Category Archives: Summer in the US

Beth

August 7, 2012 By in Family, Girlfriends, Summer in the US Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment

Making breakfast in the kitchen

This past weekend I spent with my girlfriend Beth in Alexandria, Virginia. Her and her 4 children, husband (who is actually like one of the kids), and in utero fetus.

I love Beth. She is one of my dearest friends. We have known each other since Medical School Days in Charleston, SC. She was in the M.D. track and I was in the Pharm.D. track. We were introduced by a mutual friend and have been BFFs ever since. I truly love her like a sister. I remember back when we were both just starting out in our careers. We were going to conquer the world “Dynasty-style“, Alexis Colby Carrington was our role model, and we would have 1 baby each (just for the experience). Now, she’s working on her 5th baby and she’s on the “God’s Will” birth control method. Things have really changed.

When I go to Beth’s, I know it is going to be crazy, unscheduled and non-stop. Last year, just 1 day involved taking all 5 kids (Pearl, Faith, Jesse, Enoch, Chase) to Mt. Vernon to visit the home of George Washington. After we came home, the older kids played games while the younger ones napped. We fed the kids dinner, and I’m thinking “This was a really nice day”. Then, Daddy came home and in the middle of the dinner, he starts saying we need to have a “blow out” because Chase and Kathryn are leaving tomorrow. So before I can blink, everyone is loading back into the van chanting “Chuckie Cheese! Chuckie Cheese!” Chase had actually never been to Chuckie Cheese before, but it was on his bucket list, so he was thrilled. At 7pm on a weeknight, I found myself at Chuckie Cheese along with several Hispanic families and single dads. This place is like a dirtier version of Vegas for kids. By the time tickets were traded in and we were ready to go, it’s like 9pm and I thought I saw a light at the end of the tunnel, but then Daddy yells, “Kids! The Krispy Kreme HOT light is on!!!!” So of course we detour into the parking lot for a dozen glazed doughnuts to match the expression on mommy’s faces.

This past weekend’s trip pales in comparison.

Chase is pushing baby Enoch in the stroller

Chase and I have invented a new expression, “Party till our eyes bleed!” That’s how much fun it is at Beth’s. In the short time frame of 48 hours we managed :

We could have done a lot more but then the bleeding from our eyes prohibited our viewing pleasure. By the time Chase and I returned to Mary’s, I was a complete wreck. I know this sounds like some dumb scientific study finding, but: Having 5 children is significantly more stressful than having 1.

It has literally taken me 2 days to get over my 2 days at Beth’s house. I don’t know how she does it. Even though her husband makes a very good living, she refuses to hire help with the children. She does everything. The first day back, I actually cried in the shower for my poor lost friend. I hope she doesn’t get mad at me for feeling badly for her like this, but I never saw the look of terror leave her eyes. I love her children, but when you have that many, there is NO DOWNTIME. Someone is always being hit, hitting someone, crying, running, choking, needing all the time. You are completely out-numbered. I like to think if I had that many kids, they would all know their whistle call and be promptly dressed and ready for dinner at 6pm every night. In reality, I would definitely be much worse off than Beth and carry one of those suicide capsules in my bra at all times.

Before I left, I said, “Girl, you know I love your kids. And I know you love your kids. But I can’t help feeling like I need to kidnap you out of this situation and de-program you.” I also told her, that I would always remember her as that carefree girl in graduate school who used to dance on bar counters with me. With that, I got a smile.

Touchstones & pebbles

Until next time…

PS: Beth and Nigel always come up with some really unique baby names. There is a strong possibility Number 5 may be named Moses.

Chase is Home!

July 24, 2012 By in Chase, Summer in the US Tags: 1 Comment

Returning from 656 yard Lake Swim

Friday evening I left for Maine.

I booked a room at a lovely B&B called Mill Pond Inn. Because of delays at United, I ended up checking in around 1:30am Saturday. My driver was picking me up at 9am to go to Camp Kieve. I was so restless, I ended up sneaking downstairs for a glass of Merlot before I passed out. The morning gave me my first views of Maine. Having never been to Maine before, I never realized just how rustic it is. The houses seem to be very spread out and the land is beautiful. People are nice in that small-town kind of way. Mill Pond Inn reminds me of the working farm in Virginia we vacationed at one year (Cornerstone Farms). I have never actually used the word bucolic, but it seemed extremely apropos here.

