Hey all,
Sorry no photos this time, but wanted to share a few recent
"happenings" with Leia...
At 4 and 1/2, Leia is really showing her worth these days.
She still calls me "Mama-chan" and Hiro, "Papa-chan",
and when riding the bus or train, will talk to or try to engage
someone who she finds likely to take notice, often to the
delight of other kids and adults sitting nearby.
She is proud to tell people that she's "yon-sai-han"
(four-and-a-half), not just "yon-sai" (four) anymore,
when asked her age!
The other day, while we were watching a traditional
Japanese "Yabusame" archery show with archers shooting arrows
while riding on galloping horses, she befriended an 80-year-old
woman in the audience who told Leia her name was "Yuki-chan".
So, Leia playfully referred to her as "Yuki-chan" throughout
the entire event, seemingly entertained by the freedom
allowed by such lack of honorifics, (like asking her to
"say something funny, Yuki-chan" ("Yuki-chan?! Nanka
omoshiroi koto itte!") or announcing to her that she just
farted ("Yuki-chan?! Onara shichatta yo!"). I was a bit
embarrassed at first, but "Yuki-chan" also seemed to be
enjoying it, so I didn't bother to interfere! Other elderly
women around us were giggling and winking at me, so
I figured Leia's lack of social grace was harmless -
or at least forgiven at her tender age of yon-sai-han! :)
The biggest news is that her little yochien is closing
down after this school year, with only one more year left
for her to graduate, so I've been going crazy trying to
find a new kindergarten for her. I'll be checking out a
new one next week and then hope to come to a
decision, since it's been really consuming all
my time and energy of late.
But last weekend, we had a fun "sports day" at a park
near her yochien, where in one of the events, the kindergarteners
had to fill a basket full of veggies and fruits and carry them across
the field and then empty them onto a table. Unlike all the others,
who were careful to select only the amount they could carry,
in pure all-or-nothing fashion, Leia filled the basket to
overflowing, til she could barely pick it up! But she gave it a
go anyway, straddling a huge daikon with a few items
spilling out in different directions along the way -
a mikan here, a potato there...
And as she tottered along with the heavy load, she
laughed aloud at her predicament, picked up the
dropped veggies and fruits, and then proceeded to
totter along with exaggerated movements towards
the goal, jerking her head back and forth, just like
a little comedian! It was quite entertaining and I
think showcased her true carefree and joyful nature.
Today, she had her first treatment at the dentist, for which
she sat very still, holding my hand, for 5-10 minutes
while the dentist cleaned and filled the hole in one of her
upper molars with a huge dental dam almost covering her
entire face. The dentist and the staff were impressed with her
ability to stay put and not fuss even once. And she
was so proud, that on the way home, riding on the
back of my bike, she was beaming a smile to everyone
we passed on the street who would take notice, and
when someone noticed her, she would proclaim, "Haisha ni
ittekita yo!"("I just went to the dentist!")
She loves to sing songs making up the words along the way
home from yochien.She'll show me a "songbook" (her hand)
and ask me to pick from a selection of titles, like "Jitensha
(Bicycle)", "Kasa (Umbrella)", or "Kaze (Wind)", and then
she'll make up a tune and lyrics to sing...all in various melodies and
different rhythms - no one song alike! She certainly doesn't
get her musical talent from Hiro or me, so it must come from
her Grandma!! :)
Last month, I started teaching a little preschooler English
class and Leia comes along as my "assistant". I was praised
by the school owner the other day for how she is able to
get the other kids to speak out with the encouragement of
her active participation.
She seems to be becoming more and more interested
in English as time goes by...asking me what words are
in English, kind of like she's testing her own knowledge,
making sure of the words she does know.
We're all so excited for Ken and Zia's visit...hoping to
start making a few plans!
Love to all! Please send updates on your end! I promise
to respond with a few photos! :)
xoxoNorie, Hiro and Leia
Sorry no photos this time, but wanted to share a few recent
"happenings" with Leia...
