Schuettpelz's Abroad

The Ghost Who Says "Mooo"

2012-01-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

We are having fun ganging out at home these days and we've finally caught the illusive ghost who says "mooo."

Francie sitting with Owen

2012-01-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

Averie's Cheetah Movie

2011-12-30T03:01:00.000-08:00

This is a movie (Photstory) Averie made of Cheetah's while on her Christmas holidays. It is an extra-credit assignment for her class. She used PhotoStory 3 and did it all on her own once I showed her how the program worked. Enjoy!!

Weekend Adventure!

2010-12-19T02:18:00.000-08:00

Sara needed some time off and since I will be on a work field trip (as Averie calls it) I was more than happy to spend some fun time with the kiddos!

On Saturday we went into Tokyo and checked out the Sea Life Park at Kasai Rinkai Koen. Fun place! The kids had a blast topped off with dinner at the New Sanno.

Then on Sunday it was off to Saitama to see the railway museum (formerly of Akiharabara). It was fun as trains, or denshas as Eli calls them, (easier for our kids to say densha (train in Japanese) than train in English) are his most favorite thing in the world right now. Too much fun. Hope all of you like these and see how much the kids have grown!Hope to see you this summer! Merry Christmas!

P.S. - Some of you followers may remember our famous video of Owen and the hamerhead sharks...well these ones are a little more aggressive!

This next one I stopped to soon as Owen realized he had more drink!

The next is from our shinkansen train ride at the museum. Eli was a funny guy!

Hakone!

2010-11-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

We took a long drive to Hakone to see what it had to offer. Pretty crowded but it was a nice Saturday so that should be expected. We saw a famous shrine, lots of Mt. Fuji, a pirate ship, road a cable car up to a volcano, and ate volcanic eggs. A good time had by all!

Averie's Spanish Play

2010-11-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Averie had a "surprise" Spanish festival. Surprise because she didn't tell us until we read it on the reader board at her school. But she performed with gusto! Her class did the Spanish version of 5 Little Monkeys!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

Even though the typhoon starting drizzling rain on us, we braved the streets to show off our costumes. Averie went as Pippi Longstocking. She was probably the most noticed costume as parents flocked to her to see her home-made outfit.

Owen buzzed his way through crowds as a bee. He was a little miffed Elijah dressed up as a cowboy which Owen used for the past two years. Eli got into the spirit but refused to use the candy bag and kept a tight grip on his candy!

Owen's Harvest Day Joseph Festival

2010-10-30T16:21:00.001-07:00

Owen's Hamura Yoichien held its Harvest Festival with a Joseph theme!

The Mighty Pirate Keel!

2010-07-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

While Averie delved into the mysteries of the deep at Space Camp, Owen got to attend the Pirate Party. He had a blast singing along and even acting in the play!

Mount Stuart Range

2010-07-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

A fun picture I photostiched after our hike.

Fun Summer Fun!

2010-07-16T14:27:00.001-07:00

Today marks the half-way point of the summer vacation. It's been a blast so far and we hope for more fun! Sara and I looked into what it takes to buy a house...not so uplifting but we've had fun watching the kids roam around and explore new mischief. Fun for all.

Whidbey Island Explorers Take on Okutama!

2010-06-05T04:19:00.000-07:00

Even though the weather report called for thunderstorms (who believes that?!), the kids and I ventured into the mountains to escape the concrete jungle of Tokyo. Just an hour away we felt like we were in another world all-together.

Averie and Owen donned their Whidbey Island uniforms, studied their orders and explored a Japanese stock fishing stream. They create a series of pools on the river ( no fun stealing EPA for them) and you can rent a hole (freshly stocked for 3,000 yen) or try your luck on your own.

We ventured across lake Okutama on a floating bridge and saw a wild monkey on our way to the longest roller slide in Japan.

Memorial Day @ Tama

2010-06-01T03:05:00.000-07:00

The first two days of Memorial Day weekend were pretty dreary but Monday was picture perfect. Needing a cheap way to celebrate, I took the kids to Tama Hills for an afternoon adventure. We played mini-golf, hiked up the mountain trails, and rode horses. However, I have a lead on a new outdoor adventure area. It's in the mountains west of us called Okutama which is the trout infested source of the Tama river...I can't wait. Oh yeah, and Lindsay may come tomorrow.

Fun Day in Tokyo

2010-05-15T14:40:00.001-07:00

Despite Sara thinking I was nuts, I took the kids to the city yesterday. She was kind enough to drive us to the station and we hopped a train to Ueno Koen, whih is a massive park in downtown Tokyo. There are museums, walking trails, markets, and a zoo! The zoo, which is free for kids under 12 was pretty neat. We ate lunch in the park which was going well until Averie started feeding the pigeons. Then Eli threw is whole lunch into the middle of a swarm of pigeons. So much for that piece of pizza.

