Working Together: Weekdays and Weekends

Life with two kids is simply busier.  If you wait for several years, as we did, between progeny, you quickly forget just how long changing diapers, unfolding strollers, and feeding a manic ball of energy that refuses to open his mouth unless you make airplane noises takes.

During the week, there's little "cushion" when it comes to time, at least for the hours between 6:30am and 9:00pm.  The kids and Mama have to leave by 7:30am for everyone to get to school and work on time, and dinner has to be on the table no later than 7:00pm for all of us to eat together before bath time.

So far, we've made it work (well, we've survived).  As somewhat of a surprise to us both, Mimi has stepped up to help make this happen.

In the morning, Mimi helps out by being the last to wake up.  This lets us feed Kuri, get him dressed, and get his clothes and milk ready for daycare.  On some morning Mimi wake up and dress herself and Kuri looks on, usually with one of Mimi's stuffed animals in his mouth.  By 7:30, it's time to put the kids in the car.

When Mama and the kids get home in the evening, Papa usually has dinner mostly prepared.  Unpredictable traffic has taught him not to finish until the family walks through the door.  In order for Mama to get changed following a long day at work, and for Papa to finish dinner, the kids play in the family room.  Kuri is partial to a box these days.  He seems to be partial to Amazon boxes, of which we have a nearly endless supply.

Mimi likes to help out her little brother as her parents are running around getting everything ready for the evening.  Here she is helping Kuri with his stacking cups.

It's rather amazing.  With us she is the embodiment of impatience, but with Chris, she's a teacher.  She really loves showing him how things work.  

After dinner, it's time for Kuri's bath (still done with a baby bath in the kitchen sink).  Mimi usually uses this for a little "me" time and heads to her table to paint, draw, or study.  

Once Kuri goes to bed, there's usually about 30 minutes to an hour for Mimi to hang out with Mama and Papa.  The other day she decided that she was on call, just like Mama.  She took a ton of calls that evening.  I was very proud of her.  She only broke down once because she was so busy.  "I can't help you right now.  This whole day has been super busy!"  Ok, Mimi.  Finish up that consult.  It's time for your bath.

When we moved into our new home we were a little uncertain if we'd ever really use the jetted soaking tub in the middle bath.  Mama and Papa will use it occasionally for soaking, but Mimi, she adores it.   After every bath with hit the jets and the slightly soapy water is transformed into a bubble wonderland.

The other day Papa built Mimi a Capsela jet boat to race through the waters.  No bubbles for this one.

Weekends, at least when Sumie isn't on call, are a bit more relaxing.  Mimi loves to help Mama bake.  Here she is getting ready to prepare a sponge cake.

This year's "Global Warming California Fall" has meant it's still more than hot enough to go swimming.  Christopher didn't take to the wading pool much at first (he doesn't like the water to be too deep), but before long, he was having a blast.  

Perhaps he came to like it because his big sister was so, um, enthusiastic about splashing.

There's often time to bang out a tune on the piano as well.  

It's very heartwarming to see my kids playing the keyboard of the piano my grandfather restored for my father - the same keyboard I learned to play when I was their age.  That reminds me.  I still need to have it tuned.

And of course, no weekend would be complete without some time that defies explanation.  Even Kuri has no idea what is going on in Mimi's head.  All he knows is that the chair isn't spinning anymore!

Although life with these two is assuredly busy, it's a good kind of busy.  I always wondered if I'd miss my free time once kids came along.  Occasionally, of course, I do miss having a quiet afternoon or a free morning, but living with these two more than makes up for that.  Who knew I'd rather spin a one year old around in a living room chair than do just about anything else.

Four Friends Meet Again

I think the underlying theme of our trip to Japan this year, at least for my wife, is reunion.  Virtually all of my friends in Japan have left Tokyo for home (the US or the UK) or are down south in Osaka and Kobe.  For Sumie, though, it's a different story.  With most of her friends and family still in the Tokyo area, Sumie's social calendar was packed before we left: a high school reunion, a visit with her 102 year old grandmother (perhaps the most important reunion of all), and a number of outings with friends were on the books.  The "reunions" kicked off on Sunday afternoon with a small dinner party at Sumie's family apartment in Shinagawa.

