2022 new year, extended family experience

Happy 2022! Hope this year will be much brighter than ever or at least than the past 2 years. 

This was the first winter break for our oldest HG at a public school, meaning it's our second time of the experience in dealing with child-stay-home-for-2-weeks while we have work (first time was when pandemic started). Luckily, our winter break was well-planned, family get together with sister's husband's family in California, so we had a great family support. 

HG (6-yr) and AK (3-yr) both did socialize, play, bother, really well I think with our mother's side of family as well as the spousal family. They hadn't seen grand mother and father for 2 years, but on the 1st day of grandma's arrival they already snuggled into her bed and read books together. Grandpa taught a number of things incl. Shogi (Japanese chess) spent a few hours each day. Also saw sisters, in-law brother who they've seen more recently. Huge addition this time was meeting in-law's brother's family for the first time in person for most of our side's family. Kids mingled well, to me it was to a surprising level -- We knew HG would have no problem but weren't sure if AK could go without shying away from new adults. Both did well, largely thanks to the warm welcoming family!

Barely caught the first sunrise of 2022. Japanese tradition is to wake up early (or stay up) to see the sunrise then make a wish. We do this only once in the year, not again :)

We left CA 1 day earlier than the rest of the group due to my wife's work. We're so used to the hassle the travel takes with little kids, so not much to add regarding the trip (to clarify, half of the entire group has tested negative for covid-19 afterwards). Then, when we came back to our car at the airport's garage in back Atlanta, HG suddenly started crying missing the big family we just left...I remember those feeling from my own childhood (or even adulthood?) but I've never known how to react to it as a parent. I just gave a hug. That made me grateful for he has such a warm heart, also I was worried he doesn't like the life we have here in Georgia. I remember I had that. We both parents and the children just learn how to deal with it. 

At night on the same day HG still sobbed missing the life with the greater family, then he suggested he would pick a bedtime book, and the book must be his favorite. He's never said things like that. Leo Lionni's "A Color of His Own" was his choice (which I honestly don't remember that we had read together 🤔...but that's ok). 

 (Picture from tscpl.org)