Sunday Scene

To get me to blog on a more regular basis I am going to start writing on Sundays about 

an adventure we did during the week, most likely off base.

This week took us down "blue street" (named so b/c the road is BLUE).  Pam and Geo our neighbors were with Gabby and I.  We park on base at one of the gates and push our strollers out into real world Japan.  We stopped at Paseos, each floor filled with something different. Our stop was floor 3, children. We each bought a yukata (summer kimono).  100yen store was next where you can ALWAYS find something to buy. I ended up with a banana keeper, elmo toy, head band and some fruit (yes they have recently started selling produce). We ate one of the peaches for breakfast-sweet deliciousness!

Gabby and Geo needed a break from the strollers so we headed to a little park a few blocks away, across from City Hall.  They have a little fountain there that a handful of Japanese kids were playing in so we figured it was okay to partake.  Gabby's dress came off and she splashed and danced in the water wearing her shirt and bloomers, plus sandals for traction!  It was a great time, understanding spoken language with the others there wasn't necessary when you have the common language of laughter!  I even had a young boy come up to me and instruct me to roll up my capri pants so they wouldn't get wet.  Since Gabby and Geo got their clothes all wet (I could have put her dress on her since she didn't wear it in the water) we put their new yukata's on them. Now that makes for an adorable picture- too bad they wouldn't both look at the same time for a picture!

For an early dinner I took Pam to Pepperlunch- my favorite spot to eat. I am still amazed that it has taken her three years to eat there, and does it her last month here. Oh how I will crave it when we do move! I usually get the same thing, beef pepper rice.  It is only 640yen and is plenty of food.  It is served on a scorching hot iron skillet, white sticky rice with corn and some sauce piled in the middle.  Outside the rice lies raw beef.  Cook it right there at your seat and wait a bit for it to cool down and then you savor the taste.  Gabby loves it, no surprise there- I took her there when she was less than two weeks old. Nowadays she insists on sitting on her own stool, yes she is getting that big!

 

Since Clayton is away for Father's Day, we emailed him a special greeting to wake up to.

Sweetness!

This little girl of mine is amazingly sweet!  Putting her to sleep a few times this week she asked me to sing to her, "hush little baby!"  We say grace before dinner, and hold hands.  During dinner she has put her hands out and wanted to say grace again!  Tonight we said it three times!  Oh and after we were done brushing our teeth in the bathroom mirror she said Momma was cute!

...happened this week!

I really am not sure what we do always, but we stay busy and have fun!  Here is a recap of a few of the things that filled our week:

 * Used our new "finger" paints that are gel, I wasn't too fond of them although Gab seemed to enjoy using a brush with them.  

 * Went out and about in town with Clay in tow and shopped at the Gap, only to find a few super cute things on SALE for the fashionista.  Big plus was the gold sandals I had been wanting to buy since they came out.  

 * Dropped Clay off at the ship.  Waved and blew kisses from the balcony as the ship sailed out of the harbor for ??? Too Long!

 * Took our first outdoor swim of the season!  It wasn't as warm as projected and the wind made it a bit chillier but we had a good time.  Gabby loved to splash and kick, even with her teeth chattering.  Going to the pool this summer is totally different than last year.  I just held Gabby last year, bouncing her in and out of the water.  This year she is VERY mobile and thinks she can do more than she really knows how, she isn't scared of the water which is good but she tries to run off and falls down in the water.  That scares ME, I have to be right next to her to make sure she is safe.  Oh and for the picture you can only see the back of her b/c she was so excited she didn't want to stop playing so I could capture the moment!

Reads...

I have always been the odd one out in my family when it comes to reading.  My parents and both sisters read books constantly and at rapid speed it seems like. I have always been more into TV, I know that sounds awful.  I do enjoy reading when I actually do it and have a good book.  Mrs. S has been supplying me with a good reading library the past few months and that got me started so I have gone so far as to buy a few books at the NEX. I just finished one last night, it was okay but not as good as I wanted.  I do have another one waiting for me, a James Patterson one and he always seems to deliver.  

  My normal list of reading material in the past year consists of books such as: The Mitten, Curious George and The Puppies, Moo Moo Brown Cow,  Go Dog Go, How Big is Baby Elmo, Good Night Moon and many other fun kid stories.   One thing I am very proud of is Gabby's love for books and reading, she memorizes the stories too!  Tonight before bed we spent an hour sitting reading books together!  

   Clayton has a new book he has fallen in love with.  It is hilarious the way it has intrigued him.  Weber's Big Book of Grilling is over 400 pages of BBQ'ing fun!  This coming summer is sure to be packed with good food and company to share it with, that is whenever he is home!

Good Eats!

You would think it was winter the way I have been baking.  I guess the start of rainy season has planted me inside and made me eager to be productive. It is hard to cook new things sometimes, but it is so good to have something fresh and yummy that you aren't yet tired of.  Last week I attempted to make some muffins, but didn't use a  recipe and tried not to use sugar.  That didn't turn out so fantastic!  Gabby did enjoy helping me, using her whisk and pouring the ingredients into the bowl.  I got out one of my cook books today, prepared to follow it (well for the most part, if you know me you know I hate to measure and always throw in extra stuff).  The first batch of muffins was Peanut butter muffins with pureed carrots in them ( I am trying to make healthy snacks).  I added some chocolate chips to the top of half and jam to the others like it said.  I must say they are pretty tasty.  Second batch of mini muffins is a jumble of things that sounded good, only slightly using measurements from the first recipe.  I call them Banana Chocolate Chai muffins, with pureed carrot and yogurt too to make them moist.  YUM-O!  They do not taste to much like Chai ( I just bought a jar of Chai spice this weekend) but are delicious!

