


Happy Birthday Girl! Blow out the candle!

Babyversary!!!

Yee! It's Maiya's birthday today! Our little girl turned one years old today. Can't hardly believe that it's been a year since Maiya was born. Yesterday I said to Tony, "Hey, today is the anniversary of our labor!"

She has definitely changed our life. And she is amazing us with little changes every day. Tonight, she was trying to climb up on the couch and had her leg and foot reaching all the way on the couch, but couldn't quite get there on her own. Tony gave her butt a little boost and as she got up and leapt into my arms, she was giggling and lauging like crazy, and so proud of herself! We were overjoyed! What fun!

Life is busy, working 3 days a week. The days off are filled with errands, housework, community stuff and activities with Maiya. Yesterday, we had our third neighborhood playdate. One of the girls is 2 weeks older than Maiya, and the other is about 3 1/2 weeks younger than Maiya. It's been a few months since our first get together, so the girls have really grown and changed a lot! Both girls are walking now, so that is very fun to watch.

So, indulge me in a few photos going back a year... and then, a few photos of our one year old cutie patootie.


Born 2/1/05 at 5:41 pm after 37 hours of labor

Baby Maiya, 8 pounds, 11 oz.

Kuida-Osumi leaving the hospital

Maiya at one years old, approx. 20 pounds

Happy Bday to me!

Missing Grandma

Here's a story about Tony's Great Uncle Chi's sister, Tazu Higashi. The bad news is that she has been missing from Lake Oswego, Oregon since January 10th. The good news is that there seems to have been quite a bit of news coverage, and many people have reported in that they've seen her in several locations over several days. Some of Tony's Washington relatives went last week to help the family follow up on tips and try to help find her. Our best thoughts and good wishes for Tazu's safe return home.

Auntie Tazu's grandson has created a website dedicated to helping find her: Bring Grandma Home

TV News: Search continues for missing Lake Oswego grandmother

Baby Signs

Maiya explains her aversion to pink polka dots in so many words

This picture doesn't have to do with anything. It's just a funny photo of a crying girl wearing pink polka dots on a polka dot blanket. My news for today, is that Maiya did her first "baby sign" at dinner last night! Tony was feeding Maiya carrots and pear slices and doing the sign for "more" which is making a fist and putting his knuckles together. Then she started doing it too! Tony yelled for me to look, and sure enough, she did it some more! (We've been doing milk, drink, food, and more for the last few months.)

Then tonight at dinner, Maiya was eating tofu. She was pointing and babbling as usual. But she seemed more pointed in her pointing, so I looked and noticed she seemed to be pointing at my glass, and saying "wa wa wa wa wa." What? Did she say water? Does she want some water? Who knows if she did or not, but Tony went and got her sippy cup and filled it with water. She grabbed it, smiled and started drinking. The other exciting thing is that for weeks, if not months, she drinks, but really needs us to lift the cup high enough so she can get to the water. Last few nights, I've been lifting the cup, explaining what I'm doing and telling her to lift it up. So tonight, when she took the water, she tilted her head sideways and back, and was getting the water. Click. Success!

We're so excited. We're happy that Maiya is learning to communicate. We really want for her to learn baby sign language, not just so she can communicate with us for water and more food before she learns to talk, but more importantly so she can learn to communicate with her cousin Kevin, who was born with profound hearing loss. Kevin is a happy, active one year old, and just keeps getting cuter every time I see him. Kevin is having surgery next week that will hopefully help him to hear... so please keep Kevin and his family in your thoughts and best wishes!!

Bubbe & Zeyde's Visit

We had a great visit from Tony's Mom and Don (aka Bubbe and Zeyde) last week. They came down from Idaho for Don's mom Marie's memorial service. While they were here, we got to visit with Valerie, Beth, Brian, and Erin. We also saw Nina, Danika and Chris at least 3 times, which was a lot of fun. Maiya and I were sick, but Tony also got to visit with Aunt Sarah, Uncle Izzy, and Patti as well. We spent a lot of time just hanging out, eating, and even playing Sudoku. We hope they come visit again soon!


