まぐろばし

2009-06-14T15:21:00.002-04:00

Oscar was not supposed to dance, but I guess he know he missed his chance to shine. He joined the older kids!!
本当はオスカー君の出番ではないのだけれど、お兄ちゃん達のダンスに飛び入り参加。

2009-06-14T15:07:00.002-04:00

Oscar love singing, and he loves dancing. However, he does not like to perform when he supposed to...
プレッシャーに弱いオスカー君です。

hakabune christmas party 1

2009-06-14T00:41:00.004-04:00

It's been long time to update the blog. This is Oscar's daycare Christmas part last year. He is singing some kind of worship song. It is kind of funny to see my son is singing worship song, because I don't know any of the songs, and also he does not show any of the signs at home that he goes to Christian base daycare. Anyway, I am simply amazed!
最近忙しく、なかなか、ブログを更新してませんでした。これも、去年の保育園でのクリスマス会の様子。面白いことにオスカー君うたってるのよね〜。

Oscar dance

2009-02-21T15:56:00.001-05:00

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2008 halloween

2008-12-12T00:16:00.005-05:00

apple picking

2008-11-26T20:19:00.005-05:00

ハロウィンの前にパンプキンを買いに行きがてら、リンゴ狩りに行きました。お友達と一緒でとても楽しい一日でした。

Oscar singing

2008-11-26T20:16:00.001-05:00

2008 summer memories In Japan-video bon odori

2008-11-01T01:01:00.004-04:00

Japan-101.com explains what is Bon Odori is.
"There are several traditional dances in Japan, but the one of the most famous and common dance is Bon dance, which is called "Bon Odori" in Japanese. People dance Bon Dance in the Bon Festival. The Bon Festival is held every summer, in every district in every city.

Bon means welcoming ancestors' souls and holding a memorial service for the souls. There is a Bon week in August every year, and Bon continues for about a week. During Bon, sometimes all relatives of family gather and hold a memorial service for their ancestors, and enjoy being in a reminiscent mood. This traditional comes from Buddhism in China.

The Bon Festival is held during in Bon week, and people gathers at the near open-space or the parks, and dance with traditional Japanese music. The music should be happy music to welcome the ancestor's souls, and people have a duty to make a happy, mysterious, and welcoming mood. Moreover, the Bon Dance should be held in the night because Japanese people believe that ancestors' souls come back in the night. "

2008 summer memories In Japan

2008-10-31T23:55:00.009-04:00

Oscar and I went to Japan to see his grandma and grandpa. Two weeks were too short for us... especially for mom.. He was very shy. I guess he was shocked that every body in the neighborhood. knows him and he does not know any of them.
He had great time with his grandma and grandpa. He told me he wants to go back to Japan again soon. I feel same way...

日本に行ってきました。２週間だけだったので、とても疲れた旅でした。オスカー君は疲れなど知らず、とても楽しんでいました。ただ、びっくりするほどシャイだったので驚きました。久しぶりのおじいちゃん、おばあちゃんとの再会もすんなりと済み、再会したそのときから、毎日会っていたかのように、接していました。今度はもっと長く行きたいな〜。２００８年９月。

2008 summer memories

2008-10-31T22:44:00.005-04:00

It has been long time since we updated the blog. These are my favorite moments of the summer of 2008. Oscar is growing. He is almost half the size of his mother. He speaks better English than his mom. Mom always forgets to use articles. And he speaks much better Japanese than his dad. Thank God. He loves to sing songs and dance. He is a little bit of a shy guy, and he's very kind. He loves animals. He has developed a fear of the dark sometimes. He is funny. He loves cars, trains and Thomas. He knows all the alphabet. He is very stubborn like his parents. When he gets mad, he screams like crazy. He still throws food even though he knows he should not do that. He does not like getting a time out. He is not a baby anymore. We love him!

久しぶりのブログの更新です。忙しくて、なかなかできなくて．．．オスカー、成長してます。背丈はママの半分。体もガッチリ型。よく食べ、よく走り、よく歌い、よく踊ります。ママには日本語、パパには英語とても上手に使い分けて、本当に感心します。すごいな〜子供の脳って．．．ちょっとシャイな所もあり、動物が大好き。とても、友達思いの子で、保育園が大好き。相変わらず、車、電車が大好きで、トーマスが大好き。アルファベットは全てマスター。ひらがなに挑戦中。彼の中ではかなり本が読めると思ってるらしい．．．（全然読めません。）記憶力がよく、１年以上も前のことを覚えてて、びっくりすることも．．．世界地図をみせると、オスカーの住んでる所、日本、北海道、インドの位置がわかる。日本とカナダの国旗は覚えていないが、なぜか、インドの国旗を知っている。地球の写真をみせると、オスカーの住んでいる所という。木星のことを英語でジュピターというのだが、”じいとばー”という。
最近は暗い所がきらい。怒ると叫んで親を困らせる。夜なかなか寝ない。だめなのを知っているのに、食後に、食べ物をなげる。最近の得意言葉は”何これ”。もう、赤ちゃんじゃないんだ〜とつくづく思う今日この頃です。

モントリオールの家族に会いに．．．２００８年８月

Two

2008-08-05T23:26:00.006-04:00

Oscar's Birthday - last weekend at Trinity Bellwood's Park.

Russo

2008-07-08T22:19:00.003-04:00

My mom just got a puppy, Russo. He's going to be a guide dog, Linda's training him for a year. We took Oscar over to meet him last weekend. They were hanging around in the back yard, and Oscar spent a lot of time yelling, "Tunnel! Tunnel!" and standing with his feet wide apart, hoping Russo would walk between his legs. I think Russo co-operated a couple of times. It was fun.

Mother's Day Special 3

2008-05-11T23:29:00.008-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!!

03/08/08

After hair cut. 床屋さんの後。

03/30/08
今回の冬は雪がすごかった．．．

02/03/08
upside down!!

Mother's Day Special 2

2008-05-11T23:25:00.001-04:00

Oscar tried using chopsticks first time ever!
初めてのお箸に挑戦！

Mother's Day Special 1

2008-05-11T23:07:00.004-04:00

This videos were shot in Feb. He still have same energy... He is saying "Densha" over and over again in the first train video. "Densha" is "trains" in Japanese. He loves them.

Fun Monday morning

2008-03-18T09:51:00.003-04:00

あまりにも、女の子に間違えられるので髪の毛を切りました。毎週月曜日の午前中はグランマとの時間。楽しく遊びました。

New photos

2008-03-07T09:42:00.002-05:00

It has been long time to update the magurobashi blog. He talks a lot!! His hair is long now. He needs hair cut. He loves drawing.
久しぶりのまぐろばし。最近のオスカーはよくしゃべります。“もう一回“　という言葉を覚えたので、気に入ったことがあるともう一回、もう一回としつこいです。絵を描くのが好き。かなり集中してます。また、書きます。

Crazy Chicken

2007-11-05T22:14:00.000-05:00

Ever since the Halloween party, Oscar has been hanging around the house in his chicken costume every now and then. It's a good look.

