Only a month until we go to NZ! It must be getting close because I find myself starting to organize myself, despite telling myself it can wait. I check out the second-hand store for suitcases...I make a mental note of what Erica eats in a day as the start of my plans about what to bring for her...slowly but surely a pile of things to bring starts to gather together on a step on the stairs, on its way up to the suitcase that's not there yet!
Here I find myself thinking, 'I wonder if I can fit my jeans into my cabin bag to put on before we get off' and there thinking, 'I hope they have individual TVs and still have the water on tap', occasionally a picture presents itself of the four of us crammed into three small seats, sometimes my imagination is kinder and the cabin crew somehow finds a spare seat for us to spread into. Sometimes I shudder when I consider the possibility of Erica crying and fussing the whole time...I usually don't allow that thought to continue! Back to piling up the noodles and the gloves and scarves and counting out how many boxes of Dars chocolate will be needed and will I make Japanese curry once or twice? Does Mum still want my blue knife and a laundry hanger? Do I want the laundry hanger?
Is there a high chair there still? How about a booster seat for little Lena? Can someone book a weekend at that lodge Mum stayed at when she was homeless? Are we going to school? When are the school holidays anyway? You've all inked in August 28, haven't you, and I want roast pork and pavlova. And corned beef and roast lamb and roast beef and luncheon sausage and tons of cheese and sauvignon blanc and raspberry splits and cream donuts and mince pies and steak and cheese pies and just pies and Krispa salt and vinegar chips and chocolate, mountains of chocolate.
And shoe shopping and winter clothes shopping and new pyjamas. My pants are falling off me I need new business pants, and nice winter tops and new bras. Ugh! I hope my visa holds out, because I'm broke and I can't afford this, but if I don't buy shoes now I'm stuck with what they have at Ezibuy, and that's not much!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Buzzy Bee
Erica in the waiting room at the doctor's. She's figured out how to work her pull-chain vibrating Buzzy Bee, using her mouth!
What a weekend
We had a weekend full of ups and down, starting last Wednesday with Erica's fever. To the clinic Thursday, back again on Thursday afternoon to have Amy's head seen head seen to after her fall on Wednesday.
Friday was Friday the 13th. My students reminded me while I was teaching. "you'd better be careful" I said. Then ensued a discussion about Jason and Freddy...no, it wasn't Freddy, it was Jason, wasn't it? Or was that Halloween? Then one boy remarked, in Japanese "today's a lucky day then". I don't think he misunderstood, he just, like Japanese people often do, was seeing the yang return before the yin was done. The earth, human life is all in balance. If a day is supposed to be unlucky, it's quite likely the universe will see things right by balancing it out with a bit of luck. I remember one nice sunny day when we were having a barbecue in our back yard, how happy we were - then K got very suspicious and worried that we were too happy and something nasty would happen. I reassured him that we were poor, and that balanced things out enough for him! In reality, we're among the richest 5% of the planet, with everything we need, but I left that bit out...
Anyway, Friday the Thirteenth turned out to be a lucky day for Erica, who took her first steps. While no-one was watching of course, I caught it out of the corner of my eye. At Baachan and Jiichan's house, where we were staying to escape the termites, because Friday the Thirteenth wasn't all good luck - the flying, mating termites arrived. They arrive every year around this time, and every year I think the house is infested again. Amy and Lena were grossed out and couldn't lie down to sleep, and I don't blame them, neither could I when you see them crawling up the walls and across the pillows, one chasing another having termite sex, gross!
So we slept at their house Friday night, and I took Erica back to the doc's on Saturday, as her fever still hadn't dropped. I got antibiotics, picked up Lena and took her to get the passport photos taken. Then we swung by home and caught Jiichan and an insect guy inspecting the place. He talked Jiichan into getting the house fumigated again, even though his verdict was that they were coming from outside and were not infesting the house. Jiichan agreed and it will be done while we are in NZ, which means we can escape the chemical cloud and come back to an insect-free home.
Saturday afternoon Kanji and I went shopping for a vacuum cleaner. I had resigned myself to another cheapie, but he whipped out the plastic and bought a Dyson, a super-duper vacuum cleaner. We can't believe how much dust it got out of our carpet!
Saturday night I had a PTA dinner to attend, with no-one but myself. I was there for two hours before Kanji couldn't contain Erica's cries any longer and I had to come home. Never mind, it was getting pretty boring by then!
Sunday was Father's Day, and after making the house very clean with the new toy, we cooked curry for Dad's dinner. Amy helped a little. She also made mandarin juice - individually squeezing each segment through a seive. I gave her a juicer, but she said it didn't work. Then she helped make the apple crumble, squishing the butter into the flour. She said she liked cooking, it was like art. She loves making things!
They also devised dances to show Daddy in a concert. Amy has to write a diary entry for school each weekend, and she decided to write about the concert and party we made for Daddy - before we did it! So she wrote in her diary that she fell over while dancing, but Lena danced on and she caught up. So because she wrote that, she had to do it!
We had dinner, including sashimi and VB beer that I've been saving up since before Erica was born! And convinced the kids that there were no more termites left in the house!
Friday was Friday the 13th. My students reminded me while I was teaching. "you'd better be careful" I said. Then ensued a discussion about Jason and Freddy...no, it wasn't Freddy, it was Jason, wasn't it? Or was that Halloween? Then one boy remarked, in Japanese "today's a lucky day then". I don't think he misunderstood, he just, like Japanese people often do, was seeing the yang return before the yin was done. The earth, human life is all in balance. If a day is supposed to be unlucky, it's quite likely the universe will see things right by balancing it out with a bit of luck. I remember one nice sunny day when we were having a barbecue in our back yard, how happy we were - then K got very suspicious and worried that we were too happy and something nasty would happen. I reassured him that we were poor, and that balanced things out enough for him! In reality, we're among the richest 5% of the planet, with everything we need, but I left that bit out...
