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Water Balloons

For some reason, Osamu has an aversion to water balloons. He’s never actually touched or thrown one, but a while back he saw something or heard about them on TV and decided that water balloons were not for him.

I think he's gonna make a complete reversal the moment he sees what they're really all about. His mischief gene will override any irrational anxiety he might have about water balloons. I'm already planning my attack from the second floor balcony onto the grass out front where the boys play.

Today after school Kenzo really wanted to go outside and play with the neighbor kids. He came back a while later with water balloons. They were sitting on the kitchen counter when Eri and the boys had gone out somewhere and I picked one up thinking it was just some trash. It was pretty small. For a split second I thought it was a plum. We’ve got tons of plums right now and they’re so good. Glad I didn't bite into it. I put it back on the counter and grabbed a plum out of the fridge. 

Eri came in and showed me the new books she bought online. The boys are going to be so excited. One of their favorites from the library these days is If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. They noticed on the back cover that there's a series. Of course.

They asked me the title of each one and decided the ones they must get. Eri and I locked glances and she does what she does best: made a mental note and hit up the online bookstores after the boys went to sleep.

Today we got a delivery. Two new books. The Gruffalo's Child and If You Give a Pig a Pancake. If You Take a Mouse to School is apparently on back order and will arrive later.

It was Kenzo’s turn to choose a story tonight. We mark on the calendar whose turn it is. K and O on alternating days, with P for Papa on Saturdays. My choice, and I always make it into an event.


This evening at dinner I told Kenzo he could choose any story he wanted (often depending on the time I tell the boys to choose a short one) or go for the surprise story. I felt like Monty Hall. Without missing a beat Osamu spilled the beans and declared, "We have two new books upstairs!" and I pleaded, "Please don’t spoil the surprise," but a four-year-old who knows about something that his big brother doesn't is impossible to subdue. 

So after finding out what the surprise books were Kenzo chose If You Give a Pig a Pancake. And it was a hit.

After the story he asked me if we could read The Gruffalo's Child too and I said next time, to which he got a bit upset. Being six has gotta be so hard; wanting everything right now and constantly not getting everything right now.

Come to think of it, that's hard for everyone. Which is why I fully espouse the value of delayed gratification in our house. Sometimes it results in tears, but in my mind some little boy tears when not getting the toy today is way better than the man tears when they can't deal with not getting a promotion or turned down for a date. When you practice the fine art of not always getting exactly what you want, right now, you have an advantage in life.


I took a break at 5pm to go down to Higashi Park and help the neighborhood association folks with our recently planted flower beds. They're lookin' good. It's super humid and I got back to my desk to finish my work day sweating like a cat in a rocking chair showroom.

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