Welcome to Japan! Here's your heat wave.

I've got a lot to write but the biggest thing that has happened recently is that my parents came out from California to visit . . .


and especially to meet D.


We went to a big "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" exhibit in Sunshine City, Ikebukero. We were herded through something like a maze containing pictures of Thomas characters set up for easy photo ops like this:


Of course the main attraction was the life-size(?) model of Thomas. I think James and Percy were there too. This is what the crowd was like . . .


But we finally made it up close and have the photos to prove it:


Because we were in a major heat wave, the kind where they update the death toll on the news every day, we didn't get out and about much. We played cards and did a lot of this:


The annual high school baseball tournament at Koshien was happening all week. Each prefecture in Japan sends their best team. (I think big prefectures get to send more than one.) Anyway, T learned all about baseball: the rules, strategy, etc. It was fun for three generations of Seminoffs to watch the games together. R even got into it and asked if she could have a bat for her birthday.

This shot is my current desktop background. Click it to see it bigger.

Because Papa and Grammy had to leave a few days before R's birthday she got to celebrate early. She loves the doll clothes that she got (because she doesn't get to dress and undress D) and as you can see above, the bat is popular too.


Anyway, we had one day of relief from the heat and spent it a Hikarigaoka Park, our current favorite hangout.





The kids played on the playground and we ate way too many ice cream cones (what else can you do when they keep giving you two-for-one coupons?). All too soon it was off to the airport and back home for Papa and Grammy.