i wouldn't say that today was a bad day, but it certainly wasn't fun.  first off, hiro didn't do any of his homework over the weekend, so he was trying to do that first thing.  then yoshi gave sasha the last two mochi for breakfast, so of course, hiro and tommy were quite put out!  after finally wrangling some breakfast for them, i had to nag hiro into getting dressed, getting his bag ready and getting out the door!  i was mad at him for not doing his homework, so i refused to take him to school.  he also came up to me saying he needed a new notebook for math, which REALLY pissed me off.  seriously?  he had all weekend to tell me and he doesn't mention it until he was five minutes late for walking out the door.  not a happy mommy.

so, he needed the notebook for first period (of course) which starts at 8:55.  i told him, the stores don't even open until 10!  but then i remembered nafco opens at 8 so i told him i will try to get him one from there, but it would be late....

sasha, tommy and i actually got ready on time, and got to the bus stop before the bus (for a change), but i had to take zorro, and one of the kids that takes the bus is a bit of a shit and zorro doesn't like him.  so, i gave him my precious miffy teddy bear (you know, miffy's yellow teddy bear) that i've had for over 10 years and was in perfect condition--until my kids found it and then dropped it somewhere zorro could get it.  zorro is OBSESSED with miffy's teddy bear so he carried it to the bus stop and wouldn't drop it.  incredibly cute, actually, and saved shitty kids from being nipped.

so, after the bus drove off i forced zorro into his house (sorry, zorro) then hopped in the car with my purse (which had my tax return in it, got it done on time!!) and headed off to nafco.  there was only one kind of math notebook there, so i bought it.  i actually used points for it (finally, a point system in japan that works well!  well, misudo has a pretty good system, too) which was easy, and after a quick stop at the ATM to move some money around, i headed off to the school.  i went by the office at first to drop it off, but i told the teacher who was there that hiro had class right now, and that i didn't mind taking it up.  so, i went to the second grade room to give hiro the notebook, but it turns out i didn't get the right one!  he needed one with more boxes on the pages, and so i gave up.  i should have gone to another store later today, but i just didn't get around to it.  something i have to do tomorrow.  also, when dropping off the notebook hiro asked about his pencils.  apparently he forgot them at home!  i don't know what to do.  i don't want to nag him, and punishment doesn't seem to work.  i want to get a reward sheet going but oh man!  what a PITA, and he doesn't really seem to care.  maybe at first will work but after missing a day he'll probably just give up or something.  what to do, what to do....

so, anyway, i went to 7-11 to get something for breakfast, and then i went to the nearest post office.  there's a neat little post office practically across the street from the 7-11 (which is right up the road from the school) and when i got there i actually thought it was closed.  but the way the building is situated, you can't really see straight inside.  and when i went inside, i actually thought i was in someone's house (although it is *clearly* marked and signed as a post office!)  there were comfy plush chairs and a lovely coffee table where one would fill out their paperwork (either bank or post) and that really threw me off!  also, i think they are engaging in power saving methods because maybe half the lights were turned on.  anyway, the counter looked like a normal post office counter, so i asked the guy there if the post office was open.  he was a bit confused, then asked me what i needed to do.  i took out my envelope and told him i needed to send it to the US.  he weighed it (it was quite hefty!) and then couldn't figure out what to do with it!  i wonder if i was the first person to send international mail from his post office....he had to call someone just to ask how much postage to charge.  he also asked me to write 'airmail' on it.  done and done.  i only hope i paid enough postage and they send it off right away, as taxes are due on the 15th and i do NOT want to get that envelope back!!

so, i went back home to tidy up the classroom, because one student missed a class last week and i said she could make it up today.  her mom was ok with missing a class (but paying for it), but seemed grateful that i would make a concession for her.  the classroom is off limit to my kids now, so it tends to be something of a dumping ground over the weekend.  after tidying up i messed around on facebook, and did some blog exploring before heading off to starbucks.

last week i met up with kuri and we went to starbucks before going back home.  i tried the vanilla chiffon cake and it was DELICIOUS!  so, i wanted more, and that's why i went to starbucks.  however, i seem to have finally tried a piece of that delicious cake just as they were selling it for the last time!  i went to two starbucks today and neither had the cake.  *sob*  instead there were several new kinds of treats, including a 'classic' chocolate cake that was ok, but not really all that fabulous.  i guess i should be grateful that i won't be tempted by DELICIOUS vanilla cake.

so, i go back home in plenty of time to meet the bus.  i goof off a bit on FB (evil!) and then get the email from the bus that it is about to arrive.  as i head out the door, though, the phone rings and it's the school.  it turns out that sasha had a headache and a slight fever before getting on the bus and her teacher wanted me to take her to the doctor!  well!  guess i couldn't have the make up lesson after all.  :(  the teacher thought tommy might need to go to the doctor as well.  so, i tell the student's mother that i have to take sasha to the clinic (they are at the same bus stop).  when they get off the bus, the teacher on the bus also tells me about sasha's illness and that was actually quite nice.  the bus arrives just before hiro finishes school, so i get sasha and tommy home and changed, then into the car.  oh, and sasha?  as active as a 3-month-old puppy!  but, we go pick up hiro and then go to the doctor.  her temperature has gone down but the doctor reckons she has a cold so we get some medicine and go home.

well, with a stop at the grocery store first, but this post is already long enough!

get home and sasha wants to play outside so bad! but i won't let her and oh the tears.  poor sasha.  hiro won't do his homework so i have to practically stand over him as he writes a few sentences out of his japanese drill book into his notebook.  this sucks so much.  *sigh*  make dinner, but only pasta, and i think i should email yoshi but, meh.  however, yoshi comes home earlier than expected and yeah, poor yoshi, no dinner.  i did manage to clean the kitchen a bit so there's that.

and now i need to get to bed.  i really really hope tomorrow is better than today!