Just Call Me Mama

My New Blog

2011-03-10T01:35:00.002+09:00

Come visit my new blog.......http://veggiemommact.blogspot.com/2011/03/idea.html

The end, almost..

2011-02-21T10:49:00.004+09:00

Signs of spring are here - if only minuscule. Seagulls - what they are doing in Connecticut I don't know, but I welcome their song after a most ridiculous winter. The sight of small patches of grass, emerging from under the piles of snow, black by now from the dirt of the traffic. The email from the CSA I have joined, letting me know they are starting up for the spring crops.

Having exhausted this space with life over the past few years, I have decided to take a different direction and this calls for a new blog. I will be retiring this one shortly and starting a new one, chronicling my experience with community based agriculture. With a new batch of vegetables each week, follow along as I attempt to feed my family, using the weeks take from the garden as my guide.

Stay posted......

Snow

2011-01-13T22:43:00.007+09:00

It fell....and fell.........and fell. Almost 24 hours continuously, covering everything, including the 15 or so inches already on the ground. Ariana and I were safely in the house. Arny was safely in the city, as he decided (and I agreed) that avoiding any kind of travel during and after would be a good thing.

We woke up to more snow than I had seen in a very long time. Things that just 24 hours earlier were visible were now lost in the mountains of pillowy white snow that covered everything. Our front walk was completely gone, as was the little bench in the backyard. I shoveled out a little path for Tess, but she just shook her head as if you say "are you nuts, I'm not going out there!"

After making muffins, coloring, playing games and a SKYPE phone call with Ryder, and with the driveway finally cleared, Ariana and I made our way down to the lake to take a walk. She climbed up the snow to clear our mailbox,

..which was completely buried. It was a smart move because a short while later the mailwoman came slowly down the street. A surprise awaited Ariana, the French postmarked let us know a letter had arrived from Violette and Ulysses..

Whenever I get frustrating not living in the city, I take a walk and remember why I am here. The quiet of a snow covered road, the bright red birds that fly out of nowhere , the pristine expanse that hides a lake - each day brings new sights and sounds. We walked to the beach, but of course couldn't get near the gate because of all the snow. We opted instead for a visit to a friends house, where a sophisticated sledding run awaiting us. Click on the arrow:

What joy!!!!

Here I am

2011-01-07T22:43:00.002+09:00

People had mentioned an absence of any new posts, but I hadn't realized it has been this long....so sorry. Honestly, I just wasn't in the writing mood. No special reason, just a self imposed break I guess.

As I sit here in the family room, it is snowing. School has been cancelled in anticipation of more than 6 inches. Ariana is happily taping up her artwork in the playroom downstairs. I'm sure she will either run out of wall space or tape before she runs out of art. She keeps everything and thinks it is all worthy of display. Some of it is quite nice, some are simply worksheets completed at school and some...well.....as she calls it, is simply scribble-scrabble.

Baba-san, who had already planned to work from home today is very pleased with his decision. He is on his computer now, after a quick trip outside to bring the garbage can up from the end of the driveway. The shovel is ready at the door for a quick clearing as it becomes necessary.

As I look out the window, I see Matt and John putting the finishing touches on the roof beams of our soon-to-be extension of the very room I am sitting in. We were lucky to find them, they are dedicated (you have to be to come out to work in the snow) and generally nice guys. They have done work in our house before and it is always good to find people you actually don't mind having in your house. We decided to take down the skanky screened in porch that we never used due to its skankiness. In it's place will be a window lined extension of our family room, which right now is one of those long narrow rooms that always seem slightly claustrophobic. Soon it will be wide and sun filled and lovely.

For those curious, I promise to post pictures......

The Party's Over....

2010-09-20T19:43:00.004+09:00

Actually, there were two of them. The first was for mostly long time family friends. We would include family, but neither of us has any family close by. So, people that I have known for years, in one case since I was 6, and others that I hope to, show up and eat and drink while the kids play. And play they did. The boys were mesmerized by the Star Wars Wii, complete with light sabers, that we bought Ariana (she is in a Star Wars phase). Jack, the oldest at 11, was an expert and Ariana looked on with admiration. I explained, like I do almost everything these days, that he is good because he practices (hint, hint, hint). The other big draw was the Bay Blades, a gift from her friend Ryder. They started playing the night before, as part of the birthday celebration was having a sleep over. Little tops that spin furiously, she got the hang of it right away.

The girls mostly occupied themselves outside with paddle balls and other hand held games.

They tried Whiffle Ball and had some success (we may have a softball player on our hands) and then ended up downstairs in the playroom. At the end, everyone enjoyed the cake, made by a former coworker who decided on a career change - a great move if you ask me.

On Wednesday, we had a school party for all the kids in her class down at the beach. Luckily, the weather cooperated, so while the kids were running around and making their little backpacks, the parents got to sit and chat. Since it is the beginning of school, it was nice to be able to meet the parents of the kids Ariana would be in class with.

So now we are home playing with all the gifts - other than the Potty Training Barbie complete with 3 little puppies that wee on a pad (I mean really, is this a life skill one has to learn from a doll), they are all fairly useful. Her love of crafts and games has made her forget about the "boy boys" for a little bit, as she sits creating a masterpiece with her new watercolor pens.

She has questioned why no one got her the StarWars Legos. I told her to ask Santa.

“Mommy, what if they bring me girl presents?”

2010-09-05T21:18:00.001+09:00

My daughter, while petite and delicate looking, prefers Stars Wars to Barbie. When given a choice, she will pick the blue, the black, the red over pink every time. About to turn 6, she has begun to face the disapproval. “Why do you play with boy toys?” she is asked at school. “Those shoes are for boys,” they say when she arrives wearing her Star Wars sneakers at camp.

Our policy for a long time has been that as long as she dresses herself, she can wear whatever she wants. That has led to some truly bazaar fashion choices, but so be it. I have learned from experience to take her shopping if I want to buy her clothes. Many times, after returning from a store where I thought I made a most appropriate choice, she would look at my purchase and exclaim "I don't like it". Thereafter, the offending item would hang limply in the closet, begging to be taken off the hanger. Now, she comes with me, and after the briefest visit to the girl section to search for things with cats (her latest thing), she heads to the boy’s section for t-shirts with pictures of trucks, dinosaurs and superheroes. Dresses are worn only when circumstance demands and are put on with not an ounce of enthusiasm. Last year, there was only one day, late in the school year, that she put on a dress on a weekday morning. I think it had something to do with her best friend, who was in a dress phase. We got an email from her teacher, exclaiming her shock at seeing Ariana in a dress for the first time, but complimenting her on her adorableness.

This year, in a concession to the comments, she wanted a pair of “girl shoes” too. So, in addition to the sneakers, she picked out a pair of sparkly pink ones. It is those she has been wearing to school, slightly disappointed they don’t light up and flash as she steps. I notice now that she chooses her footwear depending on where we are going. It saddens me to see her caving into her peer’s ideas of what is appropriate, though I smile as she pairs the pink sparkly sneakers with the Spiderman shirt.

As her birthday approaches, she is concerned that because she is a girl, she will get lots of “girl” stuff and not the building sets, light sabers and other Star Wars paraphernalia she craves. “What if I get a lot of girl presents?” she asked the other day. Rather than explain the concept of the “re-gift,” I talked about being grateful for any gift at all. I told her she should just say thank you.

A Lotta Chompin' Goin On

2010-08-23T19:38:00.002+09:00

Scratch Scratch Scratch. Itch. Itch. Itch. Ariana and I were both eaten alive last night - our feet and ankles grew swollen and red with each passing minute. Antihistamine, ibuprofen, even little Ampanman mosquito stickers didn't help the itch. Try to imagine the effort involved in trying to get a 5 year old, who had already slept 3 hours in the car, to go to sleep at a regular time. Now imagine that child whining and writhing in pain as the scratching she was doing was not helping one bit and every time she fell asleep, she would then wake, having been bitten one more time. What is most annoying is that we couldn't see the little culprit. Finally, after midnight, she was sleeping peacefully.

This summer has been mostly mild as far as bites go. Other than a couple of feeding frenzies on my feet - one at the beach and the other at a friend's house, I have not been uncomfortable. Ariana has not suffered at all.

Until last night. Comfortably on the couch watching TV, we were time after time, gnawed on by something - spider perhaps? mossie? who knows? At first I thought it was poison ivy, as my toes started to itch furiously and I couldn't see any bite marks. but then, I found first one, than another. Ariana's were easier to spot. Searching the air for anything flying, I couldn't see a thing. Staring at the couch, perhaps to spot something crawling, I found nothing.

All I do know is that here I sit, 6am after getting up around 5am because my feet were on fire. Already ingested the Benedryl and Ibuprofen and patiently waiting for either of them to kick in. Thankfully, Ariana is still asleep.

Somehow, I don't think it is going to be a good day......

Fish and Chips and Croissants and Pies and lots and lots of walking to make it all go away...

2010-08-01T17:35:00.004+09:00

Soaking up culture, getting ideas for the house and generally luxuriating in the multi-cultural paradise that is London and Paris, our vacation has been an infusion of soul-feeding sights and sounds.

It has also been a reunion of sorts, meeting up with old friends from Tokyo as they visited with family and celebrated birthdays. We were glad to be able to share in some of these celebrations, which ranged from a large family and friend gathering outside of the city of London to a posh dinner party at the trendiest of restaurants and finally to a small gathering at a Vietnamese restaurant in Paris.

Some of my favorite sights....

I think they made these road signs just for me......

Arny wondered why they didn't just say "Exit", but we are in the UK and mostly we saw these "Way Out" signs. The subway and Underground are not the same thing, as we discovered as we were looking for one to take us back to the hotel and saw a "Subway" sign, only to discover that after making our way down the stairs, down the path and up the stairs on the other side, we were not at the train, but merely across the street.

I loved this - even Londoners with no back yard find space for a garden - this one happens to be in the river on a plot of floating land.

And yes, we have been doing the tourist thing - my own Holmes and Watson.

I tried to get Ariana to go to Hogwarts, telling her she could meet up with Harry and the gang, but she was having none of it.

We are off today to the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood and the Spitalfields market, after a brief stop at MI6 headquarters - can you tell who wants to go where??

Floor. Done.

2010-07-11T20:01:00.003+09:00

After 9 hours on my hands and knees, one sliced finger and two people banished from the house, we have a kitchen floor. I really have to stop saying "that doesn't look hard".

It was.

Hard.

I started Friday; a very hot and humid Friday, after dropping Ariana off at camp. With the air-conditioning blasting, I had about 5 1/2 hours to finish before I had to pick her up. Assuming that would be enough time (ha!!), I got the supplies all ready and applied the glue to the sub floor, using a brush on the sides and a roller for the rest of the floor. After an hour, it was dry and ready for the tiles. "Wait, how do I do this again?", I thought as I stared nervously at the floor. I quickly realized my first mistake; gluing the entire floor when I need to put the border around first. After a few sticky moments when I thought I might be attached to the sub floor forever, I finally got enough new tile down to make the rest of the installation glue free. The cutting though, seemed to go on forever. Given I was using cork, it was pretty easy, but still, it was a relief when I hit an area when I could lay down more than two tiles without having to cut.

Sticky and sweaty, a quick glance at the clock made it obvious I was not going to be able to pick Ariana up - luckily, baba-san was working from home, so he went and got her and her friend and took them out for ice-cream. The last thing I needed was two 5-year-olds wanting to "help". I was getting tired and the brisk pace now was slowed down by bad cuts on the tile and one slip that resulted in a Sponge Bob Squarepants band-aid on my thumb. I had just changed the blade on the knife, so at least the cut was clean. And really, I was putting in the sweat and tears (almost, a few times when I thought "I can't do this"), why not a little blood?

It was after 5 when baba-san returned and I was not nearly finished. We had a birthday party to go to and I sent them on without me; needing to finish before the glue lost it's stick. I have to admit some of the tiles are a bit messy, but by the time it got past 8pm, I just wanted to be done. Finally, at 8:15pm, the last bit of tile was placed. I grabbed a quick shower and went off to relax with friends, physically exhausted.

Sunday morning came with a soreness I hadn't felt since I had a really good workout (which hasn't happened in eons). It took me awhile to get moving. Wishing I could just lounge for the morning, I knew I had to varnish the floor, sealing the cracks (some a bit larger than intended) so water wouldn't ruin the floor. That was easy and only took about 20 minutes.

We left for another birthday party, spending the day away, leaving the floor to dry in peace. When we returned late last night, the floor was shiny and dry.

Today we will put the house back together; tomorrow after everyone has left for the day, I will put another coat of varnish down and then take myself out; a massage perhaps?

Back to the Kitchen

2010-07-09T08:38:00.004+09:00

After a few diversions, some pleasant, some really sad, I am back to the kitchen. In particular, putting down the cork floor.
Myself.
You see, I have this habit of thinking I can do something. Something I have never done before. "It can't be that hard", I usually think before ordering all of the supplies and preparing my family for the fact that I am going to be handy.
So far, the gathering of the supplies needed has been more work than I imagined. The difficulty started after I found the flooring I wanted. The initial contact with the company was great - the pleasant guy answered all my questions and sent me the samples I requested. The problem started when I actually wanted to order the tile. I sent the hand drawn, fairly accurate floor plan thinking I would get back an estimate on the tiles I wanted. Instead, I got an estimate that was about 50% more than I needed; based on the total dimension of the room, not just the area I needed covered (no I don't want to tile under the already installed cabinets, thank you very much!). A few more emails went back and forth with the final "you can order what you want" coming from the less than helpful salesperson. I ended up making a phone call to try and get the guy I spoke to on the phone. Yes, I know I need to order an additional 20% for mistakes, etc., I just don't want to order 2 rooms worth of tile for 1 room worth of work.
My order, finally made, is sitting in neat little piles in my living room waiting to be installed.
Tomorrow.
Yesterday I spent the day prepping the plywood base with the cement based filler that took 6 trips to 3 different supply stores to find. I pray it is the right one. I just now know that any cement based anything dries faster than you want it to and the harder it gets, the harder it is to move around the floor. My entire body is achy, so today, instead of putting the tiles down, I took the day off to recover. Other than carefully marking up the floor and quickly covering it with anything I could find to prevent things little and big from making a mess, I did nothing. Floor related that is.
Tomorrow I will be on hands and knees again - attempting to lay tiles down in a straight line.
Wish me luck.

