Mango and his date(s)

Things I'll have to tell you about it later...

1. Yesterday was Mango's B-day.
2. Mango won an award at his Water Polo banquet last night
3. We are heading off to Disneyland today..YIPEE!

And most importantly

4. Mango went to Homecoming last weekend and had 5 dates... then spent the night with them...

Full story, coming soon...

Harro...Japan Calling

I am missing Japan today...

I miss the history and culture that surrounds you,
Really, there is SO much history...The time we spend with family when we are there,
Like my grandma...(Momo loves hanging with her great grandma)And my uncle, the high fashion photographer...
who, just the day before this photo, was busy shooting a cover for J.Lo
And I miss the food...
dear gawd...I miss the FOOD!
Yum...
And the shopping (at both cheap and chic stores)
The souvenir's that we inevitably buy every year for all the gai-jiin (foreigners) back home
The transportation system...
(b/c I really love not driving everywhere I go)
The thick summer air...today I actually crave it
And the condoms...
No...Not really...I don't miss the condoms, but you gotta read the signs...too funny!

Day 2

Today is Day two of NABLOPOMO and I have already failed...

I forgot to post yesterday.

It was the first day (and apparently the last for me)!

This picture of Momo captures the way I feel about my failure... So sad.

Where Oh Where?

Where Oh Where...Have I been?

1. I have been BUSY
I have been to volleyball practice with Momo 3x per week
I have been to many games and tournaments with both of the weirdos
I have been teaching 4 classes with 35 students each (and tons of grading)
I have been trying not to neglect HWMNBN

2. I have been LAZY
I have been spending my downtime happily on my couch.
I have been watching the tv (that takes my mind off how busy I feel)

3. I have been HUNGRY
I have been eating (or thinking about eating) a lot...to keep my mind off of busy

4. I have been NOT BLOGGING
I have been unconsiously avoideant of my blog for a good 2 weeks and NABLOPOMO is upon me...just 2 days away...I hope I can do it?!?

Bacon Potato Pie

Mc Donald's in Japan is something of a dream.


Not only are they immaculately clean and amazingly service oriented, they have some great items that we are seriously deprived of in the great ole' US of A.


One of these items (that I dream about from time to time) is the Bacon Potato Pie.
It looks just like the apple pie sold at Mickey D's in the US, except it is filled with a savory concoction of potato's and bacon...HELLO!!!

Ah-May-ZING!

Playing with the Devil

Should I warn Momo about playing with the devil?

Public Humiliation = Good Discipline (Pt. 3)

Yesterday was a very busy day.

Mango played in a Water Polo Tournament all morning and into the afternoon down the coast in Malibu.

He's the goalie there in the red/white cap.

They did very well for a very novice team (only 2 of whom have ever played the game before) but in the end they got clobbered by both teams they played against.

In the meantime, Momo, HWMNBN and I got sunburned in the hot California sun and by the time we left the tournament, everyone was a little grouchy...and HUNGRY.

The kids wanted burgers and fries so after about an hour of driving, we trekked over to one of their favorite spots, Red Robin, which is housed inside a semi-local shopping mall.

My kids were getting grouchier by the minute and all the eye-rolling and purposeful sibling annoying was getting on my nerves.

I decided it was time for some good old fashioned discipline (MomoMama style) and I found these outfits for my kids to wear. Forget their demoralized expressions and please notice their subservient posture and hint of apology in their eyes...

Public humiliation works people, it works!

Just minutes after donning the banana suit and bee costume, my dear children were back to their normal, non-eye-rolling selves.

Mango was running around Target in a banana suit, making friends with anyone who would look at him...

and Momo was bouncing up and down in some America's Best Dance Crew vibe shouting "Yeah...I'm a Bee...What? What?...I'm a Bee Y'all"

You see, you never know how public humiliation will turn out, but in our house, with the weirdo kids and weirdo parents (and even weirdo extended family members)...
"Goofiness" = our normal state of being and
Public Humiliation always = "good (fun) discipline".

For more of my fantastic parenting stories, check out Public Humiliation = Good Discipline Part 1 & Part 2