Getting things done

Even though it has been five months since my husband passed away I am still dealing with things that were left undone by his sudden death! Credit cards, banks and post office accounts have to be closed or changed to my name!  I thought that it would be easy to do, but both emotionally and practically it has been a lot harder than I thought.  Emotionally I feel as through I am erasing hubby's existence, removing his name means that he really is no longer here and will not be coming back.  My head knows this but my heart refuses to go there.  To a life without hubby, it is hard to imagine, to believe.  Plus in Japan you are given 3 months to contact the Family Court to petition to have debts incurred by the deceased canceled.  Three months is too short, we managed it, basically because Mikey did most of the work, filling out forms, going to the city to drop of forms, filling out more forms and sending them places! 
The practical side has to do with all the forms that need to be filled out, having the right documents and Japanese stamp when changing accounts.  I've had to walk to the bank twice(half hour walk) because I didn't have the right stamp.  But I am finally seeing the light, maybe I can get these things finished1  I really hope so.
Also hubby's friend came and chopped down the trees in the yard.  They were over the neighbors side and when the wind blew one of the trees was knocking on the bedroom window.  It was a big job and I am so grateful to this friend for helping us out this way.  I have also decided to sell our car. hubby was planning on selling it this year, we have had it for 15 years, it is also a big 8 seater and I think it would be difficult for Mikey to drive.  That is going to be tough, the car was hubby's, it is in the carport and every time I see it I am reminded of all the places we went, the adventures we had in that car.  But these things have to be done.
Kids are okay.  They are driving me crazy with their silliness.  But I am glad that they can have fun and laugh together. They miss their Dad of course but he wouldn't want them mopping around.  I look out for signs of depression, or misplaced anger which is how grief can manifest but over all they are okay.  Hannah still has separation anxiety and I can't say I am sick in front of her or she has a panic attack.  Last week I had to go to the doctor, I had been running a low grade fever for a few days, nothing serious but it exhausted me.  Poor Hannah was so worried.  I took her to MacDonald's the next for a milkshake and talk.  She is okay now but she is one to watch!
Well I had better see to a few jobs.  It is raining here, so nice after the heat wave last week. 

The heat is on

So summer has arrived, early and hot.
I don't do well in the heat at all and this year it is going to be even harder.
In the summer I usually go from the air conditioned house to air conditioned car to air conditioned store. This year no car!!  I still have to walk everywhere.  The local supermarket is only a 5 minute walk but in the summer it might as well be 1 hour walk, I just can't go out.  So how to shop?  I can ask the older boys and most of the time it is okay, but yesterday I asked David to buy a lettuce and he came back with a cabbage!!  So I am wandering what to do.  The only delivery service I know of is the Co-op but they are very expensive but maybe for a couple of months it might help!
Well my brain is already fried so am going to find something cool to drink.

Happy Birthday Blog

Last night I was reading back on my blog and realised that i started this blog one year ago!  If anybody had said a year ago that I would be a widow and taking care of my kids by myself I would of laughed in their face!
This time last year my biggest worry was making money!  That is still my biggest worry but now the added stress of not having hubby around has added so  much more worry and stress to my life.  I have nobody to bounce ideas off.  Even buying a washing machine caused me 4 nights of tossing and turning, I was so worried that I had messed up, bought the wrong one or paid to much for it!!  I know that buying a washing machine is not a life or death decision but for me it was so difficult!!  That worries me, I have to help the kids make decisions for their lives!!  That is scary!
In many ways my life has changed and not changed at the same time!  I am still cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, shopping and teaching.  But now I have to think about paying the bills on time, talking to the teachers and taking care of the garden.  So I am a lot busier than before. 
My kids are doing better than a year ago. They are growing up so fast and are dealing with a lot.  Hubby's death came at a time of change for all the kids but they have managed to deal and are still dealing with it!  We talk about hubby a lot, he did a lot of daft things that still make us laugh, that is nice.
So one year old blog!!!  What will this next yer bring.  I hope good things!

Busy Days

The past few days have been rather busy.  Beginning of the new school year is full of teacher home visits, new schedules and trying to figure who has to be where and at what time.  I tend to get rather confused for most of April and May.  Add to that most of students change schedule as well,  I sit waiting for one student and somebody else turns up.
The last week of April was Hannah's homeroom teacher visits.  The visit with was nice. Hannah is doing okay and should be alright in 5th grade.  For the whole week Hannah came home at 1 o'clock every day. She spent time playing with her dolls.  Even though she is growing fast she still enjoys playing with her toys, I'm glad.  Kids seem grow up so fast these days.

