Cherry Blossom Adventures

I am so slack with the blogging lately!

I have 2 months of letters to finish writing and posting for Noah (7 months and 8 months) and I am late on doing my 101 things in 1001 days  updates also.

Maybe I should try to blog everyday in September in order to make up for my recent slackness?

I have less than 4 months to go on my 101 things in 1001 days list and I am kind of over it- in the beginning it was great! A fantastic motivator for getting things ready for the wedding, and experiencing Australia with Shun and other things too but now as I near the deadline knowing I won`t get everything crossed off I am a little disappointed in myself. I know I shouldn`t be because I have crossed the majority of things off already but I am one of those people that doesn`t like to do things half baked (well at least not usually!) but have lacked the motivation in recent months to get things done…

78. Do a monthly update for 101 things on blog (29/33)

Crossing off another 2 months here!

96. Go camping with Shun

Done! We went camping last month (although seems like so long ago) with friends in Gunma. It was in cabin type things but that is still camping in my book PLUS we got to take Noah along!

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Have finally uploaded photos from Australia trip here! Most are from Australia anyway since we were there for most of the month of August. There are even more on facebook for those who are friends with me there.

A couple of favourites though…. (will embed more when I write Noah`s letters!)

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Books read recently

Finally finished “The girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and started the second book. Have also read “The Better Woman” by Ber Carroll (Nay you will like this so I will keep it for you! While you are in Australia if you see any books by her check her out- this is the second or third book I have read by her in the last couple of years and I enjoy her writing style and the books are always at least half set in Australia) and a V.C Andrews book which was part of a series too.

Also read the relevant parts (for us) of “How to raise an amazing child- the montessori way” about using the montessori methods in your own home.

Let`s not forget I have probably read at least 30 different pictures books to Noah in the last couple of months too!

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Noah will turn one in December and we will be in Australia. He is getting christened on December 26th so friends and family will be joining us for that ( I wanted it to be while Shun was in Australia and he is only there from 24th to Jan 3rd) so I think I will just have some cake and stuff and a little party back at my mum`s house after that so that Shun will also be there for his “1st birthday celebrations”.

Noah`s friends are all in Japan though and so I am wondering if I should have a little something when we come back to Japan in January too. We have so far missed 2 different 1st birthday parties due to illness (Noah`s first fever) and then been in Australia (Sorry Sakura and Missha ) but I think we will be able to make Misora`s later in this year (assuming we get an invite- Melanie, we are invited right? haha) Earlier this year we also made it to Nanami`s 2nd birthday party and I am sure Noah would enjoy having friends over to play with and of course MORE cake.

I will be in my 3rd trimester by then with edamame-chan (about 33 weeks along I think?) and am not sure if I would be up for planning it especially since we will be in Australia for the time leading up to it! Something to think about anyway! Noah might be too little to remember the festivities but I want him to know we celebrated his birthday when he gets older (and sees the pictures!)

It would be pretty cold around then too but I think I would probably hold it at our place or at the local oyako cafe (about 500m away)!

I have to look into dairy free cake! (and then real cake for those that can eat dairy- because really who wants to eat cake made with soy butter and soy milk. yuk!)…..

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Noah officially is a baby that sleeps through the night. He has continued the good sleeping since we have been back in Japan and it is amazing how nice it is to wake up at  6 or 7am and think “Wow, I got 6-8 hours SOLID sleep” – that said, still pregnant and running after a child though so still pretty damn tired!

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I have my baby doctor`s appointment tomorrow for edamame-chan. I hope he/she is growing well!

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I don`t think it would be possible to improve on my awesome mood right now.

I have just booked tickets back to Australia for 2 months for Noah and I (Nov 10th- Jan 3rd) and a 10 day trip for Shun from (Dec 23rd-Jan 23rd) and I am so excited. I mean I have known I would be going home since before Noah was even born but just thinking about it makes me shiver in excitement. All of my immediate family have met Noah (Mum, Dad, Paul, Gem) but of course there is many extended family that haven`t and my friends in Australia as well. Plus think of the shopping, the food, Christmas, time with family and all the other fun stuff I will be able to do. My mum has booked a unit up the North Coast for a week after Christmas too so Noah will have plenty of “beach” time!!!

