Rockies go down in defeat on Shinachan's Birthday

Unfortunately, the Rockies lost the World Series today. They were efficient, though, losing in four straight games. It's amazing to think that the 2007 Rockies season was actually about two months older than Rhianna is currently (the season started in early April). We all had a great time watching the games--thank goodness for Slingbox and Tivo!! As an added bonus to this blog, I'm including this photo my mom clipped from the local Reporter Herald Newspaper back in 1995 at the very first Rockies game ever played at Coors Field. As I mentioned in the last blog, a reporter from Loveland noticed us, took our picture, and put us in the paper. This is me (left) and my friend, Eric Richards.

On a lighter note, today was Shinako's birthday! We celebrated by going out to dinner at our new favorite Italian restaurant located nearby (picture included). Im also including a picture of Shinachan and Rhianna posing by Shinachan's birthday flowers!
Pictures
Flower Girls

Going out to Dinner

Restaurant

More soon!

Rhianna is a pumpkin / Rockies in World Series

NOTICE: COLORADO ROCKIES BRAGGING TO PRECEDE RHIANNA NEWS.
This past week the Colorado Rockies made the World Series. It's really an amazing, historic accomplishment. Very few teams have ever won 21/22 games, much less from the end of the regular season into and through the post-season. As all of my friends know, I am a big fan of all Colorado sports. The Rockies, however, have been a pretty bad team throughout most of their short history (which included my dad and me going to the Rockies first home game in team history, and my friend Eric and me attending the first ever game held at Coors Field--which in itself included us getting our pictures taken by the Reporter Herald and us sitting behind famous New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and the Colorado Rockies owners). Anyway, my parents are always on the ball, so to speak, and immediately sent us some things to commemorate the World Series and cheer the Rockies on during this next week when the series finally begins. Thanks, parents!!!

Pictures

John celebrating "Rocktoberfest"

Shinako modeling her Rockies-wear


RHIANNA AND OTHER THINGS
Rhianna has become very, very active recently, and extremely tactile. She loves to reach up in her seat and yank off the little toys that dangle on the bar above her. We have to be even more careful than usual in watching her now, because she loves to grab any object within close distance (especially mom's hair). She also has a new trick (see the video) in which she swings her legs off her chair, trying to make a prison break. She sometimes ends up on the floor, but as she can't crawl yet she can't get too far from chair prison. It's pretty amusing to watch now. If we're away from the room we actually have to belt her into her chair so she doesnt hurt herself in falling, even though it's a short chair!
Rhianna talking (gnawing)on her cell phone from Eric's parents

Rhianna in flower-hat

Rhianna loves to stick her tongue out recently

Rhianna going out with her pumpkin hat from grandma and grandpa

Prison break!!!

Prison break caught on film

Also, make sure to check out the webcams on the right side of the blog page. In some of the Japanese ones, you will see some blue tabs on the left side of the screen. If you push those buttons, you can change the camera views, real time! They're pretty neat. The web-cam updates every second, so it almost looks like you're watching a real-time film.

Also, an amazing Italian restaurant (Purana Barca) opened up in our neighborhood a few weeks ago. We went there for lunch on Saturday, and it was fantastic! Even more reason for you to come visit us!!

Shinako's half-eaten delicious meat-sauce spaghetti

More news soon (hopefully any Rockies news will be good!

Rhianna likes Rice Porridge and Carrots

It has gotten remarkably cooler during the past week since my parents left Tokyo. We had to wear coats earlier in the week, and saw a bit of rain during the week. Thank goodness it got sunny again and a bit warmer later in the week. Still, it gave us an opportunity to dress up Rhianna like a little pink bear (thanks to my parents).

Also during this past week, Rhianna has had a chance to get into her non-milk foods. She really seems to enjoy rice porridge (see the video) and carrots. This evening she really enjoyed gnawing on a Japanese pear (kind of like an apple in consistency). She takes a great interest in watching us while we eat, and that seems to translate into a pretty clear readiness to eat. Shinachan mashes up carrots and rice porridge in a little hand-grinder that my parents got us while they were here, and we feed her with a spoon. She has really gotten the hand of it, and doesnt spit it out.

Also during the week, Rhianna became (officially) a U.S. citizen with her own passport. It looks really funny to see a little baby face on a passport, but now she's free to go and come as she pleases. I was really surprised at the speed with which it came--we only went and applied for it at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo last Friday, and after only a week it arrived.

We (mostly meaning I, but on occasion Shinachan and Shinachan's mother, though against their will) have really enjoyed watching the Colorado Rockies in the playoffs this past week (http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=col). The last time the Rockies were in the playoffs, I was an exchange student living with the Tamaru family in Osaka in 1995. The Rockies lost that year in the first round to the Atlanta Braves, 4-1. Unfortunately, I didnt get to watch any of the games because they werent broadcast in Japan. 12 years later, I'm back in Japan, and the Rockies have finally made the playoffs again, and even have a Japanese position player who is really shining (Kazuo Matsui). But this time, I've been able to watch the games on a Slingbox (http://www.slingmedia.com/), controlling my parents cable box through my computer, and watching the same broadcast that they are. It has been fantastic. Ive had the Slingbox for a few years now, but it's times like this that it really comes in usefull. Im hoping the Rockies can keep winning through the World Series! I may have to take some mornings off in order to watch the games (due to the time difference), but that is a price I'm willing to pay. Go Rockies!!

Other than that, it was a pretty ordinary week for us. I got back to work after an extended vacation, and it was a struggle to get back into the rhythm. The weather didnt help that either. Still, its good to get back into your daily routine, and by the end of the week I felt pretty much back to normal. Luckily, this weekend is ANOTHER 3 day weekend (like 3 of the past 4 weeks). Thus, tomorrow is another day off for me. Yeah!! More soon!

Pictures

Rhianna Passport Picture Candidate (too much smiling)

Rhianna Passport Candidate (Doesnt look at camera)

Rhianna's First Passport

Rhianna as Bear

Rhianna as Smiley Bear

Smiley Bear and Dad going for a walk

Smiley Bear and Dad

Smiley Bear and Dad

Who ate Smiley Bear's Porridge?

Smiley Bear did

More porridge eating


Video
Smiley Bear eating rice porridge