a bad cold

This photo is from 2 weeks ago.  Ariel woke up with a bad cold.  We all got it, including Grandma Alice, who visited a few days after the onset.  As you can tell, Ariel has good cat support and fun books to help her recover.  This is what she had to type about this day:

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a real teddy bear's picnic

 Keller the bear, Josefina the bat, and Panda joined us for a picnic by Ariel's preschool house.  We pick her up from preschool at noon.  The day was lovely, and we walked from Mrs. Sarah's house to the nearby park.  Ariel fell asleep right away.  She must've played hard at preschool.

Cherry blossoms (sakura) were in full bloom that day.

appreciating "the arts"

Ariel & I went to a show on base by the Party Animals, while Jeff enjoyed quiet time at home.  The Party Animals are a kids' rock band: a kangaroo, bear, lion, and fox (adults in animal make-up.)  We saw lots of friends there.  The music was a bit loud, but Ariel liked dancing around, playing with balloons, and especially the rock versions of Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.  I took these photos after the show.

Cynthia and Steve

Ariel & I met Cynthia and Steve on the base shuttle bus.  They are a retired Air Force couple visiting here Space-A (military flights.)  They asked me about the hot springs, so we took a day driving in the country and visited one.  This picture is from Sawai, a riverside area with sake brewery.  We also went to Tsuru Tsuru Onsen in Hinode, where they got to soak in the hot springs.  We had a fun time with them!

this and that

 In cool Dora sunglasses from Alice.  All of a sudden, she liked to put them on herself, show us, and look in the mirror.  Sometimes she puts them on upside-down.

 The Easter package from Grandma Barb and Papa Rich was full of rabbit and Dora goodies!  It was also a popular napping spot for the cats.

 at Yamada Udon

watching the spinning guy.

The sign says "Tanuki Udon & Soba" (noodle dishes and various others.)  It's our favorite eatery by the base.  The staff are so friendly.

springtime!

She's as kissable as she looks.

When Jeff is the photographer, he can evoke funny faces.

from Easter Sunday

The cherry blossom (sakura) trees started, and are now in full bloom!

Easter at the Bunny Store

We went out for lunch at Yamada Udon on Easter, and also visited the Bunny Store. It's really called Nishimatsuya, and is a great place for kids' clothes and supplies. Ariel gets happy about seeing the big white bunny on the sign. And she loves riding on Jeff's shoulders.

techie girl around base

We had some car work done, so Ariel & I played outside in a field while waiting for the base shuttle bus.  She likes to play "Sneezies", "I Hear Ewe", and some other games on our iPod Touch.

At the base library.  Totoro is a famous and beloved cartoon movie star in Japan (and all over the world.)

We acquired this tricycle in someone's discards.  Ariel had tried our neighbor, Gabe's, tricycles and liked them.  She likes this purple Disney Princess trike, especially its squeaky horn.

wheels!

 We went down the street to play with some neighbors.  If we'd known if was going to be a vehicle-fest, we would've brought Ariel's bike helmet.  She's into trying other kids' bicycles.

Thanks to the Bowmans and Currys for the playdate and letting us play with their toys.

The Teddy Bears' Picnic

This is one of her favorite books du jour.  She likes to read it to herself and sing something like "go today!  pi  NUH!"  Since this video, she's perfected it a bit more.  Excuse my singing in the video - I was trying to prompt her to sing after me.