The Crazy Weather!!!!!

The Crazy Weather!!!
By: Ethan V.
6-30-18

     Today I will tell you about the rain and the extreme heat and the crazy weather here in Evanston.  When we first came, the first couple of days were very hot and humid. Then on the first day of tennis camp it started raining with very gray skies. It was gray and chilly the whole week and then the sun showed up a little on Sunday. The next few days were still cloudy and then all over the news broadcasts  they said it would be very hot on Thursday and Friday and they were right. On Thursday it was 88 degrees and then on Friday there was an extreme heat wave and it was 98 degrees, with a heat index of 105-110 degrees. The heat wave also affected Saturday which was 96 degrees, with a heat index of 105-110 degrees. This heat has been affecting a lot of people, especially  babies and the elderly without air-conditioning. Luckily we have AC here in Momo and Jiji's house. Also, I became aware of the importance of drinking a lot of water to avoid dehydration which can cause heat stroke and other problems. So drink a lot of water!! But the heat wave doesn't only affect humans. Plants and animals begin to whither and  die without enough water. For Izzy and me this weather is unusual because in San Diego, we rarely have this kind of heat or humidity. I was hoping that we would get a break from this in D.C. where we are going on Tuesday. But the news says that it's
 just as bad there. I must remember to drink a lot of water!

The 2018 FIFA World Cup!!!!!!!!

The 2018 FIFA World Cup!!!!
By: Ethan V.
6-29-18

     This year a tournament that only happens once every 4 years is happening. It is the 2018 FIFA world cup!!!!! This year it is in Russia. I think that was a good choice because it is so big. So here is more information about it. The world cup is a tournament of soccer and countries around the world that all compete in. But not all countries get to go, though. This year the U.S. didn't qualify, sadly. But some other countries I like that are in it. These are the countries I am rooting for: Japan, Argentina, Portugal and Mexico who all made it to the second round which is awesome. But you probably don't know what that means so I will tell you. In the first round it starts with 32 teams divided in 8 groups of 4.  Each group is called by one of the first 8 letters of the alphabet. So this is the point system: if you win one game you get 3 points if you have a tie you get 1 point and if you have a loss you get 0 points. I am going to act like I am Japan to demonstrate. We are in the last group, group H, with Columbia, Poland and Senegal.You have to play every single team in your group. First they played Columbia which they won 1-0. Then they played Senegal and tie 2-2. Then it is time to play Poland and they lost 1-0. That leads to a total of 4 points. Columbia got 6 points by winning 2 of their 3 games and you tie with Senegal at 4 points and Poland is eliminated with 3 points. Also I forgot this, the top two teams in each group with the most points go on to the second round.   Since they tied with Senegal in points you go on to goal differential where you add all the goals you made and subtract all the goals you let up. They got 0 and Senegal got 0 also so for the first time in World Cup history FIFA had to use FIFA's fair play rules which comes down to yellow cards which Senegal had more of so Japan went on to the second round with Columbia. Japan plays Belgium and I hope Japan wins. Check in for more information about it in a later blog post!!!

Home Depot!--Izzy

Going to Home Depot!

Izzy

6.28.18

     Today Momo and I drove to Home Depot to get some plants and light bulb replacements. We got some annuals to fill in some planter pots: sunflowers, superbells, impatiens, and sweet potato vine.We are going to add these plants to the sunny front planters and to pots in the shady area in the backyard. Momo was just looking for some plants that would add more color to the planters and garden. After we got the light bulbs, we drove home. Because we had other things to do, we didn't have time to plant today, but we will definitely plant tomorrow and I will take pics.

This is me pushing the cart through the nursery at Home Depot.

6.29.18


     Today I planted the impatiens in the backyard. The impatiens like the shade, and Momo has places for both shade and sun in her garden. Momo has a very big garden!!! There were 12 impatiens, a deep pink,  to plant, and I learned about how to plant them. Momo told me that it's better to plant them in odd numbers and in staggered lines so they look more natural. We planted the plants in the same general area but in 3 different spots. We split them up into three groups, 1 group of 6 and 2 groups of 3.

This is a picture of the impatients.

This is the main part of Momo and Jiji's backyard/Momo's garden.

This is a picture of the Japanese garden.

This is the left side of the garden-what you see when you walk out.

The Coyotes Across The Street!!

The Coyotes Across The Street!!

