Christmas Past

The felt food that I made for the kids for Christmas. There is a strawberry creme covered cookie, a rice ball, a sandwich with lettuce, tomato, ham and cheese and a Japanese style rolled omelet. I also made a chicken leg, that didn't make it into the picture. It was a quick and easy gift that I had fun making. I am considering making something else out of felt for Sophie's birthday in February.

How Sophie spent the majority of Christmas Eve- getting over a stomach bug (notice the strategically placed trash can- just in case) that she very graciously passed on to Bailey and me.

I was pretty happy with how my mini cheesecakes turned out. The kids especially liked the Santa strawberries. We had this for dessert on Christmas Eve and for the main course we had roast pork with potatoes and carrots.

Unwrapping presents on Christmas morning. This was the big gift that they got from Santa.

The Santa presents unwrapped. Notice that Bailey is fully dressed and Sophie is still in pajamas. That is because Bailey couldn't wait to open his presents and was up around 5:00. Sophie on the other hand, slept in until 7:30.

A Little Christmas

Yesterday was a rough day. Sophie got sick (she has what appears to be the stomach flu) and Hubs got called in to work even though it was a national holiday (in honor of the reigning Emperor's birthday), so I shelved all the baking and cleaning I had planned. Today I am playing catch up.

After a quick trip to the grocery store, I made a simple cheese cake that is chilling in the refrigerator right now. I've got potatoes and carrots roasting in the slow cooker to go with the roast pork we will have for dinner. I have the dough for these cinnamon rolls in the bread machine now. The butter for these yummy and simple chocolate chip cookies in setting out to soften (these are going to be the cookies we leave out for Santa).

Bailey is watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on the Cartoon Network and Sophie, who still isn't feeling up to par, is taking a nap on the sofa. They are both looking forward to what Santa will bring tonight and I am looking forward to seeing their reactions when they open their gifts. Have a good Christmas Eve, everyone.

Getting A Few More Things Checked Off

Despite waking up with a headache, we got almost all of the things checked off the to do list today.

*Mailed Christmas presents
*Went grocery shopping (and tried to find a potato masher. I went to three different places looking for one!)
*Made potato soup in the crock pot (it smells so yummy now) and even made homemade crackers to go with it (an attempt at diverting the kid's attention to something else besides fighting)
*Cleaned out the toy box (with the help of the kids) and straightened the bookshelves. It is funny how attached the kids become to toys even though they are broken. Bailey kept telling me, "All it needs is a little tape." Even funnier still, how many of those old, broken toys they were willing to toss to make room for new toys from Santa.


And the things that have to wait until the kids are asleep:
*double checking that nothing needs batteries
*wrapping "Santa" presents

We will be celebrating Christmas on Saturday since Hubs works on Christmas day. Which gives me an extra day to get things squared away, but I still haven't decided on Christmas dinner. I am thinking roast pork or lasagna, but Hubs says chicken. Help a girl out, leave your Christmas menu in the comments, please!

Accomplished, Kinda

Wow! I really feel like I have gotten a lot done these last few days.

*I finished making the play dough, felt food and muffin tin crayons for the kids.
*Made cookies, not once, but twice.
*Cleaned up the computer room. (So, so, so nice to have the extra space)
*Made a loaf of walnut wheat bread and strawberry/ blueberry jam to go with it
*Sorted through the kids paper craft box and with their help, threw a good bit of it away (and with minimal tears)

But, with all that, of course there are still things that need to be done. Things that should have been done weeks ago. Like mailing out Christmas gifts for family in the US. So, now the package is all wrapped up and ready to go to the post office tomorrow. I know that it won't get there in time, but please know that it is on the way.

Jingle, Jangle

God lord, how did it get to be December already? Still tons to do before the jolly old elf makes his appearance- buying the kid's gifts, decorating the house, planning the menu, baking and I am sure that other little things will pop up along the way.

Sophie is pretty consistent when you ask her what she wants from Santa- an Anpanman bread factory so she can play bakery. Bailey on the other hand, sees this and absolutely has to have it and sees that and absolutely has to have that and oh, wait what about this? It is much like watching a dog chase his tail. I told him he has until Sunday evening to decide so that I can call Santa and place their order and after that he can't change his mind. As for now,　he has settled on Beyblade but he still has until Sunday to change his mind.

