What a day!

A couple of cute photos to start with before I start my whingey post!

Today started with tears and ended with tears! From Kayla? No, from 5 year old Liam! He stayed in his bed all night which is unusual of late and I heard him get up and open the gate to go downstairs at about 7:30. He then came upstairs again to get something and then I heard the front door close. So I quickly manoeuvred Kayla`s head from under my arm and dashed downstairs and outside to find him half way down the street. I yelled out for him to get home which started the sobbing in the middle of the street. I then had to drag him home while he wailed about going to the festival. I somehow managed to calm him down and all was peaceful for a while.

Hub was supposed to be home by 10 to go to the festival so Liam called him at about 9:20 and he said he was on his way. 10 o`clock came and no hub so I called him, swore at him a bit and then hung up. We were all ready to go so off we went anyway. Hub turned up about half an hour later in the clothes he had worn out drinking last night. What a classy guy! The festival ended up being pretty fun. We knew lots of people there and Liam`s two best friends from daycare were also there so he didn`t stop running around all day. Kayla charmed everything and slept in the sling most of the time. Hub went in the arm wrestling competition and came 4th. He was beaten by a young guy in the semis and another young guy in the play off for 3rd so I told him maybe he should give it up as he`s getting too old. He of course blames it on his night on the turps and having a bit of asthma. Yeah right!

We got home from the festival antics at 3ish and then Ryuji and Liam went off to the inlaws house. Liam was already buggared from running around like a crazy animal so it wasn`t the best of ideas. They got home after 6 and Liam put on a major performance about eating dinner and burst into tears every 5 seconds. Ryuji hadn`t really seen him like that before so it was good that he got to see what I have been dealing with lately. I ended up leaving him to deal with it and took Kayla into the bath and up to bed. I came down to brush his teeth as I don`t trust Ryuji doing a good enough job (especially after lots of festival crap) and now they have gone up to bed together. Hopefully that means peace and quiet for the rest of the night. Kayla has already been awake so her sleep of late hasn`t been the best. She used to sleep through for at least 6 hours and sometimes 8 hours plus but has been a little out of sorts the last week or so. Tonight I think she woke herself up by rolling over on to her stomach.

Alright off to bed to finish my DVD. I am watching "It`s Complicated" which is very entertaining.

Another day over

The kids are finally asleep! We were upstairs at 7:30 and Liam played in his room while I got Kayla down. I then went him and read him some stories but he wasn`t at all interested in going to sleep. Then Kayla woke up (maybe with Liam`s help) so I had to go and tend to her and Liam seems to have fallen asleep in the process. It has been a bit of a crazy week. Ryuji has been working ridiculous hours so we haven`t seen him since last Sunday. He had to work again today and is at a work party tonight and will be crashing at a friend`s tonight so won`t see him until the morning. So I think I coped alright in my first real week alone with two kids. Thank god Liam is in daycare full time though. He loves it and I love the peace and quiet. He is super sensitive at the moment too and I`m sure on some days cries more than Kayla does.

Today was an eventful day. I had a class in the city after lunch but we headed in early as the weather has been crap and I wanted to dry some washing. I loaded it in the dryer and then headed to the supermarket to get something for Liam`s lunch. We then get back to the laundromat and Liam told me to look at his shoes. He had on two totally different sneakers and neither of us had noticed until then. He was mortified and burst into tears saying that everyone would laugh at him and being a soft touch regarding fashion lol I told him we would go and get his some new shoes. Luckily there was a shoe shop nearby so we sped over there. I didn`t have the pram as it wouldn`t fit in with all the other stuff I had and had forgotten my sling so it was rather tricky trying to check the sizes with Kayla in my arms. A nice pair of Addidas were on sale for 2000 yen so we got them and he put them on straight away. It`s actually the second time he has done the wrong shoe thing. Last time it was with two black sneakers though so it was hardly noticeable.

So after all that drama I went and taught my class. I have been teaching two girls since they were four (they are now 12) so am friendly with their mothers and I can take the kids along which is great. I do two classes per month at each of their houses. Liam played with my student`s younger brother and her mum looked after Kayla. They tried to give Liam some bloody kabutomushi (stag beetles?) which I politely refused so there were more tears when we had to leave. He got over that thankfully and then we went to the hairdresser to get his hair cut. After the cut, they put some wax in and gave him a bit of mohawk so he thought he was very cool.

