Apple!

Today I had to take Sakura for a "test" at the preschool she's going to go to in April. The test is really simple and is mostly to see if they can understand questions asked and then answer them and basic words. I was worried that she would be too shy or burst into tears but she was very calm and focused (unusual for her!).

I have to share one cute moment from her test.

referring to a page of fruit...
Teacher: ringo wa dore? (where are the apples?)
Sakura: ...
Teacher: ringo wa?
Sakura: ... apple!
Teacher: suteki (that's cool) said with a little awe in her voice

Yes, for the first part she kept answering the questions in English. The teachers (and other moms in the room) were totally impressed with her pronunciation. Eventually she realized the teacher was looking for her answers in Japanese so she switched over but it was pretty cute!

a Misaki flashback

This is Misaki on her first day of preschool. She had just turned 4 two months earlier and I was so nervous. I had no idea how she would do. Would she pay attention to the teacher? Would she follow instructions? Would she make friends? Would she enjoy herself? Would she be able to tell me what she did all day? Of course all my worrying was a complete waste of time. She did great all through those two years of preschool and she's turned into a spectacular first grader.



Basically this is how Misaki handles life: Nonchalantly with the occasional outburst of emotion.

PS Can you see Sakura to the left of Misaki? She was almost 2 at the time. What a cutie-pie!

preschool Emi

This is 5-year-old Emi on her first day of swim class at her preschool. She's the one on the far left squinting up at the sky. I didn't actually take this picture, the school always hires a professional photographer for school events so I purchase this one from them.

Chikara and I love this picture of her. She's so little and proper (both hands clasped in front of her) but she's also curious about everything around her. I have to say that except for her size, not much has changed!

TGIF?

Friday was a busy day. I know I sound like a broken record, but lately it seems that everyday is busy in it's own way and yesterday was no different. On the menu for Friday, in addition to normal daily activities, was an open house at Emi's elementary school and an open house at Misaki's preschool. Fortunately, Chikara was able to get the day off, but he had work to do at home so he wasn't going to be able to go around with me, but he would be able to watch the younger two so I wouldn't have to take them with me. That in itself was a huge help.

So I got up with Emi at 7:20 and helped her get ready to be out the door by 7:55. Natsuki woke up in the middle of this so I also nursed and fed her during this time. At 8, everyone else got up and we had breakfast and then Misaki got ready for school. The two of us walked to the bus stop at 8:55 and just after 9, I was back home and the morning rush was over. Usually this is when I sit down with a cup of coffee and check my e-mail, but today I jumped into the shower in an effort to make myself presentable. I know this is not really necessary but since Natsuki was born I haven't been making much of an effort at all and knowing that is a chance to make a good first impression with a lot of people, I primped. A lot. I put on my fancy Mac make-up, straightened my hair, and spent more than 1 minute picking out my clothes! I should've taken a picture but there was no time.

At 10:40 I was out the door to go to the school with the other moms on my street. As I stepped out the door, they all looked at me in surprise. I didn't ask why but I'm sure they were surprised at my appearance. We walked to the school with our slippers in hand and me with my camera. Just me. My neighbor and I had been talking the day before and she told me that elementary school is different than preschool and that no one brings cameras. Hmm. Obviously that was some sort of big hint. I talked with Chikara and he said that there is too much peer pressure, even between parents, and that if I wanted to take my camera then I should go ahead.

We arrived at school in time for 3rd period and watched the teacher interact with the kids and teach them about the hiragana character "u". He was very energetic and the kids really responded to him. Before we knew it, time was up. All the kids went to watch a video while the teacher talked to the moms. He had to be nervous as there were at least 25 moms and just him. He started off by telling us a little bit about himself. He is 27! Chikara and I are 32 so he's 5 years younger than us. Wow. He has taught at this school for the last 3 years for the 3rd grade, 5th grade and now 1st grade. He told us that for the events they've had in the first two weeks that our kids have behaved appropriately. Cheering for the 5th & 6th graders when they put on a show for them, listening quietly during story time and following instructions when on a school tour. He told us his plan for the next year, etc. In the middle of this, I realized that it was time to pick up Misaki from the bus. I half-ran/half-walked (I am so out of shape!) and made it just on time. She came back to the school with me for the last part.

When it was finished, the three of us walked back home. I fed Natsuki and then left her with Daddy and took the other three to lunch at a local ramen store. As we sat down I realized that I have never ordered ramen by myself. I couldn't remember the name of the ramen I wanted or how to order gyoza so I did my best. The right food came so I guess it was OK. The girls were well behaved, which was good since I was already tired from the morning.

