My new 6hours

My new life starts from this September !

Yes. My youngest son goest to Kindergarten.  From this year, Kindergarten is a full time school, not the half day school!

My son went to the pre-school, but it was only 2hours and 3 times a week. 2 hours goes by really quick.  After dropping him off at pre-school and by the time I finish the grocery shopping, it is time to pick him up....

Anyways, from this September, I will have an empty house for,

6 hours/day, 5 times/week

that is 30hours/week.

What do I do now? 

I have been wishing for the free time for all these years, but one it is given,
I don't know what to do !!!

The first 4 years of my family life, I was either pregnant or nursing.  Children are now 9yrs, 7yrs and 5yrs. It has been 9 years and 9 month since my oldest was born.

Somebody was always at home, 

"Mommy, I'm hungry~!" 

"Mommy, I want to do painting, can you help me to set it up~?" etc etc etc.

Especially when I am on the phone,

"Mommy! Can you read this book now~?" "My nose is bleeding!"

When I am packing the old clothes for donation, my daughter would start unpacking,

"Mommy! This is my favourite shirt! Oh, I remember this shirt when I was just a baby,,,, maybe it will fit to my stuffy bear." 

When I practice piano,

"Mommy, can you play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, instead?"

When I want to do knitting,,,, forget it.

When we do some family gatherings, I could never finish one conversation from the beginning to the end.  Usually, join the conversation half way through and trying to figure out the subject.  By the time I caught up with the converstaion,

"Mommy, my hands are sticky with ketchup~!"

By the time I wash the ketchup-hands and back to the conversation (if there is a seat),

the last subject would be finished, and next subject would be already starting. 

When I look back, I have not been able to complete one thing without any distruction 

for 9 years.

Now I am facing to the fact that I get to chose how to use the 6 hours!! 
For myself, or for others.  This is so exciting!

I even asked moms friends from school,

"Can you pleeeeease not ask me to do volunteer for the first 2 month? I have been waiting for this time so long, and I just want to enjoy the 6 hours for now. I promise to

do volunteer once I had enough of my 6 hours!"

What a selfish request !

Anyways, as a gradual start, the first day of the kindergarten was only 2 hours. The second day will be 4 hours, and the third days will be 5 hours.

From the 4th day and on, it will be 6 hours!

my son, being proud to be in a big school.

changing into inner-shoes.

find his name and hook his back pack

sit in the center space and listen 

to the teacher carefully.

There is my son isn't listening nor looking 

at the teacher at all.

He is distracted by the sea animal pictures

on the wall....

"My want to do list"

More Reiki sessions during day time and have free evenings

Yoga into my life

Practice Piano and Harp more

Start knitting again

Offer Reiki as volunteer

Edit videos and photos

try new recipes for meals

and more Reiki. did I say that?

Seems like I can fill up the 6 hours pretty quick.

Life is beautiful

Slot car racing track

Simply, amazing.

I am always amazed by people who can build cabinet, furnitures, houses etc etc etc.

I am amazed by people who can design things on a paper, and build it into a real thing.

My husband is one of those amazing person.

At Christmast time, he bought a slot car racing track for our children.

It was only a figure 8 shaped, two lanes racing track. 

Then he thought,

"We need more tracks to make it bigger."

So then it is more fun!

He researched and found out that there are such thing as wooden track, 
and it could be custom made.  


He thought,
"I can build that ! "


Instead of buying the plastic tracks to extend the road, he started to design
on a paper, and started to build a wooden slot car racing track.


Then the magic begins.


Please just watch the video clip, and you will see!

click here to watch the slot car track building video !

Simply, amazing.

Birthday Cakes

I love cooking and baking, but I am not the best.

One of a big culture shock that I still can not get used to is the sweetness of 

the Canadian cake.

So I decided to bake cake for my children's birthdays.

Well, I said I am not the best, but I have fun.

My children give me DETAIL requests for their cake, and I do my best to make

 as close as possible,,,, within my limitation...

Pictionary game time!

What do you think what is it ?

