blatant random silliness

Wayback Wednesday: Holiday Edition

Wow, it's almost time to ring in the new year.  I had no intention of staying up this late, but we've been working on gathering things for Denny to take on his deployment and time got away from us.  Denny's still downstairs looking for specific DVDs and things.

So, here I am writing about wayback in years past.  Lets go back to January 2006 when we rang in the new year with a traditional Japanese rice-pounding party.  To read all about it, click here.

Me, pounding the rice. The rice is pounded into a sticky dough called mochi and then used in various dishes, both sweet and savory.

Now, lets move forward a year. In January 2007, we had a new little guy as part of the family. Dylan was just a little more than 2 months old on New Year's Day. Our friends Yuko, Yuki and their little one Chi-chan invited us to their home for a traditional New Year's dinner. Here's a link to the whole story.


Chi-chan insisted on "holding" Dylan. I don't think she realized just how heavy he would be.

Last year, we visited a Japanese shrine on New Year's Day. In Japan, it's tradition to visit the shrine and burn offerings for the gods after midnight on New Year's eve. Here's the whole story.



And I didn't get any photos of us on New Year's Day, so here's a cute one of Denny and Dylan taken in early January, and one of Dylan digging in his stocking on Christmas Day.





Stay tuned for photos from this year's New Year's Day celebration.

SNOW

We've had more snow the past few weeks than we've had in the entire 4 years we've been in Japan.  And there are still little patches of snow in shady areas (the last snow was Saturday night).  On Saturday, I had the chance to really watch it accumulate on the ground.  Snow is so fascinating.  It is soft and fluffy, and yet cold and wet.  I'm looking forward to the days when Dylan will be excited about the snow and we can build snowmen and throw snowballs. 

The first time it snowed was overnight.  There was just a bit of snow on the cars, nowhere else.  I took Dylan out and he stuck his fingers in it on the car.  The second time it snowed was on our first pack-out day.  It snowed all day long.  I took a walk to get lunch in it, but by the time we were through with the moving stuff, we just didn't have the energy to take Dylan out to see it.  The third time it snowed, Denny was gone to Okinawa for the weekend.  The snow came during the night, and it was still snowing when Dylan and I walked over to the E-Club for breakfast.  He wasn't quite sure what to make of the snow, especially when his foot sank down in it.  After breakfast (he ate really well), we went back out and I put him down again.  He leaned over to put his hands in and felt how cold it was.  Then he slipped and fell, and decided he didn't like the snow so much after all.  I had to carry him home crying...poor little guy.  We took a drive in the snow later in the morning so that I could pick up our stroller (I had left it in Yuko's car the day before after strawberry picking) and get my glasses fixed (Dylan broke my glasses the day before after yanking them off of me and "popping" the earpiece completely off). 

The next time it snowed, it was all overnight.  The next day was bright and sunny with a big blue sky.  Once again we went to eat breakfast, but Dylan was not interested in walking in the snow. 

And the last time it snowed was last Saturday.  It started in the afternoon and began accumulating (which I had never really seen before).  Snow does a good powdered sugar imitation as it dusts itself onto everything.  And then it begins to look like frosting.  Saturday night was our culture group sayonara dinner, so we drove in the snow to Ome.  As we were eating, the snow was really coming down outside and by the time we left, the roads were really covered.  Denny drove us very carefully back home.  Dylan fell asleep on the way home, so after putting him in bed, I headed out with my camera to get some shots of the snow at night. 

That's our tower in the distance.

For all of the snow photos, click here.

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strawberry picking

I show Dylan which ones to pick (the red ones!).

My friend Yuko and her daughter Chizuru took Dylan and I strawberry picking last Saturday (Denny was in Okinawa for the weekend).  We loaded up Dylan's carseat into Yuko's car and drove to Yamagata Prefecture.  Yuko found an organic strawberry farm for us to visit that day.  Dylan fell asleep after we stopped so I could nurse him, and he slept all the way there.  Chizuru waited until we pulled off to get lunch to start snoring.

At the strawberry farm, Dylan woke up slowly, but then perked up when he saw Yuko and Chizuru.  Here's how strawberry picking works.  We were assigned a greenhouse, and given a little tray with "milk" in it for dipping (I think it was sweetened condensed milk).  Then, you simply pick and eat.  And if had finished all the strawberries in greenhouse #6, we could go into greenhouse #5. Needless to say, the two of us with our little ones in tow did not do that much damage to the strawberries in our greenhouse. 

