Today marked day three of the ARCTIC BLAST 2008…8…8…8… (imagine an echo and a big booming dramatic voice). Daycare was open but it was Wednesday so I stayed home with the boys anyway. Kei and I had a parent-teacher meeting at Thomas’ daycare (he’s doing well) and then I was planning to drive Kei to work but the roads were starting to ice over so we played it safe and he worked from home instead. The boys and I stayed inside for the rest of the day to avoid the cold. Let me just say the I am just so grateful that the playroom is back in working order.

Later that night Kei referenced the Dangerous Book for Boys to find instructions for making great paper aeroplanes. Thomas got better leverage from Kei’s shoulders and the flight distance was actually pretty impressive.

And here’s another photo I captured earlier in the day. How cute are they together? Are you sick of seeing the Santa hat yet?

Thomas enjoying the Japanese delicacy “Natto” – fermented soy beans. Every few months we make the trek out to the west side of town so we can shop at the Japanese grocery store. It’s a chance to pick up the food we loved while we were living over there, like good Ramen, Japanese pickle and Saba (Mackeral that we salt and grill). They have food from other countries as well so we make sure we also stock up on Indian curry pastes, shrimp crackers (or prawn crackers) and even Milo from Australia.

The downside to the trip? Natto. I tried to avoid being the foreign cliche because the Japanese are very proud of their natto – and the fact that foreigners generally can’t stand it. I really wanted to like it but the smell and the texture and the trails of gooeyness that come with it are just too much to bear.

Lucky for me, Thomas is a fan. Now that’s one food I won’t be serving up. That one’s all daddy.

And before I go – the snowy photo from today. Stay tuned folks. You’ll see a dramatic decline in the weather over the next few posts.

Thomas and Samuel enjoying a moment together in the “Sleigh” – a cardboard box that Thomas fills with toys and insists Kei carry him around the house in so he can deliver presents. We also hear “Ho! Ho! Ho!” coming from the playroom at random times during the day.