So here are the pictures from the mochi making party, better late than never I guess. It was a very cold day for us, I know for those back in the states your going to say quit whining, but we think it’s cooled down when it hits 90, so when it’s in the 50’s and windy, we get cold, add a little rain and we get really cold. So anyway, it started off with the mashing of the special steamed rice

this is where different adults got in on the action until the proper consistency was reach

and then it was formed into one of the traditional new year’s decorations

After that, each of the classes had their own rice pounding, once it was done it was formed into mochi, some of it barbequed and served with different condiments and some put into a vegetable soup. First off here is pictures of Sean and one of his girlfriends- well she is a girl, and very cute to boot

her name is Akari, but according to Sean I can never pronounce it right, I guess it’s because he’s Japanese… Here is Sean getting his turn at pounding the rice into mochi

and here’s Catie taking a swing at it with a little assistance

And here is the soup making operation, you’d never get away with this back in the states!<

Afterwards, we went home and all agreed that hot chocolate would be the best way to warm up.

Jeff called earlier this week and mentioned that he had gotten promoted to 0-6. The kids were splashing in the tub, alternately quarreling and fighting, so it was a quick congratualtions to Jeff, then back to washing and refereeing. I looked on the internet later that night, but couldn’t find anything on a 0-6 promotion board for this year. Finally I emailed and asked him where I could find the list, just to make sure I wasn’t imagining what he had told me. It’s true! Of course, he won’t be promoted until next year, so I won’t be able to grab that 0-6 parking spot that’s always empty at the Kadena BX when the parking lot is full for Christmas shopping, but I think I’ll survive. Congratulations Jeff!

On the health front, Sean is still sick. I kept him home from school again today. He keeps spiking fevers with a stomach ache. Once the fever is gone, he feels fine. Tomorrow is the mochi making party, so hopefully I can get the Tylenol into him early enough that he can feel better and eat something before the party starts….

I wish this post was all about frilly pink dresses

or very pink birthday cakes (Catie designed this herself)

but is about amoxicillin and the kids who have been taking it…Sean had an ear infection just before Christmas, so he was on the pink stuff for 10 days. Fortuanately he liked it much better than last year, and taking it wasn’t a problem. New Year’s Eve, Catie came down with a high fever, and finally after 4 days we went into the ER and they called it tonsillitis, for lack of much else to call it (it’s definitely not strep though), so the day after Sean finished his amoxicillin, Catie started. She DOES NOT LIKE IT! Every dose has been spit out all over the place, including the pink dresses, and her, and mom and the floor. Can you tell I’m happy about it? I substituted 2 of her doses with some of Sean’s left over, which is a lower concentration of medication per teaspoon(because they were out of the more concentrated when I ordered it), and she took it without a problem. But I only had enough left over for 2 doses, and now we’re back to the not so palatable stuff, with 3 doses tonight alone ending up all over the place. I think I’m going to take my time washing those pink dresses though, I’ve just had it.