At Don's Mom's Memorial Service in Compton

Grandma Fran wearing Maiya after enchilada dinner

Maiya with cousin Danika

Fran and Don with Uncle Izzy, Aunt Sarah and Patti

What's new at 11?

At almost 11 1/2 months, Maiya is a lot of fun. The girl can empty a bookshelf in 1 minute. She can move fast. She says, "dad? dad? dad? dad?" repeatedly. When she's happy and smiling she says, "Dhish" or "Dis" quite frequently. When she wants me but I'm not focused on her she cries, "Ma ma ma ma ma ma." Unfortunately, Maiya and I have had back-to-back colds since the 2nd week of November. We cough and hack all day and night. She's had a runny nose almost consistently since starting childcare, and has had several days of low-grade fever and not her usual self, although she seems to be coming out of it slowly.

Today, I took her for a ride to the laundry room in the laundry basket and filled the basket with clothes around her and she laughed. Yesterday when Lily left, she beamed and waved goodbye like crazy. She's been starting to stand up on her own for a few seconds at a time, but no walking yet. No worries, no rushing. Here's a picture of Maiya in her room, after one of her famous shelf-clearing incidents:


Cute, huh?

Happy New Year 06!

Happy New Year! Can't believe that it's 2006, and Maiya is now 11 months old.

We celebrated a day early with a New Year's Oshogatsu party at our house on New Year's Eve/Day. Yes, it rained and poured all day long. In total, 36 people came over and we had a great time visiting with friends and family. And even though we ordered and bought a lot of the foods, it is still a lot of work, just getting our humble little abode ready for such a large group of people. And with the rain, that meant pretty much that everyone was crammed in our living/dining room and den. This year, it was more challenging to get ready because I'm still sick, and Maiya wanted to be held the whole time we were trying to get the house ready. Not that I did any cooking. My culinary contribution was making a chipotle dip from scratch, and without a recipe. Tony put together all the Japanese foods, and grilled the stuff.

Then yesterday on New Year's, Tony crashed out and slept pretty much all day. Maiya and I went to my cousin Marlon & Hiroko's house and we spent the afternoon there. Then in the evening, we picked up Tony and went to our friend Evelyn & Bruce's house. They always put together a nice spread, with lots of friends and community folks. I still wasn't feeling well, so when we got home, I immediately went to sleep, which I really needed after a busy few days.

Today, was cleanup day. It took me 12 hours (with many breaks to play, change, feed, nurse and manage Maiya) to clean the kitchen and front room (yes, from the party 2 days ago). We had cleaned up maybe half of it, but there was still a lot of work to be done. But, the house looks good now. My friend Maria, gave me a Sudoku puzzle book on New Year's--I hate that kind of stuff where I *have* to use my brain for non-critical functions, but I have to say, I think I'm getting addicted. I have finished 4 puzzles so far.

Well, that's all i have for today. 2005 was a pretty awesome year for the Kuida–Osumi family. I look forward to seeing what 2006 has in store for us. Very soon, Maiya will be walking and talking, and she will continue playing, laughing, learning and exploring; amazing and entertaining her mama and daddy at every turn.


Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu!

More condolences...

in the past 2 days, I learned that we've lost two really great guys who were connected to Great Leap. Chris Iijima, who toured with Nobuko and Charlie Chin from 1969-1972, and recorded the first Asian American album back in 1973, passed away on New Year's Eve after being pretty ill the last two years. Chris was an amazingly gifted musician, who got nervous every time he performed. I worked with Chris a lot my first few years at Great Leap because we were booking a lot of "Grain of Sand Reunion Concerts" for Nobuko, Chris and Charlie Chin.

