Chef in training.....

Elijah still likes to help me cook. Yesterday's dinner was honey-mustard chicken wings! YUM-O!!

After dawning the apron and all (he told me that he did not want to take a picture with my apron b/c it had flowers on the front .... after some convincing I assured him that if I take a picture from the side/back no one will see any flowers) We were ready to begin: 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 mustard and chicken!! That's it!! No need for salt or pepper or fancy parsley and paprika (as some recipes call for)

Mix those two lovely ingredients together:

and dunk the chicken in (we like chicken wings....use whatever piece of the bird you prefer)

Transfer those to a pan......Elijah is so good at this stuff!!

Bake! We baked our chicken at 425 for 50 min (turning chicken once)......we like the gooey sauce it produces over some brown rice!

Now I know if I was as good as The Pioneer Woman I would have step by step pictures and a finished picture, however; I work and .......... well actually I just forgot to take the darn picture! I promise it's really tasty though!!

My SUPERB reader!!!

So school started here last week. Elijah was enrolled in the base's summer reading challenge. Elijah read ALL chapter books....he read 96 books in 9 weeks! WOOHOO! I am so happy he has a joy for reading and he tells me about the things he learns. He loves to laugh out loud while he is reading and then he comes and tells me about the funny parts. It gives me such pleasure to hear him tell me about what he thinks is so funny and what is going on with the characters in the book.

My little man was so excited to see his friends, get a certificate AND have pizza for dinner that he knocked over his Tang. Bummer.....guess who had to clean it up?

What do YOU see when you go to the grocery store where you live?????

Japanese fruit and vegetable market - Those green things (don't know what they are called) were as big as my leg!

Outside the KFC.... What does Colonel Sanders wear in America?? The white suit you say? Not here --- he wears a cool looking Samurai shirt here!

I told you all in an earlier post that watermelons were SUPER expensive here! Yep, that price is 1,980 yen = $23.24 (as of today's exchange rate) Just a regular circular watermelon...Geeee whiz!

It's festival time.....again

Summertime = many festivals. This one was right outside the gate and had great, big floats with lights and each one had to be HAND-CARRIED through the entire parade route.

This festival was the Misawa City Festival. The floats they carry around usually have large barrels of sake inside. The sake is later blessed and used in ceremonies like weddings and promotions.

The people that volunteered (both Japanese and Americans) looked like they were having a GREAT time.....I am sure the free Asahi Beer they were given to 'hydrate' them had a lot to do with it. They were given as many beers as they wanted too!

Hey, it looked like fun, the floats were beautiful and it helps build Japanese/American relations :) Americans have participated in this festival for over 2 decades.

Check out a few floats: (there were MANY,MANY more...with dancers, samurai performers, taiko drummers, etc.)

not a float....Elijah hanging out in front of the base's American and Japanese signs.

America's Next Top 'Back to School' Model

Back to School Fashion Show

Ummmm I wonder where he gets it?

Japanese Paper Craft Class

As you can tell, Elijah and I beef up on 'things to do' when Eddie is gone. I think it helps the time go by quicker and keeps BOTH of us sane (just being honest)!

I love when signs are in English...such a rarity! Ohhhh it's the small things you miss when you are overseas!

Making our crafts: Step 1: Elijah attaching the heads to the sticks (aka the bodies)

step 2: wrapping paper around the stick bodies to resemble kimonos. Please understand this was a HARD task for everyone in the room! The kimonos have to be wrapped left side over right because of Japanese tradition, there has to be a certain fold on the top near the necks, the Obis(belts) had to be wrapped a certain way too. OH WAIT...all this paper was really small....I mean less than 1 1/2 inches wide!

Elijah said his male and female pieces were going to marry each other

Our finished art work. I know I look dewy....I WAS HOT! Yes, there is A/C in this building, but I was really focusing on getting my folds done correctly...moment of truth...Elijah had NO problem getting his folds correct! NONE AT ALL! I think small fingers really helped him -- or at least that is what I am going to believe ...because it was really hard to believe an 8 year old could 'out-craft' me!!!

Done with project #1! This is what "Ohhhh he has such cute eyes...I will do his project for him" looks like! The lovely, older Japanese women that were teaching the class were impressed by his eyes, so they couldn't stand to see him struggle. He struggled with the second project; but I didn't struggle with this one....the papers were larger!

We made chopstick holders and kimono people pictures

This summer has been a scorcher......

...SERIOUSLY! Just know that the housing on base does NOT have A/C. The powers that be say that it does not get hot enough for long enough AND the power needs can't be met if everyone has A/C.

Really? So for the past 2 summers it wasn't really a big deal for us. THIS SUMMER WAS DIFFERENT! Last week it got to 100 degrees -- 3 times last week....with 84% humidity AND we live on the 5th floor of a 9 floor tower. 7 fans in the house......all the windows open and it was still deadly!

Thankfully, the Lord provided and we were allowed to house sit for dear friends that were out of town for the summer (fellow teachers) and they keep their A/C on because of their caged pets. (you all that know me -- REALLY know that I don't get down with animals AT ALL)

We (Elijah and I) spent EVERY free moment over there (Eddie is still in Okinawa for training)!

This is how Elijah spent MOST days this summer............... on a trampoline!

Now let's kick it up a notch with the addition of water balloons and water hose!

We call it "Avoid the Water Balloons" game. Hey, it's FREE fun, he loved it and he stayed cool!

Elijah after he came inside...soaking wet and H.A.P.P.Y!!!