Our Human Body Lap Book

We've been working on a science lap book, about the human body. We do a little each week and I think it's more fun and Megan gets more out of it than just a narration. She loves to cut and glue the mini books into the folders!

It's been awhile

It's been awhile I know. I discovered Facebook and promptly forgot about our blog. But, I'm starting to come back. It's been a busy year and a half here. The girls are growing, we're home-schooling and Cricket is potty trained!

We finished up our first lap-book, one about St. Patrick's Day, and while we're a couple days late and didn't do all of the activities, it still got done! I let Megan put it all together....

End of Soccer season

Tokyo Pics!

So annoying

Ok, disclaimer.  paul and I both used to smoke, never in the house or in front of the kids (not that makes it better).  Here's my annoyance of the day.

I am part of a forum based here in Yokosuka japan.  It's a place on the web where a bunch of women post different topics and reply.  I like it because if I have a question on this or that it is almost guaranteed that someone on the forum has an answer or knows where to go to get an answer. 

A woman posted a topic that her neighbors (she lives in a tower) smoke in their house and the smell is coming into her house, she and her husband are not smokers and they HATE this smell.  She wanted to know if she should complain to the housing office about it.

Most people replied, "Yes, complain".  While they have the right to smoke, you have the right to not smell it.  One woman replied that she smokes in her house and she won't quit for anyone, thank you very much.

This is the same woman (who by her own admission is obese) who complained when a doctor told her and her daughter that her daughter, at 14 and 5'3" and 165 lbs is morbidly obese.   And she smokes in her house... I don't know why I'm so perturbed by this lady but I am.  I know I am not the healthiest person out there, but this woman got seriously upset on hearing how unhealthy her daughter is.  I agree that the doctor's tone and manner were not the best (if her version is accurate) but come on.  Is this really a surprise?  You are obese and smoke in your home.  You obviously don't have the health of your daughter at the top of your list of important things.  Your wants and comfort are at the top.  

Sorry, I have to vent here, I know a lot of the people on the forum, and this is a really small community, everyone knows each other.  

TAGGED!

Ok, I've been tagged by Rachel....I'm not sure how to link to her or anyone else for that matter, but here you go.  

Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. List 6 unspectacular quirks you have.
4. Tag 6 bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each taggee's blog to let them know they've been tagged.

OK, I don't think I have 2 quirks, let alone 6, but I'll give it a shot.  Also, I don't know 6 people....:) And I definitely don't know 6 people with blogs!  

1.  I have always counted the lines that make up the numbers on a digital clock...the vertical lines and the horizontal ones are each one count, even if it is 2 dashes that make up the line.  for instance, the #3 has 3 horizontal lines and 2 vertical, so 3 counts as "4".  I do this for each number, the colon counts as 2,  and if it's an even, I am happy.  If it's odd, I wait until it's even.  Don't ask, I don't know why or how....it's my happy place, OK?

2.  I hate to be bare footed.  I have to wear socks in the house.  I hate to step on some piece of whatever....UGH!  And we don't have carpet, so it makes it worse.  Maybe if we did have carpet it wouldn't be a big deal.  

3.  I can't stand to be in the same place for too long.  I  love to move around.  I remember as a kid, I tried to get my mom to move from our house in Wisconsin, I needed the change.  Now that I'm getting older, I can see the pull of being in the same place for a long time.  The connections and friendships you make...but I still have this wanderlust that needs to be fulfilled.

4. I have a favorite child.  I KNOW!  I know that the official party line is "We have no favorite child, we love them all equally."  And I do love them both beyond reason, I do.  But there is one, that pulls a little more on my heart, that makes me smile a little more, that is just a little "more" that the other.  And I'm not telling which is which.

5.  I hate to color or draw. Megan and Cricket will color forever, I hate it.  And I feel bad about it, I know it's a good time to spend with Megan, we can talk and just be together, no pressure or agenda.  But it's a rare day I can bring myself to do it.  

6.  I can't think of a sixth quirk....I like the Black Eyed Peas and Megan knows the words to "My Humps".  But she also asked to pray last night....so maybe we're doing ok.  Maybe my last quirk is, I don't totally suck as a parent.  I don't beat them, I try to teach right from wrong.  I try to be a good mom and wife.  I try.  Ok, my #6 quirk is I DON'T SUCK.  Years of therapy and I can say it, I don't suck.  I'm not perfect, I'm not beautiful.  But I'm not ugly either, I'm funny (right?!) and I'm nice.  I don't suck. :)

So I'm going to let these people know they've been tagged, no all have blogs, but oh well.  

Joyful Praise

Jessica

Paul

Jason

Jennifer

Allison

Good News

I've been thinking about becoming an English Teacher.  I would teach English to Japanese.  I have "found" a student, Takayo, through a friend.  Since I have never done this before, my friend, Ashlee, let me practice on her student, Maki, today.  We were at Ashlee's, Maki and I were talking, I was asking a ton of questions and so on...  It turns out that Maki is a piano instructor and she has a three year old daughter, Ericka (not very Japanese I know).  Maki had a proposal -  she would come over to our house and teach piano to Megan if I "taught" English to Ericka.  And by teach she means to play with Ericka in English (colors, shapes, numbers, etc.)  while Maki and Megan are practicing piano.  

Not only am I earning money (a measly 2,500 yen a week I know, but better than nothing), there is a possibility that we won't have to pay for piano lessons anymore, and that is a BIG relief.  Of course, that depends on if Megan and Maki are a good fit.  Paul is pretty stuck on staying with Aiko, Megan's instructor now, because she has a lot of patience with Megan.  So I told him to make sure he is here when Maki comes, so he can see how nice and how great she is.  Keep your fingers crossed!  

Megan's First "Death"

Megan has never known anyone who has died.  I guess she's been a bit sheltered.  She wasn't even really sure what death was.  Today, all the parents from the school got an email stating that Mr. Taylor, the art/gym teacher, had died very unexpectedly this am.  

Mr. Taylor was LOVED by his students and you could tell he really loved them.  Since he was the art teacher, Megan really liked him.  She loves art and would come home this and last year talking about Mr. Taylor and what a good artist he was.  Since the school is going to tell the students tomorrow, we decided to tell Megan tonight so she wouldn't be blind-sided at school.  At first she thought we were playing a joke with her and she started to laugh and was smiling.  "But we just saw him at gym yesterday and after school" (there was an open house last night and he was there), was one of her reasonings why he couldn't be dead.  Another was, "but he's a really good artist."  That broke my heart... It took her about a half hour to finally get it, to finally process what we had told her.  She was in the tub when it hit her.  She said she wanted to pray to God for Mr. Taylor.  How did Paul and I raise a child like this?  It really opened my eyes, that's for sure.  

Right now, she and Paul are curled up in bed, watching Dancing with the Stars.  She's had a tough night.  Keep her and her school mates in your thoughts and prayers.