Bed time for Ellie has been relatively easy for awhile now. After her bath, we read her a few books, put her in her crib, give her a hug and kiss, and say goodnight. She’ll look up with a big smile and say “BYE!” while she waves. But somehow, somewhere, she started hating her crib and not wanting to fall asleep alone. So that meant me or Aya, or both of us, would end up on the floor with her. How did this happen?
DON’T BITE YOUR FRIENDS!
One “skill” Ellie has acquired recently is biting. It’s not a common occurrence and when she does, it’s for a good reason. Well, maybe not a good reason, but there is a reason.
VACATION WITH A TODDLER?
I ended after a very long, stressful, irritating, exhausting flight asking the question, “Isthis what vacation is like from now on?”
“This” being not really having a moment alone, a moment to relax, a moment to feel rested, a moment that feels like an actual vacation. You know, like you had pre baby. Well, the short answer is, yes. Yes, this is how vacations will be from now on, which sounds awful. But the long answer isn’t a simple yes or no, and it really isn’t as dreadful sounding.
FAMILY, FOOD, & KARAOKE
Every trip to Japan, Aya’s family usually has some sort of reunion. I guess it’s pretty rare for families to stay in touch as much as Aya’s family does, and it’s really cool that they use our “home coming” as an excuse to get together. Since they are all spread out around Japan, the reunion location is usually somewhere in the Tokyo area. Aya has a lot of aunts and uncles, and tons of cousins.  Most of her cousins are now married with kids. They all have a great sense of humor and love to have fun. So combine that with some good food, a few drinks, and one guy who can’t speak Japanese…it makes for a great time.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Soon after we arrived in Japan, I learned of the Mister Donut point card and the merchandise you could get with with it. And for only 150 points, I could get an official Mister Donut coffee mug. The kind they actually use at the store! I made Aya ask if we could just buy one, but they said no. Politely of course. So, I set out on a mission to eat as many donuts as it took to reach my goal. And eat donuts I did. I love their custard and creme donuts here. But I even tried the soy sauce flavor donut to make me feel like I would actually deserve the mug. I’m happy to say after many donuts and coffee consumed, I did it!