Japan has absolutely the coolest trains. Shinkansen! Bullet train! Choo choo! Mom and Appa and I spent two weeks taking a bunch of trains and exploring a cool new country - Japan. It was a pretty awesome trip (though I definitely had a hard time adjusting to the time zones in Colorado, even a week after being back).
One of the neat things about trains is that if you are little you can explore, climb on the seats, make friends, and move around on them as you make your way from place to place (mom definitely recommends travel with toddlers on trains). The window shades go up and down and the seats go back. There is even a nice lady who comes by to sell things to eat and drink. Most of the trains we took were really fast - so much so that when another one came zipping by going the other way I usually missed it. But sometimes we took slower trains through the mountains (of an island mom says is called Kyushu). I remember it because it had beautiful green hills and neat houses with tile roofs. And then there were lots of other smaller trains (subways) when we were checking out the crazy and busy Tokyo or taking a tram with the businessmen in the morning to get around Kumamoto or Hiroshima.
Of course the main thing I loved about Kyushu was the strawberries. Sweet and moist and vibrant red and so so good. The ones near Aso are pretty much the best in the world. Mmmmmmmmm. I would eat the whole fruit again and again. And then repeat. And repeat. Then pair with a little bit of creamy vanilla ice cream for an indulgent treat and you can't get much better.
Around Aso (actually up on Aso-san) we saw a cool and somewhat active volcano (it was kind of like being on another world), and then were able to go on a cool hike up to Nakadake. Parts of it were steep and rocky, but Appa carried me up and I slept for most of the way, waking up just in time to see the view from the top (and have some cheese as a snack).
Another thing I really liked a lot were the fish. Appa says they are called koi. They are big and pretty much everywhere in Japan. In the quiet ponds in the garden next to the Himeji castle, in front of the big statue of Buddha in Kyoto, in the moat surrounding the Kumamoto castle, even in the canals in the middle of a busy town.
We visited lots of cool castles and gardens and shrines and temples, including really big and really old and really tall wooden ones. In one of them you had to take your shoes off but there were a bunch of slippers to put on, so I put on some that were way too big for me and tried to shuffle around a bit. Generally the wood was smooth and cool. And sometimes people were chanting, which sounded beautiful.
Most of the time we had good weather. But it does rain in Japan a lot (they actually have a pretty well organized system when you go into any place where you can either leave your umbrella or wrap it neatly in a little plastic bag). So we did have a few days of rain around Kyoto, but that led to something else it turns out I like to play with - umbrellas! It is fun to see them pop open, and then when they aren't in use I like to use them like big canes.
I learned how to bow my head to say hello (though I didn't quite pick up konnichiwa). I made new friends-sometimes meeting them when I was playing with trains in a store, or checking out a cool aquarium (to avoid the falling ash outside from the more active volcano near Kagoshima), on trains, or just meeting them in a garden. I tasted a bunch of yummy bread. I took showers in tiny bathrooms. I even saw statues that looked like they were eating because they had bibs on!
It was definitely a cool trip. And while it did take nine days until I slept through the night as I adjusted back to Colorado's time zone, this meant that there is a new part of my bedtime routine which includes shadow puppets singing! I love it.
Back at home I have a lot of fun hanging out with friends, enjoying my time with little B and L and S and I and A. Sometimes we play at the playground, or in the sandbox, or with trucks. Sometimes at my neighbor's house they get out water balloons and that is great fun. Sometimes we sing and get to play with drums (boom boom boom). I especially like the songs where there are motions involved (you know, wheels on the bus, five little monkeys, or the aforementioned shadow puppet motions to the nature-inspired hush little baby song), and I do more of the motions everyday. Speaking of which, when we were in Japan I also saw a lot of buses, which would prompt me to start the wheels on the bus motion and them mom and Appa would sing it for me, making up verses sometimes that fit the surroundings.
Since I am really into trains nowadays, we had a fun long weekend with a train theme. This included visiting the train museum in Golden where there is a cool train you can actually ride on (the galloping goose), lots of trains to get into and explore, and even miniature ones that go around in long loops (a medium-speed one, a slow and long one, and Thomas the train who is the fastest). We got to spend some time in the mountains and go on a hike near a cool lake, though the rain kept us from doing more. We also went on the Georgetown loop train on Memorial day - this was my second time on it, and it was even more fun this time. Though the loud whistle is still a little scary.
I am picking up more words - like 'copter' for helicopter (or airplanes since it is hard to tell the difference from so far away). I can say train now (instead of just choo choo). New words come daily (blue, cup, ...).
Ayyamma is back in town, so that is fun. She talks to me in Tamil like Appa, though I haven't really picked up a lot of it yet.
I am getting better at finding creative ways to climb up on things. Like moving ottomans around to see what is on mom's dresser, or trying to climb the shelves in my closet to get to 'monkey' (or 'frog').
Just a little while ago I got a new bed (check it out in the upper right of the collage below)! I can climb up on this on my own, and I have some cool pillows, a bear, and a green blanket that is a crocodile. Though we are still working on me sleeping in it. It has been about a week and sometimes I fall asleep in in, sometimes not. Tonight I did fall asleep in it though, so that is good!
My final note this month is that pretty soon I am going to be a big brother! Mom keeps saying something about a baby boy in her belly - I am not exactly sure what this means yet, but mom says I will find out in just over two months. I am pretty sure it will be a neat thing, if an adjustment.
