Bikes!

The last exchange professor (and his high school age daughter?) left two nice bikes for us with wire baskets in the front. People ride all over Sapporo on bikes, on the sidewalks, usually, which is a little dangerous for three kids who have never walked in a straight line in their lives. John and I have only used the bikes on solo missions... until now. Yesterday, after a quick trip to Victoria park...

...we stopped by the swing (with Katie in the red)...











... she has finally gotten over her fear of swinging and goes "high in the sky"....











...and Jack going in the most dangerous way possible, of course...


















...and Liv climbing up, slowly but surely...


















...and Katie riding a plane...












we went to the Home Store, which has just about anything a person could use in the home. So we picked up a spatula, some lightbulbs, paper towels, and most exciting of all. bike seats for the girls (just 2,000 yen, or $20, each!).

They are VERY cool -- lightweight and fairly comfortable and they don't even mess with your sense of balance and gravity on the bike. We are glad we threw in the bike helmets (I debated at length over the value of bringing them, as I wasn't sure what we'd end up doing for bikes).

And then, after everyone had naps, we went to the used bike shop (Katie and I rode there, and John and Jack walked with Liv), where we picked up a new bike for Jack -- also 2,000 yen ($20) with a basket and bell (which were essentials for Jack).

There was a bit of debate as the bike is QUITE pink and sparkly (with fancy doo-dads on the spokes), but Jack thought it was great, and we said we could put stickers on it if he'd like.

He didn't want us to get training wheels so we will be limiting most of our riding to a trail by a river that we have heard of (as the sidewalks are very crowded and he is still fairly new to riding with just two wheels).

We got home just in time to get dinner ready for Shinya and Yuki. Shinya was a student from HGU who attended the University of Lethbridge four years ago. He played basketball with John and a group of professors, and we enjoyed spending quite a bit of time with him (Halloween, Christmas tree decorating, etc.).

He now teachers junior high English on one of Japan's northernmost islands. He and his girlfriend, Yuki, were our first real guests... so we folded up the futons and tucked them away, brought the "fancy" dining room table out, and had a simple meal (with delicious cheesecake from Shinya and Yuki). We hope to see them again in November.

In the midst of taking all these bike photos, I got a few of the Guest House as well.

We live on the first level, and another exchange professor sometimes lives upstairs (not this semester, though). Maybe they knew three noisy kids would be living below?

This is the view from the street -- more like an alley off a major street and near the university's baseball diamond (we get to hear baseball at all hours of the day!)

Going out of the alley, this is what it looks like to the right, looking toward the university.






And this is the view to the left, toward Victoria park, which is where we are heading right now! Then we're off to a brunch at a professor's house, and John will need to write the next week's lecture sometime (he needs to hand it out one week in advance)!

Tea and shopping

Well, the tea with the (very nice) university president wasn't as much of a disaster as I had feared, but it wasn't exactly the kids' shining moment, either. We got everyone showered and dressed up (no easy task) and I donned my fancy birthday shoes from my mom, which fit in very well here, a city filled with beautiful shoes (a whole other post some day... I am going to just wax poetically about the amazing shoes I have seen in these 10 days). Olivia said I looked very fancy -- the highest compliment. By the time we left, the girls were ready for a nap... and in fact, Katie just hunkered down under the tea table in the President's office and fell asleep. He said that was fine. They also immediately took their shoes off in their office (they were too big with tights on). He was fine with that, too. He seems like a good soul. He did some of his studies in Boston and so his English was terrific -- and John's Japanese sounded good too. It would have been nice to talk with him more, but the slouching, slinking, slipping children prompted us to leave after about 15 minutes. When we got home and checked email, we had a message from one of the many people whose job it is to make our life here easier (another topic that merits a full post -- there are so many people here whose full time jobs seem to be helping us -- they come to preschool interviews, set up appointments, you name it). Anyway, this message was scheduling a formal dinner for us with the president, but he suggested that perhaps instead we could do a lunch -- on a day when the children are in preschool. Gulp. Were they that bad? As it turns out, he sent it shortly before the first meeting, so it wasn't the direct result of rude sleeping children.

