Ka-Ka, Beat It, and Bo-Biza

Chinese

2012-02-13T04:08:00.003+09:00

Scott started the Chinese portion of his training here and of course loves it. He is doing really well and loves having something new to study. Last night he was even speaking it in his sleep! I used to hear mumbles about "yes, sir" now I guess I will have no idea what he is saying.

He is the only one with children in his class. The first day they told everyone to go home and have a serious talk with their spouse about this is now their only priority....etc ,etc. Last week, a teacher told him he was doing really well and said, I don't know how you do it with three little children. He just replied that his kids are in bed by 7:30 and his pregnant wife is out by 8 so that leaves lots of time to study!

Calvin's Talk

2012-02-13T04:04:00.004+09:00

I got a reminder message from the primary president yesterday that Calvin was giving a talk on Sunday. Thank goodness bc I didn't know. So this morning Calvin wrote his talk..... I just typed and edited out a few million ands.

"When I help my mom I feel the Spirit. It makes me feel good. If I read the scriptures it makes me feel good. When my baby sister cries and my mom asks me to help Eliza I will do it. And it makes me feel good. I choose the right when I help my sister. I feel blessed because I helped my mom. And that is choosing the right. When my brother and I fight I do not feel good inside.

When Laman & Lemuel tied their brother, Nephi, up with ropes the Liahona did not work. And a big storm came. When Laman & Lemuel chose the right and untied their brother the big storm stopped. Heavenly Father blessed them and led them to the Promised Land. That is why we choose the right.

I want to bear my testimony that I know the church is true and I know that our mom and dad and Heavenly Father are happy when we choose the right. And Heavenly Father wants to bless us for choosing the right.

ITNOJC , Amen."

Calvin grows up

2011-12-08T05:52:00.002+09:00

Calvin had a hard time with goodbyes the first few months of kindergarten. He did fine when Scott took him but he would still tear up when I did. Thankfully Scott takes him all the time bc it was breaking my heart. I started kissing his palms like the book the Kissing Hand. As the months wore on we still did it but maybe not everyday. He was doing better and Scott was taking him. But most mornings I would still kiss his palms. And then yesterday, as he was leaving I asked if he wanted his kisses because we had been forgetting. And he just looked at me and in his sweet Calvin voice just told me, "Mom, I don't need them anymore. I don't miss you."

I know this is the goal, self-sufficient children that eventually leave us, but ouch.

Girls

2011-08-10T14:59:00.001+09:00

Eliza likes to take accessorizing to a whole new level....

Suggle Us

2011-07-31T13:59:00.005+09:00

Tonight Ollie and I got to spend a little time alone together. When I was putting him to bed he asked if I would "snuggle us" he quickly caught himself and then said "me." But it was so sweet. He missed Calvin all night long. But we made cookies and he tried to boss me around and tell me how many cookies he could eat. We watched Michael Jackson dance videos and he told me all about them and which ones I did not know and had never seen. I don't know how he is already a teenager but he is. He already takes the iPod from me to fix something I am not doing fast enough. He tells me daily things that I "should have done" bring his blanket, pack a different lunch, etc, etc. Sometimes I just watch him and wonder how he grew up so fast. And I love trying to figure out what it going on in his little head. The other night we were coming home from a trip and so we were grabbing food and having the happy meal debate and he was just like. "I don't even want a toy, I already have one." He asks when he can be on stage. Says he is sorry if he forgets to bring CDs to play in the car. His tastes are so varied but one constant is his adoration of Calvin. Now if I could just get him to warm up to Eliza........

Patos- Shoes

2011-05-25T14:54:00.004+09:00

Eliza is obsessed with shoes. Beyond actually. All babies like to try them on. She cries for them when I get her out of her crib in the morning. So she usually eats breakfast in jammies and black boots (her current fav) He favorite game is to sit on your lap and she says "shoes" over and over while you change pairs. She always knows what pair she wants. She always makes sure they match. Her red ruffle ones were his first love (who can blame her) Scott left her room the other morning shaking his head and she was crying. When I asked what was wrong he just said, "I stopped changing her shoes." I love it. It gives me hope she will be a girly girl. When I see her rolling bokugans on her knees and stabbing her brothers with arrows and laughing I start to wonder. But then I watch her wiggle in her black boots and just smile.....

Eliza with her red purse that he father thought she didn't "need"

Soccer is Boring

2011-05-25T14:46:00.004+09:00

Sports have never been Oliver's thing. Even as a baby, most babies will at least like to play or throw balls, but he really never did. Scott always tries to encourage him, but he is good about not pushing it. Last week, Oliver told Scott that "Soccer is boring. Because you can't use your hands. I like football."(but he might be talking about basketball bc he still mixes his balls up) Which really is improvement for Oliver. He used to go pick flowers while Scott and Clavin played catch. But it made me think of a funny story that I want to be able to tell when Oliver is old.

One night, we stayed after Scott's soccer game and played as a family. Biza on Scott's shoulders. It worked for a while until Oliver wandered off and found a dirt mound that he quickly turned into a stage. He also decided to use the dirt as his "coin" to throw in his smooth criminal dance. So well the rest of us kicked the ball around Ollie danced and threw dirt and practiced his lean. It was awesome.

Calvin's First Poem

2011-05-25T14:26:00.005+09:00

Using his preschool fire fly poem as his inspiration, Calvin wrote this for his Dad.

Winking, blinking, stinking, thinking
Jump on Daddy, FIGHT.
Now he's here,
Now he's there,
Now he's tooting everywhere.
Winking, blinking, stinking, thinking
Daddy stinks at night.

"Stinking" and "thinking" pretty much sums up Scott's nights. Scott mentioned the other night how "nice" it was during his deployment that when he left work, no work came home with him. So then we tried to think of the last time he has had a job like that........... oh never since I have known him. But he did work at Wendy's in high school.

Calvin inherits his rhyming talent from Scott. My favorites I don't share but this one he shared so I can.....An Ode to Oliver's Privates.

Scott thought the boys might like to hear that poem now. But I vetoed that as I would like to keep a few of those words off the growing lists of potty talk that seems to dominate our dinner conversation. Especially when daddy keeps "stinking."

13.1

2011-05-20T15:00:00.007+09:00

This never would have been my idea, but thankfully Scott's sister sets loftier goals and wanted to run a half-marathon to celebrate her 40th birthday, so five sisters and sister-in-laws were going to run it. I am not a runner, but I figured it would be doable as a group effort. Two bit the dust due to pregnancy and we lost another runner to an injury (Rachael still walked though) so that left Kenna and me. My 60+ mother-in-law also joined us to walk the quarter!

Lucky for me a new neighbor invited me to join her on Saturday morning long runs while she trained for a nine-miler. That made it fun. I CAN not run that far by myself, SOOOOO boring. But it was fun to get to know new friends. Scott gave me good CrossFit inspired exercises to build my endurance during the week. My goal was to finish, I was not concerned with the clock. It was fun to add miles just because I don't know that I had honestly ever run more that three or four??? I enjoy a good workout. But I like a tired, sore muscles kind of work out not an achy body "why did you just run that far work out." The running path here was good inspiration. Seems like a crime not to enjoy it especially since I can catch it a .8 mile jog down the hill from our house.

So because it was a girl's weekend (really bc she is still letting me nurse her a couple times a day) Eliza and I flew to Ohio to run the 13.1 miles. Grandpa met us at the hotel that morning and watched Eliza while we ran the race. The first part is fun and then you start realizing what you are in for. Lucky for me Scott's sister was with me almost the whole race which makes it more fun and about mile four she got me talking about young woman's which I could talk for hours about! We stayed together until the very end when she had a little left and I was just promising my body that I as long as we finished we would never have to do this again!! Calvin and Ollie gave me good luck charms, a butterfly mighty bean and an "I love MJ" button. And the song that always help me think of them and finish came on at the very end "Hey soul sista." Right as we had to run up a hill to finish, poor planning!

I am always the one on the sideline cheering Scott on with the kids so it was fun to see what a HUGE help that is when people cheer you on. The signs the shouts. It helped you remember you could finish something that hard.

Our after the race photo!

I was doubting Scott's training methods when the Tuesday before the race he had me do 400 m of knee-to-the-ground lunges. Bc I wanted to feel a little sore. Well, I couldn't really walk. I have always thought peeing on an airplane with a kid on your lap is one of the trickier part of air travel but add quivering thighs to that and it is another level. But in the end, I have to give Scott kuddos for my training bc I was worried about having to get on an airplane the day after the race with Eliza and being sore. I wasn't sore the day after or the day after or at all.

One of funniest parts of the trip was watching Eliza throw herself at the Spanish guy next to us on the ride home. Flirting is a natural-born talent and we are in trouble. It will only be funny now. Come to find out he is some famous cyclists in town for the Tour of California, but saying good bye she just kept crying when I tried to pry her little finger from his hand! (or the waiter that said she would for sure be a singer when she grows up)

It was fun to get a big hug from Calvin. Ollie didn't miss me. "Because I just played all weekend." And apparently you do not miss someone on the day you are going to pick them up because that would not make any sense. Good trip. Good to be away. Always good to remember there is no place like home.

Is that Dad???

2011-05-20T14:48:00.005+09:00

Scott is always trying to convince the boys he is stronger than Humungousaur.....it was fun to see their eyes pop when they saw this picture!!

http://www.crossfitsolano.com/crossfit_solano/2011/04/scott.html

My favorite pictures

2011-05-01T14:22:00.002+09:00

I don't think I ever shared this. I hired a photographer when Scott came home from Afghanistan and she posted some of the pictures on her blog......

http://ukreal1.blogspot.com/2010/12/daddys-home.html

Sidewalk Chalk + Baby Powder

2011-05-01T13:55:00.004+09:00

THe boys play outside for hours. I love it. But sometimes I forget how long they have been out there. The other day they were drawing and Oliver started mixing in the baby powder we left out from our walk to the beach.

