Noah's Fun Run at his middle school...

The first week of October, Noah brought home a note from school about the upcoming "Fun Run." Since this is America afterall, and we respect everyone's individuality. You do have a choice if you would like to join the Fun Run or not. It's not mandatory (a must!) if you would *not* like to participate in the Fun Run, you can go to study hall and just read quietly. Get a jump start on your homework. Again it's entirely up to you... if you would like to participate or not. I asked Noah, "would you like to join?" And he said, "absolutely!" Second question on the note was. Since the Fun Run will be so close to Halloween, everyone is invited or encouraged to wear a costume during the Fun Run. Again, you are free to wear a costume or not. It's entirely up to you. Nothing is mandatory. I asked Noah, if he wanted to dress up? He said, he thinks it sounds fun to dress up and wear something fun. I couldn't agree more. And since Target was having a sale, buy 1 costume, get one 50% off last week. And considering for Halloween too, both kids schools...encourage wearing Halloween costumes. So, I asked the boys who were with me at Target. To each pick out a costume if they wanted one and they both picked the same exact thing. They both wanted to be hot dogs. With bun, mustard and relish. The whole bit! So if that's what they both wanted to be this year? So be it. Done and done. Got such a great deal on their costumes. Noah will be getting to wear his 3 times. For the Fun Run, for Halloween at school on Wednesday and for trick or treating. Bran will wear his to school on Halloween day. And he'll wear his when we walk Noah around to do trick or treating. Bran's too old to get candy this year. So, we'll both take Noah. So last Friday was Noah's Fun Run. It was also the last/final day of the schools first quarter. So his first period teacher brought 2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, a huge fruit platter. Chocolate milk and juice. Noah apparently thought a class party... just for ending the first quarter was pretty cool! Again, he never got to experience anything like this in Japan. 

I'm just sharing a few pics. The Fun Run was held during the final class. So, if you participated in the Fun Run, you could be excused for your last class. That means Noah was excused from History class, last Friday. Nearly the entire school participated in the Fun Run. On the left of the School Bus Parking only sign. You see one fast running hot dog! That's Noah! Aww, go Noah go!!! I was sitting in my car. I was the first car/parent to arrive. And I saw the kids exiting the building in costume. Keep in mind, I lived in Japan for the last 16 years, so I was so excited seeing the kids in costume. I immediately without even thinking... left my car to watch. It was exciting for me. Seeing Noah get "American school" life experiences like this. Makes me just realize even more so... living here is so worth it and so right for us. When I see first hand. Wow...he's getting these experiences that he would *never* have gotten in Japan. As an American mother, yeah...it makes me so thrilled getting to see my kids get these types of experiences.

There were also 4 American girls and 1 American boy right on Noah's heels too. But again...if you want to run okay. If you prefer walk. I'd say, 90% of the kids walked. And hey... that's okay too. Because they still walked their field for the entire final hour anyway. On the intercom it said, if you run 4 laps you get a free Powerade drink. After Noah got a Powerade drink, he walked slowly the rest of the Fun Run with his friends and just "kicked it" and enjoyed. I saw him talking a mile a minute, with 3 friends of his. Watching them all interact. And laugh as they walked around the field. At least twice a week, Noboru tells me on the phone when we talk on LINE (although we talk daily)..."he is so glad they are getting the chance to go to school in the U.S. Nothing can compare to the education level they're receiving and the friendships that are forming and the experiences, they're experiencing." I agree too. 

There were some Sully's from Monster's Inc. There was an *udderly* magnificent cow. LOL. The principal...he was Mr. Incredible from the movie The Incredibles. 

Just walking, relaxing all the kids. And funny...because I got out of my car. Another mom got out of her white truck. She started talking to me. Her daughter's a 6th grader, she was worried the mom said.. that her daughter was wearing a costume in the morning and nobody else was. I mentioned that, Noah told me.. that his friends were taking their costumes to school... but weren't going to change until right before last period. So we were chatting about that. She said, she'll have her do that next year. And we both enjoyed some friendly chit chat. But, not wanting to sound like a "know it all" I told her...I honestly wouldn't have known about that either. So we had a nice chit chat. And then another mom came. And another. Just about 4 of us... were enjoying watching together. 