Herb Holman also passed away. Herb was Yuri Kochiyama's son-in-law, and Great Leap's financial guru. Herb was very smart, a really cool guy and totally supportive of the work we do. I just got an email from Herb not too long ago, giving an update on his battle against cancer, and I really thought he was going to beat it. I was stunned hearing about the passing of both Chris and Herb, and was fortunate to work with both of them for many years. My deep condolences to their families.

Detroit's Best Bakery

Each of the 8 times I've gone to Detroit (because of our work with Grace Lee Boggs and Detroit Summer on some murals and with Great Leap), I always go to Avalon. It is truly the best place to get bread, coffee and sandwiches. Before I leave for the airport, I stop by to get some delicious organic olive bread to take home. Here's an article by Jackie sharing she and Ann's vision for creating a business that is good to people, the environment, and the community. In a city that can often be kind of depressing (60,000 abandoned lots, severe poverty, etc), Avalon is an oasis in the desert. Jenni :)


Tony and our friend Shea at Avalon in Detroit in 2003
CREATING A CITY OF ENTREPRENEURS
By Jackie Victor, guest columnist
Michigan Citizen, Jan. 1-7, 2006

The class in Entrepreneurship beginning on January 21 at Wayne County Community College may be the education that Detroiters have been waiting for.

In 1997, my partner, Ann Perrault, and I embarked upon a visionary adventure: Avalon International Breads, a high-quality bakery in the Cass Corridor using 100% organic flour and following a business model of sustainability and community. While we had many advantages, neither of us had any formal business training or bakery experience. What we had was a rich history of community in Detroit and a vision of doing something bigger than ourselves, of fulfilling James Boggs’ edict to “start businesses that sustain ourselves, shoe repair shops, bakeries, etc.” We took his words literally and Avalon was born.

We started the bakery with three bottom lines: right relationship with the Earth, right relationship with Employees, and right relationship with the Community. (We didn’t discover the fourth bottom line, right relationship with our Checkbook, until six years into the venture). These four principles or aspirations keep us on track as much as possible. They also keep us humble.

What we have received back from the community in loyalty, support and gratitude is immeasurable. Although a tough, taxing and physically demanding business that has aged us considerably, the bakery has been a spiritual boon in our lives while providing a livelihood for ourselves and over 25 other Detroiters.

And since we opened, five small businesses have been started on our block by African American women with similar values!

We focused on quality: food, atmosphere and service. Detroiters are accustomed to being underserved and thus welcome thoughtful, high quality businesses. Their loyalty has been amazing. I can’t tell you how many people thanked us in our first years for opening a place for them to spend their money!

I truly believe that conscious entrepreneurship is the only way to create a real, living economy in our city. Although considerably smaller than 25 years ago, Detroit is still home to over 800,000 people who still need food, clothing, music, books, furniture, home supplies, etc.

The skills that entrepreneurship needs are not necessarily acquired through formal education, but are passed on through family businesses, apprenticeships and work experience. Many a well-trained business owner has failed because they have not followed business ethics or the law or professional advice. Since we have lost a generation of small business owners in Detroit, these mentorship opportunities are a critical part of any entrepreneurial education.

But there is another, more important element. Successful entrepreneurs must have not only the vision and the passion but the tenacity to continue to find new options and work harder and smarter when failure looms. And to continue to improve when success brings complacency. This is the hidden spark, the magic of entrepreneurship, that makes it not only a job but an exciting way of life.

Instead of looking to big business or retail strip malls to save Detroit, we need to envision and create a city alive with independent small businesses that reflect the world we desire, meet the needs of the lives we live, and can sustain us now and in the future. We may not get rich, but what better reward for our lives, than making a living creating a new city!

