Our first Halloween in the US

This was our first Halloween in the US.

I attended the Halloween party held in the ESL class which I belong to in the morning.

I went to see the Halloween parade held in my children's elementary in the afternoon on Oct 31.

They also had the Halloween party at school.

My children and I went to trick-or-treating with our friends.

My children were so excited!

We walked around our neighborhood for two hours!

I prepared treats for children at home and my husband took care of it.

He called me that they were all gone at 7pm because a lot of children came to our house for trick-or-treating.

I asked him to give them our stock of snack.

It was a very busy day, but we had a lot of fun.



Today I would like to write about how my impression of Halloween changed after I experienced it in the US.

Actually, I didn't have any interest in Halloween when I was in Japan.

I have never celebrated Halloween and I didn't know the origin of Halloween and why people cerebrate it.

I only had an image that Halloween is just a costume parade, young people all gather Shibuya with creepy makeups and they didn't have any rules and manners, sometimes caused the troubles.

I had wanted the Halloween events to end quickly.


But....

I changed my image of Halloween completely changed.

I saw not only children but also adults enjoyed Halloween costumes very much.

The Halloween Parade in the elementary school was so cute!

Children were so excited and walked in the parade proudly.

The teachers were also wearing costumes, those were very interesting!

I was so surprised to see the amazing hospitality of our neighbors.

They were Halloween-friendly neighborhood.

They decorated their houses and gardens with spider web, skeleton, witches, scarecrows, ghosts, and so on.

Some residents wore costumes and tried to surprise children.

They didn't get mad with children even though they were so excited that they walked on their grass.

They kept the manners well.

Of course, there were the people who didn't join in the event.

There was a sign that they didn't turn off the entrance light and the people didn't ring the bell of those people.

I was able to see that they enjoyed Halloween very much.

I was very impressed to see that the neighbors tried to entertain the people who visited their houses and they also enjoyed themselves very much.

I liked to say "Happy Halloween!".

I thought it was like "Yoi Otoshiwo" in Japanese.

This is a greeting when we ususally say at the end of the year, it means that I hope you will have a happy new year.



I thought a lot of Japanese people misunderstand Halloween.

I realized that it is not only an event for young strange people.

But I was also impressed that my children's school prepared another option for children who didn't want to join in the Halloween events.

In Japan, it's normal for students to join in the school events.

Japanese people tend to avoid doing different things from others.

I like the generosity which admit the differences.

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The differences of schools between Michigan and Japan

I have two children, 9-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter.

One of my biggest worries regarding moving to the US was about them.

Will they be able to adapt to the American school?

Will they be able to make friends?

Will they forget Japanese language?

Will they be late for Japanese curriculum?

The list is endless.

As I wrote in the previous post, they enjoy going to the local school now.

Actually, there are a lot of children who came from abroad in their elementary because we live in diverse and international city.

That's why not only my children but also other children have some difficulties to speak in English.

But teachers are skilled and very used to such children.

They help such children and they are getting used to school little by little.


I started taking the ESL class two weeks ago.

It is very inspiring and fun for me!

As well as my children's school, the ESL class is also very international.

It is opened only for adult.

The students are eager to learn English, and very friendly.

They don't stick to their friends who speak the same language, they enjoy talking to the students who are from different countries.

They try to speak in English even when they talk to the students who have the same mother tongue.

I like the atmosphere there!


I found some differences of school between Michigan and Japan through my children's elementary and the ESL class.

They are very interesting!


1. Teachers sometimes talk sitting on the desk.

When I saw the scene, I was surprised because Japanese teachers never do like that because it is usually regarded as a bad manner.


2. Children read books while lying down.

Children have a reading time in the elementary in Michigan.

My children were so surprised to see the other children's behavior.

They read books while lying down on the carpet and while eating snacks!

It could happen at home in Japan, but children have to read books while sitting on the chairs in school.

And they must not bring snacks to schools in Japan.

They can bring snacks only when they go to the field trip.