By: Ethan V.

6-28-18

     Today I'm going to  tell you about the coyotes across the street!! Across the street there is a big green house. It also holds a house and the people who own it are the Higgins. Also it has and outdoor part to AND IT IS HUMONGOUS!!!! The coyotes made their den under some shrubs that are right near the entrance of the place . Also they bark so loud every time a siren goes off and we think there might be new babies. They are also very scrawny and we don't know if they eat a lot. We think they eat birds and other things looming there.  Also today we found a deer foot in the alley and that kind of grossed Izzy and me out( See picture at bottom). Another thing very sad is that there is two missing cats that people think the coyotes got. The first one is Barney, a very friendly golden cat who loved everyone and he went missing about 3 weeks ago. I really liked him because some times he would let me pet him and I am sad. The second case is a tabby from a few houses down and he was a house cat but sometimes he would go and sit on  the porch. He went missing a few days ago and the owners went out to look for him but all they came back with was his collar. The owners think they must have gotten him right off the porch.  Also earlier this visit Izzy saw a coyote! She  saw it right out of the window in our room upstairs. I hope I can see one to this visit.We don't know what time they moved in also.I hope that the coyotes stop getting cats and get out by when I come back. Also I hope the two cats that are missing are alive and trying to get out of the place.

This is from a deer the coyotes caught.

This coyote looks like the one across the street. 

Hartigan's!--Izzy

Going to Hartigan's!!!

Izzy

6.28.18

     Today we went to Hartigan's after dinner. Momo, Ethan, and I walked. This was our first time going this summer. Hartigan's is on Central Street where the other fun stores are. To go to my other blog post about Central Street, go here: Central Street--Izzy!   Hartigan's is an ice cream shop that also has candy, fro yo, and other sweets. We love going to get a nice, cold dessert--and it's really close by. Hartigan's is a very popular spot for many people. Whenever we go there(in the summertime) it is always very crowded! Today I got Red Raspberry in a waffle cone. Ethan got Superman, something that they always have. Momo got vanilla fro yo, and we got Jiji his favorite--butter pecan. We walked home and enjoyed the awesome ice cream!

This is me and Ethan enjoying our ice cream.

Koubou's Cat Tree!!

Koubou's Cat Tree!!

By: Ethan V.

6-27-18

     Today something awesome happened!! Koubou's cat tree came!!! Izzy and I had been waiting for it a long time. First we assembled it. There is a platform with two posts that are scratchers. The two posts hold up the bed part. Also on one of the scratching posts there is a little pom pom he can hit.Then we got  Koubou to see if he wanted to use it. First he was skeptical only putting one paw on  it. He jumped off right away when we put him on the bed part. One time I hit the pom pom and he played with but only for a short while.  He eventually got on it and from above he played with he pom pom!! He got off and started scratching. It seems he likes the scratching posts because he has played with that more than the pom pom!! I hope eventually this will become one of his favorite things to with and nap on.

Exercising With Jiji!--Izzy

Exercising With Jiji!!!!!!

Izzy
6.26.18


     Today we did all of Jiji's exercises. Everyday we try to do tossing, leg exercises, and arm exercises. Ethan and I each do tossing, which involves throwing and catching, some with a juggling ball and some with a bean bag. We each do 50-75 tosses to JiJi. They help him improve coordination in his hands. He especially needs to improve the grip and strength in his right hand. We also do the arm exercises where we have a dowel or stick. We stretch up, right, left, in circular motions, and more. These exercises help him stretch and regain core strength. The leg exercises do the same thing. Some of the leg exercises are swinging your legs up and down, to the back and to the side, standing up on your toes and heels, and lifting and holding your leg up on to a bench. Doing all of the exercises with Jiji helps us too. We count in Japanese which can make up for a lost Japanese lesson and is good practice. I enjoy doing these exercises because they help us and Jiji, and it is fun when we all do it. Today Momo also did them with us!

This is us doing the arm exercises with Jiji in the breakfast room.

Tennis Camp At ETHS!!!

Tennis  Camp At ETHS!!!

By: Ethan V.

6-26-18

    Today we had tennis camp at Evanston Township High School(ETHS) where my mom and my aunt went to school. We went there because it was raining and we couldn't use the courts at Lovelace because they we wet.  We ended up going to ETHS. At first I was surprised about how big it was because it looked more like a college campus. Right now there are about 4000 kids there and according to Izzy they have 24 gyms!!! I was also surprised when we walked down the hall because of how many trophies there were. I didn't get to see all of the school though because we had to get to the gym for tennis camp and some places were under construction. 

