Mother's Day

I know, I know I'm a bit late posting this but, I mentioned I would be at the movies this Monday and working Tuesday and Wednesday. So this is my first day to actually get a chance to post this. About a month ago, Noboru and the boys asked me, what I'd like for Mother's Day. Hmm, that was a tough one. Don't need anything at all, I thought. Time passed some. And then, I thought, and sorry if this sounds dorky or cheesy at all. But honestly the best thing in the world to me, is spending time with my family. So at dinner about 10 days ago, I mentioned finally what I'd like for Mother's Day. Why don't we go to karaoke as my gift. That way we can all enjoy it. And we can all have fun! Everyone agreed, that was perfect! So last Sunday, I slept in a little bit. I did do 2 loads of laundry knowing I'd be busy the next 3 days. And just hung out here at home. My entire family went with me for my morning walk around the neighborhood, Mother's Day morning last Sunday, though they go with me most of the time anyway if they're home. That also made me smile. And then around 2:40pm we headed to karaoke so we'd be there from 3-5pm. Two full hours. Unlimited drink bar included. If you get there before 4pm it's a cheaper rate and the free drink bar.

Looking for a song.

We were to go out for ramen afterwards and we did. So we just had two baskets of fries and the melon sodas, melon slurpee type drinks. Orange slurpees and they really had a full range of drinks, iced coffees, iced teas everything. Even the frozen slurpee type drinks.

Hi Noah!

Noboru sang so many songs. So did, I. Branden sang about 5 and Noah sang about 2.

Smiles! Yep, I think I picked the best "gift" this year. We had ourselves a blast.

Noboru sang, a song by Queen. What makes this hilarious, is we all sang back up!

Noah singing backup for daddy's song! Branden also joined in after!

One of the songs I sang! I hope everyone else had a Happy Mother's Day too. : )

Movies with friends this coming Monday and also the Dark Shadows movie with Johnny Depp opens in Japan next week and a few other bits

This coming Monday, I have a movie date with my girlfriends, Noriko and the Jogo-san. We are going to the morning movie and then to lunch, while all our kids are at school. We will be going to see the Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts movie, Larry Crowne. Our friendship is a good one, one that lasts whether our kids all attend the same yochien and even beyond. Their girls all go to the same shogakko, in the small city nearest us. While Branden and Noah attend the shogakko off in the inaka. But we all still live close. Have tons in common and it’s just a match. I can’t wait to see them this coming Monday. And the movie and lunch afterwards is just icing on the cake really. : )

Dark Shadows starts in the US, today, May 11th for them. But for us in Japan it starts May 19th. So a week delay, so that’s not too bad. I keep seeing the previews on TV here and they look so funny. I can’t to see that movie. Noboru and I will be going to see this as soon as it comes out. I can’t wait. It looks hilarious.

My working partner quit. We have worked at the 2 hoikuens together since last July. Last month, we taught, I went into her car so we could go over the days lesson like we usually do before we enter the school. And she said, “I’m quitting work and so today is my last day” Talk about shock. @_@ I said...who will replace you? She said, oh she will watch today's lesson so she should be here any second. Double shocker. @_@ She arrived and entered the car in the backseat. She watched our April lessons both of them. When we entered the hoikuen. My working partner said to the hoikuen...today is her last day. The look of utter shock on the hoikuen staffs face also. @_@ I see they were as stunned as me. : ) So anyway....I’m working with someone else now. I work with her for the month of May twice. And that will be, this coming Tuesday and this coming Wednesday. My last working partner and I knew each other so well, from teaching that our teaching together was seamless the lessons went flawless..... we could teach together the kids would laugh the hoikuen teachers would get into it even. I would know what she was about to say before she said it and vice versa. I hope my new working partner and I become like that. I know it will take time.

TV Talk. I’ve been watching so many good things on TV lately. The Client List with Jennifer Love Hewitt! This is a new TV show. And it’s a hit already. It’s such a good show. Long Island Medium. American Dad. Family Guy. Welcome to Sweetie Pies, this is a reality show and it’s on the OWN channel (Oprah Winfrey Network). I also like watching House Hunters and House Hunters International is really good. Love It or List It is also a great show. I also like to watch this show called Disappeared, it’s about a person who just vanished, usually abducted. And they show you their story. Who they were as a person. And then who took them. And I still watch Cold case, this is more a TV show and actors and stuff versus it being real like in Disappeared, but Cold Case is good also. And I like the character Lily Rush. It’s hard not to like her or feel for her. Cold Case comes on like 3 times a week and they’ll have a few hours of them. So I look forward to watching those also.

