Sunday Sam Snap Week 52 - Happy Birthday Samudra!

Where did that year go?

A fun but low-key birthday weekend for Sam. He saw a doggy competition on the island, watched about 15minutes of the elementary drama and an hour of high school football, went to Harbourland to see the International Fair and watch the choir perform (and mess about on the rides). If only he could remember it all!

Our hooligan is growing up - more words, more giggles, more teeth and more dribble.

Week 52. One year old, at Kobe Harbourland.

I'm not sure if we can keep this Sunday Sam Snap up for more than a year, but we'll see... Here is the album of the full first year:


Here's Happy Birthday yesterday morning:


Some more photos from the weekend:

It's OK Anya, we won't let him touch it!

Anya's present eating a birthday bun.

Watching the CA boys B-team play football

This toy is a hit - thanks Maximo and Lola!

Birthday lunch at the Fisherman's Market

This never gets old!

And some more...

Spring morning on the waterfront

Plum blossoms!

Plum blossoms. Apparently you are not allowed to play golf on the ten square metres of grass there.

Anya getting her face painted by one of Daddy's high schoolers.

"Take a picture of me with the giraffe!"

A 'sort of selection' of hot food at the Fisherman's Market

Anya's first candy floss

Spring Has Sprung

First sunburn of the year! Today's cold and miserable and wet again, but yesterday was a teaser for the Spring - lovely and sunny - so we got out all day. Katy recommended 'Dragon Park' at Shinkobe (really Ikutagawa Park), and we spent a few hours there. A bus takes you all the way up to Shinkobe (the Shinkansen station), and you can walk all the way back down to the sea on a route through playparks which will be great for viewing the cherry blossoms later on in the Spring.

Here are some photos, and there is a full album below.

First time on a swing!

Ikutagawa Parks - walking route from Shinkobe to sea.

Sunday Sam Snaps Weeks 50 & 51 - First Steps!

The words are coming thick and fast, as are two new top teeth and so much cheekiness. We can't believe he'll be one next week! Here are photos from this weekend and last weekend:

Week 50 - two top teeth

Week 51 - playing on the Koala at the park at Shinkobe

This week he had his first steps - and we got them on the phone! Here are a couple of clips - I will need to find some time to edit all this into something worth watching.

Sam at School!

A couple of funny videos

These are getting backed up on my phone, but are pretty funny - if you like that sort of thing!

Happy 30th Birthday Hesty!

To the best mum, wife and friend a guy could ask for.

XXX

This photo is one that has always been on Hesty's parents' wall and I have loved. It's her fifth birthday. Mas Bowo found the original and scanned it, sent it to Hesty and I nicked it from her computer. When it is Anya's fifth birthday we'll set her up in the same pose!

EDIT: 
A lot of kids are out of school at the moment for APAC trips (band, drama and so on). One of my Science classes only had four kids, so we nipped over to the house to put together Hesty's birthday garden box:

A fun way to surprise Mrs T and start thinking about environmental science.

Birthday dinner at Nanak's Indian restaurant on the island.

This is the kids' set!

And then Happy Birthday with an Anya-made chocolate bun:

A day out at Osaka Aquarium

This was a lot of fun. Last week we had a Monday off. It was raining and we trekked across town (2 trains and bus) to Osaka Aquarium. The kids were great and Sam is at a good age for looking at animals!

Here's a video:

Sunday Sam Snaps Weeks 48 & 49!

Another hectic fortnight. It's Wednesday already and here I am posting photos that were taken on the right day but not uploaded.

Week 48 at Osaka Aquarium

Week 49 at school

 A lot has been going on in the last couple of weeks. He's chatting away, standing solidly and has started playschool! He loves going for a half day each day and is always smiling at home.

Here's a funny note from his teacher:

Hesty's asked them to write in Hiragana now, so she can practice Japanese. She's having lessons, you know!

Sunday Sam Snap Week 47

Standing up!