Uta's Birthday

We are all still too bleary eyed with jet lag to host a proper party just yet, so Uta had a pretty low key birthday today. But he still had fun. We made a watermelon cake from sorbet and ice cream, and just spent the day together doing more or less nothing. But it was his birthday after all, and me and Papa found ourselves saying yes to things we normally say no to. Candy from the corner store? Well, it is your birthday... And Pop definitely surpassed his normal quotient of time spent playing with Uta, which is ultimately the best gift anyone can give him.

Going home

What's cooking?

This is a family favorite, called Okonomi-yaki, or what we affectionately refer to as Tachibana pancake. It is a sort of pancake, but savory, and chock full of veggies and meat. In years past Uta was not such a big fan, this time around, however, he ate with gusto.

You only turn eight once...

But, you can celebrate turning eight as much as you like. We had a special dinner to honor Uta's upcoming birthday, since on the actual day we will no longer be in Japan. Baba and Jiji grilled a whole fish and bought a strawberry cake. Uta also received the Kamen Rider belt he has been pining for since our arrival.

More from Nara

In Nara we visited the world's largest wooden building which is home to the largest Bronze statue of the Buddha. I forgot to take a picture of the Buddha, but here is everyone in front of the Great Buddha Hall. Uta crawled through a tiny tunnel at the foot of an enormous column inside. The passage through is said to be very beneficial, if you are small enough to fit. 

Momo-kiki

The peaches are in season now in Japan. Big and sweet and full of flavor. Good enough for the gods. Baba has them lined up on the ancestor's shrine (along with beer, rice, tea, and sake). The peaches are Kizuki's favorite food. She eats them every day. I think she is even beginning to look like a peach!

Karate

Losing it

Our trip is almost finished, just a handful of days left. Baba is stockpiling for our return, a sort of extended care plan. Everyday she comes back with something else for us to take home, the goodies are piling up on top of our suitcase like small offerings on a shrine; Kizuki's favorite puffed rice snack, Uta's special blueberry jam. She shows her love in feeding her family and so must fill our bags with everything and anything by which to remember her until we return again. 

But it is time to go. Five weeks in someone else's house is a long time. It is a small space with paper thin walls and no privacy to retreat to. Uta is losing it. He needs to release more than a little pent up energy.