Tomorrow is my last day...

...of first grade! I learned a lot. I read lots of chapter books now.


I know what 5 times 7 is. I know that germs on my hands can grow into many more germs in a Petri dish in one week.

I did so many fun things this school year.

Halloween school parade:


We built (and ate) Gingerbread houses:


I saw Chinese New Year lions dance at our school:


We had a Valentine's Day party!


A nice man from the Opera visited the class and helped us put on a show.



We learned about many countries for United Nations Day. It was actually two days! Our classroom was Ethiopia. They grow coffee there. Mommy and Daddy should visit Ethiopia since they love coffee so much.


Last week we had our Junior Olympics! I like the obstacle course. It's tricky!


On Tuesday my class spent the night at the Marin Headlands. We are the only first graders in the school to go on an overnight trip. Without parents! We hiked, learned new songs, and stayed up real late. I became a member of the Hard Core club. That's where you eat an entire apple -- including the core! There's a special way to do it. I can teach you if you ask nicely and bring me an apple.

And tomorrow we're going to have a party with the other first graders and kindergartners. And then after school the Taco Truck is going to come! And then after that I get to go get ice cream. With two scoops!

I had so much fun in first grade. I wonder if second grade will be just as fun. But I can wait. Because I want it to be summer vacation!

Naming Party

Daddy and Mommy's friends Cedric and Maureen are having a baby. The baby is growing inside Maureen's tummy and should be coming out any day now. The baby is a boy. Mommy asked what I thought the baby's name should be.

Me: Cedric and Maureen should have a Baby Naming Party.

Mommy: Oh yeah? What happens at a Baby Naming Party?

Me: Well, everyone sits in a circle and each person says a name. And they keep going around until Cedric and Maureen hear the right name. And then they jump up and down and say, "Party! Party!" And then the party begins.

Mommy: Sounds fun!

Me: And! Then everyone cheers and picks up that person and carries that person around and they say "Party! Party!" (I dance around to show Mommy how it's done.)

Yup. That's what they should do.

Birthday paper fun

Mommy made me a beautiful birthday banner. It's so happy! I like the circles. I like the colors. I like that it spells out "Happy Birthday Yoshimi!" Mommy even used my favorite blue for the ribbon. She said we can hang it up every year for my birthday!

Here's my name up close.


I made the invitations that I gave to my friends for my sleepover birthday party last Saturday.


Mommy made birthday hats for me and my team (my two best friends). We wore them at the party!


Birthdays are so fun!

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!

I'm Five!

Today is my fifth birthday. If you were to ask me how old I am, I could hold out one open hand and show you all my fingers. There are five. That means I am five years old. Yay!

This morning I had yummy tiny pancakes and baked apples with cinnamon and sugar. Daddy made them. Then we all prepared for my birthday party at the big park near our house. I put the sprinkles on the ice cream cone-shaped cupcakes.

I got a lot of presents. I didn't even ask for them. I have never seen so many presents for me before. They are all lovely. I got stickers and art boxes and books and clothes and so much good stuff. A lot of my friends drew me really beautiful pictures. I have a great collection of drawings now.

My friends in my class made a book with their drawings for my birthday. It's very special. One of my friends can draw a dragon really good. He must practice a lot. I keep that special drawing book with my other special drawing book that I got for my third birthday at my first preschool. They are both very special to me.

Mommy asked how I feel being five. I had to be honest. "I'm sick. Today is my birthday and I'm sick." I'm coughing a lot, my throat hurts a lot, and I might stay home from school. I don't want my friends at school to get sick. And shhh, don't tell, but I kinda like hanging out at home.

I do like being five though. I'm a big kid!

Easter, overdue

Did I ever write about Easter? That's a holiday when the Easter Beagle comes around and takes the colored eggs that the children make, hides them, and then the children go and find them. What a silly game. Wearing a homemade crown gives you extra egg-finding power.

Here's one!


Here's another!


I collected a bunch of eggs. They tasted really yummy.


I also had an Easter party with my preschool friends at a super fun park. We played with big sticks.




We collected more eggs.


We picked flowers.


Lots of fun!