October 2015 - Japan - Meiji Shrine & Harajuku

After we said goodbye to Kanako and her family, we headed to the Meiji Shrine. It was really beautifully set back in the woods, and we loved seeing people dressed up to worship there.

We lucked out and saw a wedding processional as well!

Poor little droopy head David in the back! But, this stroller saved us!

 I loved seeing this darling little down syndrome girl all dressed up!

After that we wandered the alley ways and streets of Harajuku. It was such a fun area of the city full of bustling character. We grabbed dinner plus tried some street food dessert, and then headed back to our flat.

Beau was especially happy whenever we got to be out at night!!!

Here we are almost getting run over while we try to take a photo in the middle of
Shibuya Crossing, the busiest interscetion in the world!

It wasn't quite as busy at 7am when I went out for a walk with David so that everyone else could sleep! 

I must back up here to give a quick story from our first night's adventure. 

We flew into Tokyo on Friday evening. It was quite a long travel day - about an 8 hour flight. By the time we made it to Shibuya Crossing, where our airbnb flat was located, we were all pretty tired, and it was rather late. We found the key, made it into our room, and managed to get everyone set up for bed. Poor David was just beside himself at that point. He was so tired that nothing I could do seemed to settle him down. I nursed, sang, rocked, held, nursed again...nothing. Eventually, we had to just let him cry it out in the crib tent. 

JUST after he had fallen asleep, there was a knock at the door. 

We looked through the peep hole to see not one, not two, but SIX armed police men! 

Of course they woke David up again and he began crying. The police relatively quickly realized that we just had a tired, crying baby and that everything was OK. However, they still had to check for child abuse and ask us a million questions...a million questions in very, very broken English, our answers to which they didn't quite understand. Oh dear! What a welcome to Japan! 

Turns out a nosey neighbor had called the cops on us when David was crying. 

Airbnb is rather new and not quite accepted in Japan, so we think she was probably suspicious of the whole set up with people popping in and out of the flat. And, turns out they take child abuse quite seriously in Japan!

Lewis slept through the whole thing, but Beau was bright eyed and bushy tailed the whole time and thought it was all quite exciting!

Beau and David in that terrible little flat!

October 2015 - Konichiwa! Kanako in Japan

We began October still adjusting to our new things...new school, new schedule, now officially saying goodbye to Fina after a couple weeks back from her holiday, and a new music class for Norah.

Here we are bidding Fina farewell!

I began my year of the "Little's Music Class" in October. I decided to start my own music class. I really wanted to get to teach, and I wanted to do it with David. I didn't think I could have taught with him in arms if I had looked at teaching elsewhere, and it turned out to be so wonderful and created such a lovely community to teach right out of our home. I started October offering two classes. One of them was quite full from the beginning, just with friends and neighbors. The other one struggled for a few weeks, but then word got out and it suddenly began to grow! I put together my own curriculum with things from the public domain, ordered a few more instruments, and I was up and running! It was the happiest part of my week!

Then for our October break, we were off to Japan!
What a super experience and an incredible country!

Our first stop was Tokyo, and on our first full day, we met up with Kanako, our family's Japanese exchange student from years past. It was so special to see her and meet her kids and husband. She is just as lovely as ever!

Here is Kanako and her precious daughter on our outing to Yoyogi park. Unfortunately her son was sick, so her husband took him off to the clinic while we chatted.

The obligatory throwing leaves into the pond.

The obligatory (if you are my kids) throwing the floor mat into the pond.

David was in a phase where he often did not take to strangers, but he LOVED Kanako! She had the magic touch!

Love this! All reacting the same way!

Tired eyes!

This little series just makes me laugh so hard! It says it all about how traveling with kids is no walk in the park! He was so tired, poor guy!

We loved seeing the people and especially children all dressed up to visit the shrines.

After Yoyogi park, we headed to a local Japanese restaurant where Kanako and her husband introduced us to the most delicious local meal. It was divine!

A few last pictures with their familiy before we said goodbye! Love these with the peace signs. They start young in Japan, apparently!!! And cute Beau was just done! 

Such a treat to see this family!

One last pic of them taking a pic of us as we walk away!!!