ストロー Straw

ケビン博士。科学館で買った科学者っぽく見えるかもストローでグレープジュースを飲んでいます。血液ではありません。
Professor Kevin is drinking grape juice with the make-you-look-like-a-scientist straw. Not drinking blood....

お客様 Visitors

今我が家にはお客様が３人います。日本から来た女の子３人です。今日はオールドタウンへお出かけ。通りがかりにちょっとしたショーを見ました。銃を使ったショーで、とにかく音がすごかった。。
We have three visitors in our house. They are three girls from Japan. We went to Old Town Temecula today. We watched a small show on the street. They used different type of guns and the sound was so loud!

仲良しいとこ達。　Happy cousins.

チワワ chiwawa

初めての編み犬。猫は何匹も作りましたが犬は初めて。今回は小さ〜い携帯ストラップ用を作ったので、もぉ〜〜何倍も大変。もうこんな小さいのはしばらくごめんだ。。。。肩こった。。。　でも、可愛い。
I have made couple crochet cats, but this is the first time making a DOG. I made such a small one for a cell phone strap that it was so hard and troublesome to crochet. I don't want to make tiny size any more or at least for a while. So tiring. My eyes and shoulders are whining. So so cute though.....

アート Art

サンタと雪が見えますか？　Do you see a Santa & snowflake?
くまちゃんが見えますか？　Do you see a bear?

芸術はどこにでも隠れているんですよね。ケビンは色んなものの中に芸術を見いだし、創作するのが得意なようです。
Art is hidden everywhere. Kevin has very good eyes to find and make arts in so many things.

冒険? Taking a risk?

すご〜く髪が伸びてきて、つまらなくなってきて。。。と思っていた矢先、たまたまお友達の家でティーンエージの娘さんと話していたら。。彼女はいつも自分で髪を切るというじゃあないですか。「友達の髪も切ってあげているし、秋子の髪も切ってあげるよ！」という好意に。。。じゃあこの際新しいスタイルに挑戦！と。。。今日の午後、ポカポカと暖かい裏庭のパティオで、チョキチョキちょきちょき。。。若い高校生に任せた髪型。。私はなかなか気に入ってま〜す。
My hair was getting loooong and I was getting bored with the style. .... just then, my friend's teenage daughter offered to cut my hair. I was visiting my friend and was talking to her daughter about her hair. Then, she told me that she cut her own hair. I wanted to try something new, so I took her offer. In the patio this beautiful warm afternoon, Snip, snip,snip.... ... I trusted the teenage girl's sense of style. I like what she accomplished. Great job!

着替え Change

こちらはお着替え用。前にも同じもの作ったなぁ〜。
This is for the change. I made the similar one before....

かっこいい! Cool !

今月初めから、我が家の男性４人が習い事を始めました。それは。。。剣道。一人欠けていますが見て下さいこの姿、超凛々しくてかっこいいでしょ！！稽古は週に３回。２００回素振りなどから手にはまめが。。。でも４人ともとても楽しんでいるようです。韓国人の先生の道場なので、「めん、こて、つき」などを韓国語で言うところがちょっと私的に耳に慣れませんが。。黒帯目指して頑張れ！！
The four boys in my family started a new lesson this month. It's "Kendo." They look so cool in their Kendo uniform. (One is missing in this photo. He looks cool, too..) They have lessons three times a week. They are getting blisters in their hands after 200 sword swings. They really enjoy the lessons. The Dojo is run by the Korean master and I just don't get used to listening those Kendo terms in Korean which doesn't matter to my boys, I guess... GO 4 THE BLACK BELTS, BOYS!!!

やったぁ〜！ Yeah~!

やったぁ〜、やったぁ〜〜！カリフォルニア運転免許証筆記試験に無事合格しましたぁ！！しかも全問正解！！いやぁ〜〜、３時間の短期集中型問題集勉強の成果ですね。いやぁ〜〜、うれしやうれしや。試験に受かるというのはなんであれ嬉しいものですねぇ。これは本物が届くまでの仮免許証、ただの紙で〜す。
Yes!! Yes!! I finally passed the California Driver License written test. I got ALL correct!! A piece of cake! Well, it's the fruit of the three hour intensive study of the over 200 sample questions. It always feels nice to pass the tests. This is just a piece of paper......temporary license.

iPod nano

新しいiPod nanoを買っちゃいましたぁ〜〜。大切なiPodに傷をつけちゃう前に早速カバーを製作。いかがなもんでしょう？！
We bought new iPod nano. It's so precious and we don't want to make any scratches on it, so I made the case for it today. How do you like it?! Of course, this new one is mine. Who else would carry PINK iPod case in my family.

現実は。。 Reality is ....

厳しいようです。先日のケビンの釣った魚は５分とたたないうちに針にひっかかってきました。しかし、実際の湖での魚釣り。。。そうはうまくいかないようです。。。先週末に男４人で近くの湖へ魚釣りに。。ボートを借りて５時間湖の上。。。針をたらせど何もつれず。。。かなりがっかりして帰宅。その日一日家にいてもなんだか身体が揺れているような気がすると言っていました。それで、早速Fish finder（魚がどこにいるかさがす機械）なるものを注文していました。この機械が良い助っ人になると良いんですが。。。

Tough! The big fish Kevin caught got hooked within 5 min. after casting, but the real fishing at a lake didn't go the same way... Four boys went fishing to the Lake Skinner last weekend. They rented a boat and fished for 5 long hours. They kept casting, but no fish was interested in going home with them. They, especially kids were SO sad. They said they continued to feel the rocking motion all day along even after getting off the boat. They came home and ordered a fish finder right away!! Hopefully that device will help.

