welp. country livin’ is more our style. thing-one got up at four this morning and to keep thing-two asleep i got him up and we went to take a bath together in this marvelous, in-room, onsen. the resort even provided bamboo bath toys for the kids. we were able to watch the sunrise together from the tub. not a bad way to start a stupid early morning.
rub a dub dub
after mouse woke and we pulled our shit together we went to another hotel for breakfast. this resort will not make any food without dashi (fish broth) so off we went.
the resort served a western style buffet breakfast. including, but not limited to, salmon wafer cones, mushroom risotto, salad, and corn soup. this must be what japanese people think of our sushi restaurants: you got the general gist, but are not quite there.
the highchairs in japan are either meant for babies so young they need to be strapped in and spoon-fed or are just really tall, smaller chairs that have no straps and you’re just supposed to cross your fingers and hope the kid stays in. mouse has been dining ala lap. neither one of us is enjoying our mealtimes to their fullest. but the food was excellent and vegetarian, so c’est la vie.
we were then met by our driver for the day and managed to thoroughly confuse him by changing our plans. we learned our lesson in tokyo and ditched the “Toy Kingdom,” in favor of staying closer and giving ourselves ample time for the things we really wanted to see.
we drove to Shiraito Falls. while it was really beautiful, it was loaded with tourists. watching other people pose and snap pictures with selfie sticks was pretty damn entertaining though. doc/ the excavator had a blast playing with the leaves and looking at all the dogs. and dude, the japanese here really do dogs. they’re mostly small dogs who are dressed better than i am. like, they’re styled and coiffed. in strollers. no way they’d be my friend.
before our next destination we stopped to eat some apples and use the bathroom. daddy and woody were overheard singing pete the cat from outside (“he kept walking along, singing his song”). when they exited they were both pretty wet. the bidet had turned on them. i’m still laughing.
we then went to Onioshidashi Volcanic Park (the name means “expelled demons”). it was fierce. the jagged volcanic rock formations give the entire place an eerie, ethereal vibe. thirteen year old me would’ve set up shop. my inner emo goth was feeling right at home. doc was elated by the narrow paths that quickly became his racetrack. watching how he turns everything into a world of his own is one of my favorite things about being his mom.
to try and get out his wiggles we ended up at Yukawa Furusato playground. this place was amazing. it had an epic slide, was build right next to a stream, had a view of the mountains and was even under mild construction and there was a mini excavator there. we would’ve stayed much longer but the kiddos desperately needed a proper nap. so, off we went to the resort.
we had planned a traditional japanese dinner but quickly realized we should pre-dinner the kids with the awesome ass green noodles and relaxed environment of last night’s restaurant. it did not help.
poor derek. he’s in a place that makes his absolute favorite cuisine and he’s stuck with two little ones who cannot restaurant and a wife who confounds all waiters and chefs with her refusal to eat things that had faces.
three epic meltdowns, two consultations with kitchen staff, and a completely rejected dinner for thing-one and derek was left to eat his food alone while i ran the monsters outside. he was really upset and dejected. which confused me. eating my favorite foods, without the mealtime demons, in peace, sounds like heaven to me, but whatevs…i guess he likes us.
we retreated back to the room to dine on more peanut butter sandwiches and cake. because giving in to the little dictator is how we’re rolling right now.
Travels with Larson and Co 