Taking it all and learning something new

So, I'm not totally new to teaching. I taught before I became a mom. It was a huge part of my identity and my confidence.  I felt like for the most part, I knew what I was doing, who I was, and I found a wonderful second family in my school community.  Then, God had different plans for me, what I could handle, what was best for me and our family. I was laid off and the timing was just right. Kai was born at the start of the following school year.  I stayed home to focus on motherhood and building our home.  After 4 years at home, Ryuta needed to make a change and I needed to go back into the classroom.  This was my first time working AND being a mom.  I got a job in Fremont teaching 2nd grade.  Some things were huge blessings and others were big challenges. 

I was thankful to teach again and have that space that was all mine. I was blessed by a nice principal and coworkers plus a breezy "commute" and an army of parent volunteers.  I experienced some humbling learning experiences and I will take my new knowledge into next school year.

Doraemon/my husband left this in the car for me when I was going through a little slump during the year. His fobby English makes me smile.

I feel like I have never done so much art before! This was a super cute spring art/poetry using egg cartons.

This was my April Fools joke I played on the kids. I baked some brownies/brown Es for them!!! :)

I felt really loved and appreciated during teacher appreciation week!

My 2nd graders were really into Legos and rainbow looms. I loved getting these rubber band bracelets! 

These were our plants versus zombie grass heads :)

It may not look like much, but I felt so proud of myself and my kids of our room and our hard work.  I took this right before Open House.

2nd grade letters can be really sweet.  One of my "friends" left me these thoughtful cards and notes on my desk! <3

We did an impromptu art project for our ocean animal report. They colored on crinkled tin foil with markers for the ocean background.  I loved the end result!

What a year.. I feel like I'm becoming a moving expert. Goodbye, Room 1 & hello, Room 18!

I was so lucky to have an amazing 2nd grade team to work with. Our students were so lucky to have parents who planned big celebrations for them. Our end-of-year celebration was packed with an awards ceremony, pizza, ice cream sundae bar, minute-to-win-it, and a face painter!!! 

As soon as I get the email, this will be my next home away from home in room 18!! Anyways, let me savor these last few weeks of summer... :)

Life as art

I love these photo apps. It makes photos look like art. I've been playing around with these photo apps and it's a lot of fun!

Photo booth silliness

Photo sketch

Instagram filters

It's been awhile

Ever since I started this full time working mom thing and Ryuta started being a SAHD/part time student, life has gotten really busy. Really busy!! I realized that no one was documenting our family memories. Now that I'm on my summer vacation, I had a moment to remember our blog and all those things I used to do...like play groups, fun little day trips with the kids, cooking and cleaning.

Here are a few pics to catch us a little up date on the last 6 months:

Saturdays have been my SAHM day while Ryuta is at school. Here is where I get to flex my teacher muscles at home with a little art on a rainy day. I think this was back in February or March?

Let's see.. What else? This pic was sometime during the spring. My kids love donuts! We went on a "donut date" :)

This April, Ryuta took the boys to Japan.  I met up with them during my spring break. We visited family, ate lots of oishii food as usual, watched a lot of Anpanman, and had an awesome time.

Here is Lukas on his 2nd birthday!!! We didn't do a party, but hung out at Chuck E a Cheese with pizza, favorite auntie Laura, the Giffords, and the Lopezs.

Love this kid! Such an angelic doll face...

But looks can be deceiving!! Little angel terrorizes us like a ninja all night!! He's such a pro now that we don't even know when or how he showed up.  It's just been a daily wake up kick to the head..

So far, this summer it's been really cool going to the water park every week, bike rides to Starbucks, small trips to meet friends at the zoo and the park and the movies, music in the park on Thursday nights, but Ryuta and I needed to redeem miles from our cancelled Hawaii trip and were fortunate enough to have babysitting (thanks, mom and dad!!) for 3 days and had an awesome time in Seattle!! We were blessed with free bicycles, beautiful sunshine, good food, and a city so fun to explore.. I'm grateful.

Last summer, Kai was obsessed with the color green and Shrek.  Recently, we watched Despicable Me and Ice Age for the first time and parts of the movies expanded Kai's love of maps and atlases into questions about outer space and the solar system. Kai is still into building and having things a certain way (untouched by his little brother.). He has a good sense of direction and knows about the roads, the freeways, the speed limit, compass directions, the continents.  Now, he is fascinated with the planets and is curious about the mammoths and why animals became extinct and how the earth plates changed Pangaea.  He is my earth scientist/astronomer.  I took him on a date to the Chabot Space Center and he loved it!!! We got to see Venus through a large telescope.

A dear friend, Michelle, has been a faithful and inspiring friend for many for years. It was an answer to many prayers to see her get married this summer on the beach in Carmel!

Here is a picture of our kids yesterday from our personal stylist/their daddy:

I'm thankful to get to slow down and catch my breath after the busy school year.. Ryuta is learning a lot about hair and his interests and seems much happier.  I hope to update this blog more than once a year!!

That's my awesome, handsome stylist (sorry, ladies, he's mine!) giving me new highlights.