Madokachan, Mandachan, Miyukichan, and Sumie have been friends since their years together at Tokyo University, despite Sumie not having a name that begins with "M".  That means these four very intelligent, very capable, and very dynamic women have been sharing stories, laughter, and hardships for over fifteen years.  They seem to have the kind of friendship - one I'm lucky to have with many of my friends - that transcends time and distance.  Though it may be years between visits, getting back together never feels stilted or awkward.  There's no warming up period.  The friendship just picks up where it left off, distance and time be damned.  

Madokachan arrived with her two girls and her husband at Sumie's apartment around 4:30.  Mandachan showed up with her two girls shortly thereafter.  Before we knew it the small apartment, which is generally quite tranquil, was filled with four adults and five very giggly and increasingly adventurous and loud little girls. We set out a light dinner, vainly believing we'd be able to corral all that little-girl-energy for more than a few minutes. 

Miyukichan, who was coming up on the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kobe on business, arrived about an hour after dinner.  We set out dessert.  This seemed to go better.  After all, little girls tend to like sugar.  But before too long the little ones bored of their food and sought out new items to destroy.  This left the older girls some (relatively) private time to talk around the table. 

Masa (Madokachan's husband) and I did our best to keep the little girls entertained, allowing the big girls a chance to catch up - it had been at least three years and there was a lot of ground to cover.  Masa and I set up some reading sessions...

pretended to be monsters, played hide-and-seek, and even spent some time at the piano.

Sooner than anyone wanted it was time to go home.  I think the adults could've gone on for hours, but the girls had bedtimes and we were already getting dangerously close to breaking them.  Our last act for the night was a group picture.  This, with five young kids to bring together, took some time.  Some even required piggyback rides to the couch.

With some prodding and pleading we eventually got the shots we wanted.  It was the perfect cap for a wonderful visit.

While I'm sad I won't get to see many of the dear friends I made from my own days in Japan (I'm going to plan a visit to London to rectify that soon), I'm thankful that Sumie was able to reconnect with the friends who have touched her life so strongly.  No matter how close Sumie and I become as husband and wife, and as mother and father, there will always be a special place in our hearts, outside our relationship as husband and wife, for our friends.  Those friendships genuinely help to define us, both as a couple and individuals.  And I wouldn't have it any other other way.

Stay tuned for more on our adventures on the sea of Japan and my first time driving here where left is right!  Much more to come!

Donuts and Porsches: Perfect for Little Girls

First off, my little girl is still, very much, a little girl.  She loves pink, she gives all her stuffed animals kisses, and she knows when she's dressed up in a particularly cute outfit.  She also giggles by screeching in a register heard only by dogs.  This last one, I believe, is the purview of little girls exclusively.

All that being considered, Mimi is by no means being raised as a princess.  She loves dirt, dogs, soccer balls, pouring sand on her head, and splashing about in freezing water.  I like this.  There may come a time when she rejects all things "boy," but I'm not so sure.  So far we've been careful to keep her from broadcast and cable television (no toy commercials) and out of the clutches of the Disney marketing machine.  Instead, when she does watch TV (used most often to help her finish a meal) she's entertained by either Thomas the Tank Engine or Top Gear.  I can see an appreciation of trains and cars slowly blossoming in her.  This makes me unreservedly happy. 

I love cars.  I always have.  And while it won't kill me if my kids don't appreciate them like I do, it would be nice if they eventually had a preference for Porsches or enjoyed a good day out behind the wheel on a twisty road.  In a stick shift.  Mimi's well on her way, I think.  She loves playing with toy cars - far more than dolls - and can identify her own car (our BMW wagon) from half a block away.  She runs to it and pats it.  That's a good sign. 

The picture below sums up my parenting goals for Mimi.  In her right hand is the ultimate American pastry: the doughnut.  And in her left: a Hot Wheels Porsche 928.

