May 27, 2013

  • May

    May is always a busy time for us, and this May has been no exception.  The month started out with Golden Week.  As it happens Golden Week is a series of holidays that start at the end of April and runs through the first week of May.  It also happened that this year was a visa renewal year.  Since we arrived to Japan almost mid-May 9 years ago, we knew that applying means submitting visa paperwork before Golden Week.  Essentially our month of May felt like it started towards the end of April.  

    In the midst of everything, we have been seeing specialists about some sleeping issues my son Tomo has been having which means trips to hospitals, tests, and a heap of waiting.  Throw is a 14 year wedding anniversary and a 12th birthday into the mix of every May busyness.  I discovered in the midst of applying for our visa extensions that, though, I knew that my oldest child’s passport expired this year, I was expecting that to be in July, not June (June 3, to be exact).  Not only that, when we went to secure an appointment to take him to the Embassy to renew it, the only appointment available was last Friday (two weeks before the expiration date, but the only appointment available to us between mid-May through the month of June.  We had hoped to be able to bridge the passport thing as an on the way to get my parents things, but that was not to be.  Yes, May is ending with my mom and dad coming!  One of the down sides to living on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu, is that getting to the International Airports is more of a time and financial commitment, so that is why we wanted to combine trips.  

    As I write this, Corey is headed through the mountains.  He will stay at a friends house and play some boards games with his friend.  Then he will make the run to the airport to scoop up my parents and will return with them tomorrow night.  The kids are super excited and getting them to sleep last night was a bit of a challenge.  Getting kids to sleep or to stay asleep last night left me making several trips up and down the steps last night.  The last trip up resulted in getting some sort of splinter in the heal of my foot.  Not my idea of fun at 1:00 in the morning.  I think all is ok for now.  I will keep an eye on my foot to make sure there are no further problems.

    The Nagaoka Symphony is gearing up for another concert on June 16th.  This concert we will be having a guest conductor and a guest concert master.  Because of this, we have been having extra practices to accommodate the different people, plus the pieces are a bit challenging and we need to work even harder to play well.  However, not having lots of extra time, these extra rehearsals have been a challenge to make it to all of them.  I am looking forward to playing these pieces, because I am starting to feel like my brain is overfull of them.  It will also feel like a sense of accomplishment to finally play them for the audience. 

    All this is addition to the usual flow of homeschool and ministry, so it has made for a busy month.

    So as May ends, we still have no resolutions on the sleep issue with Tomo.  We will have an overnight hospital stay at the end of July to give a sleep test that involves brain waves in addition to heart rate, respiration, and oxygen levels.  We still do not have our visas, but the immigration office did call the other night to ask some clarifying questions.  Hopefully, we will receive the notifications that our applications have been approved soon.  Skyler’s passport is in the midst of processing, we should see it in 5 weeks (so we were told).  I guess May ends in a bit of a holding pattern as the kids and I are also waiting on Corey and my parents to make it to our house.

    On a more fun note, earlier in the month, we worked together to get a small box garden in our front yard.  I permitted the kids to pick things they would like to try and grow.  The box is divided into three parts.  We will be experimenting to see how we are at gardening.  If all goes well, we should be seeing broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini, strawberries, sweet bell peppers, pumpkin and watermelon.  It has been fun to see things start to grow.  Today I used one of my tulip planters and turned it into a small herb garden.  I now have basil and parsley planted.  I also bought some Morning Glory seeds, and together, Maya and I planted Morning Glories that will grow outside our living room windows.

    Rest time is about over, so I had better get the kids outside for some playtime before supper.  I need to wear them out so they will sleep well tonight because I would like to sleep well tonight.

