Christmas Shopping

Last week I had 3 days holiday, so I decided to get my Christmas shopping done!
For 2 days Mikey, David and I tramped around these massive shopping malls and I came up empty!
I got a few things but not what I wanted!  One problem was the price of stuff, I know that prices are going up but some of the things I saw were just crazy expensive. Another problem was not knowing what to get for the kids!  I did manage to get a few things for Hannah and Christopher but only a book for David and nothing for Mikey!  I still have time but I was hoping to have things done so I can focus more on things here!
We did get the Christmas tree up and most of the decorations out.  David and Christmas trees are not a good mix!  He managed to somehow pull the big tree over on top of him!  Then he made me loose count of the flour I was measuring out!  I got mad so I threw a handful of flour on him.  All good fun .
I'll get some photos tomorrow, no battery in the camera at the moment!

Baking, Cooking and a Broken Water Heater

As the weather cools down I spend a lot of time in the kitchen baking.  This year however I haven't felt up to it until the past week or so!  My seasonal allergies have been extreme and sneezing while baking is not nice!  I didn't do so many halloween cookies for the students so I'll have to make up for it with the Christmas cookies!  The past week I have been baking for the kids.  I made banana chocolate cake, banana coffee muffins (too many black bananas!), snickerdoodles, chocolate pie, apple pie and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. I hope to have chance to bake today and am trying to decided what to make!
One reason I can bake so much is that David has taken over cooking dinner.  He is getting very good, he not only cooks but thinks up the menu and does the shopping. If he cleaned up after that would be perfect!  Last week he made pizza from scratch, nan bread base and homemade topping with a nice light soup and salad.  He cooked up a chicken dish and some fish also.  Most days he has ideas about what to cook, takes a load of pressure off me!
The big problem the past couple of weeks has been the water heater!  Some mornings there was no hot water at all.  Then in the mid morning it would start working only to stop again later!  The worst part was trying to take a shower.  Sometimes the water would be nice and hot then suddenly run cold!  Not nice at all!!!  We called the gas company and they sent somebody who had a look and decided that he had no idea what was wrong.  Another call two days later resulted in a new control which has so far worked.  Somebody is coming on Tuesday to replace the heater and I hope that is the end of the saga!
A few pictures to end with!

When it rained for days on end we let the dog in for a while

David with his fish, he cooked this up very nicely

Chocolate Pie

David's Pizza

Poor Mikey with a bad allergy attack, he spent ages steaming his nose to try and cleat it a bit!

Helping Hand

One the way home from the supermarket last night, Mikey and I , saw an old woman struggling with her bags.  She would take two steps, put her bags down, take two more steps and stop again.  It was dark ( this is after 9o'clock) and very cold.  We both felt sorry for her, so I got out of the car and offered to help her carry her bags for a bit.  I wasn't in a rush and felt that the least I could do was help her get off the dark, narrow road!  I took her bags and asked her which way.  She said she was okay and not to bother but it was obvious that she wasn't okay.  I walked with her a few minutes, chatting, in my bad Japanese, about the weather and how difficult it is to have to walk in the dark.  It felt good to help out.  Until I got back to the car!  Mikey said that according to his friends it is not a good idea to help out.  If something happens to the person while helping out, the person could blame you!  When I thought about this I felt that maybe the old lady thought I was trying to steal her food or that it was too much for her me helping her.  I went to bed feeling really guilty for helping out this old lady.  But then I wondered what kind of society do we live in where wondering if a good dead will come back and bite us stops us from helping out!  What do you think? 

Oh dear

I've become a bad blogger!
The past few weeks I've either been busy or sick or busy and sick!  Finding the time and energy to write has been impossible.
So here is a quick update.
October 18th David, Christopher, Hannah and I went to Fukuoka for a University Fair.  Universities from all over Japan came and set up booths.  It was a chance to see what is out there!  This one problem I have, without language it is difficult to find out things like this.  If Hisao was still here he would be doing all this for me but I have to try and figure things out for myself!  So off to Fukuoka we went.  One of the worst days to use the train.  Besides the University Fair, Softbank Hawks were playing at home and the local soccer team were also at home.  Talk about crowded!  I was amazed at how many kids were at the University Fair, it was crowded. Some people came as families but most kids came with their High School, there must of been at least 40 buses in the parking lot.  We talked to a few places and found a course for Christopher.  We are still cheeking a few places but so far this looks the best!

The front of the train station

Near where the University Fair was held. it was a lovely day.

After that things went down hill for me.  I got hit by really bad allergies!  This happens every year when the seasons change.  But this year was really awful.  One morning I sneezed for over five hours, non stop.  By the end I felt as if my face was going to explode!

