Some random tidbits

(note, if you view this on a handheld device, some of the pictures are sideways!)

I thought I'd write a blog on some lighter topics.  Don't worry, I have nothing to say about trash or recycling.

First of all, I thought you'd like to know what Gracie's favorite activities are:

and

She absolutely loves the Japanese toilets.  If I don't close the doors to the bathrooms, she finds her way to the toilet.  It's kind of hilarious.  And given that she's the 2nd child, I am not freaking out about germs.  Hello, e. coli!  She also loves toilet paper.  What's not to love?

We were at the park today, and I found this sign.  I'm not posting this to make fun of the Japanese-English translation, which is often really funny.  I am posting this because I don't know what this sign is talking about.  I mean, who does this stuff?

On a more somber note, we were at the park on Saturday (so yesterday).  I don't know the name of this particular park, but we call it the "pigeon park."  Anyway, Christian was helping Joseph on the monkey bars, and I was on the swings with Gracie.  After she and I were done swinging (which she likes to do more than unroll the toilet paper, I think), I started walking with her toward Christian.

And then I noticed some British guy yelling at his kids to come near him.  Everyone was stopped in their tracks.  Christian told me to stop walking.  I've probably watched too many episodes of Dateline NBC about school shootings at the like, but I thought someone may have had a gun.  Honest to God.  I've never seen a gun in Tokyo, so clearly my mind was wandering.

So that's when I noticed the ground was shaking.  And all the playground equipment was shaking.  You see, all the times I've felt the earthquakes/aftershocks I've been inside.  This was my first gritty Earth earthquake experience.  And it was weird.  Really, though...we're kind of getting numb to it.  That's probably not a good thing.  Don't worry, we're not putting the kids in danger.  :)