My Nihongo classes started two weeks ago.
And they're exhausting me.
You see, I'm used to being exhausted. Being so tired I could barely lift my leg. I went through 4 months of my first pregnancy with countless episodes of hyperemesis gravidarum alone because hubsy had finished his Masters in UTM and had to report back to work in Melaka. I once drove for 140km daily, embracing Pasir Gudang's traffic, while fighting through morning sickness during my second pregnancy, and a baby who still breastfed for 7 months waiting at home. I could do it all. No problems no complaints whatsoever.
But I haven't been so for almost two years, so this kind of exhaustion feels nowhere near the ones I had back in my full time working mom days. Like you stopped having a baby for like 4 years or so and then bammmmm you're pregnant again (which I'm not, by the way). Everything feels like the first time.
And it's killing me. And my legs.
I have three classes per week. Ok four, but two of them are on the same day. My day starts at 6.45am (lets face it, Subuh is now at 3.00 a.m., no one starts their day that early right? Of course we go back to bed). The first thing I do is put the dirty laundries in the machine. Then I make breakfast for the kids, usually just some biscuits or bread or cornflakes with warm milk, and move to preparing bento for three kids (they have menu prepared by school so I usually will try my best to follow it). Usually by the time their bento are all packed, they have finished their breakfast and I comb their hair, put on their shoes, jackets and bags. And hubsy sends them down waiting for their bus. I continue cooking lunch for hubsy's bento, at the same time, I make our breakfast. All of these happen within ONE HOUR, so can you imagine how multitasking I am in the morning? Hectic morning, and it ain't over yet no no.
At 8.15, hubsy finishes his dhuha and sits at the dining table, with his breakfast already prepped and his bento packed, safely inside his bag. We eat breakfast together, and at 8.30, I take my shower.
By 8.50am, we are all inside the car, ready to go. Hubsy sends me to the subway station near his campus for me to catch the 9.08 train, arrive at the town around 9.20, and I have to walk approximately 900m from the subway station to Ayman's hoikuen, and another 750m from Ayman's hoikuen to Shimin Centre, where all my nihongo classes are held. I'm always late, obviously, but in the occasion where we both missed the alarm, hubsy will send us straight to Ayman hoikuen, and from there I walk to Shimin Centre.
My classes are from 9.30 - 12.20, and then I quickly walk 700m again to Ayman's hoikuen, fetch him, and walk quickly again with long strides while pushing a stroller for another 1.2km to catch the 12.59 p.m. or 1.24 p.m. bus, so that I can make it home before Amsyar and Ammar get home. In a good day Ayman stays awake throughout the entire 40 minutes bus journey and climbs three flight of stairs to our house himself, but lets face it a good day rarely happens so he usually sleeps the entire journey and will not stop crying until I carry him upstairs. So I have to carry a 13kg boy, a 6kg stroller plus my 3kg backpack to the third floor. THIRD FLOOR.
It is 1.50 p.m. or 2.00 p.m. now, depending on which bus I manage to catch. By this time I'm usually almost dead and my legs are almost detached from my body but hey, my day isn't over so I can't die just yet. And you, legs, stay right there you can't fall off yet your service is still needed.
At 2.25 the kids' school bus arrives, and also depending on Ammar's mood, I'm either holding both their hands climbing the stairs together, or Amsyar climbs on his own and I have to carry 18kg Ammar to the third floor (I always wonder why I'm getting fatter and fatter, I carry so much weight almost every day and I eat less than husby but he doesn't put on any kgs at all). Help them with shower and clothes, and then feed them lunch (again - they had their lunch at school already but they're such monsters they're still hungry).
And then only I have my lunch. At 3.30 p.m.
Can't die yet.
And then it's suddenly 4.00 p.m., and I'm still in the kitchen whipping up food for my school of piranhas. Sometimes it's donut, or choc cuppies, or karipap, or just keropok ikan or store-bought french fries if I'm too tired. It usually also depends on the school bento menu, if they're having sausage roll or hamburger tomorrow then I make bread. And in between I let them colour or draw or play with their toys or watch tv,
And then it's time to cook dinner. 5.30 p.m. now.
Yes, I cook different meal for lunch and dinner, because my kids are that picky, they won't eat the same thing twice on the same day.
Feed them dinner around 6.30 p.m., teach them Iqra and some ABC and numbers after Maghrib/Isyak (whichever happens around 7.00 p.m. depending on the season). Brush their teeth, help them change into pajamas and at 8.30 p.m., FORCE them to sleep. After the kids are in bed, I clean the kitchen, prep for tomorrow's bento menu, swipe the dusty floor (I swipe the floor every day and somehow it's always dusty - with biscuit crumbs and sticky rice on the floor), read notes from their sensei (they always have notes) and around 9.15, I retire to the bedroom and catch up with social media, or read books. Depends on whether I want to socialize with people or not that day.
Usually at 8.15 p.m. husby comes home and has his dinner while I'm struggling to keep the kids still while brushing their teeth. At 8.50 p.m., he goes to Masjid for Isyak and comes home at 9.40 p.m. to a tired wife, under the blankies, reading her book.
No no my day ain't over yet. No no.
It is now MY time.
And I spend it with at least 30 minutes of Nihongo (more if I have complicated homework), having a conversation with hubsy to report to him about how my day went and what new things his sons just learned to do today, or just to annoy him when he's too absorbed with his game he doesn't even hear a word I say. He rarely brought his work home with him, but sleeps late anyway catching up with his game (it changes, from Football Manager to whatever-I-couldn't-care-less). Sometimes when I'm too occupied with the kids (there are days where they want to draw or colour or read or want me to read) in the evening and they have bread in the menu tomorrow, I make bread.
And then it's suddenly 12.00 a.m. Time really does fly.
And when I just about to call it a day and doze off, Ayman wakes up (sometimes crying) asking for milk.
And only then I sleep.
To wake up again at 3.00 a.m. for Subuh.
And Amsyar peeing at 5.00 a.m.
And start the whole routine again at 6.45 a.m.
And this is three times a week. The other two I spend catching up with laundries (if the weather is good) and housewifing (read : washing the bathroom and the toilet, cleaning rooms, sorting clothes according to the season etc)
My husband helps too, when he can. He is the one prepping the kids in the morning - shower, dressing them with school uniforms, feed them breakfast (no not really he just sits with them making sure that they finish the food). He also throws the trash every morning.
And wakes up early during weekend to entertain the kids and makes the breakfast while letting me sleep in until 9.00 a.m. #howcaninotlovehim
I know there are thousands of housewives out there with more daily tasks and exhausting days than me, and this post is not me complaining.
This is just me pouring my head out before it explodes.
Speaking of exploding head, I have a post on MY tantrum in the draft, which I have yet to finished because it's too long. Longer than this one mind you.
Oh heck it's 5.54 p.m. now and I need to cook dinner and feed these tiny monsters I share my home with.
Now who's complaining for that long summer holiday, huh? ----> also me
And despite me questioning why the hell am I torturing myself with this alien language every time I try to complete my homework, I WILL NOT GIVE UP MY NIHONGO CLASS. They literally keep me sane.
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