yesterday morning i got up very early (actually out of bed before five!) but not for anything more exciting than going to the coin laundry to dry clothes. i was this >< close to blowing it off until i remembered hiro's school uniform shirt was in the wet stuff. *sigh* so, i drove out to the 24 hour laundromat (thank you, only 24 hour laundromat for fifty miles) with a stop at 7-11 to make change. i actually used three machines, that's how much washing i had to dry (clothes, towels, flannel sheets) and oh how i wish i had a dryer. but oh well, such is life, right? maybe our next washing machine will be a conbo (hahahahahahah....yeaaaaah.) it was raining when i was out, but when i got back at 6:20, it was getting colder and then the rain turned to ice. yay.

so, i came home and had a brief tiff with yoshi about tidying up (english coffee morning) but i managed to get him out the door and then cleaned a bit. then tommy and sasha came downstairs. but i got them breakfast and actually managed to make a cake from scratch (but i tell ya, it was close.) and we vacuumed, what an accomplishment. all the while the ice had turned to mixed snow and rain. what a lovely day.

after snack time, we pretty much spent the whole day at home. we did get a flyer in the mail, looks like joyfull is changing their menu. about time! (joyfull really isn't all that great a restaurant BUT it's the closest one to our house, and they have an awesome deal on their drink bar, especially at breakfast, where you can get some decent grub and free drinks for less than 400 yen (about four dollars). i can easily go there for my 'free time' and not be too far away in case there's a meltdown at home.) i think i'm looking forward to trying the cheese filled salisbury steak! LOL

hiro came home and for the most part things were fine but the kids start freaking out at about five, getting hungry and bored and want to run around (but we can't go out) and then they start to fight and pull hair and spit (oh man, i hate the spitting). i actually made dinner from scratch (cream stew) and i don't even know why i do that (i mean, the kids actually ate it even though it had potatoes, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower in it, each kid skipped a veggie, but not the same one) but the time it takes me to do it...the house is always a wreck.

on a slight tangent, on sunday yoshi had to work all day. when he got back, later than expected (as always) i hadn't made anything for dinner except rice and things were getting rough. yoshi decided to make champon and use things out of the fridge and i decided to go to the store to get more milk (as always). i was probably gone for twenty minutes and when i got back, champon was finished but the house was a wreck. i hope yoshi sees what i go through whenever i have to leave the kids 'alone' for a few minutes!

anyway, yoshi made it home at a fairly decent hour, we all managed to tidy up a bit and then bath, teeth and bed. i was so exhausted!

....and it's snowing this morning. AND, we all have to go to hiro's school. wish me luck!