After the zoo, we made the trip to the US Embassy compound, which was harder to find than I thought it. Every year they have a giant yard sale. The residents line up tables down the main street of the compound and open it up for everyone to come and shop. Oddly, I had to show my government ID to get in though...not sure since there were Japanese nationals all over the place. Averie and Owen used their money to buy fun toys. Turns out the embassy is near the New Sanno so we ate dinner before catching the trains home. Averie fell asleep on an old Japanese man (who was also sleeping) and then a nice lady who made sure she didn't tip over when she left.

All in all, a great day in the city! Can't wait to do it again!

A New Day, a New Bike

2010-04-24T23:18:00.000-07:00

Averie had grown out of her bike, and what with it having a puncture, we needed to get her a new one. So, now she's the proud owner of a 20 inch bike, which is quite a step up from the 12 inch she was cruising around in.

After a quick view of Mt. Fuji this morning off we went. To celebrate we road over the flight line and went to the bazaar. Good thing I ran out of money because I could have easily dropped some more coins. Yikes!

Bike Riding Adventures!

2010-04-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of the first nice days we've had in a while so instead of stopping by the commissary after church, we opted for a nice bike ride. I loaded up the two boys in the trailer and Averie got her bike. It's about 4km from our house to the commissary which takes us through some forested bike paths, across the flight line and through the main part of base. Averie was a real trooper and rode all the way (8km in total). Not always at a brisk pace, but she had spurts of speed, like when a lady passed us with a puppy in her backpack.

As you can see, the gentle motions lulled these two asleep!

Piano!

2010-04-14T05:42:00.000-07:00

We got our "new" piano today. It's a dutch piano that's quite old. Not so much in tune...but we're pretty excited!

A Happy Birthday at Tokyo Disney!

2010-04-13T05:19:00.000-07:00

It was Averie's birthday last week so we decided to celebrate by taking her to Tokyo Disney. After only a two hour drive, we arrived for a full day of fun.

Tokyo Disney is much like the Anaheim version but in a more compact park. Many of the same rides are in Tokyo (Big Thunder Mountain, It's a Small World, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and those nauseating Tea Cups).

It's very clean and it was a great day to go. A little cool but we still all got sun burns. Owen was just the right height to ride all the rides and because Averie is now 7, she can go on by herself (or, in her own car while one of us rode with Owen). Very nice.

A really fun part of the park was the stroller police. The strollers were lined up neat and orderly. I tried to break with the norm and parked mine facing the opposite direction. When I came out of the baby changing station (a very cool place!!!), my stoller was lined up with every other stroller neat and orderly.

We'll go back, but probably not until next year for another birthday although I'm sure Owen will beg to go back for the Buzz Lightyear ride.

Easter at the Zoo

2010-04-04T03:20:00.001-07:00

As we neared the end of the unpacking drudgery which has consumed our lives, we took an Easter break to the Hamura zoo. This is a nice little zoo near base and it's quite secluded for being in the city. The cherry blossoms (sakura) are in full bloom so lots of families were picnicking under the blossoms. Fun all around!

Usagi Candle!

2010-03-28T04:37:00.000-07:00

Today, we played out at stores since it got so cold all of a sudden. The cherry blossoms are about to bloom but golly, was it cold today! So, we went to Costco and then to the home mega store, Jofull Honda!!!

Averie made a candle rabbit at a craft station while Owen, Elijah and I played with telescopes I will not be able to soon afford.

Then, as a new home present, we bought a small cherry blossom tree of our own!

Tokyo in Spring!

2010-03-27T14:55:00.001-07:00

We took the kids on a pretty, although cold walk through Showa Koen (park). It's a huge park with lakes and fields, and sakura (cherry blossoms), and all sorts of other blooming trees. We had fun playing on the toys and running through the park. Good times all around!

Last Trip to Huis Ten Bosch!

2010-01-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

As it looks like our days in Sasebo are reaching low double digits, I took the kids to Huis Ten Bosch for one last trip at Dutch Japan. We rode the boats, the merry-go-round and ran around to our heart's content.

SNOW DAY!!!

2010-01-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

Every teacher and students loves that call in the wee hours saying there is no school because of 4 inches of snow! Averie loves it and got to sleep in and Owen's bus was cancelled so he decided to stay home and play with his siblings. Eli likes watching Averie and Owen build snowmen and play snow ball wars! Now, time for hot chocolate.

Merry Christmas! Thank you!

2009-12-26T03:27:00.000-08:00

We had another fun Christmas in Sasebo which is probably our last in this house as next Christmas will be in Yokota or perhaps we could even afford to go home and see family! Wouldn't that be fun after 6 years in exile? The kids had a lot of fun and have been playing with their toys non-stop for two days. Sara and I recieved more than we deserved and are very grateful! Here's some of the highlights!

Is there a hammer head shark around here?

2009-12-13T01:26:00.000-08:00

Averie's Frist American School Christmas Performance

2009-12-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

After years of watching Averie's Japanese performances this was quite different. She had only 2 classes before it so some of the songs were hard to learn. Fun show though...

More fun with kids...

