Pics of our townhouse and of Noah's middle school...

Hi, today's Tuesday over here. Both Bran and Noah are at school right now. My dad's at the motor vehicles right now getting his drivers license switched to this state. And so, I have some free time to just catch up with you all. The wifi in America, where we live is absolutely so freaking slow compared to the internet speeds we have in Japan. The reason is because we use satellite for our internet and we also have the Dish for watching TV. So, when the kids are home like in the evenings and weekends. I doubt I will blog then. Because of the slow wifi. But, I think I can blog twice a week, in the weekday. And hopefully I can eventually catch up. I will post what the outside of our townhouse looks like another time. But for now, I will share pics of what the townhouse looked like the day we moved in. This is what our living room looks like. Of course now we have 2 couches in there and a  55 inch flat screen TV in there now. But this is just pics of the day we moved in. So this is the living room. This is all on the main floor of our townhouse.

Behind this little door in the living room, is a storage area for the kids and my suitcases.

What it looks like behind that little door. The storage area. Fully carpeted and with a light switch.

Looking from the first flight of stairs towards the downstairs. Notice the detailing on the banister near the stairs. Again, it's barely 1 year old these townhouses.

Love the wood flooring or faux wood flooring. It's in the main floor bathroom and in the laundry room too, as well as in the master bathroom upstairs too. See the lightning in the dining area? It's so cool. Granite counter tops. American stove and oven. Microwave, dishwasher and fridge (with ice and water available on the outside of the fridge door) and tons of counter space and cabinets and a food pantry near the stairs, but in the kitchen obviously. 

Not sure if you can see the rock wall outside the windows and the flowers. Ceiling fan in the living room.

My laundry room on the main floor. There's 2 cabinets for laundry soap and Gain dryer sheets. I have Gain pods in there too. And a hanging pole to the left of the cabinets. So yes it is a proper laundry room. That is just in our townhouse for the 4 of us. 

Water heater and central air conditioning and heating system are in the laundry room.

The full bathroom on the main floor. This is my dad's bathroom. The kids can use it, if they want to too of course. But, I know my dad enjoys having his own full bathroom. This is right next to the laundry room and my dad's bedroom.

My dad's bedroom. It's located on the main floor. The things located on the main floor are. The living room. The dining area, the kitchen, the laundry room and the main floor bathroom and my dad's bedroom.

The master bedroom. Now, I had wanted Branden and Noah to have the master bedroom. Because in my mind, it made sense, because there are 2 of them, so they need more room. And me, I'm alone. So, I felt they should have the master bedroom. But, Branden said, that would mean "mom would come into our room in the evenings or middle of night to go to the restroom." And he said he didn't want that. Sad face from me. : ( So, I am in the master bedroom. And they come and go to the bathroom anytime and I'm absolutely fine with that. They're my sons, I absolutely adore them and so they can breeze on by, anytime they'd like. : ) There are 2 doors inside my bedroom. This door you can tell is the bathroom. Ceiling fan as well.

This is the door to the master walk-in closet.

Top row for hanging and lower bar for hanging clothes too.

Built in shelving.

It's a fantastic closet.

Master bathroom. Again this townhouse is only 1 year old. I love the floor in here.

I absolutely love this sink and pure white cabinets. I wash my face at night every night in this sink. Brush my teeth in the sink every morning and night. And put my makeup on in here every morning.

Shower.

Love the lightning. Noah does his hair in this mirror every morning. Branden showers in here every night, so does Noah. Both the kids do, they take turns. I shower in the morning.

This is both Branden and Noah's bedroom. They are sharing a room here. And they're bedroom is right next to mine. Noboru, liked this townhouse because the kids bedroom and mine are upstairs and a little more private... away from the rest of the house. For the most part we're all usually in the living room watching TV together or in the dining area.. eating or talking up a storm. But it is also nice for my dad to have a room on the main floor, for his own privacy if he wants or needs it. And when he wants to be on his laptop. Or take a nap, he can close his bedroom door and have some privacy if he wants to. And let's be honest, everyone wants some privacy once in a while...even in the best and closest of families. And the kids also can go upstairs too and know that grandpa won't ever go upstairs, because he has no reason to go upstairs. So the kids can go upstairs if they want and have complete privacy. Flop on their beds. And play online games together or talk. Just a private place for them to unwind. And again even for kids, they need a space that's just theirs and I "get that", I understand that. If we were all on the same floor. The kids could maybe be too loud for my dad too. So, this 2 bedrooms upstairs thing.... and 1 bedroom downstairs was perfect for us. I'm glad Noboru suggested this. Everyone can have privacy if they need it. And likewise... everyone can gather in the living room and dining area when they would like some help with homework. Or to talk and chat and enjoy family time too. 

