Some days...

Linking up to Lulu for my first "some days"

Some days I am happy to peek in see my kids sleeping peacefully. Most days I end up going over and checking to make sure they are breathing :)

Some days I nap in the afternoon with both kids, and am then awake until midnight or later.Most days I am up with L at 5:30am and so tired by bedtime that I fall asleep with the kids at 8:30pm

Some days I get a chance to read a book ( a whole chapter Sunday afternoon while L napped and K played with Daddy.) Most days the only reading I do is facebook updates.

Some days I "write" blog posts in my head all day long. Most days I go blank when I sit down to actually write a post.

Some days I skype with mum for 30 or 40 mins. Most days the peanut gallery get antsy when I am on the computer for anything longer than 5-10mins so our skype conversations are cut short:(

Ojirogawa Ravine, Yamanashi

We went camping over the Marine Day long weekend, to the mountains, as you do on marine day ;)

Left home early Sat morning to beat the traffic, and headed out past Mt Fuji to Hakushu, (famous for fresh water they use in Suntory Whiskey) and Ojirogawa Ravine in Yamanashi. After seeing pictures of Nay's camping trip just a day beforehand, we wanted to try the same camp spot she had stayed at, but it was totally booked out (ok for 1 night, but Sunday night was full, so we couldn't stay 2 nights in a row) when we rang up at the last minute.

So we rang up another place, and they said there was space, so we headed there,
Ojirogawa Ravine Tourist Campsite (I found some good info and photos here on someone's blog, cant find an official website). ,The campsite was a bit hard to find, we put the address in the car navi, but it took us to a carpark at the start of a hiking track, that had a "no cars allowed past here" sign at the end of the carpark. So we did a few loops around the area, asked a few people but no-one knew where the campsite was. J finally caved and rang the campsite (my first suggestion of what to do, lol) and they said we needed to drive down the road that said "no cars past here" and the campsite was about 500m down from the car park. The road was SO narrow -- one of those cliff-hugging type dirt roads. I didn't think we were gonna make it, but we did, and found the campsite.

After setting up the first day (around 1pm by this time) we had a play in the COLD COLD river, all of us braving it and getting fully wet, except for K who was ok with the coldness of the water, but NOT ok with the tadpoles under the rocks ;(

Then we went for a bit of a walk, and found just a cute little shrine just 100m from the campsite, and a suspension bridge, under which the actual ravine was. There were a lot of people swimming, playing in the water here, so we had a splash too.

Got back to camp, set up the barbie for some yakitori (store bought) and curry rice for the kids haha.

Had a lovely, cool night's sleep in our new 5-person tent! woohoo. Until now, we ave always stayed in one of many of J's 2-person mountain climbing tents - you know how tiny those things are? Great if you are going hiking as light to carry, but a bit hard on a hot day with kids! Since it doesnt take J much convicing to buy a new tent(he is a bit of a tent-a-holic) we bought the new tent earlier this year, and this is the first time to try it out.

Sunday we headed off in the morning to the Michi-no-eki to get some veges, and supermarket next door to get some meat, then to the ”Verga" park where we played in the river again, then played in a splash pool in a park, then hopped in the
onsen before heading back to camp for more yakitori (J-made this time) and beer ;)

Kids woke up early Monday morning anyways, so we packed up camp and were out of there just after 6:30am, and we headed back to Tokyo, to visit PIL, where within 1min of us getting in the door, MIL suggests we all go out for sushi lunch at the yummy joint that ALWAYS has a long line up (sometimes we have waited over an hour, even with the kids *sigh*) so we get there 45mins before opening and are lucky enough to get a seat in the first sitting. All fed and back into the car to come home where we unpack, clean up and try to chase out all the bugs and beetles and other creepy crawlies that jumped ship and headed home in our bags with us.

Overall I liked the campsite for location and we had a great time.
The campsite was lovely and cool by the river; cheap, just over 6000yen for 2nights with all of us; dogs ok; close to onsen (5mins drive) and supermarket(less than 10mins drive) but still totally away from civilisation at the campsite.

But the road into there could do with some fixing (widening!!) and the drop toilet at the campsite was just vile! Really, really stinky!! Now, I am usually ok with stinky toilets, but I couldn't hack this one (men and women's together). Luckily the shrine 100m up the path had a much nicer (seperated male and female) toilet, and we took the potty for K so all was good.

