First Day of School

I think we were all excited for today. It was an extremely long summer together in small quarters for most of the summer. The boys were finally ready to get started with school and see some of the friends they made through their summer camps. I was ready to only have to take 2 children on errands with me. Although I will miss having the boys here during the day I am anxious for them to get back to their studies. One of the biggest differences this year is the early start. School starts at 7:45am and the bus picks them up at their bus stop by our house at 6:39am. Our mornings starts out early with me getting up at 5:30am to run and then either me or Mike gets the boys up at 6:00am to get ready. By 6:30am the boys are dressed, fed, teeth and hair brushed, and family prayer has been said. Our morning family prayer has been the most rewarding change this year. It has been nice for all of us to be together for family prayer. It makes a difference to have Mike with us for our morning prayers. Today was the first day of our early start and the boys did really well. Backpacks and lunches were all packed the night before so that made it easier to grab and go in the morning. Because there is not much time to do anything but get dressed and eat I literally had less than 2 minutes for pictures this morning. The boys were agreeable which was nice. We headed to the bus stop with a couple of minutes to spare. After seeing the bus pull up the boys got out their bus passes. A couple of quick hugs later they were on the bus and I was waving goodbye. I was a little sad but more relieved that we made it so early on our first day.

I picked up the boys at 3:00pm today and they were all smiles. They both had GREAT days. I was happy to hear all about their teachers, new friends, and what their classes were like. Here is what they each said about their first day of school this year:


"I had a good day at school today. I did a word search with my table. My teacher's name is Mr. Brown. I made new friends today and I played with my friend Dennis. We played dinosaurs at recess. It was really hot at recess. The day seemed so short. I did a graph in class and before the end of the day we talked about how we are going to make a book tomorrow or next week. My first day of second grade was GOOD."

"My first day of fourth grade was really AWESOME. I got on the bus and the seats were soft and cushiony. The ride was relaxing. When I got off the bus I had trouble finding my teacher but then I asked someone who worked there and found him. I stood in line with my class and then we went into our classroom. First thing I did in class was choose my own cubby. I got my own cubby and didn't have to share it with anyone. Then after that Mr. G explained the rules. We talked about the schedule of the day. After that we went to music and then recess. I saw some of my friends from camp and made some new friends too. They had 3 big toys in the playground. After recess we got to go to lunch in the cafeteria. If you buy hot lunch you can get fries and corndogs and whatever you want that is available. The big thing that happened today was a test we took after lunch. It was a big math test. I was one of the last ones to finish it. It was pretty hard. After the test Mr. G told us stories about some of his old students and things to not do. Mr. G was really funny. This was my best first day of school ever."

Zushi Beach

For the playgroup this week we headed to Zushi beach to hang out with a few friends and cool off in the water. I decided to just meet everyone there on my own instead of carpooling and luckily I found it without any problems. 20 minutes and 2 tolls later we were right at Zushi beach. Now where to park was the question. There were a couple of paid parking lots along the main road so I just picked the one in the middle not knowing where everyone would be set up on the beach. After getting all of our stuff situated I asked someone (in Japanese) how to get down to the beach. It didn't look like we could cross the main road. The man found out for us that we could use one of the underpasses. After finally making it across we scouted out where the other Americans were. We found our friends and had a blast staying cool in water. The waves were small so even the small children could be in the water without too much worry. I put floaties on Emma and Abby so that they could be free in the water. Abby sat in the water and let the small waves push her to shore. She loved the freedom of being in the water. The boys had fun exploring in the shallow water with their goggles on. They even ventured out a little farther to spot fish and seaweed. Emma enjoyed collecing and washing off her new shells. They all dug moats in the sand and played with some of our new friends. Today there was a rope barrier because the wind surfers were out practicing. It was fun to watch all of them out on the water.

