The last day of 2013

Matthew came back from his flights to spend the next few days off with us in Japan. We didn't have anything planned but it was too nice a day to be wasted at home so we went to Rinkutown for the boys to play in the indoor playground and for me and Ashley to look at some shops.



We treated the boys at McDonald's afterwards:

 

I bought some new clothes for the kids to wear on New Years plus some dresses for me... they were such a special, I couldn't resist!

Matthew also got some new running shoes and sockss. We are very lucky this outlet mall is very close by. We can never shop in a normal store any more.

I remembered coming here when Ashley was just a few weeks old. So I took another photo with her.



By the time we left the complex it was sunset time. The last sunset of the year was so beautiful. I was in such a good mood, being in Japan with my lovely family!

On their wheels

Ashley and Grandma are getting along so well. They talk to each other, enjoy their snack time together and are giggling together for the the rest of the day!

Very happy moments :)

4 generations

One of the reasons we really wanted to get back to Osaka this winter was to spend time with my grandmother. Now that my parents are living in our Japanese house this became possible. My grandmother who is 89 lives with our uncle's family in Nagoya.  She came to spend the New Year with us. I don't get to visit her there often as we don't have a car in Japan and traveling far with the little ones on the train is quite a mission so it was very nice to have her in our everyday life.

She hasn't changed much except her weak knee is getting weaker and now she has some problems with her right hand (I think her joints are getting too thin and hurting her).

Here is 4 generations of us girls!

Snow?!

Where our house is in Osaka it doesn't get snowy cold. I can only remember one snow whiteout day when I was little. Oliver has been so looking forward to playing in the snow in Japan. But unfortunately despite the low temperatures we haven't had any luck. We got this hail for 20min which is maybe the closest we will get while we are here...

Family Christmas Dinner

Unfortunately some adults were working till late so we had to start the party/dinner without them. It was lovely to see all the cousins play together.

Yuzuki (8) is very proud of having little cousins and did a superb job looking after them. Rua (almost 2) is becoming a big sister to Ashley.

   



Matthew brought a big leg of NZ smoked ham from Singapore. We also had some crab steamboat and sushi (I know it is a strange mix but we are in Japanese winter...) It was quite a feast for the kids:

    

Some loved the kiddy non alcoholic champagne:



Then it was time to open all the presents!

    

    

Ashley, Runa and I got some matching panda socks - how cute are they!



Time for some Christmas and birthday cake for dad (his birthday is on Christmas eve, so we always celebrate it together).



 



Yum Yum Yum!



Oliver enjoyed some more LEGO building with the girls:



Rui (14) didn't show up so we had 7 of the kids together. I guess Christmas in Japan is slightly less important in Japan than anywhere else...

Mum was very happy to get the rest of the kids together tho :)

With my princess

Opening the presents

In Japan Christmas day is not a public holiday so everyone in my family was working. We had planned a family dinner on the night of the 25th so we decided to just leave a present each from Santa under the tree.

Matthew got home in time to see the opening of the presents.

Oliver got a LEGO CITY tow truck he was wishing for:

    

Luca got a Japanese kiddy tablet so that he can learn some Japanese sounds and words:



Little Ashley got some pretty winter clothes she can wear over the holidays:



She was pretty good at ripping the wrapping paper off:





I was glad we only had one thing to open. We thought about bringing all the presents we got in Singapore to give to the kids but in the end decided not to. They were very happy playing with what they got instead of opening one after another without paying attention to what they have just got. And this way they have more things to open when they get back to Singapore.

It didn't take long for Oliver to put the tow truck together, he is getting pretty good at it. I know he has so much LEGO now but it occupies him so well we cannot help it.

 

Christmas morning

Matthew was flying in at 10am on Christmas morning. The boys were too excited and couldn't wait to check out their stockings. It was my mission to keep them upstairs until Matthew got in so that we can find the presents under the tree all together.

Santa left some cool finger torches, some Christmas sweets, and a mandarin orange each for the boys.





Maybe Luca was starving he wanted to eat all the food Santa left for him...









Ashley got some baby snacks and a mandarin too. Oliver the big brother was very proud of himself helping Ashley.



This kept them busy for a while. Looking at the clock I took them downstairs to see if Santa and his reindeer have been. Yap they were all gone!

Waiting for Santa

The night before Christmas, there were two very excited boys at the front of the house. Putting out some biscuits and milk for Santa and Reindeer. How cute are they!?

 

Merry Christmas from Japan!

Two days in Singapore after returning from our fabulous holiday in Bali, we are now in Osaka Japan. Matthew arrived this morning (for work here for the next two days) so we can enjoy a family Christmas together. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

(I will be updating the blog once I have a chance to do so, so many great photos to share from the holiday)