The Smiths In Japan

We tricked the Smiths into coming to visit us! I don't know how- but THEY CAME! YIPPEE!

Actually, in 2009 when we first learned that we would be headed to Japan Maysen (then only 10) said she wanted to come visit. And they came! It's so cool. I've had many people say they would like to come, but the Smiths you can count on!

Mike, Steph, and Maysen had to be adventurous.  I wrote them a 3 page email on how to get from the Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Tokyo Station and to the Bullet train 3 hours up to Misawa. I met them at the train station 30 minutes from my house. I was pretty stoked considering we don't have cell phones. Mike did call me from a Japanese pay phone in the morning and  it was like Christmas morning! I don't know how to convey it, but when you have visitors when you live far away............ it's AMAZING!

It was about midnight for them when I made them eat lunch at one of our favorite little hole-in-the-wall joints, Cheese Roll!

Stephanie enjoying some greasy yakisoba.

Then I took them back to the house to sleep until Brett came home about 5pm.

They were so impressive with handling their jet lag. They only slept that afternoon and then managed to get up early each morning and retire "semi-early" at night.

The next day we took them to the fish market where we found a ball pit and played funny Japanese arcade games.

Then we hopped over to Shirahama beach in Hachinohe.

It was a pretty classically over-caste day. But still warm enough to spend a few hours here.

Jet lagged and still happy!

Finally, someone else to take our picture together!

Awesomeness:

Craziness:

Sweetness:

Happiness:

I spent a lot of time getting Mina's naps in, which I didn't mind.  It was cool to let Brett have time with his family and MARIE is in love with Maysen. 2 months later Marie still talks about "my cousin Maysen who brings her own toys," referring to the DS Maysen  plays. Or if Marie sees something pretty, occasionally she'll say, "My cousin would LOVE this."

Having the Smiths was awesome. They put up with us taking them to the Sea Gull shrine. This is a gross, yet sacred place where seagulls flock to hatch their eggs. It would be cute if you didn't have to use an umbrella to avoid being crapped on. Yes, I said crapped on.

Birds, birds, birds.

My favorite parenting lesson from here is that sometimes it's necessary to lie. Marie got a pink heart-shaped ball  from the buffett we had just ate at. When I opened the car door at the seagull shrine it rolled out and a seagull snatched it and began to eat it. Not only did I lose Marie's toy I think I killed a seagull. When I gasped, Marie asked why, and all I could come up with was that the Seagull was eating Mina's diaper that rolled out. Yeah, I'm a crappy liar too.

The next day we took them too........

HORSE PARK!!!!!!!

Try to find the horse in this picture:

Steph was giving me the kind of picture I love!

Then I took Maysen and Stephanie too my day care to help me teach my class of 21 4 year-olds. Last year I only had 12, so it was lovely to have 2 helpers.

They love visitors. Here is Maysen helping take off name tags at the end of class.

When Maysen grows up she wants to be an Author and a teacher who teaches French to American kids or English to French kids. Oui! Oui!

Marie adored her Aunt and would talk to her 24 hours a day. I don't blame her because Stephanie smiles and laughs at everything she says!

Marie sneaking into every picture. We have her well trained.

Oirase Gorge. Yes, you want to come here!

...oh the joys of family pictures

And that was Friday of their visit.

For the fantastic full version see Steph's blog :http://smithsonians.blogspot.jp/2012/06/orise-gorge.html

If you are a blogger you need to take a look at my post and then at hers. MINE is what happens if you WAIT TOO LONG TO BLOG! It's boring, less detailed, and you forget alot of details. Oh well.

Thanks Stephanie! Can I pay you to keep a blog for me?

Up next: Sacred Spots and Tokyo!