Livid

(i) an outdoor music festival held in Brisbane (and Melb and Sydney). I saw Weezer,　Ash and several other acts there in 1996

(ii) Me, half an hour ago when K PISSED on my persian rug.
I know she is just a kid, I know she makes mistakes, I know it is "just a rug", and I *know* that getting angry at toilet mistakes is a no-no, but I was SO LIVID that she stood there, saying she wants to go to the toilet, and proceeded to piss (turns out it was more of a leak, but I didn't know that at the time) on the expensive rug that Uncle S gave us. I yelled, I screamed, I was simply LIVID.
She was put to bed for a nap with no books read to her (and actually fell asleep in about 10mins) - we had made up by this time (lol) and I am calmer now, (thanks to some おみやげ J brought back from his business trip to KitaQ
☆　九十九島せんべい, from Sasebo, which I thought he had got to make me all 懐かしい but he didn't even realise they were from sasebo, OR that I had been talking about them like a week ago (for some reason)
☆　笑笑（しょうしょう）かりんと饅頭, surprisingly nice! from Kagoshima
(he obviously didn't pay much attention to place of origin when buying, lol)

But man, it was the one thing I have been nervous of with the rug - well, both her and R actually. I even move the rug when we have guests over so it is not in the walkway, in case people spill food or drinks on it. *sigh*

Anyway, is probably a good thing she got down for a nap so easily and early, as we are going to neighbours for some playtime this afternoon - was supposed to be AM, but Y, who goes to preschool wanted to play too, so W-san asked if we could come in the afternoon when he gets back. I don't like going out in the afternoon, esp since K's naps are late, and she sometimes doesn't wake up until 4:30pm!! It just means that I am running around trying to get dinner ready (right, right, it should be already prepped and just have to add the final touches, but it ISNT, so I need my afternoon kitchen time!!) But at least I have stuff defrosting and the rice soaking (brown rice) so I am kinda half way there.....no? J will be late anyway, so I might just whip something simple up for K then do dinner prep while she is eating. At least that way I get to sit here at the comp, and now go watch the latest GA episode!

it's morning already?

wow, posting on my blog before 9am! I must be procrastinating doing something else, right?!? (like anything that involves moving, is *my* guess, lol)

I got very little sleep last night - what with a coughing and spluttering toddler, crazy winds, a baby doing the congo in my tummy, and a very sore back (腰 and 肩) and just aches and pains all overmy body, most likely thanks to the extra effort I have been putting in the housework this week: scrubbing balconies to the point where you could eat dinner off them and washing all the windows and shutters (ok doesn't sound like much, but it has taken it out of me for sure) as well as our big day out walking around Kamakura on Sunday which I think is now catching up to me. I have had a sore back for a lot of this pregnancy, and things like vacuuming and washing the bath really do make it worse. I try to sit on the sofa arching my back to relieve some of the pressure, but it hasn't helped much. (Maybe I need more sofa time, lol?)

anyway, so K has had a bit of a cough for the last 2 days - mostly flem that she can't "move" herself, and of course when she lies down it gets worse. 2 nights ago she threw up she was coughing so much, but last night was not so bad actually, and I think she might be pretty much over it today, but the cough is still there a bit, so a day at home today, me thinks. Works out well for me with my lack of sleep and sore back, I didn't really feel like traping off to playgroup anyway, ttytt.

And the icing on the cake this morning was when I came down and opened the shutters in the living room and saw the balcony that I had laborously cleaned yesterday morning was just filthy!! With the big winds last night,as all the dust and dirt from the hatake behind us (and most likely our own backyard which is still just dirt, waiting for us to lay turf or plant grass) had been blown onto it. Thankfully it was nothing a few buckets of water thrown over it and a quick scrub down couldn't fix, but it just makes my effort yesterday seem a waste....and of course, the big windows in front of the balcony are already covered in K's handprints and kisses again - it was only seconds after I finished washing them down. *sigh* I guess I am just feeling a bit pregnant and sorry for myself today. At least it is warm again (how nice was yesterday - 15deg inside with all the doors and windows opened to air out the house! Came down this morning and it was 15deg already in the living room, so looks like another nice day, although a bit more cloudy today.