Plus I am going to Melbourne for the first 2 nights of the trip for a friend`s wedding. Two close friends are marrying each other actually. Friends from my university exchange days (and my close friend James, and other friends will be there too!). Haven`t quite figured out the logistics of it all yet (ie, who is going to watch Noah while I go to the wedding. James` parents or brother (all of whom I have met many times!) might be able to though OR my mum might be coming down to Melbourne with me)- or booked a hotel in Melbourne yet but am still bursting at the seams with excitement.

Oh and not only that but it is the weekend, I am eating icecream (which is great on yet another throat infection) and blogging while waiting for Sex & the City to start of Fuji TV (Thanks to Sarah for pointing out on FB that it was on tonight!)

Some recent snaps (yeah my little koala munchkin also adds to my happiness!)

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I recently read an article about generation Y women in Australia who are “embarrassed” to breastfeed in public and find it uncomfortable. I believe in free choice and if someone choose not to feed in public I would not be offended in anyway in the same way that I would not be offended if they choose to feed their bub in public but this did get me thinking about my attitude towards feeding in public. The article is here if anyone wants to read it.

I had always thought I would be much more comfortable doing it in Australia as I had thought it would be more acceptable there but to tell you the truth since Noah was born I have had no issues feeding in public here in Japan, when the need arose. In fact, I have fed Noah in starbucks, on a train platform (this was an emergency, I probably wouldn`t have done this but we hopped on the wrong train and it was well past the time we should of been home and he was starving so I topped him up for 5 minutes while waiting for the train), in restaurants, on a park bench, at friends houses and more and honestly have not thought twice about doing this. If I am close to a baby room then I will usually go there. I have not fed on a train but if I had a seat and it was a long train ride (ie, shinkansen or even to the otherside of Tokyo) then I would probably do it. I would cover up (I have a breastfeeding cover) but the truth is I cover up not over my own embarrassment but because I do not want to offend anyone and well, I have never seen a Japanese woman feed in public so while nobody has ever said anything to me directly I figure covering up would be the polite thing to do.

Has anyone here had issues with feeding their babies in public? What about in Australia or other countries? I am curious to hear others experiences. The only time I have had a negative response was in a cafe at the Edo Museum in Ryogoku when I fed in a cafe there- nobody said anything to me directly but an elderly couple stared at me a lot and spoke about the fact I was feeding Noah although not directly to me. Shun was with me then actually and said he was surprised that anyone even noticed since I had covered Noah up to feed him.

In my own home no matter who is around I feed Noah as I would normally. If they are male friends I usually say “Im going to feed Noah now” and then if the choose to move out of eyesight that is their choice, actually I would probably say this no matter who was around just so that they could choose whether to stay within eyesight or not.

In someone else`s home I will feed him as well but usually I will ask if they want me to cover up (especially if they are Japanese)- at my in-laws house I feed Noah and I don`t use a breastfeeding cover (I used to but honestly it was too hot for Noah as they keep their heater on all the time) but I put a little towel near his face so no-one can see anything and I always say “I am going to feed him now” so that if BIL, MIL, FIL or anyone doesn`t want to see anything they know not to look.

