It's A Clark's Life

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Just had to share a picture of the boys in their raingear!

First Swim of the Season

He was the only little one in the pool at the Tokyo American Club today but Dylan didn't seem to mind.  Dylan and Daddy splashed and kicked and bounced around the pool...lots and lots of giggles and smiles.  The air temp was only in the low 60's and the sun was hiding behind the clouds mostly but the water temp was in the 80's and Dylan was loving his wetsuit.  Afterwards we checked out some books at the library and then had dinner at the Garden Cafe.  If you know about Dylan's eating habits, you know that he eats only a handful things in this world...we can now add a few more things.  He scarfs down a nice sized portion of grilled salmon with "dip-dip" of course (tartar sauce).  He now eats carrots sticks, with "dip-dip" (ranch dressing), mandrian oranges (thinks it's jello), chicken and rice with "dip-dip" (ranch dressing) and he drinks protein shakes in the morning with Daddy.  We are are so shocked(and happy!) that he is trying new things. 

Zoo Visit - Part Two

The Ueno Zoo is so big that we had to go back this weekend to finish the second part...but we learned that it will take yet ANOTHER visit (3rd) to actually finish seeing everything!  This weekend we went with our friends, George and Carrie and their son, Sean.  The Rose's are from NYC and they are great fun to be with.  The boys enjoyed seeing the penguins and the monorail train ride to the other part of the zoo.  Notice how Dylan uses his chopsticks...sandwich on a stick!

Max's New Life

Max has quickly adjusted to life with a toddler again and Dylan enjoys giving Max hugs and kisses and we ever so often here Dylan have little conversations with him.  Do you think Max likes his new rain gear?

McQueen Race

"McQueen Race" is Dylan's nickname for the much adored Lightning McQueen.  He has recently decided that this backpack and hat are the coolest thing going and he often has it in tow with him when we go out on excursions.  I try to fill it with diapers and wipes but they often get replaced with an assortment of matchbox cars. 

Yoyogi Park /Dog Park

No drink, no food, no toys, no strollers, no smoking.  These are the rules of Max's Doggie Playground.  We broke four of them without even realizing it at first!  We tossed a ball to Max, after two times, someone came up to us and told us there are no toys allowed!  What????  I gave Max a drink and a couple of treats,  Dylan and I both had slurps of water.  We were looking like true to form, rule-breaking Americans thats for sure.  We probably won't be coming back at high playtime at the dog park, perhaps the rules are a little more relaxed earlier in the morning. 

Sakura Season

It's that time of year again.  The time of year when all of the cherry trees go into bloom, and the natives come out in droves with blue tarps, sake, beer and card board boxes for tables.  While we missed the prime part of the season while we were all in the States, we were all happy to have the chance to observe both the trees and the ritual around them.

We combined our hanabi (cherry blossom viewing) efforts with a trip to the Ueno zoo with some wonderful friends of ours.  It was really a great trip, and the weather could not have been better.  Mid-sixties, sun shining, and cherry blossom snow.  The Sakura snow had falled so much over the penguin exhibit, that the water was cover with a pink blanket.  It kinda looked like the penguins were enjoying some sort of spa treatment.

Jetlagged

The Clark Family is glad to be back home in Tokyo but we miss our family and friends in the states.  We had a wonderful visit in Pittsburgh and Grand Rapids.  We are all jetlagged though.  The days are a blur and the nights are wild and crazy in our household.  Even Max is suffering from jetlag.  Speaking of Max, he made it through the trip with flying colors.  We had a two hour delay in Detroit and that worried us a bit but he showed up in Tokyo very happy and ready to go outside for a walk.  He is a bit nervous about his new surroundings though.  Dylan was thrilled to see his toys again and we have seen a few of his friends already (Sean and Alexander).  Spring is here and the cherry blossoms are beautiful.  The weather has definitely helped in adjusting to life in Japan again.  The grocery bill will always be a shocker.  This weekend we plan to visit a garden full of cherry trees and introduce Max to the dog park.  Here are some pictures of our time in the states: Pictures