Channeling Taylor Swift

2010-06-22T22:12:00.002+09:00

Lights......

2010-06-21T05:59:00.004+09:00

We finally finished the lighting - under cabinet, inset and these beauties, which hang over the penninsula. They are made of Murano glass, with a brushed nickel wire going up to the ceiling.

I did most of the painting last week; what I thought would take a day took a few, as several coats were needed for both the ceiling and the walls. We ended up going with a pale shade of blue, which took applying several samples to get right. Ariana was very helpful, not only helping me paint the walls, but in weighing in with her favorite. The trim needs another coat and then I will be done.

Today though was Father's Day, so well all took a well deserved break and went to the Pepsico Sculpture Garden.........a visual treat of beautiful gardens and some amazing sculpture. Having to go to work there every day can't be all bad, especially if you have a view from your office.

Pizza!!!!

2010-06-08T07:41:00.004+09:00

The test - homemade or ready bought crust. The homemade wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. And, with the granite counters, rolling and kneading were easy. Ariana decided to "decorate" the store bought crust, so I completed my homemade specimen.

Diligently working, Ariana slowly placed the pepperoni (her new favorite food) around the pizza. She ended up lifting my own diligently placed peppers thinking they would make a good addition. Then, into the oven and -

OMG!!!!! - See something wrong with this picture - no cheese!!!!!

That's better.....
Baba-san thought the home made crust was better than the store bought one (honest or just "knows what's good for him"???) In any event, the meal was decent. But now of course if I am going to be making pizza, I need a pizza pan!

It's All In The Details

2010-06-07T06:01:00.005+09:00

More than a week after getting all the appliances working, we have moved on to other things. A few replacement cabinet doors arrived, now sitting still in their boxes in the garage. We will get around to putting them on, eventually. Right now we have more pressing things.

The shelves that were delivered were the wrong size. We have been informed that the correct size doesn't exist (salesperson's error) and so we have two choices - have the originals cut down and stained (for another couple of hundred dollars) or buy wood and do the whole thing ourselves. This week I will price out the wood and make a decision.

Baba san picked up the under cabinet lights, which are now installed and doing their job wonderfully. The soft blue glow illuminates what needs illuminating and eliminates the need for the overheads much of the time. I took a trip into the city and, thanks to friend and design expert Kevin, finally found and ordered the small pendant lights that will hang over the peninsula. We celebrated the purchase with cocktails at the W Hotel on Union Square and a short and thoroughly disappointing visit to the Nordstrom Rack that just opened there.

After a frustrating time with the cork manufacturer, I finally ordered the tile for the floor. If I didn't like the tile so much I would have gone elsewhere for the actual tile - where oh where are knowledgeable and helpful sales people anymore? The next three weeks will be spent painting the ceiling and walls and preparing the floor for the installation.

Tonight we will use the oven for the first time - making pizza, also for the first time. It was Ariana's idea. I just found a recipe online for the dough and have a bunch of toppings already to go. With it will be a salad from our garden, or more accurately, the lettuce plants I bought to plant in the garden that have grown so much we can actually eat them - I am so excited!!!

More on the garden and the pizza another time................manga tutti!!!!

Worth the Wait

2010-05-29T10:22:00.002+09:00

After two visits from the gas company that installed the stove and another two visits from the manufacturer's repair company, it finally works!!!! Had the gas company guy installed it right in the first place, we would not have had the many phone calls and aggravation that have made the past two weeks extremely unpleasant.

The first time it didn't work, shortly after they hooked it up, we called the gas company. The guy who had installed it shows up, turns on the stove (of course it worked for HIM) and then looked at me like I was nuts and said "it works now".

The second time it didn't work, we called the manufacturer, who called their authorized repair person. Of course, when they showed up it worked, so he checked things, said all was well and left.

The third time it didn't work, and keep in mind it usually decided not to work at dinnertime, we started keeping a log - turning it on at various points in the day and recording what happened. We thought and thought, coming up with the many theories on what was happening - was it the temperature? would it light with a match? We also called the manufacturer again, explaining in detail what was wrong. He again sent the repair person, who again tried it and of course, it worked. UURRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

After multiple phonecalls to the manufacturer by both baba san and myself, the problem was finally diagnosed.
The gas company was called.
They came.
They admitted guilt.
They fixed.
We cooked.
We ate.
Joy.

Patience

2010-05-23T23:28:00.002+09:00

We are enjoying our not-quite-finished kitchen immensely. The layout really works and makes things so much easier. Getting used to where things are will take some getting used to, but all in all things are working out well. We still have a bit to finish over the next few weeks.

Monday brings the plumber back to finish installing the dishwasher and the cabinet guy to touch up the surfaces on several of the doors, which arrived; minus some stain, badly stained, nicked and otherwise unacceptable. The range repair person is also coming, since it still is not turning on with any consistency. It did not work at all on Friday and Saturday, but today is working like a charm. Luckily we have the grill outside where we have made our meals.

I have been working out the design for the floor - we are going with cork. There are so many options and colors it took me awhile. Now that the counters are in and we can see how they work with the cabinets, the decisions are a bit easier. I should be able to put the order in next week.

Baba san ordered the under-cabinet lights, which should come in about 2 weeks. While a bit more expensive, he decided on LED lights - more energy efficient and we will never have to change a bulb. I have almost decided on the pendant lights - one more trip down to The Bowery should finalize that.

The only major decision left is the back splash tile. I have some ideas, but will continue to think about it. I probably won't order anything until the floor tile is down so as to see how everything works together. In the meantime, I have to paint the ceiling, trim and walls - VERY CAREFULLY, I might add.

The Counter

2010-05-21T19:45:00.003+09:00

Ah, to have real counters again. While we were waiting, baba san got creative and laid down folded cardboard boxes and wood from the old shelves, not just to protect the cabinets but so we could use them until the real thing was installed. That happened yesterday, with three rather large men carrying in the slabs of granite. Of course, that meant I had to clean off the surprising full space of toaster, microwave, various plates, glasses, silverware, etc. that had accumulated.

After that I mostly watched as they grunted and groaned while maneuvering the giant pieces. And then, voila!! I ran my hand over the smooth surface, congratulating myself on the last minute change in stone - baba san decided we should be designing kitchens after he saw the finished work. I just want him to clean up after himself so the beautiful counters stay beautifully clear of miscellaneous objects that seem to appear every time he walks into the kitchen.

My Bert

2010-05-19T04:46:00.004+09:00

Bertazzoni that is. A most beautiful range. Now, if only it would work. But, just like an Italian, it needs some sweet talk. Sometimes it turns on right away and others, I can hold the knob until I am frozen and only hear the "click, click, click" of the starter. I have a call into the manufacturer and I am supposed to hear from then today.

Today was one of those days when it turned on right away and I took the opportunity, at Ariana's request, to make some popcorn.

Delish!!!!!

Tomorrow the counter gets installed. I am patiently waiting for the phone call that will tell me the time it will arrive. I can't wait to get everything set up and get the sink installed. As much as I have enjoyed not having to do dishes and to try out the restaurants in town, I am ready to start cooking again.

Especially when I have such a lovely thing to cook on.

The Excitement Builds

2010-05-06T02:54:00.003+09:00

The contents of our fridge patiently waiting for their new home. As I write this, the men are installing the new appliances. The gas inspector came by this morning (5 days late) and failed the propane tank, which means the gas guy has to come back and reset it. Then, 24 hours later, the inspector has to come back and "pass" us. Only then can we hook up the "Bert". I must say, sitting in the kitchen still wrapped in plastic, it is beautiful.

Yes, just a tease. The appliances are all on the other wall. But the cabinets are up!!. A slight issue with the finish does not hamper our joy every time we walk in. The molding is going up today and by tonight, we will be able to start unpacking some of our boxes, reducing the clutter in the living room just a bit.

Week One

2010-05-03T23:33:00.002+09:00

After much wall ripping down and wall putting back up, wiring, wiring, wiring, plumbing and propaning, we have one wall of cabinets up. Or should I say Matt and Jon have one wall of cabinets up. To say we are happy is an understatement - we are ecstatic!!!

We spent Friday looking at counter tops and the rest of the weekend debating the 3 samples we brought home. We need to decide and order it today. They can't come in and measure until all of the cabinets are in. The appliances come on Wednesday and from then until the counter is installed, we will have everything but the kitchen sink - literally. The sink can't be installed until the counter is in. So, for another couple of weeks, we will be functional kitchen-less. And I have to say, not having a kitchen sink is a real drag, because we can only wash very little things in the sink in the downstairs bathroom. The guilt I feel every time I throw away another plastic plate or utensil is only tempered by, well, nothing. If I was a better person I would be traipsing up and down stairs to the big utility sink in the laundry room, carrying the real plates, cups and glasses.

But I am not.

I did order a composter though...that makes up for something, right???

The Cabinets

2010-04-28T22:54:00.003+09:00

In these many boxes that now fill half the garage are our beautiful cherry cabinets. I have spent all morning trying to match up the number of boxes with the order form and cannot do it. Either I have too much or too little. Things like the drawer dividers I know are installed in the cabinet, but other things I think should be there. Like entire cabinets. But of course, on the delivery sheet they are listed one way and on the order form, another. I will just keep my fingers crossed that when they are installed, there is not a gaping hole where one should be.

We sit patiently waiting for the inspector to show - a morning appointment has turned into an afternoon one. In the meantime, our kitchen guys are keeping busy doing other things. Matt left and will return for the inspection - John is here taping a wall and keeping an ear out for the phone. He has a baby on the way that may be on the way a little early. His partner Matt joked that if the baby comes, baba san can fill in finishing the sheet rock, given he did such a good job on the wiring.

Don't know how baba san feels about that...

It Works

2010-04-28T10:23:00.004+09:00

After three days of pulling out old wires and putting the new ones in;

It works!!!!

Let's hope the building inspector is as thrilled with the work as we are.

We are Back and It is Gone

2010-04-26T07:53:00.008+09:00

Good bye useless stove.

Sayonara ugly linoleum.

Hasta la vista cabinets with the nails dangerously sticking out of the sides.

Good riddance Formica counter made to look like wood.

See ya 80's chandelier.

Since we got back, baba san has been feverishly wiring the outlets, the lighting, the switches and anything else electrical. Ariana, Tess and I have been mostly staying out of his way, except when the sound of "Jennifer..." reaches my ears. Then I enter, hold whatever it is I need to hold, and disappear again as soon as I am released from my "assistant" duties.

Ariana too has joined into the fun, sweeping up the floor - very nicely I might add.

In the meantime, the contents of the yucky cabinets are now scattered in the dining and living room.
My thoughts of organizing everything within easy reach were in the end, just thoughts. While we have found a few things, most of it will stay hidden away until we unpack. We have a supply of plastic plates and cutlery and will most likely patronize our local restaurants for the duration.

3 Reasons Why We Are Redoing Our KItchen

2010-04-25T21:55:00.006+09:00

1.
2.
3. Nuff said??

As enthusiastic cooks, we were incredibly frustrated by the poor layout of this kitchen. I have a particular peeve about appliances being right up against a wall and here we have two of them. The fridge hits you in the face when you walk into the kitchen and the stove - well, this is a particular disaster. Not only is it flanking a wall (which I'm sure was a fire hazard even with the metal plate on the side), but the microwave has been mounted too close to the stove top, which makes using the back burners a bit of a danger when you also have things on the front ones.

When one of us is cooking, the other can't be near the sink for fear of getting bumped and possibly injured by a flailing knife or pot of boiling water being moved. With the garbage under the sink, there is no room to quickly throw something out while someone else is cooking or doing the dishes. More than likely, the offending garbage will sit on a counter until the space is free. When the refrigerator door is open, no one can enter.

The cabinets are ridiculously inefficient, with shelves that are not adjustable and no room for anything. We have a big pantry in the kitchen, but with huge shelves, most things get lost and require much searching to find. The layout makes the least use out of the space, which would actually be quite sufficient for a more user friendly one.

We won't even mention the ugliness factor - you see the picture.

So, off we go to visit Nana and when we get back - it will all be gone.

The Prep Work

2010-04-17T21:18:00.005+09:00

Packing, packing, packing - where will it end? For the past few days I have been slowing filling box after box with the contents of our kitchen, only to realize I need many more boxes to complete the task. Looking at the open cabinets, it doesn't look like that much, but as the boxes pile up, I realize what seemed like a minor task is turning into something more. Having moved in just about a year ago, there aren't so many "why do I still have this?"s - more like "oh, that's where this is".

Yesterday I took all of Ariana's artwork down - we had put them up all over the walls and the cabinets to hide the hideousness of the kitchen. She got into it and what started in the kitchen crept out into the hall down to the family room. And the living room. Everything from school work to pages ripped out of coloring books to candy wrappers made it up for all to see. The bathroom has a collection of greeting cards going back to her 3rd birthday - a mini trip down memory lane. It will all come down once we paint the downstairs, but for now the creative musings of our daughter are displayed among my mother's realistic oil paintings and the abstract work of Noi Na, the elephant from Thailand.

While we make a short visit to see Nana, the cabinets, some walls, and the mysterious stuff between the walls will be made to disappear. Our appliances will be relocated to the garage, all except the fridge, which will be relocated to the front hall. How convenient - walk in the house - grab a brewsky!! For the duration of the work, we will be trying the restaurants here in town. Even with our old electric stove that took forever to heat and never got quite hot enough, we still preferred to cook at home, so the list of places waiting for us is long. And of course, we will accept any dinner invitations issued - takers anyone??