2009-12-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

Averie's Homework

2009-12-05T16:33:00.001-08:00

Part of Averie's nightly homework is to read a story from her reading teacher. She's doing pretty well after only a week!

Eli loves the Japanese iPhone

2009-11-21T00:10:00.000-08:00

I was just playing with the new toy (my new iPhone) and a Japanese training app when we discovered something amazing. Eli almost choked on this lunch laughing so hard every time the phone spoke and pronounced the hiragana and katakana. He thought it was so funny, that he was still laughing at it while sleeping a few hours later. Those wacky Japanese words!

Hey! We Still Have Kids!

2009-11-16T03:15:00.000-08:00

Now that tennis season has skidded to a sudden stop, I can spend my nights playing with the blog! Sad, that I saw a new format from another website I wanted to try. Great picture potential, but another website to neglect...errrr...maintain? Probably not a great idea. So now, listening to The Fountainhead, here are our children...slightly more grown up! I have to get some more pictures of Averie though...

Owen's day at the fair--more fair fun to come

2009-09-08T15:25:00.001-07:00

OK, so Owen got to spend the day with Grandma for a little special time while everyone else got to watch the rodeo. She brought him back with a whole new set of questionable morals.

The event as reported by Grandma Julie:

(Announcer): What is your name?

(Owen): Peter Pan

(Announcer): Really?, alright Peter Pan do you have the Lost Boys with you?

(Owen): Uh-huh

(Announcer): Do you fight Captain Hook?

(Owen): Uh-huh

(Announcer): Do you have any words of wisdom for our audience?

(Owen): Uh-huh

(Announcer): Well I didn't actually ask what they where so lets get to the event!

Owen also really wanted to do the tractor pull, but it was for four-year-olds and up. In true Owen style he insisted that he WAS FOUR right up until the man asked his age and he slyly stated "My five". This led to Averie loudly insisting that he was in fact "Seventeen" and Owen being disqualified from the event.

I think he could have pulled it off it he didn't try to pass as five. Owen refers to these as the "Lying Pictures", he loves them!

Averie and Bailey did great, Bailey even made it into the next round!

Where the kids usually are

2009-09-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Famous play house-- never played inside, always used as a perch. The kids have been birds, pirates, and I think they were being bats (even though Owen is terrified of Stellaluna) Good times, wacky kids

Special fun with Grandpa

2009-09-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Averie having fun riding their bikes.

How many kiddos have a Great-Grandpa that can still ride a bike, much less a kid size bike?

Now I know where we get our spunk from!

Horse Riding Fun!

2009-09-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

All the good kid horses have gone off to horsey-heaven so it took a lot to convince Grandma to let the kids ride for a minute (and I mean a minute).

Bailey rode first as she is the best of the kid riders, Owen was sad that he was not first.

Maybe we will have a good horse next year, but Cosmo did great with the kids for the short time they rode him!

One up, two to go

2009-08-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

Averie has made major strides in the growing up department this summer. She has been tooling all around with Bailey (of course) after learning to ride her bike in two short days.

I was a little hesitant to let go, but Aunt Lynnie had no problem doing so--and it turns out she was just fine after all.

Owen is another story, but he is determined to learn also so we will keep you posted on that one!

From Whidbey to Port Townsend on the Ferry!

2009-08-18T19:14:00.001-07:00

We took the kids and family to Port Townsend for some fun co-op eating, walking, and shopping. And of course, riding the ferry!

A Whidbey Island Morning!

2009-08-18T07:30:00.001-07:00

The kids enjoying a nice sunrise on the island.

Fun on the longest US island!

2009-08-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

We have been having lots of fun in America and are now on the Whidbey Island stretch. Great place! We all went to West Beach which is at Deception Pass State Park and had a blast kyaking, wading, and playing on the beach.

Many Adventures, not enough posts!

2009-08-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few weeks so here are some highlights. We saw a train hit a car on the way to Kumon (Japanese tutoring for Averie and me).

Then, Averie and Owen showed off their climbing abilities at Peacock Park. Averie told a Japanese family she would climb to the top...and then did. Owen also began his speaking Japanese in public by shouting mita (look) at different families to show off what he was doing. He doesn't speak Japanese around us much prefering to speak "normal."

For the Love of Pippi

2009-08-02T02:53:00.001-07:00

Averie and Owen's new favorite movie is Pippi Longstocking! So much so that I found the song and Owen and Averie dance anytime it comes on. Check it out!

and more...

Camping

2009-07-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

We took the whole family camping at a beach in a town called Oseto. It was fun, but full of biting spiders. Sara's legs became a feeding ground for something. The kids had fun even though about 3 am the rains came down and made for a soggy morning.

Solar Eclipse!

2009-07-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

Solar Eclipse today.

Kurinomi Summer Festival

2009-07-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Last night was a dance festival at the school. It was fun because all the kids got to wear summer kimonos called yukaya and jimbei.

New Aquarium!

