Saturday, was spent sleeping in until 9am and then relaxing at home for the whole day. Right after Branden finished his breakfast (I made french toast for everyone) he got on his bike and went riding his bike from 10am, until noon. Of course he checked in on and off from 10am-12. He checked in like 3 times an hour, lol and never goes far from home, up to the community park, which is a block and a half away is our limit. But wears a watch, kid alarm and always travels in two's if he can, and he knew he had to come in for lunch. I fixed us all a nice lunch. He rested some and went riding his bike with friends, and I think he had his fill around 12:45 pm, because he went and put his bike in the shed and said he was done with that for the day. : ) So, he played with Noah in our backyard for the rest of the day, until around 4:00 pm. The "boy next door" and boy next doors brother, played in their backyard and they waved or talk through the fence to each other too. But, I think sometimes the kids just wanna relax and unwind in their own homes or backyards too just like us adults. So yeah, B and Noah played for hours back there. Genki is still grounded, which is a bummer though! : ( Word is he will be grounded until summer vacation starts. Double bummer, : ( We sure do miss our Genki around here! : (
This is Branden's drink cup, he uses around the neighborhood. I always fill it with some iced sun tea! And lot's of ice! That way when it's hot outside, he can bring it in his basket and drink whenever he feels thirsty. : ) I made yakitori for Branden and Noah on Saturday night. Noboru had to work a wonky shift. And the boys and I enjoyed American Idol! : )
On Sunday, we figured we are such homebodies! We stay home all the time, that a day of going shopping and having some lunch was totally in order! Besides Branden brought home a "to buy list" from his ichinensei class. The first grader's are going to begin swimming from June 12th and it will now replace the regular gym class. Because with it being summer and all (or almost summer), this does keep kids cooler. So yeah, this is the summer gym class. LOL. It will be about 1 month long or 5 weeks long, I think is more like it. Kids will learn the basics of swimming. Granted, I don't think it's going to be as precise or perhaps as technical as our regular swim club, I don't think. But you know what, I honestly don't really think it matters a bit. I think for the kids as a whole, I think this is going to be a very good class, excellent class actually. And I like that Japan requires this for everybody who's enrolled in school here, this way at least all kids in Japan will learn the fundamentals or basics of swimming and I think that's a very important thing to learn and hopefully there are less accidental drownings because of these wonderful classes. I wish in America, we would make this like a mandatory type thing too, for all first graders, I think that would be an excellent idea! I think this is actually a very cool thing! Besides, B goes to regular swim club anyway. But I think for kids that don't go to swim club or classes, this is a really excellent thing for them. And Branden is just happy he can splash and swim in the water. : ) So he's thrilled! : ) So yeah a bunch of stuff to buy for the elementary school swim class. Errr, once you have kids, the buying never stops, does it? Ha ha ha. Always something. : )
Noah on his way into the mall this Sunday early afternoon! Yup, he insisted on wearing his shades! : )
Doing some shopping! : )
We ended up going to Capricciosa for lunch! These were our starters before the meal came. We had a big salad, baguette with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and fresh tomato with basil.
Yumm the kids love salad! : )
Pizza! : )
Branden eating pizza! : )
Noah eating his 2nd or 3rd slice! : )
And 2 garlic tomato pastas! Yumm, a good lunch! : )
After lunch, we went to the Nishimatsuya in Narita! We looked for something, but didn't find what we were looking for, drats!
We then went to the grocery store, got a shit load of food. And I do mean, a lot of food! Especially now with rainy season here, I got a whole heap of meats. Definitely 7 days worth. Drinks, 7 days worth. veggies and more. Bread, only got 1 pack, and that will last maybe 2 days? I like fresh bread, so that is the one thing I will happily constantly run to the close store for. After leaving the grocery store, we hit the Starbucks drive-thru! You guys know, we've stopped in here before or talked about it too.
Hours of operation.