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from KuidaOsumi.com

Happy Holidays from Tony, Jenni & Maiya at the Little Tokyo Mural Unveiling


Kuida Family portrait by Darrell Miho
June 2005

Baby's First Christmas 05

Dinner Time & Maiya's Blog Update

I took Lily to LAX at 5:30 am today, and then went to get some gift wrap and medicine at Savon before dawn. If you want to avoid lines and holiday hassles, do it early in the morning. Yes, we're still sick. Maiya had a slight cold last week, and it's hard to tell if she's sick again, cause I'm still coughing, wheezing and hacking from her first cold back in November. This week, she had a fever, so I had to take her out of childcare, but then a few hours after we got home, she was fine (although I nursed her 16 times that day). We went to a holiday party at Beth, Brian, Erin & Valerie's last night, and now Maiya's a little bit croupy again.


Erin and Maiya at last night's party
But enough about that. This entry is about dinner time, so here's a few cute pictures from dinner a few weeks ago. Maiya is enjoying chunks of avocado, tofu, steamed zucchinis, carrots, sweet potatoes, edamame and other finger foods. We're moving away from the organic baby food in jars lately because she loves picking up the food with her fingers and feeding herself.


Maiya and Daddy chowing down

I like my sippy cup, but Mama's milk is still my favorite!

Finally, *Maiya* spent the whole afternoon, updating her Blog from July! Check it out!

Tricks are for kids

Tony taught Maiya "Gimme five." It's so cute how she slaps his hands, and gives him five. Maiya can also now wave goodbye. The other day, without being prompted to, she waved goodbye when I was dropping her off at childcare. That put a big smile on my face the entire morning.

Yesterday, I said, "Duckie, this is a duck. Give the duckie a hug," and then I put the soft fluffy duck in her arms. She grabbed the duck and gave it a hug. I couldn't believe it, so I said, "Give mama a hug." and she did. I tell you, the girl just keeps getting cuter and cuter.

On an exciting note, I just found out Maiya and I are going to be in the ProjectGotBreastmilk.com's 2006 Calendar. Boy, I never thought I'd be a pin-up girl, exposing my breasts for a calendar and everything! No, just kidding, it's a very tasteful photo of me nursing Maiya at The Grove when she was 2 1/2 months old. "Nothing" is showing, except for my commitment to giving my girl delicious and nutritious mama's milk, whenever and whereever she wants and needs it.

Ok, me and Maiya are both sick this week--that's been a bummer since I wasn't finished with last month's cold yet when this one kicked in. The funny thing is that Maiya loves the nasal aspirator. Most babies hate having their mocos sucked out of their noses, but when I do it, it makes her laugh every time. The girl is a nut, or maybe she just has a ticklish nose.

What else? Oh! Tooth #8 came in some time this week. Well, Maiya's been sleeping on my arms while I type this post, and my arm is getting tired. So, off to bed we go! Toodles!

Condolences

Marie at breakfast in Idaho
Deepest condolences to Don, my step-father-in-law, whose mom Marie passed away on Saturday. Marie just turned 93 a few weeks ago. We are happy that Marie was able to meet Maiya, and that we spent mornings at breakfast with Marie in Idaho on our summer vacation. Hugs to Don, Fran and all of Marie's extensive extended family.

Maiya's November Blog

I stayed up till 4am the other night selecting photos, cropping them, uploading them and creating Maiya's November Fotos Firsts and Blog. My goal is to do July, August and October before the end of the year. No promises. Last night, we were at Uncle Bill's till 4:30 am doing 4 loads of laundry since our dryer is on the fritz. Gee, maybe if I got more sleep I could get rid of this cough.

Winding Down November

Can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I've blogged. November has been a blur in some ways, and we've had lots of changes this month. I started working part-time, as the Admin Director of the childcare programs for Little Tokyo Service Center CDC. I am in charge of the fiscal operations of an infant/toddler center, a preschool in Angelina Heights (near Echo Park), a family literacy program, and a network of home family childcare providers. The preschool and childcare programs serve almost 200 children a day, the majority of which are eligible for free or very affordable childcare, and includes free ESL classes, computer classes and parenting education classes. I am still volunteering once a week at Great Leap.