2009-07-21T00:16:00.000-07:00

The new Sasebo 99 Islands (Kujukujima) Aquarium opened this weekend. I took the kids again (we went opening day) so we could see the dolphin show and maybe avoid some of the crowds. As a bonus, Averie bought an oyster and got a pearl for poor hospitalized Bailey. We'll write up a note and get it in the mail! Shhhh, don't tell Bailey...it's a surprise!

Tent City!

2009-07-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

Averie and Owen got tents as a good job finishing school for the summer from Costco. The backpack/tent/sleeping bag/flashlight/compass are pretty neat. Owen's is Lightning McQueen and Averie's is Tinkerbell! We set them up in the playroom and the kids had a campout! Owen made it through most of the night but Averie loved it!

4th of July Averie

2009-07-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

July in Japan!

2009-07-14T00:00:00.001-07:00

We're midway through our first July in Japan summer fun. Oh boy oberto it's hot hot and even more humid. Washington D.C. was down right cool compared to this.

But, despite the hot summer, it's been great fun. I get to walk Averie and Owen to school with Eli and the base had a fun 4th of July celebration.

Oh, and speaking of D.C. The capital is pretty fun and easy to get around. I didn't realize how many enormous government buildings surround the Mall. Pretty eye-opening. The metro was easy although surprisingly dark. Traveling to and from D.C. were two different creatures. I upgraded to business on the flight over to Chicago which was amazing. That's my seat! But then on the return I had a regular seat...booo. No screen on the seats, just one girl flick after another on the big screen for all. I played more DS Mario Cart than I ever have before until my eyes bled.

Now, it looks like we won't get stateside until August. Yikes! And then back to work.

Owen's School Report

2009-06-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Every so often, the sensei's send home notes in a little notebook. Normally, they are pretty mundane and just tell what the kids are doing. Owen, however, refuses to be mundane!

"Lately we have morning assembly outside in sunny days. He can make a line with other students. He knows where he is supposed to wait.

He can say, "Hai, genki desu!" at roll call. He also shows cool posing too.

He tells others what they are supposed to do with gestures. Whenever he realizes others walking around in classroom he tries to take them to their sitting place to tell "You're supposed to sit here now." Sometimes he makes them cry. But he tries to let them know what they are supposed to do. He is such a good boy.

Thank you from Yuko sensei and Saki sensei

There you have it. Our little rule-following, cry-making dictator.

Peacock Park!

2009-06-27T01:38:00.001-07:00

I thought these pictures describe the two older children; very adventurous but each has their own personality.

No More Tummy Time!

2009-06-25T15:17:00.000-07:00

Elijah has decided he will roll over whenever someone puts him on his stomach. That's right, tummy-time is for the chumps he says.

Averie's Multicultural Personalities

2009-06-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

Averie, on our walk to school this morning, announced she was sick of speaking English and wanted to be Japanese. So, the then spoke nothing but Japanese all the rest of the way. We talked about flowers (hana), water bottle (mizu), and trash (gomi). Fun stuff.

Owen however, stated he will not speak Japanese with us as he wants to speak normal.

Ahhhh, kids.

Missing Teeth and Homework

2009-06-23T03:01:00.001-07:00

Averie lost one of her front teeth at school! And she did her homework. What a good girl!

A Father's Day Family

2009-06-21T14:56:00.001-07:00

Averie took the camera and snapped a few pics. Plus, Averie has some missing and loose teeth!

Fun, Fireflies and Friends.

2009-06-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

Use your imagination with the video clip. It was dark outside but the fireflies were amazing. Averie caught three. If you turn your lights out while watching it, you can see the sparks! Those are fireflies, not dead pixels.

Also, we babysat two neighbor friends this weekend and took everyone to the science museum. We got there as the doors opened so we got first dibs on all the cool exhibits.

I'm a Third Child...Look at Me!

2009-06-11T14:11:00.001-07:00

Eli doesn't want to be ignored as much anymore and has developed a fake cough and a bizarre shriek!

and the space ship!

Eli!

2009-06-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

We haven't forgotten about Eli. He's a fun baby who is always smiling...until the witching hour. Sara's quite taken with him...as was the kitty. She loved to cuddle with him while I took my morning showers. Don't forget, new post below featuring Averie and Owen!

Summer Days and Little Parties

2009-06-06T03:05:00.001-07:00

Tired is what I am. We whirlwinded the day through T-ball, going-away parties, and end of season celebrations. The kids had a blast. Aiden and Abby are off to Germany...so best of luck to them. They'll be missed. And Averie finished her first t-ball season. Way to go!

A cool bug

2009-05-30T04:46:00.001-07:00

Here's a little guy Averie and Owen found in our yard today.

Oh, and the kitty.

More Open Class!

2009-05-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

Averie and Owen's Open Class

2009-05-19T02:59:00.000-07:00

Every so often the school has an "Open Class" day when mom's can come and see the kids do some kind of performance. This one was outdoors!

MWR Fun Run!

2009-05-18T04:20:00.000-07:00

Averie had a great Saturday playing T-Ball and then running in a fun run with her friend Abby.

Webisode!