April 15, 2013

  • Bedraggled

    It has been a bit of a busy time for us.  Always when the school year starts, there is always that sense of new busyness.  It happens whether you are in public, private, or homeschool.  I am sure it is in different ways, but the new year does bring busy times.  Part of it this year is that one of our kids changed clubs and is now running.  He went from a ode night a week club to two nights a week and some weekends.  It is only one day, but that one day shifts the schedule a lot.  Part of it is changing curriculum and just trying to find our rhythm with it.  Some of it is just new year activities that come with a country that starts all things new in April.  Part of it is that the change in season prompts more activities which means more time.  Some of it just simply has some out of the ordinary events that are temporary and you want to enjoy the time while it happens; for example, the cherry blossoms blooming or out of town guests.  Then there are the usual things that go on and just keep going on to contend with as well, but this are usually pretty familiar and comfortable.

    Just to throw a curve ball into the mix, when we have late nights or when we happen to be extra busy, something about that throws my youngest for a loop.  Where it affects her the most is in her sleep schedule.  Like in she decides sleep is for the birds.  When she gets in these moods, she has trouble going to sleep and when she does, she sleeps very fitfully.  If all things were equal and we could put her to bed at the exact same time everyday at her usual early time, she would be mostly fine.  Odd schedules makes for odd sleeps. 

    All this is so say that running about all day and the midnight runs to comfort a panicked child have left me feeling a little bedraggled.

    This week promises to be just as busy and just as fun as well.  The boys are I have some weekend plans.  Maya and Corey will sit the weekend plans out.  There are some things that Corey will stay behind to attend to, and Maya will benefit from a more regular schedule.

    Now it is time for me to rest.  Perhaps I will yet get to what we did last weekend and what we will do next weekend.  Or maybe I will just remain mysterious.  Little one is in bed at normal time, but still fighting sleep.  Here’s to hoping that she will sleep peacefully tonight.

     

April 12, 2013

  • The week flew by

    This week went by so quickly. 

    A full school week has passed as well.  Kids are doing well.  Assignments are all in the grade book and the grade book is up to date.

    Getting ready for a full and busy weekend.

    Looking forward to another great but busy week ahead of us.

    Not much to say really, but I will try to update more fully after the weekend.

April 10, 2013

  • Good discussion

    We have finished our third day of school, and things are still going quite nicely.  We actually have, gasp, free time in the afternoon.  The boys are playing a board game called Rome with their dad right now.  Maya is “picking up” all her things.  I have been placing things out for her to do while I teach the boys.  She does do them, but before I can get back to her she is done and on to the next thing which generally involves pulling out all her toys all over the house.  I am trying to get her to clean up after herself, but she is having a rough time getting it.  Such an independent girl does make for a bit of a stubborn girl at times.  I know she wants to learn more and be more challenged, but I really think right now she needs to work on listening and obeying as well as just enjoying the work of play.  She does listen in to some of the lessons I teach the boys, so I am sure she is gleaning more than I think she is.

    This morning, in our third day at learning the hymn “This is My Father’s World” the boys and I had some really great discussions.  We learned about the man who wrote the songs and are working on learning the lyrics to the song. First the first time ever, the boys are really starting to find meaning, perhaps even feelings, in a song.  My boys haven’t been the boldest at singing, but perhaps that can change.  I am just thankful about the discussions the song sparked today.  It goes to show that kids do think about what adults say.

    Other than school today, I just worked on a few things from last night and today to get ready to go visit a friend’s house tonight. We are taking over some fresh baked bread and scones to add to the other things that people are bringing.  I think it will be a good time to hang out with friends.

April 4, 2013

  • All things new

    I decided to start the new school year today.  The kids have been out for two and a half weeks, and I felt like they were getting a little bored.  Starting today means we can sort of ease our way into the new year as year.  This is helpful because we are starting an entirely new curriculum this year.  The new curriculum is very similar to the one I have used the last two years.  I really liked the last two years in the old curriculum, but it was a real challenge to get through two students’ worth without falling behind.  After having done a bit of research, I learned that I could get a very similar curriculum that was cheaper and also allowed me to do a significant amount of work with the boys together rather than two teach them two separate things, I can now just teach one lesson.  Out of necessity, also, I needed to change the math around because the books we had been using do not go beyond 6th grade.  Here again, I needed to do quite a bit of research and finally decided on a new curriculum that I felt was good and that my 7th grader would find something redeemable in the math curriculum.  After having used it today, it looks like we found a good fit for him.  I also had a peg board and pegs all ready to go for Maya, but she thought it was more fun to clutter the living room floor with all her toys and change her outfit a dozen times or so this morning.  She did want to look at a map with me and color a picture later on this afternoon.  Tomo wanted to teach her about Vikings and Leif Ericsson too, and she listened as well as an three year old would.  I like that Tomo was trying to teach the info he learned this morning.  You learn by teaching.

