December 2008 PICTURES! - By Jun

Hi Everyone! Mama figured out how to put pictures on my blog - finally - but we decided to put these pictures from our trip here. Mama said to keep it to 10 pictures...but...I chose 14! Don't tell!

Grammy and Grandpa came to meet us at the airport! I was SOOO happy to see them!

Just borrowed Mama's new glasses so I could help her with Christmas cards. Oshigoto!

I went to elementary school! For lunch and recess, anyway, with my cousin, Mollie.

Mollie and Mama and I decorated gingerbread boys and girls, too!

We went to the Christmas parade and then visited the nativity scene in town. No Baby Jesus, yet! We went back after Christmas - when he was born, you know, and THERE HE WAS!

My cousin, Kiely, put on a canned food drive with her friends. I was the hardest worker, emptying the boxes for the big kids so they could weigh how much they got!

As you can see, I never had a minute's rest!

Grandpa needed my help setting up the Christmas tree!

Yep, they needed my help decorating it too!

Peek-a-Christmas tree!

Grammy taught me how to make snow angels. See the wing?

I also helped Grammy make dinner rolls. Work, work, work!

I'm 14 too, just like my cousin, Kiely! I got 25% on PS2's rock guitar!

Mama and I dressed Christmassy for church, but Mama didn't wear a dress!

Mama and I danced in the snow on Christmas Eve. 7 inches fell! YEAH!

Well, that's all the pictures Mama would let me put on this post! I hope you liked them! I had a great time in Ameriiika!

Checking in and Pins, Needles & Eggshells

I have some stories to post, but wanted to check in and say that we got back home to Japan safely!

I am nearly done with jet lag. Jun is not, it seems. That is where the pins, needles and eggshells come in. Our happy little girl has been "Mama, up!" and crying all week. I keep feeling her forehead in hopes of a physical reason, but, alas - or thankfully, nothing there. She has taken some awesome naps and still falls asleep minutes after hitting the pillow at night. Often crying that she is "tired!" But, if she doesn't stay up for awhile, at least, she will never get over jet lag, and NEVER stop waking up at 4 am. And, I want her to stop waking up at 4 am!

I am so thankful that Ryu has been home this week. It halves the stress, though he is rarely allowed into the inner circle of Mama and Junnie - TOGETHER! With a little fast thinking and talking, she is happily with Daddy now, going to buy milk. Take your time, you all! But, I don't anticipate it lasting too long. If he raises his eyebrows in the wrong order, tears and "Mama, up!"

Perhaps were are getting in a dose of Two-ness along with a little reverse culture shock, a little language shock (Junnie was speaking 99% English by the time we left the States), being tired with jet lag, oh, and a big canker sore in her little mouth - AGAIN! I am sure she is missing Grammy and Grandpa, too. However, every dog, since we have come back to Japan, is "Happy Dog". Big Happy Dogs and Little Happy Dogs. Happy Dog is alive and well in little Junnie's heart, though in reality she is in heaven.

So, I need lots more wisdom, patience, time, wisdom, patience, time, oh am I repeating myself???

On top of that, I made our New Year's cards - yet to be sent; am in the process of getting our new computer up and running - printer problems there, glad I did the New Year's cards on the old computer, and putting away Christmas things - the Christmas tree did not die! Guess I will water it for another year and see!

I look forward to getting back into our regular routine next week, but will miss seeing Ryu all day!

Happy Birthday! and a catch up post

Today, the 23rd in the US, is my brother's birthday! He was born on Japan's current emperor's birthday! So, we have some association with royalty - right? Happy Birthday to both!

If today is the 23rd, I only have TWO more shopping/packing days till we leave for JAPAN! Yep! The Christmas shopping is done. Need to wrap gifts today. I put it off because Junnie loves presents. Yep! Wanted to KEEP them wrapped if possible. But, she really has no idea that Christmas will bring her presents. She thinks everything is MERRY CHRISTMAS. She especially loves to drive around town and look at the house lights. She "read" a whole basket of Christmas cards at a friend's house last night. Trees, snow, family...she loves Christmas even without the gifts! I know it won't last for long, but...it is nice!

When I was at the height of my Christmas baking, a friend of my folks brought over a cookie plate. I should say - tray. I should say a huge round tray. And...absolutely everything on the tray was heavenly! I gave up cooking right then and there! Seriously! Everything tasted just as it should! Peppermint divinity, Mississippi Mud, frosted sugar cookies, marschino cherry/almond bread, pecan and something yummy bread, oatmeal cookies with butterscotch chips in them - to die for, two kinds of fudge, sugar cookie twists in white, red, green with almond or peppermint flavoring! Go peppermint! Filled tarts with crusts made of flour, butter and cottage cheese! How fun! And more and more! I gave up on Christmas baking, but yesterday we went to visit that friend and...I got some recipes!!! YEAH!!!