The Project

2010-04-14T07:08:00.003+09:00

When we first looked at our house, it was clear the kitchen was the first thing we had to change. This was back in May. After 9 months of procrastination, we are about to begin. Actually, we have already begun - the cabinets and appliances have been ordered (gulp) the contractor hired (another gulp) the permit applied for (a total bargain compared to the first two). We still need to confirm the plumber, find floor and wall tile and finalize the lighting.

Since several of you want the details, I thought I would use this space to document our progress for the next month or six.

Enjoy!!!

Just Say No

2010-03-11T04:04:00.002+09:00

I want to know who the sadistic somebody who decided it would be a grand idea to have the girl scouts annual cookie drive the exact same time of year that I, a confirmed couch potato, and people like me everywhere, are starting their annual migration from the comforts of their own home into a pair of sneakers and out the door to try to work off some of the excess that has not so magically appeared after a winter of holiday dinners and hot chocolate.

At every entrance to every drug, grocery or convenience store are cheerful little girl scouts beckoning you to the table filled with boxes upon boxes of Daisy Go Rounds, Do-Si-Dos, Samoas, and my particular favorite, Thin Mints. Healthy-eating grocery list in hand, it is hard to resist their hopeful little faces as they ask, “would you like to buy some cookies?”

No. Actually I don’t. My cute little muffin top is now a soufflé large enough to serve eight and the extra large sweatshirt I am wearing will hopefully cover up the fact it is jiggling like a bowl of Jell-O. I can’t fit into most of my pants; the “must have shrunk in the dryer” excuse just isn’t cutting it any more. My single chin has doubled as so does the amount of time it takes me to get dressed in the morning searching through my closet for something I can fit into.

I am standing here in my sweat pants and sneakers, having just ran (ok, walked briskly) 3 miles for the first time in months, with a very short list of high protein, low carb ingredients that will not only slim me down, but fill me up with enough antioxidant rich, immune system building, toxin fighting food to lower my Wii fit age to something below senior citizen. A box of Tagalogs just does not fit into that equation.

So, take your corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, your artificial color and flavor and try to work your magic with all of the anorexic women who think the skin and bones look is an attractive one. They could use a little giggle.

Family and Fish

2010-02-21T21:55:00.005+09:00

With Jed nearby and Kelsey having a long weekend, the scheduling Gods were agreeable and we all met at Nana and Gramps for a long weekend. Looking back, it might have been the first time we were all together since before Ariana came home - it was really nice. Ariana really enjoyed her big brother and sister and they indulged her, allowing her to use them as ladders and pillows. Unfortunately, with Gramps under the weather, a blanket of sadness covered us all.

By looking at the clothes we were wearing, it seems strange we were in Florida - temperatures in the 40's and 50's meant no shorts, no t-shirts, no swimming. I took Ariana to a park to play and people were in gloves, scarves and hats. But she had a great time. The park had some really cool equipment - more like a sculpture garden than a playground. I shivered as she bounced from one piece to another.

Best of all, she got a ride from her big sister, which I think was the favorite part of the trip.

We stayed at Nana and Gramps place, in one of the guest apartments. It was nice being so close and not having to get in the car to go back and forth to a hotel. Ariana had mixed feelings about it though as she was the subject of so much attention. Since Arny's parents live in a senior residence, they don't see many little kids, so each one that shows up is treated like a celebrity. They had their work cut out for them with Ariana though, as she is mostly silent around strangers and the more they push the more she pulls away. The sense of victory showed when one of them could get her to even look at them and if she waved or actually spoke, the luckily individual had bragging rights for days. More often than not, their words were meant by a blank stare, or, if the conversation seeker was intrusive, a defiant look away. This frustrated them to no end, as they believed themselves to be "so good with children". Hah, not mine. She did take a liking to another guest there, a man who had a very large camera. Ariana took mine and they had a little contest, first snapping pictures of the fish in the large tank in the lobby and then of each other.

Perhaps she will take after baba and become a photographer..

A Good Deed...

2010-02-03T00:21:00.006+09:00

"I want to do something more than donate cans of food", my friend says. We are talking about Haiti and the most recent scandal involving a religious group from the United States being arrested for trafficking children. My friend says she wants to look into adopting a Haitian child. "Now that we will be saving money on Billy's schooling, we have the money".

I know how easy it is to read the news media's reports on Haiti, seeing the pictures of the children sitting outside with no food and presumably no family and think how great it would be. Sure, you want to provide a child with a home and loving parents, sure you want to help, sure you want to be a parent (either for the first time or again). Watching the news and seeing the devastation that is Haiti - you can't help but think a child would be better off here, in a warm home with clean sheets and unlimited food.

I wonder though, how many of these people consider anything more than that? When my husband and I first talked about adoption, we certainly didn't - we were caught up in the "we want a child" bubble. It was only after our daughter came home did I really understand what it meant to adopt. Sure, I read as much as I could about every aspect of raising a child who came to the family by way of adoption, who came from another country, with a very different culture. Who was a toddler. And all of the reading helped, especially in the first few months. But it wasn't until she was here, in our home, that the full extent of the responsibility I had sunk in.

Adopting a child means you are also adopting a child's past. Whether a few days old or several years, they all have a history to deal with. Simply bringing a child to a new home, feeding, clothing and hugging them is only the first step. As parents of adopted children, we must walk a fine line between the past and present. Our children's past must be treated with the same respect as their present. That may not be easy when the circumstances are not ideal, but our children's self respect and sense of self is tied to their past just as it is their present. Celebrating their culture is celebrating a vital part of these children. It can be extremely challenging though, when you have knowledge that your child has experienced pain and suffering, when all you want to be angry at the people responsible.

I asked my friend if she understood that she would have to deal with the trauma any Haitian child. If she thought about how that trauma would present itself and if she had thought about how she would handle it. There was silence.

Adoption is not all hugs and kisses.

Prior to bringing our daughter home, we read many books and articles on the issues involved in trans racial adoption. We had anticipated a baby around one year old and when we actually received our referral, we started reading about adopting toddlers and the added needs they have. At 25 months, she was a little person. With language. With memories. With almost a lifetime in an orphanage, what emotions would she bring with her? After over 3 years at home, she still has trouble going to sleep by herself, much preferring to have someone there with her. The insecurity of meeting people for the first time, or being in a large group will sometimes render her mute. With little information on the specifics of her past, the cause is unknown. No matter, attention must be paid. These children of Haiti have a past that has been spread all over the news - I just wonder if the people who are clogging the phones of agencies all over have given that a thought.

Despite what you read in the media, adoption is not as simple as filling out a few forms and waiting. The forms fill a filing cabinet, the certification of those forms take money, the required education many, many hours. The approval process takes months and that is just for the US. There are an entirely separate process required by each country. Each country has requirements for who can adopt, so while you may be eligible in the US, you may not be in the country.

All children deserve to be in a loving home, but steps need to be taken to insure the children available for adoption truly are available. Recent reports of the group arrested for child trafficking makes me sick. Presented with brochures of swimming pools and classroom, Haitian parents sent their children away to what they thought was a school run by a minister, someone they thought they could trust. Little did they know that here in the United States, that same "school" was presented as a place where children eligible for adoption lived until "you are ready to give them a home". These people have somehow taken a religious calling and turned it into a business of deceiving parents into giving up their children. Isn't there a little something in the bible that says "thou shall not lie" - or what about "thou shall not steal?"

Attention must be paid, care must be taken - for the sake of these children.

Logic??

2010-02-01T14:26:00.001+09:00

Ariana and I were supposed to be on a plane at 8am Saturday morning to visit Baba, Nana and Gramps in Florida, so of course, Murphy's Law sets in and Ariana gets sick. Since subjecting fellow passengers to the sniffles, sneezes, coughs and sniffle-sneeze-cough related whining of a five-year old is a form of sadistic torture I prefer not to inflict on humanity, I cancel the flight.
Or try to.
After signing in to JetBlue's website, a message appears saying that they are upgrading their reservation system and no services will be available. They instruct passengers who have to cancel or change a flight to go to the airport to do it.
Excuse me???
If I could go to the airport to change/cancel the flight, I would be on it.
I call the 800 number and Wayne, a very kind and polite man answers. Unfortunately, the system is down for this upgrade so he can't do anything about it. He suggests I call back around 2pm. Mmmmm Wayne, my flight is at 8am, so calling at 2 isn't really going to do me any good. He graciously gives me his "number" so I can prove I called before the flight, though there is no way for him to make any record of the call, given the system is down.
Throughout the day, I occasionally try to get through either by phone, but am told "we are experiencing a very high call volume".
Of course you are.

24 hours later, after waiting about 30 minutes "on hold", I am connected to Elisia, a lovely woman who feels my pain, as she is experiencing her own having to navigate an entirely new system.

I think they owe everyone a bag of Terra Blues.....

What A Difference A Day Makes

2010-01-29T08:17:00.002+09:00

On Monday, our back yard resembled a waterfall after a drenching rain that with the freezing ground did not drench but rather cascade between the trees to descend ultimately down our driveway. There was really nothing to do but enjoy the view while it lasted.

Today, however, required the whole family's participation.

Yes, this is the same view.

What started out as a school day quickly turned into a snow day as the snow continued to fall quicker than anticipated. A "swell" they call it and I suppose for the many school children it was. For the parents, maybe not so much.

Ariana and I spent the morning coloring, watching PBS Kids, playing on the computer and doing worksheets that I printed out from one of the many educational websites available. I figured we should do some sort of school work and since she actually likes filling in the blanks with letters and numbers, it seemed like the logical thing to do. As the weather started to clear, I debated going out to shovel. With baba away, it is my job and since I am too chicken to start the snow blower, I figured the exercise would do me good.... eventually. Still inside, we moved into the family room for some Wii time.

Whoever invented this should have a holiday named after them. The Wii is a brilliant devise that brings families together, improves reflexes, balance and coordination for kids and in most cases, just makes you laugh. If you have ever tried the Penguin game in WiiFit, you know what I mean. The funniest one I have found so far is a game where you must move your hips right, left, back or front so you hit the numbers so they add up to ten. Not only do you get a hip workout, but you improve your mind as well, since you have to quickly add up the numbers before you move. That may sound easy, but as someone who is directionally dyslexic, I am telling you it is not. Ariana likes the bicycle obstacle course and I enjoy watching her stamp up and down on the pad.

She had started on the "Snowball Fight" game when I realized "hey, we could do this outside".

At that moment, I looked and saw the neighbors on the driveway, so Ariana and I quickly got dressed and we went out - me to shovel and Ariana to play. Tess came as well and ran immediately to the big dog that belongs to the lady next door.

The other neighbor.

The unfriendly one.

The one who has yelled at me twice already about Tess going onto her lawn.

Luckily, she was on her cell phone and so she only watched as Tess ran around on her lawn and Ariana followed her, sliding down her hill on her little butt. She didn't say a word to me about either of them. Perhaps she was too preoccupied with her conversation to get irritated.

While I waited for another lecture on why I should prevent my dog from peeing on her lawn, I was busy shoveling.

And shoveling.

I did have help for a short time as Ariana decided that what I was doing looked like fun. Her shoveling lasted longer than I thought, but it didn't last that long as she preferred to make snow angels. Finally full of snow, she was ready to come inside and I had my fill of aerobic exercise, so in we went for some well deserved hot chocolate.

As the sun went down, we noticed little white flakes, gentle at first, falling from the sky. Heavier and heavier it came, prompting me to think I better get ready for more shoveling.

And more angels.

A Little Bit Bad

2010-01-20T08:16:00.001+09:00

The other day, in an act I like to think of as a celebration of life, I bought Ariana a bag of Cheetos.

Earlier in the day, I had been discussing the very large topic of being a mother with a friend of mine, someone I consider an excellent mother who is currently plagued by the self-doubt that we all experience from time to time. Many times this self-doubt involves food choices. Not satisfied with the common sense “healthy food in - junk food out “ mantra, we now torture ourselves with just how healthy our healthy food is. Whole wheat used to be good enough. Now, it must be whole grain, preferably organically grown whole grain. Low fat used to be good enough – now, only hormone, antibiotic free roaming cows milk will do. Or better yet, soymilk. And God forbid you give your child something unhealthy, you risk the evil stares from parents whose mission in life is to educate you about what poisons you are feeding them or worse, you risk being told, “you know you are killing your child with that” (this was actually said to a friend of mine, I am not making this up).

Going to the store these days requires a lot of patience and a good pair of reading glasses to see the sometimes miniscule print in which the ingredients are listed.

As an experiment, I spent ten minutes comparing the leading organic Mac and cheese to good old Kraft – just to see the difference. Between the chart and the really small print below the chart, which required me to hold the box at arm’s length under a strong light just to read, I was more than just slightly confused. The chart lists the stats for one cup “as prepared” and then a tiny little asterisk states “amount in mix when prepared”, with slightly different ones. What is the difference? No wonder parents are confused these days. The organic brand with all of its organic ingredients had less Calcium and Iron than the Kraft. It did have more protein, but also more fat if you add the butter, which is listed as a suggestion for “richer flavor”. It would also have more calories. They were about equal on salt and carbohydrates. So, do you go for more vitamins or go the organic route? Therein lies the dilemma.

Recent events bring it all home for me. We have choices that are almost mind-boggling. Let’s look at milk. Generally thought of as a healthy food. Full of calcium and vitamin D – great for growing bones. Now comes the hard part. Full fat or low fat? If you are going low fat, do you buy 1 or 2%? Perhaps go for fat free? What about vitamin enriched? Organic or just hormone free? Regular old milk flavored or vanilla or chocolate or strawberry?

People in Haiti would settle for any milk at all. And so would most of the people in the world.