2009-05-10T14:24:00.001-07:00

Welp, time for another installment of the life that is ours! Lindsay informed me these posts should be called webisodes. Rather funny in a way. So, here's what's on for today.

Mother's Day has come and gone but Sara is down with the fevered flu. Good ole H1N1 probably. So, that means a three-day weekend for me taking care of her and getting the other kiddos ready for school and what not. Eli the little guy is now 13 lbs, Not bad for 3 months.

Here's Averie and Owen playing a game we got some time ago. I forget the name but it's pretty fun to play and watch.

And...the victory dance!

Swimmers!

2009-04-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

Averie and Owen had their swimming tests at school on Friday. It was also fun day at the Arita Koen (Arita Park) because the entire school had a picnic. I thought the kids might have a hard time being so tired, but they did great! Owen passed his first test and Averie earned another badge to put on her swim cap.

My baby is the bestest!

2009-04-20T01:26:00.000-07:00

Ok this is my (Sara) first post on the blog, and my wonderful day with Eli is the topic of this post.

Today we, woke up and ate breakfast and got the older kids off to school. Then Eli and I took a two hour nap...Love that baby

Then just for fun we took a bath together! I have never done that with a baby before, but keep hearing people rave about it and they were right. Eli spent the whole half hour bath with the sweetest calm little smile. He loved it :-)

I think he is perfect.

T-Ball

2009-04-17T23:41:00.001-07:00

All About Averie!

2009-04-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

This week was Averie's first full week in school. So far, it's been a success. She's speaking more Japanese at home...which is a little worrisome when I'm starting to miss words here and there. But, I still get the gist of it.

Averie and I will start Kumon soon. Kumon is a Japanese tutoring service so I would like for her and I to work on language and also for her to work on math. Wicked smrt. I mean smart!

What's been cracking me up though. She was having a hard time rationaling a secular Easter bunny with our risen Lord, so she decided God told he Easter bunny what she wanted and then placed it in a basket. Works for me!

Also, she is smitten with one of her t-ball teammates. His name is Dylan and according to her, "I love him SO much. I want to marry him." I swear she was glowing when she said that. I decided I approve as he is the nicest on the team, doesn't throw tantrums and does try to help her improve. Also, he said I knew a lot about baseball and should be a coach too. And, he's not one of the dirt eating, backward hat wearing, tantrum throwing, kids on the team. So, she at least didn't pick a fixer-uper!

She's got her first game today. Go Braves!

The Thorn's Have Left the City...

2009-04-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

Sad day in Sasebo. Monte, Lindsay, Amari and Finn took to the rails and headed for Kyoto today. We don't have a way to contact them and I admit to feeling a little nervous about our Japan "kids" and their adventure. I'm sure they had a fun ride on the bullet train and a great first night in Kyoto chasing Gaisha. Another fun tour over. Looks like we'll be in Sasebo for the long run so come on over people!

Eli Grins!

2009-04-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here's Eli smiling in his chair.

Nagasaki Adventure

2009-04-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

It was such a nice day, we sent Averie and Owen to school and loaded up everyone else for a trip to Nagasaki. We saw the Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Hypocenter, Bomb Museum and the Glover Gardens before hurrying home to get the kids from school. Great weather for a fun day in the city!

Once more with the Happy Birthday!

2009-04-09T16:03:00.001-07:00

As it was Averie's dinner choice, we had her favorite meal (carbanera) and chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Wow!

Thanks!

2009-04-08T16:52:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Averie!

2009-04-08T15:43:00.001-07:00

Averie turned 6 today! So, we had a blueberry pancake breakfast and opened presents! Thank you everyone! She is very wakawaka! Lots of great gifts and she already read Bailey's book and Owen has commandeered the fairy.

Funny Kids!

2009-04-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

We finally caught Elijah laughing today. It was pretty cute since I was the last person he smiled for. What a stinker after Averie was my buddy. Amari and Finn decided to show us their dancing skills watching Monte's little netbook. Good first day. Now, time to get Averie and go to t-ball!

Owen's First Day!

2009-04-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

Owen was a trooper during Averie's first day but for some reason the school feels the 2-3 year old kids need a longer ceremony in a small auditorium. Not fun.

The Thorn's in Japan!

2009-04-07T06:43:00.001-07:00

Lindsay, Monte, and kids made it. After hours of flying and driving they are in Sasebo. For some strange reason they were waiting outside on the street by a sewage vent...must be really jet-lagged. Needless to say, I got worried running through terminals (I was a little late!) trying to find them. But...now to sleep.

T-Ball

2009-04-06T01:57:00.000-07:00

Today was Averie's second t-ball practice. She was much improved with her own mitt and uniform. She batted, played infield, and first base. She's still a little ball shy but starting to make contributions to the team. Go Braves! Go Averie! Gumbate!

New School Year!

2009-04-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

Japanese school begins in April. Today was Averie's opening ceremony; Owen's is tomorrow. We all got ready and trooped off to school. Averie was pretty nervous but saw her friend Keko-chan and she perked up. This is Averie's final year at Kurinomi and this will determine what school she goes to next year.

and leaving...