After breakfast, I headed over to the camp which was only about 12 minutes away.  While I was getting my name tag, one of the counselors asked, “Are you Chase’s mom?” I guess when you’re the only Asian-ish kid at campus, they figure out who your mom is pretty quick. She followed up with, “I just love Chase. He’s an awesome kid!” I took this as a good sign.

Listening to Counselors

Chase’s cabin was known as North Townsend. Of course it was located deep into the forest and I had to ask several times where it was. The longer it took for me to find it, the more anxious I began to feel. I’m usually pretty calm, but the one thing that makes me nuts is thinking I am late picking up Chase or that he’s looking for me and I am not there. It stems from my childhood, but I won’t get into that now. As I get closer to his cabin, I start looking everywhere for him and turning the corner, I glimpse him through the trees and I know he has seen me too. He has been waiting in front keeping an eye out for his momma. As soon as the path clears, I call his name and run to him. His posture shifts in a way that lets me know he is trying really hard to look “cool”, but I know better. I grab him in my arms and to my shock, I realize he is crying too. I am only slightly aware of people around us starting sentences like, “Hey Chase, is that …?” but in that moment, all that matters is I have my baby boy in my arms and I know he is safe and happy. When we finally stop hugging, others tentatively draw closer to introduce themselves and tell me what a terrific kid Chase is. I can’t help but beam, because this boy is mine.

Chase and I start walking towards the last chapel service for camp. Along the way, Chase is making introductions of other campers and counselors. It becomes obvious that Chase has become popular at camp and the respect and admiration goes both ways. I know Cliff and I have always hoped Chase would be a popular kid. I don’t want him to get full of himself over it, but I have always hoped that he would become popular for all the right reasons. As I was able to get to know the counselors better, it became so obvious that this camp was the perfect place for Chase to thrive and find acceptance. It’s so hard to believe you could find that many boys so different and yet all so kind and generous in spirit. It’s really so beautiful.

Last Chapel Service

When Chase and I had a moment to ourselves, I asked him to tell me one of the things he learned about himself at camp. He replied, “I learned that if I try hard enough, I can do anything.”

Climbing to the Top

That’s my son.

Until next time…

Boys vs Girls

July 20, 2012 By in Chase, Summer in the US Tags: , Leave a comment

Who knew? Boys are different from girls! Spending time with my sister Mary and my nieces (Charlotte 6 &  Jessica 4) makes me realize I am a Boys Mom. When Chase was a toddler, I used to say a short prayer of thanks every time we went into a public bathroom for not having to do this with a girl. Don’t get me wrong. I love my nieces. However, having been a boy mommy for the past 10 years, watching my sister feels especially exhausting. Granted: She is a full-time working single mother of 2 toddler girls, BUT, then there’s all the “girl maintenance”! There is so much hair brushing, outfit selecting, and talking about feelings. I barely have time to brush the mats out of my dog Maggie’s hair let alone 2 little girls. I always liked letting Chase run around with bed head. Of course, this drives Cliff insane and he insists on hair inspection every morning. Me? I figure one day he’ll meet some girl he wants to impress, and that will provide the motivation he needs to brush his hair and change his underwear on a daily basis.

Making sun catchers

The other day, my sister arranged a playdate for her daughters. When Mary (aka SuperMom) organizes playdates, it’s like event planning. It always involves carefully planned snacks and crafts. At some point, the girls will also end up digging through the princess box and parading around the house in their fancy outfits. On this particular day, they were making sun catchers and beaded jewelry. Mary was at work and her au pair was executing the program du jour, but it was still a glimpse into the world of having daughters. The last playdate I had for Chase in Atlanta involved a trampoline, Nerf guns, and Wii remotes. I also served wine to my girlfriends who happened to “stop by” and told the boys not to bother us unless someone was bleeding or on fire.

Camp Photo

Until next time…

Magic Me Oh My!

July 17, 2012 By in Chase, Summer in the US Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

Still shot from movie

Mary and I just finished watching Magic Mike. I left feeling like I wanted to start attending church again. A couple of weeks ago, I debated whether I would like to be 1) young and poor or  2) me. After watching this movie, I am definitely voting me. Don’t get me wrong, I am a card-carrying member of the pleasure-seekers club, but at some point you gotta get practical. The buzz does go away. Maybe all that sexual abandon and escapism seems alluring, but not on a regular basis. I know I would get sick of Hot Tamales if I ate them every night (I actually tried this in college). Watching all those gyrating 6-packs was fascinating in the beginning, but then the story became all too familiar and pathetic. Then I started feeling really weird contemplating my own son in this sordid world of lewdness and drugs. Ugghh. I think some kind of baton has just been passed but I am not quite sure what baton it is. Did I like the movie? Yes. Just as I thought it was going to be too long, it stopped. It was very reminiscent of Boogie Nights, Showgirls, and HBO documentaries. I love that someone finally decided to explore the world of male stripping. I would definitely recommend this film. Another plus: you can leave your dollar bills at home ladies.

