Part 3 - Japan Family, Friends, and Akiba

Sorry for the delay, but here is the third and final installment of our Japan trip. In this section, I'd like to cover the primary reason for our trip: time with family. Sumie's parents had recently moved from New York back to Tokyo and the kids had missed them. And Marichan had yet to meet them! After all our adventures, we spent our final few days relatively quietly. Marichan hung out with her Obachan...

 ...Kuri was attached to the couch (note the foot) to keep him from bouncing up and down on the floors (an annoying the family below)...

...and Mimi, well, she was delving into the dark world of Swedish crime drama.

During naps for the younger kids or errands, Mimi and I liked to visit the shrine in Shinagawa. It had great views (and a playground).

It also had some cherry blossoms still in bloom.

As Mimi wrote in her report for school (yes, she had to miss some school days for us to pull this trip off despite going over the spring break), her favorite part of the trip was playing with her cousins, particularly Asuka.

Hand-in-hand wherever they went...

...the two were inseparable. They even decided to wear their matching Kidzania wallets when out on the town.

One night, Uncle Shu loaded all the kids (as well as Sumie and I) into his wagon and we headed over to Tokyo station to see the "character street," which is filled with toys. We got a great view of Tokyo Tower along the way.

On one of our last days, we got to hang out with 3 of Sumie's college friends. Sadly, I don't have any pictures from this as juggling three kids at a party is a bit nuts. After that party, we got to have dinner with one of Sumie's high school friends, Rie. Somehow, the kids were remarkably well behaved, despite us sitting down to eat around 8pm.

Mimi and I ran off on our last day to visit Akihabara - Tokyo's Electronics town. We stopped off at Yodobashi Camera. I had told Mimi about this store. "It's like 5 Costcos combined into a large building that only sells electronics."

I love this store because they have an amazing headphone selection. At least 200 headphones are on display - with prices ranging from 10 dollars to 2000 dollars - and they can all be tested out. I selected an excellent pair of inexpensive JVC headphones in black (folding, for travel) and Mimi picked up the neon orange version.

She was quite excited about them.

And even Kuri, who didn't get a pair of headphones that day, got into the spirit.

We had a very special evening our last night. Shortly before we arrived in Japan, Aunt Kayo and Uncle Shu welcomed their fourth child to the world. We went over to their house, with Ojichan and Obachan, for a celebratory dinner. I was on baby duty for a while with Marichan...

 ...and later, thanks to my recent practice, had a chance to hang out with Fumikachan as well.

But both babies had their favorites in Ojichan and Obachan.

Toward the end of the night, we gathered around to share a cake...

...and take a family picture.

It was a really memorable evening. Sumie and I hope we'll be able to host the family (perhaps everyone the next time around) at our home here in California sometime soon.

Our final morning, we finished packing and waited for the Limousine bus with Obachan and, of course, the family sheltie, Harry. Mimi and Kuri waved frantically out the window as the bus pulled away.

At the airport we prepared for our flight with a meal at Fujiya. Mimi and Kuri took the obligatory picture with Pekochan...

...and by the time the plane reached cruising altitude, both were sound asleep (for a little while).

Our 2016 trip to Japan was a tremendously special one. We look forward to our next journey across the Pacific, which Marichan will be able to play with her cousins, perhaps share some words with her grandparents, and stare in wonder while her brother and sister go nuts at Disneyland.

Perpetually Exhausted, But Always Worth It

I think it's safe to assume that any couple with younger kids lives in a mixed-up state of elation, exasperation, and exhaustion. Of course, only the exhaustion is perpetual. With both of us working full-time, it can sometimes be hard to get in the activities and outings that make life fun, but we try our best. And when we come home - both kids and parents well worn-out - it's always worth it.

A few weeks back I put a considerable burden on Sumie when I left for a week-long business trip back east. I was worried for her the whole time, but she handled it like a pro. And the kids really stepped up to help, particularly Mimi. She even managed to wake herself up and get dressed every morning (the morning after I got back she, of course, reverted to form).

The kids were so good, Sumie even let them play in the pool in the afternoon.

 Yes, it's not much of a pool, but the kids don't seem to mind.

The kids also took some fashion shots while I was away.

Although I was able to Facetime with the family every night, I really missed them. I think it gets harder when they're this age. Happily, I think they missed me, too. Sumie sent me a picture Mimi had drawn for me. It's of a hotel, and you can see me in the window. It was the best drawing I've ever gotten from my little girl and completely cheered me up though I was 2500 miles away.

I returned just in time for Mimi's preschool graduation. She gave a speech at the ceremony, which she'd spent several weeks memorizing. We were so proud of her.

Naturally, it wouldn't be our life if Sumie didn't immediately have to go on call the day after I got back from my trip. That meant I was on weekend duty. I braved taking both kids out, on my own, for brunch. Amazingly, it worked.

Thank God for restaurants that provide crayons and drawing paper.

The kids took pity on me that Saturday and even Mimi went down for a rare nap. Yes, there were a lot of stuffed animals to clean up, but it was well worth the midday slumber.

The next day we attended a birthday party in SF. The special guest was the San Francisco bubble man. Mimi had a great time until she became so drenched in bubble solution that I had to wipe her down with about 50 wetnaps.

Kuri got into the fun as well. He couldn't really make any bubbles, but being a boy, he was perfectly happy simply swinging a stick around.

The fascination with bubbles persisted when we got home. I'm still not sure how Mimi pulled of this giant bubble in her hand.

