A collection of family shots

We've had a few pretty uneventful days (despite all the extremely adorable images I'm about to share), the most significant being some pretty terrible toddler moments. As you can probably tell, managing a (we have now discovered) teething two year old is pushing the tolerance levels. 

However, a little while ago I read that looking at photographs of your children actually releases oxytocin into the brain (the same hormone that is released during labour so that you're actually willing to do it and makes you feel loving toward the beast that's literally tearing you apart) – so despite our challenging days, here is a stack of images to prove that I'm being overly dramatic and it's actually awesome here. 

There's a bunch of pictures from Kent's phone, so these images are really from about day 1 of our arrival.

Enjoy!

xx

Lj.

Freezing our tits off outside Daikanyama T-site – incredible magical bookstore with a giant starbucks (almost on every corner here. Luckily we have been finding totally primo cafes so this was more of a warming up stop off!). I don't want to admit how good the hot chocolate ... with whipped cream ... and a white chocolate cookie of terror really was.
BUT IT WAS SO GOOD. 

Those who know us well know that sugar is off the table for Viv.
But Japan doesn't really do babycinos here, so I let him lick the whipped cream off the lid of my hot chocolate. 

Kent's victory face – after our toddler-tantrum day of hell (see previous post), I got back to our apartment to discover my beloved beanie was missing! Lo and behold Kent found it at the lost and found at his residency. Bless you amazing honest Japanese people. I have already had requests to have the pom pom photographed, so I know this baby is hot property.

A momentary rest in Daikanyama. 

Beautiful play/reading area at Kitazawa/Book House in Jinbocho, renowned as 'second hand book town.' Having these areas for children makes shopping (for kid's stuff at least) so dreamy. Listening to Kent make up stories from books written in Japanese is pretty entertaining too. 

This image makes me very happy, as it was snapped while I was IN BED THIS MORNING! SLEEPING IN!!! Kent took Viv out early (little shit bag came in at 5.37am this morning asking if it was morning yet and could he get in our bed) for breakfast and a playground run so I could catch up on some sleep. And eating alone. And showering alone. And dressing alone. It was heavenly. The things we view as treats eh?? 

When he was still adorable – the first day we visited at Kent's residency and he insisted on wearing all of our hats.

Somewhat mythical, the Octopus Slide park that I knew existed, but couldn't find the address. It turns out it's just on the other side of the train station near the yoga studio in Ebisu. This is now a luring park used for good behaviour. Who am I kidding? All the parks are used in this way: 'Are you going to behave? If you want to go to the playground you need to be quiet/sit still/don't touch.' So far, so good. There was a small incident today that involved running away in a ceramics shop and then falling down some stairs (he's fine) while I had my hands full of breakables. The playground plan was abolished, not before the entire shop could be filled with wails of 'I'm not sad anymoooooooooore!!!' 

Another shot from this morning's breakfast run.

Awesome coffee place near us, that make my 'paleo' breakfast: eggslut. What this is supposed to be, I do not know, but I DO know that it appears to be instant mashed potato with an egg on top in a little ramekin, that I am pretty confident is microwaved to perfection. Whatever, they cook the egg to perfection and their flat whites are heavenly. While coffee costs a small fortune here, food is remarkably cheap and cheerful – and delicious. 

Speaking of, the yakitori (meat on a stick?) stand that Kent visited on his way home from work tonight, without actually bringing any back for us?! Despite is being so very delicious!?!? For the record, ¥150 is about $1.75 Australian. Hello.

Another early image of another 'coffee stand' (what we'd call a hole in the wall) near us. This was the beginning of the scary random tantrum attacks. They are as loud as they are unpredictable. Luckily they don't seem to linger, but can occur at any time, scaring the shit out of us and surrounding humans. 

Just protecting the plant wares. 

It's freaky how similar Viv's smug face is to Kent's. Even freakier is the way he strutted around stating
'I'm a DOC-tor', also just like Kent. 

Back at 3331 Arts Chiyoda (the residency) – it is a multi-function series of spaces, where lots of events and exhibitions are held. Sometimes there are water fairies. Apparently that's what a water fairy looks like in Japan. We told Viv to aim a little higher when listening to his heart. 

There are a lot of giant characters, televisions on every train, the occasional sugary treat.
The comedown from this place is a real struggle. There is something quite heartbreaking about a child that so sincerely does not want to go 'home' to the apartment after playing with all those toys and listening to the genital-hearts of water fairies. Or have his nappy changed. Or go down for a nap. Or wake up from his nap. Or eat his sandwich. Or let me eat his sandwich. 

I finally got the kid outside (after about 45 minutes of coaxing [pleading] 'if we don't go out now, the sunshine will go and we'll miss it for another day' – truth, the sun goes down at 4.45pm) on the promise of rainbow-hunting, and found this freaky as fuck character instead. FYI, that 'nose' totally waggled. In a phallic type way. 

When you have a toddler and you're pregnant and can't drink wine. This is about 20% of the wall of treats.

Viv snogging a giant cat.

We had to go back for more and more and more cat cuddles, pats, kisses. All the love to the cat.

Just in case you were all getting jealous of all the amazing cuisine we're eating and creating.
This was even grosser than it looks. You should not be able to eat noodles with a knife and fork. 

At Ark Hills in Roppongi. This quite incredible area of Tokyo that is super joozsy, but also totally accessible. On the ground it is like the most inner area of the CBD of most cities, but if you know where to look, you discover weird utopian concrete village wonderlands. I'm not sure how you would properly describe it, but this place is part of the entire Roppongi Hills precinct – here we are at the Mori Tower, which connects to Ark Hills South Tower and I think the East Tower, all by glassy walkways and bridges that look like a VCE Vis Comm student's wet dream. Have no idea what I'm talking about? Neither do I! The front facade just looks like a giant hotel complex (which it is I think) and inside you have about 3 levels of food places. Then many open areas such as this where your small child can RUN!!!

Behind that rainbow sculpture thing was a tiny market selling European style antiques. I decided to come here for the farmer's market, which I didn't actually find, but also didn't look to hard for. I wasn't entirely sure if I was on the right level (this was level 2), or in the right tower. We did find a french bakery and a snazzy coffee shop and enjoyed a cheap picnic by the water fountain. This may not seem very special, but in a city where it is nearly impossible to find anywhere safe to sit outside to eat your lunch, it was amazing. 

And this was my view from the fountain on level 2. Note to parents travelling to Tokyo in the future. These places are a haven for elevators, change rooms and giant toilets (priceless when travelling with the smalls). Word on the street that down in Roppongi Hills (another train station away – or maybe only another sky-bound walkway?) there is an incredible indoor parents/play room for the rainy days. I'm saving that one – today we were blessed with 12 degrees, no arctic wind and plenty of sun.

Back on the ground, stuck on a tollway crossing. You need to plan your visit carefully as crossing the road is really tricky – very few pedestrian crossings available! 

A Viv with sushi at our closest playground is a happy Viv indeed. The only problem with playgrounds here is that the ground is fine gravel dust (and all the 'sandpits' are simply an extension of this, but just fenced in) and not many places to sit. We're on one of those weird twirly thingos.

Viv was in an incredibly (insistantly) independent mood today. He also insisted on selecting and carrying his groceries at the supermarket (bananas and onions, FYI), using my train ticket to get through the barrier and pressing the buttons always for the lifts. His new catchphrase is 'And I should like ...' before making a selection (usually food or stickers related). 

And again, despite the horrible meltdowns, the exhaustion and general contrariness, he seems to like it here.
(He visits a playground at least twice, usually more, a day. What's not to love?!)