Low Tide

Our family activity on Sunday afternoon took us not more than three miles from our home. We spent some time at the beach next to the sea wall on the East China Sea. Hubby had been diving the afternoon prior and thought it would be an enjoyable adventure for the munchkins. After a quick trip to the Exchange to buy reef shoes, we found ourselves having a blast hunting for critters, fish, and assorted shells. The Little Dudes initially balked at the idea, however, they were thanking us over and over all the way home.

Collecting crabs and shells

Check out this guy!

Big Sister holding a Sea Cucumber

Hubby reaching for a starfish

Special Person Dance

Hubby arrived home after a week in the field just in time for Big Sister's "Special Person" Dance. Our little girl, along with her Daisy troop mates, made poodle skirts for the occasion. She was SO excited about the "Sock Hop" and vetoed Hubby's suggestion of going to the party as a nerd with thick glasses and highwaters! She was not going to be embarassed.

According to Hubby, she danced the night away, managed a sugar high, and had a blast with the throw away cameras placed on the tables. Big Sister was especially pleased once the DJ began playing songs from the Grease Soundtrack and Paul Anka's "Diana."

Headed to the dance

Definitely a fan of the 1950's!

Who You Gonna Call?

It was not until the middle of last week, that Hubby got the official word as to what day he was heading to field. Hubby needed to report on Sunday afternoon. Big Sister had a Daisy Scout function scheduled for Sunday afternoon in which having the Little Dudes tag along was just not an option! "Scrapbooking with Mom" had been on the calendar for over a month, SO, Big Sister was really psyched and her creative juices were flowing.

I quickly needed to find a sitter to watch the Little Dudes. I checked with two neighbors and then I decided I need to tap into a resource I rarely employ. I ran the idea by the Little Dudes and they immediately were jazzed. We called their local super hero...Uncle Cookie Monster. No, he does not wear tights, leap tall buildings, or crush the bad guys, however, he can devour cookies like no other. Most importantly though, Uncle Cookie Monster gets on the floor, roughhouses, teases and provides the attention they crave.

Big Sister and I had a good time scrapbooking. However, upon our return, I was not greeted with the enthusiasm I was expecting. The Little Dudes told me to go somewhere else and come back later. Evidently, they did not want the "dude afternoon" to end. It was definitely the highlight to their weekend.

Yesterday when talking to the boys, they told me their favorite person to come and watch them was definitely Uncle Cookie Monster.

Sustenance for Uncle Cookie Monster

Uncle Cookie Monster's lap is prime real estate!

Seymour, Uncle Cookie Monster & Aloyisus

Our Cherry Blossom

After a week of ballet practices and numerous attempts of trying to perfect the "ballet bun", Big Sister participated in her first ballet recital. She has been sashaying around the house for the better part of a year, as she never walks anywhere! It was enjoyable and comical to actually see her put her efforts to use on stage in the bright lights. The girls were having a good time jumping, spinning, and twirling individually rather than as a group. She was all smiles and a vision in pink! The theme of this year's recital was "A Day in the Life of Okinawa" and our little ballerina was a "cherry blossom."

Our Princess

Waiting patiently for the recital to begin!

Ballerina Girl

Big Sister was so excited to see Uncle D! She immediately asked him "Did you see me blossom on stage?" What a great photo of the two!

Crushed Dream

For the past month and a half, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have been waking up at 0500 to partake in some rather unusual fitness training...rowing. I have bee rowing with the Navy Women's Dragon Boat Team which is comprised of both Active Duty service members and spouses of those serving in the Navy and Marine Corps. Dragon Boat Races are HUGE in Okinawa and teams from all over the island will be competing on May 5th. The Navy Women's team won back the title last year, after beating the Army Women's team three years in a row, so, the stakes are high for a repeat this year.

I was truly excited about training this year as a big gaggle of the neighborhood ladies decided to participate. After the first practice I was hooked, and evidently, so were the other 43 women who turned out in the wee hours of the morning. This was not an immediate cause of concern as in the past they would have big turnouts and within a week or two the numbers would die down.

Twas not the case! Within the first two weeks of practice, the roster grew to over 53 women vying for the 30 spots. The coach finally decided to freeze the roster list of names during the third week. Immediately, all participants were on pins and needles and you could feel the tension in the air and you could just cut the crisp morning air with a knife. We were quickly assured that attendance along with ability would be put into play when having to make cuts. With our upcoming trip to Thailand, I became increasingly concerned as I was going to miss four practices. I was assured not to worry and enjoy my vacation as other people had vacations scheduled, and business trips planned in the following weeks. At one point, prior to our vacation, I hired our high school neighbor (at 5 AM mind you) to watch the munchkins as Hubby was on the pistol range.

Last Wednesday night, the email came out with the list of names. Sadly, I was not one of the chosen "30" but I was named as one of the 11 alternates. I will say, all the other ladies in the neighborhood were as baffled as I,but, I think it was my absences (at least that is what I want to believe) that was my downfall. That is my story and I am sticking to it! I was told I was absent during a truly crucial week! Oh well, Thailand was amazing.