Anyway, Friday the Thirteenth turned out to be a lucky day for Erica, who took her first steps. While no-one was watching of course, I caught it out of the corner of my eye. At Baachan and Jiichan's house, where we were staying to escape the termites, because Friday the Thirteenth wasn't all good luck - the flying, mating termites arrived. They arrive every year around this time, and every year I think the house is infested again. Amy and Lena were grossed out and couldn't lie down to sleep, and I don't blame them, neither could I when you see them crawling up the walls and across the pillows, one chasing another having termite sex, gross!
So we slept at their house Friday night, and I took Erica back to the doc's on Saturday, as her fever still hadn't dropped. I got antibiotics, picked up Lena and took her to get the passport photos taken. Then we swung by home and caught Jiichan and an insect guy inspecting the place. He talked Jiichan into getting the house fumigated again, even though his verdict was that they were coming from outside and were not infesting the house. Jiichan agreed and it will be done while we are in NZ, which means we can escape the chemical cloud and come back to an insect-free home.
Saturday afternoon Kanji and I went shopping for a vacuum cleaner. I had resigned myself to another cheapie, but he whipped out the plastic and bought a Dyson, a super-duper vacuum cleaner. We can't believe how much dust it got out of our carpet!
Saturday night I had a PTA dinner to attend, with no-one but myself. I was there for two hours before Kanji couldn't contain Erica's cries any longer and I had to come home. Never mind, it was getting pretty boring by then!
Sunday was Father's Day, and after making the house very clean with the new toy, we cooked curry for Dad's dinner. Amy helped a little. She also made mandarin juice - individually squeezing each segment through a seive. I gave her a juicer, but she said it didn't work. Then she helped make the apple crumble, squishing the butter into the flour. She said she liked cooking, it was like art. She loves making things!
They also devised dances to show Daddy in a concert. Amy has to write a diary entry for school each weekend, and she decided to write about the concert and party we made for Daddy - before we did it! So she wrote in her diary that she fell over while dancing, but Lena danced on and she caught up. So because she wrote that, she had to do it!
We had dinner, including sashimi and VB beer that I've been saving up since before Erica was born! And convinced the kids that there were no more termites left in the house!
Monday I finalized my tickets to NZ! I'm so excited, from going from thinking I would not be able to make it back until next Spring, to suddenly having tickets to go in just six weeks! I'm trying not to think about how I'll handle toddling Erica on the plane. No, I'm just NOT thinking about it at all. I'll cope, it'll be rough but it'll only last half a day, and half a day is quite quick really. And then we'll be there, because I have a direct flight!
I took Lena to swimming and she remembered about how she nearly DROWNED last week - twice - so I had to go in and make sure the teachers would keep an eye on her. Idiots. Then it was back to the doctor's to check out a rash on Erica's body that had started developing on Saturday, not long after I started giving her the antibiotics. Could be a reaction, heat rash, excema, measles, or just a run-of-the-mill baby virus. That's exactly what it turned out to be, so I have another few days of rash, and a low fever and general fussiness before she gets better.
So it's been a bit of a roller-coaster ride of a weekend, with the ups and downs!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
At the docs again
Well, I kind of regretted that decision as I wasted a whole morning waiting at the doctor's. So I've got my anhiba and some throat medicine which I probably won't even give her. Oh well, if she's hot and bothered tonight I have the fever meds.
Then it was back to the doc's this afternoon to get Amy's head checked. She fell straight onto the back of her head onto concrete yesterday, and had headaches all day today, so we took her for a check. All okay, just needs pain meds.
Lena's doing okay so far, only she disappeared right when we were all piling into the car to go, or rather, that's when we noticed her gone. She has to learn to not take off without asking permission. She takes off on her bike around the neighborhood.
Then it was back to the doc's this afternoon to get Amy's head checked. She fell straight onto the back of her head onto concrete yesterday, and had headaches all day today, so we took her for a check. All okay, just needs pain meds.
Lena's doing okay so far, only she disappeared right when we were all piling into the car to go, or rather, that's when we noticed her gone. She has to learn to not take off without asking permission. She takes off on her bike around the neighborhood.
Lost
Not the TV show, though I do still have a crush on Sayid.
After remembering that we still haven't renewed Lena's Japanese passport, I went to get the passports to see her old one, but only the NZ passports were there. While I turned the house upside-down in a panic to find them, I found the money I had lost a few months ago! It was behind some files in the computer cupboard. Last time I looked I had pulled the files half-way out to check inside them, but this time I pulled them all the way out - and there it was.
This morning the passport search continued, along with a search for the thermometer. I knew Erica had a fever, and that it was lower than last night, but I also know that the nurse at the pediatrician's office will ask me what her temperature was, and even if I say 'hot, really hot, quite high' she'll just keep asking "nan-do nan-do" until I come up with a NUMBER for her to put on her little symptom chart, so find it I must.
Still on those searches, I realize the hairbrush has gone AWOL again. I am going to have to tie it to the door handle again. I also tried the "ten brushes from the 100yen shop" idea a friend suggested, but they have ALL disappeared. We are down to two - one round one that Amy can't use on her thick hair, and the good one.