Today took us to a downtown shopping district where Hiromi told us we could find many of the items on the school list. Here are a few of our finds -- all very kawai (cute).

All of the loot -- three smocks, three large towels, three small towels (and some extras we will use here), cups, silverware/chopstick sets, indoor shoes, the works.
















Close up of the kawai cups and one of the bags.












Katie and Livie picked out matching Hello Kitty smocks.











Close up of indoor shoes. The white ones for the girls were in a package labeled "School Shoes" and cost 298 yen (2.98). They didn't have Jack's size, so we hope these are OK. Probably not...
















Jack in his uniform (holding Superdog, who came on the shopping trip with us). You can see from the blue flower on his uniform that he is part of the "tulip" class.

















Jack showing the back of his hat, with a very jaunty ribbon.











Livie in her uniform (showing that certain Livie sense of style). She (and Katie) are part of the "melon" class. We will have to put her name in the middle of the green melon on her uniform.


















Katie and Livie hugging (Liv in blue) on futons in the tatami room











Katie showing off her new "First Day of School Dress"


















We didn't find the art bag and we are going to see if their backpacks will be acceptable (it doesn't look like what they have on the list, but we'll try). I also picked up a ton of labels -- again, this labeling thing is clearly something that is done many places in Japan, because right next to all of the school supplies were a whole assortment of different labels (cloth ones you can iron on smocks, sticky ones to put on your chopsticks set, etc.). The store (Akachan) was great -- not too expensive but full of so many cute things. I have already found lots of goodies I want to buy for friends and family back home. Perhaps I, like the university president, will wait to do that when the kids are at preschool...

A few photos

Here is some of the luggage waiting to go...


My first photo from Sapporo -- the beautiful mushrooms...


Ayumu and Jack at the park, Sept. 24


Jack and his sisters on the seesaw (Kate on left), Sept. 24


Olivia (or "Supergirl" as she likes to be called in her "O" superhero cape) and Ayumu at the park.

Katie pushing her babydoll on the swing.

School for (almost) all of us

A few updates.

1. Something I am thankful for -- that Katie waited until we got off the subway to throw up yesterday. We were coming back from Odori Park (the cool big one downtown) and she had said her belly was hurting all day and sure enough, we walk in the door and blech... but at least it wasn't on the crowded train car. Thankfully, it seems to have been a passing bug. But John and I had a bit of it, too, and Livie and Jack were at the tail end of their colds... so... we pulled out the second box of macaroni for dinner last night. Everyone was happy, and no one else threw up.

2. John taught his first two classes today and they went well as far as he could tell. I'll try to get him to update on some of the specifics once he gets a few more things off his plate. I think it will be a good semester for him (with some challenges, of course, but good overall).

3. We ran into one of our friends at the local park (the one we call "Seesaw park" -- for its ancient and wonderfully dangerous apparatus -- to distinguish it from the other local park which we call Victoria Park, as it is across the street from a restaurant called, you guess it, Victoria). I asked for name spellings this time -- the mom is Hiromi and her 3yo son's name is Ayumu -- and he and the kids had a great time playing. I got some pictures and will try to post them later tonight. John had to leave to teach so she and I "conversed" with her English and my dictionary... and we are hoping to see them again tomorrow. From what she seemed to be telling me, I think Jack's appeal to other kids crosses language and cultural barriers... Hiromi said Ayumu had been talking about Jack nonstop ever since we met them over the weekend, and when he saw Jack and the girls playing there today (he lives in an apartment above the park), he insisted on coming down. Of course, right after she said this, Jack knocked Katie off the seesaw through some circus maneuvers (not hurting her but prompting a loud complaint), and then (accidentially) knocked Ayumu off a few minutes later ("I kept telling him to get back, get back, but he didn't!"... sigh). I apologized profusely (one of the first things I learned to do in Japanese) but she shrugged and said "kids playing"and wasn't worried. Thankfully, she was able to fill me in on the daunting list of things the kids will need for...

