The Wizard of Oz: Zion`s Last Undoukai

The Wizard of Oz, Zion Preschool Parent/Child Field Day

We are nearing the end of our life in Japan. In just a few weeks it will all be over. Everything familiar to us and the children will change when that plane lands.

One of the unique events in Japan as I have posted previously is Undoukai or the Field Day. At Manna`s preschool it is even more unique.  They have a story theme added to the day`s events and at the end one of the characters from the story shows up and they have a parade.  The children also dress up as characters of the story.  This year was the Wizard of Oz.

A quick snapshot of the food we brought for Manna`s Undoukai.

At the Undoukai it is tradition for families to eat lunch together usually in a picnic style outside, and usually lunches are homemade and have a lot of food for everyone. However, the little kids don`t eat that much so we made this much, and even that had plenty of leftovers.

Typically extended family members attend showing their support and cheering on the child in the number of competitve events held on that day. It was just Yumi and myself with kids though

We are certainly going to miss the little things like these events that have their own unique flavor and always leave us with a smile.

One Last Trip to the Beach

With all the chaos that has happened our summer fun time this year was pretty limited. Usually we would often go to the beach about a 2 hour drive away during summer vacation but not this year.

On a warm autumn day we took one last trip down to the beach of the Boso Peninsula. Still the fear of another tsunami had me planning escape routes as the girls pounced around the seashore. We have taken the children to very few places this year, especially involving the outdoors for obvious reasons. Radiation being another one of them.

The girls love the beach and love the water and it was difficult to keep them from jumping in.  Although they did get their feet quite wet. Afterward we warmed up in Ashi-yu or in other words took a foot bath. 

It felt very nice. Ahhhh I want to go back

Cana enjoying the warm foot bath after walking on the beach.

As this video shows the girls were very excited and I am trying to make sure they are okay, especially Cana who is always trying to keep up.

We ate dinner at the restaurant over looking the ocean and stayed till the evening.  We dined on fresh sushi and shellfish from the water below and counted our blessings as we enoyed the meal and atmosphere.

We are certainly going to miss places like these...

Growing Girls

The girls on the lawn by the outside food area at Costco, Japan

The girls are getting heavy, I carry them to bed sometimes and it really is getting difficult. They do more, eat more and energy seems to be unlimited. Meanwhile mommy and daddy are trying to recover our strength whenever we can get the chance. 

When they play together it feels like heaven, when they are fighting, or annoying one another and making messes it feels like a nightmare. Guess which one we experience more often.

All three girls are at different ages and different stages. It is quite difficult to manage and rarely do we have solo time with them to check on their "progress". The way mommy and daddy treat the group versus one on one is quite different. In a one on one opportunity we either discipline, encourage or instruct and this happens occasionally.  However, most of the time the girls are in the same room and it is somewhat hard to tell whether they are playing together or seperately.  Well unless somebody starts crying and the parents have to once again investigate. They go back and forth freely making a team of three and then two and then playing by themselves. It is like watching some sort of chemical reaction with a lot of energy being released.

The girls playing a pogo stick jumping game at an arcade in Yachiyo, Chiba

Just as they are growing I too feel like I am growing in my capacity as a parent and my understanding of the dynamics of raising children.  Growing children are always learning and teaching each other as well. Even if it is mistaken. Children enjoy teaching each other things and sometimes I have great joy in watching them tell each other stories or teach a song or dance to one another.  And isn`t that what life is all about?

"GROWING"



A Night at the Festival

The main stage at the Summer Festival in Natsumi, Funabashi Japan

During the summer break we were able to keep with tradition and go to the Matsuri, (祭り）or festival.  The summer nights are hot in Japan and it is often difficult to sleep.  But the good thing is that they are cooler than the daytime and in Japan night time young people roam the streets and families often take their children to the neighborhood parks where festivals are held.  Many people gather and dress in traditional summer clothes usually Yukata (ゆかた）and Jinbei.（じんべい）

The matsuri festivals have music playing and a large taiko drum on the center stage keeping the beat as the people dance the Bon Odori.  Many volunteers help make these festivals possible along with many vendors who sell food, drinks, alcohol, and toys.  There are also games for children, prizes, and many other entertaining things to do.  The children always enjoy their time at Matsuri.  The only problem is that it can get quite expensive $$$!

This video shows the stage and the drummers drumming the beat to the Bon Odori, which is done in a cirlce around the stage. Usually there are official dancers that take the lead for the dance and anybody is free to join along in the circle as the song plays.

