This diary entry is part 5 of 31 in Lily's diary dated 09 - March 2022

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

GRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Tonight after work I worked on creating a nice introduction for my YouTube channel.  Took me a little bit to pose for it (I’m sooo cute!) and get everything in there… then I tried to figure out how to use After Effects.

Ummm.  I don’t usually swear.  But I swore.

I really, really swore.

I said “fudgesticks” and “fudgesickles” and “what the ever loving”…  I said “darn” and “dangit” and “really?  That should be working!”

But I did it!  I made the video!!!  Yay!!!!

I wish they’d make stuff that’s sixteen year old girl friendly!  Or even thirty-five year old woman friendly!!!  That software does absolutely everything, if you can figure out how to get there!!!

Oh well.  Swearing over.  For now.

Swearing is bad, kiddos.  Don’t swear.  But you know what?  It’s a human thing, so if you do, it’s not the end of the world.  But don’t do it.  Beth told me about how once she saw a swear word on a bathroom wall and asked Sabby what it meant.  Sabby almost washed her mouth out!!!  Poor Beth.

YouTubing is hard!  But it’s fun!!!  And I’m cute!!!  Modest, too!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!!!  I hope Allison YouTubes someday!  I’ll link to her channel!  She’ll probably be more popular than me!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

This diary entry is part 4 of 31 in Lily's diary dated 09 - March 2022

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!!!

Spring break is next week!!!

YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!

I wonder what we’ll do!!! Will we take a trip??? I don’t know!  Sabby hasn’t said anything!  It would be fun, but I’ve taken plenty of trips.  But still.  It’s a break!!!!!

Today I wasn’t feeling very well.  Not sick, but just a little… off.  I asked Sabby if I could take the afternoon off to rest, and she said yes.  So I did.  I don’t usually sleep in the afternoon, but today I did.  Aww.  But after my nap I felt quite a bit better.  Amazing what a little sleep will do!  She made me some chicken soup, it was nice of her.

Maybe it was my… er… special time?  I don’t know.  It usually doesn’t affect me too badly.

Tonight Liz came over, and we had dinner and watched a movie.  Tonight’s movie was “Star Trek, the Motion Picture”.  I didn’t really understand it, but Dave explained some of it to me.  They spent soo much time just showing the ship!  It was a pretty ship, yes, but… wow.  They must really love that ship.  And the end… “Is this it?  Is this all there is?”  I got chills.  Because sometimes I ask that same question.  “Is this it?  Is this all there is?”

But I don’t mate with a machine and become a transcendental being.  I go to work and doot doot.

Liz is going to sleep over again!  Yaaaaay!

You might ask why I don’t sleep over there.  Well, Liz wants to include Beth.  And, well, if Beth’s going to be my sister, I can’t complain much, right?  We’re going to play competition sudoku!! How do you play competition sudoku?  I have no idea.  I don’t think Liz or Beth know either.  But we’re girls!  We’ll figure it out!!!

I want to do a YouTube or stream tomorrow!!!  I’m not sure what I’ll do, but I’ll figure something out!! The sudoku went really well!!!  Though no one watched it.  Awww.   Not even Jack!!! He likes my videos, and he loves watching me because he says I’m sooo hot…  but even he doesn’t want to spent 45 minutes watching me figure out where to put numbers.  He got as far as me saying I’d dress like a cheerleader and then, well, his mind was elsewhere.  HAHA.  But I guess I understand.  I’ll make something shorter soon.

April Fools is in a month!  I have to think of something fun!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

This diary entry is part 3 of 31 in Lily's diary dated 09 - March 2022

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

An EMBARRASSED Lily!

Last night I did my sudoku stream, and in it I said that I’d wear a cheerleader outfit for Jack.  Well, Jack watched it.

He REALLY liked that idea.

Sabby…  didn’t.

So she sat me down and had another one of those talks with me, and now I’m soooo embarrassed!!!  She told me to be careful what I share on the net because Jack’s not the only one that can see it!!!  I’d be sooo embarrassed if my floppy bits or girly bits found their way onto the net!  I’d never do it on purpose, but.. but…

HAZUKASHII!!!!!!!!!!

A cheerleader outfit is okay.  Short shorts are… well… mostly okay.  The swimsuit I put up for subscribers was pushing it.  But… but…  what if I wore a maid outfit?  Or… or…  something worse?  Oh no!!!

Point taken, Sabby.

