Allison's Trip to Japan

It was quite an exciting day at school yesterday as all the kindergartners took a trip to Japan. They've been studying Japan for a couple weeks now and Allison has shared much of what she learned with me - much of which I did not know or remember. The kids were asked to dress in Japanese wear. Instructions were sent home on how to make a kimono if they did not have one but I opted to purchase one because my craftiness doesn't extend that far. Here is my little girl all set for her trip to Japan:

I even managed to do her hair (well, somewhat at least):

Once we arrived at school, Allison prepared for her flight by posing with her classmates Ella and Gabriel:

She also brought along her suitcase:
And of course what kind of trip would it be without her buddy Zachary:

Next it was time to check in at the gate with Mrs. Armas and get her wings from flight attendant Jodi:

Allison boarded the plane, stowed her luggage, buckled her seatbelt and prepared for liftoff!

The crew welcomes their guests and prepares for liftoff:

After a 16 hour plane ride (more like 25 min) during which they snacked on Swedish fish and used enough jet fuel to fill 2 1/2 swimming pools, they arrived at their destination and each child was given a cherry blossom:
While in Japan, the kids learned all about making flower arrangements and participating in a tea ceremony. Of course there are special Japanese names for these two things but i can't for the life of me tell you what they are.

Then it was off to learn all about what Japanese students eat for lunch at school and how to eat with chopsticks:

Or be silly with chopsticks:

Next, the kids went outside to practice some Japanese moves:

What's a trip to Japan without a photo opp:

Then they got to decorate pictures frames for the their photo:

And Allison posed for a picture with her teachers:
Once they finished their craft, the kids enjoyed a short movie and then sang us three songs that they had been practicing all week (Allison is there too - it's just hard to see her - she's in the middle somewhere):



All of this sightseeing and traveling sure made the kids hungry and they were more than ready for lunch so they went to a Japanese restaurant (formerly their classroom):Lunch consisted of rice, chicken, noddles, a sushi roll, and a dumpling:
Allison liked the rice, but wasn't too keen on the rest of the food. She used the chopsticks for awhile but then I gave her a fork so she could actually get some food in her belly:

After lunch it was finally time for the flight home. The kids were eager to return to Florida (and Allison was happy to have a seat next to Zachary for the flight home) :
One last picture, posing with the pilot!

What a great trip! Allison was a trooper considering she wasn't feeling well and was still fighting off a cold virus. She broke down a couple times but managed to make it until the end. I just hope she feels better to help celebrate the 100th day of school on Monday (gotta love kindergarten!)

The Farch

Daniel likes to sift through the drawers in the kitchen when he has nothing better to do. I lock the cabinets that i don't want him to access and he is allowed to play in whatever isn't locked. Today, he pulled three random objects out of a drawer and carefully crafted his masterpiece. He then told me it's name..."The Farch". Here he is presenting The Farch:

And recently, when I ask him to smile, this is the face I get:

Such a silly little boy!

A Trip to the Fair

Allison had a half day of school on Tuesday and I was feeling adventurous so I decided to take them to the South Florida Fair. I knew Jeff wouldn't want to come because it's everything he dislikes and then some. So I was on my own with a 5 and 2 year old. We've lived in south Florida for three years but this was out first trip to the fair. It was interesting to say the least. It was much bigger than the fair I went to growing up in Maryland. Luckily the kids were free but I had to pay $15 to get in. That doesn't sound too bad, but that's just to get in. Once inside - everything costs money - which I knew ahead of time - but when you have two little ones begging you for everything, it's not easy to keep saying no. I didn't splurge on the ride wristbands this year- at $25 per person I just wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. Especially since Daniel was too small for most of the rides. Instead, I spent $12 for 12 tickets which allowed them to ride two rides - yeah, that's $6/ride for two kids. That $25 wristband isn't looking so bad now is it? Allison really wanted to go into one of the fun houses but I was afraid she wouldn't come out and I wasn't about to go in there with her with my claustrophobia issues. So they chose the train ride and a car ride:

