Sad, I know but it is good to be posting again to your delight or chagrin. Winter has left taking it's mantel of cold rain in it's passing. Spring and her "delightfully" fickle self have come and gone. Summer has lazed itself away, and Fall is here, here, here! We are now in one of my two favorite months in Japan--October and May. I LOVE October in Japan!
Ten months it has been since I last blogged--blogged, the 4th grader in me wants to giggle at the sound and feel of that word on my tongue and lips. Let alone the sound of it. Feels and sounds nearly akin to committing some kind of socially unacceptable rudeness. I digress... Forgive me. Let me think back... Eldest was halfway through her first year back at away-school, deep in the trenches of sixth grade. CrazyOne just discovered the honeymoon of finally being on swimteam had ended and to say she was happy to fulfill her obligation of finishing out the year would be like assuming a Japanese host would be happy to have you wear your shoes through their home.
Now we are truly into the new school year and this year, I am not a homeschooling mom. Not my choice; Eldest felt this year would be much better than last year and she loves the constant attention that only others within the adolescent years can give, while CrazyOne went through a very rough summer with her homeschooling friends moving away and her non existent drive to make friends lending a hand. We got to witness true torture of CrazyOne:"Go play outside, its a beautiful day."
"No thank you, I was just going to ask if I can play on the computer."
"Nope, play outside.
"Why?" She whines.
"You are a kid and I said so, now go."
"I'll clean my room, I'll clean the bathrooms. Please I don't wanna go outside!"
"Get your shoes on--NOW."
"I don't wanna go outside, why do I have to go outside, I don't want to play, its hot, I don't like my shoes, I don't have any friends, I don't want to play outside! My shirt is ugly and my shoes are old" On and on and on...
Ignore, ignore, ignore...
I smile and get down on my knees to put the new, "old," shoes she begged for on her--mind you she is eight years old and fully functional. I walk to the kitchen, grab her beloved jumprope, a popsicle, then walk back to the front door, hand over the popsicle and jumprope and tell her she can play at the big park. More tears and now wailing ensue. I give her a kiss and tell her I love her as I push my child out the door--deftly blending out of the way and with the momentum of the screen door to successfully put the child out and engage the screen's lock to keep same said child out. My Aikido friends would have been impressed. I wave and tell her have fun, and remind her that she is outside now and others can hear her wailing. "They will stare and talk about you..." I conspiratorially intone--ah, nothing like public shaming to garner the desired affect of getting her to tighten up and end the incessant wailing/sobbing. 
Early this summer I decided that five people in three bedrooms is doable yet not a necessity. I punk'd out and like a little bitch cried Uncle and took the entitlement option we have of living in a four bedroom. Only catch: you must move yourself. Oh and by the way, you need to have it completed within three working days. SailorStudMan of course was out to sea when we got the call from Housing.
It's doable. I am a military spouse, and damn it--I am good and I be damned if I'll pay 169yen a kilo to move my estimated 6,000 kilos of goods a total of four blocks.
Thank GOD for friends and acquaintances who took pity and time to randomly and sometimes planned drop ins to help pack and schlep. I confess there were three moments toward the end: I was packing and moving and the enormity of being dead on my feet and not knowing if I can get this finished before the deadline and wishing I had one or two more adults besides me and the random "help," of a twelve and eight year old. Once I was almost in tears; I just returned from feeding the girls another late dinner, putting Cinnabun to bed and freshly unloaded the rental truck all at the new home. Tunes were blaring in the nearly empty home, I am trying to pack up the last of the living room and finish up the last half of the kitchen. I was thinking of what needed to still be finished out and what was finished... Still had master bedroom and closet, hall way closet, understair closet, outside storage closets, back and front porch, and a house to sweep and wipe down and the next day at 16:00 was my exit inspection. It was just shy of 21:00 and the doorbell rang. It was SouthernBell and her man-thing DroolWorthyTruckMan (DWTMan). I wanted to cry tears of insane joy. I clamped that down and got busy packing and hauling. Every time I was at my lowest, someone or two would show up and lend a moment or two of their time. That is what got me through and gave me a better insight into the life of my Mom when I was a kid with my little brother. We moved often a bit, due to the diligence of my single parent, always on the look out for better living conditions that fit within our very limited means. She did it more often than not by herself and within a week. Help was spars and often not available and I remember wishing I could be big to help her; she would look so tired and worn, but we were Blessed. We still are.
So now, we reside in a new place with a real yard, an extra bedroom and smaller kitchen. You have got to give to get. And... I like it here. Still getting use to not being in a secluded area. Thanks to the location of our yard, the neighborhood kids were being destructive and warped our back gate allowing for it to open. I did not realize how damaged it was after I chased them off till hours later, when I wondered what was taking SuicideGirl so long to whine asking to be let in. I look out side to call her in and nary a white hair in the yard with the gate ajar. So happy we live on the base in this case--it is essentially a huge yard so she can't escape to the surrounding area. My only concern was not finding her before morning traffic; 20-40 kph hit can do much damage to dog and our greybaby has no street sense, but she does cross the roads only at cross walks when by herself. So, I go up stairs wake eldest to tell her I am off to find SuicideGirl, next I check the time, 22:38, get my shoes and sweater on, grab the leash, high powered flashlight and car keys then head out the door. Driving around on a weekday on this base at 22:30 the place is pretty much a ghost town. I have the windows down, hazards on and shining a light in all the dark places. This made me giggle at how I might look... Is that woman looking for a wayward young soul making out in the bushes or... oh wait, she's just whistled and called out a name. I did this for about 30min. stopping all runners, walkers and persons who slowed down to see what I am doing. I checked all the places she loves best and then drove the route we more often than not walk. Sitting at the 4th and Gridley stop, I scan and call for Muttley, then look forward to creep through the stop.
There... All the way down the end of the road where it curve to go into the tunnel...
Driving faster, I get halfway there. Slow down, don't want to hit my own dog, I whistle then call. Dashing through a yard, hurtling over a bush is the amazing SuicideGirl, tongue hanging out of her mouth and so happy to see me. Yea! I found her.
Today finds me with a full house and another successful year raising my Eldest, today she is a teenager. It is really cool looking at her. She makes me proud and all gushy inside. I love her so much it hurts.
I am departing now, hopefully I will return in short order with the Mikoshi parade pictures and a post about nothing in life is free. We shall see...
Matta ne.
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