Top of the World

Saturday night, the chorus group I'm in celebrated a sad thing in a happy way.  Three of our members, summoned by their husbands' companies, are moving back to Japan.  Wouldn't it be silly if a chorus group of (mostly--exception, me) Japanese ladies marked a special occasion by doing anything other than karaoke?  Wouldn't that be the most foolish thing ever?

Well, not to worry, because from 5 pm until 1:30 am, we were out dutifully fulfilling your expectations.  I like singing Japanese songs because it's harder, but the truth of the matter is my chorus group friends seem to want to sing English songs with me.  In the same way I feel like I'm a somewhat competent singer when we sing together (I'm not a very good singer!!  But I'm in the chorus anyway because I just like to sing and they haven't kicked me out...), I think they feel like their English pronunciation is more accurate when they sing with me?  Maybe?  So, among others, we sang:




Yes, I snuck a Japanese song in there.  Yes, I took the photo on top and it's too dark.  Yes, I must publish this post or fall asleep on my computer.  Good night.

Allowed So I Can Produce Dinner

Here's hoping this doesn't become a nightly habit!

Find Me Here

Last night, Aogu and I had a funny (to me?) conversation, something like this:

Me: Did I tell you that K called me three weeks ago and I've still never called her back?  I'm so bad. 

Aogu: Doesn't she know that you're not such a phone talker?  If she wants to get your attention, she should use Google Reader.

Me (laughing): Yeah, anyone who wants to talk to me needs to start a blog, post their business to me on it, and then send me a link...but how do you know that I love Google Reader?!

Aogu: 'Cause I'm the one who looks at our iPhone data usage and lately yours is higher than mine. 

Me: gulp....

There's an element of truth here, people.  I will leave it to you to figure it out... meanwhile, sincere apologies to my lovely friends K and also R who deserve a phone call and still haven't gotten one.

Chiharu Cafe

Here's a Japanese-American cultural difference (or maybe it's just the Third Culture of Japanese Folks in Chicago Suburbs): when we arrange a playdate, we mean it. While we're having lunch and drinking coffee at the "Chiharu Cafe" the kids will be playing for at least FIVE HOURS. And then I'll still get complaints on the way home, "how come we can't play longer?!"....
Gochisou Sama Deshita, Chiharu!

Black and White Affair

Two nights ago, it happened.  Driving the kids home from Awana, I saw something run in front of my car.  With much dismay, I realized it was a skunk.  By the way, the real deal is nowhere near as charming as Pepe Le Pew. 

Swerve to the left and hit the median, swerve to the right and hit a parked car.  Aim down the middle, avoid smooshing Mr. Skunk with tires and hope he lays low and makes it somewhat unscathed. 

The latter was my strategy, and I hoped it might work.  Turns out skunks aren't very smart though--as he got halfway under my car, I heard a clunk and bump and I knew we were sunk. 

And we were, sunk into stench!!  PEW is right...  I tried rolling down the windows and received instant and heavy chastisement from my children.  That's when I had to admit to them the smell is actually coming from our car, not from an independent location outside. 

Koji urged me to drive straight to the car wash, and perhaps I should have.  Mama instincts urged me to get home and get kids to bed instead.  Meanwhile, Misaki (who can't yet pronounce initial "s") made the final and best declaration of the evening:

"Mama, God love 'kunks!"

Good thing, 'cause I don't!

Roses Fix Everything

or least grumpy me on Valentine's Day.