試作品 Experiment

よっしゃ。糸なしでの練習を終えたケビン。今日は作品作りに挑戦。何にしようかあれこれ考えた末に、ヒートパックに決定。
OK. Now Kevin is done with his practice session and was ready to make something today. Thinking and thinking what to make????? He decided to make a heat pack for Joshua.


月曜日から熱を出して身体がかったるくて調子の悪いヨシアの為に(今は熱は下がりました）筋肉をリラックスさせるためのヒートパックをプレゼント。完成したけれど 多少の改善の余地あり。ヨシアは使ってみてなかなかいいよと気に入ってくれました。
Josh has been sick since Monday. ( I think he got flu from school.) And we thought he can use the heat pack to relax his muscle. Kevin completed it with a little help from mom. We think there should be some modification. Joshua tried it on his shoulder and he said it's quite nice and he liked it.

練習 Practice

ちょっとどうかな？初めてビデオを載せてみました。
これはケビンが理輝の家庭科の宿題のまねをしてミシンに初挑戦のビデオです。

Let's see how this goes? First time trying to upload the video. This is Kevin's first time trying on my sewing machine. He is copying what Riki did for his homework.

啓安は１６才 Joshua is 16

３月８日＝１月４日＋２月４日　啓安の誕生日＝理輝の誕生日＋恵敏の誕生日　なんとまれな方程式。
今日はよしあの誕生日。１６年前テキサス州Austinでの初めての出産を思い出しますねぇ。その時に出産に立ち会った孝子さんも今日は一緒にお祝い。今回のお誕生日ケーキはいちごとバナナのロールケーキです。美味しかったぁ！！よしあもそろそろ歳の数だけのキャンドルをケーキに立てる歳ではなくなってきたかな？？？

Mar(3)/8th=Jan(1)/4th+Feb(2)/4th Joshua's B-day=Riki's B-day+Kevin's B-day What an amazing formula!
Today is Joshua's birthday. Remembering my first delivery experience in Austin, Texas 16 years ago. Takako who was in the delivery room with me and T.K. on that day celebrated his birthday together today. This time, I made a strawberry-banana roll cake. It was delicious! Is Joshua getting too old for putting up all the candles on his birthday cake?

ニジマス Rainbow Trout

今日はロサンゼルスへお出かけ。飲茶でお腹を一杯にして、アウトドアショップへ。とても大きなお店で、品数が豊富。色んなイベントやクラスも開かれていて、とても楽しいお店。たけちゃんとよしあとりきが買い物や情報集めをしている間に、私とケビンは無料のニジマス釣りへ。なんとすばらしい！！！ケビンは超でかいマスをゲット。体長４５センチ、体重１キロ。皆で美味しく晩ご飯に頂きました。
We went to Los Angeles for Dim Sum and shopping. After stuffing ourselves with very good Dim Sum, we went to "Bass Pro Shops." The shop is BIG and carry so much stuff. There are events and classes also. It's really a fun place to visit. While T.K., Joshua and Riki were shopping and collecting information, Kevin and I went free trout fishing that was held at the store. What a great fisherman Kevin is!! He got a BIG trout. 17.7 inches in length and weighs 2.2 pounds. It was DELICIOUS and was big enough to feed the whole family.

熱気球 Hot Air Balloon

朝７時ちょっと過ぎ「わぁ〜〜〜！！！」なんと熱気球が２つ我が家のすぐ上を通過。本当にすぐ近くに見えて、自分がそれに乗って飛んでる訳でもないのに、すごく興奮してしまいました。いつか乗ってみたい？。。。かな？ちなみにテメキュラでは６月に熱気球とワインのフェスティバルがあります。

Shortly after 7 am. "WOW, WOW!!" There were two hot air balloons passing right above our house. It was SO close that I got so excited though I wasn't the one riding in that balloon in the air. Maybe, one day??? There is a Hot Air Balloon and Wine Festival in Temecula in June.

赤ちゃん Baby

理輝は家庭科の授業で今までに洗濯と裁縫を習い、今度は赤ちゃんの世話を学習中。その一環として何をしているかと申しますと。。
毎日この生卵を学校に持っていっては、また家に持って帰って来るということをかれこれ１週間ほどしています。クラスでは先生が卵が割れていないかどうかチェックします。とてもデリケートな物を優しく傷つけないように扱う。そしてそれを毎日毎日責任を持って面倒を見る。なるほど。。。
Riki has learned laundry and sewing so far in home economics' class. Now he is learning how to take care of a baby. As a part of the learning, he carries this fresh egg to school and bring it back home every day. He has been doing this for about a week so far. His teacher checks to make sure the egg is not broken. Handling the delicate thing gently without harming it. Being responsible to take care of something day after day. Hmmm...

上出来 Great Job.

これはケビンの社会科の授業のプロジェクトです。現在、東部１３州の英国植民地について勉強中。州の名前と位置を覚える為かな？先生がこんなプロジェクト。。刺繍。。を宿題にしました。背景も全部刺繍するとボーナス点がもらえるというので、手芸の得意なケビンはもちろん背景も刺繍。デザインも自分で考えてとても素敵な作品に仕上がりました。良く出来ました。
This project is a part of Kevin's Social Study class. They are learning about the 13 colonies and to help them memorize all the names and the locations of the colonies, his teacher gave students this assignment. If the students stitch the background also, then they will receive extra points for this assignment. Kevin who is really good at this sort of crafting thought of this idea for the background and completed it beautifully. Great job!!