Field Trip

To honor Jiji's 70th birthday, and the rare occasion that we are all together, the family rented a van that seated ten, filled every seat, with two additional babies on laps, and went to check out a nearby limestone cave. 

Fuji-san

In the six times that I have been to Japan I have only seen Mt. Fuji once, and that was from the air, flying in to Tokyo. That spotting was only by chance, when I happened to lift the window shade for a bit of light. I was alone with Uta, who slept  through the sighting, despite my over excited prodding him and picture snapping. 

There is something so magical about Mt. Fuji, like a dragon, as large as the sky,  just touching down to earth for a moment's nap. The quiet stillness emanating is eerie and powerful.

The times we've attempted to see Fuji-san intentionally all ended in disappointment, do to cloudy, overcast conditions. But this great mountain's aversion to being seen only makes the seeing of her that much more spectacular. This time around, on our drive to Tokyo, we were lucky enough to have clear skies, and Fuji-san appeared, standing unabashedly before us like a great prehistoric queen.

Cousins

On  Papa's side, Uta is the first of four grandchildren. He is the oldest, and a little uncertain of what this role means to him. He likes to talk about how he will always be the oldest, in three years, or seven, or even one hundred years. He does the math to prove his point. In seven years Uta will be fourteen, Yoshi will be eleven, Ayana will be eight, and Kizuki will be seven. Sometimes being the oldest means  giving up a toy that is rightfully yours, pretending to lose a game, taking your turn last, and setting a good example at the table. Uta is great about it most of the time. He dutifully finishes his dinner so that the others will follow suit, corals the little kids into safer areas to play, and performs funny antics to make everyone laugh. But after a few day of this, his patience dries up and he has to find an opportunity to have a good cry, punch his dad in the back, or throw a tantrum over something inane, like putting on socks. After that, he is refreshed, and ready to once again embrace his place in the family. Being responsible is hard work.  

Mata Ne NYC!

Goodbye NY, and all those we love. We are on our way to Japan. Five weeks of good food, family, and friends. We'll send you stories along the way. Matta ne. (See you later.)

Kizuki the goat

Fish food, grass, steel wool, bobby pins, big brothers, plastic bottles, scraps of paper...you name it, if Kizuki has encountered it, she has tried to eat it. She likes food too. But you can't turn your back on this baby for a second, she is determined to taste the world.

Kiki the Giant

Kizuki is in the 98th percentile (of babies her age) for height, 85th for weight, and 45th for head size. She is a nicely proportioned giant, according to her doctor. I already knew she was a giant from the twangs and zingers of pain that have been growing in my shoulders. Lets hope she learns to walk soon!

Whose who?

Luckily they have seven years between them, otherwise we might have a hard time telling whose who! Kiki top. Uta bottom.

World Cup Fever

The World Cup has inspired some pickup games in the park amongst soccer loving Dads and their kids. Uta knows next to nothing about the game, but he was happy and proud to play along with Papa. He chased after the ball, following the herd, and did his best to kick the ball in the general vicinity of the goal, any goal, regardless of whose team would benefit from his efforts. For a long time he was the goalie, which I would guess would be too much pressure for the boy. But he liked it just fine. All that time waiting for the action to come his way gave him extra opportunity to tweak his outfit. He may not know the difference between a free kick and a penalty shot, but he is crystal clear on the proper way to wear his socks in true soccer style.