cracker snack
Originally uploaded by renfield
After brunch we hit the robot park for some serious sliding.
playing with tai
playing with tai
Originally uploaded by renfield
Cheapie wanted dimsum, so we met Tai and family at Roppongi Hills and had a proper feast. Tai was asleep, as was Mookun. Then Tai woke up in time to eat and play with Ton, whereas Mookun basically slept through brunch!
playing with jiji
playing with jiji
Originally uploaded by renfield
Jiji and Anna went home, so Jiji and Baba were on point with the grand kids.
fell and scraped her elbow so she gets icecream
fell and scraped her elbow so she gets icecream
Originally uploaded by renfield
Went to Arisugawa Park, aka ice cream park, and had a wonderful time, except for the bastard blonde kids whose nannies are unable to exercise any amount of control or discipline.
Ton slipped and scraped her elbow, so somehow that meant she got mint chip ice cream at the Baskin Robbins down the street.
racing queen amanda
racing queen amanda
Originally uploaded by renfield
Heavily jet-lagged, Dancing Queen Amanda demonstrates her NYC driving skills -- she was really good at parallel parking but had issues getting around the track at speed...at least until she finished her beer.
Having a Kyosho Circuit Party is The New Hawsome.
a little grumpy
a little grumpy
Originally uploaded by renfield
Little Man Mo was in a generally good mood this morning. He walked his big sis to school and then took his parents to the Starbucks before he sent dad off to the train to get to work. Took a little nap and then got a bit grumpy; probably needed some food I don't think he wanted tea.
senjuan weekend
Took the family to Senjuan in Gunma over the weekend. Got to Tokyo station Saturday morning before 10am so had to wander a bit until everything opened, then loaded up on bento and pre-train snacks.
Ton was all excited and hardly napped. She finally passed out on the bus and slept for all of ten minutes before we got to Minakami Station to get picked up by the onsen van. At the station some genius thought it would be a great idea to install a REALLY LOUD steam train whistle that anyone can ignite simply by pulling the rope. So EVERY goddamn tourist at the station let out a hugely annoyingly loud steam train whistle every five seconds. Needless to say, Ton and Mookun did not sleep much.
Got to the onsen, settled into our rooms, then changed into the stylish lounge wear before proceeding to the esthe room for well-deserved massage-ness.
Hit the baths before dinner but Riku was super grumpy, lacking sleep, and wasn't having much of it, so the three guys headed back to the room and got him to chill after about 30 minutes of crying. He mellowed out literally ten seconds before the ladies came back, and as soon as he saw P he screamed again, until she picked him up and he was immediately quiet, then fed.
Ton had some excellent Anpanman slippers and for running around outside in the yard they provided squeaky Hello Kitty sandals.
Have wanted to go to this place ever since I saw a picture of the glass-walled hallway the opens on the yard. As expected, it did not suck. Many photoage here.
Also it is super kid friendly -- they provided a kid's meal for Ton as well as baby and kiddie seats at dinner, plus a little baby futon in the room and another one in the dining room. We saw several other families with kids, including a 2-year old girl Ton followed around out in the yard a little bit (mainly because there was only one pair of squeaky Hello Kitty sandals and Ton wanted them.)
Ton was all excited and hardly napped. She finally passed out on the bus and slept for all of ten minutes before we got to Minakami Station to get picked up by the onsen van. At the station some genius thought it would be a great idea to install a REALLY LOUD steam train whistle that anyone can ignite simply by pulling the rope. So EVERY goddamn tourist at the station let out a hugely annoyingly loud steam train whistle every five seconds. Needless to say, Ton and Mookun did not sleep much.
Got to the onsen, settled into our rooms, then changed into the stylish lounge wear before proceeding to the esthe room for well-deserved massage-ness.
Hit the baths before dinner but Riku was super grumpy, lacking sleep, and wasn't having much of it, so the three guys headed back to the room and got him to chill after about 30 minutes of crying. He mellowed out literally ten seconds before the ladies came back, and as soon as he saw P he screamed again, until she picked him up and he was immediately quiet, then fed.
Ton had some excellent Anpanman slippers and for running around outside in the yard they provided squeaky Hello Kitty sandals.
Have wanted to go to this place ever since I saw a picture of the glass-walled hallway the opens on the yard. As expected, it did not suck. Many photoage here.
Also it is super kid friendly -- they provided a kid's meal for Ton as well as baby and kiddie seats at dinner, plus a little baby futon in the room and another one in the dining room. We saw several other families with kids, including a 2-year old girl Ton followed around out in the yard a little bit (mainly because there was only one pair of squeaky Hello Kitty sandals and Ton wanted them.)
apron from baba
エプãƒãƒ³
Originally uploaded by piroko_kuroda
My mom made this apron. The red pockets on the bottom of the apron come from a pair of my old boxer shorts. Not entirely sure if that information needs to be shared with my daughter or not...
mud princess
mud princess
Originally uploaded by renfield
After shopping and ice cream, P and Mo went home and Ton decided she'd rather play at the park than nap. So we did the swings and slides and ran around and then made lots and lots and lots and lots of mud. Lots of mud.
Water + sand = hours of fun.
mint chip, of course
mint chip, of course
Originally uploaded by renfield
Taking a break from shopping at National Azabu with some mint chip ice cream.
big can of calpis
big can of calpis
Originally uploaded by renfield
Washing all the sheets at the laundromat, having a huge can of Calpis.
jumping ton and tai drinks the apple juice
jumping ton and tai drinks the apple juice
Originally uploaded by renfield
Had dim sum lunch with Tai-kun and the Cheapy family, then played around in Roppongi Hills for a bit.
jiji ton baba mo
jiji ton baba mo
Originally uploaded by renfield
Came home from the zazen retreat and went to a nice Japanese fish dinner with the family. Stomach was not too happy to be back, apparently. Think I was just way of kilter and I need to get back on a human schedule.
3 days of boring
3 days of boring
Originally uploaded by renfield
This was my home for the past 3 days -- this miserable little cushion. It is harder than it looks, and I mean that in both ways; it is difficult to sit on the damn thing and not just get up, put on my shoes, and go home. And it is filled with some combination of cotton batting and lead pellets or something.
Good things about doing a zen retreat at Tokei-in:
- Brad is as always simultaneously amusing, insightful, and goofy
- The food is surprisingly excellent, thanks to Kitamura-san
- Big tiled bathtub
- Goddamn spiders in the goddamn toilet
- Old tatami make me sneeze
- Zazen is boring. Boring. BORING.
I find that my legs aren't really the problem. After prolonged sitting, it is my lower back and shoulder blades that are sore. Not sure if that means I am doing it correctly and am out of shape, or I am sitting badly...or both?
Anyway my interest is, um, peaked, and so I will see if I can get setup with Patrick come January. No idea how it will go, but like Yoda says: "Do, or do not. There is no try."
pink kimono
pink kimono
Originally uploaded by renfield
Went to the New Otani for Jeremy and Naho's wedding. Ton wore her new pink kimono which she absolutely loves, and managed to wear for several hours before needing to change into more run-aroundable clothes.
A lovely wedding ceremony and my speech wasn't too shabby either. Congrats!
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