Gratitude and love to my thoughtful husband (and my two year old daughter, who helped pick these out)

Eleven Things on the Thirteenth

Really really wanted to do 11 Things on the 11th but it had a lot of steps and you had to tag other bloggers and think about what to say


Still I couldn't quite let go of it so I am taking the part I can do quickly and putting it here on the 12th oops it's past midnight which makes it the 13th

Questions for my taggees:

1. Which season is your favorite and why?

summer!  my heart and mind are still in school kid mode and I think I should be could be will be FREE during the summer plus the sun is SO much more life giving than windy cold snowiness

2. What is the best deal you've ever gotten on anything?

two things come to mind, though I'm not sure either of them was actually BEST: I recently thrifted a pair of these Bogs for $2.56 which felt like a totally amazing deal.  satisfaction was slightly diminished by this spider motif for my girly "mom game" loving five year old daughter.  but she's OK with it now  

also, my first car, which was a 1978 Oldsmobile (right, Dad?!) purchased with my very own five hundred dollars

3. What is your favorite dessert?

this flourless chocolate cake  I know it has sugar, does "organic cane juice" make it better?...but everything else about it is Real Food...right?!

4. When was the last time you went to the dentist?

*shudder* I've blocked how many months ago it was, but not so long ago now I had to have my first ever root canal, which wasn't actually as bad as subsequently having my tooth drilled down to a stub so the dentist could put a crown over it.  I haven't read Cure Tooth Decay yet but I've seen and read enough anecdotal evidence to know: the next time I have a cavity, I will try to remineralize before I'll be approached with a drill wielding dentist.  I'm sure I sound wacky but I don't care, that's how traumatized I was by my last encounter!

5. Do you prefer older homes or new construction?

I live in an older home now, built in 1950.  I appreciate its solidity.  I don't appreciate its antiquated layout and color scheme.  so theoretically speaking, I like new construction.  though I hear it's not as sturdy.  just call me Little Miss Fickle (the kids and I are super into these books right now)

6. What is your favorite social media platform and why? (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Reddit, etc)

FB used to be my first love but as it's changed more I've loved it less.  it seems too hard now to find my friends saying anything interesting.  I probably could control that with more "filters" but there's my stubborn side that wonders why I should have to do that when it never used to be necessary.  I want to love Twitter but I just don't get it though I've been "on" for two or three years.  Pinterest has lots of potential to be my fave but I can't carve the time to invest in it.  Don't know what Reddit is...don't even know if it's a "platform" per se but Google Reader is really my BFF.  That's "where" I am for most of my screen time 

7. Photography: do it yourself or go to a professional?

Ha.  What photography?  We actually have a decent camera so I do take some pictures with it but the follow up is really intense for me, which means that I mostly just don't do it, or I compromise with super bad iPhone pictures.  Professional would be great, maybe some day

8. What is the last thing you made?

this Japanese curry but I modified it to be chicken curry instead of beef, and I was kind of proud that I split it out into two pots: "amakuchi" (mild) for the kids and "karakuchi" (hot) for the adults.  I'm also making a pair of trousers (hate the word pants, between Japanese and British English in my head, I just can't accept it meaning anything but underwear) out of Jess' Peapod fabric which will likely turn out ludicrous and unwearable.  shouldn't even be mentioned as an answer for this question since they aren't actually "made" yet...but the fact that I'm sewing something for the first time in donkeys (isn't that what Aussies say, I love it) makes it feel worth a mention

9. Thrifting: love it or hate it?

if my (thrifted) pajamas have cats, am I the cat's pajamas?  bonus insider info: I am inhaling The Forgotten Garden 

LOVE.  more than I ever ever ever imagined.  we aren't independently wealthy (what does that mean?!) yet and likely never will be but I NEED variety, NEED it like air, I don't want to be simple when it comes to my clothes though I am losing and losing and being buried in the Battle of the Laundry, still, I want "new" clothes, so thrift I must

10. Sunrise or sunset?

both take my breath away but sunrise carries more of the promise of the day to come so I'll go with it

11. What is your guilty pleasure?

number three on this list?  number nine on this list?  hours of karaoke with friends (better yet if we are in Tokyo)?  reading when I should be doing laundry (see number 9 again)?  