This is what you get. Two happy boys. One huge mess. That comes out of your clothes suprisingly easy.

MJ Lego

2011-05-01T13:35:00.003+09:00

Calvin is a smart kid. Awhile back he finally figured out a way to get his little brother to play Legos with him. Make him Michael Jackson lego guys. Seriously. Whatever works. This is his "Smooth Criminal" for Ollie. Works like a charm.

Still Alive

2011-05-01T13:26:00.008+09:00

I need to post more often. I know I will regret not capturing a little of this fleeting time with the kiddos.

One of the best parts of living here is that we are closer to family and even old friends.

The Addington cousins.

The last time I lived in California these teenage boys (my nephews) were younger than my little boys.

Grandma Bubbles has been to visit.

And my childhood friend Bonnie. She is single and the boys were discussing why Oliver can't marry her, according to Calvin you can't marry someone in your family even if you want to!

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

2011-03-17T14:59:00.001+09:00

I was searching online and found this statistic..

A library in Indiana that has a program to encourage parents to read 1,000 books to their kids before entering kindergarten.

The first FAQ is this one:

"Can you really expect to read 1000 books to your child before kindergarten?
If you read only one bedtime story every night for three years you will have read 1095!
If you read 10 books each week for two years, you will have read 1040.
Double that rate to do 1000 books in one year.
You can begin much earlier though, when your child is an infant!"

Reading to my kids is my favorite part of my day. Hands down. Our rule is three books a night. (Bc Ollie is three- not sure how that came about, but it works bc they each get to choose one and so do Scott or I) Three books at nap time. During nap time Calvin and have reading time for a few minutes.

Maybe we should move to Indiana!

Calvin de la escuela

2011-03-17T14:29:00.003+09:00

I have been obsessive about kindergarten lately. Moving to a new area getting a different opinion from every person you ask about the local schools. I have been touring and submitting charter school applications, trying to make sure I don't miss any deadline. And now I can finally stop.

I remember my sister-in-law telling me about dual language immersion (DLI) programs they have in California. Spanish and English. At the time, I remember thinking, "Too bad we will never live in California." This was a few years ago. So as soon as I found our we were moving here, I searched to try to find one. And could only find one in the area that seemed too far away with my pathetic map skills. Turns out the DLI program shares the same campus with one of the schools most military kids attend. We attended to orientation, had them test Calvin, submitted the application and waited. Yesterday we found out that he was accepted. It is not based on skills, just a numbers game really. And thankfully they had enough spots.

Scott and I were really excited. Calvin, not so much. But he is still trying to convince me to home school him "like Jacob" so I did not expect him to be happy. He understands soooo much of what Scott is speaking to him, I am hoping some positive peer pressure will help him use some of the words I know he knows!! I keep trying to think of ways to get him Spanish-speaking friends. And then at the Dollar store the other day I noticed, everyone was speaking Spanish to their kids. But I couldn't think of a way not to be some crazy white lady asking to let their kids come play at my house!!

It is going to be very hard for me to send him to school. Not that I think I am a teacher, but I know there is no one else that loves him or wants what is best for him more than I (and Scott) do. Teaching him has been my job. So I know it will be hard to share that job. I am not a good sharer. This helps me feel better. It is definitely something that I can not teach him. Scott is doing a great job teaching the boys Spanish, but even though Calvin thinks Scott should ditch the Marines and become a kindergarten teacher, Scott has another job.

So the class is divided into two rooms. Half the day in one room, ONLY speaking Spanish. Half the day in the other room, ONLY speaking English.

California Love

2011-03-11T15:40:00.007+09:00

I know an update is long overdue. But I don't even know where to start. So I will start with the kids new favorite things. The park, that we live right across the street from. That I can let them play at and see them from my front window (and a tiny crack of the ocean as well) My Museum. (kids only) We have been three times in one week. The Monterey Bay Aquarium that is five minutes from our house. We could walk, if I thought I could push the 125 lbs back up the hill! The sea lions we can hear barking from our porch. The deer that graze on our lawn. Dennis the Menace park, it even has a mini-Japanese zip line. Very mini though. The duck pond. The ocean. Though is is much too cold for our liking. It is always still fun to explore and get sand in every crack in our body and clothing. Or maybe just Oliver has that talent. The library. With awesome books galore that mom can pick out online while they are asleep and they think just magically appear for them on the shelf. Oliver was jumping up and down in the library today when I showed him the MJ DVD I found for him. And he gave me an unsolicited hug just to thank me. Very rare from my Ollie. The older boys next door that love to have light saber duels. Calvin's two days of preschool is growing on him. I don't know what he (or I) will do when he actually goes to a full-day of school! Visitors. Our guest "lego" room was filled with family every weekend in February! The Mexican food, a Trader Joes out each gate, Costco, oh wait, those are all the things I love.

Our play time is still filled with Legos and Micheal Jackson. And brilliant Calvin made his brother a Smooth Criminal Lego man and now Ollie will play Legos any time Calvin asks!

So sorry, no pictures of a decorated house. Still not there yet. But we have been having fun and in the end that is making it feel a little more like home. Scott and I were laughing the other night bc Calvin really wants to have people over for dinner like we did in Okinawa. But number one, we don't have a dining room table. Broken in our storage shipment. And number two, he is the only one with friends to invite! His mom and dad will have to catch up.

i love having a girl...

2011-03-11T14:00:00.003+09:00

And so does Scott. He sneaks in to get her dressed before I get to. It is always a dress or skirt every time. My favorite was yesterday when he told me that she needs a "red hair thing." He couldn't find one that matched the outfit he had chosen for her. I can't wait to see all the shoes and outfits she convinces him to buy!!

Eliza Turns 1!

2011-02-19T03:55:00.004+09:00

Well, 7 February came and went which means that little Eliza Bo Biza turned one. We kept the affair pretty low key because, well, that is our nature and because since we did not even get her a Christmas present we did not feel the need to throw a huge party. So, Eliza, when you read this in 15 years, just remember that we really really did love you.

Homeless No MORE

2011-01-12T02:45:00.004+09:00

I am scared to type this bc I just keep thinking this is too good to be true. But Scott called and said he has the keys. I LOVE our new house. It is on the Presidio Base in Monterey. The boys and I drove up to take a peak yesterday and scared away six deers in the park that is right out our front door. And depending if you have a gorgeous tree in your way, you can see the ocean from the whole neighborhood. The homes are 120 years old, with new renovations. Right up my alley.

Scott will have about a five minute commute the first year to the Naval Postgraduate School. And then the last year and half the Defense Language Institute is just a short walk.

There are only 40 homes on the base and they don't offer them unless you ask the right questions. Glad I ask a lot of questions!! I love it when Heavenly Father answers prayers so fast!!

Too funny

2011-01-07T16:52:00.002+09:00

Primero Hay Que Aprender Español. Ranhou Zai Xue Zhongwen.

Homeless- month 2

2011-01-06T23:21:00.004+09:00

We are here safe in Monterey. Looking for a home and a van. Hoping we will have better luck this morning. We were only able to "car shop" last night after Scott got out of class. It started with three hungry kids, a napless Ollie, then Eliza pooped her pants and we ran out of wipes (which drives me crazy bc I am so anal I have an emergency diaper bag in MY car when I have a car) All of this taking place in the three smashed car seats in back of a rental Toyota Camry, i could go on and on, finally we just gave up and went back to the hotel. But we got to stop at a fabulous hole-in-the-wall Mexican drive thru, so at least my tummy was happy!! Mexican food is a dime a dozen here, but wow it feels like a rare treat coming from Okinawa!

Yes, it is pretty here. I am appreciating the forest. The boys asked yesterday why our hotel was built in a forrest. But Calvin summed it up nicely when he decided. "Okinawa is still my first favorite ocean." Mine two.

We met some old, now new friends yesterday at the park. Ollie couldn't wait two seconds to show off his Smooth Criminal lean. I don't think the mom even knew what to say. Who is this three year old and what is he talking about??!!!

Eliza is sleeping in a closet. Which is actually a step up from the bath tub I used to put Ollie to bed in when we moved to Rhode Island and he was a baby. Oh, how I love the military life!! But he loves to hear about that now! Maybe not so much later.

Today the boys are off to play at Uncle Brian and Aunt Kelly's today for a few days. Thank heaven for family!!

Ollie Starts Primary

2011-01-03T13:13:00.004+09:00

Ollie went to Sunbeams today. Didn't even look back at me after saying goodbye. Totally Ollie. His favorite part was the pictures on the chairs. Only problem. "They don't dance in primary." I told him he will have to change that. Scott says he was just meant to be a Baptist.

We Made It

2010-12-18T07:15:00.004+09:00

Well, we are finally here at Grandma's house after some more world traveling. Here are some highlights of our recent trip from Okinawa, Japan, to West Chester, OH, by way of Monterey, CA.

We awoke at 6 am on 11 December to catch our flight that left at 930 am from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.

We departed on time, and flew from Okinawa to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni (about a 90 min flight) located on the southern edge of mainland Japan. There we stayed for 90 min, and were not allowed to get off the plane.

From there we flew to Yokota Air Base near Tokyo. There, we had another 2 hour layover where we were allowed to get off the plane. We got off and choked down quite possibly the most disgusting meal we have partaken of in some time. For those that fly Patriot Express in the future, stick with the airline food.

From Yokota, it was on to Seattle. 9 hours more in the air. We arrived in the US at around 9 am. There, we collected our 7 suitcases, 3 car seats, stroller, 5 carry-ons and children. We then proceeded to entertain the population of the Seattle-Tacoma Airport by hauling all of that gear through customs and over to the United counter to check in for our stateside flights.

Joy and I quickly realized we were no longer in Japan, as the bathrooms were disgusting and the customer service even worse.

We stayed in Seattle for about 8 hours before our next flight left for LAX. While there, our good friends from Philadelphia, the Coppins, came to see us. It was so nice to see them and visit. They helped take our minds off our miserable journey.