"Train. " Not only the train,
 "James from Thomas the Tank Engine" cake.

What do you think what is it ?

Cars.  Not only the cars, but
"A monster truck is crushing into a car" cake.

What do you think what is it ?

A monster truck. Not only the monster truck,
"A monster truck that has huge tires and the body is way up in the air" cake...

Flower. Not only the flower, but
"A flower has a stem and two leaves on the side" cake.

What do you think what is it ?

"Lightening McQueen from the movie 'Cars' " cake.

What do you think what is it ?

What do you think what is it ?

A space shuttle.
"A space shuttle that looks like it is going really fast" cake
We used small party fire sparkles and stick them on the bottom
to make it looks like it is flying.

What do you think what is it ?

It supposed to be a "Giant LEGO piece" cake....

OK, I have few super talented Japanese girl friends

who can make super cakes  !!!

Made of cream puffs that are all made from scratch.

click to visit her blog (Japanese)

Theme cake made for individual interests.

Click for her own birthday party.

Obviously, compare with my talented girl friends, 

I can not make this cake baking into a business !!!

But I have fun !!

Funny Potato

I went out to a grocery shopping.

When I was picking some potatoes, I found this potato!

"I have to buy it! My kids's going to love it! "

Of course, they laughed and laughed!

I just love those moments !

Down's Syndromes, a sunshine in the winter

My sister, Yuki,  has Dawn's Syndrome.


We just exchanged a New Year greetings on the phone.


People who does not know what is Dawn's syndrome, it is a condition that there is one extra copy of genetic material on 21st chromosome. 


They have particular set of facial characteristics, and often have physical and mental challenges.

My sister, Yuki.

Despite of their physical and mental challenges, I am always amazed 
how pure their spirits are !!
They are like a sunshine in a cold winter, a big tree shade in a summer, 
so gentle, kind, big heart, hard working, and playful.

Just because I had grown up with her in my childhood until I moved 

to Canada 1999, I had often came across with people who misunderstand 

about people with disabilities. 

Children are often ignorant, and too honest.  

Especially old days, being mentally and physically disabled was one of 

the thing to be hidden in the society. So when the disabled people were 

in public sight, people became curious.

In my childhood, when I was in grade 1, Yuki was in grade 4.
She was in a regular public school where I also went, but she was in 
a special needs class.


I often visited her special needs class, because there were interesting 
educational toys that regular class did not have.  
I remember that she was so happy to see me when I visited her.
She, as a big sister, was so proud of me, as a baby sister, and talked to 
her teacher about me all the time.


I was so mad when my class mates, or other students teased her or 
her special needs class mates.




Some school kids told me with the squeeky, teasing type of voice,
"Your sister talks funny and I can't understand."
"Your sister looks different."


I would say,
"Its just her, what is wrong with looking different, we all look different!"


When kids teased her class mate who had only one arm,
"Why do you have only one arm!"


Then, I would fly out in front of the girl with one arm and say,with teasing type of voice,
"Then, why do you have two arms!!!"


They would tease her classmate whose skin was covered with reddish purple skin, 
"Burned skin, Burned skin, scary monster!!!"


and I would fly out in front of the boy and,
"DON'T YOU TEASE THIS BOY !!! HE IS A VERY NICE BOY AND HE IS 
MY SISTER'S CLASS MATE ### !!! NOW GO AWAY ! "


As a little girl, I did not understand why people would tease others just 
because they look different!!!


But I understand now that they just did't know.  They have only seen 
mom and dad, sisters and brothers who are perfectly healthy.

Fortunatelly, my mother was very open minded and she did not try to

hide about her daughter, in fact, she raised her daughter as regular as

possible. 

That makes us, three sisters, close together, I think.

Yuki also has a heart conditions that she can not run nor excersise that pumps

her heart harder.  She was told to live short, but she is now 43years old !

If I did not grow up with her, I will not be like I am now.

I still have so many things to learn, but lessons that I have received by growing up

with her is priceless... Really...

I think that those people who has physical and/or mental disability are

like an anchor for us all human beings.

