Pame & Babe

One last post until I'm caught up and ready to go home!

This one is extra special because it's about my amazing sister, Amy, and her new little guy, Noah. I was lucky enough to go home to South Dakota to be with her for her labor and delivery of her second baby boy. The timing worked out perfectly because the day she was due fell during Japan's Golden Week holiday so Joe had the week off from work. I flew to South Dakota and Joe, Jackson and Jacob had man-time for a week. (Joe did end up having to take a day off due to a freak snow storm in South Dakota the day I was supposed to fly back to Tokyo! Thanks, honey!) It took me three flights to get there, but when I landed in SD, I was so happy to hear Amy wasn't in labor yet. I was nervous that I'd miss the big moment! But I had plenty of time to get to Pierre and... wait. She was still a few days away from her actual due date, but after a few days of staring at her baby bump, willing her to go into labor, I was now nervous that I'd have to fly out before she had the baby! Lucky for me, haha, she went into labor on her due date and had her precious baby boy the next day. Noah Patrick was born on May 8, 2015, weighing in at a perfect 8 lbs 9 oz. Amy was a rockstar during her labor and delivery, doing everything unmedicated. She's amazing and so is her look-a-like, Noah. Check out this sweetness...

Daddy checking out Noah's toes and the nurse checking out Noah

Hi Sweet Baby

Proud Daddy and Noah

Could he be any cuter?

Proud Grandma and Noah

William meeting his little brother
The first family of four picture

Proud Aunt Laura and Noah

I made Baby Noah promise not to grow until I get to see him again (which will be in 3 days!), but he didn't listen very well. As you can see he's a big chunker now! And this was taken about 3 weeks ago! I love you sweet boy. I can hardly wait to see you and that big brother of yours.

Noah, 7 weeks old

Thank you so much for reading. I love you.

XOL

My Marathon

Hi again!

I really am trying to catch up before our trip back to the U.S.!

This time I'll tell you about the marathon I ran in April. I started casually running when we moved to Tokyo, so on and off since April 2014, but when 4 out of maybe 7 of my friends here moved away between November and January, I decided I needed something to fill my schedule since coffee dates and lunches no longer would. I thought it would be the perfect time to train for a marathon. I decided this in mid-December so I went online to find a nearby marathon far enough in advance to train for but also not too close to my sister's baby's due date in early May. I chose a race called the Tohoku Food Marathon scheduled for April 26th, in the Tohoku region of Japan. Tohoku is a rural area in Japan where the massive earthquake happened four years ago and is located about three hours away via the Shinkansen and another local train.

Let the training begin! Running a marathon is something I've always wanted to do but have never had the time or motivation. In college, I bought a book called 4 Months To A 4 Hour Marathon. Luckily, I brought the book to Japan, I dusted it off and planned out the training schedule that was offered. I really tried hard to stick to it the best I could. But along the way, I realized I am not a fast runner. I can go the long distances but am rather slow in getting there. I set a goal of 4 hours and 30 minutes for this marathon, hoping to run it a little faster.

As the race day neared, I was feeling good as I was able to complete my 20, 22, and 24 mile long training runs. I had confidence I could at least finish the marathon! The marathon organizers were hosting a few different tours in the Tohoku Region for the runners the day before the race, so I jumped at the chance to join and tour a few sake (Japanese rice wine) breweries and explore the area a little bit! Who drinks sake the day before a marathon? Apparently, this girl does! I had so much fun meeting new people and getting to taste really great sake right where is it brewed.

Me and one of the tour volunteers drinking sake

The president of the brewery telling us how the sake is made

A tour volunteer, the sake brewery president,
the 2015 sake master and (just) me!

