Mommy Colored Glasses

A Little Bit Of Sunshine. . . .

2012-01-10T19:59:00.001+09:00

makes everything better. The day went from a fight a minute to a smile a minute in no time at all.

A Japanese New Year

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000+09:00

Heading to our neighborhood temple on New Year's Day to pray for a good 2012.

The kids with otoshidama (money given at New Year's) from Mom and Dad. I made the envelopes that we put the money in for the kids. Can you tell that they are supposed to be dogs?

Every year I say I am going to make it and this year I finally did. Traditional ozoni with spinach, carrots, chicken and mochi (rice cake) in broth.　Really good and very filling, if I do say so myself.

Together

2012-01-05T20:45:00.000+09:00

Not sure what they are doing, but I really like this picture of them together.

Sophie getting a boost from Bailey.

Bailey was so excited to find an 8 car at the park. He thought it was made especially for him!

This year, I bought a pre-made cake and let the kids have fun making a "Christmas cake". They did everything pretty much themselves- from cutting the fruit to icing it and decorating it.

All finished and ready to eat. I put it in the fridge until after our Christmas Eve dinner and it was a lot heavier than I expected. They really piled on the fruit!

Ways To Get From A To B

2011-11-24T20:54:00.001+09:00

How Does This Thing Work?

2011-10-26T20:44:00.001+09:00

Kid Sized

2011-10-26T20:33:00.001+09:00

It makes me a little sad that my kids are starting to get too big for kid sized things.

Have Good Weather, Will Play

2011-10-23T20:55:00.001+09:00

2011-10-20T20:20:00.001+09:00

So, finally, after weeks of trying and fiddling and disappearing posts and uncooperative computers I am able to post again. Yeah! Yipee! There is a huge backlog of things I want to post, so be on the lookout for new posts coming soon!

Fly Guy

2011-10-20T20:14:00.001+09:00

Bailey's current obsession is all things airplane, so recently we spent the day at the airport watching planes and taking a break for the "flying lunch special."

Sweet Snacks

2011-10-20T20:13:00.000+09:00

Saying good bye to summer one sweet snack at a time.

First And Last

2011-09-01T20:12:00.002+09:00

Usually, we are in America when the preschool has it's summer festival but this year it was postponed from July (because of a typhoon) to August 30. That made it both our first and last preschool summer festival. The kids made a few things and got to catch up with some of their friends, too.

Things To Keep You From Falling Asleep

2011-08-30T20:53:00.003+09:00

These pictures were taken the day after we got back to Japan (a little over a week ago) when we were just trying to keep moving so that we didn't fall asleep. I am happy to report that getting over jet lag seems to have gotten easier.

Sunday Splashing

2011-08-16T04:07:00.000+09:00

Brights And Black And White

2011-08-15T10:35:00.001+09:00

Cousins

2011-08-15T10:32:00.002+09:00

Jump Until You Drop

2011-08-11T23:25:00.001+09:00

Even Abbie had fun at the "jumpy house".

Dressing Up

2011-08-11T23:24:00.000+09:00

Sophie in Nanny's wedding dress.

A Break In The Rain

2011-08-10T23:36:00.002+09:00

Luckily, the weather gave us a break and the kids could enjoy the park for a while.

Animal Encounters

2011-08-09T23:31:00.000+09:00

As close as Bailey was willing to get to a camel.

Look who got stuck in the hippo's mouth!!

Smurfed!

2011-08-08T23:29:00.001+09:00

We took the kids to see the Smurf movie.

Just Add Water

2011-08-01T22:41:00.000+09:00

Lots of time has been spent in the pool or at the lake this summer.

Cowgirl

2011-07-31T22:39:00.002+09:00

Quite possibly one of my favorite Sophie pictures.

On The Back Side Of Thirty

2011-07-31T22:37:00.001+09:00

Thanks for the flowers and balloons, Hubs!

So Many Hats, So Little Time

2011-07-31T22:31:00.002+09:00

Fooling around while the rest of us shopped

HORSES!!

2011-07-28T04:57:00.001+09:00

Watching and

riding.

Friends Of Coal

2011-07-27T04:47:00.002+09:00

We stopped by the local carnival and Sophie won a baton. When we got home she even locked herself in the bedroom to practice!

Me, laughing hysterically at the lion in the sidecar of a mini motorcycle. Let's blame it on jet lag and move on.

As you probably recall, Sophie loves horses so she had to stop and look with Nanny when these strolled by.

Meeting Abbie

2011-07-26T04:39:00.003+09:00

We are back across the big pond for the summer and to meet the newest member of the family. Shh, her mommy doesn't know it yet, but that sweet little girl is coming home with us at the end of the summer!!