Since I am going to wallow in pregnancy pain pity today, we are not going to do much, except take the pile of shirts to the dry cleaners, maybe pick up some veges from the supermarket, then come home and eat ham and salad sandwhiches on the yummy herb bread I made last night.

*****20mins later:
and now I seem to be getting a headache. Looks like my only friend today is the sofa.

****50mins later:
the nagging voice inside me saying "the dog needs to go for a walk" got to me, so we took R for a walk, then jumped in the car to do the shopping, then got home and swept out the garage as the wind had also brough the leaves and dirt in, then scrubbed down the garage to get rid of the extra layer of dirt, then came upstairs to find R had shat on the balcony (same one that I had now already cleaned twice) so I had to re-clean for the third time. aaarrrggghh.

I attempted to vacuum before lunch too, but the freakin' vacuum cleaner head is broken and I can't fix it (perhaps a sign??) so the cleaning frenzy stopped there.

I am not normally a clean and tidy freak (and usually find many ways to procrastinate so that I don't have to clean) but for some reason today and yesterday I am really wanting to clean - surely the nesting instinct hasn't set in yet - I am only 26weeks fgs!

*****several hours later
after lunch (the herb bread was yummy with ham cheese, lettuce and sd tomatoes) and some play time and skype time, K went for her nap, and I did settle on to the sofa for a cuppa and some downtime. Now I am feeling a bit better and less whiney. Bring on the evening mayhem, right?!?!

Kamaku-ra

Yesterday we had an impromptu trip to Kamakura....since nothing had been planned, we didn't leave the house until near 11am, but we are now quite close, so got there in time for lunch - picking somewhere to eat in Kamakura without any "research" is always fun, but we chose one of those restaurants that advertise on boards all over the street - it was cheap (for a touristy spot) and filling, about 1000yen for 定食 with halfネギトロ丼halfしらす丼　for me　（J had いくら・さけ丼）some udon, a few bits of tempura and pickles. I gave K my noodles, and half my 丼, really only in the hope that I would have left room to pig out afterwards on the yummy snacks around, but as it turned out, we never really found a "yummy snacks" place...J and K shared some だんご but that was it. We walked up the main shopping street with all the touristy shops, then stopped by Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and gardens there, where K ran around the whole grounds. I had hoped it would tire her out, but she was still wide awake and asking for ice-cream (the bribe we used to get her to sit back in the pram) hours later still. So we went looking for a nice cafe kind of place that does お茶 - for some reason, whenever I go to temples or shrines or 祭り I just get the urge for 抹茶. But we can never find a nice place to have a 和 style coffee break. There was one joint that did ocha, and the gardens next to the Tsurugaoka shrine, but you had to pay to get into the gardens first, and welll that just wasn't what I was looking for. I remember a cool little 和cafe in Beppu, that had 和desserts, like やせうま　（which is just thick udon type noodles with kinako on it). That was the kinda place I was searching for. *sigh* Anyway, since we are so close now, I will be sure to research for next time in case J comes out with an impromptu "Let's go to Kamakura" again.

So in the end, we ended up at Mr Donuts near the station (I know, I know, was only there 2 days before, oops) and then caught the train home again, home by about 4pm. It was a nice day of ぶらぶら, but I was a bit worn out by the end. And I slept WELL last night, as did K who missed her nap, so was out to it by 8pm (early for her).

Also, it seems that I change my pronunciation of Japanese towns when talking in english, so K now says that we went to Kamakuuura, just like a foreigner, lol.

