What we are reading, eating, and doing...

In an effort to try to eat healthier, I am going to a 95% Japanese menu for the next week. Even some of the most unhealthy Japanese foods are a million times less bad for you than typical American dishes.

So, I made up my list and we were all set to head to the Japanese supermarket together....however, Mia decided that she would take a nap instead. Ten volunteered to make the trip alone :( ... but it all worked out. Here are some of the things that were on my list.

Lots of tofu...grilled and normal. We are going to use this for the last nabe of the year as well as miso soup, etc

Natto (for Mia and Ten), takana, and miso

Dashi powder, furikake, 2 boxes of curry, 1 box of cream stew, and snacks for Mia. No idea why this picture is all stretched out.

Nori, cooking sake, white sesame seeds, ajipon, and bath powder (milk protein type). I was especially excited about the bath stuff!! Seriously...the best.

Ten also brought us back bento and a jasmine tea for me. I had the salmon and he had fried chicken...Mia ate bites of both. Seriously...in Tokyo this would NOT have been an exciting meal...but it is like a taste of...home...I guess you would say. 

After putting everything away and having an early dinner, we decided to head over to the Dinosaur Playground. We were surprised to see that they had the water features on since it was kind of chilly out, and of course Mia toddled over to the water as fast as her little legs could carry her.

Not a flattering photo I must say...and where am I looking ?? Creepy.

Getting ready to run through the water.

Needless to say, we had a great time...but we were cold and wet so this meant that when we got home we did showers and took baths.

Finally, Mia's library has been getting a little bit bland shall we say. We only have about maybe a dozen and a half Japanese books. English books...tons from the library, but we needed to switch them out. We took a quick trip over...and here are just a very few of what we are reading right now. Some of these Mia picked out herself...and some I found from recommended reading lists.

The Napping House, Moomin books, Dr. Seuss nursery books, Dear Zoo (the best book!), and some DK books. Ten also grabbed the Row, Row, Row your boat book since he recently learned how to play it on the xylophone...I know we are super cool.

We also placed an order with Amazon Japan for some Japanese books, but we decided that it would be best to go to Kinokuniya and pick up some new ones while we are waiting.

I guess you would say these are similar to ABC books...but they have so much more in them.

Different sounds and the faces that you make when you say them...so cute.

The Japanese version of "Do, Re, Mi"

Anyway, so that is what we basically did this weekend. Our summer is about to kick into warp speed from this week. Lots of classes, play dates, planning for vacation, working on projects, figuring out apartment stuff and so much more! How to avoid burn out...this will be the challenge. Wish me luck!