Our weekends since moving to Kyoto have been quite busy. I can think of maybe 2 or 3 weekend days that we`ve just stayed home and relaxed. I like that Koichi is always ready to go somewhere new and see something we haven`t seen before. I think since I originally only planned to be in Japan 2-3 years the "I`ve got to go and see this while I can!" spirit was born and it`s lasted all these years. I assume we will be here for at least a few years, but since it`s all new and there`s so many options around here we stay busy on the weekends.
This weekend was no exception. On Saturday Noa and I drove about 40 minutes to a town called Kyotanabe for a spring concert put on by moms who play instruments. It really made me want to pick up a French horn again and I actually even looked at an auction site I use here for used ones! If I find one for a cheap enough price I just may buy one. Anyway, I knew about the concert because a fellow mom posted about it on a Facebook group I joined for English speaking families in the Kansai area. Since it was posted there I thought more foreigners would be there, but it was just me. The mom who posted came and introduced herself and her son who is half American like Noa, and totally adorable. The concert was fun. They played some popular kids songs and talked about the instruments. They also gave each child a bag with 2 plastic spoons taped together and a plastic egg with something inside it. We put the egg between the spoons and wrapped some tape around it and voila! we had a maraca, which we then used to sing along with the show. After the intermission they set up 4 stations with different instruments and the kids could touch them and try playing them. Noa LOVES music and always wants to push piano keys and tap on drums, so I knew she`d enjoy that experience.
This weekend was no exception. On Saturday Noa and I drove about 40 minutes to a town called Kyotanabe for a spring concert put on by moms who play instruments. It really made me want to pick up a French horn again and I actually even looked at an auction site I use here for used ones! If I find one for a cheap enough price I just may buy one. Anyway, I knew about the concert because a fellow mom posted about it on a Facebook group I joined for English speaking families in the Kansai area. Since it was posted there I thought more foreigners would be there, but it was just me. The mom who posted came and introduced herself and her son who is half American like Noa, and totally adorable. The concert was fun. They played some popular kids songs and talked about the instruments. They also gave each child a bag with 2 plastic spoons taped together and a plastic egg with something inside it. We put the egg between the spoons and wrapped some tape around it and voila! we had a maraca, which we then used to sing along with the show. After the intermission they set up 4 stations with different instruments and the kids could touch them and try playing them. Noa LOVES music and always wants to push piano keys and tap on drums, so I knew she`d enjoy that experience.
Here she is checking out an Irish harp.
And trying out a violin. The violinist brought this child size violin for the kids to try out.
After the concert we headed back to Kyoto and picked Koichi up to go to lunch. I recently purchased what they call a "Lunch Passport" for around $10. It`s valid for around 3 months and all of the restaurants listed offer one dish from their menu for $5, usually a savings of anywhere from $1-$5. I thought it would be a good way to discover some restaurants around the city. We wanted to cover restaurants in our area first so I chose a place called Asian Cafe Momoyama and their advertised dish was Tom Yum noodles. When I went to Thailand several years ago I fell in love with Tom Yum flavored dishes and the noodles on Saturday were delicious!
We also ordered "karaage" (fried chicken) and one of my favorites, fresh spring rolls. I will definitely be going back to this place!
After lunch we took a walk down a nearby area of shops and ran into a gallery which was being used by several foreigners to sell food from Peru, Spain and Mexico. It was perfect timing because we had a dirty diaper situation going on and no where to change it. When I asked the guys there if they knew of a restroom nearby they told me I could use the one there. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers in times like that...because she was STINKY!
When we left that area we went to a mall that was close by which we visited a few weeks ago. They have a pet store which has a dog/cat cafe on the 2nd floor. You pay around $5/person for 90 minutes of cuddly fun with the dogs they have there. We went last month and Noa remembered her favorite dogs` names and that day she suddenly said she wanted to go and see them. Since we were already in the area it worked out well. Here are my favorite shots of her and the dogs.
This is Smile, a 1 year old German Shepard and Noa is teaching her how to do a peace sign for a picture!
It amazes me that she`s not scared of all the dogs and loves to pet them.
That grin! I was so glad I caught this moment because that smile is pure joy.
After we finished at the dog cafe we bought some already prepared food from the grocery store`s deli area and came home for dinner.
Sunday was a gorgeous day so we decided to drive to Lake Biwa, the largest fresh water lake in Japan. After living so close to the ocean in Kagoshima for over 11 years, one of the things I miss the most since we moved is seeing water. So it was nice to drive around the lake and have that view. When we got out for a break and to walk down to the water a little it reminded me of many years of going to the lake growing up and through college. There were so many families with tents and barbecues around the area we stopped at. Koichi always talks about wanting to go camping, so I think we will probably start buying stuff to do that little by little.
She did not want to leave!
She usually tells her daddy to go away when he comes near her, so any time that she accepts his presence I try to distance myself a bit for a few minutes of peace and quiet. It doesn`t happen. This has nothing to do with the lake trip, but about how mean she is to Koichi. Every night when we go to bed I lay down with her in her twin bed, and if Koichi comes in the room she gets mad and tells him he can`t sleep in her bed. If you ask her where he can sleep she says, "The potty!" I feel so bad for him sometimes. Now she laughs when she says it so I know she`s doing it on purpose, but I still feel sorry for him now and then.
I started typing this blog on Monday afternoon and am just now finishing it at 5pm on Wednesday.
Monday was a lazy day at home, but that never means it`s truly a lazy do nothing day when you have a toddler around, does it? Every time I would try to sit down to type a little she`d need water or a snack or for me to turn on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, or for me to play with her. Then it was time for Koichi to come home and to make dinner and to get in the bathtub. There just aren`t enough hours in the day, are there?!
Monday I let her paint a bit because I know that will keep her occupied for quite a while.
This is the clean version. A few minutes later things had progressed to the dirty version...
I will admit though that she did ask my permission before painting on herself, which I was proud of, and I figured why not since we were using the tarp and it wouldn`t get on the carpet. We went straight form the tarp to the bathtub! She must have had fun because she`s asked to paint every day this week so far. I`m not quite ready to do it again though, so I told her I don`t know where daddy put the paints.
OK, Koichi has a meeting/dinner after work tonight so Noa and I are having tacos with guacamole and I`m hoping to get her bathed and in the bed earlier than usual tonight. I have some things I want to vent about, so I may be back later for that.
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