Babbling

So this morning I went to the commissary with Alyssa while Danica was at preschool. I was minding my own business searching for swedish fish (because they have been out for the last month) when I heard a voice behind me say “excuse me, can you please reach up there and get that for me?” I turned and saw a nice Japanese woman and then glanced back over my shoulder so see if she was talking to me. No one has ever asked vertically challenged me that question. But sure enough, she was asking me and even better, I was able to reach the box of chocolates she wanted. Two of them in fact. She seriously made my day! I love being around the Japanese...

I had a nice birthday last week. Thank you for all the well wishes. It was a normal busy week with soccer practice, Tom’s meetings, watching some extra kids, making a DVD of girls camp stuff, helping with a girls camp final activity Wednesday night, and RS presidency meeting. But I managed to squeeze in some fun and went out to lunch with my friends on my birthday, we got ice cream after dinner on my birthday (in between soccer and my presidency meeting). Friday night we went out to Chili’s, with the kids. We actually had a good time and they even sang to us. Hayden was so embarrassed and Alyssa loved it. It was great to feel American...

Alyssa is a little cheese ball and loves attention and teasing her older siblings. She’s in that grab something and run away phase...love it... the other day I was buckling her in the car seat and she started going crazy. I asked what was wrong and she smiled and said “Oh, me just freakin.” Such a clown. Her favorite game is to play mom and dad with Danica and her friends. Alyssa gets to be the baby and loves it. When the other kids aren’t around she tries to play it with me and will tell me that she is different kids and insist that I call her the other name. At gymnastics she announced she was Danica and I had to call her Dani the entire time. It turned out great, she was so obedient and participated in everything. I wish I had figured this trick out sooner...

Danica really is a nice obedient little girl. I feel so lucky. Right now her thing is to say “I love you the whole wide world!” It makes no sense but I know what she means so I love it. She’s great at taking care of Alyssa and is a huge help to me. I can ask her to help her get dressed or go potty, whatever and she’s eager to do it. It’s awesome, I hope it lasts...

Hayden is sitting over here complaining about having to do homework. He’s currently spinning his new yo-yo frisbee and saying that he has more important things to do than homework, or at least more fun things.... yeah, don’t we all? Luckily, I just say to him “fine, then don’t do it and get a bad grade.” He freaks out and gets busy. I wonder how long that will last...

Tom and I went on nice bike ride on Saturday. He’s nice to go at my leisurely pace (leisure to him, killer work out to me.) We had time to go 30 miles thanks to the free child care we can use the first Saturday of every month. Saturday night we had friends over for a fish fry. They went deep sea fishing early in the morning so the fish was very fresh. Tom and I told them we don’t like fish but they could come over and cook it and hang out. Turns out we do like fish, it was really good! We’re lucky to have great friends. Too bad they are leaving us. It’s actually really depressing and I try not to think about it. Several of our really good friends are moving this summer. Okinawa will not be the same without them...

So anything else random I can write about it? Hmmm.... yesterday we went to the Dragon boat races. This week is Golden Week, a week that has three Japanese holidays so schools are closed, businesses shut down and everyone enjoys the festivals. I took Hayden out of school and we went to a big festival so we could cheer on my friends who were on the Navy women’s racing team. They won and it was very exciting and a fun atmosphere. Hayden was just happy to be out of school eating cotton candy and sno-cones. Lucky kid...

In our effort to become triathletes I recently tried swimming. My foot was injured so I needed something different and thought it was finally the perfect time. After a few failed attempts where all the lanes were full (no, I was not going to crowd into a lane that already had three marines swimming in it, thank you.) I finally got in one day. Swimming was great, it was the first time in my life I had ever swam laps. I didn’t expect to be good, I just wanted to try it. So then I went a second time and sadly the more I tried the more I realized I was terrible!! I loved the challenge and the instant fatigue and muscle soreness but I was so embarrassed knowing that I look like, and feel like, I am on the verge of drowning at the end of each lap. So until I find someone who can be my coach I am going to back off and focus on my biking for a while. They do have adult swim lessons here and I think I may give that a shot. I’m not giving up, I just need help...

Well, I could probably babble all night. I actually wrote up a long blog entry earlier today and then the power went out and I lost it all. I don’t know if this one is as good but I am just sitting here waiting for Tom to finish up some paperwork for a background check at work and figured I’d try to get it done. The weather is really unpredictable right now, it goes from sticky humid hot, to cold and rainy, to gorgeous warm and clear. You never know what is coming. My eyes are starting to get blurry so I may have to give up on waiting for Tom... have a great night!