Pokke, Migrains and rummaging in Ikebukuro

The weather has been scorchio for the past few days and C and I have been zipping around on the bike. She is a bit random with the hat wearing mind, some days she keeps them on no probs, other days she just throws them out the bike basket as we are reaching top speed usually along with whatever teletubby has crashed from favour becasue it is not sitting the way she wants it to.

Yesterday we got ourselves over to Pokke the jidokan that also offers 8 days a month Japanese Day care for bargain price of 2000JPY for 4 hours or 3000 yen the whole day. I had to attend a "setsumei kai" though before they let us use the service its set up for Minatoku residents and the ladies that work their are all child care pros and very sweet ( the younger less anal ones that is)

We had to suffer an hour of one of the older women reading off a pamphlet which we had all read anyway, while the kids went mental snatching toys from each other and generally whining. I tell you a medal should be given to us mums brave enough to sit thru those long and unnecessary explanations. Of course there are a 100 rules that need to be followed and my application couldn't be finalised without a picture of not only Charlize ( this I prepared), but also of Cliff and I. So looks as though I have to make another trip all the way back there on the "chi bus" next week.

We did find a funky cool grandma on the outbound bus journey to entertain C though. As soon as we joined her baking at the bus stop she grabbed Cs chubby little arm and started massaging it. C thought this was quite nice and offered her the kitty phone with a nice big "Dozo". The woman turned out to be a concert pianist ( she was about 60) with afro hair, platforms, looked like a boob job in a sparkly bejeweled Tshirt and and jangly bracelets. She was off to a swimming class with her concert ballgown stuffed in an oversized bag. She lives half the year in Sweden and then tours the other half. She was Japanese but so not typical. We got some funny stares on the bus from the more conventional biddies but it was so refreshing to meet someone a bit different without a chopstick up their bum.

In the afternoon we had music together and C had a great time prancing and singing. It was hard to get her out of the fish tank though as she is obsessed with them (along with boobies and turtles) and there a little tank in the foyer as you come into the Church which she is usually shouting about as we pull up to the door on the bike. The afternoon Cecelia came so we popped home to see her after a quick run in Azabu park where Charlize caked herself in mud from head to toe jumping in the sandpit where the big kids had made a river with water. I wouldn't mind but she was wearing a red panten Mary Jane shoes, floral Laura Ashley type dress, and white frilled ankle socks. When we arrived home, Cecelia couldn't believe the state of her we stripped her down in the entrance hall she was such as mess. She then had a lovely time playing " Cecelia Where are you?" which she says really well now thanks to Cecelia repeating it 1000 times. I then made a quick exit to meet Reiko in Omotesando at Next as she had 10,000 yen worth of points to use and I really fancied leaving the house for the first dinner outside with a friend since last year!!! I did start to feel a bit headachey on the train on the way though and thought to drink water but then didn't pass a vending machine and got caught up at Next ordering a swim sun hat for C while Rieko tried on the entire store. It was fun though as it was after work and we were the only 2 in the shop it was like having personal shopper at your disposal and such a luxury not having to do the usual grab and run with Chalize along. Rieko bought a suit and blouse and I bought socks for C and a t shirt for me bargain as I got 5% off for my birthday month plus extra 10% so t shirt was only 800JPY. I am still too fat though a size 14 next when I need to get down to a 12.. 12 I can get into but not comfortable.

After shopping we wondered to Las Chicas for a nice dinner but my headache was getting worse. I was going to have an umeshu but couldn't face it as turned to full blown migraine to the point where I had to wear my sunnies in the dark. We asked the restaurant for aspirin but by that time it was too late. We had to leave and got as far as the train when I started to upchuck. Poor Rieko went scuttling off to find a plastic bag and then we decided we couldn't do train we needed cab so ran back up and into the nearest taxi with much sumimasening as the cab driver thought he had a drunk on his hands! Got back in with Riekos help and just hit the sack feeling crap. So much for my big night out..

Today I woke up still feeling a bit ropey but realised I had better get with the program as had C to get to school. Once I let her wear the Kitty chan socks she agreed to put her clothes on and we raced out the door on the bike. She went over to Hadar ok there was a bit mumumumuming but only lasted a minute. Emma wanted to check out Ikebukuro a super discount store for some funky iron in labels with kitty chan and poo etc on for the girls school clothes. We got there a tad early so scarfed some hot cakes in Maky Ds before having a right old rummage in the rummage fest shop. I got some good hairbands that are long enough and thick enough to tame my mangy hair, and we had a laugh trying on grandma hats. Also picked up a 1000 yen giant beach bag that I can carry the huge amount of crap I need when I leave the house each day. Trucked it back on JR and picked the girls up. They were full of beans because they had been cooking and had baked us a cake. C wanted me to open mine immediately but quickly snatched it saying " cake mummy cake" and started shooving it in her mouth as fast as she could. Hadar showed us pics of them in the cake mixture and today's lunch was spagetti which C ate every scrap of ( she is Italian) thru and thru much to Cliffs delight and all those deli lunchs last year in eatly!!!

We actually made it home without her falling asleep I think the cake kept her busy, but as soon as we were in the door she was down.

This afternoon we popped to the shops with C on her little trike the one I can steer at the back and then called into Appi jidokan only to find it closed for maintenance but bumped into Silvia Diego and Naomi and Emi also trying to get in there. Naomi and Emi came back for a play at ours for an hour and Naomi and Charlize had fun dancing to the music together CD and pushing the baby strollers around.

She is fast asleep now and just like her dad who is snoring heavily on the sofa.