The New Girl at School

When Patrick started kindergarten in October, Evelyn was quick to observe the benefits of venturing into the academic realm her brother enjoyed. Plays and performances, games and green tea, singing and speaking in Japanese? Who wouldn't trade a day or two of laborious outings with Mommy (Honey, I promise we'll leave the store just as soon as I figure out where to find the [enter an endless list of grocery items here]) for that kind of fun?  As tales of kindergarten adventures further unfolded, the message was clear. I want to go too, Mommy.  With a deep breath and an are you sure we set about enrolling her at the kindergarten. 

While we were busily preparing for Evelyn's role as a proper Japanese pre-schooler (incomplete without a return trip to the depato for school supplies and bento accessories!), the principal was reevaluating the school's ability to accommodate her. In a beautifully crafted letter, she politely and contritely outlined the pedagogical barriers to Evelyn's acceptance into the program at that time and kindly requested that we wait till January. 

Time marched on and Evelyn and I slipped into a comfortable and happy routine together. I got better at grocery shopping and no longer took so painfully long at the dry cleaners. There was more time for exploring and crafts and tea-time and returns to the Hukilau Cafe for yummy malasada, a warm, sugar-covered treat we discovered quite by accident on an outing one day. Not a bad little life at all!

January came faster than a Limited Express, and Evelyn seemed almost a bit surprised the school had remembered her long-ago request, her prior excitement now replaced by a bit of hesitance. But her enthusiasm returned with the dusting off of school supplies bought months before, and she bravely joined her brother on the walk to school. 

Though we worry a bit about communication difficulties - Evelyn is a girl who likes to be understood - she assures us there won't be any trouble. "Mommy, I speck English to a boy and it understood me." But while Patrick enjoys the luxury of having a classmate who can 'speck' some English with him from time to time, Evelyn will be on her own.  That didn't seem to matter when she arrived the second day to the excited greetings of two classmates calling her name..."Ebareen!  Ebareen!" And maybe that's just enough for our girl for now. :-)

I can do it, Mommy!

Patrick schools Evelyn on the finer nuances of the genkan. 
For the Japanese, it is a fluid movement, but it can be tricky getting in and out of street shoes prior to entering a building!

Off she goes with Mayumi-sensei

The New Girl at dismissal time...smiles all around!