Another Successful Costco Trip

Some of you know that we go to Costco once per month or once every 2 months. The main items we buy are Tostitos Lime Tortilla chips, Heinz Ketchup, Krusteaz Pancake Mix, American peanut butter, cheddar cheese, Western sausages, and American beef. We normally take our suitcases and lug them to and from the store on the train.

The train takes about 50-60 minutes, but it's worth it for us and the kids to have some of the basics that we feel we need to have. These are the treats we enjoy once in a while as we have settled into a mostly Japanese diet of rice, fish and veges. However, the American beef from Costco is at least 1/2-2/3 cheaper than the beef in Japanese stores. In this picture, Terry is toting a suitcase and a carry bag on his bike. It's amazing what you can carry on a bicycle. The suitcase probably weighed 30-40 pounds as it was full of beef, chicken, sausages, and so on.

Halloween, Japanese Style

Here are some pictures of Tommy's Halloween party. Mio and a mom who just returned from 2 years in New York planned the party. All of the kids got to make costumes, listen to spooky music, eat spooky candy from the USA, and have fun. It was the first Halloween party for most of Tommy's class. You can see Michael and Tommy both in the upper picture. It may be tough to recognize Michael, but he's the big kid compared to the rest, who are kindergartners.