Now, not all was right with this picture.  The Porsche, despite being a 928, is marked as a turbo.  I do not believe that Porsche ever made such a vehicle, so I had to explain to Mimi that the artist at Hot Wheels charged with the graphics for the 928 probably took a design for a 924 or a 944 as his inspiration - the cars look similar - and inadvertently labeled the 928 as a turbo.  She seemed to accept this explanation. 

Mimi's love of Porsche did not end there, though.  She was so taken with my model of the Porsche 550 Spyder that she immediately wanted to get in.  Maybe someday I'll be able to take you for a ride in one, Mimi.  It'll be a replica, though.  After all, Papa's by no means rich. 

Raising Mimi properly isn't limited to developing an appreciation of doughnuts and Porsches.  Take a look at the picture below.

What could cause such unbridled joy?  Is it a pony?  Is it a Barbie doll?  Is it an undersea castle with Ariel and all her sisters? 

No.  A million times no.  It is a mid-90s Macintosh PowerBook Duo. 

In addition to her ongoing fascination with my vintage stereo, Mimi's discovered that esoteric and long-forgotten computers can be fun as well.  This little PowerBook Duo, shunned in its own day, was the forerunner of the MacBook Air.  It simply came 10 to 15 years too soon.  I think Mimi understands this.  And it's a great toy.  The gray-scale screen, in its 16 shade magnificence, still works.  Thankfully, however, the keyboard does not.  This makes for a computer that Mimi can just barely use, but not destroy. 

Of course, I'll let Mimi follow her own interests as she gets older.  But I do hope, given this time I have with her now, that I'll be able to plant a few seeds for the future.  Her Papa's interests are, I admit, a bit on the nerdy side, but I think they'll do her well in the long run.  At the very least, I hope she'll be able to fix her own computer, recommend an excellent doughnut shop, and take her father for a spirited drive up the Pacific Coast Highway when he's too old to do it himself.  Unfortunately, at the rate I'm aging, this last one will need to take place shortly after she gets her license. 

12 Days On, 2 Days Off

We're quite happy it's Friday around here.  The weekend has been well-earned.

As part of her new position, Sumie takes call for a full week at a time.  The shift begins on a Friday morning, passes through the weekend, and finally comes to a close the morning of the following Friday. Thankfully, this week her call shift has been relatively light - no 2am emergency pages - but it has made for some very long days, and an even longer week.  A 12-day week, in fact.

Sumie did an amazing job over this last call.  No matter how tired she might have been, or how early she had woken up that day, once she got home she was all Mimi's.  I can't begin to share just how proud I am of her for being there for Mimi so thoroughly and consistently.  Mimi's thankful, too.  She may not be able to say so yet, but given that she yells out "Mama!" with unbridled eagerness whenever she hears the garage door, I think it's pretty apparent.

Naturally, when Sumie's on call it means that I, to a certain degree, am on "Papa-call."  Weekends are like weekdays - just me and Mimi - and I can't go out evenings as Sumie may be called in.  The first time I took Papa-call, several weeks ago, I went a bit haywire.  I've always liked having time to myself and, as I've discovered, toddlers are not very good at giving parents their "space."  As the week progressed, I felt more and more tied down.  Though I was technically free to do whatever I wanted, my actions had to meet with Mimi's approval.  As such, freedom only came at nap time.

Because the last one was a little rough, I was anxious about going through this week's call with Mimi.  I'm very thankful to report that things have improved.  The week really has, for reasons I can't fully explain, been a joy.  Though Mimi and I have had our disagreements (7 or 8 regarding the reading of books have occurred while writing this blog post.  Mimi won every time.) we're learning how to live with each other in relative harmony.  She's starting to get that when Papa's in his chair, Papa's working.  And I'm starting to get that even when I'm in my chair, sometimes there are things, like a quick book read, that supercede whatever I'm working on.

One major difference between the last Papa-call and this one has been how Mimi and I interact.  Only a few weeks ago, the relationship felt much more like care-giver and client.  But now, it's more like we're playmates.

