Jumble Jumble

As I type this out, I am constantly forcing myself to think of those less fortunate, for this is, once again, another woe is me blog post. But, really, who else can I bee-atch to, but to you guys anyway? My poor hubby is way way busy with pretending to be at war at work and he really doesn't need to hear the "waah-wah-waaah" (Charlie Brown comes to mind) of his wife when he comes home. But, this is typical of me when my life is not the organized, walking the line life I so desperately want (anyone care to yell out, "Control freak!"). Even more so when the humble abode is unclean.

So clean it, you say? Well, this past weekend, L and I decided to rip out the nasty carpet in the living room and hallway. It has gotten to the point it was a health issue (pet nastiness and mold and mildew festering between the carpet and pad) and we just had to get rid of it. No, the house does not reek any more of that heady ammonia scent urine leaves behind, and I do not have to waste all my precious Scentsy bars to camouflage the stink. BUT, I am now stuck with a plywood subfloor smack dab in the center of my house, which is only being covered with a plastic tarp lest the kiddies trip and get their palms and knees ripped apart by wooden splinters. Yeah, yeah, I know...it's a purely superficial annoyance. But I guess you can call me shallow in that sense. And so, no matter how great and deep I clean the rest of the house, I am still faced with that fugly tarp in my living room. Everytime I see it, I can feel my blood pressure rise.

And, why, oh, why is it, when it rains, it SO definitely pours? We are already faced with a major home project of laying new floor in (and finding the $$ to fund it), but the playground in the back fell apart during the last major windstorm, and the banister of my deck seemingly collapsed in half.

Oh, and I need to find a replacement for that nasty-a couch in the living room. Microfiber is NOT stain resistant as RC Willey man claimed it to be. And NO, I do NOT want to wipe it down with a damp rag every five minutes to keep it clean.

At least they are all material issues. My children are still being fed three meals a day, and we have a steady income, unlike some family I have in the PI. I really just need to quit whining. As aware I am of this fact, I still couldn't help posting it. What is this inability to refrain from oversharing??? Anyways, thanks for "listening."

Sleepwalking

Little Man has a frequent habit of sleepwalking, last night being one of the most hilarious episodes of them all. L and I know when he's in the middle of sleepwalking whenever he stumbles into our bedroom doorway and stammers out, "Um, I was just-um, uh, just-uh..." We know he's awake from it when he can answer simple questions like "what did you do today?" Last night, however, we kinda had a little fun with it.

D: Um, just-um, uh
L: Dylan, turn on the light.
D: Turn on the light?
L: Yeah, Dylan, turn on the light.
D: Turn on the light?
L: Dylan, are you awake?
D: Yeah. Um. Turn on the light?
L: Yes, Dylan, turn on the light right there.
D: Okay. *starts to turn away and stumble back in his room*
L: Dylan, come back here. Are you awake?
D: Yeah.
Me: Dylan, where's your nose?
D: *motions as if he's tossing something in our direction* Right there.
**By this time, L and I are rollin'. He seems more alert.**
L: Do you know where your nose is?
D: Yeah.
Me: Do you know where your butt is?
D: Yeah.
Me: Touch your nose.
D reaches back and touches his behind with one hand, and slowly touches his nose with the other. By this time, he starts to laugh and was able to tell us coherently what we did that day.

Sometimes, you just gotta have fun with these things.

Neighborhood Watch

Okay, scary, scary! As "celestial" as this cul-de-sac may be, it is unfortunately not impervious to danger. Recently, a couple young men have been spotted scouting out a neighbor's house (in their backyard no less!) smack dab in the middle of the day. And just tonight, another group (may be the same one) was seen loitering around the same area.
It's gotten a bunch of us shaken up, shattering the image of our perfect neighborhood. It's gotten this fam to actually turn on the home alarm system not only when we leave the house, but also when we turn in for sleep.
A source of comfort, however, is everyone's banding together to spread the word about these punks and looking out for each other's houses. Those kids better watch out!!!