Ichigo!

2009-03-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I went on an MWR trip with the older kids to pick strawberries. It was fun. We picked strawberries in a greenhouse, used them to make a custard tart, and then had a picnic at a nearby lake. We all had fun...well...until Averie threw up on me and in the car. That was not the highlight, and now Averie won't touch a strawberry. It wasn't the poor berry's fault, she was just the next one to get the flu after Owen and Sara. Of course, after Owen and Averie both threw up on me that week, I got the flu two days later. Blegh. Great trip though!

Stay tuned!

2009-03-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! Super busy here. What with the flu that ran through the house, Owen's baskeball practices and the everyday fun of having three kids! But I haven't forgotten you all. I'll post videos and pics soon!

Fun in Fukuoka

2009-03-03T04:00:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday we had to bid farwell to my mom who came and helped out with the new baby. I'm not sure if we would have made it without her. We tried to hide her passport but apparently she needed to get back to America.

Afterward, as is tradition in our house, we went to Costco. It's my own link to America because inside Costco, apart from the throngs of Japanese, it's layed out just like an American Costco.

I let Averie play in a mall across the street; they had a pay-to-play set up. Owen crashed out on a doggy bed our friend was buying and I found a $25 six-pack of home brewed beer made by German Monks, and a 1 kilo sized bag of MSG. What more could you ask for?

Adventurers!

2009-02-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

Averie and Owen can rarely travel on a straight, paved path. Instead, adventure is afoot! Makes for some long walks, but very enjoyable. I guess it's how you get there not where you're going in their minds. This was on Ikitsujima (not sure on the spelling there).

A 2-Week Eli

2009-02-22T23:33:00.000-08:00

Life with our new addition has been so exciting, I haven't been posting. Sorry. This is a picture I took this morning when I had breakfast with Eli.

Sake! Sake! Sake!

2009-02-16T17:44:00.001-08:00

This past Sunday was the open house for a local sake brewery. They have dancing and mochi pounding, as well as lots and lots of sake. I was driving, and had to wear the sticker of doom (no samples allowed) but my mom enjoyed tasting the sake. Most of it anyway...

The brewery had a fair feel about it with all the festivities and plenty of jolly people including one man who insisted on following me around telling me I am big (oki). Thanks.

As an added bonus, there was a bunker dug by kids (I doubt voluntarily) during WWII where they would have class during air raids. It was a sobering tour but worth the visit.

Nagasaki Lantern Festival

2009-02-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

While Sara still at the clinic I decided (with a little prodding) to take my mom to the Nagasaki Chinese Lantern Festival. Averie was spending the night with Sara and Eli (although he had no name at that point).

I had "slept" at the clinic with Sara the night before so I was pretty tired but thank goodness for public transportation. We took the Seaside Liner, a rapid train (just a local train but with fewer stops) to Nagasaki with our friends the Lybargers and their neighbor, Noriko-san. She led us through the crowded but crazy fun streets of the Chinese district in Nagasaki. We saw all the lanterns, the dragon dances, more fun steamed food than I can count and a shrine made up of real pig's heads.

We had always wanted to go, well Sara still does, to this but it's hard to get there at night with small kids but Owen was a champ. Looks like Sara, Averie, and Eli will get to go next year!

Sara and Eli are Greenie Weenies!

2009-02-11T23:15:00.000-08:00

Sara wanted this posted (Holy Cow! Three posts in one day!) as she is quite proud. Our friends, the Lybargers gave Eli some cloth diapers. Because hey, it's fun to have your hand in a toilet scrubing yellow pooh out of cloth! Anyhow, he was pretty cute in it, although we lost it for a while because the other kids and myself thought it was some kind of doll accessory.

We've also left Eli in the sun a lot today as he was quite yellow with jaundice. He looks much better after his vitamin D bath because today was a great sunny day! I love February days like this!

Owen's Open Class

2009-02-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

Owen is in the age 2 class at Kurinimi Yochin and at the end of the school year (Japanese schools end in March) they have an open class for all the mommies to play and dance and eat with their little kids. Welp, with Owen's mommy was out of commission (still in the clinic) the task fell to daddy. So, I took Owen to school and watched him dance his Anpanman dance. Then there was a birthday song dance where Owen and I had to stand and wave when his birthday month was called (ichgotsu - January). To finish my pride, we then got to boogie down. To be fair, there was one other Mr. Mom but it didn't help my sense of worth to hear the sensei constantly refer to us as moms (ogasan).

Oh, and Sara said all the kids and their parents must wear a bandana while making lunch together. We only had one bandana but we had two yellow napkins I thought would work. So, after putting Owen's on, and then mine, I looked around to see what other the parents' bandanas looked like. That's right, I was the only one. The two other Japanese mom's at my table stared at me and then asked each other if they were supposed to wear something ridiculous too...which they weren't. Just me, the whacky gaigin. But it was fun.

