Good-bye Summer

We had an extra-long summer this year, starting in Canada and finishing in Japan. Where I'm from it's considered summer if you can comfortably wear a t-shirt, whereas in Japan summer doesn't really start until the rainy season ends in mid-July. Right when we got back to Japan! Still, it feels like it's gone by too fast and we didn't get to do enough.

We spent a lot of time at the splash pool across the street and I ended up getting him some water guns, after vowing to never buy him any kind of gun-like toy. He was chasing around all the other kids though and trying to take their guns (after being out of kindergarten or daycare for three months he'd forgotten his social skills) it was easier to just get him one of his one. Luckily he ended up preferring his tube-shaped water shooter, so I think by next summer the guns will have somehow accidentally been thrown out. Oops.

We went to a fireworks show, and Shuma loved the first half and then fell asleep for the last half.

My niece Marya came over for a couple nights. We went to the movies and saw Doraemon: Stand By Me (a Japanese kid's animation), which I was able to mostly understand but really didn't like because it has some negative messages. It was Shuma's first time at the movies (not counting once when he was a baby) and he loved it and is now a fan of Doraemon (an earless blue cat robot from the future, if you were wondering).

Not many things are fun for both 3-year-olds and 9-year-olds, but anything with water seems to do the trick. We went to the splash pool and a regular pool too and exhausted ourselves.

The kids made their own pizzas- Marya carefully made this beautiful vegetable pattern while Shuma dumped a handful each of olives and pepperoni.

And bathtime is always more fun with an extra kid!

He was also happy to just have a new person to share his toys with. There isn't a whole lot of casual visiting in Japan so it's really rare to have a playmate over. Let's hope this happens again!

Next we went to Osaka to visit the in-laws. Marya and her brother Yuuki were there, and again Shuma was happy to have playmates.

Some old games and toys were dug out, including Hideaki's old pinball machine which the kids loved.

And this toy that was Hideaki's when he was little. Shuma just found it and started playing with it, and without hearing where it came from it became his favourite toy.

He insisted on sleeping with it every night and still likes to carry it around when we go out. Funny how he's so attached to something that his dad played with 40 years ago. And amazing that they kept it, and in such good condition!

While we were there all the kids took swimming lessons, with Shuma and Yuuki in the same class. That's Yuuki third from left and Shuma on the right, splashing water into the filter instead of listening to the teachers (he did this pretty much the whole week).

Yuuki was better than Shuma at paying attention, but he did like to do his own thing. I like how they have all the kids lined up on their bellies on the raft, with Yuuki lying on his back. Just chilling.

They both got certificates showing they'd completed the lowest level possible. Yay! All the other kids got higher levels, except for the 2-year-old who spent his first three days crying. Oh well, they had fun and that's what's important.

We went to a couple of amusement parks, where I didn't take many pictures because chasing around my child is kind of exhausting. At one of them Shuma and Yuuki got to touch a dolphin and Marya got to swim with them.

Back home we had some cool weather so spent more time at the playground than the splash pool.

 

The last weekend of August we stayed at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel, since we weren't able to take a trip anywhere. We did the same thing three years ago and this time the view wasn't quite as good but Shuma did enjoy the trains.

 

The hotel has an aquarium and a pool, so we kept busy with those and then the next day took a couple of river cruises.

 

We finished with a ride on a choo-choo train, then a ride on a real train. Hideaki took this very flattering picture of me during the three minutes I fell asleep, which is so unfair because this is probably the first time I've slept on the train when we're out together. Whereas he sleeps every single time leaving me to keep our son quiet and amused. Sigh.

And the next day summer was over and Shuma was back in kindergarten. Usually it stays hot throughout September in Tokyo but it's been cool and truly feels like autumn has started. So between kindergarten and the weather this is the most abrupt end of summer I've experienced since I was in school myself. I don't like it, and in my next life I am requesting to come back as a bear (or maybe garter snake) so I can hibernate. Good-bye summer!

 

More summer pictures here if you're interested.

Comments

[Beritbunny]

What a wonderful summer! Ours left just as abruptly weather wise, and I've felt the pinch of shortening days. Summer is now (that I've been in North Nj for many years, rather than a more southerly, hellish climate in which I grew up) a favorite with me.

Boyfriend also sleeps when we commute by public transit--so irritating! I don't like contemplating what that would be like with child-keeping duties.

I love the pool shots and Shuma's adoration of Hideaki's toy.

[Jennifer]

So happy to see some new posts! Please take care of yourself. The tone of your blog has changed from previously and you seem stressed, frankly.....and possibly fed up with Japan. Sorry if that's too much coming from a stranger. Mothers have to take care of themselves first!

[Rona Y]

I can't remember when I last checked in, but I couldn't believe how big Shuma has become, and I know the last time I commented, I said the same thing! Children grow so quickly!

I've read through a lot of the other posts, and I am very sorry to hear about your mother. I don't know if the loss of a parent ever gets "easier", but I do know a time will come when the memories don't hurt as much. I hope you're taking care of yourself (not just physically, but emotionally, too), and are letting other people take care of you sometimes, too!

[Jimmy Cho]

I was researching for my trip to Japan and found your blog entry about Niwa no Yu from June 2006. Well this lead to more reading of your recent blog entries. Sorry about your recent bereavement. Just want to say keep on blogging..