Catching up
I was really trying to post every day, but the last two weeks have been over the wall crazy here. Work, Kids, Places to go, things to do. OYE!
I'm going to say what I thought I would never say - "I can't wait for the kids to go back to school!" It's not that I don't love them or want to be around them...I just want to get back into a rhythm. Summer break is not conducive to that.
So! What's been happening? The kids came back from their various camps (I'm going to post something about Gillian's camp in a separate post), we went to my parents for the weekend - I grew up at the beach so being back down at Lido Beach for the weekend was nice and relaxing, burned thru last week like a bat out of hell pulled in 15 different directions, went to the company picnic, then to Albany to my cousins for an overnight stay.
PLUS! We're going to visit some of Fae's cousins in Philly on Wed, and to a cabin in NW Jersey and hiking a lot for labor day weekend. And Fae and Beth want to go to the Renaissance Festival in NY on our way home.
Now can you understand why I want the kids to go back to school? I need a break!!!
Tho I have to admit Friday and Saturday went a LONG way to recharging my batteries. Friday was the summer picnic for my company and I just relaxed and talked to people in my office while the kids went swimming for several hours. Its nice to kick back and just hang out with people. Our CEO belongs to a posh country club in Greenwich CT, (yes, say that with your jaw locked please) and it was a nice relaxing time. So around 5:30, we took off and went up to Latham NY, which is right around Albany, to my cousins house. She and her two kids, and her sister who came up for the weekend hung out for a while before putting the kids to bed and just hanging out and talking.
Have you ever just hung out for hours with someone you've known your whole life and it just seemed right again, even tho it's been years...YEARS since you got a chance to hang out? We've seen each other over the years at this wedding, or that family party. This was totally different. Fae was up putting the kids to bed, and then fell asleep herself and I got to sit and just talk to my cousins about pretty much everything for several hours. I think the biggest difference was no parents. We could all pretend we were actually adults having a conversation 
It was very cool.
So we all woke up and ate breakfast and the adults sat by the pool while the four kids played in it, again having deep conversations and talks that we should have had 10 years ago. Then Peg showed up with her two, and Tommy an hour later with Cindy and their two and it was probably one of the most enjoyable days I've had in several months, if not years. Just sitting and cracking each other up, and sharing insights into everything from belly button lint to growing tomatoes to how many people did you date in college?
Fun, relaxing, recharging. I just drank lots of water and sat on my butt all day. Except when I had to throw the kids in the pool, one by one. I'll get the pics, I promise.
For now, I'm going to go to bed and rest my weary head for an interesting week.
Reconnect with a loved one or a family member. Just do it, don't think about it.
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20 situps
10 pushups
yeah, I'm going to keep track. Hopefully it'll help me do this everyday and post every day 
What you’ll do for your kids…
Konbanwa! O genki desu ka? (Good Evening, How are you?) (Con Bah Wah! Oh Genki Des Ka)
One of the things I have been repeatedly reminded of, is the fact that this is really my blog and I'm supposed to be writing it for me. Well, I am. I do like when people read it tho So! I thought that I would start including some of the things I have been doing to help me and my family to accomplish some of the things we've just been talking about but never did anything about.
First up? Learning Japanese. "Why Japanese? If you're going to learn something, learn Chinese!" Well, there are two reasons for this. First of which is that there are plenty of people who speak Chinese and english, so it's not like my kids will become interpreters or anything like that. Secondly, and to me most importantly, is Aidan wants to learn it. He and I are taking classes in Kendo and for a long time now, he's been nuts about anything that is Japanese, especially martial arts and anime/manga. So I am going to try and post something that has to do with Japan or japanese culture each time I post. Or at least once a day. I know I've been lax the last few days, but I'm trying to catch up.
I found a good place to teach kids, or anyone for that matter, phrases in Japanese. It has sound so grab your headphones.
Kids Web Japan
The shame of it is, at one point during the year last year, he was teased because anytime he made a point, it usually had something japanese related to it. He ignored it and is even more enamored with the culture. One of the things I have been working on here and there is to see if there is some kind of exchange program for when he's older - maybe high school or even a semester abroad in college. I couldn't be happier since I'm equally enamored with the culture. My wife often asks me why I married a short, fiery, jewish girl from Jersey instead of a woman from japan. To this day, I don't know. I do know that at some point in my lifetime, I WILL take my son to Japan. And my wife and daughter if they want to come too
Itterasshai. Ki o tsukete (See you later. Take care)