UPDATES:

CHASE

Camp Kieve

I just found this photo on the camp website. Is it just me? or does Chase look sunburnt to you? I know I must have packed at least 4 different kinds of sunscreen for him! I also don’t understand how he looks like the only sun burned kid and everyone else is blonde! WTH? It is unbelievable that I will be flying up to Maine this Friday evening to see him and bring him back Saturday. I’ve missed him a lot. Judging from the picture, it looks like Chase is having some magical times himself.

HIGH TEA WITH THE GIRLS:

High Tea at the Ritz Carlton

In case you didn’t already know: Girls are different from boys. One of my favorite rituals with Chase is taking him to High Tea at fancy hotels at least once a year. It’s all part of my master plan to create the perfect man. I thought it was something he didn’t care about and just tolerated as one of mom’s weird requests, but before he left for camp, I mentioned to the girls I was planning to do a High Tea with them. A few days later, Chase had the first meltdown in a long time and when I sat with him alone, he eventually blurted out, “I just don’t think the girls are ready for HIGH TEA!!!!” My poor little fox. Despite being an only child, Chase has always been good about sharing things. What I didn’t realize was he wasn’t used to sharing me. After a quiet talk about “enough love to go around” and “you know you’re my favorite” and a back massage, everything got smoothed over.

Until next time…

TIMELINE:

  • July 20th Friday Kathryn leaves for Camp Kieve
  • July 21st Saturday Parents Day at Camp & return to DC that evening
  • August 3rd Friday Visit Beth in Alexandria
  • August 12th Return to Tokyo
  • August 22nd Wednesday Chase starts 5th Grade

Friends Revisited

July 15, 2012 By in Family, Girlfriends, Summer in the US Tags: 3 Comments

I have returned to Virginia, but not without seeing my sister as well as my “sistahs” in Atlanta.

Bess

My sister Bess appears to be doing well. She has been decorating and painting her own place and it looks terrific. In fact it may look too good. dad was talking about possibly moving in with her. There seems to be a new fellow in her life. He dropped by during our visit and it is nice to see her getting her “groove” back. She told me they have only kissed, and since I am a big fan of Victorian Novels I believe men and women can still fall in love before they actually “seal the deal”. Of course, I’ve told both my sisters, I think we are passed the age of worrying about being labeled sluts at school the next day, so just go for it.

11:30am Every Sunday

It was really great meeting up with my girlfriends for our traditional sunday lunch at our favorite Korean restaurant. Holly, Debra, Kristi and Lauren were able to make it. We were able to catch up and laugh like old times. Despite all the benefits of living in a place like Tokyo, this I miss. I love how you can spend time with friends and think you know them and then out of the blue, you discover something fresh. Like, who knew Lauren and Kristi could play tennis? I’m so bringing back bikini tennis.

Charlotte Ann, Me, & Tracy

I was also lucky to break bread with Charlotte Ann and Tracy. These two are my best friends who are moms without being “mom-friends” if you know what I mean. They are in the know about all things school-related and the neighborhood, but they have such interesting perspectives and senses of humor that I almost forget we have kids. Cool moms, we are not alone.

In a couple of weeks, I will get to see my girlfriend from graduate school days. Beth is one of my most enduring friends. Back in the day, she and I swore to one another we would be part of the OBC (One Baby Club). We had places to go and companies to conquer. Then, girlfriend got married and signed up for the “God’s Will” birth control program. Last I checked, Beth is due late August mid September with her 5th child!

