More Hajimetes (Firsts)

First Judo Class

This one's for you, Grandpa!

Ethan has 90 minutes of judo under his (white) belt. And so far, so good.  He was very excited to start judo.  It's the only judo class we could find and it's a bit of a bus ride from our house, but it's all part of the adventure.

There were supposed to be 20 kids in the class.  In fact, they had been very clear that you had to apply for a spot and that there would be a lottery for the 20 spots.  Because of this, we were thrilled to learn that Ethan had won the lottery (so to speak).  Imagine my surprise when there were only THREE kids in the class.  Kevin thinks the sensei said that there are indeed supposed to be 20 kids in the class and he wasn't sure where everyone was.  It's all a bit unclear, but for now, we'll just go on hoping that it stays a small class.

Practicing falls.
The sensei is very kind ... and patient (so far)

Ethan was also a little nervous about being able to understand the sensei, and though he didn't manage to get all the instructions the first time, he managed overall and seemed to have a good time.  In fact, that reminds me of another observation.  The other 2 kids didn't crack a smile for the entire hour and a half, whereas Ethan was grinning from ear to ear for much of the time, even while trying to do these neck push-up things that looked painful even to watch.  Now, his smiles may be partially due to nervousness and cluelessness, and I understand the seriousness and respectful nature of the sport, but to watch the other 6 year olds not crack a smile for 90 minutes while doing something that's supposed to be fun was painful for ME to watch.  In this case, I think I'll opt for the less-Japanese-philosophy that it's actually OK to have fun.  We'll see, I may change my tune - but for now, we'll just go with the flow and see what happens.

Kevin and Ethan had a little practice session this weekend, so hopefully he'll have a better idea of what to expect and what to do at his judo class this Wednesday.

First Bento Boxes

Last week marked the beginning of making bento boxes for Ryan.  Ooo-la-la!  Who knew that I would actually succumb to the pressure?  Not every day, and not to the craaazy detail of the amazing bento box book that my good Fremont friend, E, introduced me to, but alas.  It's a fun little activity for me and Ryan for the 15 minutes between when Ethan leaves for school and when Ryan and I have to leave.

Even funnier thing is that I asked Ryan if anyone actually sees his lunch.  "Nope," he replied.  So, I'm not exactly sure where the yochien-parent-peer-pressure-about-bento-boxes actually occurs, unless the moms themselves are showing off their lunches to others in the bicycle parking lot.  Hmmm ... yet another mystery!

Little sausage octopus - I've since learned that a minute in boiling water makes the legs curl up more...

Tofu smiley face...

Boy and tofu smiley face... :)

First Time the Other Shoe Dropped

So, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Things were going too well.  Kids seemed happy as could be.  But I just knew, that one day, the sadness would find its way to the surface.  I didn't know when.  And I didn't know how.  But I knew.  

And sure enough, about a week or so ago, Ryan was lying in bed with us one morning about 6 am and out of nowhere, he says 

I don't like this country.  I want to go back to America.  I miss my friends in Fremont.  The only thing that will make it better is to go back to Fremont.

This was repeated several times and followed by huge tears and genuine sobs.  It broke my heart.  And then as quickly as it came on, it was gone again.  That same morning, on our bike ride to school, he says "I want to get there early so I can learn Japanese faster."  Nothing like a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me.  

Just a few nights ago, Ethan shed a few tears as well - again, mostly about friends from home and how to find real friends here in Japan, especially when we aren't yet able to communicate very well.  One day at a time.  But in the moment, it still broke my heart, though he bounced back by the next morning.  Thank goodness for that!

First Picture of the Boys with Sakura (cherry blossoms)

So, I finallllly took a few pictures of the kids just as the cherry blossom season was coming to an end...

A blanket of sakura petals...

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Kid Quote of the Day:

Yesterday, we went to the Thai festival in Tokyo.  Fabulous food and lots of fun!

As we were trying to find our way to Yoyogi Park where the festival was taking place,

Kevin:  I think the Thai festival is this way.  That's where all the people are coming from.
Ryan:  I don't think so.  Those people don't have ties on.