Update on us- we're doing great! Connor did so amazing with the jet lag, seriously it took him only one day. He has really proved to be quite the international traveler. We are so proud of him. Leyla took a little while longer- about a week as expected. She was newly crawling (why stay asleep when I can crawl?!), teething and jet lagged all at once. So when she'd wake a couple times a night we just weren't sure what her problem was. This past Saturday we got Connor his "big boy" bedroom set that we had planned to order this summer. Since then Leyla's been sleeping in Connor's old crib (instead of the crappy
packnplay we had her in before) and has been sleeping awesome ever since. No one makes a peep at night anymore and everyone is sleeping past 7am. There is nothing like going to bed at night and knowing that you're (most likely) not going to wake up until morning. It's probably been since before the earthquake that that has happened for us! I'm a happy Mama!
Otherwise... since we lived here so recently, its been pretty easy getting ourselves up and running again. The biggest pain has just been getting all the baby gear we needed-
carseats, highchair, jumper thing (or anything to contain our new crawler for a bit), stroller, etc. I was able to borrow a stroller from a friend but unfortunately everything else we've had to
rebuy. The friends that I could have borrowed some of these things from don't live close and I just didn't know when I'd have the time to drive out there and get them (and I needed these things asap). It is what it is. A couple friends and family members (even some of my Mom's co-workers!) sent us clothes for the kids and I am SO APPRECIATIVE. You can't even imagine. Trish especially- she sent the most amazing wardrobe for Leyla- not only does the girl have clothes now, but she's seriously
stylin.' Thank you so much to everyone.
Furniture- wise we're fine. Andrew bought a card table and folding chairs from Target to hold us over until we can get ourselves a real table. And we had a couch and rug in our playroom/den that we moved into the living room. We got Connor his new bedroom set over the weekend and now Leyla's using his old stuff. And we had left our bedroom totally as is so that was never an issue. Good to go!
I was able to get Connor back into his old class at school which he's been so excited about. Had I not been able to get him in there I wouldn't have had him go to school- I figure 3 different schools in 3 months is a bit much. But that worked out. We had been driving past his school every day and he was constantly asking when he was going to get to go back! Monday was his first day and he strolled right in as if he had never left. His teachers and little buddies were so thrilled to see him, it was really cute. One of the Moms of a classmate of his has organized a soccer class for the kids on Tuesday mornings so we're signed up for that too. Connor had a
playdate with his buddy Brendan on Friday and Leyla had one with her friend Claire on Tuesday (cute pictures of that to come). Tomorrow Connor has a field trip to the New Canaan Fire Station (Leyla and I will tag along too). This Saturday we have the big New Canaan Easter extravaganza (remember that from last year?) followed by a triple birthday party for three of the girls from Connor's class. That afternoon someone is coming to measure for curtains for a room we're working on re-doing (we have several big house projects in the works right now). Right back into the suburban routine!
As for Andrew's job/Tokyo/our stuff, etc, here's the gist. No expat Moms and kids we know have returned yet, although there's a few who are about to. Their husbands never left and they are itching to get back to them and a normal routine (I'm so lucky that we still had a house, a car and a routine to come back to!) While Andrew's boss is totally understanding of our desire for the kids and I to remain at home in the US right now, it doesn't change the fact that Andrew's job is IN Tokyo. He was sent over there to be the head of his group over there and that just can't be done effectively from here. So for the
foreseeable future, Andrew's going to be doing some serious back and forth. It's looking like two weeks here, two weeks there. If things have settled down
considerably come September, the kids and I will return there then. We had always planned on spending a good chunk of the summer here in the US so this timing makes sense. But even that is still a big "IF." It's not that I'm opposed to living in Tokyo (quite the opposite- we all loved living over there and were heartbroken to have to leave!), I'm just not convinced that things aren't worse there than they are letting on- so as to not cause mass panic. And we need to do what we think is safest for the little ones. Andrew's travel schedule until that time is not ideal obviously- but we think its the right move right now. In a perfect world Andrew would quit and instantly find a new and exciting job here in Connecticut- one that would allow us to stay in our house and for me to remain at home with the kids (that one is a big priority for us) but in
reality that can't happen over night. And Andrew is also not one to just up and bail on his team back in Tokyo, esp. given all that has happened there recently. Our stuff will stay over there (Andrew will be living in our apt when he's in Tokyo) and every time he comes back home he'll bring with him more of our most needed items. This is not to say that if we give this a try and we can't handle the times apart, or we don't see a scenario where we'd ever feel comfortable returning to Tokyo- we aren't afraid to pull the ripcord. Andrew will resign and just dedicate that time to finding a new job. We'll be
ok either way. But for now- we have no real choice but to keep our heads up and keep on
keepin' on. As my Dad says- sometimes that's just life- and you just have to live it (or something like that). When Connor asks about certain things about our life in Tokyo we're trying to play up just how cool it is that he gets to have two homes, two bedrooms, two schools, two groups of friends, etc. Just in case we do go back...
Have I mentioned how amazing the kids have been though all of this? I'm seriously just blown away. We've had not many toys to play with these days and its amazes me how well they've been playing together with the limited toys we have. When Andrew returns to Tokyo this week he's going to box up a lot (if not most) of our toys we had there to send to the kids in the earthquake area who literally have nothing.
Quick Connor funny- when we were bringing him to school on his first day back we told him that his friends were probably going ask him all about his life in Tokyo. I asked him what his favorite thing was that he did while living in Tokyo (thinking it could be so many things- all the trains, planes, etc we'd been on recently, swimming at the American Club, the many playgrounds, his school, the zoo, etc). He said without hesitating: "when I got my haircut." HA! Men are so simple- right from the start.
A bunch of pics from the last week or so...
My silly little monkey girl...
Mom came and stayed for several days. She was so helpful in watching the kids so we could run around and get stuff (not to mention manning them when I was just so beat from
jetlag and needed to catch a catnap.) Thanks Mom, you are the best!
Grandma's little laundry folding helper...
Connor is such a good sport. Leyla (surprise surprise) just loves to be doing whatever he's doing. It usually starts out innocent.
But before long she
usually tries to sit right in the middle or on whatever he's playing with...
So as can be imagined, she's most into pushing cars around and playing with Woody and Buzz...
My little spa baby in the cute terry jumpsuit Trish sent, love it! Excuse the chaos of clothes and other crap in the background. Everything has now found a place ;)
Leyla loves solid foods (and her Daddy too!)
It was snowing when we left New Canaan, and still when we've now returned. Almost like we never left!
Horsing around.
Ok yes Connor is dragging Leyla by her leg but seriously- it makes her giggle like no other! She'll take his attention however she can get it!
Leyla loves to crawl all over Connor. Again- he's such a good sport ;)
Thanks to Andrew's Aunt Nancy for the new toy!
Heading over to sit on the puzzle.
My sweet
lil girl :)
That's it! Hope to get back to my regular blogging too ;)
