The first stop for today with Baaba and Obachan was an ice cream festival. I don’t often get to eat ice cream, let alone a lot of it. So this was quite a treat for me. They had ice cream from all parts of Japan with a lot of special flavors. I started off with a soft serve ice cream cone all for me. I really enjoyed it! It was so yummy!
But of course I didn’t stop there. I had a sample of what everyone else was having. I have to say that everything was delicious. I couldn’t decide on a favorite.
That was a lot of calories so I took Mommy for a walk to work some of it off.
Oh, by the way, I decided to take up photography. Here are a few snapshots I took with Daddy’s phone when he left it on the table. Pretty artistic, right? Yeah, I know it looks like the same picture, but they are all slightly different.
I had a nice surprise when Baaba and Obachan stopped by for a visit. Actually, I had heard that Obachan was coming but I was very happy to see that Baaba came along too. She must have missed me a lot. We didn’t have a plan, so we just hung out at home for a bit. They had brought me a little toy from a capsule machine and even a little car from Jiiji. I was very happy.
While hanging out we came up with a plan for the day that involved the subway and ice cream. How exciting!
Our past couple trips to Costco, I’ve been eating about a third of Daddy’s Costco hot dog in addition to my lunch. That is a very good hot dog. I like it so much that we bought a pack of dogs and buns to keep in the freezer. It is not quite the same as at Costco, but still a pretty good hot dog. Yum!
We had our school sports day today. We had been practicing for it for a while so I was a little excited and a little worried. But when we got into the gym and I saw how many people were there, I was not excited anymore. I was just so overwhelmed.
I was not happy. It took me a long time to calm down. I held on to Mommy for dear life and would not let go.
Mommy’s comforting hug helped me slowly calm down and when she started to rock me back and forward in a roller coaster like way, I finally cracked a smile.
When the opening ceremonies finished I snuck a few raisins as a snack and that made me feel much better. But then we had to get ready for our first activity which required me to get into costume. In all the weeks of preparation at nursery school I did not once wear my costume. My teachers tried and tried but could not convince or coax me into my costume. When it comes to wearing things that I’m asked too, I’m not very cooperative. I often refuse to wear the simplest things. I refused to wear my swimming cap, I refused to wear small articles of clothing for events, and I practically rip off anything that is placed on me without my permission. So, expectations were low in the costume department. But I surprised everyone when I agreed to put my costume on (with the promise of raisins and jelly did). When my teachers saw me in my costume they were so happy and proud that they had to come over and tell us so. It was the first time they saw me in it and they thought I looked so cute!
Before I knew it, it was time for our dance. I was not having it. I clung to Mommy for dear life. She got my feet to the floor a bit, but for the most part she had to carry me the whole time.
Next it was time for the event. I was not very eager to go. Last year, was my first Sports Day and I did not enjoy it. For my event I did not even let Mommy put me down, so she had to do the even for me while carrying me. It was not the best performance. This year, Mommy tried to keep me in a good mood while we were in line waiting for our turn, but it did not look hopeful. Then it was my turn and I surprised everyone by doing the event on my own. (I didn’t necessarily look like I was enjoying it, but I didi it.). Everyone was so proud of me for just trying to do my best! I was pretty proud of myself too!
It was such a relief when everything was over. I could enjoy my snack reward and relax. What an ordeal. But is survived and did my best. That’s something to be proud of.
I heard that when Daddy was younger he did not like to dress in costume or go on stage or perform or pretty much do anything he felt he was being forced into. He was never a performer. However, for the Sports Day he was asked to be one of the fathers to participate in a team event and even though he didn’t want to do it, he agreed to participate hoping to be a good example for me. So he went to the center of the gym with the other fathers and did his best to win the event. His team did very well and came in first. Their reward was being allowed to choose their follow-up even first which ended up being dancing (his worst nightmare). But he stood there in front of the whole gym and learned the dance. Then he danced the dance the best he could, all to show his son that sometimes you don’t want to do things, but you still give it your all. He did really well. Little did he know that while he was up there dancing his butt off, instead of being inspired by him, I was upset that he left me to go dance. Poor Daddy.
The rest of the Sports Day went smoothly. I didn’t have to do anything else so I just stayed there an waited it out the best I could.
In the end, I was a happy boy because I did my best, had a few snacks, and got a little goodie bag at the end. I hope there will be a day when I don’t dread these events. But in the meantime I’ll just have to. try to survive them.
On some days for our walk I don’t like to walk. I prefer to ride in the stroller. It is not a lazy thing, I just to don’t want to make the effort to walk. Oh, I guess it is a lazy thing.
I always have such a great time at the park. I love being outside. I’m always in a better mood outside. Sometimes at school I can be in a bit of a mood and not play well with others. My teachers are trying to help me learn to share and ask for things instead of just snatching them. I’m getting better, but there is still a lot of work ahead of me. At least I have my happy time when I’m outside in the park.
Sometimes the first thing in the morning all I want to do is read a book. Especially if that book is borrowed from school and I have to return it soon.
On my brushing teeth app they have some funny little clips and in one of them a character takes his beard off and I think it’s really funny. So I like copying it even though I don’t have a beard.
Yesterday I wouldn’t leave school again. I just stalled and stalled and wouldn’t budge no matter how much Mommy urged me to go. In the end she just had to physically drag me out of school. Once we got outside I was a lot better, but it was a very long and stressful time. So Daddy prepared a little something special for me. He made me a Mason’s Mission. It is like a scavenger hunt where I get to look for things on our way home. (It is a sneaky way to get me to leave school.). It worked like a charm. Once I started stalling, Mommy brought out Mason’s Mission and I was all into it. I had a fun time finding things on the way home. I was so into it that I kept looking at it even after I found everything and got home.
The first thing we did when we got to the park today was start playing chase. We didn’t plan it or discuss it or anything. It just sort of happened. And it wasn’t like an organized game of chase. No one was “it”. We just started running around and chasing each other.
I’m learning how to give a thumbs up for “good”. Yeah, I’m still working on it. My thumbs up ends up being a number one. Not bad. You get the general meaning either way.
Book time has always been a foundation of my bedtime routine. I always look forward to it. Sometimes it can be a bit monotonous when I always choose the same books day after day. Mommy and Daddy don’t seem to mind. They are always happy to read books to me.
I’m very good at spotting things. When we walk to school I can spot buses and other vehicles all the way down the road. I’ll tell Daddy “bunny bus” and Daddy won’t see it for a while, but as it nears us he finally sees the nursery school bus that has a bunny on the side. I also spot things when we go for our walk at school. At the park watch the road and spot vehicles but I also spot bugs in the grass and dirt. Today on our way back to school I spotted an ambulance and told everyone about it. I let them know so early that our teacher had time to take out the camera and take a picture. I like spotting things.
On our walk we visited the prefectural office where they had many vehicles on display. I was really into the exhibit. I looked at every piece very carefully.
There was also a smell exhibit. I tried out a bunch of different smells.
We also swung by the park on the way back to school. We saw some ducks and my teacher asked me what they were. I answered, “Wanwan” or doggy, with a impish smile on my face. I was being silly.