Yuko and Chi-chan look for stawberries to pick and eat.

The rows of plants were low to the ground, so Dylan and Chi-chan could reach them easily.  Dylan enjoyed picking his own strawberries, and we learned about colors when I told him to only pick the red ones (he did pick a couple of green ones before I could stop him).  We used his new taking a bite skills to eat the strawberries.  The first few times he picked a berry, he would fall down on his bottom...too funny.

Dylan did lots of examining of the strawberries, including poking his finger in them, before eating.

Dylan eats a tasty strawberry.


Chi-chan gives Dylan a big hug.

Let me tell you about the photo I wish I could have captured.  Dylan popped a too big strawberry into his mouth, green parts and all, and started chewing (I found it hard to retrieve these green bits once they made it all the way in his mouth).  His little cheeks were all puffed out and he had strawberry juice running down his chin.  His lips were pooched out as he chewed.  Just adorable.  By the time we were through, his had a pink stain of strawberry juice around his mouth, flecked with little bits of dirt.  His hands were all nice and sticky too.  The first time he tried to copy me and dip his berry into the milk, he stuck his whole hand in. 

The greenhouses are very very long. That's Yuko and Chi-chan at the end of the greenhouse.  They were doing the "choo choo train" up and down the aisles. 

After eating our fill of strawberries, we decided to give the kids a proper lunch.  Chi-chan ate sandwiches, while Dylan ate a little bit of his chicken and veggies that I brought for him.  He was too full on strawberries to eat a whole lot.  I think Chi-chan must not have eaten as much as he did.  In between eating, Chi-chan sang and danced for us....happy to have an audience. 

Dylan points at the dogs.

We also discovered dogs.  Dylan didn't really want to pet them, he just wanted to point and say "duh duh duh".  When the dog sniffed him all over though, he giggled and thought it was funny (another photo I wish I could have gotten).

We went looking for somewhere for the kids to run around a bit before getting in the car and heading home, and the lady at the strawberry farm recommended we climb up the bank (see the photo below).  It really wasn't the best place for the kids, too much litter, and Dylan only wanted to climb up or down the really steep parts.  So, we decided to scrap that idea and just head home. 

The bank we were told about.  Dylan wanted to skip the nice inclined ramp up and just go up the side through the thick dead leaves.  I ended up having to carry him most of the way with him fighting me.

Okay, we are ready to go...are you guys getting in or what?

We'd had a really good day, but, unfortunately it didn't end so well.  Dylan was not happy to be strapped back into a car seat again and refused to fall asleep.  I ended up sitting in the back, wedged between the car seats and reading the same 3 books over and over again to keep him calm.  He did sleep really well once we got home and had dinner.  Little stinker.

Dylan and Chi-chan in their car seats.

We did stop at one or two rest stops to try and nurse Dylan to sleep (stop the crying...please!).  But, he refused.  I did manage to get some gelato the first time we stopped though.  I got a truly japanese flavor...kinako.  Kinako is roasted soybean flour and to me, has a peanut buttery taste.  It was yummy.

Kinako gelato

Here are the rest of the photos from our day.

Camille's Visit - the last couple of days

I've been updating a lot to try and catch up with myself.  So, if you haven't checked in the past couple of days, be sure to scroll on down. During Camille's last couple of days, she dispersed more Christmas presents.  We divided up the fabric, and we sorted through change looking for 5 yen coins to make bracelets out of.  Here are some photos: Dylan in his sporty new outfit sent from his Uncle Magno and Aunt Valeria (Alex's dad and stepmom).  As we were sorting through fabric, Dylan got a bit antsy, so Camille chucked a packet at him.  He thought this was hilarious and we got lots of giggles by tossing fabric at him. On Camille's last night, we took her out for yakiniku (grilled meat).  There is a grill on the table and you cook your own meat.  It is quite yummy. We were sorting through change on the bed, when Dylan decided he needed to be up there with us.  He quite happily started taking handfuls of change and putting them in the big bucket.  Of course, he didn't know we had a purpose to our sorting and we quickly threw our ideas of what was in what bucket our of the window.  *grin* At some point in the proceedings, Dylan thought it would be way fun to dive and roll around in the change.  I started dropping change on him and he though it was way funny.  Cute boy.

