Homework Questions

I do not remember having homework in First Grade, however, I am finding that not to be the case these days. Big Sister came home with an assignment the other night that stills has me thinking. She was to fill a lunch size brown paper bag with four items that corresponded to questions listed on the outside. These items were to represent:

1. Something you did this summer.

2. Something that makes your family SPECIAL.

3. Something that you would like to learn how to do.

4. Something that you wish you could do better.

I thought these questions were fantastic and thought provoking. What a wonderful way to introduce yourself to your classmates and teacher. I immediately went into brainstorm mode throwing out ideas to Big Sister. I was so tickled as she quickly rattled off answers to 3 of the 4 questions indicating she had already given this assignment some thought. A hula girl magnet from our Hawaiian vacation was her answer to Question #1, a snack baggie with needles and yarn was to represent her desire to learn to knit (inspired by Aunt Andrea) for Question #3 and for Question #4 was a swimming fin keychain to represent her desire to swim better.

Big Sister was only stumped with Question #2...something that makes your family special? The Little Dudes quickly chimed in with "We have twins in our family." I agreed with Big Sister that although this was unique, it was not quite the tidbit she wanted to share. Many suggestions were thrown out during our ride home and during our afternoon snack. Finally, we discovered the "SPECIAL" element when we determined that everyone in our family had ridden an elephant. We quickly printed a photo from our Thailand vacation of Moloko Five riding on elephants in Chiang Mai to answer Question #2.

As she headed off with her treasures this morning, I wondered how her "show and tell" would go. She jumped in the car today and before I had the chance to ask, she declared that she had a "GREAT DAY!" She learned alot about her classmates today and found the exercise to be an extremely enjoyable experience. By the way, riding an elephant in suburban Virginia is not commonplace...her photo was a big hit!

If anything, this assignment has me personally contemplating Questions #3 and evaluating Question #4 in my own life. Keep the homework coming Mrs. Fahland!

A First Grader in our Midst

Whoa...it is hard to fathom that the Moloko household has a First Grader! Big Sister headed off to school yesterday with a huge smile and a sense of excitement. As the "morning greeter" opened our car door and directed her into the school, I watched her trudge ahead and not look back. I drove home marveled by my brave little girl entering her new school with such a sense of purpose.

Upon hearing that she was required to wear a uniform daily, Big Sister was not thrilled. However, when she realized that she has two uniform options to chose from she was relieved. So, yesterday, she headed out in her polo/walking short ensemble and today she selected the traditional plaid jumper and peter pan collared shirt. I had to chuckle as she insisted I take photos of her in both of her uniforms to mark her first days of school in Virginia.

Our Adorable Catholic Girl

Fortunately, with two days complete, she is enjoying school and having a great time meeting her new classmates. It sounds like she has some characters in her class and a really special teacher. Here's to a great year ahead!

Laying Down New Roots

Figured I ought to get at least one entry in for the month of July! Yep, as of today, we are now re-connected to the world of technology. It is amazing how a simple land phone line and a wireless router has me so tickled. Our snazzy new laptop is just awesome as I float about the new townhome writing this blog entry.

Since I last left off in the land of Aloha, we have had several more adventures. We had a fabulous weekend in Half Moon Bay, CA attending Uncle Bill's wedding to newly minted Aunt Melissa and getting reacquainted with family members we had not seen since December of 2005. The munchkins and I had a enjoyable week in San Antonio with Grandma & Grandpa McSorley before arriving in Virginia.

Within the past 30 days, we have closed on our new home, purchased two cars, painted bedrooms, hung blinds, received three of four shipments, celebrated my 38th birthday, and have still managed to keep our sanity in tact. The house is a work in progress and my sense of urgency to get everything out of boxes is bordering on obsessive-compulsive. I am at a bit of a crossroad as I just loathe brown boxes and clutter; however, I am in need of a "catch-all" type closet and a piece of furniture to house all the craft goodies I have acquired with three munchkins! Therefore, I am purging and realizing that I can not have everything unpacked and assembled in just a few days. I am not looking forward to our last shipment arriving on the 11th...those items have been stored for six years. YIKES!

The munchkins are handling things rather well. However, they have become a bit stir crazy this past week. The first week we were in Virginia, we managed to enroll them in a Vacation Bible School which was a great diversion for them and provided Hubby and I the freedom to complete some taskings. They had a wonderful time and it was held at their school, so, it was a blessing in they met some classmates and provided them the security of what it will be like upon entering First Grade and Preschool this fall. The weekly Monday arrival of boxes of goods has been like Christmas in July for them. Continuous pleas to play with their toys are heard as we try to usher them to the dinner table and to bed.