Waiting our turn! : )
Hmm, I know what I will order. Same thing I always order. Caramel machiatto! Duh! Ha ha ha : )
Bliss! : ) And we drove home! Not too shabby a Sunday! : )
Some of the bits and pieces of what I brought back from the grocery store are some popsicle. Ice pops, whatever! I like them because they are the least messy for my boys. This time I tried the kakigori/shave ice flavors. We will be munching these this week! Last week, I got the 20% juice ones. Next week, who knows! : )
Also, since I shop at a bigger grocery store more of a chain type thing. A cheap chain though. : ) Anyway they always got a lot of foreign stuff. Like taco stuff or whatever. Today I bought the chips and dip. Figure this week, while I am watching Desperate Housewives or Ugly Betty, I can dip some chips and relax and unwind from a long day. Ha ha ha. : )
Oh yeah, also from the mall today we got some donuts. It's been month's since we had any. So these were a nice treat! : )
On the way home, we picked up some Chinese take out. We were all still a bit stuffed from lunch. But we got some stuff anyway. : ) Yup, Sunday was a "no cooking day" at my house! : )
Just 3 orders of gyoza, that Noboru fried up for us after we put the groceries away! : ) And 1 order of fried rice! And we also had white rice at home too! So, a very simple dinner for us Sunday night! : )
Okay, so what did we manage to find throughout our shopping throughout the day? Remember I gotta send B with his swim stuff by Friday or else! So, did I get everything off my list?
First we went to Aeon first, the Aeon had a *fantastic* selection of swim wear, name brands, brand x and everything else in between. However they didn't have exactly the best looking flip flops. (sorry) And if we were going to spend 890 yen for those, we might as well spend 100 or 200 yen more, for some really wicked ones at Sports Authority. And I know that, so we left. We hit Sports Authority. Found some amazing O'Neill ones. Branden outgrew his Quicksilver ones from last year, geeze this kid grows like a weed! Anyway I grabbed the 20cm ones. And was amazed how small the 20cm flip flops were. Freakishly small, they shoulda fit Branden, but they didn't. So, we got him the flippies in 22cm. O'Neill is like a famous American swim and surf brand for those of you in the know. Anyways no big really just happy we found him a good pair! : )
I like how it has white and navy as the sole/bottom color. The two tone thing.
And I also liked how they have the name brand really big on the actual flip flop and it's in yellow, lol. And I will be sure, to write his name on part of the yellow part. Therefore no one tries to make off with B's flippies (doubt anyone would, but better to be safe then sorry, I always say). Yk, how you gotta name everything once your kid is in school.
And from the Aeon, what did we pick up while there? I'll share, I don't mind! : )
1 t shirt for Noah. Noboru saw it and grabbed it right away! He loves stuff like this! Besides with B getting all those things today, it was okay to get Noah this. And B was actually required to get all those things from the school list. So anyway, this is the shirt Noah got Sunday. : )
And this is the back of the shirt. It really is a cool shirt! : )
2 inner shirts for B in 130cm. He has quite a few in 120cm, but 120cm ones are too small. So, this month, we got B this pack. Next month we can pick up another pack of these for B, probably before we leave to America. Unless I have some free time next week, I may check my closer Nishimatsuya and see if they got some 130cm's in stock yet. These ones we got from Aeon on Sunday.
And Noah got his very own brand new swim towel today. Because he is indeed starting swim class next month! So, yeah, I am slowly gearing up for that as well! Again, it's always something. Ha ha ha. : )
This picture from a Japanese catalog, shows you guys who are not in Japan, what the standard swim outfit for swimming at elementary schools in Japan look like. Plain, basic no frills navy blue. And if you click the pic, it indeed says something like for a nice "school life" or whatever. Yup, we got sent the ol' "to buy list" last week, and it said, all kids to bring a swim suit. And they have to have their name sewn on the front of the swim suit with name in big bold letters. pretty unattractive swim choice huh? Ha ha ha. And at least the girls is semi okay. The boys outfit is really yuck! It's a skin tight, body hugging little diddy! Poor boys!
