Our routine

It's been too long since I've updated the blog, and I should be writing about citizenship right now, but I will steal 5 minutes for a quick update...
Weekday mornings start with my alarm clock at 6:25 (keep thinking I'll start earlier for a morning yoga, but it hasn't happened much yet) - kids are awake about half the time, otherwise, I need to stir them.  They're sharing a room on our second floor (fifth floor of the building), which works pretty well, except for the arguing over who gets to get dressed first.  Breakfast together on our first floor - cold cereal, toast, or as a treat, anpan (bean stuffed bread), and fruit and juice and peanuts and cheese... They are growing so fast that they're hungry all the time.  I pack them a homemade lunch everyday, and snacks, and a thermos of barley tea or ice water.  Walk to their school takes 20-25 minutes.  For the last few weeks, I'm taking them 2/3 of the way, and then letting them do the last part of the walk (after we cross a major intersection) on their own).
At school, the kids are each in small classes, of 14, 15 kids, with two teachers.  One speaks Japanese, one English.  And they have an additional special Japanese class daily.  Highlights include many fieldtrips - to parks, electricity plants, the Diet (parliament) - violin classes, taekwando, long art classes.  They're in clubs that meet after school on Tuesdays (a musical performance of The Snow Queen!) and Thursday (Lia to art, Evan to chess club).  Once a week they have piano lessons with Sato-san, a piano performance major at the nearby Tokyo Music University, who struggles mightily to use as much of his English as possible (and allows me to translate otherwise).  He ends every lesson by performing one piece for us, which is pure pleasure.

While they're at school, I work.  At this stage, I'm spending about 2/3 my time over at the University of Tokyo, reading and doing some early stage writing, the rest at home doing the same (with a little borrowed for stuff like this....).  In three weeks I'll begin doing some interviews, which will shake things up a little more.  I'm hoping to hire a grad student to help with transcribing interviews, so that will allow me more time to think and write and read some more.  I've had to teach myself anew how to sit still and concentrate after years of multitasking with an open door, and it feels good.

I pick the kids up at 3, 4 or 5 depending on the day of the week.  After school errands most days - from grocery shopping to buying yarn (!) and halloween costume supplies to popping in a book store.  Fueled by stops for doughnuts or taiyaki (fish shaped hotcakes stuffed with red beans) or anpan.  Did I mention the kids are hungry all the time?  Walk or hop a train home.

Evenings given over to homework, and piano practice, and cooking and dishes, while I listen to NPR to keep up on what's happening at home.  We're busy right up til they go to bed by 8:30.  Then I finish up chores, pay bills, and, lately, crochet while listening to the Japanese news.

Weekends are just as busy, but start much later.  We've had at least one excursion every weekend, from concerts to parks to shopping to the big treats we've described earlier.  And we eat out every weekend, too - yesterday, we visited an organic luncheon buffet in the basement floor of a charming book/toy store I remember visiting twenty years ago.  We just got a membership at the local video store, so we'll be watching more movies as the weather gets chillier, and also heading to more of Tokyo's hundreds of enticing museums.  Most outings involve a few subway rides, and Evan is endlessly fascinated by the train operations.   He's written an essay explaining what he's learned - I'll type that in before too long.  Lia shows her ability to adapt by sleeping on the trains, like a genuine Tokyoite.  Otherwise, she's practicing her Japanese by reading signs and ads in the trains.  She's getting pretty good, and can understand a lot of simple sentences now (Evan, too, but she's moving a little faster and seems more confident).

It's good.  I'm so grateful for the chance to be here, with them.