Eugene’s blog

On Tuesday, we took Kumi to her new school, Macy Elementary in La Habra.  I know she was a bit nervous about the new surroundings and the size of the school.  There were hundreds of kids in the playground all wearing their new backpacks and shiny new shoes.  We met her new teacher for the first time, helped her settle into her classroom and then said goodbye.

On the second day, Mika took her to school in the morning and Kumi asked her not to get out of the car to walk her into the school.  She wanted to go in by herself.  She already had friends she wanted to wait with and she didn't want mommy hanging around.  That was fast.  I guess Lumbini trained her well.

One thing I thought was funny was she told us that in the afternoon, they had a time to go to the restroom called PE.  I said what?  For PE time, everyone went to the restroom and then they did an activity outside.  I had to hold back the laughter and said "No Kumi, PE is the activity that you do outside.  It's called Physical Education... P. E.  "No" she said,  it was PE like in PEE.  Oh well, can't win.

Book fair, picture day, carnival, teacher conferences are all coming up.  It's the big time for Kumi, and she thrives.

This is a picture from the top of Mount WIlson above Los Angeles.  The "Station Fire" is threatening (and will probably consume) the broadcast and communications towers which serve the Los Angeles area.  After 4 days, there is no containment in sight with estimates as far off as September 15.

Towercam

Kumi is attending her last day at Lumbini Child Development Center today.  I'm going to go pick her up and help her clean out her stuff in a few minutes.  It seems only a short time ago that I wrote about her first day of preschool.  Scroll to the bottom of the page and read up.

http://etamura.xanga.com/weblogpreview?nextdate=10%2f31%2f2006+10%3a59%3a15.407&direction=n

Last Sunday, she graduated from Kindergarten.  Kumi is the one in the middle next to the girl doing the Batman dance.

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She starts first grade at Macy Elementary in La Habra this fall.  Where did the time go?

Ha!  Daily journal huh?

Well anyways, an update:  I picked up the Civic from the body shop and it is all fixed.  Other driver changed his story and now the entire claim is in arbitration...

I dropped off Kumi for her last day (kind of) of kindergarten before her graduation on Sunday.  I say kind of because she'll be back at Lumbini on Monday and Tuesday to finish out the month before saying goodbye to Kindergarten.

Kumi is on Youtube now.  Search for Kumishow.  Her cousin Weston (thewestonian on Youtube) is producing a video series which she will host.  Right now it's just video clips but stay tuned...

It's been a bad week for celebrity deaths with Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson passing away and now we hear that newsman Walter Cronkite is also near death.  Very sad.

Heading for the weekend.  See you on the other side...

This is as close to a daily journal as I will get.

May is finally over.  Here comes June.  Lots of thing are going on right now.

First of all, some idiot tried to go straight from the far left (of 2) left turn lane on the Foothill Offramp of the westbound 210 fwy yesterday.  We were in the  middle left turn lane which also goes straight into the Sears parking lot.  Well he hit the rear driver's side area of my car.  Good thing he has insurance.  Mika was driving.  The adjuster already called and got Mika's statement.

Other things going on:

This is Kumi's last month at Lumbini.  She graduates from Kindergarten on June 28th and will go to first grade at the public school in our neighborhood in the fall.  She is happy and sad at the same time.

USC is moving our offices to a new building... err another building this summer.  The design is in process and the political and budget jockying for our preferrence in the new space is going on.

We are planning our vacation to Hawaii in October.  Prices are very low right now.  More on that later.

On a shorter scale, I have been asked to do my own annual performance review.  Hmm what should I say about myself?  The review and discussion will be tomorrow.  Tuesday is also my 5-week haircut day with Vanessa. 

I have a sleep study on Wednesday night at the Hoag Sleep Center.  I check in at night, they wire me up and then monitor me as I sleep.  I'll let you know more about that later.

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Two years ago on this date, I sent Kumi off to preschool for the first time.  If you read my Xanga blog, you will remember.  If you haven't read about it, here is the link.  Scroll to the bottom of the page. 

http://www.xanga.com/etamura/weblogpreview?nextdate=10%2f31%2f2006+10%3a59%3a15.407&direction=n

Last month she started Kindergarten (still at the same school...it offers Pre to K).  Now she comes home with homework.  Phonics, Math, and other things that I don't remember being a part of my kindergarten experience.

All that aside, her main source of concern right now is...first grade.  Her friends who were in kindergarten last year are now gone.  All in first grade at some other school...somewhere else.  She knows her turn to leave is coming and it worries her.  Not so much that she will be going to a new school where she doesn't know anyone, but more that she will lose contact with her friends.  She collected email addresses from her preschool friends that went to another Kindergarten and even had a reunion of sorts at Disneyland a couple of months back.  Her three friends all go to separate school in different towns.

I don't remember anyone from my kindergarten days.  My parents never took an interest in my school friends (unless they went to my church...or was Japanese)  I have no memories of anyone that I knew from those days.  I can't imagine not helping my daughter to maintain friendships and contact with her young friends.  I know that the parents of her friends feel the same way and we regularly "consipire" behind their backs to "create" situations where they can get together for lunch and a movie or just hang out.  We have lunch and "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" on Sunday.

So...  Two years after her first day at preschool, the little girl in the story (see link above) is now BGOC (Big Girl On Campus), has her own email address, her own laptop (not a junky one or toy), her own ipod, her own DS, knows how to use the DVR, wants a cell phone...no a Blackberry and basically has become an American kid.  Did I mention she is 5?

This anniversary will probably go unnoticed and forgotten by the rest of the family but the day two years ago when I dropped off the nervous and scared little 3-year old at a strange and new place and didn't turn back to see her face as I left the room so I wouldn't see her tears...and to hide mine, will be forever in my mind.  October 2.

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