Halloween Party & Sayonara Shungen~

2007-11-04T22:47:00.000-05:00

今年で２回目のハロウィン。昨年は芋虫、今年はチキンでした。仲良くしていてくれた、シュンゲン君がハロウィンの日に日本へ帰ってしまうので、ハロウィン＋シュンゲン君お別れ会を日曜日にやりました。シュンゲン君、みんなおいしい料理をもちより、とても楽しい会になりました。シュンゲン君、ゆみえさん、仲良くしてくれてありがとう！とても、楽しい夏を過ごせました。いつか、トロントにもどって来てね。今度会う時、シュンゲン君の成長が楽しみです！
Last year, Oscar was a caterpillar for Halloween. This year, he was a chicken. One of his friends, Shungen, was going home on Halloween day, so we had an early party on the Sunday before Halloween. It was really fun!! Everyone brought good food and the kids had fun. We wish we had a good photo of the kids together, but it was very hard to take a picture of them. They cannot sit in one place so long...
Anyway, we hope that we will see Shungen again soon. Thank you guys for being good friends to us. Sayonara.

Hanging Out In The Park

2007-10-11T21:14:00.001-04:00

Sunday Morning

2007-08-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

At the park

2007-08-02T22:31:00.000-04:00

This is about a week ago, he's a lot steadier now.

Oscar's First Birthday Party

2007-07-29T20:48:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all our friends for coming to Oscar's party, it was a really great day in the park. Oscar had an amazing time. I think he liked seeing so many of his friends and family at once. Also thanks to Linda for taking most of these pictures. They're great.

Big Day Tomorrow

2007-07-28T00:49:00.000-04:00

Oscar is one tomorrow. Yikes! I walked out of the house after dinner to find this on the sidewalk. Our next door neighbours must have done it as a suprise for little O when he gets up. We live on a good street.
明日は(というか、今日だね）オスカーの誕生日。たまたま、ミルクを買いに行くために、出かけたチコがこれを発見！きっと、お隣の家の人たちがうちの前の歩道に書いてくれたんでしょう。ありがたいです。あしたは公園で誕生会です。雨にならないと良いけれど．．．

She's The One

2007-07-24T00:04:00.000-04:00

Oscar Walks!

2007-07-22T09:46:00.000-04:00

7月19日の午後、お友達のベンジャミーノの家で歩きはじめたオスカー君。それ以来、チャンスがある度、がんばって歩こうしています。まだまだ、いまいちバランスがとれていないけどあっという間にあるいちゃうんだろうなぁ〜。最初に歩いた時は尻もちをついたとたんに自分自身（オスカー）も拍手。この、２〜３日はいろんな意味で急成長のオスカー君。アルファベットの書いてあるブロックを３つまで積むことができるようになったり、フォークでいちごやメロンを自分で食べれるようになったり、いろいろ指をさしながら何かしゃべったり．．．あと、ストローで飲むこともできるようになりました。彼のマイブームは今、手を振ること。いろんな人、いろんな物にバイバイと力一杯手を振ります！！
He started walking at hi buddy Benjamino's house on 7/19. Since then, whenever he has chances, he trys to walk. He still needs a lot of practice, but I am sure that he will walk even before you know. First time he tookcouple of steps, he applauded for himself. I feel that the last couple of days he has grown so much. He can stack his blocks. He can feed strawberries and cantelopes himself by using a fork. He can drink by using a straw. He points and talks. (I have no idea what he said, but it sounds like he is talking...) What he is so into right now is waving. He waves to every object he sees. I have to say he is cute. (Hey, I am his mom. I cannot help it!)

He thinks this is funny!!

2007-07-14T19:51:00.001-04:00

最近といっても、９ヶ月の終わり頃からジョークがわかりはじめたらしい．そのなかでも、一番のお気に入りジョークはこれ！でも、本当にこの子はよく食べます。食べこぼしもすごいったらありゃしない.　最近はミニおにぎり、お好み焼きやサンドイッチなど手で持って食べるものが大好きです。今日はイチゴをフォークでさして食べました。
He started to understand the idea of making jokes when he was about 9 months old. This is his favorite. Yes, he cracks me up every time he does this, and that just encourages him to do it more. Silly Oscar...
He eats really well. It is hard to clean up after he eats, because he has started to eat finger food like, onigiri (rice balls), pancakes, and sandwiches. He likes to eat by himself. Today, he used the fork to eat strawberries with a little help from his mom and dad.

Hana

2007-07-12T23:59:00.000-04:00

先月、私の妹のはなちゃんが遊びに来てくれました。チコが10日間のラスベガス出張だったのではなちゃんが来て助かった。オスカーは日本を出発したのが８ヶ月のときだから、１ヶ月ちょっと会えなかったので、一体はなちゃんのことを覚えているのかなと不思議に思っていたら、ちゃんと覚えていたらし反応を示したオスカー君。スカイプの画像のジジとババにも反応するし、かなり、人間らしくなってきたな〜。はなちゃん好きのオスカー君は毎日遊んでもらって大興奮！よくしてもらいました。私もすっかり楽しんで夜な夜な嵐の話などでもりあがりました。（それをチコはハッピーアワーと呼ぶ）今、はなちゃんはインドでお仕事中です。インドか、遠いな〜。今度はなちゃんに会えるのはいつになるのかしら．．．
My sister, Hana, came to visit. It was really nice to see her. We were wondering that if Oscar remember Hana or not... He had not seen her for 1month...Yes, I think that he remember her!! Oscar was very happy to see her!! He recognizes the face from my dad and mom when we skipe (video chats on computer). He is more and more become human... not a monkey... Oscar had great time with Hana during her visit. I sure enjoyed her company too. We talked, talked and talked till late at night about Japanese pop group ARASHI and some gossips. (Chico call these talk time " Happy Hours”) Hana is in India working. It is far from here.... I wonder when I will see her again.... I hope soon.

Happy Father's Day!

2007-06-18T00:06:00.001-04:00

Fun day!!

2007-06-15T10:54:00.000-04:00

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First Haircut

2007-05-28T23:12:00.000-04:00

Before and after shots of the little goofball's first haircut. Wakaba cut his hair while he was asleep. He's too wiggly to do it when he's awake. In the pre-haircut shot, he's wearing his favourite empty yogourt container on his head and thinking about how hilarious this is. In the post-haircut shot, he's just being his usual self but with a little less hair.
髪の毛切りました！だって、毛が目にはいってたんだもん。寝てるすきに前髪をチョキンとしたら、かなりおかしかったので、直してるうちにこんなになちゃいました。髪の毛をきったせいか、丸い顔がますます丸くなりました。先先週は中耳炎になってしまったオスカー君。今はすかっりよくなり、ニコニコです。昨日はじめて、キャッチボールという遊びがあるのを発見したオスカー君！今日もピンポン球を投げて大はしゃぎでした！

Mother's Day Styles

2007-05-14T22:29:00.000-04:00

Mamas

2007-05-14T07:42:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day, Moms!