Is it weird having an Ulta 5 minutes away from my house by car? Yes, completely weird. Is it weird having a Target 5 minutes from my house, by car? Yes, I'm still not used to this. And is it weird having a Walmart 6 minutes from my house, by car? Completely weird. And a Panda Express. Long John Silvers. KFC, A&W. Mickey D's. Qdoba. Subway. Again all 8 minutes or less from my house by car of course. Yes, it's weird. Is it weird that Pizza Hut, Dominoes and Papa John's delivers to my house? Yes. Because after we built our dream home in Japan and moved to the inaka. For the past 12 years we had no delivery pizza of any kind, for where we lived in Japan. There is a free standing Krispy Kreme about 6 minutes away from my house. Noboru wanted to go inside the day before he left back to Japan. They offer and sell different donuts than the one in Japan. Of course the original glazed and sprinkles ones were the same, but the variety here is bigger. 

The kids and I each picked a cereal to put in the food pantry and that way anyone can have it. I picked this and it's so good.But to be honest, every time I see this cereal in my food pantry it shocks me just a little bit. The fact that this cereal still surprises me every morning... means to me...that I've not adjusted to being an American living in America. The fact that I'm still dazzled and amazed when I walk into a Target means I'm not adjusted yet to living here. I know that I need to be gentle and patient with myself. And so I'm not rushing myself. I'm trying to adjust at my own pace. When will things start to feel second nature or normal here? I honestly don't know. Only time will tell. 

Foothills. Trees galore. Greenery for days. On my way to Target one day.

Hello blondie horse!!! She has a chocolate horse friend that is separated by a fence.

Hello chocolate horse! That's blondies friend.

Noboru driving my car when he was here. Again pure black Volkswagen Jetta 2014, leather interior. Only 30,000 miles and still under warrantey and the warranty was trasnferred into my name. My husband said, "You look so cute and classy driving that car."

Costco run. While, Costco Japan has 75% things American and 25% Japanese. But here in the USA, Costco USA has everything American. The sheer amount of what's available at Costco here shocks me still. Again, I'm not yet adjusted to my life here yet and you know what...that's okay.

This is what Noah's middle school looks like. It's an absolutely gorgeous middle school. New facility. American flag hanging at the entrance.

The building does say..."blank middle school" on the building in this pic. Which I grayed the actual name of Noah's middle school out. Noah lives so close to the school, that no school bus is offered to Noah. But many kids do ride the American yellow school bus to middle school everyday to this middle school. As for what we do? School starts at 7:55am every morning. And I drop off Noah at school every morning at 7:30am. He loves this school so much. Noah's had pizza at school. Nachos at school. Ravioli at school and turkey dinner for lunch too. Yesterday the main choice was yakisoba. Noah said he picked a sandwich, not the yakisoba. Every lunch you have to pick a fruit or vegetable. Your choice of course, which one to pick, but you have to pick one and I like that. Noah usually picks apples or bananas. And he said he likes picking chocolate milk and wonders why chocolate milk wasn't offered at his school in Japan. He also says his middle school is immaculate type clean and the bathrooms smell of soap at his American middle school. It's because there are janitors cleaning the schools. And they have industrial strength cleansers. In Japan our local shoggako cleaned with water only and the toilets smelled unpleasant...would be the politest way to describe them. I dreaded using the toilets during undokai or observation day. Branden says the same thing....that his high school is so clean, and smells so good. Branden's high school is gorgeous and brand new too.  

Picking up Noah every afternoon. He walks right to my car and always has a great big smile on his face. And he tells me so many stories every single day.