Signs Of Summer

2011-06-16T20:31:00.001+09:00

Most of the day yesterday Bailey spent like this - inside looking out at. . . .

his newly caught grasshoppers. Mean Mommy wouldn't let him leave them in the house!

Sport's Day Second Grade

2011-06-15T07:28:00.002+09:00

Man in motion!

I love this one cause it is so typically Bailey- hat askew and always one beat behind the rest of his class.

They had a race for the kids that will be entering elementary school next April and Sophie participated and got origami paper for her effort.

Long awaited lunch!

The final race that the second graders participated in- the tiredness was starting to show, but Bailey gave it his best (In the yellow hat).

Indoors

2011-05-24T11:03:00.000+09:00

The weather here has been all over the place lately- hot one day, rainy and windy the next, downright cold the following- so we have been inside quite a bit lately. The kids have been pretty good at keeping themselves occupied with painting and learning new tricks.

Nature Hike

2011-05-23T10:58:00.002+09:00

We went to a nearby park for a picnic and discovered a big pond with koi,

turtles,

and ducks.

It was nice, but the hike back to the car left us all a little tired

and ready for ice cream.

If I Give You The Food. . . .

2011-05-07T08:22:00.000+09:00

do you promise to leave me alone? (Yes, I see the knee socks and shorts combo but he loves picking out his own clothes.)

Sophie Skills

2011-05-06T20:18:00.002+09:00

Just two days into life without training wheels, Sophie amazed us with her skills, but she still needs a little work on braking!

Create!

2011-04-28T07:28:00.002+09:00

Bailey and Sophie love to make stuff. It can be hard keeping them stocked up on glue, paper and tape. Lately, they have been working together to make a bath tub to give their dolls and stuffed animals a bath in, complete with shampoo, conditioner and liquid soap dispensers! Here, Sophie is washing off her doll before she goes into the. . . .

bath with Bailey's Pokemon stuffed animal. That's a shower head with newspaper water running out of it! I wonder what they will come up with next.

Trying Soccer

2011-04-27T08:43:00.002+09:00

On Easter Sunday, the kids attended a trial soccer lesson. It was supposed to be held on Saturday, but it rained most of that day so it got pushed back. Sunday turned out to be a great day weather wise and the kids had a lot of fun. Although, we aren't really sure if Sophie will stick with it or not, we ended up signing them both up for classes starting in May. Who knows, she could surprise us all!

Simple Easter

2011-04-26T07:50:00.000+09:00

Easter has yet to really catch on here in Japan the way that Halloween has and I kinda put it in the back of my mind and left it there until a few days before Easter, so I had to improvise a little. I just used regular food coloring to dye the eggs so we only had yellow, green and red (but nobody really seemed to mind anyway). Both Sophie and Bailey have had a little bit of an obsession lately with learning to draw stars, so for Easter "dinner" I put my star-shaped cookie cutter to good work.

Friends And Fun In The Park

2011-04-25T11:33:00.002+09:00

Hubs took the kids to a get together with some of his friends and their families a couple Sundays ago. My back was still bothering me quite a bit then (a slipped disc) so I opted to stay home. The kids were full of stories when they got home, but quite tired as well. I hope that we can all go out together soon to enjoy the nice spring weather.

For Kicks

2011-04-09T08:14:00.002+09:00

Squeezing the last little bit of fun out of spring break before Sophie heads back to pre-school on Monday.

Linger

2011-04-08T09:35:00.002+09:00

Another pretty big earthquake shook me awake last night. First I checked the kids. Peacefully, blissfully sleeping. Then I tried to mail Hubs. When that didn't work I called him and got through on the first try. He was on his way home, on the train, safe. Only then did I turn on the TV to find out what was going on and where. Tsunami warnings, but thankfully no tsunamis this time. Living with uncertainty is hard.　I find it hard to linger in the shower too long or to let the kids play outside for too long. I crave security. Some kind of reassurance that it will all be ok. Looking forward. Breathing deep. Believing. Praying.

Starting Small

2011-04-06T19:37:00.002+09:00

A few long conversations, an IQ and EQ test and another long conversation later, we decided to see how Bailey responds to an herbal medicine before we try anything stronger. We were told to mix it with hot water to dissolve and have him drink it like a tea. It smells pretty bad so I can only imagine how it tastes. It has been a little bit of a struggle getting him to drink it, but it is getting better. On Friday, he will have been taking the medicine for a week and I have noticed a few slight changes, but it takes a while for the full effect to be seen. We got a three week supply and another appointment on the 22nd. The herbal is supposed to be able to help calm and somewhat regulate his emotions and help keep him relaxed. If it doesn't seem to do the trick then there are ADHD medicines that we can try either separately or together with the herbal. The doctor never really gave us a diagnosis per se, but he said that a lot of the signs/symptoms that Bailey has can be seen in kids with ADHD. Bailey started second grade this Tuesday and is really excited about his new "girl" teacher. (His first grade teacher was a "boy".) Hopefully, we can help make this year better than last.