Not Guilty Whatsoever

I am horrible with keeping my cellphone charged. I only really use it when I am in the car or on-the-go somewhere, which of course, drives my friends and 'specially the hubster irate. Anywho, neglecting the whereabouts of my cell also involves neglecting its battery needs. And so, I came to a point the other day when I was getting ready to head out, run errands, and meet my lover for lunch when I realized my phone was comatose. Solution: Purchase a car charger since I needed one anyway.

So there I was at the nearest Spring AT&T store, two lovely little girls in tow, both wide-eyed and ready for mischief from the fresh air they apparently weren't breathing while cooped up in the house. I grabbed the car charger I needed, and waited to pay.

I waited...and waited...and waited...and waited some more. Ten minutes have passed and I still didn't get even a "we'll be right with you." All I wanted was the lousy little charger so I can ring up my man to let him know I'm picking him up, and I had to stand there swatting at the itty bitty hands that were grabbing any which package it came near. Another man came in and stood in line behind me, an employee went and opened up a new register, and then...helped NOT ME, but the man behind me!!!!

I stood there, a million curses racing to the tip of my tongue (all of which I managed to swallow back down, I was so proud of myself). Then the anger demon perched itself on my shoulder and started to whisper bad bad thoughts: "It's because you're too damn short to be seen over the counter," "It's cause you're not white, you dirty little asian," "They think you're just there for fun." Ten minutes more, still standing there.

So I announced for all to hear, "The longer I am here, the longer your little store is subject to the shenanigans of these two," and motioned to my girls, who conveniently enough, knew exactly what my little smile meant.

So off they went, knocking chargers off their neat little hooks, hanging packages in other places they didn't belong. Liv took particular interest in the spinning accessory display and squealed with delight as she spun it faster and faster and all the nifty gadgets went flying in all directions. Sophie managed to reach some phones on display and occupied herself with pulling it away from its self-winding tether and letting it snap back in place.

Five minutes of mayhem later, the dunces behind the counter finally came to the realization the show was not about to stop any time soon unless they got me taken care of.

And taken care of I was. We three girls hopped back into the car to eat lunch with daddy, with the Spring AT&T store in a shambles. Not guilty whatsoever.

All for Fashion

I was struggling with putting Liv's hair in pigtails.

Liv: Ouch! Ow! Ouch!
Me: Just a little bit more, Livy.
Sophie: You gotta sack the fice, Livy!
I turn to her. Me: What did you say?
Sophie: She needs to "sack the fice" to look good! *pause* Mom, what's a "fice"?

It took me a bit...but sacrifice for fashion shouldn't even be a concept a four-year-old should understand!

Overreacting?

I ran across an article on msn.com about people who are preparing for the "impending" economic crash and it mentioned a site survivorblog.com. I decided to check it out and was a bit overwhelmed! I found posts on accumulating at least one year's worth of food storage in rice, beans, and other non-perishables. Also there were even instructions in creating a shelter and perimeter defense?!? More like end of days apocalyptic stuff.
So, I'm as nervous as the next guy when it comes to the state of the economy...I have been planning food storage for awhile and getting our emergency kits ready. But this survival blog stuff really creeped me out!
Here I am pre-occupied with what L and I are gonna be for Halloween, and finding the Olivia the Pig dress for Liv's costume, I have pushed all of our survival/emergency plans to the back burner.

How seriously is any one of you taking this economy crash?

Random Pics

Here are some random pics taken within the past week or so.

Sophie said it looked more like a starfish than an angel.

Like father like daughter....