I am thinking of making (yes, I said making) a few things for stocking stuffers as well- homemade play dough, muffin tin crayons and maybe a few felt cookies or doughnuts for Sophie's Anpanman bakery.

As for decorating the house, I am not sure how much I can actually do. Since they are doing a lot of renovations on the building we live in we aren't allowed to have anything on our balconies or the front hallway. That means that Sophie's tricycle and Bailey's bicycle are now residing in our tatami room. As well as the poles from the clothes line, the satellite, sand box toys and a box which we use to use for recycling (when they said bring in everything, they did mean everything even the screen doors!!) With all that going on until well in the new year, I am not quite sure where the tree will go. I had to rearrange a lot just to get the bikes in here, but I will figure something out.

So much to do, but so little time. So little time, but so much fun!

An Early Christmas, In Reverse

After baths it was time for cake. I didn't make it to the store until late on the morning of the 23rd (the day we celebrated) so instead of cheesecake we each choose a slice of cake from the cake shop. Bailey stuffed himself on Christmas dinner and he took one bite of cake and asked to put in the fridge for the next day.

A scaled back Christmas dinner- chicken with roasted potatoes, carrots and onions and risotto (I used this recipe with a few adjustments- easy peasy) with spinach and mushrooms and pink lemonade to drink.

Bailey with his present from Santa. I can't count the number of times he took apart and put it back together again or the number of times he dropped it and had to start from square one again.

Getting started opening presents and that poor, naked little baby doll that Sophie refuses to put clothes on.

the kids just woke up and discovered that Santa came. Poor Bailey, can't you tell that he spent half the night coughing his head off.

The Best Laid Plans

I only went to the grocery store on Tuesday of last week, in hopes that the refrigerator would be empty enough today to put all the Christmas dinner goodies in (a whole chicken, roasted potatoes, glazed carrots, mushrooms and bacon for risotto, asparagus and a strawberry cheesecake) but as they say, the best laid plans. . . . . .

Sophie got sick late last week and passed in on to Bailey, so instead of getting ready for Christmas (we are going to be celebrating on the 23rd since Hubs has to work on the actual day) I have been dosing out orange juice and medicine, wiping noses and getting sneezed on.

I think Christmas dinner might have to be from whatever is in the freezer. There is a pork roast, so there is potential. We have carrots and potatoes, too and I could throw together a salad, but man, oh man, I was really looking forward to that cheesecake. Maybe if Hubs gets home early enough I sneak out to the grocery store after the kids are in bed. Fingers crossed. . . .

Thanks For All The Cool Stuff

This pic is for Mom (who got a computer for Christmas) of Sophie wearing the jumper she bought her for Christmas and if you look real close you can see Bailey waving around some of his new Thomas trains.
Thanks for the cool shirts, Mandy and Andy. Try not to look too closely at Sophie's hair (way to not draw attention to it, Trisha!) Bailey is even all decked out in his Thomas belt which he calls a seat belt and insists on wearing whenever he is in the car.
Working hard on a Tigger creation and
Sophie trying to squeeze water out of her cotton swab (we only had one brush so I had to improvise). Although it was rough going at first (she wanted to drink the water instead of paint with it) she quickly got the hang of it. Thanks Shelly and Bill.

There's A Bird Butt In The Fridge

How do you know when Christmas time is drawing near? When you wake up one morning and find a bird butt in your fridge, of course!!

We will be celebrating Christmas here a little early because Hubs has to work on the actual day, so today I went shopping for Christmas dinner, which will most likely end up being Christmas lunch bleeding over into Christmas dinner. (Would it surprise any of you to know that I purchased five different kinds of cheese today?!?!?) And that is where the bird butt comes in.

The bird was in the fridge to defrost when Bailey went to get some juice this afternoon.

"What's this Mommy?" he asked.

"It's for Christmas dinner. It's a turkey."

"What's turkey?" he asked wrinkling his nose.

"It's a bird, like chicken."

"Grooooosssssss, there is a bird butt in the fridge!!" Bailey said quickly shutting the door.

Now, if only I can figure out the best wake to bake that bird butt. And, not a word if it is dry- it's my first time making turkey.

