Ever since we bought our Christmas tree and its ornaments for our second Christmas on our new home back in 2015, we’ve pretty much used the same decors from then.
Thought of starting a tradition of buying something special and pretty every year.
For this year, we had these pretties.
A bold Elsa, with her water horse. Loving her stance.
This pretty, pretty star.
A blessed Christmas to one and all!
You told me how in your 生活 (livelihood) class you learned about allowances/小遣い. You’ve been wanting to have your wallet since then, as if having a wallet is a prerequisite to having an allowance. I gave you a wallet a couple of years back, but you were still too young to appreciate the value of keeping a wallet hence even after a “massive search”, it’s nowhere to be found now. (That was a Cath Kidston by the way. Since Cath in Japan has gone bankrupt in April owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, that would have made that purse very special indeed.)
But since I wanted to also get you started on managing your own money and saving, we bought you a new purse today.
To jumpstart your “money management”, I put inside your wallet a 1000 yen bill and a few coins and, later when I got it as a change, a 500-yen coin. You were so happy with the 1000yen gift you kept thanking me again and again for it, using the different Japanese words and expressions in saying thank you. I appreciate that you have a thankful heart.
So from now you’ll be managing your train fares, vending machine purchases, and snacks purchases with a 700 yen weekly allowance. I suggested ways for you to save (say, take the walk up the hill instead of using the elevator to save 52yen plus get some exercise) so that you can buy something you like. With permission from me. This prompted a sassy question:
Till when will I be asking your permission on what to buy? Till I get old?
Oh dear. That will be another day’s lesson.
And! Today, we also had your eyes checked because you’ve been squinting around for weeks now. Doctor confirmed you need some lens. Those beautiful eyes would have to be behind a frame from now.
You were giggling with the fact that you and your peers are not the youngest in the school, anymore. You were even more excited with the fact that your wish of being in 2年2組 came true (you were 1年1組 before).
I was actually late in picking you up; you were the remaining student in the schoolyard and two teachers were speaking with you, wondering why you’re staying put and where your mom is. I was still caught up in an online meeting and had to run out the house to meet you. But you were beaming and all excited so you easily forgave me. Good to meet your new home room teacher too.
My dear daughter, I haven’t wrote about this yet, but we are currently living in an uncertain time, one filled with fear and worry, as the world goes in lockdown and isolation, to fight the coronavirus. I have been working on remote for a week now and your Dad’s about to start remote work tomorrow. You’ve been requesting the parties we’re gonna have after this is over, planning the trips we’re gonna take. Oh, the places we’ll go. But for the mean time, I wish you well as you start your second year at grade school. Keep that lovely, beaming smile on your face.
World, we’ll get through this. Coronavirus will soon be a thing of the past. We’ll get though this.
Yui: Mommy, do you know how the universe began?
Me: The Big Bang?
Yui: That’s right!
Me: so tell me what you’ve read so far in your new books. Have you read yet about the dark hole?
The moment the last two words came out of my mouth, I felt queasy as I know something wasn’t quite right and that I know they weren’t correct.
Yui: Dark hole? Dark hole? It’s the Black hole, right?!?
Haha. And so we had our first bout of laughter for the day. I wouldn’t have had imagined I’d talk about the black hole with my 7 year old; and have her correct me for that matter.
You’ve been raving about Nausicaā recently. And I’m glad of your choice as she’s one great heroine. Of course you tried to draw her. You ended making your own stories about her.