はつぜっく

2007-05-05T22:40:00.000-04:00

Today was Oscar's Hatsu Zekku, his first Kodomo No Hi (Children's Day). We celebrated with Yuko and my mom and Oscar's Uncle Sam from Montreal. Oscar has had a bit of a fever for the past few days so he's been sick and annoyed and complainy lately, but he was really good tonight. I think he likes company. He gives us a much harder time when no-one's around. Come visit! His Grandma makes him laugh really hard, just like his Obaachan in Japan.
We had a huge feast with sashimi, chicken, smoked salmon salad, and traditional holiday food like red beans and rice and kashiwa-mochi. After dinner, Wakaba and Yuko folded up newspapers to make Kabuto helmets for us to wear and Oscar got a few little gifts from the dollar store. Tomorrow we have to take down the Koi flags from outside the house, because Wakaba says in her hometown everyone takes them down right after May 5th, even though Yuko says we can keep them up longer.

昨日からオスカー君は３８度以上の熱がでてきるのにもかかわらず、初節句のお祝いをしました。１日中、ぐずってたオスカーもゲストがいるせいか、上機嫌！　今日のメニューはお赤飯、お味噌汁、スモークサーモンサラダ、チキン照り焼き、サーモンのお刺身、湯豆腐、しいたけと油揚げの煮物でした。食後は柏餅。すっかり、日本気分を満喫したお食事でした。明日はオスカー君の熱が下がるといいのだけど．．．鯉のぼりは明日でバイバイです。

DJ Oscar

2007-04-30T08:23:00.000-04:00

Algorithm Taiso!

2007-04-27T14:21:00.000-04:00

Slide

2007-04-24T23:45:00.000-04:00

Finally... spring.

2007-04-22T21:30:00.000-04:00

Oscar's Dracula Tooth

2007-04-21T22:18:00.000-04:00

Oscar has been insane for a few days now. He's super cranky and hates fun, very unlike the Oscar we all know and love. Now we know why. As we suspected, his first teeth broke through his gums in the last couple of days. Looks painful. No wonder he's been screaming his head off all night. Poor little dude. Usually kids' teeth come in the front on the bottom, but Oskie's are coming in on the top and the sides. Wakaba is worried he may be a vampire.
カナダに戻ってきて、はやくも２週間が経とうとしてます。日本は楽しかったな〜。時差ぼけもなんと直ってきたかなっと思いきや、予防注射からの発熱。熱がさがったかと思ったら、夜中に泣き叫ぶオスカー君。夜中１時間おきに起きてぐずっていました。もしや、歯が生えてきたのかなと思ったら、生えてました！！　ちょと、気になるんだけど、きっと普通だったら下の前の歯がはじめに生えるはずなんだけど、見ての通り、上のはそれも、前じゃなくて横なんだけど．．．オスカー君、ドラキュラの仲間？？

Shingo Mama No Oha Rock!

2007-04-10T02:31:00.000-04:00

Oscar and Wakaba are home. Wakaba is sleeping, Oscar wants to party all night. Wakaba says Oscar was perfect on the flight home. He barely cried at all, and was generally a good little smiley guy. It's nice to have everyone home again. It's been so long since we were all here, it feels like a dream. We have lots to do. To keep you entertained for now, here is a video clip of a side project by Shingo of Japan's hugely popular boy band SMAP!. Shingo is my favourite member of SMAP! I can't stand Goro. This for Hana-chan.

Sayonara, Tokyo

2007-03-27T09:44:00.000-04:00

Hanami & Flamingos

2007-03-26T09:10:00.000-04:00

We went to Omiya Koen today, where hanami was in full effect. Hanami is the name for eating and drinking under the cherry trees with your friends. It looks pretty fun. If anyone's up for some High Park Hanami when we get home, let us know and we'll hook you up. We also went to the little zoo in the park, and the flamingos were the big hit with Wakaba and Oscar.

Spinachface

2007-03-25T22:58:00.000-04:00

The Very Official Omiyamairi Portraits

2007-03-25T22:47:00.000-04:00

あぶない!!! Part 2

2007-03-25T22:36:00.000-04:00

Aunt Hana & Uncle Yuki & Katyo-chan

2007-03-23T10:45:00.000-04:00

Laundry Basket

2007-03-22T07:20:00.000-04:00

Is it child abuse to put toys into the bottom of a laundry basket so the kid will crawl into it and keep himself busy for ten minutes?

あぶない!!!

2007-03-21T11:11:00.000-04:00

I like all the cartoons on Japanese warning signs.

Kanreki Surprise

2007-03-21T10:26:00.000-04:00

The night of Oscar's Omiyamairi we celebrated his grandfather's 60th birthday, which is a special day here called the Kanreki. He actually turned 60 in the fall, but they waited until we were here for the Kanreki celebration. Part of the deal is to wear this traditional red hat and vest, and you get presents of red clothing from everyone in the family. Lots of laughs. We had a surprise party for Takeshi-san at a nice local sushi restaurant run by friends of the family, and lots of friends from the neighbourhood visited. He was totally surprised, and the food was amazing. Oscar had a good time hanging out with Hana and crawling around under the tables and ended up crashed out next to his mom.

Hard Gay

2007-03-20T10:11:00.000-04:00

The guy on the left is Japanese pro wrestler/comedian Razor Ramon, also known as Hard Gay or H.G. He was supposedly a big hit awhile ago, but Yuki and Hana say it's kind of over now. His schtick was dressing up like a gay leather dude and doing nice things in the streets of Tokyo to freak people out. He was walking through Ameyoko market with a camera crew last week and his producers were telling everyone not to take pictures, but your Tokyo correspondent took this exclusive snap.

Here's some vintage Hard Gay action:

Sakura

2007-03-20T08:53:00.000-04:00

Sorry, suckers. Wakaba and Oscar and I are sticking around in Tokyo a little longer. I'm staying until next week and Wakababy and the kid are coming back to Parkdale nine days later. It looks like we might get a chance to see the sakura (cherry blossoms) in full bloom if we're lucky. It's a huge deal here, and everyone says its really beautiful. I've never been here for sakura season before, so I'm looking forward to it. The picture above is of an early-blooming variety of sakura in Ueno Koen, a huge park in downtown Tokyo. Wakaba says these are nice and everything, but the real sakura are much better.