Sister Wives is starting back up again and I’ve been seeing the previews for the upcoming season, I can’t wait.

I’ve still been walking like crazy. even yesterday morning after I sent the boys to school, and hung the laundry. I went for a 20 minute walk through my neighborhood. Came home and then cleaned the house. At noon I was done and then just sat and enjoyed TV for the rest of my Friday.

I’m sure by now most of you have heard that the Beastie Boys Adam “MCA” Yauch has passed away at age 47 of cancer. This left me feeling incredibly sad.I grew up listening to the Beastie Boys. probably one of my all time favorite groups. I remember buying licensed to Ill all those many many years ago. Paul Revere. Girls. Brass Monkey, gee the list goes on. As years and albums passed..., Hello Nasty, (Intergalactic, is amazing), Ch-Check It Out. etc. etc. etc. Just very sad.

Paul Revere lyrics...”"Now my name is MCA, I got a license to kill, I think you know what time it is, it's time to get ill....”

Those of you with Blogger, do you like the new changes? Have you gotten used to the changes? You know, at first I was afraid blogger was making such big changes, I'll be honest. I was greatly worried. the first time I uploaded some pictures on this blog with the new interface, I was worried. Would I like this? I usually share a lot of pics and if I can't put pics up or have trouble doing so. Maybe I won't like this new updated system. but you know what, having used it now for a few weeks. I really like it. And I'm even getting used to it. So, not bad at all. Even regarding pictures, some things are even easier then before.

Happy Saturday everyone. : )

PS, yes my health check. Everything went fine. I have no problems with my cholesterol, it's actually a tad low (the bad cholesterol what you don't want high at all, is a tad low and the good cholesterol, like found in avocados etc, my test for that cholesterol was normal), so they were quite happy with my cholesterol levels and so was I). My mammogram was clean. My blood pressure is fine. No cancer anywhere. Basically I am in perfect health. However, they said I am slightly iron deficient, just ever so slightly. And to take an iron supplement, which I bought a box for like $2.30 US (cheap) And I've been taking them daily. Noboru on the other hand has slightly high blood pressure. This worried me about Noboru. But other then that, he's healthy also.

Golden Week happenings: Bbq, family board game night, homemade pizza and chicken parmesan, going for walks and playing with clay

Last week was Golden Week for us in Japan. Except for the boys had 2 days of school mixed in, last Tuesday and Wednesday. Last Tuesday with both Branden and Noah at school, Noboru and I decided to spend some quality time together and go out for a walk together. Our housing community is towards the right and up the hill, for this walk we left the housing community and walked the country roads.The rice has been planted in most of the fields now.

Rice fields, rice fields everywhere.

You ever see those bonfire type fires in the inaka. Sometimes they burn weeds, rice stalks etc. But on this day they had bamboo tied and bundled. We can see and smell this from our house. Smells good, just like camping.

The grandma and grandpa farmers in our area are so awesome, I enjoyed walking passed their huge gardens and took a peek at what they are growing this season.

About to hit the bamboo type foresty type area.

Still walking and chatting, greeting people saying good morning as we passed by anyone. 3 farming grandma types were having a snack and a tiny rest near these flowers as we walked passed. Good morning we said and good morning they said back.

And now into our housing community we are now on the home stretch. And only a 35 minute walk. But still 35 minutes is not too shabby either though. : )

During Golden Week it rained twice. No worries we still barbecued anyway. Had the meat sliced and marinated since morning. We were doing something, Kumon? Swimming? Something, I forget now but there was a reason we got such a late start to the Bbq, no matter though not rain, nor the darkness could keep us away from the delicious yakiniku we ate that night.

I had the chicken marinating in one bag in the fridge all day and the beef in another. And of course some veggies also.

Remember that pack of clay I bought the wrong one, before Noah started the first grade? Well one day during Golden Week last week since weather wise, it was so nice and the boys asked to go outside and create some stuff. I said go and have fun kids!

It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Didn't cost a single thing, since we had the clay already by accident, they were enjoying this outside, it was just really a nice way to spend an afternoon. After they made the things they created they painted them. 

Not sure if you can see the rice field has been planted from this pic, but you could for surely see from the walking pics above. Anyway you can hear light croaking and hear water trickling sounds. It's a nice season to live here in the inaka.

Some of our meals during Golden Week. I roasted 2 whole chickens, so this night we had homemade mashed potatoes, roasted chicken, and then we had stuffing and gravy and biscuits. Sure I could have made a green veggie, but this was more then enough for us.

Sweet and sour chicken. We had this with rice.

This is how I buy my pasta these days, fresh and it's pretty delicious. Just takes a few minutes in boiling water.

