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Noah is currently a level 4 in swimming and for an ichinensei about to be ninensei that’s actually pretty awesome. The only trouble with this right now is that we are having a time scheduling conflict with both of the boys. This happened for 1 year when Branden was going to swim club if you remember and the decision was to let Branden take the free swimming bus. To and from swim club to our housing community about 1 block away, was the drop off and pick up from our house. Keep in mind, I took Branden to swim school from age 4, once a week sometimes twice a week (a few years he did twice a week and most years he did once a week is why) with a squirmy baby and toddler Noah. And I drove him and continued to drive Branden all the way until he was at the end of Branden being in the 2nd grade. I heard from mom’s in our housing community they were starting to send their kids via the bus. Music to my ears. : ) Keita-kun and Saya-chan if you remember were 2 of the many that were taking the swim bus. Branden loved it. And I do mean loved it. He got 25 minutes on the bus with friends they could bring drinks and bus snacks. Noah was going to yochien and I was taking Noah to swim club also, Noah started swim club from age 3. And honestly taking the both of them plus rushing to and from 2 schools was a bit exhausting and so yeah, when Branden’s friends started taking the swim bus, I thought, “it’s free. And he will be with friends, so why the heck not.” Know what I mean. Plus it gave me time to unpack Noah’s swim bag. Pick up Branden from the plaza. Yadayadayada, Make sure Branden's swim bag was packed, bring both boys home and, a toddling yochien aged Noah and I would go walk Branden down the ped path and wave him a goodbye. And to swimming school Branden went and back home for me to cook and Noah to run and play in the safety of the backyard. While I cooked. So it was a win win for all...all those years ago. Flash forward to now. And I have been faithfully taking Noah to swim club, since age 3. He switched from the B course to the C course so I’d have enough time to pick up Branden also. And many times I am flying down the road (trying to drive as safely as possible though). Trying my best to get Noah on time. We do always make it, by the skins of our teeth. Dinner doesn’t get done unless I prep and make it in the day. Which I always do on swim nights. Branden sits at swim school with me doing his homework, poor kid, like he did all this past year. It is honestly really hard for Branden because there are many babies and toddlers running around and screeching and squealing as normal babes do. : ) And well.... it’s hard for Branden to study with all the noise. Toddlers are attracted to the “older brother” type Branden is and come up and say...whatcha doing? : ) Bless their hearts. “I’m doing my homework” he says happily. And well, more often then not it’s hard for Branden to study, he’s a good kid and a kind kid, but it is hard for Branden to study there. We get home so late. We are all just exhausted swim nights. Noah is an amazing swimmer. He’s such a little fish. But all this past month, I have been thinking, why doesn’t Noah start taking the swim bus? Our schedule is so tight on swim nights. However, the thing is.....we don’t know of anyone still taking it besides Saya-chan, Branden’s classmate. Also, Noboru thinks Noah is absolutely way too young and small to be taking the swim bus and isn’t really comfortable (Branden didn’t start taking the swim bus until the end of his 2nd grade year, Noah is barely the end of his ichinensei year and way tinier then Branden was at this age). Consider about 5 different elementary schools all use this private swim club, so there are a great deal of kids we don’t know. So again it is a bit worrying sending Noah to swim club unsupervised. He’s so small. Then I had an idea. Why can’t Branden go with Noah? It would be a win win situation for everyone. Branden has been asking to go back to swim club for years. Branden’s favorite sport in the entire world is swimming. He’s lives and breaths for swimming. He really hates running and marathons are a bleh time of year for Branden. But swimming anytime anywhere....he’s there! So, I asked Branden, “Noah might be starting the swim bus, if that were the case would you be interested in going with Noah?” His reply YESYESYES!!!! I also told Branden, Noah swims on a different lane as you of course. You don’t have anything to do, other then have fun at swimming and enjoy it!. Just hang out with your brother on the bus to and from, that's it. Which you all know how close they are anyways. I mean, I woke up this morning and I was looking for Noah, he wasn’t in his bed, found him cuddled up in Branden's bed hugging Branden fast asleep. So starting from April 1st. Both Branden and Noah will be swimming twice a week now, same swim course D swim course, which means they have time to come home eat supper, do homework then walk the 1 block down the ped path to the swim bus. I will still go to swim club once a month to watch the boys and then I’ll drive home. Since class is an hour and a half. But....from April 1st, they will be having a blast together at swim school and cruising the bus together. All paperwork has been filled out already and a new swimsuit bought for Branden. And he’s ready and Branden is so thrilled and happy about it, you guys. He gets exercise, gets to participate in his favorite sports twice a week plus hang with his baby brother chat with his old favorite coaches. Plus Noah gets to start taking the bus, Noah has never taken a bus and he's looking forward to it. Plus I can be home