I call Kanji, ask if he knows where the thermometer is - he'd seen it last on the table. And he thought the passports were in his blue and red bag. Flush with hints, off I go searching again, all the while hassling the girls to get ready for school, and having them join in the search for the hairbrush while I try to find the thermometer and settle a grisly feverish baby.
No luck with the bag in the spare room, though I find Kanji's suits which I had thrown in there in a fit of rage last week, now they are all crumpled and I'll have to get them dry-cleaned. Amy finds the brush, and teases Lena because she had to get her hair brushed with the painful round brush - only the round brush doesn't hurt Lena, because her hair is fine.
Still no passport, but the thermometer turns up on the piano. I take the baby's temperature, 37.7 as I expected, my cheek on her head, my fingers on her neck told me as much, but we must have those numbers for nursie! Meanwhile, Amy's hairband is gone and she even knew where it was - in the bathroom, but I probably shifted it or covered it up with laundry. She 'looks', but I doubt she really looks!
So the kids go off to school, hair brushed, but teeth not, as we ran out of time for that while looking for everything else. Baby back to bed for a long feverish sleep, and I hit the spare room once more, find the blue and red back instantly and the passports within.
Phew...now I just have to do the laundry and I'm sure I'll find several hairbands. Erica has woken up so it's off to the doc's to report my NUMBERS and get my suppository fever meds, the whole purpose of the exercise. I could buy over-the-counter tylenol, but not only is it expensive, the suppositories are much easier than trying to make a baby eat something and I don't even know if they have dosages for under-ones. Doc is free until the kids start school, so I'll put up with a bit of waiting, read a book, and then pick up the passport applications on the way home.
After remembering that we still haven't renewed Lena's Japanese passport, I went to get the passports to see her old one, but only the NZ passports were there. While I turned the house upside-down in a panic to find them, I found the money I had lost a few months ago! It was behind some files in the computer cupboard. Last time I looked I had pulled the files half-way out to check inside them, but this time I pulled them all the way out - and there it was.
This morning the passport search continued, along with a search for the thermometer. I knew Erica had a fever, and that it was lower than last night, but I also know that the nurse at the pediatrician's office will ask me what her temperature was, and even if I say 'hot, really hot, quite high' she'll just keep asking "nan-do nan-do" until I come up with a NUMBER for her to put on her little symptom chart, so find it I must.
Still on those searches, I realize the hairbrush has gone AWOL again. I am going to have to tie it to the door handle again. I also tried the "ten brushes from the 100yen shop" idea a friend suggested, but they have ALL disappeared. We are down to two - one round one that Amy can't use on her thick hair, and the good one.
I call Kanji, ask if he knows where the thermometer is - he'd seen it last on the table. And he thought the passports were in his blue and red bag. Flush with hints, off I go searching again, all the while hassling the girls to get ready for school, and having them join in the search for the hairbrush while I try to find the thermometer and settle a grisly feverish baby.
No luck with the bag in the spare room, though I find Kanji's suits which I had thrown in there in a fit of rage last week, now they are all crumpled and I'll have to get them dry-cleaned. Amy finds the brush, and teases Lena because she had to get her hair brushed with the painful round brush - only the round brush doesn't hurt Lena, because her hair is fine.
Still no passport, but the thermometer turns up on the piano. I take the baby's temperature, 37.7 as I expected, my cheek on her head, my fingers on her neck told me as much, but we must have those numbers for nursie! Meanwhile, Amy's hairband is gone and she even knew where it was - in the bathroom, but I probably shifted it or covered it up with laundry. She 'looks', but I doubt she really looks!
So the kids go off to school, hair brushed, but teeth not, as we ran out of time for that while looking for everything else. Baby back to bed for a long feverish sleep, and I hit the spare room once more, find the blue and red back instantly and the passports within.
Phew...now I just have to do the laundry and I'm sure I'll find several hairbands. Erica has woken up so it's off to the doc's to report my NUMBERS and get my suppository fever meds, the whole purpose of the exercise. I could buy over-the-counter tylenol, but not only is it expensive, the suppositories are much easier than trying to make a baby eat something and I don't even know if they have dosages for under-ones. Doc is free until the kids start school, so I'll put up with a bit of waiting, read a book, and then pick up the passport applications on the way home.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Food Day
Hello, it's a hot Tuesday afternoon, the kids will be home from school soon so we can go and buy the mince for the Spag Bol. I forgot it at the supermarket this morning. I've been busy cooking today. Amy liked Erica's spinach and potato puree (with chicken stock) so much she asked me to cook it for us, so I'm using a recipe I have for a chicken, bacon, potato and spinach soup. Lena requested the Spag Bol. I don't usually cater to my kids like this, but it's Tuesday, which has become Choose-day, and they are so excited about the chance to actually choose what they get to eat that night, they think about it all week! Even if it ends up being curry one week and Spag Bol the next.
Lena has settled into First Grade nicely. She has a very sweet young lady teacher. She was sitting next to a nuisance of a boy who constantly bickered with her, but now she is sitting next to her boyfriend. She is so glad she has a boyfriend and says he is very nice to her. Amy also hangs out with boys. I think she's had enough of girlie bickering. She comes home and tells me so-and-so is strong, but she can still pick him up, or some such result from rather more boisterous play.
Amy is doing well in piano, Lena is going through a rough patch, trying to clear the hurdles of learning to use both hands, and learning about rhythm and rests. Amy cried a lot too at that stage, but got past it and now enjoys being able to play a song she likes. Both go on and off swimming, depending on the behaviour of the other kids more than anything else I think. Lena said she nearly drowned yesterday, twice, which worried me of course, though she seems okay with it as she managed to save herself. But on one other occasion I saw a kid go under during playtime and all the teachers were so busy they didn't notice. She managed to get hold of a rope, but she then vomited so she must have swallowed a lot of water. So I worry. Maybe I'll go early enough to watch that final ten minutes playtime.