Tomorrow is the neighbourhood`s autumn festival at a shrine just down the road from us. We usually go every year and it`s quite entertaining. Ryuji usually takes part it in the arm wrestling competition but he might be a bit under the weather tomorrow. I have told him he had better be home by 10 as Liam is really looking forward to it. It`s his turn to do some daddy duties too.

Alright I will finish off by attempting to add some photos again. Obviously I have no idea how to move the photos from the top of the post so this will have to do lol :-)

The new domesticated me.....

So after being spoilt by my mum for almost 6 months and not having to do much around the house, I am actually getting into the whole housework scene. Very bizarre I know but I`m sure it won`t last for long ;-) I am sitting here rather wanting to go to bed but I just made a chocolate cake aka a wacky cake and I am waiting for it to cool so I can ice it. I can probably count on one hand the amount of cakes I have ever made but this one appears to have turned out. My Canadian friend gave me the recipe as she came over here a couple of years ago to use my oven to make birthday cupcakes for her boyfriend. I went to the party and did eat one but I can`t really remember what they tasted like as I was also consuming a lot of wine! I am visiting a friend on Friday so made it to take it over there by might test it out tomorrow first on my obachan students. Now I hope I don`t make a mess of the icing. I wasn`t going to ice it but as the top of it cracked a bit (expert cake makers - why does this happen?) I didn`t think it looked too attractive!

A nice productive day was had here. Spent the day at home with Kayla and she was very easy so I managed to get lots done. She had three vaccinations done yesterday which appeared to tire her out. I put her on a mat next to the window so I could see her (and vice versa) while I hung out the washing and when I came back inside she was asleep. I was amazed as she is almost 6 months old and it`s the first time she has fallen asleep by herself anywhere apart from the car. She slept for almost an hour and a half too which is unheard of for during the day. She then had lots of other little naps throughout the day.

I am trying to be more healthy with my eating and exercise more but can`t seem to find the time to get on the exercise bike. So today I decided that Kayla and I would park the car at a supermarket on the way to Liam`s daycare and then walk to get him. It only ended up being about a 30 minute return trip so I will have to park somewhere further away next time. I thought Liam would be excited about the walk and the offer of an ice cream when we got back to the car but he was rather unimpressed and told me I should have just driven. Charming! He of course scoffed down the ice cream though. He is going through quite a woe is me stage. At dinner, he was asking me why I always kiss and pat Kayla on the head but never do it to him. Of course that is not the case but I think he is missing the attention that he had for five years before Kayla was on the scene. I am trying to giving him special time as well but it`s hard when Ryuji is working like a crazy man and we don`t see him at all during the week.

Alright I had better go and check on my cake so I can get to bed.

Photos.....

Ok I have somehow managed to post some pictures without too much difficulty but now have to figure out how to work around them. They also aren`t in the order I expected so I guess I need some practice. Random pic of my two kidlets!
Enjoying a cracker with beetroot hummus and cheese on it.


Yummy dinner of beetroot hommus, vegies sticks, avocado and crackers. We also had blue and gouda cheese which I missed in this photo.

Liam ready to go to daycare. Not a good look for my darling boy lol!



Miss Kayla and I at a lovely restaurant about 15 minutes from our house!

Well now that I know that posting pics is so easy (thanks Nay!) nothing is going to stop me lol! Also means I can probably get away with writing less which is always good ;-)

It`s a dark rainy day here so Kayla and I have been taking it very easy. She is sitting in the bumbo trying to attack a paper bag as I type away. I have been catching up on washing but as nothing is going to dry will have to take it to the laundromat. Joy oh joy! I am enjoying the cooler weather but at least the washing was easy to get done in the heat.

Ryuji and Liam are missing in action which is the norm on weekend. They spend lots of time at jiichan and baachan`s place. Ryuji`s nephew and Liam`s only cousin, Ryota is back spending some time with his grandparents. He is 18, a high school dropout and currently not doing much at all. Ryuji's dad is self employed and does lots of random construction type jobs so he is apparently helping him out. I hope for his sake he tries to get his life in order a bit. Ryuji`s sister is pretty wild so I`m sure that hasn`t helped things.

Anyway, off to make Kayla and myself pretty as we are off to Yamaguchi to meet up with a friend for coffee.