So why? Why do we torture ourselves? The quest to be perfect and worse put that expectation on our children is pointless, as life just doesn’t work that way. If you eat in a restaurant, go to dinner at a friend’s house or have your child play at another’s house, you have little control over the quality of what is served. Sure, you can bring your own food, but do that and then take a look at your child’s face - I don’t think it is a smiling one.

So after swimming class, Ariana wanted a snack from the machine, this being a very fun thing for a 5 year old. So, we scanned the selections and while I suggested the popcorn or pretzels, her eyes were fixing on the little orange bag with the tiger on it. I thought of all the unhealthiness in that little bag – the mystery ingredients that contained the artificial colors and flavors I should shun. But, I also thought that standing there, I had the luxury of choice and every once in awhile it’s ok to make the choice to stop thinking and just listen to my child. So, as Ariana slipped the quarters one by one into the slot, I got ready to lift her up so she could push the magic numbers, and then we both watched as the little bag of delicious poison dropped into the slot.

She rode home in her booster seat, crunching away and when we got home, she proudly showed me her little orange fingers. With a big smile on her face. I have to tell you, that smile was worth a little badness.

Christmas in Connecticut

2010-01-12T04:35:00.006+09:00

Well, I tried.

Having gathered all the pictures taken over the holidays and artfully arranged them for your viewing enjoyment, at this moment you were supposed to be looking at the first holiday season in our new home. The scene on Main Street during the event that starts off the season, filled with lights, horse drawn carriages, ice sculpture and Santa; the snow that has blanketed our lawn since late November; Baba gallantly clearing the snow with the snow blower; pictures of Ariana lighting the Hanukkah candles; Baba chopping down the Christmas tree; Ariana decorating the tree; our Christmas dinner with the Humphreys and my beautiful (if I do say so myself) Christmas pudding; Pictures of our trip to New Hampshire to see cousins Suzan and Woody - complete with the most beautiful blizzard I have ever seen; the fun time we had at Melissa and Kevin's Kwanzaa party; our New Year's Eve party with fireworks and funny hats; the snowman.

But, you will just have to use your imagination.

Because.

I cannot figure out how to get the pictures into the blog.

Because.

I got a new computer.

Because.

My old one kept shutting down for no reason.

Because.

It was a piece of crap.

So.

Baba generously buys me one as a combo Birthday/Christmas gift. And for some reason, my ability to learn yet one more machine has left me. With a move from one country to another and a new house, there are lots and lots of new instruction manuals piled up and waiting to be read. New phone, new car, new vacuum cleaner, new lawn mower (ok, that's Baba's job) and last but not least, the new computer.

I sit.

I read.

I get bored much to quickly to actually absorb any of the many instructions there are.

I try to find my way around and get the most basic stuff. But anything more than searching the web and sending email allude me. I have faced my loss in technological intelligence and signed up for one-to-one lessons they give in the Apple store. The first lesson was spent trying to figure out how to sync my computer to my phone without having my address book appear more than once. Simple solution? My instructor had to go and ask for help about 4 times and guess what? I still have my address book syncing twice. And he gets paid to help people.

So, you will have to trust me that we had a lovely holiday, Ariana continues to be adorable and our house is slowly shaping up. And, one of these days, I'll have pictures to prove it!!!

A Brief Announcement

2009-11-09T13:02:00.003+09:00

Homeland Children's Foundation is run by the two women who were instrumental in assisting us bring Ariana home. They do wonderful work in China, providing health care, educational opportunities and much needed supplies to children currently living in orphanages. Clicking on the icon below will bring to you their page where you can find out more about the organization and how you can help.

Leaves

2009-11-08T21:15:00.006+09:00

With guests gone, it is now time to set our sights back on the house - specifically the leaves that have surrounded us like a winter blizzard. Unable to see the grass underneath the vast autumn colored carpet of fading green, orange, scarlet and brown, we rake and blow, blow and rake, curse the fact that our inherited leaf blower is on it' s last legs and rake and mow some more. And the sadistic thing about it is, we can get every last leaf and tomorrow there will be more.

I take the adventurous, cardio burning route as in: "What fun it is to be outside as a family", "look at all the beautiful colors", "beats going to the gym and being stuck inside on sweaty machines". Arny, while everyday heading out to split logs, ever proud of his growing pile, has a very different opinion of the leaf removing task - "tell me again why we bought a house in the woods?". Ariana has the entrepreneurial viewpoint, stating "I'm going to do a lot of jobs and make a lot of moneys". Her "jobs" consisting of riding the Lighting McQueen car around the driveway and pushing at the leaves with a stick. She did rake a bit, but quickly tired of the repetitive nature of the task and went off to play in the ravine.

The weather was lovely yesterday and the cold air was crisp and clean. Today is another day - our piles still there waiting to be picked up. A quick look up at the treetops this morning and I can see a few stragglers - those leaves that are hanging on for that last bit of sun. I admire their tenacity, though sooner or later the rake will be adding them to the pile.

The Big Halloween Days

2009-11-01T20:34:00.004+09:00

Day I - Friday, was filled with school parties. Ariana was so excited to be able to wear her costume to school.
Personally, I think the pink shoes and backpack with the Transformer costume was an inspired choice. She and "Dorothy" patiently waited for the school bus.

Once at school, there was a parade for all of the kindergarten kids and then a pumpkin making craft. Here Ariana's teacher is helping out.....

At home, we made the second pumpkin with our house guests and roasted yet more seeds. The anticipation was mounting but unfortunately, so was the rain. Add the flu for our three house guests and it was touch and go whether or not everyone would be able to participate on Saturday for the big events planned.

Saturday, part 2. Our guests had a quiet morning while Ariana went to her Chinese class - no Halloween celebration there; just learning.

Everyone was well enough for a little trick or treating, so we started around 4 to visit at a friend's house - the kids decided to catch some zzzzzzzzz's before the festivities.

We made our way into town where we went to a party and then visited house after house, filling our pumpkins with lots of candy and treats. Due to the rain, the big street is having their "stroll" tonight - we will see if we are up to putting on the costumes again. Here is our group - the dentist, the Hulk, Ms. Vampire and a french woman, little miss transformer, a dinosaur, a unicorn and Mr. transformer (there were many, many transformers last night)

Pumpkins and Leaves and other Fall Things

2009-10-16T07:16:00.007+09:00

Every morning I take Ariana to the bus stop, I curse myself for not bring along a camera. For each morning brings another breathless sight as the leaves continue to change and the water on the like shines, mirroring the ducks as they swim back and forth in a tight procession. I will get pictures - one of these days.

Fall means apple picking, pumpkin carving and leaves. We are experiencing all of them thanks to the area we live in and our friends from Japan who are visiting, prompting us to leave the chores of the house and venture out.

Our first stop was the Blue Jay Orchards, where rows and rows of apple trees greeted us as we drove up. With five of us picking, it didn't take long for the bag to be filled. It will take longer to figure out what to do with them all.

While they are spending a few days in the city, my cousins Suzan and Woody came down to visit with home grown pumpkin in toe. Ariana helped water it when we were visiting them on their farm in New Hampshire and they were kind enough to bring it down with them.

Ariana had a fine time drawing the face - it seems all of her faces look like Ampanman.
My job was to scoop out all of the gook and separate the seeds for roasting. They are drying off as I type.

While all of this was going on, baba san was being manly:
We do have a fireplace after all................

Random Things

2009-09-27T20:24:00.000+09:00

Driving up to Connecticut with our EZ pass, we come through a tollbooth and for some reason, it doesn't read the pass. A policeman slowly and rather menacingly walks over and asks us for it. Sheepishly, Arny hands it over. The policeman, without changing expression or making a sound, takes it and rather violently whacks it against the gate a few times, until the gate rises. He then hands it back to Arny without a word.

Birthday Girl

2009-09-25T00:58:00.004+09:00

We used Ariana's birthday as an opportunity to have some friends over. "Brave" was the way some responded, having people over to a house that was still being unpacked and worked on, but we know our friends don't care. Or, if they do, they are smart enough to keep their comments to themselves.

Ariana decided the decor, which was a combination of Lightning McQueen, Pokeman and the Care Bears - let's just say she has an eclectic nature. We (or should I say baba) splurged on an electric "Lighting McQueen" car, which Ariana took great pride in. Sharing was a challenge, but most of her little friends got to ride in it, if only for a second or two.

No child's party is complete without a pinata and while it was one of the Kinder and Gentler one with strings attached, so all the kids just pull one and the candy comes out, Ariana wanted the challenge of actually smashing it apart.

Afterwards, we had cake, which she and Molly enjoyed immensely, black icing and all.

The parents were slightly horrified, but after all, that's what makes a great party.

My Big Girl

2009-09-04T20:26:00.003+09:00

We talked about getting on the big yellow school bus. Now that she was going to kindergarten, she was a big kid and big kids go on the bus with their friends. The first day, all three of us walked down to the bus and waited to see it come into view. We carefully crossed the street and met the driver, Tina, and was relieved at her big friendly smile. Ariana returned the smile as she got on and before I could say "bye" the doors closed and she was off. I turned away and there were tears in my eyes.

My big girl who still likes to be carried and needs help putting her socks on. Who still likes being fed sometimes and tucked into bed. Who loves riding in the cart at the store, preferably those huge ones with the little cars attached.

This big "little" girl who likes all those things, can confidently climb on a big yellow school bus without a tear.

Time flies, doesn't it?

Taking A Break

2009-08-29T20:21:00.004+09:00

After almost of month of "guys" traipsing in and out of our house, we have decided to take a break. They will finish painting the upstairs early next week and then we will reclaim our house, if only to find the things that seem to be missing. A random shirt, my camera battery charger and cord (this is why there have been no pictures), etc. These things and more seemed to have fallen into one of the many boxes that have been opened and shut again in the mad search for what we need.

We want to unpack, organize and otherwise feel like this is a home. Which means unpacking books, hanging artwork and maybe even putting down a rug. And you can't do that with guys with heavy, dirty boots walking around - even if they are very considerate and clean up nicely after themselves.

So, the work will go on outside (painting the outside of the house), while we stay in, trying to get any site of cardboard to disappear. We have about two months to deal with the stuff we have before more arrives from the last of our storage facilities. Then, we will start all over again....what joy.

Ouchy

2009-08-26T12:24:00.003+09:00

"Don't touch me!!" Ariana screamed at the nurse as she received the third of four vaccinations. Afterwards, walking out with four band-aids and lots of stickers, she looked up at baba san and I and said "that was not fun".

No.

It was not.

Swag

2009-08-21T19:41:00.005+09:00

I have welcome swag.
From the Welcome Lady.
Apparently everyone who moves to our lovely little town gets a visit from Dee, a very friendly, very talkative lady who arrives at your house carrying a large picnic basket which she proceeds to unload, covering your table with a seemingly never ending supply of pamphlets, papers, magazines, business cards and gifts from local businesses who want your patronage.

She arrived yesterday just after the electricity went out (a whole other story), so we sat in the dark and heat while she gave us our voter registration cards, told us about parking in town and divulged information on just about every service in town by way of business card or coupon, often accompanied by a recollection of a personal experience with the service.

And gave us lots of refrigerator magnets, which Ariana proceeded to grab.
And a yard stick.
And a cup filled with pens and pencils.
And several jar openers.
And a t-shirt made out of bamboo.
And a packet of seeds.
And a trowel.
And a ruler.
And an empty paint can filled with candy.
And maps.
And a screwdriver.
And a calendar.
And a nail file.
And plant food.
And an ice cream scoop.
And a ruler.
And picture hooks.
And facial cleanser.
And shampoo/conditioner.
And many little notepads.
And a reusable bag for shopping.
And yet another ruler.
And a insulated coffee mug for dog walking or driving into town to visit one of the lovely establishments that have provided us with the one of the aforementioned items.

After reviewing every single piece of information with us over the next hour and a half (during which time the lights came back on) organizing and filing as she went along, she conveniently put all of the coupons into a plastic bag ("to keep in the car so you have them right with you!") and left us to wonder at what we should take advantage of first.

We now have certificates for free dinners at a couple of restaurants, free chocolate (mine!!), free lawn fertilizer, free plants, discounts off of spa treatments (also mine), a big discount at a hardware store (which we may use to buy a generator so we no longer have to suffer when the electricity goes out) free passes to museums and more information than I will ever be able to read.

Our Guys

2009-08-13T09:55:00.003+09:00

The roof guy.
The molding guy. Who just happens to be the roof guy and we like him so much that we wish he did everything so we would only need one guy.
But he doesn't.
So, we have the plumber guy.
The tree guy.
The septic tank guy.
The phone guy.
The electric company guy. Who we don't like at all because he turned our electricity off because "I got things to do". (See below)
The cable guy. Actually two cable guys. Because we needed two visits because the office guys are dumb. But the technician guys are not.

It seems when you buy a house, you start collecting guys. Guys who will come to your house, tell you what is wrong (alot) and then tell you how much it is going to cost to fix it (alot).

Or, guys who come to hook something up and then tell you they can't.

Or, the guys that tell you they will be there between 10 and 12 and don't show up until 7.

Or, the guys that tell you they will come and never show up.

Or, bad guy guys who come to the house to turn off your electricity for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON and when you get on the phone with the company, and are put on hold for 15 minutes of torturous phone "music", they tell you they don't have time to wait around and pull the plug on the power.

While you are standing right there.

And then they leave.

Which leads you to spend many, many, many minutes listening to more torturous phone music trying to get someone to come out and fix it. Since you have a well for water, which requires electricity to get it to faucet level, you no longer have running water and because the promised "there by 7 guy" never shows up, you therefore end up spending the night at the house of the only family in town you know. Since they have also just moved in and are still waiting for their stuff to arrive, you are asked to bring your own sheets and towels. Which you think you can do until you realize the ones you have been using are in the washing machine. Which means you have to find more sheets in the hundred or so boxes that are littered around the house. Which means you end up finding the sheets that have been in storage for three years and take them, trying to blot the idea that you will be sleeping on sheets that have not been washed in three years.

