Branden's 15th Birthday...

Better late than never as the old saying goes! : ) Branden's birthday is October 26th. And this year he turned 15 years old! Can you believe it? What's that old saying? The days are long, but the years are short! So true...so true! : ) Anyway, while we were in Guam in early October, my dad gave Branden his birthday card in person!

My dad always wants the kids to pick their own gift. : )

Birthday card from grandma Mitsuko.

Branden thought long and hard about what he wanted for his birthday this year and he decided on a new cell phone. Branden has never has a new cell phone before. Well unless you count the "kids cell" when they were like first and 3rd graders and used it to call us from Kumon. And it's was a real kids phone, meaning it had no number key pad, you could only call, 2 numbers on it that we programmed into the phone. So it was programed to call either me or their dad. Hahaha. : ) The cell Branden had been using all JHS long was Noboru's very old cell phone. Like so outdated. The GPS or thing to see if you're lost or where you are at.... was broken years earlier. It looked years older than his friends cell phones. All his classmates at his Japanese JHS have sparkling brand new cell phones. @_@ And we just never rolled that way. We gave Branden Noboru's ancient phone and we figured as long as it worked. It was fine enough. But yes...I could see...he was embarrassed by his ancient cell many times. When friends would come hang out. I'd see Genki's new phone and there's Branden's phone that looks like it came from a decade before. Hahaha. And when they all went to that shabu shabu buffet after undokai on that Sunday. Branden said...his friends all had new cells and sorta joked how old his phone was. And I do understand how kids want to be cool... just like their other friends. Do you remember how that feels? I do. I don't think any of us reading this are so old...that we can't recall wanting to fit in. And not be the odd or weird one and my kids are popular it's just the phone was greatly bringing down the cool. And so yeah...when he said..I'd like to get a new cell this year. I said...sure. I agree. If that's what you want. So he researched it and found the phone he wanted. And we bought it from Expansy's. Only because we have bought something from them before and were really happy with that company. 

Branden had researched the phone he wanted. Watched so many "unboxing videos" on YouTube. And he wanted the new Zenfone 3. It's a new release phone. 

His last cell phone was black. And so he picked gold. And I actually think he picked a really nice color. 

This is the model he picked. And he's just super happy with his phone and I'm really happy for him. 

His birthday... so he picked the restaurant. He picked that Italian "all you can eat" buffet type place in Inzai, Japan. Can you see the screen on that table in the background? Every table orders from their own tablet that sits on the table. Also this place used to be a Saizeriya so it still sort of looks like a Saizeriya to me... but it isn't obviously. : ) Here's the items to pick in the middle. 

The pasta and wood fired pizzas are ordered on the tablets. They're made fresh as you order them.

Noboru's pasta.

Noah enjoying some ice cream after he finished eating lots of pasta and pizza.

I took pics for you guys of the center. 

Baguette. Chili oil for pasta or pizza. Tabasco. 

Salad.

Cakes...

All you can eat Haagen Dazs cookies and cream and vanilla and green tea.

The other flavors are not Haagen Dazs. 

Chocolate fondue and  snackies for dipping in that chocolate fountain.

That one that tastes like a cinnamon roll... is right next to the strawberry one and the one above that is coffee ice cream. Those 2 flavors are my favorites.

Do you see how many plates are stacked up? Hahaha. Noboru was very full and now enjoying a coke float. Noboru loves coke floats and always make those wherever he goes. : )

Branden holding his new cell phone that arrived that very day, the day of his birthday! And he was so full from dinner. And we went home and enjoyed some birthday cake too! Good thing it's about a 50 minute drive to our home from the restaurant. Because it gave us time.. to lessen the full feeling. : ) Birthdays are all about good food and family, right? A day you're allowed to indulge. : ) 

Nutella (chocolate hazelnut) on the bottom and banana on the top. You can always pick your own flavors for your birthday and they have tons of flavors and you can pick any combination you like.

A bit blurry but they're both smiling and super happy. They are so close! 

