Cookie Decorating Party

Today, the kids and I went to the Diamond City Mall to participate in a cookie decorating party with friends from the yochien.   It was mostly girls but Quinn-kun didn't mind a bit.  Each child is given a small sheet of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla cookie dough.  One whole 

wall of the place is covered in cookie cutters of every 

imaginable shape 

and size that the kids can pick from.  The cookies are then cooked in small ovens and returned to the kids to decorate with sprinkles and icing.  Great idea and so much fun!

Tanabata Festival 2011 (with Kids)

Sunday was the last day of Tanabata and the kids were itching to go to play games and hopefully catch a goldfish to take home.  It was HOT and humid for us all.  Of course there was eating and game playing.

We, as parents, worry about what Quinn will win and rightly so on this day.  Last year he won a squirt gun and a cross-bow (toy versions).  This year Quinn chose to play a dart board that spins and you have to throw a suction ball on it and try to hit the small 1 or 2 areas to get the best prizes.  His first two throws didn't even hit the board but the last ball hit bull's eye on the 2 area.  His choice of prizes included a squirt gun, a sword, or an air gun.  Before we could speak up, Quinn chose the air gun which looks like a real gun and clearly stated in big letters on the box "18 years or older".  Sometimes I just wonder what the Japanese are thinking offering a 6 year old an air gun.  The kicker is those guns are illegal on base because they look very real.  In the end we changed it to the squirt gun and later told Quinn about it.  He wasn't happy but got over it (with a shaved ice prize thrown in).

Do you think they meant "Def Jam?"

With their prized goldfish.

The last game of the day was the much anticipated goldfish catch.  You are given a paper net that weakens every time it gets wet and usually breaks by the second try.  This year Neal had it mastered and had at least 4-5 fish in each of the kids' bowls.  Quinn and Scarlett were thrilled to bring home their own big goldfish.

We sure are going to miss the street festivals in Japan.  Fingers crossed Anchorage has some equally fun festivities.

Tanabata Festival (without kids)

In the 6 years that we have lived in Fussa, Japan. Neal and I have never been to the Tanabata Festival alone.  This year was our last chance to enjoy the Sake Tent without the kids.   We rode our bikes down and back.  Nothing quite like Japanese Festival Food ...yum, yum, oiishi!   We ate lots of stuff on a stick: pickled cucumber, corn on the cob, and yakitori (meat on a stick).

Cooking the yakitori.

Microbrew from Fussa Brewery..the Best!

about to enter the sake tent

Pouring our sake.

Crazy drunk girls at our table.

Taking it all down.

Sake Tent

Bike parking

This years festival was smaller than in the past.  There were less stalls selling food and it was not as crowded as in the past. And most surprising to us, it closed at 9:00pm.  I'm guessing it is because of the Earthquake.

Star Wars 6th Birthday Party

On August 5th, we had Quinn's official birthday party.  The theme this year was Star Wars and I got lots of great ideas off the internet.   Thanks to both sets of grandparents, (who spoil their grandkids) for hunting down pool noodles and a cool Darth Vader mask in the States and mailing them to us.

This was probably the easiest party I have done so far.  As soon as the kids arrived they selected a pool noodle light saber and the battling began and never stopped (except for short periods to eat).  The Japanese children didn't really know Star Wars, or lightsabers but instinctively knew to hit each other with them.  (Neal and I had practiced beating on each other to make sure no one would get hurt.)

Then we had the coolest visitor, Darth Vader.  Quinn was thrilled, excited and surprised.  He said, "That's what I wanted at my birthday, Thanks Mom."  Again the Japanese kids didn't really know Darth Vader but their Mom's did and the cameras were going wild.   Only one child cried and Scarlett was scared but didn't cry.  As the night went on Scarlett said, "I don't like DV", then "I like DV, a little", and by the end of the night, "I like DV a lot. and  I want DV to come to my birthday".

A side note about Darth and how we got him to come.  Last Halloween while trick or treating Darth was standing out at a house down the street which ended up being someone Neal knows.  It ended up being a friend of the guy Neal knows and we asked if he would come and he said yes.  It takes him an hour to dress up and he didn't want us to pay him.  In the end his payment was a bottle of Jack Daniels... sweet deal all around.

The homemade Death Star pinata survived a lot more kids than I had thought.  In the end it was the strings that broke.  But everyone loved trying on their own Darth Vader mask and the candy, of course.

Quinn was exhausted by the time we cleaned up and headed home (around 8:30pm).  He went through his gifts and curled up on the couch with a blanket.

It was hard to pick pictures for this post ... so many good ones.  But I hope you all enjoy them.  We wish all of our family and friends from around the globe could have been here to help celebrate.

"Death Star" Pinata

Pool Noodle Lightsabers

Young Padawans

Jedi Quinn down after a fierce battle.

getting ready to hit the pinata

The strings broke so we had to rip the pinata open.
(Great photo by Naoki-san)

Q vs. pinata

Super Fun Night= Super Tired Q

Quinn's 6th Birthday

It is so hard to believe that Quinn turned 6 years old on Monday, August 1st.
His day started off with a breakfast of his choosing (an idea taken from our good friends, the Davis Family), which means a food that is not usually purchased.  Quinn chose "Pop Tarts: Chocolate Fudge Sundae" and loved them.  Then he opened presents and pretty much got to choose the activities of the day which included the Wii/ Mario Bros and Galaxy.

Quinn also got to choose where he wanted to go out for dinner and it was a surprise choice of "Chili's".  He seemed a little shy when the wait staff came out singing Happy Birthday but loved the chocolate shake present.  The night ended with shark cupcakes that he wanted to make from a cupcake book I borrowed from a friend.  The cupcakes were a bit rough and needed a bowl to help them stay up but the kids loved them.

Hugs after the present exchange.

General Grievous doubles as a cat scratcher.

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Quinn is such a sweet soul.  He is creative and sensitive and kind.  Everyday he adds such joy to our lives and I hope he knows how much we love him. 

Cool mask.  Thanks Grandpa & Grandma