We were home by 2 and I put Sakura and Natsuki down for their afternoon nap. Emi went outside to play and Misaki and I went to the preschool for her open house. I had heard from a friend that the first part was really long and boring so I had planned to go a little late. This year the preschool has made a lot of changes. There is a new principal, a lot of new teachers and a new philosophy. All of it is OK, but one of the changes has me a bit confused. If we want to cancel school lunch for the kids we have to call two days before or we will be charged anyways. What are you supposed to do if you kids get sick suddenly? Do you still have to pay for lunch? Hmm. The only reason I went was to meet Misaki's teacher because she's new so after an hour-and-a-half of talking, they finally let us go to the classroom. Misaki's teacher seems really nice and mature (not old, but really together). She told us that one new thing they're going to do this year is work with the 3rd year kids on their characters. Also, the principal wants the teachers to help the kids work on their manners, especially how they ask questions and respond. This is going to be so good for Misaki. We've been working on this at home so it'll be nice that it is reinforced at school too.

During these two hours, we had to sit on the little chairs that the kids use. My butt hurt so bad and I was really glad when the whole thing was over. As I left I stopped to say "yoroshiku onegaishimasu" to the teacher and she told me I was *pretty*. Although I appreciate this since I spent time in the morning especially to make a good first impression, somehow I was also a little bit offended, although I'm not sure why. I had a strong urge to tell her that I was smart too.

I was home a bit after 4 and while I was nursing Natsuki, I told Chikara all about the day. As I was talking about Emi's teacher, I told Chikara that I really liked him and Misaki piped up and said, "Do you want to kiss him?". We all had a good laugh about that and I clarified that I liked him "as a teacher" for Emi.

By this time I was tired, too tired to make dinner so we went out to a restaurant near us for dinner. They have a new kid's menu so I had to take extra time to pick. One of the new menu items is a "Make Your Own Sandwich" plate for kids. I ordered three and the girls had fun making and eating their sandwiches. When we got home it was 7:30 and the kids were cranky and tired so we went right to getting ready for bed and by 8 all the girls were in their beds. I ran to the store to buy more diapers for Sakura, came home, nursed Natsuki and put her down to sleep. At 9, I made some popcorn, opened my Dr. Pepper and sat down to watch "The Core" on TV. I love Friday nights because they show movies in English on TV. I'm kind of at the mercy of whatever they pick but for the most part it's fairly entertaining which shows how low my standards have become!

It was lovely to fall into bed and I was out within 5 minutes. I had weird dreams about meeting the two comedians of Downtown and trying to take a picture with them. Very weird.

From Monday, Emi & Misaki will be starting school lunches and be in school until the afternoon. My house desperately needs attention and hopefully life will get back to normal, whatever that is!

what can I say...

Well, we survived the weekend. I can honestly say that as a family we've never been this busy before.

After all the pressure I felt when buying Emi's school supplies last week, part of me (albeit a small part) didn't really want to go to the Nyugakushiki or even send Emi to elementary school at all. Like if I didn't go, then it wouldn't happen. There has been so much talk on the news of bullying at school (ijime) and everyone knows that there is so much pressure on kids in Japan to perform well in school. I really want the best for my kids and because I wasn't raised here I really have no idea what that would be.

Also, sending Emi to elementary school means that I will be stretched a little bit more with my organization and my Japanese and I feel like I've had enough of that. But time marches on and my experience in the past is that it's just better to accept what's coming and find a way to make things smooth and fun for my family (and me!).

Now that I have prefaced this post with all of my concerns, I can say that all (well, maybe most) of my concerns were swept away at the Nyugakushiki. Everything was perfect, even the weather. The sakura trees were in full bloom, we all had the proper attire, we were ready on time (a small miracle) and Emi was really excited. Chikara had worked all morning and when were ready to go, he still needed to get ready, but that worked out perfectly because Natsuki was able to take a little nap and then Chikara brought her when he was ready. Even with only 45 min. of sleep, instead of the usual 2 hrs, she is a much happier baby.

When we got to the school, we received the class list and I was relieved to see that my neighbor's son is in the same class as Emi. She was very helpful with preschool stuff and I had prayed that they would be in the same class. Then as we were taking off our shoes to go in, a lady spied us and said "Yokatta" (Yeah!). I wasn't sure what she was talking about but it turns out that her daughter (who went to the same preschool) had been hoping all Spring Break that she would be in the same class as Emi and the mom was relieved that it had worked out. Even after these first five minutes, I was already encouraged.

We went in and checked her name off and a 6th grader took Emi off to her class and we (me, my MIL, Sakura and Misaki) went into the gymnasium. We were one of the first and we found a seat near where Emi would be seated. The lady who spoken to me when we first came in was beside us and we chatted for a little bit. The gym started to fill up and Chikara came with Natsuki and I started to wonder how Emi was doing and how long the ceremony would be. The chairs in the gym were set up in a square with a big open part in the middle. The 1st graders would sit facing the 6th graders and then perpendicular to that parents and teachers sat on both sides.

