Dan and I have always wanted to start our children early on swimming lessons, as swimming is such a valuable survival skill and the earlier kids learn, the better! I think I got my first swimming lesson at 7 or so, which is pretty late, and my swimming skills are still mediocre at best… My siblings are kind of in the same boat, although some are slightly better than me. Dan is a really good swimmer, and is much more comfortable in the water. We want to make sure Mio takes after Daddy and not after me!
As soon as summer registration opened for programs at the local rec center, I signed Mio up for Toddler & Me swimming classes. I quickly came to learn that these are much-coveted spots by parents and they fill up super fast! The June classes were already full by the first hour on the first day of registration, so I had put Mio on a waiting list just in case a spot opened up and also signed her up for July classes. June passed and no spots opened, so we just waited until this month’s classes. The Saturday Toddler & Me classes are for half an hour every Saturday for four weeks, and requires an adult to accompany the child. During the class, the kids get used to the water, and practice basic swimming poses and strokes while being held by their parent. It’s a great start to introduce your child to the water, get past any fears and make them comfortable and ready to swim. There were definitely one or two kids who were terrified and screaming their head off in the water, but most kids seemed to do just fine. Mio was a little scared and apprehensive at moments when she had to lie flat against the water, as she doesn’t like getting water in her ears, but overall she did great and seemed to really enjoy the swimming lessons!
Starting off in the shallow area.
Mio splish splashing around enthusiastically.
Moving over to the deeper side of the pool.
Listening to the teacher instruct what strokes to practice.
Here’s a compilation of video clips that I took on my phone during Mio’s first swimming lesson!
Afterwards, we got together with our friends Pat and Theo and their adorable girls at Fairfax Corner for lunch and an afternoon of fun in the fountain and pottery painting!
Splashing around at the fountain at Fairfax Corner
Painting pottery at Color Me Mine. Pat made a plate with handprints and footprints of Anna and Cara.
Great husband and wife teamwork to get baby Cara’s footprints!
Success!
Me painting my bowl.
When I asked Dan what I should paint, he immediately answered “cherry blossoms” as if there were no question about it. I guess that’s my default go-to motif…
Mio and Anna before saying our goodbyes. Parting is such sweet sorrow…
On Saturday, we went to Ekoji Buddhist Temple’s annual Obon Festival in Fairfax Station. They had a variety of Japanese summer festival activities and games for kids, arts and crafts for sale, as well as a lot of Japanese food for sale — everything from somen, gyudon, mabodufu, chicken teriyaki, spam musubi, shaved ice, mochi, and other desserts! The area was decorated in traditional matsuri style with lanterns strung around and outdoor tables and stations for the various vendors.
Arriving at Ekoji Buddhist Temple’s Obon festival.
When we got there, the festival was already bustling with tons of people!
Mio and I making our way over to the shaved ice stand for a cool refreshment.
Daddy says “open wide!” for the kakigori.
Enjoying some melon-flavored kakigori (shaved ice).
There were lots of games for children.
Instead of the traditional game of scooping live goldfish, they had kids scoop plastic toys and rubber duckies that they could take home with them.
During the ring toss, Mio didn’t understand why everyone was purposely making it hard for themselves by throwing the rings. She kept going over and carefully placing the rings on the sticks.
She still won some bubbles and a whistle as prizes!
A lot of people were dressed in yukatas and jinbeis, the Japanese festival garb.
Mio of course sported her own jinbei and got a lot of smiles and compliments from strangers!
We ran into our friend Mimi at the festival. Thanks for taking this picture of us, Mimi!
There was also Yo-yo tsuri (fishing for water balloons).
Later in the evening, there was bon-odori, and a lot of people joined in the dancing.
Some video of the bon-odori dancing:
Nen Daiko also gave an awesome taiko performance!
Here is Nen Daiko performing “Satori no Michi.” Mio started yelling along with the drummers towards the end, much to our dismay…
We left shortly afterwards as Mio was getting really rowdy and we were worried she’d disturb everyone’s enjoyment of the taiko performances. At the end of the Obon festival, they supposedly had a candle memorial ceremony to remember loved ones who have passed on. Maybe next time, we’ll be able to stay for the whole festival! 🙂 It’s great that our children will be able to experience and take part in these Japanese traditions even while they live in America. Even as Americans, it’s a valuable thing to get exposure to your ethnic heritage and its traditions so that you can develop an understanding and appreciation for them. I think going to Obon will definitely be a family tradition for us in the years to come!
Some candid moments captured of Mio lately. It’s been so hot lately, that we wilt within minutes of going outside. We’ve been trying to keep cool indoors but still try to get out for playdates and going to the playground.
From earlier this month: Kailee and Aaron holding Mio’s hands as they walk back from the park.
Exercising fine motor skills by stringing Cheerios onto sticks of spaghetti… Had to switch to beads because Mio was more focused on eating the Cheerios…
Hapa girls club ⤠Mio with Sophia and Aubriana
Sparklers with Daddy! ãªãœã‹é¡”ãŒãŠã£ã•ã‚“ã£ã½ã„。
We experimented with straightening Mio’s hair again… but the curls started coming back immediately.
Double-fisting the bacon she stole from Mama. #oinkoink
Hope everyone is staying cool in this hot summer weather!
We spent Saturday morning at a local park with Mio, and had some interesting animal sightings! While Mio was on the swings, a fawn just casually trotted out of the bushes behind the swingset.
