Our new view!

This is the blue sky and amazing view that greeted us this morning. Just as the fog of jet lag is finally wearing off, the sunshine decided to bless us with a beautiful day! We spent a couple more hours at kindergarten this afternoon "adjusting." It is fun for me to be back in an American classroom again too. Its so much fun and and cozy with play areas, story time carpets and endless hugs all day. Lucy has become buddies already with the girl in class who seems to have he wildest imagination. When we explained that we had just moved from Japan, she explained that she had lived in Japan too, and that is why she can speak Spanish. Just listen, she said, "Goochee blah ??#**??" And, what does that mean, I asked. "Only my mother can understand." she explains. "And I have lived in every state! (at the slight age of 5)," and the Skittle candies she slithers out of her pocket are "the daily vitamins my mother gives me every morning." Lets hope Lucy's imagination doesn't grow quite so much!

今朝はこの景色が迎えた。時差ぼけが消えて来たと同時に雨と雲も消えていい天気になった。今日も小学校にちょっと遊びに行った。教室はすっごく居心地いいだ！自由に遊ぶ場所がたくさんで「本読み時間」になったら、先生の前でふわふわのcarpetの上で子供が集まって、本を読む途中に過ぎ過ぎ子供が先生の話を反応する。かわいい！直ぐLucyが友達になった子も面白い！日本から引っ越しましたと説明したら、「私も日本に住んだことある。。。だからスペイン語をしゃべる。」そして、「ぐぐばあ？？＃＃＊＊？？」と言いました。私は「どう意味？」と聞いたら、「私のお母さんしか理解できない」。そして、「本当は全州に住んだことある」。５歳で、すごいね！教室戻ったら、この子はpocketからこっそり飴を出してLucyに「お母さんは毎朝にこのvitaminをくれる。また食べなくちゃ。」怖いかかわいいか分からない！月曜日から本番！

A tiny splurge

Not a great photo, but this was our lil' splurge on our 24 hour jaunt through airports and airplanes from Japan to Montana. Neither Lucy nor I have ever had a manicure, and I thought I would let her get one to kill some time in Seoul. She talked me into joining her, so we got matching spotted nails for much much too much wan, but she was thrilled. Showed every person who came within 5 feet of us for the next 3 days! Now that I am home, crashing in my parent's basement until I get gainful employment, and a bit worried about being in this land of crazy medical costs, Lucy's only splurge for a long bit will be one or two of the long list of over-marketed High School Musical products she has been begging to have...for her birthday next month, maybe!

Also a bit surprised at the excess of paperwork I now how to fill our for job applications...including fingerprinting and the whole works. If only the rain would turn to snow and I could get on some skis. This might cure me of my penny-pinching for a weekend or two!

これは日本からの２４時間の長い旅のプチ贅沢です。時間つぶしと思って、韓国のインチョン空港でLUCYとマニクア。同じ水玉でかわいいでしょう？その後、近くにいった人の皆に喜んで見せた。今から仕事を探さないと生活できなくなる私に、しばらく最後の贅沢かな〜。来月の誕生日ぐらいまでに、ちょっとケチなママになるので。。。でも、今日の冷たい雨は雪に変わってく、スキー場に行けたら、ちょっとケチがなくなるかも。。。

やっと！

Finally we are connected and I can write in Japanese. Next, I have to figure out the photo stuff!
やっと自分のPCがinternetにつなげった！また写真の付け方はちょっと分かりませんですが。。。

アメリカに着いて３日しか立てない。時差ぼけが大変。月曜日から、LUCYは新しい小学校に行き始めるので、どうに頑張ります。
またここでNEWSを教えます！

HELLO FROM MONTANA

Sorry, no photos!
We are in Montana.
Slow computer!
Montana is cold!
There is snow on the mountains.
We are trying to recover from jet lag.
We just eat and sleep.
Lucy will start school on Monday.
Michelle will start looking for work soon.
Lucy keeps noticing how big the people are here.
She is still speaking more Japanese than English.
Grandma is starting to decipher our Japanese.
Miss our Japanese friends.
Miss Eiji dearly!
Pray for a faster internet connection!

寂しいいいいいいい！

最近は送別会が次々にありまして、本当に寂しなりました。久しぶりの友達を会って、色々な事を思い出して、やっぱり日本は深く心に残ります。必ずまた遊びに来ます。そして、皆さんは是非、是非、是非モンタナに遊びに来てください！

My last few weeks have been filled with farewell parties one after the other. Seeing old friends and meeting close friends for the last time, I really am sad to be leaving. Memories of Japan will be with me forever! We promise to come back and visit, and our home in Montana will always be open to friends.

Saying Farewell

With just 3 weeks to go before we leave Japan, it is starting to feel real. We have already had to say last goodbyes or hopeful "See you agains" to several friends. We know we will miss a lot of things, big and little, from this place we now call home. So, the 3 of us all have our own, "must do before we leave Japan" lists. Lucy's first was to eat lots of sushi, mine was to pass some of my treasures on to some of my treasured people here. Eiji's was to take Lucy and I to his childhood stomping ground, Amakusa, so he could show us the places he used to live, play and study. We got permission to go into his old high school and watch students as they practices KYUDO archery. He gave us a full commentary on what it was like when he was in the same practice hall 20 years ago. Many things left to do!

この前は家族３人は栄二が育った町、天草の本渡市、に遊びに行きました。そこで、栄二が遊んだ所、卒業した学校に見に行きました。日本に出る前にしたいな事がいっぱい。LUCYは寿司がたくさん食べたい。Michelleは大事の人とゆっくり話して、『ありがとう』の気持ちを伝えて行きたい。時間が足りるかしら？

Dancing at Lucy's Last Sports Day

Last week was Lucy's Day Care's Sports Day Festival. Different than at home, Sports Day in Japan means that everyone (parents, grandparents, friends, whoever!) is welcome to come and watch the day of races, dancing and games. This year, at her new school, it was incredibly organized and Lucy was all smiles! The last couple years, she suddenly decided she didn't want to run or dance in some events, and pouted on the sidelines instead. So, dancing with her in the "Parent-child Dance" and seeing her trying her best in all the events made me a bit teary eyed. This is one of the many things we will miss about Japan.