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Family Date VI

The first month of 2007 has been pretty good to us. I managed to get a couple of jobs, and some teaching experience, under my belt. Kotomi is finding there is more to Canadian life than changing dirty diapers, and Max's teething is so trouble-free, I think he has decided to just go ahead and sprout them all at once.

Things have been so good that we decided to take a day off and go on a Family Date. Sorry, the date ends with this entry... you need to go back a few to the beginning.

Family Date V

Mama and Max stop for a chilly photo session along the Seawall.

Family Date IV

Had to give a shout out to all this crazy fog we have been getting lately.

Samui ne...

Rakko meets Itazura ko. HAHAHAHAHA!!!! It keeps getting funnier everytime I say it!!! HAHAHAHA!!!..... sorry, I guess you need to speak Japanese to understand... even if you did speak Japanese, I would give the chances of getting that joke at about 35%.

Family Date III

I hear other parents already have their kids on a 3 year waiting list to get into the most prestigious Fishbowl Immersion programs.

Family Date II

After the plane crash, we stopped by Uncle Dave's store (www.second-wave.ca) for lunch and some shopping. After that, off to the Aquarium!!! For Max, the stars of the show weren't the Belugas, but these gooey little critters.

Family Date

What better way to start a family date (and it's my fault we haven't had one in a while) than to view the scorched, twisted remains of a horrific plane crash on Spanish Banks... that's right, a plane crash. You didn't hear about that?

Christmas Carnage

My house was the target of a road-side bomb of presents.

Christmas 2006

For Kotomi and I, this last year has felt like three. We lived in Toda, Aomori, then Vancouver. Just for good measure, why not throw in a BABY too? Max has made this year the best for both of us, and I hope his Genki-ness, and all our health continue into the coming year. It truly is a wonderful thing when all you wish for are the things you already have.

Thank you to all our Friends and Family in Japan and Canada; we could not have made our Big Move without your help. Kotomi, Max and I are looking forward to a warm spring, and whether you are near or far, Max hopes we can all play in the sunshine real soon. Happy Holidays, Everyone. We wish you Health and Happiness, and we will be thinking of you this week.

Love,

Scott, Kotomi and Max

Think What You Will...

If I say that this is an awesome picture, you will call me a Monster. If I say it is terrible, you will call me a Liar. There is no winning here, but you have to admit, the boy sure looks cute.

Notice of Change

Hey Y'all,

You might have noticed that the format has changed. New colors, new graphics, same old goofy Pike family fun.

As most of you already know, I am very creative and very lazy; I like to use different kinds of colors, pictures and fonts in my entries. Unfortunately, you can't see some of my entries because the old text colors are too light for the new blog color scheme, and I am too lazy to go back and change all those entries. If you have trouble seeing the text, what you can do is left-click and drag over where you think the text is. The text will get highlighted and you can see it. Let's give it a try with the Christmas Shopping list for my family. This year, I got everyone the following:

Dad - Chef's knife and frying pan.
Mom - Swarovski Crystal
Bryant - Framed the print we gave him LAST Christmas.
Grandad - Dried Squid (really.... he DOES like it)
Max - Roughly 1/4 of EVERYTHING Toys 'R' Us has in stock.
Kotomi - Bra and Panty set (from Santa) ;-)

There, how did you do? Good, now off you go!!

Scott

Letter From Canada . . .

. . . "HELP! WE ARE FREEZING! 20 centimeters of snow this weekend! Send blankets or warm clothing! Miso Ramen and Chanko Nabe also appreciated!! You can send Oden, but only the eggs and sliced daikon. Whatever you do, don't send the konyaku, cuz there is no winter cold enough to make me eat that... gross!"

Got Milk?

Ah Goooood!!!

Superman Learns to Fly. . .

AND HE LOVES IT ! ! !

Yet Another First...

He still tips over more times than his Daddy on New Year's Eve, but it is a fine start.

November 11, 2006

Remembrance Day has never meant more to me than it has this year. To all those who have fought and died to keep a face like this smiling, you have my everlasting gratitude. Thank you.

Triplets Seperated at Birth ?!?!?!

Amazing!! These three Pop-Culture Demigods possess almost the exact same innate ability to strip the average consumer of their money. While they are from three separate races, I INSIST that they are siblings and have been separated at birth!! How else could they come up with such clever marketing strategies as these:

- One brother changes existing product graphics and designs (not his own) in the smallest way that would evade trademark infringement lawsuits.

- One brother is a phenom at changing HIS OWN existing products and convincing his customer base that they need to buy EVERY update (hey, that sounds familiar... maybe the father is working at Microsoft?)

- One brother just tells his loyal fan base that he is retiring and won't be putting out any new product. (Wasn't it only, like, two months?) Later, his own ego inflates the out-of-retirement hype like he was battling back from a fight with some terminal illness.

Maybe that is what makes these three great in the first place; how easily they have taken our money. Lord knows I have given my share to at least one of these Pop Peddlers. Normally I would be happy to just sit and fill this Blog with pictures of my family, but in being at the age when I am, like it or not, graduating from the world that helped define me for thirty years, I felt that if I had learned anything from all that wanting and spending, I had to say it. Now if you will excuse me, I have to line up for my new PS3....... :-) just kidding(?)

Happy Halloween 2006 ! ! !

A belated Happy Halloween to everyone!! This year's festivities were such a cheerful change from last year's nightmare (you may remember it, my wife was possessed by the puking, gurgling demon of Morning Sickness). This year, Maxwell was dressed up in his little Fire Devil wig - with a gallon of drool for good measure - and while the weather was chilly, we are pretty sure he enjoyed his first trick or treating experience. Actually, the people who were at the houses we trick-or-treated at kept asking whether the candy was for Kotomi and I, or for him. Hahahaha.. smart-asses.