Sorry for the messy post! I am having issues trying to get spaces between my paragraphs!

Two days in a row!

My oh my, who would have thought it was possible ;-)

Kayla has just gone down for a sleep and the boys are out getting up to some kind of mischief so I thought I would attempt a quick post. I have a class at 4 so hopefully Kayla has a decent enough sleep and then wakes up for a quick drinkie before then. Ryuji will be coming home to look after her. With mum being here until yesterday and him working such crazy hours he has escaped most of the babysitting duties. He had to look after her this morning when I had a class at a student`s apartment. There is a park next door to the apartment block so he took Liam and Kayla there. Liam played happily with the other kids there and Kayla howled apparently. I even thought I could hear her from the apartment but maybe I was imagining things. She was asleep when I finished but woke up when she was put in the car so was a very unhappy camper until we got home and could have some of mummy`s cuddles. She is such a different baby to Liam. Liam was such a crier and I often couldn't console him. Kayla is usually happy when she is with me and only complains really boisterously when she is really tired and can`t drop off to sleep. She probably cries the most in the car but that`s also only when she is exhausted. She doesn`t like driving in the dark much either. We drove to Fukuoka last weekend and when we came home at night she was hysterical and ended up crying so much that she vomited. We ended up having to stop at a parking area and get her to sleep and then put her in the car. This was around 7:30 and she then slept until 3:30 which was a good sleep considering she had been so worked up.

So as I mentioned on FB and in my last post, mum went back to Australia yesterday. Even though she will be back again on Nov 20th or sometime around then it was really sad saying goodbye as we had been together since the start of April. The kids and I saw her off on the bullet train platform and there were lots and lots of tears. Liam was so upset! He was still crying after we got into the car and set off home. He has been upset before but got over it quite quickly. The tears didn`t look like ending so we stopped at 7-11 to get ice cream which cheered him up. He spent the rest of the afternoon randomly saying I miss granny but we did some fun things like his study books and going for a walk which kept his mind off it. Ryuji is fortunately off work today so he is having lots of daddy`s attention as well.

In other news, Liam has starting going to a new daycare. It`s a local one about 7 minutes drive away and he is really loving it. There is a daycare about 50m down the road from our place but I decided against sending him there as it`s really small and also if I want to puy Kayla in at times next year it wouldn`t be possible as they only accept kids over 2. He has about 15 kids in the class at the other place and he is having a fabulous time. I didn`t have time to organise him to be in full time in September so he went in the mornings for about 3 days a week. He will start full time from Monday. I thought by not sending him to kindy here I would escape the dorky uniform but alas no. He has a hat and overshirt thing he has to wear to and from there. I have no idea why but of course he is happy because he looks like everyone else. Is this his Japanese side coming out I wonder? I will have to post some pics. Is it difficult to post pictures on here or have I just been lazy for no reason? :-)

We are majorly poor after our trip to Australia and my crazy purchasing of cute kids` clothes so we are now living on a budget. I have started most of my private classes again which also helps and I am trying to cut down on our grocery expenses. I can`t give my fruit and decent bread but I am being good with other stuff. Ryuji is getting way less meat than before. Being the only regular meat eater in our house he used to eat one pack of meat so maybe 200 ~ 300g. I decided this was way too much so he has been getting less. He is also getting Korean/Taiwanese beer which he is not too happy about. He is a smoker though and if he is wasting money buying cigarettes he will have to deal with cheap alcohol. I am so at him to quit but no luck! He gave up before Liam was born and didn`t smoke (I think!) for about a year so it`s so frustrating that he does again. I have threatened to leave him if he gets lung cancer or any other smoking related diseases but that doesn`t help either. Bloody men and bloody Japan, the smokers heaven.

Alright, Kayla is now awake and not too happy about being dumped in the Bumbo so I will be off :-)

Back to blogging......

I have thought about so many things I want to blog about but always put off doing it so I hope this helps kick start me back into action :-)

1. What's your middle name?

I don`t have one! My mum hated hers (Lillian) so decided not to give my brother and I one. Liam and Kayla don`t have one either as I thought it would be too much hassle in Japan.

2. What's your favorite magazine?

Ummm used to love magazines when I lived in Australia but obviously don`t have access to many here. Sometimes check out the gossipy/fashion ones when I`m back visiting.

