Happy Christmas & Merry New Year ...

Part of my negotiations for my second year contract was that I would be given three weeks of holiday vacation in the winter. I was fortunate enough to have my request honored and left for America on December 20th with no intentions of returning to Japan until January 11th ... and oh-so-very excited.


The flight back to the states kind of sucked. I had WAY TOO much luggage & navigating the airport with three suitcases is always difficult, no matter how many times you've done it and regardless of if you know exactly where you're going. Security sucked because I had to remove two coats (seriously), my snow boots, take my laptop out of the case, and open my large bag carry on suitcase for inspection. I was definitely that girl holding up the line and I hated it. Once I actually got on the plane I remembered that I had a middle seat (::vomit::) and I couldn't find my over the counter sleep aides. Great. This trip was starting out just great.


The flight took forever and once we started actually flying over America everyone started getting riled up about the weather, something I hadn't even really thought about. I started to get a little panicky remembering what happened last year when flight BARELY made it to Chicago and then we got stranded in Wisconsin in a snow storm. "Please just let me get to Des Moines. Please just let me get to Des Moines."

I did make it to Des Moines, barely. I got into Cedar Rapids on the last flight they allowed in (although I only got 1 of my suitcases) and then I got in my Kia Spectra rental and drove through what I felt like was a blizzard to get to Des Moines in time to meet up with some of my favorite people. I was so exhausted, yet I couldn't have been happier. Well, I might have been happier if I had both of my suitcases. :)

The next 3 weeks were a blur, but in a really, really good way. I felt like I spent SO much time in the car and it's because I did. I put like 3,000 miles on my rental and was driving back and forth from Des Moines on what felt like a daily basis, but I can honestly say I did almost everything I wanted to do, with the exception of making it to Cedar Falls. The snow got in my way every time. :(

I spent a lot of time in Sioux City with my family and my best friends. We frequented our favorite drinking establishments, carried on the tradition of Christmas bowling, sang karaoke on Christmas Eve, had a Mile's afternoon, and ate at all of the best places Sioux City has to offer ... Jerry's pizza, Little Chicago Deli, George's, Navarettes, Minervas & Town House.

My dad and I on Christmas Eve

Asian invasion ...

But the Japanese snacks weren't really all that popular. Whoops. I thought for sure they would be a hit. :)

Zach was unimpressed with the tiny crabs:

As was grandpa Ron.

And then there were the nights (or afternoons) of going out with great friends. I really, seriously have the best friends ever.

Danny & I ... taking in the 'scenery' that only Court Street has to offer:

Matt & I celebrating all that is Christmas:

Emily, Molly, Michell & I bowling on Christmas Night ... a tradition we take very seriously.

We've been doing it since high school!

And what would a trip to Sioux City be without an afternoon of schooners and chuck burgers at Mile's? It's aways smiles with Mile's.
Oh, AND Prince's ... we had a pretty stellar night drinking quarter beers with Joanie & Terry:

And of course I spent a lot of time with the family. My grandparents, Pam & Phil, my dad, my cousins, Zach and Kylee, my mom, my beautiful baby Madi (who's cute even when she's crying), Debbie & Greg and Mom & Dad. It was pretty much perfect.

Zach, Kylee & I trying to look normal:

and it didn't last long ... :)
I rang in the new year with Abby & Dan in Des Moines ... drinking perhaps a little too much champagne. :)
And had a girls reunion at Erin's house that could have only been more perfect if all of us could have been there. I love my girls from college. <3>

And I even found some time to trek up to Minneapolis with the fam and spend a Sunday at one of my favorite places in the entire world .. the Metrodome! We cheered on the Vikings to an awesome victory against the Giants right after Christmas. Merry Christmas to me.

Grandma Jee & Grandpa Steve at the game:
My mom & I got really excited about the game winning field goal.

And then there were all those great times I didn't photograph. Like playing Cribbage in my grandma's kitchen, watching movies with my sister, eating Taco Johns with Madi, 'shopping' at LoveSac with Matt, telling stories at Pam & Phil's, eating Twin Bings & hanging out in apartment 190. Sometimes life is so good.

much love

-tara-

xx

Picking Grapes ...

Grapes, grapes, grapes. I know that I like to eat grapes, I really like frozen grapes & I especially enjoy grapes in liquid form (and I'm not talking about grape juice). So why wouldn't I want to go on a grape picking field trip? Better question, why wouldn't I want to go on any field trip? I LOVE field trips.

This one was for 4 & 5 year olds and instead of walking up the mountain to the grape farm (Is it a grape farm? Grape field? Hmm ...), we actually took a bus. I was genuinely surprised.

Our first line of business was to eat some grapes:

Mizuto, one of my favorites, demonstrating the proper peeling technique:

We ate a lot of grapes :)

Next up was walking to the top of the mountain to the grape 'houses'? Huts?

