Crafting Away the Rainy Day

We are crazily crafting as much as we can before it's time to pack out. ::snort:: I refuse to haul a bunch of craft supplies back across the ocean.... we use it or they lose it. 

We spent the morning at PWOC  and the afternoon working on various projects. 

Arielle is stamping purple flames on Stacia's AWANA Pinewood Derby car.

I put together this spring/summer wreath. It doesn't look exactly like the photo which inspired it...but it does make me smile. I know it would have been easier with smaller flip flops but these are the ones I could find at our Y100 store.

Below are the painted clay pot and plate that Stacia and Zander created.

And of course...Michael continues to work on the derby car...under Stacia's watchful eye. 

Tomorrow is race day.....


Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Luvin Japan ~ Slurping Noodles

I know we already mentioned chopsticks...but this deserves its own mention. We love slurping noodles....of all kinds...ramen, yakisoba, soba....and now we have gone international slurping pastas of all kind. 

Morgon Mae via photopin cc

If you're wondering how to eat Ramen with chopsticks...it's totally acceptable to slurp as you see in the photo...then pick up the bowl and drink down the broth. 
Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Luvin Japan ~ Yabusame

You can read more about Yabusame here. In a nutshell this began as archery competitions between Samurai. I think I've only seen women in our local competition...but I may have just missed the men.  In any event I love the imagery of warrior princesses.  The kids and I attended Yabusame in 2010,  but Michael was deployed.  In 2011 and 2012 I was traveling. We were determined to share this festival in 2013. Unfortunately, the photos from our 2010 visit have disappeared from BLOGGER and so I'm really glad we took some more. LOL 

It was WINDY yesterday and many of the competitors and vendors closed up shop early....but still it was fun to see and a very pretty drive. We headed out after Sunday School.

Festival food is always a hit with the kids. The family enjoyed chicken on a stick and bananas on a stick...I enjoyed sweet potatoes in a cup...which would have been quite tasty if they were warm. ::snort:: Not to fear...I supplemented with a satsuma tangerine, baby carrots and a larabar. ::wink:: 

We wandered across the street and found some dancing exhiitions and stuffed animated characters.

Ever been hugged by a burnt marshmallow? 

We took a beautiful detour on our way home...but I'll turn that into another Lovin Japan post before the week is out. ::snort::

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Arielle Update

We've tried to come up with a spectacular story...she was climbing on the roof to save a neighbor's toddler and slipped...she was chasing killer worms...but the bottom line is...she was running, tripped and landed on her elbow.  She didn't say a thing. This happened Thursday afternoon.

@Yabusame 2013

At dinner, I noted she was eating with her left hand and wouldn't pass pans etc. The story came out. This was about the time Akikosan and Michael both got to the house. She took Ibuprofen and we went on with the night.

Michael is becoming a WHIZ on webmd and came down with the word that he thought I should take Arielle in to be seen even though she was insisting she was fine as she was having trouble and pain moving it.

In we went. She admitted to the doc her hand was numb and tingling...um... a bit..... They gave Arielle a sling (and she's not happy that it is Army green) and we went back Friday a.m. for x-rays.  She was given more pain med dosing info. We've not heard a word so we're going on the assumption it is not broken.

This all brings back memories of our first encounter with Arielle and pain.

She was 2 years old, fell off a chair and braced her fall with her wrist/arm. I took her in. She wasn't swelling, she wasn't crying...she made a strange look. They moved her around and said she would scream if it were broke. Days later I called to tell them she  wasn't fine. They insisted she was. A week after the fall, I took her to the office and insisted she be seen. I had nothing to go on except she made a "face" at odd times when moving her arm.  Same arm.....

The doctor INSISTED it was not broken and was very put out that I refused to go home until they did an x-ray...she was my 6th child and I knew something was wrong. Yep - broken in two places.

We've learned not to take Arielle's "perceived pain level" as an accurate indicator. ::snort::

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

School Wrap Up

We have really enjoyed studying Japan. We used books recommended in All Through the Ages as well as library books and books I discovered in my online searches.  I must give  kudos for customer service to Christine Miller. I wrote explaining we lived in Japan and wanted to spend a year studying Japan in depth for the grammar (Elementary) and dialectic levels (Jr High). I had her book on my shelves and wondered how many more books she listed for Japan in the newest edition (I have the 2nd edition). SHE SENT ME THE PAGES IN A PDF FILE of the books on Japan for all grade levels. What a blessing.  Every book we used from All Through the Ages was a hit. Highly recommended resource! 

The younger kids LOVED the "Judge Ooka and Seikei" mysteries by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler. We read The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn and The Demon in the Teahouse....before I insisted we read other things and we'll finish these in the future. I really wanted to read MORE about this Solomon in a Kimono but the books I found were too expensive for our purposes. 

We also enjoyed The Sign of the Chrysanthemum and The Master Muppeteer by Katherine Paterson. 