And they are both doing an English class at Keio Academy, just because I can never seem to find time to do English with them. When they come home soon, I will have to start them on their English homework as well as their Japanese. Lena applies herself well and gets her work done quickly, but Amy fluffs about, and gets distracted so she ends up taking ALL DAY to do it. Last night it went to bed with her, and she woke in the morning with it still not done! I'm going to try hanging over her shoulder more today so she can get some time to relax without having to think about it.
Erica is next to me, playing with an old phone. She also likes tissues, the broom and pulling all the DVDs off the shelf. And the Wiggles. And Blondie, although I think she confuses the Wiggles and Blondie, since she looks at the TV when we put the music on. She dances! She got so excited yesterday when we put the music on, and her big sisters started dancing. She stood up, waggled her hands around and clapped them, grinning from ear to ear.
She finally has a tooth, and another one coming. She's hard at it, chewing and standing and cruising, plays hard, sleeps hard, still three naps a day, then a fairly late bedtime of 8 or 9. She eats - loves bananas, and the spinach and potato puree! She also loves the computer and is trying to get it right now so I'm off to finish my pureeing!
Lena has settled into First Grade nicely. She has a very sweet young lady teacher. She was sitting next to a nuisance of a boy who constantly bickered with her, but now she is sitting next to her boyfriend. She is so glad she has a boyfriend and says he is very nice to her. Amy also hangs out with boys. I think she's had enough of girlie bickering. She comes home and tells me so-and-so is strong, but she can still pick him up, or some such result from rather more boisterous play.
Amy is doing well in piano, Lena is going through a rough patch, trying to clear the hurdles of learning to use both hands, and learning about rhythm and rests. Amy cried a lot too at that stage, but got past it and now enjoys being able to play a song she likes. Both go on and off swimming, depending on the behaviour of the other kids more than anything else I think. Lena said she nearly drowned yesterday, twice, which worried me of course, though she seems okay with it as she managed to save herself. But on one other occasion I saw a kid go under during playtime and all the teachers were so busy they didn't notice. She managed to get hold of a rope, but she then vomited so she must have swallowed a lot of water. So I worry. Maybe I'll go early enough to watch that final ten minutes playtime.
And they are both doing an English class at Keio Academy, just because I can never seem to find time to do English with them. When they come home soon, I will have to start them on their English homework as well as their Japanese. Lena applies herself well and gets her work done quickly, but Amy fluffs about, and gets distracted so she ends up taking ALL DAY to do it. Last night it went to bed with her, and she woke in the morning with it still not done! I'm going to try hanging over her shoulder more today so she can get some time to relax without having to think about it.
Erica is next to me, playing with an old phone. She also likes tissues, the broom and pulling all the DVDs off the shelf. And the Wiggles. And Blondie, although I think she confuses the Wiggles and Blondie, since she looks at the TV when we put the music on. She dances! She got so excited yesterday when we put the music on, and her big sisters started dancing. She stood up, waggled her hands around and clapped them, grinning from ear to ear.
She finally has a tooth, and another one coming. She's hard at it, chewing and standing and cruising, plays hard, sleeps hard, still three naps a day, then a fairly late bedtime of 8 or 9. She eats - loves bananas, and the spinach and potato puree! She also loves the computer and is trying to get it right now so I'm off to finish my pureeing!
Monday, June 02, 2008
and a tooth!
Standing, standing, standing, but not a foot forward yet! She's gotten really good and standing up from the floor, and sitting again, but the whole thing stills excites her. She'll grin from ear to ear and start flapping her arms, and of course she loses her balance and falls onto her bottom.
She loves the Wiggles! They have finally been translated into Japanese, though we can switch it back to English. She sits on the floor in front of the TV and flaps her arms and goos.
Meanwhile she's sprung a tooth. I noticed it last Wednesday.
She loves the Wiggles! They have finally been translated into Japanese, though we can switch it back to English. She sits on the floor in front of the TV and flaps her arms and goos.
Meanwhile she's sprung a tooth. I noticed it last Wednesday.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Standing II
No, no pictures yet, just to report 10 seconds today! She's getting annoyed at me standing her up, she wants to hold onto my hands and practice walking instead.
I'll post a vid of her raspberrying. Oh my, the excitement of life with a baby, you say! She can do a raspberry! But she's already stopped. Now she goes 'blublublublublublub" and flaps her arms. It means "I wanna play". How DO I know that????
I'll post a vid of her raspberrying. Oh my, the excitement of life with a baby, you say! She can do a raspberry! But she's already stopped. Now she goes 'blublublublublublub" and flaps her arms. It means "I wanna play". How DO I know that????
Friday, May 16, 2008
Standing
She stood on her own for three seconds yesterday. Of course it's impossible to get this captured on film. But I swear, she did it, several times in fact. I will try to catch the impossible some time today!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Erica 7 months check
Erica had her 7 month health check yesterday. She's 67cm long and 8.9kg, on the heavy side, but below average height. So she's still a round ball. But a round ball that can move! She still loves her bath, as the video shows - she's racing to get to it. As she gets more proficient at moving, ironically, she gets more upset at me leaving the room.
