Hunter and Avery

First, Avery came home from swim team practice today to say that he was moved from white team to blue team. The rank goes from white(starting out) , blue, silver, gold. On April 18th , he has signed up for four event at the swim meet that day. Go Avery!

Hunter's field trip was a blast. It is a open-air Architectural museum. It is one that they can go and look in the different buildings and see different Japanese houses and store set ups. The kids tried to walk on stilts. Which were very hard, the kids did better than I did.

The purpose of this museum is Since the edo period, Tokyo has lost so many valuable historical buildings through natural disasters and warfare. This is a way to preserve so of the building for generations to come to enjoy them.

Got a Job!!!!!!

I found out today that I got a full time position at the elementary school the boys go to. I will be a special needs aid. I start full time on the 13th. Tomorrow will be my last day of subbing.

Today I went on a Field trip with Hunter's class to the Edo Museum. I will post more on it later and put up some pictures.

Have a Good Laugh

These were taken last Saturday on the field trip. We got them back today.

pictures from saturday

Saturday school field trip

Avery's school had a filed trip to the orphanage that they sponsor. The ones that one on the field trip were handpicked by the teachers to go and represent the school. Avery was one of the ones for fifth grade. Hunter stayed with his dad for the day and they went to the bx had fun playing the xbox at home.
We left the school at 8:30 and got their close to 10. When we got off the bus, we had to walk down the narrow streets to the AIJI-NO-IE. When we got there, we took our shoes off and they handed us some slippers to wear inside the building. As we walked in the building, they were all bowing and saying Ohayo gozaimasu (Good Morning). We were lead into a room (which is where they do their cooking) and given a pink piece of paper with they days activities on it. Once everyone was in the room, the head of the orphanage said a few words and our principle said a few words. Then we were divided into groups. I had Avery and another little boy in my group and we were paired up with a Japanese boy who looked to be around 14. He spoke very little English , but was an excellent guide. He let the boys pick out what activities they wanted to try. (we did make it to all the activities by the end of the day).
The first activities was Souvenir picture wearinga Japanese costume. Avery and I had our picture taken together. I wore a Japanese bridal costume and they had me wear a wig, (those wigs are so heavy), Avery wore a Samurai outfit. Once we get those back from the orphanage the school, I will post it on here. Some of the other activities the boys did were, Tea ceremony, Origami, Shogi game, Pound rice cake, Bozumekuri, Fukuwarai (http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/fukuwarai/fukuwarai01.html), Darumaotoshi (kinda like jenji) but used with a toy mallet. Marbles, Otedama(Juggling bean bags) , Paper sumo, Flower arrangement (Ikibana), Calligraphy, and cup and ball, top spinning and ring toss. They got to trade stickers that they had received for Japanese candy. Lunch was provided and it was all Japanese food. Some of the ones Avery and I tried were , norimaki, sushi, yakitori, wanko soba, sukiyaki, tamagoyaki, and Avery had in his head that we should try takoyaki, (I didn't really care for the last one and Avery didn't either) It wasn't later until I was looking up the words on the computer, that we should have focused on the first half of the word. (tako-octopus). I guess now we can say that we tried octopus. At the end of the day day we went to the roof and got our picture taken as a group. and then they presented the school with a nice gift(a Japanese doll) for the school to display. We said our good bye and walked back to the bus with the crafts we made and the gifts that were given to each of us and got back to the school around 4:30. It was a very nice and fun day. Avery said that he hopes Hunter gets picked while were are here and that he would love to go back. I will post of the day a little later.

Swimming back on

After a month break, the pool is finally reopening. Avery starts swim team tomorrow evening and Hunter starts up swimming lessons again on Monday.

Past week

This week has been busy. We scheduled the trip to Hiroshima, and got our car JCI so we can drive it. We still aren't completely through with that. So many steps just to get a sticker for your car. A teacher at the boys school offered to help Avery learn how to play the guitar. So him and a friend are going to go every Friday after school to his class to learn how play. We got Franklin a friend. Hunter wants to call him Koopa, he is a midori kame (green turtle). There is a good chance that by the middle of April , I could be working full time at the boys school. Just keeping my fingers crossed. A Japanese local theather group came and put on a play for the kids at school, it was about a big fish that a bunch of cats were trying to catch. It was a cute little play. In April, the boys school is having an art show and all their art they have done through the year will be displayed. I will be helping out during the art show and after the show, the kids get to take their art work home. They have made a bunch of clay figures this year, we have an extra curio cabnet to display all of their creations.