Which leads you to wish you were back in Tokyo where these things just don't happen.

The Inquisition

2009-07-12T20:15:00.004+09:00

Twice or three times a week, we cross the US - Canadian border. This involves interacting with immigration inspectors who quiz us on a variety of topics. Failure to answer may result in being asked to vacate your car and join them in a little room for, well, I'm not quite sure but I know it wouldn't be pleasant. Some of the guards are more inquisitive than others. So far, this is a sampling of the questions we have had to answer:

what is your citizenship? (this they ask as they are holding our US passports)
where do you live?
where are you going?
how long have you been in Canada (US)?
how long will you be there?
whose car is this?
why do you have your father's car?
does he know you are driving it?
(to Ariana) are these your real parents? (yes, I wanted to reach out of the car and strangle the inspector, who was a young, bright eyed blonde woman, but I didn't want to risk being arrested)
are you carrying anything in the car?
any guns, fireworks or liquor?
where were you born?
where are you staying?
what are your intentions here in Canada?

I can't say the US guards are any worse than the Canadian ones, it's more a question of personalities. Some are very laid back and the others are more militaristic. Either way, I'm always relieved when I make it to the other side.

Summer Vacation

2009-07-10T06:42:00.006+09:00

With a very temperamental internet connection, I have decided to take the month off, returning to write when we are in our new house. Have a wonderful July all............

Canada oh Canada

2009-06-28T08:47:00.004+09:00

A most confident boatwoman out for a ride with her bubba...........

It really is beautiful up here.

Tess and I take a walk every morning, most days before the others are up. It is so peaceful. We are the only ones on the beach and all we hear is the gentle surf and 'early bird' birds. Except today, there was a large white dog on someones porch who was barking his "good morning". Of course, Tess had to return the greeting.

We are on Lake Erie, in a small colony of about 23 houses. Most have been in families for generations, so most people know each other. The ones that have been recently sold are spoken about with the qualifying "you know, the old (fill in the name here) house". During each walk, I study the houses, the gardens, every detail filed away for when we finally get to our house in CT. There is much to be done and I'm getting ideas. What color to paint the house so as to make the most of our woodsy locale, which flowers to plant in the garden. You see, while not on the beach, we are in the woods, which is where the "not beach side" side of the houses are here.

In fact, the house we are in is not on the beach, but one house away and on every side are trees. As I look out the window, a bunny hops by, amusing both Ariana and Tess.

Ariana flashing for the camera. It is really tough to get a husband, child and dog to look at the camera at the same time......
the view from the beach.....
this is the most crowded it has been - a weekend of course. During the week it is mostly empty.

"mommy, is this our car?"

2009-06-18T19:40:00.004+09:00

It surprises me that Ariana isn't more confused than she is. In the past 3 weeks, she has been in three different beds, three different cars, two different countries. First in NY, then in Canada, now in Florida and soon back to Canada for most of the summer until we close on our house.

Our house.

Yes, we found one in CT that we really like. The contract is being worked out now and we hope to close at the end of July. Never in a million years did I think I would be living in a rather rural part of the state. At the start of our search I was adamant about wanting to be able to walk into town and not be dependent on a car. We looked at houses in "walking" communities and all I could think of was how crowded everything seemed. I didn't like the idea of looking straight into my neighbor's house or hearing their conversations.

I wanted space.

I have it.

Every window in our house looks out onto green. There are houses within sight, but far enough away that looking into their windows, or have them look into ours, is impossible. Past the house below us is a beautiful lake where we can keep a boat. It is peaceful. Which is exactly what I want right now.

Living in "the country" will require me to get over my fear of bugs. I am getting good practice up in Canada. When we first arrived, I had to summon baba san to dispose of even the smallest thing. When Ariana cried "there's a bug", I instructed her to put the word "baba" before any such sentence. Now, I am swatting them away with hardly a thought. I barely flinched when I saw a wasp at the pool yesterday, although I did suggest to Ariana that she get in the pool "NOW".

It's progress.

And now, some random pictures .......Ariana with baba san at the Museum of Natural History - Ariana is now officially obsessed with dinosaurs.....

Ariana with her friend Mia............

.....and watching an IPod with her friend Jack.....

On Leaving.............and Returning

2009-05-29T15:18:00.004+09:00

It's 3am and here I sit in a hotel in Westchester, waiting to return to a normal sleep cycle. The process will be slowed down by a child who has the unique talent of waking up just as I am about to fall asleep - desiring food, drink, cartoons or just a playmate until she tires again.

I am happy I have flown my last 13 hour flight for a long time. I was in heaven in the Stop n' Shop, being able to read all the labels - a quick trip for some staples ended up being close to an hour as I gazed at all of the products that have been introduced since I left. Being literate is a wonderful thing. We are busy house hunting - the decisions are endless. We can't wait to see our old friends - it has been way too long.

But there is sadness too. Prior to leaving Japan, we had to say goodbye to our friends there. While we intend to keep in touch, the reality is we will lose touch with some - and probably not the ones we wouldn't mind losing touch with. Rather, the ones that were meaningful in some way. I left the women who listened during the last few months of our wait for Ariana; waited impatiently for our return from China; commiserated over the misadventures of potty training; sympathizes over the effects of "one too many" at Karaoke. The friendship were made quickly - and deeply, and I will not see them for a long time. And that is sad.

On the other hand, I am learning to love the east coast all over again, warts and all. I witnessed my first verbal fight on the street today - a male pedestrian and a female driver going at it for all to hear. I will have to get used to the dirty and rumpled dollar bills while fondly remembering the perfectly clean and crisp yen notes in Japan. Where does all of the crumpled money go in Japan? Everyone here is much, much nicer than I remember - perhaps because we are spending most of our time outside NYC.

And English - all the time.

Never Give a Four Year Old a Finger Bowl

2009-05-09T06:53:00.005+09:00

During an absolutely delicious and mostly well behaved dinner in the dining room of the grand Fujiya Hotel in Hakone, finger bowls appeared at the table and Ariana thought she would save time by taking two of them without spilling a drop. I think we have a type A multi-tasker on our hands.

As our time in Japan is coming to an end, we decided to finally take a trip to Hakone. Only about an hour and a half from Tokyo, it was one of those places that we kept thinking "we'll go one of these days", but only now had the motivation to go. Despite the raining weather, it was a beautiful trip. After checking in at the hotel, our first stop was the open air museum.

A collection of sculpture placed in a gorgeous park, even the rain couldn't dampen our enjoyment of it all.

And, in typical Japanese style, there was a full supply of umbrellas to borrow if you were lacking one.

With Ariana taking one of her several naps during the day, Baba san did the pushing as we visited a Toy Museum and yes, Ariana woke up just in time to see an amazing collection of old toys.

To see all of Hakone, one must take a train, a tram, a gondola and a boat - Ariana almost missed out on most of the gondola ride, but woke up in time to wave at the others passing in the opposite direction.

And our room - what can we say about the Fujiya Hotel - it was fantastic. Very rustic in an elegant way. They have several different wings with different style rooms - it opened in the late 1800's and has hosted people from all over the world. It is a definite must see if you ever get there.

This was our room, with a great view of the train that passes by. On a single track, it moves slowly enough for you to see the sites - though not into our room as it stops running before dark. I would say I can't wait to go back, but I know that won't be happening for a very long time. In any event, it was a memorable trip.

The Egg

2009-05-01T06:29:00.003+09:00

The challenge: eating raw egg
The place: home of Mikoto, Hanako and Eri.
The Dish: sukiyaki, made the "western" style; not western as in American, but western as in western Japan, which is where he is from. As in most dishes, each region has it's own way of preparation. This is one of several "hotpot" Japanese dishes made on a heated surface right on the table. Sukiyaki involves thin slices of meat, tofu, vegetables and noodles in a mixture of brown sugar, sake and soy sauce . In between plucking pieces from the pan and putting them in your mouth, a brief dunk in a raw egg is suggested.

Mission: Accomplished, with some trepidation and thoughts of salmonella coursing through our veins. The thought of eating raw egg was slightly nauseating but, we finally decided, after seeing Eri, age 9, dipping away, that it couldn't be that bad. And it wasn't. It was really tasty and softening the rich taste of the sugar, sake and soy sauce.

Ariana of course did not participate, taking one look at the meal and stating "I don't like it" preferring to play with Eri's toys.

So Jaded.......

2009-04-28T09:05:00.004+09:00

An earthquake hit this morning as I was having my coffee. As I watched the lampshades sway and the cord bolting the television to the ceiling strain again the movement, I wondered if I should get up. I didn't and it passed.

It was only a 1 on the scale here in Tokyo, but apparently quite strong where in originated up north.

This is one thing I won't miss about Tokyo when I leave, which is exactly 29 days from today.

Yikes!!!!

Economics, 4 year old style

2009-04-22T06:17:00.004+09:00

We were in a park last week which has a view of baba-san's office building. Ariana pointed at it and says 'there's baba". We then went on the discuss what baba does in the building. Ariana chimed in with her opinion "Baba goes to the money shop".

Yesterday in the mail, we received a flier for Acachan Hompo, a popular children's store here in Tokyo. There were lots of pictures on the large page and Ariana started pointing at things saying "I need this". "This" included Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh chopsticks, Anpanman pajamas and band aids and Lightning McQueen pajamas. I replied that perhaps she needed to make some money to go buy these things and she replied "we need to get it from Baba's magic box (actually my change box that baba-san routinely scrounges through). I told her to ask Baba and she went to him and said "baba, can you share?".

You see, sharing is a big thing in school and at home. I think she has learned the lesson well, particularly when someone has something she wants. She needs a little more studying when it's the other way around.

This morning, she again stated a list of things she wanted and I said we have no money. She quickly replied, "we have to share baba's money".

Baba san and I had a brief conversation about 1) what the proper age to start an allowance is, and 2) can we give Ariana little jobs to do and if so, what? Since she is interested in money now, we figured this was a good time. Any thoughts???

Enlightened Sumo

2009-04-12T22:00:00.004+09:00

On Friday, Ariana's school had their annual picnic in one of the many parks in Tokyo. It was the perfect day, with the cherry blossoms in full blown pink with petals falling like snow. Each class had their spot under the trees and the kids played as the moms watched. Our class, learning about Sumo wrestling, set up a ring and the kids took turns. Ariana held back at first and finally decided to take the plunge. She lost her first round but came back to win the second:

After her big win, she played again and this time, lost the match. She was not happy and started to cry "I won, I won" she cried. "Honey, you won the last time, not this time". The little boys in the class heard this and set up several other matches with one of them standing behind Ariana and helping her "push" the other player out of the ring. They were all announcing "Ariana won" over and over.

It was the sweetest thing - all these little boys taking turns "losing" so she could win. She was happy and I was very proud of the kids in her class - they have learned well the spirit of kindness and generosity.

They made one very little girl feel very big.

What I Will Miss - The Courtesy

2009-04-08T10:54:00.003+09:00

I went to pick Ariana up at school yesterday. She was in the playroom in the basement of the school, reachable only by elevator. There was another woman waiting there as I approached. The elevator doors opened and she motioned for me to enter first. The elevator was going up, so I told her I would wait as I had to go down to the basement. She said "oh, it's ok. You take it - I can walk" and away she went, up the stairs, leaving me the elevator all to myself.

This.
Would.
Never.
Happen.
In.
New.
York.

In the Pink...random pictures of spring

2009-04-07T18:03:00.005+09:00

Violette, Ariana and Ulysse making faces...
Ariana, the photographer, takes a picture of her friend Riku....

cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms, look and see........
still life of shoes in park........taken by Ariana
the Hanami (cherry blossom) party in Shinjuku goen - yes, Ariana took this one too. She is turning into quite the photographer. It started in Bali and now whenever I pull out the camera, she wants her turn.

But, getting back to the party - every year when the trees start to bloom, people everywhere gather in parks, beside rivers, anywhere where there are trees, and celebrate. This year we met up with friends in Shinjuku park, one of the larger ones here in Tokyo.

there is a lot of taking pictures...................
yes, Ariana was getting creative in this one........
reminds me of central park during an Philharmonic concert, minus the blossoms of course.
there are even lines to get into the park, because you must buy your ticket (a big 200 yen - about 2 dollars US) before entering.

They say there is no alcohol allowed, but everyone brings, because that is what you do. Sit and sip and wonder at the beauty of it all.

Anpanman

2009-03-26T15:16:00.006+09:00

Japanese children everywhere love Anpanman - a cartoon character whose head is made of bread. He and his cohorts fight the evil Baikinman in every episode. With Ariana off from school this week, I told her I had a surprise for her and we took the train down to Yokohama to visit the Anpanman museum. We found the museum with no problem as we just followed the parade of excited little children and their parents down the street. Ariana was very excited when she realized where we were going and ran right up to Anpanman and wouldn't leave until I took her picture.

These are just some of the characters that make an appearance in the show....
As most children's "museums" here, it is basically a big shopping arcade with a play space thrown in; so the children can play with all the toys they will then bug their parents to buy them. You are then starving, so you end up in a theme restaurant eating kawai ("cute") food
You then visit the stores, buy a lot of stuff your child may or may not play with, wear, eat, etc.

You return to your stroller, which has been parked in the "lot" along with all of the others and make your way home.
In the end, it is all worth it, as right before she falls asleep in her stroller, your child looks up at you and says "mama, I liked my surprise"

Spring is Here

2009-03-18T14:52:00.007+09:00

Last year I spent an afternoon viewing Bonsai with the old men who make up most of the practitioners of this most exacting art. This week, I switched sexes and spent my time viewing Ikebana with the older women who practice this most fragrant one at an exhibition. The selections were amazing - each one so painstakingly constructed; each vessel so different.

