The Long Good Monday

I knew it was going to be a long day.
I knew it when I woke up at 5.30, I knew it when I was out of coffee, and I knew it when Kevin got up about 40 seconds after me, putting the kibosh on my morning routine of watching America’s Next Top Model, while drinking [...]

The Boy, The Monks and the Road to Enlightenment.

I discovered today that the road to enlightment is not easy, not easy at all, and it isn`t straight, nor is it signposted, and it is a very long way from the bus stop.
We dispatched our fine young son Kevin off to a temple in Koriyama to be a novice monk for 3 days. We [...]

disgusting insect infestation

My daughter has nits. I heard from others at the beginning of summer that a lot of 3rd graders had it, but as nothing developed I thought we had escaped.
This morning however she said her head was itchy and I had a look and sure enough we have an infestation.
At the moment no one else [...]

Again with the Tanaka San rule

The funny thing is, I bumped into her at the gomi nets, as you do, and we got chatting. I told her the whole DS saga and she says,
” Oh I have one, I love it, I use it for cooking and gardening and kanji study”.
The rule remains unviolated.

I caved !

The pressure became too much for me. The constant, incessant begging and pleading, I threw away my values, my standards, my moral compass for a moments peace and to witness pure joy.
My kids really really want a Nintendo DS.
We have tried hard to keep video/tv whatever they are called games out of the house. A [...]