Second day on Oahu

I woke up in a very good mood. I had a nice 12 hour sleep. There was a little tossing and turning, but overall it was a nice sleep.

Papa picked up some malasadas for breakfast. Daddy went to get coffee and milk and came back with coffee milk and Lauren. I was very happy to see her. I played with her while I ate breakfast.

After that I got ready and then we visited Papas room. We were happily surprised to find Maile there too. She was happy so see me and scooped me up. She and Lauren are strong enough to carry me.

Then it was time to get ready for lunch so we headed back to our room. We got ready and headed to lunch. There were so many relatives there that I was meeting for the first time that I was quite shy. I buried my face into Daddy’s shoulder and stayed like that for a while. Too many new people.

After we sat down and I ate lunch, I was in a much happier mood. I wasn’t necessarily going to greet all the relatives, but I was all smiles and laughter as I played with Lauren. I had so much fun my own little familiar world. I played with Nana a bit too.

I got to try on Nana’s bracelets and really liked the bling.

Before we knew it, our lunch was finished and it was time to go. We had a plane to catch. We had to head to Kauai. Even today I asked Daddy multiple times about when we were going to go to Nana and Papa’s house.

We took some family photos and then headed to the airport. I fell asleep in the car because I was tired from all the playing at lunch and I was still trying to catch up on my sleep after the long day of travel.

I woke up when we arrived at the airport. I was still tired and was clingy to Mommy. Then Lauren and family arrived at the airport and then I perked up and just started to hangout with Lauren. After checking in, getting through security, and settling at the gate, I watched a lot of airplanes and airport vehicles from the window. Then it was time to board.

For some reason, when we got on the plane and found our seats, I was not satisfied. I didn’t like the side of the plane that I was seated on so I started to complain and say that I wanted to change seats. Mommy and Daddy tried to explain to me that we couldn’t change seats because we were assigned seats and it was against the rules. But I was overtired and worked up and would not listen. I threw another massive tantrum. I cried uncontrollably and tried to get to another seat. Mommy and Daddy offered to switch with me, but I wanted one on the other side of the airplane. Or at least that is what I said. Who knows what I actually wanted. I was nearly hysterical. It was time to taxi out, so Mommy and Daddy had to force me into my seat and force my seatbelt on. It was the carseat situation from yesterday all over again. I kept trying to unbuckle my seatbelt, which is of course very dangerous and against the rules, so Mommy and Daddy had to physically restrain me in my seat. I went on and on, crying, yelling, grunting, not listening to anything at all. Daddy was very angry at me for not listening and trying to do something that was putting myself in danger. He threatened to cancel Christmas. I was running out of energy and tried to look for a way out. I finally said that I wanted to change seats with Mommy and sit in the middle seat, (which Daddy had suggested at the very beginning). Daddy said that I could change only if I promised to calm down and listen. I agreed. We switched as the plane was taxiing to the runway and I immediately stopped my tantrum. I stopped crying, stopped fighting. I asked for the snack that Daddy had offered at the beginning and munched on some biscuits as the plane took off. After my snack and some inflight juice and leaned over to rest my head on Mommy’s lap and fell asleep.

I was still asleep when the plane landed. Mommy carried me off and found a bench near the baggage claim to sit on while we waited for our luggage and waited for Papa to come back with the car. I slept all the way until Papa arrived with the truck. Then we finally went to Nana and Papa’s house which I had been waiting for this whole time.

At the house I was in a good mood again and played here and there before I took out the HotWheels and Lego to play. I played there for a bit until it was time to go to dinner. It was too soon for me, but I agreed. We went to a restaurant and I was good for a while, but then started to act up again. I wasn’t listening to Daddy and started to be bossy and mean. Daddy had to take me out of the restaurant to calm down but I did not. I threw yet another massive tantrum and hit Daddy many times. I was not behaving at all. I told Daddy to go away so he did then I ran after him crying. Daddy said that he would not talk to me until I started treating him nicely and apologized for hitting him. I directly said, “No!” so he stopped talking to me. He stayed with me but would not listen to my crying and whining. When I persisted he checked and asked me if I was going to apologize and I said, “I didn’t do anything,” which was a lie. He got very angry and would not talk to me until I came around and started telling the truth. It took a very long time but I finally said that I was sorry for hitting him and not listening and being mean. We hugged and returned to the restaurant, but Daddy was still very upset with me. We ate our dinners in silence. Everyone else had already finished so we were pretty much left alone.

I ate fairly well and then we headed home. When we got there I asked Daddy to play but he said he needed some time because he was still very upset with me. I was about to push to get what I wanted but thought better of it and by Mommy’s encouragement left Daddy alone. I played a bit around the house and then finally asked Mommy to play with me. We played with Lego until it was time for my bath. Daddy had given me a timeframe and I followed it obediently. I took a bath, read my books, brushed me teeth and then it was off to bed.

