Potato harvest 2014

Saturday, July 26th, the day after the haunted school thing and the actual day of the summer festival (but started at 3pm) in our housing community, which I would be working/volunteering for the kids club. Also that was the day where we were still trying like heck to get to Los Angeles, we had just decided to fly out that very night to catch the 11pm flight from Haneda to LA (which of course we couldn't get on, but at this time we didn't know) In simplest form or to put things in a nutshell, it was crazy town around our house all that week. Last minute...father's club haunted night at the school stuff for Noboru, last minute kids club stuff for me and pre-meetings infinity...clean the house before we leave on our trip plus be ready for Branden's teacher to be here, plus Noah's conference...I mean seriously each day of that particular week had non-stop stuff for us all to do. The kids were feverishly trying to get their homework done and dusted before leaving on vacation. Add the stresses of...will we get on the flight or will we not. I mean seriously this was probably *the* most stressful week for our family and the only silver lining was...at the end we'd be away on vacation...and a well deserved vacation at that...but yep, we were all running on fumes. Okay back to the pic...in the midst of all this... we were like...OMG, we forgot to dig and pull up the potatoes and to cut the gigantic zucchini. Yes, we let the zucchini get a tad too big but with the week, we had it's obviously why the zucchini was the absolute last thing on our minds. Hahaha. However...we did take 25 minutes of our day Saturday to go in the backyard and cut the zucchini and pull the potatoes. When we came back from Hawaii, we had an even bigger zucchini waiting for us when we got back. lol. 

Noah pulling out our potatoes, 2014! 

Good job sweetheart!

Branden getting right in there and pulling some out too. 

Number 1, we planted them about a month later than everyone else we know who lives near us. All our friends pulled theirs out a month ago. Hahaha. Number 2, they say you can't plant potatoes in the same soil/same exact spot as you did the year before. Fair enough, so we didn't! We planted them last year towards the end of the little row of garden, closer to the house....and this year we planted them closer to the rice fields in the back, farthest the house on our land. However, the amount we harvested last year was double this size easy! This year the amount is puny teeny tiny in comparison. Put them in a brown paper sack and put them in the veggie bin in the fridge...and ran in the house, the kids got back on homework and we did last minute stuff for our trip to LA (which didn't end up happening as we all know...we ended up going to Hawaii instead but again...at this space in time... we were.) And so we were hella busy....I had to make sure I was dressed and ready to work in 97 F type weather outside... for hours later that day. Again just crazy town around here that particular week. But yep...that is the potato harvest 2014 story. : ) 

Shave ice, zucchini from the garden, helpful kids and Noah's Ripstik fun!

We've been having shave ice (kakigori) nearly every day since summer break started. We usually use lemon, however, I was really pleasantly surprised to see mango flavored shave ice syrup at the chain store Trial. The usual flavors that can be found most anyplace, are lemon, blue Hawaii, strawberry and melon. But finding mango at a store...this was my first time seeing it... in all my time living here in Japan, so I was pretty happy. I will be going back to Trial and buying a few more bottles. The price was cheap/fair 198 yen or 220 yen something around there. Not a bad price. : ) And the flavor was so freaking good. : )

We have been getting zucchini in our backyard a couple times a week. Like every 2 days or so. It's nice. If you recall, we had bought 2 zucchini plants, but 1 died. So not bad for just 1 plant. Plus we are leaving on vacation soon and I appreciate a low maintenance garden. : ) 

Here he is...

The boys love going outside and picking a fresh zucchini every couple days. In fact we have 1 big one right now that I will have the boys go and get... as soon as I finish this post. : ) 

I don't know if it's just me or maybe I'm just weird... but I honestly really hate coming back from vacation to a dirty or messy house. So, I am really working hard this week to get the downstairs spic and span. And the upstairs clean too. I wet a cleaning rag with hot water put some creamy cleanser (generic 100 yen from Cainz/Beisia) and Branden went out there and kicked butt wiping the chairs super clean because, they do get grimy after a month. So, I appreciated he jumped right in and helped with that.

