We're here!

We are in Tokyo! Seems like a big achievement after talking about the move for months.

The flight was, well, kinda long, though I hesitate to say that because we want everyone to visit us. About 3 hours into a 9.5 hr trip, with both kids whining because they'd already watched Shrek 3 (the only kids' movie on tap), I looked at Blaine and said, "Whose bright idea was this?" Maybe next time we'll bring that DVD player we talked about buying.

Arno was good natured about most things on the trip, but Lucinda was missing her friends and her home and barely left her seat. (She especially misses her friend Kaila.) Three showings of Shrek, two snacks, two lame airline meals and a gajillion Target-purchased toys later, we arrived at 2:15pm. Add passport, suitcase collection and customs, and we were on a bus by 3:30pm and the hotel manager was showing us to two adjoining rooms on the 20th floor by 5pm.



The kids promptly went nuts (in a good way) leaping on the beds and getting out their wiggles after 12 hrs of travel.

Despite the mugginess (though it's definitely not as bad as the worst DC swampiness), we took them to one of Tokyo's 80,000 local restaurants for hot udon noodle soup, veggie tempura and edamame. One other food note: Arno is shocked that the milk here tastes different (nuttier and less sweet, to me) which might lead to a dramatic cutback in his aggressive milk consumption.

We were totally pooped by 8pm. Lucinda fell asleep about a minute after Blaine read a chapter in Harry Potter, and then the rest of us passed out. Arno woke up at 2:20am, then again at 4:45am when he and I were up for the day. Lucinda and Blaine came in at 5:45am, and Lucinda is feeling brighter after eating nearly an entire mango from the fruit plate that greeted us in our hotel room. "This is delicious!" she said. (But she still greatly misses Kaila.)

We expect to move into our new house today because we've rented a "survival package" from the furniture-rental place: sheets, towels, cookware and other basics till our stuff arrives in the coming weeks and months. Blaine's colleague and translator, Ako, will meet us in 3 hrs (I'm typing this at 6:30am) to take us over there.

Lucinda will meet the teachers at her school on Monday, and the first day is next Wed. Arno starts his dual-language preschool the following week. And Blaine might take his first trip to Korea by next weekend. I'll start putting the house together and get family life organized - and will get my blog organized and ready for reading.

We miss you! Thanks for being such terrific friends and family.

Jessica (for Blaine, Lucinda and Arno)