Too Long

Hi all, I'm sorry it has been so long since the last time I posted anything... This week I have had a different schedule than usual. On last Friday the boys 'officially' got out of school, but they have had half days every day this week... Well, Eastin has anyway... On Monday Aidan got dehydrated from being outside most of the day for soccer. On Tuesday and Wednesday he ran a low grade fever and couldn't go to school. Eastin left at the normal time every morning (8:45) and got home about 11:00. This week I taught Eastin how to play Go Fish with my deck of cards. After that, he nor Aidan wanted to do anything besides play card games with me for three days! I even had to hide my deck so they wouldn't start games without my consent. :)

Yesterday afternoon I kept all three boys for a few hours. We made delicious cookie bars while Coen was napping. Maybe sometime soon I will post that recipe. It was another of my made up successes. Last night I also made the Mediterranean pasta dish that I love to make. I will tell the recipe for that, because it was excellent! I added to and changed a few of the regular ingredients. I also used rice pasta rather than wheat pasta so that it would be family friendly. I think I like the rice pasta better, because it soaks up flavor more than regular spaghetti and because it's stickier. The flavors stuck to it rather than falling off when you pick it up. After dinner, I washed some dishes, and got to read a chapter out of one of my favorite books to the boys. I read Farmer Boy. Then I put all three of them to bed and had time to talk to my family and watch one I Love Lucy episode.

On Wednesday I went with Abi and the two older boys to the mall. It is HUGE! There is a cinema on one end, and the top floor is the food court. The rest of it is small stores like in our malls. There was an L. L. Bean store, and a Uni Qlo, and a GAP, and lots of other stores.

This morning I woke up at 5:00 to the sound of the building creaking and swaying. There was a very small earthquake. This one was smaller than the first one I remember. The after-sway didn't last as long. Roger said that he felt it. I didn't feel it so much as just hear it... I think what I hear every time is the giant springs underneath the building as they move. It's kind of freaky...

I have been able to go for a walk yesterday and today. Yesterday I walked across the river on one bridge (to the left of us), walked along the inside edge of of the neighboring island, and then walked across the other bridge (to our right), and came back here. The whole thing only took about 45 minutes. Today I walked across yet another bridge, to the other neighboring island, and walked along the river about a mile and back. That took 30 minutes. The heat index today is 105 degrees. Thankfully there was a small breeze some of the time to keep it bearable.

Well, tomorrow is my day off, but I don't know what I'll end up doing. I have an engagement from 7:00 to about 9:00 AM tomorrow...I plan to sleep... And I won't be woken up by 6:45 piano lessons, since the teacher(Roger) is on a camping trip this weekend with the oldest student(Aidan).

I have learned the past two weeks that on clear days the sun is really bright by 5:45. So maybe tonight I'll close my curtains. ...This would be a good night for Netflix... :(

Well, next week my days will be even busier since I'm doing three days of English with Eastin and Hinako, and Eastin doesn't have school next week at all.

I may post something tomorrow, depending on what I decide to do...

My love to you all,

Hannah