: ( Oh the humiliation of it all! Ha ha ha. I thought of just letting my son wear his board shorts or something cool, but again, I don't want my kid to stick out and wear the one oddball outfit. So, sigh, if this is what everyone is wearing. Then , Branden will indeed be showing up in this little ugly number as well! : ) Ha ha ha. Yeah and I thought the speedo for swim club was bad!!! LOL! Wink, wink! : ) But as my husband said, "water resistance". If he wears boxer style Branden wouldn't pick up enough speed. So, yeah, these skin tight numbers, it is, then, I guess! Errr! : )
Alright so, if he has to wear those kind, I figured at least I could find him the best ones I could. Best of the worst maybe? Ha ha ha! : ) I really dug these Adidas ones, with the white logo on the front, and the trademark 3 stripes down the side. So, I guess they won't be that horrible. : )
I really thought long and hard in the swim cap section. Get a navy blue cap? Hmm, could be hard to spot him in the pool with lot's of kids. I thought some more. And then I thought, it would be best for us to get him a bright yellow Adidas swim cap, that way we or the coach can easily find Branden in the pool of many kids! I didn't buy him another pair of goggles, he can wear the green ones he already has. And he has those cheap plastic swim bags already from his yochien days (a spongebob one and a Gap one that says Hawaii on it). But I decided I will just let him take his real cloth swimming school bag instead! Why? Because it has a strap, that's why, and since he does walk in the mornings, it's easier if it just hangs diagonally. Less for him to hand carry. besides his swim club, swim bag is a high quality and why spend money to buy him a whole other one, when he has one already!
So this is what he will be bringing to the elementary school on Friday or Thursday! I will have to sew the name label to Branden's swim trunks on Tuesday! But yup, I have now made sure my son and I have marked/checked everything off of our "to buy list' for his swim class at the elementary school now! : )
Noah's lucky he gets to just inherit Branden's gently used PJ's. But Branden, is the oldest so we went and got him 2 pair today from Uniqlo! I haven't been in Uniqlo in ages! They have so many new things in there, I will have to go back there on a weekday in about 2 weeks just to get a closer quiet look. Because we went on a Sunday and it was just way too crowded for my tastes. But we did find B, 2 nice pairs. These are called "room wear", house clothes whatever, but he will use these as PJ's, after bath time and such.: )
We got him the Keith Haring pair and this orange pair in 130cm and they are like short pants or, knee length shorts, if ykwim.
Just 2 pair, maybe next month we will pick him up a 3rd and final pair. : ) The prices for these were amazing! 980 yen or something for a set. The top and bottom. So yeah to get a comfy pair of cottom shorts and shirt for under/near a 1000 yen /$10 bucks, an excellent value in my book.
And here are the shorts behind the shirt.
At Kaldi, Noboru bought me a few snack things, granola bars, peanut butter pretzels for the kids, chips, and some choco chips. I will be making some chocolate chip cookies soon and didn't feel like ordering the chocolate chips from the FBC this time : ).
Kids trying on their stuff. And yes I washed everything first before I let them wear it, wear it. : ) This was just a practice run, lol. Getting into a surfer pose!
A slightly blurry pic, but a cute one still! : )
Cheesy grin and the other pair of PJ's. : )
And his swimming uniform? Errr, outfit. For elementary school. And I don't know why B stuck his tumtum, tummy out like that! You guys see pics of him at swim club all the time, he obviously doesn't have a belly at all. And he's always thin, normal weight. So, yeah, not sure why he took a pic like that, silly kid. Ha ha ha! But anyway, this gives you at least an idea of what he will be wearing for gym class this Friday and for the rest of the class session, until summer break!
Flip flop, flip flop, flip, flip! : ) He's all set and ready to start the swim class this Friday! : )
And we can't forget the little guy, here's Noah in his swim towel. We let Noah choose, and he chose Thomas. These swim towels go by size, starting from 60cm towel which is what Noah's towel size is. And they go all the way up to high school. Fwiw, the size is not having anything to do with height of kid or what size clothes your kid wears. Noah wears a 100cm top for example and 100cm pant length. But the towel is still a 60cm.
And the back with all the Thomas trains, James and everyone else! : ) We came home Sunday, unloaded all our stuff. Had a quick gyoza and rice dinner. And we all took fast showers and Noah slept after right away, and we watched American Idol. Not a bad weekend at our house at alll! We relaxed on Saturday, so I am glad, I did get to relax. And on Sunday, we went and got some shopping done, got B's swim ichinensei stuff outta the way, and then we also had a fantastic lunch and a nice good quick dinner as well. All in all, it was a very nice weekend for us over here! : )
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