4. PRESCHOOL! Wow. Well, all three kids were accepted even though they will only be going two days a week (from 10:20 -2:40 on Wednesdays and Thursdays). Kate and Liv will be in the "Melon" class, while Jack is in the "Tulip" class. They will attend Wednesdays because they can take part in the English language instruction the school has that day -- and will have lunch at school with the other kids. But oh, the things they will need for school. It made Jack's list for grade 1 seem like nothing! In addition to little wool hats and blue coats they must wear to and from school each day (provided by the school), we will need to provide special indoor shoes, a cup and cloth cup bag (both labelled), extra clothes in a cloth extra clothes bag (all labeled), chopsticks (or a spoon and fork) in a cloth utensil bag (labelled, of course), a portfolio to bring their "art" home, a bag to hold their gear, a little washcloth (labelled) and a bigger washcloth with a loop on the end (labelled), and smocks for them to wear for crafts, playing outside, and eating (labelled). We didn't fully understand the difference between the different bags or where exactly one would purchase these items, but thankfully Hiromi set us straight -- and ended up giving us one of Ayumu's extra smocks, three cloth cup bags (with apologies that she didn't have any extra clothes bags), and one large washcloth (without a loop -- she said I'd have to add that). So clearly these are universal supplies for preschool in Japan. Who knew?

5. Sleep continues to gradually get better -- today everyone slept in until 5:50 a.m.! Yay!

Tomorrow we are meeting the university president at 11 a.m. -- which is when K&O have been napping. They are invited to attend. I see no flaws in this plan. At all.

Goodnight!

Food and parks and jetlag, oh my

A few words of thanks for all the good suggestions about food. I feel I have become a little obsessed about it the last week, and realized that it's all tied in to the jetlag, excitement/nervousness about being in a new place, and general happiness of kids (ours in particular, anyway). John and I have found over the years that most of their tantrums, meltdowns, and even fights can be averted by full bellies and good sleep. Our kids, anyway, are pretty content if they are well fed and well rested -- I think we're pretty lucky that way -- and we have found if one is whining or being a particular bugger, if we just give some protein and fruit and a cuddle or a nap, all will be well.

Well, they haven't slept well for more than a week, so there is strike one. And they had the stress of the flight (which they did so well on, but it was a lot of hustle, worry, change, and chaos in a short amount of time, not to mention messing with their inner clocks). So strike two. And to arrive and not really have thought about food aside from the macaroni -- and knowing they needed full bellies to have any hope of overcoming strikes one and two -- well, thus was born my obsession. And each time we were at the grocery store, they were on the verge of or in the midst of melting down...

But it is getting better... and they are much more open to "new" food the last day or two now that they have slept a little better (still not great, but today everyone stayed asleep until 5:20 a.m.!) So keep any more ideas coming -- and thanks for all the good suggestions.

I am a little amused at myself for having put so much thought and worry into the flight but not considered once what would happen after. Maybe it was just such a big hurdle I couldn't really see what would happen once we got here. But I honestly didn't think a bit about how hard jet lag would be on a little person's body, or how they would respond to new and different food. Thankfully, we have time to adjust, but I can see how it was just a *bit* shortsighted of me.

Anyway -- on to something else besides food. There were a few other updates I wanted to make, including having discovered the most wonderful park in the center of the city. It's more than 10 city blocks long, with various fountains and flowers along the way, and the best kids' playground in one of the blocks that we've ever seen. It had a slide that was literally a work of art - made of stone and like a tall spiral cone, with all the kids moving up and down and laughing so much. I'll try to get some pictures next time we are there (I took my camera out for the first time last night, to take a picture of the beautiful mushrooms I was about to cook. Oh but there I go talking about food again!). And another part of the park was also made of smooth stone, like frosting that had been poured down the side of a hill. Kids could scramble up and slide down, with a steeper part in the middle and little parts on the ends. Jack could have stayed there for hours. There were hundreds of kids out playing there Sunday night, and our kids fit right in.