    The whole day went pretty well.  There were a few kinks that I will need to work out, but I anticipated that to be true.   I have the chance to work out those things tomorrow since we are not having school tomorrow.  I know, why start today?  Kids were bored and needed to see what wrinkles needed ironed out.  I think I successfully staved off boredom and found the wrinkles.  I have to say after teaching the new curriculum today I felt so much calmer and not as tired as I did all last year.  The kids were calmer as well, and they expressed that they thought their respectful grade levels would go well for them this year.  Let’s hope that is true for the rest of the year.  As a whole, I am very pleased how the day went.

    This afternoon, the new policeman in charge of our area stopped by our house.  Actually, he was stopping by everyone’s houses.  Since this is the season of all things new, he had been placed at our local police box this year.  It is pretty standard, in this area, that the local policeman stops in at each house and makes sure he has all the occupants of the house listed in his book.  He checks the old information and collects new information.  Since he is new this year, he also introduced himself to us. It is always a little unnerving when the police show up at your door, and I always have to remind myself that this is what they do.  I know that should there be any sort of emergency it is good that he knows who lives in the house.

    I was able to take a walk today to the local park.  I hadn’t walk to the park for several months due to cold and or snow, so it was nice to get over there and stretch my legs a bit.  Today was a nice spring day, and the trees are finally getting their buds.  I am looking forward to the trees blooming.  My friends further south have already enjoyed the peak seasons for cherry blossom viewing, and we are still waiting here in Niigata for our trees to open up. 

    In other new news, Skyler has joined a track club.  He is as excited as I have ever seen him about anything.  Two practices down and he is still smiling and happy to be a part of the new club.  He was not able to register for the April track meet, but it looks like he will be able to run the May meet.  He can choose between the 100M or the 1500M.  He has been asking, almost insisting, that he wants to run the 1500M.  Tonight I filled out the form for him to run that race in May.  I am really happy to hear the excitement in his voice, and I cannot wait to cheer on my guy at his first track meet!

February 23, 2013

  • Cleaning Day

    Saturdays are cleaning days at our house. It is not always a day welcomed by the wee ones, but when we all work together there is not a lot that needs to be done. The last couple of Saturdays various things have gone on, and I haven’t been able to do a very thorough cleaning. Today’s agenda was pretty relaxed, so I wanted to get some heavy cleaning done. This included a scrub down of surfaces such as the kitchen, laundry area, shower area, and toilet room floors. These get swept day to day and or week to week.

    I also managed to get three loads of laundry done. Two loads went up in the sunroom drying racks. I will confess that the third load a dried in the washer. When we moved, I wanted a washer that if in a pinch I could dry clothes in it. Since it is winter, I usually end up using it once a week. It takes one load of laundry about 3 and a half hours to dry. Perhaps you understand why I do not use it often, but when the drying racks are full and the cold, damp air just isn’t getting the laundry dry, then it does help. I am also glad that I have it on days there are pukey kids; since taking icky laundry to a laundromat takes even more time and money.

    Corey made dinner tonight. He made a rolled cabbage with some Irish sausage that was very delicious. At least, I thought it was really good. The kids didn’t like it, and in spite of their growing manners in this area, they made a heap of noise over it. My final project of the day was…
    Hamantashen cookie.

