26 July 2009

We spent a very hot, but luckily very windy, day in Yokohama with Jill, Jim and Sophia. Steph and her family were also supposed to be there but she hurt her back and couldn't make it.

First up was a visit to Bornelund's Kid-O-Kid playland. Nick and Jim took the girls in for an hour of quality time while Jill and I went for a coffee and a natter at nearby Starbucks.

Afterwards we looked around for somewhere to grab some lunch, and found a heaving pizza and pasta place in the next mall. We didn't have to wait long, thankfully, as Emily and Sophia were ravenous, and so were we! Emily picked at a sachet of food and then pieces of my gorgonzola pizza, but I think there was too much activity and other children to watch, and it was already past her normal naptime, so I wasn't surprised at her lack of enthusiasm.

Jill and I left the men to finish eating and pushed the girls along in their buggies. In less than two minutes they were both out for the count, and we continued on quickly from the blowdrier heat to the shelter of the huge mall beneath Landmark Tower. After half an hour we decided to take the weight off our feet, and stopped at yet another Starbucks (if only they had loyalty cards), where Emily surprised me by staying asleep for another thirty minutes; normally she wakes as soon as the stroller stops moving.

On enquiry as to their whereabouts we discovered that instead of going for a coffee, Nick and Jim were to be found at the Kirin Beer Hall. After a night of indulgence on both their parts they had plumped for hair of the dog. On the way to meet them Emily said 'Emily poo', which I wrote off as she says it quite often. But Nick immediately detected a tell-tale whiff, so she really was trying to tell me this time. It's still way too soon to think about toilet training as far as I'm concerned though. Given the sun's strength we didn't want to go outdoors, and we had all had enough refreshments, so I suggested that we make our way home and relax for the remainder of the afternoon.

In the evening I left Nick and Emily in the bath and set off for my night out with Jo and Bettina at TY Harbor. After a year of playdates, this was the first time the three of us had been out together. We had a reservation for the terrace and got lucky with a table looking out onto the waterfront, the restaurant being located on one of the many waterways separating all the manmade islands around the area. Though humdrum by day, it looked quite pretty after dark with the lights on. We chatted nonstop for three hours, and had some fantastic food (and in my case, three glasses of wine). It's so nice to talk without the constant interruptions of our toddlers, lovely though they are. Looking at the photo afterwards I realised that it is high time I started eating more sensibly, since I am unable to exercise adequately. I look larger than pregnant Jo!