Today when I phoned the home, they said that FIL has taken a bath (which is great in itself!), has been eating well and went shopping with one of the staff today so obviously he is doing okay. Neither of us were able to go but the woman said that once a week is fine, especially as he was still settling in. It was nice to be told because now we don't have to feel as if we should be going every day. It also means I have some time to start sorting out his room and also start on packing.

Today was my nursery class and I've more or less decided that I'm going to give it up. Every week when Tuesday comes around, I inwardly groan and get very little pleasure from teaching there. Some days it goes okay but on average, I'm dragging my feet and could really do with the morning to myself, especially since my next class is at 4.30 so I would more or less have the whole day free. I'm going to decide for definite by next week and if I do decide to stop, I'll tell them next week to give them time to find somebody else. (The whole of August is a holiday so if I work until the end of July, they only have to find someone from September).

With everything to do with Setsuo's father, the need to pack and move and also all the new kids that started classes from April (some of them *still* haven't settled down yet), I feel totally worn out and am in dire need of a rest. Maybe once we have moved - we are going to use a removal company even though it is just around the corner- and I've been to NZ, I'll feel more refreshed.

We have decided to insert a wall between the living room and toilet/bathroom/entrance and make a hallway and the carpenters should start working on it this week sometime. Since it is only a wall that is being added it shouldn't take too long and hopefully it won't make that much difference to the size of the living room. At least it will give those going to the loo a bit more privacy!

Yet another rainy day here.

We had planned to take Setsuo's father to the home today but because it was pouring down yesterday (thus he couldn't leave the house) we decided to try yesterday. He refused to leave the house at all so we decided that Setsuo would take him to the Aunt's house in Fukuchiyama (1.5 hrs drive away) and then go straight to the home on the way back. While they were away, Aya and I took some of his things and also bought cabinets for his room and took them to the home. After that we went to Costco since I thought I had plenty of time before Setsuo got back to Osaka only there were crowds there and it took forever to park the car. When we finally got to the entrance, Setsuo phoned to say that they had left about 20 minutes ago and would arrive back in Osaka within the hour. We only had time to whiz through the shop (it was so busy there weren't even any trolleys) and then get an extra card made so that Aya can go on her own before having to start back to the home. As we drove up to the entrance, Setsuo was arrving at exactly the same time!

The people on duty came to the entrance and Setsuo's father went in okay although didn't seem to be too happy and even when we went into his room, he didn't complain so I've a feeling he may have realised what was going to happen. Once inside, we said it was because we were moving house and the old house needed to have work done on it and he said okay. I think it may have been easier because he was tired from the journey and just wanted to lie down. Anyway, we went again this morning and he was still okay although said that they had taken all his cakes from his shopping trolley - which was true, they have taken them but will hand them to him one by one so that he also eats his meals. He had eaten all of his breakfast apart from the yoghurt so he obviously isn't too upset although he did ask if he had to stay there for good and was asking about taxis! Here's hoping that he settles in okay and doesn't escape!

Because we are now into the rainy season, today is very hot and humid and I'm sitting here wringing with both rain and sweat. Keita phoned about half an hour ago to ask if I'd take his swimming gear to school since he'd forgotten it. Going was fine but coming back it started pouring down so by the time I got back to the house I was drenched. I went upstairs to close the windows but decided to just stay in these clothes since it's nearly lunch time anyway and I was in the middle of assembling a rack for 3 rubbish bins in the school (we have to recycle so these should make it easier). I'm obviously challenged in that area because it took forever to get it right - I knew what I *should* be doing, I just couldn't do it. Anyway, as you can see from the photos, a bucket of sweat and 30 minutes later, I've conquered it.

We managed to get Setsuo's father's physical done. The doctor did a house visit on Friday night and did everything apart from the x-ray and then after us being unable to get him to go for one, his Care Manager managed to talk him into going with her on Tuesday afternoon. Today, we finally got the results back (he is very healthy!) and have handed them to the woman from the home. We have decided to take him on Monday morning so keep your fingers crossed that it all goes well. Both of us are having second thoughts - probably Setsuo more than me - but at the same time realise that it may be a blessing for him if it all works out. Now we also have to find the money......

Just a quick post to show you Keita's height. We measured him on his birthday and the top black line is his (it says Keita, aged 13 against it) and the black line directly under it is me (my name starts with what looks like a capital I). I'm not sure what the faint line under that is, but probably Keita earlier in the year. Under that one, is Keita's on his 12th birthday. There is another faint one (which is Aya's friend) and then a whole load of Aya, Lisa and Kana - they didn't grow much from there so all the lines are very close to each other. The very last one in the picture (there are more on the wall) is Keita when he was 10.

The other photo was taken last Sunday at a baseball match. You can see that his new Number is 18 - the same as one of the pro pitchers although I can't remember which one! They won the match so are into the finals this Sunday.

Since the last post, I've found out that not all the airlines will be putting up their prices to the extent of Air NZ. There will be an increase by all, just not as much as I feared. Pheww!