Recently I fed him at my student`s house and I put a cover on but he got so hot so I asked her if she minded if I took the cover off and she said it was fine. When I first started teaching her she was still breastfeeding her baby and she always covered up and I figured that was her choice although I would not have been at all offended if she choose not to. While I feed in public I do look for a baby room whenever possible because I don`t actually like having to cover him up to feed (as he doesn`t like it and it makes us both hot) but I will of course cover him if I do feed in a cafe/restaurant/park etc…

I know that my feelings (ie, okay to breastfeed in public) are not felt by all but I think it is a personal choice. Just like breastfeeding vs formula debate. While I breastfeed I definitely wouldn`t look down on someone who formula fed their child especially seeing as I maintained throughout my pregnancy that if breastfeeding didn`t work for Noah & I that I wouldn`t beat myself up about it…

There are laws in Australia to prevent places from discriminating against breastfeeding mothers- they are state based (to the best of my knowledge anyway) and apparently Western Australia does not have these laws and their was an outrage last year when a breastfeeding mother was asked to leave a hotel restaurant because she was feeding her 7 month old in public. Does anyone know if Japan has any laws like this? Could I be asked to leave a restaurant if I fed Noah? What about if I fed him without a cover? Does this make a difference?

Does seeing mothers breastfeed in public offend you? What is your opinion on this issue?

I know that this topic can cause some debate but I ask that any comments you make be kept in a friendly context (although I have absolutely no problem with people saying they wouldn`t feed in public or would prefer not to see others feed in public- just be nice about it!)- I am interested in hearing others experiences, thoughts etc…

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A couple months back Suzy wrote about Little Golden Books and I commented that I had already picked up a couple for goma-chan but was still looking for more- especially ones that I had read when I was younger. I had so many as a kid and while I can not remember them all I have managed to pick up a couple that I had when I was younger like “The little red caboose” and “The poky little puppy” among others…

The ownership rights to these books have changed several times over the years but basically the books have stayed the same- very little has changed from the originals- the first of which was released in the 1940s.

I loved books growing up and I still do and we already have quite a collection of English (and a smaller collection of Japanese) books going for goma-chan when he arrives. I know he is not going to be at all interested for at least a year but that will not stop me reading to him all the time- he will just have to get used to it What were your favourite Little Golden Books?

While we have picked up quite a few books- the Little Golden Books are definitely my favourites (along with Possum Magic!)- I think it is the detail in the images that makes them so great.

Of course, as I said- it is not just Little Golden Books that we have.

The bottom two in this photo are the books goma-chan will be able to play with first- soft material books that if needed I can chuck in the wash!

Some old favourites… It is amazing that some of the books I read as a child are still around and going strong. Possum Magic and Dear Zoo as well as the Spot books were all favourites of mine growing up. Would be interesting to hear what others liked when they were younger.

Goma-chan also got a package in the mail last week from his grandmother (which also included something from his Aunt Gem & Uncle Paul)

Spot Dog from Paul & Gem- He is already in the cot.

And to help him sleep- this beautiful sleeper bag from mum. It is adjustable too and it is reversable but I didn`t realize that until later. Inside is mainly green with cartoon nursery rhyme type pictures.

I think goma-chan might already be a spoiled baby…

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Well this is the last post for awhile from Australian soil. Our flight leaves in 7 and a half hours and apart from our computers we are done with the packing. Both our suitcases are over the 20kg limit not to mention I have my suitcase, two hula hoops, and a bag filled with toiletries cos I just couldn`t fit it into the suitcase. My suitcase alone weight 28kg and I can just imagine us having to pay the excess at the airport which will suck. I am contemplating taking out about 4kg or 5kg and asking mum to send it via post? We already sent over 100kg to Japan last week via a shipping company…Can you tell we have too much stuff? (30% or so might be tupperware…. Another 30% is definitely books- LOL)

We have to fly to Sydney first from Brisbane and then change to a flight heading to Japan- it is going to be a long night. I can not sleep on airplanes- Shun can sleep anywhere and will probably be asleep before the plane from Sydney even takes off- unless there is one of those tv`s where you can watch unlimted movies and play games because then he won`t sleep at all as that will keep him busy the whole time.

I have to remember to request aisle seats when we get to Brisbane airport- all of our tickets and transfers will be issues then. I bet I will forget. (Just told Shun to remind me, chances are he will forget too)

I got the professional wedding photos on CD yesterday- I promise to go through them and upload some to flickr (and facebook) sometime in the next week…They turned out awesome- We were really happy. We have not seen them all yet but she did show us a mock-up of the album also and it looked great. I am so excited to sit down and look at them all properly. The album won`t be done for a couple of weeks so mum will need to send it to us.