I'm still in charge - at least theoretically - and she still drives me nuts on a regular basis, but there's a much greater sense of play, and even teamwork, in all that we do.  It's almost as if our small, daily actions - reading, flashcards, drawing, eating, napping, shopping, etc. - are helping us to form a greater dialog.  In other words, there feels to be some actual two-way communication now!

I didn't expect the change, but it is a very welcome and very heartwarming one.  I guess both Mimi and I have grown up a bit this last week.

Granted, one of us still likes to crawl under the coffee table, but I think we'll let that one slide.

Full Moon, Empty Aquarium

Life in San Francisco is often a bit grey - grey skies, grey sidewalks, grey parking regulations, and grey loitering laws.

The clouds tend to come in shortly after, if not before, the sun goes down, obscuring the stars and moon.  So last night, with its unmuddied sky and full moon, was a rare opportunity to dabble in a little night photography.

We don't have much of a view from our backyard - just more backyards and backs of homes.  But at night, with the sky lit by the moon and resident windows still twinkling with the last lights before bed, it can be rather pretty.

I should've gone over to the park, or at least to the top of our block, to take some more shots, but didn't.  I was lazy.  I did take Mimi for a long bike ride that day - she still hates her helmet and screams for up to 9 blocks to remind me - so maybe it's OK that I just came in and went to bed.

The following morning Mimi and I woke up early and took advantage of our close proximity to the Academy of Sciences.  We have a membership, so we can go anytime, and it's free!

Regular readers of this blog may remember our visit here with my Mom about a month back.  The day we went - the third Wednesday of the month - featured free admission (this was before I got my membership), so the museum was packed.  It made Shinjuku station in Tokyo seem tranquil by comparison.  What a joy it was to sneak down to the aquarium this morning and have it virtually to ourselves.  The photos below were taken in low light and with my phone (it was too early in the morning for me to remember my camera), so I apologize if they're a bit grainy/fuzzy. 

Walking to the elevators, Mimi was a bit unsure of the plexiglass beneath her feet.  Could she trust it?  The rays below her feet were a bit intimidating.

 Once in the aquarium Mimi ran for the huge floor-to-ceiling plexiglass wall.  I'm glad the walls were thick.  She loved banging on them.  She also tended to forget that the walls were there, which resulted in some significant head banging.  Ah, my daughter the metal-head.

By 10 a few school groups had arrived, which both delighted and distracted Mimi.  She joined multiple tours without asking, and often offered her unsolicited opinion of "Aaahhhh!, Bi-doh!" on the exhibits.

After about an hour Mimi was ready to go.  As we walked out into the sunshine we passed well over 100 kids lined up for a tour.  The museum had been gradually filling all morning and it had been getting harder for Mimi to toddle with impunity.  I think we'll make it a habit of going early in the morning.  That same strategy seems to work quite well here in SF.  The city is full of late risers.  More on the advantages this provides sometime in the future.

All told, it was a good day out.  We passed the playground, inadvertently, on our way home.  While were were still over 100 yards away, with but a blurry glimpse of half a slide in sight, Mimi began to go nuts. She saw the park, knew what she wanted, and made it known.  I had to "release" her from her stroller a good 30 yards before the sandpit.

If only she could get that excited about eating lunch or going to bed!

Words are Highly Underrated

Mimi's vocabulary is developing day by day.

We speak to her in both English and Japanese, though English seems to be dominant these days.  We'll eventually balance that by enrolling her in a Japanese preschool here in SF.

At a little over 16 months, she's already developing a working vocabulary.  I guess that's a result of her being so headstrong.  She wants what she wants.  And she's beginning to realize that the only way she'll get it is by asking for it.  As such, her vocabulary has grown substantially in terms of nouns.