It was finally time to go so we packed up all of our stuff. Did I mention that I really don't like sand? We did find our way back to the car and were nearly dripping with sweat by the time we got back to the car. We brushed off the remainder of the sand off of our legs and feet and happily sat in the cool car. We had a great morning with our new friends. As I pulled out of the parking lot to pay I was shocked to find out that this particular parking lot was 400 yen every 30 minutes. So basically I paid 2,800 yen (@ $34) to park for a little over 3 hours. Pricey...you bet. Worth the adventure...definitely. Next time I will just park somewhere else.

IKEA Japan

Since we sold most of our big furniture before leaving Washington we knew we would need to buy a few things once we got into a house. We are so thankful that we have an IKEA near our house here in Japan. It took us about 40 minutes to get there from our house which is actually closer than our IKEA was in Washington. Our little trip turned into a 3 hour adventure once inside the store. Our goal today was to buy shelving for our little pantry, organizers for everyone's closets, a mirror for the master bathroom, and a kitchen table and chairs. We finally made it out of IKEA but not without tired and cranky kids and a good chunck on the credit card. We fit some of the stuff in our car and had the rest delievered. That was totally worth every penny...I mean yen! After checking out and getting the big stuff through delivery we sat and ate IKEA hot dogs before making the drive home. I am sure we will have to come back and pick up a few more things but at least today's visit was successful!

Finding a House

We knew before we even got here that we would try and find a house off base to live in. We had many people tell us the disadvantages about living off base but our reasons for living out in town just seemed to fit in nicely with why we were here in the first place. We didn't come to Japan to live on base where everything would be so convenient that we would have no need to ever leave. That's not to say that those that live on base never leave but we both wanted more from our experience here than to live in a little America where everyone speaks English 24-7. We wanted to have Japanese neighbors and be within walking distance of all things Japanese so that we could be exposed to more situations where we would be forced to learn the language and the culture on a daily basis. True, Japanese homes often have small ovens that are only big enough to fit a 9x9 pan and their dryers are small and take forever to dry the clothes and the bathrooms are not like the bathrooms we are used to. As we have learned, there are ways around all of these problems. It may be a different way than we are used to but with patience and some incredible organization skills we will be able to manage normally.

After attending our housing briefing we were cleared to officialy start looking for a house. The way it works here is you check in at the housing office first and then you are allowed to look in all of the housing binders which are sorted by the different areas. Once you find a listing that looks good an interpreter will call the agent for that listing and make an appointment for you. You show up at the appointment and the agent drives you to the house. Most of the agents we came in contact with spoke a little English so that made it a lot easier when we had questions to ask.

House #1
The first house we saw was in Shonan Village. The views of Sagami Bay were spectacular and being nestled in the hills in a quaint neighborhood was appealing. The house was a bit smaller than we wanted (@ 1300 sq ft) and was a little old. The area was beautiful but not convienient to any train stations or parks and was much too far from the base and school.

House #2
The second house was actually in Yokosuka City and much closer to the base and school. This house was so much bigger than the last house (@ 2000 sq ft) with four bedrooms, a family room, living room and lots of closet and storage space. The location was much closer to the base but there wasn't much of a neighborhood feel and the streets were much too small and busy. Our parking spots were in a shared parking lot and it would have been difficult to get in and out of the small parking lot and onto the small streets (they looked more like alley ways). There weren't any parks that I could tell. It was a nice house but the location just wasn't right.

House #3
The third house was in Shonantakatori which was an area of interest to us. It was not far from the main road but still out of reach from the traffic. It was at the beginning of this wonderful neighborhood. The house was beautiful although it wasn't as big as the last house we had seen. It was only around 1500 sq ft. The commute was only 15 minutes from base and the school. There were 3 bedrooms upstairs and a 4th bedroom downstairs that could be used for an office/guest bedroom. The kitchen was long and bigger than we had seen in the other two homes and there were even 2 nice refrigerators. There was a sitting area with a deck off of the back of the house fully fenced in and up on the second floor there were two separate balconies with a sitting area off of the master balcony. Downstairs there was a traditional tatami room with the table built into the ground. This was our favorite room of the entire house. The entry way was beautiful with built in cabinets for shoes. We fell in love with the house but knew that it was out of our price range. The one downside of this house other than the price was the single parking space. We would only be able to have one car. Since the owner's wouldn't come down in price we scratched this house of our list as well.

