Osaka Trip

Glenn surprised me for Mother's Day with a family trip to Osaka, Japan. He made sure the day was all about "me". We did everything I wanted to do... which mostly meant that I could take as many pictures as I wanted and no one was allowed to complain.... smiles only!

We travelled on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) for 2.5 hours. The Shinkansen travels up to 361 mph... Holy speed Batman!
The Shinkansen rides a lot like an airplane, but with more room to move around, and the seats "swivel" so you can face each other. As part of this "me" day, Glenn sat with the kids so I could sit alone to relax and read. I even took a nap... nice.


We were fortunate to see Mt. Fuji from our train window... isn't it awesome? Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan and is actually a dormant volcano that last erupted in 1707.

We toured Osaka Castle, which was built in 1496... about the time America was being discovered. Weird huh? Historical buildings take on a totally different meaning outside of the United States.
Jonas found sacred water to wash up (and taste... ah-hem) before entering this revered site.

Osaka Castle was home of Hideyoshi Toyotomi. His story is interesting. He was was born an insignificant farmer and through his drive and craftiness, he became a huge warlord. He even managed to marry a princess and become part of a royal line. Ambition anyone?

We tried on authentic Samurai costumes. The helmets were incredibly heavy... we all wondered how they could possibly battle with such a heavy piece of equipment on their head. Mine gave me a headache after only a few minutes.
The Samurai have always intrigued Glenn. Samurai are a very well respected group of soldiers who's only job is to protect their Lord, even if it means loosing their life. In fact loosing their life for their Lord is considered a great honor.


Glenn makes a stud of a Samurai, don't you think? If you ever get a chance to see the film, "Last Samurai" it is awesome (remember this is coming from the opinion of two movie snobs).
"Me so horny"
Jonas was in "boy" heaven.... a costume and a sword = a perfect day.
A local priest stood near the castle. He is praying even though it may look like he is begging. The mechanical way he moved made him seem like he was a Disney animatronic. Speaking of Disney....

"Concubines. Ugly concubines." - Mulan
Shailey got her caricature made by a local artist.
Uh, Emma? There is a monkey on your back. Emma is always toting around stuffed animals (stuffies). We have to do a thorough search of her suitcase and backpack before any trip to be sure she has not packed all her favorite stuffies. Since this stuffy can hang on Emma's neck, he made it past the "mom and dad stuffy inspection".


YUM... yaki ika (fried squid) from a street vendor. It was yummy, but chewy.

Ampanman is a famous Japanese children's superhero...

The next day Glenn had a business meeting, so I took the kids to the Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan).

This HUGE stingray has a wing span easily 8 feet wide.While the fish were amazing, apparently so were we. The little school groups could not stop staring at the Americans. I guess when you are out of Tokyo, gaijin (foreigners) are a rare exhibition. Kids would come up and say "hello" and then run away and giggle.

I love this school group in their "pea pod" hats. When I snapped this photo, I had no idea there was this funny girl in the middle. I think she was yelling at the octopus.
After the aquarium, we took a ride on the Tempozan Harbor Village Ferris Wheel. At 695 feet in height, it once was the world's largest ferris wheel....whoa.

View of Osaka Bay from the top of the ferris wheel.
Emma got a little freaked out the higher we climbed... Shailey enjoyed teasing Emma by trying to make our car shake.

It was an amazing Mother's Day weekend. Glenn you ROCK. He couldn't have planned a better Mother's Day for me: no cooking, no cleaning, outside in fresh air, cultural experience, fun foods, watching Veronica Mars, swimming at the hotel, touring new a new place, and pictures, lots and lots of pictures. Absolutely perfect.

Osaka Trip Videos

Glenn shot some video footage of our Osaka trip with his cell phone. He thought it would be fun to put them on our/my blog.

Train ride to Osaka

The girls played their DS's and Jonas watched a Power Ranger DVD for most of the time... they know the routine of traveling... that meant Mom had the peace and quiet to read and Dad could play with his phone. Everyone is happy.