Here's a selection, with their phonetic equivalents where applicable, of Mimi's vocabulary:

Mama:  Mother
Papa:  Father
Mimi:  Herself
Wan-wan (Japanese): doggie
Nyan-nyan (Japanese): kitty
Bi:  Bib
Buh (book) / Huh (hon, Japanese)): Book
Ne-ne (Japanese): Sleep
Shuz: Socks and Shoes
Die-pah: Diaper
No, Arghh!, Wah!: No
Joos: Juice
Doh-zoh (Japanese): here you go
Goh!:  Let's go
Bah-bah:  Bottle
Stah-pi!:  Stop it!
Yo-ee-sho (Japanese):  Ah, there we go

There are more, I'm sure, but it's hard to recall all of them.  Imagine coming up with every word you know.  It's tough! 

Of course, her working vocabulary, what she understands when spoken to her, is far larger.  She's able to understand some basic commands, but only when she wants to.  If I ask her to get her shoes, she'll seek them out.  When I want her to pick up her blanket in the morning or after a nap, she does so without a fuss.  When it comes to eating her dinner, she just turns her head and screams. 

She's also become a veritable mocking bird.  The other day, while making burritos, she piped up with "tortillas!"  It wasn't repeated again, but she got it just right the first time.  A week or so before, while I was looking for Mimi's immunization records, I dropped a box on my foot.  Under my breath, not knowing she was right behind me, I whispered, "shit."  And a half second later, five feet below me, I heard a gentle little "shih!"  Sumie and I definitely have to be careful.

Still, we can't help but teach her a few bad things.  After all, we don't want her to be a goody-two-shoes!  Sumie and I tend to tease each other in the evening.  When it comes to teasing Sumie, it's all about her glaring lack of street-smarts and mechanical intuition.   For me, the massive gut, hick-town upbringing, and ongoing lack of a job come into play.  Regardless of the topic, the teasing usually devolves into one of us saying, "Stop it!" and teasingly smacking the other.  This has had an unexpected impact on Mimi.  Her first "phrase" was "stah-pit," combined with a little smack to the leg.

But it's not only her words that are developing.  Mimi's been picking up some of our routines as well.  When it comes to closing doors, she's all over it.  She even makes sure her fingers are out of the way.  Say it's time to climb the stairs.  Not only will Mimi remove her shoes before going up, she'll even close the child proof gate!  But our favorite is when Mimi decides it's time to throw something away.  She'll pick something up off the floor, such as a miniscule piece of onion skin, open the cupboard door below the sink, place the paper-thin refuse in the trash, and then close the door.

Once the cupboard door is closed, she'll then secure it with the child-proof latch.  Rather ingenious, I think. 

We're continuing to read her books each day, in English and Japanese, and share music, both children's songs and classical.  She's learning more and more.  Hopefully she'll soon be able to use all the words in that little brain of hers to start asking for things.  That would be wonderful.  Screaming and pointing, I have to admit, is getting a little old.

An Average Evening: Lemons, Helicopters, and Passing Out

On most evenings we have about 2-3 hours after Sumie gets home before Mimi goes to bed.  This is our family time and it's generally filled with cooking and eating dinner, washing up, putting Mimi's toys away seven or eight times, the occasional bath, and reading stories.  It's a pretty full slate for only three hours, but Mimi is somehow able to impose her own agenda as well each night.

Several nights ago Mimi decided to take a liking to lemons.  Around 6:30pm she decided that lemons were her new favorite toy.  I still don't fully understand the attraction - she doesn't drink lemonade, take lemon in her milk, poach halibut in a lemon butter sauce, or even suck on sour lemon drops - but I suppose they are colorful, smell good, fun to throw, and make a satisfying "thunk" when they land on the kitchen tile. 

Mimi managed to play with this basket of yellow citrus for over an hour. 

 I think she'll enjoy lemonade in the future.  Here she is attempting to drink a lemon.  She doesn't quite have the concept, yet. 

The evening isn't all about citrus love, however.  Mimi's joys are always counterbalanced by things that make her scream, whine, or cower.  This time it was my remote control helicopter.  This noisy little flea, which weighs little more than an ounce or so, struck abject terror into Mimi at first. 

But with time, and a few gentle passes overhead, she began to find it interesting. 

By the end of the evening she'd applaud each successful landing.  And yes, it is difficult to fly a helicopter and to take pictures at the same time.

