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All Things Great and Small

We were all asleep by 10:15 last night. I slept until after 7 this morning. It's nice to get away, even if it's just to my mother-in-law's place. She made chestnut rice last night and we drank sake after the boys went to sleep. When Eri was in the bath I asked her mom about recent stuff. I always look forward to these times I can talk one on one with her.

Eri told her mom I’ve been trying to cut down on eating sugars and grains, including rice and bread.
At breakfast this morning she didn’t load me up with the rice like she usually does and just let me eat sausages and eggs and tomatoes. I'm sure Eri's mom now thinks I'm a picky eater, which I am not. I will always eat everything put in front of me. I'm just grateful that more food than I need will not be put in front of me at this venue for the time being. I love the food, and I also need to take it easy so I don't walk away feeling like a blob.

The first stop after we left baba's place was Eri's cousin's house. Actually, it's her uncle's house, but that's all part of the semantics I can neither explain nor understand. The important thing is that this was my second visit, the last one being about eight years ago when Eri and I were going around to announce our marriage in proper style to all the relatives.

The reason for today's visit was that Eri's grandmother passed away recently. She was 96 years old. Oh that we should all be so lucky to live such a life.

There's family drama involved that I can't get into, but it was a good visit. Their house is waaaaay out in the boondocks, and it is beautiful. The boys loved it. We were there for a solemn occasion, but little boys can be forgiven for not understanding. They rang the family Buddhist altar bell over and over before I shooed them outside. 

Then it was off to our next destination.

Eri has a cousin who lives in Kobe. We used to hang out with her and her husband Kenji and their little boy Ryunosuke, who is exactly one month older than Kenzo, frequently when we lived in Osaka. Now we only get to see them when they come visit Miyagi. Today we all met up at this cool park in Furukawa.

Osamu loved that Kenji-san showed up with baseball equipment.


Kenzo knows he has cousins of course. Ryunosuke is actually Kenzo's second cousin. I had to look that up. Again. Apparently cousins share the same grandparents, whereas second cousins share the same great-grandparents.


In the end it's all family.


Ryunosuke, being a city boy and all, introduced the boys to pop rocks.


Osamu wasn't a fan. 


Eri got to spend some quality time with her cousins.


The boys got to spend some quality time with each other.



Kenzo caught a frog.


I love that he loves little creatures.


I also love watching him and the boys discuss what a frog's life must be like and how interesting it is that frogs are different than us as they gulp shaved ice.


I grabbed the bug box out of the back of the car and we put some water and a rock and some leaves in it so the frog would be comfy.

On the way home I had to brake kinda suddenly for some traffic and the frog's box went tumbling onto the backseat floor. He's fine. He made it home.

Eri is not a fan of all things great and small. She very patiently put up with our little stowaway all the way back to Sendai. 

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