I’m only missing out on seeing my other girlfriend Becky in Charleston and my Colorado friend Jasmin. I also met Becky in grad school. One of the things I love about Becky is unbeknownst to me, she earned a PhD in Disney World. She has reference texts at her house. I will have to see Jasmin on another trip, but spending time with son Brian was almost as good. Maybe even better. ;)

Like it or not, wives are usually the social directors for the family. Seeing my dad try to redefine who he is without my mom is a little painful. Especially because I see how he longs for friendship. Debra and I have often talked about how some men seem to kind of coast through life and not really be interested in establishing other male friends or partaking in “boys night out”. I know Cliff is like this and so is my dad. There may be friends who are still in the contacts folder from many years ago, but newer friends have not been added. I have to admit that making special friends as you get older is tougher to do. People have asked me why I don’t do Facebook. There are many reasons for me, but one of the biggest is my belief that Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg has bastardized the word “friend”. Maybe what he’s done is actually created a new class of friend: Facebook Friend Only. Either way, it was one of the reasons I didn’t want to keep doing it.

If you hear me call you a friend, know that you really are that to me.

Until next time…

When Did My Dad Get Old?

July 11, 2012 By in Dad, Daily Living, Summer in the US Tags: , 6 Comments

Just yesterday

Lately, I have been suspicious that dad is purposefully acting “old” to punish me for marrying an older man.

I remember a while back, I asked dad how old he saw me as and he didn’t even hesitate, “Nine.” I realize too that I have always seen him as this fit young man probably in his early mid 40′s who taught his daughters to play tennis, ran races and was an Army Reservist every other weekend. He’s always been so active and strong, it never occurred to me that he was getting older.

Since we returned to Columbia, and I am officially in “hang out” mode, I have plenty of time to examine my father’s behavior:

The other day after playing tennis:

  • Dad: Where are the new balls we played with?
  • Me: I don’t know.
  • Dad: Oh! Here they are! in my pocket!
  • Me: laughing
  • Dad: That’s not funny

When Dad drives in town, he rarely goes over 50 miles per hour.

He wants to eat dinner around 5pm, and it’s usually the other half of lunch from that day.

This morning, I walked into the kitchen and he was drinking coffee in his underwear and athletic socks.

He says things like, “I think it’s time for my afternoon nap.” and “My chest hurts.”

Who does he think he’s kidding?

I don’t like to think of dad getting older, because that means I’m getting older. God, if I wasn’t such a traditionalist I would probably have Chase start calling me Kathryn in public. Being with my dad has me wondering how you differentiate eccentric behaviour from “don’t-give-a-damn” behaviour. I don’t know if I am one of those cliché’ psychiatrist’s kids, but sometimes I wonder if what I do is “normal”. For instance, I like to walk around with either my boobs hanging out or a shoulder and when it’s just us family, sometimes I’ll forego pants. Is that so wrong? Just family. Ok, maybe around a cute UPS delivery guy too. Alright, maybe around a good-looking police officer answering an accidental home alarm. But usually, just family. Some of you already know how paranoid I am about aging, and how I think it just comes sagging down overnight. That’s what happened with my dad. One minute he’s the strongest man in the world, then all of a sudden, he’s saying things like, ”give me a minute, I’m dizzy picking up balls.”

Until next time…

House Update:

Dad gave the greenlight to paint. We were able to pick colors and did some more organizing. This was a small step for me, but a huge step for him and I am so proud that he was able to make it.

Summer Cleaning

July 4, 2012 By in Dad, Getting there, Summer in the US, Uncategorized Tags: , , , 4 Comments

Not DC, but still a city in blackout

Mary’s House

By now you all have heard about the huge storm that hit the DC area last Friday. We all woke up Saturday morning to no electricity and the beginning of 100+ degree days. Up to this point, I had been spending my time organizing and re-decorating Mary’s home. Doing things that I know she is unable to do between working full-time and being a single super mom. Besides, I just enjoy making things nice for people. Mary is ecstatic that someone over the age of 5 years old is making a difference in her home decor. While cleaning the different spaces of her home, I was touched to note the similar hoarding tendencies between Mary and my mom. Anyhow, once the blackout hit, all that stopped as we knew it was going to get unbearably hot really fast. The girls were already planning to go to New York, they just left a day earlier. Dad and I stuck around until the girls left and we could help take care of the freezer situation. At one point, I found myself lying prostrate on the floor near the back deck, in my hot pants and tank top, with a portable fan next to me and bowl of Cheetos on my belly. It felt so “urban”. Two  days later, the power had thankfully been re-established and Dad and I started our drive.

It’s funny how I left Tokyo to get away from the heat and now I was deeply immersed in it. Next year I need to find a resort in Iceland for the summer. I’ve been without water and without electricity at different times. Being without water is definitely tougher. Let’s just say it doesn’t rank “Number 2″ in the crisis ladder.