Maiya started child care when I started my new job. She got the croup after the first week, and with 3 holidays in November, she hasn't been there a whole lot. Lately, she cries when I leave, but the great part is that I am able to nurse her 4 times throughout the day, before and after work, mid-morning and afternoon. Maiya's primary caregiver feeds her lunch, which I bring for her. She is "learning" how to sleep in a crib, which I really had my doubts about. And, when I went to pick her up yesterday, she was playing the tambourine and having a great time.


Maiya with cousin Tina on Turkey Day
For Thanksgiving, we went to Tony's aunt and uncle's house. Tony made 5 dozen deviled eggs, and they were delicious. Afterwards we went to Juana & Francisco's house at played Lotteria and had dessert (although I think Tony might have had another plate of turkey).


Wilbur and Mary, the happy couple
Also this weekend, we went to our friend Wilbur and Mary' s wedding reception. It was so touching--Mitsuye Yamada, known for camp poetry, wrote a poem for them about how they bring hope for us that love can come again, even when you're in your 70s! They had a great slide show. My favorite part was that they went to the same high school and same graduating class at Dorsey High (Class of 47), and they both were at UCLA at the same time, but didn't get married until almost 60 years later. I found myself a bit emotional and so happy for the newlyweds!

Finally, congrats to my cousin's daughter Jen, who also got married this weekend!!! (Jackie, send me a picture and I'll put it up!)

When next you hear from me, it'll be December!

Playtime!

We're all sick. Maiya's adjusting to childcare and came down with a case of the croup... Jenni & Tony are fighting the same cold. Here are some cute pictures from the last 2 weeks to tide you over until we're feeling better and can blog agin.

Playdate with neighbor Jessica (8 mos.)

Playing with her food

Playing in the saucer while mama does dishes

Playing with rotating Lego toy at Grandma's house

Playing with cousins Kaylee (18 mos) and Kevin (10 1/2 mos)

Celebrating Kyle (3), Darin (37) & Jenni's (41) Birthdays

Wasting time

I have a jillion things to do today, my day off from my new job. I also have lots of work to do on a grant for Great Leap that is due next week. But, in honor of procrastination, because of Peg, and since Maiya is asleep on my lap, here goes.