Oscar's Omiyamairi

2007-03-19T04:53:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Oscar Yamato's Omiyamairi yesterday. Omiyamairi is sort of like a Shinto version of a Christening ceremony. It's usually performed when the child is one month old, so Oscar is a little bigger than usual for this. First we went to get photos taken with Wakaba and Oscar in kimono, but you'll have to wait until next week to see those. Then we went to Hikawa-Jinja where two Shinto priests performed the Omiyamairi rites. They said a prayer for Oscar's health and formally introduced him to the Shinto gods. They tell the gods where he is from and who his father is. It was strange to hear my name chanted by a Shinto priest. Somehow I never expected to hear that. We also offered Tamagushi - a sprig of leaves from a sacred tree - to the gods. Oscar was pretty good during the whole thing, though he squirmed around in his grandmother's arms a bit and one of his socks fell off during the ceremony (as usual). It was a really nice experience to have as a family.

At home.

2007-03-15T23:18:00.000-04:00

Nerdsville

2007-03-15T09:51:00.000-04:00

Akihabara Electric Town is where people come to buy computers, porn, and comic books. Basically, it's a whole neighbourhood for nerds (or otaku, as nerds are known here). The big craze in Akihabara right now is for Maid Cafes, where the waitresses dress up in french maid outfits and act like their nerdy customers are actually really cool. This has launched a worldwide craze among nerds. I hear there's a maid cafe in Scarborough now too.

Let's quench insensibility and indifference to fire!

2007-03-15T09:44:00.000-04:00

Wakaba makes fun of me because I have taken a picture of this sign in Shinjuku station every single time I've been in Japan. I can't help myself, it's so polite and cheerful. It really makes me want to quench insensibility and indifference to fire. Wakaba tells me that this message is written a haiku in Japanese, which probably made it tricky to translate into English.

I'm also a big fan of this sign that you can see in most train stations in Tokyo. I guess the message is something like, "Don't cry if you drop your hat on the tracks, a train guy will rescue it with giant tongs. Let's quench insensibility and indifference to hats on the tracks!"

Oscar's First Word

2007-03-14T10:10:00.000-04:00

Oscar is a very happy eater. He is also a big talker these days. Monday he was mostly about saying "Aaah-bway!" over and over, but this has since mutated into saying "Ooo-May!" over and over. He especially likes yelling "Ooo-May!" while he's eating, which cracks all the Japanese people up, because Ume means something like "Yummy" or "Delicious" in Japanese. This joke is losing something in the explanation, but trust me it's hilarious.

Get Krunked Up!

2007-03-14T10:05:00.000-04:00

Harajuku Oyaji

2007-03-14T09:22:00.000-04:00

I love these dudes. Apparently, years ago tons of people would go to Yoyogi Park on Sunday afternoons to dance - including these rockabilly revivalist types. It's totally out of style now, but these guys were out last weekend in full effect. They dance these synchronized routines to totally distorted cd's blasting out of a Fender guitar amp. They're really serious about their lost cause, never acknowledging the crowd of onlookers at all even when people applaud. Most seemed like they were in their 30's and 40's, and some much older guys were hanging around the edges. I can't imagine this happening anywhere else in the world. I admire their dedication.

Super-nice Sunday In The Park

2007-03-14T08:53:00.000-04:00

Ok, Chico here. Finally reporting from Japan. So this is from a couple of weeks ago and you can't even tell we're in Japan other than from my jet-lagged eyes but at least Wakaba & the kid are looking cute. This was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Sakuraso Park, which is near Wakaba's family's house in Saitama. We had a picnic of 7-11 sandwiches and onigiri and looked at all the families flying kites and throwing frisbees and stuff. It was super-nice. If you're not into super-nice Sundays in the park go look at the rest of the internet, tough guy.

zuribai

2007-02-25T11:32:00.000-05:00

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最近は上手にずりばいもできるようになりました。これで、うちの猫のかちょうちゃんを追い掛け回しています。

Sitting

2007-02-22T09:37:00.000-05:00

He is really growing up!! He can sit very well. He can kind of crawl too. It is really warm in Japan. I am so glad that I do not have to go for walk with a big heavy coat. Maybe we can see Sakura (cherry blossom) before we leave here. Chico is coming soon. Cannot wait!

Happy Valentine's Day, Wakaba!

2007-02-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

Mochituki

2007-01-28T07:26:00.000-05:00

Last week, Oscar and I went to visit an old friend from mine, Koji. I met him in Toronto about 10 years ago, when he lived in a house on Bathurst with Chizuko and other friends of ours. He had a party at his new house near the pacific ocean. It is far from my house and I was really worried that Oscar wouldn't be able to deal with the long drive. However, there was no traffic and Oscar did not have any problem. Koji has Kine which is made of wood and shaped like a big hammer and Usu which is a large sized wooden mortar. To use Kine and Usu is a traditional way to make the rice cake we call Mochi. It`s a lots of work to make Mochi this way, but he and his friend did it. It was really tasty and fun to talk to old friends and new friends!
Oscar has started eating solid food. He showed that he is really good at eating to every one at the party.
先週に、お友達のコウジ君と奥さんのあゆみちゃんのお家の新年もちつき大会にお招きされました。とてもきれいなお家で海も近くていい所でした。よかったね、コウジ君！コウジ君とはトロントで会ったお友達。もう、10年ぐらい前になっちゃうのかな～。こっちは子持ちだし、向こうは奥さんもいて、家も買って．．．なんか大人になったわね～、とふと思います。おもち、その他の料理、おいしかったです。どうも、ありがとう！コウジ君、あゆみちゃんのお友達にもオスカー君をかわいがってもらってほんとによかった。離乳食も食べて、みんなにすごい食べっぷりといわれてます。だって、本当にすごくって、鯉がえさを食べてる感じでオスカーもおかゆを食べます。昨日から、2回食、そしておかゆプラスにんじんです。楽しそうにおいしく食べるのはいいけど、しっしんが出始めたのでママとしてはちょっと心配です。ほら、新米ママだから、なんでも異変があるとビビルわけ。アトピーとかじゃないといいけど．．．

2007-01-22T11:25:00.000-05:00

Say Hello, and Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Linda!

How he moves these days...

2007-01-12T12:35:00.000-05:00

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He started to be able to flip from his tummy to his back 2 days ago. He used to only be able to go from his back to his tummy, then he was stuck. Now he can do it so easily that he can cross the room this way. This means I have to watch him when he is on the floor, because he can go anywhere. He can only go one way now.
寝返りをうち返すことができるようになりました。でも、まだ左回りだけ。2日前にやっとできるようになったと思ったら、今はこれで、部屋を右から左へ移動。目が離せなくなりました。大変だこりゃ。

Happy New Year! 1

2007-01-01T02:32:00.000-05:00

I will put up New Year's day photos later. This video was recorded Dec 15. He still like it.

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Parkdale, Dec 31, 2006.

2006-12-31T17:35:00.000-05:00

I wonder how much of this will still be here next year?

