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!

What's New?

What's new with us, besides work and school? See below!

Bye Bye, Mama!

Someone couldn't wait to get to Peter Pan today. No tears, no hesitation... I almost didn't get a goodbye kiss! What a difference an easy transition makes to the start of the day. Way to go, D!

End of Eight Months

Today was my first day back at work after taking eight months off. My days as a SAHM have come to an end. How do I feel about this? I have to say, it felt good to be back at work among all my colleagues (ah, adult time!). However, I have a hunch that I'll soon miss my days at home with Denis. We'll see...

Denis started back at Peter Pan today. Only this term, he's going all day, everyday, and he'll be at our school - right across from Jon's office, as a matter of fact. Last semester, he only went once a week for half a day at the campus near the River Mall. So, even though the program and some of the teachers are the same, his routine has changed quite a bit. He cried this morning when we dropped him off. But by the time we picked him up in the afternoon, he was all smiles. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

***I've added a video clip of Denis singing to the post about my parents' 50th anniversary. If you're interested, scroll down! Canada posts yet to come...

Big vs. Small

Lately Denis has been trying to distinguish between big and small. "Big bike? Mall bike?" he'll ask when he wants to know whether he's riding on my bike or his. I'll reply, "Big bike." And, just to be sure, he'll confirm, "Yea, big bike."

The other day he transferred the use of big and small to other parts of his day. He came to me in the morning, patting his back side, then raising his hand up as high as it would go, and said... "Big poo poo." Trying not to sound too horrified, I clarified, "Big poo poo?" And he reassured me, "Yea, big poo poo." Oh, great. Right in the middle of my breakfast. But, lucky for me, it wasn't so big. If I recall, it was fairly normal looking in size, color, consistency...

Today he came to me, patting his front, then pinching his index finger and thumb together and said... "Mall pee pee." Ha! Now that's funny! Between guffaws I managed to ask, "Small pee pee?" And he replied ever so seriously, "Yea, mall pee pee."

I think he and Jon are having a little (or mall) talk tonight. Apparently, as a guy, there are certain things you just never say...

New Neighbors

In about 12 hours, we'll have new neighbors! We have two sets of good friends (from our days in Peru) moving to Kobe this year (tonight!), and one set will be our downstairs neighbors. We can't wait to see all these old friends - and have Denis meet some new friends - and show them around their new stomping grounds.

Hope you enjoy the beat-the-middle-of-the-night-jet-lag-munchies banana bread D made for you. It's been his favorite beat-the-middle-of-the-night-jet-lag-munchies snack this week, and he thought he'd share some with you.

Welcome to Japan, nuestros amigos!

Home Sweet Home

We've arrived back in Japan. It was a long 24-hour journey, door-to-door, but we all held up fairly well. I'm happy to say that Denis seems to be a traveler! He handled three flights and one bus ride as well as any two-year-old could be expected to, and I actually think he enjoys being on the go. Which is a good thing, considering our lifestyle.

For anyone out there looking for a great way to kill a few hours on a plane with a toddler, check out some of the wooden toys by Melissa & Doug. Their Latches Board was a lifesaver on the long flight. Denis played with it for hours! Which really isn't surprising considering how fascinated he is by opening and closing all manner of hooks, latches, and locks. Is it too soon to predict that he'll be a mechanical engineer when he grows up?

It's 3:30 AM and we're all awake with jet lag. Finally, some time to blog! Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up and write about the rest of our summer holiday over the next couple of weeks before I go back to work - preferably during the day and not during the wee hours of the morning. Jet lag, be gone! 

All for now. Time to go play Thomas the Tank.

Cousins' Reunion

Jon's side of the family had a cousins' reunion in Ottawa this summer. For three days, we gathered together to eat, drink, and be merry! The first gathering was at Tom and Mar's - dinner on the deck. It was a great way to kick-off the weekend. Plenty of time to visit, catch up, and celebrate all the new additions and achievements of the family. Day two was out in Wakefield - my new favorite town! - and the Parc de la Gatineau. Swimming, BBQing, water ballooning, and trivia'ing were the highlights. The finale was a Sunday brunch at Kate and Eric's. One last chance to visit and enjoy each other's company.

Some random photos from the reunion (thanks to all the photographers!)...