      Across the gym there is a field house where there are tennis courts but the all day tennis camp was using them. The courts looked really nice. But we had to use the gym, sadly.When we first came in we there was only one coach(Coach Alex) and a few other kids. We were waiting for the other coaches to come with the balls and in the meantime we did a lot of stretches. 

     When the coaches came we did some free hitting while the coaches set up and decided what we were going to do first.They decided we were going to do doubles champ of the court. In champ of the court singles there is one person on one side of the net and a line of people on the other side. You get three balls and have to get a point on all of them and then you're on the other side if you get three points.  Once you're on the other side you can not let the other person get three points or you're back in line and the other person is where you were. We did that but just in doubles and my partner was Izzy and we won a few times. We played that until snack break and during snack break Coach Alex and Coach Kenny played each other. Coach Kenny ended up winning. I was rooting for Coach Alex, though.

     After our snack break we just did free hitting until camp was over and Momo picked us up. And that was tennis camp in ETHS.

Tennis Camp!!

Tennis Camp!!

By:Ethan V.

6-25-18

     Today we had tennis camp as usual, but unlike the first week, which we had 16 kids, we only have 8 kids this session!!  There are 2 girls and 6 boys. We have all the same coaches except Coach Sarah. We also have a new coach. His name is Coach Kenny.When one of our coaches, Coach Alex, was a kid, Coach Kenny was one of the best players in the nation!!!I found that very cool and wondered how high he is ranked right now.

     When we first came we did stretches and some warm ups. Then we did a relay race!! Izzy and I were on different teams and Izzy's team won once and my team won once.We got some water and then started hitting. Izzy and I actually basically got our own private lesson with Coach Kenny!!! We went on one court and everyone else on a different court. First we did a rally and we tried to do 15 hits in a row to each other but the longest we got was 12 hits back and forth.  Then we did some forehand and backhand drills and then it was our 20 minuet break. First we go to the park for 15 minuets and then eat our snack in 5 minuets while doing trivia for starburst. After our snack we play tennis games. Today we learned a new game, too!! It is called tornado and here is how to play. First you make a line. There is one coach feeding and one coach catching. The feeder can catch it also. If one of the coaches catches it or it goes out of the court it is one strike. Three strikes and you run around he court with coaches throwing the ball at you and if you get hit you are out. When you are out your job is to throw balls at the people to. The last one standing wins. We played one game of that and then went home and had more fun adventures.

Playing Go!!--Izzy

Playing Go with Jiji!!!!!!

Izzy

6.25.18

      Today I played go with Jiji. Go is a Japanese game where you try to capture the opponent's pieces by surrounding it. You don't know the score until you add up the points and sometimes you might have an unexpected win! 

     When I played Jiji, I could tell he was always thinking a few steps ahead--even though we weren't talking very much. He kept capturing my pieces and I would notice my mistakes after I made them. I remember playing him when I had just learned and was really focused on getting one piece while he got multiple at a time. I haven't practiced much but played Ethan a few times 2 days ago. Once Jiji showed me how to add up the score, I learned what would get me the most points, so I had a new strategy. When we played, we had to take a break to eat lunch, do our Japanese lesson, eat dinner, and all the stuff in between. I was doubtful of me winning because Jiji had collected many of my pieces and to add up the score, they have to be put back on the board. I helped him add up my score and what do you know--I had 48 points!  We counted his and he only had 31! I had to recount to make sure I wasn't hallucinating! I was thrilled when the score was the same! I just smiled and complimented Jiji on a good game--while I was much more excited on the inside! I should practice more and teach my parents. Go is a very fun game and is similar to chess because it involves strategy! I highly recommend learning how to play it!!!!😜😁😎

This is our set up in the Japanese room.

The Morton Arboretum 2018!--Izzy

The Troll Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum!

Izzy

6.24.18

     Today was a very active day! Sachi came over and we drove to the Morton Arboretum with our friends, Elizabeth and Gavin, to see a special exhibit on trolls. Trolls are supposed to be stupid and ugly creatures that live in Denmark and Sweden. We drove in Elizabeth's car because it could fit 7 people. The car was all filled up! It took us about an hour to get there and we left at 3:00 pm. As soon as we drove into the parking lot, we saw the first troll. His name was "Rocky Bardun" and he was posed like he was about to throw another rock into a car that already had a huge rock in it. What a sight! The troll represented nature and the car stood for humans and the destruction they are doing to nature. Some of us got out to take pictures. Once you get up close you can really tell how amazing they are in detail.

