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!!!

 



I hate nights

During the day I can cope with my grief.  I am busy, cleaning, cooking, teaching, more cleaning, more cooking!  Sometimes grief sneaks up on me and catches me unawares but after shedding few tears or deep sigh escapes me I just move on with the thing to be done.  Not easy but I manage.

But the nights are awful.  I have suffered form insomnia most of my life but never as bad as this.  Add to the fact that I am a very light sleeper doesn't help at all.  This was one thing about my hubby that really amazed me, he could sleep through anything!  Crying babies, typhoons, thunderstorms and even a small earthquake, nothing woke my hubby.  Me, on the other hand, a dog barks two blocks away wakes me, starts to rain, I wake up, one of the kids gets out of bed to use the toilet, I'm awake.  Before I would just turn over and go back to sleep.  When insomnia hit before I had certain things that would help.  Sleepytime tea, warm milk, nice warm bath, relaxing music and when things got bad, allergy medicine.  Now nothing helps.  Last night I went to be at 10pm, cried until midnight, got up at 1am to use the toilet, watched TV, drank some herbal tea. Went back to bed at 2:30 and fell asleep at 4am but woke up 5:30 and decided to get up.  I am so tired and it makes me  really miserable.  I get plenty of exercise and I'm physically active during the day.  Nobody here can drive so I do a lot of walking everyday.  I thought that would help but it doesn't.  I am seriously thinking of going to the doctors and getting some sleeping tablets.  I don't like to but maybe no choice.  I'll give myself a few more days, then see if I need help or not!

Spring Holiday....over!

So the two weeks of spring holiday are finished.  David and Hannah are back to school tomorrow. Mikey and I start teaching tomorrow as well.  Christopher's entrance ceremony is on Wednesday.
These two weeks have gone very fast!!!  I had great plans but.......!   We went to the city for a day, just mooching around the stores.  It was nice just to get out of the house for a day.  We bought a couple of books and a few bits and pieces.  Treated ourselves to KFC.  We got into a fit of giggles, Christopher said that KFC means kind friend Christopher.... I countered that with my own meaning...kill the f.....g chicken!!  Of course the kids thought that hilarious.   We also went to Mr Donuts, that was nice.  On the way home we got the fixings to make lasagna.  So lasagna and a nice movie to round out the day.
That was our only outing.  But we had fun at home.  I enjoy board games and now that everybody is old enough to play it is a nice way to pass an evening.  Christopher, Hannah and I had a game of ludo.  Christopher got a bit carried away at one point, jumped up from his chair and landed heavily on it.  There was a lovely splintering sound, the chair broke!!!   Never mind!!!  These things happen.
We also played monopoly, I lost both times!!!  I want to play scrabble but my kids spelling isn't that good...but I could win that!
Otherwise the time was spent reading, cleaning, studying English for the kids, cleaning, studying Japanese for me and more cleaning.  Cleaning is never ending!!  I hate cleaning.  But I hate a mess even more!!   
So a new school year!!   Hannah gets a new teacher and new classmates.  She is very excited about tomorrow.  I'm glad about that.    5th grade means new subjects as well, they get to do home economics.  And a little bit of English!   Should be interesting!
Well I think that is all for now.