September has been quite an eventful month, with plenty of ups and downs! With a cross-country move and a whirlwind of changes, it’s been both exciting and exhausting. I’m ready for things to calm down and to just sit back, breathe in the fall air, and admire the beautiful colors that autumn will bring. (I think the fall season is one of the things I missed the most about the East Coast!)
Mio has been loving all the space she has to run around in, and practically lives in the backyard during the daytime. Here are some snapshots I took with my phone yesterday while she was enjoying the last of the September sunshine…
Mio on my childhood swingset.
In the sun’s spotlight.
Surrounded by green.
fence + ivy
Very rustic.
Mio with a leaf. She can say “happa” (Japanese word for “leaf”) now.
Pulling bowls out to play with.
She loves arranging all the colorful bowls on the floor.
Mio and I arrived at my parents’ home in Virginia late Saturday night. My dear friend Hanna is getting married in two weeks, and we’re in town to attend the wedding as well as to spend a couple weeks with my family and friends here beforehand. Dan stayed behind because he has to work, but he’ll be joining us for the weekend of the wedding! Mio and I survived the cross-country flight, despite her staying awake the entire time. We had to walk up and down the aisle a few times and she was definitely restless and squirmed a lot, but she was in good spirits for most of the flight, charming the other passengers and the flight attendants with her scrunchy-faced smiles and friendly behavior. (Mio kept grabbing onto the seat in front of us and peeking her head around the side to smile at the lady sitting in it… thankfully, the woman was a very understanding mother of three, and seemed tickled by her silly antics.) It was only during the last half hour of the flight when we began our descent that things really went downhill — Mio refused to drink from her sippy cup and hence started screaming and crying because her ears wouldn’t pop. I was mortified and extremely stressed out, but she kept pushing away everything I offered her to drink and eat. Thankfully, everyone around me was very understanding and sympathetic, and — probably picking up on my stress — helped me gather all my belongings and even offered to hold Mio when it came time to offboard the plane. I’m just glad that it’s over, and that I’ll have Dan to help me on the returning flight back to California.
Mio has been soaking up the love back here in Virginia. She’s loving all the attention from my parents and my siblings, and is smiling more than usual! She loves all the rooms she can explore (as my parents’ house offers much more space to roam than our little home back in California), and of course the luxury of a big backyard!
My mom pulled out a toy that my siblings and I often played with as kids for Mio to tinker with. I can’t believe she’d kept it all these years, and it was really nostalgic to see it again! I love that as parents, we oftentimes relive our childhood through our children and that we can share and pass on our most cherished memories and experiences…
Mio loves the "vintage" toy that her Mama used to play with.
Fisher Price toy fron the 80s
It's still in good shape after being banged around by four kids!
Here are some fun photos of playtime in the backyard…
Auntie Miwa playing with Mio while Obaachan looks on.
Auntie Miwa is so good with Mio!
Feeling the breeze
Mio can almost get lost in the backyard...
I missed all this greenery!
Mio is a bit of a speed demon lately… her walking is turning into a run, as she can jet across the room in only a couple seconds, especially when she is excited!
Almost a blur as she explores the house.
Mio was not happy with our attempt to get her to wear cherry blossom antennae.