They are giving us lessons just by being there and carry the hardships

for their body.

With my respect to my sister, Yuki.  

Doll House

I love doll house.


Now the doll house is under the high bed that
my handy dandy husband has built.


Read Bunk Bed Part 2

By the way, I love doll house furnitures and goods more than doll house itself.

Tiny winsty stuffs!  I just love them so much !

However,,,

This Doll House is more amazing than these two bunk beds modification.

My handy dandy husband built this doll house !  

Yes, He BUILT it, from scratch.

It is not from a kit.

For me, it is almost scary that

a human can build this.

My brain does not work the same ways, so 

carpenters who can build houses, 

blow my mind !!!

This doll house has many rooms just like our cozy home.

It has bed rooms just like our cozy home,,,

and a bathroom...

Yes, this doll house looks just like our cozy home,
because my handy dandy husband measured our home and built
our mini cozy home  for my daughter's 3rd birthday !!!

Click here for a short video clip !!! 

Now she is 6yrs, old enough to help me to decorate the interior of the doll house,
so I am thinking to get some materials for curtain, carpet, tiles, etc...

It will be so much fun !!!

Bunk Bed Part 2 !!!

Continue from Bunk Bed and Handy man ! 

We had a plan to go to ski last weekend, but we had a heavy rain.

Skiing in a rain with three kids would not be too much fun.

I suggested my husband,

"Why don't we do the bed modification today ? "

My husband said,

"That's a good idea."

"Yes !  He said 'Yes' !!!" 

I have to keep him motivated !

OK, this is my daughter's room.

Everything is on the floor.

I clean up, but clean room does not last 2 days.

This time, he was quick to come back and get going!

Daddy holds the drill, Geoff pulls the trigger.

High bed needs a good support, otherwise it is too wobbley.

Hand drill hurts little ears.

Mayu is excited to have her high bed!

She even helps putting her bed together.

Ladder is also handmade.  Daddy's proud looking.

Ladder detail.  Each steps are snuggled into grooves.

Now she has her own space to do crafting, colouring, writing letters, etc.

Daddy even mounted a light.

Doll house is under the bed, and lots of floor space now!!!

We will see how long this clean room last !

Because the boys room is already,,,,,

"Super clean" into,

3 days later, "Super messy".

That's OK !

This is the sign of children are having fun !

Bunk Bed and handy man

I used to sleep in a bunk bed when I was a little girl.


I still feel excited when I sleep in a top bunk bed.


Of course, my children love to sleep top bunk.  But we have no bunk bed.


When we go to Savary Island for a family vacation at Hemingway Cottage, 
my children take turn to sleep on a top bunk.

By the way, we had our 2nd Savary Island Reiki & Yoga Retreat. Hemingway Cottage is the homey home to go home.

Anyways,
We are family of 5 and we have 3 bedrooms and one guest room. guest room is always open for a guest.
Two sons share one bed room, but two beds takes over the space and there is no play area.


On Sunday morning, when I was playing backgammon with my husband,
I asked my husband,


"Can you modify kid's beds into bunk bed?"
"Yes I can."
"Let's do that! TODAY!"


He said,
"Yeah, let's do that!"

"YES!"

I have to motivate him to keep moving, otherwise there will be another unfinished project !!!

"OK, here are some money to get some wood, and out you go!"

We waited, waited and waited.  Rona is just 5 minutes away, 

he should be back in 30minutes at the latest.

2 hours later.... 

YES! He really came back with some wood!!!

It's really happening !

FIrst, cleaned up the toy mess and took the bed apart.

It's a bit loud for young ears.

Extended the legs for the single bed.
The bulky bed with drawers stays on the bottom.

Place them in "L" shape to be able to
 use the space for a desk.

Wow, Lots of playing space now!

Mr. Brian the handy man.

Let's take a photo!
Yup, the youngest one is always cheeky.

Happy family around the new bunk bed !

He scraped his finger while he was building the bunk bed.

Ouch ! The scar of the hero.

Next, my daughter's room's turn!