Please Pass the Tissue

For nearly a week and a half we have been suffering allergies like never before. We've gone through two boxes of tissue! It started with Noah having a stuffy nose, the next day I got it...then James; Jonah was the only one who didn't seem to have symptoms. We started by taking Noah's Children's Claratin, then us grown ups went for the stronger stuff. It was like a meds cocktail! Antihistamines one day, Advil Cold & Sinus the next then it was Robitussin cough & cold syrup . ANYTHING! I found out that this time of year there is an increase of hay fever in the area. I figure being so close to the ocean the air would be cleaner -- it is really nice when we're down at the beach...but when the wind starts to pick up, all the stuff from all the trees and wildflowers and natural growth just gets swirlled around...and we suffer! I think I got it worse because, for obvious reasons, I rest the least of everyone. I went and got an expectorant cough syrup and I layed on the Vick's Vapo Rub thick! I think we're getting over it...Noah seems to be symptom free, James is getting there and my cough seems to be less annoying.

Recently we've been missing sushi! (Ok, specifically anything from Ichiban!) We've seen a number of Japanese places around but they look expensive and not "family/kid friendly." On the way back from a daytrip to Santa Cruz we stumbled on a place called Sushi on the Run. It was more like "Sushi from a shack on the side of a hill." As we were driving down the highway we took the first exit that had the highway sign for gas, food, and lodging. I thought we'd quickly find a McDonalds...no such luck in Aptos. We turned into the first strip mall but it looked pretty deserted. There was a Chinese restaurant, I think it was called "Uncle Kwoks" but we didnt' see any diners in there. As we were turning out of the parking lot, James saw a sign for sushi across the street. It was a small shack. (I think our garage at home is bigger.) It also didn't look like anyone was in there. I told James to go in and I'd stay in the car with the boys. He went in, came back out and said there were a few tables inside. We all went in. On the way in I saw wooden stairs along the side of the shack going down somewhere...I told Noah if he had to use the bathroom I think it's outside and downstairs (on the side of the hill.) Once inside, the four of us became the "crowd"...but soon three more people wandered in. The two boxes of California Roll we grabbed each included a "rice pillow." (The sweet sushi rice stuffed in a tofu skin.) Noah ate everything in his box! Jonah, as usual, ate a bowl of rice.

The next sushi place we found was called Crystal Fish. It's near the heart of Monterey. Ironically we went there after a visit to the aquarium...We got there close to the end of the lunch hour. As we were almost finished eating, two little Japanese girls -- just a little older than Noah -- and their mom arrived; they were the owner's family. The girls were so cute, helping their mom prepare the dining room for the dinner hours by putting napkins and utensil on the tables. Family friendly restaurant. We've eaten from there twice now.

Last week we got Korean food. We kept it really simple: jap chae, bi bim bop, and Korean sushi rolls, which Noah ate nearly every piece. (I'm just waiting for the day Jonah's picky eating stage is over...I want him to enjoy eating a variety of food. For now he sticks to rice and pastas.) I just LOVE the side dishes. Spicy, sweet, tart...Maybe my senses were dulled by the allergies (and meds) but that kim chee was just so yummy!!!

On an exciting note I figured out how to make a sushi "casserole" at home; just layer all the ingredients for California Roll in a dish. I found a simple recipe by Food Network's Tyler Florence, on how to prep the sushi rice.

We recently got a visit from some good friends from home. It's not that we feel lonely here; James' classmates are really nice. We've met people from nearly every branch of the military as well as military people from other countries; Noah has his peeps at pre-K; and Jonah even has his little group of friends at Mommy & Me class. But nothing beats friends and family from home. I still feel a strong connection to home. I know we won't really be able to call it home for the next few years, but it's good to know it's there. I doubt if I'll ever be able to give up San Diego. There are just too many good things there!