I discovered HuaiHao ‘s sensitivity and perceptivity of late. Each time I put my hands on him he says there’s energy

Really? I can’t even believe it myself

One day at bedtime, HuaiHao says he could feel the stone in my heart.

“ It’s like stopping you. And you have got to release it“

I ask him to help me because I can’t quite figure out what that is

“ maybe it’s like you don’t know how to express yourself. Your full potential? It’s like you are not made of plastic, you are made of metal you know . So just be yourself and don’t follow the herd”

Another day, I took the kids out for lunch and some shopping . HuaiHao is a real foodie and really enjoys his food!

We got some canvas and the kids were preparing something for Karyn ‘s birthday. HuaiHao painted a mountain and pink flowers and he calls this paint it. The mountain and beyond. What a name!

We tried to get back to walking and running as much we could although most times the kids can’t wake up

But HuaiHao had a viral rash of late and I was egging him to building immunity by doing the right things at the right time. Happy he took the advice!

And this is the list he prepared for the trip.

It’s become a tradition of sorts that whenever we travel, I would get the kids a Muji book and they would write their thoughts and discoveries down.

This is it!

And before long we are on our way to the airport !

HuaiHao tried so many new things this time, the most of all enjoying hot spring baths and in public too !

When I first shared with him the experience of the Japanese bath he was really resistant to the idea . But after two tries he is totally into in!

One new thing HuaiHao tried was snow sledding and tubing! Going for it again and again….he wasted no time and thoroughly enjoyed sledding

And HuaiHao is super sweet going around shopping with presents for everyone at home. He has lots of great ideas about what to get and even after checking into the airport he still wanted to get souvenirs

HuaiHao had his first experience of several types of Japanese traditional foods such as the Amazake, Goheimochi and Shojin Ryori in Kyoto’s famed Tenryu-ji ‘s Shigetsu

And I certainly hope huaihao will remember the experience for a long time to come.

But otherwise HuaiHao loves the onigiri in the convenience stores and especially the kelp ones.

We let the kids try out accommodation of different types – from traditional ryokans serving kaiseki dinner and traditional Japanese breakfast to pension to hotels and modern hotels

We did the must do-a like admiring Mt Fuji

And we did the little things like feeding ducks because that was his mission almost everyday

We headed over to unesco heritage sites like shirakawago and Gokayama and HuaiHao had lots of fun playing snowball throwing with daddy

And we watched snow fall

but I think the best time was always us four in the car goofing around and making jokes capturing beauty passing us by in the heartbeats

And we look forward to so many more beautiful travel moments going forward!

Dearest HuaiHao , I hope you have wonderful magic discoveries this trip and don’t forget that eureka moment when the heart and mind opens up! Sparkle as always my beautiful boy!