Don't forget, there is a post below with Eli pictures. Two posts in one day?! Yes, the joys of waking up early!

More Baby...

2009-02-11T13:39:00.001-08:00

Sara told me more people wanted to see pictures of Eli's face more close up. Tricky with the wiggly little guy but here's two I took last night with his new hat.

I'm So Crafty!

2009-02-11T02:01:00.000-08:00

Sara had this old rocking chair shipped over. Family lore has this as the same chair which rocked her to sleep. Well, it's been through some rough years in the 30...uh...25 years since then and was not suitable to sitting...as the bottom was broken through.

For something like two years it has been a laundry holder in our house but with the new baby, Sara wanted it fixed so she could rock the newest mouth to feed. While she was in the hospital, I put new cane on the bottom (yes, it doesn't match the top) and today I finished smoothing it out. What do you know, a new(ish) rocking chair. I think Greg even tried to throw it away before Sara snatched it up. I may even try to sand it down and restain it...you know, with all my free time.

Baby Elijah Fischer Schuettpelz comes home.

2009-02-09T01:59:00.000-08:00

Monday finally arrived and Sara and our newly named baby came home. They didn't release her until after 1pm today so that left me time to go to Owen's open class at yochin. Averie picked out the coming home outfit and she spent the night with Sara and helped her eat lobster and steak for the last night meal.

We very pleased with our family of 5 although there needs to be more sleep I think. Thanks for all your nice comments and prayers! The picture of me with the money is the cash (390,000 yen) I had to pay to release the wife and kiddo.

New Baby...Day 3

2009-02-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

Last night was supposed to be the night Averie sleeping with Sara and the new baby (and yes, we're getting closer to a name...). But, Averie's friend offered her a sleep over and away Averie went. So I stayed with Sara and baby while Grandma took care of Owen. Worked well though. We're off to brunch to treat Grandma since she' been couped up with the kids for the past three days. Then, maybe we'll got to Nagasaki for the Chinese Lantern Festival. Also, I've attached pictures of what the clinic looks like on the web and what it looks like in real life.

Averie and Owen meet their new brother

2009-02-05T23:49:00.000-08:00

We took Averie and Owen in to the clinic to see the new baby this morning. Which brings us to one sidebar, we don't have a name for the little guy. But then again, we only just found out he's a he this morning, so we think we need some time to let a name settle on us.

Anyhow, Averie and Owen loved seeing their new kid brother and holding and petting him! Sara and baby will stay at the clinic tonight although tomorrow, Averie will sleep over with them. Good time to brew some beer in my opinion! Don't tell Sara! Shhhhh!

Oh, and I've learned there are 2.54 centimeters to each inch, making this little tiger slightly longer than 20 inches.

A New Schuettpelz

2009-02-05T14:55:00.001-08:00

After a false alarm yesterday, Sara woke me up at 3 this morning saying we need to go. Go where? I said. We've got to go.

So we drove to the ladies clinic (managing to hit every red light on the way) and by 4:31 we saw our newest Schuettpelz. He wieghs in a 7 lbs 10 ounces (or 3428 grams and 51 centimeters) and is a bundle of fun!

Owen is a 3-year-old

2009-01-26T23:06:00.000-08:00

Wow! Owen is 3-years-old already. Owen woke up like any normal day but Averie was quick to remind him today was his birthday! He opened a present full of what he has talked about non-stop for two weeks (trucks!) so he was a happy camper. He wasn't too thrilled with the idea of going to school on his birthday but I think Averie talked him into it.

Happy Birthday Owen!

My Friends are Geeks...with a capital G

2009-01-26T01:10:00.000-08:00

Now, normally I wear the badge with Geek on it with pride. However, I've found people who geeked out, and got a picture of it. I'll leave their names off this, to protect what little pride they have, but let me give you the story. While in the lunch room, the conversation about someone's TV came up and how they were to watch it (sattelite, internet, etc.). Well, these three decided to whip out their cell phones (Japanese cell phones are pretty cool) and began to watch TV on their cell phones and compare their reception and other toys. It was too funny to watch, and here's the evidence.

The Most Snow Ever!

2009-01-24T22:55:00.000-08:00

It's been a wild week of weather. Rain, wind, cold, and now snow. Lots of it!

I rode my bike home on Friday and thought the air smelt slightly of winter. True enough, a few flakes started falling in the evening but I didn't much of it. Averie woke up at 5:30 and announced some of the snow stuck. Yup. Sure enough, there were patches that could have been confused for hore-frost. Then, around 1 pm when the kids took a rest, it started snowing and pretty soon, the streets were white! Our neighbors got stuck in town as roads quickly turned into a slippery messes.

Averie's friend came over for a improntu slumber party since her parents were trapped in the traffic and leaving her home alone in the cold and dark didn't seem like fun.

We went out Saturday night and made a couple snowmen in the street. Averie, Owen, and I walked to the local vending machine for some warm cans of hot chocolate.

