awwwww.....

Napkin, I don't need no stinkin Napkin

Nothing erases the traumatic effects of a trip to the doctor where one gets jabbed with a needle (twice, as it seems they couldn't find a vein the first try) than an ice cream cone. You can imagine my excitement as I saw the shop - they had soft serve!!!!! - the closest thing to Carvel I was ever going to see here in Tokyo. We entered the shop, bypassing all of the gelato type ice creams and went straight for the vanilla/chocolate swirl - one for her, one for me. Now looking at the picture, the cone seems almost as big as she is and it was true - it was huge. But, just like her mama, she ate the whole thing in a messy "smear it all over me" way. Very unlike the Japanese child, there with her mother and grandmother who was being fed the soft serve cone by her grandmother spoonful by spoonful. They looked over at us and smiled. We smiled back, but our smiles were probably hidden by the ice-cream covering our mouths.

Yet another example of the difference in cultures evident every day I am here. Here, the ice cream shop was spotless, with not only napkins out for the customers, but little wet towelettes, packaged in plastic. There were doilies, white doilies!!!!! on every little table. We used up about 17 napkins and 4 wet naps; they used one of each. We ended up with ice cream all over us - they had none. Another woman came in while we were there and actually pulled out her own rather large cloth napkin, spread it on her lap and only then did she proceed to eat her ice cream, which was neatly piled in a cup. But no matter how we all ate, it was clear everyone enjoyed themselves.

Until, the Japanese grandmother asked if Ariana was a boy.....

The First Time

One always remembers. The nervousness, the anxiety. Will it be ok? Will she like it? Will I like it? Today was the first time..............................................
I left her.

I would like to say it was for something important like a meeting or a doctor's appointment. But no, I left her to shop. For furniture. You see, there was a big furniture sale at the Tokyo American Club. A bunch of vendors were gathered and we needed something to put the television on.
And no children were allowed. Hence the need to leave her. Baba-san offered to watch her in his office, but then my friend Clare offered to watch her as she was volunteering at the sale and wasn't needed until noon. So, I met Clare in the cafe, watched as Ariana went into the little play area they have there, and rushed off, cell phone in hand in case I was needed.

I wasn't.

I rushed around the sale searching for the appropriate piece, all the while sneaking glances at the phone just in case it rang.

It didn't.

Finding a piece I liked, I measured, opened doors, imagined it in the apartment, tried to call baba-san to discuss, all the while waiting for the call to say I was needed.

I wasn't.

Purchase finally made, I rushed back downstairs to find Ariana sitting in the highchair reading her book with Clare. She looked up at me with an expression that said "chill mother, I survived".

She was fine.

Apparently she looked around for me a couple of times, but was mostly very quiet and serious but happy playing, reading and drinking the fruit shake in front of her.

This is good.

The Daddy Dance

After dinner each night, Baba-san takes Ariana in his arms and they dance. It is the only way she will go to sleep quietly, without screaming bloody murder. They dance to classic rock music by Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones among others. Her particular favorite is " Crimson in Clover" - the original version, not the one by Joan Jett. Sometimes he sings, but mostly he just slowly moves around the living room holding her .

I would take a picture, but one can't capture the moment of intimacy between a father and daughter. You just have to imagine him with her in his arms - Ariana alternatively looking up at him trustingly and closing her eyes slowly.

They are in their own little world.
I dare not intrude.
Instead I watch from a distance.

Such a lovely sight.

The Promised Land

I found it.
Yesterday.
In a place I had been to many times before.
Within walking distance.

A Takashimaya outlet store.

Brilliant.

For those not familiar, Takashimaya is a Japanese department store similar to Neiman Marcus. They have a great shoe department and visiting the store in Shinjuko is always fun. It does require a subway ride though. This one, "an outlet" - words that cause a girl from New York to get a really big smile on her face, is within walking distance and as it is conveniently located in the same building that the children's store I frequent and recently figured out how to pronounce after being here six months.

I will be making many trips.

Not like your average outlet store though, this one takes up an entire floor of a big building, has one side just for woman and another side for men, children, housewares and more stuff for women. In the middle, by the elevator, are booths with food - produce, gift sets, all the things you might see in the basement of the regular store.

Baba-san, baby and I went yesterday and while baba-san went to look at shoes, I headed over the baby area to see about a winter coat, as for the entire winter, baby-san has lived in a few short jackets she has. The coat was not found, but several pairs of pj's and a little dress were.

By then my phone had wrung several times as baba-san was having trouble finding his petite brunette wifey-san in the sea of petite brunette "other-people's wifey-sans". We paid, proud to have spent so little on so much, vowing to return for a more relaxed shop on a weekday.

Like tomorrow.

Sleeping Beauties

Dogs and Jewelry

I kid you not. Walking down the street the other day, I passed a young woman with a dog, dressed in a prissy little outfit wearing a necklace. It was not a collar, it was a necklace. It looked to be turquoise, but I couldn't be sure. My question is....

why?

Too Many Things, Not Enough Time

So much has happened over the past week, but I am having trouble finding the time to post and upload pictures. I wish I could have an hour to concentrate, but with a sick dog (better) and baby (also better), I haven't had more than a minute to spare.

I am actually supposed to be getting glasses of water right now, but I wanted to check in with all of you following faithfully. I will write I promise.

Soon.

Just Amazing...

Ariana's doctor visit: 860 yen (equals about $8 US)
5 medicines for her: 530 yen (less than $5 US)

Japanese Health Care...you gotta love it!!!

The Snot Sucker

For those of you who don't know, the Snot Sucker is a big bulb like devise that you squeeze, shove in your child's nose, and proceed to suck out all the snot in there. Luckily for me, Ariana likes it, as well as liking all of the medicine and vitamins I shoot into her mouth from little droppers.

Yes, my daughter has her first cold. Perhaps it was all of the playdates and "mommy and me" classes - she is now officially a sniffling toddler. And a grouchy toddler. And a whiny, needy "pick me up now or I will break your eardrum" toddler.


She is sleeping now. After a night of not. Sleeping that is. For either of us. While she is sleeping, I am standing by the computer waiting to try the Slingbox for the 100th time since it went down over a week ago (is that all? it seems like years!!). I am not napping because the desire to sit said sniffling, whiny, needy "pick me up now or I will break your eardrum" toddler in front of the television with entertaining but educational english language cartoons and other assorted children's programs so I can get something done is too great. I will gladly not sleep in order to give her the slightest diversion so I can GET SOMETHING DONE.


And yes I know what you are thinking - and yes, I do need a nap!!

On a totally unrelated note, here is a picture:



are they cute or what...............