I've always loved machines, but I had no idea one could bond so quickly with a helicopter.  It makes me wonder.  Does she think it's an animal, like her stuffed dog and cat?  Does it have free will in her world?  Does it want to be friends?  Can it be trusted?  Why does Papa sometimes follow it around the house?  I wish that I could peek inside. 

Once we're done with dinner, and we've gone through Mimi's flashcards and a few books, it's time for Mimi's bedtime bottle.  I guess it had been a long day because Mimi, who usually sucks down her bottle in 5 minutes to return to play, was soon completely passed out.  Must've been some pretty strong milk...

Tuckered out, Papa takes her to bed.  At 16 months she's just taken to laying her head on my shoulder.  She'd always keep her head up as an infant, but now that she's a little older she seems to take some comfort in Papa's ample padding.  Maybe it's just that the house is rather cold and Papa radiates a lot of heat...

Mimi generally sleeps through the night and wakes the next morning ready to play.  Here she is still in her jammies.  She insisted that I take this picture in front of my MacBook with my iPhone as a little "thank you" to Steve Jobs.  She knows the role he played in making sharing Mimi's life so much easier than it would have been even 5 years ago. 

But with each passing there is a new arrival.  Just this morning Mimi learned that she has a new baby cousin.  Haruki Ling was born this morning to Kae and Eddie Ling around 6:00am!  Mimi will be working hard to become a good role model for him, I'm sure of it. 

Chance of Rain: 30%; Chance of Meltdown: 100%

Going out with Mimi is always a gamble.  No matter how much milk we take or how many toys we pack, she will eventually have a meltdown.  It's just a matter of time.  We've gotten to the point now that we usually reach home, or at least the car, before the histrionics begin.  But there are times when Mimi just simply loses it and cannot be consoled.  And so, each trip out, no matter how exciting the prospects, begins with a slight sense of trepidation.  Will we get through the event without mishap?  Will I be able to navigate the streets of San Francisco, which I'm still learning, in peace, or accompanied by piercing screams?  Will the strangers we pass think of me as a calm and collected father or as a man so incompetent when it comes to parenting that even sea monkeys should be spared from my care?  Will the outing end with a smile on my face or tear and saliva stains on my shirt?

As you may have guessed, we tend to choose our outings carefully.  Last weekend the Farmers' Market at the Ferry Building seemed like a safe bet.  And, thankfully, it was a welcome and wonderful outing. 

We arrived at the market early.  Well, early for us.  Getting anywhere with Mimi by 10:00 in the AM is quite an accomplishment.  Fresh fruit and vegetable stands surrounded the renovated ferry building, along with a number of food venders, each with a considerable line.  We browsed through the stalls with Mimi in her stroller.  The serene shopping lasted a good 15 minutes.

When Mimi began to squirm and moan Sumie pulled her out and, instead of carrying her, allowed her to toddle alongside the stroller for the first time.  We were amazed.  What a walker she turned out to be!  This allowed us to head over to the Golden Gate Meat Company to get some pastrami.  A quick note on this pastrami: on "Yelp" it is voted as one of the city's best, but that's just not the case.  It is delicious, but it tastes far more like smoked brisket than pastrami.  If you're wanting pastrami, this isn't it.  Ok, back to the story...

With "pastrami" and breakfast sandwiches in hand, we headed out to the benches overlooking the bay.  Mimi ate standing up - her preferred eating position when we're out - and quickly polished off half the breakfast sandwich.  Full, she decided to befriend a little Japanese girl sitting next to us.  They didn't talk much, but they did seem to like each others' shoes.  Just before we went back into the market a kindly man offered to take a picture of us.

The fruits and vegetables at the farmers' market are amazing, but by no means cheap.  Don't even pretend to think you're going to get a deal here.

The standout item of the day, which was also a bit pricey, was a natural soda carbonated by lactic fermentation.  Very cool and very tasty.  Even Mimi enjoyed it, though half the soda ended up on her shirt.