For someone like me who has not a green thumb, but rather the black thumb of death when it comes to anything growing, to even be interested in the art of Ikebana is a truly bizarre concept. Introduced by my friend Darla, I have grown to love not just viewing but creating as well. Every other Friday we gather with our Sensei and with our chosen selection of flowers, set about to create something beautiful.

The difference is obvious, but I have really learned to enjoy the process of creating an arrangement. I have started a collection of vases and after seeing the exhibit the other day, fear an obsession coming on. A longer list will accompany me on my flea market outings from now on, although I fear I will have to fight Celine over a particularly unusual find. (thanks to her for the photos of the exhibit- she was the one with the camera and she so generously shared them with me).

The Performance..

2009-03-15T07:19:00.004+09:00

..went brilliantly. While a little hesitant at first seeing the many parents in the room (she sat on my lap for a bit), Ariana slowly got used to the idea and sat calmly with her class waiting for her turn to go on. Luckily, they were the first group after the intermission, and she bravely walked with her class up on stage, performed the three songs without a tear and walked off. She was really proud of herself and it showed the rest of the day as she kept singing the songs. Baba san and I were proud that she didn't let the many, many parents and kids from the other classes upset her and by the end of the recital was running around with some of the other kids.

I will be sorry to leave this school when we return to the states at the end of May (it's official). A most nurturing atmosphere, with an emphasis on cooperation, consideration and mutual respect, Ariana is growing into a sweet and lovely little girl. I hope we find the same nurturing atmosphere when we return.

The Dress Rehearsal

2009-03-02T07:40:00.003+09:00

Ariana's class is performing in the spring show and we were invited for a preview. Checkout the little fireman...or should I say firegirl...I just hope real firefighters aren't so fussy with their hats..

What to do, what to do

2009-02-26T20:00:00.001+09:00

I just read about the study done in the UK that found even one glass of alcohol a day increased a woman's chances for certain types of cancer.

So let me get this straight.

If I don't drink I am more likely to have a heart attack and if I do I'm more likely to get cancer.

Oh, just shoot me now........

Dumplings, Part 2 and 3

2009-02-21T07:44:00.004+09:00

On the Sunday following the party, we all went to Yokohama for the Chinese New Year parade. Dragons, dancing women, kings, queens and jesters made their way down the street, stopping to pose for pictures and say hello to the children.

After seeing the woman in the restaurant window making perfectly shaped dumplings, Wenjun and I decided to continue to try on Tuesday. Since she had a lot of filling and dough left over from the party, we only had to roll, stuff and steam our way to a delicious snack.

So we thought.

We rolled, we stuffed, we steamed. As we tasted them, they seemed ok. I brought some already steamed home for dinner and had another batch to put in the freezer for later.

To heat, I put them in the microwave. Big mistake. I served them. Bigger mistake. Arny was not happy. According to Wenjun, John was not happy either.

Last night I steamed the ones' we bought from the restaurant and just for the fun (or torture) of it, I steamed a few of the one's we made that were in the freezer.

It is official.

I cannot make dumplings.

Yet.

I will keep trying.

There is no such thing as fortune cookies in China....

2009-02-11T09:22:00.002+09:00

.........but there are dumplings. Many, many dumplings. I got the chance to make them Saturday night at a Chinese new year party given by friends Wenjun and John. Standing with a few of her friends, I marveled at the speed in which they rolled out each little circle of dough and even tried my hand at filling and shaping the delicious morsels.
Dumpling making is a family affair, with various members taking on different tasks, based on their particular skill. As these women shared their own family's methods, I stood quietly, soaking it all in, trying to remember something so communal in my family. I couldn't. The cooking that went on in my house during holidays was solely my mother and grandmother's responsibility, with the rest of the family called only when the meal was ready. As I got older, I helped, but I can't remember us working on the same dish at the same time.

Though, I do have fond memories of the baba-san family "Apple Butter Festival" where family and friends spent the entire day making apple butter and trying not to get stung by the yellow jackets buzzing around the apple press. Driving down to Delaware from New York, we never got there early enough for the start, arriving only as the huge, black kettle was already over the fire, the smell of apples greeting us as we pulled up. We all took turns mixing the apples with the paddle and listened carefully as the more experienced members debated the amount of cinnamon to add. While we waited, we talked about what had happened in the year since the last get-together. Finally it was ready and everyone went into action, an assembly line forming to pour the butter into jars and then screwing both parts of the lid on tight.

Of course the best part was several weeks later, as I dipped my knife into the almost finished jar, remembering the wonderful day down in Delaware.....

Beans. Beans, Beans

2009-02-10T14:37:00.001+09:00

Today all over Japan people celebrate Setsuben by throwing beans to chase away the evil spirits shouting "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi ( Evil is out, good luck is within) or Oni wa uchi, fuku wa uchi (evil is within, good luck is within").

Usually the man of the house(see above) puts on a demon mask and runs around chasing the others in the house, while they throw beans at him. I did and had much fun, while Ariana was too shocked at her parents behaving so silly to get up and join in. Once she recovered, she did repeat the words just like she learned in Japanese class.

Tess just ate the beans.

So much for cultural enrichment..........

a snippit

2009-02-03T14:44:00.002+09:00

...riding Ariana home on the bike after school.........................

Ariana: baba's name is Arny.

me: that's right.

Ariana: Arny rhymes with Barney.

me: Yes. It does.

Random Things

2009-02-01T12:49:00.005+09:00

My new favorite product. While they look like normal jelly beans, they are more. Much more. Filled with both Vitamin C and Collagen. Yes, while we painfully shoot the stuff in our faces, here in Japan they eat it. Who is smarter??

The first earthquake casualty - this morning as I was sitting at the computer, the building started swaying and things started rattling. I am so used to it now I continued to sit and type. Later we had some people over for brunch and we were all discussing how jaded we have all become. As I pulled down the martini glasses for dessert (I was filling them with fruit and cream, not martinis by the way) I saw this. It apparently rattled just a little too hard on the top of the shelf and broke.

How sad.

Finally, the other very rainy morning baba san left for work as Ariana and I were still trying to make it out the door. Finally all ready, I started looking for my keys, first in the relaxed "why can't I ever just put them in one place" kind of way, then in the "Oh my God I am going senile!!!!!" kind of way. I looked all over, in both the logical places and the more ridiculous (the fridge). Finally I gave up, hustled both of us out the door, leaving it unlocked (I live in Japan, I can do this) and went about my day. I took the clicker to the garage door, ensuring I could get back into the building.

Later in the afternoon after doing another complete search of the apartment, I called baba san and embarrassedly told him I couldn't find the keys and asked if he could look in his briefcase to see if perhaps Ariana put them there, or maybe they just fell in. He looked and and then said

him: "wait, they're here. They're in my pocket"

me: In your pocket??

him: yes. I don't know how they got there.

me: what do you mean? you put them there.

him: I don't know.

me: what do you mean you don't know if you put them there. Do you remember me sticking my hand in your pocket??

him: no, but you must have left them somewhere where I thought they were mine.

me: (speechless at this point)

Twice, I searched the apartment, spending the entire day worried that 1) I was going nuts 2) I would never find them and would have to deal with getting a new set from the landlord 3) even though this is Japan, someone was going to get into the apartment and take everything valuable that we own.

My question is... just how much should I make him pay?

So there is good news in the midst of the bad.....

2009-01-29T16:44:00.003+09:00

The New York Times had two articles today that made me happy. The first was on coffee, which gives me hope even as I search in vain throughout the apartment for the glasses that are firmly on my head and the other was on germs, which made me feel much better about my implementation of the 5 second rule at Starbuck's yesterday.

For Moms Everywhere

2009-01-26T10:32:00.003+09:00

Getting Used to My New F$&#*ing bi-focals

2009-01-24T12:59:00.004+09:00

More than ten years ago, during a visit to an eye doctor to have him remove a foreign something in my eye, he told me I needed glasses. Quite a shock to me, as I thought my vision was fine. Sure, they seemed to be making street signs smaller, but in general I didn't have a problem with running into things, so all was well - I thought.

Until that visit.

Not only did he say I needed glasses, but he recommended bi-focals. Bi-focals!!! me??!??? I'm too young to have bi-focals!!!! I can still read menus in the darkest of restaurants!! He said "yes, now you can, but you are getting older and your eyes will have trouble refocusing near and far, so you really should get them". He wrote out the prescription and off I went,thinking him ridiculous and only getting the regular part of the prescription filled.

Fast forward to now. I lost my glasses over the summer and needed to replace them (hello, can you say procrastination???). Off I go to a store near Ariana's school that was recommended by a friend for their pleasant English speaking staff. Reality had sunk in and after those ten or so years, I really did need bifocals. They were ordered and last week I picked them up.

Now comes the getting used to them part. I have a brand new awareness of the way my head moves as, for those not yet so fortunate as to have these, you have to move your head in the direction you want to see. No more just moving one's eyes - either the whole head moves, or you see a blurry version of whatever is in front of you. At one point I felt like one of those bobble head dolls as I slowly tilted my head up and down to get the right angle to read.

The good news - finally, I can crochet and watch TV at the same time.

The bad news - I am old - old enough to have bi-focals. That's where the F*&#)#&!!ing part comes in.

True Story

2009-01-18T13:20:00.003+09:00

During the screenings for one of the international schools, the children were asked "what keeps a dog warm"?

ex-pat children: "fur"
Japanese children: "coats"

You've read how much seeing little dogs outfitted in outrageous clothing sends me into outer space. This just confirms my outrage.

Back to School

2009-01-15T08:55:00.002+09:00

"I don't want to go to school"
"I don't like school"
"I don't like my friends"
"I don't like morning - I like the dark"
"I want to bring this book and this book and this book and this book and my DVD's"
"I don't like apple"

These are the sounds that fill my mornings - what joy!!!! Mind you, she goes to school - is relatively happy when she gets there and seems to enjoy the day. I suppose it's just the idea of it that disturbs her.

When I dropped her off on Monday, there were forms for the new school lunch program - all natural, all organic, packed in ecologically sound containers, allergy free ingredients - all for 1800 yen a day - that is about $18. Are they kidding?????? Forget about the fact that my daughter would eat, well, let's see, NOTHING!!!! of the lovely all natural all organic lunch packed in the ecologically sound container - I don't spend $18 on my lunch!!

This is life in ex-pat land, where so called nutritionists think that 1) everyone has $18 to spend on their child's lunch and 2) they will be convinced that unless they spend the $!8 on said lunch, they will be condemning their children to an unhealthy life and an early grave.

I, for one, think that what is left over from last night's dinner or a little sandwich makes a fine lunch and since the lunchbox comes back empty, it seems Ariana thinks so too. I also think that the plastic Mickey Mouse or Puri fresh boxes I pack it in serve her just fine (for those interested, the possible danger from plastic is only when heating).

So, the sign up form has gone into the garbage (yes, I did put it in the "paper" garbage so that it can be recycled properly) and Ariana went to school today with leftover spaghetti.

There Should Be A Law...

2009-01-11T14:55:00.007+09:00

......against any school vacation being more than two weeks long. Ariana has not been in school for about one month. Take away the ten days we were in Bali and that leaves over two weeks trying to keep a four year occupied and interested. We were sick for about a week (all TV all the time - I know, I'm bad, but I was feeling so lousy I didn't care) and the rest of the time I was emailing friends for ideas.

Her friend Yuto came over one day - his mom and I sat around chatting while they compared somersaulting techniques.

One day we went to a New Year's fair in Meguro, where Ariana spent a lot of time racing cars and sliding down the big inflatable slide. She won a bank, which she exchanged for a blow up sword, a plastic Mickey Mouse ball she lost on the way home and a water balloon, which is still around here somewhere, miraculously still filled with water.

We spent one day at the Toy Museum, a former elementary school turned into a place filled with wooden toys.

We both had a lot of fun, and if she hadn't been so tired (ok, I was the one who was tired) we would have gone to the Fire Museum down the street. We are planning on going there another day with Baba san, as I know he will enjoy it.

The Tama zoo was our destination a few days ago, where we saw more lions and even heard them roar as a few males faced off, while the females looked on nonchalantly as if to say "oh, here they go again". This one was either too old or too tired to join us, preferring to hang around with his mate.

We also saw a few Koala bears in the new Australian exhibit and many, many butterflies.

For the past few days, we have been spending a lot of time over Violette and Ulysses's house, where Ariana has been improving her french, learning how to kiss on both cheeks and riding Ulysses's scooter around the playroom, chasing him around shouting "roar, I am going to eat you!!!" Perhaps we are spending too much time around lions.

She goes back to school on Tuesday and I get to get back to my life - with a huge New Year's to-do list. Somehow I don't think it will be as much fun as as listening to Ariana sing the theme song to "Madagascar" though.

Lions and Tigers and Teeth

2009-01-05T08:37:00.008+09:00

At the Bali Safari and Marine Park, we got to see two white tigers up close and personal - they are really gorgeous animals - with really big teeth - big, fierce, strong teeth that would make a tasty little snack out of my lovely little daughter. Which is why I was a bit hesitant (ok, totally freaked out) when we were invited to pet a tiger. A big tiger. Not one of those little tiger cubs that are held firmly in a trainer's hand, but a big one that could turn around and devour a little girl in a second. Not wanting to appear the totally paranoid mother that I was at the time, and after watching entire families go up with no one disappearing, Ariana and I made our way up and sat while baba-san, much too slowly for my taste, took pictures of the experience.

If you think I am smiling, I'm really not. I call it more of a grimace, in the "take the damn picture before we get eaten!!!! " kind of grimace. If that wasn't bad enough, a little later on there was a lion and we had to repeat the process. Even Ariana is starting to catch on here - big animal, big teeth - let's move along please!!!