I had the table cloth already washed and hanging to dry outside in the sun, same for the rug runners, kitchen rugs.

Went outside and soaked the trash can. Noah antibacterial wiped all 3 of the trash can lids. 

I scrubbed/mopped the floor. I also scrubbed the heck out of the entrance way/genkan tiles.

A fresh clean table cloth. 

Perfectly clean tiles in the entry way. Shoes on the opposite side of when you open the door. Behind those 2 doors is a shoe closet. Windex-ed the mirror, dusted the table with pictures and plants. Gain Febreeze and mosquito spray near the door, in case I hear a car door close and a guest is approaching (our street is so super quiet it's noticable when a car goes down our street) or Branden and Noah are going outside to play and need a quick spritz of mosquito spray. : )

Brought the chairs back into the house, put the table back together. We also had Branden's teacher coming to our home Thursday for a conference. So, I just had 1 more reason to make sure it was tidy and ready for visitors. : )

The glasses and coasters waiting on the green counter waiting for the teacher. The teacher said he's 38 years old, he was married late and has an 11 month old baby (his first) he said Branden is an excellent student. He sat facing the backyard and jungle gym, he really enjoyed his visit and he stayed a whole hour, even though he was only to stay 15 minutes. Hahaha. : )  They do not have the conferences at the students house at our elementary school, but the JHS does. So a slight difference between Noah's school and Branden's regarding that. : )

I did take off the plastic table cloth that goes over the linen table cloth... but I did put it back on as soon as he left because, with kids you know how spills and accidents happen. : ) So just safer to put it back on. 

Three spic and span trash cans. That's where my mop usually goes, now it's laying down on the ground behind the trash cans though. 

In the summer it feels nice to lay on these huge beach towels on the couch. And maybe a towelket over at night to watch TV and get snuggly. : ) Ceiling fan going to keep you cool, plus the 24 hour central air is nice (and no bill since we have solar panels). It's hotter than hell outside, so it is nice to be inside and keep cool. : ) I think after we get back from California, I will take my couch stripey cushion covers off and go to the local laundry mat and wash them. The stripey covers unzip for easy cleaning and they haven't been washed in about a year, so they could use it. : ) It's always something...always something. Having a clean house is endless, it truly never ends, no matter how hard I try. But that's okay. : ) 

A quiet kitchen at night, squeaky clean floor. I went in the kitchen for a drink. 1 teacher conference down, 1 more to go. Noah's is on Friday/today 1:30pm at the school. 

The haunted night at the school is this Friday evening/tonight. Plus firework celebration. Since Branden is in JHS, and Noboru's running it, being in the Father's Club, he thought why not invite any JHS kid that would like to help "scare" or help in general and do so. : ) Only 3 or 4 kids would like to, Akira, K (he is the one we have a pic of during last weeks firework thing in our housing community and his little brother K is in Noah's class) Branden and maybe 1 more kid is coming too. Anyway Branden needed a costume. A scary one. And we didn't want to spend buku bucks because... we're just about to go on vacation so as affordable as possible. We went to Don Quijote and they didn't have as much stuff as we hoped for. : ( Also the prices on wigs were 2200 yen/$22 US. No way...for just a 30 minute- 1 hour thing, absurd. However we did buy this super creepy mask...smiling evil looking mask! It was 550-580 yen. And then we hit the Daiso, we purchased this rainbow wig for 200 yen and a tie in the costume section at Daiso. 

This is so scary...truly disturbing! Hahaha. Noah flat out said, "Branden you look really scary!" Even Branden looked in the mirror and said.."I'm frightening!" Noboru laughed. But yeah we were really creeped out... so I think the kids will get a good scare!!! : ) And he can keep this for next year's event too! : ) Branden will be in 1 dark room, nothing in there except for the 4 hanging pumpkin heads from our house that usually hang on our front porch at Halloween time. When the kids are distracted looking at the glowing pumpkins Branden will make a small noise and they will turn their heads and see this scary face!!! This is going to be so much fun! And I think Branden is such a good sport to offer to do this and help his dad out! : ) Good kid good kid! : )

Noboru went and set up the school last night. Thursday night. With his fellow Father's Club guys, the head teacher, a few guy teachers and the principal. 1 lone stuffed animal sitting in the hall waiting to creep out the kids. : )

Bones...

