Busy, busy

Apparently, the art of following rules in Japan starts as early as pre-k. Ping and I just went through the Pinglet's list of rules and regulations for school tonight. I started to zone when I came across directions such as, "The child should bring a handkerchief and packet of tissues to school every day. The handkerchief should be placed in the front pocket of the school shorts; the tissues must be placed in the outside pocket of the child's school bag."

There are four pages listing the items that the Pinglet must have/bring with her to school and where her name must be written on each item (even the tissues). Thankfully, I have a friend in the neighborhood whose son entered pre-k last year and made tons of mistakes. It's always helpful to have a senpai around.

Life has been busy recently with the end-of-year translation work and getting the Pinglet ready for school, with tantrums filling in the free moments. Ahh, the joys of raising a 2-year-old. What little patience I have is being tested (example: Pinglet's tantrums/whining/random aggression while illahee was visiting with her three kidlets), but there are moments in these trying times that are joyful. Her first, "I love Mommy," said all of a sudden before bedtime after a particularly exasperating day. Or the times when she does/says something that catches me off-guard and makes me burst into laughter.

Those are the times I live for.