birthday party and summer sweeps

I decided to throw the kids a birthday party about 2 weeks ago. I was able to book the indoor pool (with an inflatable obstacle course) so we invited all the boys from Gavin's class and all the girls at Evie's bus stop and a few more family friends. All-in-all, there were 18 kids! It was great to have such a fun party, even though it was our first one being away from family and friends. I was so grateful for everyone who came to help make it such a success. I did, however, feel a little lame since I am usually a HUGE party planner/thrower. This one didn't get as much attention as I usually would give - due to the little planning time and the crappy week leading up to it. I was able to get some cute kid favors and I remembered to order enough pizza. That's about all the energy I put into it :-) Which, in some ways was nice.

The next day we also had another fun day because the base had it's summer sweeps party. Lots of inflatables, free food, prizes, giveaways, Japanese Elvis impersonator...you know, the usual. The kids had a great day and we had fun relaxing and enjoying time together as a family.

a rough week

This week has been a bit rough for me. That is why I haven't really posted. As most people, I usually like to post about the fun, exciting, upbeat things we have done. Once in a while, it is also fun to post about how disastrous your house looks, the funny story about you getting a speeding ticket, or some other not-perfect moment - just because it is a great way to look back and say your life was full of adventures good and bad. But this week, I felt plain anxiety (which is not like me).

It started off bad because Evelyn had been sick for almost a week. I debated sending her to school or not (anxiety) and then also if she had more than just a virus (more anxiety). After speaking to her pediatrician on base and some friends who are pediatricians, I decided since she was fever free for 5 days, I would try to send her to school. She really didn't want to go but eventually got her uniform on and went. After school, she looked like she had been crying and apparently had hit her eye/face on the bus (I think she fell asleep and then they hit a bump and she hit her face). Well, Tuesday came and she did not want to go again. This time she put up much more of a fight, but we were watching a friend who also goes to her school - so I made her get dressed and go since we had to take her friend anyway. I went off to a function (the art of flower arranging Japanese style) and ended up getting called in by the school to pick her up. She just cried at school and wouldn't eat and was not participating in anything at school.

I was afraid she was still sick - but as soon as I picked her up and brought her home, she was fine. The straw that broke my back though, came on Thursday morning when we went to get ready for school. She really did NOT want to go to school. Nor did she want to take the bus. She is afraid of the bus now (since hurting her face - which was not even bruised - I think it just scared her). We went to the bus stop and she started screaming and crying and freaking out. I had a decision to make...take her home or make her go. I chose to send her off, handing her over to the teacher aide on the bus as she looked at me pathetically out the window - like "how could you do this to me". I called the school to warn them and asked for an update.

I had a special ceremony for a culture club group that I am, which was a good distraction, but I felt bad because I wasn't totally concentrating on the ceremony. I was checking my phone every minute and called a few times to see how she was doing. They told me she stopped crying but would not take off her jacket and hat or backpack. I know this is normal for a lot of preschoolers - but it sucks. It rips my heart out to know she is not happy. She has even started to be sad at home too. And aggressive. It made me so anxious to know that it is most likely our move to Japan that has done this.

But I have been reminded that it is normal. She will cope with this and we will learn how to help her express her feelings and concerns. Nonetheless, it was a torturous week. She did make it through that day though - and was fine when she got home. Happy even. She did not have school friday - which was Gavin's birthday AND their birthday party night...so she helped me get ready for the party. We ran errands, played some Mah Jongg (she played DSi), and had lunch with friends.

The week did end on a great note though. The party was successful and I think the kids really had fun. I was nervous since it was their first birthday away from friends/family but there were about 17 or 18 kids to help them celebrate. I am grateful we have met some people who can ease our transition. Now if I could only make Evie LOVE going to school...

I will post pictures on the next post...my camera is not working right now...

more japanese culture

I had another one of my Japanese Culture classes last night. This time we learned about traditional calligraphy. We learned how to make the ink, sit properly, breathe properly and hold the brush. I am super un-artistic so this was a challenge for me. I felt awkward - but was pleased with my results. At first it was super stressful, but then I got all zen and felt good doing it. Be the brush. But it was cool to find out there are over 10,000 characters that mean different things based on how you draw it. There are 3 ways to end a character drawing; a stop, leap, and sweep. So even though 2 characters could look almost identical - you can tell the difference by the way the lines end. It was interesting (also hard to explain on this blog).

Anyway, we learned our Kanji names and meanings. Mine means wisdom holder of the house. Sounds about right :-) But even the Japanese people thought the first character was really hard to draw - so they changed it a bit. Apparently - your name is spelled with characters that make your sound. Since the Japanese do not have a sound for "L" (seriously - it's not just a stereotype - they really don't have the sound in their language) so "R" is the closest to it. So my characters were Kar and Ree. But the Kar character was really hard - so the changed it to the "Harr" character - which when paired with "ree" changes it to sound like "Kar-ree" not "Harr-ree". It was a bit easier to draw - but made me raugh-out-roud (LOL) because it sounded like Hairy Kairy when they joked about it.