We Love Frozen Blueberries

Our Own Country

So you might think we live in the Midwest of the good ol' US of A.  Locationally speaking, that is true.  But what's also true is that our daily experience is probably a bit closer things happening in the suburbs of Tokyo.
One of our priorities as a family is bilingualism.  Aogu and I both speak English and Japanese.  My nature causes me to feel strongly and unswervingly that what I have, I must pass on to the kids.  So, here we are are in Skokie, Illinois, with our kids in Japanese school, and when I really stop and think about it, it's a little otherworldly.
For example, above is a recent schedule for the day, posted for Koji's class in the school library.  It's specially written in English for the American second grade kids that came in for a one day exchange program.
Some terms on the sign: "Janken" means Rock, Paper, Scissors and if you think this is a mere childhood game, you are missing an important stone in the corner of Japanese society.  I am not kidding, any and every decision that needs to made between two people can quickly, easily (is it fair?  I guess so...) be settled with hands formed into various shapes and thrust out at the right moment.
In this case, Janken was the tool by which the kids played a train ("ressha") game.  And then a bowling game.  And who knows which other vital points for the day were settled in this manner?
"Japanese Traditional Games": the words are English, but as suggested, the content unfamiliar.  What struck me funny was that as the kids were trying to pin various parts to a blank face, some watching moms said to me, "Americans don't have any game like this, right?"  And I blew their minds when I replied, "Sure we do, it's called "Pin the Tale on the Donkey"....
Koji seems to enjoy school (which is important on many levels, not least the financial) and I'm thankful for days like this that let him shine.  A few of the other kids in the class speak English quite well but he's the most sure of himself and that makes him someone to go to when things aren't clear.  I had volunteered to be a helper that day, but he and his friends have grown up so much (already!) that they hardly need me.  The other mom volunteer and I spent most of our time complaining about not having any jobs.  Good problem, right?

Japanese word for the day: OYASUMINASAI  (oh yah sue me nah sigh), which means Good Night!

Mail Chimp

Hat wearer (courtesy of Jess, thank you!) just so happens to be watching Space Chimps 2. Of all the above, I only endorse the wearer of the hat!

C is for...

Raise your hand if you think C is for Cookie. 'Cause I think it's for
Cumin
Cardamom
Curry Powder
Coriander Powder

So now this is just pretty much a statement of fact: all the best spices start with C

Premier Designs Jewelry Party: Please Join Us!

(日本語は以下です〜）

You are invited to a Premier Designs Jewelry Party!  Actually, you are invited to THREE (possibly four, one in the works) wonderful accessory parties.  

WHEN: Thursday, February 2nd 9:30 am -- 1 pm (and possibly Sunday, February 5th--let me know if you are interested)

WHERE: here at my house (contact me via FB or tengoku at gmail for my address)

WHAT TO WEAR: my mom (this is her business and livelihood, if you come and purchase, you are supporting a good cause!) will be bringing lots of samples for you to try.  If you wear something simple in a favorite color, it will be easier for you to imagine how different accessories could work in different ways for you.  

OTHER NOTES: 

• feel free to bring kids...but please do keep them from breaking the jewelry...
• we will order your jewelry and hand it to you a week to 10 days after the party
• if you buy more, you save more: buy 3 and save 30% off your most expensive item, buy 4 and save 40% off your most expensive item, buy 5 and save 50% off your most expensive item!

By the way, the two other parties I mentioned will be at a friends' house in Schaumburg (contact me for her address, see above for my contact info) on Friday, February 3rd 10 am--2 pm and also Saturday, February 4th 10 am--2 pm.  

Hope to see you soon!

