A Day of NOTHING!

Sakura no hana

Today was great, because we had absolutely nothing to do or prepare for. The girls and I planted some flowers, cleaned and weeded the front "yard" some, visited with Chie (I got to pet her dog, Jiru), and played. I also called my friend, Cindy today. It was great to hear her voice!!!

I'm so sorry I have been so bad about emailing - we have been very busy the last few weeks!

Yesterday, we had the Playgroup's Easter Egg Hunt. It was a lot of fun, and we got to see some beautiful cherry blossoms. Sam took the "good" camera and got some wonderful pics. My friend, Kirste, and her son, Jake, also got back from Australia, so I was excited to get to see them!!! We were able to hunt Easter eggs, play, and have a picnic before it started raining.

All business!

Last weekend Sam and Mike took Gracie and Izzy to Osu Kannon for the St. Patrick's Day Parade. I think the highlight was feeding the pigeons :) Sophie and I stayed home and attempted to clean.


On Sunday, the Easter Bunny came and left eggs all over the house. He also got credit for cleaning up the house, as it was cluttered with toys the night before. Sunday afternoon, Sam took his four girls to see Enchanted. It was really good. We can't wait to get the DVD :) Want to feel better about movie prices in America? Adults here are $18, and kids are $10! Drinks and popcorn are not as expensive though, and you can get biru :)

It's hard to believe our girls are going to be 5 in a few weeks!!! This will be the first year we don't have a huge party. I think we're just going to go and spend the day as a family. Of course, I'm female, so I reserve the right to change my mind at the last minute :) Sam wants to get them a Baskin Robbin's ice cream cake. I'm sure they will enjoy that.

I need to go study - we have to take the written portion of our driving test next Tuesday - Ahhhhhhh!!!

Love to you all!
~Michelle

A Visitor, A Wedding, and Another Day in the Snow!

We've had a great week, but I think we are all exhausted. Sophie fell asleep on the couch before dinner. I think we're going to try and chill a little tomorrow.

On Monday, we picked up Sam's cousin, Mike. He is traveling the world, and took time out to spend with us. I was his first official "car ride" in Japan....he got back in the car with me on Tuesday, so I guess I'm doing OK :) We've really enjoyed the company and getting to know/catch up with one another. The girls love him, too. He's also been a great help with the girls and the house! He will tell them to pick up their toys, and he can give the "look" when they're misbehaving :) I think they were a little disappointed that he wasn't just going to bow down and let them run over him. It's funny, sometimes they call him, "Mike," but most of the time he's, "Daddy's cousin." Bless his heart, he's a light sleeper, which doesn't work well in this house :) When he arrived, he told me how nice it was to be able to "talk" to people again. I'm thinking at this point, he's wishing he were alone again in the Australian Bush! Again, it has been wonderful having him here!

On Tuesday, Mike, the Girls, and I met Sam for lunch at CoCo Curry, and then we took Mike to the Aquarium. We had lots of fun, and it's always nice having those extra hands/attention with the girls.
Wednesday, was playgroup and shopping for flower girl dresses! They were so good about letting me pick dresses for them that I liked. Although, later that evening Gracie informed me that she thought the white ones WERE prettier (I chose the pink ones).

On Thursday, Izzy, Sophie, and Gracie were flower girls in our friend, Ai-san's wedding!! The girls enjoyed having their nails painted, hair curled, and I let them wear a little makeup. Again, Michael was so sweet with helping me get the 4 of us out the door on time. Ai-san made the most beautiful bride I've ever seen! It was the most amazing experience to get to see the traditional wedding kimono! Ai-san also changed into a beautiful blue gown! The girls were so excited and did really well. They stood side-by-side, and after being announced, the doors were opened for them. The whole room was turned and looking at them with cameras flashing. I was a little concerned they would turn and run the other way, but they walked up to the front and presented Ai-san and her husband, Zoran, with their flowers. They even tried to say, "Omeditoo Gozaimus," which is, "Congratulations!" They kept telling me how beautiful Ai-san was, and how they felt like princesses. Sophie was Sleeping Beauty, Gracie was Ariel, and Izzy was Gazelle (aka: Giselle) - LOL :) I was very, very proud of them! We had a couple of 4 year-old moments, but they recovered nicely - they love Ai-san and knew that this was a very special day for her. Our Tokyu friends and our friend, Hami, were so wonderful with the girls! Eri-san and Hami helped me dress the girls before and after their duties. We also got to see Akaya-san for a minute and grab a quick hug :) It was an enchanting time!
Today, Sam was off, so we headed back to the mountains for one more day of snow fun before the season ends. Sam rode the gondola to the top of the mountain and boarded down. The girls and I played in the snow, and they practiced boarding on the trainer board Sam bought them. Then we went in and grabbed lunch. They have a play area inside for the kids, so we spent the rest of the time inside. They made friends and had a great time. They talked me into getting them ice cream cones, so we got those and went to sit and eat them. As they were finishing , I noticed Sam on his board. He fell down, so I called him on my cell so Gracie could tell him it was an awesome fall. Then we all waved to him from the window :)