How can you tell when your 4-year-old is a world-weary traveler? When he sees the train lady picking up trash and thinks she's a flight attendant. "Can I have some water please?" To see this in action, watch this clip:

Osaka castle was a big hit. Indiana Jonas is caught excavating for buried treasures in the street:

This video clip is a little fuzzy, but it is fun to see us wearing Samurai costumes:

Shailey got a caricature from a local artist. 500 yen

Here is another shot of the Osaka castle:

On the trip back up to Tokyo, we were able to see Mt. Fuji from the train. It is not always visible, but we got lucky:

Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This

"Momma said there'd be days like this, there'd be days like this, my Momma said"... This 1960's song could not ring more true. I distinctly remember my Mom saying "Just wait until you're a Mom, and then you'll know."
Well Mom.... I know. I know what it is like to have a very clean house destroyed the instant your kids come home from school.
I know what it is like to spend the day preparing a yummy dinner, only to hear that it is the grossest meal anyone ever ate in their life.
I know what it is like to sit on the floor for hours next to the toilet where your toddler sits waiting for "something" to happen.
I know what it is like to be painfully exhausted after being up all night with a sick child.

And, while cleaning, cooking, toilet training, and sick children are my least favorite parts of motherhood, I also know what it is like to have my little one crawl into my lap and say 'I love you Momma'.

I know what it is like to gather my children around to read their favorite stories.

I know what it is like to watch my child perform a piano piece they spent many hours learning.

I know what it is like to pick my child up from school and be greeted with a bear hug that knocks me over.

I know what it is like to take my child for a walk and watch them discover every magical bug and animal along the way.

I know what it is like to lay by my child at night and hear about their adolescent struggles.

And, I know what it is like to look into my children's eyes, see their old soul, and know that while I influence their life, they are their own person, and I hope they will grow up to be better than me.

So, to my own mother, I say thank you.

Thank you for giving me room to be myself.

Thank you for singing my baby song on my darkest days.

Thank you for encouraging me to try new things and then for being there when I failed or succeeded.

Thank you for allowing me to struggle to get my boots on, but being there when I ultimately needed your help.

Thank you for always taking the opportunity to point things out and teach me.

Thank you for reading every scary book I got my hands on and then for listening to the details of my resulting nightmares.

Thank you for staying up late to watch a civil war drama with me.

Thank you for saturday nights with Dance Fever and pink sponge curlers.

Thank you for endless batches of fresh cookies and homemade popcorn.

Thank you for hours of talking at the kitchen counter.

Thank you for always being awake and ready to hear the details of my date night.

Thank you for our walks to exercise and visit.

Thank you for being an amazing grandma who adores my children.

Thank you for giving me the confidence to know that no matter what happens, I am truly loved.

"When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high..."

Mom, I love you.

Snapshots of My Motherhood

Meji Shrine

Our family took a day trip to Meji Shinto Shrine. Shintoism and Buddhism are the two main religions of Japan. Shintoism is the oldest religion of Japan, with an emphasis on nature worship. While in western culture, people claim to be faithful to only one religion, in Japan, it is acceptable to practice both religions simultaneously. A Japanese friend told me that when her mother died, she was buried in a Shinto cemetary, but the funeral services were Buddhist. She said this is a very common practice.

We are standing in front of a large wooden structure called a TORII GATE. A Torii gate symbolizes entrance to a holy place and most often they are painted red.In front of the actual shrine, there is a washing station for visitors to purify themselves before they enter (think of holy water in a Catholic church entrance). You pour the water into each hand and then press your hands together in a prayer fashion.Entering the shrine. This artwork in the shape of a boat is an offering to the Gods and is made entirely of fruits and vegetables.

The temple is made of beautifully detailed wood carvings.
Here are wooden plaques called "Ema" where you write down your prayer.
A prayer in English caught Emma's attention because it asked for "Felix" to be blessed.... we left our family cat named Felix in Indiana and Emma misses her.

Daddy tells our kids stories of Japan and they soak up every word.

Shailey Lands LAND CITY modeling job

BRAG ALERT: Shailey's first audition was for Dreams Come true, which she got the job. Her second audition was for Land City Real Estate, and she got this job too! The producers of this advertisement were convinced Shailey was British and not American... even after I told them she was born and raised in America. Something about her looks said "UK" to this Japanese group.
The producers had a photo of the Royal Family they were trying to imitate.... hence the plaid?

Do you love the penny loafers? I didn't know they still existed. Shailey thought they were hideous, even when I told her I wore them regularly at her age.Most all of the costumes were sewn in between takes. The seamstress sat on the floor with her machine and sewed all day. Everything was in TARTAN (code for plaid)... even a stuffed bear was made in tartan.... is that how royal stuffed bears look?