and do after dinner clean up. Everybody wins. The coaches asked me to bring Branden to swim this month once when Noah swam so they could see what his skills looked like these days. So Branden did attend swimming once in March 2 weeks ago because, the coaches wanted to see his moves. Noah was in the pool also. And so proud his big brother was in the pool. The coaches said they were impressed with Branden’s speed since he hasn’t been at the club for 2 years. He did tell them he swam for our town school this past summer and he’s planning on doing the same this summer also. Never did I imagine when Branden was a 4 year old and Noah was learning to crawl upstairs of the swim school would they someday be in the pool in the same swim course, different lanes though. That’s actually kind of cool. : ) And now I can prepare a nice fresh hot dinner on swim school nights. Also, this means that the boys will also be taking a 1 year absence from Kumon, because the swim bus only goes to our housing community on Monday and Thursdays which is the same exact days as our closest and most convenient Kumon. Which is fine they will be back to Kumon after Noah finishes swimming and gets his swimming trophy. It should only take a year. Plus they have both been in Kumon since age 3 and their grades at elementary school are wicked. Absolutely no worries about their studies whatsoever. So many many changes starting April 1st around here. : ) And I did tell the swim club, I do not want Branden is the sports course, 6 days a week type thing. He’s just there for fun. And he is swimming in the level 1 lane so he will get a great workout with kids in the same level as him.
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| 2 weeks, ago I started to have the boys walk to school, together in the mornings. Our particular elementary school it's not a mandatory walk to school. My husbands shogakko when he was growing up, it was mandatory to walk. : ) When we were leaving to Guam that last Friday morning when we went last time. I saw a small handful of kids walking to school from our housing community. They were smiling and 2 of the girls were 6th graders. And I thought wow, their time is almost up.... regarding to walk as an elementary child with randoseru. And that got me thinking. This coming April when the new school year starts for us in Japan. Branden will be a 6th grader. Wow! It happened so fast you guys. Too fast. Anyway, I was thinking, this is a very special time for Branden and Noah, their last year to enjoy it at school together. Next year they won't be in the same school and maybe never again. This could be their last time, their paths cross being in the same school. And that got me thinking, big time. That I should let the boys walk to school just in the mornings. Just until it gets cold out, then they can get a ride again in October-ish. or whenever it grows cold around here. But seriously from now all up until October they should walk together. This is their last chance. Last chance at the 2 of them and their elementary kid type innocence, ykwim, both of them in their randoseru's. Being elementary kiddos. Cruising to school. And so, I brought it up to Noboru and the boys. And they sorta thought it was a great idea too. So, from about 2 weeks ago, they started walking in the mornings. This is their time.....their brother bonding time. : ) And with the both of them also both swimming together starting from April, this is going to be a very cool last year for both Branden and Noah. |
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| I stand on my front porch with yoga pants and a long sleeve since it's still chilly in the mornings and I wave until they turn left between these 2 houses and take the ped path. They have been enjoying their morning walks. And I still swing around and pick the both of them up after school. |
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| Anyway, what else have I been up to....I caught the Cindy Crawford interview on the OWN channel. She's amazing and gorgeous. She's a superly smart lady. She values family. I really enjoyed watching her interview. |
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| One random lunch I had a week or so ago. During school days, I am usually running full throttle until the end of the night when I'm running on fumes. Lunches have to be quick and fast and hopefully make it into my mouth as quickly a possible would be even better. Grilled cheese and pickles one day. Then a quick run outside, whack the blankets with my futon stick. Run upstairs fold clothes from dryer. Bits of this and that. And done, presto change-o. Time to pick up the boys and get dinner going. : ) |
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| I grew up chasing the ice cream man in America. Now I chase the sweet potato man! Hahaha! : ) However, this one was bought at my local grocery store though. Again, I was at the store at 10am. Doing some weekly shopping. Thinking, I, better get something for lunch. Whole store smells like freshly roasted sweet potato anyway. So, quick lunch 100 yen and I ate this as soon as I unloaded the groceries at home. Boy oh boy do I love the smell and taste of a freshly roasted sweet potato. |
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| A Saturday night dinner a week or so ago. Homemade pizza getting ready to get toppings and be whacked in the oven. |
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| My crust is so crispy! You can tell in this picture. I made a half and half. Half pepperoni and mushroom and the other half just pepperoni. |
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| Moving along....what else have we been doing....well, we went to a festival. The same Sunday we went and had yakiniku. |