Also, the campsite had a few taps with running water set up under a covered area, but basically the facilities at the site were crappy. I also wouldn't want to go there to stay in their bungalows!!!There was, however a small kiosk at reception that sold very cold beer for just 300yen ;)

things I love Thursday

so i meant to post this yesterday, but saved it so i could add a link, and, well, never came back!!
A day late but here goes anyway:
*******************
Since I am too late to join in with the "some days" post I love reading on Lulu and other's blogs, I had better go for a TILT. After all, I just got
home from a big day of playgroup with BOTH kids, and (wait for it) BOTH kids are still asleep -- 27mins after we walked in the front door!! (one in the stroller, one on my back -- can you guess which one is where, lol!!)

Sooooo, the things I love this Thursday are:

(obviously) getting home with both kids asleep, and being able to sit down with a cup of coffee and a cookie (ok, I had two!) AND actually being able to write a blog post and STILL the kids are asleep ;)

raisin & craisin bread fresh out of the bread maker for breakky, and then toasted the next morning!

my fancy loving daughter. she loves to look "cute" and choose her own pretty dress to wear, and loves me doing her hair all nice and pretty -- braided today;) She also loves to do her own hair and mine all fancy. She does a good job, too.

our camping trip last weekend (which I really must blog about) *edit I ended up posting the camping trip blog post before this post in the end, haha)

finding something new AND tasty to do with Japanese eggplant (dinner last night) that J even said he enjoyed!

R being away for a "doggy holiday" at the in-laws. Yes, we miss her, but it is a nice break not to have to do the walks in the typhonic or hot weather, AND we may even go away this weekend without having to worry about finding a dog-friendly place. She loves staying at the in-laws too, where she totally rules the roost, and enjoys LONG leisurely walks several times a day :)

Facebook. I am so happy to be in touch with several acquaintances over the last few weeks, including primary school "friends" and uni "friends"; a family I stayed with when I went to Mongolia in 2002, and even a student I took on a trip to our sister city when I was working as a CIR on JET, who is now living and working in the `states (I like to think that her homestay trip o/s when she was a high school student opened her eyes to possibilities that she pursued after school!)

*I say "friends" but really I haven't seen or heard from people from primary school in over 20years!! (makes me sound old right) but it is nice to catch up and see where everyone is at now.

advance apologies to everyone I see this summer.

I bought some deoderant at costco, a three pack, "Lady Speed" or some other crack name like that.

I don't really like the american stuff, ttyt, but desperate times (kuso-atsui days) call for desperate measures.

I was on skype to my mum in the afternoon after we got back from costcos.

L was trying to climb the stairs, getting into EVERYTHING as he (and K still) do whenever I am on the phone/skype.

L got into my deoderant three pack.

I have vague memories of taking the deoderant off him before he bolted for the stairs (I of course followed and saved him from a bad superman impersonation attempt)

I can't remember what I did with said deoderant though.

I have searched the house high and low, and can't find the three pack ;(

I wont be buying another pack, coz J insists it must be SOMEWHERE (he is right)

But until I find it (going on 4 days now aarrggh) I am a stinky sweaty mess.

So apologies to anyone I pass by or meet this summer -- I won't be offended if you stay your distance and hold your nose.

eeewwwww!

Trying to get out the front door with......

A 4 year old daughter screaming at top of her lungs at the front door-- which she can unlock herself :( -- that she wants to go with me.

A 1 year old screaming out "mama" from behind the toddler gate. 

A 40 year old husband looking up at me with terror in his eyes asking "どうする？"

I am on my way out for a few drinks with some friends. It is the third time since K was born that I have gone out  and left the kids with J (bar a few quick trips to the shops or swimming last year, and of course I got some "me time" when in Oz and my folks looked after the kids, but still....)

**Sigh**

Talk about mama-guilt ( ; _ ; )/~~~

Now, what shall I knock back first? I'm thinking since cold beer, it is summer after all! Cheers.

Coz I need a bit of self-imposed positive reinforcement...

Things I Love Thursday

oreos.and ice-coffee.