We returned home without incident.  Overall, an great day out.  Short, but much appreciated.  I'm hoping that once Mimi gets a bit better at communicating we'll be able to take some longer trips.  But until then, we're sticking to 3 hours or less!

So, You Think You Can Make Me Nap?

A Look Inside Mimi's Brain at Nap Times

Saturday: 1:00pm
Where are we going?  Oh, the kitchen, to get my bottle?  Foolish parent.  Don't you know it's Saturday?  Mommy is home.  You may not think I understood this, but I know she was on call last weekend and now that she's here, I'm going to make the most of it.  


Alright, we're in my room now.  You've given me warm milk and turned on the sleep sheep.  I hope you know that laying me down in my cradle with warm milk and soothing ocean sounds may have worked in the past, but not today, buddy.  That's right.  Go ahead.  Shut the door and go out to the living room to watch your precious episode of Top Gear while I down this bottle of milk.  I'm going to get your hopes up by being quiet, lull you into a false sense of security, and then blow your little mind.  

(5 minutes pass)

Oh, look who's back?  It's Papa.  That's right.  Pick me up and give me a kiss.  Cradle me and put me down in the crib on my back.  Where's my blanket?  Ah, very good, you didn't forget.  That's right, go ahead and leave.  Now I'll just sit back and (yawn) bide my time.  

(5 minutes pass)

Wah, what?  Damn!  I let that fat bastard lull me to sleep.  Well, it's time to let him know that that crap ain't gonna fly on a Saturday afternoon with Mama home.  

I'll start off soft.  Yeah, that's the ticket.  Soft and quiet with a few little whimpers of discontent.  Let him think I'm just turning over or kicking off my blanket.  From there I'll take a solid 5 minutes to work myself into a wailing frenzy.  

(5 minutes pass.  Significant teeth clenching in the living room occurs.)

That's right.  I can hear the two of you arguing.  You want to come get me, but you're still going to try to wait it out.  Idiots.  For that insolence I'm going to up the ante.  Here comes 10 minutes of contented babble.  I'm going to make you think I'm playing.  And then I'll play my trump card - 5 minutes of pure, unadulterated silence.  

(15 minutes pass)

I can still hear you, you fools!  Listen to you!  Talking about the morning's trip to the Ferry Building and the upcoming visit with Grandma and Grandpa this afternoon.  The two of you sound so content.  It's almost as if you're savoring this time you have without me.  Well, I'll soon put an end to your ignorant delusions.  Here it comes.  I'm gonna scream at the top of my lungs until you burst through the door thinking I've given myself a hernia or contracted appendicitis.  

(7.5 excruciating minutes pass)

Ha-ha!  Look who's come skulking into my room.  It's Papa.  And he's picking me up.  Excellent.  Papa - please understand that it hurts me to say this - for a man with so much supposed experience and learning you really are quite easy to manipulate.  Honestly, why don't you challenge me a bit.  After all, I'm 16 months old now!  

These parents of mine need to get craftier and I can absolutely guarantee that they're not going to do so without some serious tutoring on my part.  I can already tell that they'll try to put me down again around 3:00 or 3:30 before Grandma and Grandpa come.  Let it be known I'm not going down.  And if they try again halfway through the visit, bollocks to that!  I'll wail from the very start.  They'll be lucky if they get 5 minutes alone in the living room!  

Honestly, it's not that I "enjoy" inflicting such pain on them, but they're ignorant.  They need to learn.  It's not my fault I can't talk yet.  This is the only way I can show them the error of their ways.  They'll just have to hang tough until they get their act together.  I'm more than willing to wait.  

Oh, and at dinner, just to mix things up again, I think I'll put some udon noodles in my hair.  That will keep them perplexed for a bit.

As you may have guessed, it was a challenging weekend.  Sumie was on call the weekend before and I think that Mimi has been too excited having her home all day to get any rest.  Despite the bedtime battles, it was a wonderful weekend.  More on our Ferry Building visit and trip to the flea market in posts to come.  Also, even without a nap, Mimi had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa.  It's amazing how she can still find energy to play despite going non-stop all day.  She is, despite her age, definitely hard core.