Homecoming 2019

 Homecoming (hoco) is a tradition for high schools in the United States. (Maybe other countries too.) All those dance parties are new to me. It’s very interesting. First I couldn’t understand why high school kids dress like adults and act like adults. I thought that they should enjoy the youth, not trying to become adults sooner, but then Brittain told me that it’s natural that the kids want to experience adult celebrity life. Yeah, that’s right. I wanted to dress fancy and go to parties with friends and a boyfriend. I thought Yukine’s choice of dress was too adlutish and too showing. But you know, it’s a party! When I started this blog, there was no way I would know if this day was coming. She is a still baby Kobuta (little big) but she is certainly  a beautiful grown up lady. I can see that she enjoys her high school life. She made many new friends, studies hard for her future, and is having fun all those events. She shares all stuff that happens to her. I feel I am
very lucky to have her as my daughter.
アメリカの高校生は年に1回、ホームカミングというダンスパーティがあり、最後の年にはさらに、プロムと言うダンスパーティがあります。今回、喜音も遂にホームカミングへ！
大人っぽいドレスに慣れないヒールを履き、お化粧してみて、大人のセレブみたいに！
私には最初、何故こんな早く大人になろうとするか理解できなかったけど、確かにティーンの時は大人っぽくなってみたかったもの。ドレスも大人っぽすぎじゃないのか？とも思ったりしたけど、一年に一回、青春、まぁいんじゃないの！
母とは全く違う高校生活。娘から色々、学びます！

Summer Memories with Chuba and Aunt Chieko 2019

Peace Arch: Canada 🇨🇦 boarder

The Butchart gardens in Victoria B.C 

I know the timeline is messed up but I definitely wanted to write this memory here so bear with me. At least, I have some more energy this year to write new posts in this blog so could have been worse. That also tells me that the kids got older and more they grow, more we have free time lately.

Anyway! Grandma Kirino AKA chu-ba came visit us with her older sister aunt Chieko this summer in July. Main reason was that Chu-ba wanted to show aunt Chieko Canada this time, especially Victoria B.C. Originally my brother Toshiya, was also planning to come, but he’d got a big commitment at his job and he could take day offs. Alas, Japanese salary man... we booked hotels back in January before he knew he couldn’t make it this trip. Despite that unfortunate, we had great time in Canada! On the first day, per chu-ba’s request and as tradition, we stayed at Casino hotel. Brittain and the kids spent time at the pool and the ladies tasted the casino atmosphere. Both chu-ba and Aunt Chieko are patrons of pachinko (Japanese game machines kind of like pinball games) so they enjoyed the casino here, even though they didn’t understand what’s going on because they can’t read any instructions. I, on the other hand, hardly played those games over there or here, BUT odd enough, I won the slot about 100 Canadian dollars! So I treated breakfast for everyone next day :) it worked perfectly! Next day we stayed near Vancouver downtown. We went to Capilano suspension bridge and Granville island. I
was a bit surprised that chu-ba decided to go to the bridge, because she never liked heights or those scary things. She said she had to have any new experience before she dies. She is a tough woman! On. The third day, we took ferry to Victoria. I always enjoy Victoria. Many flowers, beautiful European style of buildings, and lots kind of different yummy food! This was maybe 4th time in Victoria for me? But we went to The Butcher’s Garden the first time. It’s expensive but it’s worthwhile! Man! Beautiful! Breathtaking amazing gardens there. They were just beautiful!
It was a quick 4 days trip but so much fun! Other thing that aunt Chieko loved in the United States? Thrift stores! Lol They almost lived there. They certainly visited every one of thrift stores in our neighborhood. :D
時系列がちょっと前後してしまいますが、これは書き記しておきたいので。
この夏、うちの母、こと中ばぁと中ばぁのお姉さん、千恵子おばちゃんがシアトルに来てくれました！今回はカナダにも行きたいと言う事で。当初は、うちの兄も来るはずがどうしても仕事を休めず仕方なし断念。女二人ではるばる来てくれました！いやー、英語喋れないのに、二人だけで海外に来てくれるガッツは本当に尊敬。というわけで、シアトル観光は喜音、奏大に任し、Uber で色々回ってくれた。大きくなったもんだなー。
そして待ちに待ったカナダ旅行！
初めはカジノへ。カジノのファンシーホテルに泊まり、子供、ブリトンはプールで楽しんでる間、女性陣はいざ、カジノへ！パチンコセミプロ(冗談)の二人、カジノはやはり、言語分からずとも楽しんでたご様子。しかも！なんと、全くギャンブルしない、私、スロットで約カナダドル100ドル儲けました！！と言う事で、次の日の朝ごはんは御馳走できると言うラッキー付き。
他にもバンクーバーのグランビルアイランド、キャピラノの吊り橋へ。そして、ビクトリアB.Cへ！ビクトリアでは、ブッチャートガーデン、お買い物、海を見たり、毎日忙しく、そしてカナダを満喫してまいりました！
それから、千恵子おばちゃんのアメリカでのお気に入りは、リサイクルショップ巡り。毎日欠かさず行った気がする。笑

Tillamook creamery 

Annndddd, Chu-ba came alone again in August! I begged her to come and stay longer because we couldn’t spend time much together last time she was here. I really really appreciate her generosity to come again. She did A LOT to us: making food, cleaning house, and cleaning yard (by the way, aunt Chieko also worked our yard, even tho she stayed only 10 days...Japanese people, you guys are working too hard!)
そして、あまりにも短い滞在だったので、頼みに頼みこみ、母にはもう一度来てもらいました。もっと長く一緒にいたくて…私のわがままを聞いてくれてまた来てくれた母には本当に感謝。ほとんどは家の事手伝わせてばかりで悪いことさせてしまったけど、ちょっと近場のオレゴン州へ小旅行もしました。オレゴンでは、チーズ、ミルクの工場へ。あとは、海岸のリゾート地へ。これもまた違くて面白かった。

Seaside OR. Seafood over there was so fresh and good!

Second day of school

Why is it “second day of school”, not the first day? Because we forgot to take a picture on the first day of school. lol  We barely keep up our schedule every day... I don’t know how we survive everyday...
Anyway, Yukine is now in 9th grade, a freshman in high school and Kanata is in 6th, the last year of elementary school. After Kanata, we will be completely done with the elementary school. That’s crazy!!!
If Yukine was in Japan, she should have been in the last year in a middle school but here, it’s 4 years of high school. I can’t believe that we are parents of a high school kid. My heart is still in 20’s though!

新学年二日目の写真。普通は1日目に記念に写真を撮るのが恒例なのですが、すっかり忘れて二日目、と言ういい加減な親。でも一応撮ったので、多めにみていただいて…苦笑

私らの学区では、高校四年生。なので、喜音は今年から高校生です！こちらでは、高校一年生をフレッシュマンとよび、2年がソフモア、3年がジュニア、そして最後の4年をシニアと呼びます。大学も同様。と言うわけで、喜音はフレッシュマン。
奏大は小学校最後の6年生。これは日本とも一緒ですね。でも、来年からは制度が変わり小学校は5年までになるらしい。だから、奏大が中学生になる時、五年生も同時に持ち上がり、いきなり、奏大の学年は中2になります。どうなるかなー。

もうすでに10月。今二人とも問題なく新しい学年、学校には慣れてやっているよう。