25weeks3days

Some serious menu planning (eating like a rabbit for 3days) and efficiently chosen clothing (I looked like I was about to hit the beach, lol - and I even re-weighed myself without my thin hoodie, which cut another 300g off!) and I came in at 2.2kg for the last month and 3days....not bad at all! So there was no weight mentioned this time. As it turned out, it was a different doctor, who didn't say very much AT ALL (not even the "this may be a little cold" before putting the gel on my tum-tum) so I probably needn't have worried. Oh well, it was fun for a few days. And I got to reward myself with a Mr Donut morning tea break afterwards - seriously! We got out of the doctors before 10am, so went to the small shopping centre close by to pick up some groceries, and shouted K and myself to some donuts and (gasp) a cup of coffee!! I don't really drink coffee (and have avoided it more so than usual during pregnancy), but every now and then I just feel like one, and when Mr Donuts offers free refills, well, I just couldn't resist. How good is THAT! (mental note to self to go to Mr Donuts more often). So K and I shared 2 donuts (only because as soon as we sat down she decided that she DIDN'T want the one she picked out from the pack, but she wanted MINE, but I managed to convince her to go 半分子 with me, since she had the plain one, lol) then she said she wanted a drink of milk, so we got her a kiddies drink (105yen, again, too coool!) and a pink donut to share again and sat for some more. Was nice. She didn't eat lunch when we got home, but hey, once in a while ain't bad, right.

So all is good with TJ-baby - about 907g according to the ultrasound pic, right on track. We left home just before 8:20am, coz the traffic in the morning here is crazy - there are 2 lanes going down the hill, about 1km until we turn onto the start of the expressway or straight ahead to the next station area. In the mornings, the road to the expressway is always backed back to OUR traffic lights, so I usually jump into the right hand lane and try to cut in at the last minute. Seriously, can be like a 15min difference if you just stay in the left lane. A bit いんちき maybe, tho..... Anyway, got to the docs before 8:40am, so we were the first ones there, K likes playing with the toys there anyway, and I prefer to get there early and try to get out quickly. Had my checkup (all of 5mins) then was called back for 採血. It seems every time I go they are taking more tests or blood from me - never remember doing it this often when pregnant with K. I was also getting a bit worried because each time the appointments are costing close to 8000yen, or more, and that is WITH the little discount tickets from the city. When I asked the clinic originally they had said that it would be more like 4000yen or something each visit, so I thought I was be taken for a ride, but today it came out at only 3900yen (lol) so I was happy - more money to shout myself Mr Donuts with, right!? Next appointment is in 3 weeks time.....guess I am over the halfway point now, so they are just gonna get more frequent until I am down at the docs every other day, lol.

I also have to pay the 2nd down payment/２次予約金 probably next time, 20万 I think it is, yikes! Better start searching behind the sofa for loose coins or sell my body or something to pay for that.

Apart from the pretty constant back pain (not dilapidating, but ever existent) and some nightly headaches, things are going well though! I am probably not "enjoying" being pregnant this time, but that is only because I am not 100% focused on the pg. That said, I am not NOT enjoying it, so that is good at least. We came home and I decided to end off a lazy week with a lazy afternoon on the sofa reading "Shopaholic and Baby" and eating salty senbei as I figure I can only use the "I'm pregnant, why not" excuse for a few months more so better make the most of it now.

Oh, and it seems each time I go my current pg status (how many weeks/days pg I am) changes again, just by a day or 2. Not sure if that means that my EDD changes too or not, lol. but today I was recorded as 25w3days, even though I counted differently....oh well.

the big weigh-in

is coming up on Friday (25weeks check-up). So I am trying to remember to get myself into pre-weigh-in eating mode for the next few days, in a bit of a damage-control effort. That means smaller meals (only half a bowl of rice last night, compared to eating refills, lol) and snacking on fruit......

This is not dieting, btw, just not scoffing food in 24-7 like I have been - I don't know a time I have ever eaten so much (except maybe when breastfeeding K, lol).

It makes it hard when we just did a Costco run on the weekend.
And I bought the muffins. (yum).
And we had pizza!

I have tried to restrain myself the last few days, honestly, but those choc muffins are just so damn good!!!! At least the rest of them are frozen now, which takes me a whole extra 30sec to get them out, maybe a deterrent?

I feel like a jockey before a big race - hope I make the weigh in, lol.