We went back to play some more in the play area. Sam came over with an ice cream cone, and there was this adorable little boy, who locked in on Sam, or should I say Sam's ice cream. He literally went over to Sam and poked him in the side and smiled. Sam motioned to his momma if he could have one and went and bought him one. Sam said the little boy's face, as he's walking toward him with the ice cream cone, was the highlight of his day. I think it was probably the highlight of the little boy's day as well :) We spent some more time playing with him and his family, and he kept taking pictures of Sam and the girls with his momma's cell phone.

We have just had so many precious moments with so many precious people!!! We're counting down the days until we get to visit our precious family and friends in the states!

Sleep deprived......will add more pics tomorrow.

Easter Blessings!
~Michelle

Another great day in the mountains!

Gracie decided that surfin the snow was more fun than sledding.

Spring is in the air: Sunny and 65!

Happy belated 4th Birthday to my precious niece, Livvy!!! I'm looking forward to seeing my nieces and nephews (and EVERYONE), and I know the Girls are going to love playing with their cousins!!

It was a gorgeous day today, so the Girls and I went out and planted seeds. Izzy wanted corn, Gracie wanted lavender, and Sophie picked Mirabilis. We also planted sunflower, cherry tomato, large tomato, dianthus, and morning glory seeds. We used small cups to start the seedlings. That way the girls can watch them grow a little. Of course, they helped me for about 15 minutes and then were off observing (harassing) spiders and other insects. Sophie was already out this evening checking on the seeds. It's still difficult for them to grasp the concept of a few weeks :) I also planted some cilantro. It is 498 yen for a small bunch, but it comes with the roots, so I kept them to plant. I think it will do really well, as I had one little stem survive the winter. If only I could find some jalapeno and green chile seeds, my salsa garden would be complete. We're going to one of the bigger flower/plant stores on Friday, so hopefully I can find some sort of hot pepper.

Saturday, we had a going-away party for Miss Ivana. I made chicken fajitas, tortilla soup, spanish rice, guacamole, salsa, 7-layer dip, spinach dip, my momma's scrumptious banana cake, and a few other things. It was fun providing our Japanese friends with their very first fajita and showing them how to "make" one. Akaya-san brought his mandolin and played and sang for us. He's really wonderful to listen to and actually plays in a country and western band. We also all got together and sang, "Happy Trails" to Ivana. We're so happy for her, but are going to miss her so much. It was really nice getting to take care of our Tokyu friends for a change - they have done so many wonderful things for us!!!

Sunday, we just chilled and played as a family. We went to Saizeriya to eat. The girls can get cheesy Foccacia bread. Sophie also wanted some sticky rice. She and Izzy both had a plate of fried shrimp, and Gracie had "pusketty." They ate every bite!!! Then we went to one of the many wonderful parks near us. We saw some beautiful, little (sparrow-sized), green birds. I took pictures, but Sam and I both were wishing we had the "big" camera with us. He bought this really nice, little compact camera, but lost it to his darling wife :) Anyway, the girls played in the bamboo "forest." They reminded me of kittens. They would run ahead and "hide," but between the CONSTANT movement and giggling...Sam and I really had to put our parent acting skills to the test - "Oh where can they be?" Finally, we made it to the playground, which is more of an obstacle course. They have assorted beams of different heights to walk on, a REALLY HIGH swinging bridge-type thing, and a rock-climbing wall with nets to climb on the other side and a slide. Poor Sam's nerves were totally shot in about 2 minutes. Izzy, would walk to the edge of the really high thing and lean over the edge, or shake it to see her sisters freak out. I really don't know where she gets that little ornery streak from???? Sam says she just gets that sadistic look (I call it a twinkle) in her eye, and when she's really naughty, she has this scary laugh to accompany it. We feared this would happen, but Izzy has officially crossed over to the dark side (temper tantrums, ignoring me, telling me, "no!"). They did really well on the climbing wall, and they have no problem scurrying up the nets. Such a cute sister/triplet moment - they would race to the top and then all three would put their legs and arms around the sister in front and slide down just squealing.

