I started writing in the blog and I heard something. Some electric music coming from the other side of the apartment. Something I've never heard of. I traced the source of the music and it turned out to be a clock radio that makes Taiyo feel better when he turns it on lately which obviously he set an alarm for 12 am. But no, it did not wake him up- he went to bed quite early today at 10 pm.

A few days after that tub talk Taiyo showed me something on 'his' iPad. "Mama, look." It was from his interactive book- a bath-tub car with wheels and a steering wheel. "Oh, no. I thought you were being totally original." Well, but still. Taiyo's bath-tub car was a bit more advanced since this one on iPad didn't have any covering or changing area in case you wanted to go outside.

So strange things happen. I was feeling acoustic and was listening to Devendra Banhart someone told me about a few months ago. A couple of tracks into it here he was, into my restaurant with his girlfriend Ana who's been my new regular for two weeks. It was so like Taiyo's favorite phrase, "How did this happen?" It was like an awkward mistake. So strange things sometimes happen.

Weekend was nice and mellow and chilly again. On Sunday we got on the ferris wheel at Toys'R'Us in Times Square for the first time. When I saw that ferris wheel for the first time, I explaimed "That was my idea to put a ferris wheel inside a building!!" But mine also served as an elevator between floors. Anyway, it cost us $5 each and it was fun the first round but maybe five more times around the floors of Toys'R'Us was kind of nightmarish we were pretty happy to get off. Taiyo scored some new toys of course and it was like another Christmas or birthday for him.

We stopped at Guy's American Kitchen and Bar, which I wasn't expecting best service, and wasn't expecting to be impressed with the food, and I was just right on. I didn't know who this 'Guy' was until I opened the menu, and ok, this name attached, and so conveniently located right off Broadway, I really didn't expect too much of it but knew that it will be kid-friendly and would be comfortable enough for me. And I was right on. Well, food was almost good, but not too expensive. Service was good but almost too fast and sort of pressuring to finish the plate and go. But Taiyo ate more than just his french fries and they seemed to be quite tolerant even when Taiyo became more mobile around the floor between their feet. So overall I'd recommend it.

Mercury falls to teens and it feels really cold since we were spoiled with mild winter last year. But even in this temperature and even with added icy wind little sparrows are sleeping on the bare pear trees up the block, not huddling together but individually perched, which always fascinates me. Though so small, I guess they have enough feathers? When I was a runner this totally didn't discourage me from going out for a run in the morning. It's a perfect sweat icicle weather; I would come back from a run and feel my sweat that got frozen stiff melt down around my neck inside warm apartment. If it's in single digit I may hesitate, but weather in general was hardly ever an excuse for not going out there. So last weekend when Taiyo announced he wanted to go to the park, I was totally in. It was a long weekend with Monday off, and we spent too much time inside. "I want to go to Pumpkin Square Park," he said. So we went to deserted Tompkins Square Park. There were very few kids and adults in this usually busy playground. I decided it was the perfect time to really run around with Taiyo- besides it was just too cold to sit around. We hopped from one gym to another, playing pirates on ships. We also just chased each other and played hide and seek. I enjoyed sliding on the tall slide which was really smooth and fast. It was just a perfect day for it. When we saw flurries we went across the street to 7A for late brunch.

This is one of the few places still left in the neighborhood since I moved to Manhattan in 1990. Like Sidewalk Cafe across the street, I'm sure management has changed at least once because it just does not feel the same, but I do appreciate that it still bears the name. It was great time for us to be there after brunch rush. We got to sit in a roomy booth near the back. Taiyo no longer needs one, fortunately, but they seemed to have plenty of high chairs. I wasn't expecting much for their food, just being nostalgic to go to my old hangout, and I was pretty sure this popular joint was child-friendly. Taiyo didn't get any notable service or attention, but there were a few other family diners in the restaurant which made us more comfortable. In any case Taiyo was acting crazy as usual pointing his new potato gun at people, bubbling, jumping up and down on the booth, and I just had to get something to shut him up. Blueberry pancakes with sausage. It was kind of sad looking. But Taiyo was so excited and he totally sat quietly and cleared the plate pretty much all on his own. So it was really nothing notable about the food and I would not order it again unless it was $3. But Taiyo was so happy and kept him in his seat, so they did something right.

In the beginning of the year, I would often think of blogging more, which will quickly fade from my mind in a few weeks. I've been definitely slacking from it in recent years, and well, besides "drinking more tea" thing, I thought "blogging more" thing would be another new year's resolution. Again. Maybe four entries a month minimum. I am not going to be too ambitious. And here I am, only the second entry for the month/year at 13th day. Not quite on time yet, but not terribly behind. I would really like to reclaim my status as a super woman. Eventually.

