伊太利亜Italy

円高の波に乗って、ちまちま貯めたお金をはたいて

イアンのお母さんの生まれ故郷、イタリアへ行ってきました。

Since the economy has gone down, Japanese "Yen" has become rather strong.
So we decided to go and visit Ian's mother's birth place--Italy.
２月２２日朝出発 倉吉-大阪なんば:バス4時間

　　　　　 大阪なんば-関空:バス1時間

　　　　　　　 関空-香港:飛行機4時間

　　　　　　　 香港-ローマ:飛行機13.5時間

　　　　　 ローマ-ホテル：電車+徒歩1.5時間

計24時間+3時間(待ち時間)＝27時間!!!　長っ!!

2/22 morning Kurayoshi-Namba(Osaka):4hrs bus

Namba(Osaka)-KIX(airport):1hr bus

KIX-HongKong:4hrs flight

HongKong-Roma:13.5hrs flight

Roma-Hotel:1.5hrs train+walk

Total 24hrs+3hrs(waiting time)=27HOURS!!!

やっと着いたイタリア最初はバチカン美術館

27時間の移動中ずーっといい子にしていたショーン君ですが、ここではもう限界？ぐずりだしました。が、さすがのイタリア人。赤ちゃん大好き。警備員の人を始めに殆ど会った人全てがショーン君に話しかけたりあやしてみたり・・正直助かりました。イタリア人ってこんなに温かい国民なんだぁ。と感動！

The first place we visited in Italy was the Vatican Museum.

Sean, who was being a good boy for the last 27hrs, seemed like he was reaching his limit, and started fussing. But in Italy, people are just obsessed with babies. Almost eveyone we saw there, even the guards at the Vatican, would come and talk to or play with Sean! It was really helpful.
We were so touched by the way they treated us.



24日はイアンのお母さんの生まれ故郷、フィレンツェへ
とても美しい街で、また感動
殆ど全てが歩いて行ける距離にあったので、小さい街が好きな私にとってはとても馴染み易い街でした

We entered Firenze on the 24th, where Ian's mother was born.

It was a BEAUTIFUL city. We were impressed.

Most of the famous places that we visited were within walking distance, so it made me feel at home because my hometown of Hiroshima is the same way.

お母さんが洗礼を受けたデュオモ前にて In front of Duomo where mother was baptized

２５日　朝のフィレンツェを散歩 Taking a morning walk in Firenze on the 25th.

待ちに待ったおじいちゃんとの初対面。おじいちゃんの奥さんがショーン君に新しい友達をプレゼントしてくれました。

Finally, we got to meet Ian's grandfather for the first time. His wife got a new "playmate" for Sean. It was so thoughtful of her. I was very touched.

左から、イアンの叔母さん、おじいさん、奥さん。レストランに連れて行ってもらい、ランチをしました。とてもよい時間を過ごさせてもらい、私たちにとって特別な時間となりました。今回の旅のクライマックスでした。

From the left, Ian's aunt (Ilaria) , Grandfather (Franco), and his wife (Joyce).They took us to a nice restaurant and had lunch with us. We will never forget the wonderful time we spent with all of them. I have to say that was the highlight of our trip.

おじいちゃんがショーン君を笑わせているところ。曾おじいちゃんとの写真なんて・・貴重な写真です。
Here is Grandpa Franco making Sean laugh. A picture with his great grandfather.. what a treaure this will be for Sean someday!

27日　シチリア島に行く予定でしたが、疲労困憊　結局最終日はローマでのんびり
On the 27th, we were planning to go to Sicily, but were too tired so we ended up staying in Rome for our last day.

コロッセオの中身　Inside of the Colloseum

フォロ・ロマーノ遺跡にて　

こんな遺跡も？！　a new Artifact?!

映画Movie

「２歳まではテレビとか映画とか見せない方がいいですよ」

と病院の先生に言われたのですが・・

ちょっとだけ～

A doctor told us "It's better for Parents to not let their children watch TV or Movie until they get two years old".

But our little one cheated a little bit..

静止Stillness

最近、ショーンを泣き止ませるもう一つの方法を発見。
We found another way of making Sean be still when he cries.

お揃いMatching Clothings

今日は教会に母子お揃いのボトムスで行きました　ふふふ

まぁ、私が勝手に喜んでいただけですけどね～

こうして見るとショーンが成長したのがよく分かる気がするのは私だけ？

Today we had Mom and Son matching bottoms for church:)

Well, I guess I was the only one who was　excited about this. haha

I think in this picture, you can easily tell that Sean got bigger... or is it only me who thinks so?

呉 Kure

今日は最近退院した呉の祖母の家を訪問
叔母と叔父も来てくれ、楽しい一時を過ごしました

呉の名物（びっくり饅頭、冷麺、フライケーキ）も食べ歩きなつかしく私と妹は楽しみました
が・・

誰かは迷惑そうでした・・四六時中不機嫌・・

We went and visited my grandma who just came back from the hospital in Kure.

My aunt and her husband also came over and had a good time.

My sister and I went out to downtown Kure and had some great food that we always get whenever we go down there.

So, we had a lot of fun...

...except someone else didn't feel the same way..

He wan't too happy for most of the day..

おもちゃ Toy

教会でお馴染みのマルチネス家より頂いた歩行器
ちょっと早いけど乗せてみよう
と、乗せてみたところ
意外と気に入った様子
でもまだ生後３ヶ月

Our good family friend, The Martins gave us a new toy for Sean.

