rainy day outing

It's definitely rainy season here.  We had to get out, so went to Daiei, a big store near us, to walk around.

Ariel is suddenly obsessed with the Mickey Mouse on my rain jacket!  She plays with a Mickey Mouse doll in the car often.  It's from our friends, the Okanos.

Testing out the low chairs.

May days

Ariel was brave the other day as she had blood drawn for routine tests (part of her well-child checkup.)  It was a good chance to see our lab friends, though.  Afterward, we strolled the neighborhood in beautiful weather, visited playmate Sarah, had a good lunch and playtime with Ralph.

a good hat

is always in style!



Love, Schmig.

meeting Hello Kitty

(These photos are kind of dark.  To see them bigger and better, try double-clicking them.)

 Ariel was surprised to meet her!  She wanted to touch her face.  I guess when you're Hello Kitty, you can dress up in Alice in Wonderland costumes just for the fun of it.

 Having a rockin' good time on Hello Kitty's bed.  (Before you meet her, you get to tour her house.)

 Hello Kitty's bathroom

 self-portrait on the boat ride

 The boat ride was pleasing to the eyes, ears, and nose (a cinnamon smell leading you to Cinnamaroll's party.)

Let's return soon!

She's taken over the office

update

Ariel is napping, so I have a few minutes. When I try to work on the computer, she grabs the keyboard and mouse. So I just let her. She's been known to comment on Facebook and dial unknown people on the phone.

I sat down and looked at some photos from the Sendai disaster for the first time (I'd seen some, but not to this extent.) In our area, things are quite normal and comfortable, but I feel so sorry for the people who lost so much.

Ariel & I joined a babysitting co-op (exchange) that my friend started. It's through a website called BabysitterExchange.com. I earn and spend imaginary tokens by hosting friends' kids, and they can babysit Ariel. It's the greatest thing since sliced sushi roll! Ariel still enjoys our regular babysitter, Mayra, though.

Friday we went to Sanrio Puroland, home of Hello Kitty. Ariel & I were both entranced, and got to visit Hello Kitty's house and meet her in person. We hope to return soon with friends. I'll post photos.

Sorry we don't get much time to email or Skype. The weather has been so nice, we try to get outside or on the go. Ariel is enjoying photos of all of you we visited on our USA trip. We're also getting a kick out of Aunt Debbie's audio CD of favorite books.

Sit-n-Spin

A video of Ariel learning to use a Sit-n-Spin:

halfway

 We're halfway through Jeff's deployment!

playdate, minus two

We had a playdate Tuesday.

Ariel was napping during this photo (she fell asleep on the bathroom rug when I changed her diaper.)

And cake for Edel, who was expecting her new baby soon.  But mother nature didn't cooperate, and Edel and Yelena couldn't come.

We brought her some cake & leftovers anyway.

And her new baby was born the next day!

Sawai

 On Mother's Day, we drove to Sawai.  It's a quiet nature area on the Tama River.  It has a sake brewery, riverside cafe, riverside trails, and a small temple.

The water is so inviting.



knocking at the fancy restaurant

but we ate at a cheap place!

 my talented straw-drinker

An important purchase: Anpanman play figures.  I'm having fun playing with them!  Most people want to buy Asian furniture or a kimono before their Japan assignment ends.  This is what I wanted.

especially for Jeff

 fluff toes

 #1 Son

"I miss you, Daddy!"

Happy Mother's Day!

(a little early)

Ariel & I posed for this photo in a photo booth.  I look a little crazy, but she looks as beautiful as ever!

Happy Mother's Day to Grandma Alice, Grandma Barb, Aunt Debbie, and all the moms out there (that includes moms of cats, dogs, birds, etc.)

5th of May

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

And in Japan, it's Kodomo no hi (Children's Day.)  To celebrate, we had a play date with neighbor Yoko & family.

a private blog

In light of world events and general family safety, I want to take the blog private. To access it, I think you'll need a Google account. I'll send you an invitation by email.

Please email me at parkshr@yahoo.com if you're a friend, relative, blogging/adoption friend who would like access, and I don't have your email address.

crayons!

coloring at the new table

We bought a cheap table & chairs from the elementary school near us. The 4th grade teacher has to clear out his classroom for summer re-flooring. He even delivered it to us. So far, we mostly color at it. It's old & beat up, so a few more crayon marks just make it better! Here's a video of Ariel coloring and talking:

eating skills

Ariel can feed herself with a spoon (still messy.) She can feed herself finger foods, and yesterday ate lots of mashed food (veggies, pasta, egg) with her hands. She still rejects sippy cups, but is taking to the straw. This is good, since the straw is better for her facial muscles and teeth than a sippy cup. She is down to 1-2 bottles of milk a day.

We just got a nice second-hand dining set, but we have to put it over carpet. So for messy baby meals, we stay in the kitchen for now. Notice how Ariel still fits into her "World Journey" helicopter shirt from last summer.

the shoe

We ended the week with a gathering of aunts, uncles, brother-in-law, cousins, and neighbors. We were so busy visiting, I only managed one picture: Ariel trying on cousin Alex's shoe.

Mall of America

We had to have a Mall of America day! It has an aquarium:

Sharks aren't that scary with grandparents to protect you.

a fun dinner and brewskis at Bubba Gump Shrimp

at the mall

These photos are already a couple weeks old. We had a blast playing with Grandma Barb and Papa Rich at a mall. We spent the last week of our evacuation staying with them in Minnesota.