more pics

check out our photo gallery link on the right, i uploaded over 100 new pics!

cheap fun

mom's old nylons, we couldn't stop laughing, sorry oliver!

oliver the butterfly killer

last weekend, while we were still allowed off-base, we visited the pineapple park and the butterfly park. we learned about pineapples, rode a pineapple truck, and then gorged ourselves with pineapple tasting, pineapple juice with lime, w/ orange, pineapple lemonade, pineapple chocolate, pineapple pound cake, pickled pineapple, fresh pineapple, pineapples cookie, i can't even remember it all. hey, maybe this is why calvin threw up on monday night?!!

then we headed to the butterfly park. calvin slept in the stroller while oliver went to town he loved the butterflies and kept grabbing for everyone, he finally caught one and dad named him the butterfly killer bc he started to eat it, luckily with the work of both mom and dad, we pried it from his little hands and the butterfly was able to fly away, but it may never be the same again. the butterfly did love me, at one point i had seven on my hands. i decided it must be all the pee, breastmilk and babyfood that surrounds me constantly. now that calvin wear underwear i keep a change of clothes handy to the accidents that i am sure will come. i learned that i need to pack clothes for me for when we run to the bathroom only in time for him to pee on me bc he is still having aim issues!

i am not a marine

scott is a marine. he follows the rules. he goes without open-toed shoes, shirts with tails, and hair. he gave up his right to an umbrella and chewing gum. i did not agree to such restrictctions, but right now, the right to shop has been taken from me. because shopping at the exchange does not count as shopping! i am not even allowed to take my children for a walk in our neighborhood park.

i am being selfish, i know, i just need a little sympathy.

tonight i waited in line at the gate to get off base to go home for 40 minutes so i could show them my id, tell them where i was going and give them my phone number.

singing

Calvin loves to sing these last few months and it amazes me how many songs he can memorize. Last night when I was trying to leave so he would go to sleep. he looked up and said "mommy sing families be together forever." I mean really how can u say no to that.

but this morning the new name of that song is "families be foreva foreva" so we sang it with a little more soul!

a few other favorites are

the helping song
tee dom tee dee
the ants go marching
follow the prophet ( he was singing this one to oliver)
be like jesus song ( he knows all the words)
baby jesus song (picture a chirstmas)
heaven song
angel song
do as calvin is doing
jesus wants BEN for a sunbeam



we have been without a car radio for the last few months and a few days ago on the way home they both fell asleep to my singing. i hope i don't make them tone-deaf too!

mom's lesson in patience aka potty training

we have been a bit busy. i decided it was time to potty train. calvin did not agree so the first few days were a bit rough, but we are really making progress. he wears thomas and spider-man underpants. (not too great of a selection at the exchange) and i just love seeing his teeny little booty in big boy pants. every-time he puts his spider-man pants on he reminds me that he does not like spider-man pants, it is his cousin ben that likes spider-man. we will look for some cars undies off base this weekend!

we only need a diaper at night now and we have spent the last two weeks going on outings with no accidents. it is a challenge to run to the potty with oliver in one hand and hold calvin on the seat with the other. we made it just in time at the library and all was well until oliver tried to stick his hand down the toilet. we visited some ladies from our church yesterday and calvin even used the restroom at a new house.

the most fun was running to the bathroom at the park yesterday only to find japanese toilets, aka a hole in the ground. calvin wasn't sure what to do. i wasn't sure what to do. he has aim issues so i took all his pants,shoes, socks off which required i put oliver down on the public bathroom floor, i know gross, luckily the japanese public restrooms are spotless, but still. when we were finished calvin exclaimed "i go potty like the japanese" and we walked out past the handicap restroom with an american toilet!

i love his body language when he needs to pee. it starts with "i can't go potty" then he shakes a little and starts to grab himself!

our rewards system is candy and thomas stickers. but we had to change and give a potty treat just for getting on the toilet seat bc he was screaming so much the first few days. which calvin has just never been a screamer and it was driving me crazy. it was a battle of wills at that point. i knew he understood it, but he just didn't want to. we didn't use pull ups, made sense to me that they have to experience some discomfort. we washed a lot of underwear the first few days!

success came when we got ahead of when he needed to use the bathroom so that rather than an accident, he felt happy that he had used the toilet. we set a little timer to remind us when it was time to go. but then when he timer would go off calvin would jump and say "that scared me " wonder where he got that!

I think this has required the most patience of anything I have ever done. getting mad is not an option, but it is so hard not to get mad at someone who is peeing on you. girls would be so much easier!

so i feel so much more environmentally friendly, only one child in plastic bombs. and we are starting earlier with oliver!

Nago Cherry Blossoms

We went up to a Cherry Blossom festival in Nago on the north end of the island. It would have been really beautiful...if we had waited a week or two. The blossoms were only at about 30%, so we were a little early. Nonetheless, it was a good time, and fun to get out and explore a little bit.

Explanation for the photo of Calvin with Hello Kitty. we walked up some steep stairs and Calvin decided to take a break and sat down right next to a group of little Japanese girls. He just kept smiling at them and finally I figured out he was in love with the fish they had swmming in a little bag. After a few giggles they started smiling at him too and then gestured to give him their hello kitty doll. It was so sweet and all we could say was "Arigato"