Claire's Yochien Craft Fair

I need to interrupt the recounting of the Tokyo vacation to share with you the bounty of crafts that Claire's FABULOUS Sensei, Ai Haraishi, sent home yesterday!!!

There was a craft fair for the kids to showcase all of their hard work on Sunday and we, regrettably, missed it since we were in Tokyo.  Apparently all of the rooms are decorated to the hilt with all of the children's crafts and my fellow bus stop Moms told me that Claire's room was the CUTEST!   I'm so sorry I wasn't able to see it personally, but my fellow bus stop Mom, Megan, sent me these pictures of Claire's room.

In front of the little animals, were little bento boxes. 

Everything was set up like a restaurant. 

Do you remember the eye thing from the obstacle course race on Sports Day where Claire waited for Ryu?

 I grabbed Claire as soon as she got off the bus to take pictures of her crafts.

Claire is modeling her winter uniform next to the HUGE garbage bag full of goodies.  She is wearing leg warmers (very Japanese) with her skirt, and of course her hat.  You can see in the bottom right hand corner that she takes her "gumbrella" with her every time she leaves the house.  Even when there's not a cloud in the sky!  :)

The book that Claire-chan is holding is a little birthday book with a picture of Claire and Sensei Ai.  Sensei wrote "Dear Claire, Although this card is a little belated, I wish you a Happy Birthday.  May you have many more to come. From: Ai Hiraishi."  Isn't that the sweetest that since Claire started Kawashimo after her birthday, Ai wanted to make sure she had this special momento???

There were a few Christmas crafts that I will treasure and display always!

I asked Claire which was her favorite craft and she sat down in this little chair.  ☺

I had to enlist the help of Olivia to hold up all of the papers so we could see Claire-chan's beautiful art work!

Thanks for helping sisters!  ☺

I had Claire pick out another favorite craft.  This little house is SO cute and is made out of a milk carton. 

I loved this one!  Can you imagine the patience it took to paper mache a balloon with a class of 3 year olds?

I was talking to my Mom on Skype this morning and I picked up some of the crafts to show her and she said, "No wonder Claire loves yochien so much!  So many crafts, so much to do!"  It's true!  Yesterday we got up late after the long bus ride and I took the big girls to school first and when we started walking back to the car I said, "Let's go to yochien, Claire!" and I swear, she clicked her heels in the air and said, "YOCHIEN! I LUUUUUVVVVVVVVVVVVV YOCHIEN!!!!!!"

Thank you Sensei Ai 

and Kawashimo Yochien!!!!!  

You are AWESOME!!!!!!

Claire Bear

I'm sitting at the kitchen table with Claire Bear and she asked "Can I have some chocolate milk?" and I respond with "Please most wonderful Mommy" and she says "Pwease mowst wundafull Mommy" and my heart melts....even though I asked her to say it. 

She's the loudest, spunkiest, most adaptable kid of ours.  And have I mentioned funny?  And don't forget naughty.  But of course I adore her!  And so do the other girls.  Gigi just thinks she is the silliest, funniest person in the world.  Once I said, when Gigi burst into giggles after Claire walked into the room, "Who needs television when you have a sister named Claire?" and Mick responded with, "Or a three ring circus."  ☺

Here's the solo photos of our little bear that were taken the first of October.  Thank you Laurie at Okidoki Photography!

Hooray for Claire Bear!!!

My bus rider

Claire just ROCKS yochien every day!  It's funny that out of my three school going kids, Claire is the one who rides a bus.  (Olivia is soooooo jealous while Audrey, who was a bus rider kindergarten - 2nd grade, doesn't mind.)

On her way to the big country of Japan this morning!  

Way to go Claire!!!!!!

Claire's Yochien's Halloween Party

I'm trying to get caught up on my "big" posts because we're going to Tokyo on Wednesday for Thanksgiving!

As promised, here is a slew of pictures from Claire's cute Halloween party at Kawashimo Yochien!

All of the kids could dress up or if they didn't have a costume, then the Yochien supplied one for them.  Gigi wanted to dress up in the clown costume that Grandma sent over for her.  :)

Claire's Snow White costume is being kept safe from the crafts until party time under her smock!

Then we went upstairs for the party and as it was for the Sports Day program, Claire didn't sing any of the songs, but she sure liked waving at me!!!!!!  ☺

This is Ryu's beautiful Mom, Miki, and her sweet little girl Kiera. 

Maybe Kiera and Gigi will be BFF's in Kawashimo in a few years like Ryu and Claire! ☺

They had lots of cute little games.  They would pick a few children's names out of a hat to let them participate.  Claire was picked for the first game that was, from what I could tell, a chance to throw (fabric) rotten tomatoes at a house.  ☺

Explaining the game to us....the house is on the left. 

I ran over and told Claire what the object of the game was and what she was to do.  She looked a bit overwhelmed....well, after she stopped waving, she looked overwhelmed.  She loves the wave!

