In fact, I didn't even try. I did let her know she wasn't going, and she was happy about that.
I was supposed to be finishing the minutes of the Board Meeting today, but I slacked off. It felt good.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Thursday, June 16, 2005
No Again
My college lesson went okay...the loudmouth was not so loud, most of the students did their work.
We made a tofu dish again at Wakachan's. Wonder if she thinks that's all I like? Third week runing...
Again was cancelled due to the fact that most of the students can't make it tonight. So I had a nice glass of red wine at home and tried to clean my inbox. Hint as to the size of my inbox - after two glasses, I was still not done.
We made a tofu dish again at Wakachan's. Wonder if she thinks that's all I like? Third week runing...
Again was cancelled due to the fact that most of the students can't make it tonight. So I had a nice glass of red wine at home and tried to clean my inbox. Hint as to the size of my inbox - after two glasses, I was still not done.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Quote of the Day
Things I said in the car today:
"Amy, stop licking the seat"
"Lena, stop hitting your sister on the head with a shoe"
"Amy, stop licking the seat"
"Lena, stop hitting your sister on the head with a shoe"
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Drowning Lesson
Amy's swimming lesson today. Today they did somethign different - something I can only describe as a drowning lesson! After a big long talk with all the classes together, they threw each kid one by one into the pool - the strongest swimmers got to wear a tracksuit, the next a jacket, the next two polo shirts. I couldn't hear anything, but obviously they had been instructed to lie on their backs and kick in an L shape down the side of the lane, then across to the edge of the pool. Meanwhile, the teachers stood in the water, splashing their faces, and making waves. I can only guess, but I think it was pretty obvious that they were trying to create the less-than-ideal conditions that a kid who fell out of a boat would have to face.
Amy, as a beginnner, was put in rather gently, and quickly caught by her teacher, who guided her head and upper body in the same way that Amy has been practicing for the last few weeks. Nevertheless it was an improvement on her performance in Maria's neighbour's pool!
Amy, as a beginnner, was put in rather gently, and quickly caught by her teacher, who guided her head and upper body in the same way that Amy has been practicing for the last few weeks. Nevertheless it was an improvement on her performance in Maria's neighbour's pool!
Monday, June 13, 2005
Norimix
And did I forget to go to the castle??? No, that is definitely next weekend.
Today we went to a dance performance. It was modern dance, and just a local school, but typically for Japan, it was a much biger deal than the much simpler show put on by Rachel and Gabi's school in Hawera. But at the same time it was simpler than Amy's ballet concert, which, or course, incorporated an entire ballet as well as individual pieces danced by individuals or groups.
The first section of Norimix was class group dances. The second part was a guest group from Fukuoka. The third part was themed - Noriko the dance teacher became norinori the alien who loves to dance and her zanily dressed character tied together the dances with spoken pieces between the dances, in which norinori goes to planet earth and generally spreads happiness around with her dancing magic. Amy and Lena enjoyed it. Lena danced in the aisle (where we were sitting because we came late) and Amy asked about a million questions (another good reason to sit in the aisle!).
Today we went to a dance performance. It was modern dance, and just a local school, but typically for Japan, it was a much biger deal than the much simpler show put on by Rachel and Gabi's school in Hawera. But at the same time it was simpler than Amy's ballet concert, which, or course, incorporated an entire ballet as well as individual pieces danced by individuals or groups.
The first section of Norimix was class group dances. The second part was a guest group from Fukuoka. The third part was themed - Noriko the dance teacher became norinori the alien who loves to dance and her zanily dressed character tied together the dances with spoken pieces between the dances, in which norinori goes to planet earth and generally spreads happiness around with her dancing magic. Amy and Lena enjoyed it. Lena danced in the aisle (where we were sitting because we came late) and Amy asked about a million questions (another good reason to sit in the aisle!).
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Genji no Mori Day Two
We woke up nice and early, as usual, no such thing as a holiday when you have toddlers. It was pouring! I put on the rest of Lilo and Stitch, which they had not finished watching the night before. Then got some of the coloring and dolls and other toys I had in teh car, and they payed indoors while we got breatfast ready. We had curry rice and reheated chops and the leftover hamburger patteis.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Genji no Mori Day One
The good news is that Kanji was able to come camping with us.
We got ready after lunch, picked up Lena at kindy and went straight there. We arrived about the same time as Maia and her Mum and Mayumi and Maika.
We unpacked, and settled in and started to cook while the kids ran off and played on the new playground equipment. We had decided on hamburgers and lamb chops. The others had not tried lamb and wanted to try ti. I brought the hamburgers and hamburger buns, and some beetroot, which was a novelty as well. Maia's mum bought the chops, and they were still joined together in a rack, so our first task was to chop them. We only had a weak knife, and we took turns until we managed to get them chopped. Then we marinated them in olive oil, garlic, and rosemary, and made a mint sauce out of freesh mint and malt vinegar. At first it just tasted like vinegar, but the mint seeped in over time.