Most kids wore "easy to move around in" costumes. Ykwim? This adorable dinosaur, stole my heart. Number one... it was so incredibly hard for this adorable dinosaur to move around. But, I must tell ya, he gets an A+++ for effort. You couldn't do much beside waddle in this costume because of it's shape. It was a very fit kid, just the design of the costume. But I loved the costume though. Also... you know how when you fall facing forward. Common knee jerk reaction is to... stick your arms out to brace your fall, right? This dinosaur had the little itty bitty arms that dinosaurs have (the costume, his arms were normal obviously, but inside the costume). It couldn't be helped really. I worried about this adorable dinosaur as he went around the field the entire time. I kept thinking..."Ganbatte!!!" You can do it! Whatever you do...please don't trip. Be safe. This dino was my favorite of the day. So adorable. I am thankful he did not fall, his arms wouldn't have been able to brace his fall. He was safe. I was relieved. But...I was just charmed by this cutest dinosaur costume.  And also some kids opted to wear no costume and that was fine too.

How did I feel about the Fun Run? Noah loved it. I loved it too. I appreciated that as luck would have it, I just happened to get to school a tad early...granted I was hoping to see the tail end of it. But was glad I could see it completely.

Having experienced... 2 kids worth of shogakko/elementary school "marathons" in Japan.Which for us Americans, means Cross Country marathons. Shogakko marathons were not optional. There was no choice. You did the marathon. You don't like it? Tough! Suck it up! Gaman! The kids at our elementary in Japan... also had a full month at our elementary school of "marathon practice" every single morning.. before school started. Also, our school did give out medals, so there were winners and there were losers. And the day of the actual marathon. Our town always held it in December. Weather was like 32 degrees F which is freezing. Kids must wear a short sleeve gym shirt and shorts. Regardless if the empty rice fields had ice. Or the little canals in town had a thin covering of ice on them. Kids had to tough it out. And run. Regardless if they were so cold...that their muscles and joints were getting frozen solid.. like the Tin Man, without his oil can. Sure they would do warm ups... before the run. But after a month of stressful marathon PRACTICE daily. My kids honestly started to hate it after a while. B was also a slow runner, but a fish in the pool and top speeds. Noah is fast with running and swimming. But by the time he got to the 4th grade...and the month long "practice daily" for marathons... he started to dread the marathons. I could relate because... I would have hated the marathons too. Talk about sucking every drop of fun out of everything.

Now my thoughts on the Fun Run. The kids had fun. Actual real heartfelt fun. There was no practice fun runs... the days beforehand. No month long Fun Run mandatory practice. They ran the day of...and that's it. There was no... 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place. There were no winners. They all were winners because they all got an hours worth of exercise. They got to wear costumes which I noticed made the kids have even more fun. The teachers and staff wore costumes too. The whole school had just... a fun....run. Noah did not dread this Fun Run. He was actually looking forward to it all week. And when he got into my car after the Fun Run. He was beaming. He was telling me a mile a minute...."mom, I had so much fun" Did you see my friend blank? He was a cow. Did, you see my friend such and such...he was a....

I mean no disrespect to the Japanese marathon at all. I have had 2 kids who experienced Japanese marathons all 6 years for each of them. I noticed most kids and not just my own either...but seriously for a lot of them...they didn't really dig it at all. But hey. That's the way it is in Japan. And I accepted that. I know many of my friends' kids didn't enjoy the marathons either. And I "get it." Noah's lucky in the fact that he got to experience 6 years of Japanese elementary school marathons. And on the other hand... also get to experience an "all American" Fun Run too. For many people they only get to experience 1 way of living. Either just a Japan way. Or just an American way of schooling. But for Noah to be able to draw on living in both countries. Being schooled in both school systems. It's very cool.

Anyways, today is actual Halloween here in America. We will be going out trick or treating this evening. The 3 of us.