I shared pics of Noah's very cool, Japan only special edition Ripstik last month.... however, I forgot to share this pic of his matching helmet. He also got a 3 piece set of protective wear. You all know how nervous I was with Noah having a Ripstik in the first place : (...so needless to say, he was going to get safety equipment as well. Better to be safe than sorry. And when I was growing up, a boy my classmate at the Catholic elementary school I went to, he was a little blond Irish American kiddo he looked sorta like Thomas J from My Girl. He was 4 or 5 months older than me. Anyway, he rode on some body's back of their dirt bike. It didn't happen on our street it happened elsewhere. Anyway...long story short, he fell off or something, he was in the hospital. Skull fracture. And he had to wear a doctors helmet to protect his injury/head for a whole year after that. That just always scared me. So...while I might not be a complete nazi about helmets when the boys ride bikes (since we live in inaka-ville...and yes I know they should use it all the time, regardless but...), however with this Ripstik, I just feel better knowing he uses one. 

Noah rides this so well, so smoothly, he's a natural. Which is amazing because if I were to try, I know I'd kill myself for sures! : ) He has the elbow pads (which Noah hates, lol), hand guards (which he loves the hand guards/protectors) and he also has the knee pads which Noah loves too. 

My pale one, smiling and having a good old time. : ) 

Such a gorgeous happy boy! Love you Noah! : )

The knee protectors you really can't see, but I asked Noah to lift his pant leg and show..there they are. : )

Today's plan: teacher conference with Noah's teacher at 1:30pm. Make dinner immediately as soon as I get home after that, early is fine and we can eat it later. Dinner will be chicken parmesan and spaghetti. The haunted school fireworks thing is tonight. Come home have the kids take showers. Finish last minute packing items...though we are 90% packed for California already.

Saturday...day time I am free, but I will rest. Saturday evening I will be working the summer festival, we are eating Coco Ichiban curry Saturday night/tomorrow since I'll be busy working the festival all evening, chicken tenderloin curry here we come... this Saturday! : ). Sunday we're leaving. We are debating leaving via Narita or Haneda. Depending on how full the flight is, we might fly to like Portland or Seattle first and connect also...so that is also on the back burner too. Just superly busy these last few days. This might be the last post from me until after we get back form California. We all have Universal Studios on the brain. My list has been written and is done. I am so ready for Target and Sephora. And for lots of good foods, good eats. We have been running on fumes, running around like crazy... this whole past week, so if we can just get through until Sunday...we have made it! And we will be off...taking a break. I never blog while on vacation. I also do apologize that I have like 3 emails I have yet to reply to a few of you reading. I am so so sorry. I am a nice mom, nice wife, good yakuin/PTA leader... but I am a very bad email responder. I truly get an F minus minus on that! : ) I'll respond more than likely when we get back. Things have just been crazy town here. Boy oh boy... do we need this vacation. And boy oh boy.. do we need us some Universal Studios, Transformers ride, Minion ride, etc here we come. : )  

Preparing for the swimming competition tomorrow, My dad’s arrival to Denver complete, and a few other bits and pieces mixed in there for good measure...

Thursday, June 12th Noboru and I had a lunch date at one of our favorite Indian restaurants. I had my favorite kabocha curry, with naan and salad and a piece of tandoori chicken. It also comes with a drink, we both picked iced coffee. Noboru had the same set that I did, except he picked keema curry.  Thursday was a nice day, because the house was 98% clean/finished for the week. I did some light dusting and laundry the next day and scrubbed the sink room down real quick and then it was done done. We knew my dad's flight was set for the next day. The kids were safely at school and it was just a nice lunch date Thursday. 