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Camille's Visit - Around Tokyo

Denny and Camille (in front of the line of drink machines....Camille thinks Denny is addicted to drink vending machines).

In between our bigger excursions, we had fun just wandering the Azabu neighborhood near the New Sanno.  I always love a visit to the National Azabu grocery store and book store.  And the nearby Prince Arisugawa Park was fun for Dylan (because there are DUCKS).  On our last day in Tokyo, we decided to split up.  Denny and Camille headed for Nippori which is famous for its textiles.  And Dylan and I just hung around near the hotel and visited the park, went to my favorite stationery shop, and found a quiet temple with lots of rocks to practice walking.

Here are all the photos from Around Tokyo.

Camille poses with Dancing Johan.  We had a good laugh over "Touch and Dance" and wondered what this advertisement is actually for.

Dylan plays the 1-2-3 jump into pillows game at the New Sanno.

Camille in Shibuya Station after visiting the aquarium.

Dylan walks on the rocks at a seemingly deserted temple.  A nice change from the busy streets of the Azabu neighborhood.

I said "seemingly" above, because another lady with her young daughter came out of one of the temple buildings and we started chatting (as much as we can with my limited japanese).  The little girl had a ball, and when they left, they offered to let Dylan keep playing with it.  I taught him how to kick the ball and he giggled and kicked for a little bit longer.


Meanwhile, Denny and Camille headed over to Nippori to look at fabric.  They picked out lots of nice fabric and Camille split it all with me.  yay!

On their way back to Fussa, they stopped in Tachikawa for some food and 100 yen store fun.  They ate at First Kitchen, and Camille was amazed that her burger topped with an egg was really yummy.

Camille poses at the Nudist store in Tachikawa.

After we came back from Tokyo, the next evening we sent Camille back in on the train to meet my friend Chiharu.  Chiharu offered to take Camille out for an evening on the town (Chiharu and Camille met on her first day here when we all had lunch together).  Camille had a most excellent time.  They ate at an Izakaya, visited a music club, and missed the last train home.  Which meant they stayed out all night singing karaoke..which is what is normally done when you miss the last train.  We met Camille the next morning in the McDonald's next to Fussa Station for breakfast.  We're so glad that she got a chance to experience Tokyo nightlife.

Chiharu and Camille at the Izakaya.

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Camille's Visit - Shinagawa Aquarium

Dylan laughs at his reflection in the aquarium tunnel.

On day two of our trip to Tokyo, we decided to go to an aquarium.  I've been wanting to take Dylan to an aquarium for a while now, thinking he would really love all of the fish.  The concierge at the New Sanno recommended the Shinagawa Aquarium, because they have a walk-through tunnel.  Unfortunately, it was a bit far away.  We stopped in Shinagawa Station for some lunch (which wasn't all that great) and gave Dylan some walk around time before getting on another train.  By the time we made it to the aquarium, it was time for Dylan to have a nap.  So, he wasn't in the most cooperative of moods.  However, the tunnel perked him up and he happily pointed at the fish and his reflection in the glass for a bit.

It was very crowded for a Monday, turns out it was a japanese holiday. 

Then, he asked for milk, and this is an older aquarium, so there was not a nursing room (most places in Japan have nursing and baby areas now).  I tried nursing in the handicap bathroom, but Dylan wasn't really  interested (the lights were too bright and there were too many people in line outside for me to give it enough time).  Luckily, right next to the exit and the shark tank was a nice bench in a dark corner where I sat down and nursed the little guy to sleep.  He slept all the way back to the hotel.  Yay!

Here are all the photos from the aquarium.

Dylan walks around (with me in tow) Shinagawa Station.

Our little bit of shark bait.

On the way back through Shinagawa Station, we saw this lovely group of girls in their kimonos and stopped to ask for a photo.  Later on, I learned that the holiday was Seijin-no-hi (Coming of Age Day), a national holiday when 20-year-olds are honored first in a civil ceremony and later at temples and shrines.  This makes them officially adults and now they have the right to vote.

