Cutting the Stress

There are some things I have started or done recently to cut the stress on me and my family. Not big stress things, just irritating things. So, I thought I'd tell you all about them!!!

• We bought a kitchen/dining table for 500 yen - 5 USD! I blogged about this earlier, but last night as Ryu was at our 18 inch counter preparing the yaki-niku with the last of the sauce he calls Megu's Megumi (Megu's Mom made it for us!), I stood at the table and cut vegetables! Two work stations in our kitchen! SOOOOOOO wonderful!
• I was talking with two different Japanese friends at different times. It was getting on towards dinner time so I asked what they were going to make for dinner. Both had already made dinner that MORNING!?!?!?! I was speechless. Then, realizing I am much more energetic in the morning than in the evening, started making most of our dinners in the morning. And it's fun!
• As dinner is made in the morning, Jun and I have time in the evenings to PICK UP before Daddy gets home! This makes DADDY soooooo happy! Us too!
• Along the dinner lines, I started making weekly menus again - after three years! HAHAHA! Though I love to read recipes on the internet, I don't have THAT much time to prepare menus. So, each week I take a different cookbook down, flip through it, make out a menu and shopping list, and - after shopping - am good to go. Ryu is SOOO happy! I use one cookbook, so I only have to write a page number for the recipe. Lazy!?!? And, I add internet recipes as I remember them.
• I said I would get progressive lenses (glasses) if a baby came to us. But, three years ago, still no baby. So, I got my regular distance/eye stress glasses and have made do with about 5-6 pairs of reading glasses over the last three years. With a baby who is "almost three!", this has been a bit stressful. I have different strength reading glasses for each kind of distance. Computer, reading, general seeing at close distances, etc. And I can NEVER find the ones I need. And, sometimes can just never find ANY of them. I am always asking Ryu or Jun to help me find my glasses. And, that just gets old for them and me. Too much time wasted. So, I bit the bullet and now have a pair of progressive lenses. The first afternoon I was fine. The next day was great. The day after that I couldn't see anything at all. I have not been in focus for years, so my eyes and mind need to remember to CARE that things CAN be in focus if I move my head just the right way. But, what a relief!
• I also went to a long-delayed doctors appt. The "yearly exam" has been put off for about 4 years! Getting caught up on these things removes one more boring conversation topic and fears of...what if!
• Yesterday, as I was collapsed on the couch after dinner and wearily getting Jun ready for bed, I realized again how much happier my evenings are on the days I can take a nap with Jun. It means NO "Kim-only" time, but, with my nap, I enjoy my family MUCH MUCH more!
• I made a "wardrobe" for Jun out of a rather deep book-case. I put three drawers in it for undies/socks, and one for pj's, and one for fall sweaters. I put a curtain rod in the middle section to hang her beautiful dresses (Thanks M, A, and H!), so she can easily reach and select a dress - she usually wears dresses everyday now - with pants if it is cold!
• Ryu called our Realtor twice this past month and we have new screens on all our windows and a new door handle on the bath!!!! YEAH! Big irritations GONE!
• I have a policy for Jun to have an adult friend with her in the Phonics class, so I can actually teach and not just chase Jun around the room! Thanks everyone!
• Jun has been telling me "no" in Japanese over the last year, and it never has bothered me. This past week she started looking me in the eye and telling me "no" in English! THAT hit a button. I was speechless! Then I prayed and took a clue from Jun. When I tell Jun "no" she often asks me why. So, when she tells me "no", I answer with a "why?" And it has resulted in interesting conversations and less "no's" recently.
• OH, and for anyone with little kids, this is a GREAT STRESS RELIEVER!!! Jun LOVES to blow bubbles. In the bath, outside, ANYWHERE! And, it seems we are ALWAYS out of bubbles liquid. And the stores around us sell it in tiny tiny bottles only. I've not found a re-fill jug yet! The other day my dear friend Kaoru showed me how to make some with stuff I actually have in my kitchen. Put 2-3 drops of dish soap in the little bottle, add a bit of water, put about 1/16-1/8 tsp. of katakuriko - potato starch (I wonder if corn starch would work too?) in, add a little more water, shake it up and wait for a couple of minutes. This makes STRONG bubbles Jun holds in her hand! YEAH!

What else? Hmmm. A few more areas of stress to DEAL with are getting the full year prepped for my Toddler's and Phonics classes. The prepping in general is not bad at all, but...first the church's CD player died. So, I carry our portable Walkman to church each week (only forgotten once so far), and connect it to speakers, and... Then I tried to burn CD's of just the songs I wanted to use on that day. And the CD player doesn't read CD-RW CD's apparently. And yesterday my computer refused to burn to CD-R discs when it had done so quite nicely only a few weeks ago. Ate two CD's. Next the OHP died, so I have to print out copies of the song lyrics (the class is really for the Mamas to learn the songs and dances and do them at home with their kiddos), and make enlarged copies at the Convenience Store, tape them together, etc. So, the OTHER stresses are driving me crazy with those classes again.

A trip to the dentist is also on my to-do list. Hmmmm. Oh, and COSTCO is coming to a station "near" us soon!!!!! That will be sooooo nice - I hope!

Well, do you have any tips or projects you are doing to make your life easier?