Parties, Theater Sets and Ikebana

Lots of fun stuff happened this week. This weekend was the opening of the play that Ian helped build a set for. We haven't seen much of him leading up to opening night because he comes home from work and then builds set for a couple of hours. We got to go see the play, "Steel Magnolias", on Thursday night and the set was really nice. This play is definitely one of the more polished ones here on base and I'm hoping that we keep having them. I think all the building has made Ian a touch more fulfilled. He even built me a shelf out of driftwood.

Guys, we got a four day weekend for Memorial Day! And then my ikebana exhibition was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday which means that I have to be in Towada Friday night and Sunday night for the arranging and the cleaning up. So pooh, we couldn't just pack our selves up and go camping in teepees like some lucky people did. But the flowers were really cool.

This years exhibition was at the Towada Civic Center. There wasn't as much room as last year but at least they didn't kill all the flowers because they turned the AC off like last year. I got orchids! victory dance! And I even get to do most of the arranging this year! I used sensei's tall skinny blue vase. My friend used a large rectangular shallow vase. Her arrangement was a little more structured than mine. Sensei pretty much told me not to worry about a form and just make it look pretty. No rules...that I can do!

Here are some more of my favorites.

Then on Memorial Day we decided to host a BBQ and boardgames day. We had more people than I expected and our apartment is pretty tiny. It was a grand old time and the weather was really lovely. There was plenty of meat to go around. Though Ian's meat branding iron didn't work as well as we would have hoped. It is a little crazy having kids running around and a board game going on both sides of the house, but we managed quite beautifully. Now we are brainstorming ideas for the next party - maybe 1920's cocktails?

This is Bea when we went out for sushi at a nice restaurant with private rooms and tatami mat floors. You think keeping a kid happy in a high chair is hard? Try keeping them happy when everyone is sitting on the floor and there are pretty decorations littered around. I have to say though, good quality sushi is fabulous and melts in your mouth.

Bea has learned a few new tricks this week. She now drives her cars around and makes vroom vroom noises. She also likes to lounge on the couch and commandeer my kindle, though she doesn't quite know what to do with it yet. It's just so funny to see her lounging on the couch with her legs and belly sticking out. She's very business like. She's also a fan of putting things in boxes and closing the lid.