We caught the plane to LAX, landed, and had to run with our exhausted children and 5 carry-ons to catch the flight to Monterey. We landed in Monterey at 9 pm, on 11 December in the US, and then drove 2 more hours to Joy's brother's house.

Quick hits -

33 hours total travel time. Joy slept about 1 hour. Scott slept none.

The Patriot Express was ghetto as can be. I was having visions of Soul Plane the entire time.

The boys were angels, even on a steady diet of pure garbage.

Eliza was up for sale when we landed, but we have since calmed down and decided to keep her, despite her Banshee-like tendencies.

We stayed in CA for a couple days to recover at Joy's brother's house in Fairfield. Nice little break where we enjoyed family time, some dope cupcakes courtesy of Kelly (she is a whiz with the frosting), and seeing Joy's brother promoted to Captain of his police department.

Just over 48 hours later, we awoke our family at 330 am to catch the flight from Oaktown to Columbus. 6 more hours in the air. Halfway through the last flight, Oliver leaned over to me, half moaning, half crying, and said "When are we going to be off of the planes?" Amen.

We are happy to be spending the holidays with family, but miss our Okinawa family already.

Homeless

2010-12-09T22:58:00.003+09:00

After a nine-minute housing inspection, we turned in our keys and have no home. I am grateful it is only temporary. I have not gotten sad. Until today. I think I might be getting better at moving. Scott hardly blinks an eye, but I usually shed a few tears. I am becoming a PCS pro. (moving pro for my non-military speak friends) The whole process has been really smooth. Thanks hugely to great friends. A friend commented that she has a hard time leaving homes where she brings a new baby into. We either move too much or have too many babies because I can't think of a home we lived in for longer than six months that I didn't bring a new baby too!

But I finally got sad today. Not because I will especially miss our house. NOT because I will miss our one-butt kitchen. Just sad to say goodbye to all the memories in our home. Thankfully, I get to take the memories with me.

One week

2010-12-04T13:46:00.002+09:00

One week left.

Household goods left Thursday. Just some cleaning left. And packing. And selling our cars. And ....well I few more things.

The boys are loving riding their bikes through the entire house. And I love not having a TV.

I have not gotten too sad yet. I think bc I am so excited about of next home. But I do get sad looking at this gorgeous island knowing that we may never get to come back.

Lots of good memories. Lots of good friends. Lots to look forward to.

Happy Ghetto Halloween

2010-11-05T22:23:00.003+09:00

Scott and I have an ongoing debate. He says we are ghetto and I just can't accept it. He gets ghetto points for this. This is our only family Halloween picture. We left our camera charger at that private beach and I haven't driven the hour to go pick it up. So a friend snapped this at the end of the night. And this is all we have. Happy Halloween from the Ghetto Wilsons.

Since you will not have any clue who we are, Ollie is the only obvious one as long as you know Ollie. Beat It. Calvin= Ben 10. Scott= Kevin Levin. Joy= Gwen. Eliza= Japanese Summo Wrestler. The cutest part was her thong (which you can't see) and by this point in the night she has started eating her innards.

No perfect smiley happy family photo here. Just keeping it real' yo.

Dancing

2010-10-28T20:30:00.004+09:00

One of the very superficial reasons I fell in love with Scott are his skills on the dance floor. He makes everything more fun. The boys love to dance too. More so Ollie but Calvin likes to shake it. Last night we went to a "Kiddie Disco" party because I knew Oliver would be in heaven. It was a mad house because of Halloween but Oliver danced the night away. Kid food. Dicso lights. A real DJ. Kids dancing everywhere.

The days that Scott and I get to dance together are few and far between but last night watching him do the electric slide with Eliza I just had to smile thinking of our dance parties of long ago.

Thank goodness the lights came on at eight for kids to go to bed because we never would have been able to pull Ollie away. He wouldn't even stop to enjoy the ice cream bar!

Amazing Oliver!

2010-10-28T20:26:00.003+09:00

Today we were dancing to music and left iTunes open. Enter Oliver. When I was clicking out I happen to glance at the Michael Jackson songs. He had figured out how to rename the songs and had "retitled" two of the songs "ollie." Most kids start by drawing letters. Not ollie. He asks we all day long how to type out words. And to the Grandmas reading this post. If you don't know how to rename songs in iTunes, just ask Ollie!

Legos in China

2010-10-26T22:30:00.003+09:00

I don't get to brag about Scott very often. Not because I don't have plenty to brag about but because he doesn't like it. But we have big news, so I get to. He was accepted into the Marine Corps FAO (Foreign Area Officer) Program. This program has been on our radar a long time. Two years of training in Monterey, CA followed by one year of training in the country of your expertise. You have to take a language test and get a certain score to even be able to apply. And if you want to apply for one of the hardest languages you have to get an even higher score (like Chinese, Japanese, etc) Not a problem for Scott. Then you put together a whole packet with recommendations and your FIT REPS (grades from your bosses plus your fitness tests) Last year they selected 25 Marines. That is it. This year they only selected 18. And of course Scott was selected. I can say of course bc I am his wife (and that is not snotty Scott) And he was offered our first choice, China. So we get to report to Monterey CA by January 3. I am not stressing yet so don't get me started! Soak up the California fog for two years and then live in China for a year, Beijing maybe, who knows. I don't really care bc we will get to be together. He will get a masters degree in National Security and then learn the language. You can click hear to read all the mind-numming military speak.

I have been hesitant for the program not because of the program but because it commits us to the USMC for nine more years. I have a love-hate relationship with the USMC. Love the people. Love the places it takes us. Hate when they take my husband away. In the end, opportunities like this don't come around more than once. Scott has worked hard to even be accepted. And the kids and I have made great sacrifices as part of that.

Tonight we told the boys the big news. Ollie was just happy he would be living by the iPod house (my brother and his family) Scott used Kung Fu Panda as his example for Calvin of China. Calvin's was worried. But they don't have computers in China?!! I guess they don't get to use computers in that movie? And then going to bed, Calvin asked the most important question in his five-year-old mind. But will they have Legos in China? So we introduced him to words MADE IN CHINA that he will be able to find on most every toy he owns. I think it will be Ollie's new favorite label to read!! Yes, Oliver is three and is obsessed with reading labels. Warnings are his personal favs!! Not that he listens to any of them! Eliza just smiled when we gave her the news. No surprise there. I think she was thinking of all the shopping!

Rumor has it that I may get to have "staff" in our home in China. Sign me up!!!!

Leave

2010-10-20T09:22:00.020+09:00

Scott decided to burn some of the 85 days of leave he had accumulated, so we have been having a good time together again. We have not done anything huge or earthshattering...just enjoying being together again. We are trying to spend a lot of time out of the house, as staying inside means being subjected to a constant stream of Michael Jackson music from Ollie.

The boys had made a list with Gma Bubbles of things that we needed to do together when Dad got home. One of them was get donuts together. Here, Calvin is trying to lick the frosting off of Oliver's face.

As many of you know, Oliver only eats the frosting off of his donuts. This leads to lots of frosting on his face, and lots of half-eaten donuts.

We also spent some time walking around some of the Japanese malls and enjoying all the interesting groceries at the store. Of course, this involves having some fun with the cool things they sell for the kiddos. I am not sure what the purpose of these things would be in Okinawa, where it never gets below 55 degrees.

Going to the park was also on the list. We fed the scary fish, played on the swings, played some baseball, and spent some time climbing trees.

Calvin also turned 5 just after Scott came home. We rented a big waterslide and set it up in the yard for all the kids. I think this picture (taken by the one and only Tom Stinchfield) declares it to be a success.

During the party, Oliver was given a Michael Jackson CD by his girlfriend, Sasha. He spent the rest of the time sitting with the CD and the radio playing music, and asking everyone else at the party stop talking.

Eliza even got a turn on the slide, and she loved it...surprise surprise.

Joy and I also spent some time alone with Eliza. We went up to Okuma and rented a private cottage with its own private beach. It was very relaxing and very private, which made for a very nice time. We stopped on the way there and did a river hike that ended at a really nice waterfall.

Dad's desperate attempt to get a photo onto Crossfit.com.

And how could you ever mind taking this little one along with you??

Finally, we stopped for a moment after church to take some pictures. Oliver, our resident tech expert, snapped a few photos. And of course, he is also good for an interesting photo or two.

Happy days

2010-10-06T10:03:00.004+09:00

Scott is home. All is well. Watching how excited he gets to hold Eliza and play with the boys makes me heart very happy. He kept asking the other morning when Eliza was going to wake up and finally I got it and told him to go wake her up if he wanted to!! I am hoping at some point he will stop laughing at all the boys' antics and join me in some discipline but I will give him some more time. They are rather entertaining. Scott is happy too and slowly getting back into the right waking hours after working through the night for the last six months. He burnt his oatmeal the first morning and is still finding his way around the commissary. I forgot to wake him up this morning for his post-deployment training. Not used to having someone in bed with me! We are working out the silly little kinks. But the best part is that we are so happy to be together the kinks don't even matter!! Lesson to always remember.

one more night

2010-10-02T21:14:00.002+09:00

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow.....wish I had the energy to write a reflective entry about all that I have learned over the last six months. But life makes me pretty tired right now! I have learned a lot. I have grown a lot. (and shrunk a lot!) The thought of Scott deploying used to be my nightmare. Now I have survived it. Never want to do it again, but grateful for what I have learned. And I feel stronger.

I remember a good friend said Scott's homecoming will be one of the top five moments of life, ever. Hands down. This week has been fun, talking to him and awaiting his arrival. Those anxious feelings from way back in the dating days find a way back into your stomach!! Almost like when you are going to get married. Except better because I have spent the last eight years learning how wonderful my husband is. I can't wait to get back to our happy life.