The next day, I took a taxi from my hotel directly to the race venue. It was about a 45 minute ride but was well worth the expense since the trains don't come as often there as they do in Tokyo. I was already nervous enough about the race, I didn't need to worry about missing the train or getting on the wrong train, too! It was a surprisingly peaceful ride. We passed many rice fields and wide open spaces that I miss when we are in Tokyo. I arrived at the venue around 7am which was the perfect amount of time to check-in, check my bag, use the port-a-potty and line up for the 8am start time. I was one of only a few (maybe a dozen) foreigners out of a couple thousand runners. Just before it was starting time, a Japanese man standing next to me said, "gambatte kudasai," which means "do your best" or "good luck". I replied with the same to him.

Here we go! And we were off. My Japanese "friend" and I started out together but I soon passed him. I started out strong running 9:15-9:30 minute miles. That went really well for about the first 9 miles. After that, I realized I started too fast because I started slowing down significantly. The course was two laps around a lake and as people were cheering the half-marathon finishers after one lap, all I could think was, Oh man, I wish I had signed up for the half! I glanced at my watch and noticed I completed the half marathon in approximately 2 hours and 3 minutes. Somewhere between miles 15-16 my Japanese friend that I started with passed me and waved back at me when he did. I thought, so nice! I wish I could keep up with you though! Although I never walked at all during the marathon, I did slow down, a lot. I had some 11 minute miles, which was slower than my training pace. Around mile 20, I started doing some math in my head as to how fast I will have to run to finish under 4:30. (Without music, you think about the craziest things while running for hours!) I figured out that I could still do it but I'd have to run faster! So I did. I got a surge of energy and picked up my pace. I had about a mile to go when I heard people cheering and music playing and I went even faster. I was cruising right along, had about 1 km to go (just over a half mile) when I see my friend I started with, walking ahead of me. I thought, no, you are not walking right now! We are almost done! When I got close to him, I grabbed his arm (he probably thought, what the heck?!) and said, "ikimasho, let's go!" He saw me and smiled and he started running with me. As we were nearing the finish line, he was saying something in Japanese and motioning for me to go in front of him and I started speaking in English about how we were going to finish together and that we did. We raised our held hands as we crossed the finish line, both with identical times of 4:23:35. I pulled him in for a sweaty, big-ol-American-style hug. Joe and the boys met me at the finish line and after hugging them too, I had to quickly tell Joe why I gave a random guy a hug first after the race and not him, haha! It was such a cool story of a very cool day. I learned a lot from my first marathon: what to do and not to do for my next race and a lot about myself.

Oh, and just so you know, the race was called the Tohoku Food Marathon for a reason. There were food stations with every water station, every few miles! Everything from gyoza and fruit to full-on BBQ meat and sake! Be careful you don't grab the sake thinking it's water! So along with some very serious runners, there were also runners who would run from station to station, enjoying the food at each.

Me giving my new Japanese friend a hug

So tired, but so happy to see my boys at the finish line cheering for me

I did it!

"I ran the full marathon" and Jacob, too

After taking a week-ish long break, I started running again. I think I might be a "runner" now. But I have learned that now, a race (I have since made new friends, but haven't forgotten the ones who moved!), is my motivation. I ran a 10k near the end of May with a time of 57:14 and a half marathon in the middle of June with a time of 2:20 - there is a whole other story that goes along with this one! My friend and running partner, Hanna, and I had to walk/run maybe 5km just to get to the race and then we showed up with less than 10 minutes to spare! The heat and humidity were pretty intense, but we both had a good time. I am also running a 5k in August in Rapid City, South Dakota. And yes, I have signed up for my next marathon! I registered for the Fujisan Marathon to be held at the end of November. The race will take place around Lake Kawaguchiko, which if you've read any of my other posts, know that I am practically in love with Mt. Fuji and the view of it from around this lake. I am also going to apply to run the Tokyo Marathon again this year. Registration takes place during the month of August and lottery winners are notified in early September. Last year, I was one of about 315,000 applicants and only 35,000 people get to run. I will start training for Fujisan in August but if I win the lottery for Tokyo, I am thinking about postponing the Fujisan Marathon until next year to have more time to train for Tokyo. We will see!

Thank you so much for reading. I love you.