Cotton candy is a big seller and of course very exciting for the kids to get too.

 

Often we run into neighborhood friends and classmates at the Matsuri.

We were able to go to the Festival a couple times this year. I will post more photos with another entry later.

Trip to the Zoo

We took a trip to the zoo a little before Matthew was born.  It was kind of like the last trip with just the girls.  We went in the afternoon and avoided the crowds and spent a couple hours walking around and watching the animals.

The great thing about Chiba zoo is that you can get quite close to the animals and there is enough variety to keep the children entertained.



The giraffe`s head is just a few feet away as I took this picture of it eating grass by the fence

The girls are just a couple feet away from the giraffe.  You can see their shoes, the red ones

They don`t have the more agressive animals like the rhino or hippopotamus, or predatorss like tigers or lions though, but the usual big guys are there: elephants, giraffes, gorillas, and the like.

Ultimately the zoo reminds my children that the animals in their books are real.  In suburban Japan there is not a lot of exposure to wild animals, so the only thing you have are the pictures on the ABC charts and in books. 

It was fun and only took a couple hours to see most of everything.

Anna`s UNDOU-KAI

A boy waves the flag for the red team (Anna`s Team), as a girl drums the taikodrum behind him as the runners race around the track at Field Day UNDOU-KAI

A few weeks ago Anna had her first Field Day (UNDOU-KAI) on Saturday.  It is a custom for Elementary schools to hold these events on the weekends so that parents, grandparents and friends can watch the students participate in a variety of competitive games such as tug of war, relay races, dashes, hurdles, ball tossing, and many more.  They even have special dances performed by entire grades.

Anna in her dash was put against the faster runners in her grade and she came out in 1st place.  She also was chosen to run in the relay race but her team finished in 3rd. It was great to see her compete and do her best.  That morning she woke up with great excitement and determination.  It was like she had prepared, worked hard and knew she was going to win.  And just for the record, I am not the type of parent to pump up and train my kids to be super over-achievers.  This was all her! I just told her to go run and have fun today and "You`ll do great Anna!" As you look at the pictures you may wonder why Anna is wearing a mask.  She lost her two front teeth and decided that she should wear it. Here are a few photo highlights from the day.

Anna is wearing the mask and has her hands out in victory after finishing first place in the dash.

The school grounds were filled with about 3,000 people and everybody had their cameras out and the weather was quite warm as well.  It will certainly live on to be a great memory for us and Anna.  She was beaming after she came home that day knowing how well she had done and enjoyed such a time with her classmates and friends.

The children compete by tossing colored balls into a hoop and the team with the most balls wins.  TAMA-IRE

Anna during the Disney Dance.  She loved practicing for this and still does it all the time.

Amidst all the hardship and trials she has been through it brought a little tear to my eye to see her so satisfied and happy...

Down on the Farm

A cow from Chiba`s famous Mother Farm located in Futsu.

During the end of Golden Week (a week of Japanese holidays at the end of April beginning of May ) we took a trip down south to the Mother Bokujou (farm). The weather was very nice but quite windy. The area is very rural and is on top of a mountain near the end of the Chiba peninsula. The fun part for the kids was being able to touch and handle the animals. They got a chance to milk the cow and hold the bunnies and watch the pig race. But they seemed to enjoy running around and playing in the grass just as much. With everything going on it felt good to go out to the country for awhile and let the kids run free.

With all that is happening we are concerned for the children most of all.  However, giving them a chance to be kids and enjoy the life they are living is still very important.  We don`t want to live in a bubble but we also don`t want to take unneeded risk when it comes to their health.  We are still trying to figure out what the next steps are in adjusting our lifestyle to keep them safe.  It was fun to see them enjoy the country life even if it was just for a day.

Below are some video clips from the day.

The Year of the Snow Bunny

This is the year of the rabbit, according to the Chinese calendar.  We woke up the other day to a snow covered scene that excited the girls.  Even more exciting was the mysterious snow bunny left in the parking lot in front of our house.  Whoever made it took a lot of time and effort to do so.  The facial features were quite detailed and if you look at the photos it is quite large.  I imagine that took a few hours of the early morning to make.

Anyway it was a surprise, seeing that we do not get much snow in winter time.  But this winter has certainly been a long and cold one, and we are awaiting its end, eagerly. 

