Ordering Noah's sewing kit for Home Economics class...

Our elementary school in Japan is *really* big on all kids... both boys and girls learning Home Economics. Or Home Ec, how we called it at my school in Denver growing up. : ) Since the 1st grade, kids have been cooking, preparing or baking... at our local elementary school. Remember back when Noah was a first grader and they each made their own Christmas cake and us parents came and helped our "pika pika" ichinensei decorate their cakes?! : ) I am sure many of you remember that. So yes, our school since the first grade, has been including cooking, baking, prepping (peeling) of some sort since the first grade. And since the 4th grade, Noah and all other 4th graders (last year) all started learning the basics of sewing. Sewing doesn't become official "official" until 5th grade, which is this year, right now. But now the 5th graders have made it official for sure. And during the class meeting a few weeks ago. The teacher said they'd be passing out ordering forms and for us and our kids to pick a sewing kit and place that order! So that's just what we did. I clearly remember years ago when Branden was a 5th grader and brought home *his* order forms and how much fun we had picking out Branden's cool sewing kit, he got a surf one. T&C, and he still uses it til this very day at JHS. Now it was Noah's turn. And he brought home these 2 order forms. These are all sewing kits in this picture. Noah, Bran and I ohhed and ahhed over the new 2016 sewing kits. 

Comes with these supplies inside, cool. 

This is what Noah picked! And it's funny because Branden and I were liking that one too. Out of all the "boy choices/options", that was the one we would have picked too. So we 3 all fell in love with the same one. I liked that it wasn't just plain and boring, I liked the silver and bright green details. And I also know...the kids will be using this in JHS too. So picking one that isn't too baby-ish will be appreciated for years down the road. : ) So yep, this was the pick. We placed the order and put the money in the order form and stapled it up. And Noah took it to school and placed his order. The sewing kits should be coming in within a week or two. : ) 

Now Noah and his fellow 5th grade classmates can enjoy some sewing in class every week now! As soon as their sewing kits arrive! : ) 

The fall that was heard from across the street, among other things! : )

As most of you know, this is a pretty busy week for our household. So many things have happened. So much, it's hard to know where to start. Branden returning to school, Noah about to start and all other things squished in here. A fall, a Ipod gone crazy and you get what I mean! : ) And then, I wasn't going to even blog about it all, because just too many tiny things going on at once, but I think if I somehow lump it all on this post, you may get the gist of it all. : ) This is what Noboru brought back that one day, I said he went to Costco. I forget which day now and I've got about 25 minutes to type this all out, or else it may never get done. And I got a few other things to get done today. So forgive me if this post is all over the place. : ) Where was I? Oh yeah, he brought back virtually nothing. And that's good, I asked for virtually nothing. :D Because in about 20 days we are heading to Guam and we really don't need too much. Just vitamins for the boys. 2 bottles of those. The dinner rolls for mini sized sandwiches for obento's that I will again start to make again. And tortillas for all those sandwich wraps that I will be using for obento stuff too. That's it, that is seriously all I asked and he brought. Oh yeah he brought pizza for dinner but that's it. And I haven't been to an actual Costco in ages. I don't even remember how long ago that was, was it around Halloween time? Before Halloween, I know that.

These are such good kids vitamins. I used to buy Branden the Flintstones vitamins, since that's what I used, when I was a kid. But we like these better. And the boy's like the yogurt flavor, after like 2 years of using these we are hooked.

I love veggies, I like lot's of toppings, but in my family of 4. I am the only one, who enjoys them on pizza.: ( Usually, hubby brings me back a slice or two of the combo pizza. And we all share the pepperoni one. However, this time, I asked hubby to bring me back a whole combo pizza. He said, there was no way I could finish a whole combo pizza all myself. Yet, silly me, I wanted one and hoped to prove him wrong. However, I must admit defeat. At 2 slices for dinner. A slice for breakfast the next day, and a slice here and there. And then yup, as you've guessed it, I got burned out on pizza after a while. And even now, I have about 3 or 4 slices in the fridge still. Hubby has kindly not said a thing. No..."I told you, so's" or a thing. But yup, I admit it. My eyes were obviously bigger then my stomach. I write this here, so I may never make this mistake again. Next time? Two slices will be enough. I will have to sneak those last few slices into the bottom of the trash can. *shakes head* I just can't finish it. What on earth was I thinking? :D

