Chigaihouken (治外法権) - extraterritorial
This is what hub has been using lately to describe our house - and from what I can gather he means that the rules surrounding our life, our house are different to those of everyone else he knows.
ie: gaijinwife rules and gaijinwife reigns supreme.
Good enough translation don't you think :)
We are just having some 'couple reconnect time' (think I read that on okaasanandme.blogspot.com). This time includes a 3% alcoholic beverage for me and some homemade umeshu for hub, plus some cheddar flavored crisps from heaven - FBC. The kids were unusually well behaved this evening, hence why hub and I actually still feel like talking to each other!!
Picked the kids up from kindy after I had had a long talk to good friend in NZ. Her eldest boy is the same age as Marina and her second boy is four or five months old. She seems so chilled out about the whole mothering thing and I asked her what she did regarding discipline. She said she tries to distract oldest son with other things or ignores bad behavior. She has NEVER smacked him on the bum. I was in awe. So today, when Shou and Marina came home I put on my over genki happy mummy face and we all had a great time. Yes, I gave them a small iceblock before dinner but hey, it was 100% apple juice and really who gives a shit. Not big enough to spoil their appetite. Not sweet enough to have them jumping off the ceiling.
Shou ate ALL his tea on his own. It took a while but he did it, and without much coaxing from me. Marina of course scoffed hers back and proceeded to eat half of hub's when he got back at six. I put them all in the bath and hub got them dry and changed. Absolutely loving those baby baths. Ryu loves them too. Can't wait till he starts smiling so that I actually know he is liking it - at the moment the only sign I get is that he isn't crying!!
Coffee Chiemi and I went for another mummy pushing pushchair walk this morning. It must have been in the high 20 degrees already - and we left at 8am. We took the steep street (slab of concrete winding up side of hill) and I actually came home feeling it. As we were nearing the top of the climb a bit of a wannabe yakuza car came up with two wannabe chinpiras in it and turned into the old junior high grounds - there is nothing there now. Just empty paddock. I thought it odd and also best that we push pushchairs fast down other side. This was closely followed by another car with an elderly couple that turned into the same paddock.
The mind boggles.
I wonder what business they had together. Were the couple going up to meet their sons for a brunch picnic? Were they all going to check on their hash investment? Are the chinpiras bribing the vestlings out of money?
I obviously have far too much free time on my hands to even be thinking such things.
Was very odd though.
Anyway, coffee Chiemi is picking me up tomorrow morning and we are heading out of Kunimi for some out of Kunimi experience - which is almost as good as outer body experience but with nice coffee.
In other news..
Actually don't think there is any.
Nighty night.
SDG&QL
Monday, 13 July 2009
Sunday, 12 July 2009
Pool Time
The house is quiet! Seems like a miracle to get some quiet on a Sunday. Even hub has gone to bed. I am pretty beyond tired but I really needed some no kiddy or hub time. Doing the kiddy thing by yourself is hard yakka but sometimes husbands can just hinder the whole happy family thing - as stupid as that may sound.
It was scorching hot today so the new paddling pool got blown up and Shou and Marina got their gears off and ran round naked in the garden for an hour before lunch and then again late afternoon. Shou is learning how to put his head under the water at kindy and he can do it now, fine. The thing is he thinks that Marina needs to be able to as well and therefore tries to teach her by holding her head under. It's a plastic ten dollar paddling pool with about ten cm of water in it, but still she flace plants the bottom, coming up wide eyed and spluttering a bit but otherwise all smiles. Shou got yelled at by me, and told that any more of those antics and the pool was going away. Hub's way of telling him off was to say..
'do that again to Marina and I will come in and do the same thing to you'
???
I asked him if he actually thought doing that was good parenting - he said he probably wouldn't but that he just said it to scare Shou.
???
Anyway, I am all talked out on the topic. There was a bit of cheerful banter with hub saying things like 'as per usual you think what you do is right and whatever I do is wrong', 'If I'm doing it all wrong then I just wont say anything to the kids at all.'
No argument, just a bit of friendly exchange of opinion. I think we will just have to agree to disagree on some issues.
The day was very nice though, albeit chaotic, mad and completely crazy. I don't think there were any major meltdowns but that was because mummy was on situation difusion patrol, if there is such a thing. I think I can confidently say that hub lacks the skills to be able to read into a situation and difuse it before it gets messy - in relation to the kids and me ;p
Shit, just had to deal to roach. Thankfully had handy tissue box strategically placed so could bash living daylights out of it. Have only had a couple this year but are having major issues with the flying ants. Well, that's what hub says they are. They are everywhere outside and I must have hosed about a thousand off the windows first thing this morning. You can get a spray here called 'mushikonasu' (no more insects). Complete bollocks. The insects in Kunimi thrive on this shit and I believe do infact multiply by the millions. Is just big spray company scam.
I was asked in a comment about post-pregnancy body. Stop reading now if you don't give a shit about leaky boobs and flabby tummies.
Post Baby Body
Weight - In order of babies I put on 12 then 15 and then 16 kilos during pregnancy. Lost it all post first baby but only half post Marina. I therefore started as a warthog before Ryu and ended up a water buffalo. I have lost 10 kilos in the five weeks since Ryu was born - but this includes 4 kilogram baby and gunky shit. Ryu is putting on 54 grams a day so in theory I should be able to lose at least this -which would mean 350 grams a week. The thing is that when I breastfeed I tend to want to eat - anything really, chips, chocolate, the side of the table, the remote control. I am going to resurrect Billy and his god forsaken bootcamp out from under the stairs tomorrow. Things need to get serious.
Boobs - They weren't small to start with and now they are just silly. Quite a bit bigger than Ryu's head in fact. No damn wonder really that he likes snuggling up to them. They haven't been perky for years so I haven't really noticed how much saggier they have become. All this sucking them dry can't be good though - especially as some of the nursing bras I have are just token bits of material made to house a milk pad so you don't leak all over your clothes. I'm not quite sure if I have anything that fits them that will let me get through an hour of Billy and kickboxing round the lounge.