Thank you God for mom and Appa, for grandpa and grandma, for Ayyamma and chitappa, for trains, for slides, for moving water, and for friends. Next time I write, I will be two years old!!
One of the neat things about trains is that if you are little you can explore, climb on the seats, make friends, and move around on them as you make your way from place to place (mom definitely recommends travel with toddlers on trains). The window shades go up and down and the seats go back. There is even a nice lady who comes by to sell things to eat and drink. Most of the trains we took were really fast - so much so that when another one came zipping by going the other way I usually missed it. But sometimes we took slower trains through the mountains (of an island mom says is called Kyushu). I remember it because it had beautiful green hills and neat houses with tile roofs. And then there were lots of other smaller trains (subways) when we were checking out the crazy and busy Tokyo or taking a tram with the businessmen in the morning to get around Kumamoto or Hiroshima.
Of course the main thing I loved about Kyushu was the strawberries. Sweet and moist and vibrant red and so so good. The ones near Aso are pretty much the best in the world. Mmmmmmmmm. I would eat the whole fruit again and again. And then repeat. And repeat. Then pair with a little bit of creamy vanilla ice cream for an indulgent treat and you can't get much better.
Around Aso (actually up on Aso-san) we saw a cool and somewhat active volcano (it was kind of like being on another world), and then were able to go on a cool hike up to Nakadake. Parts of it were steep and rocky, but Appa carried me up and I slept for most of the way, waking up just in time to see the view from the top (and have some cheese as a snack).
Another thing I really liked a lot were the fish. Appa says they are called koi. They are big and pretty much everywhere in Japan. In the quiet ponds in the garden next to the Himeji castle, in front of the big statue of Buddha in Kyoto, in the moat surrounding the Kumamoto castle, even in the canals in the middle of a busy town.
We visited lots of cool castles and gardens and shrines and temples, including really big and really old and really tall wooden ones. In one of them you had to take your shoes off but there were a bunch of slippers to put on, so I put on some that were way too big for me and tried to shuffle around a bit. Generally the wood was smooth and cool. And sometimes people were chanting, which sounded beautiful.
Most of the time we had good weather. But it does rain in Japan a lot (they actually have a pretty well organized system when you go into any place where you can either leave your umbrella or wrap it neatly in a little plastic bag). So we did have a few days of rain around Kyoto, but that led to something else it turns out I like to play with - umbrellas! It is fun to see them pop open, and then when they aren't in use I like to use them like big canes.
I learned how to bow my head to say hello (though I didn't quite pick up konnichiwa). I made new friends-sometimes meeting them when I was playing with trains in a store, or checking out a cool aquarium (to avoid the falling ash outside from the more active volcano near Kagoshima), on trains, or just meeting them in a garden. I tasted a bunch of yummy bread. I took showers in tiny bathrooms. I even saw statues that looked like they were eating because they had bibs on!
It was definitely a cool trip. And while it did take nine days until I slept through the night as I adjusted back to Colorado's time zone, this meant that there is a new part of my bedtime routine which includes shadow puppets singing! I love it.
Back at home I have a lot of fun hanging out with friends, enjoying my time with little B and L and S and I and A. Sometimes we play at the playground, or in the sandbox, or with trucks. Sometimes at my neighbor's house they get out water balloons and that is great fun. Sometimes we sing and get to play with drums (boom boom boom). I especially like the songs where there are motions involved (you know, wheels on the bus, five little monkeys, or the aforementioned shadow puppet motions to the nature-inspired hush little baby song), and I do more of the motions everyday. Speaking of which, when we were in Japan I also saw a lot of buses, which would prompt me to start the wheels on the bus motion and them mom and Appa would sing it for me, making up verses sometimes that fit the surroundings.
Since I am really into trains nowadays, we had a fun long weekend with a train theme. This included visiting the train museum in Golden where there is a cool train you can actually ride on (the galloping goose), lots of trains to get into and explore, and even miniature ones that go around in long loops (a medium-speed one, a slow and long one, and Thomas the train who is the fastest). We got to spend some time in the mountains and go on a hike near a cool lake, though the rain kept us from doing more. We also went on the Georgetown loop train on Memorial day - this was my second time on it, and it was even more fun this time. Though the loud whistle is still a little scary.
I am picking up more words - like 'copter' for helicopter (or airplanes since it is hard to tell the difference from so far away). I can say train now (instead of just choo choo). New words come daily (blue, cup, ...).
Ayyamma is back in town, so that is fun. She talks to me in Tamil like Appa, though I haven't really picked up a lot of it yet.
I am getting better at finding creative ways to climb up on things. Like moving ottomans around to see what is on mom's dresser, or trying to climb the shelves in my closet to get to 'monkey' (or 'frog').
Just a little while ago I got a new bed (check it out in the upper right of the collage below)! I can climb up on this on my own, and I have some cool pillows, a bear, and a green blanket that is a crocodile. Though we are still working on me sleeping in it. It has been about a week and sometimes I fall asleep in in, sometimes not. Tonight I did fall asleep in it though, so that is good!
My final note this month is that pretty soon I am going to be a big brother! Mom keeps saying something about a baby boy in her belly - I am not exactly sure what this means yet, but mom says I will find out in just over two months. I am pretty sure it will be a neat thing, if an adjustment.
Thank you God for mom and Appa, for grandpa and grandma, for Ayyamma and chitappa, for trains, for slides, for moving water, and for friends. Next time I write, I will be two years old!!