We drove to the next troll, "Sneaky Socks Alexa,"who was hiding in a bush waiting for a human to fall under her trap. It was a very good photo! After this, we drove to the next parking area and walked to the next troll. Sachi took me and the other kids while the other adults went to find a parking spot. It was a little hike to get to "Joe the Guardian.".He was up on a hill overlooking the freeway. He was very tall, looking out into the distance. We actually saw him on the highway as we came in, a good first impression.

To get to the next troll, "Furry Ema," we went on an adventure. Momo, Sachi, Ethan, Gavin, and I set off on the trail from the Parking 8 area. Little did we know that we would just be going on a long route, through a forest with lots of bugs, but no sighting of a troll. We ended up being  picked up again by Elizabeth. We went on the wrong trail and ended up at Parking 11. Then we drove over to Parking 14 to see "Furry Ema."She ended up being one of my favorite trolls because of her special trap set for humans. 

The last two  trolls were on the west side of the arboretum. We went to the bathroom then continued on our adventure. The next troll was named "Niels Bragger" who stood on the edge of the forest with his giant stick. The last troll was my other favorite. His name "Little Arturs," but he was the biggest one! They saved the best for last. You could  sit in his mouth and pretend you were being eaten! He was lying on the ground and was a very good ending to this exhibit. Overall, I thought it was a very fun and clever idea and it that it brought the forest to life. I would definitely come back!

     The artist's name is Thomas Dambo and is from Denmark. He has done two other exhibits in Copenhagen and in South Korea. All of the trolls in the Morton Arboretum are made of recycled wood and are spread out over the 1, 700 acre land, hiding in the forests or out on a hill. There are 6 trolls and we got to see them all! The app said that all of the trolls are named after a person that helped build them. The hands, feet, and heads were designed and made in Denmark and shipped over. They were all pretty big pieces. I enjoyed seeing the forest/nature protectors on duty!

This is Joe the Guardian.

This is Rocky Bardun.

This is Niels

This is us in Sneaky Socks Alexa's trap.

This is Furry Ema, one of my favorites.

This is Little Arturs, my other favorite!

Doing Origami With Sachi!!!!!

Doing Origami with Sachi!!!

By: Ethan V.

6-24-18

     Today Sachi came over!! For our Japanese lesson we did origami with her because she's the ultimate origami master. First, we did a box. Sachi forgot how she did it so we watched a you tube video on it. Izzy made a box and then she made a bigger box for a lid for the other box. I also taught Sachi how to make an origami heart.  And I also made the first model of Goat Industries Lab!! Goat Industries is my company created to make things out of scraps and unused materials. Today I used paper scraps from the origami to make a model of my lab. It is very cool. We were going to make an origami cat but we had to go to the Morton Arboretum with Gavin and Elizabeth. You can find out about the trip to the Arboretum in Izzy's blog post but I am still going to share my favorite troll with you. My favorite troll was the last one named "Little Arturs."  He was the biggest and he looked like he was going to eat you because you could climb in his mouth!! He was cool because his hair was made of branches of a dead tree but I don't know know what kind.  And that was Origami with Sachi and a few words about my favorite troll!!!!

Central Street!--Izzy

Shopping on Central Street!!!!!

Izzy

6.23.18

     Today we had a break from all of the rain! It was a high of 77 degrees and was very nice. Momo, Ethan, and I walked down to Central street where there are many fun shops. We went into Paper Source and looked around, but didn't get anything. Then we tried to go to Tag's Bakery but it was closed. They were holding a private event or something. We then went to one of our favorite stores, Oliver's Trains and Toys. It has many toys for many ages. Ethan decided to get "Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty" and I got a mini Pusheen Blind Box. If you don't know what these things are, there are pictures of them down below. After Oliver's, we went to Starbucks and got some cold drinks. We walked home and had a nice afternoon. You can read Ethan's blog post about what we had for dinner at: http://bloggingwithizzy-ethan.blogspot.com/2018/06/ramen-from-table-to-stix.html . 