At 4 and 1/2, Leia is really showing her worth these days.
She still calls me "Mama-chan" and Hiro, "Papa-chan",
and when riding the bus or train, will talk to or try to engage
someone who she finds likely to take notice, often to the
delight of other kids and adults sitting nearby.
She is proud to tell people that she's "yon-sai-han"
(four-and-a-half), not just "yon-sai" (four) anymore,
when asked her age!
The other day, while we were watching a traditional
Japanese "Yabusame" archery show with archers shooting arrows
while riding on galloping horses, she befriended an 80-year-old
woman in the audience who told Leia her name was "Yuki-chan".
So, Leia playfully referred to her as "Yuki-chan" throughout
the entire event, seemingly entertained by the freedom
allowed by such lack of honorifics, (like asking her to
"say something funny, Yuki-chan" ("Yuki-chan?! Nanka
omoshiroi koto itte!") or announcing to her that she just
farted ("Yuki-chan?! Onara shichatta yo!"). I was a bit
embarrassed at first, but "Yuki-chan" also seemed to be
enjoying it, so I didn't bother to interfere! Other elderly
women around us were giggling and winking at me, so
I figured Leia's lack of social grace was harmless -
or at least forgiven at her tender age of yon-sai-han! :)
The biggest news is that her little yochien is closing
down after this school year, with only one more year left
for her to graduate, so I've been going crazy trying to
find a new kindergarten for her. I'll be checking out a
new one next week and then hope to come to a
decision, since it's been really consuming all
my time and energy of late.
But last weekend, we had a fun "sports day" at a park
near her yochien, where in one of the events, the kindergarteners
had to fill a basket full of veggies and fruits and carry them across
the field and then empty them onto a table. Unlike all the others,
who were careful to select only the amount they could carry,
in pure all-or-nothing fashion, Leia filled the basket to
overflowing, til she could barely pick it up! But she gave it a
go anyway, straddling a huge daikon with a few items
spilling out in different directions along the way -
a mikan here, a potato there...
And as she tottered along with the heavy load, she
laughed aloud at her predicament, picked up the
dropped veggies and fruits, and then proceeded to
totter along with exaggerated movements towards
the goal, jerking her head back and forth, just like
a little comedian! It was quite entertaining and I
think showcased her true carefree and joyful nature.
Today, she had her first treatment at the dentist, for which
she sat very still, holding my hand, for 5-10 minutes
while the dentist cleaned and filled the hole in one of her
upper molars with a huge dental dam almost covering her
entire face. The dentist and the staff were impressed with her
ability to stay put and not fuss even once. And she
was so proud, that on the way home, riding on the
back of my bike, she was beaming a smile to everyone
we passed on the street who would take notice, and
when someone noticed her, she would proclaim, "Haisha ni
ittekita yo!"("I just went to the dentist!")
She loves to sing songs making up the words along the way
home from yochien.She'll show me a "songbook" (her hand)
and ask me to pick from a selection of titles, like "Jitensha
(Bicycle)", "Kasa (Umbrella)", or "Kaze (Wind)", and then
she'll make up a tune and lyrics to sing...all in various melodies and
different rhythms - no one song alike! She certainly doesn't
get her musical talent from Hiro or me, so it must come from
her Grandma!! :)
Last month, I started teaching a little preschooler English
class and Leia comes along as my "assistant". I was praised
by the school owner the other day for how she is able to
get the other kids to speak out with the encouragement of
her active participation.
She seems to be becoming more and more interested
in English as time goes by...asking me what words are
in English, kind of like she's testing her own knowledge,
making sure of the words she does know.
We're all so excited for Ken and Zia's visit...hoping to
start making a few plans!
Love to all! Please send updates on your end! I promise
to respond with a few photos! :)
xoxoNorie, Hiro and Leia
Comments