Then the ceremony started and the three 1st grade classes marched in 2 by 2 holding hands. They looked so small compared to all the 6th graders and adults. Since our name starts with I, in the Japanese alphabet it comes near the beginning, so Emi was sitting in the front row. Unfortunately, it was about this time my camera battery died. The principal and local community leader spoke for a bit and different 6th graders made certain announcements throughout. Then the 2nd graders came in and sang a few songs and did a little speech about all the fun the 1st graders would have throughout the year. Then they announced the teachers for each of the classes and when they announced the teacher for Emi's class, all the 6th graders whooped and yelled. At the time, we had no idea why. The ceremony went on for about an hour (not too long) and then as the 1st graders paraded out, the 6th graders played a song on recorders. It was all very sweet.

Each class went outside and took a class picture and then proceeded, with all the parents in tow, to their classroom. The teacher spoke to the kids for a bit. He introduced himself and used different things to help the kids remember his name. For example, part of his name is "bara" so he brought out a rose, which is "bara" in Japanese, so the kids would be able to remember by association. Chikara was totally impressed. I've mentioned before that he didn't really have a good elementary school experience but he was immediately taken with this teacher who was so nice to the kids. Last year this teacher taught 5th grade and it seems he was well liked since all the 6th graders screamed when his name was called. Then the teacher spoke to the parents for a bit. I don't really remember what he said, which shows how low my memory retention has become. But we were really encouraged after meeting the teacher and being able to see a little bit about what Emi would be experiencing this year.

The whole thing was over within 2 hours which has to be a record for any ceremony I've been to in Japan. We went outside and our very patient neighbors took pictures of us with their camera beside the sign that said "Congratulations" and the sakura trees. Emi really enjoyed herself and knew many of the kids that were in her class and both Chikara and I were reassured about the choices we have made for our kids.

Even though there were still things to do, we went out to lunch. When we got back, Chikara took his mom back home and went to work. As he was leaving, I was trying to change Natsuki's diaper so I could put her down for a nap. When I was in the middle of that, something happened with Sakura, and I turned away without putting Natsuki's new diaper on. When I turned back to her, she was peeing all over the couch and the older three girls were yelling about something. All the stress I had been feeling bubbled over and I yelled at the older three to be quiet. I finished Natsuki's diaper and put her down, took the soaked sofa cushion outside and told the girls to give me a few minutes. I hate it when I yell at the kids, even when it is necessary, especially after they were so well-behaved throughout the whole morning. Sigh...

Saturday, again, was spent keeping the kids on course, but Saturday night I pulled out the Easter candy I bought last month and put little chocolate eggs in little plastic eggs and then hid them around the living room. On Sunday morning, the girls searched for the eggs and I have to say that although they were excited about finding the eggs so they could eat the chocolate, they were a little lame at actually *searching* for the eggs. They would take turns meandering around and then looking at me and saying "I don't know were they are". Duh, of course you don't know, that's why you're supposed to search. Sigh. Maybe next year will be better. They were really excited about the chocolate so I let them eat two eggs worth of chocolate.

In the midst of the ensuing sugar rush, we got ready and went to church. Chikara and I, along with some other members of the music team, sang "How Great Is Our God" by Chris Tomlin, translated into Japanese by Chikara, as a special song and Chikara was leading worship so we had to be there early. Chikara was in a rush and on the way to church, I asked him, as a joke, if I could stop at the convenience store. He was not amused! The service was great and after lunch, the children's church workers had an Easter Egg Hunt for all the kids of the church and their friends. After they found eggs, they colored and decorated them. At one point, Emi put her fingers in the bowl of pink dye and her fingers were stained pink.

At around 5, we left church and called Chikara's parents since we were supposed to have dinner them for my MIL's birthday. I had realized at church that I hadn't bought new sneakers for the girls for school so we stopped at the mall to get some. During this time I started to feel sick. I asked Chikara if we could postpone mom's birthday but he didn't think it was a good idea. After we bought the shoes and proceeded to the restaurant, I started to feel more sick. I tried my best to enjoy the evening, but I could hardly eat. Natsuki was being difficult since she hadn't eaten very well all day. I used her as an excuse and went out to the car to nurse her.

We all went back to our house, even though it was a complete mess, to have cake and coffee. Yes, I gave the girls cake right before bed, even though it was late and Emi & Misaki had a big day the next morning. There was no other choice. At the earliest opportunity they were down to sleep and we spent a little more time talking with Chikara's parents. Once they left, I realized that I had a fever and I was not doing well. My husband spent the next few hours making sure all of the girls things were ready for the next day. He spent most of that time writing Emi's name on her school supplies.