I’m not doing a YouTube tonight.  That’s not why, though.  I just spent 45 minutes last night playing sudoku, and I can’t do it every night!!!  It’s not fun if I do it every night!!!  Someone on YouTube suggested I try a jigsaw puzzle!  Sabby kind of slapped her head and said “why haven’t we done that before?”  so after dinner, all of us sat around the table and put together a puzzle!!!

It was fun!!!  We had hot chocolate and popcorn and put together a puzzle!!!

I don’t have any big plans for this weekend.  Just work and spending time with my friends and…  maybe doing some more YouTube stuff or work on this site!!!  Or maybe even twitch!  I dunno!!!  We’ll see!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

This diary entry is part 2 of 31 in Lily's diary dated 09 - March 2022

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!!!

I did a sudoku!!!

It was a hard one and it took me 45 minutes!!!

Yaaaayyyyyyyy!!!

And you get to hear me fail at cheers too!!!!!

Anyway, it was a day.  Not a great day, but a day nonetheless.  i talked to Allison last night!  She seems to be doing well.

So, ummm… I’m tired.  The weather’s getting nice!!  I ran this morning and didn’t need a coat!!!  And I came home and ate breakfast, and well, it was a day.  This evening Dave took me out to teach me a little bit about electronics.  It’s interesting when you’re taught!!!  Dave taught me how to solder.  That things’s hot!  Owie!!!

You know, I don’t know if I want to do any of the things he’s teaching me for a living.  I’m not the most technically oriented person.  Though I do solve a mean sudoku.  Beth gets so jealous!  There are other things I want to learn too!  Like how to make clothes!  I want to make my own clothes!!!  Pretty dresses, and blouses, and… and… everything!  It seems like so much fun!!!

I mean I don’t mind learning the mechanical stuff.  It’s really good to know!!!  It’s good to know when a mechanic is trying to lie to you!  I hear they do that!  They suck!  Booo!!!

Oh oh oh I got my tax refund!  It wasn’t a lot but it was a little bit anyway!  And with gas prices going up, I need it!!!

Love you all!!! ❤️

This diary entry is part 1 of 31 in Lily's diary dated 09 - March 2022

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!!!

I did a crossword!!!  I’ve never done a crossword before!  It was easy!!!

I’ve wondered how I learned some of the things I know.

So there was a presidential address tonight or something.  Dave watched it.  Sabby didn’t.  They argue a little about politics sometimes.  But they still love each other, so it all works out, and they seem to agree on more than they disagree.  I still hate to see them fight, though.  One reason I don’t talk about that kind of thing on my diary (and the YouTube channel) is because people take it too seriously, and I don’t want to worry about those kinds of fights in my world!!!  I have a happy world!!!

Well, until it’s not.  But that’s for another time.

He said stuff, and people stood up and clapped, and sat down, and the commentators were talking about it like it was a sports event!  And you know, maybe it was.  It’s like church!  Who needs exercise when you stand up and sit down like that??

I just noticed that in my YouTube the browser is the wrong size!!! Booo!!  And I left a Babymetal tab open!  Booo!  But I left it.  As you can see, I had a few problems getting everything working tonight.  But I fixed it in post!  Hee hee!  I’ve always wanted to say that!!!

I’m getting good at editing now!  I go clicky click (it’s like a doot doot, but it makes a click rather than a doot), and out comes a video!!!  Yay!!!

While Dave was watching the address, I went to the convenience store where I doot doot on the weekends and bought everyone a milkshake!  chocolate for everyone but Dave, who got a Strawberry!  Everyone liked their shake!  It was a nice thing to do.

But, knowing Sabby, I’ll find another bill in my purse and it’ll be “creatively hide the bill” all over again.  it’s okay!  That’s a fun game!!!

I spent so much time getting everything working tonight that it’s late!  Beth’s waiting for a brush!  So bye bye!!!

Love you all!!! ❤️

 

This diary entry is part 27 of 27 in Lily's diary dated 08 - February 2022

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

i made another video!!!

Sabby bought me a new dress!  It’s so pretty!  It’s a little short, but I don’t mind that too much.  Just gotta be careful where I wear it.  Grocery store?  Check.  Church?  Ehhhh…. maybe.  Upside down tilt-a-whirl at the theme park?  NOT.

Not unless I want people seeing my girly bits.

So, erm, there’s a war going on. I mentioned it earlier.  It seems to have gotten worse.  Everyone’s on edge.  But I’m not going to talk about it here.  Not anymore.  This is a place for happy happy sunshine rainbows skittles moonbeams fun!!!  Well, most of the time.  Sometimes it does get a bit serious.  But not that kind of serious!!!  I’m a sixteen year old girl!  I’ll leave all the stupid to the adults!!!