XOL

I have to thank my amazing husband and wonderful kiddos who haven't seen me on Saturday mornings for many months, as that is when I do my long runs. You guys are the absolute best.

Youchien

Hello!

After many hours of research and discussion, we decided that we would enroll Jackson in a public Japanese pre-school (youchien) for school this year. The school year in Japan runs year-round from the beginning of April through the middle of March, so he's only been attending for a few months now. Jacob didn't meet the three year old age requirement since he turned three in June, but Jackson was able to get into the four year old class. We chose to send him to the Japanese school because it is rare to have a chance to become bilingual at a young age. We couldn't pass it up. Youchien is an immersion experience with native speakers that we can't create ourselves. Joe and I have learned that details are extremely important in Japanese. For example, the word ame (ah-may). When the word is pronounced AH-may, it means rain. But when it is pronounced ah-MAY, it means candy. My problem is that even when I think I am saying something correctly, I'm not, because my pronunciation is incorrect (native English-speaking people's usually is). The point is, I would be a terrible Japanese teacher for my children! Many Japanese people send their children to international schools to learn English, so this is the same concept. Youchien is our international school! We also wanted Jackson to learn about Japanese customs and traditions. He is spending a few years of his childhood here, so why not? From what I have read, even if he forgets the Japanese later, his brain is becoming wired for language and it will be easier to pick it back up or even a completely different language later in life.

A lot of people have said, "why would you do that to your kid" or "how difficult it must be for him". Trust me, it is difficult for him and me as well. For about the first month in a half he didn't speak at all at youchien. No Japanese, no English. I have read and heard from other parents and educators that this is very normal. Hearing and comprehension come first, then speaking. But I was a bit concerned for Jackson's self esteem. I would ask him, "did you talk to friends today?" And he would say, "well, they speak Japanese and I speak English." Then I would say, "well your friends will teach you Japanese and you will teach them English, won't that be cool?!" Jackson loves being helpful and always wants a "job" (like Daddy), so he liked that idea. Every day on the way to school, I still say, "Jackson, what are your two jobs at youchien today?" He says, "To have fun and to talk!" You got it, buddy. You are so brave and I am so proud of you.

There were many days in the beginning that I had trouble leaving him. I knew it must be difficult to be in a situation where he didn't understand much of what was happening. One thing that gave me peace of mind though is that there is at least one woman in the office who is fluent in English and also Jackson's sensei (teacher) knows a bit of English. Also, everyone is so kind there. The teachers, the parents, the children are all so very kind. They go out of their way on a daily basis to make sure Jackson is ok and that I know what is going on too. The English-speaking moms interpret classroom notes and documents that come home and they make sure I know what I need to pack for Jackson on a daily basis. I truly am forever in the debt of these wonderful people.

One day, near the end of May, I was early to pick up Jackson. Another mom with a daughter in Jackson's class was also waiting. She is a wonderful Japanese woman who speaks Spanish and some English so between the three languages, we can usually communicate (it's so much fun trying to figure it out in the meantime)! She told me that she walked by youchien that morning and saw all the kids playing outside, but that Jackson was playing by himself. My heart broke a little thinking of my Jackson Boy with no friends to play with because he can't talk to them (I mean, it reminded me a little of myself at times here). I started crying and after giving me a hug, she put her hand on her heart and said, "I know".  Moms get it. Then she gave not only me a gift, but gave me one for Jackson as well. She also said that she will teach her daughter to say, "let's play" so Jackson would have a friend. Like I said, the kindness people show here is beyond amazing.

School gets out for a six-week summer vacation beginning this Friday (which is why I am trying to get caught up on my blog before we go home to South Dakota and Colorado for almost six weeks!), but I think you'll be happy to know that Jackson has a ton of friends at youchien now. He knows all of their names, he talks about them all the time at home, he always wants them to come over to our house, and will say konnichiwa to them when he sees them out and about in the neighborhood. It makes me so happy to see his smile when he's playing and interacting with friends at school. Two or three weeks into June, his teacher said to me, "Jackson spoke to me in perfect Nihongo (Japanese) today". I was elated and I can see Jackson's self-confidence and pride growing. She tells me very often now of the new things he's saying. At home, I get to listen to him singing Japanese songs for hours these days. It's really, really cool.