This is the Pusheen Blind Box I got.

This is the thinking putty Ethan got.

Ramen From Table To Stix

Ramen From Table To Stix!!!!!!!!

By: Ethan V.

6-23-18

     Today for dinner we had ramen from Table To Stix!! Jiji and I both got tonkotsu , Momo got Shoyu and Izzy got vegetarian miso ramen. It came in cartons with noodles which were separate from the toppings. The was also broth in plastic containers. Each type of ramen had its own type of toppings. So this is the order you do it in. First you put the noodles. Then you pour the broth in the bowl with the noodles and mix it around so the noodles are separated. Then you put the toppings on and it's time to eat. I really liked it and I hope to have it again.

Calligraphy-Ethan

Calligraphy!!-Ethan

By: Ethan V.

6-22-18

     Today in our Japanese lesson we had calligraphy!!!!!!!  All the words we did were mom, dad, Ethan, Izzy, momo, jiji, and Koubou!!!  We did two papers of it. One paper was all the words that I just listed. The second paper was a word that we chose to do over and over again. I chose Koubou and Izzy chose Izzy. I chose Koubou because I wanted to show Koubou his name in kanji. Sadly he didn't know today. Today was different because we did it in kanji and we normally do it in Hiragana or Katakana, the other two Japanese alphabets. You know something cool? Katakana and Hiragana both have 46 letters in their alphabet and kanji has about 3 or 4 thousand letters!! In my opinion I like Hiragana the best. And this was my first time doing calligraphy this summer.

Doing Calligraphy!--Izzy

Doing Calligraphy With Jiji!!

Izzy 

6.22.18

     Hello everyone! Ethan and I were very excited when we found out we would be able to do calligraphy! We did our regular Japanese lesson, learning and writing down some greetings in Hiragana. Then, Jiji gave us some special calligraphy paper and some newspaper to make sure the ink wouldn't bleed through the paper and on to the table. We got 2 sheets of it and wrote different things on them(in Katakana and Kanji). On the 1st sheet (the picture on the top), we wrote (from right to left)  Jiji, Ethan, Izzy, and Koubou, then on the bottom row, Momo, Dad or Dada, Mom, and Koubou. On the second sheet (bottom picture) we got to choose 1 word to write over and over until we filled up the page. I chose to write Izzy. I got lots of practice in writing my name!

     

     What I find fun about calligraphy is that it is calming. You are just focused on trying to make the character look good and aren't really thinking about anything else. Also, because we don't get to do it all the time, it's more special when we do. It's also just cool to know how to write phrases and words in Japanese--I don't know many people who can! I hope to do some more calligraphy soon!!!😺😻

My first page with all of the different words.

My second page filled with Izzy!

A Very Rainy Day!!--Izzy

A Very Rainy Day!!!

Izzy

6.21.18

     Today was a very rainy day! When we woke up it started raining and didn't stop for a while. We got ready for tennis camp and drove over to Lovelace in the rain.  We weren't expecting anybody to be there, and no one was. We didn't have the camp's information, and they didn't have Momo's, so there was no way to contact them. Ethan and I ended up staying home from tennis camp because we didn't know where to go. We read for a while and Momo said we could go see Incredibles 2. Momo and Jiji dropped us off at the movie theater while they went to an appointment for Jiji at EAC(Evanston Athletic Club). To read more about the movie, go to Ethan's post:  http://bloggingwithizzy-ethan.blogspot.com/2018/06/seeing-incredibles-2.html . After the movie, Momo picked us up and we went to Jewel supermarket to get a few groceries. We drove home, and it was still raining! 😐 It rarely rains like that in San Diego!!! We started our Japanese lesson, but then Jiji had to take a shower when nurse assistant arrived, so we put it on pause. Jiji is currently making us curry, shrimp curry that is! It was originally going to have meat, but since Jiji is very nice and knows that I don't eat meat, he decided to make shrimp curry. We are going to do some exercises and finish our Japanese lesson later!

Rain, rain, and more rain!!!

