Master Bedroom

 So the colors look off in these pictures, but here is our Master Bedroom.  We still  have a dresser arriving from Ikea on Friday along with a storage thing for Kurt's office, but other than that we're good to go.

 It may look like we have tons of storage, but when you're used to having a huge walk-in closet...it's really not (the bulk of storage space in our apartment is split between our room and the kitchen).  Also the closet on the far left pretty much just has suitcases in it. :(  About half of our hanging clothes are actually in the baby's room (which is why we bought a dresser).

Above is Kurt's little home cubicle and our dryer.  Kurt works from home most days emailing and calling people...so that is where he lives.

Regarding the dryer - our washing machine is a 2-in-1 washer/dryer.  The washer part works great and is very efficient...the dryer not so much.  It dries ok, but it can take 3 hours to dry a small load. :(  So, we hang our clothes to dry.  In the summer we'll probably move the rack outside (mainly to make room for the bassinet), but for now it's cold and I'd rather have it inside.

Moving to Japan has been a big adjustment for everyday chores.  We don't have an efficient dryer or a dishwasher or a car to take grocery shopping.  Some days it can be overwhelming.  Kurt and I were talking and trying to figure out how Japanese moms do it and we came to a couple conclusions:

1. They typically don't have a lot of kids.  Small apartments and high cost of living doesn't make it easy to have more than a couple.
2. Wealthier families hire help, especially if mom works.
3. MULTI-GENERATIONAL families under the same roof!  Duh!  Mom can hang laundry, while Grandma starts dinner, etc.  Genius.  Kurt is now very excited for my mom to come in May and said she can stay as long as she wants. :)  (He's been playing Dad and Grandma...helping a lot in the kitchen, shopping, and laundry.)