Back to the villa

We just got back from a 5 night stay at the villa we went to last year on the little island, Shiraishi. Jolon came down with a fever the night before we were to leave so we postponed the trip for 2 days until we were sure he was well. Set off mid-morning on Wednesday and one taxi, 2 trains, another taxi and a ferry trip later we arrived. Jan took the boys straight to the beach and I came down a bit later with Esme in a sling. Jan and I managed to juggle Esme a bit and both of us cooled off in the water and then we all headed back for showers before dinner. Jolon suddenly looked hot again and sure enough was running a high fever. Wondering what we'd do with a baby and a sick kid in one room for the next 5 days, we sat down to a rather sad makeshift meal of homemade bread we'd luckily packed, processed cheese, peanut butter and honey. But by the next morning, the fever was gone and Jolon was fine. We got told off several times for having a 6 week old baby out and about---enough to make us take walks on isolated paths in the village rather than along the beach during the day. But really Esme did great. She got great naps on the walks and once I got her to sleep at night, she slept well and never woke the boys or Jan up when she whimpered for milk a few times at night. Juggling 3 kids was definitely more work but the weather was great and it was lovely being at the beach during the hottest part of the summer here. We managed a couple of breakfast hikes, took some evening strolls under the stars, saw some fireworks, went to the traditional dance festival on the beach the last night, and I took the boys on a sailboat one morning with Joy and her two kids. It was a good trip, and Jan and I both arrived back simultaneously refreshed and exhausted. Sitting down to lunch today with the boys at school, we realized that we hadn't had a proper conversation in days.

Oh and Esme smiled for the first time! Right at 6 weeks, earlier than both Jolon and Kellan. The funny thing was that I was holding her but a Japanese woman had come over and was talking to her. All of a sudden Esme's eyes lit up and she gave the most beautiful, big smile to this perfect stranger. But later that day she gave me a couple and she's been smiling a few times every day ever since.