Seeing Incredibles 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seeing Incredibles 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Ethan V.
6-21-18

     Today Izzy and I saw Incredibles 2 while Jiji had a exercise thing and Momo went with him.  I didn't remember the first movie because it was a long time since I had seen it but I still LOVED it. It was very funny and I recommend you see it. My favorite character in this one was Jack Jack the baby because he is hilarious and has 17 powers. Some of them are telekinesis, laser eyes, and he can turn into a monster or set himself on fire but I don't want to spoil it for you so these are the only ones I will say!!!! 
My favorite character in the first movie was Fro zone, the guy who can spray ice out of his hands because he is really good and awesome and I think his power is really cool. I think the coolest thing that Fro Zone can do is make a bridge out of ice and slide on it.
 I think they should make a third one because they're so good. As I said before, I think you should watch this movie.

Seeing Stripey For The First Time!!

Seeing Stripey For The First Time!!

By: Ethan V.

6-20-18

     Today was an amazing day. We saw Stripey the cat!!! For a lot more info about Stripey, go to Izzy's post about him. Stripey is a feral cat who does not go near humans a lot so it was pretty rare to see him there. So this is the story of how we saw him. We were going to the post office to send a few cards when we passed by his owners' house and saw him. We thought he was eating so we got out of the car to see if we could get a pic or two him. But he probably scented us before we got to take a pic so he fled into the bushes. We went to were we could see him and actually got a picture of him( shown at bottom)!!!After he fled to where we couldn't see him anymore we thought we should feed him.  But more surprises were there. His food bowl was taken by a different animal(probably)!! We thought that was why Stripey was there anyway, to look for his food bowl!! So we just got a new bowl and fed him in that and hoped that the animal or thing that took his food bowl didn't come back for more food. Stripey is grayish with dark black stripes and a white chest/belly. And that was my first time seeing Stripey!!

This is a very zoomed-in picture of Stripey. He was in a forest like area of the neighboring property. 

Going to Lovelace!!!--Izzy

Going to Lovelace!!

Izzy

6.20.18

     Hello everybody! Today was our first time going to Lovelace all together. We went in the afternoon, and it wasn't that hot. Ethan and I brought some bread to feed the geese and ducks. The geese and ducks came running up to us when they saw we had food. They must've not eaten in a while because they gobbled up that bread really quickly. Some of the geese even ate the bread out of our hands! Momo and Jiji were walking around the park, so Ethan and I played soccer on the grass. We didn't go onto the field, but played on some other grass near the pond, and used 2 trees as the goal. Momo and Jiji left in the car and Ethan and I stayed a little bit longer. The weather was so nice!

This is me and Ethan throwing the bread for the geese to enjoy!

Tennis Camp--the Second Day!--Izzy

Tennis Camp--The Second Day!

Izzy

6.19.18

     Today was our second day of tennis camp. Mom drove me and Ethan there because it looked like it might rain. Right as camp was about to start, it started to pour!!! We grabbed our stuff and ran under the pavilion things to get out of the rain. It started to come down pretty fast, so we were all pretty wet. We stayed under there for about an hour (even though the rain had stopped) because the courts were still wet. One of the coaches went to squeegee 2 of them off. We did some trivia and just talked. When the courts were dry enough, we played a few games of "jail". Jail is a game where we get one ball and have to hit it over, and if we don't, we have to go to the other side and catch someone else's ball. If someone catches your ball, the coach can try to hit them with a ball as they run over, and if they make it without getting hit, they get another chance. The last person standing is the winner. Ethan and I have had a great time so far, and have made a few friends. After tennis camp is over, we walk home and enjoy the rest of our day.  

Going To Chicago(and H-Mart)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Going To Chicago(and H-Mart)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Ethan V.

6-19-18

     Today we went into Chicago because Jiji had a medical appointment. It took us about an hour to get there but I actually thought it would it would be longer than an hour.  So we brought some books that we were reading and our journals and some snacks. I read a little of my warriors book but the Ellen show was on so I had to watch it. The 1:00 appointment was canceled so we did an appointment at 3:20  but were re-scheduling Jiji's MRI  for later. So when we left we were going to H-Mart to pick up some groceries. We got stuff like rice, miso soup, mochi, rice crackers, and ozchasuke. The thing that surprised me the most though was he eels. They were just sitting there in water. They were actually ALIVE!!! And that was my first time in H-Mart and like my fifth time in Chicago.

This is not actually what the eels looked like, but we thought it was funny. ;)

Feeding Stripey!

Feeding Stripey!

Izzy

6.18.18

     There is a feral cat that comes over to one of the neighbors' house and we are helping them leave out the food because they are gone. The cat is known as Stripey, but we haven't actually seen him yet. We leave some dry food and wet food out, along with some water, and it is always gone the next day. We are worried about the cat because we have heard the coyotes that live in the plant nursery across the street. I have actually seen one from the upstairs window. 

