Malls and 'The Chicken Shack'

Movies showing are....

E. being Superman; D. entertaining me;
and Daddy thinking, "just take the picture" :~)

He is just as ornery as this smile says he is!

It is time to go...

T. got a guitar at the "two-five" store.

We LOVE the crepes!

Bakery in the mall.

These houses and gardens will just all of the
sudden be there in between other houses and
apartments. The picture really doesn't do it
justice.

There is always laundry hanging out. And on
Saturday's all the beds get aired out. They have
these monstrous clips that they use to literally
clip the mattress to the patio rail so it does
not fall.

Ok, see the man in the green jacket
(next picture)

He directs the traffic coming in and out of
the parking lot. He'll stop traffic, bikes, and
pedestrians as needed to keep the cars moving.
(next picture)

They are usually older men and they all wear
uniforms. (Uniforms are big here, even bus drivers
still wear uniforms, the bus driver hats, and the
white gloves!) They have this men EVERYWHERE
even at the 100 Yen Store which is like a Big Lots.

Inside a parking garage.

Thank goodness for the pictures!

The Luxury Toliet seat (Americans really need
to catch up or catch on to this one!)
The following pics will explain why....

Ok, first the seat is heated and you can control
the temperature. Next you have the following
options: (a) do you want the toilet to make a
flushing sound, with adjustable volume, so no one
can hear you going to the restroom; (b & c) from
which position you would like to be sprayed if you
do not fancy the toilet paper or want to use both;
and (d) do you need a "powerful deodorant" (the
actual name of the button) to be sprayed....now
that's a toilet!
(The next picture is clearer)

...and in case you need to know how to flush.....
(although, I have been in some that were definitely
not this clear!)

T. looking at what to order at the Chicken Shack.
You stand outside, place your order and then wait
in your car to take it home and eat it.

D. helping out Dad!

The Menu
(basically, rice with chicken or beef or eel)

Diamond City Mall

It is hard to tell here without having something
to scale it with, but this is a very NARROW 2-way
street that we take to the Diamond City Mall.

Vegetation is grown EVERYWHERE within the city block.
This is a field of something but these are not uncommon.

Umm, I'm not sure what this one is suppose to
be of, maybe the person on the bike?! :~)
Anyway, in Japan there are no legal turns on a
red light. Definitely cuts down on blocked intersections!

This one and all the rest are of the Diamond
City Mall. We live 10-15min from 3 malls.
This movie theater tickets cost approx. $25,
but I really don't know that it would be any less
expensive in New York.

We have to get better pictures of this pet store.
The pet store is unreal. The pets have their own
little apartments to run around in and play.

Prices are really only a little higher - it is the imported
stuff like LEGOs that we have noticed the price is
basically double what we would pay in the states.

These are the kid's carts that E. cannot fit into
with his long legs!

I'm trying to convince E. he can ride a bike.
(Miss K. and SAM - the red purse - I got it at this mall!)

No EB Outlet here.... :~(

and of course we had to have a picture of this..

Essentially an arcade that parents lose money at.....

This had a mini train that he is controlling.

Dakota beat this game!

December

E sleeping through Christmas morning

D not sleeping through Christmas morning,
wishing his brother would get up!

Our bathroom sink in the TLF room. The oblong
control is where you choose the temperature of
the water and turn it on. Then the water comes
out of the side faucet!

Boys at the TLF playground

E giving orders to D; D listening to me so I can take the pic

The Ice Cube

Ok, this is just a cute picture that was in the
same folder. :~)


This picture, when you look closely, are of an
ice cube that has an icicle coming UP out of it.
There was nothing on the top shelf that could
have dripped to form it. We just found it pretty
amazing and took a picture!

The Haircut

This is at the YCC (Yokota Community Center)
where the commissary (grocery store); the BX
(base exchange - general merchandise); food court;
beauty salon; military sales, and alterations are located.
One final "rebellious"picture before the haircut.

We had to take some final pictures of how
long T.'s hair had actually gotten before
he went to get it cut off....he was sad.

Our arrival

Yard in front of the towers where we stayed
when we first arrived - boys doing their
Karate moves

The Tower

They have bushes here and flowers grown
on them (like this one) even in the winter

I did not know that Japan had palm trees.

Japan - The Airport

Our journey to Japan was a very rocky one.
It began at the Fort Wayne airport where we were
tagged by our carrier to be searched. This would not
have been so bad if the security personnel had not
missed the course on how to handle small children.
We got through that but then, of course,
all of our flights were delayed (including the one out
of Fort Wayne). So, we spent almost 30 hours
(our family will have to correct me if I'm off - trust me if it wasn't it felt like)
in airports or on a plane. These pictures were taken in Chicago.

We found a place for the boys to sleep behind
one of the ticket counters.

Daddy didn't sleep a wink.

Me, on the phone, giving an update
to mom and dad or J. - I'm not sure which one
because they were all getting them. They were
helping us keep our minds!

Thanksgiving (Part Three)

Cousins

Something really has SAM's attention(?!) :~)

I love you, mom!

The green bean casserole did not turn out (I made it),
poor T...quick give him a napkin :~)

Somebody needs a nap

Hey, C. look over here so I can get your guys picture

Ok, I see how this is going to NOT work :~)

I know there's a really great caption for this
one, I just have to think of it.....

Now that our tummies our full, it is time for games!
I like the way this picture was taken - very cool Miss K.

Thanksgiving (Part Two)

Do ya' think he's saying CHEEZ?

"Howdy there, pilgrim"

Grandpa enjoying the free entertainment

Thanksgiving (Part One)

In an effort to get more pictures downloaded,
I am postponing putting captions until later. :~)
But the hope you enjoy the pictures anyway!