   Soup has been another one of my new things to try to cook.  I mostly stick to chicken soup, with lots of veggies and can of stewed tomatoes.  I usually add noodles too so there is more in it for Gabby to eat.  Today's chicken soup was not the best I have made.  I opted not to put in tomatoes and instead had more of a broth with just veggies, chicken, potatoes and spices.  Last week I made a black been soup, didn't taste like anything new it reminded me of a taco soup- which is always enjoyable.  

For dinner last night we had a wonderful new theme meal.  I am excited to do it again that is how good it was.  Greek was the theme.  I marinated chicken in a yogurt, cilantro, paprika and cumin sauce and Clay put it on the BBQ.  I made a delicious hummus and we toasted pita bread and grilled red onion to go with it.  Gabby LOVES hummus while her father will not touch it. She really does eat almost anything, I am so thankful for that!  ~ On a side note about her eating everything, her new love is hotdogs!  The girl is crazy about them, when I ask what she wants for breakfast or what we need to buy at the store she tells me "dotdog!"  

Goals

Lately I have been thinking of things I want to do as I grow older.  I am approaching 26, it is just days away and I think it is always important to have goals, this list is more of a fun to do list of things I would like to one day accomplish. It is just things that have been popping into my head lately.  Most likely I will forget to put half the things that have been dancing through my head but that just means that this post will hopefully continually added to.... that is if I make this blogging thing more of a regular habit. 

So here goes:

*Take a photography class and take cool pictures *Become computer literate *Learn to Sew *Be able to run 10 miles with ease *Grow a successful vegetable garden *Scrapbook all my pictures *Be an active member of a business,  something creative such as a card company, bakery/cafe, decorating, etc. *Host an elaborate party *Do something successful with my degree *Own a home in which each room is a different color

more to come, it is off to bed for me now!

 

Sleep...

For the past year I have been doing something I thought I never would. I have been co-sleeping with Gabby.  Before she was born we never even discussed having her share our bed, she had a bassinet next to our bed for when she was a newborn and she had a crib in her room when I was ready to move her into it.   Getting Gabby asleep and down has not ever been something easy.  I remember our first week home from the hospital she would be swaddled tight as can be and sound asleep, with a belly full of milk..... as soon as you laid her down and she was out of your arms she would wake up and cry.  It almost became easier for me to hold her for naps so that is what it turned into.  She loved to sleep on me and I enjoyed it too most of the time.  It is such a special bonding time and to have her so close and snuggled up to me really is one of the sweetest things you can imagine. It is time I never have to give back and can cherish it forever.I am not going to ever say, man I wish I would have dusted and mopped the floor more. Plus it allowed me to sit and rest.  

   Once the bassinet became too small, rather Gabby got to big, we moved her into the crib.  I am such a worrier that the first week or so I found myself laying on the floor of her room just to make sure she was breathing and okay.  There were a few months around 4-5 months old where Gabby slept pretty much through the night in her crib, WOW.  Then came our first trip to America. Our first night at my parents house she went to sleep in the crib upstairs, but awoke shortly after. I didn't know what to do really, there was the major time change that puts your schedule so out of whack.  That was the beginning of co-sleeping as I remember it.  

   I have tried a few times to get Gabby to sleep in her crib, but that usually ends with her crying for over an hour and then waking shortly after falling asleep to start the cycle of crying again.I There were times she would sleep in her crib for a week or so and then would refuse. It was just easier on both her and I to have her sleep with me.  I didn't have to be tortured by her sobbing and she got more sleep and was happier.  It really hasn't ever been a big deal, Clay is gone the majority of the time it seems and when he is home he doesn't mind having his baby girl sweetly sleeping next to him.  

   Well time has come where I am ready to make the transition.  Gabby is getting big and strong, which means I end up getting kicked in the head and jabbed in the stomach and I worry about her falling off the bed.  Plus if it doesn't happen now when will it?  This brings us to current, for a few months now Gabby has been taking her nap without a fuss.  We lay down in my bed, she falls asleep and I am free to do what I need around the house.  Nighttime has also seen a shift.  Gabby falls asleep, I put her in her crib and she doesn't even flinch!  Now that is a major accomplishment for us.  She has been doing fairly well at adjusting to her crib, she occasionally wakes up and I go in and tell her I am there, lay back down and she does.  We make it till 3am, then it is in bed with me but we are still a work in progress!  

   It is exciting and bittersweet at the same time. To many people it is a crazy thought to have their 15 month old child sleeping with them.  It was to me before we started.  I think it has been a truly wonderful experience, so heart warming.  There were nights she would wake up and kiss my arm softly then go right back to sleep.  Then there is that little voice saying "momma, mik peas! Peas!"  Which translates to Milk please. Even during the middle of the night she would use her sign language and say Please!