Goodbye Afghanistan

2010-09-30T22:29:00.002+09:00

I have been trying to prep myself for late flights, plane troubles, weather issues and having to explain it to Calvin. I have been keeping busy and trying to make the time go by fast. But I can't help it tonight. Scott left Afghanistan and is in one last STAN country before getting on a flight home. And the excitement is creeping in. I have learned to brace myself with all the uncertainty of the military, but tonight I can't help it!!!!

Only as tall as Eliza

2010-09-30T22:27:00.001+09:00

Gracie song

2010-09-19T15:56:00.003+09:00

Before Scott left he started singing this Gracie song from Ben Folds. The boys quickly learned it and have continued singing it to Eliza over the last six months. Ollie can quickly find it on the iPod for her. She loves it and smiles and listens if she is happy and it has helps when she is overtired. Road trips are difficult alone and it is has come in handy on more than one occasion. Trying to find Aunt Lo's new house when Eliza was hungry, when she is tired from running too many errands, and when she is just ready to be in bed. And once again last weekend after a long day at the beach. It works every time. I love to hear the boys sing to her and I smile thinking that Scott is somehow helping from far away. Now I just can't wait to watch her face when he sings it to her again.

Back home

2010-09-19T15:52:00.006+09:00

We are home. Glad to be back. It is even prettier here than we remembered. After climbing through months of pregnancy mess and cockroaches galore it feels like our home again. I am too tried to chronicle the trip back but lets just say we miss Grandma Bubbles. We never could have done it w/o her. Or all we had to do once we got back. We are back in a good routine. Everyone is sleeping through the night again. We are keeping way busier than I like but it makes the days go faster. We miss Grandma and Grandpa Cookie. We miss our all cousins and family. We wish we could go gorge ourselves at a Wilson Sunday evening meal. (Just me, the boys were too busy w/ cousins) And we miss cookies in general. And we are glad to be home, but even more glad we got to spend the months away. And the most glad that we only have two weeks until Scott comes home.

Counting Down

2010-09-19T15:52:00.005+09:00

We are sure getting excited around here.

Making memories

2010-08-01T11:43:00.002+09:00

I have noticed with my kids lately the things that they really remember are things that we do or try to do on a regular basis. Guess that is the whole point of traditions, right? Spending the summer in Ohio we have been able to join in on Wednesday cousins lunch. We will really miss this day. Not only do we get to visit with family, but with grandma's extra hands to help wrangle the kids, we have tried some really yummy restaurants. My sister-in-law posted some great photos of last week's lunch, complete with a GREAT photo of Eliza!!!

Sunday morning sans Grandma

2010-07-30T10:47:00.005+09:00

Charlie was hogging Grandma last week so we had to get ready for church without her! I went upstairs for only a few minutes to put on my clothes. My mistake: I left Eliza's food out on the counter. She was done, but apparently her brother's didn't think so. They both happily reported that they had fed her.

And just in case you thought she wasn't going to smile about it!!!

For Dad

2010-07-29T12:29:00.004+09:00

Dear Dad-

We tried to build a house with our cousins, but we didn't last long. Trey and Calvin even tried to hold in place for twenty minutes to earn a dollar, but we only lasted a few minutes. Then Grandma made up another way we could more easily earn a dollar. Oh, and mom says we aren't allowed on that helicopter. But you can take us birdwatching or something safe like that. Call us on the computer. We love you.

Calvin & Ollie
"Spiderman & Beat It"

ELiza

2010-07-29T05:47:00.005+09:00

Eliza is getting too big much too fast for my taste. Part of that is just having more children you realize how fast they grow up and part of that is having Scott gone and wishing I could just freeze all her babiness for him. I have been trying. But today after crying in Wal-mart while I picked out her first baby foods, I decided it might be more productive to just write down some of my favorite Elizaisms. I send Scott pages of emails about the kids. Some day I will print them and put them together so we can look back on them (there is a project for you, Mom:)) But this helps me to have it here.

All my babies have been happy. But I think Eliza tops them all. Or maybe it is just bc her smiles help me so much right now. I could eat her thighs and do daily. She is already not into sitting still and prefers to jump every chance she can. She talks to everyone and smiles and everyone. The other night at my sister's house she woke up at 2:30 just to sing and babble. Eventually she stopped and went back to sleep, but I wish I could understand her happy baby language. She is still a sucker for the swaddle and can fall asleep any where as long as I wrap her tight. I need that to last a few more weeks for our 24 hour travel adventure back to Okinawa! Bath time is her favorite. She would hang out for hours. Eating her wash rag. The back of her neck is tickilish (just like dad's) and her inner thing and the left side of her cheek next to her dimple. I soak up her laughs. Her eyes sparkle watching Calvin and Ollie. She is really good at pulling Calvin's hair, and is happy if she can just get Ollie to pay her some attention and acknowledge her. But she loves his music. Loves to join in the dancing. The boys sing to her all the time. And WITH OUT fail, the Gracie song on Daddy's iPod makes her stop crying every time she is done in her car seat. Her feet are still newborn size. And look even smaller in comparison to her thighs. The legging look is very in for babies, but I am not sure you will be able to pull it off Eliza. She has Scott's thick chest too.

She wakes up happy after every nap and in the morning with the hugest smile on her face just ready to make your day. She has fallen in love with Grandpa and Grandma. Basking in all the attention!!! She prefers that you hold her hands at all times. When I nurse her. In her car seat. Failing asleep on Grandpa after church. I think Grandpa held her hand for over an hour one afternoon while she slept on him, he enjoyed a little snooze too.

She is the pickiest little nurser. I have to hold her hand and keep her busy and nurse her in the same chair in the same , quiet, dark room. When our schedule demands that she nurse while we are somewhere else she takes just enough snacks to get her through until we go home. I can not talk either or she feels she needs to join in.

I love having a girl. I love all the clothes. I love all the bows. I love all the shoes and the hats.

Hi Calvin and Ollie-Bollie

2010-07-19T09:19:00.004+09:00

Kiddos,

Here is a picture of Daddy doing the Build-a-House exercise. Did you try it yet?

And here is a picture of what daddy has to ride in for work sometimes. Would you like to ride on it with me? It is called in Osprey.

An osprey is really a bird. See...

I will talk to you soon on the computer. I love you.

Dad

A Party in the USA!!!

2010-07-05T22:42:00.003+09:00

We just got back from two weeks in California. No bed time and 16 cousins in one house. My boys were in heaven. And Ollie had five different iTouches to play with. Some of his new favorites include Journey and (sorry scott) Miley Cyrus. They are even practicing their beatboxing skills!

I pulled the kids out of bed at 3 am to catch a 6 am flight out of SFO. One stop in Denver, where they even forgot my stroller for me to catch my connection (a wheelchair works great in a stroller-less pinch) The trip was a breeze. I get a great amount of stares and comments as I walk through the airport with two kids in a stroller and one strapped to my front. Most people think I am crazy I am sure. But I wish i could just tell them how easy this is compared to international time zone travel! People always comment about how good the kids are and I just laugh in my head. I have noticed how the airlines always stick the kids close together. I am guessing the theory is stick all the crying babies/kids together. But my kids are way too good at flying. Kids should get certified as frequent flyers. My kids would have a badge that says "I am a pro, don't stick me next to the cry babies!!!"

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T11:59:00.002+09:00

Happy Father's Day Scott. The boys are sending you some love via the internet. Each has their own way of expressing themselves. I think your favorite will be the dual between MJ & the Hulk. Ollie made up a song for you. I think we could call it "Daddy (S) Tinks" You know their humor doesn't leave the bathroom, wonder where they get that from??!!

We love you! Next year will will get to snuggle you and make you breakfast in bed.

Ollie turns FREE

2010-06-18T10:11:00.002+09:00

Oliver today you turned three. I don't even know how to describe you. I love all your quirks and questions and moves. I love when you call me Billie Jean and ask me to dance with you. You give me the biggest "ollie hugs" and you squeeze me so tight I can imagine you growing up to be strong like daddy. You always do things different. Even walking into Grandma's kitchen, you never walk down the hall like the rest of us, you always come around the corner through the dinning room. You are not swayed by commercials and other kids, you do what you like and dance to your own music. You are always thinking. Sometimes we butt heads, but I am learning as long as I can give you a logical explanation you are happy to obey. You just need to understand WHY. You even take your naps better now that you understand you can stop when you are four. You don't snuggle me long, you never have. Even as a baby you would reach for your crib when I would try to rock and hold on to you too long. The other night, you pointed and told me to go away bc you were done snuggling me. Your crazy hair matches your crazy personality. You talk to everyone. You don't care if they listen, you want them to know you don't like shots (chips) and your dad is in Afghanistan and your name is Beat It. I can't make it through one page of a book with out answering four different questions you come up with. You act tough in lots of ways, but deep down you are a big softy. I will never forget the tears in your eyes when you asked me at breakfast if you were going to die and that you would miss me too much. I am not sure you will survive w/o Grandma's cookies, I think they are your drug. Some day you may hate that I let you out it public with messy hair and wearing black rain boots (Beat It boots) and your swim suit. But that is you right now and I don't ever want to squelch your style. You never sit down to eat. I think you have fallen on your head at least six times. I hope someday you learn. I wish I could freeze time to make you stay little and so Daddy doesn't miss all of you right now, but I can't. And I can't wait to see all of Ollie to come!

Message from Scott

2010-06-03T12:21:00.002+09:00

Got this email from Scott this week.

"Our office helped coordinate things for the little boy mentioned in the second article. A good story and worth your time."

When Afghans Seek Medical Aid, Tough Choice for U.S. (NY Times)

When Afghans Seek Medical Aid, Tough Choice for U.S. (NY Times)

C. J. CHIVERS
May 28, 2010

KHAN NESHIN, Afghanistan — Five-year-old Sadiq was not a casualty of war. He was simply unlucky. The boy had opened a sack of grain at his home early on Wednesday morning, and a pit viper coiled inside lashed up and bit him above the lip.