Tomorrow, we are headed to PA/NJ to visit with Hubby's family and childhood friends. It should be a fun adventure to see everyone again as it has been way to long. The munchkins are especially thrilled to see cousins and forge a relationship in person. I will say this, I really am not eager to pack my things back in a suitcase!

The Land of Aloha

We made it to our old stomping grounds.  It certainly was not without a bit of worry, stress and delays.  We arrived at the airport in Okinawa on a cramped shuttle bus of other military families moving to the US and traveling with obscene amounts of luggage. We quickly learned that our connecting flight in Tokyo to Honolulu was cancelled.   Quickly, the panic, stress, and frustration start to ooze out of our pores.  Fortunately, a flight was found on another airline which was going to route us through another airport which only delayed our itinerary by 3 hours.

As we stepped on the ground in Honolulu we were greeted with clear blue skies, the scent of plumeria flowers, and balmy trade winds.  Just as I had hoped the kids were instantly thrilled. The boys were looking for the "Big Pink Hospital" where they were born and Madeline was looking for anything that might have brought back memories.  The highlight of landing was having the Lee's, Ron and Marianne, come and ferry us to their home.

We are having a great vacation and have managed to pack in a lot of sights, restaurants, and activities to keep us on the go.  Our accommodations at the Lee's home has been beyond belief and made this week a real comfortable haven for us all.  It will be a sad day on Friday morning, as I am not sure when I will ever get back to this homey island paradise!

Glorious Friday

How quickly this week flew by! Hubby was actually "off." He officially ditched his computer and the handed over his blackberry last evening, so, we were free enjoy the beautiful day. Seeing as this was our last day on Okinawa, we solicited the munchkins for suggestions as to what to see and do. Big Sister, spent the morning at school, the last for the school year. We retrieved her around noon and headed out on our afternoon adventures.

After a few errands and a picnic lunch, we headed to one of our favorite parks, the Dolphin Park. The playground apparatus/jungle gym and roller slide were under construction, however, the adjacent beach was was deserted and the tide low. We spent an hour walking along the beach and out into the ocean looking for critters, shells, and crabs. The Little Dudes walked out with cargo pockets full of shells and actual pinchers from deceased crabs and Big Sister was looking for exotic coral pieces and clam shells to take to Hawaii.


With our trip to a beach checked off, we headed down the road to the Ferris Wheel. It has been a favorite spot since our arrival and we have multitudes of photos of the family on various occasions. Not only is it a favorite spot, but, a landmark that we will always associate with Okinawa's skyline and "American Village."

As we were headed back to the Westpac, we decided to drive through the neighborhood for one last whirl. We saw that Aki's car (mamasan/babysitter) was at the home of her current employment (family friends). Our timing could not have been better. It was moments before she was to get off of work and we were able to say goodbye to our friends and invite her to dinner. We were headed to the Macaroni Grill for the first time in ages and it was going to be a first time adventure for her. Aki, being an Okinawan native, was blown away by the sheer size of the restaurant and the decor. Her comment to me was, "you Americans do everything big!" She quickly asked the waitress in Japanese "What do Japanese people eat here?" Once she had her first bite of the rosemary bread, tasted the balsamic vinegar, and finally took her first bite of the seafood linguine, she was hooked. She told me that she is going to bring her friends back and now wants to go to Italy. It was wonderful spending our last dinner with such a great lady and the kids were just tickled! It was definitely a perfect ending to our glorious Friday!

Not to be Outdone

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activities, appointments, and goodbyes. Hubby has been "fare welled" no less than four times, received some awesome gifts, and the accolades abundant (well deserved). Big Sister had her graduation and the boys have had me driving to all of their favorite haunts.

My time to shine, right? Well, yesterday morning I had an early morning Okinawan humid run at 6:00am. I got back to our two room kitchenette suite just in time to touch base with Hubby before he headed out to take his replacement to a meeting. I figured I would throw a couple of waffles in the toaster for the kids and they could eat breakfast while I was taking a much needed shower. Everything was going smoothly. Big Sister was sitting down to her syrupy waffles and chocolate milk and I was preparing the next set of waffles for the Little Dudes. I was pouring their milk when I suddenly got a whiff of smoke, I turned around to see my waffle turning black. As I reached to unplug the toaster and retrieve the waffle, the smoke detector went to an immediate blaring BEEP! I tried fanning the detector and even tried to disconnect or reset the blasted thing. Nope, continuous blare and then the announcement on the loudspeaker stating "There is a fire on the first floor." At this moment, Big Sister is in a state of panic and the boys are holding their ears. I quickly call the front desk to alert them of the situation and the clerk responded with "Ok, just a toaster again." I figured at this point all was right and I would be able to continue on with breakfast. No such luck!

