Back to Japan!

Hi, everyone!
After we made apple pies at church, Grandma told me we were going to have another adventure before Election Day baking. I knew it was a big adventure on Tuesday, when Grandma and Grandpa started packing suitcases. Grandma helped me put on my lucky flying shirt — the one I forgot to wear the day our flight home from Hawaii was canceled! Wednesday morning, Joe-san drove us to the airport. I had time to spend in the airport play area before we flew to Washington, D.C. Then we got on a big plane to Tokyo! Grandma said our adventure was going to Japan to celebrate Bill-kun’s eighth birthday with him next week. There were lots of empty seats on this flight, and one of them was right next to Grandma. So I got my very own seat! I was a good little lion and kept my seat belt fastened all the time. The flight is VERY long, but I got to watch a Muppet movie for part of the time, and we ate two lunches and a breakfast! I could see how far we had to go on the GPS display, and that helped, too!

This time, when we got to Narita, we took a bus partway to Bill-kun and Karin-chan’s house, so we wouldn’t have to carry our suitcases between trains so many times. While we were waiting for the bus, guess what happened? A television crew asked to interview Grandma and Grandpa! They were from a national television show “Why Are You Visiting Japan?”. When they saw me, they wanted to know about me and the adventures I’ve had. I had a good time posing with them and promised them that I’d put them in my blog! It would be fun to see myself on television!

Bill-kun and Karin-chan’s daddy met us at Shin-Yurigaoka train station at the end of our bus ride. He helped carry the suitcases on the train to Haruhino, and Bill-kun and Karin-chan’s mommy picked us up at the station. We started from Grandma and Grandpa’s on Wednesday morning, and it was already Thursday evening when we got to Haruhino! It was almost time for Bill-kun and Karin-chan to go to bed! Bill-kun and I watched Karin-chan play a game on her smart phone, and then Bill-kun and Original Lion-san showed me a game they play on the iPad. Bill-kun and his mommy and daddy know about the “Why Are You Visiting Japan” show, so they were excited to hear about our interview.

Today is a school day for Bill-kun and Karin-chan. Karin-chan’s class is going to the sweet potato patch. That’s what Japanese children do instead of going to a pumpkin patch. She’s going to bring home the biggest sweet potato she can find, and Grandma and her mommy will have to figure out how to make something yummy with it! I’m having a quiet morning hanging out with the hitsuji-sans until everybody is home from school.

Bill-kun and Karin-chan’s mommy has planned another adventure for this weekend. We’re going to take the shinkansen (fast train) to Kyoto! Do you think we can find time to make another apple pie for Bill-kun’s birthday after we get back from that adventure?
Love,
Lion-san