China dolls

Nerves

Mr. D is the one of our three born with a halo; one to follow rules and always always eager to please. He prefers structure and routine, and definitely walks the line. The one thing that gets to me, however, is his (how do I say it delicately?) fearful nature. He is our worrier, concerned about sicknesses and diseases, backup plans, and schedules. But the one thing he is most afraid of is hypodermic needles. (Good thing, I won't have to worry much about intravenous drugs with him.)
But it's flu season, and Fam Och is the type of fam that benefits from the flu shot. Others do perfectly fine without it...we don't. And so, tonight, we herded the brood over to the flu shot clinic, and my little man reacted the worst of all three. He wouldn't stop talking about it all day, announcing his countdown in hour increments. I tried to reassure him as best I could, reminding him that he has received the same darn shot every year and he turned out fine. The logic seemed to escape him, and the countdown continued, but with an added,"Mom, don't get mad if I cry."
When his turn came up, he froze and tensed up and started yelling out loud in short bursts. L tried to distract him, but the only way he looked away was for L to grab his face and force it in the direction of the wall. He was so consumed with fear, he didn't even realize the shot was already administered.
Now, the boy is ten years old. L and I have realized that this may be a long-standing phobia that will accompany him to adulthood. We have tried all sorts of different approaches to address the issue: gentle re-assurance (it seems to feed the fear monster even more) and tough love (but we're afraid this will make him feel inferior). So as of right now, L and I are at a loss of what we need to do to alleviate his fears.

What would you do in our shoes? What fears slash phobias do you have? What do you do to help the issue out?

Pet Peeve

I have no problem with being shot down. Really, I don't. I grew up in a family that considered harsh-make-you-bleed-in-your-heart-and-crush-your-ego criticism as affection. Truly.

"You know, you're really fat."

That straight-to-the-point, no-holds-barred comment could easily bring one to tears. Some may even think being subject to that type of "love" could seriously bring about some issues major enough to require psychiatric attention. Instead of being hyper-sensitive to criticism, however, I've realized my psyche has leaped off the exact opposite direction. It all just rolls off my back, fat or otherwise. I appreciate the truth, and no it really won't hurt my feelings.

So, if I invite you somewhere, don't give me a definite yes if you're not sure or if you have no plans of going at all! PET PEEVE!!! Now, I understand the concept of tact, of course. And as I sit and regurgitate my annoyance, I am coming to the conclusion that these people were probably just trying to be polite. And as they are more unaware of my personality quirks, they would have no idea of my ability to buck it up and take the cold hard truth upfront.

Nevertheless, as this blog is a way to keep friends and family near and far updated on my fam's coming's and going's, it is more of a way to sort out the jumble that is my brain. I find tapping it out on the keyboard lays it out for me plain and simple and I can just simply let it go.

So here it is...I have let it go. Thank you. Bow.

What is your pet peeve?

Volcano Day

You know your baby is growing up when he comes home with an assignment for a major project. Our fifth grader was tasked with making a volcano to have erupt on assigned day at school. His class was told to be as creative as possible, i.e., chocolate volcano cake, etc., but our straight and narrow Dylan, of course, had to make a realistic volcano model. He went all out, molding his mountain with newspaper and plaster cloth. He then painted it according to kit instructions and embellished with "shrubs and greenery" and mini rocks and boulders. Aside from some occasional tips and guidance from mom and dad, and serious meddling by Sophia, little man did it all by himself.

Pictured above is the finished product. The label may be too small to see, but he named his creation "Mt. Dew." Little man has a sense of humor!

A little baking soda, food coloring, and LOTS of stinky vinegar later...

KABOOM!

Another realization for the day: my firstborn does NOT think mom is cool. :-( I hoped I had a couple more years, but upon seeing me standing outside the classroom, Mr. D smiled and said a quick "hi" before abruptly turning around to goof off with his friends. He ignored me for the rest of the time before waving me off when I left. This is all despite the constant nagging "Will you please be there to see the eruption, mom? Please???" But then again, this was all done at home, away from the prying eyes of cool friends.

Success!

I guess it's true when they say imitation is the best tool when introducing the potty to your children. Sophie was potty-trained right when she turned two because she spent a lot of time with her cousin who was going through the same potty routine. When Liv first displayed interest, she would pick up Sophie's toddler potty seat, set it on the toilet, and try to sit down. Highly doubting any real progress in the matter, I decided to go ahead and purchase the most realistic-looking potty seat just for the heck of it. Initially, she would sit in it and play around, pretending to flush, but nothing much more.
Last night, right after dinner, she walked in front of me and said, "Pooh pooh," and proceeded to grunt. We rushed to her potty and although she had already started in the diaper, she let a bit go while seated in the seat!!! Yeay!
Better yet, this morning once we got up, I took off her diaper, turned the faucet on, and sat her down in the hopes she'll at least get into the habit. Well, let's just say she pretty much filled that up with number two.
So, definite progress on the potty training front. Totally unexpected, but victorious! Now, if only I can convince her to pee in it, too, and before long, it'll be no more diapers for this household!!! Woohooo!