3. The students can go to the washroom during the class.

There is a washroom in the classroom of their elementary.

They can go anytime they want to go without permission of teachers.

In Japan, children are offered to go to the washroom during the recesses.

Children have to manage it by themselves.

If they want to go during the class, they have to tell their teacher.

The teacher would say like that,

"OK. But you should go to the bathroom before the class."


4. School lunch doesn't seem to be good for health.

I make lunch (bento) for children every day.

The elementary school offers school lunch.

But I don't think the menu are not good for health.

It is offered in the buffet style so that children can choose what they like.

But some parents or adult who are living in the school district have to help them as a volunteer at the lunch time.

Unless children choose vegetable, children don't eat vegetable no matter how much they offer it.

In Japan, the menu of school lunch is made by the Nutritionist.

Children and teachers eat the same one.

All children have to be on a school lunch duty in turns for a week.

They serve their lunch and clear the tables by themselves.

As I mentioned, children must not bring snack to school in Japan.

The lunch time is only the opportunity to eat in school.

Even though there is something they don't like, they get to eat it because they are hungry.

But recently, children can reduce the amount of the dishes before they start to eat.

Since my 8-year-old daughter always doesn't eat a lot, she often reduced her meal before she ate.


5. Children don't have to clean their school.

In Japan, there is a cleaning time every day and children have to clean all the classroom, hallways, entrance, school ground, and washroom.

They sweep with brooms, put the dust and garbage in the dustpan and throw it away in the dust box.

They also wipe the floors and hallways, wipe windows with a damp cloth.

In Michigan, children don't have to do it.

My children are glad, but I want them to learn how to clean.


6. Children go to school by a school bus.

My children take a school bus to school.

I think school bus is the best way for children to go to school safely.

In Japan, they walked to school carrying a heavy bag like a backpack named randoseru made of leather with a lot of textbooks and notebooks.

It was hard for the first-grade students, but it makes them stronger.


7. Teachers try to teach children with fun.

Children enjoy the local school because the class is fun.

Teachers seem to let children have more fun with learning.

They have a few homework.

The ways of teaching are quite different from each teacher.

The school seem to leave it to the teachers.

In Japan, children learn a lot of things in school.

Sometimes they don't enjoy it because it is like a training.

Teachers have to follow the curriculum guideline issued by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Children can learn in the similar way wherever in Japan, but teachers have a very heavy workload.

They have a lot of homework every day, reading, Kanji workbook, math workbook, and so on.


I have more other things I want to write, but I would like to wrap it up today.

Just one thing I could say, if my children are used to American school too much, they would have a hard time for them to adapt the Japanese school when we go back to Japan.

Because I think American school tend to make them have fun and Japanese schools tend to be stricter.

It is not that which school is superior, or which school is doing right.

I just would like to say that there are so many differences in both.

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Too cold day!

My husband and I went to our children's nursery school to attend to the parents day yesterday.

He attended our 5-year-old son's class and I attended our 4-year-old class.

It was so cold yesterday that I had a stomachache during the class.

I could see that my son's class played dodge ball outside.

They looked so cold, especially the parents couldn't stay in one place.

All of them were stamping their feet to keep warm.

I am a member of PTA, so I had a responsibility to stand in front of the entrance of the nursery and secure the safety of the kids and parents who were going home yesterday.

While I was standing outside, I couldn't think of anything because it was too cold.


After I came back home, I went shopping and I bought a choco pie.

I don't know why, but I want to eat chocolate when it is very cold.

I gave way to temptation of "limited time offer" again!

When I got up in this morning, It was snowing!

It rarely snows around here, but it has already piled more than 10cm today!

I am worried that whether I will be able to go to my office or not today.

I don't have studless winter tires!


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An impressive concert at the nursery school

The concert was held at the nursery school yesterday, so my mother and I went to watch it.

Usually there are three grades in Japanese nursery school.

My 4-year-old daughter is in the first grade, and 5-year-old son is in the third grade.



My daughter's class sang 2 songs and played a tune in concert.