Apparently the year of the rabbit is seen as a year of ease, comfort, and leisure.  It is a year of temperance, care free and happy without too much annoyance.  It is a stark difference from the previous year, the year of the tiger. 

Interesting to note the strong cultural ties between China and Japan in reference to such things as superstitions, astrology, and other mystical traditions. 

However, all mysticism aside, to be honest I really hope this year is indeed a rest from the storm of raising the girls in the midst of many other struggles.

So here`s to a new year, already underway! May it be a good year for all of you as well!

Little Girl Drivers

This past weekend we went to one of our favorite parks.  The weather warmed up and it was fun to see the girls get out and have fun outside.  Winter is always hard on us, because the kids stay indoors most of the time and have lots of energy which is difficult to keep under control.  Surprisingly, February is the coldest month of the year in Japan, but the weather and weekend came together nicely for us.

The unique thing about this park is that the girls can actually drive around on little cars and motorcycles.  There is no track, so it is true open road.  It seems to be both scary and exciting for them, but they have really gained confidence in their driving skills as of late.  I laugh thinking about it.  I don`t remember driving Go-Karts before the age of 6 years old, and here my girls are riding around like it`s no big deal.

Of course there are the occasional "WATCH OUT"s and "I`m stuck Daddy!", but overall it isn`t very stressful for me.  I enjoy watching them figure things out, and I love to see the excitement as they drive around.

As you`ll see below, it is pretty cool that they can ride around freely.

Oh and don`t forget the horsies too!

And also I took some video of the girls chasing bubbles.  I focus on our youngest since she was the most excited chasing after the bubbles.

Just another day with the girls, they go bye quickly and there is something to cherish with each one, particularly the fun days...

Stray Cats

On the weekend I took Anna to the park by her request.  Everyone has been under the weather recently and she was getting quite stir crazy.  We went to the park to play, but Anna found a group of stray cats.  She spent over an hour following them around and watching them intently.  She would study and copy their movements and smile back at me. 

Then I thought about it a little deeper.  In America, I had cats and a dog and a backyard to play in.  Anna has never experienced raising a pet or spent a lot of time with animals.  It was a special time for her, something I take for granted having growing up in a different place, a different time.

Appreciation for life is an important lesson for children to learn.  The only way to learn it is to actually spend time with animals and experience the life in them.  These days, especially in Japan, it is getting harder to teach children about the value of life.  The outside world is filled with risk and even danger for children, but also discovery.  It was a blessing to watch my daughter discover and interact with the stray cats. 

Most of these cats were thrown away by their owners and live off of the generosity of those who come to feed them on occassion.  I wonder what she thinks about it all.  I could see her processing it, but not quite sure how to feel or express it in words.

Just another little story from raising children in Japan...

Please leave a comment :)

There went Winter Vacation


Well the children went back to preschool today marking the end of the winter vacation.  Unfortunately for mommy and daddy it isn`t much of a vacation.  In fact, I know for my wife it was a lot more work having them home all day.



I got a little artsy with this photo, I hope you like it :)



Overall it was a mellow vacation time, no big trips or anything special besides Christmas presents for the girls.  The girls ate a lot of mocchi over the break.  If you don`t know what Mocchi is click here.  It is a traditional Japanese food eaten during New Years` time.  It is smashed white rice that has been hardened and preserved and is melted and mixed with soups or other sweet flavors.  It is very sticky, and messy when kids eat it, if you get my drift...

So besides trying to catch up on rest, cleaning, and other errands it was a fun time.  Although it often feels like we need a vacation from our vacation. 

Also the end of this winter break brings the realization that this is the last year with the girls as preschoolers. Next semester Anna will be going to grade school and life will take on a whole new flavor.  Part of me is excited to see her grow up...wants her to grow up, wants her to overcome her immaturity, but I know I will miss the sillyness, the dancing, the spontaneous singing, and all the other things that preschoolers do that are so precious.  I hope and pray that she never loses those things. 

Loving children in their immaturity is so important.  I think it is a lesson for me in parenting.  The world is stressful and I come home wanting things to be perfect..or normal in a way.  I can easily come home and turn into an angry, irritated daddy.  I need to make sure that my daughters are confident in my love for them even in their immaturity.  I want them to know that being alive and being with me is enough to make me happy and want to love them.

So passes another season...another vacation...now we must face another winter together...just three more months !

Brunch

Well it`s the New Year and I am thinking about how my girls have grown.  The other day we went to brunch at a Coffee Shop in Urayasu.  It is interesting to watch their relationships with each other develop.  Some days they fight all day long, other times they are the best of friends.  They are learning to get along and forgive one another as each day unfolds.  They are learning to talk with one another and use their imaginations as a team.

