Hawaii Vacation

Road to Hana- Beautiful!


Girls at Hana beach

We stopped in Lahaina, (Maui) Hawaii on our way back to Michigan for the summer. As a family, we were in desperate need for some quality time together. The past 6 months have been unbelievably busy for us, and we haven't gotten the opportunity to see each other all together very often during it. Scott works a lot more than he did while we were in Michigan. Though in Michigan he routinely worked 10+ hour days, in Tokyo, he works more...going in by 7 (and often having 6am conference calls) and not getting home until 9ish most nights (and if he is home earlier, it is to say a quick goodnight to the girls and then back on the laptop or a conference call with Michigan). There are many days when he doesn't see the girls at all, which makes it very hard for all of us.



This week has been just what we needed as a family- fun quality time, with no agenda and no plans. It has been the most spectacular week- all three of us were so happy to spend time with Scott where he wasn't stressed out, exhausted or preoccupied- it was fantastic! When we first arrived, we had a list of things that we wanted to do- a luau, a helicopter tour, a ride on a submarine, snorkeling, the Road to Hana....but as we got here, and started to get used to being together again, we realized that what we really needed to do was just be together- laugh, swim, and just relax...so that is what we did. Out of our list, we did the Submarine, the Road to Hana and snorkeling and that is it...the rest of the time was filled with swimming, exploring beaches, making friends at the pool (it is amazing how little kids find each other and become "best" friends so fast!), and grilling out. It has been the best week for us this year, and by far, our best family vacation ever!

Let the Summer Fun Begin

Both girls finished with their first 6 months of school here in Japan last week. Maya's last week was filled with parties, including the Summer Birthday celebration, as well as the parties for the kids who are leaving Japan and moving on to their next "adventure". It was a fun time, yet a sad time for Maya. She absolutely LOVES ASIJ- she has had such a great experience with her teacher (Mrs. Olson), as well as the new friends she has made. When I picked her up from the bus on her last day, she started bawling the second she walked off the bus...and kept crying and crying off and on for the remainder of the night. She is really looking forward to next year and 2nd grade, and even has a few teachers in mind for who she wants to get!




Hanna's last week of school was equally as entertaining. I sent her to school Monday, only to get an email saying one of the children at school had a sibling who had lice. I didn't think much of it, or worry about it, until I went to pick her up, and found out that a. it was a sibling of a child in her class and b.they checked his hair after he had been there for an hour or so, and they found lice in his hair...so, Hanna had been around/playing with him for an hour...not wanting to get lice before our return home, I choose to keep her out of school for a day. Then, she ended up getting a bad cold and staying home the following day as well. Of her last week, she went 3 days! Her last day of school was a performance with all four classes, which included Hanna singing and dancing like a champ, as well as playing a few songs on the keyboard. It was a great performance (she literally danced and moved through the entire show!), that ended in a pizza and ice cream party- great way to finish the school year. That was Hanna's last day at Toyko Union Church preschool, as next year she will attend Yoyogi International...and unlike Maya, she was not one bit sad that school was over (in her words...now, I get to spend EVERY DAY with you Mommy!)...I am a lucky lady :)




This last week in Tokyo before we head back to the States has been super packed- full of lunches, good byes, play dates....I seem to have overbooked us, so we haven't been getting a whole lot of down time! Aside from regular play dates, we went to the Heiwa-no-Mori park on Tuesday, with our friends, Tamie, Alissa and Joey Matsanuga. This park was incredible- full of obstacles (40 I believe) that provided a ton of different physical challenges for the kids. It was a little bit to "big" for Hanna, but she was still able to do the majority of the obstacles, with a little help from me. It was actually quite dangerous, but the kids LOVED it, and we walked away without any major injuries (Maya fell and whacked her face on a log and Hanna fell off a log that was about 4 ft off the ground).





