In the words of PINK

I'll keep you locked in my head until we meet again.

I won't forget you my friend,

What happened?

I love that song!!! Leila does too.

Well that's all I have to say about today.

10 days alone.....

Daddy is gone again for another sound engineering job. So far we have survived the first 4 days. I have nothing to write about in my blog lately. Nothing's been happening except I got hooked up to skype & talked to my brother Tom for the first time in about 4 years. I'm not very good on the phone but it was great to talk.
It's been raining like crazy for a few days & the kids have had to stay home with baby sitters while I worked on the weekends, I guess summer is leaving us.
Has anyone heard from Marisa lately? I just realized it's been months since she wrote me an email. If anyone knows how she's doing, let me know.
Anyways, this is turning into blathering so I'll go now.
Cheers.

Ambie is staying at our place before her trip. Here she is trying to look all pretty for me. hehehe. No, she's going out to visit a friend.
Ambie was so sweet & watched the kids for me while I worked & while Mac & I went out on our anniversary.

Hope you have a nice trip. It was fun having you over. The kids had lots of fun playing with Jude too.

(This is a few days old: I called her on skype & she arrived in one piece.)

Happy Anniversary!!!

Today is our 7th anniversary.
I love you, Mac, & you are perfect in every way (except being too picky about the car, hehe).
Thanks for taking care of us & putting up with me.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!

More Amusement Park Pics

Amusement Park

Today we went to an amusement park & pool. We went swimming when we got there & after that spent the rest of the day going on all the rides. Leila was so brave even on the scary rides.
We ordered a huge ramen (noodles) for us all to share. Here's Mac pretending that he ate the whole thing by himself.

Fishing

Today we went to a BBQ with friends near a big river. Carole enjoyed fishing so much & caught 2 huge fish. We let them go after we caught them.

One more week to go

Summer holidays are over in a week. We're are enjoying the last few days of rest.
Carole lost both her front teeth, she looks so cute. Here are some recent pictures.

Fun at the Summer festival

Here we are eating Kakigori (Crushed ice with colorful syrup) at the festival. Here is the big stage with a taiko drummer on top & the kimono ladies dancing around. There is a temple right by our house & they have big festivals here every year.

Happy Birthday Sam

I thought I'd post some baby pics of Sam. He was the fattest little thing. Dad & Mom called him "Sambo", but later it evolved into "Hambone". Mom has a picture of him & me together when he was a baby but she would never let me have it. Sam was born when I was about 9. I remember it well & I remember I wrote a little poem for the new baby & I still have it, but it's really corny so I won't post it.
Anyway, don't have a scanner so I just took a picture of some old photos with my cell phone that's why they are a little fuzzy. Sam looks just like his own baby. Ha! In the first pic, here he is in the middle of Tom & I eying a cake that would only make him fatter, & in the second pic, he's holding his newborn sister Angie. (So cute!)
Happy Birthday, Sam!!

The girls

Thanks Julie for the matching outfits.

Carole's Beetle Dies (RIP)

Poor Carole had to bury her pet Kabutomushi (Rhino Beetle). She made a little grave stone with his name on it & put some flowers on the grave.

(The grave stone says "Kabuto Kun" in Japanese. She wrote it herself.)

Trip to the zoo

Since the weather was not too hot today, I took the kids to the zoo. Highlights included the vivarium (reptiles & amphibians), & nocturnal animal house (bats, molerats & armadillos). Leila got a kick out of petting the pig at the petting zoo. Kiki of course, didn't want to veer from the zebra cage. When we were done at the zoo, we went on some kiddy rides & ate ice cream.

I am sooo relaxed!

Usually a typical day is like this: trips & preparation/homework for 2 different schools, sometimes having 2 jobs in one day, 3 meals & other snacks to prepare, dishes & all the house work. But now with the kids out of school, we've been just taking it easy. There is usually just one goal for each day like: Have a picnic. Today we had a really nice time at the park. The weather was perfect. More like October than August.

Mac's new ride is...

...Not J. Lo. hehe (--He wishes).
Here is the Subaru Forester. (Sweet!) It is not as spacious as our last one but Mac likes the way it can go reeeeallly fast & has a very quiet engine. I like the interior (Black, so the kids won't get it dirty.)