Deer sighting at Peterson Lane Park.
Skinny fawn. It was so tame, and wasn’t scared of us at all. It just kept walking around the area, eating as it went.
Also spotted by the playground: a cute little fox!
The fox looking at us.
I swear we don’t live in the sticks. haha* But it’s nice to see some wild animals once in a while… it shows that the neighborhood is pretty animal-friendly and a lot of the natural environment is well-preserved. 🙂
Bonus video of Mio cackling on the swings. (Sorry it’s overexposed. All photos and videos were taken on my phone.)
Since making the move to Virginia, I’ve been looking forward to going on trips and vacations together again with my family. When my siblings and I were kids, our parents would always take us to the Shenandoah Valley a few times a year, so much that we grew sick of going in our teenage years. But after spending a decade away from home, I actually came to miss going there with my parents and that time that we could spend together as a family. As I’ve grown older, I have a new appreciation for family trips (especially now that I have my own child), and it’s also probably due to the realization that such opportunities will become more and more rare as we all get older, have our own families, get busy with more of our own obligations, and our parents eventually won’t be as able-bodied anymore. It’s important to take these opportunities while we can, as well as appreciate and treasure these moments that we’ll eventually look back on as fond memories.
That’s why Dan and I were totally on board when my father suggested we take a family trip to West Virginia during the week of July 4th. We booked rooms at Breath of Heaven Bed & Breakfast in Petersburg, nestled along the Monongahela National Forest and Appalachian Mountains. My brother Ted and Elisa couldn’t come because they were on their honeymoon trip, but it was nice that most of our family could join in this peaceful getaway up in the mountains.
We spent a lot of Wednesday, July 3 traveling to our destination, and upon arriving were greeted by incredibly warm and sweet hosts Geri and Ed, and the quiet, beautiful landscape of mountains and valleys rich with trees. The bed & breakfast was lovely, and there were always homemade cookies and tea on hand and available for guests to eat.
Breath of Heaven Bed & Breakfast, the main lodge area where my parents and siblings stayed.
Here’s a video of the view of the countryside from the balcony of the main building.
Mio spent much of the evening on the porch swing and exploring the premises.
Dan, Mio, and I got our own little cabin/cottage (the owners called it a”cabbage” as a combination of the two) away from the main house. It was so cozy and nice!
Breakfast crepes with sausage made by owner Geri the following morning. I usually don’t like crepes because of how egg-y they taste, but these were delicious!!!
We spent a lot of July 4th hiking in nearby Dolly Sods. My family did a total of three hikes. I had to sit out on the longest one and rest in the car because I’m still pretty queasy and don’t have a lot of energy due to pregnancy.
Dan carried Mio for a lot of the hikes. Thank you Daddy!
Lush green forests and mountains at Dolly Sods.
Mio about to give Daddy a peck.
My dad was in heaven! He loves hiking in the great outdoors.
Mio and I taking a rest together.
Perched on a rock.
Giant rock formations at Dolly Sods.
“On top of the world!”
At the bog at Dolly Sods.
Seneca Rock
In the afternoon, we headed back to the bed & breakfast to rest and freshen up a little bit, and then in the evening went out for dinner and to watch the fireworks show in Petersburg. It was actually a pretty impressive 30-minute long show of fireworks! I think this is Mio’s first time seeing such large fireworks, but she wasn’t scared at all and kept saying “pika pika” (the Japanese word for “sparkly” or “shiny”) and “Wow!” Here’s an Instagram video I took!
The following morning, we were treated to another delicious breakfast by Geri. I think the breakfasts at Breath of Heaven are definitely one of the biggest highlights of the place. Geri is such a great cook!
Mio chowing down at breakfast.
French toast casserole, cheesy potatoes with bacon and onions, and orange slices. The best part is that we can always ask for seconds!
The family enjoying breakfast on the patio.
Mio and I spent a lot of our stay on this porch swing overlooking the countryside. So relaxing!
A family picture before leaving Breath of Heaven.
The Allens with the wonderful owners Geri and Ed. They made our stay so comfortable and enjoyable!
Before heading home, we stopped by a couple more scenic spots in West Virginia. The first was Blackwater Falls, which I’d been to before back in the summer of 2007, right before I moved to California.
Who knew that the next time I’d be back here, I’d have my own family?
The Yokoyama ladies at the falls.
Allen family picture ♥
Yokoyama family picture!
The Blackwater Falls
There were so many beautiful wildflowers everywhere we went, and Dan got some nice photos of them.
Mio getting pretty tired…
…but she perked up again when she got to share a popsicle with Auntie.
Our final stop was Lindy Point, which was a bit of a tiring trek for my pregnant self, but presented some beautiful views.
The view from Lindy Point.
I think we all felt refreshed from spending a few days in the tranquil countryside of West Virginia, getting away from the busy-ness of Northern Virginia and cutting off from technology — we didn’t have phone reception nor WiFi for most of our trip, so it forced us to power down and enjoy our surroundings, which was a good thing. While the scenery there is different from the grandiose spectacles of Yosemite and Big Sur back on the West Coast, it definitely has its own beauty. (No wonder John Denver goes on and on about it in “Country Roads,” his ode to the state!) West Virginia tends to get a bad rap, and while I confess to on occasion having poked fun at the neighbor state myself, I think there’s much to be appreciated in this wonderland of mountains, rivers and trees. We’ll definitely be back!