She finally learned to roll over, after spending all these months lying on her back like a turtle and crying. She can crawl quite quickly, but still hasn't decided whether she'll use her left foot or knee, she kind of switches. She's pulling herself up to stand against my back as we speak. Anything will do, including a cardboard box the other day, which toppled over with her, much to her surprise and consternation. And she has the bruises to match this new mobility - several small knocks on her forehead that at first we thought were smears of pumpkin, her second favorite food after yogurt.
She's looking over my shoulder now. She's so proud of herself! It looks like it's quite exciting to get a view of the world a little higher up than before. I was reading somewhere the other day, ij someone's opinion babies live in a state of higher conscoiusness due to their constantly having that feeling we grown-ups only get now from climbing mountains and driving our cars too fast. Her face certainly reflects that when she grins with joy at seeing me after I've been gone (or even after I just look at her after she's been trying to get my attention) and when she completes some difficult action like taking a step, or pulling herself up to stand.
She's still a little shy of strangers, but better than before. Now, she leans her head on my shoulder to show her shyness. She does this to love-hug me too, which is so cute! I was just lying on the floor, and she crawled over to me, so thrilled to have me down on her level ready to play, and when she got to me, her head went to one side, only she missed me and it ended up on her shoulder. Now she's just messed up the laundry, so I guess I should get that put away before she totally wrecks my piles.
She finally learned to roll over, after spending all these months lying on her back like a turtle and crying. She can crawl quite quickly, but still hasn't decided whether she'll use her left foot or knee, she kind of switches. She's pulling herself up to stand against my back as we speak. Anything will do, including a cardboard box the other day, which toppled over with her, much to her surprise and consternation. And she has the bruises to match this new mobility - several small knocks on her forehead that at first we thought were smears of pumpkin, her second favorite food after yogurt.
She's looking over my shoulder now. She's so proud of herself! It looks like it's quite exciting to get a view of the world a little higher up than before. I was reading somewhere the other day, ij someone's opinion babies live in a state of higher conscoiusness due to their constantly having that feeling we grown-ups only get now from climbing mountains and driving our cars too fast. Her face certainly reflects that when she grins with joy at seeing me after I've been gone (or even after I just look at her after she's been trying to get my attention) and when she completes some difficult action like taking a step, or pulling herself up to stand.
She's still a little shy of strangers, but better than before. Now, she leans her head on my shoulder to show her shyness. She does this to love-hug me too, which is so cute! I was just lying on the floor, and she crawled over to me, so thrilled to have me down on her level ready to play, and when she got to me, her head went to one side, only she missed me and it ended up on her shoulder. Now she's just messed up the laundry, so I guess I should get that put away before she totally wrecks my piles.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Friday, May 09, 2008
Weekend in Miyazaki
Golden Week just passed, and as usual we headed to Victoria's temple in the middle of the mountains in Miyazaki.
The highlight this time was a Buddhist baptism for the babies, and me wet nursing. Not at the same time you'll be glad to hear.
We all left at a comfortable late-morning hour on Saturday; me, Amy, Lena and Erica in Baachan's car and Kanji in mine. We can't all fit in one car!!! Besides, Kanji could only stay one night. We stopped at Toys'r'us in Oita and handed the kids some of their otoshidama (New Year's money) and set them free. Amy got a birthday party tea set for Mell, Lena got a Pretty Cure (Japanese girl-hero TV cartoon) electronic thingy and a HUGE stuffed dog. I got Erica some bath toys and I got some salt and vinegar potato chips for me.
We had lunch at Joyfull, bleuch, me and Kanji aren't very fond of Joyfull, but we decided we'd just stop at the next Family Restaurant, they are the best bet because of the varied menu. And actually the new Spring menu wasn't all that bad. Then we hit the road for the two-hour trip over narrow mountain roads to rural Miyazaki. There are probably more sane roads to take, but not on a holiday weekend, when the main routes are jammed. Amy only got a little nauseous towards the end, and was okay when we got her to switch cars and sit in the front of Papa's car. I wonder why I didn't think to get them to travel with him the whole way, now that I think of it! Just habit I suppose, I loaded them all into my car.
We arrived late afternoon, and after we got upacked we enjoyed the salt and vinegar chips with beer in Victoria's English garden with its croquet lawn and genteel seating. The kids disappeared pretty much instantly, they found Sahara and rocketed off to the fairy garden, only coming back to get some spelling advice for the sign for the fairy garden (No dogs because they run and break). They miraculously re-appeared when dinner did, and disappeared again not long after. I managed to snap a shot of them before they took off:
Dinner, in the larger back garden with its mature trees (and fairy garden) was pot-roast chicken made in a dutch oven, with potatoes and salad. Simple and simply delicious. I managed to eat, even though Erica was being fussy, with help from Kanji. We had New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to accompany the chicken. After we cleaned up, we all went up to the temple dining room for dessert - a cheesecake for Junsho's 50's birthday, lamingtons and champagne.
That night there was only us and one other family staying, so we slept in the tatami room attached to a out-building in the temple grounds. Normally another family with younger babies gets it, but they were not due to arrive until Sunday. Again, the children appeared just in time to be cared for, complaining of being tired, and they went straight to sleep. They were up before me in the morning and gone before I knew it.
We did yoga in the morning, then had morning tea up in Victoria's kitchen, with lamingtons I had made. I made lamingtons for the first time when Mum was here, after Erica was born, and I've made them several times since then. They are soooo delicious, and I am getting quite good at them. After morning tea, Victoria, Erica and I went shopping, the children scattered to the four winds, Kanji wandering around, not sure what he did...
We got back at nearly 1pm, in time for the Baby Naming Ceremony someone had booked at the temple at 1pm. While we were gone, Kristen and family had arrived, they have a six-month old baby. So we lined up all the babies in the temple, and after some chanting and a short speech, the babies were presented with a little sash and some prayer beads. It was quite spontaneous, and it was a lovely thing to do.