His father, Kashmir, knew his son was sure to die. With no hospital anywhere nearby, he rushed the boy to an American outpost to plead for help. By midafternoon, Sadiq’s breathing was labored. Respiratory failure was not long off.

The events that followed unfolded like a tabletop counterinsurgency exercise at a military school. On one hand, the United States military’s medical capacity, implanted across Afghanistan to care for those wounded in the war, could not be used as primary care for the nation’s 29 million people. On the other hand, would the officer who upheld this policy be willing to watch a 5-year-old die?

Since last year, Helmand Province has been the scene of the most intensive combat in Afghanistan. Marine patrols and the Taliban fight daily, and helicopters are needed to evacuate the wounded.

Under NATO rules, any Afghan civilian wounded as a result of military activity is treated in the Western military’s medical system. Black Hawk helicopter crews often scramble and collect them. But each day, Afghans seek help for other injuries and ailments — for heart attacks, for trauma from vehicle and agricultural accidents, for twisted backs, cut hands, spiking fevers, infections, insect bites or dental pain.

For these ordinary medical conditions, unrelated to war but often urgent, Marines and Navy corpsmen in Helmand Province provide first aid. Getting approval for a Black Hawk is another matter.

The helicopters are few. They are spread out. Picking up Afghan civilians with routine ailments puts aircraft and crews at risk. It could also put a helicopter out of position for a gravely wounded soldier or Marine.

Often the decision is made against the patient: helicopters cannot be spared. Many aircrews, and many officers on the ground trying to forge relations with Afghan villages, do not like this. The choice is not theirs; flight approval is made by higher commands.

Maj. Jason S. Davis, a pilot and the commanding officer of Company C, Sixth Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, which provides a detachment of Black Hawks to fly medical missions in central and southern Helmand Province, described two conflicting truths.

“We can’t be Afghanistan’s E.M.S.,” he said. “But right now we are.”

Sadiq’s father appeared with him at a Marine outpost in southern Helmand. It was clear that local care could not save him. The Marines requested an evacuation helicopter.

At the Camp Dwyer airfield, to the north, Major Davis and a co-pilot, First Lt. Matthew E. Stewart, saw the request posted on their operation center’s electronic message board. With an escort aircraft trailing behind, they soon lifted off from Camp Dwyer and headed south, expecting that the mission would be approved.

After flying perhaps 15 minutes, they were called back. The boy was not eligible for care. Sadiq was on his own.

A few hours later, a new request for medical evacuation, or medevac, appeared on the screen, this one from another Marine outpost. A small boy, it seemed, had been bitten on the face by a viper.

Everyone knew what this meant: Sadiq’s father had brought his dying son to the next Marine position and had started over.

There were no other medevac missions under way. While the pilots stared at the message board, wondering whether this time the mission for Sadiq would be approved, an officer at the second outpost issued a blunt challenge: would whoever denied the mission, the officer wrote, acknowledge that they knew the boy would die?

The typed answer came back on the screen. The mission was approved.

The Black Hawks lifted into the air at 2:25 p.m. Soon they were flying through a dusty haze a few hundred feet up. “Ten minutes out,” Major Davis said. Halfway to the rescue, and they had not been called back.

While the desert dominates Helmand Province, the contest between the Marines and the Taliban plays out elsewhere, in belts of farmland along the river and in irrigated villages kept alive by pumps.

The military calls these areas “the green zone,” a nickname derived from how they appear from the air — pockets of vegetated terrain that end abruptly where the irrigation stops. It is in these areas where almost all the fighting takes place, and where helicopters come under fire.

Up ahead, a crosshatched pattern of pale fields appeared. “Entering the green zone,” Major Davis said. “Tell them to pop smoke.”

Beside a fortified compound, a Marine lobbed a smoke grenade.

Major Davis banked the aircraft in a wide circle and landed beside the billowing plume.

Specialist David C. Harrell, a medic, slid open the left-side door. Sadiq, on a stretcher, was placed gently inside. He was wrapped in a poncho liner. An oxygen mask covered his face. His father climbed aboard. He was in the system now.

Dust swirled as the Black Hawk lifted, and Major Davis put it through a series of maneuvers, a fast zigzagging flight low over the village and the fields, and then set a heading toward Camp Dwyer, where a second aircrew was headed with the antivenin.

Sadiq thrashed, his face severely swollen. His breathing was erratic. But he was conscious. Specialist Harrell checked the boy’s vital signs and tried to keep him awake. The boy lived through the flight. Doctors at the trauma center quickly decided to transfer him to a more advanced hospital. He was rushed to his next flight.

Back at Company C’s operations tent on Wednesday evening, a message was posted: “LOOKS LIKE THAT KID IS GOING TO MAKE IT.”

But overnight, the prognosis changed. A doctor told Specialist Harrell that Sadiq had been transferred to Kandahar, and was likely to die.

Sadiq had been given all of the antivenin on hand in Afghanistan, but he was barely alive. The venom was breaking down his blood, and his wounds — where the IV needle entered his arm — were seeping. He was on a breathing machine. The fang marks showed on his face.

Snakebite toxicology was tricky, Specialist Harrell said. The dosage was hard to calibrate, especially for a child of perhaps 40 pounds. And maybe the helicopter reached Sadiq too late.

Friday afternoon, Specialist Harrell called the military hospital at Kandahar. He listened, nodded, put down the phone and called out. “He’s off the breathing machine,” he said. “He’s still in I.C.U., but right now he’s sitting up, drinking juice and milk.”

“And he’s talking,” he added.

What this meant sank in. Stung by a venomous snake in a primitive and isolated corner of a war, helped by a persistent father and a chain of people who heard him, Sadiq had reversed Afghanistan’s cruelest math.

Smile!

2010-05-29T11:47:00.001+09:00

Differences

2010-05-29T11:17:00.006+09:00

Everyone said it would be fun to see the differences in your children. I could go on and on about the differences between Calvin and Oliver but this sums it up just about perfectly. I heard them playing downstairs the other day. They were playing w/ Calvin's growing collection of superhero figures. Arguing

"No Ollie they are not dancing. They are doing karate." Calvin

"No, they dancing. Its Beat It" Ollie

Ollie now calls Darth Vader "Beat It" Why you may ask? He is wearing black beat it boots, duh!! Princess Leia is Billie Jean too!

Eliza gets to join in the superhero fun too.

Shoes

2010-05-29T11:08:00.006+09:00

What girl doesn't love shoes. Eliza couldn't fit any of the 0-3 month shoes we have. Gma Bubbles is visiting and found some that actually fit. She is almost four months and is wearing a newborn size shoe. Her first pair of shoes!! Lucky for her she will have no troubles convincing Dad she needs more shoes!

Daddy Shrine II

2010-05-22T12:12:00.001+09:00

Last night going to bed Calvin asked if we could make our whole room pictures of Daddy so then we won't miss him. I wish it would work, I would cover the whole house...

Lucky little sister?

2010-05-18T11:29:00.004+09:00

Lolypops!

Playing legos on a Spiderman couch!

Michael Jackson!

You be the judge.

Daddy Shrine

2010-05-18T11:26:00.002+09:00

This made us feel happier. Eliza even has some pictures tapped in her crib.

A few of Oliver's favorite things.

2010-05-18T07:03:00.005+09:00

IPod. Check. Beat it boots. Check. Ollie is happy all day long. (Thanks Tracey!)

Oliver has officially changed his name to Beat it. He will correct you if you refer to him as Ollie or Oliver. Unless of course it is on a day when he has decided that he is "Thriller" And my name has become Billie Jean. I can't remember the last time he called me mommy. "Billie Jean I have mocos. Billie Jean I need to go potty. Billie Jean I hungry." All day long. It is really sweet. I love being a part of Ollie's world.

Mother's Day

2010-05-18T06:57:00.002+09:00

Three adorable reasons to be happy!

And Gma Bubbles comes to meet Eliza this week!

A few pictures

2010-05-18T06:52:00.006+09:00

She keeps us smiling!

Good bye little baby clothes

2010-05-12T10:31:00.002+09:00

I had to pack up all Eliza's 3 month clothes this week. And it made me sad, partly bc she wore most of them only once (thanks to aunt rachael) and mostly bc it means she is just getting bigger. I want to freeze her for Scott, but I can't and she has to grow bc it means that time is passing and he will come home to us.

She is such a sweet little baby. Happy all the time. (except in the car) She has enough food storage in her thighs to keep her fed for a week and I love it. She eats and then I lay her in her crib and she takes her naps. She likes three naps daily. She doesn't like when Clavin gets in her face too close for too long, but she will laugh if the boys keep their distance. She likes peace and quiet when she eats. She needs a break between sides. She does not like her schedule to be disturbed. She likes to stay home, and thanks to Grandma I can still take the boys to do things and Eliza gets to nap at home with Gma. If we stay at home all day she hardly makes a peep. She does not like her car seat, but I think we may be making progress on that this last week. She likes music and loves to hear her brothers sing, but she is not as fond of the Phantom of the Opera as Oliver would like her to be. But honestly I hate it now thanks to him so I can't blame her. She likes to talk to Grandpa and watch sports with him. And she is loving all the delicious food that mommy is devouring at Grandma's house. She loves to pose for the camera. The flash actually makes her smile so I keep it on continuous mode and get a million cheesy shots to send to daddy. She has even shot Scott a few smiles over the web cam.

If she ever has a fussy moment I swaddle her and put her in her swing and she goes to sleep. I keep my babies and children on a schedule bc I am not patient. Many times I hand them off to Scott and he happily walks the floors with them at all hours of the night. God gave me happy Eliza bc I could not handle a baby alone. She really is a dream baby. She even laughed for me three times in a row on Sunday. That sound alone makes everything I hate all worth it.

Scott spoils me. If I am tired at night al I have to do is tap him and he will wake up to help me. Change a diaper, put them back to sleep, anything. When I had a c-section he would wake up just to hand me Calvin bc it was hard to sit up. He has always broken them into a bottle, which is why I don't know how to do it with Eliza. I gave her one last night and it just felt weird. She is even getting into 6 and 7 hours stretches at night, eating and then back for another four.

