I haven't updated about myself much recently, so I just thought I would say, I'm doing GREAT! I am still loving working out and get really frustrated when our schedule gets in the way of me making to the gym. I'm staying steady with my weight and eating as healthy as possible! I feel good, and if I do say so myself, looking pretty good too!!! hahaha
At the gym, I am up to 35 minutes on the eliptical trainer (level 4, consistent uphill climb) burning over 400 calories on the little machines counter every time! I could do more on that silly machine but the timer won't let me go above 35 minutes. I may start setting myself for another cycle, when one ends, because I'd love to get up to doing 45-60 minutes of cardio several times a week. I have some major thigh muscle going on here, haven't had that since basketball and cheerleading in High School! I look forward to wearing shorts next summer!!! I'm lifting weights doing my arms and back 3 times a week. I have a new ab workout that I am doing 5 times a week that is really tough, but I can see it making a difference. I love it!
If I could go back to eating like I was from May to August, I think I could get down a couple more kilo, but I just don't have the motivation at the moment to be that strict with my diet, so I am eating healthy, but have found the perfect balance to stay right at this weight.
I am so tempted to do something crazy like run a marathon, but that is the last thing I need in my life becuase the amount of time required to train for something like that is impossible at the moment. Our gym goes to a marathon in Hawaii every summer, I am so tempted to train and run in that... I also talked with a friend about doing the Disney World Marathon in 2007 or 2008... my life would have to majorly slow down for that though, and I don't see it happening!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Saturday, November 25, 2006
"Yubz youuuu!"
Hana has been good for a while about repeating "I love you" if we say it first. But tonight she was in the kitchen with us after dinner and she ran up to Daddy and grabbed his legs, looked up at him and said with a huge grin, "Daddy, Yubz youuu!" Then she cam running for me and did the same thing. This has got to be one of the most precious moments of my life! My sweet child, of her own fruition, came to us and told us she loves us. I have waited sooooooooooo many years for that! WOW! She steals our hearts more and more everyday! Oh wow!
Today we rode a bus across town to go to a church event. Since we always go places in the car, when we have the time and no need to carry a lot of stuff, sometimes we take the bus because Hana loves it. It must be fun to be sitting up so high with a huge window all to yourself. She also likes observing the people who get on and off. She started saying, "girl, bus, all done?" When someone would push the stop button and then get up to get off at the bus stop. It was so cute.
Oh and that reminds me, she is learning what boys and girls are right now. She'll get on the subject and go through EVERY person she knows asking if they are a boy or girl. It is so funny! She is starting to "get" it but sometimes is way off. Tonight after her bath, she asked if Mommy is a boy, then if Nana (herself) is a boy, and finally if Daddy is a boy! She was so happy when she finally got it right!
Today we rode a bus across town to go to a church event. Since we always go places in the car, when we have the time and no need to carry a lot of stuff, sometimes we take the bus because Hana loves it. It must be fun to be sitting up so high with a huge window all to yourself. She also likes observing the people who get on and off. She started saying, "girl, bus, all done?" When someone would push the stop button and then get up to get off at the bus stop. It was so cute.
Oh and that reminds me, she is learning what boys and girls are right now. She'll get on the subject and go through EVERY person she knows asking if they are a boy or girl. It is so funny! She is starting to "get" it but sometimes is way off. Tonight after her bath, she asked if Mommy is a boy, then if Nana (herself) is a boy, and finally if Daddy is a boy! She was so happy when she finally got it right!
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Counting and testing!
No we aren't taking any exams around our place these days, Hana is the one doing the testing, she is testing Mommy and Daddy's patience! I don't know what has gotten into her the last couple of days but she is determined to disobey us. UGHHHH! I'm getting so tired of getting onto her. I hope this is a short little phase or something, cause not only does it leave my patience frazzled, but it leaves her really insecure because she HATES for Mommy to be upset with her. She seems to do even MORE bad stuff to get my attention, cause I'm so frustrated I am trying to take a break from her but she wants to see if I am still mad at her. It is a vicious cycle!
But when she isn't being a little pill and we are having fun, she is blowing me away with her abilities. This little girl is COUNTING! She gets it right a lot of the time too. I did not know that a two year old can actually count objects. I know that can often say 1-10 if they've been taught, but to actually answer correctly when asked "how many _________ are there?" well it is amazing me. Even when we aren't asking her, she counts things. Today she was drawing and she took all her pencil out of her cup and counted them as she put them back in! The funny thing is that after 6 she often gets it wrong. she counts like this, "1,2,3,4,5,6,9..." Nine often comes after 6 unless we are helping her count!? Not sure why.
She is also counting backwards because we count the floors on elevators when we go down, so smart!
She is really picking up a lot of English words and using them, I am feeling better and better about her being bilingual all the time.
But when she isn't being a little pill and we are having fun, she is blowing me away with her abilities. This little girl is COUNTING! She gets it right a lot of the time too. I did not know that a two year old can actually count objects. I know that can often say 1-10 if they've been taught, but to actually answer correctly when asked "how many _________ are there?" well it is amazing me. Even when we aren't asking her, she counts things. Today she was drawing and she took all her pencil out of her cup and counted them as she put them back in! The funny thing is that after 6 she often gets it wrong. she counts like this, "1,2,3,4,5,6,9..." Nine often comes after 6 unless we are helping her count!? Not sure why.
She is also counting backwards because we count the floors on elevators when we go down, so smart!
She is really picking up a lot of English words and using them, I am feeling better and better about her being bilingual all the time.
BAD girl!
