The Kumamoto Family: August 2009

Friday, August 21, 2009

The Beginning......

This past week Justin participated in the SASF Basic Hoops Basketball program. It's a great program that teaches kids the basic principals of basketball. Justin would tell me during the day...."Daddy, can't you just quit me? I don't want to go...." and after each practice, he would tell me....."Daddy, I had so much fun....I learned this and I learned that...". With Cori and Scott taking up so much time with basketball, I kind of looked at Justin's participation with some hesitation....how do I make the time?? But after I watched Justin have so much fun out there....I decided, it's time....

Sunday, August 16, 2009

A Fisherman's Tale.....

Tonight we decided to have some friends over for some fishin' in the backyard. It was a calm and warm night so we were sure the bass were gonna be bitin'. My buddies brought over their fancy poles, fancy lures and every trick in the book.....Renee cooked a big meal and we were sure it was going to be a matter of time before we had some big bass to cook up as well. So we dropped our lines and we fished....and fished....and fished.....nothing. Justin kept bugging me to bait up his little Star Wars fishing pole and I kept telling him, "you ain't gonna catch anything with that small pole!". So Uncle Ken finally hooked up Justy's pole because I wasn't going to do it....I was busy fishin'. Justin was so excited....he dipped his pole into the lake and within 10 minutes.....he caught a fish. I had to shake my head at that one.....I had the fancy pole, fancy lure and nothing....my 6 year old uses his Star Wars fishing pole with a little worm at the end and catches a fish. He tells me...."Daddy...look at how big my fish is!!". I had to be honest with him...."Justin, that is the biggest fish anybody caught today!!". So we took this picture right after he brought it up.....tossed the fish into the bucket to watch him swim for a few minutes and I let Justin throw him back in so we can catch him another day. Me? Well.....my big fish is still waiting for me in our lake and it's only a matter of time until I get him......that is, as long as Justin doesn't get him first......

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Happy Retirement JR......

I used to love to watch football......I used to love to watch basketball.....I used to love to watch baseball........but I got tired of watching the T.O.'s...Allen Iverson's and Barry Bonds of the world. They had the mentality that they were bigger than the game...bigger than their teamates and bigger than the fans. Sick is how they made me feel. Millionaire babies with a warped sense of reality. That's how I felt about all professional athletes.....

Then I went to my first Sharks game......not only was ice hockey the fastest and most exciting game I have ever watched.....the athletes seemed cool.....they seemed approchable.....they seemed like a guy you would have a beer with at the corner bar. Sure, hockey players are seen as goons who like to fight, are missing teeth and have no brains because they take hits from somebody going 100 mph on the ice. But as I got to know the game, you got to know the players and you found out that they were as cool as you thought....great to the fans and easy to approach. When we lived in San Jose, many of the Sharks players lived in my neighborhood and we would see them out and about....always saying hi to folks.

Well today, one of the great leaders on the Sharks team retired. Jeremy Roenick, a great US born player, sure to make the hall of fame. I will miss seeing him on the ice, he always had a spark to his game and he took the younger players under his wing. I hope they listened because nothing beats experience.

In part of his speech, he tells the younger guys to remember the fans, appreciate them because without them, you are nothing. How many times have you heard T.O., A.I. or Barry say those words......never.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Happy Birthday Cori!!!

10 Years ago today, my life changed.....not because we had another baby....well, that did have an impact.....but it was because we had a baby GIRL! When Renee got prego again, we decided not to find out the gender of the baby. I figured I had my boy (Scottie) so whatever should happen to pop out would be fine....as long as he/she was healthy, I would be happy. So when that fateful day arrived, things could not have been more normal. I got up, got ready for work and before I left the house, I asked Renee how she felt, she said..."I feel good, nothing is going to happen today, go ahead and go to work.....". So I left the house comfortable in the fact that there should be no surprises today. I began my 30 to 45 minute commute to Fremont and had just arrived into my companies parking lot when I got a call from Renee on my cell phone telling me I better rush back home because she's starting to go into labor....."WHAT?! I just left you and you said everything was okay!!"......so I did a U-turn in the parking lot and started my journey back home....all the while worrying about getting home, getting Renee packed up, get Scottie taken care of and drive Renee to the hospital which was about 30 minutes away....without traffic! Long story short....we get Renee to the hospital on time, no baby being delivered on the side of Highway 101.....

We get Renee checked in and hooked up to all those machines that make strange noises...the nurse comes in and determines that things are moving along very well. By this time, I take a minute to relax.....my Sister In-Law Joanne comes to the hospital and brings me a cheeseburger from Burger King.....I'm starving so I'm really looking forward to taking a bite from my burger. Joanne and I are sitting back getting ready to chow and our Doctor walks in and examines Renee. I'm licking my lips bringing up that juicy cheeseburger to devour it and the Doctor says to me...."I think we're ready to have a baby.....", I pause and ask her...."you mean we're going to have a baby now or after I eat my cheeseburger??" She says, "now, like right now!". I look lovingly at my un-eaten cheeseburger and for a brief instant, contemplate what the ramifications would be if I chose to sit there for an additional 5 minutes while I chowed my cheeseburger.....I decided that my fate would forever be sealed if I chose my cheeseburger before my wife. So I put it down....but not before taking one huge bite and a handful of crispy, hot fries. I placed my greasy hands on Renee's head and reassured her that all would be fine, the gentle aroma of purple onions and a sesame seed bun teased at my senses. Within 30 minutes and some pushing from Renee, a little princess was born. The Doctor told us those magical words...."it's a girl!" and from there, the house has never been the same. Cori had arrived in only a way that Cori could.....as I gently held her for the first time, I looked at her and thought.....wow, I have a baby girl. We all know that girls are different than boys.....girls are special, especially to fathers. I think it's our natural instinct to want to protect them and take care of them forever. I used to hold Cori when she was a baby and dance with her to gentle music....when she got older, we would snuggle in bed and I would tell her she's my little princess. Well, my little princess has turned 10 and I sit back and wonder where did the time go? She is still as beautiful as the day she was born, I still tell her she is my princess and she still likes to dance....but for some strange reason......Cori doesn't like cheeseburgers......what's up with that?!