Category Archives: Karin

Friends? More Like Siblings.

The photo in this post is my entry for the latest I Heart Faces photo challenge, “Friendship”.

It’s interesting to look back over the last month and see how things have changed since Mayumi and Karin first arrived.Karin is not a shy child so, from the very first moment they stepped off the plane, she seemed comfortable in our house and with our children. But being comfortable and feeling at home are two different things and I think we can now safely say that Karin feels right at home.

This past weekend was the first time that Samuel and Karin really connected. And when I say “connected” I mean fought like siblings. Until now, Thomas and Samuel have kept up their constant bickering but Karin has largely stayed out of it. Now she is right in there with them, sometimes purposefully causing problems between the boys or trying to play on her cuteness. And I see this as a good thing. It means she’s comfortable. It means she can be herself with us, which I love.It means she treats our boys as she would a brother.

The challenge, however, is that the same rules don’t apply with Karin as they do with other children. When Karin takes a toy away, I can’t just ask Samuel to tell her how he feels and ask for it back because she doesn’t understand him. Of course the same is true of Karin – when she is upset she has trouble expressing her feelings in words unless Mayumi is close by to translate. Unfortunately it has resulted in a little more frustration and sometimes they act out that frustration by hitting. Still, I see this as a good lesson in patience (theirs and mine) and communication techniques when words don’t work.

So, where’s Thomas in all this? Well, he’s experiencing his own frustration. He doesn’t like it that the two little ones copy everything he does or when they take things away from him. He’s also having trouble finding his own space which is something we need to work on.

At the end of the day, though, the first thing Thomas and Samuel say when they get home is “where’s Karin?”. And Karin is all smiles the moment they walk in the door and they’re pretty much inseparable from that moment on. Maybe it was just a case of too much time together this weekend. Or maybe we just all need a vacation (coming soon!).

One thing’s for certain though, they are going to miss each other like crazy when Karin and Mayumi head home. Maybe, by then, I’ll manage to get a picture of the three of them together without the funny faces – or maybe this photo is a better reflection of real life right now, just a little bit crazy.

And Then the Sun Came Out…

After weeks (months!) of rain, the sun finally decided to show it’s face in Portland this weekend. We celebrated by continuing to show Mayumi and Karin around the city. In hindsight, probably not the best choice for the 4th of July/Portland Blues Festival/first nice weekend of the year. Still, we had a great time catching the train downtown and then navigating the  the crowds, to sneak in a little waterfront fountain time and a walk to Pioneer Square. (Note to the Tourism Center: you need to stock more maps and materials in Japanese).

Making use of our Joovy double stroller again for the first time in at least a year. Came in very handy for toting at least two children at a time and sometimes even three.

The kids were a little hesitant about the fountain at first but as you can see, they soon got in the spirit. As difficult as it is to photograph in full sun, I love that we finally get to experience a few harsh shadows.

Oh, and temporary tattoos are big in our house. In case you were wondering about those unsightly marks all over my children.

And you can’t call it a trip to the Rose City without saying hello to at least one Beaver…

…or posing with a few local icons (Sapporo: 4,456 miles)

Such a fun day, harsh shadows included.

She Calls Him Oniichan

Thomas has really taken Karin under his wing. Sometimes she calls him Oniichan (big brother), other times Tomodachi (friend). He talks to her in Japanese and seems to understand almost everything she says. It’s sweet and more than I expected from this three-day-old relationship. They are kindred spirits.

Of course we’re also dealing with some jealousy issues from Samuel, mainly because his brother is more likely to spend time with someone who follows him around and does everything he wants her to do. Samuel is not that child, but, slowly, he and Karin have begun playing together. He calls her his little sister.

Right now all three of them are playing nicely upstairs. I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

On a side note, Samuel fell down the stairs this morning. I watched from above as he went head over tail down about 10 steps and then hit his head on the closed door at the bottom. Samuel gained a huge bump on his head, I lost about three years of my life. We drove to the emergency room but decided on the way that, since he didn’t lose consciousness and was talking and laughing by the time we got there, that we were better off spending our time watching him at home to make sure he’s OK than sitting in a waiting room.

Three years of age is a dangerous time. This is the third fall that Samuel has had in as many days. I’m pretty sure he’s having a growth spurt and it’s contributing to his clumsiness. I just hope he regains his footing soon for my own health as well as his.

It was difficult to capture it in a photo, but I assure you that the bump was immediate and very impressive.