Darfur

http://www.savedarfur.org/pages/pending_legislation/   

I can't even pretend to understand everything that is happening over there.  But I do know that innocent people are being killed.  Please read what you can do and do it....think if we were in the same situation, you would want someone to react, right?  

Sharing the love

Poor Megan, she just wants to share the love.  Isn't that the saddest picture you've seen?

Send more baby books!

Cricket loves to read and get read to.  Most get read to.  She will sit and listen for an hour if you have the energy to read that long.  She will follow me around with a book in her hand screaming for me to read to her.  She finally gave up, sensing what a non-caring mom I was, and decided to read to her "baby" instead.  She's adopted Megan's doll, Josie, as her own and drags her all over the place.  

Birds of a feather.....

Eating the popcorn.

Kernels crunching in their mouth.

Greasy fingerprints. 

Sisters

They love each other so much.  The other day when we dropped Cricket off at the daycare center, she was crying and as Megan and I got back in the car Megan said, "They better take care of her"

Nogeyama Zoo and Riding the Train

Whenever we ride the train, Cricket loves to get out of her stroller and hold on to the handles.  Most of the time there is no room for her to do this and she cries the whole way....this time we got lucky.  We went to Nogeyama Zoo up in Yokohama for Fathers Day.  We had a picnic at the Zoo and saw some monkeys get in a serious fight.  

Need I say anything about this picture?

Yes...she is a challenge.  But LOOK AT THOSE EYES!  And that SMILE!!!!

Megan vs Cricket

I just want you to notice how dark Cricket is compared to Megan.  And we use sun block on both of them.  Cricket is definitely from my Dad's side!

Here is Cricket helping Paul with the computer.  She loves to be up on the desk and will not give you any peace until you lift her up there.

Megan's Birthday Party

For Megan's birthday, we went up to Cosmo World in Yokohama.  We had lunch at Hard Rock Cafe'.  It was soooo much fun.  Sam, Shelby and Aunt Christie came along with us...

Megan is 6

Megan is 6!... hard to believe, I know.  Here are a few pics from our little party on Thursday.  Enjoy!

Megan's School Field Day

She's a natural model. Look at her - she could be in that movie "10".
Poor Megan... she's holding the bat backwards and upside down....but she hit the ball!
And of course Cricket had to help out.  These people don't know what they would do without her around.

More pics from Tokyo

Shrines are Shinto and Temples are Buddhist.  I can't remember if this is a temple or shrine, but it's pretty famous for the big red lantern you see here. 
Here is Cricket getting her picture taken by the masses, yet again.  I don't know if it's every American baby or if there is something about her, but whenever we go out into town she gets soooooo much attention.  People were getting their picture taken with her, I swear.  It was so weird.
This is part of a local brewery.  I won't say anything else about it.
On the way home Cricket was putting Chex between her toes and then eating them.  She's sooooo her fathers child!!
On top of Tokyo Tower.  Megan was running around crazy and wouldn't stop to get her picture taken.  

Getting Busy

I've always worked. Even when I was pregnant with the girls, I worked right up until the day I went into labor.  I did take about a year off when Megan was a baby, while Paul was out to sea, but then I went back to work.  When Paul and I decided that I would stay home with the girls, I thought I would be overjoyed and I am up to a point.  It's now been over a year since Cricket was born and I am having a hard time staying home.  So I've decided to volunteer a bit and to become one of the Ombudsmen at the Naval Hospital.  Also, we're going to the states for about a month this summer, and I cannot wait.  We cannot wait to see everyone and spend some time in the good ol' US of A.

Part 4

Japanese people get married... a lot!  :)

Isn't he soooooo cute?  Just like a teddy bear.  If your teddy bear wanted to tear the nose off your face and beat you over the head with that wooden bat thingy.  He "works" at the Meji Shrine.  I guess he's some sort of Shinto monk... or the bouncer. 

A pic of Paul and me!!!  We are sooooo hot. :)

And yet again, more pics!

Here are Paul and the girls at the Meji Shrine.

This path goes from the main courtyard of the Shrine into the gardens.  I just thought it looked really pretty.

These are prayer requests.  You write your wish down, put your offering into a box, pray to the Gods for whatever it is you wish and hang up your prayer request.

More Tokyo pics

This is part of a cleansing ritual you do to cleanse yourself before entering a shrine and going before the Gods.  You dip the dipper into the water, pour it over your hands (first the left then the right), and then you rinse your mouth but DO NOT LET YOUR LIPS TOUCH THE DIPPER.  That's a big no-no!

The water was cold and I had a hard time spitting it out gracefully.

Another view of the fount.

Tokyo Trip Part 1

The girls before our trip...  Aren't they so sweet?!
SAKE!!!!!
This is a huge a#% Torri gate made from Japanese cypress at the Meji Shrine.
Ok, here we go.  We went to Tokyo today:  the Meiji Shrine, Tokyo Tower, another shrine and then a really long boat ride... all in all it was a pretty good trip.  Enjoy!