And… they’re like, really really good at being stupid, aren’t they??

Sigh.

You know, I haven’t bought Sabby a milkshake in a while!  I guess that’s a good thing because I usually buy her a milkshake when she’s mad at me, but she hasn’t been mad at me in a while.  No Claire Huxtable here!!!  I guess that’s a good thing?  But I should buy her a mikshake.  Just to tell her I love her.  You know I never asked Dave what he actually likes.  I should do that.  Maybe he likes chocolate like me!  But somehow, I think there’s something he likes better.  I just never asked.  I’ll do that now.

Please continue to hold, and your call will be answered… ring ring!!!

He likes strawberry!!  And he looked at me funny for running down the stairs, asking him the question, and then running back up the stairs again!!!

Why didn’t I ask before!!! And no wonder Sabby smells like strawberries sometimes!!!

I hear Allison is feeling better!  Yaaaaay Allison!! Oh, I don’t think I mentioned she was sick.  Well, she was.  I made her a super duper special video just for her eyes telling her to get better!!!  I think she liked it!!!

YouTube always asks me if my videos are made for kids.  Usually I say no.  Because they’re not!  I mean, I try to keep them kid friendly, but trust me, kiddoes, read my diary again when you’re eighteen!!!  But the video I made for Allison is specifically made for a kid, so I had to check the box!! Booo!!!

Bedtime!!!

Love you all!!!! ❤

This diary entry is part 26 of 27 in Lily's diary dated 08 - February 2022

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

Well, maybe not a star..  maybe just a dwarf planet.

I made a video!!!

I’m not good at making videos yet, but I made one!!!  I’m wearing one of my favorite dresses too!!!

That’s what I spent tonight doing, after I got home from work.  It’s fun!  And a little stressful.  I’m a little embarrassed!!!

But I think I’m cute!! Right?  Right?  Hello!!!

I’m a cute silly billy.

Anyway, I don’t have much to talk about tonight – that’s a lot, right?  I think I’ll make more videos.  Maybe I’ll do games!  Or streaming!  Or vlogs!  Or you can watch me eat chocolate!  Or not!!!

Ever since I started this diary, I wanted to make videos!  Diaries are fun, but boring sometimes!  Right?

You can hear me breathe though.  I need to fix that!!!  It’s like watching me eat chocolate – I’m sure some of you like that, but noooo!!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

This diary entry is part 25 of 27 in Lily's diary dated 08 - February 2022

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

No, the Emiko doesn’t strike back, but I couldn’t resist a Star Wars themed thingy!  I watched Star Wars with the family a long time ago, before I was adopted, in a galaxy far, far away.  I didn’t really understand it, but it was fun!  I still really don’t understand sci-fi, though I do like it.  I’ve never actually seen Star Trek, can you believe it?  I’ve heard a lot about it, and Kirk and Picard were kind of cute in their own way, but I’ve never actually seen it!  I should watch it!

Kirk seems like the kind of guy who’d push you up against a wall, and…  well…  you know.  Picard seems like the kind of guy who would offer you a cup of tea, talk about Shakespeare, and then light a candle and put on classical music and… well… you know.  Ends up the same in the end, I guess.  With well… you know,  eating cookies.  😁  I bet Picard would make a mean cookie.  And you know I like chocolate!!!

What did you think I was going to say?  You silly billies!  (were you right?  I’ll never tell.  HAHAHHAHHA)

I guess I’m in a mood.

Emiko and her family came over today, from Houston.  Her husband is still a little reserved, but he wasn’t as standoffish as usual, and Sabby held up to her end of the deal and had cookies.  Aika and Mika came over too, and David is still just as besotted.  They…  weren’t.  But at least he’s learned his lesson from the Allison debacle and was nice to them, so they’re at least getting along.  After dinner the four of them – Beth, David, Aika, and Mika went into the dining room and played games.  I would have joined them but I was the reason Emiko came over, so we, the adults (and near adults) sat and chatted for a while.

I don’t understand Emiko, I really don’t.  She’s an American citizen now, having married an American citizen, but she still has that Japanese sensibility about her that’s difficult for us to understand.  She’s a little hard on her kids, always wanting them to succeed, but she seems to care deeply about them as well.  What would it have been like if she’d kept me?  Would I resent her?  Or would I love her?  I don’t know.  I I guess it’s a moot point, but I do think about how things could have been… how they should have been.

She said that she’s planning on going to Japan in the summer for two weeks and wants me to come along.  I said I should have my passport by then.  She seems a little hurt that my legal name is Lily and not Yuriko, but that’s just what happens when you get adopted, especially not knowing your previous name.  She doesn’t say anything, but it’s on her face.