July 2nd: Dad and I Drive to Columbia, South Carolina

If you haven’t done this before, try taking an adult 10 hour road trip with your father. We stopped at Waffle House for lunch and Wendy’s for dinner. As I looked at my Waffle House lunch: Pecan waffle, side salad, 2 eggs with cheese, and grits (when they said they were out of wheat toast, I told them I just wouldn’t have any. I’m trying to be healthy). Nothing feels like America more than Waffle House. The people there looked at dad and me like we were aliens from out of space. I guess they just don’t get too many foreigners in those parts. I don’t think my towel and napkin show did much to make me look like I “belonged” either.

Being on the road did make me miss Japan in a lot of ways. Like clean bathrooms, courteous people, clean restaurants, seeing people’s clavicles. At Wendy’s, I could barely stomach staying there because it was so filthy and I’ve been to India! I alluded to this earlier, but I have started carrying my own towel to sit on and my own napkin. Judging from my experience on this road trip, I think I need to start carrying my own toilet paper too. I know it sounds a little compulsive, but I literally feel like I need a tetanus every day.

The road trip also seemed to verify that perhaps dad’s hearing is not so good. It started back at Mary’s when we were sitting around eating Cheetos:

  • Dad: I noticed you workout a lot
  • Me: It helps with my sexual frustration
  • Mary wide-eyed and trying to hold back laugh
  • Dad blank stare at the TV

Now, I know what you are thinking. That doesn’t prove anything! But ever since I started getting this feeling, I have been purposefully talking in an audible, but very low soft tone. Kind of doing my own hearing test of sorts. It’s not looking good.

Until next time…

SuperSize Me

July 2, 2012 By in Chase, Culture Shock, Summer in the US, Uncategorized Tags: , , 4 Comments

“Single” Serving of BBQ Chicken Salad

CHEESECAKE FACTORY

Yesterday, Mary, Dad and I went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner. It was a first-time for Dad and myself. Mary was incredulous that we had never been. As we are walking to our table I am marveling at the scale of everything. At first it was the giant columns, then the spaciousness of the restaurant, and then I noticed the plates of food on the tables! and by plates, I mean platters. I’m thinking: If that’s what you eat off of, what do you serve your Thanksgiving turkeys on?!? While we are waiting for our food, my eyes pan the other tables like some slow-motion camera, and I start noticing how big everyone is. It’s like that movie WALL-E has become reality. I read a study somewhere that pointed out that only in America do kids consider the word “supersize” a verb.

Diners

Notice what the blond in the front right corner ordered? Huge plate of broccoli and another huge plate of mashed potatoes. I’ll bet she’s a lot of fun.

SAKE

I recently ran out of soju. It is my newest “signature drink”. I mix equal parts soju, fizzy drink, and yogurt drink. Soju is really popular in Asia, especially among women. It has fewer calories, is considered “natural”, tastes good, and when you add yogurt to it, you can get your probiotics, prevent yeast infections, and get drunk. Anyhow, I just ran out but luckily, I had a back up bottle of pear-flavored sake in the fridge. So yesterday night, I asked Mary if she had any sake cups. Of course, she didn’t. I told her she needed to hand in her “Asian card” tomorrow. You may ask yourself, why don’t I just pour my sake into a regular glass and “supersize”? I don’t know. Somehow, drinking alcohol in thimble-size cups makes me feel less…. “lushie“.  Since Mary didn’t have any bamboo cups for me, I ended up improvising:

It just felt right

Turns out, she had a complete set of 6!

CAMP KIEVE UPDATE

I just received this in my email. I couldn’t believe Chase actually wrote a postcard to us! It brought tears to my eyes. Then I found out from the counselors that the campers “have to produce a letter home, or else they don’t get Sunday lunch.” Regardless, I am so relieved he is “Having a great time.” I check on the “Camper Connection” link on the Camp Kieve website several times a day for updates and photos. Every photo of Chase has him looking like he’s being tortured:

“Having-a-Great-Time Face”

Mary and I also noticed a lot of white, blonde boys. Camp Kieve is starting to look a lot like Junior Third Reich Camp. I am imagining camp activities like:

  • Survivor
  • Escape to Freedom
  • Will Work for Food
  • Asian POW Tag
  • Burn the Cross
  • Nuke the Gook

* The first 3 are actual camp game names

Oh well, nothing I can do now!

