Photo Blog- Charlie's 1st Field Trip

Charlie's officially a big girl.
Last Friday she went on her first field trip to Neo Park where the open habitats allow the animals to just wander all around you.
She hung out in her school polo shirt, fed the birds and laughed with her friends.
Here are the photos :)
Enjoy!

Charlie wasted no time feeding the birds.

Sierra was fine looking as long as they didn't get too close.


Here are a few birds that you definitely don't see everyday.

I thought the way the light hit these birds made them look like they were glowing.

Again, Sierra just wanted them to keep their distance.

She did, however, like the big fish.

The Flamingos were pretty.

Charlie and her classmates fed a couple Llamas.

There was a pen that had puppies and a little pig in it.

Sierra wanted to get in there too, but she had to settle for looking in from the outside.

This type of rodent is the largest in the world. I wasn't as freaked out as I thought I'd be- if I saw this thing out in the street I'm sure it would be a different story.

Sierra finally got comfortable enough to feed a couple Peacocks.

This guy kept showing off his feathers and after many attempts...

I finally snapped 2 really good pictures.

Sierra and Marcus checked out the Lemurs.

Seriously, is this not the coolest little girl you've ever seen?

Charlie and her friends on the train.

As always, Marcus looked really excited to be there.

As we left, Charlie told us she and Mason were having a wedding.

Lord help me.

update

Tomorrow my Dad heads back to the CTCA (Cancer Treatment Centers of America) in Chicago. He has a few tests ahead of him but we should know where he stands on Friday.
I'm hoping and praying that he is Cancer free and will not have to have surgery.
If you would pray for him too I sure would appreciate it. If you are one of my friends who doesn't "pray" please do what you do- y'know, think good thoughts, send positive energy, all that jazz.

PS. I know there are some of you who read this blog that I've never met which means you have not had the pleasure of knowing my Mom and Dad. They are the type of parents that every child deserves, the type of parents that I hope Marcus and I will be to our children. They show me how to love and be loyal and courageous. Even now, with everything that is going on, their main concern seems to be my brothers and I, making sure that we're alright...
They are just amazing human beings who spent the majority of my life giving their time and energy and support to anyone who needed them and there are countless people who are better for having known them...

this blog is becoming difficult to finish...

I'll post an update as soon as I get one.

I'd watch it

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car (each) and3 kids (each) for six weeks.

Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes.

There is no fast food.

Each man must take care of his 3 kids, keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money.

In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.

Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time--no emailing.

Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment.

He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.

He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.

The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done!!

The men MUST shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn himself with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed.

During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.

They will need to read a book to the kids each night, and in the morning feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information:
Each child's birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size and doctor's name.
Each child's favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear and what they want to be when they grow up.

The kids vote them off the island based on performance.

The last man wins ONLY IF...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice.

He is also required to hold down a full time job.

If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right To be called Mother.

Fun times in Okinawa- Part 2

Tombs

When you get to Okinawa and get a chance to explore the island one of the things you notice right away is the tombs. They line the hills and streets and can be seen in a variety of sizes nearly everywhere on the island- seriously, they're everywhere you look. These tombs serve as ancestral vaults for holding the remains of the deceased in carefully arranged urns.
In Okinawa, there is a strong belief that ancestral spirits are always nearby, observing the daily life of their descendants. This belief brings an annual observance where living family members gather at family tombs to pray, pay repose to their ancestral spirits, and feast on offerings prepared by each family.
There are two types of tombs you will see while in Okinawa: the turtleback tomb and the gable type. The turtleback tomb is easy to spot due to its distinctive shape (which resembles the back of a turtle's shell) while the gable type tomb looks more like a house. These tombs are also built in the shape of a woman's womb. Buddhists believe the reasoning behind this is to return the deceased back to where they originally came from: the womb.

Here are a few photos...

Turtleback Tombs

Gable type

Cemetery




Foot Binding & Lotus Slippers

I know foot binding was practiced in China and I'm in Japan but this experience is still one that I want to share.

Another piece of history that smacked me in the face when I got here was that of foot binding. Soon after arriving some of the wives took me to an antique shop and I came across a pair of lotus slippers which are the tiny shoes worn by girls and women with bound feet.
I'd heard of foot binding but I didn't really know about it. I didn't know the ideal measure of a woman's foot was 3.5in and that girls as young as Charlie (4yrs old) literally had their feet broken and bound and then broken and re-bound many times over the course of many years to reach the desired length and shape. I didn't know that bound feet was essentially "the" standard for beauty. I didn't know that the prevailing belief was that the only right thing to do for your daughter was to bind her feet so that she could marry and be taken care of. I didn't know that in the 1,000yrs that foot binding was practiced as many as 1billion women had their feet bound.
Anyway when I came across these tiny little shoes that so many women had to wear my heart broke. I felt a deep sadness for what these women went through, which was immediately followed by a sense of gratitude that I entered this world in the time and place that I did. The feeling is hard to explain... I don't know... I get the same feeling when I read accounts of slavery, if that makes sense.
Anyhow I was compelled to buy a pair. Actually I bought 2 pair. One pair had never been worn, while the other pair was broken and busted at the seams. I keep them at the top of my closet because Marcus is grossed out by them. But I take them down every now and then and take a good hard look at them to remember what people on this earth had to endure and to remind myself of how fortunate I am.


