how I spent my summer vacation

Ok-not really, but it sure felt like it. I don't know how many times I cleaned out this stupid fish tank....
By the way, does anybody know the name of the fish we have??! (I think it's getting too fat!)

wordless wednesday part 2

wordless wednesday

Well, here I am again. I had a pretty good day yesterday and looking forward to today, too. Yesterday I went out in the morning for a coffee with my friend. Alone. We had a good chance to chat for a while. We work at the same school-she at the high school, me at the junior high school. She is also married to a Japanese man. Yes, lots to talk about.
After we met, I bought myself a lunchbox. I have been using the free one we got from a car dealership when we went to look at cars. It's too small, so I have to pack it and then 2 or 3 more little tupperware to get enough for lunch. Hopefully this will make things simpler. (plus it just looks a lot better!)

Can you tell which is the new one?!

After lunch, I went to the post office and finally handed in my application to take the Japanese test in December. The testing group really wants you to make sure that you want to the test, I think. First you have to write the application form, then get a passport sized picture to glue on to the application. Then you have to go to the post office to pay the 5,500 yen test fee (plus the 125 yen handling fee), putting the receipt in the envelope to show you have paid. Then you have to send it all by certified mail (another 210 yen). I hope it will make me study harder, knowing how much money I spent on this!
Today we are meeting friends at a pool in the morning, spending most of the day with them. In the afternoon a couple of Hiroki's cousins are coming to sleep here-he'll have lots of fun and hopefully I'll get some time to study!
Have a great day!

here's what I saw today

I love watermelon. I love chocolate. But I think this is pretty dubious.

Has anyone tried it?

summer update

Summer vacation is here, I have been on holidays now for however many days but still not managing to do this. The first week was due to those evil auctions, but I have cleansed myself from that sinful addiction. The second week was due to studying Japanese or various things on the computer/around the house that need to get done. Sigh. There is so much that needs to get done. I already feel like my summer is going to finish soon, you know?
Next week is o-bon, or the holidays when people are supposed to gather and remember the dead in their families. Then, we are going camping for 3 nights. (3!) I'm not sure if I am looking forward to that or not. I mean, I'm not sure if I like camping, first of all, and there's so much stuff I have to remember to pack. If I don't remember something, somebody will be a grump and that's no fun. ach.
Last week DS woke up and told me that his tooth is loose. He has been saying that for a while so I looked at his mouth and it IS!! I know this is normal and a good thing but WAH!!! my baby is growing up so fast! He shocked us at the end of July. We were staying with friends and there is a pool at the apartment building. Anyway, he jumped into the shallow pool and started to swim a little, underwater. omg! I didn't know he could do that!!
Of course he's been taking swimming lessons for a year now, but we can't really see him there. He always goes to the back of the big pool, far away from the window. He's been practicing at home in the bath, though. Every night he puts on his goggles and puts his head under the water to see how long he can stay there. Or he'll turn himself over in the bath, like doing a somersault, giving me a great up close view of his bum.So I guess I shouldn't feel surprised.
Just feeling bittersweet.
Here are some pictures from when we went to stay with our friends. It's always so nice to go and stay with them, it's at an apartment with a hot spring, so first of all that is really relaxing. Then we get a long well with the couple who stay there with us, and their daughter plays with Hiroki really well. So by the end of our time there we feel pretty relaxed and happy. How can you beat that?!

This was taken en route, at the restaurany we stopped at for lunch.

This was the beautiful (and yummy) sashimi that we had for dinner that night.

This was taken in Shimoda, where we spent the whole day at the beach. We'd been before but this time Hi-man was able to have a lot more fun. He was using his floaty thingy and saying how much fun he was having (tanoshii!) the whole time! (especially when the waves came)

Enjoying a nice cold one on the beach. (Can't get your picture taken without flashing the peace sign!)

The huge grin on his face is because of the 3 trains lined up there, including the one on the left, the Super-View Odoriko.