Need I say anymore?

ok,but I will just for the sake of the excersise........

the fact that our house in on the top of a hill, and we get the most refreshing breezes nearly every day in this "kuso-atsui" summer. Open the front door to the balcony, and the back door to the yard and the breeze just rips through the house. Also get a great manmade breeze through the kitchen window as the wind comes shooting down the gap between our house and the next ;) (will take any breeze I can get when it is this hot)

the fact that even though we live on the top of a hill, we basically have a flat walk to the train station, just 4mins away. I guess we live on the ridge, or maybe the cliff then? hmmm.

that the night-time emergency centre is just 5mins drive away from us. So when L woke up SCREAMING in a high pitch for 25mins on Tues night, and nothing I could do would settle him -- wouldn't take the boob (a first!), I could hardly hold him he was wriggling so much, he didn't open his eyes for most of that time -- I could at least take him down to the docs at 11pm and find out that it was, indeed a middle ear infection that was causing his pain ;( poor fella.

that the Peds doctor is only a 5 min walk away. I quite like this doctor, he is good at explaining and doesn't always just hand out medicine willy-nilly.

La Leche League International. Just being able to talk to someone sympathetic really helped when struggling with bleeding nipples from acrobatic toddler feedings.

"genki" oppai, as in FINALLY free from pain, splits, plugs and all other baddies. Just hope they stay that way again.

the fact that I "wrote" this blog in my head while out walking R this morning, AND for once in a blue moon, it actually makes it to the blogworld, rather than staying stuck in my head! Hurrah for napping baby, and kindy day for K!

So apparently....

The only thing worse than a MIL interrupting the bedtime schedule is a frickin DH doing it.

Neither kid asleep.

I have bailed out with L and we are now in living room after he spent the last 40mins wandering around the bedroom - he never does that!!!
K is in bed, at least.

*sigh*

Can't even drown my worries in chuhai or chocolate as got some bf issues -- tender breasts, possible plugged duct, bleeding nipple... The usual stuff :(

Nothing like the need for a rant to get me blogging again lol.

************
40mins later
And apparently Arnie shooting out the bad guys in トゥルーライズ is not the most sleep-inducive movie for us to be watching

Oh. I get it now " True Lies"

Visiting the in-laws

BigBig day tailed on to the end of a week of sickness. Three day fever for L last weekend(while we were away at a ryokan for the weekend, no less) followed by nasty phlegmy cough. K got a fever Thursday night, and is now battling the same cough . A nasty cough that had her awake at 5am this morning in a coughing fit:(

K finally asleep after big day of play, pool, BBQ and general granparent shenanigans.
L would have been asleep too if f*cking MIL didn't come in looking for the dogs food. Is it just me who feels the need to get two overtired kids to sleep trumps giving the dog her dinner (surely R could have waited half an hour for dinner!!) as it is, I am missing dinner myself because what should have taken 15 mins to put the kids to bed has turned into an hour long event.

Sometimes I really think MIL is a man masquerading as a woman-- no common sense, and no idea half the time!!
Right -- Rant over.
Both kids asleep.

Going upstairs for a cuppa. (would have a vino, but the three glasses of goon I had this afternoon with the barbie kinda knocked me sidewards ;)

Fwiw, I really did have a nice day today with the in-laws.

IPadding it

Have had some issues the last two weeks with blogging:
1) not having enough time to actually do it and
2) not being able to publish the posts wrote(moreso on my food blog)

I thought having the new iPad might make it easier to get to blog, but it really hasn't made much difference.... Just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day lately ( despite being woken up before 6am most days!!) but I think I am kinda getting a feel for the iPad so hopefully some of the thoughts in my head will get blogged about sometime :)

101 things in 1001 days update

Items crossed off the list in the last few months:

27 . Get back to pre-pregnancy weight
28 . Be able to fit into my Helly Hansen bamboo pants again
31 . Get a professional pedicure at least once.
(again! actually 2times while back in Aus. I love the spa pedis there...)

72 . Organise the playroom so it's easy to clean and keep (relatively!) tidy.
I think I can say that the new organiser/cupboards I have in there are doing the job just fine!

90. Go to the hairdressers at least once a year
Also got a fab style cut (longish bob) while in Aus (colour honey brown with blond highlights) on a "grabone" deal. It looked great when they blowdried it in the salon....looks kinda ok still now, but no way I can re-create that salon look, since my hair flicks OUT rather than under :(

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And I am working on these at the moment:
29 . Follow a daily face firming ritual every day for 2 months in succession (0/2)
Started this while in Aus and intend to keep it up. So far 3weeks :)
My "ritual" involves use of lotion, emulsion and cream with nanocube samples that J got :)

54. Read 5 novels in English (3/5)

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Still, it seems like I have a LOT of stuff left to do on this list!!! Perhaps now L is a bit older, and not stuck to the boob 24/7 I will get a bit of a chance to get out and do some exercise? And since K has started pre-school/kindy 2 days a week I might get some time to get the sewing machine out? Well, that is kinda the plan.....