I shoudln`t be offline for more than 48 hours or so since we will be staying at Shun`s parents place and my wireless works there if I plug in the router….so hopefully I will be updating sooner rather than later. We have a bit of a crowd coming out the airport this afternoon (not really!)- Mum, Dad, my brother Paul and his gf Gemma are all seeing us off from the domestic airport. Because we have to go to Sydney they can come all the way to the gate with us- I think there will be tears (maybe me, definitely mum and Gemma)

Well so long Australia, I am sure I will be back some time soon!

ps: Will try to get back into Macro Monday once I get back to Japan

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This time next week I will be getting dressed and ready to go to our wedding…

I can not believe it is only one week away. These past couple of weeks since I finished work have gone by so fast. I think we have almost everything under control now though.

This next week is going to be insane- Nay and Mandy have already arrived in Australia but they are staying with their families so that is all fine. The others all start arriving from Tuesday onwards….On Tuesday I will be out at the airport once, Wednesday we will be out there again, Thursday I will be out there twice (once in the morning and again in the afternoon), Friday I will be out there twice (again in the morning and afternoon) and then Saturday Shun will be out there picking up the last of the guests (I put my foot down on going to the airport on my wedding day)….Sunday the majority of people leave early, then a couple more on Monday after, then the last of them leave on the Tuesday. Shun and I leave for our honeymoon on the Thursday so as you can see there will be at LOT of trips to the airport and back.

We will expect some delays too for those coming on international flights since the Swine Flu hysteria has hit Australia a bit now. We have actually had one friend cancel his trip as his company is refusing to let him travel (they reimbursed him for his tickets- we found out yesterday)- actually they warned him not to travel and he said he would anwyay and then they said, fine he could go but he would need to take a months unpaid leave when he returned to Japan to make sure he did not bring possible Swine Flu to work. Two of our groomsmen are in similar situations- one flies out tonight and if there is no confirmed cases in Japan or Australia before 7pm he is in the clear…Toshi, the other, is having some issues but said at this stage he is fine to come however he does not fly out til Thursday night so complications could arrise.

Hard to believe on Monday I was worried about rain…I was totally not thinking that there would be a world crisis over the flu.

One week to go, one week to go!

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We leave to move back to Japan in 5.5 weeks- this is a good thing. I am excited to be going back- we started packing yesterday and already have six boxes to send and I think we will need another two. It is going to be expensive I think!!!

It got me thinking about the things we will miss from Australia.

Shun will miss

- sausages (in particular sausages on rolls- his first ever was from Bunnings)

- steak (you will notice a trend that most of the things Shun will miss involve meat) & Roast Beef

- Salami

- Been able to stay up all night playing computer games because he didn`t have to work much

- Cous Cous (luckily I can send this to Japan- we have 10 packets ready to go!)

- Abbey

- Simpsons on foxtel

I am sure there other things he will miss too- but most of them are food…lol!

I will miss

- My family & friends

- English speakers

- Abbey

- Steak (yes, I will miss it as well!)

- Going out for dinner- we will do that in Japan too, but at least here I can read the menu

- Cadbury chocolate

- Clothes that fit (& shopping for them!)

- Being close to the ocean

- English books everywhere I look

-Decent toothpaste (luckily I can send that too!)

I am sure there are other things that would be on the list if I took more time- but they are the ones that came to mind first! What do you miss from your home countries? Or what do you think you would miss?

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March 31 2009, At home in Brisbane, Olympus E520

This is one of my favourite Macro Monday posts so far. That is Shun holding a green tree frog that he found downstairs under the house on one of dad`s toolboxes a couple of weeks ago- it was late at night and he went out for a smoke and then I hear this “?????????????”  meaning “Laura, come quick” and he was under the house trying to protect the frog from Abbey.

