Last week. Branden's observation day and swimming school. Noah's undokai rehearsal and dashi pull!

I'm getting a touch behind blogging and I don't want it to snowball. So, this post is everything from last week. Last Monday late night we got back from Guam. And this pic is from Tuesday. After the kids got home from school Tuesday. And Noah got back from swim school. Yep, he's been switched now to Tuesdays. Anyway we bbq'ed after swim school. While we barbecued, the boys played soccer.

As you can see, this was a 2 ball soccer match, they had going! ; ) Oh the games they come up with!

Some country style baked beans.

And done. We had 4 slabs total. 1 rack per person. Baked potatoes and baked beans. A simple meal Tuesday. Tuesday was nice, not too busy.

This was my serving but everyone else had the same. Noah devoured his slab. As did Branden and the hubby as well.

Wednesday morning. I hung out a whole load of wash as usual, this time everything orange. The day before I did another full load of everything green. I usually don't do laundry in colors like that. But we had enough for a full load just one color. And I wanted all the Fall/Winter stuff washed up and placed in the boys closets. Branden's gym uniform on the right. And Noah's uniforms, behind B's. Last Wednesday, productive, not stressful though. Itw as a great day.

Wednesday evening after school the boys friends came over. Man these kids are popular! They hung out in the back for a while. Then they hung out in the front for a while and then they all went playing at the park in our housing community. A 1 minute walk along the walk/pathways. Meanwhile I made dinner.

Thursday, looked somewhat busy, by the looks of my calendar. But I had no idea how absolutely exhausted I'd feel by the night. I started with making obento for Noah that morning. Our yochien you can have school lunch and bring home obento twice a week only. Or you can bring homemade obento every.single.day. With Branden, I had only 1 school aged kiddo, Noah was still a babe. So, making Branden obento everyday was doable. When it was Noah's time to start yochien. Noboru suggested I let Noah have school lunch for the most of the week to relieve me of making it daily. However, Noah watches everything and sees everything and remembers when his brother was in yochien. Noah's first semester as a yellow badge, he had school lunch and also home obento twice a week. Noah often told me, I wish I could bring home lunch everyday. And I'd listen and say yes, yes I know honey. And then....this was last year by the way. Noah said to me in the kitchen in a very sad voice. "How come, you could make Branden a homemade obento everyday when he was in yochien and you don't do that for me?" OMG! I was stunned and left speechless. And I didn't really realize how it had hurt my son. And though I could not change it until the end of that semester. I did switch it. And so, when Noah was a yellow badge for the first semester he had school lunch/home lunch combo. And since then, red badge and now as a pink badge. I do make Noah's obento every.single day. Now matter how busy I am. Because I don't ever want him to feel short changed for being youngest. @_@ So yes, I do make obento everyday. And no, it's not because I'm supermom. ; ) And it's not because our yochien doesn't have the option of a school lunch. It's because it matters to my son and if it matters to Noah, then it matters to me. : ) So anyway..... where was I?