Sunday morning came (much too early!) and we went to the local park for more snowmen creations. Now, we watch it all melt and prepare for another full week of working!

New Weekend Adventure

2009-01-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

Another work-week down, another adventurous weekend! Averie's friend Megan turned six this week. To celebrate this event, her parents, Pam and Mike, bravely took a group of Megan's friends to Fukuoka to Ice Skate and have a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe,

Averie's never been Ice Skating so I got to go along to make sure she had fun. Wow! It was tricky to get going that's for sure. I've not been ice skating for decades, and for a 5-year-old, that's some crazing balancing. We struggled around in circles for a few times until I found out I could rent a "chair sled." A chair sled is just that, a chair with medal runners and a handle bar on the back. It kind of looked like a wheel chair for ice rinks. Averie had a seat and we zoomed around the rink. Then, she started pushing it (along with random kids) and used it to get a sense of balance.

By the end of the afternoon, she was off with some new Japanese friends skating round and round. She didn't take a break once! Because I was so proud, I even bought her a hot chocolate.

We finished the day at the Hard Rock Cafe which is cringe-inducing expensive. But, watching all those kids was too funny. We were sat by the kitchen and the girls spent a good deal of time watching the cooks and servers like cats in a window.

A Winter's Wonderland - A.K.A Donguri Village

2009-01-11T02:13:00.000-08:00

Today was amazing. Averie, Owen, and myself hopped in the urban assualt crussier (the mini-van) and drove for what seemed like forever to the mountains near Saga. Luckly, I had my book on iPod (The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman) and Averie had The Giant and the Jones', the Tale of Desperaux, and some Japanese kids' songs. Owen had himself.

We hoped there would be snow, but we saw nothing until right before we got to the mountain farm. Once we got there the snow (yuki) began swirling around us like fireflys and soon it was an all out blizzard. Which was fun, but for the fact that they shut down the farm early (1500). We made a snowman, had snowball fights, played on toys and then Averie joined in with some Japanese girls to have a snowball fight with them too. You'll notice Owen has but one mitten. We are poor and the other is on layaway. He spent the time scouping of snow for snow fights and compaining about the cold hand. Once we got home he pointed to the hand that was mittenless and said that hand was cold, but this hand (the one with the mitten) was hot. Can't have it both ways I suppose.

We decided to journey home a different way than whence we came but got lost. And in the snow, it's a little un-nerving being lost in the mountains. Obviously we came down safely with some hot chocolate and now the kids are ready for bed. Me too!

Things to do in Sasebo with Kids

2009-01-10T16:51:00.001-08:00

Being stationed in Sasebo is great! For Japan, this is a small city (300,000 people or so) and we're kind of at the end of the island chain (not counting Okinawa). A lot of the Navy people get grumpy about not enough to do, and if you're single, looking for fun, then yeah, probably not as much as living in Soeul or Yokohama.

If you've got kids, or are still a kid at heart, the fun is unlimited. Kids love anything you get excited about. In the center of town, the city lights up the "ginza" (our shopping arcade) all pretty in the winter. So, while coming back from a yakitori resturant, we stopped and played in the lights. Great fun. Sorry, I took these pics with my camera phone ( a sony ericsson w52s in case you're curious) so the quality is not so great.

Today, to give my very-pregnany wife a break, I am taking my kids to a place called Donguri Village. Donguri means acorn and it's in the mountains near Saga (big city a little drive a way) so it's probably snowing! I love snow! When I get back, I'll let you know how it went.

Tomorrow, there's no Japanese school as it's Coming of Age day. Celebrate away! Well, not me as I'll be at work. Tough break!

Averie and Owen back to School

2009-01-09T18:21:00.001-08:00

Japanese school started up again for Averie and Owen. Only this time, Owen gets a little more. We've moved him down to 3 days a week but now he goes to a swimming class (same as Averie's) twice a week.

Sara took some great pictures of the two of them enjoying it. Just to give you a visual picture, the pool is about 85 degrees. I've had to sit in the pool area and it felt like I was outside in August here in Japan, which is not pleasant.

A Busy, busy week!

2009-01-07T03:54:00.000-08:00

Three days into working again and I'm already looking forward to the next holiday. Yikes.

Well, I've neglected this post for far too long. Time to get people up-to-date. Work.

Okay, I'm done.

Just kidding. Averie and Owen start school again tomorrow. It's amazing how much Averie needs for school. She wears her dress uniform to school, then changes to her sports uniform. We've got to pack a lunch set (utencils, wet cloth, smock), indoor shoes (which I haven't found....blast!), and other little items. Less for Owen, but still plenty.

Sara signed Owen up for swimming lessons after school but he had his first one on Tuesday. Apartently quite fun as he thought everything they did was amazing! He is in the same class as Averie so she looks out for him even though he can be a real stinker. Hopefully tomorrow will go well.

Sara has another Dr. appointment on Friday (kienyobi) which gets us into the final month or so. My money is on the new child arriving early. I'm hoping to finish my online class before the new little Schuettpelz. We'll see!