Fuck it, I've just turned round and the supposed bashed roach is gone. Tis no wonder they are the only creatures that would survive a nuclear blast. That or they play dead really well.
Back to body hangups..
Tummy - I got attractive stretchmarks with all pregnancies. Third time round I expanded to a new level and got a new set. Awesome. They fade but I won't be parading round the streets of Kunimi in a bikini. I know I was heavier to start with and put on more weight this time anyway but I have very becoming flabby lower tummy that I didn't get to this extent the first two times. It is the main thing behind me not wanting to let hub get a leg over yet. I don't usually have hangups about my body enough to give me a complex about shagging - especially as hub really doesn't care (in a good way). But this jiggly bit of tummy is gross. Don't think billy will fix it in a hurry so I am going to have to get over it, or turn out the lights or...
War wounds - I didn't get the mirror out to have a look but I think they are all OK now. Obviously the lack of shagging means I can't tell how 'well' the wounds were fixed up, and thats something else that adds to the pure joy of wanting to get back on the shag wagon - not.
The aftermath - there is a name for the bleeding and discharge you get following childbirth. Can't remember but is a right pain in the ass, not literally though. I think that finally, five weeks on, mine has finally stopped. It went from very heavy the first week to heavy the second week and then not that much after that but still enough to warrant purchasing feminine hygiene products.
Bum grapes - definitely a topic of discussion the first week or so. After coming out of the clinic though i didn't use my supply of bum bullets or cream. It was just laziness on my part. They have however been sucked back up and not sore at all. Yay yay, because they were pretty gross.
Hair - my hair is naturally curly/afro. It lost some of its curl after Shou and Marina but this has come back this time. I don't think I'm losing too much this time round either but then I can't remember when that happens - is it straight after or have I got it coming up. I lost a bit with Shou.
Well, I think that's it. Your body gets a pounding going through three pregnancies and three births in three years. I have no illusions of getting my 18 year old body back but getting even a resemblance of the body I had five years ago is going to require some serious effort and a lot of backing away from the Australian cheddar.
SDGH&QL
It was scorching hot today so the new paddling pool got blown up and Shou and Marina got their gears off and ran round naked in the garden for an hour before lunch and then again late afternoon. Shou is learning how to put his head under the water at kindy and he can do it now, fine. The thing is he thinks that Marina needs to be able to as well and therefore tries to teach her by holding her head under. It's a plastic ten dollar paddling pool with about ten cm of water in it, but still she flace plants the bottom, coming up wide eyed and spluttering a bit but otherwise all smiles. Shou got yelled at by me, and told that any more of those antics and the pool was going away. Hub's way of telling him off was to say..
'do that again to Marina and I will come in and do the same thing to you'
???
I asked him if he actually thought doing that was good parenting - he said he probably wouldn't but that he just said it to scare Shou.
???
Anyway, I am all talked out on the topic. There was a bit of cheerful banter with hub saying things like 'as per usual you think what you do is right and whatever I do is wrong', 'If I'm doing it all wrong then I just wont say anything to the kids at all.'
No argument, just a bit of friendly exchange of opinion. I think we will just have to agree to disagree on some issues.
The day was very nice though, albeit chaotic, mad and completely crazy. I don't think there were any major meltdowns but that was because mummy was on situation difusion patrol, if there is such a thing. I think I can confidently say that hub lacks the skills to be able to read into a situation and difuse it before it gets messy - in relation to the kids and me ;p
Shit, just had to deal to roach. Thankfully had handy tissue box strategically placed so could bash living daylights out of it. Have only had a couple this year but are having major issues with the flying ants. Well, that's what hub says they are. They are everywhere outside and I must have hosed about a thousand off the windows first thing this morning. You can get a spray here called 'mushikonasu' (no more insects). Complete bollocks. The insects in Kunimi thrive on this shit and I believe do infact multiply by the millions. Is just big spray company scam.
I was asked in a comment about post-pregnancy body. Stop reading now if you don't give a shit about leaky boobs and flabby tummies.
Post Baby Body
Weight - In order of babies I put on 12 then 15 and then 16 kilos during pregnancy. Lost it all post first baby but only half post Marina. I therefore started as a warthog before Ryu and ended up a water buffalo. I have lost 10 kilos in the five weeks since Ryu was born - but this includes 4 kilogram baby and gunky shit. Ryu is putting on 54 grams a day so in theory I should be able to lose at least this -which would mean 350 grams a week. The thing is that when I breastfeed I tend to want to eat - anything really, chips, chocolate, the side of the table, the remote control. I am going to resurrect Billy and his god forsaken bootcamp out from under the stairs tomorrow. Things need to get serious.
Boobs - They weren't small to start with and now they are just silly. Quite a bit bigger than Ryu's head in fact. No damn wonder really that he likes snuggling up to them. They haven't been perky for years so I haven't really noticed how much saggier they have become. All this sucking them dry can't be good though - especially as some of the nursing bras I have are just token bits of material made to house a milk pad so you don't leak all over your clothes. I'm not quite sure if I have anything that fits them that will let me get through an hour of Billy and kickboxing round the lounge.
Fuck it, I've just turned round and the supposed bashed roach is gone. Tis no wonder they are the only creatures that would survive a nuclear blast. That or they play dead really well.
Back to body hangups..
Tummy - I got attractive stretchmarks with all pregnancies. Third time round I expanded to a new level and got a new set. Awesome. They fade but I won't be parading round the streets of Kunimi in a bikini. I know I was heavier to start with and put on more weight this time anyway but I have very becoming flabby lower tummy that I didn't get to this extent the first two times. It is the main thing behind me not wanting to let hub get a leg over yet. I don't usually have hangups about my body enough to give me a complex about shagging - especially as hub really doesn't care (in a good way). But this jiggly bit of tummy is gross. Don't think billy will fix it in a hurry so I am going to have to get over it, or turn out the lights or...