Oh yes, it was last Thursday morning. I had just made Noah's quick obento that morning. And I also had the pork in the crock pot for niku jaga that night. Got Branden sent to school that morning... came back and got Noah dressed. And then while he watched Tom and Jerry and the Pink Panther on the Cartoon Network, I got myself dressed. I had to be at Noah's yochien for a sports day rehearsal that morning. Meanwhile Noboru was meeting Branden at school for his first and second class. Branden had observation day (and yes I would be showing up later in the day too). And Noah had undokai rehearsal, SAME DAY! Too bad there isn't 2 of me. ; ) I am lucky that Noboru could be there for Branden's first 2 classes. Noboru watched Branden's math class and PE/gym class. Meanwhile Noah and I arrived to the yochien by 9am. I made sure he got into his class with his little obento that morning. And right away us mother's were busy. First of all, field day in the US and how it's done here is really different. So let me try to explain. 2 weeks ago, we were all given a note, "can you help at the yochien sports day?" For the most part the only ones who say no are the ones who have younger kids and no extended family there to help watch the young ones. So no one expects them to help, it's very understandable. Now for the rest, it's pretty much expected/hoped to help. Even if every mom takes just 1 event, you can pretty much enjoy the rest. And they try to get you an event your child isn't in, so that helps. Such as the red badges mom's will do the pink badge races and vice versa. That way we can all enjoy the events our kids are actually in. Last year for example, I helped in the grandma/grandpa ball toss. And the blue badges ball toss. That was perfect because I wasn't missing anything. Noriko-san arranged that last year and she did a beautiful job how she arranged that. This year it seems every thing's all messed up. For starters last Thursday, they had all the mother's who are actually helping stand to the right. And all the mom's not helping stand way on the left. And no it wasn't to front them off or anything like that, lol. We were having a meeting is why. And had thick papers of the order of events to deal with etc. Anyway it seems like 20 or so mom's aren't helping this year (and this bunch didn't have any younger siblings or baby brothers or sisters nor did they have full time jobs, those would have been good valid reasons of course). So, the ones of us actually helping are now having to work 2 and 3 freaking events. And for many of us, first time ever.... we are now going to miss events our kids are in. I am working 3 events this year, thank you very much! And I will now be missing my own child do the ball toss! I am also going to be helping hand out the medals this year at the end. Therefore I will also miss seeing my son get that sweet medal placed around his neck! Honestly? To be frank about it.....I think this sucks! If more mothers lent a hand, we wouldn't be having this problem. And now because of this.....I doubt I will agree to help next year for undokai. What a cycle, I know, but hey I'm human. I may change my mind in 12 month's time. But I tell you. fair is fair and unfair is unfair. And yes I am steamed. And yes I want to see my sweet lovely Noah run and also get his medal etc. So as of right now...I will not be signing the yes box for next year. I also do not think I am the only one feeling steamed either. Because we were given a revision sheet of all the events because some mom wanted a change. Smart mom, whoever she is! So, anyway, us helping mom's, did the rehearsal. The non helping mom's watched and looked on. Watching their kids last Thursday. Jogo-san and I are doing all 3 events together basically. So, she is working just as hard as me and will be missing her daughter's events too. Anyway, last Thursday, we worked our butts off. We ran through the whole undokai. The blue badge class is doing a cool, 50's type rock and roll number! I saw Noah's dance as well, he is wearing an orange color. His best friend H is wearing green. They all did really good. 1 helping mother could not be there for the practice last Thursday, which is more then fine, hey at least she's helping.... so they needed a stand in and so I stood in for her, which was fine. And so, I stood crouched down as the blue badges raced. By the time we were done last Thursday, I was physically exhausted. Up down, up down, crouch crouch. The red balls go out of the white circle swoop them up, and I was moving all over like a dork collecting the red balls throwing them back inside the white lines. 11:45am is when we were done. We finished, they gave us a green tea for helping in a can. And I drove home. Arrived home around 12:10pm. Noboru was just about to leave but he told me about Branden's gym class etc. I meanwhile told Noboru an earful about the sports practice. Meanwhile I was chopping up the onion. The 2 pork loins were now fall apart tender since they were in the crock pot since the night before. I added the onion, potatoes. Set the rice cooker. Then I left and went to go pick up Noah from school. With Kumon bags and swim bags in hand. Picked up Noah, and we immediately drove to Branden's school. By now it's 2pm. I ran into the school. With pink badge safety pin....that says Noah such and such.... pinned to my khaki shorts (all helpers at the yochien needed to wear their child's name badge so we know who's who) and I didn't have time to take it off during the busy day, so I had a pink badge on my shorts and a name badge around my neck for B's school. I parked the car, Noah and I ran into the school. The secretary at Branden's school always speaks to me in English, I'm not sure why, but that's fine. She said, all the kids are in the gymnasium. I thanked her and ran down the hall getting to the gym. And sure enough the whole school was in there. It had just started so we quietly sat down Noah and I.

There was a clown performance for the final class. Not a whole bunch of kids by the picture but this is the whole school, all 6 grades. One little girl sitting near Branden spotted Noah and I, and she said..."hey your mom's here" and so Branden turned around and looked at me. And he knew I was there. ; )

I made it.....I was there for both kids, both schools, 1 day. It was a bit busy last Thursday, I was running around like a chicken with her head cut off, a few times that day. But at least my boys know.... I will always be there, no matter what. I personally enjoyed the clown performance. I found them quite funny and entertaining. Granted I was a bit tired, and if I would have closed my eyes I might have fallen asleep, but the clowns did keep me awake. ; ) Noah completely enjoyed this.

The clowns, walked on stilts, the girl clown, rode a unicycle and jump roped at the same time. The guy in the pic up above, stuffed himself inside a big yellow balloon. That was sorta wild and weird. It definitely kept me awake. ; ) And then school was over. And from school to Kumon. I meanwhile raced home. Got the tender pork, and onions and potatoes from the crock pot and transferred the stuff from crock pot to pan on the stove. Added some frozen green beans on top. The green beans steamed right away, since everything else was hot. And I covered it with a lid. Picked up the kids and we left swimming. Noah rested and played with his friend upstairs. Branden chatted with Kei-chan in the pool. And I chatted with some of my yochien mom friends. Both from B's era of yochien and the ones from Noah's time of yochien. A mother that was there at the sports rehearsal, "otskara-sama-ed me. And I did the same. I chatted briefly with Reiko-san and Taito-kun's mama. These are my mom friends from Branden's era of yochien. They said...wow did Noah get big!!! And it was nice catching up again.

Thank goodness dinner was made with help of my crock pot.

And by now, I sat and sat. And as the time says it was indeed 6:15pm. Kids were fine. It was me that was run completely ragged. I sat there and we arrived home at 7pm!