Friday at 10:30am, we went to look again at the cake options while at Costco. I had thought Noboru had ordered Noah's cake already, but when I asked him about it a few days ago, he said he forgot, which is fine, believe me...it happens. So... but now we are thinking about ordering Noah a Costco cake. Here's the thing. We usually order delicious ice cream cakes from this amazing lady in Nagano and the price is comparable to the cost of Baskin Robbins cakes here in Japan too. Except hers are tastier. The only thing is, the size is always just enough with a family of 4 for each of us to get 1 normal slice of cake and then 1 super teeny tiny slice the next day. It's fine and all. And the cost is like $42 US 4200 yen or something like that. Here at Costco though...the cakes are $27 US/2700 yen... around that price and they are huge normal American cake size. So there would be enough for days! So now we are deeply swaying towards this. You can get like a Boston cream type cream inside or a chocolate whip cream inside. We are also, now thinking if we should get the balloon or soccer design. Also one more thing, it says 48 hours advance notice requested. Which is fine but we would prefer order like 2 weeks in advance if possible, is that okay too though. @.@ Again we will be back at Costco again a few more times, so we will ask the bakery folks about it on our next trip there. 

After sending the kids to school yesterday/Friday. Well Branden rode his bike first time of the week only because it was raining buckets all week except yesterday, first clear day was yesterday, so he rode his bike to school. Anyway, with the swimming meet/competition in mind and whatnot. Noboru and I ran together to Costco. Just picked up some essentials. 2 packs of pancakes which are now in the freezer. Dinner rolls. Sandwich rolls (for the swim meet). Tortillas. Big hunk of colby cheese (can be used for tostadas, enchiladas or gratin potatoes, anything really). Shredded Mozzarella cheese (we are having baked ravioli tonight). Skippy Peanut Butter. Margarine. Eggs, salad, case of yogurt (we eat tons of yogurt), provolone, sliced ham for sammy's for the swim competition and a roasted chicken for last nights supper. 

Yep you can see a hint of the yogurt hiding under the provolone cheese, but it is indeed there. : )

Lunch yesterday we had at Costco. 1 chicken provolone sandwich for me and 1 big cesar salad for Noboru. 

Aha...the peanut butter is now visible, 4lb jar of Skippy, far back left. Noah got out of school at 2:20pm, so just enough time for us to drive home to our Mayberry type town, put the food away and then I went and swung around to the plaza to pick up Noah and we went home. Branden rode home later. We had a roasted chicken, cheesy baked potatoes, steamed veggie and a simple salad. : ) 

I know Sunday/tomorrow we will be gone at the swimming competition *all day*. From at least 7am,-3pm. So laundry is out for me tomorrow. So it *has* to get done today or it just isn't gonna happen for us. So, I went upstairs early this morning and with that shoe cleanser and brush I quickly brushed 1 pair of shoes for Branden clean and 3 pair for Noah clean, tossed in the washer on the fast/quick wash and tossed outside to dry in the sun, in fact they are outside even now. I also tossed out my black ballet shoes with gold beads from Old Navy.  

Noboru's favorite gray house shorts with orange stripe from Uniqlo, Noah's jean shorts many of his are outside hanging today, Branden's green bandana he wore on Friday at school is drying out right now, their gym shirts and gym shorts are also out there now and Noah's lunch serving outfit is hanging out there too. This way, they can go back to school Monday with fresh everything and start the week that way. :  )

Potato plants are big and bushy and flowers were on top last week.  The zucchini plants are on the left, they are babies still though. : ) They need to get bigger still.

