tokyo :: shinjuku gyoen

we really wanted to do something new this trip! so we ventured into shinjuku gyoen! funniest thing about this park is, its right around the corner from our old place and we'd ride past it at least once a week!! but because they were not dog-friendly (seriously which park doesn't allow dogs...) we boycotted it. but we've sent all our visitors there and have seen beeeeautiful pictures of the park during cherry blossoms and fall leaves season! 

well it was neither season! but we dragged this little garden gnome with us so he could run around on the grass!!

and get him REALLY tired! because we had a plan in mind that required him to be passed out and napping for a good chunka time!

so we took a long stroll in the garden, we fed him an onigiri, a yogurt and had a little japanese picnic on the grass!!

we even found some october cherry blossoms!! how special! no clue why or how... but thats what it said on the signboard next to the tree!! tonnes of people were taking pictures on their mobile phone (typical japanese style!) so i figured it must be quite special!

would have made a great family picture except for b's sourpuss face!! 

but our plan worked! without much fuss, blake fell asleep in his stroller while i was shopping so we could arrive at lunch with a baby passed out in his stroller because...

we wanted to shabu shabu!!!

and boy did we eat up! i reckon the cool weather makes it cozier to snooze but this kid doesn't sleep for long chunks on the go back home! sometimes we try really hard and he does a little capnap on the go but nothing like these epic long naps in japan. makes us wanna move back there!!

just kidding!

but shabu shabu, sleeping kid, shinjuku shopping, a little picnic in the park...

that's our perfect ingredients for a leisurely morning out! 

xx