Kanji and I set up and started cooking while Maia's mum watched the kids and Maika's mum cooked the hamburgers inside the bungalow on an electric frying pan, to save time. All this time, it was threatening to rain. Kanji and I had a beer, but the other two don't drink much, so tehy saved it for the wine. I brought red wine so I wouldn't have to worry about chilling it. We had a hamburger, some chops and some barbecured vegetables, followed by muffins and strawberry jam and toasted marshmallows.
All this time, the rain started to spit and threatened to pour. It was raining by the time we finished and packed up, ready to go look at the fireflies. But we headed out regardless, with our umbrellas. We were lucky and it stopped just in time for us to stand on the bridge in the dark and admire the fireflies. By this time the children were tied, so we headed back to the bungalow, just as the rain started to pur down. We settled in, played a few games and then watched 'Lilo and Stitch' on the DVD player of my computer, which I brought just in case it rained!
We got ready after lunch, picked up Lena at kindy and went straight there. We arrived about the same time as Maia and her Mum and Mayumi and Maika.
We unpacked, and settled in and started to cook while the kids ran off and played on the new playground equipment. We had decided on hamburgers and lamb chops. The others had not tried lamb and wanted to try ti. I brought the hamburgers and hamburger buns, and some beetroot, which was a novelty as well. Maia's mum bought the chops, and they were still joined together in a rack, so our first task was to chop them. We only had a weak knife, and we took turns until we managed to get them chopped. Then we marinated them in olive oil, garlic, and rosemary, and made a mint sauce out of freesh mint and malt vinegar. At first it just tasted like vinegar, but the mint seeped in over time.
Kanji and I set up and started cooking while Maia's mum watched the kids and Maika's mum cooked the hamburgers inside the bungalow on an electric frying pan, to save time. All this time, it was threatening to rain. Kanji and I had a beer, but the other two don't drink much, so tehy saved it for the wine. I brought red wine so I wouldn't have to worry about chilling it. We had a hamburger, some chops and some barbecured vegetables, followed by muffins and strawberry jam and toasted marshmallows.
All this time, the rain started to spit and threatened to pour. It was raining by the time we finished and packed up, ready to go look at the fireflies. But we headed out regardless, with our umbrellas. We were lucky and it stopped just in time for us to stand on the bridge in the dark and admire the fireflies. By this time the children were tied, so we headed back to the bungalow, just as the rain started to pur down. We settled in, played a few games and then watched 'Lilo and Stitch' on the DVD player of my computer, which I brought just in case it rained!
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Poor Ballet Teacher
She had three crying at once today. I think anyone who tries to teach three, four and five year olds to dance deserves a medal.
Amy was one of them. She didn't want to go today. She has decided she doesn't like ballet. This started when she started up again in April after her month off in March when she was sick. I think the dynamics of the class have changed a bit. I tried to get to the bottom of it, and she said she doesn't like the things she is made to do now. Sounds like she doesn't like being told what to do! And it's not as much fun without her friends. They were down to three students, now up to five or six again, as the class has been reconstituted a bit - it now has all the young ones who are not going in the concert this year. We are just watching this year.
I want Amy to hang on until the concert at least, partly to see if that revives her enthusiasm, and partly because the class dynamic might change afterwards. Ahh, it's a hard decision. I don't want to force her, and make her end up hating it, but I don't want her to give up at the first sign of difficulty either. Especially since some of it just seems to be her not liking being told what to do!
Well my eyelids are nearly falling off, or as Amy says, I have air in my eyes. I finally have a chance to catch up on some zzzz's, so I'm having an early night (8pm!). We had take-aways for dinner, and we are going to have a little bit of pudding before bed, if I stay awake that long.
Amy was one of them. She didn't want to go today. She has decided she doesn't like ballet. This started when she started up again in April after her month off in March when she was sick. I think the dynamics of the class have changed a bit. I tried to get to the bottom of it, and she said she doesn't like the things she is made to do now. Sounds like she doesn't like being told what to do! And it's not as much fun without her friends. They were down to three students, now up to five or six again, as the class has been reconstituted a bit - it now has all the young ones who are not going in the concert this year. We are just watching this year.
I want Amy to hang on until the concert at least, partly to see if that revives her enthusiasm, and partly because the class dynamic might change afterwards. Ahh, it's a hard decision. I don't want to force her, and make her end up hating it, but I don't want her to give up at the first sign of difficulty either. Especially since some of it just seems to be her not liking being told what to do!