They were still young, the principal told the audience " Please shake your hands if you find your child, or they will ease their tension".

We shook each other's hands with a smile.

When they sang the fun song, there were some children ended up jumping.

There were also some children who were nervous and couldn't sing.

My daughter sang merrily although she looked shy.

They were still very young and cute!



My son's class presented 6 songs.

Three of them were played by keyboard harmonicas, one of them was a song and a tune in concert, one of them was a song with sign language, and the last one was a song.

I was especially impressed by their attitudes

At first, they looked nervous, they didn't smile though their parents or grandparents shook their hands, they kept serious looks.

But according to my son, they were told by their teacher "do seriously, do not playfully".

Everybody sang and played eagerly.

I know their usual attitudes, so I was impressed by the differences.

The highlights of the concert were the tune in concert and a song with sign language.

My son played the keyboard harmonica.

He practiced it at home many times.

He could play it well, and other children were also well done!

The principal said that they used all instruments in the nursery school, a big drum, a snare drum, cymbals, bells, castanets, tambourine, xylophone, glockenspiel, wood blocks, keyboard harmonicas, and the teacher played the piano.

Their performance was very powerful and impressive.

I was about to cry with my deep emotion.


A song with sign language was excellent!

I was surprised that they could remember it in short term.

I was deeply impressed that I felt their growth.

Most of mothers were recording videos, so they couldn't clap.

But we gave a generous applause to them when they finished their performance.


After they came back home, my son told me "I was so tired today because I did my best."

I could understand his word well.

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Hurray for my son's green caterpillar!

My son visited to the elementary school near our house with me yesterday to take a health examination for children starting school age.

This was the first time for us to go through the gate of the school.

He will enter the elementary school next April.

In fact, he couldn't fall asleep soon at the previous night because he was looking forward to going to school and was too excited.



After the health examination, many children were playing at the athletic field of the elementary.

Of course he joined in them.

He run around  in the big athletic field and played  the big playground equipments with his friends.

I was anxious whether he would be able to stand the changes in his environment.

And I guess he had the same anxiety before he visited the school.

But I was relieved to see him having fun.

I was able to easily imagine the figure that he would enjoy his school life.

After we came back home, he told me happily, "It was very fun today! I will study hard, and  play with friends a lot!"



He caught a green caterpillar at the school and brought it back to home.

He put it into his insect cage.

He looked up the insect dictionary, and he found it was a larva of "Common Bluebottle".

This larva will become a butterfly by the time he enters the elementary school!


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Is it early to go to bed at 8:30pm?

I hope my children to wake themselves up at 7:15am on weekday.

I set the alarm at 7:10am, and it has a snooze function, so I  want them to wake up by 7:30am at the latest.

But recently they could not wake up on the time.

Especially my 4-year-old daughter, she was likely to fall asleep during breakfast.

It is because they don't have time for a nap at the nursery school  after the sports day.

(But strangely enough, they wake up before 7am on weekend.)

We go to bed at 9:00pm every day, but I suggested for them to go to bed at 8:30pm because they need to sleep more.

They understood it and I told them if they want to go to bed at 8:30pm, we need to take a bath at 7:30pm.

We usually take a bath by 8:10pm at the latest, so it meant that their free time would decrease more than 30 minutes than usual.


I said to them around 7:20pm, " Time to clean up!"

But nobody answers me and I have no choice but to start cleaning up.

They didn't show at all the behavior that they began to clean up.

I asked them, "Can you help me?"

My five-year-son answered, "Nobody will help you!"


I could not control my anger.

The advices that I have learned could not help me.

I clean up by myself immediately in silence and I go to the bath alone and calm myself.

I get sad and wonder how I make them punctual.



After a while,They follow me and come to the bath.

I express  my honest emotion  to them.

They apologize to me and we finally could go to bed at 8:30pm , but it was a very hard work for me.

I only want them to have more sleep, and they only want to play more.

I hope they will be able to wake up early today!


This photo below is a clock in the living room.