Sisters seem to have a special bond, but it seems to be very fragile at times.  My desire is to look back at these days with fond memories, and that my daughters will grow closer as the years go by.

Being a father, I obviously have an advantage understanding how little boys think, but little girls have taught me a lot about the other side.  I am grateful, when I am able to catch my breath, for their sweet girlish ways.

Well another year is already under way and there are more adventures ahead for these three little girls in Japan.

Just another weekend

On Saturday we were out all day.  We went from place to place, in and out of the car and to stores and ended up at karaoke to finish out the day.  For dinner,karaoke, all you can drink,and eat ice cream it only cost about $30 for the 2 1/2 hours we spent there.  It is fun to watch them sing their hearts out and dance around the room.  It is such a physically demanding time as parents, but still so precious for them.  They can be little girls for only a short time. 

In Japan there is a lot of pressure on little girls at a young age to be a certain way.  Parents can be quite strict with their children`s behavior and I am strict too when it comes to certain disrespect, stubborn, and mean spirited behavior.  However, my philosophy is to enjoy my children first and then as teachable moments arise I try to give them the guidance they need.  I want my children to understand that my love, and my relationship with them is always there for them.  Even if I make them cry...I want them to always be able to return to me with "open arms."

Sports` Day

It seems like a really long time since I have posted anything about the kids.  That is not to say things have not all together been crazy.  I can honestly say there is never a dull moment in the Barrett house!

So back to the action! Sports` Day is a major event in Japanese culture.  It is a day when families, even extended relatives gather together to watch their children compete in relays, track and other sporting events at the school grounds.

My two daughters are preschoolers, but even they get to join in the fun!  It was a treat to watch them dash as fast as they can to the finish line and watch the myriad of expressions throughout the day: from bored, to nervous, to excited, to hungry, to hyper, to tired, and eventually a hard night`s sleep.

Most Japanese schools are very serious about this big event day and that puts a lot of pressure on the kids, even little kids,  but not my daughters` preschool.  They make it so much fun, and there are even special needs kids who participate alongside with everyone too, nobody is left out.  The atmosphere is so positive, filled with dancing and music.  It is almost like a little taste of heaven.  After Sports` Day, we always come home saying, "We love Zion Preschool!"

Manna`s birthday!

Well Manna is now four years old.  It seems like a long time, if I sit and think about it.  Four years ago we were in the hospital in Tokyo all together with little baby Manna.

It`s hard to believe how fast they grow...

Anyways onto the celebration.  Manna requested that we take her to the Rainforest Cafe.  It has quite an ambiance, from robotic elephants and gorillas to huge fish tanks, don`t forget the artificial thunderstorm that comes every 10 minutes or so.  I just wish I could say the food was that great, but it`s okay and obviously over priced.  I mean $15 tacos...come on! They also have a giant hamburger for the shocking price of $45...but it does come with fries.

So Manna was super excited and couldn`t stop talking the whole time.  She hardly ate anything because she just had to get up and explore the place.

Overall a memorable experience.  I hope you all enjoy the photos and videos

Showtime!

Today being a holiday for me and of course the girls on their summer vacation, we took off to the park for a few hours.  It was warm but shade and a breeze helped out a lot.

After the park we went to watch a show at a local mall.  PRECURE is the name of the Japanese Animation.  It is a typical heroine type action show.  Of course this was done with real people dressed up dancing, fighting, and doing whatever.  I couldn`t help but laugh at the corniness of it all, but the girls really enjoyed it.

In fact Manna was in tears when the pink one (blossom) left the stage after being attacked by the bad guy.  She thought she must have died or something.  It took a few minutes to assure her it was going to be okay.

So now tomorrow I am back to work, and I guess things will be a little less tiring.  Days off from work don`t necessarily mean a vacation.

Long ,but fun day!

Pool season starts!

Today was the opening day for the local pool we often go to. The great thing is the pool is relatively close (about 30 minute drive) and it`s FREE!

And to make things better we were able to meet up with some of Anna and Manna`s friends there too. We spent about 3 hours in the sun, going in and out of the pool trying to keep kids from slipping and falling, and to stay happy and hydrated!!

Whew! Feeling the burn....sunburn maybe.

Anyways we have a lot more days of pool fun ahead. Enjoy the pics and videos