MauiAi | - Simple Japanese Living – Everyday Japanese Food

July 17, 2011
by mauiai
0 comments

Baby Beach Baby

I love this shot.
I don’t know why but I do : )

July 12, 2011
by mauiai
0 comments

Boy in a Basket

He does this every time I get this basket out : )

And, he says,
” Mommy, (get) in there!!”

I tell him that I can’t but he won’t take no for an answer…
So I squeeze myself in there…
Feel so silly but I try to please my 2-year-old.
I do the best I can.
Half of my body is out…

He helps me by pushing my butt…
Feel really silly, but I think to myself (half way in the basket) these are the moments I will never forget.

July 10, 2011
by mauiai
0 comments

Simple Soup and Bread Sunday

Food: Simple Soup and Bread Sunday

Sunday.

Only day we can all relax.
We usually go to the beach in the morning.
After we get home,
I take a nap with my 2-year-old, then take a long bath.

Do not feel like cooking hour, hour and a half on a nice Sunday afternoon.

So Sunday is a Soup and Bread day.
Sometimes nice salad comes with it.
Different soup every week.

Easy and healthy food on Sunday night.
Our stomachs are happy : )

Wake up hungry on Monday morning.
Eat a big breakfast and get ready for a new week!

Good Bread, Avocado and cheese

June 27, 2011
by mauiai
0 comments

Pancakes at Midnight

LOL…

I guess he was hungry…
He woke up middle of the night and said,

” I’m hun-riiii!! ”

I’m hungry…
How cute.

So we crawl to the kitchen like two hungry mice.

Heat up the leftover pancakes from that morning.
He swallows them down so quickly.

I realize I am enjoying watching him so much.

It used to bug me.
When my first son was small,
I hated these unplanned events.

I work at night after kids go to bed.
From about 10pm to 3am is my work time.
I have to wake up at 6:30am next morning.
I know I will be sleepy the next day,
but it’s very precious to me.
It’s my time and it’s a time that I can be something else than “mommy”.

Headphone’s on my head.
Inappropriate music for kids coming out from there.
I sit in front of my computer and enjoy my work.

So I hated when my son interrupted my time with whatever reasons.
Honestly…
I was frustrated whenever my son got sick and took away my work time.
I was worried about him, but frustrated.
I was irritated when he woke up in the middle of the night hungry.
I fed him, but irritated.

Though I took care of him the best I could,
but, inside, I admit that I was not so happy.
… and now, I can’t really understand why I wasn’t happy …

I can’t believe that I didn’t think those times were so precious.
First child.
It’s a trip.
He turned my whole world upside down.
I was scared being “mommy” all the time.
Being a mom made me feel that my edgy side is all going away.

But I wanted to be a “good mom” at the same time.
Tried so hard everyday to be one of them.
I “HAVE TO” do this, I “HAVE TO” be like that…
A lot of things felt like a sacrifice.

Looking back, I wish I was more relaxed.
I wish I enjoyed the midnight pancakes with my first child.

Midnight Pancakes and second child

Well, I did enjoy the midnight pancakes time with my second son.

He talked and talked and talked.
I listened and listened and listened.

We laughed and had fun.

Though I may not be raising my two sons exactly the same way,
I do love them both.

Both the same amount, but very differently.

To my special kids.
Love you so much,
Mom

p.s.
I love being a mom to you guys all the time : )

June 26, 2011
by mauiai
0 comments

Origami and Patience

Origami Crane & Origami House

Being Japanese, I attempted to teach my son, who’s now 8 year old, Origami several times in the past.
All the past attempts didn’t end up very well.

One day, he comes home from summer camp and tells me that he learned Origami from one of his friends. Then he asks me if I could teach him more.

I hesitate a little, but I say okay.
I would love him to learn how to do Origami,
but I hate to be frustrated with him just because he is not good at it…

So I take a BIG breath before we start our Origami session.

I tell him,
anything we, Japanese, do, we need extra focus.
Kendo, Judo, Karate, Origami, Japanese Calligraphy, flower arrangement, Sado…
Whatever we do, we need our minds to be clear and calm.

He says, okay.

So we start.
I tell him every step, he has to fold it perfectly.
One step at a time.
Take our time.
No thoughts, just do.

By folding every step perfectly,
it becomes a perfect creation.
If you screw up one step, even just one step, it won’t look pretty at the end.

Just like how life is.
We can’t skip a day.
We live everyday.
One day at a time.
We do our best to have a nice day.

We live good, our results would be good.

I don’t tell him much.
I fold with him.
Try to show him how to do it without saying too much.

Patiently, patiently, patiently…

Well, well…
Who would have thought my clumsy 8 year old can make such a beautiful Origami Crane!!!

He did a wonderful job.
He focused well.
And I am so impressed.
I realize I have to back off more.
I need to let him do it.
I have to be okay with not being in control.
I should understand that his way is okay too…

It’s so hard sometimes knowing my way probably is a better way.
(Well, it usually is!! LOL)

But I guess he would figure that out on his own.
He needs to try and make mistakes, and learn.
I can’t let him skip that process, I need to let him do that.

Stuff he couldn’t do a year ago,
he could do now.
He is growing up.
And I am too.

He makes me a better person and I hope I am doing the same for him as well.