Countdown

Only 5 more days until Valentines!
And only 6 more days until Bean and Cheese burrito day for school lunch!

Halloween

Do you know what my most favorite part about Halloween is? I'll give you some hints.
It's not the candy.
It's not that dressing up.
It's not staying up late running around outside.

It's the pumpkin seeds! I love them. They are yummy with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Valentine's Day

Sunday was Valentine's Day. I woke up to see a hanging paper heart with a lucky penny dangling down from the ceiling. Daddy made it for me. I love him.



Then I opened up a heart pop-up card that Mommy made me. I told her to make me a Valentine a few days before. Because I didn't know if she knew I wanted one.

Mommy made one of my favorite breakfastses. It's an apple pancake pie thing. So yummy! I set up my room for an indoor picnic. We only eat meals in my room on special days. Like my birthday. I made name cards so Mommy and Daddy would know where to sit.

Then we went on a hike with some of my school friends. We had lots of fun. The grownups could barely keep up with us. We walked two and a half miles! After that we ate ice cream and then went to a really neat playground made out of wood. Did you know that wood comes from trees? I just learned that.



Valentine's Day was also Lunar New Year. On the same day! Mommy cooked homemade potstickers that night. She wanted me to help, but I decided to say no thank you instead. They came out really yummy. They taste like the ones you buy at the store.

A great day for everyone! Especially me. I love my family.

I'm six years old!

Today is my birthday! I'm six! I like being six. It's even better than being five.

I asked Mommy to make zucchini muffins to bring into my class today. So she did. 'Cause I'm the birthday girl! At first, when my classmates learned that there was zucchini in it a lot of them were grossed out by veggies in their treats. But then they all ate it and said, "Yummy! It's so good!"

Every kid in my class said something nice to me when the kids took their turn doing the Birthday Toast. This kind of toast has nothing to do with bread though. Weird! Here are some things my friends said:

"Happy Birthday, Yoshi. I'm glad we're friends."
"You're always nice to me. You're never mean. Happy Birthday!"
"Happy Birthday, Yoshi!"
"Happy Birthday!"
"You're a good friend. Happy Birthday!"
"I like playing with you. Happy Birthday!"
"I'm glad you don't have lice anymore. Happy Birthday!"
"Happy Birthday, Yoshi!"

Then Mommy led the class to sing Happy Birthday. And everyone said, "Cha! Cha! Cha!" after each line.

Mommy picked me up a little early from school today and we went with one of my friends in my class to a cafe. We did our homework first. Then we drank Italian sodas. Yummy! I had orange soda and my friend S. had strawberry. She had a cookie and I ate a buttery croissant. Then we went to the library that just re-opened and looked at all the books and videos. I picked out a Snoopy video to take home.

We ate one of my favorite meals for dinner. Mac and cheese! We had an indoor picnic in my room with my little star light and a candle. I drank fizzy orange juice and it was the same color as my food!

Then Daddy and Mommy read me two chapters of a Roald Dahl book and then put me to bed.

I feel very special. I love being the birthday girl.

Hinamatsuri

Today is Hinamatsuri. That's Japanese for Festival of Dolls. But we call it Girls Day. It's when little girls like me get to do fun things like have little parties with friends for our special dolls. On Saturday, I dressed up in my yukata (cotton kimono) and walked to Izzy's house for an early Girls Day celebration. We ate lots of yummy Japanese goodies. Pink, green, and yellow manju with cute, little, happy decorations on top. We also had rice crackers, sushi, miso soup made by Izzy's Bachan, and nigiri (rice balls) shaped like stars, bears, and hearts!



For dessert we had a super cute Girls Day cake topped with candy versions of the Emperor and Empress. My friend Lily's Mommy and Izzy sang a Girls Day song in Japanese. We blew out the candles. Then we licked the frosting off the candles. Then we ate the cake. Because it's yummy!



Lily's Mommy shared her tiny Hina Doll set. There was a beautiful Emperor and the Empress. It's made out of glass and porcelain. So it's fragile. And fancy.



Mommy made a paper Hina doll set for each of us girls. I love Mommy, but sometimes she goes a little crazy with her crafts.



And the best thing about Girls Day? No boys allowed!

Happy Hinamasturi!

Fresh and juicy

Tonight for dessert I had a pear. Daddy said that he didn't know if it would be very fresh. I ate it.

"Mmm!! It's fresh! And juicy!"

And then Mommy said, "Just like you! Fresh and juicy."

I told her, "If you eat my blood, it will be juicy. But it won't taste very good."

Hamburger

On a long, long, very long drive back from visiting Uncle Eric and Auntie Wendy yesterday...

Daddy: Wake up Yoshi, it's time to get lunch.

Me (rubbing my eyes): huh??

Mommy: Do you want tacos or hamburger for lunch?

Me: Hamburger!

Daddy: Okay! Burgers it is.

Me: Yay!! I want the hamburger with the black thing in it.

Mommy: You mean the meat?

Me: Yeah, the meat. And two breads--one on top and one on the bottom.

Mommy: You mean the buns?

Me: Yeah, the bread buns. And Yellow cheese.

Daddy: Okay, a cheeseburger.

Me: And with pointy sides on the cheese.

Mommy: We call the pointy sides corners.

Me: I call them pointy sides!