I Just Want to be 7

It certainly is tough to be the younger brother! Most of you know how close the boys are, and how for the most part, they get along great, despite their 3 1/2 year age difference. They truly are best friends and have the same interests. While they are different in their own way, they are not complete opposites like some siblings.

Lately, Matthew has been feeling the frustration of Patrick getting older and more independent. Patrick gets his own cereal in the morning, pours the milk, , helps to carry the heavy groceries inside, reads books on his own, etc.. Matthew wants to be just like Patrick all the time.

Yesterday was another big Preschool fundraiser, the Spring Festival. When it was over, Brian helped with the cleanup and the boys wanted to help. Brian and Patrick started carrying chairs, and Matthew stopped, sat down, and cried, "I just want to be 7". He wanted to be able to carry those chairs just like Patrick, but unfortunately, they were just to heavy, and he is just too little.

Yesterday morning, Matthew was playing around and ran all the way down the stairs of our tower to the lobby area. We knew where he was, but he wasn't coming back up, so Brian went down to get him. When they came back in the house, I asked him why he didn't come back up right away, and he said, "I wanted to take the elevator, but my arm isn't long enough to reach the 5, so I couldn't." This was all being said through tears.

While I feel Matthew's pain because he is yearning to be more independent just like Patrick, I can't help but smile inside. I don't want that little arm to grow bigger yet. I don't want to see Matthew big enough to carry those heavy chairs across the parking lot. I want to keep him little, innocent, and 4. Unfortunately, our kids do grow up, get big, and become independent. I hold on to all of the moments where I realize that my boys really are still my babies. In time, Matthew will reach that elevator number, reach the cupboard to get a cereal bowl, and get strong to pour the milk and carry heavy things for me. At that moment, I will feel his pride and celebrate with him.

Matthew, you will be seven before you know it. Just let Mommy keep you at 4 for a little while longer!!

Happy Birthday Dear Adam

I found this picture from summer of 2006, and I couldn't resist putting in on my blog. This is my nephew Adam. I love this picture! All the way from Japan, we wish Adam a very happy 3rd birthday. As Matthew would say, "You're catching up to me!"

Wish we could have celebrated with you, but we're thinking of you!

We would also like to wish my sister in law Amber and my mom a very Happy Birthday as well. Both of them celebrated their special days earlier in the week. Hope you both had fantastic birthdays !

Fun with our Cousin

We had to say goodbye to baby Owen and his mommy and daddy yesterday, but we have some great memories of their time here in Japan. The boys absolutely loved having Owen around to play with. One of their favorite things to do was push him as fast as they could around our floor hallway in his stroller. He loved this and laughed the whole time. Of course, the boys fought over who would get to push him.

We spent their last weekend going to Kamakura, a small seaside town not far from us and then headed to Tokyo for the night and next day. In Kamakura, we went to the big Buddah and a famous temple called Hase Dera Temple. The day was beautiful and everything was very green and colorful due to all of the rain the few days before. We also walked the shopping street, which is lined with neat restaurants, bakeries, and unique Japanese shops.

Later in the afternoon, we began our trek to Tokyo, but got a little lost trying to find the highway from Kamakura, so it took us extra long. All three boys did great though and managed to entertain themselves. We always stay at the New Sanno Hotel when we go to Tokyo. It is a five star hotel for military families and their guests, right in the heart of Tokyo. The great thing is that it is only about $60 a night. What a deal. We have certainly enjoyed it, and we really enjoy taking our guests there. A night in Tokyo anywhere else would cost about 300.00. We didn't get to show them much of Tokyo because it was cold and yucky on Sunday, but we experienced the Tokyo subway, a chidren's playland, and some great little sidestreets near the hotel. We stopped in to have a delicious bagel and hot chocolate at a cafe before heading back to Yokosuka.

It is very quiet around here now, and the kids are back in school and back to routine. They were starting to think that the norm is to travel and sightsee every day. We haven't stopped going since leaving for Australia. Brian and I actually head back to the New Sanno tomorrow evening for the Submarine Birthday Ball. We're going to go enjoy dinner and the festivities and then ride the train back home. We opted to come home instead of stay since we just spent the night on Saturday.

That's all for this post- I am off to bed!!

I'm getting behind

We have been so busy since we returned from Australia- as you have noticed, I haven't really updated the blog. For about 10 days, we are entertaining my brother, sister in law, and nephew. I have been the tour guide, trying to show them everything I possibly can in Japan in the short time they are here.

Please check the link to their blog at http://www.schaadtfamily.blogspot.com/ to read up on what we've been up to and all of the great sights we have seen. We just returned from a trip to Kyoto, which even in the rain was beautiful. The cherry blossoms were out in full bloom, so that was a real treat. We also timed our visit to Gion perfectly because we saw many Geisha scurrying to their appointments. The bullet train ride there and back was an experience in itself. What a way to travel.

We have just three more days of their visit and will pack more in this weekend. We are headed to a couple of my favorite places- Kamakura and then the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo.

I will hopefully be back to blogging regularly once the kids are back in school and we are back on a routine.

Highlights from our Trip

Matthew getting ready to snorkel at the Reef
Taking the boat out to the Great Barrier Reef

Aussie Style The boys with a new friend
Posing with the Kangaroos

A sunset on the Sydney Bridge Manly Beach, Sydney

Our little Aussie Brian looking quite like a man "Down Under"
A picture perfect view from the Sydney Bridge looking at the skyline
Darling Harbor, Sydney
A Cute and Cuddly Friend at Featherdale Wildlife Park

The Blue Mountains

Patrick at the Opera House

The boys on Easter Sunday