Jamie

お母さんの会社のアクセサリーをみんなに見せたいと思ってパーテイをすることにしました。買う必要はまったく無いので、気軽に遊びに来てください！

詳細：

日にちと時間:　2月2日木曜日　９：３０～1時まで

場所：私の家　（ナイルズの聖マタイ幼稚園から15分）です。

服装：アクセサリのサンプルをたくさん出します。自由に試着してほしいので、シンプルなお洋服はお勧めです。（模様のシャツ、複雑なセターなどだと着けても似合うがどうかが解りにくくなります）

• 子連れは大丈夫、大歓迎です。
• 注文制なので、その場でもらえないけど、1週間ー10日後に渡せます.
• たくさん買う人はお得です！3個買うとその中の一番高い物は３０％オフになります。４個買うとその中の一番高い物は４０％オフになります。５個買うとその中の一番高い物は５０％オフになります！

ちなみに木曜日の都合が悪いのにアクセサリーに興味がある！と言うが入れば、同じパーテイを金曜日の3日と土曜日の4日シャムバーグにある佐藤洋子さんの家で行うつもりなので、そちらでも立ちよってください。時間は10時ー2時です。洋子さんの住所はメールかフェスブックで教えますので、気軽に連絡下さい。

ではみなさん、来られそうだったら一言声をかけてもらってもいいですか？おやつの準備があるから。。。

よろしくお願いします！

ジェイミーより　　

Week in the Life

If you make it all the way through the list of things that happened to me (us) this past week, likely you'll think I'm complaining.  Perhaps even that I'd be justified to do so.  But I want to report, in advance of the list: by God's grace, that's not the state of my heart.  True, I feel a bit beaten up.  Mostly, and more importantly, I feel grateful.  In all of these happenings, I can see ways I (we) was spared and ways I was rescued.  I'm not in such an advanced state of gratitude to wish for a repeat (Jesus, let the coming week be less eventful!).  Just want to acknowledge publicly that grace has brought me through, and I count that as a great start to a new year. 

*{Monday} Aogu blacked out, fell and bashed his face on our dresser.  But thank God!  He didn't suffer a concussion, and no repeat blackouts in the days since.  Furthermore, he called the doctor and scheduled an appointment for himself.  Which has NEVER happened during the length of our aquaintance....

*{Wednesday} I was given less than an hour's notice of a showing for our house.  Ironically, that morning I had looked around and mentally congratulated myself that the house was in close to showable condition.  HA!  Friends who recently moved in down the street saved my life again by watching the kids so I could--literally--race around the house and try to shape it up.  For my own amusement, let me confess: I dumped the contents of the recycle bin so I would have that receptacle for the dirty dishes, which I stashed in the garage.  It was really my worst clean-up job yet.  So is anyone surprised to hear that although we didn't get an offer, we did get the best feedback we've had so far?!

*{Thursday} SNOW.  Not even many inches, shouldn't have been a big deal around here, only it was, being the first snow we had this winter.  Please note I am not complaining here!  No snow is just fine with me.  Being rear ended was bad.  Realizing my van and the other guy's car were unscathed and the kids barely noticed, well, all of that was a great relief but I was still shaken up.  Must also note that it took me 90 minutes to drive to Koji's bus stop and back instead of the usual 45.  Which caused us to miss Koji's karate....

*{Also Thursday} Figured out that water had been spraying out of our ice maker.  Figured it out because water was dripping into the laundry room.  Future buyers of our home, please don't be disturbed.  We had it fixed right away (forever grateful, Ivan!) and we cleaned up and dried it out lickety split.  I assure you, this is a fine, sound home.  For real.

*{Saturday} Izumi's first tooth fell out (photographic evidence above).  Misaki went poo on the potty for the first time.  We went to the annual New Year's mochi making party at Izumi's school (looking at that post reminded me that it was exactly four years ago we lost Ai-chan, perhaps more about that soon).  I gave up any and all pretense of tolerating mochi and ran out to grab some take out from Pita Inn.  Aogu WON the run in place contest and now has this happy problem: what to buy with a Dick's Sporting Goods $25 gift card?

How was YOUR week?  Can you relate, from this past week or any other recent time? How is your resolve going for the New Year? 

Buy This House, Please

Dining Room

Living Room

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom from the opposite side

Bathroom

Second Bedroom

Second Bedroom, other side

and from the other side

Living Room 

Living Room from the other side

Kitchen

Kitchen from the other side

Find our complete listing here.