Chicken Parmesan on top of some fresh pasta. We also had a simple salad with this and a baguette of bread from the bakery that I sliced and with butter. Very filling and so good.

What else did we do for Golden Week. Noboru and I got the flowers planted in the planters for the front porch. Horse trough planters.

Bright beautiful and red.

With our automated watering drip system for flower planters, we don't even need to go out and water them, the timer is set and at the certain time they get watered.

Can't even see the sprinklers from the front. Can't wait until these flowers grow even bigger.

We also planted the hanging baskets but we picked the red flowers off so they can grow back thicker.

Washed the front porch with a brush. Just basically taking care of the house inside and out. Type of stuff.

One night we went out to eat some Chinese food at the Ohsho.

Same night as the Ohsho, we went home had showers real quick and then we played a board game. Sorry! We played 2 rounds.

The boys loved playing this so much! Noboru and I had a blast also.

Picked these up while the boys and I were doing some grocery shopping during Golden Week. This was so good!

So one night after dinner we all had the pancake ice cream sandwiches. and another night after dinner we had shave ice.

Bought a laundry pole from Amazon.jp a Sekisui brand one, a good price, was quite happy about the price.  And let's see what else, did we do during Golden Week.....

Saturday, knowing Golden Week was almost over. I made the dough from the morning. And around 4pm, we all had pizza and salads.

Two pizzas that is. Enough for lunch for the next day.

Sliced up and missing pieces already. We had sodas, salad and pizzas and ate as a family.

Sunday morning (yesterday), I had asked the boys if they'd like to come with me on one of my morning walks through the neighborhood. They both said yes. I thought, last day of Golden Week, some quality time with my boys. But you know life never really turns out the way you planned, right? So, Noboru is home, on his lap top, waving us good bye, We are all dressed, teeth brushed. Ready to leave right out the door in 2 seconds and Keita-kun pulls up on his bike. Branden says, my mom, and brother and I are going for a walk. "great" he said, "can I come too?"  Branden comes into the house and says, he wants to come. Okay wasn't the alone time I had in my mind granted. But you know what, my sons have friends, really good friends. And they like me. So, who am I to say, no you can't. : ) So, I came outside and he asked can I come? I said, for sure Kei-chan, let's go! He's a very sweet boy by the way. And so off the 4 of us went. : ) And then....as we were walking down the street here comes the "Jinbei boy" riding a unicycle. he's far away so he nicely shouted, Hi Good morning! I said....Good morning!!! (in Japanese of course) What are you doing, he asked??? Yes it was obvious, but you know kids, so I said....walking, for exercise! : ) Can I come too? Sure, I said, let's go! So, here I was, walking with Branden, Noah, Keita-kun and the "Jinbei Boy". We walked the entire lap around our housing community. I felt almost like the Pied Piper. Anymore kids going to join our walk, you are more then welcome! : ) Anyway so we 5 talked. We walked, one peddled and one unicycled it up! All in all, a pretty fantastic walk, I'd say. Sure it wasn't the walk, I had orginally planned, but hey....honestly no worries! Truly the more the merrier.

In our housing community we have lots and lots of flower lined walk ways. Walking and bike paths. The 5 of us continued our journey through the entire housing community. 1 full lap.

I went into the house after we finished our walk and the 4 boys continued to play outside. I meanwhile pulled out my laundry and put Branden and Noah's inside shoes out to dry. All nice and clean.

Uniforms first row and half of the 2nd row. and shorts and pants, but all jeans from the 2nd load of the day also drying.

Still Sunday, when the lunch bell rang at noon, all the kids went home. Meanwhile Noah was eating pizza and salad, we had a lot left from the night before. That's his pizza to the left, he was still working on it when I clicked the pic. His salad he ate first, that is my salad in the pic.

Branden also had salad and pizza from the night before. It was a good lunch yesterday/Sunday.

After lunch the laundry was all done and dry by 12:30pm, so I said, might as well refreshen those towels. And a a few yellow colored tops also went into the wash with the towels, and they dried up quickly. By 3pm yesterday all the laundry was dried, folded and put away. And I then made some chicken curry for dinner. I put the dishes into the dish washer. Sent the boys to the shower. And I went after they came out. And we all just sorta vegged and watched TV. Enjoying some down time. We didn't do anything huge for Golden Week. But we had a nice quiet Golden Week here at home.

And yes, I am still walking either outside going for my walks, or on my treadmill every single week. I am still doing Wii Zumba, Dance Party and the Jenny McCarthy one. I'm still at it. : ) Anyway, I hope everyone had a nice weekend, and if you are in Japan, I hope you all had a very nice Golden Week.