This is What We Do

2006-12-26T10:09:00.000-05:00

This is how I keep from losing my mind. Every day, Wakaba and Oscar and I talk on this video chat program called Skype. It's free, and it's not perfect but it really helps. If you talk to me regularly you're probably sick of hearing about it, but it really makes a huge difference in my life these days. It's so nice to see their faces every day, and to hear Oscar laugh and make his crazy little noises. Wakaba and I talk about the little things going on in our lives and we gossip about our friends and joke around. It's nice that it's free, so we can talk as long as we want. Sometimes we just do our every-day chores, like fold the laundry and stuff and just leave the camera on and talk. So it's almost like our normal life at home for an hour a day or so, at least. I don't know what we would do without it. When she's in Toronto, Wakaba uses it to talk to her family in Saitama too. Yesterday we talked after Christmas dinner at my Mom's house, and my brothers got a chance to say hello too. It was a really fun and relaxed Christmas this year, and I'm glad Oscar and Wakaba could be part of it. Next Christmas we'll all be together.

What he does....

2006-12-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

Yes, he can laugh. Merry Xmas!

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and the bells were ringing out...

2006-12-21T21:59:00.000-05:00

The Neighbors' X-mas Decorations & etc

2006-12-21T08:53:00.000-05:00

See, Japanese do celebrate Xmas, not like my house...

I forgot that I can ride a bicycle. I am not pregnant anymore. Most of the time I drive, but I realized that riding a bicycle is better to go to the post office close to my house. The post office has a tiny tiny parking spot. I cannot park this car there. It was gray day, but it wasn't cold. This was the first time to ride a bicycle after giving a birth. I felt good!

My mom made rice crackers ( it's called Okaki in Japanese.) for me. This is made of a dried rice cake from last year. I am too tired to explain what it is, but if you google "kagami mochi" and "kagamiwari", probably some web site will explain about rice crackers. I just want to tell you that it was really good. You can buy it, but when it is hot, it is sooooooooooooooooooo good.

Oscar cannot eat Okaki, but he eats the play-gym. "What are you looking at?"

At home in Japan

2006-12-19T04:31:00.000-05:00

There is a mandarin orange tree, a yuzu tree and a kiwi tree in my yard. Yuzu is like a lemon. It is very sour with a little bit of a bitter taste. My mom makes a tea out of it.　I love it. Because we have the orange tree, we do not have to buy any oranges. I have not had any kiwi yet. Maybe I will have it tonight...
Holiday season is coming. Christmas light decoration outide of the house has become really common and popular in Japan. Some houses do a really great job. LOOK WHAT MY DAD DID.

This looks like nobody wanted to bring their Mardi Gras necklaces home, so they left them on a dead tree... This is pretty pathetic, but I have to admit that it is pretty funny looking. I should take pictures of the neighbors' Xmas decorations. Otherwise, people will think Japanese Xmas sucks. I need the proof to show you.
Today was really cold.
Oscar is sleeping right now. I should take a nap too. Having a baby makes me feel that one day is really short.

今日はお庭のフルーツの写真。うちにはなぜかキウイもある。みかんもなかなかおいしい。うちのお父さんいわく、うちのみかんをおいしく頂くコツは、買ったみかんを食べないこと。やっぱり、買ったみかんはおいしいらしい。それはそうだよね。向こうは商売だもの。

Mandom

2006-12-17T20:12:00.000-05:00

If you're wondering what life's been like here in Toronto with Wakaba and Oscar out of town, this should give you an idea of how I've been living. I've reverted to my old bachelor life: every night when I get home from hanging out by myself at a piano bar, I grab my pipe, rip off my shirt and throw on a gallon of Mandom cologne, just like Charles Bronson. Check it out...

We are in Japan!

2006-12-16T09:18:00.000-05:00

With Uncle and Aunt.

This is my new chair!

I'm so mad.....because my mom doesn't pick me up!!

It's a nice day.　Let's go for walk.

"Zzzz..."
"Why did you stop walking?"

Yes, We are in Japan. It was a very very tiring trip to Japan. 13 hours flight.... He could not sleep very well for the whole trip....which means I did not sleep either.
Oscar is adjusting to the time change and new people surrounding him. He is doing great! My family in Japan is very happy to see him finally. It has been very warm in Japan. When we went for a walk today, and didn't not need jackets. We are really enjoying nice weather. We miss Chico though..... It's almost midnight, and I am very sleepy.... Talk to you soon.

おすかーのおくいぞめ

2006-12-10T14:12:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Oscar's Okuizome last weekend. Literally it means "first food", and it's traditionally held 100 days after birth - but ours was a little late. It's a Shinto tradition, and the idea is that it will help ensure that the child will never go hungry. The eldest person at the party symbolically feeds the baby several different dishes, each symbolizing a different hope for the child. My mom did a great job feeding Oscar with chopsticks. The coolest thing he "eats" were rocks, which will supposedly give the kid strong teeth. Of course, he doesn't really eat any of it, even the rocks. We also dressed Oscar up in his first Kimono, which Wakaba's parents sent from Japan. It was a really fun night, and we had a big dinner for grownups that we actually did eat afterwards. Wakaba's sister Hana and her friend Akiyo were here and they helped out a lot. It was nice for Wakaba and I to have both sides of our family together with our friends too, I hope it can happen more. Since the Okuizome ceremony, it's been pretty quiet here. Wakaba and Oscar travelled to Japan on Wednesday, and they'll be there for a couple of months. Maybe Wakaba will be able to write something on Magurobashi about how they're doing soon, but she's pretty busy helping the little guy get adjusted to a new house and a new time zone and all that. We've been chatting everyday using Skype, this amazing free video-chat program that I have become a walking commercial for lately. Oscar is doing great, and laughing a lot with his Uncle Yuki and Aunt Hana. I miss them a lot, of course, but I'm looking forward to joining everybody in Japan - hopefully in late February.

