Is there a better baseball movie than The Sandlot??

6 years ago, on this day, we lived out Lilo and Nani Pelekai’s definition of Ohana.
Ohana means family and family means nobody is left behind or forgotten.

We’re stuck with Nathanael for better or worse and he’s stuck with us.
And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Most of the times. I kid, I kid.

What a joy and blessing it is to see this continue to grow into himself.
Very early on, when he barely knew 5 words, I found myself cracking up at the things he’d do and try to say. He had this sense of humor even at that stage of his life.
And it’s wild to see how it grows and develops.

A few weeks ago, he got to crash at my parents’s house.
They talked about making kimchi jjiggae for one of the meals he was staying over.
In the morning they attempted to go fishing.
Their usual routine is: they’d go fishing then hit the Memorial City Mall’s food court for lunch (most of the time, he gets his Chick-Fil-A quota from them since we stopped going there altogether).
Well, after the fishing at the lake was over, he was asked if he wanted to go home and have grandma make kimchi jjiggae.
He said he wanted to go to the food court and the mall.
”What about kimchi jjiggae?” my mom asked.
Apparently, he was in deep thought of a second and then says to her, ”Kimchi Jjiggae to go, please.”
He got to go to the food court and get his kimchi jjiggae.
There are moments where I feel like, he’s gonna be okay.
For someone to be that manipulative (and this was a mild example), I’d figure he’s gonna be okay for the most part.

Doesn’t stop me from worrying though.
But what is a parent if they’re not worrying about things that hasn’t happened and may never happen?

Earlier this month, we went to his routine dentist check up.
The dentist informed me that he has lost all his baby teeth.
I never could’ve imagined such a trivial announcement would bring such sadness.
I was legitimately sad that this kid was becoming less and less of a kid — physically, at least.

I think I’ve written this sentiment many, many times that parenthood is an art of letting go.

It’s hard to imagine that 6 years has already passed since this day.
Below is a picture of him trying on his court date fit all the while we were packing for the move to Texas.
I keep forgetting how crazy of a season that was. We finalized adoption on the 24th and moved to Texas on the 26th. Don’t recommend that part of the journey to anyone.

Anyway, Buddy.
Mom and Dad love you with all that we are and all that we have. Always and forever.