Fourth Birthday!

Well, yesterday Ema became a four year old, which is a relief. She's big for a Japanese kid, and it was getting to be a real effort for people to keep the shock from registering on their faces when she said she was three. Maybe four will be a little more plausible, at least for the next few months till she's able to look some of the local old ladies straight in the eyes.

Mom, the phonics material looks great, and it all works on our equipment. I'll have her reading by her fifth birthday, and writing perfect pantoums and sestinas by her sixth.

She finally started feeling a little better about her birthday, and she asked one of Keiko's friends to come over. Sort of an aunt figure, I guess. She told Keiko she didn't want to grow up because shaving your legs looks like it hurts. I agree.

Bad news is that we just killed her hamster, Apple. The room got too cold, I think. I've told Ema that Apple is taking a long nap, and one of us will try to slip out and get an identical rodent before the 'long nap' scenario starts to strain even four year old credulity.

Suddenly busy again. Holidays are over. Of course, half the students I teach will disappear for either college or Australia in about two weeks. I'm putting up a few pictures.