Well, as I said, Jun and I take off from here on the 26th, drive to a town near the airport, spend the night and SWIM, and then fly out on the 27th - arriving in Japan on the 28th. The snow will hopefully not impact our flights! We change flights from a puddle hopper to our international flight in Portland, OR. The airport was snowed in all weekend. It is supposed to warm up on Saturday and Sunday, so hopefully we will be able to fly out alright. I don't want to be stuck with lots of luggage and a toddler in any airport for any long length of time!!! The snow here sure is pretty, though!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I did the "Auntie" thing the other night. I stayed with my nieces and nephew while my brother and his wife went to celebrate their anniversary. I was not a very stellar "auntie". Kind of tired already. But, made nachos for dinner, did couch potato parenting, got 75 percent of the notes right on a PS2 rock guitar song (amazed my niece), and cooked breakfast with my nephew. So...a "fun time" was had by all.

And, Jun just woke up! Merry Christmas!

The Red Sled

I felt very European today (or at least my image of European) when I strapped a snow suited Jun into her new Red Sled, and headed out to the recycle shop. Coming home she held the bag of goodies I found, and wore the cute pink hat that COVERS her ears that I got for a quarter!

No, I am not going to talk about all I bought yesterday at the drug store that set me back $100! The used bookstore was only $11. I found all the ancient books whose original prices were under $1, and then just paid 1/2 of the sticker price for them!

So, this morning, I spent some computer time applying for all the rebates from my computer purchases, returning Amazon books I didn't care for, and getting a rebate from the drug store too. LOL! Trying to recover pennies, I know, but...

Well, I'm off to find that Cranberry Rice Pudding recipe from Abigail's blog and make sure I have all the ingredients for it! I hope she has posted about Tessa the Turkey and her bacon cover, as I hope to use that recipe for our turkey bosom this Christmas! Ahh, I see she has! And, a friend from college that I re-hooked up with through Facebook keeps mentioning Molasses Cookies from our favorite Betty Crocker's Cooky Book (but ours is the 1963 ed.!). I HAVE to make some soon!

No, I don't do much more than cook and eat! Oops! What's for lunch!?!?!?!

What's Up?

Our house is warm and snug. My Dad plugs his diesel pick-up in even during the daytime. Jun's new red sled sits all alone in the garage. It is too cold to go out and play in that beckoning snow!

So, I have a toddler that NEEDS to be put out, let out, taken out, and needs to run around and around and around. So...how cold IS too cold for a toddler to be in the snow? We think 20F is a good temperature to wait for, but...I'm going crazy. Maybe I will give in to Jun's "Just 5 minutes, Mama," and take her out to RUN (or wade, as the snow is over her knees!)

Other news? I am enjoying my Mom's seemingly endless stock of flour and sugar and her huge oven. Just today, I made cornbread for lunch and a sheet cake with frosting (secret recipe posting on my cooking blog in a few days) for Mom's birthday. I have really enjoyed making old favorites with easily available ingredients. However, if you have ever looked at my cooking blog, you might notice my cooking has three basic requirements:

1. Old Family Recipe
2. EASY EASY EASY
3. Strange

I like to try strange recipes. I will confess. I may have noted elsewhere I have cucumbers hopefully turning into dill pickles in my fridge back in Japan. I crystalized some ginger - recipe will post in a day or two, candied some yuzu peel, and just like to try strange and new things.

Well, I was reading through a cookbook my Mom has with Amish recipes in it. Honestly, most of the recipes didn't meet my criteria. Then...I saw...Peanut Butter Bread! I had never heard of it! I will be making it tomorrow!!! Something new and Strange! Or, have you been making it all along?

On the crochet front. I have decided to "frog" (unravel) all that I've done so far on my niece's afghan, and put the yarn back in the suitcase. Just isn't turning out quite right. I have a year and a half before she graduates from high school, so...I still have some time! LOL!

And, I'm getting a little homesick for my husband in Japan. Jun suddenly thinks Mama is better than Grandpa (I didn't exist for the first week!), so she must be missing Daddy too. Daddy seems to be missing us too. He will have the week off work when we get home! I am SOOOO happy about that! YEAH!

Still need to get to the used bookstore!!! Oh, and finished my Christmas shopping, such as it is!

Christmas Shopping - For My Stomach!

I went to my favorite store in the world the other night. An American GROCERY Store! Yep, no clothes, beauty products, shoes (ARGH!), electrical products (ARGH!), or book stores (YET) for me! Give me the old chain grocery store any day!

