Mochi Making!

There was a Mochi (Mochi= smashed cooked rice) in early January this year. The Akashi Ward invited us so we could learn how to make traditional Mochi. It was pretty awesome. 

here's President Kojima (Stk. President) showing us how to make the Mochi into something tasty (by adding stuff. if you're a Garrett not named Faith you like to add stuff to your mochi)

Here they are steaming the rice

Suzy with some folks learning how to add the red bean paste (and sometimes a strawberry) or roll it in dried bean stuff. 

Kate got into the action as well. Hiroyuki would get his gloves wet and rotate the rice just before kate would hit it. 

Jace got to try as well, although he could barely lift the mallet. 

Suma Beach Park

We went to the beach yesterday. Still Chilly, but the kids obviously had fun. Lots of sandy fun. at one point, I said to Suzy, "could Jace get any sandier?"

Suzy replied, "yes, he could get completely wet then role in the sand." Which he then proceeded to do.  

Brighton had a lot of fun as well building sand castles, finding seashells and being cute. 

Ka-Ra-O-Ke

Faith and her Ganstahness

Kate and Brighton on Vocals. Backup dancers, Spider Jace and Handjive Faith

Trampoline

This is our favorite purchase in Japan

The kids have loved the trampoline. Many a fun time, and many an argument on this wonderful device

Lo hei! and Polar Bear Swim

Kate was the only Girl to do the Polar Bear Swim

Suzy with her friend Desa

successfully survived

Gala

So we went to this Fancy Gala put on the kid's school. Suzy looked amazing!

She and her friend Desa (not sure how to spell it) went to a local Japanese salon where they did their hair and makeup. 

Eli (Desa's boy) took the picture for us. and was nice enough to include this selfie.

Ryan, Desa, Suzy, Me, Tinka, Standa (they are Czechoslovakian (you should see how I originally tried to spell this)) 

The next weekend was another Fancy night, this time at the Shioya club. I think Suzy doing her own makeup and hair did a beter job. 

Carps!

We were just walking back with the Gardner's (Paula and Ross family) from Himeji Castle, when what should we spot, but a NINJA!!! 

He was pretty fun, you can see him here if you zoom in posing for our shots. You can tell he's just a Ninja in training because we can see him. Obviously we would never spot a real Ninja. I'm pretty sure they're all over in Japan, we just never see them. 

Jace was super excited about seeing the Ninja

Here was a park in Hiroshima, the first inkling of cherry blossoms! We were all pretty excited, but especially Brighton. 

This park had awesome Carp you could feed (you got fish feed with the price of admission, it was about $5 for the family)

view from other side of the pond

Jace was pretty happy to find an "American" fish (it was red white and blue)

The pigeons liked the fish food as well. Faith really liked having the gross pigeons walk on her.

Here's where a small Japanese child fell in and got devoured by the vicious carp.  

Also, our kids got flying powers from the nuclear energy floating around in the Japanese atmosphere. 

Jace did too, but he got the bonus of one of his hands turning into a leather baseball glove. 

They have this awesome park on Awagi Island. the kids got soaking wet of course. 

cherry blossoms galore!

The Sumsions were visiting! 

They just wanted to "walk" in the water. "Dad, we'll pull up our pants, it will be fine they said"

Jace looked like he'd had some kind of major accident (he later sat down in the sand in his wet, white shorts). 

Easter Egg hunt

Easter Egg Hunt, Japan style! and yes, that's Jace about to throw an egg (he had 11 and you were only supposed to find 10)

Mia Kato, she is Jace's age, and a friend from down the street. 

The Hunt was held on a nearby soccer field. The older kids had their own hunt somewhere else.

Spoiled Eggs

Kate often will make eggs for breakfast.  This morning, she was making scrambled eggs for everyone, Brighton saw and excitedly said "Kate's making spoiled eggs!!"

Brighton and the "would you rather

Ä game that the kids really enjoy (and us adults too) is would you rather. That's where you give two options, and someone has to choose between two (usually bad) things. For example,
"Would you rather have to live without being able to talk, or without being able to hear."

Brighton has this concept down pat. Here is her latest:
 "Would you rather have a poisonous snake with no skin around your neck, or food."