If she wanted me to keep the name she gave me, she could have kept me.

I’m not bitter.  I’m really not.  I said I forgave her, and I do.  I understand that she did the best she could under difficult circumstances.  Do the mothers in Ukraine have to make difficult choices right now?  I guess it’s kind of the same thing, for different reasons.  And at least she birthed me.  But even if you forgive someone, you still have to live with the things they did.  Just like she also has to live with the things she did.

But I still wonder sometimes.  Would I have my memory if she’d kept me?

I don’t know.  It makes me sad to think about.

They left a few minutes ago.  I gave her a hug.  She’s Japanese, so not a big hugger, but she hugged me back.  Hard.  And every time she does, there are tears in her eyes.  I guess I understand that.  I’m not the only one who has to bear the weight of her decisions.

Oh well!  Life goes on!  What do you think?  Kirk or Picard?  Who makes the best cookies???

Love you all!!! ❤

This diary entry is part 24 of 27 in Lily's diary dated 08 - February 2022

Hi!  It’s me!  Lily!

I made a video today!  And I even said that!!!

No, I’m not sharing it just yet – some techy stuff to figure out that I don’t understand, but it’s a videoey video!  Umm… that didn’t quite work, did it?  Well, anyway, it’s a video!  And soon I’ll be posting videos!!!

Aren’t you the lucky ones?  You’ll get to see me in all my glory!  Well…  that’s not quite the right way to put it.  Well, you know what I mean, you silly billies!!!

I showed Allison my video!  She said I have allergies!  How’d she know???

So I feel a little better about the war thing right now.  No, I don’t like it, why should I?  But Dave explained that sometimes countries just fight, and sometimes they don’t even need a good reason.  Of course, I don’t know anything about the reasons for this, so maybe they do?  But is there ever a good reason to fight?  I dunno.  I’m just a sixteen year old girl!!  I know nothing!!!

Well, I know how to make videos, doot doot, karen wrangle, and… and… eat chocolate!  I’m good at eating chocolate!!

Liz and her parents came over tonight and we watched a movie!  Sabby wanted to watch something funny, so we watched “Robin Hood, Men in Tights!”  We’re men!  We’re men in tights… TIGHT tights…  la la la la la la laaaa laaaaa HAHAAHAAAHAHA!!!!!!!  Okay it was pretty funny!!!

We’re doing another sleepover!  We’re about to play a game!  Since Crystal isn’t over, maybe we’ll play “Never Have I Ever”….  though I might win that one!!!  hahahaa!!!!!  Emiko and her family are coming over tomorrow!!!  Oh speaking of Emiko we sent the passport application!  I’ll be able to go to Japan someday!!!

Love you all!!!! ❤

This diary entry is part 23 of 27 in Lily's diary dated 08 - February 2022

Hi! It’s me!  Lily!

I didn’t write last night.

War is something that I’ve only heard about.  There was a big war eighty years ago where a lot of people died.  Then everything was okay, except there were a bunch of little wars, but things have been mostly peaceful.  Except last night, when one country invaded another.  Lots of explosions, and people dying, and…  and…  too much.  Too many people dying.

But even one person dying is too many, don’t you think?

Dave sat us down and told us only one thing.  “Kids,” he said, “You’re going to see a bunch of stuff on the news.  Some people are interested in reporting the news objectively.  Some people are interested in spouting propaganda for one side or another.  And some people just want to make you afraid.”  Then he said something that really made me think.  “If you hadn’t watched the news, would you have even known about all this stuff going on?”

Hmm.  No, I probably wouldn’t have.  Life would go on.  Until it doesn’t, I guess, but that’s another topic.

“Don’t let them make you afraid,” he said.  “They make money off your fear.”

So there’s a war going on.  It’s awful.  But I woke up this morning, I ran, I took a shower, Sabby had us read up on Ukraine and Russia and some of the history there, and we ate lunch.  What I’m trying to say is, life went on, life goes on, and Dave is pretty smart after all, dontcha think?

Maybe eventually it’ll affect me.  Dave doesn’t seem to think it will, but he can’t see the future.  But for right now, life goes on.

Our mood was very somber when we brushed each other’s hair last night.  After I went to bed, I felt someone climb in with me, and I wrapped my arms around her.

“I’m scared,” she said, softly, cuddling into me.

“I’m here,” I said.  “No one’s going to hurt you.”

And Beth fell asleep.

War is an adult thing.  And it’s kids like Beth who have to pick up the pieces.

Love you all!!! ❤