Branden smiling with his arm around his brother and Noah just admires his brother so much. You can see it on his face clearly in this picture. : ) Aww. : ) 

Noah and his dad and I were singing to Branden and then I turned off my camera and Branden blew out the candles and we all clapped. And we all had a slice of handmade ice cream cake from Nagano, Japan. All in all...it was just a typical birthday for us. A quiet low key "just family" birthday. Anyway happy 15th birthday, my first born! I sure do love you kid! : )

Why do I have quiet low key birthday celebrations? Let me tell you. And fwiw, if you like huge birthday blow outs. That's fine. To each their own. : ) But here's my story.

When I was growing up and before my parents divorced. My mother would throw me the biggest birthday celebrations you have ever seen. Like #1 I always had to invite my entire class. Now as an adult I see my mom just wanted to include all kids and not want to leave anybody out, but at the time there were kids I would have preferred not come (like that bully boy who would bully the other boys in class). One year it was at a roller rink. And my mom had rented a huge chunk of the roller rink out for my party guests. And my cake was this huge roller skate shaped cake and the wheels on my cake were actual real donuts! It was a very fancy shmancy cake. Like top of the line cake. My birthday cakes always were. We had food catered to the roller rink. The regular customer kids that were skating that day would look at us.. in the birthday area with all our catered food and huge roller skate cake. In a way I was embarrassed that it was such an elaborate affair. I mean this was a whole overly fancy affair. Did I enjoy myself? Ugh, I guess. Another year, I recall a clown like a real legit clown. Side note, I am terrified of clowns, along with most people! @_@ The year of the clown we had  an actual organ grinder with monkey. It was a zoo theme outside in my big backyard and we had animal pinatas. And of course my entire class was there. Each year was this huge enormous event. Another time it was at this upscale pizza place that had acts and shows, definitely not Chuck E. Cheese. We had a whole super long table and section sectioned off for my party guests. And I wore this fancy dress my mom made me wear...like dressed to the nines type dress. With ribbon in my hair and tights. My birthdays were glam. My birthdays were these huge events that my entire class and the whole school talked about. My birthday's were really well known. I mean now days everyone does big parties. But it was pretty uncommon in the 80's. And I don't want to sound ungrateful. And that I have no gratitude for all the work my mother put into my parties. My mom was always in the PTA. My mom was an alpha mom. A head mom at my school. And when Christmas parties rolled around at my school. She'd bring Martha Stewart type handmade Christmas cookies to my class. My mom was such a wonderful mom and I do know she did all that stuff out of love. But today we're just talking birthday parties. A lot of time, I felt like...my entire birthday. I rarely ever got to spend any time with my mom or dad. Why? Because my birthday was such an extravaganza event. And between skating around a roller rink with Kool and the Gang on the loud speakers playing. Celebrate good time come on! : ) After my parents divorced, my mom moved to California and I asked to live with my dad. My dad didn't really have the birthday knack my mom did. And my birthdays went like this. My dad asked me the week before. What would you like to do for your birthday? What would you like? I'd say..."let's go out to dinner" And we'd go out to Red Lobster or our favorite steak restaurant Mr. Steak. And he'd get me a cake from the grocery store bakery. No more fancy birthday cakes for me. : ) And he'd give me a $100 every year. And I'd go and get a new bag and another coat or just whatever..you know. Maybe a Wham! or Prince or Madonna album or something. : ) I'm not trying to down my mom at all. I love her so much. Mom's always want to go all out, I know that. : ) But the one thing I really loved about my dad's way of spending birthdays. Is the focus was on me. Versus the focus being on the *event*. That to me was crucial...focus it on your kid, not the event. Kids don't care about having a big fancy shindig, believe me, I've had plenty of them my whole childhood before the divorce. And I recall my dad asked me the day before my birthday is there anything you'd like to do? And I said I loved it when mom used to french braid my hair. And obviously my dad doesn't know how. So, he took me to a hair place and had the lady french braid my hair the morning of my birthday. I had 2 french braids in the back. For my birthday. We went to the movies and out to dinner with my french braided hair, aww. : ) And it was very quiet, very low key, but *quality* time and that's really all I ever wanted and all any kid ever really wants, if we're honest about it. And very special. And yeah my dad drove me to the mall that weekend and I picked out some stuff from my birthday money. But my birthday's just...felt really special very special and centered on me. Given the fact it was my birthday. And honestly...I have had the big fancy birthdays. And I'm not impressed. And I have had the quiet low key parties and I just prefer that way. And I have always spent my 2 son's birthdays that way too. Quiet. Low key. I'm not going to host about 40 kids and focus on said 40 kids, versus focusing on the birthday boy/person. I am instead going to have quiet low key birthdays and keep the focus on the actual birthday kid. So, why do we do quiet low key birthdays? Because I've had both ways and I prefer these types better. Again...if you prefer huge birthday parties. Cool. But that's just not for us. And I personally just think kids want to share their special day with their parents and have a fun day. They really don't care about big huge fancy birthday parties... the way their parents think they do.  So anyways, that's why we always have low key birthday celebrations for our family. And heck...if you love having a great big fancy shindig, then you do you! More power to you. Just not our style. But I'm sure it's someone's. And that's okay. : )