War wounds - I didn't get the mirror out to have a look but I think they are all OK now. Obviously the lack of shagging means I can't tell how 'well' the wounds were fixed up, and thats something else that adds to the pure joy of wanting to get back on the shag wagon - not.
The aftermath - there is a name for the bleeding and discharge you get following childbirth. Can't remember but is a right pain in the ass, not literally though. I think that finally, five weeks on, mine has finally stopped. It went from very heavy the first week to heavy the second week and then not that much after that but still enough to warrant purchasing feminine hygiene products.
Bum grapes - definitely a topic of discussion the first week or so. After coming out of the clinic though i didn't use my supply of bum bullets or cream. It was just laziness on my part. They have however been sucked back up and not sore at all. Yay yay, because they were pretty gross.
Hair - my hair is naturally curly/afro. It lost some of its curl after Shou and Marina but this has come back this time. I don't think I'm losing too much this time round either but then I can't remember when that happens - is it straight after or have I got it coming up. I lost a bit with Shou.
Well, I think that's it. Your body gets a pounding going through three pregnancies and three births in three years. I have no illusions of getting my 18 year old body back but getting even a resemblance of the body I had five years ago is going to require some serious effort and a lot of backing away from the Australian cheddar.
SDGH&QL
Saturday, 11 July 2009
jack shit
The kids are at kindy, hub is asleep upstairs, Ryu is asleep downstairs and I am here. It is lashing rain in true form of the rainy season. Needs to rain as much as it can while it is still officially the rainy season. This much rain means however that my favorite route to kindy has to be driven with care - or not at all if hub had his way. Not because he is worried about us getting covered by a land slide but because the big puddles mean his beautiful hub caps get dirty. I turned that way yesterday morning anyway and decided to keep going and seeing as car would get a beating anyway decided may as well make it a bit fun. We hooned through the puddles, water flying, that big fooowuuush noise when you drive through lots of water. All fun and games.
After the kindy drop off yesterday coffee Chiemi and I went for a walk. The rain held off and we managed to walk and gossip for a good forty five minutes. Think we are going to head out for some mummy de-stress coffee and shopping sometime next week. She will drive this time as she forgot to mention when we took my car last week, that she gets car sick when she isn't driving and that her baby seat is so bloody complicated that when she goes in anyone elses car she just holds her baby. At one stage she asked to drive so she wouldn't throw up and I went in the back with her baby - all the while Ryu passed out in his car seat beside us.
After getting home, did a quick round of house stuff and then spent the rest of the entire whole complete day doing absolutely jack shit. Well, if watching Outrageous Fortune episodes back to back counts as jack shit that is. After watching so much kiwiana I get a shock back to reality when I've finished. Oh my god, almost forgot was living in house with straw mats, little old Japanese woman, and pachinko playing husband surrounded by rice paddies. House surrounded by paddies - not husband. Actually don't think there has been any ilicit pachinko playing going on lately. He would have to be pretty damn brave to pull that kind of shit after the goings on of the last few weeks.
Got another couple of parcels today. Loving it. One was a blue hand knitted jumper for Ryu from his great great Auntie in New Zealand. It is actually very cute and I will in fact put him in it if I can get his big head through the headhole. The other parcel was some more kiwiana dvds from blog friend in Tokyo. Thank you thank you thank you!! More excuses to spend more of my days doing jack shit. Actually is good for booby time - and there has been a lot of that lately. I can't remember but do babies have a growth spurt at about five or six weeks?? Ryu slept almost the entire day yesterday and only woke up to suck back booby, burp, throw a bit up, shit and go back to sleep. I thought I would be up all night last night after a day like that but surprisingly we weren't.
Oooh, we did do something else yesterday. Drove to hubs office. Not to check up on him but to deliver something he had forgotten. He was going to city for work but not leaving till eleven so we went in the morning. Ryu of course slept the whole way and I drank diet coke and belted out michael jackson tunes - they have nearly done their dash for the moment though.
Hub got home in time for the bath thing - although I put all three kids in and he did the changing. Actually come to think of it he had bath with Shou and I did Ryu and then Marina. Marina was being very cute - which was nice as of late she has started to get very defiant. She LAUGHS when she gets a smack on the bum or told off. Think I might have to start a grounding system already. Whey they get older and wonder why I wont let them go out with friends I will tell them they are grounded from that time they tried to stick all of mummy's english flashcards in the video recorder when they were two.
Hub was meant to be doing the farmer thing this morning but the rain has put a stop to that. Wonder if he'll want to pop out for lunch...
dewa dewa
After the kindy drop off yesterday coffee Chiemi and I went for a walk. The rain held off and we managed to walk and gossip for a good forty five minutes. Think we are going to head out for some mummy de-stress coffee and shopping sometime next week. She will drive this time as she forgot to mention when we took my car last week, that she gets car sick when she isn't driving and that her baby seat is so bloody complicated that when she goes in anyone elses car she just holds her baby. At one stage she asked to drive so she wouldn't throw up and I went in the back with her baby - all the while Ryu passed out in his car seat beside us.
After getting home, did a quick round of house stuff and then spent the rest of the entire whole complete day doing absolutely jack shit. Well, if watching Outrageous Fortune episodes back to back counts as jack shit that is. After watching so much kiwiana I get a shock back to reality when I've finished. Oh my god, almost forgot was living in house with straw mats, little old Japanese woman, and pachinko playing husband surrounded by rice paddies. House surrounded by paddies - not husband. Actually don't think there has been any ilicit pachinko playing going on lately. He would have to be pretty damn brave to pull that kind of shit after the goings on of the last few weeks.
Got another couple of parcels today. Loving it. One was a blue hand knitted jumper for Ryu from his great great Auntie in New Zealand. It is actually very cute and I will in fact put him in it if I can get his big head through the headhole. The other parcel was some more kiwiana dvds from blog friend in Tokyo. Thank you thank you thank you!! More excuses to spend more of my days doing jack shit. Actually is good for booby time - and there has been a lot of that lately. I can't remember but do babies have a growth spurt at about five or six weeks?? Ryu slept almost the entire day yesterday and only woke up to suck back booby, burp, throw a bit up, shit and go back to sleep. I thought I would be up all night last night after a day like that but surprisingly we weren't.