I put the seal indicating the "minutes" for my children, but they cannot tell the time yet, especially my daughter.

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The unlucky day to my son and me

It began raining hard when I left my office.

When I went to the nursery school to pick up my children, my son's teacher told me that he injured his forehead.

According to her, when my son went to the bath room, suddenly the other student opened the door of bathroom stall and it hit my son's forehead.

He got a lump on the forehead.

I told his teacher,

"Oh, what an unlucky day we had!  In fact, my car hit the neighbor's wall  before I came to the nursery school. In addition, my umbrella was broken and it doesn't open!"


My son and I often feel the same together.

For example, when I am in the good mood, he is also in the good mood.

And it's surprising that he and I spent an unlucky day at the same time!


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Growth of the heart of my daughter

When I went to the nursery school to pick  my children up at yesterday evening, my daughter and her friend were quarreling over something.

Her friend (I call her "A" for her nickname) told me,

"Please give me the leaves that H has more."(I call my daughter "H" for her nickname)

I saw my daughter who was grasping the leaves of the maple which she picked up.

My daughter said,

"These leaves are the gift for my mom! That's why I picked up them.  I don't want to give the leaves to "A"!  Here you are."

Her friend "A" seemed to be dissatisfied and asked me to give her a few leaves.

I told my daughter,
"You wanted to give me these leaves, didn't you? Thank you so much. "A" told me she wants them, so can I give her one or two of them?"

My daughter answered "No! These are yours!"

Listening to our conversation, the other boys came to us and said to me,

"I know "A" took the leaves which "H" gathered up!"

One of the boy snatched the leaves from her and has crushed them in his hand.

Since she had burst into tears, I gave her 3 leaves when my daughter was not here and said, " I am sorry I can't give you all of them because both of you wanted the leaves."

After that, "A" told my daughter ," Your mom gave me three leaves!"

My daughter said "No! These are my mom's!" but she didn't say anything more than that.

Suddenly she pulled my daughter's hair strongly and some of her hairs came off.

My daughter cried loudly.

My son who heard my daughter's crying got angry with her and he took her leaves and threw them away.

Next she started crying.

Then another friend of my daughter came and hit my daughter saying"don't bully H!"

My daughter cried more intensely.

Teachers came and asked us "What's happened?"

She answered "T(my son) crushed my leaves into his hand."

My son said " Because "A" pulled "H"'s hair!"

Since they were so confused, I reported teachers only the fact that I watched plainly.



After we came back home, my daughter said to me,

"I don't want to fight with "A". I only want to play with her nicely.I don't like nasty "A"!"

I told her "But you like friendly "A", don't you? "A "only wanted the leaves, too. 

Unfortunately  you could not get along well with "A" today.

But I was glad that you were able to insist your feelings.

And I was also glad that you didn't hit or push her.

I hope that you will be able to play with your friend happily tomorrow!"

When she entered the new class on April, she found it very difficult to adjust herself to life in the new school.

But now, she was able to make some friends who want to play together more though there are times they quarrel.

I was able to realize the growth of her heart.

And I hope she will be able to make good friends from now on.


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The sports day

It was a nice weather yesterday.

The sports day was held at my children's nursery school as scheduled.

My daughter was in the two years old class last year.

Since they couldn't form a line,  they did the warming-up exercises in the circle that was drawn on the ground.

But this year, they could form a line admirably!

My son used to be a boy who didn't try things that he couldn't.

For example, he didn't ride a tricycle when he was 3 years old.

He didn't want to try it because he was scared of failure.

But now, he had tried to do forward upward circling on the horizontal bar many times, and finally he could become to do it.

After that, he practiced it every day, and he showed it to the audience 3 times yesterday.

I will never forget his smile full of confidence.

At the interclass relay race, my son's class lost the lead, but anyone didn't give up and ran at full power.

I was moved that they did their best.

 

We went to the conveyor belt sushi after the sports day.

It goes without saying that we had to wait at the restaurant because it was so crowded with the families that attended the sports day!