It Wouldn't Be Christmas Without It

Every year at Christmas Hub's Mom goes into a cooking frenzy like I am sure most other mothers do. Of all the fried chicken and mixed rice and clam chowder that she makes, Hubs likes the custard the best. No worries, she makes LOTS of it. Enough to eat after dinner and enough for everyone to take home. But, this year, the parents-in-law are headed to Okinawa over the Christmas weekend. Poor Hubs, that means no custard!!

So, in all my let's make the holidays the best they can be full of emotion-ness, I decide to tackle making custard from scratch last week. I followed the recipe exactly and although it looked fine, it didn't taste fine AT ALL. I couldn't even pretend to like it and ended up just throwing it all out. I could try it all again, but instead I went to the grocery store and got a mix and refrigerate box and now, it is all whipped up and just chilling in the fridge waiting for Bailey to get home so we can taste test it together.

Give me another few days and I might work up the courage to try it from scratch again, but right now I need to get that bad taste out of my mouth before I even think about trying again.

What about you? What kind of foods mean Christmas to you?

Christmas Continues.....

The Christmas cake Bailey and I made together. The sponge cake was store bought, but the frosting was homemade and the berries were arranged (and quiet a few eaten) by Bailey.

Nothing says Christmas like new hats!

On Christmas morning, one last picture before tearing into the presents.

I don't think there is anything worse than being hungry and calling up your local Pizza La, ordering that delicious, tempting new pizza and having them say the wait will be about an hour for delivery.

To make matters whose Hubs is also hungry and so there the two of you are watching the clock. The hands refuse to move. You check the battery. Shake it, but it seems stuck. You turn on the TV to distract yourself and find a cooking show. This is not helping......

So, for your sake and mine, I will give you a few more pictures from Christmas, in hopes that by the time I hit publish the pizza will be here.

Streching It

The Christmas cake, cheese fondue and roast beef are all gone.

The presents have all been unwrapped and the candy almost gone from the stockings.

The new books have been read and the new toys have been played with.

Pictures and videos are waiting to be shared, but before I take down the tree and find a place for all the new toys, I am gonna sit back and listen to my favorite Christmas CD one more time and enjoy a candy cane in my marshmallow hot chocolate. I am not quite ready for the magic of Christmas to be over.

From Our House To Yours

Wishing you the very best of the holiday season and a happy and joyous new year.

Patchwork

I feel the need to ramble, so that is what I shall do.

Santa's workshop. As an elementary school student, there was nothing finer than going in with the ten dollars Mom had given me and coming out with presents for my parents and two sisters and if I was lucky enough a little something for me, too. Jelly bracelets, scented pencils and Christmas ornaments just to name a few of the delightful gifts that could be had for a little bit of nothing.

Continuing in that fine tradition, I took Bailey to the mall last Sunday so that he could pick out gifts for Daddy and Sophie. I won't spoil the surprise, but I will say that Sophie got a great gift and Daddy got, well, something I think Bailey himself wanted. I'll have to remember to take and post pictures!

After a long, hard fifteen minutes of shopping, Bailey turned to me and said, "Mommy, I need coffee!"

Learning. Every once in a while I get bit by the study bug. I tossed around the idea of taking cooking classes (too expensive) or flower arranging (too hard for someone with little to no artistic sense) and decided on Japanese class (mainly because it is free and I can choose my own schedule. Today was my first class and while all we did was chit chat, it was fun and I am looking forward to going back next week.

Partying. Tomorrow, I will teach an English Christmas lesson at Bailey's day care. There will be a visit from Santa, crafts and other various forms of madness. We had to pay 500 yen (about five dollars) to help fund a Christmas stocking filled with treats and a small toy and if nothing else, I get to spread a little Christmas cheer and that is always a good thing.

So, this is wear I should tie it up neatly and make it all pretty with a shiny, red bow but all this randomness has left me a little (more) scatterbrained and I am throwing caution to the wind (with a deliciously decadent run on sentence) and forgoing bows this year. Sometimes, it is in randomness that true gifts lie.

One Step At A Time

The Facts:
I am American- always have been, always will be.
I have been living in Japan for almost eight years and I pretty much know what is expected of me.
My MIL was born to Korean parents but has lived her entire life in Japan. Although she just recently acquired Japanese citizenship, she is and always has been Japanese.
In Japan, it is considered rude to not give a return gift. This means that if I give a present to A, then A has to give a gift in return.