Hannah busy playing

Also this past week was Hannah's birthday.  On Monday my good friend took us to an all you can eat resturant,  we stuffed ourselves.  But we had fun and the kids got a good laugh. To top things off my friend cleaned my dinning area and kitchen.  Really good friend!!
On Hannah's birthday I did party food and made a cake for her.  She got a soft for her 3DS and has spent forever on that since.

Simple birthday cake

Hannah with the DVD we watched

Mikey needs chocolate

"Chocolate, gimme"

Overdosed on chocolate, mutant Mikey!

David got creamed

And just to prove that ALL my kids have the crazy gene, here is Christopher

Busy Week

Crazy busy.  Ten days without washing machine makes things rather difficult!  I tried to wash a few things by hand but wringing them out was hard. I hurt my hand one day trying to wring out stuff. The  new machine came on Thursday and I have been playing laundry catch up since then!   I am glad that the new machine came,  Christopher had a four day camp with his high school.  Kind of boot camp,  he had an okay time.  Lots of running and climbing.  I think it was a bit much and am glad that it is over and  done with.  He came back Saturday evening, soaking wet and with two bags of laundry. 
Today is the home visit by Hannah's teacher.  Should be okay.  This teacher was Hannah's teacher in 3rd grade, so we have already met.  Hannah is doing okay in school but she is still having a hard time with her Dad's death. We had a few tears last night.  Sometimes it just hits hard and all you can do is sit and cry
I am glad that the school is understanding of this and doesn't expect Hannah to be 100%.
Better go and get ready for teaching!

of kids, laundry and the dog's tail

My kids are amazing.  They are handling things a lot better than I am!   Of course they are sad and grieving but I am so lucky that they aren't rebelling, getting into fights or being disobedient.  Mikey is an adult, but only just 21 and all the legal stuff has fallen to him. He explains things to me and fills out all the forms.  Without him I would be lost!!  David is almost 19, but so mature and strong.  He pushed me to buy a new washing machine!!  I know I had to go and buy one.  5 people and no washing machine is just too crazy!!  But I didn't want to make a decision.  Buying things like that was always my husbands job.  David went to the store and looked round, then I went with him the next day.  He had already chosen two models that were good, I just had to decide which one!!!
So by next week I'll have a new washing machine!!
David is also the clown in the family.  If he can mess things up he will!  I can't go two weeks without doing laundry so I sent David and Hannah of to the coin laundry to do the stuff for school.  When they came back Hannah was really laughing.  I couldn't figure out what was so funny about doing the laundry!  The story that I finally got out of them was David putting the dirty clothes into the dryer first.  He thought it was a big washing machine, so he dumped everything in and put the money in. He was watching the clothes go round but couldn't understand why there wasn't any water.  Then Hannah pointed out the large sign that says, in Japanese, DRYERS!!!    Anyway took a bit longer but they managed to do a wash!!!

And the dogs tail.  It looks funny!!!  She has been chewing it.  I guess I'll have to go and see if she has fleas or something!!  
There is always something. I use to think that life is boring!!!  At the moment I would trade boring, all this excitement is too stressful!!!!

The Good, The Bad and The Miserable

The good is Christopher's entrance ceremony is over and done with. Talk about a load of faffing around!  The kids were told how to sit, how to stand up and bow then sit down.  This is a high school entrance ceremony not kindergarten.  I found it rather weird at how much bowing goes on, the headteacher gave the first speech.  He stood up bowed to the vice headteacher, bowed the PTA representative, bowed to the Japanese flag, bowed to the kids and parents.  Gave his speech then on the way back he did the same set of bows in reverse order.  Each speaker did the same, I think more time was spent bowing than anything else.

The miserable is the fact that the ceremony took 3 hours and the gym was freezing.  I honestly thought that my pee would freeze if I went to the toilet!!  After spending hours in the gym we had to go to the home room, but we were the last ones there so had to stand in the door with a horrible bitter wind blowing!

Anyway some pictures from today

                

   

 

 

 

 

The bad is my washing machine, it broke!!!   It's a washer/dryer.  Yesterday Hannah asked me to was her jeans for today so I put some things in the machine and set it to was and dry. When I came back after teaching there was an awful smell of burning plastic!!!  The machine won't open and won't turn on either.  So looks like I have to buy a new machine, so not happy about that!!!