Spring Forward

2011-03-27T20:03:00.003+09:00

Both kids are off on spring break now and that means days spent outside, exploring and playing at the park. Aftershocks have become less frequent and the store shelves are filling up more and more day by day. For now, we are just going to enjoy the warmer weather!

Aftershocks

2011-03-16T15:57:00.003+09:00

Scheduled blackouts to conserve power, empty store shelves, trains running much less often, half days at school because they can't what they need to make lunch for the kids, embassies warning their citizens to leave Japan, radiation fears and aftershock after aftershock. This has become our life. But, still we are the lucky ones.

Hubs is working from home this week. Sophie's preschool let out early for spring break. Bailey is only going to school in the mornings. We are safe. We have food and water. We have a home and a car with enough gas to run.

Just taking it minute by minute and day by day. Thank you all for your concern, but please remember, those more affected by the earthquakes and the resulting tsunamis.

Over Shaken

2011-03-11T20:13:00.002+09:00

First things first, we are all alright. It took a while to find Bailey (turns out he headed back to school when the earthquake started and stayed there until the teacher's gave the ok to leave) and an even longer while to actually make contact with Hubs (although I would still feel a hundred times better if I could actually hear his voice instead of just reading his words) only to find out he will probably have to stay put tonight because the trains aren't running, but we are alright.

Do me a favor, would ya? Hug your kids a little longer tonight. Kiss your husband a little longer tonight. Nothing else really matters.

Fine Dining

2011-03-09T20:10:00.001+09:00

with Mr. Big Lips (or maybe Lizard Lips, but definately not Hippo Hips!)

and the movie star wannabe.

First Step, Taken

2011-03-04T19:29:00.003+09:00

First of all, thanks so much to all of you for your comments and e-mails. I really appreciate them.

Yesterday, was an icebreaker of sorts. I had no idea what to expect and the best thing that I could think of to tell Bailey was, "We are going to talk to some people." Bailey's reaction? "While you talk, can I play at the park?"

Bailey's wish was somewhat granted. After the therapist/ counsellor asked Bailey tons of questions- ranging from what is your address to what school subjects do you like to what do you think of your teacher and more- he got to go with another counsellor to the play room while we had a chance to speak with the therapist/ counsellor privately.

It felt a little like I was betraying Bailey's confidence. Like I was being a tattle tale. I just had to keep repeating to myself that I was doing this to help, not hurt, Bailey. It hurts to have to label your child as having problems dealing with anger- we still deal with temper tantrums almost daily and periods of emotional tsunamis that I am sure sometimes are going to drown us all. At school, his behavior is mostly the same, which left his teacher saying, "I don't want to have to reprimand Bailey multiple times a day, but I have to because I care about him."

I know the feeling.

Hopefully, we are on our way to something better.

The First Step

2011-03-02T20:47:00.004+09:00

I figured if I just waited it out, it would get better.

I figured that if I was more patient, things would be easier.

I figured wrong. Things have not gotten better, nor have they gotten easier.

If it had been a cough that had lingered, unresolved, all this time, I would have gone to the doctor long ago. I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But, this is something totally different. Something that isn't easy for me to share because there are so many feelings tangled up in it. Guilt. Blame. Fear. Stress.

So, tomorrow, we will take the first step. A counselling session, to help figure out the best course of action to get things back on track at school and at home. The first step is always the hardest.

Power Nap

2011-02-21T20:24:00.001+09:00

Taken ten minutes after Sophie said, "But, Mom, I am not sleepy."

Focus

2011-02-18T20:20:00.002+09:00

Practice makes perfect- even in Mario land. He was so focused on his game, he didn't even notice that I took his picture.

Sophie learned how to do finger knitting at school and she is bound and determined to make a scarf that Bailey can wear to school!

Sophie Nature

2011-02-16T20:18:00.000+09:00

You try telling her that you can't grow trees from broken branches.

I Wonder, Therefore I Am. . . .

2011-02-10T20:11:00.002+09:00

*I wonder why my nose always itches every time I wash dishes.

*I wonder if it really is going to snow tonight or tomorrow like the weather forecaster predicts. It was a really nice, warmer day today. I even had to open the screen door for an hour or so because it got stuffy.

*I wonder if I can find heart shaped sprinkles for a little Valentine's Day baking project.

*I wonder what to do to help ease "growing pains".

What do you wonder about?

Day One Done

2011-02-09T20:37:00.003+09:00

Both Bailey and I made it through our first day of quarantine. Although we didn't stay inside all day- there was a trip to take Sophie to the bus stop and another to pick her up as well as a stop by the grocery store for salad stuff and eggs.