House #4
The fourth house was located in a place called Yoshii and was only 12 minutes from base. It was well within our price range and the neighborhood was appealing. I didn't notice any parks nearby which was a downside for me. There was only one parking space for this house and it was up on a curb in front of the house. Huge downside as well. The inside was ok but not the best we had seen. It seemed to be a little newer but was too small for us (@ 1400 sq ft).

House #5
The fifth house was located in Ikegami. We had heard this was a good area but when we got to the 3 month old house we were shocked at how awful the location was. It was off of a major road and up a really steep alley like hill. The house looked like a big vertical rectangle and was much too small (@ 1300 sq ft). I didn't like the views from the house and there wasn't much of a neighborhood feel but rather a small congested place with lots of tall houses on steep hilly roads. This was definitely not the place.

House #6
By the time we were ready to look at this house we were starting to feel a little frustrated that none of the houses we looked at had any possibility. This house was in Hamamidai which is right across rt.16 (main road from base) from Shonantakatori. This was the first house that was completely acceptable inside and out. It was big enough (@ 1900 sq ft) and it had so much character. There were 5 bedrooms and all but one was a tatami room but all of them had carpet over the tatami. There was plenty of space for everything and it even had a side yard with grass. This was also within our price range but it was on a small road and there was construction across the street. The house was great but the location was all wrong.

House #7
After seeing the last house we knew that we were relying heavily on this next house to be the one. Lucky #7! That was my lucky number growing up. We had been sent this house listing by Ken from Iino Real Estate who we had contacted before arriving in Japan. I got his name from a church friend over here. Since Ken was out of town and there were still renters occupying the place we wouldn't have been able to see it until later in the week. Since Ken was out of town one of the other agents from the same agency showed Mike the outside of the house last weekend. We knew the renters were moving out and so we decided to drive over to the house and ask if we could take a look inside. The family who had lived there were in the Navy and were getting ready to PCS to Florida. They were so kind to let us look around even though they had the packers there.

The location was PERFECT with the neighborhood feel we were looking for. The streets all had sidewalks and the roads were lined with trees. With two parks within view from the house and lots of hiking trails in the area we knew it would be a good place for the kids and for my running. This particular house is located on a corner but the road that it is on has a sidewalk barrier separating it from the rest of the street so it is kind of like living in a coldesac. There are 2 covered parking spots in the front of the house and 1 garage spot under the house. Since the roads that border the house are hilly the house sits somewhat on a hill so that is why the garage is underneath the house so to speak. Inside the entry way is spacious with built in cabinets for shoes and a American like staircase leading to the second floor. It is very open and big (@ 2000 sq ft). There are 3 bedrooms upstairs and 1 bedroom downstairs. The kitchen is the biggest we have seen so far and there is a separate laundry room off of the kitchen. Most of the homes have the laundry either in the master bathroom or in a closet. There is the issue of the small Japanase stove but the Army will give us an American stove while we are here. There is a big enough space at the end of one of the counters for a stove and an outlet so an electric one would work. If that doesn't work we will have to take the Convection Oven route and put it on top of the counter. There is a washer but no dryer but the Army will supply us with a dryer. Basically any appliance that is not provided in the house will be given to us by either the Navy or Army. SCORE!! Around the corner from the kitchen is a large pantry like area where we will be able to put our food storage and canned items.

Off of the kitchen opposite the laundry room is a separate dining area big enough for a table and chairs and then a side room off of that big enough for our piano. There is a living room which will fit our leather couch that we brought. YEAH!! Off of the 4th bedroom which we would use as a office/guest bedroom there is a side yard. Half of it is decorated as a rock garden and the other half has grass. It should be a nice little yard with lots of character. When it feels too small I will just send the kids across the street to the park!