I am just rambling, writing down some memories so I don't forget. The best part of having Eliza while Scott is away is that she lets me hold her as long as I want until my heart feels happier and I can remember how much love brought her into this world.

Broadway

2010-04-30T04:03:00.004+09:00

I took Calvin to see his first broadway show. Mary Poppins. Mostly it was for me, I have really missed live theatre living in Japan and we were spoiled in Philadelphia. It was fun. A little long for Calvin, but the candy kept him happy. And he had his favorite parts, Bert danced upside down across the stage and Calvin has been singing "chim chimery" ever since. Plus he thought the stage crew changing the scenes in the dark was some sort of mystery.

Because I have not given Eliza a bottle I needed to take her along. And I had to buy her ticket so sit on my lap "due to fire codes" So I figured we could try for the rush tickets before the show. When I got there and asked about a military rate they said all those tickets were gone and we started talking about how we weren't from here and live in Japan and Scott being deployed and you could just watch the ladies face getting sadder and sadder. So she comes back and hands me an $80 ticket for Eliza and a slip of paper w/ orchestra seat assignments for me and Calvin and wouldn't take any money.

It was nice to have someone just say wow this must be really hard, let me do something for you. Free tickets don't bring Scott home, but it was kind of her to care.

Eliza didn't make a peep until the last five minutes so we left. Pretty good for a four year old and a two month old in an almost three-hour performance.

The Alphabet according to Ollie

2010-04-23T09:52:00.005+09:00

A= Alyssa, his BFF in Okinawa
B= Beat It, Billie Jean, Beachie Boys
C= Calvin
D para Daddy
E=Eliza
F
G= Gracie song
H= Halo
I=
J= Jean, as is Billie Jean
M= Mommy
N=
O= Ollie, that's me!
P=
Q= Looks like O
R=
S=Scott
T= Thriller
U=
V=

you get the point

That's as far as we get as far as letter recognition. But using this limited understanding he scrolls through Gpa's iTouch like a teenager. Selecting the artist of choice for that moment. Grandpa is expanding his musical interests into the Beachie Boys, the Ahhh song (james brown's i feel good) Faction (satisfaction- rolling stones) Honestly I can't keep track, he is obsessed. I know every mom says their two-year-old loves music, but Ollie really takes it to the next level. Today he was crying that he didn't want to take a nap because he wants to dance! I can't think of any toy he would like for his bday besides an iPod and I am not going there. Any ideas? He dances all day long, especially if anyone is willing to watch. His socks are ballet slippers. And his favorite shoes are black rain boots that he has termed "Michael Jackson boots" I guess bc they are black? Thanks for Tracey he will be able to wear them again soon. he used to sit around w/ the apple TV remote. So I was anxious to see what he would do w/o it at Gma's house. Before he discovered Gpa's iPod he would push the musical buttons on toys and dance for the 8-second interval then run to push it again, over and over and over again. He keeps us laughing. Thanks Ollie Bollie.

kinda an easter picture

2010-04-14T11:31:00.005+09:00

this is as close as we got this year

Big Brothers/Little Brothers

2010-04-09T11:50:00.008+09:00

Calvin's face epitomizes how the big brothers often feel

And Ollie's look of admiration can only come from a little brother.

I love it.

Two month check up

2010-04-08T10:08:00.005+09:00

Eliza and I went to the doctor today. It was strange. No military uniforms, long lines, I don't even need my military ID here. Anyway, she is a chub!! I love it. She weighed in at 12 lbs 11.5 oz. Her stomach just keeps getting bigger. She is 92% for weight (the boys were always in the 20-30 range) Poor girl has Scott's legs though. She is in the 50s for height.

Calvin came with me and decided he is moving back to Okinawa so he never has to see Eliza get her shots again.

The doctor diagnosed her as "perfect" and we agree!

Easter weekend

2010-04-06T11:37:00.004+09:00

I have been sending scott nightly updates. Really long ones. And although he gets priority, if I posted some of his updates here more of our family and friends could enjoy. Eliza is too cute not to share. We spent our first weekend alone, and we survived. Scott's family was down celebrating the baby blessing of cousin Addy. We can't wait for gma and gpa to get back though!

Real life

2010-03-20T03:43:00.003+09:00

For awhile I thought if I didn't say it or tell people it would change. But that hasn't work so here goes. Scott leaves tomorrow morning for Afghanistan. Our first-ever deployment. (We got word three days after Eliza was born) We said goodbye a week ago when he flew to CA, I won't write about that bc you would be in tears and so would I all over again. Thankfully my mother-in-law extended her visit and stayed behind and helped me get everything done to travel back to to the states to live with Scott's mom and Dad for a few months. I would have voluntearily checked myself into a mental institution if it wasn't for her, can you even do that? I am already crying so that is all I will write now. I am actually doing better than last week, but I don't want to cry right now.

Please pray for Scott, I know he is a lawyer but I am a worrier.

Eliza...You Can Stay.

2010-02-27T20:09:00.005+09:00

It took some time, but Eliza has finally been accepted into the family by Oliver. Those of you that know him and have spent some time with him know the significance of the picture below. "El control" is Ollie's security blanket. He woke up Christmas morning looking for it (walking right past the presents) and tries to take it with him when we leave the house. It has to be placed in the same spot when he goes to bed so he knows where to look for it in the morning.

This was a big sacrifice for him...a gesture more rich in its symbolism than anything that could come out of his cute little mouth.

Mo Eliza

2010-02-21T15:03:00.006+09:00

No time for commentary, so just enjoy the pictures.

Ohh Eliza

2010-02-10T22:20:00.001+09:00

Eliza arrived on Sunday. I know some of you have been anxious for pictures, so here are some that we have taken.

She came out perfect with rosy smooth skin. 8 lbs, 2 oz. 20.5 inches long. She made up for having her mom barf for nearly 5 months by coming out in about 5 minutes.

Eliza meets Mom.

The boys got to come and see her just a few hours after she arrived. Oliver was more interested in telling people about his flu shot than in holding the baby.

I will let Joy tell the birth story, she does a much better job. Everyone is doing well.

(There Tracy, happy now?)

Oliver Loves MJ

2010-01-16T08:01:00.008+09:00

Some of you are aware of Oliver's obsession with the song "Halo" by Beyonce. It was really over the top for a little while there. So, we have been trying to get past it and open his eyes to some of the other music that is out there. His new thing is "Beat It." It has not yet risen to the obsessive level of "Hay-wup" (as Oli used to say it), but it is getting there. What we have done is try to have him sing something else before we allow him to listen to it. Here are a couple of examples.

It is funny how right after he is done singing, he knows exactly what should come next. Listen real close to the end of this one, and you can faintly hear him say "Now Beat It."

Once he does get what he wants, he has to be holding the Apple TV remote, and then he really feels the music...and I can't say I disagree. Apple TV is the portal to happy feelings.

The bug has not just hit Oliver. One night I snuck up on Calvin, hid behind a chair, and recorded this...

Kim Jong Illin'

2010-01-14T21:37:00.008+09:00

Joy and I had the chance to spend a couple days together in Seoul. I was there for some training for the week, and Joy came out on Wed and then spent the weekend there with me. It was a good. The weather is a little different than here in Okinawa as you can see from all the pictures.
Joy was 36 weeks pregnant...and yes, they let her fly. This is her at the DMZ with N. Korea in the background.

A couple funny things about this picture. The Korean guide that took us around this temple compound asked Joy at one point "Are you going to be okay with that big belly." Sometimes the translation is a little more blunt than it needs to be. Also, for those of you that know Joy, you will appreciate just how humorous this picture is. I mean, she is wearing an NFL jacket. NEVER in my life would I have pictured that. When we planned the trip and heard about the weather, we realized we did not have any winter gear with us, so most of our cold weather stuff had to be scraped together.

I had to tease Joy about the coat. I said:
"You realize you are wearing an NFL jacket?"
Her response, "Yes, but I do not know what the bolt means, I do not know who the team is, and I do not know what the sport is, and I do not know where they are from."
One of the many reasons why I love her.

We ate lots of good Korean food. I think Joy had bi bim bop every time. I do not know what most of it was that I ate, or what animal/plant it came from, but it was good. This is me with my pot of bulgogi (for you Julia).

After lots of pointing, moaning, and talking in English with an Asian accent, we were able to find this place. Those of you who know understand how nice it was to go there again. It had been a looong time.

Catching Up

2009-11-16T22:41:00.011+09:00

Nobody likes to read long blogs...I know you all really only care about the pictures, so here goes.

Calvin turned 4! I know it was a month ago, but back off. We celebrated with him and some of his friends with a Lego party. He got lots of cool gifts from friends and family and is already looking forward to next year.

Joy made a cool pinata that looked like a Lego. She even put some Lego pieces inside as a surprise. The kids cared more about the candy and left all the little Lego pieces sitting on the ground.

Oliver started to get a little annoyed when Calvin was getting all of the presents. This is him showing his mean mug face the night we were opening presents.

Halloween came and went. I was back in the states at a conference and missed seeing the boys get dressed up and trick or treat. I bought a Macbook for a week to use the webcam so I could see them (I then took it back to the store when I got home, love the 15 day return policy). Oliver was Robin. Hey, he is supposed to be a little nerdy, right?

Calvin, of course, was Batman. If you see our last post, you will learn that he looked a lot tougher and meaner than he actually was/is.

They make a pretty cute team, though.

Joy and I had the annual Marine Corps Ball as well. It was a lot of fun. I even convinced my lovely 28-week pregnant wife to get on the dance floor with me to do the Soulja Boy (yes Melissa, two years in a row). We stayed out much later than she was used to, but it was well worth the time to enjoy each other's company.

Finally, inexplicably Calvin and Oliver decided to stay still for pictures the other day before church. We took advantage and snapped a few pictures.