If you don't need a house in Skokie right now, please forward this post to someone who does.  Or pray that someone who does will come along soon.  Thank you!

With Kids: To the Art Institute

Things I learned while on a "field trip" to the Art Institute today:

*Aim for a free day.  If you are a resident of Illinois, that's every weekday between now and February 10th, 2012.  Don't worry, you'll be given an opportunity to donate.  

*I passed on that opportunity.  Any money I would have considered donating was swallowed up by the 25 bucks I paid to park in the Millennium Garage.  Get in to the Millennium Garage before 10 and it's only $14 as long as you exit by 5 pm.  Too bad I got there at 10:42... 

*After you park in the Millennium Garage at 9:58, then you can kill your extra 32 minutes eating "brunch" in your car.  This is so you can avoid eating lunch inside the Art Institute.  Actually, do eat at the AI if you have budgeted to eat at Terzo Piano.  Otherwise,  plan to either eat your fill before you go in or step out at lunch time and re-enter afterwards.  You're not allowed to bring in your own food or drink, and the offerings at the Cafeteria aren't enticing.  

*Budget enough time for the Kids' Room.  It's in the new part of the building, and it's very engaging for kids and adults.  See the bottom of this post for a couple of evidence photos.  

*Taking small children to a fancy art museum is a survivable and even occasionally enjoyable experience, if you bring their sketchbooks and colored pencils and park them in a low traffic corner for awhile.  CL gets all the credit for this one!  Thanks for a great day.

Anyone want to join me?  I'm planning to go again before February 10th so I can put my own tips into practice.

Don't the girls almost look like they're on the bank of the river with everyone else?

As you know, Waterlilies

iPhone bad photo doesn't do this justice, it's really beautiful

And I only wish the idea of taking a separate photo of the details  so I could remember later "what was that painting called?" had occurred to me much earlier....

But I didn't do that for this painting, because we all know what this is, right?

Izumi was excited to find that she and the artist who created two large rock sculptures share the same name!

Chagall windows...can you see the Statue of Liberty?

Missed seeing the real thing, did this puzzle in the Kid's Room instead

Misaki's favorite part of the Kid's Room was the magnetic wall with huge animals to rearrange

We had a great day but S and Misaki suffered a little with missing their nap...if you squint, you can see The Art Institute of Chicago sign in the background

One Word for 2012

My name is Jamie Matsuoka, and I'm a heavy blog reader.
Surely more would be going on right here on this blog if I wasn't so busy didnt' waste so much time   didn't invest in reading lots of other blogs.... 

In the midst of all this blog perusing, sometime a year ago or so, I  noticed that some blogs I enjoy very much had something in common: their respective authors were choosing, and/or receiving from God, one word that would represent their year.  Last year I felt like a spectator.  It just didn't occur to me that perhaps I needed a word too.

But this year is, will be, different.  If in no other way than this: I want to hear One Word, and then after that lots of other words around that from Jesus.  I want to be guided by Him in each moment.

Which is why my word is NEAR.

Official Greetings

Merry Christmas everyone! The stars are brightly shining, it is (was, two days ago, but who knows exactly?) the night of our dear Saviour's birth!

Mission: Spend Christmas at Home, Day PM and Boxing Day Too

Christmas afternoon, we were privileged and blessed to witness three of our friends baptisms. After they were all properly and solemnly dunked, it was party time! We enjoyed a potluck dinner and then a "family concert," which really meant that anyone who wanted to could get up and perform. Izumi missed her school Christmas concert the week before last and therefore, her opportunity to perform "Joy to the World". She and her two little friends made up for it here! I expected her to be shy but instead, she was all about the mic! We don't attend Sunday services at this particular church, but I've been part of one of their Bible studies (in Japanese) for eight or nine years now. This community blesses us and takes us in though we aren't officially "members," and the special time we spent with them this Christmas was yet another reminder of their grace.

