Manna`s birthday!

Well Manna is now four years old.  It seems like a long time, if I sit and think about it.  Four years ago we were in the hospital in Tokyo all together with little baby Manna.

It`s hard to believe how fast they grow...

Anyways onto the celebration.  Manna requested that we take her to the Rainforest Cafe.  It has quite an ambiance, from robotic elephants and gorillas to huge fish tanks, don`t forget the artificial thunderstorm that comes every 10 minutes or so.  I just wish I could say the food was that great, but it`s okay and obviously over priced.  I mean $15 tacos...come on! They also have a giant hamburger for the shocking price of $45...but it does come with fries.

So Manna was super excited and couldn`t stop talking the whole time.  She hardly ate anything because she just had to get up and explore the place.

Overall a memorable experience.  I hope you all enjoy the photos and videos

Showtime!

Today being a holiday for me and of course the girls on their summer vacation, we took off to the park for a few hours.  It was warm but shade and a breeze helped out a lot.

After the park we went to watch a show at a local mall.  PRECURE is the name of the Japanese Animation.  It is a typical heroine type action show.  Of course this was done with real people dressed up dancing, fighting, and doing whatever.  I couldn`t help but laugh at the corniness of it all, but the girls really enjoyed it.

In fact Manna was in tears when the pink one (blossom) left the stage after being attacked by the bad guy.  She thought she must have died or something.  It took a few minutes to assure her it was going to be okay.

So now tomorrow I am back to work, and I guess things will be a little less tiring.  Days off from work don`t necessarily mean a vacation.

Long ,but fun day!

Pool season starts!

Today was the opening day for the local pool we often go to. The great thing is the pool is relatively close (about 30 minute drive) and it`s FREE!

And to make things better we were able to meet up with some of Anna and Manna`s friends there too. We spent about 3 hours in the sun, going in and out of the pool trying to keep kids from slipping and falling, and to stay happy and hydrated!!

Whew! Feeling the burn....sunburn maybe.

Anyways we have a lot more days of pool fun ahead. Enjoy the pics and videos

 

MATSURI

Today after returning home from work we went to the neighborhood matsuri (Japanese festival).
There were a lot of children and people dressed in the traditional Japanese summer attire. Of course we got the girls all dressed up as well. Manna really enjoyed dancing on the stage. We bought Tako yaki, shaved ice, and some toys for the girls. They really enjoyed the atmosphere with the taiko drums and Bon dance. We also ran into a few neighbors and friends.
Before we knew it, it was past eight and time to go.
Except for the sweltering humidity, I really enjoy Japanese summers!

Summer vacation starts!!

The girls have just finished their first semester of preschool together.

And the early mornings are really warming up.
The garden has really grown the past 3 months
Every morning we are likely to have cucumbers or tomatoes waiting for us

Manna is especially fond of cucumbers.

And Anna loves tomatoes.

We hope to be growing melons soon, hopefully in time for the 90 degree summer heat!!