I got caught up on laundry and finally turned those just about to go bad bananas into banana bread. Bailey got caught up on video game playing and he even helped out around the house quite a bit.

I have been monitoring Bailey like the school told us to- temp checks in the morning and the evening and going through a list of questions with Bailey each time. Does your throat hurt? Do you have a runny or stuffy nose? For now he is healthy and if he stays that way through tomorrow, I am thinking that we might sneak out for a while on Friday- since it is some kind of public holiday and both Sophie and Hubs have the day off. Fingers crossed!

Almost Forgot. . . . . .

2011-02-08T20:31:00.005+09:00

what the old blog looked like. Shortly after my last post, our old computer kicked the bucket and we just got a new one this past weekend. The keyboard layout is a little different and it is taking a while to get used to it, but I guess we will keep it!

I went to Bailey's school today for observation. The theme of the class was "What I learned to do in the first grade. Some kids juggled, others played piano or sang songs. Bailey choose to demonstrate his soccer skill, but got so nervous he would swing his leg in the opposite direction of the ball! He tried his best and more than a few people got a little chuckle out of it.

That was the good news and now for the bad news. Out of 35 students in Bailey's class, 8 have contracted influenza and so they have decided to close the class for the rest of the week. The bad part being that we pretty much have to stay inside and only go out when absolutely necessary. Bailey shows no signs of being sick, so I guess I will just have to use my imagination to keep us both busy and sane.

What's For Dinner Wednesday V

2011-01-27T08:02:00.002+09:00

Cream stew with corn, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and chicken (basically, a clean out the freezer/fridge kinda thing) and focaccia made with lotus root and the help of my wonderful bread machine. The bread was really, really good but none of us were in love with the cream stew. It was really quick and easy to put together, but it just isn't one of our favorite dishes. But, the bread, in case I forgot to mention it , was really, really good.

Pear Shaped

2011-01-26T08:29:00.002+09:00

Bailey was the only one who got where he needed to go yesterday, on time. For reasons I am still not too sure of the trains weren't moving in the morning. This meant that Hubs couldn't get to the office. Because the trains weren't moving, people that had to be somewhere had to find another way to get where they needed to go. That meant move people driving, which resulted in a big traffic jam that made Sophie's preschool bus late.

Since Hubs was home anyway, we decided to just take Sophie to preschool ourselves which turned out to be a good idea because the bus driver gave up and just headed back to the school. If we wanted our kids to get to preschool we would have to bring them ourselves. But, by the time I got the phone call from our bus stop "Leader" Sophie was already changing into her play clothes at school.

A little while later, the trains started moving again and Hubs headed out to work around 11:00 or so. Everybody eventually got to where they were going it just took longer than usual!

Medalling

2011-01-25T08:51:00.002+09:00

Sophie also thought that it would make Bailey feel better to play at the arcade. We had a couple of coupons for free medals so it was almost free entertainment! Bailey is slowly but surely getting better, but his cough refuses to let him get much rest at night. Time to break out the Vicks and the humidifier. Any other suggestions for helping him get a better nights sleep would be greatly appreciated!

Advice

2011-01-24T10:08:00.002+09:00

Sophie suggested, "Ice cream would probably make Bailey feel better." And who would I be to ignore such good advice?

In The Kitchen

2011-01-23T08:43:00.000+09:00

On the weekends, I usually cook more from scratch than I do during the busy weekdays. Bailey was battling a fever and just generally feeling bad yesterday so we stayed home from swim class and while the kids were watching a DVD, I was in the kitchen.

The muffins are full of good for you things like whole wheat flour, yogurt and shredded carrot. They were kinds like carrot cake and if I had had cream cheese, I probably would have made icing, but they were plenty sweet and yummy without it.

The spring rolls are baked not fried and are a good way to clean out the veggie crisper. For these, I used leftover cole slaw mix (cabbage and carrots), a little garlic and ginger and ground pork. Just cook the filling first, season to taste with soy sauce and wrap 'em up. I brushed them with a little canola before baking them in a preheated 200C oven for about 15 minutes. Really easy and really good!

Who's In That Bag?

2011-01-22T07:46:00.001+09:00

Somebody needed a bag with eye holes cut out for a school art project. Can you guess who?

Imagination Station

2011-01-21T07:59:00.002+09:00

Wednesday, we got a big box of goodies from the States (Thanks, triple AW!) but we were so busy that I didn't get a chance to open it until yesterday. Bailey was off playing soccer with his friends, so I brought out some of the toys for Sophie to play with. She loved playing with all the Littlest Pet Shop animals and declared them the cutest present EVER!

There were lots of animals, but Sophie said these three were her favorite- a horse (of course), a pink bunny rabbit and a cute caterpillar. She had so much fun playing with them she almost forgot to miss Bailey.