Anyway...sorry about the...whole paragraph about my feelings on birthday party's. This post is really meant to highlight my 15 year old! Happy 15th BrannyB! We love you kiddo! To the moon and back! : )

Throwback Thursday, random pics from November 2008...

A random Fall day from 2008. Both Branden and Noah dressed warmly for a sunny, but slightly chilly afternoon. They decided to play some DS Mario Cart game together.

Two brothers having a good fun day in our backyard. And they didn't play their DS games for long. Not with the big playground in the backyard. : ) Us having that playground when they were little meant they always could just pop outside in the backyard and play up a storm. Get all that extra energy out of their systems. And I liked the fact it was in the privacy of our fenced in backyard. 

Noah swinging being a happy kiddo. And Bran was sliding down the big yellow slide. And swinging from the big tire swing also on the playground structure.

Random Fall 2008 dinner pic. Handmade by me, chicken cutlet, rice (with tiny dab of butter and a dab of shoyu, mixed in for some flavor) some green beans a a great fantastic side salad. Both my kids *love* salads and that's great that we 4 all love salads around here. : ) 

Homemade from scratch chocolate chip pecan cookies. Fall baking deeply underway in November 2008.

Homemade from scratch banana bread with walnuts about to go into the oven. Again, there I go with all that Fall baking again. : ) 

We're lucky in that the small city nearest our town has 3 fantastic bakery's. Like flat out...amazing ones! A kiwi cheese danish. A blueberry cheese danish and a Nutella cheese danish, holy moly...these are to die for! And they still sell these to this very day! 3 melon pans. A slice of spiced apple cake and a mini loaf of bread that the boys love sliced with a little butter on the slices. Hmm, I think I better go and get a variety of flavors of some cheese danish tomorrow. Since it's Friday tomorrow. And we actually have a real weekend (with nothing to do over the weekend) awesome! : ) 

November 2008 a cold chilly Fall morning and by the yellow covering on Bran's randoseru/backpack you can definitely see... he was barely a little...pika pika ichinensei. And that hat came from the Gap and I loved it because it made me think of a Santa's helper hat almost but I loved that it covered his ears. Although he got a ride to the plaza every morning, he still had quite a chilly walk up the hill every morning. : ) 

Random Fall observation day pic! Awesome! Because it was Fall and pine cones are an easy find. Bran's class had been making Fall crafts all November that year. These Christmas trees they made a few days before we got there. And we actually made a craft that day for observation day. Together, parents and their child. : ) 

Branden and I and a toddler Noah made this. Everyone was making a Fall cup. And we put leaves in there and berries and some acorns. And Branden wanted to put some art beads in there. And I thought...that looked pretty groovy and cool to me! : ) Branden was quite happy with what we made together and I was happy to visit him in class. : ) 

Last random pic from November 2008. A family movie night. A batch of  freshly popped popcorn. Some Jasmine tea (it's unsweetened and a family fave). And some delicious freshly steamed sweet potatoes. : ) The whole family already had showers and were in their PJs. And we had all our fleece warm blankets on the couch and we were all ready to cuddle up and enjoy a family movie night. : )