That seemed to satisfy their ride craving for the day. Next we moved onto the big tractors. There was a John Deere booth with a bunch of tractors outside. Why pay for rides when the kids are content to just sit on the big tractors for free (man I sound cheap!):



Next up...the animals. We saw chickens, donkeys, cows, a zebra, and alpacas. Oh yeah, the alpacas - Allison had a not so good experience with an alpaca - which was party my fault. I told her to stand in front so I could take a picture. As I was saying it I realized it might not be such a good idea and the next thing I know the Alpaca reached down and tried to grab a clump of her hair with his mouth. Allison let out quite a scream and didn't know weather to laugh or cry. She chose the latter and we were outta there! It took her a few minutes to calm down but then she was good to go.
Next, Daniel tried to size himself up next to the big swamp buggy. Considering he was smaller than the tire, I think the swamp buggy won that competition:

I think the kids favorite part of the day was visiting Yesteryear Village. The funny part is, this Village can be visited anytime of the year, not just during the fair. It's just something we had never done. They were fascinated by the old time phones, which made me feel really old since I remember using rotary dialing:
They were also fascinated by the typewriter:

...and the rocking chair on the front porch of one of the houses:
Then it was off to the church:
Next, Allison was so excited to run into her classmate Shawn. They rode the old-time firetruck together:

Then all three of them landed in jail:
Once I bailed them out, it was almost time to head on out, but not before catching a quick pig race or two. After all, what's a fair without a pig race? This was by far the highlight of my day. The started with the super quick little pigs and worked up to the super slow pot-bellied pigs. It was quite humorous. I didn't take any pictures, only video. If I get a chance, I will post that later. All in all, it was a fun time but we were worn out by the time we got home. Perhaps we will see you next year Mr. South Florida Fair (I'll try not to be so cheap next time!)

Wordless Wednesday

A proud daddy moment...Daniel uses a socket wrench to help put a new license plate frame on my car:

Tiny Talk Tuesday

While driving in the car and going over speedbumps:
Daniel: Go fast mommy, go fast!!
Allison: You have to go the speed limit Daniel. It's like 35 or 50 or 53.
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Allison: Mommy, we had a substitute today and you know what's funny about the word, it ends in toot!
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Allison: Daddy, I don't understand how you find somebody to fall in love with. Do you go house to house? If you can't decide then you get all your friends together for a play date and then you decide. (this girl has so much to learn!)

The Calm of a Beautiful Sunset

I just love going in our backyard and finding this:

(Click on the picture for an even closer view!)

The Magic Hair Bow

Allison has been back at school for two weeks now. I was worried how she would do going back. The first half of the year was quite an adjustment for her. She was still trying to get used to being at school for six hours. It was always a struggle to get her up and dressed in the morning and out the door without a frown on her face. The poor girl still won't walk into school and down to her classroom by herself - she's scared of being run over by the big kids (she waits until one of her classmates arrives to walk with her). During bedtime I often asked her why she didn't like school and she responded "Because I'm worried I won't get all my work done." I told her not to worry about it, she can always finish her work at home. She still seemed worried, so I told her we could set up a conference with her teacher so we could all talk about it to try and ease her concerns. So I was kind of dreading sending her back. I figured we'd have to start all over again. The day before she went back, we happened to be out and about when she came upon this:

Looks like a simple hair bow, but it's oh so much more. Since the owner was nowhere to be found, I told her she could keep it. Little did I know how much difference this little hair bow would make. The next day (Allison's first day back to school), Allison wanted to wear the hair bow, so I said okay (after a thorough cleaning of it of course). What I thought would be a tough morning turned out to be just fine. Allison went to school without a fuss. When she came home, I asked her how her day was. She said "It was good. My magic hair bow helped me finish all my work!" I did end having a conference with her teacher last week to talk about various things, but Allison was no longer worried about finishing her work. She told her teacher all about the magic hair bow and how it helps her finish her work. Now if only we could find a magic hair bow to give her to confidence to walk into the school and down to her classroom by herself. If anyone has seen one, let me know.