***Kai started kindergarten. He is in Mrs. Benson's class. I think doing a year of T-K was so good for him. He came in very capable and confident. Kai is still on the quiet side in class and shy with others, but he IS talking when the teacher asks him a question. Last year he refused to talk and would just point at things. He also has started to open up in speech class. Kai has begun to turn his bedroom into a classroom again with calendar time, the pledge, etc. I'm amazed at how much Kai has grown. He can read and write and draw and do math. Sometimes I think he is almost as smart as some of my 2nd graders (although he is just a year younger than my students.) Ryuta started working more on hiragana with him and he's really improved a lot in piano. Kai started going about 1-2 times a week to the after school program when Ryuta works. He says it's boring, but it's our best bet right now for affordable daycare.
***Lukas is still potty training. It's been a back & forth with him. He was motivated when we gave him candy every time he peed. Then we upped the antie and said only big candy for poop. He then went on strike and was having accidents left and right. We put him on a timer for the potty, but he's still been holding back on the poop. Cleaning poop literally stinks, but I know in time he WILL get it. Lukas is still a junk food monster and we've needed to cut back on milk and snacks. He started going to daycare with a Japanese woman in Fremont. Chikako "mama" also watches a little hapa girl. Lukas hates going.
***Kai turned 6 in September and had a Star Wars birthday party in our backyard. He requested hamburgers and chocolate chip cookies. A couple of weeks before his party he sprung it on us that he wanted Darth Vader at his party. Auntie Miho came from Japan and pulled a few strings. Kai was ecstatic.
***I began my 3rd year at Weibel teaching 2nd grade. A few things changed this school year. Leah and Emily were gone. Rhonda from 3rd grade moved down to 2nd grade and Gail came back to Weibel. The class size went down from 30 to 28. But so far...going into about 4 months of the school year I'd say this has been one of my hardest, most challenging years of teaching. It's a "growing, learning" year full of so many opportunities to be stretched like never, ever before. I've cried and felt depressed, angry, bitter at least once a week. I've started to see why so many teachers joke a lot about being alcoholics. It can get beyond tough. Kids stealing, spitting, fighting... Parents included. Anyways....
***10 years!!! In October, we celebrated 10 years of marriage. We did it our way with sushi and yummy shaved ice for dessert.
***Ryuta started work at Viange Salon in Saratoga. It's a really nice salon with mostly Japanese workers. Ryuta loves it. It's right up his alley. He's been working Fridays and Saturdays. And going in at night for more training on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday nights. He's going to start working on Wednesdays, too. It has been tough on getting time together. We have to do date nights on Monday nights and Sundays are important as our family days. We are still at least a couple of years from where'd I'd like to be...Ryuta can start making money. I can work part time. Time will tell.
***During thanksgiving break, we went on a little road trip to the central coast. We went to Monterey to play.
***Ryuta's gallbladder: Ryuta had a gallbladder attack during the summer and we changed insurance so that surgery would be more affordable.
***Kai's piano recital: Kai had his first piano recital!! We were so proud of him!!! He played 3 songs on the stage in front of an audience.
***Halloween: okay, so I'm writing a little out of order. This year's theme of course was star wars. Kai was the emperor. Lukas was Darth Vader.
***Charity projects: our bible talk discussed in November doing more service projects together. We put on a blanket drive. I spread the word at my school and collected about 80 blankets! Our minivan was packed to the max!! The boys helped me deliver them to Abode in Fremont.
Our next outing will be tomorrow to visit the elderly at a nursing home and do some caroling. :)
***Thanksgiving was nice. I spent HOURS in the kitchen with my mom. We did turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, veggies, and a homemade lemon berry pie.
***Christmas memories, Santa wish list: Kai wrote a letter asking for his own Christmas tree with ornaments. Lukas asked for a gray storm trooper. After a trip to toys r us, they scoped out some basketball hoops and an emperor Lego set.
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