CheyTai

Shopping & Playing

We had fun at, apparently, “the world’s largest open-air shopping center,” the Ala Moana Center. They’ve got this play center the kids love to visit. It has tons of shops, including a Target, and sometimes we just go to walk around. It’s a great spot for gift shopping because we can technically do it all in one go.

We tried Korean corn dogs! I got one with sweet potato on the outside, and Cheyne tried the classic potato one. The kids got a crazy one with Fruity Pebbles. They were good, but SO fried and sweet that it was a bit too much.

I also bought a tiny handmade Kaonashi (No-Face)—it’s so cute.

The kids are using loaner gis (gi plural?) until we purchase their own. To be honest, I was nervous we wouldn’t stick with Jiu-Jitsu, so I didn’t want to spend a few hundred dollars on gis right away.

We figured out that Nyx now loves to dump out any bin I’m trying to clean. So, his toys constantly end up all over the floor! He also loves going on walks.

We celebrated Thanksgiving, even though I don’t love it and sometimes struggle with what to say about it. We try to make sure the kids understand its origins and where we came from. It’s a good day off to celebrate everything we love and appreciate. By focusing on gratitude and respect while acknowledging the complex history, I hope to help the kids understand the full meaning of Thanksgiving—not with fear or guilt, but with compassion and awareness.

Love you ❤
~ Chey