I was in a very happy mood just to be alone in a room with Mommy and Daddy. We cuddled and I fell asleep very quickly. It was another long day. There were so many great moments that were filled with smiles and laughter, but there were some unfortunate moments where my stubborn fits caused so much trouble. I would like to say it was from being overtired, jetlagged, and in a different envirionment, which were all true, but there might be other issues that I have to start dealing with to be a better little boy. Mommy and Daddy always love me, but I don’t always make it easy for them. Let’s home the more relaxing time at Nana and Papa’s house will make it easier for me to show everyone that I am in fact a very good boy.

Arriving on Oahu

We arrived in Hawaii much earlier than scheduled and sped through passport control and customs. We got there so early that Nana and Papa were not there yet to meet us. So we went to meet them. I was so happy to see them! Although I was a bit embarrassed and played a little hard to get.

Nana and Papa brought me a cool new garbage truck. I enjoyed playing with it, but I enjoyed playing with Nana more.

Papa picked up the rental car and then we headed out to lunch. It started okay since I was hungry and getting some food in me always puts me in a better mood. I had pancakes with berries and cream, but mainly only ate the berries and cream. I was doing good but then I started to get in a mood again. I was still tired from the flight and still feeling under the weather from days of being sick. I threw a massive tantrum. Daddy had to practically drag me out of the restaurant and wrestle me into the car seat.

I cried and yelled and screamed the whole ride to the hotel. I was overtired and could not calm down. After got to the hotel and saw Aunty Chris, Uncle Matt, Maile and Lauren, but nothing cheered me up. I was still crying and could not be consoled. It wasn’t until we checked in and we were alone in our quiet room that I calmed down and even managed to smile a bit. Daddy played with me for a while and then laid down with me to watch some TV and we took a nap.

I slept about three hours before I had to get up to take a bath before we went out to dinner with the family. Even with the nice nap, I woke up in a non-agreeable mood and it took some stern convincing by Daddy to get me into the bath. Mommy bathed me with me crying pretty much the whole time. I was still not in a great mood.

We headed down to the lobby to meet everyone and I had calmed down by then. Everyone was happy to see I wasn’t crying anymore. Lauren wanted to ride in the car with me and sat next to me on the way to the restaurant. That cheered me up a lot. I was smiling a lot and having a nice conversation with her. She asked me what my favorite car was and I answered, “Everything!” Then she asked me my favorite color and I said, “Pink!” We got to the restaurant with me smiling from ear to ear.

I was in a terrific mood at dinner. I was waiting patiently for the food, coloring on my kids menu, and playing with Lauren a lot. The food came and I dug right it. It was the first time I had pho and I really liked it. I ate almost all the chicken and most of the noodles. It was a new kind of broth for me, but I liked it. I even ate the fried spring rolls that came with it. It was a nice new eating experience. Even after finishing my food I had fun playing. I was very well behaved.

I nearly fell asleep on the way back to the hotel, but managed to stay awake. But that put me in a bad mood again. When we got to the hotel room I refused to change to pajamas or brush my teeth. I was determined not to get ready for bed because I claimed “Mason is not tired” even though my mood made it obvious that I was beyond tired. I argued with Daddy for a long time. I told him what I wanted and what I didn’t want, but Daddy said he wasn’t going to agree to any of that because I wasn’t listening to him. I said I would, but when he asked me to put my pajamas on I said no and were right back at the beginning of the argument. This went on for a while. I was so tired but just couldn’t let go. Daddy said that he wouldn’t listen to me until I started to listen to him. I didn’t like that. But we have a rule that we don’t ever deny each other hugs. I said, “Daddy, hug” and he scooped me into his arms. Then when I started up the arguing points again he set me back down. The hug was not an argument tactic, but a reminder that even during our arguments we loved each other, cared for each other and were there for each other. Finally, I just settled into the loving hug and calmed down. I said I was sorry and I said I would listen. Daddy apologized to and said he would listen too. I went through my bedroom routine but was not forced to go to bed. After I was ready for bed, Daddy asked me what I wanted to do. Since I listened to him, he would listen to me. I said I wanted to watch TV. He said sure. We all cuddled up together and watched SpongeBob together. Mommy dozed off first. Daddy asked how much TV I wanted and I said until the end of the show. We watched until the end. Daddy clicked off the TV and I was fast asleep within 5 minutes.

It was a very long a trying day. But I am so happy to be in Hawaii with family! I just hope I can get enough rest to avoid any more outburst, tantrums, and arguments. For now I’m just going to sleep as peacefully as I can.

Hello, Hawaii! Goodnight, Hawaii!

Feeling good

I woke up without a fever and so did Daddy! What a relief! It was a tough few days but we survived and recovered!

