This week, has been really busy for me. On Tuesday this week, you would not believe all the things I had going on.
After sending both kids to school. And of course making breakfasts for them both and obento for Noah. I ran home, hung the laundry and then started getting myself ready to head back to the yochien. Meet up time. 10:30am. We had a "parent teacher meeting" basically all parents showed up and first the priest came out and gave us all a talk. How we could strive to be better Catholics...and also how to be better people in general. He spoke about volunteer work etc. It was quite a lengthy talk. After that the encho-sensei came out and gave an equally lengthy speech. "do's and don'ts" for undokai. I think this little diddy of information was more so... for the new mother's, kids that entered in April. Because most of us mom's with older kids have done this once or twice before. So we just listened and listened. Then after that. More then likely a full hour of speeches between the priest and encho sensei combined. They followed with the "folk dance" practice. Just us mom's.
All us mom's had to hold hands with a fellow mom. I partnered off with my friend. And we folk danced. I feel so lame folk dancing but I know it's a dance with our kids. So, I'm happy to do it. We were laughing and carrying on a bit, while we practiced dancing. We have to knee clap, then clap hands with a fellow mother...and some of us got it wrong. It was funny. Then after the folk dance practice. Which we will have 1 more folk dance practice in a few more weeks. Anyway after that, we all stood upstairs but separated in groups by class. You know...Nencho, nenchu type separation.
Once we were separated in little circles we all talked about, which roles would you like to do. What job you'd like to do at the undokai. That had to be decided this past Tuesday. Like...do you want to be the one who takes all the kids to the bathroom during the undokai? That is a hard job. I didn't raise my hand for that. I am going to help during the games. It's fun for me, it's hands on. So, I raised my hand for that. All our names were written down. And that was that. So Tuesday at the yochien started with a meeting, then folk dancing, then followed by another meeting.@_@
By now it was noon. So, I headed to Nishimatsuya to get some yochien socks for Noah. But then, while there I ended up getting a 3 pack of running socks for Branden for his upcoming undokai this Saturday. And then since they were having a sale on socks. I picked up 1 (6pair/in a pack) of winter socks for Branden, and 1 of the same exact pack but in a smaller size for Noah too. Part of my slowly getting the boys Fall/Winter ready bit by bit. : )
After that, I cruised on home. The laundry was dry and I brought it in the house and folded it. Then, looking at the clock, I had a teeny tiny bit of time, and I washed some rice, set the timer on that. And chopped my veggies. Ran out of time, so I would have to save the chopping the chicken for later. Washed my hands. And went back to the yochien. Chatted with a few of my mom friends. Grabbed Noah and we hit the road back home. Branden was to get out at 3:45pm. And it was now 2:05 or so. Noah had time to unpack his obento, put it into the dishwasher himself. Run upstairs put his yochien clothes in the dirty clothes baskets and napkin that wrapped his lunch and socks too. He switched clothes, threw on a hat and went and played outside in the backyard. I meanwhile chopped the chicken. Got started in on dinner. And by 3:15pm it was finished. Turned the stove off.
Had 15 minutes of free time. I checked my email read it briefly, replied back to my dad. Thought of a few more replies to a few others. And then sat on the couch for the remaining 10 minutes or so. And then since I leave at 3:30pm to pick him up and with enough time to spare even. We left at 3:30pm Noah and I. He had a chance to decompress from yochien. And I had a bit of time to relax my brain as well.
Branden home, he had to unpack himself same as Noah does. Put his chopsticks away in the dishwasher. Go upstairs and switch clothes. Pull out his homework. And he got cracking on it right away poor kid. He finished it up. Quickly. And then he came downstairs had 2 yogurts. And went outside to play in the backyard. He needs that time, I think. The Jinbei boy and Keita came around. They went and played soccer somewhere for a while and Noah tagged along with them. They didn't play too long. They came back at 5pm, as always. I meanwhile heated dinner. And we all ate.
This coming Friday, I have a meeting for the shaon kai, at the yochien yet again. Graduation party for the teachers next year when the kids graduate. Yep, these things are planned by us, well in advance. And also this Friday, I must run to Branden's school around 4pm to save our spot for the undokai the next day.@_@ So, we will be setting up the leisure sheet and the covering we just got at Aeon, this Friday evening. Noboru is actually not working that day. Which is nice because he can come and help me get set up. Usually I am the lone person setting up with both boys in tow and to be honest it gets hard on me doing the set up. So, I will be happy this Friday Noboru will be there.
