Coming to grips

We are gradually figuring out what our new schedule looks like now that our eldest is finishing school on Tuesday. Here are some of the changes:

• Events that were going to be spread out over two weeks are now squished into one. This means David has to work two nights this week at school and I have several things to be at or do on Tuesday.
• Our eldest was upset at missing going to school on his birthday (can you believe?). We believe the main problem was that the students get an ice cream voucher on their birthday...anyway he'll now get it on Monday.
• To compensate for the disappointment, we also offered to have a small party at home, which he jumped at. Now I have to organise it! The biggest challenge is, believe it or not, the fact that I have a small car. Here in Tokyo you don't just say, "Drop your kids off to this address." Addresses are not precise for the average observer - maps are required. Usually people use trains instead, so the usual thing would be to say, "Meet at X train station, at Y o'clock." Unfortunately we live more than 25 minutes (4 y.o. child-paced) walk from the station. We do have a 5 seater car, which is what we usually use when someone is coming to visit. But if I'm home on my own with our three boys, I already have four seats taken with my family (not particularly trusting my boys to stay home on their own...); it is not really possible to pick up three more boys. Walking is not appealing either. Walking on roads that don't have footpaths with six boys on my own. Would you do it? We have several ideas, the first of which is for my husband to get time off school and come and help! I like this idea!! Praying his boss with have mercy on us.
• Instead of having two boys at home for homeschooling in the next two weeks, I have three. We'll see how that goes. Our eldest cannot be relied on to be enthusiastic about my ideas, so we'll see how they all cope with having him around during work time. Could be good, could be bad.
• We still don't know if the teachers will get any time off. At this point only the students have been released, not the teachers. It'd be great if they did - more packing time! More time to get the same amount done.
• I get to do a Visa run with three children in tow on the 1st of June. Looking forward to that one! Again it could be great, it could be a disaster. Planning to take lots of food and activities for the travel (an hour in the car) and waiting time.

That's about all we know right now. It's been unsettling, to be honest. Probably would have been less so if we hadn't been planning our exit from Japan during June for months and quite precisely.