I clearly know nothing about growing grapes. I must have really learned a lot on this trip. :)

Where they keep the goods:

The go to great lengths to protect the grapes ... and these grapes aren't cheap.

We're seriously talking about 5,000 yen a bundle (aka $50). Seriously.

Yes, $50 for grapes. And no, they weren't magic grapes.

And then everyone got to pick out their own bundle to cut and take back to school. We didn't get the $50 grapes, but these ones weren't cheap either. What is it with Japan and expensive fruit?

The kids were really excited about the whole shabang:

And we took a whole ton of grapes back to school:

Aya sensei, Miki sensei & Tara sensei with the 5 year olds.
Aren't they super cute?

I'm the only one without a weirdo hat. :)

I think we had grapes for snack everyday for the next week.

much love

-tara-

xx

Climbing Mountains ...

"Shichi-Go-San (七五三, seven-five-three) is a traditional rite of passage and festival day in Japan for three and seven year-old girls and five year-old boys, held annually on November 15. As Shichi-Go-San is not a national holiday, it is generally observed on the nearest weekend."

To celebrate Shichi-Go-San, many of the schools spend a day climbing a mountain to visit a shrine at the top where the priest prays for and blesses the children. This year I was lucky enough to get to witness this definitely cultural 'field trip' if you will.

Everything I was told about this field trip prior to going just spelled disaster. Let's start with the fact that we are taking 3, 4 and 5 year olds. 3 year olds on a mountain hiking field trip? Get real. This can't possible be good.

The fact that we were taking about a hundred children with maybe 5 adults sounded insane. I took every last possible staff member with me when I took 14 kids bowling ... and I was still nervous about the like 1:4 ratio. This really isn't going to be good.

Not only are we climbing to the top of the mountain, we must first walk to the mountain. This requires walking along the side of a river (minus a guardrail), traveling down a busy street (with barely a sidewalk) and crossing a major intersection. With a 20:1 ratio & a hundred 3, 4, & 5 year olds. I almost had a panic attack walking with my 5 year olds to the park & crossing Kimball Ave. This really, seriously isn't going to be good.

Then, assuming we survive the trek there, we have to ascend the mountain. That's right ... 3, 4 & 5 year olds (almost 100 of them) are going to climb to the top of the mountain. Good one. Real good one. This is going to just be plain terrible.

THEN ... once we get to the top we are going to eat lunch (oh yea, I forgot to mention that all the while the children will be carrying back packs with their lunches in them & thermoses of tea) and then cram over 100 of us into a small shrine where we will listen to blessings, pray, and sit still for about 40 minutes. Have you ever taken a three year old to church? Essentially this is going to be about the same. Only times 100. Is anyone else thinking this sounds like a sheer disaster?

Finally we are going to make our way back down the mountain, across the street, along the river, following the path all the way back to school and make it back in time for naps. Oh yea, did I mention this was all going to be accomplished in about 3 hours? Impossible.

I shouldn't have been such a pessimist because ...

The walk there was just fine:

The kids were amazing:

And serious about getting up this mountain:
We hiked up to the top in a little under an hour and with limited tumbles. I think two 3 year olds fell down and skinned their knees, but quickly got back up and forged on. I don't even think there were tears. Unheard of. :)
Once we got to the top, everything was beautiful. I absolutely love Japan in the fall and the pictures just don't do the country justice. I wish I had a better camera. :\

We ate lunch:

Momoka & her cute cat riceball lunch:

Siho & her cute lunch ... that her FATHER made:

I'm serious when I say that this is the lunch standard. Parents spend a lot of time making 'cute' lunches for their children ... even up through elementary and junior high school. The face on the 'Anpanman' rice ball is all cut out of seaweed. A little on the crazy side if you ask me. :)

Next up, getting our 'healthy blessing' at the shrine.

The main torii gate entering the shrine:

The shrine & all it's parts:

Of course we had to take our shoes off before entering ... there are about 1/4 of them:
After being blessed we had some time to run, jump, climb, dig, discover ... whatever else it is that you do at the top of a mountain.

Like finding mimizu (worms):

Jump on rocks:

or hold hands with your friends. Aww...

Our time on top of the mountain was over and it was time to head back down. But first, this 3 year old had to check the map and let us know which way we needed to go ...

It took us about half the time to get down the mountain, but the long haul back to school was a little slow. Everyone was tired, but no one was complaining. It was almost unreal. I think the final injury count was 4 falls, 2 trips, 3 skinned knees, 1 banged up elbow, 3 whiners, 2 tears & 1 kid fell asleep on the mountain. Not bad, eh?

On the success scale of 1-10, this trip definitely gets a 12. Who would have ever thought it was possible? I sure as hell did not.

much love

-tara-

xx