The bedrooms upstairs are decent sizes. One of the kids bedrooms is bigger than the other and the master bathroom is a little narrow but it will fit our king size bed. The master bedroom and the bedroom boarding the master both have balconies. There is a shower off of the master bathroom which is pretty unique for a Japanese house. Usually there is only 1 shower room and it is on the main floor. We do have one on the main floor as well. The bathrooms here are different than in the US. There is a little shower area where you would sit on a stool and wash. Then there is a tub but it is primarily used for soaking. It is like having your own private Onsen...just not as nice!

As we were looking around Mike and I just looked at each other and in complete unison we just smiled because we knew that this was the house for us. As soon as we got in the car we said a prayer of thanks for finally finding the right place for us to live. The very next day we called the agency to set up an appointment to view the house with the agent. After looking at the house again and still feeling good about our decision we signed an Intent to Lease form which we gave to the housing office. We were about to sign the lease for the house when we got a phone call a couple of days prior saying that the owners would not be able to lease the house to us because their son would be moving back into the area. We were crushed and extremely frustrated. We had already signed up for the Internet company and our financial paperwork was already underway. We had called the Personal Property office to schedule the delivery of our goods and I had already given out our address to places like the elementary school. I had signed the kids up for the school bus and we had not been looking at homes for an entire week. We more people moving in all the time we knew the competition for bigger homes was high. To say that we were depressed all weekend is a huge understatement. After 24 hours of being upset we got back on our feet to look at more houses. It was frustrating to look at homes that just were not a good fit for us. It had only been a couple of days of looking before we got another phone call saying that we would be able to live in the house. We are not sure what took place behind the scenes to spark this change but we were told that the son's job changed locations. Whatever the reason we are just glad that we will be able to live in this house. It is perfect for our family.

Living at the Navy Lodge

Staying at the Navy Lodge has been interesting. Luckyily we had two adjoining rooms with two small kitchen areas and two small refrigerators. The kids slept in one room and Mike and I took the other room. At first it was like having a big slumber party with the kids but then it got old fast. No oven meant simple meals and the small refrigerators meant frequent trips to the commissary for more milk and bread. The heat kept us inside most of the time except for the frequent trips outside to the splash fountain and the super parks in the evening after the sun went down. We were so grateful for the fountain park right outside the lodge. We spent many afternoons cooling off there. We spent many evenings exploring outside of the base just to get out and eat something other than macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, chicken nuggets and sandwiches. Since the lodge hasn't been updated in ages the beds are not that great and the AC doesn't work that well. After the first week we asked for fans and that helped a bunch. We were grateful for the nice TV's and Armed Forces Network stations where the kids could watch American cartoons. Unfortunately the TV was on more than I would have liked but it was necessary to survive inside while it was too hot to play outside.

Doing laundry was quite the process. After a couple of days of laundry build up I would sort the laundry into my three piles: whites, colors, darks. Then I would carry my small basket with detergent down to the laundry room and drop it off. I would make the long walk back down the hallway to get my other bag full of clothes. If I was lucky I would have all three machines open so that I could do my laundry at the same time. I ended up using the 3rd floor machines more often because they always seemed to be available. It wasn't until the beginning of the 3rd week here that I noticed the big laundry cart. That cart saved me multiple trips and the need for helpers to help me get the laundry to and from the room. I figured each time I did laundry it cost me at least $5 to both wash and dry the clothes. Since I did laundry at least twice a week I ended up spending almost $40 just to do my laundry while staying at the lodge.

It wasn't until the last week of the lodge where certain things started to bother me like the constant crumbs on the ground from the kids eating snacks after the cleaning ladies already vaccummed for the day, the yucky stuff behind the curtains, the kitchen floor never being cleaned with a rag but only vaccummed, and always feeling like there just wasn't enough space for all of us. It has been an experience that I don't care to repeat EVER. I will not miss staying at the Navy Lodge.

