Trip to the Hachinohe fish market

So a few weeks ago we were planning on going to the big fish market in the neighboring town.  Elijah said he wanted to go, but when it was time to go he said he wanted to stay and play with some friends -- yet again -- mom was shot down!  Here are some pics of the fish market, I went with my friend Jené.

Honestly, I do NOT know what type of sea creature this is.  A lady said something in Japanese that I TOTALLY did not understand.....it was really big and monstrous looking!

Face to face with a shark!  

Elijah is a BIG brother.....

This picture was taken at 9pm......they were holding hands sleeping

.....at least he was for 48 hours! Sorry if you got excited!  

Elijah had a friend, Jeremiah, spend the night on Thursday and Friday this week.  Jeremiah is 2 1/2 years old.  Elijah and Jeremiah are best buds.  Elijah OFTEN talks about wanting to be a big brother and have a baby brother. (very specific...he never mentions a baby sister)

When Jeremiah's parents went away for the weekend I jumped at the opportunity to have Jeremiah over so that Elijah could experience having a younger sibling around.  It was hilarious listening to Elijah trying to be patient with him.  Needless to say, Friday afternoon Elijah told me he didn't want to be a big brother anymore......YES SUCCESS!

Mom...I don't know how you did it!

I LOVE MY MOM!  I really do!  

I think in the past 3 years I have grown to appreciate her more and more.  I honestly believe that she is the most selfless person I have ever met.  To have taken on 3 girls and raise them as her own is phenomenal!  I am thankful for her:

- laughter when I asked her how she dealt with 6 daughters in one house!  HORMONE CENTRAL!

- understanding when I call her and say being a mother is the hardest job I have ever done - and I have only 1 son!

- Always welcoming Elijah as her own grandson - sending him superhero pajamas, LARGE bags of candy, a wooden flute from the Bahamas (to annoy me - he LOVES it though), books galore, puzzles etc.

- Washing my mouth out with soap when I talked back - it only took one good time for me to learn not to do that again

- Sacrificing so much so I could go on the Washington D.C. trip in 7th grade

- making a way out of no way when I was warming the basketball benches in jr. high school to buy those 'necessary' team white basketball shoes

- searching for the caramel popcorn recipe that I remember her making as a child - YUMMERS

Thank you Mommy for all you have done and all you do daily for all your daughters!  Your life is an encouragement to me as a strive to be as good as a mom as you were/are!  Happy Mother's Day! 

I love you! 

Vending machine eggs

So I don't know what it is about Japan and their eggs.......but they are DELICIOUS!  I mean F-R-E-S-H beyond your wildest dreams.  They are larger and cheaper than buying eggs at the commissary too!  Here are pics of the egg vending machine off base.

Pretty regular looking eggs vending machine....right outside the hen house....just off the side of  the street coming from the main gate.

So (as expected) you put 200 yen in, open the latch and........................

'voila' you have access to 8 double yolk eggs - no Styrofoam carton here folks, just a good ole' net bag to carefully carry your eggs home in.........yes, I have broken a few before I even got them home in the past!

A surprising snow fall on April 26!

I thought when the cherry blossoms bloomed we were done with winter?  Guess not!  Is this perhaps the last snowfall until November?  It has been so pretty....green grass, flowers blooming, we even put the heavy coats away.  Oh well, I guess it's more percipitation for the grass.  

I am glad we went to the cherry blossom festival yesterday!  The poor cherry blossom leaves are going to fall off because of the heavy snow on their branches now.  Normally they only last for two weeks.

Cherry Blossom Festival

Yep...another festival that we attended...I told you that there is at least 1 per month once the weather gets nice.  

We went to see Hirosaki castle to see the cherry blossoms in bloom.  I am not going to lie...Elijah wasn't very 'into' the whole thing.  He asked if there was a place to play for the kids.  Hmmmmm not so much.  He stuck in there though - once I bought his cotton candy.  Enjoy the pics!

Not so sure who the random American kid is between us.  

waiting in line for the castle (Kim am I getting better with backgrounds?)

So EVERY TIME (I am not exaggerating) we go on a trip Japanese people are amazed by Elijah.  Eddie and I aren't so sure whether it is his large eyes, the fact that he says konichiwa to them and bows appropriately, or that he is with such a beautiful lady (I would like to think the 3rd choice - I am sure Eddie would say it's not though), but these sweet 60+ year olds stopped us at a rest stop to take pics with everyone in their party......there were about 4 more people in their party.  He loves the attention!  

The Hirosaki castle...we went inside and all he remembered the next morning was the swords, guns and steep stairs we had to walk up and down.  Such a boy :) 

My silly little guy ..... YES it was cold that day.....the festival is about 2 1/2 hours north of where we live.

Comedy juggling stunt show

Friday night we (Elijah and I) went to go see Rootberry with my good friend, Jene.  When I walked into the lobby area I was astounded by the amount of kids that were there....I know it seems like a no brainer (it being a family event and all) I guess it just still amazes me that Misawa is so small that no matter where I go I still see about half my math class sitting around me.  

Anywho, the show was a lot of fun!  Adults were laughing out loud as well as kids - very entertaining! 

Elijah QUICKLY found a classmate to sit next to during the show.....laughing out loud at the entertainment!

One of the guys was swallowing a sword when I took this pic