Joseph had his first day of pre-school here in Tokyo. We tried to mentally prepare him, but I'm not sure he gets it. I think the most important thing for him is that there are trucks in the classroom. Because Joseph's only been in daycare, this school "thing" was a new experience for us. All the parents and kids were lined up at 9 am for the doors to open. Then it was a mad dash to get inside (okay, not really a mad dash, but it felt a bit crazy). We took Joseph to his classroom, met the teachers, and found his cubby. I would say that at least half of his classmates are Japanese. Another good chunk of classmates are half-Japanese. Then there are a bunch of Europeans. I really haven't figured out if there are any Americans in his class. In any case, the language of instruction is English. However, he does get Japanese lessons throughout the week. Some of the activities include exercise, playing in the park, singing, arts and crafts, and learning table manners for meals. And, get this, they will assist in toilet-training. I mean, seriously, if that can be achieved without me getting involved, I will make a sizable donation to this school!
Joseph really likes it so far (we think!). He attends from 9 to 2, and by the time we get home, he is totally ready for a nap. He's been sleeping from 2:30 to 5. So that pushes his bedtime later, which then results in a later wake-up time!! Hooray! No more 5 am wake-up calls. "Mom!!!!!" "Mom!!!!!!" "Mom!!!!!!" Why in the world does Christian not exist in Joseph's eyes at 5 am??
Maybe the teachers are trying to make me feel good, but they say he behaves very well and is very independent in his actions. I attribute this to his wonderful care at the Lutheran Home! :) Joseph appears to be happy when I pick him up. However, just today, when one of the teachers said to Joseph, "Mommy's here!" he burst out crying. I don't know if that means he was upset all day or that he's just really happy to see me.
