I. am. so. tired.
The kids woke at 4:30 yesterday and didn't nap until 2 p.m. And then slept until 6 (only because John and I fell asleep at 3 and didn't set an alarm. Doh). And they didn't fall asleep again until midnight despite taking a subway for the first time, having dinner out, walking to the big grocery store, thoroughly enjoying the small, very fast carts in the grocery store, and bringing many groceries home. And then they only slept until 4 a.m. This is not good. At all.
They are loving it aside from being cranky and overtired. Well, Livie hates the food. She actually used the word hate to describe how she feels about formerly fine foods (rice, bananas, orange juice, chicken, yogurt). Jack is disappointed there were no mini bagels although he likes the raisin nut buns from the store. Katie loves it all.
As for me and John. We just need sleep.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
New home
Well, we are in Sapporo! And it seems great. The kids got through the last flight with only one puking incident from Jack (this time I folded and opened the airsick bag in the nick of time... why would ANYONE create an airsick bag that needs several steps to use? Definitely a design flaw...) and a bit of fussing from tired girls who wanted to be held and not strapped into seatbelts. But they made it and we arrived in Sapporo at 9 p.m. local time (6 a.m. in Lethbridge) having been awake for more than 26 hours. Two very nice people met us at the airport, helped us manage the luggage, shepherded us into a sort of mini-bus (where said luggage actually fit!) and drove us an hour to our new home, known as the Guest House. It's at the edge of HGU campus and wonderful. I'll give a better description later (and hopefully photos) but Jack's comments this morning sum up some of the fun: "What the... the toilet has a place to wash your hands on it on top" (and that's not all buddy, from what I've heard). And last night Liv was running around shouting "it's so cool, it's so cool!" It's far more spacious than we expected with lots of good and clever storage space. There seems to be a green space out back and someone from HGU stocked it with food for the morning. I am SO glad I brought my coffee and coffee pots... I don't think coffee has tasted this good in a long time as it did when the kids woke up at 4:30 a.m. local time (after John and I had had about 5 hours of sleep) and coffee seems to be the one thing the university person didn't provide (lots of tea, of course, with this being Japan and all). We have been unpacking and the kids are so excited and we are tired but excited too. Hopefully I'll be able to add something less rambly and more interesting if we catch a nap this afternoon. Thanks for all the good wishes that got us through yesterday!
In Japan! And so is our luggage!
NARITA AIRPORT, Tokyo
Just a quick note to let anyone who is checking here know that we AND our luggage made it to Japan. We are in Tokyo waiting for the flight to Sapporo. The kids were stars on the 10 hour flight (although I can fill you in on Jack's puking in the bathroom (didn't get him the Gravol soon enough) and on how I completely took advantage of my adorable identical twins so that people would be nice to us... it worked although I feel a little dirty for having done it) and they hardly fussed at all. Such the world travellers. They loved the letters and stickers and notes from friends, and the individual TVs and music, and napping. They are completely exhausted now (it's 1 a.m. their time, 4 p.m. in Tokyo) and tripping over themselves -- but we are almost there. Will post more once we are settled in the new place.
Just a quick note to let anyone who is checking here know that we AND our luggage made it to Japan. We are in Tokyo waiting for the flight to Sapporo. The kids were stars on the 10 hour flight (although I can fill you in on Jack's puking in the bathroom (didn't get him the Gravol soon enough) and on how I completely took advantage of my adorable identical twins so that people would be nice to us... it worked although I feel a little dirty for having done it) and they hardly fussed at all. Such the world travellers. They loved the letters and stickers and notes from friends, and the individual TVs and music, and napping. They are completely exhausted now (it's 1 a.m. their time, 4 p.m. in Tokyo) and tripping over themselves -- but we are almost there. Will post more once we are settled in the new place.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
A close call
VANCOUVER, B.C. airport
The day and trip began with near disaster. Our travel agent had told us to check in at the airport at 5:20 a.m. for our 5:50 flight and said no one is even at the airport until 5:30. If you've seen the Lethbridge airport, you could believe this -- it is VERY small. Well, we showed up at 5:18 and find out we should have been there at 4:30! And then the VERY cranky Air Canada ticket agent proceeded to tell us neither our group nor our luggage would likely make the flight. Many scenarios flashed through my head (none of them good). So we just apologized profusely and pleaded and hustled through security and we (just) made the plane. The Air Canada ticket agent came on just as the door was about to close to say our luggage made it too (we'll see... I hope so).