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showa park winter illumination

Right after the first of the year (on January 3rd), we visited the Showa Park Winter Illumination. We love Showa Park! It is so lovely during every season...even the coldest. And the evening we went it was cold. We loaded Dylan in the stroller and took the train to Showa Park. We searched out dinner (during winter illumination they have food vendors with all sorts of japanese fare), and waited for it to get dark so the lights would come on. We ate ramen and oden (a curried broth with some interesting things floating in it) and the best things were the fresh shrimp sembei (crackers). They were light with a slight shrimp taste and really really yummy and melt in your mouth good. Dylan really enjoyed these as well.

Unfortunately, Dylan was not in the best of moods. He was tired and cranky and most probably cold. He did have fun when we let him out of the stroller to practice his walking. But, I ended up baby carrying him (Denny did his share of that too on the way into the park). We rushed home after quickly enjoying the lights to get the little guy into bed. All of the photos can be found here. And here are a few select photos:

Here is good evidence of Dylan's mood of the evening. And I just love that look on my face...it says it all.

a japanese new year

For the first time in the almost 4 years we've been in Japan, we visited  a shrine on New Year's Day.  We went to Shinmei Shrine in Fussa, not very far from the base.  It's a smaller shrine, but it drew it's share of people on New Year's morning.  In Japan, it's tradition to visit the shrine and burn offerings for the gods after midnight on New Year's eve. 

Some of the offerings are bought at the shrine, and others are brought from home. 

By the time we left, the line was very long. 

This is the view of Mount Fuji from the cemetery next to the shrine.  It was really the only view that wasn't obscured by too many power lines.

As we were leaving there was a booth set up selling these interesting looking treats.  If I remember correctly, the vendor called them "shume" and the hiragana on the package says "karume".  After tasting these, we realized they were made of pure sugar.  Since the seller also had cotton candy for sale, I'm thinking these are fried cotton candy.  It was yummy.

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i know Christmas was last week but....

...I have to share this lovely Japanese Christmas cake with you.  Chiemi and Kevin brought over a couple of these miniature cakes for Christmas Eve.  They were quite yummy.  I'd love to know what goes in the frosting.  Unlike American frosting (which is basically just sugar), this frosting has a yummy flavor (that isn't sugar).

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going to the zoo

Dylan smiles at a pig.

Last Sunday, we took advantage of the beautiful day and headed to Hamura Zoo.  It's a small zoo that only costs 300yen to enter (and free for Dylan).  They  have an ecletic collection of animals and on Sunday, they also had balloon-wielding clowns!  Dylan and I have been to the park before when he was younger and uninterested, but this was Denny's first time.  And Dylan did have fun looking at the different animals (although I had to feed him snacks in the stroller a lot of the time because we had a "blueberry breakfast battle" that morning--basically, all he wanted to eat were blueberries and nothing else).  I took lots of photos of the animals (and of Dylan) and you can view all of them here.

Dylan really enjoyed the petting zoo area.  He got to get out of the stroller and see the animals up close.  This worked for a while, but I had to keep him from trying to crawl on the extra dirty ground.  He touched the goat and the turtle, but was not so into touching the cute little bunny rabbit.

That's a big turtle!

Nope, not gonna touch the bunny.  It's got freaky red eyes!

Daddy pets the pig.  Dylan just grinned at it.

Denny's favorite zoo animal was the giraffe.  We had fun watching it eat (and I had fun taking some closeups).

Hey look....a human!  Denny had fun posing for the camera....and Dylan thought that "daddy in a cage" was way funny.

We brought our own lunch to the zoo and had to find an empty bench to eat on (it was a busy day apparently).  We started to sit down and unpack lunch, when we realized that our friend's Yuko and Chizuru were sitting on the next bench!  What a fun surprise.  Chi-chan is always a little shy at first, but warmed up after awhile. 

Chi-chan, Yuko, me and Dylan

Chi-chan gets some cute new ears.

Dylan's other favorite part of the zoo experience was the play area with the concrete animals.  This time, we let him get as dirty as he wanted.  He even started a rock collection (he'd pick up rocks and carry them around, then hand them to Denny). We had quite the fun morning and Dylan had a very good nap when we got home.

Dylan rides the concrete dinosaur.  He thought this was very funny.

Chizuru wanted Dylan to ride on the elephant with her.  She gave him a big hug when he did.

Dylan finds some rocks for his "collection".

Hmmmm....so this is what an elephant eats.

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