We read Pearl Harbor Child by Dorina Makanaonalani Nicholson.  I felt it important to give the kids this view point as we'd been rather Japanese focused in our view of WW2.  This book did a great job of telling the story of Pearl Harbor from the perspective of a child who LIVED it....she includes stories of others as well. We enjoyed all the photos. 

We then read My Hiroshima by Juuko Morimoto which provided a survivor's perspective of Hiroshima.  Junko's illustrations and memories were powerful. I'm glad we read both perspectives from survivors. 

Fiction of Eleanor Coeer rounded out our year with Mieko and the Fifth Treasure and Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes  based on a true story (which I cried 2/3's of the way through). 

An Illustrated History of Japan was a great book to use as a "spine" for the younger set and Nolan (8th grade) used Japan an Illustrated History and A Traveler's History of Japan. In addition we  thought Hiroshima by John Hersey was good for Nolan. Nolan spend some time researching topics of his choice: Christianity in Japan (interesting for us), Samurai Code of Ethics, Hiroshima and the Pacific in WW2.  Nolan also delved into the treatment of Koreans and the Philippinos by the Japanese and a bit of the horrors of being a POW of Japan. We opted to leave much of this and delving into the Japanese internment camps in America until we study WW2 for the younger set. 

Make it Work! Japan was full of hands on crafts and was one of our favorites, as was Japanese Traditions which lists festivals and traditions for children by month. 

This is a sample of the books we used.  We also visited the cultural center here in Misawa a couple of times, and bounced lots of ideas and questions off Akikosan. Being able to visit many of the spots we discussed was a great incentive to stay on track with our history reading. We've been to Jomon ruins, WW2 ruins, Hiroshima, Edo Period Museums, Samurai Museums, Japanese farms, Rice fields and more....We've made soba noodles, New Year's wreaths, yakisoba....and have more in the works. 

We are still reading Jacob Deshazer: Forgive Your Enemies,  as a family....and have a couple of others on the stack.  Our "Days" are counted and done for school, papers are graded, the year is complete....but... In the weeks before we move, we'll continue to explore new areas, visit our favorites, explore Japanese culture, work on hands on crafts we've not finished and read through the stacks of books the kids begged me to read which  I promised we would AFTER we were done with the rest of the year. LOL 



I'm so GLAD we extended a year in Japan  and only had 3 years of curriculum with us...I'm glad we didn't try to order all the books we already own in storage...it was a good call for all of us to take a break and focus on this land we love.  Arielle continued on with her charted high school courses - but joined us for discussions and outings; she also continues to study the Japanese language and so was a part of the year - though apart. LOL

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Lovin Japan ~ Sembei (Sembee?)

On the second day of our newcomer's tour of Misawa, the guide offered us a Japanese cookie...and we really thought Japan was a sad, sad place to live.....but over time we must have developed a taste. 

If you think of Senbei as a cracker more than a cookie...and if you buy them FRESH......

from the little shop on the walk to Hirosaki Castle....

They're really quite yummy! 

They're available at most stores, every rest area along the toll road and we've discovered they're great for those who suffer from motion sickness.  As you would expect from this lovely country (think ice cream, Kit Kats, Mentos) you CAN get them in a wide variety of flavors from savory to sweet. 

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Mindful of the Calendar

I continue to commit to living mindful...of both  the calendar and  my God-given priorities for this season. 

Commitments lead to actions. 

Monday was blessed by a long, leisurely lunch with a friend at a local organic restaurant.  I remembered the wise question of Marvie in January, "How do you want to spend your last months in Misawa?" God's very words to my heart through the lips of a friend. 

Tuesday contained service to the children of the chapel via Protestant Children of the Chapel. There are only four weeks left with these little ones and with the young men who help so wonderfully each week. I've come to appreciate and love them both even more through our time of service....Nolan and Jaycob. 

Today - working out, cuddling, going through THINGS in preparation for our move....

HOW does one family collect so much stuff in four years? I HAVE taken things to the thrift store at least once a quarter since we got here.  What do families who don't move every 2 - 4 years do about the rapid accumulation of "stuff?"

Stacia thinks this is Christmas and wants to play with every item I've stashed in a closet and plan to give away "since we never use it." Zander lobbied for a day off school (Math and reading) as we're "working so hard." Arielle and Nolan are STARS!

Tonight, we'll have  AWANA and Titus 2 Tea  Michael will take the kids to AWANA and I will snuggle in our room and watch Hobbit with Zander.  This afternoon maybe a bit more reading with Zander my first Migraine since July hit. I wonder if thyroid TSH levels have any effect on migraines. In any event it's Thursday a.m. and I was down for the count and still fill "off" this a.m.  

YES! Look what Nolan captured as we drove home yesterday!  It was almost prophetic as I had said, "Would you move already?"

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God