master sensei's visit:

Last week, the founder of Kokikai Aikido, who himself was actually a student of the original founder of aikido proper, paid a visit to Naomi's class and the adult class after.  It was his only dojo stop on the west coast this trip.  By the end of the children's class, with the adult class to follow, it was almost standing-room only with many adults wishing to hear from Maruyama Sensei himself.  He is almost 80, and he may not make these annual trips for much longer.

Naomi was exhausted from a long day, but she worked hard and even received a coveted high-five from her Sensei when she did a full flip roll over another teacher, instead of just rolling next to the teacher as the other students did.  The students had never been asked to do something like this before; it was Maruyama Sensei's directive.  Her Sensei also had her grab him, spin him around, and throw him.  

I was glad to be able to attend because Manny was home with the boys.  Usually I take Lucas and Isaac to the library or a local store, and they can be a handful when together, but Manny has time off right now.  I thought it was a good experience for Naomi.  It's not to worship a person, but to understand honor for elders and authority, and a respect for order and for history.  

Sensei observing and directing warm-ups.

He is the founder of Kokikai Aikido.

Here he's standing under his own portrait demonstrating a technique.

Naomi "throwing" her Sensei.

The kids with the founder.

The students before her rolled beside the crouched teacher, but Naomi just went for it.

papi plus three at gilroy gardens:

Manny has been busy on the weekends with work and unable to spend much time with the kids, so when he finally got some time off last Sunday, he took them to Gilroy Gardens before his pass expired.  He originally wanted to just take Isaac, but he didn't want the others to be left out, so he took them all.  What a devoted (and brave) father.  The kids came back happily recounting their thrilling time and saying I should have gone (we felt it best that Manny get the alone time with the kids).  It sounded like they behaved but had their moments, too.  Isaac had gotten up unusually early (6:30) that morning, and he was tired and fussy at times.  Naomi got in trouble for getting back on a ride again without asking permission.  Lucas got upset that a boat ride that Isaac was too small to get on was so slow and had no drops.  He's starting to be a little braver with rides again after being traumatized by Expedition Everest in Disney World.  I went to church and met with our small group (so very thankful for them), and then had some free time to return our library books, do some shopping for a child in Haiti, clean, and cook dinner.  I don't consider it work but rest to do things without any interruptions or distractions.  But I missed my family, and I was happy to welcome them home.

Getting ready to head out.  Manny is always strict about Isaac's buckle being up high, so I'm sure he fixed that (and had Lucas buckled up) before they left.

Spinning strawberries.

Lucas is 48" tall, which was the max for the little rides.

Lucas and Isaac.   I still remember Naomi riding these rides as a toddler like it was yesterday.

About to get on the hot air balloon ride.  Isaac told me he really liked this one.

Getting on the ride again.

Isaac wasn't big enough for this ride, so Lucas was expecting a lot more than a slow boat ride.

Garlic Twist.

Naomi on the banana swing.  She went on the big kid rides by herself while Manny stayed with the boys.

Lucas got on this teacup-like ride with other kids.  On the last one, they spun like crazy.

Three fun-loving kids.

Train ride.

Fun on the train.

Last ride of the day with Isaac behind the wheel.

birthday date night:

The celebration of Manny's birthday continued this last Saturday with our second date night of the year.  This was a long time in the making, particularly because it's hard to find someone aside from Grandma and Grandpa who can watch all three kids.  But our friend K. was a pro.  She lived a little farther from our destination, but it was worth it, and the kids were so happy when we returned.  Isaac didn't miss us at all and didn't even want to leave.  Naomi got to bake cookies, Lucas got to play Monopoly and bounce off the walls onto their giant beanbag, and Isaac got to see their lighted Christmas pigs and also jump into the beanbag.  She even took them to downtown to see the lights and have ice cream.  

When we dropped them off, K. hadn't returned home yet, so we had to leave the kids with her husband for just 10 minutes before he and her older son headed off to the Stanford game (which I guess Manny had to miss for our date).  K. said she got there, and the kids were just sitting quietly on the couch.  Then the fun began!  

