Moms' Night Out

A few of us hit the town last night for a much needed Moms' Night Out. El Pancho, our favorite Mexican restaurant in Osaka, was the kick-off venue for what will hopefully become a regular event. Where to next, girls?

Denis at Dinner

So... we were trying to catch Denis saying ita daki mas (roughly, "thank you for the food" in Japanese), the other night at dinner. It's a phrase he recently learned at Peter Pan and likes to try out at home every now and then. It's one of those things we think is ridiculously cute - and one of those things we think we should capture on film. Well, we tried. We sat down to dinner, got out the camera, primed him with a couple of ita daki mases of our own, and hit the record button. But all we got was this performance.

Harborland

We had a long weekend this past weekend and finally felt like we had the time to break out of our normal routines. So, a trip to Harborland it was. Denis rode the rides, took the train, and enjoyed the Kobe skyline. Here are a few shots and a very boring exciting clip of Denis riding Thomas the Tank.

The Love of a Good TV Series

As much as I love to lose myself in a good book, so goes it for a good TV series. Friday Night Lights is what we're watching - and loving - these days. The show is about to start its 4th season, but we've just caught wind of it. Oddly enough, it was some Kiwi friends of ours here in Kobe who turned us on to this show about small-town America and the craziness that is Friday night football. I love the small-town drama and the documentary-like style of filming. And I can almost relate to the drop-everything-for-the-game mentality, having grown up in a small town in Middle America where high school (and college) football games were central to the community. And tell me, is there anyone sweeter than little Matt Saracen? Will he get the girl? How about the QB1 spot? Oh, how I hope so!

The Love of a Good Book

Is there anything better than finding yourself completely absorbed by a delightful story, one you simply can't put down? A story whose characters you come to love, even the ones you aren't necessarily rooting for? A story that is light and airy, yet incredibly well written, and centers around love (and birds!) and the goodness of people? I have just read such a story. A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson. Read it. It will make you giggle out loud. It will make you want to take a chance on something...or someone. It will make you feel good.

Thanks for the suggestion, Jana!

A New Cousin!

There's a new addition to our family - our extended family, that is. Denis's new cousin, Amelia Margaret Joy, made her arrival at the end of August. She's lovely and we can't wait to meet her! Congratulations, R & M!