The other surprise was an expensive one... three of our eight bags came in at 53 pounds, and one at 70 (which is the limit for international flights). The Air Canada agent said they were overweight and would be charged a surplus fee. So we had to shell out $400 (!) for the overweight bags... although the Japan Airlines ticket agent said we could probably contest that as they are within international weight limits (and John is at an Air Canada gate trying to do that now). Thank goodness for credit cards -- and I wasn't about to debate with her at that point (although now that we have a four hour layover, there is time to... ).
Anyway.
We made the plane, and the thrill of travel is with us. The kids did great on the short trip to Calgary, but had a harder time on the Calgary-Vancouver leg (Livie and her ears in particular were unhappy). They are exhausted, too -- up at 4:30 and no nap yet (although if they last until we board the Vancouver-Tokyo flight, there is a chance they might get some decent sleep... or else be complete wrecks. One or the other...). We have filled them with food, water, new toys (change purses with yen for their backpacks, little puzzles) and they are now fairly content.
I am so glad we are on the way. All of the build-up and emotional goodbyes would have been hard to have to do all over again (much less trying to make arrangements for pickup, etc., in Sapporo) tomorrow. And despite her crankiness, I am giving great thanks to the grumpy but VERY fast ticket agent in Lethbridge who helped us make our plane, and start our trip.
The day and trip began with near disaster. Our travel agent had told us to check in at the airport at 5:20 a.m. for our 5:50 flight and said no one is even at the airport until 5:30. If you've seen the Lethbridge airport, you could believe this -- it is VERY small. Well, we showed up at 5:18 and find out we should have been there at 4:30! And then the VERY cranky Air Canada ticket agent proceeded to tell us neither our group nor our luggage would likely make the flight. Many scenarios flashed through my head (none of them good). So we just apologized profusely and pleaded and hustled through security and we (just) made the plane. The Air Canada ticket agent came on just as the door was about to close to say our luggage made it too (we'll see... I hope so).
The other surprise was an expensive one... three of our eight bags came in at 53 pounds, and one at 70 (which is the limit for international flights). The Air Canada agent said they were overweight and would be charged a surplus fee. So we had to shell out $400 (!) for the overweight bags... although the Japan Airlines ticket agent said we could probably contest that as they are within international weight limits (and John is at an Air Canada gate trying to do that now). Thank goodness for credit cards -- and I wasn't about to debate with her at that point (although now that we have a four hour layover, there is time to... ).
Anyway.
We made the plane, and the thrill of travel is with us. The kids did great on the short trip to Calgary, but had a harder time on the Calgary-Vancouver leg (Livie and her ears in particular were unhappy). They are exhausted, too -- up at 4:30 and no nap yet (although if they last until we board the Vancouver-Tokyo flight, there is a chance they might get some decent sleep... or else be complete wrecks. One or the other...). We have filled them with food, water, new toys (change purses with yen for their backpacks, little puzzles) and they are now fairly content.
I am so glad we are on the way. All of the build-up and emotional goodbyes would have been hard to have to do all over again (much less trying to make arrangements for pickup, etc., in Sapporo) tomorrow. And despite her crankiness, I am giving great thanks to the grumpy but VERY fast ticket agent in Lethbridge who helped us make our plane, and start our trip.