This Saturday, undokai day for Branden.... all kids have to be at the school at 7:20am or so. And the actual undokai starts at 9am? Or around there. It ends at...the time to pick up the kids is 3:30pm at their classroom or wherever. So, it will be an all day event. Noah as you know will be running round for 1 lap or half lap. To express to the school..I will be here...next year. Not to mention the obento that I will be waking up to make at 5am Saturday morning to prepare. @_@. Needless to say, Saturday evening...we will be pretty tired after undokai. But, I know how hard the elementary kids are working on the undokai. How much time and effort they are working on this. So, I am really looking forward to seeing this undokai. To enjoying this undokai. : ) Noboru has a "father's club" party an hour after undokai is over. So, he will come home shower and get ready for that. I am making pizza Saturday night. Meaning make the crust in the morning forget it and roll it at night. Just because I know how exhausted I will be after the undokai.
Also this Saturday is the "respect for the aged" rehearsal that the yochien kids are doing this coming Sunday. But last year Noah could not go to the rehearsal and about 90% of the kids did not show up for the rehearsal because most elementary schools (not just ours) around here are having undokai this Saturday and most yochien kids have older siblings. The few that don't have older siblings showed up. But Noah will attend the "respect for the aged" day singing concert this coming Sunday. But he can't show up for the rehearsal because Branden is also having undokai that day. Most of my yochien mom friends aren't showing up for the rehearsal either so it's okay. Everyone knows we have older kids, and knows undokai for most of us is this weekend. Basically scheduling conflict for us all.
And Sunday, I will again be at the "respect for the aged" concert, with camcorder and digi cam in hand and watch Noah and the rest of his yochien sing. The other yochiens are also showing up too. How is my weekend going to go? What weekend? Ha ha ha. : ) *smiling*
It's okay honestly, I am a busy mother with yochien and school aged children and I may miss a weekend here and there. I'm okay. This again is why I am glad I enjoyed that day at the salon...a few weeks ago. : )
This coming Monday though is a holiday here in Japan and both Branden and Noah have no school that day. Thank goodness!!!! So, I will get one day to recuperate from the busy weekend we will be having. I will however have a ton of pictures and stories to share next week though.
Today however is my calm before the storm so to speak. My calm day before the busy weekend that will surely follow. : ) Fun busy days though... but busy nonetheless. : )
Next week is going to be great though. My good friends Noriko and the Jogo-san and I are getting together next week. For lunch or a movie. We're still deciding but we know it'll be next week on September 20th though. I also work September 21st in the day. So that's going to be fun to see the kids. Last time I saw them...I gobbled them all up when I played."What time is it Mrs. Wolf" : )
The weather here in Chiba. It's been hot in the daytime. In the US, we call it an..."Indian Summer" So, it's been hot during the days still. I'm still wearing shorts and dresses and skirts in the days when I leave the house. The nights are starting to cool off some though. But if you ask me, it still feels like Summer's hanging on. : )
Also, I keep forgetting to mention this. But both my exams were clean. I got 2 post cards sent to the house. One was for my breast exam and the other was for my pap test. Everything completely fine. So, phew! Glad I stay on top of my exams. Relief for another year. : )
Anyway, I want to clean out my closet today. So, I better get started on that.
What's for dinner tonight at our house? Chicken cutlet curry. Something our family enjoys every Fall/Winter. I breaded 4 cutlets already this morning after I got back from taking Noah to yochien this morning (they're now on a plate in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap). And will make the rice and chop the veggies and chicken for the curry before I get Noah this afternoon. Also both Branden and Noah have Kumon after school lets out as well. Noboru is off today and the next 3 days. 4 days in a row total. Where is he at right now? He's fishing. He has nothing to do, it's a cheap/nearly free hobby. So, he's off down the road right now. Happy as a clam. : ) Alrighty, I've chatted/posted long enough...and the closet really needs tending to. : )
The day after undokai. The Sunday that was September, 18th, was the "Respect for the Aged" event that's held every year in the small city that Noah goes to school in. The following day, September 19th, Monday was the actual Respect for the Aged Day here in Japan. And the boys had no school that day. So last Sunday, we woke up like as if it were a school day. Woke up, had breakfast got dressed and headed to the place where the recital would take place. Every other year before (even Branden's time), was our yochien and the other yochien. 2 of the 3 yochien's showed up. However only our yochien attended this year. So, the pink and blue badges from our school sang 3 songs for the elderly folks that showed up in the audience that day. Many were bused in from senior facilities the healthy, genki ones. : ) Also couples celebrating 50 years of marriage were given a gift by the city. You know one thing I really like about Japan is how they care and have a great respect for their elderly people.
These kids practiced these songs for weeks! They tried so hard and worked so hard on these songs. You know, when I was at the shaon kai meeting that time, we heard the kids singing the songs in the school. I heard them sing the "Hello" song. : )
They sang for such a big crowd! So many of the city's elderly showed up, they really enjoyed it!