"Home"sick

"Where are you from?" Hmmm. That has got to be THE most difficult question I've had to answer. Unfortunately for me, I have to answer that one quite a lot. As a military brat, I've always wondered if that questioned my nationality, my birthplace, where I spent the most time, or where I graduated high school. It was always awkward, trying to explain to someone who has lived in one state, or worse, one city their whole life. "Ummm, well, I'm Filipino, born in Japan, lived in the Philippines, graduated high school in Japan," and I'd cringe, hoping that reply is sufficient. Occassionaly, I would get the creased forehead and pursed lips, "Uh, okay." But most times, people have been gracious enough to take my answer as it is, or even display interest and ask more questions.

Anyway, up until now, I have been perplexed as to where my hometown is. I've read posts published by a fellow blogger from the Philippines now living in Utah, and her fond memories of her hometown also brought back some great memories of my own. And so I started to wonder if, although I haven't spent much time there, because my roots belong there, that the Philippines would be my hometown.

And then, I started to follow the posts of a blogger from Japan. Reading the entries posted on her site brought back not only great memories, but also a quiet and subtle little heartache. Is this what homesickness is? In total, I have spent the majority of my childhood and teenage years in Japan. I guess it would only make sense.

Below is a picture of the ginza in Sasebo, one of my fave hangouts as a teenager. Every year, the day after New Year's, starting at midnight, the stores open with crazy sales and deals and this mall, which is more than a mile long, is packed to the gills with shoppers.

Anybody who thinks Japanese food is all california rolls, meat smothered in teriyaki and/or soy sauce, and sushi with cream cheese is missing out. Ringer Hut, a restaurant that our family loved to frequent, is near and dear to my heart. My sister and I would always order the sara udon and steaming hot gyoza. We would finish the meal off with a scoop of neon green melon ice cream.

Japanese candy, Kiss Mint gum, Hokka Hokka Tei chicken bento boxes, rest stop beef curry on rice, chicken yakitori sticks, Sanrio products, street vendor hot-roasted chestnuts, and those tiny little table grapes that cost an arm and a half, free and beautiful gift wrapping at the department store. Walking around past midnight and not being afraid for my safety, Valentine's day being a holiday for females to give chocolates to males and not the other way around, bowing to say hello, and asking,"Toire wa doko desu ka?" I miss it all!

This lookout is on top of Mt. Yumihari in Sasebo. My friends and I would climb atop the structure and just hang out there.

The thing that breaks my heart...it is SO expensive to finance a trip to Japan, I wonder if I'll ever be able to show my kids where I grew up. One of these days...

Scentsy Party REMINDER!

Okay, folks. Please don't leave me at home with a Scentsy Host all by my lonesome. The party is to take place on the 16th, this Thursday, from 7:00-9:00 P.M. I've only had two RSVP's. :-(

I Got Cheated!

Is anybody else asking the same thing? What ever happened to fall? As I recall, it was just a couple days ago I was loving on autumn and the cooler weather. But now, it's not just cool anymore, it's straight out COLD!

Liv's first time playing in the snow.

Cutie patootie.

Yeah, we got gypped! Fall was stolen from us! No fair! Booooo! Hissss! Poor Lou, he was planning to play one last (albeit verrrryy chilly) round of golf with his buddies tomorrow. So now they're getting excited that next weekend will be 65 degrees and thus warm enough for the last hurrah (that's still TOO cold for me).

Currently, I am trying to convince Lou that the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays don't count (it never was a big deal with my fam growing up) and that because it is now snowing, I am fully justified in breaking out the Christmas decorations. It is a "-ber" month, after all! Hahahaha. He just keeps looking at me funny and shaking his head...I guess it's a no-go. But he can't resist long under my wiles...*wink*wink*.

Party People in the Haus!!!