I've had a few friends ask me, "But how does he know what to do? How is he able to learn Japanese?" Totally valid questions! The example that I use is, the children are all standing up and the teacher says, "suwatte kudasai". All the children sit down except for Jackson. He sees that everyone has sat down so he sits down too. The next time she says it, the same thing happens. Maybe the next time and the next time and even the next time. But sooner or later, Jackson will understand that suwatte kudasai must mean "sit down, please". That's how we all learn English, right? Only we do it when we are infants and we don't have the cognition to think that deeply about it, haha!

We aren't going to be in Japan forever, so the boys need to be prepared for school in English in the US. When it's time for kindergarten we will send the boys to an international school. But, we would like it if they can retain their Japanese when we move back. We will try to use it at home as much as possible (which won't be too terribly much, I'm afraid) and seek out Japanese-speaking classes and friends! Luckily Joe works for a Japanese company!

Jackson's first day of youchien.
That is Jackson's uniform complete with hat that he is wearing.
It is very customary for the parents to dress up in navy blue,
the mother in pearls and father in a suit, for the first day.
It is also customary to take a picture by the door to your house
and also by the entrance of the school (see below).

Jackson and Daddy

Jackson and me

Picture at the entrance of youchien

Another picture at youchien

Jackson meeting his classmates at the first-day ceremony

Jackson at a celebratory lunch with me after his first day

Thank you so much for reading about our adventures in Japan. I love you.

XOL

Okinawa

Konnichiwa!

In early April, we traveled to Okinawa for a Spring Break getaway. We flew from Narita International Airport in Tokyo to Naha International Airport on the island of Okinawa. The flight took about two hours. From there we took a bus for an hour and an half to our resort hotel. On the bus, we passed three or four of the U.S. military bases as well as many American restaurants and shops that we have never seen in or around Tokyo. We were already getting quite a different feel for Okinawa compared to Tokyo! We arrived at our resort and we thought we were arriving in heaven. It was so beautiful, the weather was a perfect 80 degrees F (it felt even better since when we left Tokyo it was 45 degrees and raining) and we were surrounded by the beach and blue ocean. We relaxed and ate for the next two days.

The view from the terrace of our hotel

Jackson is excited! (Jacob is asleep in the chair next to him)

Jackson looking for shells while Jacob and Daddy are out for a swim

Toes in the sand and shells

Playing around the pool

Back on the beach

You can't take my picture!

Ok, I'll take a picture of your brother then!

Jackson buried in the sand (again!)

The boys playing in the sand while Daddy explores the ocean

He found a blue starfish!

Jacob and our resort

After having such a wonderful time relaxing at our beachside resort, we decided to take a day exploring the largest city in Okinawa, Naha. This is where the military bases and the airport are located. We received some recommendations for restaurants and things to do from our military friends, and their friends, and we had a very nice time. We ate this restaurant called Garlic House where everything had garlic on it. We even had fried garlic! It was so good! 

Yum! Our food at Garlic House

After an early dinner, we went to the American Village. It was a huge outdoor shopping area with a big mall, movie theater, many restaurants and a ferris wheel. We saw a Red Lobster, Tony Roma's and many other American restaurants there!

Jackson and Daddy on the ferris wheel in the American Village

Jacob checking out Naha from the ferris wheel

Having some fun at the kids' arcade

We had to have frozen yogurt, which isn't available in Tokyo!

The ferris wheel we rode on

The following day, we had some time before we had to be at the airport so we walked around one of the traditional shopping areas. We've realized most Japanese towns have a version of this and I always love them because you can buy very modern things like electronics here, as well as very local things like souvenirs. I like this one in Okinawa because we could buy local fruit and vegetables and there were even these ladies selling baked goods!