K-isms for today

me: "what are you doing?" (K is in the other room, and it is very quiet)
K : "anything"

(said in a whiney voice) "my nose is running away"

me: "let's call nanna" (meaning on skype)
K: (yells out in loudest voice) NANNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

things I've done this week

not really exciting, but:

finished reading a BOOK! ( (Mr Toppit) (and I only started it over NY too)

had friends over for playdate and lunch, and made filo pastries - yum!

found the big park closeby (on 2nd attempt, today with J - we looked it up on google map before heading out!)

tried new cake shop (up behind station) - average

had neigbours over for a playdate, and sussed out some info on local pre-schools

found an English preschool close by (and also double the price of local schools, sigh)

watered the garden everyday (the cycad, lemon tree and fan leaf palm we planted after NYs are thanking me)

managed to leave the house 9/10 times without my phone. If only I was trying to make a statement.,....unfortunately, I am just forgetful....

made lemon slice, mushi-pan, and just bought some peanut butter from Costcos to make peanut butter cookies. Enjoying the baking (but may HAVE to stop until after my next docs appt)

finally got set up for online banking for my Japanese a/cs (then got slightly depressed when I saw all the "outgoings"....

watched very little TV, neither online US sitcoms nor J-TV. About to make up for that now with an episode or two, maybe Gary Unmarried, for want of something better until the next ep of GA airs next week.

skyped with my BFF finally - we kept missing each other over Xmas and NY.

and acted in several "My Little Pony" skits, with director K (hehe)

a decade gone by

Got back from the inlaws Sunday night - had a quiet new years thanks to an altercation with J on the night of the 30th that meant that I didn't talk to him at all until about midday on the 1st, as we were lining up 3 and 4-deep (yes, for 40mins to get to the alter) for hatsumode , when I guess it hit me that I was being silly and this was no way to start a new year. Anyway, it is already 5 days into the new year, but I have only just realised that it is the start of a new decade (my, how informative blogs can be!) and just started thinking about NY resolutions (which I never really make anyway, but perhaps will try this year...)

The memories of the decade type reflections has been doing the rounds, it seems, so figured I may as well have a go - if only for my own failing memorie's benefit. It turned out quite long, it's funny what you remember!

2000 - Had just broken up with M, whom I had been going out with during most of uni, and even stayed together when I came to Japan on JET the previous July. He came to visit over Xmas and NY, but we broke up during his visit. Was consoled by Japanese
T whom I kinda fell hard for, until he cancelled a weekend away to Shikoku several months later an hour before we were supposed to go. Spent many a Fri night at Pub Chaya, the local hangout, or weekends away in Fukuoka (met a "Sgt Pluggit - his REAL name - at one of the "cocks" in Fukuoka, lol) Bought my blue mountain bike with hybrid tyres for all the weekends of cycling over the hills to Kamae and back. Did first charity cycling 100km in 3days. Started getting into triathlons - would do the bike leg in team events.
Spent Christmas in the UK with L and her family. It snowed on Xmas morning!! Hopped across to Ireland, hired a car and drove around Galway, Kilkenny, The Blarney Stone, etc. Stayed at L's grandfather's old house in (cant remember name of town) and was stared down like I was a madman at the bar when I tried to order a contreau lime and soda, lol (ended up with a guiness). Fell asleep the first night at the house with what felt like someone whispering in my ear. Turned out her grandmother had died in the bedroom, and legend has it that her ghost still sits in the window there (right where MY bed was!) Spooky!

2001 - Started attempting 10k marathons - did one in Ume (freakin' cold - it started snowing!) where I came 2nd last(the follow-up car was behind me, lol) Did mini triathlons in Miyazaki "Seagaia" and Ibusuki (Kagoshima)- still hated the running part! Went holidaying to Thailand in Sept with L (as flight to Canada/US got cancelled after September 11, so my holiday to visit H in Canada was cancelled) Back to Aus for Christmas. Got back together with first love, briefly. Went to the New Years Black Tie ball together in Bris.