Oooh, we did do something else yesterday. Drove to hubs office. Not to check up on him but to deliver something he had forgotten. He was going to city for work but not leaving till eleven so we went in the morning. Ryu of course slept the whole way and I drank diet coke and belted out michael jackson tunes - they have nearly done their dash for the moment though.
Hub got home in time for the bath thing - although I put all three kids in and he did the changing. Actually come to think of it he had bath with Shou and I did Ryu and then Marina. Marina was being very cute - which was nice as of late she has started to get very defiant. She LAUGHS when she gets a smack on the bum or told off. Think I might have to start a grounding system already. Whey they get older and wonder why I wont let them go out with friends I will tell them they are grounded from that time they tried to stick all of mummy's english flashcards in the video recorder when they were two.
Hub was meant to be doing the farmer thing this morning but the rain has put a stop to that. Wonder if he'll want to pop out for lunch...
dewa dewa
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Business Trip Shmisness Trip
Got the kids off to kindy, got a couple of parcels in the mail, spent the morning sorting house out and trying to settle a very wide awake Ryu. Met up with one Chiemi for lunch and the other for coffee here in the arvo. Hadn't seen lunch Chiemi (solar panal mans wife) for a while so that was good to catch up. Coffee Chiemi has been having some issues lately and we have been seeing a bit of each other - and mailing.
She mailed last night to ask if I knew such and such a person - a woman. I didn't. She found a suspicsious text from her on her hubs phone. He usually has his keypad locked and she doesn't usually look - think must be result of me telling her I check hubs from time to time. She got in bit of panic and confronted him last night. Found out over coffee that all OK but that her hub said to her that her actions of late must be because she is hanging out here a bit - this is the same hub who keeps all his overtime pay for his own pocket money - seeing as he was the one doing the overtime. Whatever. Just forget about the wife at home with a five year old, three year old and four month old doing 'SAHM' overtime. He thinks my hub is a true survivor for putting up with me. I think hub is too sometimes but I definately don't think I should be voted off the island.
Christ, if I leave the island it will be on a luxury cruiser with loads of Gin and tonics and twenty year old deck hands - if you have deck hands on a cruiser?
After Chiemis on parade I had to get dinner sorted (lasagne but not much love love) and English class stuff. My eight girls arrived at half four and it was a better class than last week although I had to tell one girl off because I am sick of them talking to me like I'm not their damn teacher. Am going to start being scary teacher - or at least give me some respect and do what I ask teacher. During the class hub rang. Hub, who was supposed to becoming home straight after work because have evening English class too, said that he suddenly got told he had business trip to city tomorrow and would be late tonight making whatever shite he had to make to take with him. I am so mature that I hung up on him. And then rang him back and asked him to please (may have omitted that bit acutally) be home by eight - when my English class starts. Yes, I have Granny K to ask but Shou would probably still be awake and on his own that would be fine but what if Ryu is nutting out too??
At half five had to leave a screaming Ryu with Granny K while I went to pick the sproglets up. They were super cute, well Marina was. Shou came running straight out to me while Marina cleaned up the toys, as per the teachers request. Good little girl. Gotta love little girls. Gotta love little boys too but Shou wasn't doing what he was asked at twenty months. I'm not sure he'll do what he is asked ever in fact.
They both ate their pasta - I tried lasagane on Marina a few months ago and she threw it on the floor. Just goes to show you just have to keep trying with foods when they are little. Was mighty fine lasagane though.
Showered the kids and then finally sat down to feed Ryu - who just about sucked my nipples off he was so hungry. Shou and Marina were quiet for a full twenty minutes while they were entertained by the Wiggles. Marina went to bed, Shou played roads, and Ryu sucked the other nipple off while I waited for daddy to get home. He got home at five past eight - my English students were here already. Ryu had been put down five minutes before they arrived and was / and is still asleep.
Despite hub being home practically the whole of the lesson he made no effort to try and bribe Shou away from the room I teach in. I wasn't about to be angry mummy so Shou sat in with me, putting stickers on my back and drawing on the tatami. Excellent lesson. All the while hub was in the kitchen three metres away grilling damn fish and hence stinking out entire house WHEN there was a beautiful lasagne waiting for him. SIGH.
Anyway, they are all asleep now. Long may it last. I am meeting coffee Chiemi after I drop the kids off at kindy tomorrow morning. We are going to start pushchair walking in the mornings. She lives right beside the kindy. We will be able to have good talk while we push our babies round the paddies.
I think Granny K is getting hub to hoe the fields on Saturday. She plants beans every year - every kind under the sun. Hub doesnt even really like beans so I wonder where the need to plant row after row came from.
She has been quite helpful lately - seriously. She seems to be as annoyed as I am at how many times I get the kiddy dinner, bath and bed routine on my own while hub is doing overtime. Could just be because she's worried we're close to doing a runner though!!
SDGH&QL
She mailed last night to ask if I knew such and such a person - a woman. I didn't. She found a suspicsious text from her on her hubs phone. He usually has his keypad locked and she doesn't usually look - think must be result of me telling her I check hubs from time to time. She got in bit of panic and confronted him last night. Found out over coffee that all OK but that her hub said to her that her actions of late must be because she is hanging out here a bit - this is the same hub who keeps all his overtime pay for his own pocket money - seeing as he was the one doing the overtime. Whatever. Just forget about the wife at home with a five year old, three year old and four month old doing 'SAHM' overtime. He thinks my hub is a true survivor for putting up with me. I think hub is too sometimes but I definately don't think I should be voted off the island.
Christ, if I leave the island it will be on a luxury cruiser with loads of Gin and tonics and twenty year old deck hands - if you have deck hands on a cruiser?
