Over the post-end-of-year hump

We've now made it over the end-of-year hump and are staring down the barrel at just over 10 weeks of holidays. 

Actually, we're still on the downward slope towards complete non-school involvement. Our youngest is doing a couple of summer-school activities over the coming fortnight, so he'll be out of the house for about three hours a day. David has bits and pieces of work over the coming weeks, nothing regular except that he teaches a summer hands-on science course for a week in the first week of July.

My work doesn't stop for the summer break, except when I make it stop (by handing it to other people or planning around a holiday) when we go away for a break. In the coming couple of months we've got two separate camping trips planned (total of five nights) and two-weeks in an OMF holiday house. So while everyone else's schedule slows down I'm puttering along at my desk in our dining room. Now the boys are older, that's easier to do, but occasionally it gets tricky, especially when they interrupt me when I need to concentrate on a longer task. A friend brainstormed with me about this, and I've decided on a red bandana (I haven't actually told them about this yet). If I particularly don't want to be interrupted, I'll put on the red bandana as a "closed door" symbol. We'll see how that goes.

We've also put together Summer Guidelines very similar to what we did two years ago. It will be interesting to see how we go now they're 14 and 16. I've changed it up by adding a periodic survey to help them self-check their use of time. It's easy to start summer holidays with good intentions, I'll report back later about how we're doing with it all. Tonight I'm waiting for our first boy-made dinner (Chicken Fajitas). I'm a little bit concerned that we might be eating at 8pm, though...

Another exciting event that's coming our way is our eldest son is visiting from next Monday for two and a half weeks between semesters. This time we'll be free-er to enjoy his company (when he came in January we were in the throes of adjusting back to Japan and in the midst of the school year). 

Here are a couple of photos giving you a glimpse of our last week.

This was another little bit of craziness added to last week. We had a boy go over on his big toe (as in, it was bent under his sole and he came down on it) as he played a ball game with friends. Thankfully not a big break, but the ligament pulled some bone fragments off. Plenty of pain and swelling, but he's recovering very quickly. Quite able to ride a bike, so this is how we got the crutches to church yesterday (though he's crutches-free from today).

The "Welcome" sign at CAJ standing stolidly in the rain as we celebrated the end of middle school for our youngest. Now we only have four years of kids left at "grade school"!

Gulping air before I dive down and swim again

Today I am gulping air. Actually, not literally. But from tomorrow morning until next Tuesday my schedule is pretty well chocked up. Wednesday to Saturday is Thrift Shop. This biannual event at CAJ is huge. Take a look here, if you want a picture of how exhausted I'll be by the end of the week.

But before I duck down and start swimming hard I thought I'd give you an updates on some previous blog posts.

Now you probably aren't on the edge of your seat waiting for this, but had you wondered what happened to my fingernail? What's the end of the story? Here's the start of the story, if you missed it. And a week after my close encounter with two concrete blocks my fingernail looked like this. Five weeks later my finger nail and I am still well acquainted. Thankfully it is attached around most of the border of the nail (minus about 3mm on one side). The middle is a different story, but while it isn't attached to the nail bed, there isn't any pain and the swelling is gone. I'm just a bit concerned that I might catch it on something and it will rip . . . but we won't think about that. I'm keeping it well trimmed!

As for last week. When I wrote this post I felt quite stressed. Did you feel my stress? Well, after getting myself worked up, I worked very efficiently and hard and almost all of what I had to do got done. I also discovered that we don't have a house-guest this week after all. 

The English Bible study went fairly well. Next one is next week. I need to rethink the English-teaching side of the study. The study series (The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller) begins with a 38 minute DVD session by the author. Though I think he is speaking slowly and deliberately, it isn't slow enough for my English students. SO, I think next time I'll take a little bit of the DVD at a time, pausing and going over the English. I so take for granted, not only my English, but my Bible knowledge. This is such a familiar story, but Timothy Keller makes Jesus' intent in telling the story much clearer. It is a great study, I'm enjoying it just for myself. Somehow I have to pull back and get my students at least to first base. At least they find my English easy to understand (complements along the lines of "we love your voice" and "you speak graciously" were given!).

Last magazine packing day.

The magazine got edited and it is at the printer as I type, phew! Next Monday is packing day. So, we're onto the next edition, with an extra event thrown in next month. But that will be the subject of another post.

As for now, I'm off to do some research on magazines. I'm trying to find magazines that might accept a story or two that I've written. I have one I've written on one of my experiences during the post-earthquake period, but I'm having trouble finding a home for it. Anyone have any suggestions?

New fingernail colour

If I wore fingernail polish I think I might be changing my colour to something dark this week. My husband pointed out I could even save on polish and no one would know. I'd only have to paint nine nails!

I wrote last week about smashing my finger between concrete blocks in our driveway. Most of last week I typed nine-fingered, struggled to get change out of my purse, and even played the piano for Sunday School with nine fingers. 

Most of the pain has gone now. It is a little numb and a tiny bit swollen, but mostly just a deep blue nail! Not the prettiest, but it will look much worse if I actually lose the nail. What do you think my chances are?

Ouch

I'm in a little bit of pain today. Yesterday afternoon, in an effort to be a good "Japanese" housewife I attempted to sweep the road gutters outside our house. The one tricky thing  is that I have to shift the heavy concrete blocks. The ones that make it less of a bump to drive into the carport. I usually try to do as much of the shifting as I can with a spade or my foot, but in my hurry I picked up the edge of one with my left hand and pushed it further away from the gutter. Unfortunately it fell flush with its neighbour and my middle finger was between the blocks. Ouch. 

Hardly any blood, but my fingernail changed colour instantly. I spent a lot of yesterday afternoon and evening caressing an ice pack.

It reminded me of the time I had a sleep over in grade six or seven. My first sleep-over . . . and my last, I think. We had only a few hours sleep and in the morning there was a rush to use the facilities. A line formed and while I waited I used the door frame to hold my weary frame up. Pity it was the same place where the door hinges were placed and when the girl in front of me when to shut the door, she couldn't. I still remember her saying, "I can't shut the door, I can't shut the door!" I couldn't catch my breathe enough to say, "My fingers are in the door!" before my friend did some serious damage to two of the fingers on my dominant hand. That injury took a long time to heal . . . but you don't want the gory details.

I just hope this one isn't so bad. It all hinges (sorry, bad pun) on how damaged the nail bed is. I'd rather not lose the nail, but what choice do I have?

I do have to choice to go back out and finish off the sweeping, but I might put that off a little bit longer. I'll stay here and keep editing magazine article, typing with my nine good fingers.