Wednesday found us at KidZania, in Toyosu, with our friends, Miyuki, Maya and Micka Takahashi. Maya T is a good friend of Maya's from ASIJ, and they invited us to join them. For those unfamiliar to KidZania, it is a mini kid-city. There are about 70-80 jobs that kids can pick from to do- doctor, vet, burger flipper, fashion model, gas station attendant, ice cream maker, pizza maker, banker, book publisher, policeman, fireman....you name it, they had it there. The kids pick a "job" and then they actually learn about it and have to perform the job. I mean it too- they actually make their own pizza, ice cream, put out fires (fake ones)...it is actually quite educational, and quite a marketing tool. Each "company" is actually sponsored by the actual company it is. So for example, Coca Cola bottling sponsored the Coca Cola Bottling plant, where the kids go and bottle their own bottle of Coca-cola- actual bottles of real Coke that they get to drink. By doing this, they earn KidZania money, otherwise known as Kidzo's. How much they make is job dependent, just like in real life. And, some things cost money- my girls both went to Driver Training School to get their KidZania driver's license, so they had to pay to get their license. They then went to the Car Rental company and rented a car! They got to drive the car through a little course (driving on the left of course) that brought them through a Car Wash, to a gas station, where full service attendants- also little KidZania kids put "gas" in the car, wiped down the windows and mirrors (yes, they do that here- most gas stations in Tokyo are full service- they wipe down windows, mirrors, and give you a cloth to wipe down the inside of your car while they are filling it up!), and then back to park. At the end, they went to the Bank and opened up their own bank accounts (I tried to go in the bank, and was told that I was not allowed to come in (or, I think I was told..it was Japanese, so I don't know exactly what was said!). They got an ATM card with their name on it, that they can use to withdraw the money they deposited into their account at ATMs all around KidZania. (It was cute, because Hanna had to write her name down and fill in all the paperwork- for her account, for her license, etc., and they thought she wrote Hanma, so she is now Hanma Garrison on all her KidZania documentation!) We had a really great day with the Takahashi's, and are so glad we got to spend one of our last days in Tokyo until August with friends!

Today, the 18th, we had to make an unexpected visit to see Dr. Joe in Shimo Kitizawa. The girls and I were down in the workout room (I was working out, they were playing on the exercise balls and equipment), when I stupidly caved in to Hanna's begging to let her go on the treadmill. I was standing very near it, so I didn't think too much about it, and put the treadmill on 2km per hour. Maya was patting the moving belt, when Hanna decided she wasn't going fast enough and hit the up arrow to go quicker...it then sucked Maya's right hand in and underneath the belt....where it chewed the crap out of two of her fingers. Luckily, she was able to pull them out right away, but she had torn several layers of her skin off the fingers, and they were bleeding and raw...poor kid. I had to take her immediately to the doctor, where we found out that there was no permanent damage, and the layers of skin should start growing back within a few days, but she was in a lot of pain. I was proud of her, because she was really tough about it. I should have know better, for several reasons- Hanna has been having a tremendously tough time listening- in the past week, she got mad at me, wiggled out of my hand and almost got hit by a car, left the obstacle park we were at (literally left it- we were all changing our shoes and getting ready, and I turn around and she is gone. Panicking, I went looking all over, and finally though- hmmm, could she have gone out? And there she was, walking toward the road- and wouldn't stop when we called, so we had to RACE and grab her, and took off at the mall after leaving KidZania- to which, I again, had to find her. So, I should have a. not let them play on the treadmill in the first place, and b. known that Hanna on a treadmill was not a grand idea! Lesson learned, documented and filed away for future "pressure filled" situations!

End of the Year Kids stuff, and a few funny stories

This past two weeks have been incredibly busy for us here in the Garrison House. As anyone with kids knows, end of the year activities seem to eat up every waking moment of your last few weeks of school...here, it has been no exception- the only difference has been that Maya's school is a good 45 minutes away, and Hanna's is 15 minutes in the opposite direction, we are trying to pack for a 2 month "vacation" home, as well as a week trip to Hawaii! Lots to do, lots to do!!


Hanna with Ms. Jennifer, her teacher

Last week was full of play dates (all the kids are trying SO hard to see each other before everyone departs to their home countries for the summer!). Hanna had the chance to have her first play date with a friend from school, which THRILLED her. She loves the kids in her class, but her class is so small, and none of the kids live in our same area,so it has made after school playing a lot more difficult for her than it was in Michigan. She also discovered a new friend, Mei, who recently moved into our building. Mei is 5,and Hanna has declared her "my new best friend". Hanna also had a field trip to the Shinigawa Aquarium this past week. Since we had already been there, we didn't stay too long- but we did get to see the dolphin show, which was much better with an upfront seat than it was the last time we were there in the nosebleed section!

This past Wednesday, I had a chance to spend some time in Hanna's class, and even got to read some stories to them. Her class is so small, and the kids are from other countries- New Zealand, Australia, France, the UK....I don't know any of them well, and it was a real treat to get to spend some time with them and especially, with Hanna. The best part was when I was leaving,they all ran up and gave me a great big group hug!