I have swallowed my injured pride, and attended a couple of practices. Oddly enough, I have been the only alternate present. The coach keeps encouraging me to continue to come as in the past they have had to pull alternates into the boat on race day. On Saturday, the team is actually heading down to Naha for a practice run in the boat. We have been training on a pier, so, this is going to be a HUGE change. Although it will not be the "BIG RACE DAY", I WILL get my chance to sit in the 2-ton Dragon Boat...this should fulfill my dream.

Team picture...I am in the blue shirt in the front row.

Feet Above the Rest

I have been marveling all week at Big Sister's feet. Yes, feet! Those precious feet kicked, prodded, and tickled me for months on end in utero. I fell in love with those little tootsies as they were one of the many inherited traits I could identify within moments of her being placed in my arms. Without a doubt, those ten pink toes and "long" foot bed where those of Hubby's.

Born in the Midwest in late January, footed onsies were the clothing item of choice. More often than not, her feet were the reason we had to move onto the next sizes of baby clothing so as not to curl her feet into her ankles. In her short six years, she has gone through multitudes of shoes, some only being worn a handful of times.

Just the other day, I picked her up from school and true to Japanese custom, shoes are placed in a cubby in the foyer of the school upon entrance and put back on upon departure. I watched her retrieve her shoes as she and a fellow classmate (whom she towers above) were chatting. I looked down and found myself having to quickly close my open jaw as Big Sister's shoes were 5 sizes larger. I knew she had "long" feet, but, I just was not expecting such a remarkable difference. Fortunately for her, she is equally as long limbed and lean which balance out her "long" narrow feet.

As we were out shopping the other day, she insisted on heading to the shoe department. We always look...never know what you might find on the clearance aisle. After our week in Thailand, I could see a new pair of tennis shoes were in order. Next thing I know, she is trying on shoes 1-2 sizes larger than her current pair. I started to think back to my youth and I actually remember wearing her current shoe size at the age of 9!

Today, we had a discussion on her feet, which I must say are truly lovely (as far as feet go). I made the mistake of calling them "BIG." Only after matching our feet up heel to heel and managing to shove my wide foot into her Crocs with just a bit of my heel showing, she agreed her feet were "LONG."

Just had to add this photo for comparison...Big Sister's and Mine!

Gotta Love Thailand

We are back! After multitudes of laundry, downloads of numerous photos, and trying to put the house in some semblance of order, I found the calling to blog about our adventure. As I think back upon our week long sojourn, the sights, sounds, and smells become so vivid and I find myself wishing I was back on the streets of Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

What an amazing country! The culture was ever present and the Thai people we encountered were visably happy and remarkably proud of their country. Children are revered and singled out by everyone to include construction workers, taxi drivers, men in suits, and little old ladies. Big Sister and the Little Dudes were really digging the personalized attention and found themselves in photos with individuals from Thailand, Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong. The hotel staff in Bangkok learned the munchkins names immediately and upon every return it was like entering the "Cheers" tavern. They even managed to get the Little Dudes names correctly which can be a daunting task for the closest of friends and family.

From our Hotel Sales Director in Bangkok and our Tour Guide Operator in Chiang Mai, I was baffled by the attention to detail, complimentary meals, personal touches, and courtesies provided. To be greeted in the wee early hours of the morning upon our arrival and then to watching the children during lulls in our tour when Hubby and I were shopping for pottery, gems and silk was an exceptional experience. Certainly, not the American way! The munchkins were enamored with these dear ladies (Ms. Rose and Ms. Wandee) and were constantly vying for seats next to them on buses, vans, and at dinners. In our final hours before departing, we had three weepy children not wanting to leave Thailand and those individuals who took such phenomenal care in providing them a remarkable vacation.

With over 350 photos taken, it is easy to say all of our sightseeing trips and tours were enjoyable. The Royal Gardens and the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok was amazing with the tiles, mirrors, and gold ornamentation.

Our afternoon jaunt to the ruins of Ayuthaya on an un-air conditioned train was a reality check as to how pampered my life is on a daily basis The train took us through the Thai countryside which was beautiful, however the austere living conditions were alarming. We passed through towns spotted with tin homes, ramshackled buildings, outhouses, and barefoot babes. Hard to fathom as we had just pulled out of bustling Bangkok with its traffic, high rise buildings, and chic lifestyle.

The highlight of the trip was our adventure to the Maesa Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai. We spent roughly three hours surrounded by elephants as we watched them bathe, play, and perform. Feeding the elephants was comical and taking an elephant ride through the forest was remarkable.

I had to laugh the other day, as Big Sister is already asking where our next vacation will be and what language will be spoken there? (She is hoping for Italy) The Little Dudes are trying to figure out where they can get a Zebra ride! Never a dull moment with these sponges.