I tried.

Starting this month, Max is going to daycare part time. We couldn't justify sending him full time with me at home. We think it's important he still goes so he gets to play with his friends and so I get a little break. With the rules at his daycare, we had two part time options (with no exceptions or deviations from these options).
1. Part time until 12:30 pm everyday OR
2. 10 days per month

Before we talked with the main sensei about our part time plans, we were planning on putting him in Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays, but no go.

So, I randomly picked ten days for the month of February, trying to give him consecutive days when he did go so he was following some sort of routine.

Unfortunately at the time, I didn't really think about any special days or to ask the daycare about any trips or upcoming fun events, so today, Max missed Setsubun at daycare. I wrote about it last year here. Last year he was petrified of the "oni" (ogre) and almost every kid was screaming when I went to pick him up that day. This year he's more into it. Yesterday he told me, "Mommy, I'm not scared of the oni."

Anyhow, with a "buy at the grocery store packet" I tried to do it at home.

Mame - beans to throw at the oni

I really, really hope none of my Japanese neighbors saw or heard us. I couldn't remember what the kids said to the oni and I definitely don't know the Japanese, so Max pretty much just pelted me with beans while Lola slept today. Then we ate little mochi cakes.

Eating mochi cakes - chewy and good!

Mochi cakes wrapped (above) and naked (below)

We had fun and did it in the confines of our little backyard so we didn't offend any Japanese or their culture (or become the neighborhood laughing-stock).

Max's homemade oni mask from school with fangs and stickers

Side note: In making the link to my last year's post, I noticed the Japanese and translation of what the kids are supposed to yell at the oni. Too late now!

I'm kind of embarrassed (of my pathetic attempts, of my oni growls, of our dead grass, of our laundry) to post this, but, here is the video...