One thing that I learned from this process is that at elementary school, the kids need to bring different things to school and back home each day. Perfect. One more thing to keep track of. Fortunately they write everything in hiragana which Emi can read so my goal will be to get her to a point where she can organize her things by herself without too much help from me. There is so much stuff that we'll have to prepare a place for her to keep the stuff she doesn't need to take. At preschool we have the same type of program, but each week is pretty much the same so once you get the hang of it, it's easy to remember. Seems like elementary school is not the same.

Now we're up to today when we'll see if all the preparation we've done is enough. We woke up just after seven to get Emi up and ready on time, but she was already awake, of course. She changed into the clothes she had picked out the night before and had breakfast. Chikara took her at 7:45 to the meeting spot for our neighborhood. All the kids and parents of the 1st graders walked to the school together. We have to take her to school and pick her up for the first three days and then after that she will go to school with all the neighborhood kids and then come home with any kids who are done with school when she is. I am thankful that our school is close. Some 1st graders take a train *by themselves* to go to school and come back home. I don't think I could handle that.

At 8, we woke up Misaki and Sakura. Misaki got ready for school. Her bus comes around 9 so she will have a nice relaxed morning all year, which will be good for her temperament. She's not a morning person! While Misaki was getting ready, Sakura kept saying "I'm going to elementary school". She was very disappointed when only Misaki and I went out the door. After coming back home, I was exhausted. Natsuki, who hadn't eaten very well on Sunday, woke up at 2:30am, so I woke up and nursed her, and then again at 6:30am, when I ignored her until 7:00. Also I was still not feeling well so I went back to sleep for awhile. Natsuki was already back in bed for her morning nap so Chikara only had to watch Sakura.

When Emi came home, she willing shared about her day. They learned aisatsu (greetings), which was mentioned at the Nyugakushiki at least 5 times along with signs everywhere saying "Let's Do Greetings Happily", where the bathrooms are and about where all their stuff goes. I was relieved to hear the girl beside her and the girl in front of her had the exact same pencils. She really enjoyed herself. Misaki also had a good day. She has a new teacher who's name is also Misaki, which she thought was cool.

I think the climax of the weekend for me was tonight. The older three girls were already in bed and I had sent Chikara off, too. I had just finished nursing Natsuki and changing her diaper to get her ready for bed. As I stood up to burp her, she started choking on some phlegm (she's had a cold) and suddenly she threw up all over me. I was silent for a moment and then I laughed out loud because it was so typical of the youngest child to have the last say. Chikara had to come down and hold her while I mopped everything up. I hope she sleeps well tonight!

Other than that debacle, it seems like all of our hard work has paid off. For me, it's been quite an emotional ride, which is probably why I've been sick sometimes. Fortunately, the girls have a very positive attitude towards school so their enthusiasm pushes us along. As a mom, it's hard to watch my kids grow up and move on without me. It's what we've been working towards but when it actually happens, it is an emotional time.

A new step has been taken by our family and it will be fun to see where it takes us. I know this was long, so thank you for reading to the end!

about the walking diary

Someone asked me what the walking diary (bottom of the right column) is for. Good question! I'm actually wondering about that myself!? Now that Natsuki has become a bit more independent and her schedule has really evened out I decided that the time has come for me to get back to doing the stuff that I need to do as far as taking care of myself. I have usually taken the first six months of each of my children's lives to focus on the family which has been good for us as we adjust to the new baby and all she brings. But that time has passed, the girls have adjusted well and the family is good shape so now it is time to get back to regular life.

For me this means:

brushing my teeth 3 times a day

washing my face at night instead of just dropping into bed

drinking enough water

changing out of my pj's in the morning

cleaning the house at a regular pace

paying attention to the mountains of paper that are piled up all over the house

exercise

It's this last one that I have never been good at or really taken very seriously. When I was in University I had to take PE credits so I signed up for Circuit Training. That was a fabulous class and if I lived in the States/Canada I would do that again. At that time, when I was 20, I was in the best shape ever mostly from the circuit training class and from climbing up and down stairs in the old university buildings as I went to classes everyday. But now, 12 years and four kids later, I find it hard to even think about making the time to take care of myself in this way.

I think this is another aspect of the procrastinator in me. I know that any exercise I do now will benefit me later in life but actually *doing* it now is the tricky part for me. So I decided that I would keep track of the walking I do, online for everyone to see, and make an effort to walk at least 30 minutes 3 times a week. As you can see I am not doing that well. Part of it is the weather and the fact that all the kids are home so from April I will make another try again. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to fit exercise into a busy schedule?

Spring Break is still going well. Last week Chikara only had to go the office on Thursday and Friday so I was able to get a lot of things done while he was home. After writing the last piece about how bad I was procrastinating, it kind of encouraged me to try again and I spent the whole rest of the day tidying up. It really energized me!

