Tangents

I know I should have started this blog a long time ago, but life circumstances did not allow motivation for that to happen. As I have a "easily lost on a tangent" tendency in my personality, I might lose the average reader a few times, just bare with me! I probably will bring up past issues to help clarify the progression to the "here and now".

Working.
For a couple of months now Taka has focused on pretending to be different workers. He always wants to help and feel important. He always asks "where`s daddy?" "Is he at work?" In hopes of Taka one day(in the far future, he is not yet even 3 years old!) easily choosing what he wants to do with his future, I try to use various different titles of all the different professions out there.

He likes to mimic traffic directors (guards) but tends to go into the street with this one. (Maybe we can choose a less dangerous profession??) He also pretends (sounds included) to be a combine, forklift,tractor, bascically any kind of driver. He often says "Taka is Uncle Ted" or "Taka is Mr. Maeda" (the nearby farmer whose farm we visit just about every day. He also aften says "Taka working!" or "Taka`s busy!" He also pretends to be the mechanic next door when he drives the car or when he fixes his "moped" (his little inside bike). He also likes to pound nails, but now mommy not forgetting the fishtank episode plans "board and nail creation time" where we make something together. (When mommy gets her butt in gear, we plan to make a wooden garbage holder together.)

Music

Taka loves music. Whenever he watches the Wiggles Itsy Bitsy Spider scene, he does not focus on the actions to the song, but instead pretends to play piano like Jeff. He does this all the time wherever we go, he has some kind of natural musical instinct. (The same goes for dancing.) Which is kind of funny because when he was in my womb whenever I was in a store and loud (usually rap) music came on he would go wild...I bet you he was dancing!) He makes up songs to the rhythms of songs. His favorite songs right now are "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Old Mcdonald had a farm". He is always requesting that mommy sing (or mommy not to sing so he can sing). He loves the months of the year and days of the week song. Now I am looking for some good number songs to sing with him. He seems to be developing a very analytical personality. (perfectionist like daddy, yet disorganized like the both of his parents?)

DVDs and Books
Most of TAka`s langauge in English is from me, DVDs and books. Taka seems to like academic material and has an intense curiousity. (poor mom, how do I keep my sanity about grabby fingers not so much accepted in Japan as the child gets older and Taka`s natural curiosity about creativity, future aspirations...etc?) He gains so much cultural/social understanding from books and DVDs.
He has a problem with biting, so I bought a Karen Katz book called "No biting" and he loves it! Hopefully it will quell his biting habit. (I had bought the book also by Karen katz "Excuse Me" and it worked wonders for Taka`s manners.
In terms of DVDs he learns so much......and makes connections to the real world.

As Taka develops and matures, his emotional processing becomes apparent. A couple of months ago while going to bed he asked "Mommy? Mik-chan sick? Miki-chan died. Taka sick, Taka die? Then a couple of weeks ago again while going to sleep he asked "mommy, Miki-chan died, Taka`s fault?". I have to be careful with my wording of explanation or Taka is worried all the time whenever any of us get sick. I tried to explain that Miki`s heart, lungs and body did not work correctly and that us being sick was different, we would get better. I have to buy a book on the issue as I think Taka learns better through books than through my explanations.
On the topic of "Miki" Taka has been playing with language concerning his sister`s name, the neighboring city called "Miki" and Mickey Mouse.

Requesting Japanese books
Recently Taka wants me to read Japanese books (and is always asking me how to say things in Japanese so that he can communicate better). Up until now, I had kept a "this book is in daddy`s language so mommy can not read it" stance. But now Taka realized that I can read Japanese (at least picture books) and wants me to read in Japanese. I have not completely decided on a plan of action to address this yet, but when I read with Taka in English, if his dad is around, I try to get his dad to go over the same vocabulary in Japanese. His dad is not always a willing participant but when he does Takafumi is super excited.

I have a lot of multicultural mothering issues too, but will post them later. I just wanted to end with a recommendation of a book. The book is called Call Me Okaasan Adventures in Multicultural Mothering by Suzanne Kamata with 20 women writers from around the world.