Me(scooping out wet food) and Ethan feeding Stripey!

 

Koubou Coming Home!!!!

Koubou Coming Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: EthanV

6-18-18

     Today was a very special day. It's my Mom's  birthday and the day Koubou came home!!! Sorry mom but I'm focusing on Koubou today. So first we picked him up from the vets office. Right before then we had set up the bathroom for him. The people at the shelter said to keep him in a confined space and the best place is the bathroom so that's why.  He was very curious when we let him in the bathroom the first time He was sniffing EVERYTHING!! He even jumped up on the counter and it was the same when we let him go around the upstairs. In the bathroom we gave some toys which he didn't play with and we also gave hime food, which he absolutely LOVED!! He also had water, a litter box,  a scratcher, a pillow for a bed, and a blanket. I played with him a lot but he was so tired he didn't wan't to play. But after a lot of naps he got a little more energetic. We eventually brought all his stuff to our room and him. So that was Koubou's first night in Evanston.

Our Fourth Day--Tennis Camp and Koubou Coming Home!--Izzy

     Our Fourth Day--Tennis Camp and Koubou Coming Home!

Izzy 

6.18.18

  (Koubou is pronounced ko-bo😁)   

     Today was Mom's birthday. Happy birthday Mom! It was also our first day of tennis camp and we got to bring Koubou home. Our tennis camp is at Lovelace park. Today was very exciting and fun.

     Momo woke us up and we got dressed. We had breakfast, and then put sunscreen and bug repellent on. Momo walked with us to Lovelace, and we arrived really early. We had 20 minutes to hang out before camp started. When camp started, we hit a ball around for a little bit and then did some drills. We took a break and went to the playground. Afterwards, we got to sit in the shade, eat a snack, and do some trivia. If we got a question right, we would get a starburst. I got one and so did Ethan. We played a few more games and then walked home. We had 5 coaches,  1 of which was just here in the morning, and then 2 other coaches came after we had played at the park. 

     When Ethan and I got home, we had lunch and then went to get Koubou from the vet. The vet was in Skokie, so we drove. We brought him back and put him in Momo and Jiji's bathroom, as the shelter had told us to. They said we should leave him in a confined space but leave the door open when we are home so he can explore. If we just let him roam free, he be freaked out and want to hide. We let him roam around, and we found out he is a very curious cat. He jumped up on the bathroom counter, roamed around the top floor, and liked sleeping on Momo and Jiji's bed. We played with hi the whole afternoon, and also had our Japanese lesson. We had dinner and are enjoying our evening.

Koubou sleeping on Momo and Jiji's bed!

Me and Koubou.

Third day--a new cat and exercise!

            Our Third Day--Getting a New Cat and Exercising! 

Izzy Villanueva

6.17.18

Me with Lala!

     Happy Father's Day! Today we got a new cat, exercised with Jiji, and more! Ethan and I exercised with Jiji. We played some ping pong in the living room without a table and did arm, foot, and lifting exercises. Then we drove to Orphans of the Storm and went into the cat wing. We were in a separate room where a bunch of cats were, waiting to being adopted. We picked out a cat named Google, and you can find out more about him and the experience on Ethan's blog post. We changed his name to Koubou, and he is named after the Japanese monk who spread Buddhism throughout Japan because Jiji thought Koubou was a Buddhist cat from the way he slept. I had a nice, friendly, one-eyed cat named Lala, who enjoyed sitting on my lap. Jiji treated us to lunch at Ridgeview in Wilmette. Ethan and I had crepes, and they were so oishii(delicious in Japanese)!!! Then Ethan and I cleaned out some of Koubou's things, like his litter box, travel carrier, and food bowls. We fed Stripey, the feral cat and then had leftovers for dinner. 

Me and Ethan with Lala, the one-eyed cat!

