Sei

What’s this?

miyazawasei — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:25:21 +0000

I didn’t know at first either, but it is a little glass toy that someone gave to Saya. When you blow into the tube at the top it makes really good popping sounds. It’s the prettiest little thing, but very delicate. I think I’ll put this one away until she’s a little bit older.

last sewing project in japan…

miyazawasei — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:15:12 +0000

…before I pack up my sewing machine.

It’s a linen skirt for fall. It’s really long! Is it too long?? (We found her hat from last winter while we were packing. I think it makes the outfit.)

It’s a packing disaster…

miyazawasei — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:40:58 +0000

…at our house this week. (But we are getting things done, and handling the moving stress pretty well.)

yosakoi photo fun

miyazawasei — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:27:48 +0000

The huge dancing festival in Kochi this past weekend seemed like the perfect chance to take some photos. Junji and I both tried, but it was more difficult than we thought it would be to get a good shot. We had fun though. This is my favorite. (more on flickr)

Friends

miyazawasei — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:21:31 +0000

We spent the day at the beach with some friends who have a little boy the same age as Saya. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the two of them. They are such a perfect match. It is amazing how similar their behavior is. They were doing everything together all day. For a while they were just sitting on some camping chairs and chatting with each other. How lucky is Saya so have such a good friend!

weekend photos (a few days late)

miyazawasei — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:39:52 +0000

We had a lovely weekend as usual, but this week has been a rough one for us–we are just swamped with work and a big translation project that we have to finish. (Plus all of the moving stuff that we have to think about.) Junji and I have divided up some of the moving tasks that we have to do. I am in charge of buying plane tickets, booking an international moving company, and figuring out how to bring our pet turtle into the U.S. I have almost completed these three tasks, so I am feeling good about that.

Last weekend we went to one of our favorite river spots with Junji’s brother and some other friends. We had such a fun time. We swam out to some good jumping rocks, and tested our courage by jumping/diving/flipping into the river. It was so much fun. I played so hard, just like a little kid. I got way too much sun, but it was worth it.

Our favorite swimming spot happens to be in a paper-making village, so I bought some tosa washi (Kochi handmade paper) while we were there. Some of the paper was so expensive. I saw a nice sheet of paper that I thought would make a pretty lamp cover, but it was 10,000 yen (about $100)! I only bought a few sheets of this butterfly print paper.

The next night I took Saya to play with clay at Junji’s pottery studio. She has been there before, but this is the first time that we actually let her play freely with clay. (She is past the age where she puts everything into her mouth.)

Our friends’ kids also went to the studio that night. They are Saya’s good friends.

Maya is the oldest, and she takes very good care of Saya.

I guess it’s back to work on the translation. blah. Hope everyone is having a good week!

run, saya, run

miyazawasei — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:37:47 +0000

Saya can really run now, and I swear it is the cutest thing that I have ever seen her do–maybe the cutest thing that I have seen ever. The pictures can’t really do it justice, but the joy on her face and the way her arms really get going…it warms my heart. I can’t stop smiling today. (We may have an athlete on our hands.)

our big news…

miyazawasei — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:23:25 +0000

I haven’t posted much recently because I have been so busy. We are in the midst of a big transition in our family. After much thought and discussion Junji and I have decided to return to the States. We are moving back at the end of August. We are really busy with all of the details involved in an overseas move. There really is a lot to be done. We are still unsure about what the future holds for us exactly, but we are excited about all of the possibilities. It should be an adventure for sure, so I hope you’ll stick around to see how it all unfolds.

In Kochi we are living in a very small apartment. It is actually the first floor of a family home, and it is very lovely, but tiny. My new hobby is fantasizing about our new home–wherever that may be. When we move I want to be very intentional about the kind of home that we create and what we bring into our home. I can spend hours looking at Japanese design magazines, and trying to figure out what I like. One of the many things that I have gained from my time living in japan is a more clear sense of what I like in terms of design.

I recently bought two great books about sewing with linen. They have lots of really nice projects in them, and I have been inspired. (I wanted to give you the links to the Amazon Japan pages, but I am having trouble putting in Japanese links, so I will have to try that again later.) I made this bag for Saya’s toiletries (comb, nail clippers, sunscreen etc.).

I also made this little wall hanging for Saya’s new room. (Everything I make seems to be for my daughter.) I want my dad to help me make a cool wooden frame for it.

Sometimes I don’t know what to make, but I have lots of ideas floating around in my head right now–mostly for Saya’s clothes, so I hope I can find time for sewing amidst all of my moving duties. Wish me luck!

this week

miyazawasei — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:52:02 +0000

Junji and I have both been at home sick this week. On Tuesday I felt awful at work, but I thought I was just over tired. I went home and had a nap, but I woke up feeling worse. About an hour later Junji came home from work saying how bad he felt. I usually hate going to the doctor, but this time I knew I had to. We both got the medicine that we needed and we stayed home from work the next day. My friend Chiyo really helped us out by taking care of Saya. Saya had her first night away from mom and dad! As soon as Chiyo left the house with Saya, I wondered if we had made a big mistake. I was afraid that Saya would wake up in the middle of the night not knowing where she was and totally freak out–or that she wouldn’t fall asleep well because she missed me. (That is the longest that we had ever been apart.) Well, it turns out that Saya had a great time playing with Chiyo and her daughter. She ate everything that they served her, went swimming, fell asleep without crying at all, and slept until 7:10 in the morning (later than she ever sleeps at home). Actually, she didn’t cry at all when she was away. I was proud of her for being such a good girl.

Look at this picture that I took of her today. I love it because she is smiling and looking at the camera–a rare shot–but also because she seems so grown up. She can run now! It’s crazy how fast time goes by when you are watching your little one grow up.
I hope everyone has a good weekend.

more weekend photos

miyazawasei — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:44:55 +0000

Trying to figure out the chopstick thing… She insists on feeding herself these days.

beach babe

It doesn’t get much better than these smiles.

Elena, the little girl in the picture above, gave this dress to Saya. She chose it herself, and I love it! She has good taste.