We also were given the opportunity to learn how to write a word or saying and create it onto some really nice, expensive paper. I was super nervous for this, but luckily my phrase was pretty easy to write. It means "Be now", as in live in the moment. I love it! I also had to write my name down the side too...but I was proud of the way it turned out. We are going to frame it and put it in the hallway :-) My first Japanese treasure!

Bowling!

We decided to take a little family time and go bowling on Evie's birthday afternoon. There is a bowling alley on base so we swung by to give it a try. It was very nice anc clean (and big)! They had bumpers for the kids as well as those ramps to help them get the ball down the lane. We are not sure if the lanes were warped or not - but the kids' balls never went straight...so it became a game to angle it to figure out the best way for them. We got Gavin to try a few times without the ramp - but he liked it better with... he had such a spin it kept riding the rails. Both got at least one spare and they actually tied the first game. 1/2 way through the second game, Evie dropped the ball on her foot (while attempting to put it on the ramp) and was done. Gavin also gave up around this point too. But it was still a fun, exciting family birthday celebration!

birthday cake

I know it looks gross, but we need to be creative with Gavin's egg allergy. I get sad for him when he can't eat cake like everyone else on special occasions - so I found a bunch of alternative ways to make a cake without eggs. This particular one was posted on a lot of different sites so I gave it a shot. It looks gross - but was super easy and got great reviews. I think it turned out great (better than using applesauce). It is sweet with a moist, but spongy texture. A perfect alternative for us! Also, Evelyn made the whole thing...with just a little help from me at the end for stirring. She also frosted it (and learned a secret trick from me on how to eat the frosting out of the can before you put it on the cake :-)!

I posted a few pictures of her opening her early birthday gifts (that she opened at breakfast so she could call the East Coast people to thank them). She loved everything! She opened each one, even the outfits, one by one admiring and ohhing and ahhing. She even took each pair of Princess panties out of the package to play! She got a new Wii game, DS game, her annual outfits from Godmother Eileen, clothes, pjs, some homemade felt food, money and a renewed subscription to National Geographic Wildlife magazine for kids. What a spoiled little girl!!!

Obstacle Course Park - lots of pics (sorry!)

I was rummaging through some of the suggestions for local activities to do with kids today and I cam across one for a roller slide park. These are huge slides with rolling pin type things throughout the slide that roll with the kids as they go down. I called my friend, Michele, to ask for directions or advice and she told me about ANOTHER park near here that they call the obstacle course park. Their family ended up joining us since they had only been once and wanted to go again! It was so much fun!!!

It was about a 15-20 minute drive - primarily because of all the traffic lights. Once we got there we parked and walked across the street into some woods. There were "stairs" built from wooden planks that led the way up a slippery steep hill. Along the way we passed teeter totters, walking beams, springy circle things, nets, webs, slides, forts, huts, zip cords, tree houses, hills, more stairs, bridges, ultimately ending up at a super cool playground area. It was so nice to be outside surrounded by gorgeous forests! It was totally worth all the bug bites we got! We did see some huge spiders too along the way - they even sounded like they were hissing at us!

The kids liked the huge slide the most. They kept running back up the stairs/hill to get back to the top. It was quite a work out! I am sure they will sleep soundly tonight! We also learned a valuable lesson on the zip lines....always test out how fast it is first on an adult!!! We learned this the hard way, sending Evie a bit too quick :-) She was a trooper though and shook it off! The picture I took of her is right before she hit the end of the rope and bounced back :-) We also learned that the mud is super slick - so always stay on the guided course! I think Michele and I ended up with the most mud on us from slipping down a few hills while not using the stairs.

I am so grateful to have friends to go on fun adventures with and teach us new sights around Japan. Thank E family!!! I also posted a picture of the road we take to get there. You can see how small it is and how close the truck is to us!

Early Birthday Gift

I was running errands on Friday and I stopped by the Officer Spouse Club's Thrift Shop. They had just gotten in 2 super cute pink and white (perfect for Evie's room) doll houses. They were about 3 feet tall and came with some Barbie Dream house accessories (even though it was not a Barbie house...it looked custom built to be LIKE a Barbie house). One had the front door missing and they were selling it (with the inside furniture) for only $10!!! I quickly grabbed it for Evie's b-day gift and headed home.

Unfortunately, we needed space in our car to get some top soil so I had to bring in the house. We ended up giving it to her for an early gift. She played with it for hours (literally)! It was the best $10 gift we spent on her :-) She doesn't really have many Barbies (maybe one or two) so she used her Princesses (Barbie sized) as well as her mini-princesses to be used as babies.

