Kento no ni sai no tanjōbi
Written by: adekun on 23 August, 2008 10:49 am - Filed under: blog — No Comments »
Kento's second birthday
Today is Kento’s second birthday. After opening his cards and gifts we went for an early bike ride. Over the past month he’s really started talking. At times putting three words together. It was nice to come back from work the other week to find him against the window calling “Daddy”.
Kento's second Birthday
Girls day out in Sakaiminato
Written by: adekun on 13 August, 2008 9:32 pm - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »
Since the girls outnumber the boys I thought the title fitting. They were in charge too. Along with most of the Yoshihara and Gion families, we took the train to Sakaiminato. Both carriages were full of tourists with their cameras, no doubt from neighbouring prefectures. Perhaps a majority were those returning from the big cities to visit their families during the obon (お盆) holiday. It was hot, 36 °C and super-humid. As the girls turned yet a darker shade of brown, I turned a brighter shade of lobster. We managed a circuit of most of the statues before a lunch of onigiri and kakigori.
Outside a train decorated with GeGeGe no Kitaro characters, Sakaiminato (境港).
Garden imp
Written by: adekun on 11 August, 2008 9:26 pm - Filed under: blog — 3 Comments »
I’ve been meaning to post some photos of Kento taken before the summer vegetables went in. He’s quite adept at sticking on a pair of shoes and going for an amble.
Kento the shoe robber
We are now down to the last bunch of white onions. If they were bigger we could have looked forward to onion soup. Below, Kento managed to pull a couple of the tiniest by himself - and a smile.
Kento the onion robber
I say tomato, you say MA-TA-TO!
Written by: adekun on 19 July, 2008 4:02 pm - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »
After stuffing the plastic spoons from the outdoor dinner service between the cupboard doors, Kento got his hat on for some tomato picking. Although he still isn’t talking much, there are frequent outbursts in English, Japanese and his own special language. I can spend a good while going through each syllable of tomato which he repeats each time. Soon as I say tomato he says MA-TA-TO! He seems to manage some of the more challenging words. Perhaps he is showing his own preference? 
Okayish onions
Written by: adekun on 30 June, 2008 6:53 am - Filed under: blog — 1 Comment »
Over the past month the small and sometimes misshapen onions have been harvested. Early on, those that had bolted were taken a used in curries and soup. There were quite a few of these; I think the cold may have stressed them. Kento heaved several out in the manner rather like in the story of the Giant Turnip. A little out of character Ritsue, spent the majority of two days weeding. 
With the onions gone the garden had the appearance of a chemist’s dimple tray. I practised tying a few red onions up, leaving me with purple fingers and what looked like a bunch of giant grapes.
Raining cucumbers
Written by: adekun on 20 June, 2008 9:32 pm - Filed under: blog — 2 Comments »
Kento has had quite a temperature over the past two days; just as it has become really humid. It’s been quite difficult through day and night as he has been uncomfortable. The rainy season arrived but it still remains horribly sticky. Once the rain has passed we can look forward to some drier but super hot weather. Outside I collected the first cucumber with a better feeling Kento.
Does my bum look big in this?
Written by: adekun on 19 February, 2008 1:49 pm - Filed under: blog — 5 Comments »
Plenty of snow fell over the weekend. On Sunday I started heaping some on the half buried snowman. The carrot nose and hair we gave him was nowhere to be seen. Despite a late start, it was still light as my fingers grew purple. Maybe with a wooden handle and the warmth from shovelling I could have continued into the evening. Anyhow the mound was complete enough so I headed in. Curry and rice for dinner.
After padding out the top further the next day and a break to let it refreeze, the fun bit started. It was warm and sunny mid morning and I found the carrot.
Kento had woken up. We spent some time together inside peering out, as the snow tumbled like those small polystyrene balls. Inside the quinze (quinzee, quinzhee etc.) it was snug.
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