    Tomorrow as a church we will celebrate Purim. This is where the story of Esther is read, and Israel celebrates being saved from Haman’s plan to kill off the Jews. We will read the Esther story tomorrow and we will have the kids boo whenever the name of Haman is read, but we will have them cheer the good guys, Esther and Mordecai. The cookies are to go with the story. I have never celebrated Purim before, so this is an entirely new area for me. I have done the Esther stories a number of times. I do like the story a lot, and one of my favorite verses of the Bible is from Esther. Esther 4:14 “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jew will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

    I leearned a lot tonight about making Hamantashen Cookies. The first round into the oven didn’t go so well, but after that I caught on to a very simle trick…water!

February 19, 2013

  • Ignoble

    This is the often rejected thinking room.

  • “Highly coveted blue bowl” or “Probably more that you want to know”

    Living in the house with boys can sometimes offer its challenges.  You wouldn’t think that bathroom times would necessarily be points of challenge with boys, but sometimes it is.  Today was one of those kinds of days.  One child steps into the toilet room and another one decides it is his turn to go too.  Mind you, there are TWO—yes, TWO toilets in our house.  Now you would think the most logical thing in the world would be for the 2nd child to head to the hills and take care of business, BUT that idea is usually always balked at.  Today was one of this kinds of days.  Child one needs to go for a long time…perhaps longer than really necessary…  I just love bathroom stall tactics (rolls eyes).  Second child claims the need for toilet is urgent and creating quite a fuss.  Why not do upstairs?  It is really quite simple, they don’t like squatting over the squatty potty when their need doesn’t involve standing.  I know, more than you all wanted to know, right?! 

    First child finally makes it out of toilet, but second child now refuses to go claiming he is fine.  Uh huh.  Really?

    Fast forward through a few more school subjects, and I am ready to take a break too.  Then, second child needs the toilet as well.  That child enters the room with the beautiful blue bowl.  No, our toilet room is NOT heated.  No, our toilet does NOT have a heater on the seat.  Just incidentally, I have never lived in a house with a heated toilet seat ever, but I think that I would like to plan on getting one on our tenth anniversary of living here, which happens a year from this May.  Best start saving our yens.  No there is nothing to do in the room…no books, no games, no iPods; just three walls done in pastel blue and a door.  Back to the coveted toilet closet.  It is really all the room amounts to, a closet under the steps, but it is like this weird man cave or something.  Not me, all I can think is get in, get out, and don’t freeze the tushy. Second child enters to “camp out” in the freezing toilet closet with the highly coveted blue bowl.  I wait my turn, but as I realize that waiting is not the most practical thing to do, I do what any sensible person would do, I hiked up the steps and entered the squatty room.  No, it isn’t the most pleasant of places, but when you really have to go, I don’t understand what the big deal is.  When you gotta go, you gotta go!

    The morning session of school came to a close, when I stepped into the highly coveted toilet closet, to discover that a boy had struck.  I am sure that you know what that means.  A boy struck yesterday as well.  On that occasion, I simply cleaned the mess and went about my business.  I do not usually do that, but I had just come home from a 20 minute walk where I had been plied with two hot cups of absolutely delicious tea, but between the tea and the cold air and the walk, I needed the toilet urgently and didn’t have time to have an offender clean it.  I keep a bottle of vinegar water available for errant urine streams to be cleaned up by their producers.  Usually, the boys, the girls, and the vinegar bottle manage to peacefully co-exist.

    Today, though, I wanted to try to get to the heart of the matter.  Errant urine streams gone unchecked are not acceptable.  Just ironically no one knows how the back of the toilet seat top and bottom were wet.  I even heard Maya get blamed (insert quick anatomy lesson here).  Um, no.

    So….
    What’s a gal to do?

    The boys are banned from the downstairs bathroom the rest of the day.  They may only use the bathroom upstairs for the rest of the day for the remainder of their toileting needs.  Tomorrow I will run checks on the toilet before they enter and when the leave.  Yes, I am just that mean.  If they are smart, they will clean up before they leave the room.  If necessary, I will go back to banning them from the downstairs bathroom.  If you were curious, Maya, not at fault in any of this, is very capable of using the squatty even with out assistance and does so willingly.  With that being said, complaint toilet girl, is done from here bed claiming her nose needs to be wiped.  She is grinning ear to ear, so I can tell it is just an excuse she created to be out of her bed.  Time to return Little Bit to her bed.

