Monday, December 21, 2009
The Lost Semester
I believe the Japanese refer to the 90's as their "lost decade," when the economy was especially stagnant. Our "lost semester" could have benefitted from a swap of upheaval for stagnation. In any event, our "lost semester" saw us become blogging recluses. Beat-up, and perhaps even more beat-down than we'd like to admit, nevertheless we once again boldly, although not without a tinge of timorousness, re-emerge into the blogosphere.
Before our head-first descent into the lost semester, I mentioned Vyda's search for a clunker. The search concluded in Vyda handing over $2200 for a 1995 Toyota Camry that didn't have functioning brakes. Just like anything else I suppose, you don't really appreciate brakes until you don't really have them! $400 of over-priced labor later, Vyda finally felt confident and qualified toting around two small children and offering others rides.
Warning: this post lacks any semblance of appropriate transitions.
Vyda found a great friend named Marlise who just happened to have a 4 yr. old son who became a great friend to 4 yr. old Arielle.
Vyda swore off the beach in late September after--despite a genrous lathering of sun-screen-- a sun-burn tatooted her swimsuit onto her back. However, parks, look-out points, Polynesian Cultural Centers, libraries, trips to WIC and the food stamps office, play-groups at the church, and visits to Marlise's house filled the void just fine.
When Arielle's not quibbling with Vyda, or blithely disregarding what Vyda just asked her to do--which she does fairly regularly-- she's a joy to be around. She makes us laugh a lot and is for the most part, a very helpful big-sister. Nothing melts your heart like a four year-old walking over to you, slinging their arms around you, and saying, "Don't be stressed, Daddy."
Ryosei, our now eleven month old son, finally about two months ago routinely began sleeping through the night. Living in a cramped apartment and being woken up predictably by a cry we came to know all too well isn't the "feel-good" type of topic I'd like to elaborate on in this blog! I'm sure most babies are like this but he's a bonafide "cheerio monster." I never cease to be amazed by the immense greed of innocent infants! We're still trying to communicate somehow that a cheerio is a "sometimes food." But Ryousei, too, just like Arielle, has become an indispensable part of our family that we'd be heart-broken without. I give Vyda all the respect in the world for the kind of Mom she is and how devoted she is to her kids and their well-being.
As for me, I'm just glad I only have one semester left in Hawaii before we head off to Korea for the internship-based year two of the program. The year-one coursework based portion has felt like I walked into the ring with Mike Tyson in his prime (pre Buster Douglass fight) and have been pummeled mercilessly and furiuosly from the onset of the bell. Everytime I collapse rather than the referee humanely ending the fight, however, he pulls me up for more and "consoles" me by saying, "it will help me professionally in the future."
Pictures coming soon!
Before our head-first descent into the lost semester, I mentioned Vyda's search for a clunker. The search concluded in Vyda handing over $2200 for a 1995 Toyota Camry that didn't have functioning brakes. Just like anything else I suppose, you don't really appreciate brakes until you don't really have them! $400 of over-priced labor later, Vyda finally felt confident and qualified toting around two small children and offering others rides.
Warning: this post lacks any semblance of appropriate transitions.
Vyda found a great friend named Marlise who just happened to have a 4 yr. old son who became a great friend to 4 yr. old Arielle.
Vyda swore off the beach in late September after--despite a genrous lathering of sun-screen-- a sun-burn tatooted her swimsuit onto her back. However, parks, look-out points, Polynesian Cultural Centers, libraries, trips to WIC and the food stamps office, play-groups at the church, and visits to Marlise's house filled the void just fine.
When Arielle's not quibbling with Vyda, or blithely disregarding what Vyda just asked her to do--which she does fairly regularly-- she's a joy to be around. She makes us laugh a lot and is for the most part, a very helpful big-sister. Nothing melts your heart like a four year-old walking over to you, slinging their arms around you, and saying, "Don't be stressed, Daddy."
Ryosei, our now eleven month old son, finally about two months ago routinely began sleeping through the night. Living in a cramped apartment and being woken up predictably by a cry we came to know all too well isn't the "feel-good" type of topic I'd like to elaborate on in this blog! I'm sure most babies are like this but he's a bonafide "cheerio monster." I never cease to be amazed by the immense greed of innocent infants! We're still trying to communicate somehow that a cheerio is a "sometimes food." But Ryousei, too, just like Arielle, has become an indispensable part of our family that we'd be heart-broken without. I give Vyda all the respect in the world for the kind of Mom she is and how devoted she is to her kids and their well-being.
As for me, I'm just glad I only have one semester left in Hawaii before we head off to Korea for the internship-based year two of the program. The year-one coursework based portion has felt like I walked into the ring with Mike Tyson in his prime (pre Buster Douglass fight) and have been pummeled mercilessly and furiuosly from the onset of the bell. Everytime I collapse rather than the referee humanely ending the fight, however, he pulls me up for more and "consoles" me by saying, "it will help me professionally in the future."
Pictures coming soon!
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