International Night

Every year our club has an event called International Night.  The only thing that makes it international is that they have three or four food booths featuring food from various continents.  That and the fact that those of us who attend come from all over the world, I guess.  It's a formal event - no kids, dress up, eat, and then they have a DJ and dancing.  Mike and I aren't big dancers, but I must say that I do like to dress up.  So, I signed us up, arranged for a babysitter, and about three days before the event realized that I had nothing to wear.  I was almost resigned to just wearing something not-so-dressy because I really didn't have any time to go shopping by myself.  Friday morning I decided to just take Beaver (who HATES shopping) and see if maybe I could find something at the nearby department store.  I was happy to find a little black dress and some sparkly shoes.  It was even fun to have Beaver along!  He was being super cute and running around picking out shoes for me to try on.  He particularly liked a pair of pink, patent leather heels with a bow on the toe.  "Mommy, these shoes are very beautiful!"

I also had a haircut appointment in the afternoon, so I asked them to straight-iron my hair.  I haven't had my hair straightened since Kelsey's wedding.  What was that - six years ago?  The kids didn't recognize me when they came to pick me up from the salon.  Bear asked, "When you wash your hair will it get curly again?"  When I told him yes, he responded, "Good!"  I asked Beaver if he liked my hair straight, but he said no.  I had fun all evening and again at church today startling people with my straight hair.   

You can't see the details of the dress in the picture, but it has a kind of high, drop waist and a little bow on the waist in front.  I told a friend at the dance that I had gotten it in Japan and she said she wouldn't have guessed it was Japanese.  Then she saw the bow and said, "Oh, the bow.  Now it looks Japanese!"

Bear was our photographer for the night.  Here we are ready to go.  Look!  My hair is the same color as the cupboard behind us!

Last Saturday

It snowed in Kobe!

Partners in conspiracy.

Beaver was whispering to his daddy his plans to jump out and scare me.

'Dem Bones

Today I was making lunch when Beaver started calling to me.  "Mommy!  Come in the living room and see the dinosaur bone!"  Being the attentive parent that I am, I responded, "Okay, I'm coming." and then went right on with what I was doing in the kitchen.  He continued calling, and I told him I would come as soon as I got his lunch ready.  I asked him to bring the dinosaur bone to me, but he said he couldn't.  I had to come see it in the living room.  After some minutes, I reached a stopping point and went into the living room.  This is what I found:

 Had I known there was an actual dinosaur bone on the living room rug, maybe I would have hurried a little faster.

I never before realized how cute a dinosaur bone could be.