January 25, 2013

  • Personal verse of the year

    **Edit**
    **Orchstra rehearsal is calle off due to the weather. That settles it. Nice hot cup of hot chocolate for me!**
    Last night’s thunder and lightening has turned into fierce winds, dropping temperatures, rain, sleet, snail, and snowballs. Perhaps it will all give way to snow later on today. Right now, the winds are really STRONG. This is scaring the little ones a bit, and giving the living room a bit of a nip. Wondering how the weather will affect or not affect public transportation and whether or not I really want to brave the weather tonight to go to orchestra. The television has us under a lot of “chu-i”s (warnings) for strong winds, heavy snow (up to a meter is the forecaster said), and high waves.
    Thought jump…
    I have been thinking a lot lately, yeah no surprise there. I always think a lot. However, lately I have been thinking about essentially two things. Encouragement and courage. I suppose I am really thinking about that root “cor”. The root is from the Latin which means “heart”. Last school year, Skyler’s schoolwork centered around the theme or courage. He even wrote a really great essay about what courage means to him.
    I have been kicking the idea of encouragement around in my head a lot lately. I do not, by nature or by gifting, have a great knack at the gift of encouragement. Perhaps, that comes as a surprise to some, but I really do have to work at it. I am so much of a realist and a bit of a pessimist as well. I have also been trying to observe encouragement around me. Observing encouragement around me, has led me to the conclusion, that lots of people struggle, like me, to be genuinely encouraging, and that the world at large does little to offer people in the way of encouragement.
    Therefore this year, I resolve to really work on this area of my life and in turn work to teach those around me to be encouraging to others. Real encouragement, not fluff and stuff. What does this mean? Looking at the word it means, quite literally, “given courage/heart; made hopeful”. I think this doesn’t mean to say words of flattery. I don’t think it means telling a person what they want to hear. I think it means speaking truth in love. Yes, encouragement can be positive, but sometimes I think it is refining.

    At any rate, some verses I will keep at the forefront of my mind this year include: Psalm 27:14 (KJV) Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
    Psalm 31:24 (KJV) Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
    Joshua 1:6 and 9 (NIV) 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
    9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

    Of course there are more verses that speak about being encouraging to one another. Those are important as well. Initially, I think I need to work on courage and encouragement on a individual heart matter. If I am to change others, it first starts with me. There you have it…
    With some help from the kids, I created this “stained glass” reminder to “Be of good courage.” Hopefully this will be a visual reminder to keep working on being encouraging.

January 24, 2013

  • It all came crashing down

    Today has basically neither here nor there. A day with homeschooling, so pretty typical. However, the night was, well, hmmm.

    It all came crashing down.

    A certain child in this house was helping to put away dishes, when one of my dish cabinet shelves fell (I am guessing due to a little bit too much pressure applied by child to gain more leverage). You guessed it. It deposited the contents of that shelf onto the floor. Said child is fine, a little shaken, but fine. It seems one of the dishes might have hit the child’s head, but after a thorough check over, I deemed the child just fine.

    However, I cannot say the same for my dishes. It looks like most of my dishes on that shelf are now shards. It was mostly the bowl shelf, but they were bowls for various functions…rice, soup, curry, cereal, and serving bowls. The sound of them falling and crashing was not a pleasant thing at all. I am glad the kids are all fine. I suppose I will have to just go shopping now.

    The last couple of days have been very nice, but now a front is moving through which is causing quite a bit of crashing outside in the way of thunder. The rain is also providing quite a bit of its own crashing noise as it hits the house.

    What a noisy night at our house.

    This is the picture of what remains of my bowls. At the time this was taken, we still had quite a bit of fine tooth cleaning to do. Even so, I am quite certain we will be finding tiny chips for a long time to come now.