WW2 view from England

World War 2 is still a very real memory to many of those living in England. It's very interesting that all Americans have studied this (we all have, haven't we??) but the way of life in England is still very much affected by what happened more than 75 years ago. People make due with what they have it seems in England, even though they may afford 5 of the thing they are repairing. Fences aren't shiny but they work. This is something that people from other countries appreciate and make this country charming (among other things, of course). You can also see bullet holes in building that are purposefully not fixed. It is discussed (in more appropriate terms) at age 7 in school.

This is very impressive also because the mass killings or clearing out of masses of people in WW2 is something that we cannot strive for again as a species. People often wonder how people could do this to someone or on the the other hand, how people could fall into this death.

The author John Boyne of the book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas wrote the idea well. The wife of a German solder lived with him and their family near a camp. She thought of the jews as rats and vermin as that was the underlying lie spread for many years. One day she found out that their bodies had been burned and instantly could not cope with the idea of anyone being treated that way. She had been lied to. The people being taken into rooms where told that this was only a shower to prevent their worry, which they must have constantly had. Why would anyone do something so horrible? The brain and human body is amazingly strong. It will do anything to survive the next day. So they marched on. If anyone were to really believe that something horrible was about to happen, they of course would have rebelled. The truth was masked.

People of Germany were following the rules and wanted to do the right thing. They were struggling from the shaming of World War One and were trying to make their country great again.  Unfortunately, it was fueled by hate. It was all around them, though. How could it be wrong?

What were the people of Germany missing? Information? They were pumped information by media, tv, radio, leaflets, books of which they had no control. Books that taught freedom of thought and questioning were burned. Were they thriving or surviving? How many times when you feel like you are just getting by are you able to challenge the thoughts around you? I believe that most Germans were trying just to survive coming out of WW1. They had so little.

We have control over the media these days. It may not feel as such when every news station covers the same story but your vote is the time you spend on certain stations and the money you spend on things. We have avenues to discuss topics that will make our species more advanced rather than bringing us back to animals. Social media, talking to others in person, books, articles, online articles. And read another side, not just your own. Argue with the opposition.

Question. Seek. Keep seeking still.

You have so much. Food? Shelter? Love? How much do you have? I bet you are not on the same survival that others around the world are struggling with.

Ask yourself if you would rather stay in line with what is around you,
Or take a path that is possibly less traveled
and may be harder path
But feels right.
Because it is more civil.
They may be the same,
But asking is what makes you a civil human being.

While I struggle not to fall into Godwin's law in an argument, it is absolutely valid to strive to not to recreate the past.

No Money

While walking home with my children today, one of them asked me what if there was no money. As we walked, his idea turned into a very interesting model of why we have money and how it would be if we didn't have it all.

This must come directly from this child's obsession with cops and robbers. He asked why thieves stole. I told him that maybe they don't want to work hard to earn it or they have no way to earn it, or they never learned how. I am guessing that after we had talked he figured that eliminating the money would do away with bad guys.

Here's the plan. "If we didn't have money then people would just make things, we would grow our own food and put it somewhere." "What if I needed something that I couldn't make?" I asked him. "Well, you could just ask someone to make it for you." Profound. "That would take a lot of getting along for everyone," I tell him. "Yeah." Great ideas, based mostly on what we are trying to teach them.

First Glance of Tokyo: City of LED

I took off from San Francisco at 7pm Tuesday and arrived in Tokyo at about 10:00pm Wednesday. The long flight (13 hours) is getting easier since I can now sleep on the plane! I didn't realize I slept so much until the smell of fancy cup o soup noodles woke me up with 2 hours left in the flight. I watched the cameras from the bottom of the plane that showed the dark cities of Japan. Previously we got to watch the camera from the front of the plane and see the runway for take off which was really interesting.

After eating the normal plane food with a side or rice crackers and noodles, I looked out onto Japan for my first time. It was really dark and what amazed me was the many small blue lights that lit up the cities instead of a couple bright spotlight type lights that I am used to. I think I was expecting Vagas lights or something but the land was pretty quiet with light, which dark patches mingled in between.