Monday, September 15, 2008
A taste of things to come, and saying goodbye
Well, I think we got a taste of what tomorrow could look like tonight. We stopped by Bonny's cafe for dinner since the thought of cooking in the chaos of the packing was just too much. The kids are usually great there -- but not tonight. First, Katie refused to wear any bottoms besides underwear (a long story having to do with her ballet tights itching and not having any backup bottoms because I'd cleaned out the car) but Bonny still let her come in. Then she and Liv fought over the high chair with the cup holder, with neither strong willed 3yo willing to bend until John somehow convinced Liv to switch. No one ate anything, and many tantrums followed, and Jack helped by bouncing a bouncy ball all over the restaurant and crawling under couches and tables to retrieve it (I could almost hear Bonny thinking "just get through tonight and you won't see them for 14 weeks"). She left us with hugs, kisses, and good wishes, as she is a better and more patient person than I could ever be, and I think I heard a sigh of relief from her when we got in the car. There was no reasoning with them at all -- and it hit me that this could be true a lot in the next few days.
But tonight the kids are having a blast while I pack -- Lori took them out and they have found a ton of frogs to capture and take down to the pond. As they hunted, a giant jackrabbit ran by them and our own Jack rabbit chased it (nearly giving him a heart attack, according to Lori (the bunny, not the boy). John is back at the office writing his letter for tenure and promotion -- the rest of the file is finished! -- and his bags are all packed. I just have my own to do and we'll be set. We are ONLY taking eight checked bags (six big, two small and full of books and schoolwork). Added to the suitcase of macaroni and diapers are three jars of peanut butter and a stash of granola bars for a homesick day. We will be gone 14 weeks exactly, and the fun starts tomorrow. Oh, let's be honest. It's already started...
But tonight the kids are having a blast while I pack -- Lori took them out and they have found a ton of frogs to capture and take down to the pond. As they hunted, a giant jackrabbit ran by them and our own Jack rabbit chased it (nearly giving him a heart attack, according to Lori (the bunny, not the boy). John is back at the office writing his letter for tenure and promotion -- the rest of the file is finished! -- and his bags are all packed. I just have my own to do and we'll be set. We are ONLY taking eight checked bags (six big, two small and full of books and schoolwork). Added to the suitcase of macaroni and diapers are three jars of peanut butter and a stash of granola bars for a homesick day. We will be gone 14 weeks exactly, and the fun starts tomorrow. Oh, let's be honest. It's already started...
Thursday, September 11, 2008
10 suitcases
I brought 10 suitcases up from the storage room today and it exhausted me -- and I started wondering how we'll feel lugging all of those to Japan. But with five people and three seasons (it's still warm there now, and will be fall for Oct. and Nov., and apparently will start snowing A LOT in early December), we have a heavy load whatever we do. One suitcase is packed full with diapers (214 as the girls are still diping up at night and we will be gone about 110 nights) and two cases of Annie's macaroni and cheese for those moments when the newness of Japanese food is too much (one box every five days by my figuring). The good news about the diaper and macaroni suitcase is that we can load it full of wonderful finds from our time in Sapporo when we come home. And yes, I know they have diapers in Japan -- but I want to spend my money on items that are unique to our soon-to-be-home, not something I will be disposing of every morning.
The kids are SO excited, but I wonder how much they really understand. We picked up little backpacks for them today at CAA (the Canadian version of AAA) for them to take on the plane, and have shown them where Sapporo is on maps and the globe. Kate and Liv will tell anyone who asks that they are going to "Pan" and we have been going to Japanese restaurants every few weeks to try to expand their culinary horizons. But I still think we're all in for a pretty wild ride!
The kids are SO excited, but I wonder how much they really understand. We picked up little backpacks for them today at CAA (the Canadian version of AAA) for them to take on the plane, and have shown them where Sapporo is on maps and the globe. Kate and Liv will tell anyone who asks that they are going to "Pan" and we have been going to Japanese restaurants every few weeks to try to expand their culinary horizons. But I still think we're all in for a pretty wild ride!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Hello world!
This is the first post of what I hope will be a collection of great stories of the adventures of our family as we prepare and travel to Sapporo, Japan this fall.
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