1. Name someone with the same birthday as you.
Liane U.
2. Where was your first kiss?
Leo Carrillo Beach, John H. I was camping with my cousins and my family for a week. It was the summer before 9th grade. I remember the way he tilted his head at me. We kissed for several days. He asked me how far I was willing to go. I remember saying, "well, I don't want to get pregnant." So, it never went beyond kissing. My second kiss was not until college.
3. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else’s property?
No. Not even close.
4. Have you ever hit someone of the opposite sex?
My brother? when I was a big sister bully?
5. Have you ever sang in front of a large number of people?
Yes. I used to be in chorus in elementary school. Oh, also, I was in a cheesy church musical in college. I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of it.
6. What’s the first thing you notice about the preferred sex?
Smile. Wait, what does that mean, "preferred?"
7. What really turns you on?
Activist poetry.
8. What do you order at Starbucks?.
Nothing. Who wants to pay $3 for a cup of coffee? Plus I don't do caffeine the last few years. Oh wait, I've gotten a few ice blendeds... more than one, less than five times.
9. What is your biggest mistake?
Hmm. can't think of any big mistakes. I make little ones all the time.
10. Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose?
Well, when I intentionally got pregnant, I knew there would be pain, but the result was so sweet--Maiya Grace.
11. Say something totally random about yourself.
When I was 12, I saved up enough babysitting money in a Snoopy banana bank to buy a 10-speed bike at Toys R' Us with $1 bills. At the time, I charged $1 an hour, so it was like 75 hours of babysitting. Can't imagine leaving Maiya with a 12 year old.
12. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity?
Yes. Kristi Yamaguchi. Although no one Asian ever said I look like her.
13. Do you still watch kiddy movies or tv shows?
I watch a Korean kiddy show occasionally and recently Sesame Street cause Maiya seems transfixed when Elmo's World comes on.
14. Did you have braces?
Yes. The whole experience was painful for me. Luckily it was only a year and a half.
15. Are you comfortable with your height?
Sure.
16. What is the most romantic thing someone of the opposite sex has done for you?
Tony published a love poem for me in the Rafu... then a few years later, he read the poem suggestively at a reading for International Women's Day while my community friends hooted and hollered.
17. When do you know it’s love?
You know. I actually fell in love with Tony in a dream, 4 months before our first date. I confirmed it on the first date.
18. Do you speak any other languages?
Sukoshi. Un peu. Poquito. (Not really... but I understand and can speak smatterings of Japanese, French and Spanish).
19. Have you ever been to a tanning salon?
Hell, no. But I used to slater baby oil on my skinny bikinied self and lay out between 10am and 2pm when I was a teenager.
20. What magazines do you read?
Mothering, Natural Family Living, Parenting, Parents, Vegetarian Times, People, Yes! Magazine. There's more, I'm sure.
21. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
Yes--when i was on the management team at the law firm I used to work at, we took the limo to get to monthly lunch meetings.
22. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?
My grandmothers. Recently more community friends have passed away.
23. Do you watch MTV?
I did in the days when Michael Jackson was black. Haven't had cable the last 8 1/2 years, so no.
24. What’s something that really annoys you?
Dumb comments.
25. What’s something you really like?
Taiko. Learning about alternative parenting. Blogging. Talking about Maiya. Taking pictures of Maiya. Maiya.
26. Do you like Michael Jackson?
Ha ha (see #23 above). I used to have Thriller and a few other albums, but you know he did it.
27. Can you dance?
Two left feet. But I love to dance around the living room with Maiya and turn her frown upside down.
28. What’s the latest you have ever stayed up?
I have had way too many all nighters in my life. Too many times for work or school or on the computer. The most recent time was giving birth to Maiya.
29. Have you ever been rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room?
Nope.
30. Do you actually read these when other people fill them out?
Yes, i do. But I never fill them out myself. Oh. Except for this time. Took me 30 minutes. Maiya's up. Enough time wasted. Ciao.

No! Yes!

No. No. No. No. No to the Propositions. No to Arnold. Yes!!!

Weekend Update

SATURDAY: On Saturday morning, we had to go take care of the van. The battery died and wouldn't hold a charge (we jumped it 4 times), so Tony went to get a new one and installed it himself. Then, I went to get gas, and like a woman with too many things on her mind, I left the gas cap on the trunk (where I have put it for the last 25 years without incident) and drove away with the door to the gas tank wide open. I went back to search for it, but no dice. Tony went and bought me a replacement for $12. So, even though Costco gas was cheap ($2.54 would be relatively cheap), I ended up spending $20 for gas and $12 for a gas cap.

Saturday afternoon, Maiya and I went to my cousin Rev. Marlon's church's 70th anniversary. We were late, but did get to enjoy a delicious bento lunch, and an awesome taiko performance. They also were celebrating the expansion of their sanctuary in his home church.

Finally, The Triangle Project is over! I've been "working" with Great Leap for the last few months trying to help get this performance together, mostly working on publicity and ticket sales. For a "stay-at-home-mom," I have been going into the office about twice a week, and actually with email and cell phones, I have been "working" just about 7 days a week. So, I'm pleased to report that the show went very well on Saturday night. It was great to finally see the result of the work of these 3 phenomenal women, Nobuko, PJ & Yoko. We brought Maiya to the show. She wasn't noisy per se, but she was especially squirmy, twisting in my arms and going in circles, as she has been doing more and more lately. She lasted the first two songs, and then Tony spent the rest of the show out in the lobby, watching from the monitors with 2 other dads (including Rich & Joyce's baby Sam) and their kiddies. I came out halfway through the second act and nursed her to sleep, and then turned her back over to Tony and went in to see the closing piece/peace.