I bought:

• eggnog to make eggnog cookies - not made yet
  
• peanut butter cookie dough and mini Reese's pieces to make little tart cookies - YUMMY!
• pork 'n beans - to try to replicate my Mom's lost 1960's recipe for baked beans - not yet
• beef, taco seasoning, taco chips for Mexican Meatloaf - YUMMY!
• dried cranberries - to make cranberry rice pudding - not yet
• brown sugar pop-tarts - I always say I will graduate from this addiction, but...they are my only solace when dealing with jet lag when I get back to Japan. I bought a double pack!
• pickle spice - because I only have two kinds of spice in Japan and...OK, I didn't need it, but...it is CHEAP here!

I think that is all. It would have been nice if I had bought some milk for Jun and a few more staples...but...this was CHRISTMASSY shopping!


And, when I got home from shopping, my Mom was in the middle of making Christmas cookies!!! In keeping with Coffeegrl's Virtual Kitchen tradition (hard to do cookie exchanges in Japan, but we can exchange cookie recipes!), I posted the recipe over on my cooking blog.

I Left the House and Lost My Sole

NO! Not my heart soul. My shoe sole! Yep! Down $80 for a new pair of boots. NO shoe selection in this town. But, they did tell me the next day would be 20% discount day, so I hobbled for a day and went back this morning to get them.

Then I went to the recycle clothing shop and picked up 1/2 a grocery sack of things for Jun - like new - for 50 cents total, and a bunch of books for her for a dollar. Then I felt better.

Oh, and the computer came today. Only in small town America would you come home - on a COLD day, I would like to add, to find the box with your new $1,000 lap top sitting on the front porch by the door. Alrighty then! I'm afraid to see if it works or not.

Really, it is getting expensive stepping out the front door.

A Few Days in Review

Well, jet lag is not cooperating with us, unlike our other trips this year. I think it is the inability to get Jun outside running in the sun. Her Mama isn't out there either. Too cold! But, we will overcome! HAHAHA!

Let's see...I got sticker shock yesterday. Went shopping for diapers - those kind that help train toddlers. Well, two packages of diapers, a pair of reading glasses for uhummm - me, and some Christmas cards I NEED to get in the mail to students in Japan, and I was down $45 dollars. Add a pair of mittens for Jun and a huge piece of pecan pie a'la mode, and I was down $60 just stepping out the front door. I have decided to stop stepping out the front door!!! This is not to say that there aren't sales everywhere, but...I guess diapers are not on the reduced price list. Wonder why?

It has been fun seeing family. Grandpa is at the dentist this morning. Jun hasn't seen him yet, but has stood at the window calling "Grandpa" for hours. When I came back from sticker shock shopping yesterday, I noticed a black box machine-like thing on the kitchen counter. I asked Jun what it was for. She told me it was for Grandpa's heart. We are here less than 48 hours, and Grandpa was feeling a bit of stress and did a quick heart check. We all got a good laugh out of that! I think he is fine, but he is a real hands-on Grandpa! He has done more puzzles and read more books! Grammy is doing well physically, teaching Jun puzzles and counting and cooking and...the list goes on and on.

And me? Other than sticker-shock shopping, I have finally finished the design/pattern for my niece's high school graduation afghan. It will be much smaller than I had planned. I didn't buy enough yarn. Oh well! It is my first afghan. Maybe we will call it a lap throw or something like that. So, I have yarn all over the house. I'm using 11 skeins of yarn at the same time. And I only brought half the yarn here, so when I get back to Japan, I will have yarn all over there too! YIKES! Today I need to get my student's Christmas cards in the mail, and...I MUST get to the used book store. Then I will have more books to give away next year! Check out my book blog, if you haven't yet. About 6 books left from the Dec. group!

Well, off to shower and start the day - again! Have a good day!

We Made It!

On the way to the airport, this trip, Ryu and I were reminiscing about the stress, fear and trembling we felt when we were making our first overseas trip with Jun this spring. Now, it is old hat. It makes me laugh.

After destroying her headphones - that didn't fit anyway - Jun watched her ANIMALS show without the sound a few times. I slept through one whole showing of it, I think. I wonder how long that was? She had never seen Jungle Book before, but is a hard core fan now. Thank goodness!!!

On the last flight, she walked out to the tarmac (small plane!), and up the stairs to the plane. Then, while I was putting the bag away, she climbed into her seat, fastened her seat belt and stated that she NEEDED her ANIMALS. Alas, this plane didn't even serve water, let alone ANIMALS! But, about an hour later, we were meeting Grammy and Grandpa!

This was an unusal trip for me because people kept TALKING to me! I was surprised. A father who has adopted 5 kids talked to me, an attorney who does business in Manilla struck up a conversation, then a man who's wife is Japanese - from SAITAMA - small world - chatted with me on the last plane. I think there were a few others that Jun chatted with. It made for a pleasant journey - especially because my English just kind of flowed out of me! YEAH!

We slept well last night, and Jun has only asked where Happy Dog is, twice, and I only got teary about it once. Looking forward to my MAPLE BAR doughnut this morning!

Have a great day!!!