We registered our alien selves with the police yesterday (Monday), and will go and interview at the preschool down the street tomorrow (Wednesday) to see if the kids can attend just two mornings a week (most attend full time, but the person at HGU who called on our behalf said they seemed open to it.) The little girl we met at a neighborhood park this weekend, Lisa, also attends, so they would have one familiar face. John starts teaching tomorrow (today is a holiday) and has been preparing his lectures two weeks in advance (a first for him... he has always been more of a "scribble down a list of ideas to talk about" kind of guy, not "write a lecture word for word and present it" kind of guy). Jack and I started our French homeschooling yesterday and didn't get nearly as much done as I thought, but had a good time while we were at it. We are going to look at buying bike seats for the kids to ride on our bikes... that's our big outing for the day. And hopefully, maybe, I'll start taking some pictures and soon, maybe, our kids will start sleeping regular hours. Much to wish for, I know, but I think at least one of those goals will be accomplished soon!

Finding our groove

A few quick updates:

1. We are on the road to regular sleep (almost). Kids are going to bed exhausted at 7:30. Today, Jack got up at 4:30 (but stayed resting in bed til 5:30, when the girls woke up). It's not a perfect, full night's sleep yet, and we have very cranky kids at various points in the day (Katie has her melt downs in the morning, Livie at night, and Jack is just SO tired all day and sits down on the sidewalk while walking various places), but it's an improvement and we'll take it.

2. We have gone to the grocery store each of the last three days to buy a variety of items. Each time it has cost 14,000 yen (~$140). This makes us wonder if that's just what it costs to go to a grocery store? Or is it some magical formula that what we can fit in our baskets (and eventually on our backs and in the stroller) is always $140 worth of food and household items? Curious...

2a. On a related note -- I found (expensive) pancake mix yesterday which will be welcome by everyone as I still have been unable to find flour (much less baking powder or soda). I also found a small container of Jack's favorite, Philadelphia cream cheese. I bought them with a twinge of guilt as they were expensive and very much not Japanese... but it seems like there is so much that is new and challenging for all of us, and for the kids in particular, that I am buying them anyway. There is time for sushi, I think.

2b. Also related to the grocery store -- I went yesterday with the girls while John and Jack stayed at home (Jack's many sitdown breaks on the way to the store made us realize he might not be up to the outing at that particular time). I had been relying greatly on John's Japanese (which milk is skim? which is whole? he can tell these important things) and yesterday had been searching for vinegar. I couldn't find it (or what for sure was vinegar) and so pulled out my phrase book/dictionary and asked a shopper for help. She (mostly) understood me and took me to the vinegar. And we had a delicious salad last night as a result.

3. It has been MUCH easier to meet people here on the playground than it was that first lonely year in Lethbridge. We have gone to a local park each of the last two mornings and ended up talking with two very nice people, a man with a four year old girl named Lisa, and a VERY pregnant woman with a three year old boy whose name I don't know how to spell. It's amazing to see how the kids all play together, blowing bubbles, getting on and off the seesaw, racing down the slide, even though they don't share any language. John has been along this weekend and makes talk with the adults easier, but even on my own, with my dictionary and their much better knowledge of English, I was able to "talk" a bit. These kind of conversations never happened during that first lonely year in Lethbridge... and it's nice they are happening here.

Kids are getting squirrelly so we will head out to the park. There is much more to write about -- I'll try to get back soon.

Need cooking suggestions

This will be just a short post to ask for any ideas you might have about what to cook for the kids in between experimental Japanese food. I didn't realize how much I had come to rely on bread (in the form of toast, tortillas, sandwiches, French toast, as well as related pasta, cereal, etc.) and cheese in my cooking lately. Come home late? Grilled cheese sandwich will tide anyone over. Kids melting down? A chicken cheese tortilla will help. But we haven't found a good sandwich type bread here and the cheese looks, well, weird (not judging, just making an observation). I am also limited by spices -- so far, I have salt, pepper, soy, and olive oil, and fresh garlic and ginger. While that will make a nice marinade, it doesn't solve the "we're starving and need food right now" problem. So any ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have started slathering peanut butter on thinly sliced apples... and we are eating a lot of chicken and rice, eggs and ham, and yogurt and nuts... but I might need to expand my offerings. Thanks, and more soon!