2002 - Started seeing H in my section at work (kinda enjoyed the hush hush, secret winks, holding hands in the work car, lol) HE took me to Shikoku, lol! FIFA World Cup - brother and L came over as we got tickets to the Mexico-Italy game at Big Eye. Actually went temporarily blind in one eye after a night of drinking cheapo whiskey at "The Hit Parade" in Beppu while my bro was visiting, leading to the new nick-name of "one-eye". Finished JET in July, and went travelling around China for a month before catching the train from Beijing to Ulan Bataar and spending 2 months volunteer English teaching at a bank in Mongolia's capitol. Stayed with young family, and ate and ate and ate for 2 months! Back to Australia in Nov. Sat 日本語能力試験 in Dec. Started looking for work back in Japan (hoped to get to Fukuoka)

2003 - Went to a psychic fair in Canberra with friends in Jan and was told that I had an afinity with a foreign country, somewhere like "holland" (lol) and that there was a man with black hair on the phone telling me to "come". Got a phone call from uni in Beppu a few weeks later, telling me to come over for a job. Started in April, recruiting international students, same time as M-chan, got on like a house on fire - we spent our Golden week holiday in LA, and she came back to Aus for Xmas that year. Did some travelling for work - Hawaii was a bonus trip!! Spent many a week night at yaki niku place next to our bldg, or yakitori joint just a short stroll (enough for one or 2 chuhai cans) down the road, or at Nori-chan's bar, or at that other bar with the round ice cubes that I can't remember the name of, but that we had a crush on the "master" . Also had many cheese and wine nights at 90210 on the balcony watching the hostesses across the road come out of their building and be shuffled into the awaiting minivans for transportation. Went out for Halloween dressed as the Kano shimai. We even caught the train to Oita looking like that!! Was known for my love of American dogs (not a euphemism, the ones you buy from conbini) after a night out. Met J during this time, and we got together when I came up to Tokes for a weekend with some friends to watch the rugby world cup (on tv at a sports bar, lol). Started　遠距離恋愛

2004 - Lots more travelling for work - Sri Lanka with M, India/Dubai by myself, Hawaii again, alone this time!! Vietnam with M, Kyoto, Brisbane (timed it in with a bit of a visit home). Came up to Tokes several times during ski season to go skiing/snowboarding with J around Nagano/Niigata etc. Used to meet up either in Tokes or Oita about once a month or so for weekends. Did lots of travelling together during these weekends from as far south as Yakushima to as far north as Aomori in summer. J came home with me at Xmas to meet the family, and we started looking at diamond rings in Aus (but still there was no offficial proposal, lol).

2005 - Parents came to visit in Feb, and J and I decided to think about getting married, so I moved to Tokyo in April to live with him, got job as local staff at Aus embassy. Told pop we were getting married and he tells me he can't believe it. Dad and him have a fallout and never speak again. Had small wedding party in Tokyo in Oct for Japanese friends and family. Back to Aus in Oct for friend's wedding, then for our own wedding in Nov. I manage to see Pop at the hospital just hours before he passes away a week before our wedding. Hard week leadup to wedding, but absolutely fabulous day, we had a ball, had so many rellies come up to be part of our wedding day. Short 3day honeymoon at Buderim. Xmas and NY back in Japan. ★ラブラブ★　

2006 - Did some more casual work with embassy, while planning our REAL honeymoon: 3 months backpacking around South America March-May. Absolutely amazing trip!! Got back to Japan, more casual work, started tea ceremony lessons again with an amazing sensei, got R-chan, then got pregnant the next month and quit embassy as couldn't hack the train rides in peak hour into central tokyo. Went back to Aus for Xmas, J couldn't make it.

2007- Moved out of granny flat beside PIL house to apartment near Shinjuku (had to quit tea ceremony lessons, boo-hoo, I miss them!). K born in April. Hard year for J work wise as he attempted a new venture with long hours. We hardly had any time together, except for after midnight when we would pig out on conbini junk food together. Had some dental work done (pg messes with your teeth, right!). Had visits from my parents when K was born, my brother and L when K was 3 months old as well as best friend H. Took K on her first camping trip when she was 4 months old (Tanzawa in the middle of summer). We went back to Aus in Sept for a month to show off K, and for C's wedding.