Branden's meanwhile refreshed, chatting with Keita in the white cap in front of B. By now I have a splitting headache. And just thinking about how I was up from 5:30am that morning, obento, 1 kid here, 1 kid with me there. The sports rehearsal. Cooking here and there. Branden's observation. Kumon and swim club, it's no wonder I felt frazzled. And no usually not everything piles up like that. But makeup swimming days had to be pinched in there somewhere. And it just happened to all pile up for me, on 1 day. How I didn't drop dead of a heart attack last Thursday I'll never know. At the end of swimming, Kei-chan could not find his DS game! He was frantic. In the genkan of the school. The secretary called him over....what did you lose? He didn't run to her for help, he ran to me for help instead! No I'm not kidding. Perhaps he knows me more. Perhaps he's always at our house that could be why. Perhaps he hurt himself 2 years ago and knocked on my door for a hug? Yes I'm not kidding a hug, yeah it surprised me too at first. But hug I did. LOL. So, anyway while I am waiting for B to get changed. He's all frantic. I can't find my DS. I said..just calm down, where was it? It was in my bag he said. Okay, let's go through your bag, one by one to see if we can find it. If we don't find it by the end, then you can get freaked out..how's that? deal? : ) He said yes deal. So, as the secretary looked on and a few mom's looked on, K-chan and I went through his swim bag. And sure enough at the bottom of the bag, there it was! Relief! See? I said. Not to worry. Oh thank you he said. And off he went. He takes the swim bus. So, he went to catch the swim bus. ; ) Branden came out and we went home. Though he usually takes the swim bus now too.

Branden swimming on video, just a random day at swim school. But this kid swims back and forth... back and forth. 50 meters. For an hour and a half. He gets good exercise and gets to socialize with his friends. We went home after swim school. Branden unloaded all his bags at home, both the boys did. And I warmed up the nikujaga. I was exhausted, pooped, spent. Whatever you wanna call it. The boys and I ate. They went up to shower. Got in their jammies. And they watched some TV before bed. I went up and read them a bed time story. And after that, I put the dishes into the dishwasher. And I went upstairs, pinned up my hair. And I took a shower and then I soaked in the hot bath. Japanese baths can stay hot/warm at the same temperature. So, I had my bath set at real hot. And I soaked in there for like an hour. By now, Noboru came home. He ate the dinner I left for him. I told him all about my day. And he told me all about his. We talked and then he went into the shower. I meanwhile, sat on the couch. Just vegging out. Boy did I deserve it too. I just laid there. Surfing the channels. I think I went to bed around 10pm-ish. Man what a day, what a day. Every once in a while, a person gets a crazy busy day like that right? Mine was last Thursday.

Last Friday. Sent Branden to school. Breakfast beforehand of course. And Friday for Noah would be a half day. Because the Fall festival was starting that day. So the pink and blue badge classes got to pull the dashi/rope in the morning just for fun. Noah was a red badge last year so this was his first time.

This is the dashi.

My amazing husband, he was able to go along, his schedule just fit. And I didn't ask him to go, but he went. And I really appreciated it.

The kids sat in between dashi pulls a few times to take breaks : )

So now it was 11am or so. And Noboru suggested we go to the food court at the "farmer's market" so we did. This sign says, if you say..."trick or treat" they'll give you something good to eat. ; )

We ordered a pizza from there, and Noah went up there and said..."trick or treat" and got this treat. ; )

Noah and I shared this pizza for lunch.

Noboru had udon.

Noah eating his lunch.

After lunch last Friday, the 3 of us went to do the weekly shopping. Bags of veggies, meats, drinks and whatnot. And some green apple popsicles, garigari and some strawberry shortcake icecream cups. For desserts for the week.

Noah brought home a bag of treats for participating in the dashi pull. I was so thankful for last Friday. I kept thinking...TGIF! I was really looking forward to the weekend. I greatly needed to recharge my batteries after all that. My week last week. Not bad, Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday and Friday, pretty great actually. Thursday was for the birds. ; ) Granted it's over with and I'm not nearly as upset about how the undokai, will go down. Sure, I'll be working 3 events. Sure not as many mother's pitched in to help as they should have. But, I can't change other people and I know that. Thank gawd, I know that. All I can do is change the way I react in a given situation. Last Thursday I might have been steamed about it. But this week, I'm over it. It is...what it is. I want Noah to have one of the most fantastic and fun undokai's. And so he is completely unaware of all the stuff behind the scenes. And I'm glad for that. I will do the 3 events I am supposed to do, and with a smile. A sincere smile because..this is for my son, so that's why I'm doing this! Type smile. And I know my kids will be proud. Anyway the undokai is this coming Oct 17th, Sunday. And yes my MIL will be here for it. : ) I am still unsure if I will sign up to help for next years undokai mind you. We'll see how I feel next year. ; )