Boxing Day--a term I'm using only 'cause it sounds better than "the day after Christmas," not 'cause I actually know what it's about--was a triumph in my mind. We actually pulled off a family outing! Not our strength for now, though I'm sure we'll get better since Misaki is closer to turning three. We went to see ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo. We left home around 3:30 pm, which seemed kind of random but turned out to be perfect! We found *free* street parking on Cannon Drive! We had to walk a bit but it was worth it! I brought along a whole lot of food so other than the gas for driving, we didn't spend a penny on our outing! We were right out of there a little past six because it was well dark and getting chilly. Which meant that the kids went to bed more or less on time! Yes! I am disproportionately excited about our outing! Because we "made a memory"! Thanks for indulging my excessive use of exclamation points.

Mission: Spend Christmas At Home, Day AM

Our Christmas Day happened like this...not all moments are pictured 'cause I'm presenting my first ever photo collage, which I made on Picnik.
The kids woke up at seven. Maybe I had downplayed their presents enough (too much?), but I was fine with not doing the crack of dawn thing! We did stockings first, which was strictly a kid deal this year. They were delighted with their Bubble Yum (none for Misaki), resistance bands (2012 will be the year of working out, even for the kids. Oh yes.), and cards from Aunt Laurie with five bucks inside. Thanks, Aunt Laurie! 
OK, I need to be less detailed or I will never post this! Moving to bullet points: I hadn't made breakfast ahead of time, and as I had predicted to myself, I regretted it. In order to buy time to bake up some cinnamon bun muffins, I pulled out an ornament making kit that I had grabbed at Target. Yesterday. ahem. Had everyone work on that and it kept them occupied and happy till breakfast was ready. This is not a bullet point after all. Then Koji read us The Advent Book from beginning to end. Best $47 investment, seriously. The kids opened their presents. We all spent a considerable amount of time playing with the wrapping paper. Playing catch with the garbage bag full of the paper was a highlight, I'm not kidding. Knowing we were off to church at two, we headed to the basement for some Just Dance Kids (that's NOT an affiliate link, though I'm interested in the idea. gotta get more than two people reading this blog first...). The kids did a "show" for my parents over Skype. Sometimes I can't believe we can do that! So space age! Anyway, somehow Aogu and I started watching a documentary about the tsunami in Japan, which was super informative and compelling but not helpful as far as Christmas cheer goes.

Mission: Spend Christmas At Home, Christmas Eve

Friends, we did it!  We spent Christmas at home, just the five of us, and we had a good time!

Though this is my eighth year with the title of Mama, I've been slow and reluctant to come to family Christmas.  I can't help it.  I'm an extrovert, and three, four or even five people just doesn't sound like enough for a Merry Christmas.

Exploring what on earth a Merry Christmas is, well, please watch this video.  We saw it at our church's Christmas Eve service.  It was a huge hit with everyone, and also apparently the inspiration for the glowsticks the kids are sporting:

Aogu and I were nostalgic as we watched friends with a new baby climb on stage to play Mary and Joseph. We did that too, back in the day!

After the service, we had planned to drive through Sauganash to see the Christmas lights.  I hadn't planned for everyone to be hungry for dinner.  They didn't want to eat clementines and dried cranberries for dinner?!

So we drove through Wendy's.  Which was not at all in line with my new food leanings, but was fast, and did get dinner taken care of.  OK.  

Driving through the neighborhood was a little bewildering, but we saw the tree that starts on the first floor, continues through the second, and sticks out through the roof (how do they do that?).  We saw the gigantic Rudolph, and we saw Santa's Workshop, Treehouse Version.  I call that a successful outing.

Home again for "Movie Night".  We tried to watch an animated version of The Christmas Carol, but even that was too scary.  So we abandoned it for an animated Christmas Story, in which an old donkey is something of a hero.  

When I was growing up, we had a tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve.  I had tried to continue that the last couple of years.  But this year, I gave it up.  It would have required the presents actually being under the tree!  The kids didn't remember that we had done that last year, and I was free to wrap all the presents after they went to bed.  Perfect!