Elliot took us to the Holiday Train Show at the Botanical Garden on Wednesday. Taiyo and I saw it last year for the first time- this is one of the New York gems you may not be so interested if you don't have a kid. But this is something I would truly recommend seeing once in your life. Both Taiyo and I were not as blown away as last year, the first time seeing it, however. Still, it was just an amazing show with artistic reproductions of New York landmarks all made by natural materials like twigs, leaves, and acorns, within a beautiful indoor garden with little trains running though. Then we caught after holiday attraction of "Thomas Train Show," which was terribly bad but Taiyo was happy to meet Thomas and even have a picture taken. At least the photo is kind of cute and we were one of the first one's to get it done.

Taiyo says he wants to go to vacation. I really don't mind going to some place warm before spring.

Oh, boy. We did it again. We are about to see another year gone by. Oh, well, what a year it's been! Later part of the year was literally disastrous, except the result of the presidential election. Well, at least this month we survived another end of the world and a major holiday that always makes me feel like an orphan. I just don't celebrate Christmas, ok? I don't have any reason to. So we went to chase chickens at the garden. These chicks made their seasonal migration from Governor's Island to our garden, and they gave us good enough excuse to stick around the neighborhood this holiday season. We've been harvesting fresh eggs when we go to take care of them. Taiyo went berserk when I boiled them back in the restaurant, since he thought he was going to hatch them. But as soon as he tasted the boiled egg, he decided to just eat them all.

Later we did go celebrate a little bit of Christmas with Kristof's family in Greenpoint. Somehow, Taiyo decided to put on his Spiderman's costume. I said, why not, since it's getting too tight on him. They had some beautiful traditions like having an empty seat with food for a 'traveler' or anyone who happened to walk in the door, even a burglar, to join the dinner, or sharing bread with everyone around the room. The rest of my four-day off was super mellow, and it was good too. Getting ready for count-down- another quiet half-week off.

It's been a tough recovery post Sandy. Fortunately at least what I lost was a week of business and food in refrigerator and freezer. For a small place like SOY, at least it's not many digits. But as we entered the recovery week, first Taiyo got sick, then of course passed it to me. Then my laptop died. I think he was almost 7-years old. Very old for these day's laptop years. The shop announced that it's not worth reviving. Let him go. So I had to get a new computer. I walked about 10 miles total, going to a shop from another, where I received no or inadequate assistance. I went home and ordered through Amazon. Somehow I ordered expedited service (which I totally didn't realize or couldn't prove that I actually didn't order it) and the new laptop arrived promptly on Tuesday, and only after I had data transferred the shop told me that the battery was not charging. That night I get on the phone with some tech support guy with Dell in India and after an hour he concludes the battery is not good. The new one will be sent in two days. Two days later I received an email from Dell Support Team (what a team!) that Fedex couldn't deliver the package so need the address and phone number again. It was probably another not-so-bright delivery guy who thought that there was no apt number, although he should've checked with the ground floor business. Anyway, I email back and almost a day later it bounced back. Meanwhile the machine doesn't shut down but keeps restarting. I hate Window 7 and all the new software I had to update. My digital camera also decided to die, but this one is still under service plan they have to fix or replace it. I'm hoping for the latter.

This was the last picture he took at a Vietnamese restaurant on Center Street. I don't even remember the name, and food was just ok. But they were very nice to Taiyo and he also liked the food. Then to add to the strings of things I had to deal with, with the storm, the election, and my computer dying, my best friend of 20 years I hadn't spoke to for a year had to confront me and I had to tell her that I thought she was selfish and mean and she brew up on me even harder and I am assuming that she is not coming to my Thanksgiving Dinner. Sorry, but it's going to be a great one.

Last weekend was Columbus day weekend, a long weekend, therefore it was a short work week. It goes by quickly either way. Yes, it was another busy weekend, starting from Addie's birthday. He was somehow reluctant to go, but once he was there, he made sure he was right next to her every minute of it. They crawled under table and shrieked together. They were so cute together. They were such a perfect little couple. On the way home, we caught a last bit of the Carnival for the church on Pitt Street. I watched Taiyo go round and round and round and round on little rides, having some blank moment thinking iPhone may be nice to have sometimes.

We've been also busy trying to make most of the last few warm days before winter. Another bike trip uptown to the Central Park Zoo was met with "Mambo Italiano" from Columbus Day Parade at 5th Avenue. Usually penguins and goats are the only things Taiyo cares at this nice little zoo, but this time he decided to take a hike up the hill. Interestingly, usually hard-to-spot snow leopard decided to come down the hill and sit right behind Taiyo who was sitting against the glass. Some guy was making a sarcastic comment about 'that toddler blocking the view,' but I just let him have his close encounter with the big cat. He was the only kid in the crowd at the moment, and I thought he was the only one who deserved the magical close viewing of the animal. Akiro san's Buddhist service for 49th day after death was in the evening at Village Zendo. It was a beautiful little ceremony with chanting and incense.

