July 2024 Part 1 (Returning, Naomi to San Diego, Manny to Taiwan, 4th of July Drones, Archery, Obon Festival, Lucas Turns 16, Friend Visits)

July 2024 was quite a busy month for us. Not only catching up with appointments, but more plane rides and boat rides (next post). 

We flew back from New York with a stop in Chicago. At La Guardia, we ran into an issue with TSA where an agent was not clear on instructions. He said for the minors to go ahead and go through, and I'm not sure if he thought Lucas wasn't a minor or what, but when he went through, he shoved Lucas back using the corner of a clipboard. Lucas of course was upset by this, and we had to calm him down. I later decided to report the incident. Lucas just wanted acknowledgment from an authority that what happened was not okay. We got that and a written apology from the TSA after they reviewed the security footage, and he was good with that. There was no reason to push Lucas like that. I feel bad that that was Lucas's last interaction or impression in New York. At the airport, we got some Junior's cheescakes and bought Grandpa a Boston Terrier mug for his birthday and Naomi a New York sweatshirt. Dexter, their Boston Terrier, had recently passed away. We miss him.

After we returned, Naomi started packing again to leave for the following weekend to San Diego for her friend's Melissa birthday. It was just them two and one weekend. They had a nice Japanese dinner, went to a concert, and walked around. 

For 4th of July, I found out about this drone show sort of last minute at a park Isaac and I like, but there was so much traffic that we didn't really make it. However, we saw some of it from the car. Chris and his family also came to visit, and Coach took a liking to them.

Unfortunately while we were away, the worker who was supposed to help cover for Manny decided to take a vacation herself. Things escalated, and Manny was sent overseas to work with the customer directly. He had to miss Lucas's 16th birthday, but he was able to call in during his meeting and do the cake and presents virtually with us. While Manny was away, the boys did a month-long archery class, Lucas continued with his Magic the Gathering game meetup, and I got to work on a 1000-piece photomosaic Snoopy puzzle that Cecille got me I think 15 or more years ago. I hadn't had the time or space to work on it until now. I've since mounted and framed it.

Isaac and I also attended a Japanese Obon Festival in Japantown. I had to get my Shuei-Do mochi and see the taiko drummers. It was a hot day, though, and Isaac was melting so we left before the end of the show. It was fun to run into my old hip-hop dance teacher! His wife is Japanese and was working at the festival. We haven't seen each other in 15 years maybe. The mayor was also at the festival. He and the new mayor of San Francisco make a lot of effort to be out in the community and at events.

I also went out for dessert with an old friend. It's nice that our kids can be home by themselves for a while now so we could meet up. Dessert and tea were good, and the decor always amazing, but the quality of the desserts seems to have diminished.

Lucas's 16th birthday itself was pretty low-key. He picked out an ice cream cake and actually Burger King for his meal, including a sundae. We celebrated the next day with a trip to Angel Island (next post). At 16, Lucas is going through what a lot of teens do with lots of emotions, looking for identity, fearing the unknown, trying to find purpose and meaning, and sometimes wishing he could be a little kid again. He doesn't really have favorites anymore, like a favorite color, movie, or food. I've been working hard to get him the help and assistance he needs, and I'm very thankful for the few things he's been able to do and feel safe doing, like music lessons and the Magic group and the sports class. I pray for him, to know he is loved, to know God's love, and to love God.

Cool fountain with moving lights at the airport

Boston terriers of New York

This sunset matched Southwest Airlines' colors.

Home sweet home

Naomi with friend in San Diego (I won't post their personal photos)

By their concert venue

Drive-thru fireworks

Drone show from afar

Coach love

I know you've seen them in previous photos, but protecting their privacy. Coach is actually looking at the camera. lol

Contemplating my puzzle

Some quality time with their dog while Lucas plays Magic

First archery lesson. It was quite hot, so we did most of the lesson in the shade.

Not bad for their first time.

For the last 10-15 minutes we went out on to the course.

It was a fun class!