Another funny thing is that after the effort I put into getting the girls fun things to do and renting some videos, the toy that they have played with the most is a box that my ExpatExpress stuff was delivered in. First they colored it, then they cut a hole in it to turn it into a puppet show stage and then they put a roof on it and finally they made little cardboard characters to play with. They have had so much fun that during the summer break I think I'll get another box and let them have at it!

I did find one picture of Emi from her sotsuenshiki. Can you see how proud she is?

something to do

Thank you all for your ideas for things to do during Spring Break. I took Emi shopping on Tuesday and we rented some kids videos (Robots, Mulan and SpongBob SquarePants) and then went to the 100yen shop and bought some interesting things to keep them busy. So far this week they are doing great.

I, on the other hand, am realizing that my tendancy towards procrastination is more deeply rooted than I would have previously believed and the house has completely fallen apart because of it. The only reason my husband hasn't complained yet is because he is too busy to notice which somehow seems wrong. My procrastination is usually kept in check by the fact that if I don't keep up with the things that need to be done then our existence cannot continue but with the girls on break and Chikara so busy this has ceased to be true. Did you know that if your kids stay in their pajamas all day then there is less laundry to do? Did you know that if you make extra pancakes at breakfast that you can serve them for lunch too?

I think part of the reason I'm choosing to do nothing about this is because from April our lives will become more complicated and scheduled than we have ever been before. Emi & Misaki will have different schedules and events, Sakura & Natsuki are at home but on different schedules, Chikara's schedule is pretty much the same but with more responsibility and I will be going back to teaching English two afternooons a week. It's the first time we've all been headed in different directions and although I know we'll figure out how to manage eventually, it's the time inbetween that has me all tied in knots.

For example, today I took Misaki to the preschool to find out what class she's in and buy any school supplies that she needs for next year. I did it all wrong. We woke up late, I couldn't find my ID Card, as we walked out the door I realized that I hadn't turned in our pictures for next year's ID cards and spent 20 futile minutes looking for them, took Misaki in her regular clothes instead of her UNIFORM, forgot the piece of paper I was supposed to turn in and so on and so forth. I managed, all by myself and in Japanese, to accomplish all the stuff we had to do at the school like find out which class she's in, buy more PE clothes and school supplies, get her name tag, find the places she puts her stuff away but when I asked for new ID cards because I couldn't find ours I got the "raised eyebrow". Sigh. I could've made my husband go with me and probably everything would've been done better but eventually I have to be able to do this stuff by myself. I guess I'm learning by trial and error. One thing about living in another country is that my ability to find humor in my mistakes has definitely increased.

On this note, in an attempt to embrace the procrastinator in me, I will not stop here and clean my house but instead do an Expat 54321 Meme (I don't know what a meme is so please don't ask me!).

Name five things you love in your new country:

1. Convenience stores. They are open 24 hours and you can pay your bills there any time that is convenient (hence the name). When I was pregnant the fact that you could buy food at any hour came in really handy.
2. Preschool. They do amazing stuff with the kids here. You would think it was high school for all the effort they put into it. They really teach the kids the protocol needed for elementary school (but no actual studying!?). Plus they're so cute in their uniforms.
3. Sense of community. Our neighborhood is very friendly and helpful. We have sports days and summer festivals together and everyone helps out with keeping an eye when kids are playing outside.
4. Fall. October and November are a welcome respite from the hot summer. The weather is fabulous and it doesn't rain very often. This has got to be my favorite season now.
5. Costco. I know it's not Japanese but I'm glad that Japan is westernized enough to have some familiar stores.

Name four things you miss from your native country:

1. Clothes. I miss being able to buy clothes that fit and match for me and my family at a reasonable price.
2. Food. I miss Taco Bell, Olive Garden, Newport Bay and Elmer's. I miss being able to find food that I want.
3. Snacks. I miss my favorite snacks. When I go home I gain weight because I lose all sense of self-control in the snackfood aisle.
4. Family & Friends. This should really be first because I miss my family a lot. Plus I miss being able to converse easily and feel like people get me.

Name three things that annoy you a bit (or much) in your new country:

1. Smoking. For such a health conscious society they sure do not take smoking and it's harmful effects seriously. I get in trouble all the time for giving the girls a little pop because the carbonation is bad for them. Seriously? If I was going to have a problem with pop it would be for the sugar and caffeine, OK!
2. The System. Everything in Japan is regulated and organized sometimes to the detrement of the people it's supposed to be helping. It gets overwhelming sometimes, the paperwork, the waiting, the looks of disgust you receive when you ask a simple question, and my husband puts up with it on my behalf a lot. Thanks, sweetie!
3. The lack of support for the family. The birthrate has gone down in Japan and I can tell you why. There is not a lot of positive support for the family. The government is trying to throw money at the problem but that's not going to change a thing. Dads need to be able to be home more, you need to be able to get around in a stroller easier (don't get me started on this one), nurses, doctors and public health people need to be nicer and more encouraging, parents need to be able to take a break once in awhile (ie. babysitters) and the school experience needs to be a little less stressful.