Well my eyelids are nearly falling off, or as Amy says, I have air in my eyes. I finally have a chance to catch up on some zzzz's, so I'm having an early night (8pm!). We had take-aways for dinner, and we are going to have a little bit of pudding before bed, if I stay awake that long.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Sad Day
Today we had to say Goodbye to the Gastauers. Amy got to play all day with Peter and Rosa, then they had a farewell party in the afternoon. Birgit also went, but I was unable to go as I had to go to Wakachan's for the cooking lesson (bamboo shoot today).
But I saw her in the morning, and said goodbye, and please come back to Japan to visit. And I gave her a hug, and cried a little, because it really was very sad, we've been friends for five years now, been through many of the same frustrations raising our children in a country we often don't understand, plus all the little joys and triumphs of parenting. I do hope they can come back to visit.
We made them a little Sayonara book. I just folded a sheet of A3 size paper into a booklet. On the front were the names Peter, Rosa, Amy, Lena, Emily and Masaki, and drawings of decorations by Amy. The first page was 2000, with Welcome to Nakatsu, a drawing of Nakatsu by Amy, photos of the castle and Yukichi Fukuzawa, a baby photo of Amy and drawings of Peter and Rosa as babies by Amy.
Second page was 2001, with a rare photo of all three one-year olds looking at the camera at the same time, and photos from Amy's First Birthday Party in Osada Park. Amy added drawings of them all playing at our house.
Third page was 2002, with a baby photo of Lena, and photos from Peter and Rosa's 2nd birthday party at their house, and a drawing of Amy playing with the Lego at Gastauer's house.
The middle page was a colorful drawing by Amy of me, her and Lena on one side and Birgit, Peter and Rosa on the other.
The next page was 2003, with a drawing of the kids playing in the sandpit in Hoyo Park, a photo of them playing in Nabeshima Park, and a photo of Kanji and the girls at the 7-5-3 festival, dressed in their kimonos.
The next page was 2004, with a drawing of everyone playing together at Tomookas in Yamaga, and photos of Emily's 4th birthday party there.
The next page was 2005, with a drawing of Grace Hoikuen, a note 'This year we started going to kindy together', a photo from the picnic, and photos of Peter, Rosa, Birgit and one of all the kids together from our Farewell party last week
And on the back page was a photo of Amy and Lena in their PrettyCure outfits, and a final one of me and them on a broomstick, with a note that we would fly over to see them soon.
I had the idea to do it this way on the weekend, but never got around to it until Tuesday, so I ended up staying up until 1am yesterday doing the lettering and printing or copying the photos to paste in. Yes, it was done by hand, not computer, and came out looking very unpolished but, I think, a little more charming as a result.
But I saw her in the morning, and said goodbye, and please come back to Japan to visit. And I gave her a hug, and cried a little, because it really was very sad, we've been friends for five years now, been through many of the same frustrations raising our children in a country we often don't understand, plus all the little joys and triumphs of parenting. I do hope they can come back to visit.
We made them a little Sayonara book. I just folded a sheet of A3 size paper into a booklet. On the front were the names Peter, Rosa, Amy, Lena, Emily and Masaki, and drawings of decorations by Amy. The first page was 2000, with Welcome to Nakatsu, a drawing of Nakatsu by Amy, photos of the castle and Yukichi Fukuzawa, a baby photo of Amy and drawings of Peter and Rosa as babies by Amy.
Second page was 2001, with a rare photo of all three one-year olds looking at the camera at the same time, and photos from Amy's First Birthday Party in Osada Park. Amy added drawings of them all playing at our house.
Third page was 2002, with a baby photo of Lena, and photos from Peter and Rosa's 2nd birthday party at their house, and a drawing of Amy playing with the Lego at Gastauer's house.
The middle page was a colorful drawing by Amy of me, her and Lena on one side and Birgit, Peter and Rosa on the other.
The next page was 2003, with a drawing of the kids playing in the sandpit in Hoyo Park, a photo of them playing in Nabeshima Park, and a photo of Kanji and the girls at the 7-5-3 festival, dressed in their kimonos.
The next page was 2004, with a drawing of everyone playing together at Tomookas in Yamaga, and photos of Emily's 4th birthday party there.
The next page was 2005, with a drawing of Grace Hoikuen, a note 'This year we started going to kindy together', a photo from the picnic, and photos of Peter, Rosa, Birgit and one of all the kids together from our Farewell party last week
And on the back page was a photo of Amy and Lena in their PrettyCure outfits, and a final one of me and them on a broomstick, with a note that we would fly over to see them soon.
I had the idea to do it this way on the weekend, but never got around to it until Tuesday, so I ended up staying up until 1am yesterday doing the lettering and printing or copying the photos to paste in. Yes, it was done by hand, not computer, and came out looking very unpolished but, I think, a little more charming as a result.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Monday, June 06, 2005
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Friday, June 03, 2005
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Monday, May 30, 2005
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Friday, May 27, 2005
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)