July 18, 2008
July 14, 2008
Sticky Summer
Summer is here. It's hot, sticky, and even J ran the AC during M's reading lessons. He's asking for popsicles.
And school is out on Friday. I know in the states everyone has been out for ages. But what do I do? I have to find a new pool for starters. And I have to pack, lest we forget move day is 3 weeks away.
So here's the plan:
*We have a 3-4 day trip planned for next week. Mountains. Hiking. Not camping. Should be good.
*Free AC at the Jidokan (children's center)-I can send M when she's bored. And G and I can play there, too.
*Trip to Costco for tortillas and Hokkaido softcreme. Seriously. That's all we're going to buy. AC on the train, bus and in the store. Softcreme is only 250 yen. Bargain. Jesse has bean burritos every day in August.
*G wants to go to the zoo again, to see if Ling Ling has been resurrected. She's "heard" that he's not dead anymore. Downside is that zoo does not have a/c, will be totally crowded, and seems miserable to me. Upside is that it's close to Nippori where I can get kirakira crocs for M and see if there's any new summer material.
*Invite ourselves over to other ex-pats homes where their company pays the electricity. Playdate anyone?
And school is out on Friday. I know in the states everyone has been out for ages. But what do I do? I have to find a new pool for starters. And I have to pack, lest we forget move day is 3 weeks away.
So here's the plan:
*We have a 3-4 day trip planned for next week. Mountains. Hiking. Not camping. Should be good.
*Free AC at the Jidokan (children's center)-I can send M when she's bored. And G and I can play there, too.
*Trip to Costco for tortillas and Hokkaido softcreme. Seriously. That's all we're going to buy. AC on the train, bus and in the store. Softcreme is only 250 yen. Bargain. Jesse has bean burritos every day in August.
*G wants to go to the zoo again, to see if Ling Ling has been resurrected. She's "heard" that he's not dead anymore. Downside is that zoo does not have a/c, will be totally crowded, and seems miserable to me. Upside is that it's close to Nippori where I can get kirakira crocs for M and see if there's any new summer material.
*Invite ourselves over to other ex-pats homes where their company pays the electricity. Playdate anyone?
Proper Hiking Attire
Sunglasses?
Check.
Knee socks?
Check.
Pareo/Cape?
Check.
Swimsuit?
Check.
Ready to go hiking?
Check.
Check.
Knee socks?
Check.
Pareo/Cape?
Check.
Swimsuit?
Check.
Ready to go hiking?
Check.
July 11, 2008
Sisters
As much as they drive me crazy with their individual issues (chewing on hair, whining, 20 minutes to put on shoes, etc), I'm very happy to have my girls. I'm grateful that they have each other now and for the future.When Miriam came early in our marriage (nothing like celebrating your first anniversary and running home to nurse your 2 month old baby), I was a little sad that I missed out on having those honeymoon years. Hindsight being 20/20, we were incredibly lucky. Who knew that all babies don't come as easily? Not me.
We got our G three years later. And they are a pair. Their personalities are night and day, literally. G wakes up with a smile and M with a scowl. But they couldn't be better friends. M, being one of the nicest people I know, has patience, empathy, and kindness to make her the best big sister anyone could have. Even when G was little, M took great care of her. She never showed jealousy.
Little G adores her older sister. She may never realize how kind her sister is to her. But I hope she does.
And since it looks like these two might only have each other for awhile, I feel intense gratitude. Grateful that they are friends. Grateful that big sister takes her role so seriously. Grateful for my two girls.
Nippori
I've been feeling a little down over here. Most of my friends have left for the summer, I look at the apartment and all I want to do is pack it all up, but we're not leaving that soon. It's hot. I've been to tons of museums, temples, parks, even done a fair amount of shopping. But when I looked at my calendar, I realized I hadn't made it to Nippori, the fabric district.
So, with little G in hand yesterday, I made a trip over to Tomato. I've done a bit of fabric shopping, but not at a store so large. It was actually a problem for me because I was so overwhelmed by the selection. But for all the hype, Okadaya has more kawaii fabrics in my opinion. But Tomato had more oil cloth. Yum. So here's what I got
Close up of the mushrooms and squirrel fabric.
I also found a cool store called Lemon. It's on the same street as Tomato. It has all sorts of kids clothes and youchien supplies like seat cushions, room shoes, etc. I wanted to look at their clothes, but G wasn't in the mood. I did find these awesome jelly crocs for G. I wasn't sure if the large size would fit M, so I didn't buy them for her. Big mistake. She's been whining ever since. I have to figure out a way to get back there, though it's a bit of a trek.
There were some other stores that appeared to have a large selection of Engrish shirts. Cheap, too. Unfortunately, I've noticed that they don't carry American sizes. So if you're bigger than Jesse, you're out of luck.
Aah. Retail therapy. It's good to remember your purpose (bring a little Japan home with you).
So, with little G in hand yesterday, I made a trip over to Tomato. I've done a bit of fabric shopping, but not at a store so large. It was actually a problem for me because I was so overwhelmed by the selection. But for all the hype, Okadaya has more kawaii fabrics in my opinion. But Tomato had more oil cloth. Yum. So here's what I got
Close up of the mushrooms and squirrel fabric.
I also found a cool store called Lemon. It's on the same street as Tomato. It has all sorts of kids clothes and youchien supplies like seat cushions, room shoes, etc. I wanted to look at their clothes, but G wasn't in the mood. I did find these awesome jelly crocs for G. I wasn't sure if the large size would fit M, so I didn't buy them for her. Big mistake. She's been whining ever since. I have to figure out a way to get back there, though it's a bit of a trek.
There were some other stores that appeared to have a large selection of Engrish shirts. Cheap, too. Unfortunately, I've noticed that they don't carry American sizes. So if you're bigger than Jesse, you're out of luck. Aah. Retail therapy. It's good to remember your purpose (bring a little Japan home with you).
Friday Fun
How did I forget to post this picture? Giant beetle near Kappobashi. I wish this was on my balcony.
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