Next thing I know, they are alerting everyone via loudspeaker to please evacuate the building. I had the luxury of knowing it was not a full blown fire, so, I had my pajama clad children put on shoes and I grabbed our passports and tickets. Fortunately, it was almost 7:30 AM so, many of the military personnel were headed out the building on their way to work. Once I got outside, I quickly let everyone know it was a "toaster" and that I was to blame for the inconvenience. Everyone was understanding and had a good chuckle at my expense. I figured these people were either just arriving in Okinawa or departing very shortly, so, I would not be too stigmatized by claiming responsibility.

I quickly learned that the alarm had gone off the previous morning for the same reason. I had been warned by neighbors and friends that have had the pleasure of staying at the Westpac that the were subjected to inconvenient fire alarms (fortunately, false ones). The Westpac smoke detection system is extremely sensitive system (which I applaud); however, with almost daily visits from the fire department it seems like there has to be a more cost effective and less time consuming fix. I heard numerous stories as we were waiting for the fire trucks to arrive. Evidently, the toasters, burnt microwave popcorn (always a trying process), and even the heat of the hotel dryers are causes to set the alarm off. Just as I am feeling less embarrassed, Hubby drives up and unaware of my ability to evacuate a building, jokingly says "OK, what did you do?

Not to be outdone by my early morning escapade, I had two other moments where I had to check and make sure my hairdresser had dyed my gray roots brown. The Little Dudes were napping and it was time to pick up Big Sister. I decided to grab the keys to the car to start the air conditioning before waking them from their much needed slumber. I step outside the suite only to realize I left the room key inside. I am in a panic to get to the front desk for a duplicate and return to the room while still trying to pick up Big Sister on time. Fortunately, it was not crowded at the desk as it had been in prior visits and Big Sister was retrieved on time.

Last evening, I headed out to the Exchange moments before closing to pick up a few items. We are borrowing cars from our gracious neighbors, so, I still have to really think when I exit someplace to look for their car vice the one I just sold. I quickly locate the Pearl White Supercharger Toyota Minivan in the dark of the night and stepped inside. Once inside the smell immediately makes my nose curl, I then put my arm on the arm rest and the fabric just felt all wrong. It was only when I tried putting the key in the ignition that I realized I am in the wrong car. Granted, I should have been alerted from the beginning as I had locked the car prior to my shopping expedition. I quickly jumped out of the car before I was a suspect in a car jacking. I looked two spaces down the row to indeed find the correct "borrowed" car. Needless to say, upon my return, I decided to go to bed. I was not ready for another mishap.

Oh by the way, this morning I ran into a guy at the post office, and he truned to me and asked if I had used the toaster today? This island is just way too small!

Homeless

It is official, the Moloko Five are currently "homeless." There definitely was a sense of relief this morning as we turned in our keys to our government quarters. Not the most usual response I am certain, but, as I see it, it is another completed step in what seemed to be the most daunting move ever! We will no doubt miss our little concrete bunker as it was located in a fantastic neighborhood and many wonderful memories were created and will be cherished for an eternity. Hubby pointed out this AM, that this house had been the longest we have ever lived in any one home in the past 10 years.

With our cars sold, home packed, and house emptied, we can begin our summer journey back to the East Coast. Saturday morning we head out to Hawaii for a week long adventure. As the days approach, I find myself anticipating the sights and smells of our last duty station with excitement and expectation. The munchkins are eager to explore their "old home" and see Hawaii through their older and wiser eyes.

On June 27th, we leave Oahu, HI for a quick weekend in Half Moon Bay, CA to attend a family wedding and then to San Antonio, TX on June 29th. The kids and I are truly excited about spending a week with my parents and hitting a lot of sights which the munckins have not been able to appreciate in previous visits. Hubby will be busy closing on our Virginia home on June 30th. Hopefully, this will go smoothly and as planned. This would then only make us truly homeless" for the better part of two weeks.