Do you remember when Noah first started this school? I do. I remember when they all started here. And yet another last comes to a close. The last...recital for Noah for the "Respect for the Aged Day"
Our school was kind enough to give the kids a present, a snack and a drink for showing up and participating. You know...this drink, has a lot of pulp from the mikan juice. I remember this juice from Branden's days of going to this school. : ) They have given out the same delicious almost home squeezed type flavor. These are the things we'll miss, and we'll remember. So, I just want to blog this so again when the memory fades, we'll remember, thanks to the posts like these. : )
A sketch pad, origami paper and crayon type things to write on the windows. Below are three very short videos from Noah's last Respect for the Aged recital. We also video taped it on the camcorder as well.
The day after Branden's undokai/sports day, was Noah's recital. Sunday morning we woke up early. And got ourselves down to where it was supposed to take place. Noboru orginally told me when reading the notes home. That it would indeed be at a senior care facility. So, I was surprised it was at the city (that Noah goes to school in) their civic center. The front half of the auditorium was reserved for the elderly/seniors. And us parents sat towards the back. It was stadium seating so not so bad. So many seniors. And they even bused a whole bus load from a senior facility (the genki ones that is) The performers that day....in order would be our yochien first singing 5 songs. Then an elementary school, followed by a different yochien. We were given instruction beforehand that as soon as our kids finished their performance, to meet them at the back of the center to pick them up. So we did not get to see the other schools perform, but they got to see our yochien perform since they went on first. It started with a speech from a few seniors. They gave some very nice speeches. And then they cleared the stage and announced our yochien. I would have enjoyed seeing the other schools perform. But I understood the limited seating they had too.
They walked onto stage with flowers in hand and began their first song. You could see so many flashes of cameras going off, so many of us parents were taking pictures. And video taping this. The kids, all of them did super duper! : )
Each child of our school, came out with a bag and it had this stuff inside. A drink, a wrapped package and another wrapped package.
A blank sketch/coloring pad and some crayons and kohaku manju and a drink. As a thank you from our school for attending, I thought that was pretty nice.
Noah also got some senbei.
Heart shaped senbei. : )
And because it was a basically a sort of "respect for the elders" day. The kids at our yochien made things for their own grandparents this week and brought them home last Friday. Noah made 2 presents, one for my dad and one for grandma Mitsuko. Noah said this bunny box goes to grandpa. When asked why...Noah said, so he can put his glasses in there. Ha ha ha. Not quite sure his glasses would fit, but there you go. That's his kid logic for you. : ) And never mind grandma also wears glasses. Ha ha ha. I think my dad will love it.
Basically this says..."be genki for a long time, Noah"
And a hand written picture colored by Noah, it is a picture of grandmas face. Looks a little Picaso-ish. I hope she won't mind. ; ) I think she'll love it!
So it was Sunday and we were home by 11:30am from Noah's recital. The kids in the neighborhood saw us coming and came over to play with Branden right away. He barely had enough time to change clothes. Branden and also Noah went out there at 11:30am, played until the lunch bell at noon and then went right back out at 1pm. In this pic, is Branden, yellow shirt, smallest/youngest is Noah and Genki-kun in the aqua shirt, and the boy next door in orange. You gotta love a little boy who is still young enough that he makes airplane wings out of his arms and runs ne. ; ) These kids are all such good friends and good kids. They had a beyblade battle. And then after that, they played kori-oni sort of like tag. I brought out some popsicles and snacks for them all. And kept a watchful eye on the boys. Even though they were just right in front of our house. ; )
The boy in white is boy next doors little brother, but by gosh he's nearly as big or is as tall as the boy next door. ; ) By the way, the boys next door, his mom bought the house across the street. And so she lives across the street with the 2 boys now. Grandma and grandpa still live next door. And it's awesome, they still live close to their grandparents and plus the boys and Branden are such good friends. And good thing they didn't have to move too far. But for the blog, I'll still call him the boy next door, since he started that way. And boy across the street doesn't have that same ring to it. ; ) Anyway....
The dvd's this week were "The Vampire's Assitant" and Shutter Island. Hubby and I liked Shutter Island but we didn't care for the ending so much. Anyway that was our weekend in a nutshell. Sports day for Branden Saturday and Noah's recital Sunday. : ) Monday was a holiday here in Japan, so Branden still gets a day off for undokai, I think that's next Monday. And the boys have off today which is Thursday, it's the first day of Fall, I think. Shunbun No Hi, is what it's called in Japanese. Today it's been raining. Tonight I'm making gratin for dinner. Hope everyone's been having a great week so far. : )
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