Oscar's buddies おともだち

2006-11-30T21:59:00.000-05:00

Luca　ルカ

Ryan Yamato ライアン大和

Benjamino　ベンジャミーノ

Most of the pictures are 1 month old. These guys are Oscar's buddies. Luca is 4 months older than Oskie. He is 8 months old now. He can crawl very well and he can stand with help. I really like him a lot.
Next is Ryan Yamato. He is 3 weeks youger than Oskie. However, he is bigger than Oskie. Oskie and Ryan have the same middle name. He has blue eyes. I have never seen a kid who is half Japanese and has blue eyes. They look really cool. Thanks to Ryan's mom, Noriko, for sending a better picture of Oskie and Ryan. Otherwise, Oskie looks like a clown. Goof... Oh well, he cannot be good looking all the time....
The last one is with Benjamino. He is 2 days older than Oscar. He lives on the same street as us. As you can see, he is very smiley and friendly. We try to get together every week, but we have to cancel sometimes because Oscar has a different schedule than Ben. You guys had better figure out the schedule.
Oscar also has a friend, who's name is Ami. She is 1 year and 9 months. Whenever I see her, She is always asleep. When she wakes up after a nap, she always stares at me, wondering who is this person... Today, we had a chance to play togther. She is very cute and very good about sharing toys. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of her - but she is also Oscar's buddy.
We are not going to see them until we come back from Japan. We are leaving in one week, and we are going to be there for 3 months. The next time we see them, they are going to be bigger. Can't wait. My sister and her friend are coming tomorrow. It is exciting! By the way, Oskie flipped over today from his back to onto his tummy. He is like a turtle which was upside down and cannot move What next?
写真は１ヶ月前に撮ったもの。ルカは今８ヶ月。ハイハイがとても上手。つかまり立ちもできて、とっても活発！今日はサンタクロースと写真とりにいったわいいけどサンタをみて泣いてしまったそう。でも、写真とてもかわいくとれてたよ。
つぎはライアン大和君。ちょっと家が遠いからいつでも会えないのが残念。大和くんはオスカーよりも３週間後に生まれたけど、オスカーよりもぜんぜん大きいのよ〜。目が青いのよ。すばらしい！！それにしても、オスカー、かなりヤバイ顔。大和くんのママ、のりこちゃんがちゃんとした写真を送ってきてくれたからよかったけど、そうじゃなかったら、このヤバイ顔の写真しかなかった．．．
次はベンジャミーノ。彼はオスカーの２日前に生まれておんなじ通りに住んでる子。毎週、お散歩に行く予定なんだけど、ベンとオスカーのミルクの時間が違うからタイミングを合わせるが難しくって．．．ベンは写真の通り、とても愛嬌がいい子。オスカーにも何回も笑いかけてるのに、オスカーはまたまた写真のように、ムッとしていることしばしば。でも、最近は目と目が合うと、赤ちゃん語で二人でしゃべっていて、なかなか微笑ましい。
写真にとるのを忘れちゃったけど、あみちゃんもお友達のひとり。あみちゃんは、１歳と９ヶ月。あみちゃんと会うたびにあみちゃんはお昼寝中。それだから、私たち、ママはゆっくりお茶ができるんだけどね。でも、あみちゃんがお昼寝から起きて私がいるのを知るとじっーと私をみます。きっと、何なんだろうこの人って感じなんだろうね。今日は、はじめて遊んでるあみちゃん見ちゃった。みんなと仲良く遊んでました。いい子だね。
日本に行くまであと１週間！３月下旬にカナダに戻ってきます。カナダに帰ってきたらまた遊んでね。でも、その頃はみんな大きくなってるね。楽しみ！明日、はなちゃんとはなちゃんのお友達のあきよちゃんがカナダに来ます。オスカーのお迎えに日本から来てくれるわけ。楽しみ、楽しみ。ところで今日、オスカー初の寝返りうちました。うったのはいいけど仰向けで今度は動けないわけ．．．まるで亀がひっくりかえちゃった様ににっちもさっちも動けないくて．．．どうにかしてくれ〜っ！って泣いてうったえます。困ったもんだ．．．

waterloo sunset's fine

2006-11-24T23:13:00.000-05:00

Beloved Rocky Balboa

2006-11-14T13:15:00.000-05:00

1/15/1995 毛がのびだしてきた頃のロッキー

10/21/05 カナダに出発する日。The day I left for Canada.

??/??/??

Feb,1997 (2月1997年）

01/07/98 家族旅行　Family Trip.

Summer of 1999?

August 2002 (8月）チコ、ロッキーと初めて会う　Chico met Rocky first time in this summer.

Jan 2004 お正月

Jan 2004 お正月

March 2005 (3月）最後のハグ　Last hug.

April 2006 (4月）

１１月１５日　午前０時３３分にロッキーが他界した。享年１２歳、老衰。人間でいうと８９歳だそう。みんなの帰りを待っていて最後にさよならを言ってから逝ってしまった．．．もう少しで会えると思っていたけど、だめだった．．．でも、最後にビデオチャットでロッキーをみることができてよかった。いつもお留守番をしていてくれて、とてもいい子だった。お父さんが大好きだった。もう、いないと思うと悲しいけど、いい一生をすごしたと思う。安らかに眠ってください。

Our family dog, Rocky Balboa, passed away. He was waiting for my family come home, and said goodbye to them. When he passed away, I was talking with my dad on video-chat. I was lucky to be there in a way... He was a big funny, charming dog. I hope he will rest well. He deserves it. He was one heck of a dog!! We love you, Rocky.

golfbag: why?

2006-11-08T21:50:00.000-05:00

Dear Parkdale,
I know you've got your own highly evolved sense of style, P-dale, but sometimes I just don't understand you. The pairs of shoes randomly scattered in the middle of the street every weekend? I get that - who doesn't like to take off their shoes in the middle of the street and leave them there every now and then? Abandoned furniture makes sense. But I have to admit I'm stumped by this weird old golf club carrying apparatus you left directly in front of the front steps of my house. Were you trying to tell me something? Is this some kind of sign from God? Sorry, but it disappeared about 15 minutes after I first noticed it (luckily someone who needed a weird old golfbag happened to be walking by, I suppose) and I never really figured out what I was supposed to do with it. Sorry, duders.
Take 'er easy,
Chico
２日前に手術後、はじめての散歩から帰ってきたときのこと。なぜかゴルフのバックがうちの入り口のど真ん中に置いてあるではないですか？なんで？？？夜にチェックしたところ、もうなくなってました。変なの．．．手術後、順調に回復してます。

Self-Portrait After Surgery

2006-11-04T17:41:00.000-05:00

I had minor sugery on Thursday. I had to be at the hospital from 10 in the morning to 7 at night. It was long long day for me. I had never been out that long without Oscar. It was weird. I think the surgery went well... I don't know...Because nobody told me anything afterward. I am assuming it was okay. The day I had surgery, I felt like I was punched 100 times on the stomach and could not talk at all. Yesterday, I felt like I was punched in the stomach 50 times, and felt like talking. Today, I feel like I was punched 25 times and maybe I can sing 1 or 2 songs for Oscar.
I cannot hold Oscar because my stomach hurts. He is big enough that he can kick my stomach. Ouch! I miss holding him....
It is not easy if you get sick when you have a child. Chico is not only taking care of me but a grumpy baby. I have a one heck of great husband!
I just want to say thanks to Chico's mom who took care of Oscar on the day of surgery. I also want to say thanks to Kai for flowers. My neighbour, Lisa, brought chicken soup. It was delicious. Thanks everyone who cares about me. I am fine. I probably can dance tomorrow. (wishful thinking.)
木曜日のちょっとした手術をしました。朝から夜まで病院にいてその日のうちに帰ってこれたのはいいのだけど、長い一日だった．．．こんなに長くオスカーと離れたことがないからなんか変な感じ．．．手術の方はうまくいたんだかなんだか．．．手術の後、誰も手術のことについて説明がないのよね。ほんとカナダって恐ろしい．．．でも、よく考えたら、ただなのよね。１銭も払わなかった。さすがカナダ！
手術の日は、のどは痛くてしゃべる気にもならにし、おなかを１００発ぐらいなぐられた感じ。　昨日は、少しはおしゃべりモードにもどりつつ、おなかのほうは５０回ぐらいなぐられた感じ。今日は、１曲か２曲ぐらいはオスカーだけには無理をしてでも歌をうたってあげてもいいかな〜と思うほど、のどは回復。お腹の方も、２５発なぐられたぐらいかな。（そんなに殴られたことがないのでわからないけどね。）
一番悲しいのが、オスカーをだっこできないこと。だって、オスカー大きくなってきたから、だっこしている時に足をばたばたすると痛いんですよ、お腹が．．．
それにしても、子供がいたら本当に病気なんてしてられないな〜と思いました。今回は本当に旦那さんに感謝です。