Only one more crisis to go! We lost ALL the children. Well, not all of them, but six of them. They spent most of their time god-knows-where, and that was fine, but this time was not, because one girl had taken her four-year old brother, and also, I had told Amy only half an hour before that we were ready to go home. Then they disappeared. Not at the river, nor, thankfully, in it. Not in the fairy garden, not in the wheel-chair room, or in Sahara's bedroom. Nowhere! The came home eventually, after fruitless searching by me and Claire, taking turns going round and round the garden. They had been tramping through the rice paddies, led by Sahara (6), who at least knows where she is going, even if she doesn't realize how much Mummies worry!
The highlight this time was a Buddhist baptism for the babies, and me wet nursing. Not at the same time you'll be glad to hear.
We all left at a comfortable late-morning hour on Saturday; me, Amy, Lena and Erica in Baachan's car and Kanji in mine. We can't all fit in one car!!! Besides, Kanji could only stay one night. We stopped at Toys'r'us in Oita and handed the kids some of their otoshidama (New Year's money) and set them free. Amy got a birthday party tea set for Mell, Lena got a Pretty Cure (Japanese girl-hero TV cartoon) electronic thingy and a HUGE stuffed dog. I got Erica some bath toys and I got some salt and vinegar potato chips for me.
We had lunch at Joyfull, bleuch, me and Kanji aren't very fond of Joyfull, but we decided we'd just stop at the next Family Restaurant, they are the best bet because of the varied menu. And actually the new Spring menu wasn't all that bad. Then we hit the road for the two-hour trip over narrow mountain roads to rural Miyazaki. There are probably more sane roads to take, but not on a holiday weekend, when the main routes are jammed. Amy only got a little nauseous towards the end, and was okay when we got her to switch cars and sit in the front of Papa's car. I wonder why I didn't think to get them to travel with him the whole way, now that I think of it! Just habit I suppose, I loaded them all into my car.
We arrived late afternoon, and after we got upacked we enjoyed the salt and vinegar chips with beer in Victoria's English garden with its croquet lawn and genteel seating. The kids disappeared pretty much instantly, they found Sahara and rocketed off to the fairy garden, only coming back to get some spelling advice for the sign for the fairy garden (No dogs because they run and break). They miraculously re-appeared when dinner did, and disappeared again not long after. I managed to snap a shot of them before they took off:
Dinner, in the larger back garden with its mature trees (and fairy garden) was pot-roast chicken made in a dutch oven, with potatoes and salad. Simple and simply delicious. I managed to eat, even though Erica was being fussy, with help from Kanji. We had New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to accompany the chicken. After we cleaned up, we all went up to the temple dining room for dessert - a cheesecake for Junsho's 50's birthday, lamingtons and champagne.
That night there was only us and one other family staying, so we slept in the tatami room attached to a out-building in the temple grounds. Normally another family with younger babies gets it, but they were not due to arrive until Sunday. Again, the children appeared just in time to be cared for, complaining of being tired, and they went straight to sleep. They were up before me in the morning and gone before I knew it.
We did yoga in the morning, then had morning tea up in Victoria's kitchen, with lamingtons I had made. I made lamingtons for the first time when Mum was here, after Erica was born, and I've made them several times since then. They are soooo delicious, and I am getting quite good at them. After morning tea, Victoria, Erica and I went shopping, the children scattered to the four winds, Kanji wandering around, not sure what he did...
We got back at nearly 1pm, in time for the Baby Naming Ceremony someone had booked at the temple at 1pm. While we were gone, Kristen and family had arrived, they have a six-month old baby. So we lined up all the babies in the temple, and after some chanting and a short speech, the babies were presented with a little sash and some prayer beads. It was quite spontaneous, and it was a lovely thing to do.
Kanji left after that, I got some lunch and took the baby for a nap. Meanwhile two more families arrived, and I woke up to all of the heading down to the river for a swim.
I quickly got Erica changed and headed down to the river as well. It was COLD! You can tell by the expressions on their faces! Erica only put her feet in, and I only went up to my knees this year.
Then we all piled back up to the out-building (Victoria has some name for it that I forget; I call it the school-room because it looks like an old one-room school or school hall; the kids call it the wheelchair room, because it has a wheelchair in it which is the focus for lots of their games!). There the girls all piled into the goemomburo, and old-fashioned Japanse tub, heated from below - if you stay in too long, you literally cook!
My theory is that all those explorers' rumours of cannibalism have their origin in lost sailors washing ashore in Nippon and being politely ushered to a nice refreshing bath before their dinner. I can just see the silly natives gesturing 'wash wash' and 'eat eat' and your average 18th century Englishman, who of course, would never have seen a bath before, forming quite the wrong conclusion.
Dinner was a barbecue, this time out the front of the temple between the main hall and the front gate with its bell. Meat, chicken, tuna sashimi (cut by me), potato salad, and more, I can't remember! Victoria made Sangria, which I had a few glasses of. However, I spent a little more time than I liked getting the baby to sleep. I tried to endure her fussiness through-out the meal, but I had to give in eventually, and take her up to sleep, this time in the main hall. Unfortunately, the balconies of the hall were being used as a race track by the other children and their radio-controlled cars! So it took quite some time to get her to settle (much as I wanted to yell and scream at every other kid there, I didn't think it was fair to stop everyone from playing and having fun just for one little baby), then she woke several times.