Now on to our special date.  I'd asked Manny where he wanted to eat, and he picked this Brazilian all-you-can-eat restaurant where they come around and carve the meat for you at the table.  We had all kinds of steak, chicken, pork, ribs, and lamb,  I had no room left for the ribs, and Manny isn't a huge fan of lamb.  They also had one of the most amazing salad bars I've ever had with kale, quinoa, beets, hearts of palm, all the trendy healthful stuff.  I could have eaten that for dinner and been satisfied.  But I do enjoy my meat.  I was completely stuffed.  After our trip to the salad bar, they brought around the tiger prawn cocktail and house sides--mashed potatoes, fried bananas, and fried plantains.  

Manny's dessert was on the house, and while I thought they'd be embarrassing him, I ended up being the embarrassed one, because they made me sing happy birthday with the server.  Not only can I barely carry a tune, but he was singing in a different key, and we were trying to adjust for each other.  Haha.  We also got papaya cream, which helped a lot with my indigestion.  Some of my lamb was way oversalted, but it was a great dinner overall.  Happy 40th one last time to Manny!  PS, the lady at the restaurant couldn't believe Manny is 40.  He looks really good.

Afterward we walked around for a little bit.  Christmas lights and decorations make me so happy.  I don't mind that they put them up before Thanksgiving.  Some years ago, I would have dismissed the decorations as a sign of greed and commercialization, but now I just enjoy them for what they are.  Bright lights will always remind me of the east coast and Disneyland in a good way.    

On Manny's actual birthday, Naomi made him carrot cake from scratch in the mug she got him.  It was delicious!  She found the easy recipe on YouTube.

About to leave for our date.  I found this flattering dress at Ross that hides my spare tire.  :)

You just tell them how you like your steak and grab it with the tongs as they serve it.  I'm a lefty, but I've learned to use my right hand for others' convenience.

Fried bananas, fried plantains, and mashed potatoes.  I wish I had room for more!

Salad bar had all kinds of salad, crudites, and smoked meats and fish.

We got seated in the back near the restrooms, but it was a perfect spot for us and right next to the salad bar.

One of the friendly churascaria servers.

Oh man, they made me sing "Happy Birthday," which you would never want to hear me sing.

One of Manny's favorite desserts--chocolate molten lava cake.

Who needs a selfie stick with Manny's long arms?

Nighttime stroll.

I felt so young and so old at the same time.  It was all new but nostalgic, too.  I'm so blessed for all the wonderful memories I've had with Manny.

The tree is up already.

Tchau, Fogo de Chao!

Some photos sent to us by K.  Here is Isaac playing with Hex bugs.

Naomi baking Christmas cookies.

Boys.

Party still going at home--Naomi decorated the cookies she baked.

manny's birthday celebration:

Manny is turning 40 this week, but we've started celebrating early.  We'll also be celebrating with a date next weekend.  Yay!  Every year we've done the cake on his birthday, but I really didn't want the kids waiting up late for him this year, nor did I have four hours on a Monday to spend on a cheesecake, so I made it Friday to chill overnight for Saturday.  You can't rush cheesecake.  It turned out really nicely--no cracks, perfect texture, great flavor with the lemon and vanilla (here's the recipe, but I made the graham cracker crust from a different recipe).  The family likes it plain or with a little whipped cream (I like mine with fruit).

I wanted to use a theme this time to make Manny's 40th more fun and memorable.  He didn't really want a party, so we just did our own celebration.  We did invite Chris, but he was off running in an Avengers marathon at Disneyland.  My kind of fun.  Naomi helped me with the fondant Star Wars logo on top (she wanted to; I didn't make her).  That probably saved me a substantial amount of time.  The cake wasn't done until about 10:30 p.m.  She also made a little fondant Darth Vader with the leftover black fondant.  Always resourceful.  I am a big Star Wars fan and might even be more excited than Manny about Episode VII coming out.  Star Wars has been part of our entire lives, and it sparks both nostalgia and anticipation to think that there's going to be a new movie with the same beloved actors.  Grandma happened to crochet these cute C3PO and R2D2 beanies for the kids, and they worked out nicely for the party.  Maybe our kids will finally be interested in Star Wars.  Maybe not.  We haven't indoctrinated them.  I was going to put, "May the 40th be with you" around the cake, but we (well, Naomi) concluded that was too cheesy.  We had the cake after a dinner of pulled chicken, baked potatoes with all the fixings, and Cobb salad. 