She did have a fine time taking the Safari ride, where we saw all kinds of animals. Safely behind the windows of our Safari van. The rest of the day was spent visiting Temples:

This is the entrance to the Pura Gunung Kawi. Wherever you drive, temples are in view. In tradition Balinese homes, there are the family temples. For those not living in a traditional home, there are small shrines in a corner of a room. There are town temples and finally, the most important, the seaside temples. Religion is very important in Bali and there are always celebrations. We passed several town celebrations in our travels around Bali - the participants dressed in colorful sarongs, with the women carrying food and offerings on their heads:

And yes, always the motorcycles - Edy referred to them as mosquitoes - always buzzing about.

I leave you again with another beautiful sunset...........

Bali, Part 2

2009-01-02T13:10:00.013+09:00

After an early morning stroll along the beach, we ventured out to Seminyak, a town full of shops and very uneven sidewalks. Our stroll didn't last too long, given we had too many near misses with the offerings on the sidewalks and Little Miss Grouch (Ariana's alter ego "Didi") was a little to heavy to be carried in the sunny heat.

these little "plates" otherwise known as offerings, placed outside of almost every establishment in Bali - watch where you walk!!!!

We grabbed a cab and headed to "Ku de ta", a trendy hot spot by night but very relaxing ocean side restaurant by day. Again passing security guards with poles sweeping the bottom of the cab, we entered what was to be our oasis for the afternoon. Great food in the shade and a wading poo for Ariana. A security guard watched from the steps to beach, protecting the patrons from the very aggressive peddlers seen everywhere in Bali, selling necklaces, kites, postcards, etc. We sat through a leisurely lunch and then had to pry our then naked child (Bali seems to make everybody shed more than their inhibitions) out of the pool.

The ride back to the hotel was the bumpiest I have ever experienced. The driver thought it would be faster to go on the side of the road (think crater filled moon surface) rather than wait in the traffic. I think the only rule of the road here is that there is none. We saw motorcycles all around us, some with babies - no helmets:

see all four heads on this one? one little one is in front, the other sandwiched between his parents - children's services, where are you??

It was truly frightening (the babies with no helmets being held in their mom's arms) and nauseating (the bump-bump-bump of the road).

We tried Cafe Butang on the beach for dinner, which had the freshest fish cooked in coconut leaves and amazing spicy shrimp. "Didi" had continued to make an appearance thanks to a stuffy nose and cough. The waitress came over, picked her up and started walking and singing to her, quieting her immediately and allowing us to enjoy the food. But half (ok, most) of me was nervous about some stranger in a strange land holding my child. As grateful as I was for the break, I was also remembering the little girl who disappeared while her family was eating dinner in Portugal and so we kept our eye keenly on her the whole time.

Tuesday we met Edy, our driver, who took us to the Elephant Park in Ubud. Through the single lanes of Bali, we passed row after row of stone carving stores, then the shacks where stone carvers worked out in the open with their entire families there and finally, just green. We climbed aboard our rides for the afternoon - Ariana and I were on Nimby; Arny had Rama all to himself, and proceeded around the park. Swaying back and forth, who knew riding an elephant would be good for your stomach muscles - mine were sore for a day or two after. Ariana was alternatively enjoying it - "look, elephant poop. They stepping in poop. Why they stepping in poop?" (for those of you who remember the book "Everybody Poops", the elephant's is depicted quite accurately) - and wanting to go home. She perked up when we got to the water and got to go swimming with the elephants. I was glad we were not actually in the water, as there were several workers fishing elephant poop out of the water.

After a quick lunch, we went to see the elephant show, where they did tricks, painted a picture and Arny's favorite (not!!) - squirting the audience with water.......

More on Bali later, for now..............Happy New Year to All!!!!

Bali , part 1

2008-12-31T09:27:00.010+09:00

Sitting in my cold and drafty Tokyo apartment with a box of tissues close by, I stare at the pictures of the glorious sunsets we saw every night as we sipped our cocktails by the ocean. What a wonderful vacation it was. Beautiful place, great food and people and the perfect combination of beach and culture.

We arrived about 10:30 pm and after going through immigration (not the nightmare as had been reported), we met the driver from the hotel and were quickly whisked into an air conditioned van, with cold towels and water instantly provided. The fifteen minute drive to the hotel gave us our first glimpse of Bali - not at all the pretty sunsets and rolling rice fields. Bumpy roads crowded with motorcycles, some with 2 and 3 passengers; child beggars on streets approaching the stopped cars; small worn down buildings lining the roads -a bit sobering at 11pm. Arriving at our hotel, the car was stopped and searched for bombs; an event that would become a daily occurrence.

At the hotel, while our luggage was loaded on to a cart, we were escorted through the open air lobby to a comfortable seating area to check in - none of this stand-behind-a-counter business here in Bali. After wiping off with a cold cloth (this too would become routine) and sipping at some cool tea, we were taken to our room. And what a room it was! On the second floor of the 4 story building looking out over one of the pools, the luscious gardens and yes, the ocean, this was one of the most comfortable rooms I'd ever been in. It was very quiet, but not so much that you couldn't hear the rolling surf or the birds and with the comfy black chairs, the balcony would prove to be the perfect place to listen.

Sunday was a day to relax and explore the hotel. After breakfast in the lounge, we headed out to the pool; actually a series of pools - some wading, some with fountains and finally the main one with the requisite bars stools in the water. Ariana found one with fountains she liked, so we plunked ourselves down:

and jumped in:

Another family joined us. The mother was covered from head to toe as is the traditional Muslim way, while the kids had on regular bathing suits. Certainly that mom didn't get her shoulders sun burnt like I did, being swathed like she was in colorful fabric.

After we had enough of the pool, we headed for the beach. It was quiet with only a few others walking along. In fact, most of the people we passed were local children or enterprising Balinese who offered us massages right on the beach. We passed a group of restaurants, really just shacks with tables in front of them, which we later discovered had the freshest, most delicious fish. We also discovered that was the location of one of the Bali bombings, the reason for all of the security and car searches.

Lunch, a mani and pedi followed. Yes, I know, it's a tough life. But, after the year I had, it was certainly well deserved. We stopped at the beach side bar for a cocktail, something that would become a nightly routine. Besides the amazing sunsets, the clean air and being able to watch the surf from a stress sapping Balinese beach chair, how can you resist a place that even makes milk look good???

under the weather

2008-12-27T13:21:00.008+09:00

The cold season has come to the DiLaura house as both Ariana and I are sick. Baba san has been doing an excellent job of taking care of us, making food and basically keeping Ariana occupied so I can sleep.

We have also been making use of one of the more brilliant Japanese drug store items. Ariana is wearing it on her forehead - it's a gel strip that cools (for fevers) and also has menthol to ease breathing. Ariana loves them and actually knew she had a fever before I took her temperature. She went into the medicine cabinet and got one (I can do this myself, thank you very much!!) and then said to me "I have a fever". I took her temperature and sure enough she was right.

As you can see, Simba has not left her side for a minute since Christmas. She has taken it to her friends house and to the movies and slept with it every night. In fact, one night she woke up asking for it (silly me, forgot to put in into bed with her). She knows Santa brought it and fully understands the "ask Santa, get from Santa" concept. What she is having a hard time understanding though, is that Santa only comes once a year. She will say "I think I want to ask Santa for....", and I explain that she has to wait until next year.

Needless to say, she is not happy.

Christmas As Planned

2008-12-26T08:25:00.004+09:00

Simba showed up just in time and so, early Christmas morning, I watched as Ariana slowly opened.....
the well wrapped doll with a sense of wonder......

and then...................................................... a big smile!!!
She carried it with her the entire day, as we went for Chinese food and then to a movie. The movie had to be postponed though, because it was sold out. Who would have thought on a Wednesday here in Tokyo there would be a problem seeing a movie, as Christmas is not a holiday here (proven by the symphony of hammer and drill that greeting us at 9am!!) . But, sold out it was, so we made our way to friends Clare and Jason's for a bit of champers.

On the way there, Ariana got a lesson in saying "please don't touch" and "you can look, but please don't touch" as she was adamant that Rhianna and Tom could not touch Simba. I explained that it was always good to share, but she wasn't' having any of it. She wasted no time playing with all of their new toys, forgetting about Simba as he sat on the couch, feeling ignored I'm sure.

Simba was reclaimed as we left and she carried him all the way home. She spent the evening putting him to bed, wrapping him in the new Mickey Mouse blanket that Santa brought. It was all very sweet....

....and happy holidays to all!!!!!

Moving Christmas

2008-12-13T05:45:00.002+09:00

Finding a Simba doll here in Japan has proved impossible. After a trip to the Disney store where the shelves were full of everything but, I discovered the reason for the absence of anything "lion king like".

Apparently, the original story was written by a Japanese person years and years ago. Disney made the movie and was promptly sued and the resulting settlement prevents any merchandising from being sold here.

So I ordered one from the United States and here is where it gets sticky. If it doesn't arrive by Christmas, what do we do? I don't want to ruin Christmas and Santa for Ariana especially after she bravely sat on Santa's lap and asked for it. Imagine her getting up in the morning and looking high and low for Simba only to find nothing. Too sad.

Baba san and I have decided that our Christmas will be celebrated exactly the day after Simba arrives. We will be celebrating Hanukkah too and it is very late this year, starting just a few days before Christmas, so she will be preoccupied with candles and little gifts.

Now, off to finish packing.......Bali here we come!!!

Hello Santa!!!

2008-12-07T07:35:00.006+09:00

After a sugar laden lunch at TGI Friday's (yes, we do still live in Tokyo and yes, there is a Friday's here) we headed over to the Tokyo American Club for a meeting with Santa. All week long we had been preparing for the big event, with me explaining to Ariana that she had to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas. Since she is normally very quiet around strangers, we were practicing in the hopes that she would feel less overwhelmed by the big guy in the big red suit.

It worked!! She walked up to the big guy a little tentatively, sat down a little more so, but was able to answer when he asked her what she wanted. We all heard a soft little "I want Simba". And then a big smile when she realized she did it!!!

Now, she did get a little put out when she realized that she couldn't get the Simba doll right there and then. I had to explain that Santa (me) has to go back to the North Pole (Shibuya) and make the Simba for her (has to fight my way through the crowds in the Disney store and pray there is a Simba doll - or Simba something). Then if she is a good girl (and I find the time to do this before Christmas sometime before we leave for vacation next week) when she wakes up on Christmas day, Simba will be there waiting for her.

Ahhhh, the joys of Christmas!!!!!

Have Turkey Will Travel

2008-12-03T09:56:00.004+09:00

It pays to have a resourceful husband sometimes........................and a very large stroller.

On Sunday, my friend Darla and I decided to have a belated Thanksgiving. Since I had the larger oven, one that could actually fit a turkey, it was decided to have it at my house, so early Sunday morning, I put the turkey in the oven and started on the rest of my dishes. Darla would bring her stuffing, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie over around 1pm and we would eat.

Everyone was dressed, the table was set and stomachs were beginning to growl when the phone rang about 12:45:

Ryder was running a fever.

Now for all of you who have children, you know what that means. The balancing of two thoughts: "I must take care of my child" with "can we still make it?"

Having been in this situation many times myself (and with the turkey just about ready to come out of the oven) I said we would just wheel the turkey over there. Luckily Darla lives close - about a 5 minute walk.

So, as I was starting on the gravy, baba san rigged up the "turkey delivery devise" and wheeled it over. I followed once I had finished the gravy and a wonderful dinner followed, with a revived Ryder partaking just a little bit.

Sometimes it really does pay to roll with the flow, or should I say turkey..................

A Moment of Graditude

2008-11-27T10:27:00.003+09:00

Today is Thanksgiving. As concerned as I am about the state of the world, our status here in Tokyo and the frightening sight of our 401k's, I also look around and see how much I have.

Two years ago (today!!!!!) the powers that be placed a beautiful (despite the fact she was screaming her head off) daughter in my arms. Today she surprises me regularly with her inquisitiveness and her humor. I have a loving husband who is caring and compassionate and who cooks and even cleans up (ok, not all the time and not everything, but enough). I have two step children that occasionally surprise me with their insightful observations and constantly amuse me with their antics, two of the best in-laws a girl could have (even my mother thought so, so you know they have to be great) and friends - oh, where do I even begin to explain where I would I be without my friends......

Life is good......

Food Glorious Food

2008-11-24T07:53:00.004+09:00

After spending an afternoon at a Japanese cooking class, I have come to a realization. I really don't like Japanese food. I eat it and enjoy most of what I eat, but not enough to take the time involved to actually prepare an entire meal.

Part of the problem is finding the ingredients you need. The teacher will show us a bag of something and everyone will pull out their cameras to take a picture of it, but if that brand isn't sold in your local store, you may never find that store's equivalent. I have tried to write out the kanji, but sometimes there is so much writing on the label, I can't find the word that spells out the actual contents.

The labels on fish are truly confusing. Written down is everything from where the fish came from to how to cook it. I have a little cheat sheet and still I can't figure out what I have. I routinely answer the question "what are we having for dinner?" with "possibly tuna" or " some sort of white fish". Baba san has gotten used to it. The only major error was buying the saltiest of salmon (salmon comes in 4 different ways - unsalted, lightly salted, medium salted and mouth puckering salt with a little bit of salmon). Up until then, I didn't know this and afterhaving to swear up and down that I didn't put too much salt on the fish, we went 6 months without salmon at all, least I risk having to go through that experience again.

I can do better with Miso as I actually know what that looks like in the store, but then again, there are something like 17 different kinds, so I'm not sure exactly which kind I am buying. I found out on Saturday that there is actually "chunky" miso - just like peanut butter. Which is exactly what it looks like on the shelf. And yes, I will make miso soup, if only because you need a cute little gadget to make it.

The cooking tools are great though. Skimmers and knives and pans and other gadgets that anyone who gets "called" to that section of the store will appreciate. Little graters just for ginger or Daikon, strainers used exclusively for making miso soup and rectangular pans used for making the sweet omelets that are found in every bento box. - these are all on my wish list.