Name two things that surprise you (or surprised you in the beginning) about your new country:

1. How nice people are to me and my daughters. I really expected some discrimination but so far we've experienced the opposite. People go out of their way to be friendly because we are not Japanese.
2. How people feel powerless to change their situation. I find that having a difficult life is really valued here in Japan. I hear people (especially women) say that their life or a certain situation is difficult but everyone else is experiencing the same thing so that makes them feel better. What a bunch of hooey! I feel like screaming every time I hear this sentiment. We actually get picked on because our life is "easy" but actually we work very hard to resolve issues in our life.

Name one thing in your new country that you would miss terribly if you had to leave it:

1. Probably the sense of community. Being from Canada where neighbors are more friendly and then moving to the States where we hardly saw our neighbors, never mind talk to them or have a BBQ together, I have found that I really appreciate the friendliness of our neighbors. When the kids are outside, it's reassuring to know that all the neighborhood moms and grandmas are keeping an eye out for the kids and for strangers lurking around, etc.

You're supposed to tag people to do the meme next but I won't. If you'd like to try it yourself, go ahead and put it on your blog or post it here. It was surprisingly hard to come up with things I genuinely liked about Japan. I can see that I'll need to work on that.

what a week!

I haven't written much this week because we've been pretty busy. I'd like to say it was because we were having Valentine's Day fun but that would be untrue. Since we've come home from our Christmas vacation I've been completely caught offguard by how busy we've become. I thought for sure I'd have a few months of relative calm before April came and Emi started elementary school but I was wrong (I'm noticing an alarming trend).



Monday was a national holiday and the girls were home from school so I decided to have a little birthday party for Misaki whose birthday is actually February 14th. Two girls from the neighbourhood who are friends with Emi & Misaki came over around 1:30 for cake and fun. The girls had a lovely time and after a couple hours they moved the party outside and played together for a few more hours. Since we didn't have lunch I didn't have to put in a lot of effort but Misaki still had a good time. We let her open one of her presents and she looks forward to coming home everyday to put it on!








Yep. We're party animals.

On Tuesday we went to our pastor's house and talked with them for about four hours. We are taking over the leadership of the music ministry of the church this month. Chikara and I have been brainstorming for months about what we'd like to do so we thought it would be a good idea to talk with the pastor before we started anything. We had a great conversation and now we're excited about what's going to happen next.

As energizing as the morning had been we were quickly brought back to reality after we picked up the girls from school. Emi was running a temperature and complaining about her ear hurting. We needed to get a calendar (we have no idea what day it is and we have so many events coming up - scary) so we did that and then took Emi to the hospital. By the time that was done it was dinnertime and I wasn't going to have time to cook anything so we bought McDonald's and took it home. None of the kids had had a nap so I didn't feel like taking them into a restaurant even if it was just McDonald's. Needless to say I was glad when everyone went to sleep. Emi responded well to the medicine so she slept through the night and was able to go to school the next day.

On Wednesday a new friend that I met at church came with her daughter to our home. Her daughter is the same age as Sakura so I had invited her over for a playdate and also so I could get to know her better. Her husband is from Denmark and she is Japanese so I figured that we would have some things in common. We really enjoyed the time together and our daughters played well. At first they were very quiet but as the day wore on they stopped being shy and began to talk as they played. It was very cute. She left after I picked up the girls from school so I put them down for a nap. All four girls were napping so I thought I would take a little power nap myself. As soon as I laid down, Natsuki started to cry. Of course! So again I was glad when the day was over and the girls went to bed. On a funny note, on the way home from the bus stop the wind was really strong and this happened to Misaki!

When Thursday came I decided to do nothing. Well not really *nothing* but as close to it as I could get. One project I did have for the day was to put together a page for a photo album about Emi for her preschool teacher. Every child in the class makes a page and then one of the mothers puts it together into a photo album which the class gives to the teacher at the graduation. Emi has done so much stuff this year and I had tons of pictures so I picked out my favorites, arranged them on the page and had Emi write some stuff to add to it. It turned out really well and I enjoyed working on it. It's been awhile since I did crafting type of stuff.

