ハロウィンパーティ Halloween

ポテトのメンバーが自宅からかわいい衣装を持ってきました。かぼちゃ、ティガー、白雪姫、ピカチュウ、スパイダーマン、ミツバチハッチ、ゴレンジャなどでした。下の保育室にお菓子をもらいに行きました。驚いている子やずっと泣いていたばかりの子もいました。驚かしてごめんなさい。世界中の祭りはできる限りやってみたいと思いますが、あまり知識のない私は回りの方に助けられています。本当のハロウィンの日は10月31日です。みんな様もお化けになってみませんか。面白いですよ。来週はお天気が良かったらお散歩に行きます。待ってます。
Several new friends joined us today. 2 mothers from China and one mother from Korea with 2 kids. A warm welcome and do continue to join us. Halloween party today. We have Tigger, Bumble Bee, Spider Man, Snow White, Pumpkin, Pikachu and others amongst us today. The kids have a nice time putting on their costumes. We also made a ghost mask for those who are without costumes or did not want to put their costumes on. After everyone is dressed up, we went trick a treating at the ViVi Day care center. We greeted the small kids at the day care, scared a few of them to tears and got our bag of treats. As usual we also have story telling session in English and Japanese and English songs and dance. Next week, if weather permits, we will go to Shimizu park and Tomuro Kids community center. Come and join us.

中央公園で遊ぶ Chuo Park

雨が降りそうな天気の中、中央公園に行きました。途中消防署の前を通り消防自動車の訓練を見たり救急車がサイレンを鳴らしながら通るのを見ながら行きました。中央公園にはすでに大勢の子供とお母さんが遊んでおりみんなも遊び始めました。危険だっと思う縄のジャングルジムも注意ぶかく遊び、日本の友達とも譲り合って遊びました。上ってくる人を待ったり、声をかけたり、いい体験だったと思います。曇り空の下お弁当を食べ、雨の降る前に解散しました。次回は４０３号室で、ハロウィンパーティです。待ってます。
Today POTATO play group went to Chuo Park. We met several other foreigners with small kids at the park and invited them to POTATO play group. Hope that they will join us. The weather was kind to us and it only poured after we reached ViVi day care. The kids had a nice time climbing and playing on the slides. The smaller kids seems tired after playing for an hour so we moved to another part of the park and let them play with bubbles. After that it is lunch time and after lunch, story telling in Japanese and English. An enjoyable outing. For next week, we will be having a Halloween Party at room 403. Come in your costumes. We will be waiting.

デンデンダイコ Hand Drum

鈴と紙皿を使いデンデンダイコを作りました。本来、棒を付けて鳴らすものですが幼い子がいるので棒を省き大きい紙皿を使い作りました。太鼓の絵は子供と親が絵を書き楽しい作品が出来上がりました。韓国では小学校入学前に時計が読めるそうです。二人の韓国の子供は時計を書いていました。日本は小学校で時計の読み方を習います。国が違うと違いますね。来週は中央公園に行きます。晴れていたら公園でお弁当を食べましょう。お待ちしています。雨だったらお部屋でハロウィンの折り紙をします。
Today, we have a Korean mother joining us with her daughter for the first time. POTATO group is increasing. Yippee! For crafts today, we made hand drums. First, the kids are given 2 paper plates and they are to draw on them. After that, the plates are stapled together, 2 holes punched, one at each side and small bells stringed and tied through the holes. Later, the teacher sang a song and the kids made music with the hand drum according to the rhythm of the song. For English story book session today, we read the 10 little rubber ducks by Eric Carle. The squeaking made by the rubber duck at the end of the book was a hit. Next week, if weather permits, we will go to Chuo Park. We will depart from here at 10 am and walk to the park. Bring along your lunch, we will eat at the park and dismiss from there. If it rains, the gathering will be at room 403 as usual. On October 30th, we will be having a Halloween party. Bring along costumes for the kids and join us at room 403. We will go trick a treating and get some treats.