(photos of the girls inside the lodge are courtesy of Mike)

Weekend at the New Sanno . Day 3

On Sunday we woke up and got ready for church. We walked 10 minutes up the road to my old church building. We passed by the National Azabu store that my mom used to go to buy groceries and the Baskin Robbins I used to go to get my chocolate mint ice-cream. We were able to see the Tokyo Temple right before going into church. The Temple is actually the building right behind the church annex building. We attended Sacrament Meeting and then I was able to catch up with a few people I knew growing up. We made the hot walk back to the hotel and stopped to admire the temple again. After getting back to the hotel we ended our fabulous weekend with the famous Sunday brunch at The New Sanno. We were smart and did make reservations for that one. It was an all you can eat buffet with the best spread ever. It was a great way to spend our 12th Anniversary. The boys told us Happy Anniversary at least 10 times. It was really sweet. We were sad to leave but can't wait for our next adventure to The New Sanno so we can explore Tokyo some more!

Weekend at the New Sanno . Day 2

On Saturday we surprised the kids with room service for breakfast. It was the first time the kids had experienced room service and they thought it was so neat. Just before we were about to leave for the day Emma hit her eye on the corner of the table. Luckily it was a small cut on the side of her eye. I could tell that it wouldn't be long before her eye turned all sorts of wonderful colors. Poor thing.

Eventually we managed to snap out of our lazy morning and head to the train station. We took the train from Hiroo to Ginza on the Hibiya line and then to Ueno on the Ginza line. We were so glad that Mike had got us all Passmo cards (transportation cards) ahead of time so that we could just swipe our cards across the ticket machines. Since we all got our own personalized digital cards each one of us except Abby (she is free) has a card with our name on it. This way if any of the cards get lost we will just be issued a new card and the old one will be canceled. The best part about that is the money from the old card is transfered to the new card and is not lost! They are good for all the trains and some of the buses. They are easy to recharge at any of the recharge machines in all the stations!! That is a huge bonus. After finally getting to Ueno we walked through Ueno Park. I couldn't believe that I had never been through Ueno Park before. It is absolutely huge and the secada's were so loud in some parts that it was almost defeaning. We passed by a juggler doing some pretty amazing tricks before finally making it to the Natural History Museum. The best part was that it only cost us 1200 yen (@13 dollars) for the adults and the kids were free. The museum was crowded but really amazing. We stood in line to experience the 360 Theatre. It was well worth the 25 min wait to stand on a platform and watch an 8 minute video on dinosaurs and water life broadcast in the dome all around us. It felt like we were in the movie and were moving. It was such a thrill. While we were waiting Peter lost another tooth! I think that was the second tooth he lost since being in Japan.

Next we headed to find something to eat. After manuevering through the crowds we found something edible to eat and then went to explore more of the museum. We saw a dinosaur exhibit, a fossil exhibit, a rock exhibit, the forest exhibit, and the amazing hall of animals. I love how organized everything was in the museum. The kids loved the dinosaur exhibits and the hall of animals the best. We didn't even make it through the entire museum but decided to come back to finish the rest another day. After getting back on the train we started to head back but stopped at Akihabara first. This is THE electronic mecca of Tokyo and my dad's favorite place in Tokyo. It was a zoo and the only way we could keep track of each other was for me to follow Emma who was sitting on Mike's shoulders. Peter grabbed onto Mike's shorts and I pushed Abby in the stroller while Andrew held onto the stroller handles with me. It was too crowded but we had to go there at least once. We ended up going in this one store called SofMap and found an entire floor full of cameras and lenses. I WAS IN HEAVEN!!! Even though I realized that most of the lenses I wanted could be ordered cheaper online it was still so much fun to browse. On the way down the elevator to leave Andrew lost his first molar. That was the third tooth he lost since being in Japan.

We didn't last very long in Akihabara before we all started to get a little grumpy from the heat. We got back on the train and headed into Roppongi to eat at an Indian Restaurant called Moti. This was the best restaurant growing up. We had the Butter Chicken and Naan and it was as delicious as I remembered. After feeling quite full and extremely satisfied we went back to the hotel for a nice swim in the refreshing pool.