What's For Dinner Wednesday IV

2011-01-20T07:56:00.002+09:00

A quick and easy meal thanks to my good old crock pot was on the menu last night. The BBQ chicken was made in the crock pot and topped with cole slaw and served with fries. There are even leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I can hardly wait!

Bailey Cleans Up

2011-01-19T08:05:00.002+09:00

Today, Bailey has art class and he had to bring his paint set (includes paints, brushes, a palate and a handy dandy carrying case), which needed to be cleaned. Usually I do it, but this time I let Bailey do it while I tidied up the computer room. You can see from the multicolored stained sponge how dirty it was before!

Lunch In A Hurry

2011-01-18T08:11:00.003+09:00

I love being able to get pretty good for you things from the grocery store to make a quick, filling lunch. I can't get enough of the salad with a walnut and cheese topping, I probably have it at least twice a week. Then there is the tuna/mayo rice ball and leftover from last night egg and spinach soup to help round out the meal. Simple, but really hit the spot!

Over The Shoulder

2011-01-17T20:07:00.002+09:00

A little peek at study time at our house. From Sophie and her "reading" to

Bailey and his Kanji (Chinese characters) practice.

Achievements

2011-01-16T09:13:00.002+09:00

It took a couple of days, but Sophie finally finished her field of flowers.

Bailey was pretty proud of getting a 100 on his test.

Three Seconds Of Fame

2011-01-15T07:46:00.003+09:00

Sophie asked me to put a video of her on the blog, so here she is doing her best pretty please.

Together

2011-01-14T08:32:00.002+09:00

No matter how many times they get mad at each other during the day. No matter how many times she took his toy. No matter how many times he made her cry because he didn't call her drawing cute. No matter what, every evening finds them side by side in the rocking chair watching TV.

What's For Dinner Wednesday III

2011-01-13T07:50:00.000+09:00

I had a little extra time in the kitchen yesterday, so I decided to make pizza from scratch for dinner. The crust was just a matter of measuring and dumping and letting the bread machine do the hard work. For the sauce, I just added a little oregano, basil, garlic and salt and pepper to some crushed tomatoes I had on hand. This time, I also made a stuffed crust pizza with sausages in the crust so it was kinda like a pizza and a pig in a blanket all rolled into one. I have been craving pizza for a while now so this really hit the spot.

After The Morning Rush

2011-01-12T13:12:00.002+09:00

The last few weeks, with the holidays and Hubs being super busy at work, "me time" has been in rather short supply. With both kids back in school this week, I went to a nearby coffee shop this morning and enjoyed an iced coffee and a good book. I just started the first book of the Millennium trilogy, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and at first, I was so tempted to give up, but I am glad I stuck with it. I am a little over 100 pages into it and I am finding it hard to put down!

Giggles On The Bus

2011-01-11T08:03:00.002+09:00

Sophie's face was in response to me asking her not to do the peace sign thing. She told me she can't help it, her hand does it not her!

Sittin' In A Tree

2011-01-10T07:59:00.001+09:00

The weather was a little warmer today, so the kids enjoyed playing at a new to us park.

To Get From A To B

2011-01-09T10:35:00.002+09:00

Which is moving faster- his arms or his legs?

Like It! Loooove It!

2011-01-08T08:26:00.002+09:00

This picture makes me laugh, because it looks like Sophie is being elbowed out of the way by Big Boy, who seems to have clearly taken a liking to Bailey. Just look at the expressions on their faces!!

Sophie, on the other hand, has taken a liking to the new bear shaped donuts at Mister Donut. She always eats the ears off first!

Killing Time

2011-01-07T08:07:00.001+09:00

At the dentist for a fluoride treatment, Bailey got to watch Pokemon while we waited for the gel to dry and I played around with my new iPhone (thus the small picture).

What's For Dinner Wednesday II

2011-01-06T07:52:00.000+09:00

This could be called the tired mama edition of what's for dinner Wednesday. After a day of errand running, going to the doctor and the pharmacy, taking the kids out to lunch and then letting them run off some of that extra energy, I was tired. Sophie even called me cranky- and she was right! The salad was of the pre-made deli salad variety and the chili was little more than dumping a whole bunch of canned stuff into a pot and opening a seasoning packet, but topped with sour cream and cheese it was pretty darn good! At least, no one went to bed hungry!

Peaceful Playing

2011-01-05T08:47:00.000+09:00

Synchronized Something

2011-01-04T10:01:00.001+09:00

I love watching the kids be silly with their cousins, just like I used to do.

Kakizome

2011-01-03T07:59:00.000+09:00

Bailey spent most of the day yesterday practicing his first kakizome

It took a lot of practice and a little elbow grease, but we all agreed it turned out pretty good. The teacher choose the word the student's had to write. The word is taka and it means hawk.

