First Day of School

The kids all started new schools again this year, which can bring a lot of excitement and anxiety.  Tucker is a Junior.

At this school the kids only take six classes instead of the eight Tucker has been used to.  While it is easier and less homework Tucker was sad about the fact that he didn't get as many electives.  So he decided to take two additional classes online after school this year so he can have more electives during the day.

He had to get up well before the sun and left on his bike to seminary.  I love how he is willing to ride his bike to seminary and school so we don't have to drive him.  

Penelope started 8th grade and is the oldest in the middle school.

She actually had a rough day and was sad about it after school.  I guess all the other kids already had instruments and were playing them in her orchestra class and she did not.  She also felt like she had no idea what was going on all day and it was stressful.  This school literally has 7 times as many kids as her last school.  I will say that after the first few days she was feeling much more comfortable and better about the school.  

Scarlett was the biggest trouper and willing to switch middle schools after this one year if she needed to.  Luckily we were able to find a rental in the same zone as our future house so she can stay at this school next year as well.  She was excited about school and had a pretty decent day.  The only hiccup was that she wasn't put in Strings class at all, but after a few days we were able to get that switched for her.  I felt bad that she doesn't get to take any other electives because she is in a extra reading type class that takes up her other elective option.  Luckily that teacher is really good and she enjoys that class.

They were so happy to get to go together.  Their bus pick up is at 6:43!

Leon was slightly nervous but he has hardly spent more than a year at the same school so he is a pro at being the new kid.

So far things are going well.  He said that his teacher put him into Hufflepuff class which he isn't happy about.  Clearly he is a Ravenclaw.  But he also said the kids were acting up and so the teacher might rearrange "classes."

Calista loved her first day.  She hasn't told me too much about it except that it is fun, her teacher is nice, and she has friends.

Calista and Leon's bus pick up is at 8:23.  I'm grateful we were able to find a rental house with a bus stop nearby.  That was a huge struggle for us in our last house and with both Bob and I working we need to the kids to be able to get themselves to and from school without us.

Beatrix is the last one home with us.  She has one more year before starting public school.  Daycare costs are not really affordable for part time employees like myself.  For all the ones in the area you must pay for full time care regardless if you only need part time.  Full time care cost about the same as my take home pay.  Thankfully a friend is going to watch her on the days I'm working.  She has a three year old girl at home so it is perfect.  That friend also teaches an at home preschool that Scarlett and Penelope went to.  Beatrix is going to go there as well.

Spring Music Concerts

Penelope and Tucker each had a spring music concert.  For Penelope's concert the kids were in charge of coming up with their own performance groups and pieces.  I love that they do this.  It is such a great chance for them to learn and grow.

Penelope struggled with it.  Her group had chosen music that she didn't necessarily like.  Then she came home almost every day talking about how no one in her group would practice and how poorly she thought the performance will go.  On the day of everything worked out and it went fine, just like I told her it would be.  She was pretty nervous though.  

Tucker participated in a friendship concert with two local Japanese bands.  It was at the community concert hall and it was different than any child's concert I've ever been to. First their was 30 minutes of speeches that were translated in to Japanese and English.  Not only did the directors speak, but the mayor and the base commander.  Then there were two amazing MC's that commentated the entire thing.  Of course they didn't speak between performances but they had things to say after each song.  They were extremely peppy.

One of the bands was a Japanese marching band and they were pretty extraordinary.  Tucker's band also did well, but they were on a different league.  Tucker's band ranged from people on their 2nd year playing the instrument to 6th year and the marching band was clearly high school studens who have all been playing for a while.  They were both fun to watch.  After each band performed they played a couple songs together.

Science Center and Log House

Ok so this took my a while to post because we actually went before Christmas.  It was just so fun though I don't want to forget about it.  I think going to this science center followed by the log house is my favorite nearby indoor way to spend the day with the kids.

It reminds me of the Seattle Science center but smaller and cheaper.

We spent hours there and probably could have stayed even longer.  

It is almost like a children's museum.

They had this tilted room that made me dizzy to go inside.  Bob and the kids in the photo are pretty much standing straight up.  Everything else is just tilted.

Once we had our fill we waled to the log house.  I knew there was a chance it would be closed, but thankfully it wasn't.  All the windows were open though so it was freezing cold.  I'm sure that is a covid precaution.

My kids kept talking about how badly they wanted to go here.  We hadn't been for a while and I was thinking Tucker would be too big.  But I was wrong, he had a blast.

Beatrix just wanted to go up and down the slide over and over again about 500 times.  I think Bob almost had a heart attack every time she climbed up these and made her way to the slide.  There were plenty of places she could have fell and gotten pretty badly hurt.  I tend to just let the kids do their thing and hope that they don't get hurt.  

The place is only 30 minutes away from out house but it is now out of the area we are allowed to go :(.  We are pretty much not allowed to go anywhere again.  Only essentials.  

Kurihama Flower Park

Penelope's request for her birthday was to go to the Godzilla at Kurihama Flower park.  The flowers were in bloom and it was beautiful.  I'm pretty sure her birthday lands on a Japanese holiday because we were there at 9am on a Tuesday morning and it was more crowded then when we usually go on a Saturday.  When we were leaving there was a line of cars waiting for a space in the lot.

This park has a beautiful pathway of flowers leading up to the playground.  We mostly speed on past but checked out the flowers on our way back down.

Beatrix was fearless walking on net pathways.  Her feet could have easily slipped right through them and not only was she not even looking at her feet she didn't want me to touch her either.  I was trying to have one hand on her in case she slipped but she wouldn't have it.  I'm not surprised, she is the only one of my kids who doesn't like to hold hands.  Now some are growing out of hand holding, but they all used to love it at her age.

Tucker said he was going to sleep so Calista promptly laid down next to him.  Then he kept laughing and opening his eyes when he saw I was going to take a picture.

Penelope was so busy running around I barely got any pictures of her.  

Can yo spot Tucker and Leon fighting in the background?  The pretty much wrestle around all the time.  It is funny how much they do it and the girls just don't.  Boys and girls just like to play differently sometimes.

I love that we could just drop everything and go to the park.  Now that the kids are back in school it won't be so easy.