She was very thoughtful but launched her tomatoes well and was proud to get her prize!

And then Sensei Ai told us a story. 

I'm sure it was a very cute plot.  ☺

And then they did a little gambling game, which pumpkin is the candy under?

Gigi crawled over to this woman and stared at her for a while.  It was so funny to me because she's usually like white on rice to me and then when she does venture away from me, she doesn't stay in one place for long!

And then the final game was one where every kid could play.  The big brothers and sisters did this one in the obstacle course at Sports Day, so it must be a fairly common Japanese game.

You have to bite the candy (actually, I think this is a donut) off of the string without using your hands.  ☺

It was a really sweet party!  After we left they changed back into their uniform and I don't think I've shared with you a picture of Claire's "winter" uniform.  She came home this day with a sweet little cover for her hat that she wore through Halloween.  "Did you make that?" I asked her and she said, "Sensei Ai made it for me."

Sensei Ai made the bag too!  Such treasures!  Claire is SO FUNNY in that she has to take her "gumbrella" to school every day, even when there's not a cloud in the sky.  She, with the help of her fabulous Sensei, keeps track of everything really well though and helps me in the morning when I pack her backpack.  "I need my red hat!  Where's my shoes?  I need my towel!"  (They don't have paper towels there so the kids bring a little towel with a hook on it and hang it up by the sink so they can dry their hands after washing them.)

Loving Yochien.........not only is she getting a great cultural experience, they are teaching her responsibility as well!

October's Pictures from Kawashimo Yochien

Claire's Yochien sent home pictures on the last day of the month.  They are just so precious!  There are many.....enjoy if you can get through all of them!  ☺

The first few are from Sports Day. 

So happy to be with her best friend Ryu!

What absolutely AMAZED me about this day is that it was so long (8:30 - 11:30) and Claire and Ryu weren't in many "events" or dances and they sat on the stage and just were happy as can be, not being naughty (3 year old naughty...you know, running around) at all, but just sitting there, talking and laughing with each other.  I was really proud of my Claire Bear!  ☺

Here was their first "race."  Or was it the second?  Any way....not the one you saw the video of.

Because that one is here.

This looks like the moment where she stops and waits for Ryu so they can cross the finish line together.  Otherwise known as "one of my favorite/proudest moments of being a Mom!"

Then here's some pictures of a "picnic" they had. In case you're getting bored....I'm going to lead with our favorite picture of all of them!

Mick said this was like a alternative band album cover from Lawrence, Kansas.  "From their latest review, ♪♫ ♪The Red Hats ♪♫ ♪ blend a loud American punk sound fused with Asian cool rhythms to provide the listener a quixotic blend of musical pleasure." ☺  

Just a pretty picture of my happy-go-lucky Claire Bear!

Picnic time!

One of the really interesting things to me is the location of the Yochien.  You park in a parking lot about a block or two away from the school and then go down the road and then up through a winding little path (album cover) beside regular houses and then there is this small farmland (where the kids here are going to their daily tending of the crops....HA! Just making sure you're reading!), a temple and then the school.  Living in Japan is so interesting!!!! ☺

Such lush playgrounds here in Japan!

Ending this series with another beautiful picture of my Claire Bear!

Here's some random classroom shots.

They do crafts and crafts and crafts!  Regrettably, we'll be in Tokyo for their "Craft Show" to retrieve all of her beautiful work officially, but Sensei Ai has assured me that I will still be able to get my grubby paws on it.  ☺

Claire with Ryu, of course, her BFF.  Claire has always had boys among her BFF repertoire.  Started out with Mikey, her first nanny's son and then it was Nathan, at Lamb of God, her first daycare and now Ryu!  He gets on the bus the stop after her and his Mom, Miki, told me they always sit together in the mornings.  I see her sitting with him in the afternoon. 

I think this is perhaps the English Education that we pay an extra 400 yen (about $5) a month for.  Claire looks fired up, doesn't she?

A failed experiment in piggy tails.

And then the last picture series is of the Halloween party they had at school.  Don't worry!  I have another whole blog post about this planned!  ☺

Claire and Ryu?  Who knew?

I'm actually not sure who this is, but she assisted the Senseis during the Halloween party.  I'm guessing a Year 2 or 3 Mom.  She may be American but she's got the Japanese PEACE down!  ☺

The bags were made by Sensei Ai as well and they are positively adorable.  But is anybody else noticing that Claire is doing a perfect "Hook 'em Horns!" on one hand and the "Peace" sign on the other?  She CRACKS me up!!!!!

And here's her new expanded class with the fabulous Sensei Ai and Claire doing "Hook 'em Horns" and "Peace!" 

And then, presumably, this is the Buddhist Temple that they got to monthly....perhaps.  (Aren't you appalled with how little I really know?)

We're proud that she's learning so much about the Japanese culture! 

Another month of loving Kawashimo!!!!!  

Thank you Sensei Ai for the great care you are giving my Claire Bear!