All of you who missed out on last night totally missed out on a rockin' night! Lou and I were joined by Rhead and Lindsay at Studio 600's Latin Night. The first hour was a free salsa lesson, and the rest of the night we were all shimmying it up on the floor. The lesson was great and we were able to learn to perform new maneuvers. It was such a fun night, and we only sat out a song when my feet couldn't take another one without a break (just not used to heels). Another great thing about the place....non-smoking and non-alcoholic! No showering in the middle of the night to wash off stench from your hair, and no worrying about dealing with drunks trying to rain on your party. Everyone there was just rarin' to go and dance to as Pink Ink calls it, hot-blooded music.

We had such a great time, we are thinking of making it a regular night out once every or every other month. So, for all of you who just stayed home stuck with sick kids (hope they're better) and those who plainly just decided to be boring (booo!) please don't pass up the next time you're invited. It IS a GREAT time, guaranteed!

Thank you, Rhead and Lindsay for accompanying us! You sure know how to shake it! Mwaaah!

Last Days of Summer

Alas, it it now the season of heaters and down jackets. Here are some images of the last days of summer.

My oldest and my youngest enjoying the sunshine.

The girls hamming it up for the camera, what's new?

There's Louie playing with the Raptors flag football team. He was the star, leading in interceptions and blocks made for the entire base!!!

Aaaaaaw

Me: That's it! Get in the corner!
*after a minute of corner contemplation*
Sophia: Mom, you hurt my feelings.
Me: I did?
Sophia: Yeah, you hurt my feelings so bad you broke my heart.


What do you say to that?

Preggers?

So, lately I have been battling all sorts of ailments...Initially, I assumed it was the cold/flu I caught from Liv. Then it was that monster of a migraine this weekend that placed me in a more personal relationship with a public restroom than I feel comfortable with. For the past week or two, I haven't been able to shake this blah feeling.

I discussed my concerns with Lou and he addressed a topic I didn't even consider: "Do you think you could be pregnant?" Lethargy, decreased apetite, nausea, dizziness. Hmmm. To spare all of you the unecessary TMI-details, the timing is totally off, and so I highly doubt it. If it is too soon to detect on a pee stick, wouldn't it be too soon for symptoms?

Besides, all of my complaints could very possibly root from other causes. My neck is a chief complaint, and when that coils up, migraines quickly follow. I will take migraine meds which although relieve the pain, bring about unpleasant side effects such as queasiness. We've been turning in past midnight most nights, thus explaining feeling so tired and sleepy. And the appetite...well, I'm not certain on that one. I've always loved food and consuming it is one of my favorite pastimes (look at me, can't you tell?).

Lou scheduled an appt for me to get a massage today. "Aaaaw, isn't that sweet?" you say. No, the poor guy is just doggone tired of me assigning him the duties of massuer and then whining,"What do you mean your hands are tired? Don't be a wimp!" I swear, I don't deserve the man. Anyways, hopefully the session will start me on the road to feeling better.

As much as his suspicions are unlikely, it still got me in panic mode. We've decided to stop with Liv, as I would like to keep my pelvis intact, as well as our sanity. But what if? Yeesh, this sure isn't helping with the tension in my neck.

Downward Facing Dog

Another thing to check off of the million things I need to try at least once. Although this particular thing, I am pretty sure I'd like to transform into a habit. I procured the cutest pink mat complete with carrying straps and I was set to go! There I was walking into the class, more worried about how dumb I would look inhaling and exhaling through silly yoga poses. Little did I know I should have worried more about if I could get my body to contort to that pose and keep it there.

One pose in particular entailed standing on the left leg, right ankle resting on the left knee, hands on the ground in front of you, weight rolled onto the balls of the feet, left leg bending and bending as far as possible without landing a face plant on the pretty pink mat. Bwahahaha! It took everything in me to keep my laughing hysterically restricted to a barely audible shaking of the shoulders.

Needless to say, I was the queen of yoga position modifications for the night. Because of this, I didn't expect I gained much workout-wise from the session. Waking up and feeling the slight ache every movement provoked, however, changed my outlook on the whole thing. What a perfect day for a massage. Wow! I definitely need to do that again.