Dinner was a barbecue, this time out the front of the temple between the main hall and the front gate with its bell. Meat, chicken, tuna sashimi (cut by me), potato salad, and more, I can't remember! Victoria made Sangria, which I had a few glasses of. However, I spent a little more time than I liked getting the baby to sleep. I tried to endure her fussiness through-out the meal, but I had to give in eventually, and take her up to sleep, this time in the main hall. Unfortunately, the balconies of the hall were being used as a race track by the other children and their radio-controlled cars! So it took quite some time to get her to settle (much as I wanted to yell and scream at every other kid there, I didn't think it was fair to stop everyone from playing and having fun just for one little baby), then she woke several times.
Finally she got to sleep quite soundly, once all the children had gone to bed, and I was able to come down to have a peaceful chat and a glass of champagne, which Victoria had cleverly left until the very last. By that time though, I was so damn tired I soon went to bed too....to be woken by Amy vomiting in the middle of the night. At the time I thought it was tiredness, or something she ate, but now I think it was asthma, as she is coughing every night again. Unluckily she managed to spew on not just her futon, but Lena's too, so I had three blankets, two pillows, two pillow-cases and two mattresses to deal with. I cleared away all the soiled bedding. A friend woke to help me, and gave me a spare duvet, and fetched water, and my towel bag from the out-building (about 30m walk away in the dark!) so I could clean up, and make up a new bed. Then I had to lug all the soiled bedding down to the goemomburo bathroom to rinse it - if there's one thing I've learned it's to ALWAYS rinse the spew out at the time! (It feels great when you wake the next day and remember that all traces of spew were gone) Erica woke and started to cry while I was gone - thanks again to that lovely friend, Claire, who tried to soothe her while they waited for Mummy to come back!
Next morning we had a big bacon and egg breakfast together. Yoga again in the main temple hall, while I helped finish the breakfast dishes and started a load of washing. Erica took a nap in the corner of the main hall where the yoga was - and the same friend again tended to her when she woke while I was off finding the washing machine! I had to take the blankets to the laundromat, so I was keen to find friends to go to the hot spring with me. I figured I'd go there while the things washed, and I could put them in the dryer when we had finished washing ourselves.
Sahara came with us in our car, which was great as she helped with directions to the onsen, although she didn't know how to get to the laundromat. We met one other family there. Before we left, the next crisis happened - one of the kids fell down the stairs. She got a bloody nose, and while she seemed okay at first, her parents decided to take her to the hospital to make sure. I had passed them on my way home from the onsen - I thought I recognized the woman, and saw them turn into the hospital next to the onsen. I thought they had mistaken it for the onsen at first, then when they didn't come out, I thought I had been mistaken and went back.
They were at the hospital for several hours, and this is where the wet-nursing comes in. We didn't have any way to contact them and didn't know when they would be back. They had left their six-month old baby sleeping, but of course he eventually woke up. We fed him, we gave him juice, but after a while it was apparent that that was not what he wanted. Eventually I decided to have a go at feeding him. We were all talking about it, Victoria said she had always wanted to see what it was like to feed another baby, I was curious too, though I would like to think I did it more because we thought he was hungry and didn't know when his mother would be back. Anyway, he latched on with only a moment's hesitation getting used to the slightly different anatomy, and drank quite strongly, stronger than Erica, made me wish she would feed a little more efficiently like that. Or maybe he was just mega-hungry. He quickly went to sleep, and I got him off and put him to bed. Done. Now Erica has a breast-mate and I have a nursling.
Next morning we had a big bacon and egg breakfast together. Yoga again in the main temple hall, while I helped finish the breakfast dishes and started a load of washing. Erica took a nap in the corner of the main hall where the yoga was - and the same friend again tended to her when she woke while I was off finding the washing machine! I had to take the blankets to the laundromat, so I was keen to find friends to go to the hot spring with me. I figured I'd go there while the things washed, and I could put them in the dryer when we had finished washing ourselves.
Sahara came with us in our car, which was great as she helped with directions to the onsen, although she didn't know how to get to the laundromat. We met one other family there. Before we left, the next crisis happened - one of the kids fell down the stairs. She got a bloody nose, and while she seemed okay at first, her parents decided to take her to the hospital to make sure. I had passed them on my way home from the onsen - I thought I recognized the woman, and saw them turn into the hospital next to the onsen. I thought they had mistaken it for the onsen at first, then when they didn't come out, I thought I had been mistaken and went back.
They were at the hospital for several hours, and this is where the wet-nursing comes in. We didn't have any way to contact them and didn't know when they would be back. They had left their six-month old baby sleeping, but of course he eventually woke up. We fed him, we gave him juice, but after a while it was apparent that that was not what he wanted. Eventually I decided to have a go at feeding him. We were all talking about it, Victoria said she had always wanted to see what it was like to feed another baby, I was curious too, though I would like to think I did it more because we thought he was hungry and didn't know when his mother would be back. Anyway, he latched on with only a moment's hesitation getting used to the slightly different anatomy, and drank quite strongly, stronger than Erica, made me wish she would feed a little more efficiently like that. Or maybe he was just mega-hungry. He quickly went to sleep, and I got him off and put him to bed. Done. Now Erica has a breast-mate and I have a nursling.
Only one more crisis to go! We lost ALL the children. Well, not all of them, but six of them. They spent most of their time god-knows-where, and that was fine, but this time was not, because one girl had taken her four-year old brother, and also, I had told Amy only half an hour before that we were ready to go home. Then they disappeared. Not at the river, nor, thankfully, in it. Not in the fairy garden, not in the wheel-chair room, or in Sahara's bedroom. Nowhere! The came home eventually, after fruitless searching by me and Claire, taking turns going round and round the garden. They had been tramping through the rice paddies, led by Sahara (6), who at least knows where she is going, even if she doesn't realize how much Mummies worry!
