6:00 AM – Waking Up an Hour Late!
I was supposed to wake up at 5:00 AM, but when I finally opened my eyes, it was already 6:00 AM.
Oh no! My eldest son had morning practice, and I was already way behind schedule.
Rushing to the kitchen, I quickly prepared his bento and breakfast.
Normally, he would need to leave home by 6:00 AM to catch public transportation, but there was no time for that today. I had no choice but to drive him to school myself.
Somehow, I managed to drop him off by 7:00 AM, but it was a chaotic start to the day.
7:30 AM – Preparing Breakfast for My Husband and Youngest Son
Once back home, I immediately started preparing breakfast for my husband and youngest son.
As always, I prioritized everyone else’s meals, leaving mine for later—or sometimes not at all.
Lately, my diet has been far from balanced.
With so many things to do, I often find myself skipping meals or just grabbing whatever is quickest.
8:30 AM – Off to Work as an Exam Proctor (No Time to Pack My Own Lunch)
This week, I have several days scheduled as an exam proctor, which means standing all day from morning until evening.
Now that I’m in my late 40s, I can really feel the decline in my stamina.
A few years ago, this level of activity wouldn’t have been a problem, but now, my body doesn’t recover as quickly.
And on top of that, I’ve been dealing with chronic sleep deprivation.
I’m sure most mothers in Japan can relate—between household responsibilities, work, and raising kids, there’s hardly any time left for ourselves.
I often wonder, how do all these Japanese moms manage everything so well?
➡️Click here to read about sleep deprivation among Japanese mothers.
Meanwhile, I’m typing this diary entry on the train during my commute, because there’s simply no other time to do it.
Skipping My Own Lunch (Again…)
With the hectic morning, I completely forgot to pack a bento for myself.
So, on the way to work, I stopped by a convenience store and grabbed a ham and cheese sandwich.
5:00 PM – Finished Work, Home by 6:00 PM
After standing all day until 5:00 PM, I finally finished work and made my way home.
I arrived by 6:00 PM, just in time to start preparing dinner.
However, my kids both had tennis lessons from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, so they wouldn’t be home for a while.
Thankfully, my husband took care of driving them to and from practice, giving me a small break.
7:00 PM – Dinner: Croquette Set Meal (Forgot to Take a Photo!)
Tonight’s dinner was croquette set meal.
But I was so exhausted that I completely forgot to take a picture.
I ate mine first and left the rest for my family.
By the time they got home at 9:30 PM, we could finally eat together.
10:30 PM – Cleaning Up Late Again and… Wait, It’s Setsubun!?
After dinner, cleaning up took longer than expected, and once again, I found myself staying up later than planned.
I sighed, wondering, “When will I ever get a full night’s sleep?”
Then, as I finally crawled into bed, it suddenly hit me.
Forget Setsubun!
“Wait… wasn’t today Setsubun!?”
That’s right—today was Setsubun, the traditional Japanese festival where we throw roasted soybeans to drive away bad luck and eat a rolled sushi (ehōmaki) in silence, facing a lucky direction.
Every year, we at least do something small for the occasion.
But this year, with all the chaos, it completely slipped my mind.
No one in my family mentioned it either, so I assume they didn’t notice.
And honestly, at this point, I don’t have the energy to throw beans or clean them up afterward.
So, I’ve officially decided: this year, we’re skipping Setsubun.
Hopefully, next year, I’ll have a bit more time to properly celebrate.
➡️Click here to read about Setsubun!
Tomorrow is another early morning, so I need to sleep soon.
Good night.
