Things I should/could be doing

- Making sure I have everything in order to apply for Noah`s Australian citizenship and passport- we are off to the embassy next Monday (I have been telling myself this for weeks and next week I WILL GO DEFINITELY!)
- Preparing dinner.
- Baking something for the lesson on Wednesday
- Wiping up all the piles of drool on the ABC mat.
- Reading- I am still working on my first book for this month “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, I like it but it takes a bit of concentration so I find myself having to go back and read stuff. My brain is not what it used to be since having a baby.
- Napping myself although Noah slept awesome last night so am actually quite genki.
- Contacting a new clinic to see if they can do Noah`s 3rd and final DPT shot next week.
- Searching for a business English textbook for one of my students (any suggestions? She speaks intermediate level conversation but would like to improve her business conversation now she has returned to work)
- Making a new cd of photos to print for scrapbooking as I have now done all the ones I had…
- Writing a list of food I need to get at the supermarket tomorrow
- Writing in general since I still need to try and cross off “get paid to write something” in my 101 things in 1001 days list. I should be coming up with magazine article ideas instead of writing lists of things I should be doing….
- Researching if it is too late in the year to plant some veggies and herbs as I really want to do it.
- Asking the building manager if I can use the space outside my apartment to put some pots that will have veggies and herbs!
- Sorting the favourites on my computer because they used to all be in nice folders but now I have about 100 or so to re-sort. Mainly baby related or recipes but still…
- Looking for more private students…
- Studying Japanese. What a joke. Haven`t studied in months.

Yeah, so that is just a couple things I could or should be doing while Noah naps instead of blogging.

On the plus side the house is clean since I did a big clean up yesterday. That said, there are dishes that should probably be washed sitting in the sink. But only a couple! And I managed to catch up on about 5 days of blog reading last night too.

But instead of doing the other things listed above I am blogging. What should you be doing instead of reading my blog?

Until last night that is.

But then today, he didn`t do it again so it might have been a fluke. He did manage to get himself tangled under his jungle mat though in which he started on his back, flipped over and got one leg stuck on either side of the giraffe and therefore could not figure out how to flip himself back over to his tummy. Was pretty funny to watch.

He is now down to two naps a day pretty much everyday. And some of the naps are 2 or 2.5 hours long especially if we are at home. Today for example he took a 2.5 hour nap this morning (10:30 until 1pm) and then from about 4pm til just after 5pm- he then had a bath just after 7, fed and was asleep in his cot by 7:45pm.

I love weekends because we are all together. All three of us. It rarely happens during the week except for a short time in the mornings which is why I think I look forward to the weekends so much.

In other news, I have been slack, but I received the “Happy 101″ award not once, but twice a couple of weeks ago. Firstly from E. at Whining at the World and secondly from Michelle at Warsaw Mommy

I have to pass the award on to 10 bloggers that make my day and list 10 things that make me happy so here goes….I know that some of the bloggers I pass it onto might choose not to pass it on and that is fine but of course claim it and pass it on if you want to.

Firstly 10 things that make me happy…
1. Noah`s giggles
2. Skype chats with my mum (and sometimes dad if he is there)
3. Surprise gifts from my husband
4. Having friends all over the world in particular so many wonderful friends I have made in Japan.
5. Blogging
6. Coffee dates and coffee in general…
7. Reading a good book
8. Writing especially when I am happy with what I write
9. Watching Noah & Shun together.
10. Flowers

10 bloggers that make me happy and often make my day…

1. Heather
2. Cassie
3. Green Ink Girl
4. Nay
5. Gaijin Wife
6. TJKR
7. Sarah @ MommyinJapan
8. Tamsyn
9. Gala Darling
10. Suzy

Most of the people that read this blog are based in Japan like me or are people that know me in real life so it was nice to branch out a little bit. Through following some new blogs I learnt about Jodie at Mummy Mayhem who is running a meme of sorts where bloggers post pictures of themselves without make-up. You can read the backstory behind the idea here.

Anyone that knows me in RL knows that I rarely, if ever, go outside without make-up on. I am EXACTLY the same as my mum in this way. It only takes me 5 minutes to put my “face” on- so it isn`t like I go to a lot of trouble (honestly it takes my husband longer to do his hair!) but I think that is because I have perfected my “day” make-up over the years and that is why I have it down to a 5 minute routine.