Anything new to add? This evening at 5pm, Noboru will be taking Noah to get his final 2nd and last flu shot. We 4 all went together last month and got ours. But Noah's under 15 years old obviously... so he needs to get his in 2 doses. Oh and I have a beef stew on the stove right now as I speak. I know...we just had a cream stew last night. However...with cold chilly Fall weather, we do tend to eat a beef or cream stew or curry nabe once a week. I usually won't make 2 in a row like this. But with me being at the salon forever and ever and ever yesterday : ) I needed to make the cream stew for ease, I decided that 2 days before. And tonight...was a scheduled beef stew from last week, I had it on the menu. But I would say our family favorite stew is most definitely beef stew. We like cream stew, it's okay. But we love love love beef stew. So the beefs been boiling since 12:30pm. It's so tender right now. I will add the veggies at 3pm. Noah gets out of school today at 3pm today. Noboru will pick him up. So I can finish up supper. And Noboru and Noah will leave the house around 4:30pm to go and get Noah's final flu shot. Meanwhile...it's been getting so dark, so early lately. That Branden asked for a ride this morning. And I said no problem with that at all. He gets out at 4:45pm. And so, I will be picking up Bran while Noah and Noboru are getting Noah's flu shot. I will give Noah the option to eat before his flu shot or afterwards. And the rest of us will be eating as soon as they get back with the flu shot. So, I'd say... they'll be back home by 5:20pm tops. So, we will be eating immediately as soon as the 2 N's get home. : )  Have a great night everyone. Stay warm. : ) 

My hair salon appointment today...

I made my appointment for today...2 weeks ago. I go to the salon for a hair coloring once a month, like clockwork. A hair cut every other month. And a hair straightening, every 3 months or so. Anyways, today was my... get all 3 things done day. My hair straightened. Like straight as a pin. Like Pantene commercial type straight. It's called a Japanese thermal hair straightening and they work super well. And make your hair so shiny. I also got my hair colored. A nice rich medium to almost dark brown color (Katie Holmes or Rose Byrne hair color, if that gives you an idea of my hair color and that's pretty much my natural hair color dead on, anyway). And my usual lob (long bob) slightly longer at the front of my hair. From 9:30am until 2:50pm today. 2 iced coffees later. Read 3 magazines. And I'm done! It was such a long time to sit there. But it's so worth it. I am so happy I don't have to get it straightened until late Feb or early March now. Now when my dad gets here next week, my hair will be done and I won't even have to think about it. Anyways, have an awesome night everyone. I'm making cream stew right now. While Noboru is picking up both the boys. Have a good night. : )

The Eiken 3 interview and Eiken 1 interview...

November 6th, Noboru and Bran left to Tokyo to take the Eiken 1 interview and have a "Father & son" lunch together afterwards. Meanwhile...November 6th, same day Noah and I were in Narita City to take the Eiken 3 interview. I had been going over the practice interview they have on the Eiken website over and over the past month with my kids. And so we were all pretty much ready! Noah and I checked ourselves in. And immediately he went to the 2nd floor. Parents are not allowed upstairs, but I saw 2 parents go upstairs with younger-ish kids/ same age as Noah. So, I too snuck upstairs for just a minute. I saw kids filling up 4 classrooms all sitting. And filling out forms. Noah already knows how to fill those out. And then I went downstairs in the holding room. It's just a classroom. : )

Random pic on the first floor, right before I entered the parent holding room/classroom.

Most mom's or parents (there were a ton of dad's too) didn't seem to know each other. So for the most part everyone stuck to themselves. But 1 set of mom's, just 2 were friends and chatted most of the time. : ) Which is so nice to have a friend with you. : ) As for me. I was in contact with Noboru via LINE. But for the most part...I did my word search! I love doing these word searches. This is the pic I took while in the classroom at a Narita high school while Noah was taking the interview. I had only enough time to complete 1 word search because Noah came our fairly quick. After we left, I asked Noah what he would like for lunch? Bakery? MickeyD's? Or Saizeriya? He picked Saizeriya. : ) 

I had a salad and a small personal size pizza margerita for my lunch. And Noah picked a salad and spaghetti. We both had the drink bar and then we went home. : )  Noboru and Bran got home way way later than we did. But it was great though, because it gave me time to make supper.

