School Outing

Now that my husband takes both the children to school on his way to work my mornings are very relaxed. I am not a typical Japanese housewife who makes everyone's breakfast - it is very much a free for all here where everyone gets what they want for themselves. I am also not a typical Japanese housewife who makes her husband lunch every day - he buys it at work. Therefore mornings generally involve me getting up last and making sure everyone has eaten, washed faces, brushed teeth, practiced the piano and then shove them out the door. Of course once they are gone I don't sit around in my pajamas all day and am generally in the garden by 8:30am - but till then it is pretty lazy.
This morning I did have to get up a bit earlier than usual though as the kids had their school outing and therefore needed packed lunches. They were catching the train from close to their school to the next station (a total of 4 minutes) and then walking up the hill to the park where it sounds like they will be sliding down the grass banks on chicken feed bags before coming home again on the 4 minute train. Back to the lunches... in New Zealand you throw a sandwich, a piece of fruit, a muesli bar and perhaps some yogurt in a bag and you are done. If only it was so simple in Japan! It wouldn't be so bad if my son would actually eat some vegetables (he eats them all at school).. Notice the one tiny stick of broccoli and the cucumber hidden amongst the other things to give it a bit of colour. Oh well, I guess I shouldn't complain - they only need lunches about 4 times a year. Perhaps I should put in a little more effort next time....