The First

2011-01-02T08:04:00.003+09:00

The kids, dawning their year of the rabbit shirts helped to make okonomiyaki for lunch.

Then, we went to our local temple to pray for a good year. Here, the kids are washing their hands before going in the temple.

Hands washed, prayers said and heading back home.

Bailey, playing with his new DS and Sophie using one that I bought several years ago. They both really like playing Taiko no Tatsujin in particular.

Christmas At Our House

2011-01-01T19:48:00.002+09:00

Sometimes, figuring out the new Wii game that Santa left for you can be hard work. Just look at those faces!

Bailey and Sophie checking out their stockings. Bailey really wanted a DS for Christmas, which he got along with a Pokemon game and a case to put it in. Sophie wanted all things Heart Catch Precure

Bailey posing with the Christmas tree. This year that kids wanted to make the the ornaments to hang on the tree so I just strung the lights and let them have at it. Lots of origami and paper chains later, it was looking pretty good!

What's For Dinner Wednesday

2010-11-10T20:25:00.004+09:00

When I first started this blog, I posted what we had for dinner every Wednesday. The reasoning behind being to give the people back home a look at what people eat in Japan and also to show that it isn't all rice and fish and seaweed. Today, Sophie had the day off because of teacher training and Bailey was home pretty early with very little homework, I decided to let the kids help make dinner.

Can you guess what they are making with the help of a handy dandy 100 yen store purchase?

Bailey really put away dinner tonight. Don't know how we are going to keep him fed when he gets older.

Sophie liked dinner too and even requested the same thing tomorrow night. There is some leftovers but they will likely become my lunch tomorrow.

Our dinner was rice (half white, half brown), pot stickers/ pork dumplings with soy sauce for dipping and sesame spinach. We also had a mandarin orange for dessert. We made about 60 pot stickers/ pork dumplings so there was plenty to go round.

Mish Mash

2010-11-10T20:14:00.003+09:00

A couple shots from Halloween night. I made mummys (little sausages wrapped up with pie crust and dotted on ketchup eyes), supposed to be jack-o'lantern meat pies made from puff pasty- Bailey said they looked like skulls!), and ghosts (boiled eggs with sesame seed eyes and a ketchup smile). The kids were happy so I was happy!

Sophie in a sea of pre-schoolers at her sports day held at the beginning of October.

Enough With The Eggs Already!!!!

2010-10-27T20:23:00.002+09:00

Variety, they say, is the spice of life. If so, breakfasts around here are of the not so spicy variety. I struggle with finding quick, yummy breakfasts that everybody enjoys. I have tried making pancakes or waffles and freezing them. I have tried muffins- both sweet and savory. I have tried eggs a hundred, thousand different ways. I have tried yogurt and cereal parfaits. I have tired sandwiches and rice balls.

What are your favorite breakfast foods? Believe me, I need all the help I can get!

Things Checked Off

2010-10-26T20:06:00.003+09:00

I suppose that if I were to blog with any kind of regularity I would have lots to say, but as it is I forget half of what we do. November might be a good month for weekly updates!

It is field trip season here in our neck of the woods. Bailey had his a few weeks ago and Sophie's is coming up this Thursday. Rain or shine they are going to the zoo, just like they do every year. Still, Sophie is super excited and keeps counting down how many sleeps are left until the trip. Thursday just also happens to be the day that the kids are scheduled to get their second flu shot. The first time around, Bailey was stoic. Sophie not so much. Screaming before, during and after the shot, left the doctor proclaiming, "She's a feisty one!"

Bailey passed the test a swimming school last Saturday that enabled him to move up from a pink swimming cap to a read swimming cap. Sophie also did well on her swimming test, but the instructor said she had a little ways more to go before she can move up. In the mean time, she is content to try on Bailey's red swimming cap.

Next month will be Bailey's seventh birthday, so we are trying to decide what to get him for his birthday. He wants a new pair of shoes and a bigger bike, but that is just this week. In week's past he has asked for a basketball, an American flag, and a ton of toys. We will see what the next few weeks bring before we decide.

Hopefully, I will remember the camera next time we do something exciting!

In All The Excitement Of Life

2010-10-15T20:40:00.002+09:00

As usual, there has been lots going on around here. Sports day and field trips and getting ready for the annual pre-school bazaar. The weather has cooled off (some days, anyway) and there has been a lot of baking and trying out new recipes. Bailey is getting excited about his upcoming birthday and just yesterday I found Bailey and Sophie circling toys in a magazine that they want for Christmas.