After Chiemis on parade I had to get dinner sorted (lasagne but not much love love) and English class stuff. My eight girls arrived at half four and it was a better class than last week although I had to tell one girl off because I am sick of them talking to me like I'm not their damn teacher. Am going to start being scary teacher - or at least give me some respect and do what I ask teacher. During the class hub rang. Hub, who was supposed to becoming home straight after work because have evening English class too, said that he suddenly got told he had business trip to city tomorrow and would be late tonight making whatever shite he had to make to take with him. I am so mature that I hung up on him. And then rang him back and asked him to please (may have omitted that bit acutally) be home by eight - when my English class starts. Yes, I have Granny K to ask but Shou would probably still be awake and on his own that would be fine but what if Ryu is nutting out too??
At half five had to leave a screaming Ryu with Granny K while I went to pick the sproglets up. They were super cute, well Marina was. Shou came running straight out to me while Marina cleaned up the toys, as per the teachers request. Good little girl. Gotta love little girls. Gotta love little boys too but Shou wasn't doing what he was asked at twenty months. I'm not sure he'll do what he is asked ever in fact.
They both ate their pasta - I tried lasagane on Marina a few months ago and she threw it on the floor. Just goes to show you just have to keep trying with foods when they are little. Was mighty fine lasagane though.
Showered the kids and then finally sat down to feed Ryu - who just about sucked my nipples off he was so hungry. Shou and Marina were quiet for a full twenty minutes while they were entertained by the Wiggles. Marina went to bed, Shou played roads, and Ryu sucked the other nipple off while I waited for daddy to get home. He got home at five past eight - my English students were here already. Ryu had been put down five minutes before they arrived and was / and is still asleep.
Despite hub being home practically the whole of the lesson he made no effort to try and bribe Shou away from the room I teach in. I wasn't about to be angry mummy so Shou sat in with me, putting stickers on my back and drawing on the tatami. Excellent lesson. All the while hub was in the kitchen three metres away grilling damn fish and hence stinking out entire house WHEN there was a beautiful lasagne waiting for him. SIGH.
Anyway, they are all asleep now. Long may it last. I am meeting coffee Chiemi after I drop the kids off at kindy tomorrow morning. We are going to start pushchair walking in the mornings. She lives right beside the kindy. We will be able to have good talk while we push our babies round the paddies.
I think Granny K is getting hub to hoe the fields on Saturday. She plants beans every year - every kind under the sun. Hub doesnt even really like beans so I wonder where the need to plant row after row came from.
She has been quite helpful lately - seriously. She seems to be as annoyed as I am at how many times I get the kiddy dinner, bath and bed routine on my own while hub is doing overtime. Could just be because she's worried we're close to doing a runner though!!
SDGH&QL
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Two Testis - Thank God.
Well, I definately didn't wake up as super mummy this morning as planned. Think I was more bitchy sleep deprived mummy. Shou woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed at ten to five!!Could mummy please repair his airplane - which was two bits of rolled up newspaper stuck together with tape in shape of cross. I took him downstairs, put the plane through a vigorous warrent of fitness and then taped up the bits in need of repair. Then tried to persuade him back upstairs - he could even come in with mummy if he was quiet and didn't wake the baby. No go.
So bitchy sleep deprived mummy put him outside, on the deck. In form of time out I guess he should have stayed out there for three minutes - a minute for each year of his age. Isn't that the recommendation? If so then means I could tell hub to bugger off for 44 minutes at a time!!
Finally managed to get back upstairs where mummy got told to go away and hub was flavor of the month. He slept for another hour thank god.
Got them to kindy and came home to clean, get English ready and get dinner sorted before heading off to meet friend for lunch.
Met her for some corn, ebi (shrimp) and blow torched (aburi) something or rather. I am so predictable. I may venture out and have some salmon or squid but this is my usual menu. Went to the kiddy shop and bought Marina some shoes and shorts. Ryu was a gem and slept the whole time until he had to get weighed for his one month check!
Got to the clinic early and needed a pee. Didn't have to do pee test last time for the one month checks but thought would ask anyway. YES - so away I go and my god, how easy it is to pee in a cup when you haven't got a nine month pregnant belly to contend with. Had blood taken too and the dreaded 'internal'. Not as bad as was expecting and doctor gave me clean bill of health and said 'nandemo shitte ii yo' - you can do anything now. Hmmmm. And I don't think he was talking about going back to my rigid rock climbing regime.
The doctor there to give the babies check ups tried very hard with her English - despite hearing me talk in Japanese to the nurse. However, the only English I really understood was
He has two testis.
This is good news, very good news indeed. For a while there I thought Ryu was going round with just one big ball and not two. What a relief. His hips are fine, no lumps in his tummy, neck on the way to holding big head up rah rah. And for the major stats - he is now 4900 grams, so has put on over a kilogram in one month. He is 3cm longer and his head has grown 8cm - which I don't think can be right surely?? Especially as his man chest has shrunk by 5cm.
After check we hightailed it home in time for a bit of boob before English. Class went fine. Hub rang half way though to say he might be late but would definately be home as early as possible tomorrow night when I have my 8pm class. I asked if he could please come home early on the odd night when I didn't have anything. He didn't protest and was home tonight just before six.
I got the all OK for having a bath again from the doctor - here they tell you not to have one for the first four weeks after birth. I even put Ryu in the big bath - with me. The first time. It was lovely. Shou and Marina were clean and running round the house with dad chasing them trying to put their jim jams on. But I didn't care. I had a beautiful little baby all cute and rolley and naked. Ryu loved it.
Hub has just gone up to bed and I think maybe I should too. Need to get into routine of getting to bed earlier. Am sick of self waking up as bitchy mummy.
My old work place rung up this morning and offered me a days interpreting next Tuesday. Thank god I had Ryu as an excuse. I haven't interpreted for academic related meetings for long time so would have been very scary - as is summer review for the univeristy and all the big wigs are there. Also, the university is currently on one week break due to three cases of swine flu being reported. Obviously admin staff haven't been sent home though. So, while it was nice to feel loved and wanted I turned it down.