The last tidbits, I had somehow forgotten to buy Noah's hat. So had to go back to the granny uniform shop! They were in true form, that day as well. And I forgot to mention this little fact about the granny's. The one who is around 68-ish. Anyway she has a son, he is late 40's. Say 49. Anyway, he was an exchange student in Colorado about a bazillion years ago! So her son loves all things Denver, Colorado! Is that not the weirdest thing? I mean what are the odds of me encountering this family, what are the odds of this happening? I mean what are the chances of that happening? First time I ever went into their shop, she asked me what part of America I was from, I said..."ummmm Denver." Fully thinking she would have no clue where Denver was and would not care. And she actually called her son and he came to the shop, all those years ago. I chatted with him, he chatted with Noboru. And that is really unusual, huh? So that is the connection to Denver. And her son is now a professor or a teacher. Anyway so....when I went to get the hat....which is I guess how I got on the Denver connection in the first place. Between the usual granny bickering. The younger granny told me...they actually had invited a Denver exchange student and they had them at their home this past summer! Ha ha ha. I was like...really, and really surprised! I had no clue! Okay sorry for the meaningless story, but I found it all interesting. And how unusual to find connections like this, especially in tiny towns and small cities like this. Oh yeah, I also picked up Noah's socks from Nishimatsuya. I think these are the best socks for yochien. I used these on Branden the whole time he was in school, because...for some weird reason kids socks get freakishly dirty and the stains don't come out so good. It is the weirdest thing. And the price of these socks is so fair, such a bargain, I don't mind switching/replacing them if they need it. Plus the store is between the yochien and here where we live so not so bad.

Klutz, clumsy? Doesn't look where she's going? I don't know. I don't personally think I am clumsy at all. I usually don't go around hurting myself or others, I promise you, I don't. ha ha ha. But in any case. Wednesday afternoon around 11am, because Branden's first day back was a half day. Anyway, so I left my house, and we all know I got a million and one things on my mind right? I got Noah all nicely secured into his car seat and then I went back to the front door to lock the door. As I was turning around and walking down the 1 or 2 steps, I somehow lost my footing. And next thing I know I was trying to gain my balance but it was obvious pretty quickly that I wasn't gonna get it back and I was indeed going to go splat right on the front of my house! But how bad and how would I land? As my feet lost their footing on the wood step, I missed the concrete step all together and next thing, I knew, I was almost matrix like. My face was falling right towards the metal white American mail box, good thing I avoided cracking my head or face on that, and then a split second later, I fell right on the grass, I braced myself with my arms, thank god. But my feet, knee and everything else hit and scraped the concrete VERY hard! Not sure if you can see it pictured or not. But my left foot, had complete concrete burn, a tiny piece even had blood. It scraped my left shoe even. And my right knee kept hurting while I drove to pick up Branden. I gazed at my knee to see if blood was seeping through my cuffed capri jeans or not. Nothing soaked through. So, kids first. Me last, I drove to the school picked up my kiddo and then went home, I was a bit dazed by the fall. When I got home, I took off my pants and sure enough I had a scraped and bloody knee. By the amount of blood on my knee, I am not sure how it didn't seep through. When I took a bath Wednesday night, it hurt so bad, when I put my left badly scraped foot in and my right knee in the water. Today, I wake with a bruised left top of the foot area and a badly scabbed knee. Where the scrape was, is so tender. Oh yeah, I didn't even get to the bad part! Okay falling was frankly bad enough. But, I got the pleasure of biting the concrete in front of my neighbor lady! My neighbor lady, yelled out...in Japanese of course, but she said..."are you okay", I lay there for a second, through my hand up and said in English first (you know I always say things in English when I get nervous or shaken, hence that "mother's lunch" speech thing nightmare from a few years back, lol) I said..."yeah, umm.... I'm good" , And then in Japanese I quickly said...., "yes, I am okay" "A little embarrassed, but I am okay" ....ohhh how truly humiliating. I think the neighbor watching was worse then the actual fall, to be honest. Ahhh. Oh well. what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right? Then if this is true, I must be tough as nails by now! Right? ; )

What else? Umm, oh yeah Noah's Spongebob obento stuff came on the 7th in the morning as planned. Oh yeah and he isn't going to have obento for a while though. I'll get to that a bit down below though.

