This morning was Owen and Annie’s kindergarten school’s annual seikatsu hapyokai.  Each class performs some sort of a play that includes costumes, scenery, acting, and songs.  Usually the children start practicing daily a good month or two prior to the performance day.  Unfortunately for Annie and Owen, they didn’t have that luxury!  Even though they came back to school a day after returning to Japan, they both came down with the serious influenza and were each out of school for a week.

Still, with only a few day’s rehearsal under their belt, we were so proud of both of them!  We had a lot of chuckles… after just coming back from the U.S. it was hard not to compare the more formal, serious nature of Owen and Annie’s Christmas program in the U.S. (below left) with the cutesyness and all-out effort at our Japanese kindergarten (below right).  We are thankful that our children have been able to have both experiences and so much fun doing them.

Annie’s class did the story of the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad wolf.  Of course, there were some alterations, like the hippos (Annie and a efw friends) who helped the pigs do the building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a short video composite of Annie’s performance:

One of my mom friend’s and I were overcome with giggles when one of the piggy’s hats (i.e. shower caps) kept bunching up her face so that she couldn’t open her eyes…

Owen’s class did a Japanese children’s story called the Blue Bird.  Owen was a demon (Nice children’s story, you might think…)..and later came out as a wolf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a short composite of Owen’s performance:

 

It was a long morning (Annie’s play was the very first;  Owen’s was the very last), but a lot of fun and chance to catch up with friends we haven’t seen since coming back.  We were so thankful that Megumi could be with us, too…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While we were waiting at one point, one of the moms came to get us and warn us that Olivia was walking around… in the toilet slippers –A big taboo in this country…(Photo left- Annie and Olivia wearing the slippers the right way IN the bathroom;  right — the wrong way).

 

After the performances, we went out with our friends the S. family from Owen’s class  to our favorite Japanese buffet restaurant…where you can make your own cotton candy… What better way to end a fun day?

 

 

 

 

 

 

So tell us – who do you think is cuter wearing the hippo hat?