SUNDAY: Sunday was my last day as a "stay-at-home-mom," and I did anything but stay at home. I went out shopping at AnnTaylor for clothes and a smaller bra (I have lost all my pregnancy weight, plus an additional 20 pounds below that), since none of my clothes fit me anymore. In the meantime, Tony and Maiya went to TJoe's and WholeFoods to do some grocery shopping. I also ran a bunch of errands at Costco and the neighborhood health food store to pick up supplies. Then last night, Tony wanted to do some furniture re-arranging again. We change our furniture around about every 3-4 weeks. I kid you not. People who are frequent visitors to our home know to expect that nothing will be as it was the last time they came.

Well that's it for the weekend. Next post I will talk about my new job, my earlier than expected return to work... and Maiya's first experiences with childcare.

Checking in @ 9 Mos.

Who's the pretty girl in the mirror, now?
Things Maiya does at 9 months:
* babbles all the time
* squeals and screams with delight
* claps her hands
* crawls very fast
* cruises on the furniture
* pulls herself to standing
* stands on tippy toes and does pull ups on the dresser, changing table, etc.
* can sit down or get down from standing position
* can stand upright (one hand holding onto something)
* climbs up our body when being held (legs on belly, then chest)
* still nurses about every 60-90 minutes during the day
* is eating two meals a day (organic baby food, or homemade foods)
* eats everything we offer her (fruits, veggies, grains)
* started eating some table foods (no crackers, cookies, dairy, meat or juices)
* drinks water from a sippy cup
* grabs for regular cups and bites down on the cup
* feeds herself
* sleeps about 9-11 hours at night, waking 1-3 times a night
* takes 1-3 naps a day (lasting 15-30 minutes, with the occasional 1-2 hour nap)
* just started taking baths with mama and enjoying bath toys
* turns the pages of her board books
* puts her hands all over the TV screen
* waves and twists her hand in the air
* eats the edges of her board books

Things Maiya loves:
* dogs (they make her soooo happy!)
* when we say, "what does a dog say," or cat or most any animal
* looking at herself in the mirror
* kisses on her belly, neck and face
* being in the sling going anywhere
* dancing, especially to Captain & Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together"
* climbing on the couch (to get to the mirror)
* sleeping in our arms
* going out into the front or backyard

Things Maiya does not like:
* diaper changes
* when i put my finger in her mouth to retrieve all the "no-no" items ***
* getting her face wiped
* snot removal
* being put down in the crib (not a big fan of the pack n/play, saucer or stroller)
* being put on her back when she's playing or focusing on anything
* disposable diapers (she knows they're bad for the environment)
* having her nails cut
* when we hold her legs (to keep her from crawling into danger)

Ways Maiya melts my heart:
* when we lie down and stare in each other's faces
* if i leave the room, she comes looking for me
* when she reaches for me
* when she's laughing and playing with daddy
* when I say, "Give mama a hug" and she clambers over to me

***i have found a thumbtack, tape, leaves, dust, hair and other small objects in her mouth & hands

Baby's First Halloween

Got sushi?

Mama and her sushi chef

I have to admit, I've never been much for costumes. They're usually kind of last-minute, and lame. This year, Maiya's first Halloween was no exception. I got home from some meetings downtown after 7pm, and while Tony made dinner and passed out candy, I threw together a pretty quick sushi chef costume with a hapi coat, shamoji (rice paddle) and yes, those are my childbirth delivery hospital panties on her head as a hachimaki. A few people asked if HE was a samurai, and only one person figured out SHE was supposed to be a sushi chef. I would probably have guessed wrong myself. We went to about 10 houses on our block, and on the block behind us. It was more about introducing ourselves to the neighbors. Next year, I promise to start thinking about costumes a little earlier.


Grandma teaching Maiya how to clap