- Baking ingredients found cheap!
- Scrapbooking play dates with friends and a yummy pot luck lunch!
- Noah`s giggles
- Making a new friend at Akachan Honpo yesterday- I spoke recently about wanting to make some Japanese friends close by and I made one who has a little girl almost 5 months old. We were speaking away in Japanese and she said something I didn`t understand and I must have had that look like I didn`t understand because she repeated what she said in perfect English. I was so embarrassed that she spoke English so well (3 years living in the UK while she did her Masters)- we spoke in a mix after that and even went to have coffee together.
- Lalaport- just a bus ride away (could probably walk too, would take close to an hour though so maybe once it is warmer) and lots of things to see and do and of course they have starbucks! hehe
- Packages arriving in the mail from my friend Suzy – a parenting magazine for me, some little handmade shoes for Noah (photos to follow!), a lovely note and also a DIY mobile thing that I am going to print out pictures of our family, and animals and colourful objects to make a mobile for above Noah`s bed. It is great because I can change the pictures and things around all the time so he won`t get bored with it! Oh and a lovely little note on a handmade card- Suzy is a crafting genius and comes up with the greatest things!
- Just 1 week 1 day til my brother and Gemma arrive from Australia.
- Nicer weather, warmer weather, drier weather! Bring on spring!
- Planning Noah`s 100 day old birthday celebrations! MIL bought him a special set to eat with on the day (we will do it a day early on Sunday 28th so that we can all be together- plus Paul and Gem too!
- Having someone in the building learning to play the piano- I remember those days well. Not sure if it is someone teaching a child or if it is someone learning to play or what not but I can hear it faintly occasionly just in the last week (have never heard ANYTHING from any of the neighbours before now). Makes me want to find a piano and play again! (I played for 15 years, well had lessons for 15 years- i suppose I can still play but haven`t in ages)
- Nikujyaga in the slow cooker using this recipe from LaFujimama – it was not bad although it could of used a bit more flavour but I think that was my own fault and not the recipe itself (i think I had more veggies and meat than the recipe called for and I am not sure I added enough dashi). It was the first time I ever made Nikujyaga though and I look forward to making it again. Shun was well impressed with my first attempt though so that made me happy!
- Waking up to Noah talking/grizzling at about 3:30am so I got up to feed him but thought I would rush to toilet first and when I came back he had put him self back to sleep without a feed and ended up not waking up again til just after 5am. Gotta love a baby that can self-comfort themselves back to sleep!
- Almost daily Skype chats with Cassie when we both have the time! Usually in the mornings when Noah is at his happiest- it is a great way to start the day!
- Hanami plans getting closer and closer!
What are you loving this Thursday?!
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I am just a twenty something Aussie girl living in Chiba, Japan with my Japanese husband trying to make sense of the crazy Japanese world we live in! We welcomed our first son in December 2009 (Noah) and a second son in January 2011, 2 months premature (Shion). I am working hard at raising them to be confident, bilingual, happy kids!
One day I will have to sign up for skype, keep thinking about it but never remember.
Hmmm my list for this week isn`t so long since I`ve been all stuffed up from a cold but here goes:
-鼻セルブ if you are going to get a cold these are the best tissues to have on hand
-T coming home earlier so that I could get a bit of a break
-soup
-a baby who hasn`t been too fussy during the days (wish I could say the same thing about her going to bed earlier)
-fabric swap squares arriving in the mail
Skype is fantastic, isn’t it!! I couldn’t live without it anymore. Your skype chats with Cassie sound great
I really miss the days that you and I would chat on Skype nearly everyday…
My list this week:
* Playgroup at Adele’s
* Khea’s strawberry cheesecake muffins and my variation of same recipe but with banana’s instead.
* Getting Baby N’s car seat off Adele on Monday. Now we are officially ready for her arrival!
* A clean house!! I don’t think my house has ever been this clean. Let’s just say if I go overdue it’s not because of any lack of trying from me, lol
Yay! Good list this week.
Which Aka-chan Honpo were you at? The one in Kinshicho – I can’t wait to have one only 1 express stop away hehe!
Noah’s giggling sounds like it would be so precious. I hope he’ll laugh for me next time I see him!
Aww.. just thinking about Noah giggles is making me smile. LOVED it when Joey started to chuckle and his laugh is still very infectious now. Great list of cheerful things. I am having a “I HATE my job Thursday” so it is hard to move through that and find the positive. Might have to have a crack later though as it will no doubt cheer me up!
Yum! I love Nikujyaga! Wow! I can’t believe Noah is nearly 100 days old! I also can’t believe the Japanese celebrate that…well actually I can! It’s nice that Baba bought him something to eat out of, but will he actually be able to eat anything? Maybe just taste a smiggin?
Here’s my things I love this Thursday
-Cooking mashed potato, stir-fry carrot and peas to have a bought roast chicken for dinner
-Boyfriend coming over for dinner
-Cuddles on the couch watching TV
Melanie- Sorry to hear you are sick!! Soup is very good though. Glad T made it home early to help you out. Hope you are feeling much better soon!
Nay – Nesting has set in huh? I was like that those last couple of weeks- couldn`t clean enough. Wish I could say the same about now. hahaha!
Sara- The akachan honpo at Lalaport in Funabashi (MInami-Funabashi train station)- it is near the Ikea too! They have a great selection of kids shops at Lalaport actually so I see a shopping excursion in our future (great baby gap and Next)
Midori- I got a video of Noah`s giggles today (he didnt giggle as much as he can though, still makes me laugh though) and I will upload it soon! THey make my day even if he has his grumpy times!
Katie M- BOYFRIEND? Why have I not heard about this sooner! Oh and I loved mashed potatos too! He won`t be able to eat anything at his 100day birthday- it will just be pretend. I will probably start giving him rice cereal in 2-3 months though and I am already looking forward to watching how he reacts to “FOOD”
I love your list of things you love! Aka-chan Honpo is one of the best places to make friends. I have several that I still keep in touch with. It has been forever since I’ve made niku-jaga that way…you may be right! That recipe was thought up while I was pregnant…did pregnancy do strange things to your taste buds sometimes? It does to mine! If you want a really good niku-jaga recipe, this is my all-time favorite thus far: http://www.lafujimama.com/2009/11/chef-hiro-sones-niku-jaga/
ha ha ha ! I didn’t think you were supposed to introduce soilds until 6mths! it will be nice to include him in the meal anyway!
Yeah, I recently gained a boyfriend! Actually, he was my first kiss in year 10 at high school! We’ve only been back together for less than a month, so it’s still early days, but things are going well. He’s like a boy version of me! My other half!
Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting. The place in the picutres is called Kidsdom. Here is a link for it if you are interested, although it may be a while before Noah can enjoy it. http://www.kidsdom.jp/
Fuji Mama- I will have to give that one a go too! How do you prepare such elaborate meals with the kids around? You amaze me! I am loving my slow cooker a lot since it is great to be able put everything in in the morning and know that we will have dinner prepared later in the day no matter what! I turn to your blog for a lot of Japanese recipes, so thanks!
Katie M- Great news about the bf! Sounds like a keeper!
Trisha- Thanks for letting me know the name! I have bookmarked it for future reference!!! Great!
Lulu, I’ve gotten better at cooking with kids with practice! Though it doesn’t always happen. Sometimes dinner ends up being takeout or grilled cheese sandwiches. Now that Squirrel is getting a bit older, I’m trying to involve her more in helping out in the kitchen. Also, A LOT of my cooking happens while Bug is napping, and then we just reheat come meal time! Yes, a slow cooker is a LIFESAVER when you’re a mom!