Until next time…

Old Habits

June 29, 2012 By in Aesthetics, Cooking, Culture Shock, Summer in the US Tags: , , , , , 4 Comments

COOKING FOR THE KIDS

I was really excited to cook for my nieces. Having a Korean mom (my sister Mary) and Taiwanese Dad, these are girls I knew loved to eat such things as kimchee, duck eggs, pig ears, etc. So of course, they would love my udon, my yakisoba, my Indian dishes. The first night I cooked, I decided to make udon and it was not a hit. Chase, Mary and I were the only ones who ate it. Next, I made my favorite rice and mixed beans and this met with the same result. My last attempt at cooking for the girls, I cooked a simmered kabocha dish thinking, “who doesn’t like kabocha?”  People who don’t like pumpkin. People like my nieces. Sometimes, you just have to know when to stop. It was at this point I realized the cost effectiveness of me buying ingredients for “exotic” new dishes which would not be enjoyed by more than 2-3 people, just wasn’t worth it. I think Mary was sort of relieved I quit too. I think she liked what I was cooking, but she probably felt badly that the girls just weren’t into it. It just goes to show that sometimes, kids are just used to certain dishes cooked  by their parents and that’s what is comfortable for them. I understand that. I fondly remember dishes that my mom made and even though I may order these same dishes at other places, it just isn’t the same and never as good.

CHASE

Yesterday after Dad, Mary, Chase and I came home from playing tennis, we saw a runaway basketball rolling down the street as we turned into Mary’s driveway. Chase jumped out saying, “I’ll go get that ball! Maybe I’ll make some new friends!” A few minutes passed and he came walking through the door. I said, “You didn’t want to play with the boys?” and he says, “They were racists.” Evidently, after the boys all convened, one of the boys started right off reading Chase’s shirt: LOVE. SAVE. JAPAN. and then saying, “What the fuck?” They then “asked” if Chase was Chinese, to which he responded “I’m not Chinese.” and walked away. After he told me what happened, he asked me if he handled it alright. I said, “Are you alive to fight another day?” I also asked him how he felt. He said he felt like punching them in the face. I told him if they provoked him again or dared to lay 1 finger on his body then he had my permission to punch their faces. I can’t help it, but when I hear about kids like this, I  judge the parents. I already know these are people not worth knowing. I was watching the news about that bus monitor who was horribly bullied by the kids on her bus and the way the parents were “handling” it. I don’t get it. I hate that the rest of the world has to hear about that kind of crap from the US, but I guess that’s the world we live in. At least it ended up where hopefully she’ll be able to retire.

Fortunately the next day when we went to the neighborhood pool, a 12 year old boy named Steve approached Chase at the diving board and asked if he could play with him. It wasn’t 10 minutes before they came over and Steve was asking if Chase could come over to his house or even spend the night. I had no intention of letting him go over to some stranger’s home, but I kind of played along a little bit because I could see the surprised look on Chase’s face. Even he was a little shocked at how quickly this relationship was moving ahead. At one point, Chase actually slapped my bottom just a fraction “too hard” trying to be funny. I got the point, but I just liked torturing him a little. I said, “Chase, why don’t you walk over to Steve’s dad and introduce yourself?” Later on, I explained to both of them that I couldn’t just let Chase go spend the night at someone’s home without knowing their parents and that we could meet here again after everyone returned from camp. I was glad that through Steve, white boys in America didn’t all have to be “racists”.

ADJUSTING

The other day on our way out to run errands, I actually asked my sister, “Does this look too much like pajamas?” After months of putting on heels just to go to 7/11, I had to laugh at myself.

Chase, Dad and I finally went to see the Avengers. As I was walking towards the theater, Chase and my dad come running out. Chase says, “Mom! What’s our seat assignments?!?” and I say to him, “Honey, we’re in America, no assigned seating.” To which he says, “Awesome!” and heads back in. The movie was pretty action-packed and easy to watch if not follow. I have to admit, I think Capt. America is my favorite. I’ll bet a lot of immigrants feel like this. Everytime he was onscreen I felt like crying. I think it’s because he represents what being American should be.

Not a Racist

CLEAR & BRILLIANT UPDATE

It’s been a week since I had my face lasered. I can already tell, I love it. There isn’t a huge difference but I can tell there is a tightening and smoothing that has happened. I know it will only get better with each successive treatment. The sandpaperiness went away a couple of days ago. I also felt like I had a small “breakout” but it only lasted about 2 days.

