Love and Dentist in the Same Sentence

After a five year hiatus, I went to the dentist today. Seeing as Koji is well past four and hasn't ever been, I took him along for his first appointment. I really didn't know what it would be like as there are always horror stories about little kids at the dentist's office. Not to worry, Koji had a grand time and even asked me tonight before he went to bed if he can go back again tomorrow...
I don't normally publish photos of myself in unflattering positions, but I think this one (and the myriad of others that look nearly like it) are pretty funny. The story is, Koji had to wait while I was getting my teeth checked, and fool that I am, I didn't bring anything along to entertain him. So I let him root through my bag and play with whatever. Well, it didn't take long for him to unearth the camera, and then of course he wanted to take a picture or two or ten...the one above and this one are the "best" two...speaking of two, I have two cavities, but I actually think that's pretty good considering I haven't been to the dentist in five years!

Eeww, 35?!

So I've been on a major hiatus from posting here, perhaps because I'm paralyzed by an event that took place over a month ago. Note to self, and anyone (Mom?) who still opens this blog looking for the increasingly unlikely new post: I'm putting this up on Sept. 17th though the post date says otherwise.

Said event was my Thirty-Fifth Birthday. God's blessed me with a lot of friends who seem convinced that getting older is better, but I guess I missed that boat. I'm just not excited about it.

However, I am excited about the fun that I had at my birthday parties. It must sound oxymoronic of me to say I'm not thrilled about something, oh, but I had two parties to commemorate it anyway. I'm paradoxical like that. Or maybe I just wanted to say "paradoxical".

The first party was a bocce/food/bowling party at Pin stripes in Northbrook. I'm too lazy to link to it here, but I have to say, if you live in the area and are intrigued by the idea of "chic bowling (speaking of oxymoronic...)" then you should google it and go there. It was really fun! Thanks very much to the friends who joined me for the evening--especially Jenny, who organized, and Aogu, who financed all the delicious food--I hope we can do that again soon. Not the getting older part, the part where we went out together and made some fun memories.

So since I'm a little down about turning 35, I'll just admit it here and open myself to criticism or encouragement. Deal it to me as you see fit, I think I can take it. If you are reading this, then I also thank you for not giving up on my blog!!

One Busy Day Last Month

As you all know well, I love chronology. But I also drive you crazy with it, because you know that I may post something down there somewhere in the nether regions of the blog in an attempt to stay chronological. Worse yet, you never see what I've painstakingly put up. So for today at least, in a concession to this issue, I am putting up some pictures from last month, with a note to myself and all of you that these things actually happened on July 11th.


Koji turned our slide upside down and both kids climbed up and had as much fun as they would have with it right side up.


Megan and Joshua (and a day or so later, Jim) came to visit. It was great to have them back here after more than a year since they moved to Charlottesville.


Audrey came by with Shanel, and one main source of entertainment was a session of bed-jumping with Koji and Izumi. Come again, Audrey!



This may be one of my best ever photos of smiling Izumi? A gratifying point for me is that she's wearing a little shirt that I made for her...


That evening, Will was in town and invited us out for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe downtown. It was fun to be out as a family and to see Will again so soon after just being with him last month. Thanks for dinner, Will!

Giving You Another Chance

The other day when I tried to start a discussion about work-life balance and gender, three out of four commentors refused to stay on topic (thanks for your input, Emily, what you said was very thought-provoking).

My response is to be stubborn--or kind?--and give you another opportunity to respond. There was another article in the NY Times today about this topic, but this time, it's the Japanese version of the problem, which I have to say, make things here in the U.S. look positively progressive (this article is only one page long, not so intimidating as the last).

What do you think?

Recommendations for the Jaded

So summer TV, or lack thereof, is exceedingly boring and I thought I should pick up some new shows (when actually what I should probably do is stop watching TV altogether...I used to hate to watch TV, what has happened to me?). The Tribune TV critic recommended Damages and Saving Grace. I programmed them into my DVR and then waited.

The other night I finally got around to watching "Damages". I assumed I would like it because the Tribune TV critic seems to like some of the same SciFi channel shows that I do. But when it was over, I went back into my DVR and clicked on "cancel series". The high-powered lawyer (played by Glenn Close) was much too manipulative and calculating and willing to spare no expense--including human life--to get the results she was after. Some may argue that's just how one has to be to make it in the world of litigation and more so if you're a woman, blah blah. I disagree, and so I won't be watching "Damages" any more.

"Saving Grace": well, I was feeling a little wary after the experience described above, and more so as I took in the first scene of the pilot which depicted Grace enthusiastically have sex with a married man. The premise seems to be that Grace, who is a flawed woman but better than competent police officer/detective type, will be saved from herself by an old guy who has wings on his back that can only be seen reflected in the windows of any cars he may happen to be standing next to. OK. Well, I'm all for redemption, I am. In fact, maybe I'm the judgmental one because I don't want to like Grace for her cussin', hard-drinkin', sleepin' around ways. In this case, it just feels like too much information. Sure, I want Grace to have a happy ending, but maybe I just don't really need to know how she's going to get there. CANCEL SERIES.

I'm back to re-runs of What Not to Wear, and I think I like it that way.

Note to Self: When Parking Downtown

Dear Self,

You know how you are not very detail-oriented and not so organized, so please stop telling me that you can keep track of little pieces of paper, such as, just for a hypothetical--actually not so--example, let's say, one of those parking ticket card thingys you get when you drive into a parking garage. Self, you cannot do it, and in fact, tonight, you didn't do it and now you are FORTY-SIX DOLLARS poorer. That's right, two times the maximum fee for parking in that Millennium Park parking garage that Mayor Daley is and will be trying to pay for with my money (he's a lot closer as of tonight) for years to come.

So self, please take to heart the advice of the attendant who charged my card and let me out of the garage: leave that stub in the car! Never mind the ubiquitous signs directing you to "Take your ticket so you can pay when you exit". B%^$&#*@!! It's a siren call, they are trying to convince me that I will still have that little scrap of paper when I get back to my car, but as I know now, I actually probably won't, so from now on, hands off the ticket! What does "from now on" really mean though, self, because I'm thinking that the next two and a half trips downtown, kids or no kids, I am not allowed to drive. Only then will I begin to come up sort of even, right?

Love, Me

Note to Self: When Going to the Beach

Dear Self,

When I go to the beach with small children, which I guess I am likely to be doing for the next several years, I must remember to always gather the things I need to take with me, put them in a pile at home, and then remove half of them. After that culling, I will be free to put the remaining, much lighter load in a backpack, and only a backpack. With any other type of bag, how in the world do I think I can get the goods down to the water from the car if I have to schlep at least one child at the same time, self? Am I cuckoo?!

Furthermore, self, tuck a couple of beach balls and/or other water apropos inflatables into a corner of that backpack, would you?

Finally, please take along an extra pair of shoes, even if they're just some random flip-flops. Because, self, I never know just when I might be walking along in those cutesy plastic Birkenstock sandals and the next step I take, suddenly my foot meets sand because the entire top portion of that trusty foot gear that has served me faithfully for over 10 years has suddenly decided to separate itself from its sole. Take it from me, self, if that should happen and I don't have an extra pair of something for my feet, things could get ugly. Like say, I might even have to go into the restroom barefoot. Nasty!