3. What are you wearing right now?

Jeans and a purple t-shirt

4. What color are your bed sheets?

Royal blue at the moment

5. Who was your third grade teacher?

Mrs Spenceley. I ended up becoming friends with her niece at uni so her name is easy to remember :-)

6. What is the weather like right now?

Sunny and warm. Surprising as the last few days were a little cooler.

7. Do you know how to ski?

Nope, even though I lived in Hokkaido for 10 months! I`m not a huge fan of the cold and am not very co-ordinated so scared of injuring myself.

8. What was the last thing you drank?

Mugicha served by Liam.

9. Dream vacation?

Europe! My plan was to go there 9 years ago after staying 2 years in Japan. I still haven`t been!

10. Favorite article of clothing?

Nothing in particular but I liked dresses with high heels when I feel like getting dolled up.

11. Do you prefer baking or cooking?

Cooking but baking is growing on me.

12. Is your hair above or below your shoulders?

Below. I often think about getting it cut shorter but I think it suits me better longer.

13. What drink do you order when out?

Wine when I am not pregnant or breastfeeding.

14. What book are you reading?

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and a very silly book Saving Your Sleep. The latter I am reading for a laugh. The author believes you should have babies on a schedule by 2 weeks old. Crazy!

15. What did you dream about last night?

I can't remember. Kayla slept for over 8 hours straight last night and I had a nice deep sleep.

16. What was the last movie you went to?

Sex and the City 2

17. Any injuries at the moment? Nope!

18. What color is your bathroom?

Pink floor, blue and pink tiles and green bathtub

19. What's the state of your laundry right now?

In the basket ready to put away! My mum who has been with us for the last almost 6 months and spoils us rotten went back to Australia today so that means I have to do stuff around the house. Am trying to be nice and organised but who knows how long it will last.

20. Do you take vitamins?

Garlic oil capsules when I remember

21. Where do you love to shop?

Anywhere really! In Australia, Pumpkin Patch and Trade Secret for the kids and most clothes, shoes, accessory shops for me. I am a bit of a shopaholic!

22. How often do you buy groceries?

I do a big shop once a week but still end up buying miscellaneous stuff every couple of days.


23. Do you have a pet/pets?

A crazy cat called Miffy and two goldfish!

24. If you are married, when is your next anniversary?

April 27 (8 years) for our wedding and September 14 (9 years) for on paper.

25. How do you take your coffee and/or tea?

Both with plenty of milk

26. Mac or PC? Desktop or Laptop?

Mac Laptop.

27. Favorite month of the year?

Umm, have never really thought about it but with Kayla being born in April too I guess it will become my fave with both kids having birthdays then.

28. Do you have a hobby?

No real hobbies but I love reading and movies. Love travelling too but haven`t done nearly enough of it lately.

29. What salad dressing do you prefer?

Sesame, balsamic vinegar or my mum`s homemade ones.

30. Live or fake Christmas tree?

Always live growing up but fake in Japan.

31. Did you walk or take a bus to school?

Mostly got dropped off or took the bus

32. Do you have any phobias?

I am pretty claustrophobic.

33. What's your favorite snack food?

Chocolate!

34. When do you take your shower/bath?

In the morning and before bed. I grew up in the tropics!

35. What time did you get up this morning?

8ish

36. What's your favorite animal?

Cats

37. Have you ever broken a bone?

No!

38. Do you wear makeup?

Usually when I am going out of the house but sometimes I am lazy.

39. Do you speak any foreign languages?

Japanese. I studied French at university but have forgotten most of it.

40. Have you ever played a sport?

Not really! I used to swim a lot though.

41. Your last UPS package contained ...

I have no idea what UPS is but the last package I got was a letter and chocs from a lovely British friend.

42. What's on your desktop?

A big purple flower

43. What is your home page?

Facebook

44. Extrovert or introvert?

Both depending on the situation

45. Favorite board game?

Trivial Pursuit

46. What class did you like best in high school? In college?

Japanese in both.

47. What would you do with an extra hour each day?

I have no idea!

48. Do you have allergies?

Not anymore! Was lactose intolerant for a while as a child.

49. Are your nails painted?

Sadly no. I don`t think they have been since I was pregnant with Kayla!

50. Where are you right now?

In my living room.