2008 - Moved again, J got new job, I had a hard start to the year with some kind of depressed mood for several months after K stopped breastfeeding (bloody hormones!!). Visits from my parents, friend C, neice K. Started trying to get pg at end of year. I went home for Dec, and J visited for a week over Xmas and NY. Had a great NY down the coast with H.

2009 - Miscarriage and J changed jobs (again yikes hope this doesn't happen EVERY year) in April. Bit of a hard time. We started looking into buying rather than renting a new place. Bought in July, moved in end of August. Went to Cairns with PIL and my parents in Sept, K and I stayed on for the rest of the month. Found out I was pg while in Aus. Spent the last half of the year slowly getting bits and pieces for the house together. Had first Xmas in new house, with roast turkey! K got her own bed, and is actually sleeping in it.

What a decade. Am sure there is lots more travelling in there somewhere, but I will have to actually sit down and go through photos/passport records to work out when and where: my failing memory is real!! I think one of my ny resolutions should be to record where and when I have been places... (kinda started it last year but ran out of steam quickly...they dont call me 三日坊主 for nothin!)

hospitals, police stations and the big apple

On Christmas Eve (afternoon) after a long day out and about at playgroup, followed by lunch out with everyone (who would have thought I would want to eat after pigging out so much on Xmas day! lol) we got home, and I had just changed into room wear, with a nice pair of thick socks, put on the kettle and poured myself a cuppa, when I was coming down the three stairs between the kitchen and living room, and slipped and fell with a wham right on my lower right side/back, then my butt. There was tea all up the wall, and floor, and I was in a bit of pain. And I could feel a sense of dread wash across me....so I sat on the sofa for a while to recover and finished off whatever tea was left in the cup, while googling "falls at 22weeks pg". Most of them suggested calling the docs at least, so I rang up the clinic and they said they would recommend I come in for a check - I had 30mins to get there before closing, so rushed K out of the door to the clinic. Got there in time, had a quick one-over by the docs, ultrasound - baby all well and kicking as genki as usual, so relief there. Was glad I went to get checked tho, for my own peace of mind, otherwise I would have been worried about it until my next check up!!!

Xmas day I then ended up at the police station, as had to renew my drivers license, and only had until today (28th) so figured best not to leave it till the very last day. So we went on the 2nd last day! lol. They are now doing IC card licenses, so I didn't even get my new license on the spot - I have to go back in FEBRUARY (!!!) to pick it up.

Boxing Day we headed in to the big smoke of Tokes. J is being MC at a friend's wedding 二次会 so he was meeting with them at the restaurant for a 打ち合わせ. They invited me to come along too to have dinner after the meeting. We arrived about 4pm, K fell asleep on the train getting there, so was still asleep when we arrived. I walked around the shops (really just restaurants) and then sat down at Maccas with a hot apple pie and cuppa for a while. Then went off to check out the bookstore before we could meet up with them for dinner. They had Christmas Illumination at the building, which was quite nice, but there was soooooo many blue led lights, that my eyes actually started to チカチカする after a little bit! Got home near 10pm.


Day after Boxing Day - I think hitting the big apple got to us, and we all slept it. I even managed to sleep in until 10am!!! Yep, when K woke up (around 9am!), J took her downstairs for breakky which was nice. We walked down the road for Ramen for lunch, then it was just a quiet day at home, rearranging the upstairs bedrooms so that the bunk beds could fit in. We did up our Nengajo in the evening.

Today - dropped off some shirts at dry cleaning and got some more nengajo post cards for the ones we stuffed up yesterday (lol) then the bunk beds arrived, so we set up one in the "kids" room, and one in our room. Tried to get K to nap, but it was already nearly 3pm, so we just read Dora then came downstairs to take R for a big walk. Am hoping that K will crash tonight relatively early now. J is at a work do, his last day of work for the year before NY break. So K and I will eat turkey soup leftovers (again!!) and then try out her new bed! She seemed pretty excited about it, and even though we don't have a super cute sheet and doona set for her yet, so liked the one I did have with ants and 4 leaf clovers on it! The main thing was she wanted the pink blanket, so that might just be enough to keep her in her own bed!