These pictures say it all...

This is my foot next my pair of never worn lotus slippers.

I wear sizes 8.5 & 9.

These are Charlie's feet with the same pair.
Remember, these shoes were intended for a grown woman...Charlie wasn't even 4yrs old when I took these pictures.

Lotus Slippers next to one of Charlie's shoes.

Same pair, this time with Sierra's foot. She was 18mos.

Sierra's shoe.
Charlie standing with the worn pair.

Worn pair up close.

When am I gonna get married?

That's the question my four year old daughter asked my husband and I not two hours ago.
Marcus and I responded that she can get married when she's a grown up, to which she replied...
"But I want to find a beautiful boy and get married now. And you know what, Sam is really nice and I think he might be the right one for me... I'm gonna marry Samuel!"

WHAT!?!?!?

Needless to say we're giving the princess movies a rest for a while.

This is Sam and Charlie at her birthday party by the way...





They were a little too cozy for me that day too...

Pictures of the week: Fun times in Okinawa

I started this blog with the intention showing everyone all the interesting and fun stuff I was determined to see and do out here. Well I've dropped the ball. I've seen and done lots but I haven't shared like I said I would... boo to me. Anyway over the course of the next few days I will share with you some of my favorite experiences and pictures.

Let's start with...
Castles: Okinawa has a rich history, especially when it comes to royalty, and it is said that there are about 300 castle ruins on the island.
The first castle we visited was Shuri Castle. Shuri was the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century (1429-1879). During the 450 years that it served the Ryukyu Kingdom Shuri castle had burned or been demolished many times but had always been rebuilt. Before WWII Shuri Castle was designated a national treasure, but during the war the Japanese military set up its headquarters underground at the castle. Then on May 25, 1945 at the battle of Okinawa the American battleship Mississippi shelled it for 3 straight days. On May 27 it burned to the ground. Reconstruction of Shuri Castle- based on historical records, photographs and memory- began in the late 80s and continues today.
Here are my favorites from our visit.






The second castle we visited was the Nakagusuku Castle. The castle was believed to have been built by the famous Ryukyuan commander, Gosamaru, in the early 15th century and was purported to defend the land against the assaults from Lord Amawari of Katsuren gusuku. However, because the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd citadels of Nakagusuku display artistic sensibilities vastly different in style from the north citadel, it is now believed that foundation was laid by his ancestors in the mid 14th Century and later expanded upon by Gosamaru in the early 15th Century. Either way, Gosamaru was moved to Nakagusuku by the Shuri king to check the rising power of Amawari in Katsuren Castle. In 1458 the castle fell to attacks by Amawari the lord of Katsuren Castle.

Here are some of my favs from that castle.

Coming soon- Okinawan Tombs and Lotus Slippers.

Un-Valentine's Day

Yesterday was February 14th.
It was Valentine's Day for some, but for me it was just February 14th.

I don't know if it's the fact that we don't have anyone to watch the girls, or if it's the fact that we're not in America and therefore haven't had to see hearts everyday for the past month, but something has managed to make Valentine's Day unimportant.

February 14th on the other hand, was very important, but not because it was Valentine's day. February 14th was important because we did something out of the ordinary to make Charlie and Sierra very happy. On Thursday just before school, Charlie looked at me and said, "Mom, can I have some friends come over on Saturday?" "Which ones?" I asked. "All of them." At first I thought, this little girl is crazy, but Charlie is a great kid who has been extremely well behaved lately. So, after getting the okay from the hubby, I sent an email to a bunch of moms I know, and we had a party. Not for any special reason... just because. And it was awesome. There were about 20kids, 10parents, food, drinks and a bunch of toys.

It was February 14th and Valentine's Day was nowhere in sight- but my girls had a ball which is what I live for. Plus our house survived, which is icing on the cake!!

Slacker

I AM SUCH A SLACKER!!!

Not as a mom.
Not as a wife.
Not as a daughter.
As a friend, a little.
As a blogger, definitely.

I've been meaning to write a new blog for 2 weeks but every time I sit down at the computer I decide to do something else. Why? I don't know. I guess the answer is just that I suck. But to make up for my absence I'm gonna hit you with a lot of stuff right now- I hope you enjoy :).

Picture of the week- Momma's still got it!!

Late Saturday afternoon I got an invitation to go to a Poetry Reading at Camp Kinser... and although some of the poetry I heard that night left a little to be desired, my outfit did not :).



Momma's still got it!!