My Miss Maya: August 2026

Dear Emi,

You are TWELVE!! This year your birthday celebration was spread out over several weeks for a few reasons, but I think we're pretty much done now?

On your actual birthday we had a party with your friends plus Grandpa who was visiting from North Carolina. Your chosen theme was the Wings of Fire book series (about dragons) and you designed some games to play and Baba made pizza. Later that evening Matt and Rhi came over with gifts as well as some weird foods for us to try--flavored crickets and chocolate-covered pine cones!

Originally we were going to have your family party the next day but Grandma and Papa Stan had Covid so we postponed it. The following weekend we had to postpone it again and you were pretty bummed, so we decided to go on a day trip to the beach. On the way home from the beach we went to a mall that had a huge arcade and you and Maya spent ages trying the claw machines. Maya had a lot more luck than you so she used her skills to snag a snail stuffie that you wanted. It was so sweet to see her do that for you and to see you tackle her with a grateful hug! We kept the excitement going with your first trip to Hot Topic where you both got new accessories.

Finally, a couple weeks later we had the family birthday party which was for both you and me. It was good to finally see everyone and have pizza and fruit and so, so much cake. Unfortunately Baba had to quit the outdoor pizza making operation early because a thunderstorm came through. Little did we know, while we were celebrating, three huge trees came down around Matt and Rhi's house, taking out their power for a couple days. Thankfully there was no damage to their house or car, though!

One more event that's not quite related to your birthday but that happened this week was our trip to NYC to renew your Japanese passport. Maya stayed home and spent time with Grandma and Papa Stan, but you came with Baba and I for a whirlwind day trip. We went to a few fun shops before and after the consulate appointment: the Japanese used book/toy store we always go to, Muji, Miniso, etc. But the one you were most excited for and the one I was surprised that you requested was Mood, the fabric store made famous by the TV show Project Runway. You picked out some buttons for a cardigan you're crocheting and it was awesome to see your excitement--and to see how proud you were when a cool-looking design-student type complimented your accessories and overall style as soon as we walked in. Unfortunately our return train was delayed two hours, making our day trip longer than anticipated, but it was a good day up to that point.