Even though work can get pretty busy and make me apprehensive about bringing a little girl into the world, these three sure make you forget about all that.

Batman Gets Punked

2009-11-10T20:54:00.003+09:00

Calvin thought he was pretty hot stuff in his Batman outfit. He decided to try and prove to Oliver just how tough he really is...

Concert

2009-10-24T00:13:00.002+09:00

I was doing the dishes the other day and Calvin came in and asked if I wanted to see their concert. I came out with the camera at the ready, and this is what I got.

I think it was more like a dance recital than a concert, but Oliver sure knows how to get low.

Mommy's Haircut

2009-10-16T07:37:00.003+09:00

Really I should post a picture but that would require getting dressed to take one. Yesterday I got my haircut. My favorite part of this is having my hair straightened. Calvin does not like this, he never has. When I walked into my friends to pick him up his first words were, "I don't like your hair." Usually he is not that rude. Without fail, he tells me every-time he wants my hair to stay curly.

But the funniest part was on the way to the car.

Calvin- "I just don't like it straight"

Ollie- "I like it! Want to eat it"

Calvin: "You can't eat mommy's hair or then she will look like Daddy!"

It's a GIRL!!!

2009-09-29T12:07:00.002+09:00

We had our ultrasound yesterday and I can't believe the news. I had really prepped myself for another boy. I love my boys. In the back of my mind I thought maybe a girl, just bc I am still throwing up randomly at 20 wks and exhausted constantly (both of which stopped w/ the boys by 13 wks.) I told scott she is a lot to handle even now. His response, "foreshadowing."

Our reactions:

Calvin= happy. "we already have a brother, we need a sister." "Now lets have another baby and find out if it is a girl or boy too!"

Ollie= is sick. "no want sister. want rios."

Scott= shock but not surprised. "girls are just different."

Joy= cautiously happy. "she" may grow a penis.

Let the shopping begin!!!!

My Wife is Tougher that Yours

2009-08-20T20:24:00.002+09:00

Joy is due some props again after another Space A adventure with the boys...

I had to go to a conference in VA for a few weeks, so Joy decided she was not going to stick around in Oki during that time. She ended up getting on a Space A flight with the kiddos on 22 July. The flight took her to HI, where she then had to wait on another flight to take her to Travis AFB in California.

Once in Travis she stayed for a couple of days with her brother's family and then took a train ride down to Bakersfield to meet her mom so she could take them back to Las Vegas. She spent a couple of weeks there with her sister and her mother.

After that, we bought them a flight back to HI where they were hoping to be able to catch a Space A back to Okinawa. The flight from Vegas back to Hawaii was supposed to be about 6 hours, but turned into eleven due to some criminal activity that caused them to go back to LA to kick off some passengers. Keep in mind this flight left at 2 am. After leaving Vegas at 2 am, she arrived in HI. She was then lucky and able to get a direct flight back to Okinawa the very next day.

So, we have all together 4 flights of 11, 7, 11, and 10 hours each and one 4 hour train ride. All of this with two boys, two suitcases, 2 car seats, 2 inflatable sleeping bags, one backpack, a stroller, and a purse. Oh, and did I mention that she is 14 weeks pregnant and constantly barfing?

If anyone is tougher, I am all ears...

Getting to Grandma's house

2009-07-06T09:02:00.001+09:00

Last night when the boys were playing ball Calvin stopped and told his dad. "What if I swing so high on the swing that I jump up to the clouds and bounce to Grandma's house?"

I wish we could all start jumping.

Okuma (again)

2009-06-28T11:23:00.006+09:00

A few weeks ago we spent another weekend up at Okuma. It really was a good time and the weather could not have been any better than it was. We did some snorkling, ate some smores, ate some good food, played on the beach, and went out on the boats.

Yes, he has had a haircut since then.

We also went hiking to see a nearby waterfall. Oliver thought that it was too loud at the base of the waterfall.

Joy went on the tube behind the speedboat. She did not fall off, I think out of sheer terror that she would end up in the ocean alone.

Summer is Here

2009-05-27T23:51:00.010+09:00

Summer is here and we have had some good times already in the last few weeks. Dad managed to get away from work for a little bit and took Calvin camping. He was due for some alone time with his dad. We had so much fun that I forgot to take many pictures. We slept in a tent, had cookies for breakfast and dinner, played mini golf, rode the go carts, and went kayaking on the East China Sea.

Before leaving, I made Calvin a PB&J to eat on the way home. We did not make it a 1/2 mile down the road and he was already asleep. That sandwich sat on his leg the whole way home. This is one of my favorite parts of doing things with the boys, when they get in the car and you get to watch them peacefully fall asleep.

Since I have been at work so much, Joy went with a a friend and spent 3 days at a cabin on another beach here on the island. They had a great time, even though the weather did not really cooperate with them. They went to a park nearby and spent time with the animals and then went over to the aquarium. Here is Oliver on the turtle that later tried to eat Calvin's hand.

They at least sent me a video to let me know how much fun they were having....thanks.

We also got to go camping about a month ago with the entire family and several of the members from the church here. Here is me on the glass-bottom boat with the kiddos. This is right before Oliver fell asleep while we were out there.

Mom's Day

2009-05-11T21:37:00.005+09:00

My boys are good at spoiling me. Words make me the happiest.

Rocking Ollie to sleep he said one of his first three-word sentences, "Wuv u Mommy."

After reading Calvin his books, "Why aren't you closing your eyes Calvin?"

"Because I am looking at the world's greatest treasure."

"What is that?"

"It's you, mom!"

And Scott's words are too long and private to share.

Happy Mom's Day song!!!

Blue Boy

2009-05-06T21:49:00.006+09:00

Ever since going to the The Huntington as a little girl, I have loved Pinkie and Blue Boy.

Today, Calvin and I named Ollie Blue Boy.

Whenever I see a picture, email forward or the like of a little child that had just wrecked havoc, my first though is always, "where were their parents?"

So before you think it, I will tell you. Calvin and I were baking PB cookies for Daddy, and we were having a lot of fun. I did not know that Calvin had left his markers out within Ollie's reach. Thank goodness they are washable.

soccer dreams

2009-04-19T16:02:00.002+09:00

check out our soccer videos of Calvin and Ollie on the right. Scott has been waiting for these soccer days for a very long time.....

The Hulk

2009-04-17T23:26:00.006+09:00

Calvin has been on a superhero kick lately, although he has never read or watched any. He got to go to a big boy superhero party last year and this is my favorite shot. He just likes what big boys like.

Where is Daddy? Part II

2009-04-17T23:21:00.003+09:00

Just for the record, he does get confused sometimes. He is just little, Dad. And Gma was visiting!

Go Mommy, Go Mommy, Go!

2009-04-17T23:15:00.004+09:00

This is one of my favorite little Calvinisms. Whenever Calvin senses I need help with something he can't physically help me with, he starts cheering me on.

When I am pushing the double stroller up the killer hill by my house, trying to lift a table, or stretching the sheets onto the bed, he come to my side and starts chanting, "Go mommy, go." He cheers me on. And you know, it works.

Today coming home from the park he asked me this.

"Mommy, when kids play soccer, don't their mommy and daddy's come to cheer them up?"

Of course, Calvin.

"Those kids playing soccer didn't have mommy and daddies cheering them up."

So we talked about how when you get big you can go to the park by yourself to practice soccer. But moms and dads still come to watch your games! And Daddy and I can't wait to be there "cheering you up!"

Getting it....

2009-04-17T23:00:00.003+09:00

The other night while reading books, Calvin made my heart so happy. First we read "The Giving Tree," at one point I stopped to talk to him about it. "Why is the tree so happy when the boy took her apples?"

"Because she is sharing mommy."

Then we read a book, with the title "I Am a Child of God" and I asked him, "Who is a child of God, Calvin?"

"Everybody is mommy."

You make it so easy Calvin.

While wiping the table for the third time that morning, "You are a crumb fighter mommy!"

"Wow, Calvin, am I beating the crumbs?"

"Yes, you are winning, Get them mommy"

"Then why do I feel like the crumbs are always winning?!!!"

Sharing

2009-04-13T15:28:00.006+09:00

Calvin and Ollie are really loving playing together... and some days they are really good at sharing

"HAIR"

2009-03-06T00:12:00.004+09:00

Oliver is finally learning to sit still for small amounts of time. We haven't even gotten kicked out of library story time since December! Even before Ollie would sit still, one of the only ways I could get him to sit with me would be to comb his hair. He has always loved it. Before he could talk he would pick it up and bring it to me. I loved that he would sit with me for just a little bit and I could snuggle him as long as I kept brushing. I thought he had grown out of it a little bc he gets ready with Calvin now in the bathroom, real quick. Brush hair, brush teeth, I love having boys!

But today I brushed his hair and left and he started screaming behind me, holding out the comb, "HAIR." His attitude makes me laugh still bc it is so polar opposite of Calvin at that age and I know exactly where he gets it. The hair and the attitude! So I brushed and then stopped again. And he followed me to my room screaming HAIR. Laugh. Brush. Stop. Try to walk to front room to get shoes. Ollie screaming behind me "HAIR." Okay, we really have to go now Ollie. Distract with a car, car. Works every time.

Where is Daddy?

2009-03-01T18:57:00.005+09:00

How do you know when Daddy has been working too much?

When Calvin lets Mom put on fuzzy white gloves to go to Dr. Seuss storytime at the library.

Or when playtime outside becomes flower-picking time.

Oliver is not confused...yet.

Naps

2009-02-26T13:11:00.004+09:00

Calvin has been fighting me on naps for quite some time. I do not give in. His latest compromise has been whether or not he has to take a big or little nap. Of course it is always only a little one so he will just close his eyes. Today after our books he told me, "today I am just going to take half my nap." Fine Calvin just go to sleep!!

The other day driving home Calvin told me "Mommy you always say three stories, but Daddy always says just two stories. Silly Daddy!"