Patti, the instructor, was both re-assuring and funny at the same time (Twins and girlfriend? Love it!) My yoga companion for the night, lovely Brandie, is a superwoman incarnate! I was

completely oblivious to the fact that she had already done a yoga session earlier that day, and that she did another hour out of sheer obligation to me. Girl, you're a better friend than I could ever be. Thank you, I always have a blast when blessed with your presence! Hope you're able to move today.

Fall is here!

The air is crisp and cool and the leaves are starting to change color. It is FALL! One of my fave things about this season is definitely the cute little girlie outfits my babies can wear!!! Nothing like tiny cardigan wrap-around sweaters and swanky blazers!!! Sophie's outfit can't be seen since the stubborn little pot refused to pose...but Liv's is an all-time fave handed down from big sis, one that Louie picked out in Rome since I was too overloaded with choices at the time. Too freakin' cute!

Eventful (NOT!)

And another weekend flushes down the drain! This was supposed to be my one-wkend-a-month at the Guard Base. I made it to 1100 on Saturday, with half of that time spent hugging the toilet bowl of the public chick's room (eeeew, I know). Meds kinda took the edge off so I was able to crawl into the car and manage not to swerve off the pretty new Legacy Parkway on the way home. And once in bed, I did not leave until Sunday afternoon, but only to transfer my aching self to the family room and bundle up in there.
Whoever heard of a migraine that is unaffected by Excedrin Migraine?!?!?! That little white bottle is the holy grail of all migraines! So the monkey that hitched on to my head kept his debilitating hammering from 0900 up until I fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.
I'm finally feeling tons better, but now I have to start worrying about how I can make that weekend up to the UTANG. Booooo!

10-Yr-Olds and Politics

We overheard Mr. Dylan and his best friend having a very serious discussion.

Dylan: Are you voting for mayor?
Taylor: I dunno.
Dylan: Vote for Ryan Mellor, our street has his sign.
Taylor: OK
Dylan: Who are you voting for president?
Taylor: Do you know who you want?
Dylan: I'm for Obama.
Taylor: I'm undecided.

I couldn't help but smile.

5 Things

Been tagged.

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

1. Learning to become a momma.
2. Contemplating joining the Air Force.
3. Hating on the PI and my life there.
4. Second-guessing my decisions
5. Trying to find my way.

5 things on today's to-d0 list

1. HOMEWORK
2. Clean the house
3. Teach Sophie her pre-k lessons
4. Return movie to Redbox
5. Grocery shopping

5 snacks I enjoy

1. Black walnut ice cream with granola topping
2. Lime and black pepper chips
3. Watermelon slushies
4. Frozen grapes
5. Dark chocolate and walnut brownies

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire

1. Pay off ALL debt
2. Give some to charity (i.e., family)
3. Save some for the kiddies
4. Start a business
5. TRAVEL!!!!

5 places I have lived

1. Yokosuka, Japan
2. Sasebo, Japan
3. Laguna, Philippines
4. Orlando, FL
5. Layton, UT

5 places I have worked

1. McDonald's on-base in Japan (Irrashaimase!)
2. Youth and Teen Center Sasebo, Japan
3. US Air Force (to include all places they have sent me)
4. Utah Air National Guard, SLC
5. who knows what I'll do next?

BLAH

As blogged previously, Liv was struck by a nasty cold. And as the story of the virus usually goes, it got tired of li'l miss and ventured on to yours truly. I have been cooped up in bed all day nursing a slight temp awaiting the seemingly impending implosion of my sinuses. And thank goodness for the hero of the day, the newly deemed "Ocho Cinco"(for his heroic feats in their football game), who watched the kids while I snoozed until noon and endured a whole day of his wifey's whining about how miserable she feels. I was thoroughly upset, especially since I had grand plans of stimulating the economy with some retail spending, and the evening was gorgeous out and I was unable to be outside and enjoy it.
I know, waaah waaah. Ms. Winnie is very good at the whining. Cue booing and hissing now. Hoping tomorrow will be a better day.

Best Things in Life...

Me: Sophie, can you give me a hug?
Sophie: You gonna give me five dollars?

Apparently, the best things in life now cost five dollars.