Kokochi

Gran Marie's dinner party

Goodness, this is from a while ago, but I wanted to share a cute dinner party Gran Marie hosted for her old friends visiting from Scotland. A group of the Callaghans joined, and we ate at Piqueo's in Bernal Heights. The cutest was how happy Tesla was. She proudly wore her wings, and found her way to Gran Marie's lap during the meal. It's quite special to see how T and Gran Marie just love each other, and Tesla is a part of this large family.

Gran Marie had the restaurant bring out a cake just for T's b-day too, even though she'd already had a few celebrations. T basked in the attention : )

ASIJ '89 reunion - best weekend

My high school 20th reunion was this past weekend. Initially, I couldn't believe the 20th part, but after the matter, that age issue is far from my mind. Pics will be uploaded to a shared group on flickr, but for now, I'm in such a fuzzy lovey state that I want to mark it here. I've always had issues with the Japan-U.S. divide, never knowing reallly where I belong. My heart is in Japan, but the openness of S.F. where people don't really care where I come from or what I look like is such a special place too. And after 30, SF has been ideal in maturing and growing into my true self. I've established my life with Dav and T in SF. So in the past 5 years or so, I've begun to identify that the US is part of me...although this was probably enabled because my work led me back to my Tokyo home a few times a year so I could feel my connection with Japan. Without that, I think I may have been a ton more homesick, and not have appreciated what SF offered.

With our Burning Man and tech community here, Dav and I have found an incredible place to live.

Yet when I do meet a few of my friends from high school, either here or in Tokyo, I am reminded how comfortable I feel; a breathing out of, "oh yeah, this is really really comfortable." I can make jokes, be goofy in the way they get. I get their jokes! We speak in mixed Japanese & English (chanpon). All the tiny references make sense. It's like putting glasses on when your eyes go slightly bad. Friends who experienced that weird dual culture divide understand that tiny space that is there, but not in the forefront of everyday life. This reunion made me realize I miss that.

I've been focused on my SF life for quite some time. Now, I want to put more attention to my friends where I come from. I want to make the effort to travel and spend more time with friends. This past weekend was 3 glorious days of all of us, coming together and celebrating our connection. Sure we were happy to hear about lovely families, incredible achievements, & new adventures, but the most important was we were happy to be back together.

It was awesome. Amazing. I'm really in such a bliss state internally, it's kinda fun : )

July 5th, 2009

Tesla's 3rd birthday. Without really planning it, we've been celebrating her birthday since last Sunday's Tea Party. She's been getting cards and gifts in the mail all week. And yesterday, her real July 5th birthday, we spent at the most awesomest county fair I could have imagined - the Marin Country Fair. I fully focused on Tesla, and let Dav and dear Patrick take all the pictures. Links to come. The pics are so cute. Tesla rode her first mini-roller coaster, a car, a train, ate icecream, shook hands with a frog, and crashed in her stroller.

I did get this picture. Won by Patrick, chosen by Ms. T, carried by Daddy.

The night before, Dav and I went to Mighty. We rarely go out dancing nowadays, but this was special with close friends. While we were dancing, we all noted that 3 years ago, instead of dancing, I had been moaning while my mom rubbed my back, and both my mom and Dav watched fireworks from the window! Seems so close, yet long ago. Love having our little Tesla!

A book by Sofia

For Tesla's birthday, Sofia created an entire storybook! It's fabulous, and very precious. It was Sofia's idea. One page even refers to our Santa train ride up in Willits last Christmas: " Then we goed in a santa train in pajamas. Santa plane train bus"

You can click on the pictures below to read some of the pages, but here are a few quotes:

• When they waked up they said, "ke-ke-ke-keee-keee, na na na bee beee!" (to their mamas)
• When we growed up we have super long hair and super long dresses.
• Tesla, dav and mie turned into hearts and they flied up in the air.

Tesla's birthday tea party

We did it! We had a fun, rather successful tea party last Sunday. July 5th is T's real birthday, but we initially planned to be out of town, so we had her tea party last week. I had no idea whether our little guests would actually sit at the table, but they did! And they asked for more tea, milk, food, and waited patiently for the cupcakes.

It took a lot of preparation in buying all the mini table deco, plan cute little food bits, lay out an art project (decorating their own take-home goodie bag) to keep the kids occupied until everyone was ready to be seated, and create snacks for the adults. But I loved every minute! It was so much fun for me to create all the details, and as the table got set up, to see how delighted Tesla was.

I melted into bliss when during the party Tesla had to pee (we are pretty much potty-trained now!!), and I took her to the bathroom. As she sat on the potty, me sitting facing her, I asked whether she was having fun and liked her party. She gave me a big smile, and reached out to hug me. The best gift to mama!!

I am so glad the party went as I envisioned and hoped. I feel I got to make her birthday special indeed : )

Smartypants

One of our rules is that if Tesla is eating, she needs to be sitting down at the table. The other morning I caught Tesla munching while walking down the hallway, so I told her she had to sit down. She was passing by the stairs, so sat down on the stair step, and grinned at me smugly so that I knew that she knew she was playing with me. She was sitting right? Isn't that what you said, mama?

So I grinned back and asked, "are you being a smarty-pants?" to which she replied, "no, I have pajamas."

: )

Tea Party

Both Tesla and I are quite excited to have a very special tea party to celebrate her upcoming birthday. I mentioned my idea to her, and ever since, everyday, multiple times a day, she references her party as in, "this is mine for my birthday party" or "my party will be pink!!" or "Gran Marie and Daddy are coming to my party."

We'll see what really happens, but I'm planning to have a beautifully set up mini table for 6 toddlers to sit around with real cups (found perfectly sized espresso cups for $1.50 each!), tiny foods to eat, cupcakes, and tea! We'll see how long they will stay seated, if they serve tea to each other, and whether there will be sharing or complete chaos over the food. Either way, it'll be fun to watch. I will have lots of help in addition to parents as Gran Marie and my friend Lorene will join.

Super Michelle made this amazing invite that I love.

Last year, mama went to a spa with her girlfriends, so this year I'm going to make it up. I can't wait!

Michael Jackson tribute, San Francisco street-style

We came out of a restaurant after dinner, and totally by chance, this is what we saw cycle by. So S.F.!

And although I wasn't into his music, he was an icon, and I felt it. I am feeling mortality, and think about how no matter who we are, we are human and fleet away. Time is precious.

The Cats of Mirikitani

Drawing by Jimmy Mirikitani.

We saw a wonderful documentary the other night called The Cats of Mirikitani. We loved it and I highly recommend it. In addition to the historical experience of what WWII, Hiroshima, and internment camps meant to people, and Mr. Mirikitani specifically, the story of how the documentary came about from a real human-to-human sharing was touching. The person who created the documentary didn't expect to discover that the artist/homeless man she befriended had an amazing life story. Via 9/11 and the need to give him shelter, she unraveled his story and brought him out of a shell he was in. It's a beautiful story, and reminds me that we need to keep barriers down and be open to meeting people from all walks of life.

Our budding scientist

Playing with Daddy's magnifying glass. Considering she was into the telescope at Clan Kennedy's goodbye party rather than getting candy from the pinata, we may have a budding scientist!