Seriously time to sleep.
SDGH&QL
So bitchy sleep deprived mummy put him outside, on the deck. In form of time out I guess he should have stayed out there for three minutes - a minute for each year of his age. Isn't that the recommendation? If so then means I could tell hub to bugger off for 44 minutes at a time!!
Finally managed to get back upstairs where mummy got told to go away and hub was flavor of the month. He slept for another hour thank god.
Got them to kindy and came home to clean, get English ready and get dinner sorted before heading off to meet friend for lunch.
Met her for some corn, ebi (shrimp) and blow torched (aburi) something or rather. I am so predictable. I may venture out and have some salmon or squid but this is my usual menu. Went to the kiddy shop and bought Marina some shoes and shorts. Ryu was a gem and slept the whole time until he had to get weighed for his one month check!
Got to the clinic early and needed a pee. Didn't have to do pee test last time for the one month checks but thought would ask anyway. YES - so away I go and my god, how easy it is to pee in a cup when you haven't got a nine month pregnant belly to contend with. Had blood taken too and the dreaded 'internal'. Not as bad as was expecting and doctor gave me clean bill of health and said 'nandemo shitte ii yo' - you can do anything now. Hmmmm. And I don't think he was talking about going back to my rigid rock climbing regime.
The doctor there to give the babies check ups tried very hard with her English - despite hearing me talk in Japanese to the nurse. However, the only English I really understood was
He has two testis.
This is good news, very good news indeed. For a while there I thought Ryu was going round with just one big ball and not two. What a relief. His hips are fine, no lumps in his tummy, neck on the way to holding big head up rah rah. And for the major stats - he is now 4900 grams, so has put on over a kilogram in one month. He is 3cm longer and his head has grown 8cm - which I don't think can be right surely?? Especially as his man chest has shrunk by 5cm.
After check we hightailed it home in time for a bit of boob before English. Class went fine. Hub rang half way though to say he might be late but would definately be home as early as possible tomorrow night when I have my 8pm class. I asked if he could please come home early on the odd night when I didn't have anything. He didn't protest and was home tonight just before six.
I got the all OK for having a bath again from the doctor - here they tell you not to have one for the first four weeks after birth. I even put Ryu in the big bath - with me. The first time. It was lovely. Shou and Marina were clean and running round the house with dad chasing them trying to put their jim jams on. But I didn't care. I had a beautiful little baby all cute and rolley and naked. Ryu loved it.
Hub has just gone up to bed and I think maybe I should too. Need to get into routine of getting to bed earlier. Am sick of self waking up as bitchy mummy.
My old work place rung up this morning and offered me a days interpreting next Tuesday. Thank god I had Ryu as an excuse. I haven't interpreted for academic related meetings for long time so would have been very scary - as is summer review for the univeristy and all the big wigs are there. Also, the university is currently on one week break due to three cases of swine flu being reported. Obviously admin staff haven't been sent home though. So, while it was nice to feel loved and wanted I turned it down.
Seriously time to sleep.
SDGH&QL
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Ryu - one month
If I thought yesterday was hot then shit, how wrong I was. Today was just gross. Thirty degrees, no wind and a thousand percent humidity. I had to give in and put the aircon on during the chaos time because I was so close to a mummy meltdown - literally. We managed the dinner thing OK, the bath thing semi OK and bed thing didn't really go down very well at all. At one stage all three kids were crying and my god, I just about lost the plot. Fortunately sleep took over and I fell asleep beside Shou until hub woke me up at half eight.
He got home after midnight last night. I wasn't planning on still being up but had panic when got scary 'system hacking error' when trying to place order for Australian cheddar. Had visions of someone using my credit card details for purchasing small island off the Caribbean. Actually I only have thousand dollar limit on card so not sure if that even possible but still.
Couldn't ring the company due to the time so tried the free dial to the card company to try and put stop on card until could talk to company. Free dial had computer operated voice saying to push such and such a button for theft or loss of card, such and such for blah blah and to hold if you didn't have a push button phone. Who doesn't have a push button phone these days? I reckon even the phone that leads to the bat cave would be push button by now wouldn't it?
I hung up and then decided to try again as really in theory card had been stolen - or well that's what I was telling my self. Some twelve year old somewhere was sitting in his darkened room, drinking Pepsi and scoffing crisps while downloading my credit card details. When I tried the free dial a second time it didn't work, and every time until I stopped trying at half twelve.
We all got up at five this morning, and I do believe I fed Ryu at least once in between. So awesome, I got lots of sleep last night.
Rang local credit card number this morning and got patronising bitch telling me that if I was really worried they would send out a new card, but perhaps the error came up because I had been late in paying my card in February. Shove my new credit card and old credit card up your nostrils you stupid cow. Then rang food company and spoke to man who was very nice who then forwarded me on to tech guy who was also very nice, as was the guy who rang me this afternoon because he didn't realise the problem had all ready been sorted. Full points for customer service. My order got placed and I should be receiving Australian cheddar, pasta sauces, mince pies and salt and vinegar chips in a few days, safe in fact that some 12 year old in dark room somewhere not in process of purchasing small island at my expense.
So, back by popular demand is Ryu.... one month today...
What a stud.
Tomorrow he gets weighed and measured, and I get pocked and prodded. Am meeting a friend for lunch at sushi. Have English as soon as get home - if I make it and may in fact have to ring the mothers from the car to cancel. Therefore, I have to get English sorted and dinner made by ten am. But never mind, I have full intention of going to bed as meltdown mummy and waking up as wait...
is it a bird...
is it a plane...
no it's super mummy.
Actually only thing super about it is that can run round getting it all sorted without help of modern medicine. Wouldn't mind some drugs to get me through some of my days though.
