The Baynhams

Today was a very exciting day. A parcel arrived from Okinowa in Japan, via the US postal service. It was from Carrie, a fellow blogger that I have got to know over the last year through her blog and emails. Carrie is an American Navy wife and is based in Japan at the moment. She asked a question on her blog recently and promised whoever could answer it that she would send them a Japanese parcel of goodies. I nearly pushed Sian off the computer chair in my rush to get to the keyboard! Sian helped me to re-read Carries recent blog posts until we thought we had the right info. I commented and then waited in gleeful anticipation to see if I had won. I had been in such a rush Carrie had to email me back telling me that I had miss-read her question and had only answered one of two things. Another push-Sian-off-the-chair and I found the missing info, re-commented and screamed the house down when I got Carries reply that we had won!

And so today's parcel arrival was much awaited and anticipated. I had the dilemma of whether to tear it open straight away or whether to wait for the kids to get home from school to share in the fun. I posted on Facebook that I was waiting and had friends commenting, tempting me to just get on with it. I resisted and so at 6.30pm we all came in the door from swimming and the chaos began. It was like Japanese Santa had arrived. The box exploded open with bizarre and beautiful things being grabbed out by the kids amongst squeals and ooohs and aggghhhs. There were fruit chewy sweets, ninja and super hero masks! Miniature rubber foods like sushi rolls, cakes and fruits, origami papers with the most complicated instructions in Japanese (?!) Sian has already managed to interpret them and has made a giraffe! There were weird and wonderful foods too. Asparagus flavoured chips, crab pizza crisps, a bag of almonds and dried salted fish mixture (bllllleeeurggghhhh!) I couldn't stand the smell but Byron and Sian wolfed them down! There were sets of chopsticks chosen individually for each of us with cute pictures on them and special little clear containers for each person to store them in. I even got a great t-shirt with funny Japanese/English translations about living a healthy life and to feeling the "Good Viblations" !

I'm exhausted just typing this all out. I have no idea how much effort Carrie must have gone to gathering all these treats for us and how she managed to fit them into one box is beyond me. We are totally Japanesed out tonight. The kids are all asking for a Japanese meal tomorrow night so they can try out their new chopsticks! I better go check Sians school lunchbox and make sure she's not bringing in any of those smelly dried fish to scare her friends.

Thank you so much Carrie. The kids have gone to bed happy and talking about the really generous American lady and how she must have spent at least a thousand dollars on all the lovely treats! You really have made our day!