We're playing a car game? Bring it!

Ok Joshua. Daddy, you should do it in slow motion.

Ok, ready? 1, 2, 3 - Daddy won by a long shot and the crowd goes wild!

What I wanted to do is not going to work.

Ruth's working on her own Paz Kids video here.

While I'm working in here and just over here Anna is reading with Grandma.

Well hello guys.

Japan was one of the first countries to cancel public schools nationwide back in late February of this year. 

Get her helmet on. Are you ready to go on your bike? Alright.

Now, after 3 months off, Japan is one of the first countries to be sending kids back to school.

This is our last weekend before school starts again, and we're going to make the most of it

 at least as much as we can with restrictions still in place.

Follow Uncle Paul.

With the number of virus infections remaining low, society is opening up step by step.

And opening up the schools again is a big step towards returning to normal, whatever the new normal is.

Checking out a place to go down. If we found where we like.

Is it a place to cross?

Looks like it could possibly rain.

Like many other countries, Japan has public and private schools,

some even being international and teaching in English.

Joshua loves the rapids. Wow dude!

You are in the rapids!

Living in the greater Tokyo area offers a number of excellent choices,

depending on how far you want your kids to travel via public transportation and how much you can afford.  

It's break time here.

We are all having a snack, some popsicles huh?

Oh yummy!

Hi camera. Well hi there Joshua. How are you today?

Blue! My popsicle is blue. Oh is it?

Uh huh.

Oh cool. It is so yummy.

Here we go. We are exploring, all right?

We have to find our way back.

I think Daddy found our path.

Alright dude, we did it! High five!

How cool is it that we are in Tokyo and yet you feel that you are in the middle of nowhere. I love it!

How's it going Joey?

For us the decision of where we wanted our kids to go to school was fairly straight forward,

Once we decided our priorities.

Our bikes are in sight.

We have got to get back before the thunderstorm.

It looks dark Anna. Are we going to beat the thunderstorm?

I don't know!

You don't know? I hope so!

Ok guys let's go. Look at those clouds! We want to beat the rain.

Right Sarah? Beat the rain!

Life in Japan!

We're home! But, did we lose someone along the way?

Somebody fell asleep in the mama-chari.

Boy guys we made it before the rain. That's good new, huh?

Oh my goodness!

My young Padawan is having fun.

Oh my! Boy we got home just in time.

Oh my goodness.

We beat it! We beat the rain.

Are you playing with her hair? Let me see.

He's playing with her hair.

Such a nice brother. Not quite sure what to do but he is trying.

We moved the car so we can put the pool up.

Careful Sarah. Don't get Aunt Pri.

Paz Kids is online

You know them. You are good.

The Sarah seat said eject.

What's happening here?

School starts tomorrow so it's crunch time to get all their bags.

Because all of a sudden they don't want to use any of their old bags.

May is a beautiful month then you get to June and it is rainy season. And here on June 1, it is appropriately raining.

(Practicing Japanese)

Getting ready for our first day back to school.

Which will more be like Sarah's first day of first grade.

Her first hour. First hour of first grade.

Very good. We're getting ready.

And this is your coloring book.

Look you get to draw. Look, whose name is it? Joshua. This is Joshua's cool book.

Your Lightning McQueen shoes.

So, we are headed to school.

The girls have 40 minutes today.

We have 4 kids going 2 different directions at 3 different times.

We are going to be busy this morning.

It is rainy out today huh dude.

Are you going on the bike with mommy?

She's going to drop you off at kindergarten, at your preschool.

Mario's going to wait for him at home.

Oh, is Mario waiting for you?

He is right there. There he is!

He is like "Joshua, I'm going to be ready when you come home, we are going to play!"

All of our kids now first entered school at kindergarten and learned Japanese there.

So as they get to elementary school, like Sarah is now, they already have a basic understanding of Japanese

And they start learning Katakana and they start learning Hiragana

And as they bring back homework, the further along they get the harder and harder it gets for us to help them in that homework.

Sarah are you getting the final touches on your homework done

Joshua, dropping him off. He cried and cried.

Not easy is it? No! I'm about to go pull him out.

Sarah also for many months she would cry - for a year she cried when we went to kindergarten.

But then after that first year, then she was fine.

It's Sarah's turn now to go to school. At least you have had some practice at this, huh?

Not as nightmarey as before.

Sarah we get to drive you. Oh my goodness.

It's cause we don't want to walk in the rain anymore. We've had enough.

Sarah was super excited to go to school.

Went jumping and bouncing up to class.

And I found out, Uncle Ben checked on Joshua for me, he is not crying anymore. So praise the Lord. Thank you Jesus!

How was school? How was school?

It was short! It was short?

Wow, good job guys! Did you just start in on your homework right away?

Did you get a lot of homework?

Not that much.

Did you get to see some of your friends?

Aeri and Ayako

Oh cool.

One question that we get asked quite a bit is why we send our kids to Japanese school.

And there are several reasons, but one — it really helps them learn Japanese like a native speaker.

And, so the girls are way better in Japanese than me.

Because they are surrounded by it every day.

And also it helps us support our community,

Helps the kids make friends in our neighborhoods

So when they go to the park or on weekends they'll play with their friends that they made at school.

Well, welcome back Sarah. How was school? Good.

My heart is so glad to see big guy.

Hopefully it wasn't too hard of a day for him.

Hey big guy! Good job dude!

Oh good. Guess what daddy got for us? McDonalds! Does that sound good?

Ok its here lets go eat!

He wants you to take him tomorrow. Oh, ok.

Daddy got some special McDonalds for our first day back to school.

For our first day back to school. Oh my goodness, look who is hiding under there.

Oh, yeah! Oh yum!