Thermos....kids go on a few field trips throughout the year. And Thermoses in Japan are usually pretty good because they got small ones for the youngest of kids and then they gradually get bigger. Branden uses the big Cars one for his field trips, because he's bigger and he gets thirstier obviously and he can carry the heavier themos. Noah will be using the yellow tiny Spongebob thermos and/or the red NOAH thermos. Because they are small, and about all he can carry. The Thomas was Branden's, but he outgrew it when he graduated yochien. So, when Noah gets to about 5 and 6 at yochien, we won't be buying him a single Thermos. He can use whatever Branden used. It's cheaper that way and the Thomas one, was used twice a year (spring and fall field trips type stuff) so they have been used less then 8 times. So yeah Noah will be using the Thomas one when he gets bigger.

I won't pull all the yochien obento stuff I have from when Branden was at yochien but this at least gives you a tiny idea. It's fair to say, we won't be buying Noah a single yochien obento item again. He got one brand new because we don't want him to feel like a total hand me down kiddo, but yeah, he has gobs of stuff he will be using of Branden's. I've already pulled off the name stickers off some of them and replaced them with Noah name stickers. Of course 2 obento's I am leaving for Branden for when he needs them at ichinensei and he does sometimes too. But we are set and I feel really good about reusing stuff. I feel less wasteful and I like that feeling a lot. Besides, he can use, Ultraman, Thomas, Spongebob or whatever. Wonder bread for sandwiches. he's set. I did have to switch the names on the 2 metal winter obento's though. And Branden already warned Noah, how HOT the obento's are when they come out from the warmers. So, he has the heads up from Branden about that, at least. : ) Just have been doing so much. It's the little stuff, like switching the names on stuff like this. And what have you... type stuff. Man....it's been a crazy week. No wonder I bit it on the front steps, I have my mind on just so much right now! Remember this, don't forget that...it gets overwhelming at times. Yeah truly no wonder I went splat! :D

All the sewing...yes I did so much of this on Tuesday night. And then on Wednesday. we came back from swimming Wednesday at 6:30 pm, in the dark. Made supper. We had steak and baked potatoes (the baked potatoes I baked in the day knowing how we would be coming back so late) and then after the boys got fed and took showers. And I took a painful bath with my knee and foot scrapes. I went downstairs and started on the hand written stuff, like writing his names on his white inside shoes and on the "French shoes" and stuff like that.

Yup, Tuesday, I had sewn on every label on the 4 hankies. On the Micky one, I did a bit crooked. ; ) But hey, I am not an expert and I said I am not so crafty. Ha ha . But again, I did my very best I could. These have all been laundered and dried and are now all in his closet...waiting. Waiting for Friday!

His gym uniform long sleeve tops. I did one label in Japanese and one label in English. Our school doesn't mind us using English, they've told me, but for the most part I put their names in Japanese. For most stuff we use Japanese. It's easier for the teachers and stuff. Just 1 gym shirt though, or the inside of his hat. And his hankies. The rest of stuff is in Japanese though. I also have a Japanese friend who writes some of her son's stuff in English, so we aren't the only one. And like I said most of their stuff is in Japanese. And now B is in ichinesei, everything of his is in Japanese.

Hat. Even the hat was washed and dried and bounced dryer sheeted. Eveything is now so ready. Last bit of sewing on Tuesday and last bit of writing was done on Wednesday.

Undershirts. I always put name tags on B's, even now I do. First I used the ones with the characters and then I hand wrote his name. But now I just make the cloth labels on my computer, it's just easier for me. And yup there is a place to write the name on the tag inside the shirt, but again, I just followed what the other mom's at our school did and just did that too.

And from the front, you can't even see the label, and the back of the inner shirt just has his name real little, but at least there won't be any mix up, of whose is whose. And now they are washed and not wrinkly anymore! : )

Any other interesting tidbits? Well, my Ipod went mental on me 2 days ago! The wheel on the nano, like if I wanted to play...a song it would jump and pick another song. It got all really weird and it's still new and under warranty so, Noboru shipped it off today. So, now I am without Ipod until it gets fixed, or they replace it or I am not sure exactly. But yeah, it went completely cuckoo nutso's on me 2 days ago. And it also started making this weird little clicking sound when it would go from song to song.

How school's supposed to go down on Friday: The school secretary, called me on my keitei the other day. She asked me...."is there anything you need to know" "Anything you want to ask before Noah starts school?" I said, I think I am good. And she said, she was just making sure. What a very nice school. And love this secretary by the way! Anyway, I did ask her.....when does obento start for Noah? She said...."oh yeah Branden didn't start this school at age 3" I said that is right he didn't. And she said...."until the child gets comfortable at the school and gets relaxed with the teachers and the enviroment they will have short days. So, from 9am to 11am. Until Noah gets settled. I was really surprised. And I really like this way they do things!

