Mason Shoma

I’m pretty good at getting up there on my own. But every so often I just can’t quite seem to manage it.

I like looking out the window to check the weather. Hmmm. It looks to be another hot summer day. I really didn’t need to look outside to figure that out.

I’ve had fish before, but never deep-fried fish before. Actually, I’ve never had deep-fried anything before. I liked it! Next I want to try the French fries that I often see Mommy and Daddy enjoying! Those look good!

This is what it looks like when our lunch is being prepared. No pressure.

We are all good eaters and can’t wait for lunch time. After we eagerly eat all of our food, it is nap time. And on a full stomach we usually go to sleep quite easily and for quite long.

I was playing with Daddy this morning and at one point leaned back onto the couch with my arms extended. Daddy luckily had his phone out and took the above picture. After he did, he saw an uncanny resemblance between my pose and the famous Glico man located in Osaka. Do you see the resemblance?

I woke up early in the morning and then went back to sleep on the couch with Mommy. I slept so well that I even slept past my usual wake up time.

On our walk today we stopped by the prefectural office and they had a train exhibit that we went to take a look at. We liked the model train that they had and we had fun taking a picture in a train interior mockup that they had set up.

Yep, I’m still helping with the laundry whenever I can!

Breakfast is usually quite tame since we are all just waking up. There is some casual conversation, but that’s about it. But every so often we are in a playful mood even in the first thing in the morning. Daddy put my bread in his hand and when I grabbed it the trap was activated and I was tickled. It’s a (food) trap!

I go to sleep quite well which shows my sleep training paid off. But I still sometimes wake up way before it is time to get up. I can wake up any time between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.. Either Mommy or Daddy has to wake up, take me out of the bedroom so that I don’t wake the other parent up, give me some water or tea to drink, and get me back to sleep. For the most part, I just need to be brought out of the bedroom and be place on whichever parent woke up and then I’ll manage to put myself to sleep. Sure, there have been times when I need rocking, singing, or just a lot of time, but I usually get to sleep. (Unless I wake up after 5 a.m. and I don’t go back to sleep right away.).

This morning Daddy woke up to get me and I got to sleep fairly easily. Mommy woke up to get ready for work to find us on the couch sleeping peacefully.

As I mentioned before, I no longer to go bed peacefully. I cry when it is time to go to bed and cry when I’m put to bed. After a few minutes of crying in my crib I am able to wind myself down and go to sleep, usually within 10 to 15 minutes. This shows that my sleep training worked and I am able to get a decent night’s sleep. But the process leading up to bedtime is becoming more traumatic.

First I cried when put in my crib. Then I cried when we entered the bedroom. Then I cried when carried toward the bedroom. We thought it was bad when I cried when told “bedtime”, but it actually got worse. I have a cup of milk and am read a book just before I brush my teeth and then go to bed. Today I absolutely freaked out when I was offered my milk. I like milk, but my mind jumped ahead to the coming bedtime and I was really sad. I actually panicked and through a tantrum. Daddy had to hold me tightly and so that I wouldn’t hurt myself as Mommy found some music to help calm me down. Eventually I calmed down, had my milk, book, brushed teeth, and went to bed safely. I also fell asleep relatively quickly.

That is where we are now. I know my routine so well that steps leading up to bedtime can trigger a crying fit. Daddy mentioned that if gets any worse one day I’m going to wake up in the morning at start crying because I know 14 hours later I will have to go to bed. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Even when I’m finished eating up all of my food, I’m not quite done with dinner. I try to get every bit, drop, and morsel of food. And then I just end up playing with my bowl.

After our walk today we all came back and read some books at nursery school. I take reading very seriously and was very into my book. I turned the pages myself and made sure to point out things that I was excited about, saying, “Ah, ah, ah!”

Sometimes I wake up so early in the morning that I need a rest right after I eat breakfast. Maybe I should sleep a little longer. But I like to start my day off early. Hmmm…I should try to find the perfect time to wake up.

I don’t mind brushing my teeth. In fact, I like it! But I’m aware that once I finish brushing my teeth it is time for me to go to bed so I try to avoid brushing my teeth or try to ignore all the steps leading up to bedtime. I try to get in as much playtime in and go so far as to ignore Mommy when she talks to me. I don’t want to go to bed.

I’m not a big fan of clothes. Especially when it is hot like during summer. So sometimes I runaway right after my bath before Mommy can even put my diaper on. I make a mad dash out of the bathroom and am about to make my escape when I’m stopped by Daddy in the other room. I had a few moments of naked freedom, but I have to put some clothes on in the end.