Annual Oboon Festival in Japantown

Taiko drummers

Assorted mochi

Out for dessert and coffee/tea with Annette

Lucas turning 16! Really glad I have a balloon blower.

Happy birthday to Lucas!

Cake from Baskin-Robbins

Sixteen candles

Birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa!

Finished!

Cats looking regal

June 2024 before New York (End of Year, Father's Day, Lucas Game Group, Cats):

Naomi was done with her school year by May, while Isaac wasn't done until June 1 and Lucas's schoool went till June 20. Then we were off to New York, which will be the next post. 

In June, Lucas was invited to his first birthday party in many many years. It has been hard for him socially. It used to be that I could just arrange playdates or outings, and the kids would just hang out and play. As teens, it doesn't happen as easily. Sometimes they will hang out, but then there has to be a some sort of connection and follow-up for a friendship, and that's the part that hasn't happened as much for Lucas. Nonetheless, he is getting out and doing things weekly with pre-teens and teens, and that is really a blessing after a lot of isolation during Covid. I told Lucas when he was asking about how to meet people that perhaps he could learn a game and gather with others to play? People used to do that with Dungeons and Dragons when I was little. So he said what about Magic the Gathering? I thought, that's sort of an older game, like my friends who play it are all adults in their 30s. But I said okay, I could always learn it and play with you. But wow it was a challenge with so much thinking I was just a terrible opponent for him. And then, like magic, and really God's blessing, a family asked in our homeschool group if anyone would like to join their kids in playing the game. This specific game! I was so surprised. Not only that, but I know that some Christians don't like Magic because of some of the darker characters like zombies and fantasy themes, and the family was told they could not post about it again. I often don't get around to reading all the emails from the group, but I happened to read that one (the subject line didn't contain the game name). And that started something that Lucas finally had to look forward to each week in addition to the sports class that he could participate in independently and interact with other kids. 

Lucas was also "graduated" from the pediatric dentist to an adult dentist. He was kind of sad about it, understandably, but thankfully it's located in the same building, so he can still pass by the office my kids grew up going to. His new dentist is really fantastic. I'm very thankful. I didn't want him to go to mine, because the dentist I usually get (it's a group) doesn't have the best bedside manner.

We also hadn't been out as a family in a while, especially with Naomi in school, and for Father's Day, Manny took us all to celebrate in Los Altos. It was a really pretty day, and we enjoyed various items from the famous State Street Market food hall. This would be a foretaste of eating out as a family in New York.

Isaac graduated from elementary school. I still remember when Naomi graduated 8 years before from the same school and won her class citizenship award. That was her first year in public school, too. She went in in the 5th grade, and Isaac in the 4th grade. Lucas is continuing with online school and homeschooling. Kids grow up so fast. My kids have been affected by many things they never chose, and they are still resilient and pushing through. 

Naomi of course met up with her friends after school ended, some from high school and some from college. I can't remember all she did, but I also don't want to post too much about her anymore. Unless we have a family photo, you probably won't see many photos of her on here anymore. Thank you all who have actually been here from the start. It's been over two decades! 

I don't know why the pets always seem to like to put their feet in Naomi's shoes

Lucas with a few boys from his sports class for the tall one's birthday

Their cat likes Lucas

Tito, one of the liquor store owner's cats

Ginger is the other one

Looking out the window of our townhome

Lucas at his new card game group

Ice cream in Los Altos

At the food market

Pizza and salads

K's graduation (teen from our church)

Some Mother's Day flowers for coaching sports class and Isaac's painting

With Naomi and her friend E. at Rice Junky, Korean bowl place

Isaac's class

Picking Naomi up from the train station after she went to visit her friend in the City

Lucas's new dentist's office. Sort of a placeholder picture so I could remember our first day there and write about it here.