My skin looks fine when I don’t have any expression (but how long can that last?). I started to notice when I took pictures, there were extra lines around my mouth and into my cheeks that sort of were new and definitely unwanted. I think this is going to help that a lot.

TIMELINE

July 2nd Drive to Columbia with my dad

July 7th Drive to Atlanta

July 8th Lunch with my Atlanta BFFs!!!! (pictures of course, that means you Debra!)

July 9th Fly back to DC

July 17th Clear & Brilliant the Sequel

July 20th Fly to Maine

July 21st Family Day and Fly back with Chasie!

Until next time…

Camp Kieve 2012

June 27, 2012 By in Chase, Summer in the US, Transportation, useful Tags: , , 2 Comments

 Yesterday I sent my only son on his first solo domestic flight. If you have never had this experience before, allow me to share so you will be prepared. We had to book Chase’s flight through United. We are normally Delta people, but Dulles to Portland, Maine, this was pretty much it. It costs an additional $99 ONE-WAY to have an escort for your child. The day before camp opening, Camp Kieve emailed me and provided the name, address, cell phone for the pick-up person in Portland, Maine. I then contacted United to provide them with the information. The airlines need to have pick-up person’s driver’s license information exactly as it is written or else they will not hand off your child.  I was instructed to be at the ticket counter by 11:15am and the escort would be waiting for us. I was feeling very melancholy that morning and decided to skip my morning workout to spend as much time with Chase as possible, plus I promised myself I wouldn’t use my “angry voice” all morning so we could all leave on a happy note. We also took a lot of pictures so we could see if chase grows any while he is away.

Chase, Mary, Charlotte, Jessica

Mary lives very close to the airport, and we wanted to get there a little early. A selfish (and probably overly confident) side of me is thinking, “Drop off at 11:15am, I can make boxing at 12:00.” So I dress to go exercise after the drop off, which means, spandex and my boobs hanging out. My dad waits in the car by the curb. I get to the “unaccompanied minors” line and although there is only 1 person in front of us, I swear it took them 40 minutes to get their shit straight. I ended up getting frustrated and short with the counter woman. I said, “You need to tell people to show up 2 hours in advance if things are going to be this inefficient.” Then she had the audacity to say back to me, “Mam, you cannot just leave your child at the airport.” At this point I was now frustrated & offended at her implication and I said back to her, “I don’t care how other people raise their children. That was not ever my intention!” They had also somehow mixed up the contact person with the drop off person so we had to straighten that out. After Chase was finally issued a ticket and paper bracelet (identifying him as unaccompanied minor), she handed me a ticket. “What’s this?” To which she replies, “You need to take your son to the gate.” WTF? I asked her, “So let me get this straight. I paid for an escort for my son, but that person is only taking him from the gate to his seat and from the seat to the gate?” “Yes.” FYI people. You are welcome.

Now I am thinking about my poor dad who has been doing laps around the airport for almost an hour and will be doing more laps before I can get back to him. My noon workout is not going to happen anymore and I am now going with the flow. Chase and I make it to the gate 10 minutes before departure at 12:15pm. Most of the passengers are on the plane so I have a chance to say good-bye. I give him my strongest hug at the counter and evidently it was lasting too long for him because he kept trying to squirm away from me. Don’t worry mom-readers. I held on tight, to the point where we actually looked like we were having a wrestling match. I’m glad I identified myself as his mom first, because I probably would have been arrested for attempted kidnapping. Chase of course was mortified that people were watching, but not smart enough to realize if he would just quit fighting me, we would look a lot more normal. At one point, I actually said, “Chase! Please honey, let me go!!!” while he was struggling. I admit, I was surprised at my own strength, because Chase now outweighs me and is almost my same height and I managed to hang on to him using 1 arm. Just goes to show, a mother’s power is crazy strong when she wants something badly enough.

By the time I was able to reunite with my father, it was almost exactly 2 hours later! When we got home, we had a little lunch and dad went to play 9 holes and I felt the depression hit me. I went upstairs to take a nap. I know going to this camp is going to be so great for Chase in so many ways, but so many things have happened in the last year that have made me realize how sensitive and fragile my little man truly is. I woke up a couple hours later and ended up making the 5:15 boxing class. Just needed to hit something.

Before the Air-Rage hit me

Chase’s Bus Arrives at Campsite

Until next time…

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