He had never seen a green tree frog outside of a zoo before but he knew what it was. I laughed as he ran around trying to catch it while Abbey was also trying to pounce. Luckily he caught it and we released it over the fence into the vacant block. I was surprised to see a green tree frog as we live so close to the ocean and they are not fans of salt water.

Green tree frogs are native to Australia and the one in the picture above is quite small compared to average (10cm) so I think it may have been a baby. They eat mainly spiders and insects and are extremely docile. I wouldn`t say they are rare but they are definitely not so prevelant in Brisbane…

Isn`t it cute?

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Yesterday I met up with Cassie & Princess Poppy and Sophie & Sakurako after work.

We met up outside Hungry Jacks in the mall and if you have ever had to meet up with someone in town in Brisbane then more often than not the agreed meetings spot will be the Hungry Jacks. It is a it of a Brisbane icon of sorts where all the drop-outs, school kids & language students hang out plus it is pretty much dead bang in the middle of town.

I saw Cassie first, didn`t click right away as I had my eyes peeled for a stroller and this lady smiling at me had no stroller- I soon discovered Poppy strapped to her back in a carrier.

Sophie showed up soon after with Sakurako in a stroller! We decided that with the little ones it would be best to grab take-away coffees and drinks and head down into the Botanical Gardens so that the girls could run around on the grass while the mummies & me could chat (& chase after kids of course!)

I met Sakurako`s frog and Poppy`s Lovie dog so we were friends from the start! In fact Sakurako was quite happy for me to hold onto Froggy!

We found a shady spot right near a playground and the girls, while a little shy at first, soon became fast friends.

Who are you??? Checking each other out…

Sakurako fed her snacks to the birds even chasing an ibis to share her sandwich while Poppy picked all of the blueberries out of Cassie`s muffin!

Where are the birds gone?

nom nom nom- Yum!

Us “big” girls chatted while the girls explored the park! We chatted about Japanese bureaucracy we had faced at consulates, airports etc and then poor Sophie got a call from her hub saying he was having issues at Aussie Immigration. Ironic really! I guess the bureaucracy exists everywhere. Seems they got their issues sorted though, shame that Sophie & Sakurako had to leave early though

Sophie & her beautiful daughter Sakurako

After saying goodbye (regretfully!) to Sophie & Sakurako, Cassie, Poppy & I explored the park some more and poppy discovered all the cool equipment the park had but what was even more facinating for her was all the dirty bark that could be picked up and rubbed all over her and the equipment especially the see-saw!

Poppy the poser! Pulling faces

Cassie & Poppy

Such a fun afternoon- Cassie was lovely. Very down to earch and so easy to talk to. She is the kind of mum that I hope to one day become!! We swapped stories about our boys, about our families and more. Such a shame that we don`t live closer together in Japan but I am sure we will meet up again sometime in the future.

Sophie, Sakurako & I (maybe with the boys!) hope to meet up again before they head back to Gunma-ken in April.

Here is one final shot of Poppy & I- I look shocking but ignore that and look at the cute little girl I am holding instead.