Thursday was Maya's Sports Day at school. I was supposed to volunteer, but ended up getting there late, and therefore, got to just walk around and watch what Maya was doing. It was a GREAT day weather wise, and a really fun morning...Maya's gym teacher, Mrs. Seevers, did a great job setting the whole day up, and the kids had a blast. That being said, I myself, got a 15 minute lecture on the need for sunscreen from Mrs. Seevers, as well as a lecture on how I need to stop coddling Maya. I was standing talking to my friend Debbie, when Mrs. Seevers comes over and asks me if I am volunteering (mind you, I had been trying to avoid her the whole day, as I didn't want to have to!). I told her I could if she needs me to do something. She proceeds to pull out sunscreen from her bag, when I apparently stupidly ask "you want me to walk around and give sunscreen to the kids?" and she says "no, I want you to put sunscreen on" and proceeds to explain the importance of it..she also tried to make me wear a very large, quite ugly straw hat, which I had to refuse!! So I start asking her about Maya and swim class- how is she doing, etc. Here at ASIJ each grade has 3+ months of Red Cross swim lessons as their PE- which I think is great! Maya was doing very well in swimming, so I wanted to get an update on how she was doing here. She asked me which Maya was mine (there are 3 Maya's in the first grade here), and I pointed to Maya, who was standing all alone, looking for her buddy. Mrs. Seevers proceeds to Scream at her from across the field - asking where her partner is, etc., to which Maya starts BAWLING. The lady scared me, so I can imagine what she must have sounded like to a 7 year old!! So, she turns to me and says "I yell at her all the time like that and she has NEVER cried..that reaction is all your fault- you coddle her too much"...blah,blah,blah....for 15 minutes!! I will say, that she is right to a degree, and there are some things that I need to work on, especially where Maya is concerned. Maya is a softy by nature, and to add to it, a complete drama queen. She plays it up when I am around, and at times, though I try not to, I get completely sucked into it. However, it baffles me how she can give me a lecture on how I am with my child, based on one interaction between us. I have been warned she routinely calls parents in for consultations on their parenting skills, and have been told that if she hasn't called me in for one, than things are ok. Ahhh...good times!

Overall, aside from the lecture, the day was a great day - I had the chance to have lunch with Maya afterward (ramen...yummy!), and got a nice start to my suntan for the summer!!



Funny Stories

Pizza Anyone?
I have to share a story that came to me from my friend Karen. Karen's Japanese sensei told her of a particular student that she taught Japanese to. This man's family would order Pizza Hut every Friday for dinner, but it seemed that there was always issues, and a lot of confusion. He didn't speak Japanese well, so he had no idea what that confusion was. So, one Friday after his Japanese lesson, he asked her if she would call and pre-order the pizza, to be delivered later that day. So, she proceeds to call the number he had given her...and finds out it is a PHOTO HUT!! He had been calling a Photo Hut for over a year to order pizza! And the craziest thing is that they would take his order and then call the Pizza Hut for him and place it with them!! I am sure that at some point during this year long event, they tried, unsuccessfully in Japanese, to tell him he was not calling the right place, and then, because they are so polite and indirect as a culture, just gave up and waited for that Friday phone call!

Haircutting adventure


Srgt. Garrison
Scott has found this 1000 Yen haircutting place (similar to a Master Cuts or Great Cuts- cheap and fast- no appointment necessary), a short bike ride from our place, He has gone there and had success, so when he went to get his haircut today, felt very good about it. He gets there and waits his turn, only to end up with a barber he had never had before. He tells the guy, in Japanese (we looked up the words, and they have always worked in the past!) how to cut it. The guys proceeds to pretty much butcher his hair...Scott tells the story, which is a lot funnier than I could ever write it- about the guys chasing his head around as Scott tries to dodge the scissors/clippers- he pretty much shaved one side of his head nearly bald, took the clippers (without the guard) and did like an oval around the outside of his head, cutting the hair in front SUPER short, and then leaving the top and back super poofy! Scott said he was waving his hands, trying to tell him to use the clippers and describe as quickly as he can what he wants/doesn't want as the guy is attacking him with the clippers! Scott had to get up mid-cut and run away from him!! I am laughing as I write this, because his new title is Sargent Garrison, and he will be inducted into the military at 0800 hours!! He had to have another person fix it, but he seriously looks like he could join the Marines!! I told him to tell people he wanted to go REAAALLY short because of the heat...believable, right?

Washer and Dryer update...

STILL.....NOTHING......DONE......or DECIDED UPON!!! 4 months since the request was put in, and they still are "trying to figure out" the best option. Pretty sure they are stalling, hoping we will forget about it or move before they have to decide!