Other informative tidbits. Noah goes to school Monday through Thursday 7:55am and gets out at 2:25pm. And on Fridays everyone in middle school gets out early. Noah gets out at 1:25pm every Friday. An American middle school schedule? It's not stressful. Noah feels so happy getting out of school at 2:25pm most days, but he can't get over the fact that he gets out at 1:25pm every single Friday. Also, free wifi at middle school for all kids. And yes, you may use your cell phone in class. This is shocking to me. Because this is not allowed in chugakko in Japan. Also, Noah told me that after first period/class everyone in his school... has snack time. Everyone brings a "school approved" snack (no nuts) to eat in their classroom after first period. What in the heck?!!! Please keep in mind. I have been an American mother in Japan for 16 years. I know how to send my kid to a Japanese school, yes I do. I did it and I did it well too!!! Now I'm here and I have absolutely *zero* idea how to be a mom to children going to an American school. A Target run was in order... to buy "after first period snacks." Individual snack sizes of Goldfish, Mint Milano cookies, Snack size of Chips Ahoy and Nutter Butter and some other type too. Also, everyone drinks 500ml of water throughout the day at Noah's school. So they don't get thirsty during their study. So, now every single day, Noah brings a snack for after first period and a 500ml of bottle water. Good thing a case of bottled water is like $3 here. OMG, you guys. I'm learning so much. Noah was given a brand new Chromebook (laptop) each child is issued one for free. Each family pays $30 for insurance on it for the year. Kids here do a lot of assignments in middle school on that. Plus they do worksheets a lot here too. Branden used one in his high school in Japan. But we had to buy B's Chromebook in Japan. It's nice that here... you don't need to buy it, the school provides them, to all the kids. Noah has about 13 kids in each of his classes, in middle school. Considering Noah used to have 38 kids in his class in Japan. The small class size at his school here is nice.  Noah has about 45 minutes of homework every night. He does it on the kitchen table and I sit with him, ready to help. Last night Noah did homework on Christopher Columbus. Noah does the pledge of Allegiance every single morning, to the United States of America.

Noah has always been extremely western looking. In Japan, it was always so super easy finding Noah during undokai or during a Christmas play. Or even if my child was playing in the playground at the local elementary school in Japan, it was always super easy to find Noah. Noboru used to tell me.... every undokai..."thank goodness it's so easy to find Noah"...meanwhile my Japanese friends would put bright socks or patterned long socks on their child... so they could easily find their child. But for us, we could find Noah super easy. And we didn't need socks to help us, lol. His face stood out enough. So it was always easy. I mention this because...on Noah's very first day of school. The teacher collected Noah from the office and we, Noboru and I stood there and she walked him into the hallway and there were western kids walking everywhere. And as soon as Noah walked a little bit aways. I could *not* tell the difference of where my son was. Which son was mine? He blended into the crowd of western faces so well, I could not pick out which one was my child. That has absolutely never happened to me before with Noah. Not ever. And after school, when I am waiting for him to walk out of the building and to my car, again, I can't tell which kid is mine anymore. Every day I sit and think hard...what was Noah wearing this morning? I miss being able to find my child in a blink of an eye.

We live in a very nice community. It's seriously so pretty here. And Noah's first day... during lunch. Other kids kindly wanted to give a cookie to the new kid from Japan (meaning Noah) Noah was sitting with his new friends at the lunch table. And he said, the kids were excited but kept walking around the lunch room, saying "where is that new kid from Japan at?" Noah said they passed him like 6 times. Until one of the boys Noah was sitting with said, "this is Noah, he's the one from Japan" ...the kids were all super nice, but Noah said they said..."you??? You can't be from Japan, you're *not* Japanese!!!"  I'm sorry but that made me....LMAO....Poor Noah. And ya'll know...kids are the most honest, they say it like, they see it. Noboru was still here when that happened. And we were all dying laughing when we heard that. Noah did say politely, "I am half Japanese, my dad is Japanese, my mom is American." They could not believe it. They asked him to speak Japanese and Noah obliged with a few sentences. And they then believed him. I don't think anyone has mentioned Japan or the fact he's half Japanese, since the first day. And he hasn't been asked to speak Japanese, since that one and only time. You bottom line in life... get treated by how you look. He doesn't look Asian to anyone here and they always said that in Japan too. And while Noah is proud to be hafu and proud to be half Japanese. He basically just blends into 98% of the rest of the school.

I have good Branden stories to share too. But that will wait until next time.