Warm and Sunny May

Ok 10 minutes before monster waks up so highlights highlights!!! Only weeks or maybe days away now from loosing Orca status and having 2 kids.. April was terrible rainy and cold but May so far has been sunny all the way. Golden week I begged cliff to take us to Thailand and the flights were looking good as the unrest kept people away, but my belly was not looking safe so cliff said no boo hoo!! So we ended up going to Nagano Ken to see homestay family and all the Olympic Volunteers from when i worked as a CIR in Nagano prefecture during the 1998 Olympics. Its been 12 years and they all looked pretty much the same. We ended up in a lovely soba noodle restaurant which I might add was only 1000JPY for a massive fresh portion with a huge plate of Tempura whereas in Azabu its 1800JPY for rubbish!!! Aunty Rieko came with us thank God so had extra pair of hands to tame the monster who without a nap is hyper nigtmare and there was no place for naps on our 2 day adventure. After lovely lunch we went to Homestay mums mothers house which is something out of a Samurai castle warrior movie massive in the countryside with orchard but she is 90 almost and living there alone and its just too much for her. She was sooo happy to have company charlize ran the tatami matt rooms and corridors and banged on the piano and then finally stopped energiser bunny mode when we went to the orchard and she climbed into pushchair. We took a later shink to Karuizawa picked up hire care and had a hard time figuring which of the HUGE and many Prince hotel cottages we were staying in. Finally found it, checked in and then headed for dinner and an onsen. C was soooo tired but went in the onsen with cliff and went crazy swimming In the rotenburo she has very thick skin so tolerates 42 degrees no probs! I was just relived to get to relax without her! At 9 we got back and she was out for the count. Next day we had an early Japanese breakfast and at the hotel and then headed up to Onioshidashi the volcanic hiking trails at bottom of Mt Asama ( bear in mind I am waddling at a few weeks before D day!. C was tired and grumpy but picked up after ramen and a poo!!! So we looked for the farm and then trecked to a lovely waterfall before doing the Karuizawa ginza street full of tat and ice creams before a sniff around the American outlet mall at the station before shink back to Tokyo. Next day I started to have contractions and needed to stay in bed the whole day!!! Just over did it tad!! Cliff took c to Karate workshop on tuesday led by a very scary looking black belt hulk. Instead of punching the guard she hugged it and would have gone dressed in her tutu if possible. Spoke to Karl and dad and they have actually booked flights to come out ( wow!). Dad arrives 1st June for 1 month and Karl 12th June for 10 days. Today just got back from a fire station trip with the school and c and thinking should I do that hill again in search of an ice cream this afternoon. Hum? Anyway over and out until maybe after baby arrives or maybe not we shall see.