The Ritual

Today we engaged in the age-old Japanese ritual of Shopping for Desks for our soon-to-be first graders. All over Japan, thousands of parents of 6-year-olds are doing the same thing. There is probably not a seven-year-old in the land that doesn't have a desk for the voluminous amounts of homework he/she will be doing over the next twelve years. I myself did not have a desk until I came to Japan at the age of 22 and dragged a used desk out of the garbage up five flights of stairs to my 3DK apartment. I didn't have any homework at Lake Hills Elementary School and I think I mostly sprawled across my bed in high school and college.

The husband and I had a brief tiff in the furniture store when I tried to tell him that a swivel chair with no arms is not the best seat for a kid who can't even stand up. Lilia's therapists are always emphasizing that it's difficult for Lilia to concentrate on studying when she has to worry about keeping her balance. Yoshi is apparently in denial. We bought the swivel chair anyway, but I'm going to look into having a chair specially made for her.

Anyway, party's over kids. Pack up the toys 'cause you won't be playing much come April.