What's new at our house?

It's been a crazy, unusual week. So what's new in our house!?!

School broke up at lunchtime on Tuesday. That afternoon, in the spirit of keeping them busy (and avoiding the first day of holiday blues), we dragged them to the Immigration office to pick up our new Residence Registration Cards and our new visas. (Having not a lot of choice of days about when we did this had a little bit to do with it too.)

That evening we dragged them along to an international schools jazz concert. For something student organised and led, it wasn't too bad. There were really good moments and not so good moments (which our boys inevitably picked up on subconsciously and whispered ever so not subtly about wishing to leave). Overall, though, it was a good musical experience that the boys talked about with enthusiasm the next day (when they weren't so tired).

On Wednesday the boys enjoyed a Nothing Scheduled morning. After lunch, though, the younger two went off to enjoy playing with some kids at school in what is known as Childcare for CAJ Staff kids. Wednesday evening the younger two went off to karate training for the last time till late July.

Thursday morning I sent them off to Childcare early and did an Occupational Therapy assessment at CAJ. They came home at lunchtime and we struggled through the afternoon. That evening we fed the boys early and David and I went to the end of year Staff, Board, and PTA dinner while the younger two enjoyed more childcare (in the school gym, we could hardly get them to come home at the end they were having so much fun).

One HeroScape board creation (it's different every time).

Friday morning I had four boys in the house. We adopted a middle school boy for the morning with the express purpose of teaching him about HeroScape, the game that's infected our boys for weeks now. This young man has the misfortune of only having sisters, so he enjoyed a boys' morning. Our younger two went off one last time to Childcare after lunch (and had a water balloon fight while they were there).

Last night eating yakiniku.

Friday night we finally had time to have our family celebration of finishing school. For the second year in the row we went out to a Japanese restaurant in the style of Yakiniku, where you BBQ your own meat at the table. We did this last year to celebrate the end of the school year and decided it was a good, yet easy tradition to establish. Boy + meat + fire are a winning combination. This local restaurant also has a salad/cake/drinks bar (not as extensive as a Sizzler one, but acceptable). The drinks bar has something very unusual for Japan (as far as we know anyway), it has two flavours of Slushy. Yum, on a hot evening!

Then today our eldest finally got some action. He went to a friend's party all day and goes almost straight onto wrestling training this evening. Our younger two went to a Futsal fun day for 2 1/2 hours in the middle of the day. David and I took the child-less opportunity to go back to that large new shopping centre to have lunch (at Subway, reminiscent of some very early dates) and buy some things we need prior to going away next week.

After a cool rainy week the heat got turned up yesterday afternoon and it was a warm night leading to a pretty warm and sticky day. We enjoyed the shopping centre's air con!

Then this afternoon's been devoted to all sorts of things, including preparation for the younger two going to camp on Monday. That's a whole 'nother blog post (it's going to be a weird week without them next week).

In the midst of all of the above, I was still sorting out details with two magazine issues (the summer and autumn ones), as well as preparing for the Occupational Therapy assessment, and then writing the report. And adjudicating boys in various disputes.

All things considered, it's been not a bad transition to school holidays. But this morning I had trouble getting up (even though I'd been awake for ages), I'm winding down and our time away, starting in just over a week, will be very welcome.