Oliver still naps a good three to four hours in the afternoon, which makes for some fun play time with Calvin.

A Little Dose of Irony

2009-02-14T00:32:00.003+09:00

We have been trying to teach Calvin how to be more polite when it comes to interrupting people when they are talking. Joy and I will always try and talk after work or in the car, but Calvin always feels like he has to be involved. So, he used to constantly just interrupt or talk louder and louder until we paid attention to what he was saying.

Recently, we have been trying to get him to do this in a little more gentlmanly manner. We told him that instead of just talking louder and louder, he should say "Excuse me, can I tell you something" or "Excuse me can I ask you something." It has been working pretty well.

Last night we were driving home and Joy and I were talking about something, when the following conversation took place:

Calvin - "Excuse me can I tell you something?"

Mom - "Of course, what would you like to tell us."

**Brief Pause**

Calvin - "I wanted to tell you I found a big booger in my nose."

Irony.

Getting a Real Christmas Tree

2009-02-11T14:55:00.003+09:00

I am writing this down so I don't forget. I love Christmas. Decorations. Songs. Christmas trees. My favorite part is the tree, a real one a lit up with white lights. And only a real one. When you live on a tropical island that does not celebrate Christmas, this becomes a problem. The exchange (wal-mart for military) gets one shipment. Last year, I went on a Saturday by myself and stood in line for an hour, but we had a real tree. This year, the shipment was delayed, no one knew when it was coming. I heard through a friend she saw someone driving that morning w/ a real tree on their car so I threw the boys in the car. No, scott could not leave work to come help me. Even though he made the joke that he didn't want to have to get divorced if I didn't get one! Undaunted, we still went. Since we were not there when the trees arrived there was no line. Holding Ollie is one arm and pulling the tree w/ the other, while Calvin begged me to hold his hand, we picked out our tree and then a kind women stopped me and carried the tree to my car, where wonderful men tied the tree up and again would not accept a tip. Merry Christmas to me.

Park Days

2009-02-11T13:56:00.011+09:00

Every Wednesday we go to a park playgroup. Every week, I think. How did we get so lucky to live here? Moms chat, millions of kids to play with and the funnest part is that we explore the different parks here. The Japanese know how to build a playground. Parents have as much fun as the kids. And we are spoiled, most times we have an ocean view. Nothing compares is all I can say. They must not have as many lawsuits! A good friend took us to this one last weekend, I think it may be the best yet! She is a better blogger, than I so check out her link, she even posted a pic of me and Calvin coming down an awesome slide. Calvin hated it. He is a very cautious child. Which really makes my life easy!! No running into streets. He holds my hand ALWAYS and grabs Oliver at any break-away attempt. My only problem comes when I don't have two free hands to hold both of them bc Calvin was taught to hold hands and Calvin does not break rules!!

Click here Having A Ball

As you can imagine, Pirate Ship park is one of our favs ....

New Years

2009-01-08T23:16:00.007+09:00

New Years Day was a bag of mixed feelings in the Wilson home. Grandma had been here for three weeks and we had really gotten used to having her around, especially Calvin. We had been trying to prep him for her departure, but we were not quite sure how it was going to go.

Things were fine while we were still inside the airport, as the playgrounds inside the airport helped ease the pain. Eventually we left and told Calvin we were going to go outside and watch her airplane take off into the sky (we were really just gonna pick the first plane we saw...nice parents huh?). As soon as we pointed to a plane...this is what we got. You have to view it larger to get the full effect...

Fortunately, we were able to find a pretty cool park nearby. Calvin was able let his sorrows drift away on the roller slides they had there.

I think they are a lot of fun for kids, but for those of us that are draggin' some wagon, it tends to burn a little...

He really only takes comfort in the fact that Grandma has told him she is going to come back again while we are here...right Grandma???

Okuma

2008-12-26T15:16:00.011+09:00

Joy's mother is in town, so Scott decided to do something he has not done since being here...take some leave. So, we took a couple of days and got a room up at the resort in Okuma, which is on the northern part of the island. We spent Joy's birthday up there and just relaxed for a couple days.

It was a little chilly while we were up there, so we did not get to do a whole lot in the water. We were also up there Mon-Wed, so at times it felt like we were the only ones there.

Oliver was all over the place, as usual. At least he knows to stay out of the water.

I made Joy do a Crossfit workout with me on the beach. She was a sport. The kiddos were proud of her and posed for a picture afterwards.

We spent one of the mornings up at Hedo Point. It is the very northern tip of the island, where the Pacific Ocean meets the East China Sea.

Another day we went down to the Okinawa Aquarium. We saw big turtles, sharks, the dolphin show, and lion fish...though most of time was spent keeping track of where Oliver had run off to.

Doing our best lion fish impression...

How you know the trip was successful...

AFN

2008-12-22T21:38:00.003+09:00

Armed Forces Network. Here, we don't get cable, just patriotic commericals. Our commerials teach you base rules and all the capitals of the United States. And Calvin has no idea what new toys are out there for Christmas. I love it.

And I heard this on our one radio station tonight, so I thought I would share.

A Soldier's Christmas Poem

Halloween

2008-11-27T06:26:00.009+09:00

For the longest time we were going to be Peter Pan characters and pirates for Halloween. Until Calvin decided he needed to be Goliath, in orange.

So for his preschool party, Calvin was Goliath, Ollie was David and Mommy was a Philistine.

Then on actual Halloween, we were all pirates again.
Calvin enjoyed trick or treating. He really didn't last long. We still have a ton of candy left, luckily he is so young he forgot out it rather quickly!!

Pirate Party

2008-11-27T05:44:00.017+09:00

For Calvin's third birthday party he wanted to celebrate pirate style. Up until now we have been able to visit Scott's family to celebrate his birthday so this year being far from our family, I decided it was time to throw a party. I love a good party and Calvin was sooo eager to help.

The invite.
Each buckeroo received a glass bottle w/ their treasure map invitation written in pirate language.
AHOY THERE MATEY!!!
AYE…
CAPTAIN CALVIN IS HAVIN’ A BUCCANEER BASH!
CHART YOUR COURSE ON OCTOBER 11, 2008 IF YE DARE!

PUT YER PIRATE GARB ON FER SOME SWASHBUCKLING FUN, GRUB, AND KIDDIE SPIRITS.

WAVE YER FLAG IF YE BE COMIN’

The games.

Walk the plank.

Daddy drew a treasure map and we played "mark the X on the treasure" Not everyone was ready to be blindfolded yet!

Treasure hunt w/ three-year old worthy clues like "As every pirate ought to know, this is where the vegetables grow." "It's big and black and holds the trash." Eventually leading them to the sandbox marked with a big X where they had to dig for their treasure coin to win their goody bag.

The tunes
Daddy made a mix of pirate songs, that we know listen to everyday. My favorite is Calvin's raspy voice as he sings "Sixteen men on a dead man's chest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of bum."

The decorations & goodies
I raided the thrift store on base for old sheets which Scott spray painted into pirate flags. Then we cut them up in sashes for everyone to wear w/ their eyepatch and personalized sword. We made pirate names for all his friends. "Wicked Captain Calvin, Evelyn the Exile, Goldilocks Dani, Hayden the Horrible, Bad Bad Breck..." you get the point. We had tattoos and facepaint.

The food.
Some of Calvin's favorites, pirate-ified. 'Horrible hummus" "Pirate Poppers" (Edamame) "Cannonballs" (Turkey meatballs)

The cake
I outsourced.

My favorite part.
Watching Calvin have the time of his life. That night when Calvin said his prayers. "thank you heavenly father that my mommy and daddy could dress up like pirates."

And seeing Scott wear my gouchos!

Blink on my cheek

2008-11-25T23:13:00.002+09:00

Some of my most treasured memories of Calvin as a baby are of rocking him to sleep. I spent a lot of time learning and trying to teach him how to sleep as a baby. I had no idea about nap schedules and routines and all that. I just remember rocking him and holding him and loving it. Yes, eventually I teach my kids to go to sleep on their own, but rocking them is one of my favorite parts of my day and I cherish it. I used to hold Calvin up to my cheeks and let his little eyelashes blink on my cheek and wish I had words to write a poem about how heavenly it feels. So several months ago I was telling him about when he was a baby and rocking him and "blinking on my cheek." Then a few days later as we were reading bedtime stories he leaned over and said "Mommy, do you want a blink on your cheek?" And my heart melted. And now he remembers regularly to give me a blink.

Marine Corps Ball

2008-11-21T19:34:00.006+09:00

November is always a festive time on the Marine Corps bases. Last year we arrived on the island on Nov 9 and were going to a ball 3 days later. We did not know a whole lot of people and did not stay very late into the evening as we were still getting used to Japan time.

Calvin helped me get ready by testing out the hat.

And he even stood still for a change to take a picture with Dad.

This year was a lot more fun. Joy looked amazing and I put on the most expensive and uncomfortable ensemble that I own. We got a babysitter, enjoyed the ceremony and a pleasant dinner, and then spent most of the night dancing. It is very difficult to do the Soldier Boy in that uniform, though Joy found it very easy to do the butterfly in her dress.

How Will They Know?

2008-11-16T14:32:00.003+09:00

My sweet sister in law Rachael posed a great question recently. I know I, along with the rest of my family would like to know the answer...

How will they know what is going on in Ohio? How will they know what is going on with Kevin, Rachael, Cameron, Treyton, Mo-mo, and Megan? How will they know what has happened in the last 3 months? How will they know unless we update the blog?

I talked with Mel today on the phone. Want to know why she has not started a blog?? She said something like "I am afraid that if we start one it will just end up like Kevin and Rachael's and then Scott will make fun of us."

Congratulations, your constant vigilance and attentiveness on the blogosphere has now deterred others from creating a blog of their own.

Not sure if the family ever saw this picture. This is when Kevin was the only one that came out for graduation from The Basic School. Those Costco employees are hilarious.