Konnichiwa!

This is what happens when you put three extremely jet lagged kids in a car for 5 minutes.

Sorry for the long hiatus. The kids and I spent the summer in Florida so Jude could receive much needed speech therapy and go to a developmental pediatrician who specializes in apraxia. It was a wonderful summer full of speech therapy (4 times a week), family, beaches, borrowed cars and spare bedrooms. (I forgot to mention shopping. I thought I would fall down on my knees in praise of Target, Publix, Macy's and Border's. Of course they have shopping here in Japan but I can't read the books at the bookstore, I can't afford or fit into most of the clothes, the Japanese grocery store confuses the hell out of me and the NEX and the commissary are very limited.) Brad stayed behind in Japan except for an all too brief visit at the end of July for my family's annual Disney trip and our eleventh anniversary. My sister Dawn and her 4 gorgeous girls were visiting from New Zealand so it was wonderful to get all 14 of the kids together from far and wide.

All of the cousins at Fort Wilderness, Disney World minus Anders and Mari. We were a group of 23 this year. Yes, we are those people who wear matching t-shirts but I won't publicly display our family shame here.

Lucien started second grade a few days after our return and Jude began kindergarten a week later. Before this summer Brad and I were convinced that he should stay in pre-k for another year. But the pediatrician, Dr. Agin, thought that learning to read would help with his speech. So we are thrilled that he is in the big school this year. She also recommended many many vitamins & supplements, PROMPT speech therapy and a dairy/soy free diet. PROMPT therapy amazed us. The first session I had tears in my eyes because this was the first time something had remotely worked for Jude. I knew immediately that this was the therapy he needed and nothing else would do. Few therapists are licensed to do this work but his wonderful SLP here in Yokosuka went to NYC this summer and took the PROMPT course. If she didn't do this the kids and I would have stayed behind in Florida while Brad finishes his tour in Japan. Ouch! The only good thing about that would be one less flight to Japan by myself and 3 kids. Actually Lucien and Jude were as good as they could be on both flights but Anders was a holy terror. The entire trip is about 24 hours door to door and I can't even begin to describe how painful it is with a toddler and all of the crap you need to carry for 3 kids including the enormous car seat. Let your imaginations go wild. Diaper blowouts, no kid meals, tantrums, the loudest boy in the world, running amok, missed flight in Atlanta, unhelpful flight attendants... I could go on but would rather not remember anymore.

Jude's first day of kindergarten at Sullivan's Elementary - named after the famous fighting Sullivan brothers who were the inspiration for Saving Private Ryan.

Anyway we are back home with Brad and Radar. I am slowly learning how to deal with Jude's dietary restrictions here including buying a bread maker and an ice cream maker that has yet to show up in our extraordinarily slow mail. Thank goodness for rice milk and coconut milk that you can supposedly use to make whipped cream and ice cream. The commissary stocks exactly one kind of bread (white frozen Lender's bagels) and one kind of cookie (rather tasteless Goya's Palmeritas) that Jude can have and that is it as far as baked items go. Luckily they carry sorbet and chicken nuggets without soy or dairy. I have come to find out that dairy, and/or soy is in everything. Although it's a huge pain we are seeing results with these changes. 

Anders is a 23 pound wrecking ball hell-bent on destroying my things, messing up the house and escaping his confines. He has reminded me of my belief that God made toddlers insanely cute so we don't kill them. Lucien was doing wonderfully until 2 nights ago when he jumped off a playground thing and broke his arm. 4.5 hours later we came home with his arm in a temporary cast. You can only get real casts on Wednesdays at the Naval Hospital Yokosuka so he is anxiously awaiting his real cast. They don't even give you an appointment. It's just a 9:00 am cattle call of the wounded. I guess you get what you pay for here.

Very apropos accoutrement, if you ask me.

Drugged bliss watching Harry Potter instead of going to school.

Home is where you can slide out of Godzillas rear end.

Comments

[Bailey]

Poor Lucien! It's hard to feel too sorry for him though when he looks so happy in that picture - I imagine it was probably as bad, if not worse, for you and Brad than for Lucien. I'm so glad you're writing on your website again - I've missed your entries!

[Danielle Reeder]

Glad you're back to writing! I've missed hearing about your adventures! We were cut off on Facebook the other day...there was a long pause when we IM and eventually I lost you. Anders is darling with that white/blond hair. I'm so glad Jude is getting the therapy he needs and Lucien looks the same only taller. Emily and I talk about you often and wish you were here! Take Care and keep the stories coming!