My dad has already arrived in Denver. He arrived Friday afternoon for you in America....for us in Japan, he arrived today around 11am-ish. He is now at my aunties and happy. : ) He called me at Narita airport, funny the good luck we have, just as he called, I was walking through the door with Costco goodies. I ran and picked up the phone, while he was leaving a message and we spoke for a few minutes. I wished him a lovely flight. : ) My dad called me in Minnesota for 2 minutes, just asking about the flight, I said you will have no trouble, enjoy the flight. : ) And amazing is that... the airport DIA, where I'm from (Colorado), has a complimentary 10 minute international call on their courtesy phones, so he called me to say he arrived. : ) I had been tracking my dad's flight the whole way, so I knew, but I admit, I was so happy when he called.  We are really close my dad and I, he sounded very tired, but happy. I said basically. "I love you dad, have a wonderful time and I'll talk to you in a couple days" So yep, my dad is back in Denver for his 2 week vacation now. : )

Meanwhile on the swimming news, Noah brought home a booklet... a thick one! Lists of who is swimming against who this coming Sunday/tomorrow, holy goodness so many people. I explained to my dad, "it's a half an inch thick this booklet!" hahaha. 4 swimming schools competing! 3 different swimming schools coming to our swim school for the battle. A swim school as far away as Funabashi is coming all the way here for it! 196 kids total will be competing! All our friends will be there. Noah's best friend from his yochien years H will be there. All my mama friends will be there. The only thing I am worried about is seating!??? @.@ I know our swim school only has 6 benches upstairs and well... how are 196 worth of parents going to fit upstairs on 6 benches? So seating is semi worrying for me. Lunch wise it's just gonna be simple ham and cheese with lettuce sammy's. Some fruit. Drinks. I'm not packing a 5 course meal or anything. Just as simple as possible. So today we are just sorta chilling here at home, relaxing because tomorrow, we could be upstairs with hundreds of parents. Hahaha. I'll fill you all in on that later. Noah knows we just want him to have fun and learn from this. That's it. : )

Meanwhile...Branden was given his syllabus/study guide for his final... he received it on Thursday, June 12th, his final is June 26th. He has 2 weeks to study his ever lovin' brains out, poor kid, good luck for that Branden, I know you can do it. : ) Between the midterm and the final for the semester... it seems as soon as you catch your breath from the midterm blammo, here comes the final for this semester! Yikes! Hahaha. : )

June 2014, means I haven't had many 2 day weekends during June. First week of June, I was working the kids club event. Which is fine. So I only had a 1 day weekend last weekend. And this weekend, I will spend Sunday at swimming school, for a swimming competition for Noah tomorrow. Again though no complaints, anything for my kids.... but this month, I will not get many 2 day weekends. : ) Next weekend, I have a yakuin meeting. So I think it is fair to say the final week of June, we will be *so* needing that overnight getaway near Mt. Fuji. Hahaha. It will be much needed for us all.

Swimming, both Branden and Noah start swimming at the local elementary school (for Noah) and the local JHS (for Branden) this coming week. So, I needed to pack them a swimming set, flip flops (we picked up at Old Navy both pair for 500 yen), the goggles they have them already and swim caps and stuff they already have and swimming towels they have a few each anyway, since they are swimmers anyway.

Anyway that's enough for now. Have a wonderful weekend everyone. : )

Our weekend. Going to the movies to see Oblivion, stocking up on meat and baby back ribs, hanging with good friends and potato and zucchini update

June 1st, 2013 our family went to the movies to see Oblivion. The first day of the month is 1,000 yen all day long and evening for anyone. So that's *the day* to go if you want to see a movie around here where we live. : )  I had went and purchased the tickets and picked our seats, oh geeze what day did I do that? The day the boys had observation day. That was Wednesday, I think. In America seats are first come first serve. But for the most part, in Japan you get to pick your seat. However, when we went to Narita to see that movie last month. Iron Man 3 with my friends the first show was free seating/meaning no reserving seats. So that was new to me, as far as going to a movie in Japan with no seat reserving. I'm fine either way though. Both ways are normal to me now. : )

Stadium seating. The movies are very clean. The screen rolls back when the movie starts making the screen even bigger. The movie was pretty packed. Well, about 30 people, so packed for Japan. When we went to see Iron Man 3, for Mother's Day in Guam, about 98% full movie theater about 150 people in there. But then again for $5 a lot of people will come. A lot of people did come for the 1,000 yen movie day also too though. 30 is a good amount here. : )

A happy Noah, waiting for the movie to begin.

