BITTERSWEET

IMG_2545_editWith the plague of disease running through our family during our visit to Japan, it has been very disappointing to say the least. I mean, come on. We had to cancel our trip to Tokyo Disneyland and the trip to the hot springs in Izu. Essentially we flew half-way across the world so we could sit and cough on someone else’s couch. Well, actually, they only have a loveseat that sits two, so Aya and I have been coughing at the dining table instead. We came this far for this!? Other than getting a donut from Mister Donut (during our last trip I conquered Mister Donut), and many trips to the grocery store directly across the street, we haven’t done anything or been anywhere since we’ve arrived. Womp womp.

But when I stopped pouting and dropped the whoa-is-me attitude, I realized it really hasn’t been that bad.

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PIZZA NIGHT!

IMG_2492_editWe’vebeen in Japan a week now, and because of illness and the weather, we’ve really only been to the grocery store directly across the street from Aya’s parent’s apartment. But there is one thing we can enjoy without leaving the apartment, and that is PIZZA NIGHT!

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THANKSGIVING EXTRAVAGANZA 2014

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Our Thanksgiving last year did not go as planned at all. Our family Thanksgiving dinner is always on Saturday, leaving the actual day of Thanksgiving open for us.  It was supposed to be my first time to host some friends, but because of the plague running through our house we had to pull the plug. But this year, plans for us to host Thanksgiving was back on the table. We were going to have Thanksgiving dinner with some of Aya’s Japanese co-workers, some of which had never experienced Thanksgiving before. And this time it would be completely legit with a roasted turkey, not a chicken, and a kids table. I always saw cooking Thanksgiving dinner to be a crowning achievement in the culinary world. With eight adults and five kids, I had my work cut out for me.

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HANGER PAINS

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My little Chloe is so mellow, easy going, and always has a smile. Even when I have to wake her up out of a dead sleep she smiles and then gets right up. “GOOD MORNING!” Ellie? No way. She’d make a terrible sleeping beauty. Prince Charming would be in for a big surprise if he tried to wake her up. Not Chloe though. She’s easy peasy as they say. Why just the other day I saw her gazing out the window smiling and quietly singing to herself, “laaaa, laaa, laaa, laaa (giggle giggle).”

But don’t let that gentle smile and adorable face fool you, because when she’s hungry, watch out!

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Ellie, Year Four: The Birthday

IMG_1083In a way I’ve been waiting for this day, for Ellie to be four. My own earliest memories as a kid are from when I was four. And when I first found out I was going to be a father and I started picturing my life with a child, I always pictured Ellie as a four year old toddler. I pictured playing in the leaves in the fall, building snowmen in the winter, her helping me in the garden, and sitting on the couch watching rock concerts and listening to music. Her becoming four always seemed so far away, and yet after what at times feels like a flash, that moment is here.

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