Atami onsen, swine flu and Igura day care

So we hit Atami for the weekend because it was only 30 mins from Tokyo by Shink and that is the most these days we are prepared to suffer with the buffalo climbing over people and seats on the train. C was rather naughty but that was mainly because she was so tired after the big school debut the day before. Atami while on the sea is not pretty but there is a beach and a rope way and a kids amusement park in the Korakuen hotel so enough to keep us occupied for the weekend. I booked the Otsuki (big moon) hotel as it looked nice from the picture on the web and it was Japanese style with big rooms. We took the travel tent sleeper thing in the hope she might go for that but it was more of a game for Dolly's, no way was she going to sleep in it.

The ryokan people were nice let us check in at 11am actually I don't think they wanted the raging bull running around their lobby trying to catch the koi in the ornamental pond so let us into the room and out the way! She is obsessed with Fish and turtles these days its the first word that comes out once she opens her eyes, well that or boobies..

The hotel God Bless them gave us a 10 mat with 5 mat joining room so we could lock up the wilder beast and have our kaiseki dinner in peace while she slept. Actually it was lucky I thought to take the sleep bag that way she couldn't really easily get up off the futon!!! In the morning though at 7am I heard her throw herself off the futon and wriggle over to the door and she was there when we opened it like a little worm!

We hit the little beach on the front after we tried to get her to take a nap and she was having none of it. She found a little Filipino/Japanese boyfriend the same age at the waters edge and together they ran into the water, fell over, got drenched and refused to come out even though they were shivering and blue with cold. Plus I only had a rain mac and no towel so she had to go naked with just the rain mac on once she was out. She did have a pair or frog character shorts on though she looked a bit strange.

we went up the ropeway and decided we didn't need to pay to go into the sex museum at the top. C had a tantrum when we tried to prise her away from the anpanman kids rides. Cliff was resorting to "look see that man over there well he is a police man and he is coming to take you away if you dont behave" I had to ask him to stop putting the frighteners on her and scaring her for life!!!

It was a nice weekend we had great food and I stayed in the onsen for at least 3 hours. Took C the next morning and lucky there was no one there as the hot water did wonders for the bowls and when I looked carefully on the brown tiles I noticed she had left a giant poo on the floor.. Thank God it wasn't in the bath while Japanese people were there. She had a great time swimming in the indoor bath that was semi scolding hot it was a nightmare trying to coax her out.

Today was Monday we signed up at Igura the Japanese daycare/school which offers 8 times a month providing I ring at 9am a month in advance hum dont think we wil be getting in there often. The headmistress commented on how "genki" she was. I think roughly translated that is " oh my God your child is HYPER!". C also dropped a sembei in the entrance way and the crumbs went everywhere which sent the lady scuttling off for dustpan and brush and we had only just walked thru the door. I dont think our first impression was a great one.

It was K space in the afternoon and she wore her ecology jump suit which she modeled last year with the big red apples on very cute. I got it in 98cm so she is getting taller but still no hair. Also Gigi gave me a CD with all the pics on from her first day so will upload a couple. They didnt want to put them all on the website for fear of other mums complaining they were all of Charlize!!! Also tonight I threatened divorce on Cliff who came home clutching a mask saying he was going to Osaka for a business trip!!! I turn on NHK to discover they have closed the schools.It seems there are 131 cases of swine flu with 48 of them in Osaka hum. I made him drive straight to the station and refund the ticket!!! OK maybe I am being paranoid but don't want to chance anything.

Also just now got word from John that Lucy just had a baby boy Alexander. She looked all serene and lovely Lucy that is in the pics and she just popped him out!!! Jealous as I remember looking like a trogger weeble and am still trying to loose that look almost 2 years on!!!

Final news I got us booked into the mega cheap but nice onsen in Hakone that is subsidised by the local goverment for when cliffs mum and uncle and aunt arrive in June.

Right off to bed tommorow another busy day.