Boys who play in snow

We have been surviving all the snow by embracing it. For the most part. Sure, it’s a pain in the ass and we’re all sick of shoveling and being inside, but I don’t ever remember having so much fun playing outside with my boys. And they can play for hours in the backyard, esp now that I built a little bunny slope they can slide down. According to the radio, Boston has already gotten twice as much snow than usual by this time of year. I love it if it has to be cold, but I will be very happy once it melts and Spring comes along. Rebirth! Sunshine! And no more 30 minutes to get ready and get out the door.

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Christmas came and went

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I know, I know. I’m just posting up some photos now. Better late than never, I say. I heard that my Japanese relatives are still “watching” my blog checking for new pictures, as my dear dad says. We miss you Japanese family! And we  miss all of our dearly beloveds in the world who we do not see nearly as often as we wished. We send you love and hugs.

My eyes are like a chameleon

Kenji and Bodhi after the big snow

“My eyes are like a chameleon.”  I ask why. “Because I can move one eye down” as he points his middle finger down…”and the other eye can go straight,” he gestures with his fingers now pointing forward. He starts to spin in circles after he tells me.  And then he moves to the living room to make laps around the coffee table. “Mommy.” pause… “Mommy!”  He wants my full attention on him all the time. He wants to be #1 in everyone’s world. My sweet boy. I love him so.

Harvest and apples

Now that there’s snow on the ground, these pictures seem like they’re from ages ago. Really they’re only from maybe 2 or 3 months ago, but time flies.  The top few are from our own garden, and the apple pics are from our trip to Carlson Orchards in Harvard, MA.  We picked over 5 varieties of different apples that lasted us for over a month.

The battle of the fierce fire warrior Kai

Grandpa came for a visit in September. A battle ensued between the fierce fire warrior Kai. Foam swords were donned and although grandpa put up a good fight, Kai reigned supreme. See for yourself:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halloween 3 months late

Kenji was a skeleton. His costume was about 2 sizes too small, since although it was supposed to fit 4-6 yr olds, Kenji is about the size of a 7 yr old. Kai was a little dinosaur or was it a dragon?

A robot, a dragon, and policeman come along…

About to enter the mouth of the hungry beast

Pumpkin Halloween bouquets

 

 

 

Scary faces in front of the pumpkins at Wilsons

Some of the spooky scene at Wilson's Farms Hayride

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kenji's kindergarten class came to school in costumes the Friday before Halloween

Love of a brother

Tonight at dinner, we were all feeling a bit loopy and tired. It’s Monday after all, and Kai has been in a separation anxiety induced sleep strike, so we are all a little bleary eyed. Loopy is better than grumpy. It’s easy to fall into that. So I feel lucky when we all capture the loopiness together (in lieu of the grumpiness) and are a harmonious family of four.

A knight with a monkey finger puppet head, by Kenji

Anyways, I can’t remember for the life of me what we were talking about (that’s how tired I am), but at one point Kenji blurts out “there should be ‘ardvers,’ you know, they would paint–but not with brushes–but with the tips of their fingers. And you know what else? They would poke babies in the face.” This is all said in a calm voice, but as he stands menacingly close to Kai. Yes, this is my 5 year old son, Kenji. He is a sweet and sensitive Beast. Our beast.

Later as I passed his closed door after putting Kai to sleep (we switch off bedtimes, and it was Walter’s turn for Kenji), I glanced at his art, scotch-taped to his door. And there close to the bottom of the door (where no doubt Kai could see), was his latest creation–a plain sheet of paper with a smallish looking stick figure, big head, miniature body with a circle scratched around it and a simple “X” striking through the center of the circle. Ah, a “No Kai” sign. Poor Kai, he loves his brother so. Kenji loves him too, but he doesn’t always like the constant adoration or interruption of his brother.

How does love and hate become so closely intertwined in our relationships from such an early age? I know, I know, it’s not really hate. But don’t you remember ever really loathing your sibling, wishing they didn’t exist, if only it was just for a moment. And then all at once  perhaps moments later you felt intense love and loyalty towards them? I think I am finally understanding a deeper meaning of the term nuclear family. We are collected together circling round our own central entity or “nucleus.”  We are hopelessly and hopefully intertwined, doing our best to find harmony our circle.

My super sister Sachi’s visit

It’s been a while, for she visited back in June. But it was a momentous occasion since we only see each other every once in a while, and gasp, she had never even met Kai! She stayed for 2 weeks and it was great having her. The boys adored her and their cousin, Micha, the wonder pug. She now lives in Malibu with her beau, Nigel. They are having a great time living by the ocean and finding a new life. I am so happy for them, and hope to visit soon!

Here are some pics from her visit.

Can’t wait til we can get our own dog someday…s-o-m-e-d-a-y.

Mmmmwah!

Yay, a walk to our local park!

Those teeth may look ferocious, but they’re all for show, he’s the gentlest patient guy around

Me, mom, and Sachi

Silly Sachi getting loopy

A family reunion of sorts–Australian relatives and long-lost local but distant cousin

Micha and Kai (first cousins)

Micha knows that under the table is a good place to be

My little patch of sanity

It’s called my garden. I spend hours on this little patch of land, preparing the soil, digging up invasive bittersweet roots, and fortifying it with compost and rich organic soil. It only takes an hour or so to plant, but the preparation to plant can take me near 12 hrs.  Tomatoes–sungolds, black and caspian pink heirlooms, sweet cherry 100′s, and a big boy. Lots of basil and thyme, some purple verbenas and snapdragons for color, and some late blooming marigolds grown from seed that are now at their peak (reminds me of an Indian wedding garland). And beans–purple climbing ones on lattices, green tasty ones down low. Japanese curly and crisp salad cukes, snap peas (per Kenji’s request), and some sad catalope that never took. Arugula, mesclun, sweet baby onions, and voila! that’s my garden.

A family of groundhogs moved in mid-May. By early June, they ate half of the plants. Sad little cucumbers eaten to a stub. Thanks to a hastily installed fence by my dear husband and amazing neighbor, I was able to keep them out and replant most of the vegetables lost. My neighbor and I commiserated all summer long about the critters eating away at our gardens. Seems as though the supposed civility of suburbia doesn’t mean too much to a hungry animal. And then a hornworm came along and ate half my tomatoes before I noticed him lurking on a sungold tomato branch. He was really quite brilliant and fantastic, the type of creature that makes you pause for a moment. This small but fat lime green and white striped worm with a red thorny horn on the tip of its head. Chomp, chomp, chomp, doing what he was made to do. Gardening  brings me down to earth, it literally and figuratively grounds me. Having a garden is a wonderful thing. Growing your own food–digging dirt, weeding, tending, picking, watering–well, it’s simply amazing. I wish I could have more time and energy to grow it bigger and better. But alas, the growing season is over and so soon will be my garden. Thank you earth.

The nasty but beautiful horn worm that had a field day in my garden

Backyard camping

The summer was long and beautiful this year. Warm and sunny days were spent enjoying the great outdoors, but somehow we never made it on a camping trip. Kenji had his heart set on it though, so we decided to camp in the backyard. Read: Walter and Kenji stayed in the tent, while Kai and me enjoyed the comfort of the indoors. I like camping, but the backyard wasn’t enough of a lure for me. Perhaps we’ll still make it this year before it gets too cold, but you never can tell how time and weather will unfold.

Here are some pictures of our enormous tent and the boys.