Mommy and Daddy finished most of our packing last night, but still had some last minute packing and cleaning up to do today. I was very good and played by myself to stay out of there way.

While Mommy and Daddy were packing today, I kept asking, “When are we going?” Even though they had already told me that our flight wasn’t leaving until night, they had to tell me again and again. What can I say, I was very excited about going to Hawaii.

At one point I said, “Daddy, when are we going? I want to see Nana and Papa fast (soon)!”

They were done with the final packing and cleaning up fairly quickly so I could spend the rest of the day playing with them.

I opened my final advent calendar prize and showed off my collection. I don’t think this is all of it because I have been playing with the toys so much they are scattered all over the house. But it was a very nice collection and a fun advent calendar!

It looks like we’ll be leaving for the airport soon. I’m very excited about going to Hawaii, but also just about riding the airplane!

Leaving for Hawaii

We got to the airport without any trouble and checked in quickly and smoothly. The international terminal does not have restaurants because it is undergoing renovations, so Daddy went to the convenience store to pick up dinner for us. When he returned he found me crying. I was obviously hangry and it had gotten to me and I couldn’t control it anymore. Daddy got me to start eating and right away I was in a better mood. I ate very heartily and was soon all smiles!

I was really excited about riding the airplane. I love flying!

We boarded the plane and got ready for take off. I was trying to watch a movie but the cabin announcements kept interrupting my show. After we were done taxiing and started taking off, my show started up again. But by that time I had dozed off.

I slept the entire flight. I missed the dinner meal service and the breakfast meal service. I woke up a couple times to reposition myself a bit, but went right back to sleep. I had a very good sleep.

Feeling better

I woke up and still had a fever, but it was not as bad as before. I had a cough but it sounded worse than it was. Overall, I was feeling pretty good. But because of my flu and had to stay home from school. Not a bad thing because that meant I could play with Daddy all day since he had to stay home from work as well.

But the thing is that I was feeling better but Daddy was still feeling pretty sick. It was easier for him when we were both fatigued and couldn’t do anything but watch TV. Now that I was feeling good and he was still feeling pretty bad, it was rough on him to muster up the energy to play with me. But of course he did.

Even though we played a lot, we took a lot of breaks, making sure that we would be feeling well enough to travel tomorrow. I’m so excited about going to Hawaii that I think that is what sped up my recovery.

Mommy found out from the school that another boy at school had come down with the flu and was out sick since Monday. That means I possibly caught it from him at the recital on Saturday. I hope no one else gets sick. For now, I’m going to focus on my recovery and making sure Daddy feels better and ensuring that Mommy doesn’t get sick.

The flu

My fever was still with me when I woke up and I had a cough as well. Naturally I stayed home and Daddy stayed home with me because he had been feeling a bit under the weather as well the past couple of days. I was feeling alright, but just really tired. I was well behaved, not having the energy to do much else.

When taking my temperature I told Daddy about the day before when Mommy had to pick me up from school. I said, “Mason go sleep and wake up and eat snack. Temperature take looong time. It was high so my Mom came to pick me up quickly.” Daddy thought it was cute and funny that I called Mommy “Mom”. I think he thought I was growing up very quickly.

Daddy and I went to the doctor’s. I was a very brave boy. During the exam I did everything the doctor asked me to do and did not fuss, struggle or protest. Even during the flu check I was very strong and brave. I cried a bit when the doctor put the cotton swab into my nose, but I recovered quickly after and even sat nicely while Daddy got his own exam. We later found out that we both had the flu. Oh my goodness! And we are set to fly to Hawaii in a few days. We picked up our prescription medicine, a lot of liquids, some food, and a little lollipop reward for me being so brave during the exam. Oh, and some appropriate sized masks for me. The one the lent me at the doctor’s was much to big.

Daddy and I took it easy for the rest of the day. Except for eating lunch, all we did was rest on the couch and watch TV. We dozed a bit when we were tired, but did not do much else.

When saying goodnight to Daddy I said, “Mason was brave boy today, yeah?” (Because of the doctor’s appointment and the flu test). Daddy responded, “Yes, Mason was very brave boy, strong boy, and good boy.” I was very proud of myself. Even though it was a rough day with my fever peaking at 39.4°C, nearly 103°F, I was a very very good boy. I hope we don’t get Mommy sick and I hope we feel better soon. And I hope we are well enough to go to Hawaii on Saturday. For now, I need my rest. Good night!

Double decker bus ride to fever

Today was off to a good start since I had a very nice double decker bus ride on Daddy’s shoulders.

School was great too! We had fun checking out the new displays in the elevator hall.

But after lunch I came down with a fever. Mommy was called and by the time she picked me up it went up to 39.8°C (101.84°F). I was feeling pretty tired, but not necessarily bad. I was still able to enjoy the rest of my day.

