call-

this week has finally felt 'normal'.  I'm not sure if that's great, though- because it didn't feel like vacation anymore ;)  I think the biggest factor in the week was that Kent was on call for 7 days.  He'll be taking a week long call once every 3 weeks and he can't be more than 20 minutes from the hospital in case he has to go in. It precluded us from doing any grand adventuring far away.

  He has semi normal clinic hours but then has the pager for the rest of the time at home.  He has to go in for urgent care visits where they want a pediatric consult or for any/all deliveries.  I think he had to get up for a couple of hours during the night 3 or 4 times this week to run over.

It also rained about half the week and we spent more time indoors.

For playgroup we went to a crazy mall playland.  These kids are having so much fun being kids and acting like wild animals on toys that would be illegal stateside!!  I'm impressed with how much fun the japanese have- but also with how well behaved they are.  I have a lot to learn from the Japanese!

all of these strange balls are connected to big 'trees' that rotate and swing.

Here's Ike after he plummeted off one of the hanging/swinging/rotating giant balls.  They played SO HARD.

 Metta just took off when we arrived.  She is such a social happy kid.

 this giant wheel was a hamster ball that turned automatically.  It was pretty slow but the kids love it!

 there's also a giant bouncy room filled with balloons and a huge fan to blow the balloons all about.  Metta was in heaven.

 this contraption was a giant corkscrew that just turned and turned.  and the kiddos climbed and fell and twisted upside down and laughed.

 The Japanese LOVE their shopping malls!  the food courts are astounding.  there are hundreds of fun strollers with thomas, minnie mouse, and hello kitty adorning them all.  Metta wanted to try every last one!

 This week we also went to a neighbors birthday party at the Natatorium on base.  It's a free pool a couple blocks from our house.  And for birthday parties you can rent these GIANT water obstacle courses!  It was pretty fabulous.

Otherwise- we had a pretty mellow but great week.  A domino's pizza opened up 1/4 mile from our place! we went on the 2nd day it opened.  It was delicious.  

Zeb spotted this store on our way home from the mall. He was laughing SO hard when he read it.  We still can't figure out what the name could possibly mean!!  any ideas?!  Hair Bum's a bet??

Metta still craves the binky during the day around nap time and this is her face every time I tell her 'no'.  

today at church I discovered THIS under her dress.  4 pair of angry birds undies over her diaper.  

we are talking all about potty training- but haven't started yet because her baby toilet has yet to arrive! I guess she's pretty excited.

Speaking of our stuff- we got word it's going to be late. It was supposed to arrive august 25. now it's pushed back a couple or so more weeks. and honestly- I am TOTALLY fine with that.  I really am almost perfectly happy as we are now.  I REALLY miss our beaters, our vacuum, and kitchenware- but otherwise we are all perfectly content.  the boys will definitely need a pair of new shoes for school (they each only have 2 right now!  flip flops and keens) and kent could really use some more church clothes! but that's about it.  

Yesterday there were lots more planes on my run!  this picture can't do justice to the enormity and closeness and deafening loudness of these planes!  it's astounding.

It's our last week of summer before school begins- so I am hoping for some grand adventures this week!!

and I just HAVE to add these pictures of metta.  she's so pleasant and happy and fun to be around.

she's got this funny thing where she rubs satiny fabrics on the palms of her hands and the bottoms of her feet.  you can see it in the next two pics.

 she loves pink and her 'really really big pink puppy backpack' so much still.