Our last "Family Day" as a family of 5

It was supposed to be in celebration of my birthday - a trip to the city nearish us with the 3 (at home) kids, DH and me. It started off ok - but ok as in the ok we had gotten used to over the past weeks or so. There was always a strained, quiet tension among us in the last few weeks of DD2 living with us.

We did make the best with what we had to work with but it always seemed more like work than "family time".

First stop. Booster Juice for a delish Triple Berry Smoothie. Bought for me by DD2 as my birthday present.


After a bit of shopping we were ALL starving and headed to the food court to please our multi-craving tummies.


These two got pieces of pizzas; look at that! It was bigger than their heads!

DH and I got Sukiaki Beef...mmm, it looks so delicious I wish it weren't a 2hour drive to get some (or that I had the ingredients for the sauce at home). I ate this meal everyday at lunch in my Senior year as I had my lunch break to get from one school to another for my one class.
DD2 got Subway {Eat Fresh}.

DS3's new drumsticks! He is starting drum lessons next Monday. He had wanted orange but this is as close as we could get. He has always been a drummer; it's in his blood. At 2 years old he grabbed hold of a couple forks and started clinking away on all of our water glasses, discovering the different noises and created himself a beat.

As coordinated as he is with drumsticks, chopsticks are still needing a little work...

ok, a LOT of work! At least he tries. Both of the younger kids try very hard to be able to eat with chopsticks just like mom and dad.

DD4 LOVES anything Asian; we have very good Asian friends (including the girl who is getting married next Saturday). Plus they were learning Japanese in school last year. DD4 came home from school the one day and said, "I think I'm turning Japanese."

To which my brain immediately began to spew that fabulous song from The Vapors