Japanese Culture Groups

Tonight I had my first class (a 10 week course) for learning Japanese Culture. There were about 25 Japanese citizens (mostly from Olympus Company - cameras/optical) and about 25 Americans that were broken into 3 groups. I knew 2 other ladies in the class (which always makes things more fun :-) and we all ended up in Group 1. Everyone went around the table (Japanese folks first) and introduced ourselves and stated our hobbies. It was fun to watch and hear the Japanese speak in all English. Some were very good while others were just learning - but still very understandable. Some of them made handouts with their pictures (to help us remember them) with info about themselves. The guy next to me was an engineer in the microscope department as well as a virtual reality techy. He wrote "I wonder being friendly with you" - meaning he wants to become friends with us. A girl near us wrote "My smile is my charm point. I love watching the movie which title is 'Fast and Furious'". It was too cute!!!

After the introductions, one of the elder ladies performed a traditional tea ceremony. They taught us that it originated in China but was brought to Japan in the 16th century because it incorporated many zen customs. We learned how to look for signals from the host before we eat/drink. We learned how to place the tea bowl, rotate it before sipping, taking a 3.5 small sips and then giving feedback. The last sip should be a slurp to remove any remaining tea. Then we wiped the area where we sipped from.

Of course, I did not bring my camera (grrrr....) but I will try to find someone who did take pics so I can post some. Next week we are learning about calligraphy, then cooking Japanese Food, then origami, then out to karaoke, visiting Tokyo and finally a graduation ceremony! How fun does all that sound!!!???

The course is the most sought-after activity on base and you are actually only allowed to participate ONE time during your tour here. I am so glad I was signed up early :-)

I also signed up for another culture course with some friends. There will be 6 of us, and 6 Japanese women. We will rotate months (Oct will be on base...teaching them American culture, Nov will be off base...learning Japanese culture). So in Oct we will make a pumpkin craft, make caramel apples, eat chili and soup in breadbowls, and make some apple cider. Very American! We met today to create the schedule and activities for our months. I can't wait - as it seems like a truly intimate experience in Japan. We will be in their houses, their restaurants, etc and they will be in ours. So fun!

I am starting to get more involved with lots of things (Mah Jongg, golf, Bunco, PTO, etc) which is good. I love getting involved and feeling part of the community!

how to make a house a home...

Start by putting pictures up!!!

best parts of the day...

#1. Patrick's team won!!! And the other med squad team came in 3rd. Out of 10 teams - that is awesome!!!

#2. Girlfriend who rocked the competition shows up in a hot pink slammin' dress with 3 inch black lace up heels. Girl knows how to kill it on and off the field :-)

#3. Moment of silence to honor the fallen. We will always remember.

#4. Giving daddy hugs at the end of it all and telling him how proud we are!

I'ma let you in on a secret...

While preparing for his Combat Endurance challenge the other night, Patrick told me, "I'ma let you in on a secret. Every guy out there wants more than anything to have his wife be able to look back one day and say...'my man was a stud'. More than the guy himself wants to think it, he wants her to think it." I already have a bazillion instances where I KNOW my man is a stud...but he took it to a whole new level with this challenge.

The competition is to benefit the 9/11 Run to Remember. They raise money from the different teams to go towards a great cause. It is a 3 mile course broken into 1/4 mile segments. The first is just a jog/run. Next is an ammo can carry (40 lbs each * 2), then a humvee push (4 members push the hummer while one steers), an "injured warrior carry (one person fireman carries another while 2 others carry the 5th member), a low crawl (think barbed wire), 50 lb sand bag carry, litter/stretcher carry (4 people to carry 220 lbs on a stretcher - although Patrick's team ended up with just him and another guy doing it all because 2 guys couldn't do it and the 3rd person - A GIRL WHO WAS AMAZING - would've thrown off the balance so she helped walk the other 2 and encourage them), and they ended with a 3/4 Muck run with a 60 lb backpack. Patrick was the first to finish at the end so he ran back to help others at many stages (if you see him at the end in some of the pictures that is why). He helped some of the guys carry the sand bags, he crawled back to push the guys through the low crawl, he and another guy did all the stretcher carry, and he even went back and helped carry a guys backpack across with him to finish for the team! I was so proud of the whole team - especially when I heard people talking about Patrick in the crowds. Not many people know who he is (since we are newer) so he definitely took people by surprise! No one expected the geeky med squad to do well - but they kicked A**!

And I have to say I am so glad that the girl was on his team. She made 90% of the guys out there feel shame because she had to carry the same weight, run the same distance, everything!!! She was an inspiration for everyone! She even put Patrick to shame when they took a picture and they had to flex. This woman's arms were the most cut I have ever seen!!!! She is a nurse in the OB dept :-) Good for her!!! They even have marines come up from other bases to try to compete...but so far the geeky med squad is in the lead :-)

After the event, Patrick came home, made lunches, helped clean, hung curtains, fixed walls and then went back to help volunteer as a medic since there was only one guy and lots of people were dropping out and needing to be sent to the hospital. Seriously...my man IS A STUD!!!!!!!