April 2024 part 2 (Bruce Lee Exhibit with Isaac, Getting Lucas Active Again, Naomi's Birthday and College)

I don't want to get into too much detail, but if it helps anyone to know, Lucas has had a hard time connecting with people for a while. When he was younger, it was easy enough for me to just take him to see friends and family and he would just be loved and accepted. Or sometimes he'd be with his brother and sister while out which was fine for him. Nowadays I can't just schedule playdates and hope and the other kids will just get along. It takes more independent socialization and sometimes opportunity and connection with others, and that has been a challenge for him. Also, just being at home feels a bit suffocating to all of us. So when I could, I'd take Lucas on walks. 

I took him for a nature walk and also to check out the eclipse through a strainer. The sports class was a good thing, too. I expressed a desire with another parent for him to get to know other boys his age from his sports class. And he was invited for one of their birthday parties and it was the first time he'd been invited to one in a long time, but it seems that nothing really came of it. They live kind of far from us as well. I told Lucas that maybe he could consider finding a game that he would enjoy and could play socially. He said how about Magic the Gathering? I thought that was sort of an old game, but something great came out of it. More on that later. In the meantime, I want to say it was too hard for me to pick up even with the app, and I wasn't a very fun or challenging opponent.

I ended up having to coach Lucas's sports class at the end of the year for a couple of weeks because the lead coach was out. I also had to do that for basketball one week. I should say I "got" to, not that I "had" to. It was a good experience for me overall, though Lucas and I of course missed the other coach. This year I took over as lead coach for most of the year. More on that later as well.

Likewise, I think I mentioned how Isaac was longing to have as many outings as he could before middle school. So I took him to a Bruce Lee Exhibit in San Francisco Chinatown before it closed as well as the place where he lived briefly with his parents. Google actually is great for finding landmarks like that. The docent at the museum knows Bruce Lee's daughter and also knew one of his old friends, so he had a lot of interesting stories for us. Isaac and I both enjoyed it. I was hoping to get him some ice cream as well but the place was closed (for good, like many places after Covid, sadly), so we got some boba. He's not actually a huge fan of boba, but they had a nice fruit tea there.  

I know Isaac feels like he missed a lot of childhood. He did actually do a lot, but with the pandemic, our family issues, and being the youngest, he really didn't get to experience nearly as much as his older siblings did before he entered middle school. It's okay if a child doesn't know what he's missed, but Isaac has some inkling. He is actually fairly precocious, especially in his intuition about human history and psychology. He doesn't really like history, and he doesn't watch much TV or movies or read for leisure. He just sort of gets how people of various generations are or were.

Naomi by the end of April was wrapping up her school year, and just like they told us at orientation, she went from coming home almost every weekend to making friends by the spring and not needing to come home as much anymore. She did still come home for her birthday, and I took her out to for dim sum and then we had mango cake and snacks at home with the family. 

Lucas at N's birthday party. We had a German barbecue and they played some puzzles and mad libs together.

Naomi attended a talk with actress Stephanie Hsu

Taking the boys for a run. They ran 2 miles. I jogged/walked 1.5 miles.

Soccer game for the middle/high school group

Resting his head

Happy birthday

Yum yum dim sum mother-daughter lunch for Naomi's birthday

Bruce Lee's home when he was a baby

Mural across the street

Side patio of the museum (garden was closed)

Downstairs area showing a Bruce Lee documentary and various artwork

These miniature replicas of Chinatown homes and shops made by the artist (I forgot his name) were very neat. This was probably about 10-12" wide. So detailed!

Playing our first game of Magic the Gathering. I lost by 30 points, I think.

Very pretty park. We just missed the cherry blossoms.

When he was young, we'd built one of those diy cereal box eclipse viewers and had eclipse glasses from a library event. But now it's just, let's grab the strainer and go for a walk.

5th grade History Day for Isaac (theme was colonial times). They got to fire a small cannon!

Naomi at a concert

Cat boops

I was totally not ready for this. I was also dressed down in my workout clothes, but I guess that's appropriate.

Silhouette projection on the ceiling

Another cool projection upstairs. As Lee once said, be like water! And fire, too!