So I present a picture of Noah & I- taken this morning using the mac application “photo booth”- we are BOTH without make-up. HAHA. Not TOO bad huh? Helps that there is a cute baby in there to distract you perhaps?

Anyway- I encourage anyone out there that wants to join in to do so! Be sure to head to Mummy Mayhem and sign up- would be cool if we could get it going all around the world with some more participants in Japan!!!

I am still sick though which sucks. Yesterday at the doctor`s I fainted while holding Noah waiting for my turn. It took 90 minutes to see the doctor and the waiting room was so hot and quite packed. I have a cold and a throat infection (again!) and the doctor gave me a ton of medicines so hopefully I will be better soon. It sucks to get sick just before we are due to go away. Shun has been great though- he was off work on Thursday and he came home early yesterday (and bought bread, chocolate and lemon c drinks- three things I totally would of bought myself at the conbini if I had stopped on the way home!)…

On the 25th of April I celebrated my blogiversary. That`s right I have been blogging, here, at Cherry Blossom Adventures for 4 years now. My first post was just a couple of sentences long and was first posted on typepad where I kept my blog for the first 2 years.

“Oh Fork! I think i just started a blog…. …

Luckily it is all editable…”

I have no idea how many visitors I have had in total (in the 4 years) but since switching to my own domain and to wordpress my stats (had to log in to check!) show that I have had 495,134 total views. That does not include any time I have logged onto the site myself. I have NO IDEA how it got to be that many and it seems that a huge chunk of those views were in Nov, Dec (2009) and January (2010)- I guess people were checking to see if “Goma-chan” had arrived or not! I received my first comment on post seven (written May 2006- which was about Tsumabuki Satoshi, an actor here in Japan)…

I love blogging. I have gone through some stages where I haven`t blogged for a couple weeks (even a month at one point) but I always come back to it. I originally started to keep in touch with family and friends back in Australia but I think my mum is the only person that still reads it on a regular basis (and my bridesmaid Mandy and her family perhaps?!)- I have made so many wonderful real life friends and online friends through blogging. People I may never have met otherwise.

It is funny to look back on those first few posts- Shun and I had just started living together and I had only been back in Japan for a couple of months. I don`t think the way I write has changed at all- I had hoped it would of improved but sadly that doesn`t seem like the case. But I still do it and I am pretty sure I will still continue blogging here for at least a couple more years to come.

So I want to know-
1. How long have you been blogging?
2. Why did you start?
3. And why do you continue to blog (or if you no longer blog, why did you stop?)
4. How many posts in did you get your first comment?

I look forward to reading all the comments when I get back from Shizuoka.

Today however I have a guest post over at Michelle`s blog Warsaw Mommy- another woman raising her adorable little boys in a bicultural/billingual environment married to a Polish man living in Poland. Wow that was a mouthful! She also had to be careful about her kiddies names as both sets of grandparents needed to be able to say them!!! This is the same reason we went for Noah`s name since it is easy enough to say in both languages!

Check out the post here in which I talk about how I have perfected the “nod and smile” needed to survive the sometimes ridiculous comments received by some Japanese people – except when old obaachan comment that I should wear a scarf so that my breast milk doesn`t get cold because then Noah won`t drink it. Apparently. Yes, this really happened! Oh the joys of living in Japan!!!!

The people I met were lovely (and a couple of them read this blog, strange to have people recognize me and me not know them. Although I guess now I know them!)- Noah was by far the youngest there today (the next youngest was almost 9 months or so) however one of the members is pregnant and will be having her baby in about 2 months. I won`t be able to go again now for a couple of weeks because my dad will be here but I definitely look forward to going back. Plus, Noah slept in his pram the entire way there and on the way back (and had two other short naps today as well)…

I have to upload some new photos of Noah- it has only been a week since I put some up but he is changing so much everyday! He has already outgrown all his 0000 clothes (except the two outfits from Nay, which luckily still fit!).

Also some of you have mentioned having issues accessing my blog and commenting on my blog- were the issues only on the day before yesterday? If so, this is because one of the other sites on the server where my blog is kept (In Australia) had a huge influx of traffic which is why my site was also slow. If you are still having problems (like with commenting) could you please let me know. Also, if you receive an error message could you please let me know what the error message is (either in the comments or email me). My host will try to solve the issue, we just need to figure out exactly what it is. Sorry for the problems you have been having.