By the time I got round to booking, Air NZ were more or less full for the month of August so we are going with Cathay Pacific. Osaka - Taipei - Hong Kong - Auckland with a 4 hour layover in Hong Kong. On the way back there is no Taipei stop so it will be a bit easier. Instead of travelling straight on to Christchurch as planned, we are going to spend the first 4 days with Stephanie, then fly into Timaru (20 minutes away from Kana's host family) for 4 days. We'll take Kana back with us to Auckland and spend the next week with Stephanie again and the three of us will leave on the 23rd - Kana back to Timaru at 7am, us to Osaka at 7.30am. Poor Setsuo still doesn't get to go on holiday but at least both Keita and Aya will be there to keep him company - just Lisa and I will be going.

We hit a brick wall with Setsuo's father and the home. Before they will allow him to move in he has to have a physical and I got him as far as the Doctor's office but then he refused to go in. Nothing we said would make him go so tonight the Doctor is coming to the house to do most of it and we are hoping we can think of a way of getting him to go for the X-ray. I was so frustrated I could have wrung his neck! Before the doc comes, we also have to find a way of getting him to give a urine sample so looks like we're going to be having fun tonight.

I was also a bit fed up last week because I should have been going to an English Teacher's meeting on the 22nd and then out to a BBQ with friends later but then found out that the BBall needs our car that day. They are in the middle of a tournament and when there are 'away' matches, we have to take them. I'd been looking forward to going but I suppose I'll also enjoy the BB when I get there - it would be nice if I didn't have to go EVERY week though.

I reckoned I should do something about my flights to NZ to see Kana, so this morning I telephoned the travel agency that I always use. I had already got prices for September but after thinking about it, I'll need to take a week off for the standard O-bon holiday in August anyway so it makes more sense to either add a week before or after it rather than taking another 2 week holiday in September. I thought it was going to be a lot more expensive but in actual fact there's only about 20,000 yen difference. But..... they told me that all the airlines are going to be adding a big fuel surcharge to all tickets booked AFTER July 1st and it is big - in fact its gigantic. My ticket will cost around 168,000 yen if I book before the end of June but then goes up to a whopping 455,000 on July 1st. At those prices, I doubt we'll be going very far in the future. So my advice is, if you are thinking of going anywhere abroad this year, book your tickets this month and at least you'll get ONE holiday a bit cheaper (I'll be booking mine early next week).

Yesterday the woman from the home came to assess Setsuo's father. For some reason, he had left his hearing aid at home - he usually never lets it out of his sight in fear of someone 'stealing' it - and no matter how much Setsuo searched for it, he couldn't find it. The hardest part was getting his father to stay in the office until she arrived at 10am. When she did arrive, he was very well behaved (albeit he couldn't hear a word she was saying) and now we have to take him to the Doctors to get a health check. I feel relieved that he may be going and our lives will be a lot easier without having to worry about him but at the same time I also feel guilty that we are even thinking of putting him in a home. I keep trying to tell myself that if he settles in the home, his life may actually improve because there will be people there trained to look after him and listen to all his stories with patience. At the moment, apart from going out shopping everyday, he really has no interests - he doesn't even watch TV. If I feel like this, I'm sure Setsuo feels it twice as much. Sadly the rest of the family don't seem to care one way or another - apart from maybe his sister who lives in the UK. If it doesn't work out, then we will bring him home and re-think.

Every year, on the kid's birthdays, we have drawn a line on one wall showing their height/age (we also have one for me and Setsuo and even one for Aya's friend who was there when we were added one) and this year will be the first time that my line isn't the highest. Although Keita still has 10 days to go before before his birthday, he is coming up for 180 cm (5'11"). (One of the doors between 2 rooms is 180cm high and his hair is now touching the top of the frame). He is also about 75kg (11.5 st) so no wimp!! Even though his weight is quite heavy, he is no longer plump but definitely solid. I think we'll probably take a note of all the lines on the wall and re-write them somewhere in the new house when we move. If I remember, I'll also take a photo of the lines to post here.

Photos from the meal part on Sunday.

The weekend was tiring.

Lisa came home on Saturday (with a cold) and was a good help in getting things prepared for everyone arriving on the Sunday. The four of us (Setsuo, Lisa, Keita and I) went to the new house and Lisa and Keita arranged Keita's things in his bedroom while I cleaned up and Setsuo prepared the Shrine. I'd already been out and bought all the food and drinks that we needed and had them in the classroom fridge ready for the morning.

On Sunday everyone arrived about 10am and the monk came around 11am (5 minutes before he arrived I realised that I'd forgotten the shrine flowers and had only collected the special arrangement that was to sit beside it so had to rush out to the nearest florist and grab a bunch - he arrived before I got back but I managed to place them on the altar before he started the ceremony). After that we all went out for a meal and then everyone left around 4.30 or 5pm. Because we had to go to the temple afterwards, we decided to go out for dinner too - I really couldn't have faced cooking. By the time we got back I was fit for nothing so had a few beers (goodbye beer diet) and then collapsed into bed. Luckily Keita had school holiday the next day so I didn't need to get up early.

Yesterday Lisa had almost lost her voice and sounded pretty rough but said she didn't feel that bad and left at about 9.30pm to go back home because she had a report to hand in to Uni today - wonder if she managed to finish it.

On another note, we got a phone call from one of the homes today to say that there was a place available and they are coming the day after tomorrow to interview Setsuo's father (and us?). On Sunday I think all the relatives realised that his father is becoming more and more senile.

Beer wise, I had one on Saturday and then about 4 altogether on Sunday, none yesterday but I'm going to have one when I go home tonight. At least it's better that one (or more) every night!