Uncle Nate and Grandma "Bee" Visit Japan

Mom and Nate took the long trip half way around the globe to visit us in early December, and we all enjoyed every minute of it.   

Here we are enjoying some Japanese "Sizzlers" at the mall.  We tried to give them as may new culinary experiences as they were willing to try.  They were good sports and let us introduce them to sizzlers (meat/veg/rice sizzling on cast iron plates), our favorite Indian curry/lentils/naan, and conveyor-belt sushi.

We visited one of Misawa's many Shinto shrines overlooking the pacific ocean.  The Buddhist temple was closed, but we still appreciated that statues and monuments outside.

On a snowy afternoon we visited a replica of a historic Samouri house, complete with rock garden and stone lantern (below) and wax statues in period clothing. 

The best part by far of having Nate and Mom here though was all the time they spent hugging, tickling, reading to, chasing, and playing with the girls and teaching Carl how to laugh.  After four solid days of hearing little girl voices call out "Uncle Nate & Grandma Bee!", our house seemed awfully quiet when they had to fly back home.

  

Late Fall Fun

This year we got to pick persimmons again and the girls got in on the action. It takes all their muscles to pull the fruit off the tree. I have to confess that I got a little nervous about fruit ricocheting off our neighbors windows. 

 For Thanksgiving we made our turkeys, but they didn't have any candy corn left at the store so I bought some blueberry almonds. There were some disparaging remarks about them looking more like Blue Footed Boobys than turkeys, but that didn't stop us. Either way, they go down really nicely with a glass of milk.

 

Carl is doing great - growing like a champ. He shows an unusually high amount of social acumen (the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain) and has already begun to smile and laugh. 

Here we are making gingerbread houses. Something about 5 kids 5 and under with candy and frosting just warms my heart. It's the activity that keeps on giving as I sweep up 100's of nerds and catch girls snitching candy. 

At Helen's school the best classes in the lunchroom win the "Golden Dragon" Award which the kids then get to take home for the night. Wasn't I surprised to see that the dragon looked more like a rubber chicken than any dragon I've seen. I was assured by Helen that it was actually a baby dragon.   

Alice turned two! Hopefully her second year won't be a dangerous as the first, based on the bonk on her forehead.