I really like that...gradual getting them used to it type thing is so much better. So no obento for Noah for a while. So, on Friday, the plan is, I will drop him off, around 8:30 am or so. Sorta give him time to get adjusted, put his seat cover on his seat. And at 8:45am or sooner, I wanna leave, I do not want to stay too long. And I will come back at 11am. Then I am going to run to the grocery store and do a weeks worth of food shopping and then since I will be a bit pinched for time, pick up Branden directly and then we will all go home. And I will unwind. Noboru did take Friday off work, he's worried about Noah. He knows what happened with Branden, and he was working and so he couldn't get the time off when Branden was having that rough go with it. And so, he is taking Friday off just in case. I am really going to try and take a picture tomorrow. I really will. Now every thing's been done. And all we got to do is just wait. I won't lie, I feel a little nervous about tomorrow. I know in the end, he will do okay and come through it...we all sorta do, don't we? :D Ha ha ha. But it still doesn't stop this butterfly feeling, I have today. Tomorrow morning, will be my first day ever with juggling two kids that are going to two different schools. Each kid has a different time to be at their designated school and a certain time for mom to swing back and pick them up. I better not screw anything up! Or take any more falls off the stairs!: ) Because I got 2 kiddos depending on me! Yeesh. The day, we have been anticipating for the past 6 month's is finally going to happen tomorrow. I can barely believe it!

Tonight, I am making cream stew for the boys and curry for us. Branden has Kumon tonight, he hasn't been there in like....forever! Ha ha ha. I just wanna have a quiet night tonight. Keep things calm and quiet. Because tomorrow is going to be a big day for us. Oh and...yeah I know all the mom's in the older 3 classes and they know us. BUT, the youngest class that Noah will be in. Word has it, all those kids are new. Like 25 new kids, who, I've never seen before and like 25 mom's who I have never met before either. So yeah, I am surely feeling a bit nervous about tomorrow. On the bright side, I got 11,576 steps on my pedometer for today so far. I think the extra bits of nerves or butterflies I am feeling is causing me to get on my treadmill and sorta walk off, some of that excess nervous feeling. : ( Ha ha ha. Anyway back to the treadmill I go, to walk off some more nerves! Have a good night everyone! : )

Pizza Hut's in charge of dinner tonight ha ha ha....

Today and tomorrow are Noboru's days off. And tonight is his works annual Christmas party/end of year party. He's actually the guy whose hosting it this year. So, his party starts at 6:00 pm tonight and he'll be home by 11:00 pm tonight. I don't mind because he never goes out with the guys unless, I'm in America or for this Christmas party, and I want him to have fun with his friends so, I am really happy, he's going.

Today, I ran to Yuzawaya, obviously you guys don't know what that is, lol. It's a fabric store and I went to get Branden some Thomas patches, so I can have my sewing lady, iron them on and sew them onto his yochien shoes (yes I have her do both, iron and sew them on, lol). Yochien shoes are white shoes that kids wear in the school buildings here. Since regular shoes aren't allowed in the school buildings here in Japan. Okay, did I just raise a few eyebrows? LOL. She also made our yochien bags for us. In Japan, bags are supposed to be homemade. However since I don't sew, not since the lip pillow incident in seventh or eighth grade, it's just easier and better for me to have the sewing lady do it for us.

Anyways, I went to Yuzawaya. And then after that I went to the 100 yen in the same building to buy more snacks. Ha ha ha. Since it's so cold lately, I figured we needed more snacks so I went ahead and stocked up on a few more, just in case it gets much colder around here.

Tonight, I am giving myself the night off from cooking! So, I just ordered a large Pizza Hut pan pizza. Yummm! They said it should be here by 3:20 pm. Hmm they must be busy, lol. Good thing I ordered now. : )

So, me and the boys will be lazy now for the rest of the night. Eat pizza. Watch cable TV. And I got a movie on cable, I am waiting to watch at 9:00 pm tonight, It's sorta old and wasn't too popular. But it's got Julia Robert's in it and it's called, Something to Talk About. And I really like this movie...so, I got my TV guide ear marked! And we will just stay inside the house all night and stay cozy and warm with our pizza and TV.

Oh....I also went and bought a case of sodas today too. Only because the weather is such crap around here lately, really way too cold to be going outside after sunset or even in the early mornings. Brrr!

So, an early good night to you all and love to you all : )