things BLUE says

This was from a while back, but it still makes me laugh...

Mom:  These are my flip flops. Do you hear me flip floppin'?
Blue:  I'm boot'n.

the OTHER side

Sorry for the long radio silence folks and thanks for your patience. We made it to the other side of the world! We packed up our house in Austin and left it in very good hands, passed off Lucy to some good friends for the year, tried desperately to foresee and plan for the Duval house remodel, packed eleven huge duffel bags full of clothes, toys, kitchen supplies, and American souvenirs, said some sad goodbyes, and boarded the plane.

 

 

We had a short little flight to Dallas first thing Monday morning and then settled in for the long 12 hour leg from Dallas direct to Tokyo. The kids did amazingly well. We didn't even come close to using all the toys and snacks we brought along. And we didn't have a breakdown until after we got all our bags through customs and were headed to the train. At that point, it was 3 or 4am Texas time and Blue especially was looking very tired. We were greeted by all of Graham's Japanese co-workers once we got to the hotel with plans to take us to dinner! A sweet thought but there was no way the babies were going to make it through that. So Graham went ahead and the kids and I were in bed by 7pm.

 

 

We are staying in a service apartment while our apartment details are getting worked out, and while it is better than I was prepared for, it is still quite small and basically just one open room. Adjusting to time change has been tricky in such a small space. We were all failing miserably until I unearthed the sound machine from the bags. Now Blue can wake up and have a cry about not wanting to go back to sleep and Wiley can sleep through it. One week later and I think we are all mostly adjusted. The hardest part now is that Blue's little pallet is right next to our bed and such close proximity is tough for our chatty one. Most mornings we have been up by 6am and our the door an hour or so later. Nothing really opens until 10 or 11 though so we have been doing lots of morning strolls.

 

 

 

 

 

The morning strolls provide good exercise for the kids but not the good, free, run around, explore, kind of exercise they are used to. More of the - hold my hand in the street, watch out, keep up - kind of exercise. We found a good park though, near the apartment we hope to settle into, that has places to just be. This same park is also used by the school Blue will be attending so I am sure we will all become very familiar with it.

Sayonara for now. That is literally one of maybe four Japanese words I know. A project for when we feel a little more settled I think. 

she's all THAT

These were taken about a month or so ago now. Back when Wiley required the walker or a hand to get around on two legs. She is wearing one of my old dresses and found a pair of Blue's sunglasses that actually stay on her face - she thought she was special! I guess she is...

off to TOKYO

We have some big news...

We are moving to Tokyo for a year! That's right... How many of you though it was going to be Baby No. 3? Nope.

The picture above seems to me something like Graham's worst nightmare. Or maybe this is...

But then you also have stuff like this:

It will definitely be an interesting year. 

Graham's company (Indeed) got bought last year by a big Japanese company (Recruit). And Recruit wants an office in Tokyo to help train some of their engineers to be more like Indeed engineers. So Graham and another Indeed guy are going over to get it started.

And the kids and I will be tagging along. Although if our past abroad experience (India, summer '06) is any indication we will all have a much better time than Graham!

Blue will be going to an international preschool three mornings a week which will be a great way for us all to meet other young families. There will be lots of fun cultural differences to learn about. Like Uwabaki (indoor shoes):

We will be in temporary housing for a bit while we find an apartment and while I am preparing myself for very small spaces I still think I will be in for a shock. I have learned little to no Japanese. All I can say is sumimasen (a form of apology) and takenegi nuki (no onion). I asked the Japanese contingent how to say the latter. Gotta be prepared! Really though, I should crack down on that.

We leave in late August and have most everything taken care of. And by that I mean, we have a plan in place. We still have to actually clear out all the closets and do a million other tasks before everything is literally taken care of. Will definitely keep the blog updated along the way. There should be lots of great stories to tell by the time it is all over!

babies AND baubles

Two of Wiley's favorite things are babies and jewelry. Kinda ridiculous isn't it! But it is true. So "babies and baubles" was our party theme. It was mostly just family and a couple close friends. We thought any more than that and she would get overshadowed by all the older kiddos running around. We had cupcakes, which she didn't love, and a party hat, which she did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was happy to get some cute pics of Wiley with her grandmothers. And we even got a cousin shot for you, Mimi! I don't remember anyone holding Blue at his first birthday party. He was walking and just generally much less inclined to stay in one place than Wiley-girl. She loved just hanging out in my mom's lap and playing with all her dolls. Blue thrilled the last of the crowd with his one-legged scooter trick. All in all a good party! Happy birthday, little miss (as Blue likes to call her).

wiley is ONE

What a fun year we have had with our girl! A fun fast year.

Words she can say, sort of...
- thank you
- uh oh
- baby (she has this one down perfectly!)
- mama
- hi
- bye bye
- all done
- mouth
- Blue


Her favorite food is Mac and Cheese. She will try anything and is especially eager to try it if she sees someone else eating it. She doesn't want to be left out. But she is kind of a little snacker, at once voracious but quickly over it.

 

 She likes to give hugs and sit in your lap and read a book or snuggle. But she is pretty independent and determined at the same time. A good combo I think!

I guess the trial of being second-born is that everything you do is compared to the first, but I enjoy seeing how different they are in so many situations. Blue was/is charming and very aware of what people were thinking of him. Wiley is much more reserved and internal. She also notices everything going on around her but is much less inclined to engage with people she doesn't have a connection with.

the girl WALKS

Tomorrow is her first birthday and yesterday we had a small party for her, but today Wiley took her first little unassisted steps. She has had the ability for weeks but would fall to the floor in a puddle of screams and tears when you even attempted to pry your finger from her death grip. But yesterday evening she just up and started standing without holding on to anything. And for long periods of time. And today came those first hesitant little steps. Notice the background music? Apparently Bert and Step in Time were just the motivation she needed.

Wiley's First Steps: set to Step in Time from Micaelan Davis on Vimeo.

PS - She took three little steps before I could get the camera on so a total of five connected steps!