A smiling happy Branden too. : )  About the movie. It was a good movie, I'd say a 7 out of 10. Would I go out and buy the DVD? No. Would I watch this again in an airplane? Umm, no. But it wasn't bad at all though either. It was enjoyable. Our type of movie. Kept all of our attention. We all talked about it afterwards. It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon as a family.

We caught the 12:25pm showing. And after we got out of the movie, it was near 2:30pm Meanwhile, the sale starts at 3pm at the cheap meat store. And the cheap meat store is right across from the movie theater. So we had the plan to go and get some meat after the movie and that's what we did. We got in the car, left the movie theater parking lot and parked across the street, closer to the store. And went inside and grabbed a cart. People were buying and picking meat already, but they have to wait to get the 20% off sticker at 3pm. So, we grabbed our cart and hit the meat aisle. We picked marinated miso pork this is absolutely delicious here. That's what the boys and I had Saturday night for supper. Noboru wanted that pork stir fry thing, he loves from here. Noboru had that Saturday night for dinner. We also picked 2 pork roasts, 1 pack of chicken tenders/chicken tenderloins. 2 packs of chicken breasts, 1 pack of thigh meat, and 3 racks of pork ribs. We love baby backs anyway, but plus 20% off. Heck yeah! So we quickly put the 3 racks of ribs into the basket. We now made a line and waited until 3pm on the nose. At 3pm, those who were in line were given 20% off stickers and then we checked out. And it does make our weekly meat bill much cheaper. It's all fresh meat, delicious meat we'd buy anyways, just 20% off though. So a great deal for us. : )

Potato update yet again. The potato plants are starting to look all wilty this week. As you know they did not look like this last week. However it says online, they are supposed to look like this. So, I am remaining calm. Also the rainy season has supposedly started. So we know we will pull them but we want them to have their proper growing time also. So, we just don't want to pull them prematurely, likewise we don't want to wait too late either though. But we are watching and checking them daily though.

Zucchini are growing by leaps and bounds. : )

I'm thinking we'll have zucchini ready this week some time. : ) Yay. Also at the back of my mind, I am thinking what we should plant in the place/space of the potatoes, after they get pulled.  Anyway that's also on my mind too.

Sunday, I baked a cake. Made chili concarne. You know Texas style chili beans. : )  I also did laundry, both Branden and Noah's gym clothes, red and white hat, just a regular full load.  Meanwhile Sunday the boys played.

If you are a kid,and you live in this housing community, this is the house to be! : ) I'm seriously not pulling your leg. We had a full load of kiddos out there, Sunday! They love hanging here. And it's not because we have a huge playground outside. We don't even let the kids from the neighborhood in the backyard much anymore. They just love being here plain and simple. I'm nice, the kids all know me, they all like me. They all love playing with Branden and Noah. And they're all good kids and good friends. So yeah place to have their kid meetings and hang? Our house. Hahaha. : )  Two girls and the rest all boys. Tons of boys! : )

They had the biggest game of kori oni yesterday. This was like a kori oni marathon yesterday. They were running all over, the safe spot, where you want to touch and be safe! That was our front porch! ha! : )

A-chan in the pink in this pic. She is the Jinbei boy's sister, 5th grade sister. She is so pretty. She's so nice. She always chats with me. Always. She also likes to play tennis, her and her brother playing with Branden and Noah during the week also, but Sunday they didn't play tennis.  Since it was their kori oni marathon day.: ) For those of you not in Japan, kori oni is sorta like tag. There is 1 person who is "it" and there is a base to be safe. So sorta like tag. : )

And today, Monday, it was traffic safety and the day to greet the kids walking to school. So the bright side is now I'm done for the year with that. Hahaha. : )  Phew. : ) Anyway that's what we we were up to around here this weekend. : )

Anything else to add? Branden and all the 6th graders are cleaning the school pool today. Also, Branden is making dessert sandwiches this Wednesday. So he needs to bring chocolate sauce and bread, the thin sliced bread with no crusts. I bought the chocolate sauce already and will buy the bread tomorrow. : )  Alrighty, that's all for now. : )