Momo and Jiji's New Cat: Google(Kobo)

Momo And Jiji's New Cat: Google(Kobo)

By: Ethan V

6-17-18

     Today we went to a shelter called Orphans Of The Storm to get Momo and Jiji a new cat and we came up successful!We  found a cat named Google and we renamed him Kobo. Find out how we renamed Google Kobo in Izzy's post if you want to. So anyway he is a white cat with orange splotches. He is very friendly and when we walked into the room he was in, he ran right up to us.He is very cute and gentle. Also Jiji called him a buddhist cat because of the way he sleeps!! the cat that I wanted the most was a cat named Cooper. He was a GIANT white cat with different colored eyes which I thought was very cool about him.  But Cooper was to old so we didn't get him. Sorry, I don't have a pic of Cooper but look below for a pic of Google, the cat we adopted.

Our Second Day in Evanston!--Izzy

Our Second Day in Evanston!

Izzy Villanueva

6.16.18

     Today was hot and humid. All day we prepared for Jiji's homecoming celebration. Ethan and I played on the Wii for a while when Mom was cooking. Sachi came over and we just enjoyed talking and hanging out. When all of the neighbors came over, I helped watch the babies. There was delicious food and lots of variety. Mom and I went to Old Navy after the gathering to get some tank tops for tennis camp. When we got back, Mom, Ethan, and I walked to Lovelace and played a little tennis. We didn't stay long because it was hot and the mosquitoes were eating mom alive! We came back home and wrote in our journals and wrote on the blog. It was a great day!!!

Jiji when he came home!

Jiji's Homecoming Party!!!

    Jiji's Homecoming Party!

By Ethan V.
6-16-18

     Today in the afternoon we had a party for Jiji's homecoming. A lot of Momo and Jiji's neighbors were there from about 2 streets and about 15 people were there which 6 of were kids.  All the food was in the dining room and there was stuff like sushi, cookies, different types of cheese, crackers and some desserts and salads. Izzy and I babysat Tommy and Hannah, the twins of Momo and Jiji's next door neighbors Matt and Stephanie. We played outside a little with them but it was very hot and they wanted to be with their parents inside. I had 2 servings of sushi and it was VERY good.

First Day of Evanston Trip 2018!--Izzy

First Day of Evanston Trip 2018!

Izzy Villanueva

6.15.18

     Today we arrived in Evanston at about 4:00 AM. We took a Lyft back to Momo and Jiji's house and took naps when we arrived. We had breakfast and then went out to run some errands. Mom, Ethan, and I went to Barnes & Noble,  Dick's Sporting Goods, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Jewel. We got some books, tennis rackets, a basket ball, 2 bath bombs, and some groceries. We went back to Momo and Jiji's house and ate lunch. Ethan and I tried Jiji's chairlift and it was fun. It's like a very slow carnival ride on the stairs. Ethan and I had our first Japanese lesson and learned part of a song.

     Later, we all went to look for a new cat at the Evanston Animal Shelter. Sadly, we didn't find one that was the right age and had the perfect personality. We are planning to go on Sunday to Orphans of the Storm to look for a cat. We had Chicago style pizza for dinner, and it was great-as always! Mom and I made chocolate chunk cookies. That was the end of our day!

Special Note: There was lots of cotton in the air because the cotton trees are blooming! You can find it anywhere--on the grass, in trees, or floating through the air!

Me and Ethan holding some cotton!

  

My First Day In Evanston Summer 2018

                           My First Day In Evanston In                                            Summer 2018

By Ethan V

6-15-18

     Today was my first day in Evanston, Illinois with my grandparents Momo and Jiji. My sister, my mom and I took a redeye to Evanston. We got in at about 4:05 a.m. It was FREEZING in the airport.  We took a Lyft back to Momo and Jiji's house. When we got there I took a nap.

     When I woke up, I went downstairs to eat breakfast. After breakfast we had a Japanese lesson with Jiji. We learned 4 lines to a song in Japanese and before our two weeks are done in Evanston, we will hopefully know the whole song. After the Japanese lesson we went on a big shopping run.

     The first store we went to was Barnes and Noble bookstore. Izzy ended up getting a book called "A World Below" and I got two Warriors ( Fiction series about cats) books and a cat named Socks from a Japanese ipad game called Neko Atsume, which means gather the cats.

This is me holding socks the cat and my two warriors books.

     After Barnes and Noble we went to Dicks sporting goods. I got a tennis racket for my tennis camp and a basketball for basketball. When we got home we got right back in the car and went to the Evanston animal shelter to look for a cat  for Momo and Jiji but we ended leaving empty handed sadly but we are going to look for a cat at a different shelter on sunday. For dinner we had pizza and that was my first day in Evanston summer 2018.