Christmas day

such nice weather

learning about baby Jesus
Ariel's God family (our neighbors) gave us a nonbreakable Nativity set. We also have 3 wise men and a shepherd. Shannon said we could be creative with the animals.


getting ready for presents

We were both still wiped out from our colds. TaTa and her man (and L'il "pancake") came over to help open presents and play. It was fun, and I got a long, hot shower while they played with Ariel. She got lots of baby markers and crayons, books, clothes, and more.

This hat is a hit! She likes to put it on and play with her reflection in the mirror.

the Sandman cometh during present opening

"Look, DaDa! A new Anpanman ball!"

What child is this?

This is Milo. He's our houseguest for a month. He has stayed with us before.

He's very easy-going with everyone, but Ralph sometimes gives him a hard time (as in this picture - the reason for his flat ears!)

in the spirit of Christmas

(for Jeff and cat-lovers everywhere)
a video of Ralph cleaning Doraemon's ear:

Christmas Eve

We were invited to a friend's house for Christmas Eve, but just need to stay home and rest. Ariel is doing much better, but I'm still sick.

We tried for a group shot that flattered everyone.

I sensed a disagreement over the heating pad.

Babies!

Recent referrals:
http://chinaadopttalk.com/2010/12/18/babies-39/

The cutoff was May 29, 2006. Rooting for some friends who are LID Nov. 2006.

Congratulations to these families!

a baby's work

We're both getting over colds. It seems everyone around us has one, too.

That doesn't stop us from playing with balls of all sizes.

or throwing crayons on the floor!

bedtime

Once the hand-licking starts, the Sandman is on his way.

almost too tired for books

Doraemon always gets in on the snuggling.

We did find out his cheek mass was malignant (we suspected, since it's already grown back at the corner of his mouth.) We were prepared for anything when we adopted an older cat. So at this point, Doraemon gets whatever he wants.

sweet dreams, my sweetie

She's growing into some hand-me-down pajamas from friends.

She can even wear a 2T if it's shrunken enough.

8 months since Gotcha Day

(She has a cold.)

Soft winter hat from long-time Spring Valley neighbor Carol B.

friends come see us

We had a fun day with Izumi, Serina, and "Ojisan" Okano-san

eating at Chili's and hanging out.

the boys

Still no diagnosis for Doraemon, but we don't think it's good. He's in good spirits, though.

catnap with Ralph

Hinode Mall

We drove into the countryside to Hinode Mall.

walking and blowing spit bubbles

on the Waverider at Kids Plaza (the mall play area)

Chinese dumplings

and playtime and a nice visit with Yaoyao and Becca

Xiexie, Yaoyao!

update on Jeff

First of all, to those people asking (yes, they are asking this) "will Jeff be home for Christmas?" the answer is "no, he just got there." But Christmas 2011, yes!

He's pretty busy getting started in his job. He is sometimes able to call or Skype us. He is able to access Facebook and post some quick updates & photos. It's a convenient way to update many people at once. We've followed other friends on their year-long deployments this way, and it's a comfort to see they're okay (and interesting to see what they're doing.) These are a few of Jeff's photos I took from his Facebook page:

If you'd like Jeff's address, please email me at parkshr@yahoo.com

He may not have time to reply, but would love to hear from you.

16 months old today!

just out meeting & greeting at the YCC

first Christmas party

Friend Cameron invited us to her house for a party with her English class (ladies Ariel & I know, too.)

unsure about fancy holiday clothes

The ladies packed a lot of food tied up in scarves!

Games & gifts. Thanks for the good time, Cameron and Tachikawa English Club!

hat play

The mirror was smeared with her lunch, then I wiped it with a baby wipe (so temporarily foggy.) Ariel has fun trying on hats and other headwear.

Anpanman pants

These pants/shorts with Anpanman on the back came from our friend Yoko. Ariel wore them a lot during the warm autumn. They drew a lot of attention in the States, where people aren't used to the ubiquitous and friendly hero, Anpanman.

ha

"Ha" is Japanese for leaf or leaves.

Raking them was easy with TaTa and Ariel's help.

early videos

Our first playtimes with Ariel in the China Hotel:

still nice weather

Doraemon had his sutures out yesterday. We don't know the pathology report on his mass yet.

Ariel & Japanese persimmon (kaki)

walking partner!