caterpillar part two

2006-11-02T08:33:00.000-05:00

caterpillar part one

2006-11-01T07:45:00.000-05:00

pumpkins

2006-10-30T21:51:00.000-05:00

This is the first time I've cut a jack-o-lantern in maybe ten years or something. What the hell was I waiting for? It was crazy fun. I feel like a very low budget version of Tim Burton. Wakaba did the big minimalist scary-looking one with no nose. Mine are the goofy smiling guy and the skull & crossbones. Wakaba is sewing Oscar's first Hallowe'en costume right now. It's looking good.

daruma

2006-10-30T00:14:00.000-05:00

This Daruma outfit is another present from our friends Chizuko, Stuart and Zen in Yokohama. Thanks! We love it. I might be getting this story all mixed up, so anyone can correct me if I'm getting it wrong, but here's how I understand it: Daruma is the Japanese name for Bodhidharma, the Indian monk who created Zen Buddhism in the 5th or 6th century. Legend says he lost his arms and legs after meditating in a cave for nine years straight, so he's usually represented in Japan as a big round head.

Does Oscar look a little bit like Kim Jong Il in some of these pictures? Like a happy baby version of Kim Jong Il anyway? It's the hair. And the cheeks. Oscar hasn't been testing any missiles that we know of. And Kim Jong Il isn't dressing up in a Daruma costume either.

In Japan most people get a big Daruma head every year from their local Shinto shrine - the Jinja, usually around New Year's. It has big blank eyes, and you're supposed to fill in one eye when you get it. At the end of the year - or when you achieve a goal - you fill in the second eye and you take it back to the Jinja where they burn it for you. In these pictures Wakaba's sister, Hana-chan, is filling in the new Daruma eye. I'm with the old Daruma with both eyes filled in.

Kyoto, 2005.

2006-10-29T23:59:00.001-05:00

Wakaba and me in the rain in Kyoto last March. This doesn't really have any special relevence to anything right now, I just like this picture.

Oskee

2006-10-28T20:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Wakaba again. Chico has been lazy about putting anything on the blog. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, CHICO? DON'T YOU LOVE US? Anyway, You know .... we are taking less and less pictures... First, we were so excited to have Oscar. I have no idea how many pictures of Oscar sleeping. We have a lot. These days, I am busy socializing with other moms. I am trying to dress up Oskee to see his friends. I got free clothes for him. I really like one pair of pants. They are very stretchy. It is actually tights, but has stitches drawn on so that it looks like skinny jeans. Ohhhhh, Soooo cute. Anyway, these are some of the pictures of Oskee all dressed up (not in his pj's). He looks like a boy, huh? I love when he made a funny face.
またまた、若葉です。最近、チコ何もブログに書いてくれないのよね。あんなにしつこいくらいに毎日書いてたのに．．．もう、私たちのこと飽きちゃったの．．なんてね。でも、最近はほとんど写真も撮らなくなってしまった。オスキー（オスカーのあだ名）が生まれた頃は、はなちゃんにもう寝てる写真はいいから起きてるのを送れと言われるぐらいオスキーの寝ている写真を何枚もをとっていたのにね。そんなもんなのかな？最近のマイブームはオスカーの着せる服。先週にオスカーの服をもらいにいったので、パジャマ以外の服が増えました。そのなかでも、一番好きなのがタイツタイプのズボン。かなりフィットしていてジーンズのような模様になっていて今はやりの細身のジーンズみたいでかなりかわいいです。でも、こっちはモンキーパンツがないから、日本に帰ったら是非とも購入しないと．．．ちなみに靴下はお友達のちづこちゃんが送ってくれたもの。かわいいわ！

quite early one morning

2006-10-23T00:07:00.000-04:00

Hi, It's Wakaba. After I nurse Oscar early in the morning, Chico usually takes care of the boy till he goes to work. They usually go for a walk, but it was a rainy day. They had to spend time at home. They took this photo quietly without waking up mom. What nice boys!!
今日の写真はオスカーとチコ。朝６時のミルクの後、いつもチコが仕事に行くまでオスカーの面倒をみてくれます。いつもならお散歩だけど、この日は雨。ママを起こさないように静かに写真撮影。

happy thanksgiving

2006-10-08T23:41:00.000-04:00

Is it just me or does this turkey/Oscar size comparison photograph make you want to go vegan for a second or two? It's like PETA propaganda or something. Luckily, the turkey smelled so good we were able to get over it pretty quickly. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. This was my first year cooking a big turkey dinner. Along with the bird, we had butternut squash soup, mashed potatoes, stuffing, grilled asparagus, bok choy, eggplant and raddicchio with blueberry pie and ice cream for dessert. It turned out pretty good, I think.
明日はサンクスギビングデー。日本語で言うと感謝祭かな？この感謝祭の起源を簡単にいうと、コロンブスのアメリカ大陸の発見によって、たくさんの人がイギリスからアメリカ大陸に移民してきました。新しい土地で食べ物が満足に食べられず伝染病や悪天候も重なり多くの人が死んでいくのをみた原住民（インディアン）がかわいそうと思い、トウモロコシやカボチャなどの育て方を教えてあげることにしました。ある実りの秋、イギリス人たちは、インディアンを食事に招いて感謝した。と云う話です。その食事は、カボチャ、トウモロコシ、サツマイモ、七面鳥などのアメリカ大陸の独特の食べ物。これらは現在でも、感謝祭の恒例の食べ物です。
説明はこのへんにしといて、いつもなら、チコのお母さんのところにこの七面鳥を食べにいくんだけど、今年はお友達におよばれしたので、勝手にやってくれといわれてしまったので、急きょ、自分たちでつくることになってしまったわけ。本当は明日だけれど、結構、多くの家族が日曜日にやるし、あした祭日でゆっくりしたいとのチコの希望でで今日やりました。
すごいでしょ。これデザート以外は全部チコが作ったんだよ。メニューは、カボチャのスープからスタート。チンゲンサイ、なす、アスパラガス、それから、イタリアの野菜のラディッキオ（赤チコリの一種）のグリル焼き。マッシュポテト、それからスタッフィング。スタッフィングは、パンと野菜を炒めたものに七面鳥のジュースがしみ込んだもの。ちょっとグチャグチャしてるから最初は抵抗があるかもしれないけど、私はとてもおいしいと思う。それからメインの七面鳥！ちなみに七面鳥はオスカーの体重とほぼ同じ物をつかいました。サラダも用意していたけど、食べきれなかった．．．明日は七面鳥サンドイッチ。あと、2日は何も夕飯つくらなくてよさそうです。ちなみに、オスカーはちょっとおめかしして、いつものパジャマ姿ではなく唯一の普段着、オーバーオールでお客様をお迎えしました。