There is not much you can do for back pain during pregnancy from what I can tell except yoga stretches and the like. A hot shower would be good too I am sure. I have suffered lower back problems on and off since my teens and know quite a few exercises that can help so when I finally did manage to get out of bed (saying “ouch, ouch, ouch, itai, itai, itai”) I did some stretches put some cold ice on my back and luckily felt a bit better.

We are having visitors this weekend and had a busy day of cleaning planned for today and tomorrow (kind of have to space it out a little ). I was dreading it with the sore back but I think the fairly constant movement most of the day really helped as while it is still sore I can move freely again (instead of like a stiff robot that needs oiling!)… I did two loads of washing, cleaned the oven, fridge, stove-top, kitchen and grill plus swept out the kitchen and the area. Also did the dusting and cleaned the bedroom and put up the wall art in goma-chan`s room (photos to follow sometime soon!). Still a couple more things to do tomorrow but most of it was done today thankfully.

Sarah and her family (including baby Sakura) arrive on Friday afternoon in Funabashi and Nay is coming around the same time on the bus from Shizuoka- Nay will stay til Sunday afternoon and Sarah and her family until Monday afternoon so the Cherry Blossom Adventures household is turning into a mini hotel for the weekend! Saturday we are all going to meet up with Khea and meet baby Missha for the first time. On Sunday Cassie & her family and Melanie and her husband T are coming for lunch at our place to meet Sarah, Sakura & Nay. I am so excited about the weekend and can not wait to see everyone again! Bring on Friday!!!!!!!

What is your dream job or do you already have it?

If you are a fan of list making then The Secret Society of List Addicts is a blog for you!

Why did you start a blog (or why not if you don`t have one)?

Why do you keep blogging (or why did you stop)?

& finally…

Would you consider password protection for certain posts?

I have been thinking about this a little bit the last couple of days, and then Nay wrote that she was contemplating stopping (and this saddened me a lot- so I hope after she takes a little break perhaps she will be back & enthused about blogging)

I promise I will answer these questions at a later date.

Completing the 888 challenge was also part of my 101 things in 1001 days list- so I will be able to cross it off! Reading 100 books in a year was also on my list and between November 2007 & November 2008 I completed this also. I keep track of all the books I read in my diary & in a word document so that I can remember when I read certain books. Sometimes I forget to add some though (usually kids books that I read in the bookshops or to the kids when I was a kindy teacher)- I would of read over 100 books in that year but based on the lists I kept I technically reached the 100 recorded books in mid November. I only started recording the books I read in about August of 2007 but I am glad I am doing it now.

Of all the books I read in the last year my favourites would have to have been the following.

Losing Kei- Suzanne Kamata

The Salaryman`s Wife- Sujata Massey

The Babymoon- Melanie La`Brooy

The Kite Runner-Khaled Hosseini

Bar Flower- Lea Jacobson

The Book Thief- Marcus Zusak

Overall, I read many great books over the last year and have about 4 books on the go at the moment (2 Non-Fiction, 1 Novel, 1 book of short stories)

I am debating about whether to do the the challenge again next year but with another international move planned it is hard to write a list of books to read over a year not knowing whether you will be able to take the books on your list with you etc. So I think I will give it a miss- but I on the lookout for a good mini challenge for the new year so let me know if you find any good ones.

So, what are the best books you have read during 2008? What do you think I should read in 2009?

Below is my list from the 888 challenge!

Favourite authors- Chose this category for obvious reasons

1. An offer you can`t refuse- Jill Mansell(Jun)
2. Change of Heart- Jodi Picoult (Jun)
3. Wife for Hire- Janet Evanovich (Cross over-mar)
4. Cage of Stars- Jacqelyn Mitchard* (Jan)
5. Prisoner of Earth- Jeffrey Archer (Cross over-Nov)
6. Dear John- Nicholas Sparks* (Cross over- Mar)
7. Lean Mean thirteen- Janet Evanovich (Cross over-Jan)
8. Black Cat- V.C Andrews (Cross over-Feb)

In a series- Chose this category since I have started a couple of different series but need to catch up on them, plus also already had a couple of these books on my shelves

1. Broken Flower- V.C Andrews* (Feb)
2. Scattered Leaves- V.C Andrews (Oct)
3. Lean Mean thirteen- Janet Evanovich (Cross over-Jan)
4. Fearless Fourteen- Janet Evanovich (Aug)
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Harrows- J.K Rowling*(April)
6. Skinny Bitch- Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouim (Jan)
7. Key Lime Pie Murder- Joanne Fluke (Jun)
8. Honky Tonk Kat- Karen Kijewski ( Oct)

Read because I moved back to Australia and got new books!- Choose this because had an unplanned mid year move (This is a major change from my original list- lucky changes were allowed!)