Every year our county fair is around the 4th of July, and they set fireworks off every night. On Friday evening we decided we'd spoil ourselves and have a rare night out to eat, followed by fireworks. We went to a local ramen place which was, um, OK, but definitely not Japanese. One sip and we knew. Sumie and I are such snobs. Still, the food was good and the kids had fun.

Mimi even decided to turn her drink into a superhero.

Our viewing location for the fireworks was a local park that overlooks the Marin Civic Center. As Kuri and Sumie waited down at our viewing station below, Mimi and I hiked the hills for a better view. "This is the best adventure ever, Papa!" she exclaimed when we reached the top. I was so excited that she actually enjoyed hiking. We'd revisit the activity soon enough.

On the 4th, Sumie and I were invited to a wedding of a friend from Sumie's medical school. It was a chance for me to bust out one of my suits (one I actually wore at my own wedding).

The wedding was held at a beautiful winery in Sonoma. Without kids (thanks, Grandma!) we could've partied the night away, but instead our whole table got sleepy once the music started pumping. I guess I am getting old (Though, as some of you may know, I'm not exactly a fan of wedding dancing and music. Sumie and I didn't even have a dance floor at ours!).

After the wedding, the normal weekly pace resumed. Getting kids ready in the morning, working through the day, jumping on dinner, and, before you know it, bedtime. It's fun, but we always have our sights set on the weekend. Mimi is still enjoying her gymnastics. Today she nearly reached the top of the knotted rope.

And Kuri, well, he's still quite good at looking cute in his stroller.

To give Mama a bit of a break, Mimi, Kuri, and I came home from gymnastics and I then set to work putting Kuri down for his nap. Once he was out (he went down like a stone, thankfully), I put the childseat in the Porsche, took the top off, and Mimi and I headed out for another hiking adventure. We went to the same spot and marveled at the views of the bay...

...and of the Civic Center and Mount Tam. Mimi's definitely becoming a little hiker.

She's also following a bit in her father's footsteps when it comes to cars.

This was the first time we headed out "fully open" - top off and windows down. She loved it, but was just slightly annoyed that she had to hold on to her hat so tightly.

Not to be outdone, Kuri is also taking an interest in cars, as well as trucks, trains, planes, and basically anything that moves. He loves to point out Mama's car and Papa's cars in the morning before school. And he's also getting good at badge identification. So far he can spot Jaguar, Ferrari, and Fiat. Perhaps he'll end up with an Italian car someday.

These two kids have not been without their trials and tribulations, but with each week it becomes harder and harder to fathom just how lucky Sumie and I are to have them in our life. Watching their personalities come out, and seeing our family evolve with each milestone these kids pass, has been the best experience of my life.

Now if only Kuri could hit that milestone of coming off diapers, we'd be set.

After Dinner Art Show

Dinner around our house is always an... um... how do I say this... an interestingly challenging affair. Kuri tends to eat well - especially if there's apple sauce (which there invariably is) - but only after he sits down. That's the primary challenge. He hasn't quite figured out the use of his food tray, nor has he realized that combining stuffed animals and fresh food results in his furry friends taking a trip to the washing machine.

He also loves to eat independently now, which is great, but not always advantageous, again when it comes to laundry volume. Tonight, we had a rare reprieve from extreme mess when Kuri decided he'd let Mama feed him his yogurt.

Mimi and food have a love-hate relationship. She'll either attack what's on her plate or completely ignore it. Tonight I served leftover quesadillas and udon (I know, not the most traditional meal, but that's what we had). Mimi tore through her quesadilla, but when it came to her udon, she ignored it with a fervor that I can't help but feel she'll use on overweight, acne-ridden middle school boys (I know that look).

Protests from her father were to no avail.

Despite Mimi's dinner performance, we still took some time to go through some of the pictures she had composed over the past few days. Mimi seems to have a little talent, which is a bit of a shock for Sumie and me as Mimi has already surpassed our less than meager artistic gifts.

Like most little girls, Mimi is obsessed with princesses, princes, kings, and queens. As such, there's always a lot of royalty showing up in her drawings. Here's a queen...

...and here's the "Midori Love" princess.

Over the weekend we watched a Japanese music show featuring "NyaKB" - an offshoot of Mimi's favorite group, AKB48. It is a group of about ten girls who sing in frilly skirts and kitty ears (after years of exposure to Japanese culture, I  sadly no longer find this kind of behavior odd or even surprising).  I think Mimi's take is rather good!

Our favorite drawing of the night was Mimi's public service poster. Why she decided to create a public service poster, I have no idea, but traffic safety must have been weighing heavily on her mind. Take a look at the poster below.

You most likely made out a girl, a car, and a big "X".  Under that is written "da-me," which is "don't" or "not allowed" in Japanese. In short, Mimi's public service message was "Don't hit girls with cars." Now I know... and, as we all remember, knowing is half the battle.

You may have noticed that Mimi's PSA was folded. That's because I'm hiding my favorite part of he message. Mimi, being the modest little girl she is, decided to sign her work.

Right there, in the middle of the poster, Mimi had penned "Created by Mimi." My little girl likes to be recognized for her work.

Sadly, and rather unfairly, by the end of the night Mimi had still failed to recognize the excellent contribution her udon could have made to her dinner. Poor udon. You were good, but you end today unloved. Even Sumie and I cannot eat you. We've already had far too many "second dinners" this week thanks to our fickle little girl.