I am thinking of getting a few mini pumpkins for the kids to draw or stick faces on for Halloween. We didn't carve a big one last year, so if I get to Costco anytime soon I will probably pick one up. I always try to have some kind of Halloween themed food too. One year it was ghostly pancakes with mini chocolate chips for eyes and mouth and another year it was a jack o'lantern pizza with olives for the eyes, nose and mouth. What to make this year? Cookies, maybe?

We are still here. Still busy. Still having fun.

Early Halloween

2010-09-28T20:21:00.001+09:00

Hey! Look what the kids made at cooking school a few weeks ago!

Whatcha Got Cooking?

2010-09-28T20:09:00.002+09:00

A few weeks ago, we signed the kids up for a trial lesson at a nearby cooking school.

Decorating and concentrating.

Wrapping up their goodies

The school boxed them up in a really cute Halloween bag and the kids got to bring four each home. They both really enjoyed it and Sophie keeps asking when she can go back to cooking school.

Planted

2010-09-08T20:34:00.002+09:00

Bailey has been growing a morning glory at school and during summer vacation he had to bring it home. While we were in the States, SIL and her family looked after it. They did a good job, but it has been such a hot, unrelenting summer here that when it finally come back to us, it was looking a little worse for the wear. So began the revitalization effort- with thrice a day waterings and a few blasts with the water gun when the kids thought nobody was looking.

By the time last Sunday rolled around and it was time to take it back to school it was looking pretty ok. Bailey says it is still hanging on, but I wonder how much damage the typhoon (actually, I think it was downgraded to a tropical storm) has done to it. Guess we will see tomorrow.

Anyway, I got used to having the morning glory around and kinda missed it once it was gone. So, I got two new plants today. I have tried to grow plants before, but despite my best efforts they usually wilt, wither and die. Here's hoping I have better luck this time!

A Cooler Area

2010-09-06T19:57:00.003+09:00

It has happened. The heat has zapped my desire to do anything even remotely productive. When we first came back at the end of August, a friend encouraged me saying, "If we can just make it through this week, next week will definitely be cooler." Well, darn it, I want my cooler and I want it now!!

This morning, I thought I might somehow beat the heat and get at least a few things done. Hanging out laundry at 7:30 am with sweat running down my face, I knew that today would be another of those energy zapping days. So, I spent a good part of the morning enjoying a nearby coffee shop's air conditioner and a good book.

Just keep cool and lay low. It all has end sooner or later, right?

Just Fooling Around. . . .

2010-08-16T08:30:00.002+09:00

The Burger King Queen and Santa faces in the bathtub- these are a few of my favorite things.

Soak Up The Sun

2010-08-10T11:38:00.002+09:00

A beautiful, sunny day to wash the car. Although, Sophie's main objective was getting as wet as possible.

Bailey actually helped out quite a bit.

And then, they both enjoyed the tire swing.

New Hobbies

2010-08-09T11:11:00.002+09:00

Mom does quite a bit of sewing and Sophie likes to pretend that she can sew as well. Check out the pin in her mouth and tape measure around her neck.

On the plane, Bailey enjoyed playing solitaire on the inflight games, so now he is learning to play with actually cards. He sometimes "rearranges" the cards, but has really gotten good at it.

Slumber Party

2010-08-05T10:32:00.002+09:00

Slowly, but surely, the number of Sophie's "just can't go to be without them dolls/ stuffed animals" has grown. If I remember right, there are three dolls, two stuffed cats, a stuffed pig, dolphin and a dog.

Cool Clay Creations

2010-08-05T10:26:00.002+09:00

Today, we woke up to rain and the kids went asleep to rain. So, we spent most of the day inside playing games and making clay creations. the kids made a bunch of colorful balls when I was taking my shower.

And then, we all worked together to make this under the sea montage. Bailey's favorite was the crab that he made and Sophie loved her pink fish with grey pants! I like my two toned sea snake.

Tennessee Trip

2010-07-30T09:59:00.002+09:00

A quick trip to Tennessee

with cowboy hats,

coonskin caps,

leaping leprechauns,

and blue bonnets.

Back In The USA

2010-07-26T00:58:00.001+09:00

Just a few of the pictures that we had taken of the kids last week.

Put The Spray Bottle Down And No One Gets Hurt

2010-06-30T21:10:00.003+09:00

I think it all started with the new refrigerator. First, cleaning up the old one inside and out (silly, maybe, but Sophie insisted that cleaning it was a good way of saying good bye). Then re-arranging things to make space for our bigger, better more Eco-friendly refrigerator and I have yet to lose steam. I am on a major cleaning and purging binge. Our kitchen looks so nice right now all cleaned up and shiny and also not having to worry that something is going to fall on your head when you open one of the upper cabinets.

