Novemeber-visitors galore

We have no visitors all year and then November BOOM! they all arrive en mass! Anna's mum and Dad arrived from the Philippines to snow in Toks minus Celsius wearing tshirts! Had to kit them out in ski gear for Hakone! They had a Japan rail pass and no hotel bookings on a holiday weekend so couldn't find them the best place to stay in Kyoto but at least managed to book something ok ish for their travels each day. They stayed 2 nights with us and it was like having grandparents Charlize loved them. Then it was a quick change of guard and sheets as the Swedes arrived family of 3 old colleague from SAS knows both cliff and I was there in the same Star Alliance committee when Cliff and I met for the first time! They only in for 3 days and I think the plan I gave them completed exhausted them but they were totally smitten with Tokyo. Their last night we popped to see the amazing lights in Roppongi hills and midtown, all blue and surreal and allowed C stay up till 8ish to come out with us, she was so excited to be out so late at night but feel asleep on the walk home. Took the Scandies to a lovely Japanese restaurant and have a storming set menu 9 courses including shabu shabu and sashimi for bargain price of 3000JPY per person. Its my little secret place where I take all guests who want something Japanese but dont want to drop a small fortune. Monday Buffalo and Goose and their parents arrive flying in from Deli ( told them we don't want Deli belly or swine flu again thanks!) stay 3 days and then Michelle arrives for a week i think. Then a few days mad packing and stressing and its off to NYC on the 21st DEC for Xmas with Dad and Bruver. Looks like Rieko will also come for a few days.

Had a mad cleaning day today and felt exhausted but Cliff made nice pasta for lunch and took C to the park and book off to choose some new bookies and 1 DVD. She choose Monsters incorp..
Had a thanks giving brunch with school however the dinner was supposed to be ready by 11 on the table but turkey still wasn't cooked at 12 and I was supposed to pick c up at 12. Left with a few veggies and pumpkin pie in doggy bag was very HUNGRY!!! Loads of birthday parties and xmas parties to go. Managed to get all the xmas shopping done just have two parcels left to post and cards left to address but will brave the azabu rabbit hole post office with C again armed with my usual bribe of a choco croissant on monday sigh. Oh and the xmas tree is up but no good decorations as they are hiding somewhere in teh basement which will all fall on me should I attempt to retrieve them. C has already taken most of them off so tree looks a bit sado. Oh and got a free double stroller mountain buggy from wealthy expat family who dont want it they gave it to me for free it costs 800 dollars new!!!

Feel sooooo tired so early night as usual like 9pm!!!

Charlize turns 2

What a great party we had at K space on Saturday even though it was postponed by one week because of the flu lurgie and 11 people could not come many down with sickness themselves. Still it was a lovely afternoon although the stress of catering for kids and adults after a massive cotco run nd then ferrying it all between azabu and shiroganedai.. ( remind me to get catering next time!). cliff reckoned the food was not edible anyway. My stuff was only vaguely picked at (I did do crackers with Cheddar cheese and braston pickle!!) but the ordered giant plate of sushi did get scoffed so at least the parents were ok! The kids went mental with pass the parcel and then headed down to the soft gym for a rough and tumble. Around 4:30 we did the cake and Kokomo came in to scare all the kids who like him but not too close!!! Cecila came and helped me and I did just throw away paper stuff ( haughty me) but made life easier. THANK GOD with 40 odd people it was not my house!!

They have now closed K space school the upper one as more than 6 kids have Influenza A and some confirmed 1000% as swine. Lower school has hand foot and mouth going around so may not send c back this week!!!

Took C to the docs for my nucal fold test and scan at 13 weeks. C was really into it looking at the baby on the screen and saying baby brother baby sister. It seems that maybe there is something between the legs so 95% a boy. Will know for sure next scan. Cliff is over the moon brought back blue roses and keeps on about now I have a partner in crime and heir to the throne!!!!! Charlize knows what is happening however and reverting to baby mode saying mommy I am a baby can I have milky in bottle..

Anyway better go have loads to do Anna's parents arrive from Philippines soon and the house is a tip..

Busy November

Been a bit slack at keeping this updated this month thanks to the dreaded Swine Flu knocking us off our feet for a week. First C ( remind me that the flu test is a massive stick shoved right up babies nose and not to do that again to the poor munchkin) Then Cliff, but some Tamiflu made him puke violently, and then mommy for 2 days in bed but with sicky husband off for the week to help me thank god and what with Takako downstairs and lovely Emma leaving parcels of chicken noddle and other lovely food on the doorstep, we were very lucky indeed. Nobody wanted Cliff back in the office and the school made me keep Charlize away for almost 2 weeks which was ok as she needed the rest really anyway. It all happened on the eve of Halloween that she started to get sick of all days the special trick and treating day at school where the kids went round the local shops in the wagon collecting pre screened only healthy snack goodie bags! She looked so cute in her Elmo costume sent along with the bumble bee one from Uncle Karl Karl in New York. We also got a ton of toys (Elmo talking doll being the highlight) which she loves and hates at the same time is now trying to get him in a strangle hold after about 20 minutes! She has the Fischer price aeroplane too and is really into role play these days especially the one that involves sitting in a cardboard box with buster cat, kittychan and snoppy ( not elmo he is too big) and then landing in Rome Italy and going to the wendy house which is the hotel where she whips them all up a full English breakfast on grandads cooker before chucking them into the pool which is the giant cushion on the floor! Grandad bought her a lovely wooden cooker for her birthday which she likes to put bad Teddy's in the oven. We got her some lego (not a big hit) and a etch a sketch which is a big hit but she usually commands me to draw whatever anime characters is flavour of the month.
Went to Sakamotos at last and I am now 13 weeks preggers baby due May 27th (so not as far along as I thought and not two which is a bit of a let down as that could have explained my massive 4 kilo pork in the first trimester. The Insurance company darn having to have American insurance, are giving us the run around on what doctors and hospital we can use looks like I might not be able to have sakamoto so might have to seriously consider doing NHS at home. Anyway I am now thinking WHAT WAS I THINKING going for number 2?!!!
Today charklize stayed in school till 1pm for Kokomore as we did the Costco run for the party food and Emma bought loads as did I we only just managed to ram it all in Takakos car. Will have fun doing sausages on sticks etc tomorrow evening but I am just ordering a couple of giant plates of sushi for the adults we have 45 people coming... We had to cancel the party last weekend because school wouldn't let us anywhere near, but now we are good to go and at least its not my house and there is a soft gym for the kids to throw themselves around in. I even managed to get a massive sheet cake all iced with balloons etc to feed 48 for just 2800JPY which is so unbelievable because at Costo as most Japanese bakeries charge 37,000JPY for that size!!! Not sure what it will taste like but it looks ok.
Feeling really really sick still the morning sickness or should I say all day sickness is still going strong. I may capitulate and buy the 17,000JPY for 6 tablet sickness tablets from Sakamoto on monday when I go for the nucal fold test etc.
Oh and Karl my lovely brother has booked us tickets to NYC for Xmas and New Year and is taking us skiing in Vermont for xmas and putting C into ski school. Shame I wont be able to ski... But maybe some books and the hot tub and snow shoeing will suffice.
Been thinking of mum every day this week. cant belive its 2 years. Still does not seem real or fair for that matter. She would so love to be at charlizes birthday this weekend.
Anyway its 9pm and my bed is beckoning..