1. Lessons in Heartbreak- Cathy Kelly (Jun)
2. You Drive me Crazy- Carole Matthews (May)
3. It`s a Kind of Magic- Carole Matthews (Jul)
4. Bad Behaviour- Shelia O`Flanagan (Aug)
5.Tales from the Crib- Jennifer Coburn (May)
6. The Babymoon- Melanie La`Brooy (Sep)
7. The Alibi- Sandra Brown (Oct)
8. Second Chance- Jane Green (Nov)

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller- Chose this since mysteries etc are one of my most read style of books, this and chick-lit

1. Bell, book & scandal- Jill Churchill* (Nov)
2. Chocolate chip cookie murder- Joanne Fluke* (Jan)
3. Strawberry Short Cake murder- Joanne Fluke (Feb)
4. Count Down- Iris Johansen *(May)
5. Dream man- Linda Howard* (Feb)
6. Ricochet- Sandra Brown* (Apr)
7. Open Season- Linda Howard (Apr)
8. Play Dirty- Sandra Brown (Aug)

Chick-lit- What I read just as much, if not more than mysteries….

1. Baby Proof- Emily Giffin* (Jan)
2. You Could Do Better- Stephanie Lehman* (Feb)
3. Marshmallows for breakfast- Dorothy Koomson*(Jun)
4. Those Faraday Girls- Monica McInerney* (Mar)
5. Artistic Licence- Katie Fforde* (Sep)
6. Remember me- Sophie Kinsella (Oct)
7. Certain Girls – Jennifer Weiner (Jun)
8. Wife for Hire- Janet Evanovich (Cross over-Mar)

Young Adult/Children Fiction- Thought I should go back to some books that make me the reader I am today, and also read some other YA fiction that has had a lot of good reviews or awards!

1. Alison- Margaret Watts (One of my favourite books as a teenager- reread)* (Dec)
2. Dear Venny, Dear Saffron-Libby Hathorn (same as above)* (Nov)
3. The Book Thief- Marcus Zusak* (Nov)
4. Gossipgirl- Cecily Von Ziegesar*(Jun)
5. Kira Kira- Cynthia Kadohata* (Jan)
6. All American Girl- Meg Cabot* (Mar)
7. On the Jellicoe Road^ Melina Marchetta* (May)
8. Black Cat- V.C Andrews (Feb- Cross over)

Japanese authors/books about Japan- Live(d) in Japan so thought I should try to read some more books that have come from here…

1. In Praise of shadows- Junichiro Tanizaki*(Cross over-April)
2. Snow Country- Yasunari kawebata* (Cross over-Jan)
3. Kitchen- Banana Yoshimoto* (Jan)
4. South of the border, west of the sun- Murakami Haruki*(Cross over-Aug)
5. Yakuza moon- Shoko Tendo* (Feb)
6. Goodbye Tsugumi- Banana Yoshimoto (Feb)
7. Losing Kei- Suzanne Kamata (May)
8. Bar Flower- Lea Jacobson (Apr)

Male Authors- I am trying to broaden my reading horizons a little bit and it seems that most of the books I do read are by female authors…Hopefully this will help me get started on my quest to broaden my reading horizons.

1. The Complete Polysyllabic Spree- Nick Hornby* (Feb)
2. For one more day- Mitch Albom* (Oct)
3.South of the Border West of the Sun-Haruki Murakami (Cross over- August)
4. Dear John- Nicholas Sparks* (Cross over- mar)
5. Snow Country- Yasunari kawebata* (Cross over-Jan)
6. In Praise of shadows- Junichiro Tanizaki*(April)
7. Prisoner of Earth- Jeffrey Archer (Cross over-Nov)
8. The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini (Apr)