I had a good companion sitting next to me who spoke English but was raised in Tokyo. I was happy that she spoke English and Japanese and helped each other through the flight. I helped her with her suitcase and tray table, she helped me with my Japanese pronunciation. At 85 she still travels yearly to Japan!

Getting through the airport and customs was pretty simple with the grace being English posted next to the Japanese characters on the signs. I am good at languages, but a whole new alphabet is another beast to tackle in the future. I asked the bus ticket counter if they could get me to my hotel and for about $10, I got a bus ride straight to my hotel. Pretty good price since I expected a taxi to take all the yen I had exchanged. I hear it's expensive here!

The bowing is really impressive here. Everyone bows to everyone. Even if a little bow, showing a little respect to some stranger, it brings this understanding of respect to everybody and helps people get along as they live their lives. I feel so welcomed. Bowing is a civilized way for humans to tolerate each other for the small amount of time that you come into contact with them so you can both be productive in society. Don't get me wrong, these people charge. My bus driver took his bus lane at the airport while making sure that the bus in front of him was able to get in the lane as well, and then punched the gas!! They make sure that those around them have a chance to charge too. Considerate in all ways.

I got to the hotel and found Steve fast asleep from a long day he had already in Tokyo. I was antsy to explore Tokyo! But, since it was 11pm, I went to sleep, though I woke at 4am with no way of going back to sleep. The city from the bus reminds me of the bay area a little with all the bridges and tunnels. I wonder what the rest of the city is like...

Today is Japanese Culture Say so I hope we get to see what we can about the culture. Very happy to be here. I am pleasantly surprised.

18 Months

Jack a boy is a riot these days! He is walking all over, running on his tip toes, waving goodbye to everyone he sees, giving flirty smiles to people who will talk to him. He has also learned to give hugs instead of pull hair to his friends or little people he sees. The only problem with this is that he is built like a Mac trucka nd sometimes bull doses them over while he is loving them. He also loves the 3 and 4 year old girls. LOVES THEM! Will not stop looking at them. Hugs them at every chance. He loves the older ladies.

Jack is also working on his vocabulary. His latest and most impressive is "bubbles" that he learned with Aunt Tris. You get smarter just by hanging out with this lady. He has "momma, dadda, dawwwwg, door (doh)" down. He has also started to say "bye (bah)" and anything else you say to him. If you ask him to say something, he will try and usually at least has the number of syllables right. He loves to go "out (ow)." And knows how to say more when he's eating "mo!" Oh and he also says "ni" and takes his drink and pulls it away from you like it's mine. What a goof.

With his incredible charm and hilarious sense of humor comes also the beginning of tantrums. He knows what he wants most of the time and though we try and distract with other things, he does not so easily forget these days what he wants. So, instead of giving him something that is not good for him, we have to hold the hard line and then love him after he has fitted. This is the hard pert of parenting and we are in it now.

New Baby News

All is going well with little Clark, or Colin, or Owen, or Oliver. He have quite a list of names we are considering so thank you to all of you who have suggested names. This one is hard. He is good though. I finally am feeling him kicking all of the time way low in my belly. It is quite a change from last feeling Jack kicking my rib. I am thankful for that right now. Those days will be here soon. We have about 4 months left in this pregnancy. January 25th will be here before we know it! Will we have a new kitchen by then??? Will we have any sanity come February? I am not planning on it.

This pregnancy is treating me a little differently. I am so sore after water polo practice. My abs are not working with me and I will have to calm down the jerky reactions in the water to changing direction and reaching high out of the water for the ball. I am lazy pregnant lady right now. Also with swimming. Yesterday I puled my back muscle trying to reach out far when I was sprinting. I will have to be like those ladies who do head up breaststroke so that they don't get their hair wet. Cruise. I hope that I just don't fall asleep in the water!

Tech Mom

Steve has this great idea to start a blog about how a mom these days is so technically inclined. I do have my own personal gateway to technology having him around, but honestly, it's the only way that I can keep up. Mommy groups are organized online and with contact groups, evites to functions and mom nights out, I do everything via my iphone because I am not sure I would read anyone's twitter, facebook or email, let alone get any calls to anyone if I din't have it. Jack would have my computer if he could. When he sees me on it, he is all over it. My phone is a little less attractive and is always with me when I have a second.

