She has always liked bugs
Family
Reia, proud, nervous
I started blogging more than five years ago. It’s amazing how quickly time passes as you get older. Reia was just a baby back then, but now she’s standing so tall and strong. Last weekend we went to our 3rd “zenkokutakai” (national competition) for Japanese kayaking kids. It’s a flatwater racing event, which is really not what our kids train for, but Reia has done well each time. This year she made it to the final, even though she’s competing against older girls (she’s a 3rd grader and the race is for 2nd – 4th grade girls). She made it to the semifinal, which was a run-off between all the girls who didn’t automatically advance. She had the fastest time going in, and when she won it was like a light came on. She’d never had that experience before — crossing the line first in a big event. It reminds me of the first time I won a race, which was a life altering moment, at least for that time.
Smiling after her win
Waiting for the final
Saw the Bolshoi Circus in Tokyo today
I remember when my parents took us to see the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. What an amazing show! I still love a good circus.
Kids kayaking in Nagano, Japan
I think you’ll enjoy this video. It’s definitely more entertaining than my earlier “kayaking kids” videos. You can see my oldest daughter (Reia, 9) falling out of her kayak twice (blue kayak with bright yellow on bottom). Her friend also takes a spill. Some of the older kids are quite good, and one is on the Japanese Junior National Team. You can see them rolling, etc. Enjoy.
If you have a high speed connection click “HD” for super quality even on a full screen.
Portraits of Mari and Maika with big hair
…many believe that it is love that grows, but it is the knowing that grows and love simply expands to contain it.
The Shack, William P. Young, p. 155
Last week Mari and Maika got their hair braided. They wore the braids to school for a couple of days, and then it was time to take them out. The result: big, curly hair. Having been through this before, I naturally grabbed the camera. Maika’s braids came out in the afternoon, so I put her in a patch of sunlight in the tatami room. Mari’s came out at night. I had her stand on the couch near a bright fluorescent lamp hoping for the best. (Mari’s photos look wonderful on their own, but seeing the photos side-by-side the sunlight clearly wins.)
Amazing how they grow up!