The Halloween week was great fun for the kids! Mikey really went all out to make it fun for the kids.  I could hear them laughing and giggling!

Halloween Fun

Another thing that has happened is that both Christopher and Hannah got rewards from school.
Christopher took an English test, part of a competition for all the Commercial High Schools in Saga. He got the first prize! 
Hannah got a reward for her summer homework!

Christopher's medal, it's very heavy!

Hannah's award

And of course the kids love to tease the dog!!

I am sure I've missed out a few things but that is all for now!

Busy Week

Last week was really busy.  Plus I hurt my neck which really complicated things!
On Monday I saw a really nice loft bed for Hannah in a recycle shop.  Although very high and big, I felt that it would be a good investment, something that could be used for at least 10 years.  But the price worried me.  After checking online and a local store I found that the bed was half price.  The condition was excellent, as new.  I showed Hannah a picture of the bed and explained that it was the same height as David's loft bed.  Hannah seemed worried, I thought she was worried about falling off. when I asked her what the matter was she asked "Can I breathe up there?" Poor girl was worried about altitude sickness!!  On Wednesday I sent Mikey and David back to pay for the bed and arrange delivery!  My plan was to spend Wednesday, Thursday and Friday sorting out the bedroom and making space for the bed.  But Tuesday evening my neck became very stiff, by Thursday morning I was in so much pain that even moving the mouse on the computer was painful.  All hopes of cleaning out the bedroom flew out of the window!  I ended up going to the doctor, he took a load of X-rays.  Looks like a couple of the vertebrae had moved out of place.  I was given some strong painkiller and told to take it easy!  Poor David ended up doing most of the work!
Sunday was Hannah's last field day for elementary school.  It was also the day that we were under a typhoon warning. It was cool and very windy, I was surprised that the school went ahead with the event!!  Even though she complained of the cold< I think she had a good day!  I spent most of the day walking around, talking to David and having a laugh at what some people were wearing!
I'm glad that it is over and done with!

A few photos from the week!

Christopher pulling faces

Field Day

Hannah with her classmates

Human Pyramid

lunch time

Rocking out to Meat Loaf

View on the way to Kurume

Time Warp

Can somebody please explain to me how we have got to the end of September?  I really don't see how that is possible.  I am still at the begining of the month!  I feel as if I have entered into a parallel universe where time is speeded up.  Some days I feel as if I wake up, blink and it is time for bed.  The hours in between are eaten up so fast that I get dizzy just thinking about it!

So the past week has been the usual round of cooking, cleaning, laundry and teaching.  Had a trip out to Saga City with Mikey and David.  We went to the library.  I managed to borrow a few nice cook books. With the cool weather coming I really want to get back into cooking and baking more.  David has been doing a lot this summer but I need to get back to doing more.  No more excuses!  I also want to start Christmas shopping but I have no idea what to get the kids!  Need to think things out, not so much money this year.  I want to move away from Christmas being about getting things to making memories, being together and doing things together is important.

Just a couple of pictures to finish

I AM TIRED

The past 10 days have been busy. 
Last Sunday, September 7th Mikey went to his friends to practice for a big magic show.  After practicing all morning he went to the magican who is teaching him for more practice and BBQ.  Mikey got back late but happy.  The next morning Mikey's eye was swollen and red, he  couldn't stop sneezing and coughing. I think he got to close to the smoke from the BBQ and had an allergic reaction.  By Monday evening he was running a fever.  So I helped out with his lessons.
Wednesday his friend came to the house to practice again.  The living area got a good clean and I made a nice lunch.  They really worked hard, from 9 in the morning to just after 1 oclock.  The next day was loads of teaching.  By Friday I was feeling awful, coughing, sneezing and low grade fever.  Same for Hannah.  So I planned to spend the day in bed.  But at 2oclock I got a call.  Christopher was at the local hospital having fallen down at school.  He had hit his head very hard and the teacher wanted a scan done.  I could of told him that Christopher's head is as hard as a rock!  There was no internal bleeding but Christopher said he felt sick and dizzy.  I banned computer, games and TV for the evening.  He was fine the next day.  But Hannah and I got really sick, some kind of cold/allergy thing.  I haven't slept properly since Thursday night.  Everytime I doze off I start coughing, which wakes me up.  A trip to the doctors this morning resulted in a load of medicine,  I hope something helps!

Boys playing a game on the DS, Christopher lost so he had to wear the bowl on his head.

Mikey and his friend practing magic

I'm going shopping now, 9 oclock at night and I have to shop!  No wonder I am tired!