It's A Clark's Life

Toyota Estima 2007

Our new car.  Only been around the block in it once but it's sweet.  You don't need a key to start it, just keep it in your pocket and push a button to start the engine.   The best feature of  the van is the English speaking navigation system.  It's difficult to read road signs, especially when they are written in Japanese so with the navi telling us where to turn is very helpful.  It's a right-hand drive so I'm a little nervous to hit the road just yet.  Greg actually drove it to work today and said it was a breeze! Dylan slept 10hours last night - we are thrilled about that, it seems as though he is catching onto our new timezone! Dylan loves chasing the crows in the park and so Daddy taught him to do the "crow-hop" yesterday.  I didn't know there was a crow-hop - but I'm informed that is the step baseball players take before throwing the ball.  Well, our 22month old can do it perfectly.  He met a little friend at the playground yesterday.  He encouraged the "baby" (just a few month younger)  to go down the slide.  He thought that was pretty cool.

Nap Time

During Dylan's naptime, I've been trying to keep myself from taking a nap as well as we all are still fighting jet lag.  I have been able to catch a few night owls on IM in the states.  But when all my contacts go dim, I have to resort to reading the 12in thick folder of manuals that came with the apartment.  There are more gizmos and gadgets than you can imagine!  Not all of them are in English so we have some investigating to do.  However, I was reading the manual about the bathroom.  Where to begin?????  Toilet seat - many of you have heard us talking about the toilet.  It has the most complex remotes of the bunch.  It can be a bit intimidating at first.  Dylan of course has no problem pushing any and every button.  The heated seat is my favorite option, then there is the automatic lid open and close, auto flush and many different cleansing options.  The bathtub has a remote - for the level of water, for the temp., oh and I can press the "Call" button and summons someone from upstairs!! Can't wait to use that button!  There are more buttons I just haven't figured out their function yet.    I also discovered that when you are done with your shower/bath you can press yet ANOTHER remote (#3) to "DRY" and it will dry it for you.  No squiggy needed!  Oh and before your shower, you can press a button to "HEAT" the shower area so you don't get cold!  And if that wasn't enough...lets just pretend I'm upstairs in the kitchen and I decide I would like to soak...yes, there is a remote in the kitchen to fill the tub at the level and temp I choose!!!!!  The Japanese take their bathing seriously!  Did I mention the floors are heated? That is just the skinny on the bathroom!  The rest of the apartment has heated floors, security system (we've already set off - try explaining to someone in a different language that everything is ok!) During Dylan's nap tomorrow, I will have to read about the Kitchen gizmos!

Flying & Sliding

We finally found a device to download the pictures so here are a few of our first days in Tokyo and the flight out here.  

MORE PICTURES!!!! (click here)

Miss'n Mr. Furry

To say that we miss Max would be the understatement of the year.  I don't think Grandma's flowers miss him though.

Expensive Camping

We are now officially into our apartment, and it is great....kinda.  Oh, we love the place well enough, it's just that we don't really have much furniture.  It kinda makes it feel like really expensive camping.  We'll manage though.  At least until our sea shipment arrives sometime around the middle of August.  They're also gonna bring by some chairs and a coffee table for us, so we can stop using our patio furniture indoors.

Welcome To Tokyo

It seems there are constantly little things that pop up that make you say, "Ah yes, I do live in Japan now, don't I."  Well, that was the case on the day that we arrived, in the way of some flowers from a friend.  They were beautiful, and done with such care, that it could only be Japan.  Then there was card, it too was all Japan.

The First 24 Hours

Other than missing family, friends and Max terribly, things are going really really well.   Dylan was a super angel on both plane rides.  He slept a fair amount (with us holding him of course) and I was over prepared for things for him to do - thats a good thing, except for hauling it around.  Our first night was spent in a hotel and that was amazing - super duper deluxe.  Dylan and the rest of us had a difficult time sleeping. But we all survived.  Dylan is not eating much which has us a bit concerned - we are offering him Cherrios, yogurt, waffles, lasgna -  All things he likes but he doesn't eat when he is tired, hopefully we can get him on a schedule.  The first thing we did this morning was take Dylan to the playground.  He had a good time with the 10 different slides but we all got so uncomfortably hot that we decided to "ease" into the heat and to come back another day. 

We got into our apartment a few hours ago and WOW, we absolutely LOVE it.  It is beautiful and has all the ammenitites.  Dylan got a big kick out of the controls on the toilet - hmm, we might use that as a potty training tool!  We don't have much furniture at the moment - only a pack and play, our bed that the company leased for us, a tv, four outdoor chairs, and some empty bookshelves.  Our shipment won't arrive for two or three more weeks.  We live in this luxury building but we are sitting on the floor!  We have already gone to the international food market - a super easy walk (except coming home, you have to walk up a giant hill with all the groceries.  My calves were burning big time!) 

Dylan is taking a nap, Greg is out to the store again buying toilet paper and peanut butter. Well, that is the update for the first 22hours we have spent in our new home.  We miss you all.  It was more difficult leaving than we had imagined!

Psych!

We were supposed to be well on our way to our new home in Tokyo...Northwest Airlines had other plans for us.  Our flight to Minneapolis was cancelled.  Furthermore, there weren't any seats together on Monday, so.......we'll be leaving on Tuesday.  Staying around is nice, but emotionally the whole thing is a bit taxing.  Thanks to everyone for your support these past few days.  You have been wonderful, while at the same time leading us to believe we're nuts for ever leaving.  God bless you all.

The Family Photo

We never really get our family photo taken, until tonight.  We needed a photo for work, so we finally had mom snap a photo of us.  So, here ya have it, the Clark family just before leaving for Japan.

The Next Generation is Born

For a fleeting moment we thought Dylan might be a sophisticated wine drinking aristocrat, but Grandpa made dang good'n sure that wasn't gonna happen.  I think we have a full fledged Bud drink'n, car love'n, Nascar fan in the making.