When we got home, Mommy let me open my advent calendar right away and I was thrilled about the truck that I got. I played really well and was in a pretty good mood considering my fever.

I ate a good dinner and played with Daddy when he came home as if I was in perfect health.

My fever didn’t go away so I made sure to drink a lot of liquids and stay warm. Daddy found an old Hello Kitty blanket for me and I was so happy to have it! I love pink things and this helped me fall asleep happily and quickly (assisted by my fatigue from my fever of course).

Good start with ginko leaf

I knew today would be a good day because I found an awesome ginko leaf on the way to school and I was so happy!

I was right. It was a good day. On our way to the park we saw a police car! It was so cool!

When we got to the park we had fun running around and listening to the crunch of the fallen leaves under our feet.

New backpack

We had to shop for a new backpack for me. The one I have is very small and I have had it since I was one year old. When shopping, Mommy and Daddy assumed I would pick out a car or train backpack. There were some pretty cool Tomica backpacks. But then I saw the Spider-man backpack chose that one. Mommy and Daddy didn’t even know that I knew about Spider-man. But I told them that that was the one I wanted so that is the one I got. Looks pretty cool!

I got a double-decker bus ride to school today! Always a great way to start the day.

On our walk today we visited the ducks at the park just to say hello. And we stopped to check out some pretty flowers.

After dinner tonight I got to eat a special snack that Daddy brought home from work. It was yummy, but very messy.

Japan Christmas party

Before we left for Hawaii, we had a Japan Christmas party with Jiiji, Baaba, and Obachan. I was very excited and in a very playful, and quite silly, mood.

We got right to the good stuff and opened presents! I got so many cute and cool things! I was so happy and thankful!

Mommy and Daddy even got me a new car! Sure, it only had two wheels, but I could open the hood and do maintenance and repairs with my tools. Awesome!

After opening presents and eating lunch (ikura sushi) I was in a very funny mood. I had funny playing around and entertaining everyone.

Boy, did I get silly!

But then I got serious when it was time to build my new car. It took a little getting used to, but I was able to use all my new tools really well!

Then it was dessert time! Even after my big lunch I ate up all of my cake!

Then it was back to playing. I showed Obachan my mimicking hedgehog. Everyone thought it was super funny.

It was a great Christmas party! I’m so lucky that I get to have Christmas in Japan and HawaiI! Happy holidays everyone!

Banana juice

We went out for breakfast today and I think I ate more than Mommy and Daddy did. I also ordered a very tasty banana juice. It was a super yummy way to start the day.

I finished so quickly that I had to wait a bit for Mommy and Daddy so I took in a part of one of my shows. Just like breakfast at home.

Costco dinner

We had to go shopping at Costco and ended up staying later than we intended so we just had dinner there. They had these new fried cheese balls that were very yummy. But I also ate a large portion of Daddy’s hot dog. It was a surprisingly good dinner.

I also picked up a new friend at Costco. I got a bag of vegetable chips and started playing with it like a baby doll. I even held it in the car all the way home.

Monster at the park

We went to the park this afternoon and I started off with my usual construction vehicle fun in the sandbox. It is getting hard to play there because of all the cat poo we find there. They are really messing up my construction site.

After playing in the sand I played on the slide a bit. Daddy made tunnels for me at my request.

Later on we played monsters, but Daddy’s monster wasn’t scary enough so he ended up running away from me.

After running around I did some funny walking with Mommy.

Then we had some other fun.

Christmas Recital

Today we had our Christmas recital! We had been practicing for a very long time and the day was finally here. Mommy and Daddy were not sure how I would do. In previous years I cried from the large crowd and did not want to participate. Even at our sports day in the fall, I participated by just standing where I was supposed to and did not dance.

We started the recital with roll call and the younger classes performances. I sat and watched patiently and obediently. There were some younger kids who cried, tore off there costumes, or did not participate. I know how that feels.

But when it was the time for our first song, I didn’t cry, tear off my costume, or not participate. I stood on my mark and sang. I sang really well! Mommy and Daddy were super happy and proud. They know that these kind of events are not easy for me and were so thrilled that I participated and actually enjoyed it!

After our songs it was time for our chair gymnastics. I had been practicing very hard these past few weeks. At sports day in the fall I got stage fright and was not able to show off all the gymnastic things I could do. I was determined to see this gymnastics performance through to the end. And I did! I did really well and was able to perform all the positions and moves!

Finally, we had our closing dance number. In the past I have always disliked costumes, but I am older and more mature now. I dressed in my costume and danced my heart out. Mommy and Daddy were very impressed by how much I have grown. I did an awesome job!

Then before we knew it, the recital was finished. I did really well and showed how far I’ve come in these few years!

It was a great Christmas recital! I worked really hard and performed really well! I was quite happy and proud of myself!