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| People were waiting in line for tofu. |
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| I saw a man selling tacos. Obviously I had to try one! |
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| It was really good! All white meat, salsa and guacamole and everything. Price was a little high 500 yen for such a tiny taco. But it was a good treat. : ) |
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| I also had strawberries. Branden and Noah shared a bag of fries and each had a choco banana. |
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| Noboru had stomach intestines and something else. : ) |
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| I watched 19 and Counting, The "Duggars Do Asia" as the screen says. And was looking forward to watching them go to Japan. I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. |
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| Jim Bob and his sons all learned how to be "samurai" Hahaha. That's how they explained it for American TV. : ) |
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| All of the girls dressed up and wore Kimono and stuff. Good episode. This coming week they're going to China. (update, I saw that episode last night when they went to China, it was a great episode too) |
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| A pic without the plastic top cover. |
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| Cake on the bottom. |
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| We enjoyed it a lot. : ) |
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| This past Monday morning. The sky was gray and it was drizzling rain. Not buckets, but it was raining. And 1 farmer burning a fire in the background. I'll zoom up. |
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| Smells like camping. I like the smell of camping especially on a chilly day like Monday. |
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| I made pancakes this past Monday morning for all of us. And in an hour, we're heading to Nishimatsuya, and to this other shop that has socks for the boys. And the cheap meat store and possibly we're heading to Saizeriya for dinner. This post was written on Monday. I just didn't have the time to publish it. So it's a bit behind, but it's okay, I think. : ) What have we been doing? Enjoying Spring break. I haven't been online too much this week since the boys have been home. I'm just enjoying my time with Branden and Noah. Today the weather was nice so the boys played soccer with their friends from the neighborhood. And now they are at Kumon for their last lesson, since they are taking that 1 year hiatus. I can see some teeny tiny changes in the potatoes in the backyard. Anyway, Branden and Noah should be calling me soon to pick them up so hopefully I can get this posted today. |
Hope all of you really and truly have a very Happy Halloween. Here's a little Halloween post of the things our family has enjoyed this season. For Halloween 2011. Isn't that a beautifully carved Jack O' Lantern! I think the family did really well this year. A very happy Mr.Pumpkinhead indeed!
We had 4 floating and glowing illuminated Jack O' Lanterns where the flowery hanging baskets usually hang. All October, as people would get their evening walk and stroll done in our housing community, you'd see people walk by our house smile and point. We get a kick out of that every year. That it makes others just as happy as it makes us. The carved Jack O' Lantern sitting between Branden and Noah. I used the night time setting and my gosh this looks like broad daylight almost right? The flash went on and everything, yesterday/Sunday night when we took our yearly Halloween family photo.
And this is where he sat all weekend. We gave him the best spot on the porch. That way he could see all the passers-by.
A bit blurry, but I did try. Anyway, this is how it looks at night if you were to come to our home in October. Scarecrow and Fall time wreath on the door. And the 2 lights that are on the front porch we switched from a regular little bulb to an orange flickering Halloween light bulb for the month of October.
Here's a better shot. We also have the other side of the house and the one other pumpkin head floating over there but it's hard to get a pic of the entire house from the front, because it can't all fit in 1 frame. I guess if I walked a little bit down the block that would help, but this picture shows a better idea anyway with this pic.
The spooktacular caramel apples the boys and I made!
The family pumpkin carving we did.
And not to forget the fun Halloween festivities we enjoyed at Tokyo Disneyland as well.
This morning as soon as Branden and Noah were sent to school, I started baking some cupcakes, some for us, some for friends. Halloween cupcakes.
Close-up of the Halloween cupcake liners. We had many different types of orange and black sprinkles. Some were just regular colored sprinkles and some in neat little shapes like, orange Jack O' Lantern shaped sprinkles and black bat sprinkles too. : )
These 3 plates are going to 3 other families. Just wanting to bring some friends some Halloween cheer as well. So, 1 set of cupcakes is going to Kaito/Kouiki's family. And the other went to the Kumon sensei already when I dropped off Branden and Noah after regular school today. And the final cupcake plate will go to my friend right down the lane from us, I'm also saving her a caramel apple. : ) She lives in the same community as us.
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