As for how did they think it went? Today is the day we can get the results online at 3pm Japan time. However both the kids feel really good about their interviews. Oh and this is sort of funny but...at the Narita testing spot. It's always a Japanese interviewer. So not a native interviewer, which is totally 100% fine. Branden was interviewed there twice before. So...it's a no brainer that we were 99% sure it would be a Japanese person doing Noah's interview. I have many mom friends in the surrounding Narita area, both foreign and Japanese and they all...who have had kids taking Eiken before there...have only ever said...their child's interviewer was Japanese. So of course we totally assumed, Noah's interviewer would be Japanese. And it doesn't matter really either way. My kids can speak to anyone just fine, no problem. So Noah said, they called him and said next! And so he knocked on the door and walked in. And the interviewer was Western and so Noah's face was a little surprised. And he said the interviewer saw Noah and was also equally a little surprised too! Hahaha! @_@ That's actually super hilarious, if you think about it! : ) Noah said the interviewer said...My name is Jason  and gave his last name! And Noah said...nice to meet you, my name is Noah and he gave his last name. There is a set number of questions the person should give you! You can see the practice interview on their website. And it's supposed to go exactly as that. Not the same questions mind you. But they are supposed to ask you say for example...1-2 questions tops after you read that paragraph for them, then it should be 1-2 for everyone. Apparently though Noah said..."Jason asked me lots of questions mama!!!" I think in total Jason asked Noah 4 questions which is still 2-3 more than probably most kids got asked, lol. And that's okay. He could most certainly answer all the questions. I mean derrr, he fluently speaks English so no problems at all. But, I did ask Noah...What exactly did he ask you? He said Jason asked. "Do you like hiking?"...Noah said he answered, "I don't know, I haven't been hiking yet" He said Jason smiled and nodded his head. Then he said..."what do you like to do in the evenings?" Noah said..."I like to watch TV with my family" He said Jason smiled and said..."oh that's very nice" What sort of TV shows do you watch?" @_@ Hahaha. Noah said...I like Seinfeld and Friends, and The Big Bang Theory. And the Blacklist. He said Jason smiled and nodded, "those are really good shows!" Then he said okay that's all I needed to know. Oh and Noah did have to read the excerpt paragraph and answer questions on those before the what do you like to do in the evenings...what TV shows do you like and hiking questions. : ) And I did ask Noah..."Did he speak English like mommy does?"..."Same accent?  Did he have mommy's American accent?"Noah said...yes mama he spoke exactly like you, Branden and I." : )  I said...aww how wonderful! Must have been a really easy and fun interview then. : ) So anyway that's how the Eiken interviews 3 and 1 went in our house November 6th, 2016. : ) 

Advent Calendars at Kaldi...

I'm a firm believer in that us foreign community in Japan should help each other out, when/if we can. Whether it be just a...'hey the turkeys are in at Costco" heads up. Or a..."hey there's American bacon at Costco right now" You know what I mean, I hope. : ) And sometimes it can help. And if it does. Awesome. : ) I sincerely always hope it helps. Anyway, just wanted to quickly say real quick. Kaldi has their Advent kids chocolate calendars for sale right now! So if any of you need one. Run down and pick one up for your kiddos. And hey, if you don't need this information. Sorry. : ) Kaldi is a foreign food store. They sell all sorts of good stuff. American stuff. Stuff from the UK. Stuff from all over. So if you're foreign and need something from "home" it is always worth a look inside Kaldi. : ) Their Advent calendars always seem to sell out. Especially the good character ones. Hahaha. : )   

I bought Branden and Noah the same ones. Kylo Ren!!! Star Wars, yay! These were 400-500 yen. Not sure if you can see the words on the bottom. But it says, "made in Great Britain"...I love British chocolate, I find it delicious and creamy. I also love American chocolate because that's what I grew up with and I also love Japanese chocolate too. : ) But these Advents came from the UK. They are so cute! If you have older boys, they might really love this one! My boys flipped when they saw these, they love this one! : ) They also had...let me think. Minions. In case you have younger kiddos. And they had another great character, but I forgot which one. Sorry. : ) And then misc...bears ones or the plainer looking ones. My store only had 8 of these Kylo Ren ones left and I bought mine November 7th. Oh and the top right corner says the chocolates are foiled for quality. These sound really good. : )

And this says...bigger pieces of chocolate for the 5 final days! How fun to have bigger/chunkier chocolates the final days. This just makes me think, how brilliant and super fun people from the UK are. So...anyways...just trying to be helpful. If you need an Advent for your kids...definitely check out Kaldi because they get all picked over and the good ones get sold out first. : )