Today was the 1st day of 4th grade!

.....so let me just tell you that we have always sang the Veggie Tales "Jonah" song on the first day of every school year. We just change it to whatever grade Elijah is in at the time. I just LOVE doing it too!

Can you hear it now (Eddie and Elijah are in PERFECT pitch with me singing LOUDER than both of them waaaaaaaay off key) "It's the 1st day of the 4th grade, it's the 1st day of the 4th grade, it's the first day of the 4th grade clap, clap, clap, clap, etc" Raise your hand if you just sang it out loud and literally clapped your hands 13 times! ha ha ha

I was talking to Eddie about time going by so very fast. I honestly remember taking him to his kinder class in 2007. I told everyone that I was not going to cry. I felt brave that morning while we were getting dressed, but as soon as we got to school....it hit me.....Elijah is actually going to be in kindergarten. (whipping tears away) Now look at him....he is no longer in primary grades! He is a 4th grader!!!!

Well after school we talked and he said, "Mom, I really like 4th grade, I want to stay for a whole year!" Hmmmmmm I am pretty sure he doesn't have much of a choice :)

Sweltering Heat!

August is a HOT, HOT month! It's not just hot here, we have humidity like nobody's business! I mean when the temp is 95 degrees and humidity is circa 90%.....it's uncomfortable BUT I find it even more difficult to count my many blessing when we live on the 5th floor of an apartment tower without any air conditioning in here. (just being honest)

So the good thing this year is that it is not as hot as it was last year. This is the first August that Eddie has had to experience the heat. I must admit .......... it kinda makes me giggle. He has always been someplace else when the August heat hits.

Long story short, this is what homemade A/C looks like here in Misawa.

To my lovely Phoenix friends: There is a MASSIVE difference between Phoenix heat and this heat. Neither is better than the other - but trying to sleep with 3 fans blowing in one room that is already hot and humid doesn't make me feel like Sleeping Beauty at all:) ha ha ha

I can't complain because we do have free heat in the winter!

Lake Festival AKA Beetle Festival

Elijah and I gave Eddie some alone time (to mess around with his music) and we went out to another nearby festival with my Japanese friend and her two daughters. FUN TIMES! So this is a Lake Ogawara festival and there is a LARGE exhibit of beetles from all over the world. My Japanese friend told me that Japanese children/youth play with beetles during the summer time. Jr. high school boys often stay up late and go into the woods at 3:00am to find beetles to play with. As an American, I was taken back......"so you play with beetles?" Hey, whatever makes you happy :)

These aren't small beetles either! They are GI.NOR.MOUS! No joke! I mean their bodies were a good 4 inches to 6 inches!

Beetles EVERYWHERE!

Even girls played with them!

They have places set up where you can have your beetle fight another beetle!

I did learn that the reason the beetles don't fly away is because they rarely fly in the day time.

This is ALL the beetle touching Elijah did...ALL OF IT, which was more than I did! I don't play with bugs....NEVER have!

The Power Rangers showed up and performed a live show - this got Elijah's attention.....naturally!

The cutest (ever) Japanese band performed too! These kids were between the ages of 4-6!

They played so well! I really enjoyed them!

He was in the lake playing for 2 1/2 hours, got out to eat and played inside the water for 2 more hours. On the way home he said, "When we get home may I play outside with my other friends?" Ohhhh gee......to be a kid again!