Next day, we made it to Clinton St. Baking Co. on Clinton near Houston. This is probably the most hyped restaurant in the Lower East Side, where you'll see a line most of the time. I would not wait for a table at any restaurant right now, especially with a toddler, but three o'clock was late enough for lunch I suppose. We were seated by the window immediately. I've heard this place was kid-friendly before, but I really didn't feel much of kid-friendliness at this visit. There's hardly a room for a stroller- you have to leave it near the door, but a larger SUV type would really not be welcome. The waitress immediately ordered to Taiyo to sit down and not to stand on the bench with such an authority like a teacher, he listened to her. I guess the staff who seems to be experienced with small kids is a sign of a kid-friendly joint, but I felt like she took some fun out of our visit. So fast. But she did bring him a plastic cup with straw for water, which was a point. We went there because Taiyo wanted pancakes, but as soon as we walked in, his mind was set for the scone they had on the counter. And although the sausage sandwich I ordered was very pretty and tasty, he was so focused on his scone and didn't care to try any of the sandwich. I thought it was rather adult flavored anyway. Food was pretty good, service was sufficient, but I would only drop in if I could get a table right away.

Next day Taiyo was still asking for pancakes. I thought they may have some, but Sidewalk Cafe on Avenue A and Sixth Street didn't have any. But we were already settled at a sidewalk table, and it was just nice and relaxing to be there for late lunch at 3pm (again!) so Taiyo compromised for french fries. I got Sidewalk Burger, with egg, avocado, bacon, and stuff. This was one of the neighborhood late night joint to eat and hang out back in my youth, and now it's like a bit fancy hamburger joint that serves towering burger with unnecessary things in between the buns on clean white square plate. I saw some neighborhood type people still hanging out twenty years later, but this was very different joint now. I guess the owner is different. Taiyo did like the fries, and bacon from my burger.

Feeding Taiyo has been a challenge lately. Last year when I started this blog it seemed quite promising. Taiyo was quite adventurous eater who would agree to eat at any restaurant, would try every vegetables and most foreign food, and would appreciate different flavors. I thought by now we would be enjoying even fine dining experience. But now, he hardly eat vegetables, especially something green, and doesn't even like most fruits he used to enjoy. So when we go out to eat, the category is usually limited these days. And even if the restaurant falls into his choice of categories, he may still have objection. On Saturday I asked him what he wants to go eat, the answer was pizza. So we went to look for a pizza place. I wanted to sit down and be served, but wanted to try some place new, so the choice was a bit limited. First choice I offered him was not approved. "I want some place cool," he said. "What's wrong with that place?" "It has numbers on it." True, it had numbers in the restaurant name, and somehow it wasn't cool to him. So we went down the street and he agreed to go in.

Nicoletta, on Second Ave at 10th Street, is more of a cool hang-out joint than a family-friendly pizza restaurant. I didn't ask, but there was no sight of high chairs, and we weren't asked if we need one. (We don't need one anyway.) But the place was nearly empty for late afternoon lunch (which was good for us) and the staff was very friendly to Taiyo (which is very nice) and Taiyo was immediately enchanted with the buttons on the table (which were for pizza stands.) He enjoyed rubbing two knives together like he was sharpening them, and messing with the blinds behind him. I ordered to small plates, chickpea fritters, and fingerling potatoes, but he only tried one chickpea fritter. He said it was good, but didn't have any more. We had a 'classica' pizza with mozzarella, pomodoro, and basil, and Taiyo made me pick out basil leaves off his slice. It was pretty good, but bready not so memorable pizza. Well, it was fairly pleasant experience but there was nothing really special that would bring us back there.

On Sunday we made it to Queens to the event I was looking forward to all year- Maker Faire at the Hall of Science. It is this amazing celebration and presentation of every creative talents. I think this event was really made for us.

Taiyo had encounters with robots of every size, shape, and task, was fascinated with every curious sculptures, objects and vehicles, yet kept asking to go play mini-golf which he has enjoyed in the past trips to the Hall of Science. "But you can play mini-golf any other time of the year! This fair is only once a year," I told him. And I was able to distract him with something interesting at every corner. I did feel that last year's fair was even better, but this year Taiyo was able to appreciate and participate more. They had pretty good food option, too. We were in the line for Gerard's Paella for 15 minutes. Taiyo kept saying he wanted something else, but when we finally got our paella and he agreed to taste it, he couldn't stop. He ate most of it, except shrimps. Later we also enjoyed a pupusa and empanada. We stayed til the very end of the event. We'll miss it for another year.