Today I woke Emi up early because she had a field trip to the Aquarium. I made a bento for her (American-style! Yes!) and drove her to the school on my bike. At the school I handed over my page to the mom who's organizing all the stuff for our class. I'm not really sure what I thought would happen but she just nodded at me and put it in a bag. I think I made her nervous. Then I went home and got Misaki up and ready for school and took her to the bus stop. When Sakura woke up I could tell right away that she was sick. Her breath has that weird "sick smell". Do your kids get this? I gave her some medicine right away. I'm hoping that she won't develop an ear infection too.



My goal for today was to give Natsuki a bath. I'm in that transition stage where she's not sitting up well enough for a regular bath but too big for her baby bath so giving her a bath is a challenge and I need to have total concentration. If the timing doesn't work out between her awake times and her sister's then she doesn't get a bath. Also I've been noticing lately that her cradle cap is starting to come off. I thought it would be a good idea to work on this and then give her a bath. I put baby oil on her scalp and rubbed it in and then took a comb and started to comb it off. Man, was it gross. Fortunately she didn't mind having her head combed so it was relatively easy as far as squirming and screaming goes. Now she has a lovely clean scalp that I can be proud of!


My husband came home early from work so he helped me tidy up the house and then I made dinner. Again the older two didn't have a nap and Sakura was already cranky because of being sick so they all went to sleep before 8. I've said it a lot this week but I love bedtime!! So now here I am finally able to write about our week.


I can't imagine what tomorrow will bring since it's Saturday - the day I dread the most.

strong mommy

I find that usually I use my blog to vent about things that bother me so I thought today for a change I would write about a good experience I had with Emi. It'll probably end up sounding like bragging but when you work really hard at being the best mom you can be and your kid notices it and tell you about it then I think it's worth writing about.

A couple of weeks ago when Emi came home from school one day we were talking about how her day went when she suddenly asked me why the other kid's moms were not "strong". At first I was puzzled because I wasn't sure what she was referring to. Just before that we had attended a sports day for the girl's preschool and the parents had participated in some events so I thought that maybe she was talking about moms who had weak muscles or something. When I ask if this was what she meant she rolled her eyes at me and said, "No, mom, I mean how come some other moms don't say no to their kids. How come they're not strong?". OK, these are deep thoughts so I'd better pay attention. I asked her if she thought I was strong and she emphatically said yes. Then I asked her if she thought that it was a good thing that I was "strong" and she said yes again. I was so happy. Sometimes I feel like I'm really strict with the girls trying to teach them all that they need to know to survive in this world. In general I have a tendancy to overthink things and especially with Emi I wonder if I'm squashing her inner person. This is something I won't really know until she's grown up and then the "damage" will be done. Usually I don't let these thoughts control how I parent but occasionally they well up and overwhelm me and I just pray that I'm doing the right thing.

But Emi, who watches and remembers everything, appreciates the fact that I'm "strong" and do my best to guide her and her sisters in "the way they should go". I can only hope that when they are old they "will not depart from it". This is really my prayer as a mom. (Proverbs 22:6)

So I write this to encourage all the moms out there. Your efforts are not in vain and whenever you feel like giving in to your kids on main life issues, don't! They may not appreciate it at the moment but in their hearts they are hoping that we stand up, take leadership and do it with love.

misaki elisabeth

This is Misaki Elisabeth. She is 4 years old and will be 5 on Valentine's Day! Misaki is a compassionate, observant of small details, going-my-way little sweetheart. She is outgoing and makes friends easily. When the rest of us get sick, Misaki is healthy which is probably due to the fact that she sucks her germy thumb and therefore has built up antibodies to almost everything!!

If I would dare to compare Misaki with Emi (good mommies are not supposed to do this), they seem to be complete opposites. Emi loves sports and although Misaki will participate, it's not her favorite thing. At the sports day, when Misaki ran her race, she paid attention and followed the form that she had been taught for starting but instead of running "full out with her eye on the goal", she half-ran/half-skipped and was totally pleased with her performance. They both love music, but where Emi will practice until perfect, Misaki will practice until someone let's her stop! Where Emi loves to know all about the music being played, Misaki would prefer to just enjoy it.

The one thing that Misaki excels at is art. She has constantly surprised me in this area probably because I'm not much of an artist. She can't color within the lines to save her life but give her a blank piece of paper and a pen and she's happy for hours. She attends the art club at her preschool and they have taught her so many things (I think - it's hard to get out of her what she does all day) and her drawings really show her personality and what she thinks about the world around her.

This is a drawing that Misaki did this week. A friend of mine saw it, loved it, took it home, cut around the interesting parts, colored them and arranged them like this. I was speechless when I saw it!