We thought Sean might be a little bit too small for this but we had him try anyway.

It seemed like he really liked it,

but he is still only three months old ..

新しい友達 New Friend

ショーン君はお祖母ちゃんに新しい友達を購入していただきました

友達と行っても

本当はショーン君が背負うリュックのはず・・

今はまだ、横に並んで肩組まれています

My mom got a new friend for Sean.

This "new friend" was originally supposed to be his back-pack, but since Sean can't carry him now, he just sits down and puts his arm around him.

番人 A Guard

今日、居間にこたつの番人が・・

この「え？どしたん？」の表情

将来大物になりそうです　笑

We found a guard for our "kotatsu (a table with a heater attached)".

He had a "Do-you-have-a-problem?" kind of face for this picture. haha

流行popularity

最近ショーン君はよく・・手を食べます

というかなめまわします

汚いです

Lately, Sean started eating his own hands..

..or more like "sucking" them.

It's DIRTY!

お笑い Comedy

最近
イアンはショーン君の笑の壷？！を発見
でもカメラが近付くと・・
ご覧あれ・・

Lately
Ian found out a trick to make Sean laugh:)
But once Sean sensed the camera looking down on him,
well, check this out and see how he reacts!

熊 The Bear

私の叔母さんがショーン君にお祝いをくれました。

熊になれるんです！　フィット感抜群(笑)

ちなみにスタイは従姉妹の文ちゃんより

おばちゃん、文ちゃん、ありがとう

My aunt sent a gift for Sean.

It was a bear suit, which is so fitting for him:)

The bib is from my cousin Fumi, btw.

Thank you auntie and Fumi!

雪Snow

すごい雪が降りました

しかも一週間溶けませんでした・・さすが山陰地方

人生初の豪雪体験でした←さり気に嬉しかったりして・・笑

It snowed a LOT!

And it had been here for a week not melting at all.

That was my first "snow a lot" experience in my whole entire life. (I was actually really excited;))

笑顔 Smile

今日はアメリカのおばあちゃんから送ってもらったクリスマスプレゼントの服を着て、

嬉しかったのか？　私たちに笑わされただけか？ナイスな笑顔

We got a nice looking smile today.

Maybe he was too happy being able to put on grandma's Christmas gift, or we probably made him laugh.

　　　

最近よく笑うようになってきました

He started laughing a lot:)

写真 photo

今日は教会の帰りにお宮参り写真を撮りました←参ってない（笑）

さすがは田中家
ヘン顔撮影も許してしまった

そしてさすがの孫もヘン顔しております

On the way back from the church, we went to take photoes of "Omiyamairi" which means "visiting shrine for the first time as a baby".

We didn't actually vistit the shine but just took pictures as one of our tradittions.

As the Tanaka's always do, we let them take a funny face picture:)

Sean did make that face, too!

悟り Enlightenment

まだ２時間毎に授乳が必要なショーン君
私が行くところは何処でも連れていかなきゃいけません
この日はお母さんに付き合わされて、
お母さんの友達とお父さんと
初カフェデビュ～
しかし・・・
寝ていた　
というか　
悟り？を開いていました

お母さんの叔母さんにもらった熊が

ぴったりきてます　笑

Sean still has to get fed every two hours.

Therefore, I have to take him wherever I go.

Today, he had to come with his dad and mom

to meet mom's friends at a nice cafe' .

So that was supposed to be his first debut in a cafe'.

But..

He slept instead.

It was more like he was.. reaching enlightenment.

祝福 Blessing

今日は教会でショーン君の命名の儀式がありました

広島からは田中家、アメリカからはパパファーギ、また倉吉支部の教会の人々に温かく見守られる中、ショーン君はずっと静かにしてくれていました

そしてパパファーギはアメリカへ帰国

ありがとう、そして暫くの間、さようなら

Sean's baby blessing was held in the church today.

The Tanaka's from Hiroshima, Papa Fergie from America, and all the members from Kurayoshi perticipated.

Sean was being a good boy during the blessing.

Papa Fergie had to leave for America.

Thank you and good bye for a while.

中国China

我が家の近くに日本最大級の中国庭園があります
とはいっても　行った事がなかったので
今回は中国に長年住んでいたというイアンのお父さんがいるし、ということで
行ってみました

ショーン君
こうすれば中国人にも見えます　
まあ何でもアリです
The largest Chinese garden in Japan is located right in our neighborhood, called "En Cho En".
Since we had never been there, and Papa (who lived in China for so many years) was visiting us, we decided to go and check it out.

Sean looks like a chinese baby:)
He is flexible! haha

夜は明日の教会での祝福のために広島から来てくれた田中家と合流

中華料理をご馳走になりました！

The Tanaka's came over here from Hiroshima for tomorrow's blessing.

So we had Chinese dinner tonight!

クリスマス Christmas

　　

アメリカのおばあちゃんのナイスな計らいで

サンタになることができました
プレゼントも何がなんだか分からないまま？開けてみたようです（おじいちゃんが）笑

Sean was able to become a Santa

becaue of his Grandma's thoughtful gift.

He opened his present by not knowing what he was doing.(Maybe his Grandpa did it. haha)

３世代 3generations

初の３世代集合写真

The 1st picture of the 3generations.

　　

この日は回転すしを食べに行きました

ショーンさん、一人前に座っていらっしゃいました

We went out to have sushi.

Mr. Sean was sitting all by himself:)