family Archives - Page 2 of 4

Kiko has been really picking up language, it is so much fun to watch! While we were in the U.S. for two weeks in February, she learned so many new words, like “snack”, “all done”, “donut” (you can tell what the grandparents had been giving her on my absence) or “elephant”. Andy and I both speak to her in English at home, but still I was amazed how much she picked up within a few days we were there. It made me think maybe I wasn’t talking to her enough at home. She received a constant shower of language from her grandparents, and other extended family, and I saw the effect of that first hand!

Sometimes it is a challenge to figure out what she is talking about. For instance, she kept saying “bider” but I had no idea what she meant, until I figured out that she meant to say “spider”, and wanted to do itsy bitsy spider together.

Also, she pronounces the “si” sounds like a Japanese person, and here is a little video clip of what she ended up with. She is trying to say “sit”; I think she learnt it from me asking her to sit down everyday. Hope you have a chuckle out of it:)

1)Lights at Miyagaseko
2) Smores on Xmas eve
3) Diminishing Bridge on Christmas
4) Making Russian Teaccakes On xmas eve

I have an almost inexpressible disdain for holidays. Christmas in particular causes me pain on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. The reasons are numerous but I shant bore you with an extended elaboration… Tell me this; for what damn reason do I need tell my kids about Santa? I won’t and when I tell people that, they look at me as though I just ran over their dog….Moving on, moving.

The reason for this diary is, even though I am a miserable grouchy s.o.b. who is a cultural iconoclast, my family need not have to put up with me grimacing at every ornament I spot in a store window. Chie and Kiko need traditions. It builds bonds and deepens relationships. Chie is being very generous and says I can swerve around the blood boiling X-mas garbage and rather setup some traditions of my own.

The problem is, how does a man who hates the season make new traditions? What can I do? I thought about making some kind of new holiday (George Costanza Festivus style)but I encountered two problems; 1) I am not that creative and 2) No way will a new weird out of nowhere tradition be sustainable. “Daddy why are having a party on February 3rd for no reason? Shut up Kiko and play the traditional February 3rd tire flipping game.”

So, having decided not to reinvent the wheel, I was left with my only option, to steal tolerable elements and shape them into my own thing.

My new December 25th celebration wil include 4 elements to be described below. Notice I did not say X-mas. I will call it December 25th. My family may call it what they wish, but in my mind Christmas has died and in its place has come “Great-Wonderful-Exciting December 25th Celebration Day” GWED25 for short. No, I have not fully committed to that name. Ladies feel free to critique, but I promise you I really do hate this holiday so any mention of rheindeer will be sumarily ignored.

First, there is a Japanesey Christmas village setup in the mountains close to our home in a town called Miyagaseko. Now this Christmas village has many elements that I would normally hate but it is quirky enough to be fun. The lights are pretty, they have food stands serving hot chocolate and lots of food. You can walk around for an hour in the cold drink hot chocolate and have a generally nice time with your family. So, our tradition will include a visit to Miyagaseko at some point in December. The only difficulty with this part of my tradition is that we can’t continue it if move. Hopefully I can find something similar in our future location

Secondly, cookie making. I love these little cookies called Russian teacakes. Any tradition should include these cookies. I am thinking that on December 24th (a.k.a. GWED25 eve), we as a family can make a barrell full of these cookies and then hammer ’em down on December 25th. The whole cookie making thing will be great with Kiko and future little Duncans. The only problem here is that these things are 90% butter and thus will make me fat.

Thirdly, On the evening of December 24th, at night a little before bed after having made cookies, I will start a fire (God save us) and we will make smores. This tradition element is similar to the previous because it involves cookies. Some would say this lame but I say “Bite Me. It’s my tradition”. Any tradition that involves children fire and sugar is a sure fire recipe for success and happiness.

Fourthly and finally, December 25th will arrive and on that day we can play diminishing bridge as a family with my parents in the U.S. online (Yes, this can be done while eating Russian Teac cakes). Growing up, one of my favorite memories is playing the Dimminishing Bridge card game with my family. Playnig this game wasn’t limited to Christmas. Whenever a large group of my family got together we would play. I found a site that will host my little game. I wanted to find an element that involved the grandparents and I think this is a good way to do it.

Ladies, what say you?