I made Manny a photobook listing 40 things I love about him, which were really easy to come up with.  A lot of them were inside jokes and candid photos, and at the end, I included a page of photos from almost every birthday since we've been married.  It's hard to believe Isaac's been around for three of his birthdays already.  I also got him a Stanford Nerd Nation shirt, which had been sold out for the longest time, and a Captain America shirt because that's Isaac's favorite right now.  The gift on which I spent the most time was a compilation of our 2014 videos.  Unfortunately most computers no longer have Movie Maker or DVD burning software or even a DVD drive.  I put it on a USB and will have to take it to Costco sometime to make the DVD.  I don't know how DVDs can be obsolete already.  What do people usually do with home videos nowadays?  I don't trust my laptop as a sole location for them.

Naomi saved up her prize money from piano to get Manny a Dadspeak mug.  A lot of them were hilarious because we'd heard them before.  "I'm not sleeping; I'm just resting my eyes" or "Okay, but don't tell Mom."   She's planning to use the mug to make a homemade cake in a mug.  I had her test cake already and thought it was delicious.  The boys will help make a card for him.  Hopefully he's not reading any of this.  He usually only has time to look at the photos.  If he is reading this, Happy Birthday, Manny.  I love you at 40.

ETA:  Forgot to mention I went to the Farmer's Market with a couple of moms from church the morning of the celebration.  That was fun, especially in that Manny had the kids, so I got to go without having to worry about losing the boys in the crowd or Naomi feeling tired from all the babysitting.

Farmer's Market in the morning.

Star Wars cheesecake.

My gifts:  40 Things book, tees, and home videos.

Isaac as R2-D2.

Lucas thought it was funny.

Lucas wanted all the lights off.  Naomi's on the left, then Isaac, Manny, and Lucas.

From Naomi:  A perfect Dad mug.  In case anyone ever wonders, Manny's rubbery wedding band broke, and the original one no longer fits him.

The Force Awakens characters.  We also had matching balloons to satisfy Isaac's love for balloons.

veterans day:

It seems a little more poignant to reflect on this after the tragic news from France yesterday.  Naomi had Veterans Day off, and Lucas is learning about the U.S., so I took the kids to a Veterans Day event.  They may not fully comprehend it now, but this bit of patriotism where patriotic songs are still sung and prayers are still said will be hopefully etched in their memories.  I felt a sense of tremendous gratitude and a little nostalgia.  When the color guard appeared, I remembered my days as the color guard commander in high school.  Lucas asked me later what commands they were saying (like "present arms" and "parade rest"), and I lit up explaining and demonstrating them.  I never really got to serve our country, but I will always have a profound personal respect for veterans, even though there are some bad apples.

Isaac was pretty chatty and becoming disruptive, so I took them to the park before heading to the music store to rent a clarinet for Naomi.  She was supposed to have been given one by the district, but there was a shortage, so we have to rent one until February at least.  We've now entered the world of the loud school instrument practices.  After lunch, we dropped Naomi off at her piano lessons while we went to the park.  It was crowded due to the holiday, but that meant Lucas was able to make a group of friends.  They seemed to be having a lot of fun together.  He was very sad that we had to leave and he probably wouldn't see them again.  It reminded him about his older friend from the ISP.  I contacted the boy's mom, and she said they've since moved to another county but sent some photos.  I remember the disappointment my brother had when his only friend cut things off with him when they became adults.  My brother had always held on to the hope that they'd remain friends forever, and he's really never had a real friend like that before or since.  I don't want that for Lucas, but he at least will play with other kids in a group.  The only friend he sees regularly right now is a boy with autism in his music class.  We've been to their house, and they play, but not exactly together.  There are boys in the neighborhood, but Lucas stopped wanting to join them years ago because they are a little more wily than he is.  It used to be that the kids in the neighborhood came over to our house, but times have changed as the kids grow up.  

After the lesson/park, we had an early dinner at Subway courtesy of Grandma.  Isaac doesn't like sandwiches or the pizza there, but he'll eat Sun Chips, pickles, and olives and whatever I have on hand.  I made Manny some eggs with spinach when he got home from work.  He's been eating a lot of protein and veg only lately. 

Color Guard preparing to march in.

The statue of two Navy SEALs killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan.

Bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace" as a soldier salutes.

Walking a path lined with patriotic paintings.

The huge U.S. flag.  The boys in particular find the flag fascinating and want me to get American flag toss pillows.

Subway!  Thanks, Grandma!