Having said all of that, MIL has agreed to let me give my niece and nephews presents this year. When I first met my MIL, I believed that we could somehow find a common ground seeing as we are both considered foreigners, but that was not to be. The difference is I was born and grew up in a foreign country while she was born and grew up here.

I am sure that I will get an earful when we meet at her house to exchange presents. My only wish for this Christmas is that somehow, someway we can bend instead of break. Life is too short and too precious to be spent angry and resentful.

A new year, a new start is waiting just around the corner.

Update

I can hear them talking from where I sit in the computer room.

It is not going well. Mother and son hashing it out for almost an hour now.

Guilt falls and settles around me. How could something meant to be good turn out so bad?

It Goes Deeper Than The Gifts

The conversation went something like this:

MIL: I don't think you should buy presents for your nephews and niece for Christmas this year.
Me: Oh, I already bought some things.....
MIL: Why? Now your sisters-in-law are going to have to spend more money on YOUR kids.
Me: They don't have to. I don't expect a return gift. This is something I want to do for the kids for Christmas. Christmas is important to me .
MIL: Think about your Sisters-in-law. Maybe they don't have money to spend.
Me: I understand. I have presents for Bailey and Sophie, too. Can't we just tell the kids they are from Santa?
MIL: You know, New Years is more important HERE.
Me: I do. I am sorry.

I feel.... angry but mostly hurt and I have no idea what to do next. I can't return the presents without a receipt and since I bought them back in October, the receipts are long gone. Why does everything have to turn into a battlefield?

I compromise on lots of things. I am not trying to be rigid or stuck in my ways. it is just that when you are far from home sometimes you hold on to things tighter. Christmas is one of those things for me.

Guess tomorrow I will find myself again back at Mister Donuts, trying to sort this all out.

Searching For The Perfect Gift

Dear Momma,

After seven years of being in Japan, I am sure I have given enough chopsticks and folding fans to last a life time. Coming up with something original but something you can also use is getting a little, hum, well challenging.

If I had been on top of things I could have gotten you the 6.58-karat diamond that the Tokyo Tax Bureau recently auctioned off, but for some reason they wouldn't accept a C.O.D. order- go figure.

Then I thought about donating an underused pedestrian bridge from Osaka to a developing country in your name, but I wonder how I would get it there.

There is always the new mobile phone for women from NTT DoCoMo that can predict your menstrual cycle and an emergency button that you can make ring to get out of an awkward situation. But, I don't think that is quite what I am looking for.

So, whatever I find to send you just know that it comes with love and hopefully it won't be broken, crushed or unrecognizable when it gets there.

Love,
Trisha

(All fun facts provided by Metropolis, Japan's number one English magazine.)

Something's Missing

"Shhh, be quiet," it giggled from behind me and I decided to play along. If I don't see it, it can't see me. Quiet for a few minutes so I thought it was safe to turn around. There it was creeping closer and closer. Now I am caught up in the pre-holiday whirlwind and loving every minute of it.

Since I, unfortunately passed my cold/ stomach thing on to Sophie I decided to stay home and wrap presents while she napped. I brought all the presents into the living room. Found that little bit of paper from last year in the back of the closet and the new rolls we bought at Costco. The bows that I had hidden under the bed so Bailey wouldn't try decorating his sister again, no problem. Name tags? Who needs them when some of Bailey's old drawings cut up are cute and colorful? A pen and scissors from the cup on the computer desk and I settle in with Christmas music playing in the background and a cup of hot chocolate by my side. I measure, cut and then it hits me..... no tape. No tape, no wrapping.

Oh well, at least there was hot chocolate.

Holiday Cooking Blogger Style

The holidays are a little different here in Japan. No oven for baking Christmas cookies or turkey. So, I have to improvise a little. One of the dishes I try to make every year is french onion soup. I will include the directions for baking it although I use the microwave to melt the cheese.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. margarine or butter 3 large Spanish onions, peeled, sliced 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) beef broth 3 cups cold water 1 bay leaf 6 slices French bread, toasted 1 cup Shredded Swiss Cheese 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
MELT margarine in large skillet on medium heat. Add onions; cook about 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add broth, water and bay leaf; stir. Cover; simmer 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf. PREHEAT broiler. Ladle hot soup evenly into 6 ovenproof bowls; top each bowl of soup with a toast slice. Sprinkle evenly with cheeses.BROIL 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Now head on over to Overwhelmed's to see more great recipes or to add your own.