Summer Holidays, Summer Sickness

The kids started the holidays on the 18th here, almost one week.  Christopher and Hannah have spent most of that time doing homework.  Most of it  is a waste of time, writing out 160 English words for Christopher, 20 pages of kanji drill for Hannah.  Plus a workbook to do, the teachers don't even mark these, the kids mark it themselves.  I can undertand not wanting the kids to back slide during the holidays but most of the homework is mind numbing.  Also I know that a lot of time the parents end up doing a lot of the work, kind of defeats the purpose. 
At junior high school and high school level kids have to attend club activities almost everyday.  So where is the holiday?  Christopher went 3 times this week and has a full day of regular school next week!  Hannah has four days that she has to attend school.  I really don't understand this system.   All I can think of is it's training for work. Japanese almost never take a holiday, most companies give the national holidays because they have to but other than that there are no holidays.  I've had students who go abroad for 3 days because that is all the holiday they can get! 

I really want to do things with the younger kids but I have no energy at all.  I have headaches and feel sick all the time.  I just want to watch daft TV or sleep.  Poor David got really sick yesterday.  He couldn't keep anything down and had a fever of 38.6C at one point.  Mikey took him to the doctors, he had some virus and heat stroke.  I am so glad that Mikey can drive and is willing to help out like that.  Our doctor is less than 5 minuetes walk from here but the state David was in he wouldn't be able to make it!  He is much better now, up to his usual tricks and jokes!  Just some 24 hour bug but not nice when it is so hot!

I treated myself to a new blender.  I burnt the motor out of my old one, about 4 years ago.  I've been thinking of getting one since then but always put it off.  The other day I was cleaning out some more of my husband's stuff and I found some gift certificates from the local electrical shop.  I had 4000yen in certificates and the blender was 4500yen.  So I am very happy!

my new blender and miller

 

These are some photos of the kids up to their daftness!