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• I did make a couple of resolutions & I wrote them up all nice & pretty  in my new journal for 2009 along with some inspirational quotes. I wouldn`t usually start a new diary for the new year but my moleskine was a couple pages away from finished so I saw the chance to start using my fab new diary which has a black & red pattern with babushka dolls on it. Yes I am a nerd. Anyway I am already going off track, my resolutions were to lose at least another 5 kilos by eating healthier, more regular exercise (ie, more than twice a month which is the standard I do at the moment I think) including regular walking (with Abbey) and hopefully some hooping & aqua arobics. I want to have lost the weight by the wedding and gotten into a routine by then that can follow on when we return to Japan (so walking & hooping mainly!). My next resolution was to be more responsible with money by combining our accounts and saving a little bit each month…for me not spending money willy nilly is something I really need to work on especially since there is only so much tupperware & books I can send back to Japan. Next resolution is a secret but one that will come about eventually. The last two were to learn to use photoshop (as it is on my 101 things list and something I have wanted to learn how to use for a long time) and find an apartment in Chiba/Tokyo within three months of returning to Japan and make a home for us that we will both love. What are you resolutions? And did you keep the ones you made last year?
• I have met up with T from TJKR several times over the last couple of weeks. At the park, at her place, at my place and it has been so nice getting to know her (and her hub & bub)- it is so random that her parents house is just around the corner from my dad`s place and we went to the same highschool (although we were not there at the same time). Shun has loved interacting with their daughter K as well- he is so good with kids although kids are usually scared of him at first (as K was- I think it is all his hair!!!!) I have loved playing with K also, she is such a little darling and I can not beleive how well she can talk for 20 months old! Amazing! I will miss them when they go back to Japan on Sunday but luckily where we live in Japan is not so far from each other, only about an hour by train.
• Shun & I sat down and had a big chat about money the other day, wrote up a budget and how much we want to (and need to) save before leaving Australia. Some of that savings will go towards my plane ticket back to Japan, and some of the wedding expenses like honeymoon (We might be bypassing a honeymoon), suits & part of the reception. The rest (and we hope there will be some extra left over) will go towards finding an apartment back in Japan as many of you know getting set up in an apartment is ridiculously expensive with all the agent fees, key money & bond you must pay. Not to mention movers (we have stuff in storage at his parents place & all of our big white goods are with my friend Cat). The aim is for Shun to return to his job on 1 July as planned (although due to the recent economic crisis he is a bit worried his job won`t be there for him to go back to but I am positive it will be okay), earlier if he can since we will be back in Japan from end of May & I will look for a part-time job or full-time job (with 25 hours or more) probably in a preschool or kindergarten. Hopefully I won`t have too many issues finding a job but we will have to wait & see. There are not as many international schools in Chiba though so might have to rethink this. We also talked about how much we will want to try and save once we return to Japan and move into an apartment and also what we would be willing to spend on rent. It was so good to discuss it all, make plans and see where we are at in time for the new year.
• Today was a bit of a tough day- we started by taking dad to the hospital for his treatment. He had said all day yesterday and this morning that he didn`t want to go and wasn`t going and that he was quitting. But this morning he got in the car and we took him to the hospital. He doesn`t like us to come in & I usually just drop him off but usually go in when I go to pick him up. Shun and I had some wedding related errands to run, our last week day before we go back to work on Monday (see next dot point). When we got home about 1pm Dad was watching TV. Turns out he had gone into the hospital for about half an hour, was still waiting, and so he left and caught the train home. He didn`t ring & ask me to pick him up, he didn`t answer the couple of times I called before lunch time & there he was at home when we got home. Apparently a nurse, his trial nurse & his doctor had all called him but he had decided not to go back. They have given him a chance to come in tomorrow however if he doesn`t go he will not be able to return to the trial as it is an important part of it that he has treatment EVERY Friday. At this stage he says he is going but I am not sure- I got a call from his trial nurse and she asked me if he was coming (It took them 5 hours to track down my number)tomorrow. I told her I would try….Today has been exhausting- At this stage not sure what the outcome will be.
• As for good news- we found suits for Shun, the groomsmen & my dad. Also went to the invitation place and choose what we wanted so just waiting for a quote and to confirm if we send them that they can input Japanese text if we send it through to them in a word file (copy & paste)-
• As it is new years we have had several phone calls with Shun`s parents & family. Yesterday we called them to say the ritual “akemashite omedetou gozaimasu” & as I write this Shun is on the phone with them again because today his grandmother, brother & sister-in-law are also there. I have just finished another round of “akemashite omedetou gozaimasu” & now Shun is talking to his dad`s about whales & wombats- two things he wants to see in the four days they are in Australia in May (one the day they arrive, one the wedding, the day after the wedding & then they leave the next morning- it will be a busy couple of days- I guess we better start planning.)

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