Beach Pictures

Our good friends came to Tokyo for a visit. J and B had a great time with them at the beach. J is really into the water this year, I am impressed that he gets up time and time again!

Suika Wari

Instead of doing a Pinata, children in Japan look forward to summer when they get to break watermelons. We had a great time with this tradition!

Seth in his summer kimono.

Grandpa and Nicki came to visit. We had a great time sightseeing around Tokyo and Kyoto!

Yochien

This is where J goes to school. For the most part he is really enjoying school, they get to play a lot and they have some really fun stuff to play with.

Tokyo Disneyland

We had a great trip to Tokyo Disneyland while hubby's Dad and Nicki were visiting!

Disneyland castle with Grandpa and Nicki!

Our family.

S. seriously smiled like this for the entire day!!!

My favorite ride was Pooh's Hunny Hunt. S. loves Pooh and was captivated by the entire experience! This ride is specific to Tokyo.

Splash mountain.

Bento Box

Four times a week J takes a "bento" or box lunch to school. We called it cold lunch when I went to school. However, it is slightly more complicated here in Japan than the good old PBJ and a bag of chips and maybe some cookies. No sweets or snacks are allowed. The kids can have fruit for their dessert. Also they have to have a washcloth, which has a special container, a towel, a cup, a placemat, and special containers for the food. One that can be heated and the other for fruit or salad or other things you don't want heated. And don't forget the totally cool silverware and chopstick holder! For the first month or so I was always forgetting something. Luckily on Wed. he only has 1/2 day of school and he doesn't need a lunch.

Don't feel like J is deprived since he doesn't get snacks at school, after school for "oyatsu" or snack time at the park with friends people bring all sorts of cookies and chips and candy. Yup, I still have American kids.

Below are the three stages the lunch goes through to fit in that small school bag.

Also we've had a great spring, so hopefully I'll be posting again soon!

Flat Stanley Does Japan

J's kindergarten class in Burley asked that we do a flat Stanley in Japan.  So here it is, Flat Stanley in Japan.

Near Dad's school.

Cherry Blossom fun.

The Shinkansen!

Tama Zoo.

The subway museum.