New blogs will be coming in more often since BlogPressLite app just came out. So I will keep you updated via my phone. Hopefully I can be eloquent and interesting while on the go. We'll see.

2009-06-25

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Trapped

There is never a time in your life, other than when you are responsible for another human being, that when mistakes happen, the stakes are so high. Like locking your keys in the car... with your child in it as well. 

We just finished a nice dinner for Jack's cousin's birthday and were getting in the car to enjoy some ice cream cake at her house. I threw all of the junk in the passenger seat and the key in the driver's seat so I won't loose it, and got Jack all buckled up and ready to go. I close the passenger door and look down at the lock that is down, and then to the driver door lock which is down. I grab my head and say "Oh no oh no what do I do????" A man nearby getting some Hawaiian BBQ hears me and says first you go in and call 911 from the restaurant and they will get someone to open your door. The police man came, he saw that Jack was chillin (thank goodness he is so mild mannered) and the tow truck was close by. Though Mini Coopers are extremely hard to jimmy into, they ended up pushing the unlock button of my key with a long stick. 

Jack was a little sweaty but in good spirits and with a little playing, he was giggling like that was the greatest thing he had done in a while. We hung out and drank a little water while the car cooled down and had some ice cream cake at his cousin's house.

Luckily tonight it wasn't very hot out and there were many people around that were being helpful that it really calmed me down. Jack was fine. He was interested in all of the people trying to slim jim their way into the car, watching all the people that would wave to him like the police man that I thought was going to arrest me. 

There have been many times that I thought, "Poor child, you have me as your parent." The fact is though that we are all human and we make mistakes. Hopefully they are not life threatening. It just seems so magnified when you are a parent to this real live human and they are relying on you for everything. It's tough and you feel so responsible. So all is well and now I will check for locks before trapping my child into any vehicle. 

May Day May Day-He Has Taken Off

It is official that Jack is walking all over the place these days. He is loving it and highly influenced by his friends who are running all over the place and he crawls really fast and then hurts his knees. I am happy because i can just hold his little hand and walk him places instead of picking him up. It's a very sweet time. 

He is also "jolly" as my friend Sarah put it so well. He will laugh at people, with people, smile and squint his eyes and then hide behind something like he is so shy! Oh everyone gets a kick out of him. He is also starting to communicate well. He is using the signs we have been practicing with him, making animal sounds that we've taught him, and mimics sounds like "hi daddy" and "all done." It's so crazy to see happen. 

He also is very strong willed and strong bodied. If he wants to do something, he will try his darnedest to do it. I am trying to redirect when this happens. He is also so into loving people but with a grab and open mouth, like, "I am going to eat you!" It's a little scary to me and definitely scary if you are a little kid. Easy and gentle are words that are used at many play times during the day. It's good that he has such a big heart:)

This month we have visited Santa Barbara where we have met a new little baby and got to hang out with some good friends. We also got to hang out with a friend who is expecting as well. Babies everywhere! We just returned form a visit to Southern California where Jack got to meet his visiting Great Grandmother. That doesn't happen very often anymore! She is 85 and still kicking. Jack was also adored by his grandma, grandpa, uncle, and of course his cousins. Those two girls just would smother him with hugs and kisses at every second if they could. I am not sure anyone could adore him more. Jack is lucky to have such sweet cousins. They will look out for him for sure.

As we embark on our first trip to Yosemite as a family, we have one more to consider now as well. I just found out form a test this morning that we will be expecting another McGhee probably in February. I am both excited and very nervous. How will pregnancy be this time while running after a toddler? How will I take care of a baby and Jack at the same time? The great thing is that people do it all of the time. It will work out and we will find ways. I just can't believe how excited I am knowing how tough it is to have a baby. I am looking forward to seeing it:)

Here is a video of Jack laughing with Grandma and in the water, of course.

http://photo.stevenandria.com/gallery/8276121_QFoQF#541784551_BMGhy-A-LB