The shopping area

At the end of this street, there was an A&W! We thought it was a must to pop in for a hamburger and root beer float, since the only "American" place we have in Tokyo is McDonald's (actually we just got a Taco Bell a few months ago, but we've never eaten there), but they put ice cubes in the root beer floats and we weren't sure what to think about that! Nevertheless, our lunch really rounded out our trip to Okinawa. We were so happy to go and enjoy the nice weather and visit a new part of Japan.

Next up, Jackson's youchien, or all-Japanese pre-school, experience!

Thank you so much for reading. I love you.

XOL

Sakura Season and Easter

Hi again, it's me!

One thing I really love about Japan is how everyone really embraces the changing of seasons. How could you not, though, with something as beautiful as the sakura, or cherry blossom, trees that welcome in the Springtime. There are many festivals and picnics and other happenings at the end of March and early April here in Japan. I also found it fascinating that the weathermen and women have the date of when the sakura will bloom, down to a science! It is on the news in February as to when we can expect the trees to bloom all across Japan. We need to know so we can plan our picnics and schedule other things, such as family pictures! I like to have family pictures taken once or twice a year just because the boys are growing up so (too) quickly, but I hadn't had any taken since right before we moved here in March 2014. But this year cherry blossom time was the perfect time!

Our first picnic this year. The trees were only about
20% in bloom, but enough to make for a
beautiful day for outdoor sushi-eating

The brothers: Jackson (4) and Jacob (2 1/2)

Everyone was having fun!

We had our photos taken in Shinjuku Gyoen

We had such a wonderful photographer!

Our beloved: our family and the sakura

Me and my honeybear

Jacob and Daddy

This one is actually one of our favorites - they just couldn't smile any more!

Onto Easter! People don't celebrate Easter in Japan because it is a Christian holiday, but we certainly celebrated it and J&J's school hosted an Easter egg hunt (thanks, Mom, for sending over hundreds of plastic Easter eggs!). The Easter bunny hid all of the eggs in a nearby park and we all waited for the children to come find them. It was so much fun seeing the joy on their faces as they found the eggs, them sharing and running around. The sakura trees were still in bloom (you can see petals on the ground already, as they don't last long!) so it was such a beautiful day to celebrate outside.

It was funny, having hid hundreds of eggs for pre-schoolers, some were in practically plain sight. We had many people come ask us, what are you doing? or what are these? My Japanese friend explained about the Christian holiday and the Easter egg hunt. Something we wouldn't think twice about in the U.S. if we saw people doing it!

What is inside the egg?

I found one!

Jackson was sharing his eggs with everyone

There's one in the flowers!

J&J and their classmates and teachers under
a beautiful sakura tree

They had so much fun!

Did we miss any?

My big boy Jacob with all of his eggs

A close up of the cherry blossoms

Starbucks seasonal drink: Sakura Caramel Latte
OMG, to die for

Sakura Spritzer at a nearby restaurant,
complete with a cherry blossom on top

There are so many other Sakura-flavored things, including ice cream and teas. The Springtime in Tokyo, is so beautiful and everyone is so happy to welcome the nicer weather.

Since I'm writing this in July, I should tell you about a Summer festival that took place yesterday on 7/7 called Tanabata. I am not exactly sure of the whole story but according to Japanese tradition a prince and princess are stars who are separated by the milky way. Only on July 7th can they meet again and they are so happy that if you make a wish, they will grant it so it comes true. Both Jackson and Jacob celebrated Tanabata yesterday. They made paper chains, origami and wrote down their wishes and tied them to branches of a tree. Jackson got to bring home his branch and we are supposed to burn it and everything on it so that the wishes float up to the stars and come true. I think I might keep them instead to remember this festival! His wishes are that he grows up to be big and strong and also to sing Japanese songs, so cute. (I actually hear him sing Japanese songs daily at home now - more on his experience with Japanese youchien, later!)

I hope you are having a wonderful summer so far. I can't wait to see some of you very soon.

Thanks so much for reading. I love you.

XOL