厚木北児童館にお散歩 Stroll to Community Center

とても良い秋晴れの中、厚木北児童館まで歩いて散歩に行きました。児童館ではポテトの部屋にはないおもちゃが山のようにあり、子供たちは目を輝かせて遊びました。塗り絵がいっぱいあり、お母さんが集中していろ塗っていました。大人の塗り絵がはやっています。塗り終わった達成感はすがすがしいです。お母さんもすっきりしたようでした。帰り道は裏道を通り金木犀の花や柿の実、セージなどを見ながら帰りました。いい香りの道でした。来週はデンデンダイコを作ります。お待ちしています。
Perfect weather for a stroll today. A new friend from Korean joined us today with a 4 month old baby. As we were leaving for the community center, we met a new friend from Argentina with 3 kids. Previously we met 2 of the kids before with a baby sitter but it is our first time to meet the mother and the brother. We greeted each other and left together for the Atsugi Kita Community Center. The stroll there was not very pleasant as we were walking on the main road. Finally, when we reached our destination, we first progressed to the Atsugi Kita Kids Community Center, which is next door, and ended up playing there. The person in charge and one Japanese mother there was very friendly and the kids enjoyed themselves so much that we did not have time to proceed to the community center to check out the facilities there. We shall plan a trip there again in the future. On the way back, we were told of a new road which goes through the housing area. The stroll back was really nice. We passed through a shrine, saw some persimmon trees, saw butterfly, flowers and introduced everyone to the fragrant olive plant (Kinmokusei), a plant with small orange flowers and blooms for about a week during autumn and gives out a really nice fragrance. After lunch, we had story telling using boards about Hide and Seek. The kids have to guess what is hidden behind the stone, leave, flowers, etc. For next week, we will be making hand drums in room 403. Do come and join us.

ないしょ話 Okonomiyaki and Chijimi Party

10月下旬に子供が手術するお母さんから相談がありました。小児科では外国人に対して説明が不足ではないでしょうか。簡単な手術でも親はとても心配で細かく状況を説明してもらいたいものです。もっと丁寧に納得行くまで親に説明をしてあげて欲しいです。不安な思い出子供を手術を受けさせる親の思いはいかばかりかと思います。今日のチヂミは韓国のお母さんが作ってくれました。お好み焼きもおいしいかったしチヂミはとてもおいしいかったです。来週は公民館探索に行きます。

Okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza) and Chijimi (Korean pizza) party today. One of the Korean mother taught us how to make the Chijimi. Check out the recipe below.

Chijimi recipe
Ingredients
4 potatoes, 1 onion, starch, salt, leek (nira)
Instructions
a) Peel and grate the potatoes and onion. Drain out any excess liquid.
b) Cut the leek into 2cm pieces.
c) Add in starch and mix it until it becomes a batter.
d) Add salt to taste and mix in the leek.
e) Add some oil to the pan and pan fry until golden brown.
Chijimi Sauce
Mix all the following ingredients for the chijimi sauce.
Soy sauce - 3 tablespoons, Vinegar - 2 tablespoons, Sugar - 1 tablespoon, Grated garlic - 1/2 teaspoon, minced leek (negi) - 1/2 teaspoon, sesame seed oil - 1 teaspoon, sesame - 1 teaspoon, chilli powder - to taste.
For the chijimi, you may add an egg to the ingredients. We made a vegetarian version today without any eggs.

Okonomiyaki recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cabbage, 500 gm flour, 4 eggs, 200 gm pork, pickled ginger.
Instructions
a) Cut the cabbage into small pieces. Cut the pork into small pieces.
b) Mix the eggs, flour and water to form a batter.
c) Mix in the cabbage, pork and pickled ginger.
d) Add some oil to the pan and pan fry until golden brown.
Okonomiyaki topping
Add in the following topping to taste
Mayonnaise, Okonomiyaki sauce, dried bonito flakes, green laver

In India, there is also something similar to okonomiyaki. Cabbage is thinly sliced and carrots and tomatoes are added to the batter. After lunch, the kids listened to a Japanese story, sang some songs and had finger plays. Even though time is running out but we cannot go back without our Hokey Pokey dance. Next week, if weather permits we will be taking a stroll to the Community Center. Ever wonder what facilities is available at your local Community Center. Let's go and check it out together.