untitled

2006-10-07T00:17:00.000-04:00

I like the drooling at the beginning of this one. It's all downhill from there. This isn't my favourite Magurobashi movie, but it will have to do. I can't take the pressure any more. We haven't put anything up on the blog in over a week and Tammi has been accusing me of having sold the boy. Here's proof that he's still here and he seems to be incredibly happy, though you never know. He could be pulling one over on us. He's learned how to reach out and grab onto toys he likes. He used to just stare longingly at toys and never make the first move, like a shy kid at a grade six dance. Everything's changed since his Grandma got him this baby-sized gymnasium, where he lies around muttering in baby-ese to the toys and admiring himself in the mirror all day. He's having some good times. The boy is less like a bowl of jello and more like a super-genius every day. I'll post some more evidence of his excellence in the next couple days, I promise. You'll love it.

Happy Birthday!

2006-09-27T00:36:00.000-04:00

今日は、オスカーの2ヶ月検診でした。体重も身長も平均以上だよ。よかったね、オスカー！ちなみに体重は、5125gm。身長は、59cmです。初めての予防接種でもあった日。2本も注射されちゃった。ちょっと泣いたけど、すぐにだっこしたら泣き止んだ。さすが、オスカー岳斗！そのかわり、今、微熱がでています。夕方に熱を計ったときは、結構高かったからあせったけど、今、計ったら随分おちついたのでお誕生日おめでとうビデオをとちゃいました！おじいちゃん、お誕生日おめでとう！！
Ok... Chico is sleeping right now, so he cannot check the spelling. Hopefully, he will check this in the morning and corrects my English. Till then, DO NOT LAUGH IF I MAKE MISTAKES!!
Oscar had 2month check up yesterday. His weight and height are above the average 2month old! That's good news! His weight is 5125gm and his height is 59cm. Please do not ask me how much lb his weigh are. You are sitting in front of a computer. You can find the web site that converts the measurements for you.
By the way, today is my dad birthday. I don't think he want me to say his age publicly. I just want to say Happy Birthday!
OMG! It is already 1:00 a.m. Oscar went to bed around 11:30 p.m. He might wake up around 2:30 a.m. or he might sleep till 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. These days, He sleeps almost 6 to 7 hours at night. But he sleeps really weird hours like 7:30pm to 3:00a.m. Chico and I have tried to change the time. Instead of 7:30pm, we want him to sleep from midnight. If he slept from midnight, we would have normal life again! However, Oscar does not cooperative at all. I really want him to sleep till 6;00am. Otherwise, I will be in trouble. Good Night!

イェイェ!

2006-09-23T20:09:00.000-04:00

I bet you've been wondering if French pop star Sylvie Vartan ever did a Japanese-language TV ad for a women's clothing line. Well, the answer is yes. Wakaba found this on YouTube today somehow, and she remembers her mom singing the jingle.

There's also this Nicholas Cage pachinko ad. It was on TV a lot the first time I went to Japan. I have a theory that this was the inspiration for the whole plot of "Lost In Translation". This as makes me remember why I once thought Nick Cage was funny as hell. Nick, Nick, Nick. What happened? Anyway, pachinko is a Japanese gambling game that is like a cross between pinball and a slot machine. Wakaba used to be really good at it.

As long as Magurobashi is selling out, here's that Rice Krispies ad that the Rolling Stones did in 1964 and have been trying to bury ever since. I'm not that familiar with Mick's lyrics post-"Some Girls" so I can't say for sure, but I believe this is the only time he uses the word "milk-a-licious" in a song. At least that's what I think he's saying.

Don't worry, Oscar will be back next time.

natto toronto

2006-09-16T01:05:00.000-04:00

Wakaba stars in Natto Toronto, a thriller about walking across Punkdale and through Trinity-Bellwoods park to go to the Japanese grocery for some smelly fermented bean snacks. As with all the Magurobashi flicks, not much happens. Feel good movie of the year.

the new style

2006-09-15T22:39:00.000-04:00

Lately Oskie has been rocking this amazing outfit from Japan, where they seem to like their baby-suits puffy and vaguely circusy. These pictures are for my old buddy Hannah who is knocking around Indonesia and East Timor these days. She likes the kawaii stuff. http://hannahsayshi.blogspot.com/ is about Hannah's adventures.

happy kiddo

2006-09-15T20:31:00.000-04:00

Check out Mr. Smiley Smile. The kid has been in a pretty good mood this week. Cracking grins is his new hobby, along with trying to fit his entire hand inside his mouth and drooling. This week has mostly been about smiles, yawns and hiccups. He's the most hiccupingest guy I've ever met. He also has his cranky moments and so do we. I miss sleeping until I can't sleep anymore. If you don't have a kid, please sleep in super late for me tomorrow and do nothing all day.

oscar falling asleep

2006-09-09T07:42:00.000-04:00

Here's the big follow-up to Oscar Waking Up. It's called Oscar Falling Asleep. Oscar's swing was a suprise gift for Wakaba's baby shower from his Aunt Hana-chan. This proves that it works. He crashes out like this most of the time when we put him in it. The process is rarely as fast - or as groovy - as this video suggests, but it definitely works. Thanks, Hana! And don't worry, we added the music afterward. We don't make him listen to super-loud soul 45's all night. Yet.

happy friday

2006-09-08T16:48:00.000-04:00

finally

2006-09-06T00:34:00.000-04:00

The kid smiles.

nice to meet you

2006-09-04T03:00:00.000-04:00

Wakaba translates for Oscar. I can't believe this was just 5 weeks ago.

oscar waking up

2006-09-03T13:36:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the new totally extreme Magurobashi! We're taking it to the next level of the game with our first home video clip, Oscar Waking Up. I admit there may not be a Bruce Willis level of action in this clip, but I think it delivers on the promise of the title. This is from a couple of weeks ago, so he's a little bit immature. He's much more sophisticated now. I don't want to spoil it for you, but stick around until the end for the big pay-off (hint: I mean when he yawns). There's no sound on this one, but if you want to supply your own sound it would be something like: "Aaaaooo.... uuuaaa... uuuuooo... slurp slurp... drool... yaaaaawwwwn". Now that's entertainment!

Wakaba figured out how to get this video stuff up and running, so we'll try to add some more movies soon - maybe even some with sound.

クレクレタコラ (Gimme Gimme Octopus)

2006-09-02T14:20:00.000-04:00