Friday, May 02, 2008
Crawler
She did it! Yesterday, May 1st, she started crawling. She's still not very fast or efficient, but that's okay, cos I need time to get used to this! Getting every little crappy piece of junk off the floor is not easy when you have two chaotic kids running around as well. I have to watch her like a hawk when they are home, and I'll have to start nagging them with even more force than usual to be careful where they drop their stuff. We have yet to see whether she'll use both knees or one knee and one foot like her sisters. She's also pulling up onto furniture, although she still prefers me!
I missed out how much she 'talks' and the words she understands. She knows all our names, and mostly looks at the right sister when their name is called! She also know 'bath' (no surprises there!) and 'splish splash', upon which she splashes the water. And 'kiss kiss' - she takes your face in her hands and sucks your chin or goobs all over your lip. Yuck, but charming all the same.
I missed out how much she 'talks' and the words she understands. She knows all our names, and mostly looks at the right sister when their name is called! She also know 'bath' (no surprises there!) and 'splish splash', upon which she splashes the water. And 'kiss kiss' - she takes your face in her hands and sucks your chin or goobs all over your lip. Yuck, but charming all the same.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Shopping for a Southpaw
I know it's only just begun. I guess I should start looking for left-handed scissors now. I know from growing up with two left-handers just how set-up for right-handers the world is.
I just did a spot of baby shopping, and stopped by the food utensils section to see if I could find a soft, short rubber spoon that I could give to Erica to wield about like a light sabre without choking herself while I try to feed her, and there was quite a selection - almost all of them curved gently....to the right. Perfect for plain old right-handed babies, not so useful for out little Southpaw.
I got the ONE that had no curve. None were curved to left, needless to say.
I just did a spot of baby shopping, and stopped by the food utensils section to see if I could find a soft, short rubber spoon that I could give to Erica to wield about like a light sabre without choking herself while I try to feed her, and there was quite a selection - almost all of them curved gently....to the right. Perfect for plain old right-handed babies, not so useful for out little Southpaw.
I got the ONE that had no curve. None were curved to left, needless to say.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Erica at Seven Months
Erica has discovered the raspberry. She especially likes to make one (perhaps only can make one) with either her hand, or my finger, jammed into her mouth. She grabs my finger, shoves it in, and raspberries away, quite proud of herself! This is in addition to her usual Lamaze breathing ('hee hee huu huu'). She also added BaBaBa a few weeks ago, but she seems to have forgotten that. She 'talks' with vowel sounds only: "uuuuueeee" and mostly to Amy and Lena when she hasn't seen them all day, like she's saying "Where on earth were you, I was so bored and I wanted to play!". She still gets excited when she sees them and flaps her arms up and down and kicks her legs. She likes all other kids too, and is often nonplussed when the random kids she solicits for play in the supermarket (by kicking and flapping and "oooo"-ing) don't respond to her.
The moving is still 'nearly there' but not there yet. She took one crawl-step today; we spent the rest of the day encouraging her to repeat the feat, in vain. I'll have lots of video footage (again) of a non-plussed baby, distracted by the camera itself, with background noise of Jessica Rabbit and a nutty mother going "Come on! Come on! Come on!". She stands, mostly to play the piano. She has stood up by herself twice, once in the bath, which I am going to try to photograph tonight, as her bottom is just delicious!
I love watching her figure out her hands. After a period when I thought she'd turned ambidextrous, she's a definite left-hander again. I think she just realized her right hand was there, after having it curled around her thumb for months. Now, it's her left she uses to reach for something, and while she's happy to eat her cracker with only her left hand, if I put it in her right hand, she'll bring the left up to help. She sits there twisting her wrist and watching the effect, or delicately moving two fingers together, just to see.
She eats apples for breakfast, sometimes with weetbix and milk (mother's milk), soft-cooked rice with pumpkin or sweet potato, and baby crackers. Nothing else yet, as she got slightly sick last week, a low fever and lots of throwing up, so I cut back on her food. She likes to eat, she's just got the hang of getting the food off the spoon efficiently, after several weeks of poking her tongue out at the wrong time! She likes eating crackers most of all.
The moving is still 'nearly there' but not there yet. She took one crawl-step today; we spent the rest of the day encouraging her to repeat the feat, in vain. I'll have lots of video footage (again) of a non-plussed baby, distracted by the camera itself, with background noise of Jessica Rabbit and a nutty mother going "Come on! Come on! Come on!". She stands, mostly to play the piano. She has stood up by herself twice, once in the bath, which I am going to try to photograph tonight, as her bottom is just delicious!
I love watching her figure out her hands. After a period when I thought she'd turned ambidextrous, she's a definite left-hander again. I think she just realized her right hand was there, after having it curled around her thumb for months. Now, it's her left she uses to reach for something, and while she's happy to eat her cracker with only her left hand, if I put it in her right hand, she'll bring the left up to help. She sits there twisting her wrist and watching the effect, or delicately moving two fingers together, just to see.
She eats apples for breakfast, sometimes with weetbix and milk (mother's milk), soft-cooked rice with pumpkin or sweet potato, and baby crackers. Nothing else yet, as she got slightly sick last week, a low fever and lots of throwing up, so I cut back on her food. She likes to eat, she's just got the hang of getting the food off the spoon efficiently, after several weeks of poking her tongue out at the wrong time! She likes eating crackers most of all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)