The Kids Return... and leave again!

We haven't updated this in a couple of weeks!

The kids returned from England safe and sound... and in foul moods (jetlagged, tired, and realising that their parents are neither as generous nor as lenient as their Grandparents!). They had a lovely time - camping in the New Forest with their cousins, canyoning and rock-climbing in Jersey, horseriding, riding in old cars, betting on horses, eating in lots of restaurants and drinking beer (yes Nanny Hazel - Felix did sneak!!!)

Having arrived back on the Tuesday, we spent a few days trying to chill in Tokyo, which is impossibe in this heat, and had a very stressful trip to Costco, IKEA, and Sports Depot, getting things for our holidays. This resulting in much swearing at our stupid Mrs. Navi-san Japanese satnav pile of poo, and eventually shouting at the kids who were close to killing each other.

On the Monday, we delivered the kids, with 12 others of similar ages, to Shinjuku station, where they were met by Jade from Evergreen, who escorted them the 4 hours to Hakuba, in the Japanese Alps - a ski / hiking / climbing / canoeing etc. area. They had a lovely time, swimming in the lake, canoeing, BBQing, mountain biking, hiking, camping, night-canoeing to spot glowworms... and getting bitten to shreds by the mossies, and burnt to a cinder. So, after a long week at work, we picked up two exhausted but happy children who were as brown as berries (and probably rather over-cooked - still not as bad as one child who had to get sent back a day early to see the specialist skin doctor for his burns!)

Ross took the kids out to TGI Fridays, and I had a work party just down the road. It was a welcome party for 3 new people in the deparment, and we went to an Okinawan (Islands South of Japan) restaurant where we ate strage knobly cucumbers which were bitter, but tasty, and pigs ears, which were not! (they didn't tell me what they were 'til I'd put one in my mouth - nice!). Beer was free-flowing, and the boys got rather drunk, but then, at 9pm it was all over - I was just starting! Back at home, the kids gave us lovely presents - a hiking bell (the Japanese sound like Swiss cows when they walk up mountains!), a cute squirrel, and some apple candies, and then went to bed early, rightly exhausted.

I, however, was on a mish! Whilst hanging up the clothes on the balcony, for a quick turn around in time for our holiday the next day, I spotted Mark, our Ozzy neighbour, drinking wine, so I invited him for 'a quick beer'. "He'll not come" I said to Ross. Then there was a knock at teh door - and the rest is a vague memory!! The evening ended at 4am when we thought it would be a really good idea to shave Ross's head - Mark knew what he was doing!!! When I woke up the next day and looked at Ross, I cried with laughter - he had bald bits, and long tufty bits! I did what I could to tidy it up, but with a stonking hangover, it was a somewhat compromised result!!

So we packed (a rather eclectic selection of stuff chosen with BAD hangovers) programmed Mrs Navi-san, placing great trust in her hands, and off we set, back up to Hakuba for our first holiday since we got here.