Should be going away to the PIL for NY, either leaving tomorrow or Wed (I am pushing for Wed since J seems to want to stay for 5 (FIVE!!!) days. I think I need one more day of sanity at home to prepare for THAT one.

our christmas

We celebrate on the 23rd, the public holiday, with a roast turkey: first ever roasted in our steam oven, so was a bit apprehensive as to how it would go, but thankfully it went well, and we are still enjoying the bird in soup, sandwiches and anything else we can think of to get rid of it, lol.


We didn't go overboard with food - turkey with a few roast potatoes, steamed beans and honey glazed carrots, gravy and apple sauce.; tabara crab; salmon pressed sushi; pumpkin salad. It turned outto be just the right amount, and good mix at that.

PIL came over around 11am and we had lunch, after which Santa arrived to hand out the presents to K. She was super impressed with Santa and didn't even twig that it was daddy! Big presents included:

an anpanman kids computer (from jiji and baba)

thomas the tank engine play rail set (from nanna and pop)

my little ponies (from Aunty K)

Thomas the tank engine bath play rail set (from Daddy)

Dora the Explorer book set (from Mummy)

and lots of other small stuff like colouring in books, reading books, slippers, clothes....everythin under the tree was basically for K!

We bought PIL a digital photo frame, but since they have a Sony camera, got them a Sony photo frame, but it meant that I couldn't upload any photos of K onto it for them since we have a Casio. It was cool tho, and I think we should get one ourselves, for the piles of photos we take of K and R....

After presents, everyone (except K who was too excited playing with new presents) fell asleep, so in that sense, it was just like a Xmas at home in Aus, lol. I actually managed to bribe K upstairs into bed by reading her some Dora books, and she ended up having a nap, so it wasn't too bad. We started again for dinner, leftovers with added Chili Prawns (this was what almost ruined Xmas day for us....J had bought some prawns, and said that he would bake them or something nice. I therefore figured that was what he would do. So when I came downstairs Xmas morning after making the bed for PIL (who stayed over) and cleaning upstairs rooms, I was SHOCKED (to say the least) when I saw him making a chinese chili sauce. He said he was making えびチリ for lunch. I might have muttered under my breath a bit, then went upstairs cursing him and his stupid chili prawns on Xmas Day of all days. An altercation ensured (him calling me selfish for saying that we were not having Chili prawns on Xmas Day, and that Xmas was *not* all about me) but he actually apologised later when he realised that when I said Xmas was mine, I meant that it was my culture, my special day and that the choice of えびちり was probably not the best for such an occasion. In the end, we put it out for dinner with the leftovers, and his parents did enjoy it, but there was NO way I was gonna eat it, lol! And imagine having it for lunch?!!? Sorry, that was just so NOT on my Xmas wish list.)

I also managed to source out a Christmas Pudding a couple of days before Xmas, so I pigged out the whole day. We had that with individual strawberry shortcakes for dessert after dinner.

I must admit that for a Xmas in Japan, it was not all that bad (lol) def. better than previous ones. Although it still doesnt cut it when I think of everyone at home around the pool ALL DAY, and all Boxing Day....

We rang everyone on Christmas Day - this year my parents went down to my Auntie E's place in Victoria for Xmas. When I as little, we used to go there every year, when my Granny was alive. I think it has been a while since my parents have celebrated Xmas away from Bris too. So everyone was ばらばら this year anyway. When I spoke to my sister, she said it didnt feel like Xmas (her kids were down in Vic with my parents too, lol) and I said that I hoped to get back next year for Xmas in Aus...then I spoke to my brother, and he said that they are thinking of coming to Japan next year for Xmas, then to go skiing in Hokkaido over NY, and will we be here in Japan for Xmas next year. Hmmm. it would be cool if family came over for Xmas. I might have to try to convince my parents, and also my sister, or at least my nephew and neice to come over (my sister prob wont be able to, realistically, as she got sick on the plane to Melbourne, lol). Looks like next years Xmas will be interesting too.