Weekend Celebration Part Two - Fifty Years of Marriage

The weekend continued with a slightly larger affair. I'll spare you the individual numbers this time (mostly because I couldn't have kept track if I wanted to!), and jump right in by telling you that a good 135-150 people attended the party on Sunday. And, yes, name tags were worn. The occasion? My parents' 50th wedding anniversary party. Fifty years! Definitely cause for celebration. (Their actual anniversary is in October, but who wants to travel to the Midwest in October?)

My parents' big back yard was the venue. With the meat smoker out front, the horseshoe pit out back, and the port-a-potty in the garden (a creative attempt at fertilizing?, I'm now wondering), it was the perfect venue. Plenty of space for people to mill about and mingle. Highlights of the party included the re-creation of my parents' original wedding cake, the saucy stories(!) shared by my mom's long-time friend Katie Kelly, the musical performances (including an impromptu performance by Denis!), and being surrounded by family, friends, and neighbors.

Congratulations, Mom & Dad! You look as wonderful as you did 50 years ago!

Weekend Celebration Part One - Twelve Days of Christmas

The weekend started with a small affair. What do you get when you mix together 2 parents, 11 siblings, 4 siblings, 12 spouses/significant others, 6 siblings, 2 sisters-in-law, 5 canning jar lids gold rings, and a partridge in a pear tree? That's right - Christmas in July for my large extended family! My mother threw a lovely party with a 12 Days of Christmas theme for all 15 of my parents' siblings and their spouses/others - something she's always wanted to do (always meaning since that day she read about one such party in a Martha Stewart Living magazine!). My 5 siblings and I, along with my 2 sisters-in-law, donned our khakis and whites and played hosts. We prepared the brunch, served mimosas, refilled coffee, cleared the tables... And enjoyed every minute of taking part in such a fun family affair. Well done, Mom!

The six siblings/servers

Dad's gang

Mom's gang

The whole gang

The eight of us

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Talia and Claire, D's cousins, were given the task of keeping a very tired (and a very dirty!) Denis awake on the way back to my brother's one night after a hard day of playing at Grandma and Grandpa's house. So, they decided to sing. If you listen closely, you can hear D joining in from time to time, and if you wait for us to pass under a street light, you can almost see the three little singing stars... Too cute!

Plum Creek Canyon

A great name for a great place - Plum Creek Canyon. Our good friends, Gail & Jeff, have a cabin on the canyon in this lovely part of Nebraska, and going there is always one of the highlights of our summer. The views, the music, the boating, the eating, the catching up - it's all good! Denis loved playing with their girls and doing all the things that are meant to be done on a hot summer day - running through the sprinkler, digging in the sand box, swimming in the lake, and chasing fireflies. Is there anything better than a carefree summer day spent with friends?

(It's a good look for you, g!)

There Is No Place Like Nebraska

...so the song goes. And I think Denis would agree. Within the first couple of days at my parents' place, D managed to:

drive the lawn mower with Grandpa

explore the big back yard with Grandma

giddy-up on the neighbor's horse

play the piano

water the bushes

cool off in the pool

feed the llamas at the zoo

smile for the camera!

I know it really isn't June 29, as this post says. It's July 15. Our time in Nebraska has come and gone, and somehow I did not find the time to sit down and write one blog entry the entire time we were there. But woe is not me! We had a wonderfully busy time, and Denis loved the craziness of my large family. We're now in Canada, and since there aren't any fences to be built, garages to be sided, or gardens to be weeded (!), I plan to get caught up on my posts so Denis can one day read about his introduction to the Midwest. Because really, there is no place like Nebraska. ;)

Goodbye'i Hawai'i

Hard to believe our time in Hawaii is almost up. We've had a good - and successful - trip, despite the jet lag and colds we've all been fighting over the last few days. We did manage to hit the beach a few times between our visits to various government offices, which was nice, but we didn't do much else. In the end, we got what we came for - a certificate of citizenship and a US passport - and that's all that matters. We're off to Nebraska tomorrow evening. Here's hoping someone sleeps on the plane!

A few pictures of our Hawaiian hiatus:

The view upon entering our hotel

The view (ocean, harbor, lagoon) from our balcony

The lagoon (a perfect, wave-free beach for toddlers!)

Hauling sand...

...and more sand

Hauling Denis!

Hi Papa!

Trying out my new train (thanks, Vicky and Dan!)

Making a swimming hole

Trying out my new shades

Two passports!