Hub came home at half eight tonight and was all keen for some international relations - needless to say he had to settle for a bit less but still more than he's got for while. He got no sleep last night either really so I reckon he probably would have passed out from exhaustion if we'd actually done the whole leg over thing properly.
Well, nighty night campers.
Time to have some quality hub and TV time. Wonder if I can barter a foot rub.
nudge nudge
SDGH&QL
He got home after midnight last night. I wasn't planning on still being up but had panic when got scary 'system hacking error' when trying to place order for Australian cheddar. Had visions of someone using my credit card details for purchasing small island off the Caribbean. Actually I only have thousand dollar limit on card so not sure if that even possible but still.
Couldn't ring the company due to the time so tried the free dial to the card company to try and put stop on card until could talk to company. Free dial had computer operated voice saying to push such and such a button for theft or loss of card, such and such for blah blah and to hold if you didn't have a push button phone. Who doesn't have a push button phone these days? I reckon even the phone that leads to the bat cave would be push button by now wouldn't it?
I hung up and then decided to try again as really in theory card had been stolen - or well that's what I was telling my self. Some twelve year old somewhere was sitting in his darkened room, drinking Pepsi and scoffing crisps while downloading my credit card details. When I tried the free dial a second time it didn't work, and every time until I stopped trying at half twelve.
We all got up at five this morning, and I do believe I fed Ryu at least once in between. So awesome, I got lots of sleep last night.
Rang local credit card number this morning and got patronising bitch telling me that if I was really worried they would send out a new card, but perhaps the error came up because I had been late in paying my card in February. Shove my new credit card and old credit card up your nostrils you stupid cow. Then rang food company and spoke to man who was very nice who then forwarded me on to tech guy who was also very nice, as was the guy who rang me this afternoon because he didn't realise the problem had all ready been sorted. Full points for customer service. My order got placed and I should be receiving Australian cheddar, pasta sauces, mince pies and salt and vinegar chips in a few days, safe in fact that some 12 year old in dark room somewhere not in process of purchasing small island at my expense.
So, back by popular demand is Ryu.... one month today...
What a stud.
Tomorrow he gets weighed and measured, and I get pocked and prodded. Am meeting a friend for lunch at sushi. Have English as soon as get home - if I make it and may in fact have to ring the mothers from the car to cancel. Therefore, I have to get English sorted and dinner made by ten am. But never mind, I have full intention of going to bed as meltdown mummy and waking up as wait...
is it a bird...
is it a plane...
no it's super mummy.
Actually only thing super about it is that can run round getting it all sorted without help of modern medicine. Wouldn't mind some drugs to get me through some of my days though.
Hub came home at half eight tonight and was all keen for some international relations - needless to say he had to settle for a bit less but still more than he's got for while. He got no sleep last night either really so I reckon he probably would have passed out from exhaustion if we'd actually done the whole leg over thing properly.
Well, nighty night campers.
Time to have some quality hub and TV time. Wonder if I can barter a foot rub.
nudge nudge
SDGH&QL
Monday, 6 July 2009
Hot, hot,hot.
Granny K's older brother and his wife have just turned up. Haven't seen them for a while. I brought Ryu down for them to admire and have put him back upstairs but think all the kawaiii praises may have gone to his head and he is starting to stir.
Took him to the supermarket this arvo - just quickly for eggs and the likes. Three old women I have never met all said how it wasn't good that I had such a young baby out with me and the one young lady I ran into whom I know just laughed and said how good I was at juggling - holding the baby in one arm and my basket of shopping in the other. Honestly, how do the vestlings of the world expect mothers with babies to get anything done! How did they do it? Must have been even harder considering internet and catalogue shopping wasn't even around. When I do a big shop I go to the closest supermarket that has carts big enough to plonk the baby car seat in.
Anyway - Ryu is one month old tomorrow so officially that lets me off the hook for being a crap mother taking her newborn baby out and about. We had a good night last night - apart from a few throw ups and some squirting pee in the middle of the night. We didn't make it downstairs until just before seven - which despite feeding two times during the night was the closest to a sleep-in I have had for a while. Shou and Marina had been fed and changed and I don't even think I woke up because of Shou nutting out.Ryu and I went back to sleep after round one of the housework and slept until mid-day. Unheard of. I feel very refreshed and ready to take on the chaos of the evening. Hub is going to be late but this current work thing is due to be out by the 9th so might have some earlier nights again after that.
I really need to get Shou sleeping on his own. What bliss to have a child that would snuggle up for a book and then give you a kiss and go to sleep all on their own. Any advice? Marina is usually asleep in the next room by the time he goes to bed so any techniques that don't involve letting him scream for hours on end until he's so tired he falls alseep.
A couple of comments from my last post where from women with children older than mine - both saying that their 'future' life (their life now) is not what they imagined it would be when they were at the stage I am now, with little kids running round. This got me to thinking what I want my 'future' life to be. It's hard to imagine really. So many of my constants will be the same - this is of course assuming that hub and I last the distance, and assuming that Granny K goes gracefully and I am not left having to take a class in vestling toilet and bath care.
At the moment all I am looking forward to is a time when I have three children who can dress them selves, feed themselves, go to sleep themselves and most importantly hold a damn conversation long enough to not throw a tanty. Surely little boys start sorting their shit out by the time they are about five? With hub's recent behavior though expecting Shou to sort his shit out when his dad can't might be asking a bit much!!
Yesterday was a typical Sunday - we thought it might be nice weather though so hub had bought a couple of waterguns and some bubbles on Saturday. The one he got for Shou was about as complicated for a three year old as a watergun can be though and Shou was left very frustrated and very wet because it kept leaking out the end. Marina got completely saturated thanks to Shou after he had figured the gun out.