I couldn't believe that my little Misaki had done something so creative. Honestly it's a relief because for the first year of her life Misaki did little more than sit and smile at us. She was so cute and so chubby and not really interested in much of what was going on around her (probably because her big sister Emi was monopolizing everything) but when she started to walk (finally - 15 months old) her personality really blossomed and now she's the most interesting one of my daughters. She is constantly doing and saying things that are beyond funny and you never know when she'll have one of these inspired moments. A lot of the time it seems that she isn't paying any attention at all - but she is - and that is the mystery that is Misaki!

It's hard to say what Misaki's life will be like with the not conforming, not coloring within the lines type of personality she has but for sure there will never be a dull moment! Please pray for us!!!

emilia claire

This is my daughter Emilia Claire. She is five going on six in December going on 16! She is sweet, smart and full of the wiggles. Her cup runneth over with self-confidence and she is the cheekiest monkey you'll ever meet. She is aware of everything and everyone around her and likes to keep us on our toes! I love her so much and I am glad that she is my firstborn.

Emi has many interests, but music and athletics are her favorites. We don't have a piano in our house but she has taught herself to play many songs on the church piano or on the piano at Grammy's house. She is in a music club at her preschool and at the sports day she played the snare drum in a marching band. It was very cool. She loves to sing and make up songs. Actually it's hard to listen to a CD with her because she asks questions the whole time about the singer, the singer's age, when did we first hear this singer, etc.

Emi also loves athletics. When she started preschool in December, the other kids in her class were practicing jumprope. So Emi practiced and practiced and in a few months she could jumprope forwards and backwards and a variety of other special jumps. We were very impressed.

At the sports day this year, she also impressed us with her running. She was so fast! We shouldn't have been surprised, though, because she kept telling us she was the "fastest in my class". As I said before, lots of self-confidence. This is a picture of her race - she's the one out in front! During summer vacation, she took swimming lessons at the preschool and learned how to put her whole face in the water! All in all it's been a big year for her!

But all of this doesn't really tell you who Emi is and that is always the hardest to express in words, isn't it? Emi is a leader. If you can imagine the child at the playground who organizes the kids into a game or the child in the classroom who actually listens to the teacher and follows the directions to the letter while helping the person beside her, that is Emi. We could also probably categorize her as bossy (where does she get that from?) and strong-willed so Chikara and I have made a concerted effort to teach her the difference between leading and being bossy. We still have a ways to go but we feel that Japan needs kids that have healthy self-confidence, the ability to lead and know the difference between right and wrong and have the support of their family help them back up when they fall.

So we pray for our Emi and her future while enjoying her antics and the funny stories of all the interesting people and things she encounters everyday.

american obento

This week Emi & Misaki had a field trip. This meant that I needed to make a lunch (obento) for them. This sounds pretty harmless except that I live in Japan so making a lunch is actually a big deal. This happens a lot in a country that is foreign to you, things that seem simple become complicated (a lot!). Usually the girls eat lunch prepared by the school but since they're going to pick potatoes (I'm serious), then it's my turn.

Making a lunch in North America means a sandwich, a piece of fruit and a cookie. If you're feeling fancy then you can add a juice box or a pudding cup. Lunch in Japan is an art form. They actually sell lunch making kits and books and there are whole television shows devoted to it. We use a small tupperware container type of box that come in many sizes and colors and is plastered with pictures of your child's favorite television character. The main ingredient is rice and then we use a variety of other foods to create (again) an image of your child's favorite television character. It's a lot of work and Japanese moms take pride in making a beautiful obento for their child. Plus the children also take time to show off their obento and compare it with their peer's obento before digging in.

So . . . this is my first time making obento for my girls. Misaki's class went on Wednesday and fortunately she doesn't really care about the obento etiquette so I did my best and put an M on top of her rice in furikake (dried seaweed and egg sprinkles - yum!) and also teriyaki meatballs and yakisoba and that was good enough for her. When I took them to the bus stop, the other moms were talking about what character they did for their obento and I just pretended I wasn't sure what they were talking about. After the kids left for the bus, one mom shared that she had worked all morning to make a ZenmaiZamurai obento for her son which turned out good but when she showed it to her son, he said he wanted Pikachu and could she start again. There wasn't time (she actually would have done it all over again if there was time) and then he was mad. Finally he took it but he said he would trade it when he got to school.

After that I was nervous because Emi DOES care about the obento etiquette. What was I going to do? When Emi came home from school we talked about what she'd like for an obento. Everything I suggested she turned down until finally I asked if we could try an American-style obento. I caught her attention with that. She asked what an American-style obento was and I told her basically just a sandwich, fruit and cookies. I had her with cookies. She was so excited. Please, please may I have an American obento. I was excited, too. A sandwich is so easy.

So off she went to pick potatoes the next day with her American obento pleased as punch. When she came home she related to me that her other friends were jealous because her obento was so easy to eat - just use your fingers - and could she please, please from now on always have American obento.

I have unwittingly made my life a whole lot easier!