Speaking of squealing, their Granny Glenn sent them three new movies. One of them was THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE- 'Mariposa'!!!! Oh my gosh!!!! They squealed like I've never heard before. Gracie and Sophie are such girly girls. I swear by 9:00 A.M., Gracie has changed her outfits three times, and she will not leave the house without her pink, butterfly belt (which usually the butterfly buckle is on the side or completely in the back). Sophie loves to accessorize, and Izzy, again MY GIRL, digs through the dirty clothes to find the one pair of jeans that she really likes - comfort is of the utmost importance :)

We were driving the other day, and a lady was crossing the street (not in a crosswalk). No one was behind me, and we're usually not in a hurry, so I stopped and "motioned" for her to cross the street. Here's the conversation that followed:

Izzy: "Mommy did you use your hands because she can't hear you?"
Me: "Yes, Izzy."
Izzy: "Mommy, some people can't hear or talk, so they have to use their hands."
Me: "That's right, Izzy! Why do you think some people can't talk?"
Izzy: "They can't talk because someone 'stealeded' their voice!"
Me: "Oh my! So why do you think some people can't hear?"
Izzy: "Because their ears are broken."
Me: "How did their ears get broken?"
Izzy: "People screamed too loud into them."
Me: "So I guess we should be careful and not scream in people's ears."
Izzy, Gracie, & Sophie: (Giggle then enter blood-curdling screams)
Me: "I think that lady on the sidewalk just peed in her pants."
Izzy, Gracie, and Sophie: (Giggle, EXIT compassion, more screaming)
Me: "THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Repeat last two lines again.
Threaten to pull car over.
Giggling, but no more screaming.

Finally, I have to say how much I love my husband. He brings one of the Girls or me flowers at least once a week. I love always having fresh flowers in the house! He always tells me how much he loves what I cooked (even when I buy ground pork instead of hamburger). He can be such a "man" at times, but he does pretty well for one surrounded by a pack of Girls :) God knew what he was doing when He gave Sam daughters.

I have pictures to post with this, but that will probably be tomorrow :)

Love and hugs to you all!
~Michelle

Glenn Girls' Night

Daddy had a Guys' Night Out, although he referred to it as a "work get-together." His work get-together involves food and beer.....enough said :)




Anyway, I made a big pallet in the floor with lots of pillows, and the girls snuggled up with popcorn and Diet Coke (I'm bringing them over to the 'Dark Side' - honestly, they haven't had Diet Coke in a LONG TIME) and watched Stuart Little 2. Two of them were "interested" in watching E.T., but not quite brave enough yet. They are fascinated, yet very afraid, of that movie - LOL :)


I got some great snuggles at bedtime then went to do the HUGE PILE of laundry on my bed.


Love to you all!
~Michelle

Gracie's Body Guard

My friend, Kirste, sent me an email telling me about an incident that happened while I was getting my hair cut. Hopefully, she won't mind me sharing her email. By the way, Jake turned 3 in January. Here's the email:

I forgot to tell you about what happened as Jake, Grace and I were coming out of the Hilton bathroom. Jake is lately really hating any attention he gets from stranger old ladies. If they smile or talk to him, he will say "Da-me!" or blow a raspberry or something. A Japanese (older) lady was coming into the narrow bathroom entrance as we 3 were leaving it. The lady said "kawaii!" and lunged to pat Gracie on the head. Jake threw himself in front of Gracie, bringing his elbows up as a barrier in front of himself so that the lady couldn`t touch him or Gracie. But the old woman didn`t respect that and laughed and patted or went to pat Jake on the head. I heard him bare his teeth/growl a bit at her but she just laughed and continued walking into the bathroom. It happened so fast & I was impressed with Jake moving so fast and that he tried to protect Gracie! I wonder if Gracie even realised what the old lady or Jake were doing??

He is one of the most wonderfully behaved, sweetest, and cutest little boys I've ever met! I love him even more now ;)

Thanks Jake!

~Michelle

Communication Problem - An accident with a name stamp and a house

I got a call a few minutes ago. It was a Japanese caller. I told her, "Nihongo wakarimasen," which is "I don't understand Japanese." She told me, "Chotto matte kudasai," which fortunately I knew meant to hold on a minute. Another lady comes on to try and communicate with me, but she only knows a few English words. So I'm hearing a string of Japanese words with "name stamp, husband, house, hospital, and call" thrown in. She then gives me the number to call, from what I can gather, the hospital. I asked her, "Is my husband in the hospital?" She says some more Japanese and then the word "call" again. I'm trying not to panic, and try to call Sam's cell. Of course, there is no answer. I then try to call the hospital number I was given, which I repeated back in Japanese to make sure I had it written on my hand correctly - no answer. Little Miss Gracie had heard my conversation and wants to know if Daddy is in the hospital. I tell her I don't think so, but Mommy needs to make some phone calls. I call our friend Mike, who works close to Sam and explain what has happened. He was so sweet and ran over, with Tim, to check on Sam for me. I get a call a few minutes later.....it was Sam asking me WHO was in the hospital? I called Mike back to tell him thanks. I think Sam, Mike, and Tim were LAUGHING about it all! So, he is OK. There was no crazy accident with a name stamp and a house, and I am having a glass of wine before 5 o'clock :)

Chalk it up to more incentive to learn the language.

~Michelle