I had homemade fried onion rings tonight, fried in Crisco!!!!!!!! OH MY! Won't be doing that again anytime soon, it didn't set well with my tummy! But they were yummy and sort of worth it, I guess
Still staying steady in my weight, and I got into a size FIVE pants this week! Haven't been in a size 5 since early High School I think. OH MY!
Still staying steady in my weight, and I got into a size FIVE pants this week! Haven't been in a size 5 since early High School I think. OH MY!
Friday, November 10, 2006
A basic difference...
Hana technically went to her first preschool class this last Wednesday. We go for two hours once a week to a program for two year olds at the kindergarten Hana will likely attend. The first time we went for observation and Hana didn't enjoy it much. She was more accepting of the activities this time, but still wouldn't get very far from Mommy. For a child who is so outgoing and active, when she gets around children her own age she becomes really shy and isolates herself. She wouldn't join in any of the really fun activities at all??? It will be interesting to see how long it takes before she will start to join in.
Anyways, towards the end of class an eye opening moment happened for me. Hana is not yet used to the basic flow of the class. At the end, there is a short snack time and all the children who have been attending for a long time obviously know that they are to all sit at the table until the teacher declares snack time to be over with the traditional "gochisosama" at the end of the meal in Japan. Well Hana finished eating what she wanted and jumped up to go and play. I was at the mother's table and out loud, to myself, said in Japanese "I wonder if Hana should remain seated?" (Mommy is still learning the system too). And then I began to take a breath to yell out to Hana to go and sit down. The woman beside me leans over and says, "Don't bother to say anything to Hana. With our children, if Mommy tells them to do something they won't do it, but if the teachers tells her to she well. Let the teacher make her sit down."
My immediate reaction was "What is this woman talking about, of course Hana will go sit down if I tell her to." I was rather confused as to why she would think Hana would obey and stranger and not me. And that is when it hit me, most mothers EXPECT for their children not to obey them. In Japan it is the teachers job to teach the child obedience once they begin school.
I was FLOORED. What a basic fundamental difference in our entire way of interacting with our children. When I tell Hana to do something, I expect her to do it, and she knows she is expected to do it. Hana knows I WILL make her do it, so she usually doesn't even pause before doing what I ask her to. When she is feeling honory, she tests the limits, but Mommy (and Daddy) ALWAYS wins. Rocky and I parent entirely from this basis. What we say goes, no questions asked.
What a completely different way of thinking and interacting with your child. I can not imagine how difficult life would be if I expected Hana to always disobey me. I have seen so many children where this is the case, no matter what the parents say they aren't going to do it. But I never stopped to think that their parents expect them to be that way and won't or don't try to do anything about it. I always thought the parents had just given up long ago. But I am beginning to realize that maybe this is the basic thinking of all parents from the beginning here. A total fundamental difference, but makes a HUGE difference in the entire life of the child.
Rocky and I discussed this, and this is so dangerous. Parents literally set up the world around their child so that the child never has to obey because they aren't expected to. When with Mom and Dad, they can do whatever they want. Once they are older, there is no reason to nor any basic understanding of doing what Mommy and Daddy says. A set up for a totally distructive child! REALLY frightening.
Rocky and I have been thinking and praying about writing a book about child raising. I feel there is still so much to learn, but part of me thinks that time is of great importance here. These parents need to know that they CAN expect their children to obey!
Anyways, towards the end of class an eye opening moment happened for me. Hana is not yet used to the basic flow of the class. At the end, there is a short snack time and all the children who have been attending for a long time obviously know that they are to all sit at the table until the teacher declares snack time to be over with the traditional "gochisosama" at the end of the meal in Japan. Well Hana finished eating what she wanted and jumped up to go and play. I was at the mother's table and out loud, to myself, said in Japanese "I wonder if Hana should remain seated?" (Mommy is still learning the system too). And then I began to take a breath to yell out to Hana to go and sit down. The woman beside me leans over and says, "Don't bother to say anything to Hana. With our children, if Mommy tells them to do something they won't do it, but if the teachers tells her to she well. Let the teacher make her sit down."
My immediate reaction was "What is this woman talking about, of course Hana will go sit down if I tell her to." I was rather confused as to why she would think Hana would obey and stranger and not me. And that is when it hit me, most mothers EXPECT for their children not to obey them. In Japan it is the teachers job to teach the child obedience once they begin school.
I was FLOORED. What a basic fundamental difference in our entire way of interacting with our children. When I tell Hana to do something, I expect her to do it, and she knows she is expected to do it. Hana knows I WILL make her do it, so she usually doesn't even pause before doing what I ask her to. When she is feeling honory, she tests the limits, but Mommy (and Daddy) ALWAYS wins. Rocky and I parent entirely from this basis. What we say goes, no questions asked.
What a completely different way of thinking and interacting with your child. I can not imagine how difficult life would be if I expected Hana to always disobey me. I have seen so many children where this is the case, no matter what the parents say they aren't going to do it. But I never stopped to think that their parents expect them to be that way and won't or don't try to do anything about it. I always thought the parents had just given up long ago. But I am beginning to realize that maybe this is the basic thinking of all parents from the beginning here. A total fundamental difference, but makes a HUGE difference in the entire life of the child.
Rocky and I discussed this, and this is so dangerous. Parents literally set up the world around their child so that the child never has to obey because they aren't expected to. When with Mom and Dad, they can do whatever they want. Once they are older, there is no reason to nor any basic understanding of doing what Mommy and Daddy says. A set up for a totally distructive child! REALLY frightening.
Rocky and I have been thinking and praying about writing a book about child raising. I feel there is still so much to learn, but part of me thinks that time is of great importance here. These parents need to know that they CAN expect their children to obey!
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