Wow. You are very exotic looking. Was your dad a G.I.?

"She's beautiful. What is she?"
Huh??? I understood the question when she was an infant and looked like a japanimation cartoon...I even understood when they asked me if I adopted her. She's changed to look enough like me now, so people don't ask that anymore. They do, however, still ask me what she is. I want to to tell them "She's a girl", but I know their questions are about her ethnicity.

One month before I got married, I attended my husband's family reunion. I remember many of his cousins and sisters complaining that people would come up to them at school and ask, "what are you??" I laughed to myself at how tactless teenagers could be. Well, maybe not tactless so much as curious and blunt. I didn't really think I would ever have to deal with that situation myself.

Then I had a baby.

Some people ask politely, and usually when I don't have her standing right next to me. I don't mind that...sometimes people are just curious and I get that.
It is the complete strangers that ask me like she isn't even there while I am holding her hand right next to me. Huh??? {This happened this week, and all I could think of was Michael Scott from "The Office" saying, "Wow. You are very exotic looking. Was your dad a G.I.?"} Luckily, they usually preface the question with a compliment, so the damage to her self esteem is minimal (I hope).
She did ask me once if it felt different to be so white skinned, instead of brown.

She is very proud of her heritage, and likes that she has the same color skin as Daddy. I don't think that she has ever felt out of place or uncomfortable because of her ethnicity. (It's not like she sticks out like a sore thumb, there is just enough that people can't quite place her) She knows she looks a little different, and it doesn't bother her at all. She has enough friends that look different in other ways, it is something that is cool.

It's just those blasted strangers. Grrr.


{just for the record, if you are wondering, she is one quarter Japanese}

Love Week

It is Valentines week! I had this great plan to post a different love related post everyday this week to celebrate, but 10 Cat-in-the-Hat dance costumes, 2 class parties, a book club meeting at my house, a kid with a head cold and a broken humidifier are kind of getting in the way of that plan. I have therefore decided to condense. We'll start with this post and see how the week goes. Our first topic: Crushes


First crush: Zach Huish. He stood in front of me in the lunch line (abc order) in first grade.

Celebrity crush: Well, I never had a celebrity crush, per se. However, I think that Chow Yun Fat is hands down the most handsome movie star (does that count as a crush?). This is not the best pic, but watch Anna and the King, and you'll see what I mean. (Laugh if you will, but I have 3.5 billion Asians on my side) I guess I just like my boys Oriental. (Hubby is half Japanese and super hot. Yeah, I said it.)



Okay, now it is your turn. I know you are reading this because the little counter on the bottom of the page keeps going up. So, answer the two little questions in the comments so I can hear about your crushes. (I kept it to two so it would not take forever) It'll be painless...and maybe even fun! Come on! I can't wait to hear 'em!

I'm Home!!!

I am back from beautiful Seattle. Had a blast, pics to come.

I just have to say how much I love to fly. It's not the long lines at security, it's not the seats that recline 3 inches back, it's not the fact that I am sitting on a floatation device, it's not the tray table that is too low to be of much use, it is not even the weird little half cup of ginger ale with too much ice so you freeze your upper lip and the tip of your nose. The reason I love to be in an airplane:


I love to look at the tops of clouds.

My thoughts about today

Today I am so proud to be an American. As I watched the inauguration of President Obama, I felt so proud to be a part of this amazing country. I think we all should, weather or not you voted for Obama. (I'm not gonna tell who I voted for, so neener neeener neener) I was so struck with the history of it. I thought about all the inaugurations I have seen (the first one I remember is Regan, I was in a hotel with my mom...) and I couldn't help but feel the history of it all. The military band playing made me wonder if that was a bit what it was like for our founding fathers...a band playing while the people gather to watch a new president take office, the same oaths taken. But what struck me the most was this:

The peaceful transfer of power. I never really thought about it before, and maybe it was because I felt so much tension during the campaigns, but I was really struck this morning. To put the choice up to the people, and then accept that decision--no fighting or bloodshed-- is an awesome thing. To pass the mantle with not much more than a handshake and some goodwill...to accept the office with a simple oath...It is democracy at it's very best. I am proud to be a small part of it. Now that all the pomp and circumstance is over, it is time to get to work, and I will be praying for our new President to be wise and effective and successful. God Bless America.

On a lighter note, What was up with the poem? I didn't get it. And the benediction was...interesting. When Aretha Franklin got up to sing, I said "That is quite the hat" to which my 4 yr old replied, "that is quite the woman". Then, when she started to sing, she said, "That is quite the voice, mom" :)

These pics can be found here.

Something is wrong with me.

Seriously. Here is what I did this morning.


I have 20 pair of shorts and 5 patterns to make by next week. (Yay! They let me start making patterns!) I had 2 and a quarter hours alone to do as much as possible. I make the patterns...they weren't too hard, and sit down to sew shorts. I do two, and, as I am sewing the waistband on the second one, I think to myself, "Hmmm. I wonder if I can draw a bird." I did not see a bird, hear a bird, not a feather, nothing.

Next thing I know, it is 5 minutes later, and I am sitting with pen in hand drawing a bird.

Like I said, something is wrong with me.

And no, I cannot draw a bird. At all.

all you Seattle-ites...Help!

I am off to Seattle in a few weeks to visit my sister! I am so excited to see her, and to play tourist with her (and her cute fam). Here is my quandary: I am to set the itinerary. We are going to do Pike's Place and take the ferry to Bainbridge island...but is(are) there something(s) I should not miss doing in Seattle? I want to know. (My sis is pretty new there, so she isn't quite the expert yet) Leave a comment and let me know what I can't miss! I'm counting on all you northwesterners! Thanks :)

Danielle- can't wait to see you, sista!

Something that I love...

I love that tonight I turned on the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice and let my girls watch while I made an emergency run to the store to get medicine for our sick daddy (Don't worry, he was home with them) and when I came back, they were still totally sucked in. They even begged me to let them watch some more tomorrow..... :)


Who needs Hannah Montana when you've got Lizzy Bennett??? (Not Us!!!)