They start getting in the pool at kindy from today. The local carpenter goes and bangs up a shallow pool every year that has a big blue tarp in it. Seems enough for the little ones to enjoy themselves and splash round. The bigger kids go in the shallow end of the primary school pool. I think I forgot to mention that in the middle of our big argument the other night - right after I started crying and right before I was thinking how my glass lasagna dish would look wrapped round the side of hub's head, Granny K came in to the lounge and said we were being too loud. We were by no means shouting but for midnight I guess our voices could have been a bit loud. Hub told her to bugger off (acchi ike) and that her TV was usually up so loud it was a miracle she could hear us at all. As she was retreating back to her room I told her not to worry about the noise as from tomorrow it would probably just be her and hub again anyway.
After our sushi outing on Saturday hub came back with a huge bunch of flowers. I saw Granny K checking them out, perhaps thinking they were mine. Would have been nice but they were instead for a colleague of hub's who had retired. Hub, and four other men went out drinking that night and presented said colleague with huge bunch of pink roses. I wonder if you would come across the same scenario in New Zealand - five men and a bunch of pink roses. I would image the retirement would be a gift of some sort or perhaps a nice bottle of scotch.
Granny K was noticeably scarce on Saturday morning and when she was around she was being exceptionally nice and softly spoken - no doubt scared that she was close to getting a second lot of grandkids taken away from her. Hub's first wife and his two kids left when they were five and two and Granny K (and hub) have only seen them a handful of times in the eight or nine years since.
Well, I should probably get the bath ready for Ryu so then I can at least tick that off before the mayhem begins at five. Hub late tonight, tomorrow and probably Wednesday. It is disgustingly hot today and it is just going to be getting worse over the next few months. Breast feeding in this heat isn't a pleasant experience. I can't imagine it's that nice for Ryu either but then again if he takes after his father a boob is a boob and well, if it's in your face then who really cares how hot it is.
SDGH&QL
Took him to the supermarket this arvo - just quickly for eggs and the likes. Three old women I have never met all said how it wasn't good that I had such a young baby out with me and the one young lady I ran into whom I know just laughed and said how good I was at juggling - holding the baby in one arm and my basket of shopping in the other. Honestly, how do the vestlings of the world expect mothers with babies to get anything done! How did they do it? Must have been even harder considering internet and catalogue shopping wasn't even around. When I do a big shop I go to the closest supermarket that has carts big enough to plonk the baby car seat in.
Anyway - Ryu is one month old tomorrow so officially that lets me off the hook for being a crap mother taking her newborn baby out and about. We had a good night last night - apart from a few throw ups and some squirting pee in the middle of the night. We didn't make it downstairs until just before seven - which despite feeding two times during the night was the closest to a sleep-in I have had for a while. Shou and Marina had been fed and changed and I don't even think I woke up because of Shou nutting out.Ryu and I went back to sleep after round one of the housework and slept until mid-day. Unheard of. I feel very refreshed and ready to take on the chaos of the evening. Hub is going to be late but this current work thing is due to be out by the 9th so might have some earlier nights again after that.
I really need to get Shou sleeping on his own. What bliss to have a child that would snuggle up for a book and then give you a kiss and go to sleep all on their own. Any advice? Marina is usually asleep in the next room by the time he goes to bed so any techniques that don't involve letting him scream for hours on end until he's so tired he falls alseep.
A couple of comments from my last post where from women with children older than mine - both saying that their 'future' life (their life now) is not what they imagined it would be when they were at the stage I am now, with little kids running round. This got me to thinking what I want my 'future' life to be. It's hard to imagine really. So many of my constants will be the same - this is of course assuming that hub and I last the distance, and assuming that Granny K goes gracefully and I am not left having to take a class in vestling toilet and bath care.
At the moment all I am looking forward to is a time when I have three children who can dress them selves, feed themselves, go to sleep themselves and most importantly hold a damn conversation long enough to not throw a tanty. Surely little boys start sorting their shit out by the time they are about five? With hub's recent behavior though expecting Shou to sort his shit out when his dad can't might be asking a bit much!!
Yesterday was a typical Sunday - we thought it might be nice weather though so hub had bought a couple of waterguns and some bubbles on Saturday. The one he got for Shou was about as complicated for a three year old as a watergun can be though and Shou was left very frustrated and very wet because it kept leaking out the end. Marina got completely saturated thanks to Shou after he had figured the gun out.
They start getting in the pool at kindy from today. The local carpenter goes and bangs up a shallow pool every year that has a big blue tarp in it. Seems enough for the little ones to enjoy themselves and splash round. The bigger kids go in the shallow end of the primary school pool. I think I forgot to mention that in the middle of our big argument the other night - right after I started crying and right before I was thinking how my glass lasagna dish would look wrapped round the side of hub's head, Granny K came in to the lounge and said we were being too loud. We were by no means shouting but for midnight I guess our voices could have been a bit loud. Hub told her to bugger off (acchi ike) and that her TV was usually up so loud it was a miracle she could hear us at all. As she was retreating back to her room I told her not to worry about the noise as from tomorrow it would probably just be her and hub again anyway.
After our sushi outing on Saturday hub came back with a huge bunch of flowers. I saw Granny K checking them out, perhaps thinking they were mine. Would have been nice but they were instead for a colleague of hub's who had retired. Hub, and four other men went out drinking that night and presented said colleague with huge bunch of pink roses. I wonder if you would come across the same scenario in New Zealand - five men and a bunch of pink roses. I would image the retirement would be a gift of some sort or perhaps a nice bottle of scotch.
Granny K was noticeably scarce on Saturday morning and when she was around she was being exceptionally nice and softly spoken - no doubt scared that she was close to getting a second lot of grandkids taken away from her. Hub's first wife and his two kids left when they were five and two and Granny K (and hub) have only seen them a handful of times in the eight or nine years since.
Well, I should probably get the bath ready for Ryu so then I can at least tick that off before the mayhem begins at five. Hub late tonight, tomorrow and probably Wednesday. It is disgustingly hot today and it is just going to be getting worse over the next few months. Breast feeding in this heat isn't a pleasant experience. I can't imagine it's that nice for Ryu either but then again if he takes after his father a boob is a boob and well, if it's in your face then who really cares how hot it is.
SDGH&QL
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