The weather has been crappy lately- either cloudy or raining- and I have been spending more time at home. After I got tired of the Internet and the TV, I started cleaning. Tonight, I even skipped TV in favor of tackling the storage container cabinet. I just wish I could muster the same enthusiasm for the toilet and shower!

A Hop, Jump and Skipping Rope

2010-06-29T11:15:00.002+09:00

Last Friday, there was note from Bailey's school saying he needed to bring a jump rope by Tuesday. We went to buy one and of course, Sophie had to have one too. Which then led to Bailey wanting two- one to take and keep at school and one to keep and play with at home. From the looks of this video, they both have a long way to go!

A Break From Silence

2010-06-28T19:29:00.003+09:00

Good lord, how did it get to be the end of June already? Before I know it, it will be summer vacation and we will be heading back to the States for a visit.

Bailey has been staple free for about two weeks now and is back to doing all things boy- swimming, climbing trees and the like- with the same zeal as before. The cut healed really well and you don't really notice the scar unless you are looking for it. We usually get Bailey's hair buzz cut in the summer and I was worried that the scar would be too obvious, but it doesn't look like that will be a problem.

Sophie is as full of life as ever and she really loves being able to go to "two pools"- one at preschool and one for her swimming lessons. Recently, she loves helping out in the kitchen- doing little things like pulling the stems off of cherry tomatoes or shelling peas- as well as hanging the laundry up to dry.

Our refrigerator bit the dust. Or maybe, I should say it died a slow death. Butter was melting, drinks weren't getting cold, but still we kept hoping- maybe if we adjust the settings a little or maybe it just needs a good cleaning. We got it when we were first married, a hand me down from a family member that had used it for three years before giving it to us, so we figured we had better replace it before we all got food poisoning.

We picked out and paid for it on Saturday and it was delivered on Sunday. After the delivery men left, Sophie went to introduce herself and give the new fridge a big hug. She even said good bye to it before we left for school this morning.

Our new fridge is much bigger than our old one and I am trying to resist the urge to go to Costco to get stuff to fill it up. Since we will be leaving in a few weeks, I wouldn't want to waste anything. Hope I can hold off until we make it back from the States.

How The Mighty Fall

2010-06-04T11:22:00.002+09:00

Around three o'clock yesterday I got a call from Bailey's teacher telling me to bring my insurance card and come to the junior high school as soon as possible. Bailey had fallen, was bleeding badly and an ambulance had been called.

I know that head wounds bleed a lot, but nothing prepared me for what I saw. Sophie burst into tears when she saw her brother lying there, his face and hands covered in blood. Bailey, on the other hand, was a real trooper and one cried once during the entire ordeal. Both kids were scared of riding in the ambulance, but thankfully, Bailey's teacher came along with us and helped out so much- explaining what happened to the doctors, holding Sophie's hand when she was scared and I had to help Bailey.

After the initial examination, they asked me to wait in the waiting room while they stapled Bailey's head since Sophie was still crying. All of the nurses and doctors were amazed that Bailey didn't cry or try to fight them. He just laid on the table and let them do what they needed to do. Ten staples later and we were on our way home. We made a quick stop at the convenience store to get dinner for the kids since it was already pretty late and then came home. I gave Bailey a dose of kid's pain reliever since he said his head hurt a little, they ate and then got ready for bed.

They told me to keep a close eye on him, so I got up every few hours throughout the night to check on him, but each time he was snoring softly, dreaming away.

We went back to the doctor's today and were told it would take about a week to heal. A week without swimming lessons or strenuous exercise, which also means no sport's festival tomorrow. He had the option of just being there to support his team and watch, but decided that he didn't want to do that. He is pretty disappointed.

He is doing a lot better this morning and keeps bugging me about going to the park! We have compromised with lunch out.

Never Met A Stranger. . . .

2010-06-03T10:26:00.003+09:00

A few weeks ago, we went to cousin K and cousin A's elementary school sport's festival. After a while, Bailey got tired of watching and found a group of junior high school girls to help keep him entertained. (That's him in the grey shirt, standing up)

This Saturday, we will do it all over again, but thei time for Bailey. Bailey is fretting over remembering all the steps for the class dance and practices everywhere- in the bath tub, waiting in line at the supermarket, while cleaning off the table after dinner. What can I say, he's got sparkle!

I, on the other hand, am fretting over the lunch menu. It seems like I always fix the same things- yakisoba noodles, Japanese style fried chicken, little star shaped hash browns, cherry tomatoes, fruit salad and candy cheese. I want to make something different, but am feeling so uninspired in the cooking department lately. What to do, what to do? I wouldn't worry so much if it was just our little family of four, but I am pretty sure MIL and SIL and her kids are coming along as well.

I hope to put together a shopping list today and get the shopping out of the way as well, so I better make up my mind and just go to it. Why can't I just get a big bucket of KFC and be done with it?