Next week I have a trip to Kappabashi planned with some of the moms from school. Kappabashi is actually one long street filled on each side with stores catering to people who like to buy kitchen gadgets. A former wholesale area for restaurants, it is now basically a place for people like me, who get a thrill from seeing store after store filled with bowls and plates and cookie cutters and knives (there is one store devoted to nothing but) and a bunch of things that I don't know, but feel certain I will need. Which is why I am happy to be visiting with some of the Japanese moms, who will be able to explain these enticing little items. Of course, they don't actually shop there, finding out long ago that it is far more convenient to do one's shopping on line.

Ah, The Magic of Christmas

2008-11-22T07:34:00.009+09:00

"I want Simba doll......................I want Mickey Mouse doll........................where's Simba shirt?...........I tell Santa I want Simba shirt.....................can I buy this at the store? (sitting on toy firetruck at friend's house).......................where's Santa?..........................we go Santa tomorrow...................I want to buy this...........................I get money at the store......................I have money for Santa.....I want to buy this DVD and this DVD and this DVD (pointing to the insert in one of the DVDs she already has)...................we go see Santa tomorrow?..........................I think I want to buy this (different truck at friend's house)......................I think I want to tell Santa about Mickey Mouse boots.......Mama, we need a Mickey Mouse Telephone. We don't have one and this one (pointing at our perfectly good land line) doesn't work...........I need a Mickey Mouse back pack. I ask Santa for one .............. I think I want to get Mickey Mouse gloves and shoes and boots"........................ah yes, such a magical season...

The Fun

2008-11-12T07:32:00.004+09:00

We had a visit from Arny's cousins on Sunday. As you can see, Ariana was feeling chipper, entertaining us all with her jumping skills. Bob was happy they were so good, as his knees wouldn't have been able to take a hard landing.
Ryshin is getting big - at two, he is almost as big as Ariana. They played happily most of time and had several lessons in sharing after they were not.

The energy of the weekend disintegrated into illness after I received a call from school saying Ariana had a fever. She has been fighting off a cold for quite a while and it finally got the best of her. About a third of her class was out sick yesterday and two of her other friends were home so something is definitely going around.

But, we have vaporizer pig to provide much needed moisture in the air. You gotta love Japanese design. We named it Goldie. Last night Ariana slept on the couch right next to it and had her first almost full night sleep in days. I did too, which is even better. Thanks Goldie!!!

More Happy Pictures...

2008-11-09T18:04:00.002+09:00

Fall In Tokyo

2008-11-09T07:36:00.005+09:00

The leaves change color, the vending machines now hold hot drinks as well as cold and the toilet seats are warm - these are all signs that fall has come to Japan. Potato digging is another. In pre-schools all over, little children followed (or in some cases led) by their teachers and parents make their way to one of the small farms to commune with nature.

Ariana and I went last week. While many children were actively digging and pulling at the vines, Ariana was waiting until the farmer came along and dug out the potatoes that were left in the ground. Then she would gracefully pick them up and put them in our bag.

The farm was small, probably about 2 acres, and as you can see from the picture, smack in the middle of a neighborhood. In addition to sweet potatoes, they also grew other vegetables and had a few pomegranate trees.

This is a Daikon radish, a very popular vegetable here. It can be sliced or grated into a salad or sauteed. It grows straight down into the ground and as you can see, with the leafy top was almost as big as Ariana.

Ariana was quite interested in the bug she found (eew!!) - picking it up and waving it around for all to see (eeeeeeeeww!!!!!!!!!!!). Luckily this one did not make it into the bag of potatoes.

As you can probably tell, I am not a big fan of bugs - not a good quality to have living here. It is easy to forget that Japan is one big island, but it is and it has the variety of bugs and insects to prove it. Like I said before, eeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!

What a Week

2008-11-08T08:31:00.004+09:00

The excitement still has not faded here in Japan after the election on Wednesday. I watched the returns with fellow democrats at a restaurant in Roppongi. Two friends, neither US citizens, met me there to participate in the celebration. They were thrilled to be able to see American democracy in action and asked question after question about the process (luckily, I was able to answer all of them). The interest in this election was truly worldwide - and I am being congratulated by people from every part of it.

I am back to being proud to be American, instead of apologetic. We did it. We chose hope over fear; integrity over deceit; respect over contempt. Yes, we did.

Yes.

WE.

DID!!!!!!!!

And the Winner Is......................

2008-11-04T16:29:00.002+09:00

Finally, Halloween is Over

2008-11-03T08:51:00.004+09:00

We celebrated in school on Friday - all the kids in their costumes were ridiculously adorable. Given Ariana's slight cold, we did not go out that night, preferring to stay inside and eat the treats she got.

On Saturday, we had some friends over (both little and big) and they brought some of their take from the previous night. They were kind enough to share with Ariana, which made her very happy.

And yes, she does have a new haircut......definitely more manageable and less likely to attract spaghetti sauce, since she is not into hair accessories of any kind.

So now that Halloween is over, the Christmas decorations and displays are already up - even here!! While not a national holiday, the gift giving and visual aspects of the day are very popular here in Tokyo. Thankfully I have not yet heard any Christmas music - I do hope they hold off for a little while.....

We Pause This Blog For a Short Political Announcement

2008-10-30T08:34:00.002+09:00

Halloween Part 2 - My Little Superfreak

2008-10-27T11:32:00.009+09:00

Yesterday was the Halloween parade in Harajuku, where children of all ages (and some dogs too) dress up and have a fine old time in the streets of Tokyo. We started at brunch, where Ariana serenaded us with what, I don't remember. I do know it was loud....

We then made our way to the parade and got there just as it started. Kids of all ages and in all sorts of costumes paraded down the street.

Ariana even met a "Kiki" - for those who are not familiar with "Kiki's Delivery Service", it is a wonderful movie about a little girl witch (Kiki) and her black cat (Jiji). The girl below with the red bow in her hair was Kiki and Ariana was so excited to see her.

Afterwards, we hung out in Yogogi Park for awhile

and then made it to the Baby Does Disco event, where the parents got to dance to 80's disco music and the kids got to laugh. Ariana was quite timid, preferring to play with the big balloons scattered around the room.

...that is until they started playing "YMCA". As she watched baba san and I dance, she started following us as we made the letters with our arms (yes, she thought it was funny). But once she heard "Superfreak" , she turned into a dancing machine...

Halloween Part 1

2008-10-26T10:16:00.004+09:00

Presenting.....................Jiji the cat, from the movie "Kiki's Delivery Service". Continuing with the animal theme of last year, Ariana wanted to be Jiji this year, so again I pulled out the face paint markers and went to work. She was pleased with the resemblance and yesterday we had the first excursion out, to the Halloween birthday party of one of her classmates.

It turned out to be both an inspired and original choice, as all of her classmates were dressed as princesses, several in the exact same Disney dresses. As you can see, Ariana was quite pleased with herself.

The Best Birthday Present

2008-10-16T20:44:00.002+09:00

She's Turning into Jed, Part Deux

2008-10-14T14:44:00.001+09:00

me: how was school today Ariana

her: fine

me: what did you do?

her: (long pause)...........nothinggggggggggggg........................................

She's Turning Into Jed

2008-10-04T07:21:00.002+09:00

me: Ariana, how was school today?

her: fine

me: what did you do?

her: (blank stare and silence, then) huh??

More Birthday Pictures

2008-09-20T09:32:00.003+09:00

Tess keeps watch as Ariana opens a present...
gently placing the Oreo's on the roof......
Ryder couldn't wait.......
"happy birthday to you".....
Baba made it home just in time.......

Ariana's Fourth Birthday or The Day I Went Insane

2008-09-13T16:05:00.008+09:00

It actually began a few days before when I decided to make gingerbread houses for Ariana and her friends to decorate. It took me two days to make the gingerbread and another to put them together into what could only generously called houses - they were actually more like tenement houses or more realistically - outhouses.

The recipe itself was easy - the mixing wore me out as the batter is really hard and with only a hand mixer, very tiring. The putting together was frustrating as the walls kept coming down, which required an enormous amount of icing glue to make stick.

They all stood up on the day of decorating though which made me very happy. A thin film of flour is still on the counters after many scrubbings and I am still finding bits of gingerbread batter stuck to everything with a 10 foot range of the mixer. And Ariana's creation is on the counter waiting to be eaten.

Then, in an additional fit of "creativity" in the wake of the "no sugar" policy at her school (don't even get me started on this one!!) I decided to make a "fruit" cake. While at the store to buy a piece of Styrofoam to stick the fruit on, my friend Darla encouraged me to get creative and actually make something. The something turned into a truck, since Ariana is big into Bob the Builder these days, shouting with excitement every time we see a truck, or a mixer, or actually anything resembling anything Bob the Builderish.

At school, the kids liked the truck and the fruit, but were still disappointed there was no cake (I found out that morning at the mom's meeting that I could have made a cake with honey or another "natural" sweetener, but really, that just gets me more irate- sugar is sugar!!!)

At home, the kids arrived and were having a fine time......

The Bob the Builder Lego Crane Set went over well...........
and Ariana had fun showing everyone how the elevator worked in her new doll house..

running laps around the apartment was fun for everyone............
.....here is Ariana showing Darla how old she is now........4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And Now, A Brief Pause From This Blog For A Political Announcement

2008-09-06T08:46:00.001+09:00

During my time in Japan, I have learned to enjoy living in peace. Peace from fear, anger and just plain nastiness. These things being absent in my life lead me to be drawn to a candidate who proposed real change, who spoke of hope. For a long time, these words were absent from politics and to hear them again was refreshing. I have been away long enough to believe real change is possible and to understand how much US citizens live in an environment of “fear” without even knowing it.

What I have seen the past few days reminded me that sometimes we have to fight for a change in the way people look at things. Rather than offer real plans, Mr. McCain, Ms. Palin and their supporters offered sarcasm, insults and fear – yet again.

How can someone with more homes he remembers call a couple who recently paid off their student loans elitist?

How can someone rail against government in peoples lives while trying to ban books in the library in her hometown for being “controversial”.

How can you uphold a Bill of Rights that talks about separation of church and state and then propose teaching creationism in the public schools?

How can the most prosperous country in the world be one holdout for providing healthcare to all of it’s’ citizens? This is the question I am asked about the most when I am talking to people from other countries and it is frankly, embarrassing to have to answer. We are on the Japanese healthcare system and it works for me just fine.

Yes, I agree, families and especially children should be off limits in politics, but what about the policies involved. Ms. Palin is for abstinence education and against any sort of comprehensive sex education when study after study (not to mention her own personal experience) shows that abstinence education alone just does not work.

For those interested in the economy, read this article from the Washington Monthly www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_05/006282.php. If you don’t want to read it, just ask yourself if you are better now than you were eight years ago? Are we better off? Eight years ago we had billion of dollars in surplus; now we have a deficit even larger.

All of the anger, the sarcasm, and the insults mask the fact that just a few weeks ago, the Republicans were mocking Obama’s call for change – now they have co-opted the message as their own. But so far, I have heard no details about what they will do different, but more importantly seen anything in their methods and behavior to believe they are sincere.

for more on ms. palin - http://my2bucks.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/a-letter-from-someone-who-has-known-sarah-palin-since-1992/

My New SUV

2008-08-30T11:14:00.006+09:00

...Japanese style. Otherwise known as a mama-chari, these motorized bikes can be seen all over Tokyo. Since Ariana's new school is a few miles away, this seemed the best way to get her back and forth. She and I, both with helmets securely fastened and with shouts of "mama, be careful" from the little back seat driver, made our way carefully through the quiet streets and up the steep hills (hence the need for the motor) to school.
Unscathed.
So far.
Most adults here don't wear helmets and only some of the kids do, so I was quite relieved to see one of the other mothers pulling up to the school in a helmet. "I'm from Chicago", she said when I commented how we seemed to be the only two who were risking looking silly. True, in any big city in America, all you see are people in helmets and for kids, it's the law.
Since the bike "rules of the road" are fluid here (ride on the street unless you can't and then ride on the sidewalk) , you are competing with cars, motorcycles or pedestrians at any given moment. I wonder why more people don't"risk looking silly" as the potential for an accident is pretty good.
I am happy to say that our trips to school have so far been incident free.
So far.

Oh Sado Mio

2008-08-26T08:47:00.009+09:00

One of my favorite places anywhere is the island of Sado, off the western coast of Japan. We went for the Earth Celebration, a festival started by Kodo, a famous Taiko drumming group. After arriving on Friday and getting settled in our room, we enjoyed the dinner prepared by the hotel - a typical Japanese one made up of many little dishes. This being Sado, an island known for its seafood, most of the dishes came from the sea, most were recognizable and most were delicious.

Saturday morning we made our way down to Ogi, the port town where the festival was being held. Meeting our friends Ryan, Darla and Ryder, we spent the mostly rainy day listening to drumming, walking around the festival market and marveling at the amazingly relaxed crowd.

Kanatsuryu Yanagawa Shishi Odori (Deer Dance)

A Brazilian group called Bloco Barravento, made up of both Japanese and Brazilian drummers.
Waiting patiently to get into the gym to hear the next group....

A very relaxed group waiting for the main band, Olodum, to perform. I have never seen such an orderly group. Before we got to our spot, we had to line up according to the color card we got earlier in the day. Even within the green group, we had numbers - this was the chart:

Can you believe anyone would pay attention to this in the states? - NO WAY. But here, everyone did. We had a very steep climb up to the clearing for the concert and everyone sat down very nicely. No pushing, no shoving, no fights. An announcement was made about the venue and the concert, what was allowed and what wasn't and a special note that if you wanted to dance, to please move to the side as to not disturb the people behind you who may not want to stand. This lasted all of about 30 seconds once the main band Oludum came out. As they are Brazilian and not used to sitting still during a musical performance, they immediately called out for everyone to stand, which we all did - and danced for almost the entire two hour performance, through rain and everything. Even Baba san was dancing - and Ariana, well let me just show you. Mind you, this was shot earlier in the day as we were listening to Bloco Barravento, but you get the idea: