Of course it's great to be home. Family, friends, shopping, Mexican food, fast driving, grandparents spoiling the kids...all that. I do love being back in the United States and I am so glad we are here visiting.
That being said, here is a list of a few things we have encountered in the past week-and-a-half that we have not missed:
Scorpions
Fireants
Pennies (we don't use these, even on-base, in Japan - everything is rounded up or down)
Way-too-big trucks and SUVs
Wal-mart and it's typical patrons
American-operated airline companies (Japanese airlines treat you like first-class, even when you're coach)
Rude people (sadly, any rude person we encounter in Okinawa is American)
Alan adds: Unnecessarily gigantic drink cups. Seriously, America? Catch on.
Just some thoughts!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Takes Two, Three and Four
Take Two
Date: Sunday, November 14, 2010
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Kadena AB Passenger Terminal
Luggage: Same as yesterday
Attendance: Again, everyone.
Outcome: Success! We got on that plane that was headed for San Antonio. We were the first name called, actually. You know, since we missed it the day before by a stinkin' seat. Today, though, we emerge victorious! However, knowing that this plane was originally supposed to leave Friday and it is now leaving on Sunday, we remain skeptical. Will this aircraft actually get us home?
We gather our things and head through security, then to the bus to get out to the aircraft. This is all, of course, a logistical nightmare when traveling with two infants. Nightmare. Nevertheless, we get on the bus, then get on the plane, climbing the ladder from cargo to the main deck while each holding a baby and trying to protect Adam. Nightmare.
Crew guy: "Where are y'all headed?"
Alan: "San Antonio"
Crew guy: "Oh, that's where we're all from."
Alan: (refraining from responding, "No shit.") "Well, is this plane gonna get us all the way there?
Crew guy who shouldn't be allowed to speak: "It is now."
Ha. Once we took our seats, we sat there on the plane for at least an hour while they tried to get the engines started. Great. I think that probably isn't a good sign. Eventually, however, they got them started and we were off. A little while later, we stopped in Osan, S. Korea, but didn't get off the plane. I think we were there for two hours, then we were off again, headed toward Yokota AB, Japan. The plan was to spend the night in Yokota and take off the next morning. So we made the mad-dash to billeting. Did I mention that Yokota doesn't allow cabs to run on-base and the shuttle was off for the night, resulting in a WALK to lodging. About 15 minutes. Stupid Yokota. Luckily, they had availability for us and we got a really nice room, actually. To bed we went.
Take Three
Date: Sunday, November 14, 2010
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Yokota AB Passenger Terminal
Luggage: We consolidated and did away with the rolling backpack. Adam wasn't pulling his weight.
Attendance: Again, everyone.
Monday morning, we show up for the flight, check our bags, purchase our meals and wait to board. There's a playroom at the Yokota terminal, so the kids are (relatively) happy. We wait and wait and wait. Then we hear what we knew we would hear all along, but were praying we wouldn't - a rumor that the plane is broke and it could be a week. Crap. So Alan immediately calls to get us another room for that night and we check the board for other flights heading out. There are two on Tuesday that we'll try. We head back to the room - walking again because it would be almost an hour wait for the shuttle.
We spend most of Monday watching the television channel that shows outbound flights. We notice that the two we were going to try are changing and they eventually disappear. Tuesday we don't see anything for the rest of the week going to the States and we don't know anything about the plane we came in on. So, we decide to bite the bullet and purchase commercial tickets out of Tokyo. Surprisingly, they weren't as expensive as we anticipated. Still a lot of money, but it could have been worse. We're all set to leave Wednesday evening, which would put us in San Antonio on Wednesday evening, due to the time change.
After making that purchase, we decide to walk to the BX to grab some (cheap) lunch. While we're there, we see a few of the guys on the crew of our plane. One asks what we decided to do and we told him we bought tickets. Then, Alan asked the question we almost would rather not have known the answer to: "What was wrong with the plane?" As it turns out, there was no safety issue with the plane and we could have made the trip to San Antonio just fine. It was a matter of convenience. The Auto-Pilot Stabilizer wasn't working, so the pilots would have to manually fly the plane and they just weren't willing to do that. I know the mission comes first and we're just catching a ride, but really? The mission must not have been that important if the Auto-Pilot Stabilizer delayed it. Meanwhile, 40 people were left stranded . The part was due to come in on Thursday and they were shooting for Thursday night take-off, at the earliest. We definitely didn't want to wait until Thursday night, so we made the right decision (plus, Mom & Dad were begging us over skype to just get on a plane).
Final Take
The rest of the trip went exactly as back-up-planned. We rode the shuttle to Tokyo, flew to LAX, then flew to San Antonio. The babies did amazingly well, all things considered. They mostly slept on the plane rides and Anaya only blew out two windows with her screeching. Everyone was a trouper, but Audie gets the "Best Traveler" award because he was such a little champ.
It's nice to be back in the States, but let me tell you people: Nothing beats flying an Asian airline. Even if you aren't flying first class. They helped us carry bags, they carried a baby if it was needed, they gave special kid and baby meals, they had baby beds on-board that attached to the wall, they brought hot water to make bottles with, they smiled and cooed at the babies any chance they got - they can do service like no other. And what did we get from United? A broken stroller that will hinder us for our entire stay. Thanks, a lot. You just made my life even more difficult. Welcome home.
It was a long trip and I'm glad it's over. On the plane, when we landed in San Antonio, Adam mentioned something about wanting to sit by the window when we went back to Okinawa. I told him I didn't want to think about that. It's just too much. A line from Mr Potato Head in Toy Story 3 comes to mind: "You have no idea what I've been through tonight."
Date: Sunday, November 14, 2010
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Kadena AB Passenger Terminal
Luggage: Same as yesterday
Attendance: Again, everyone.
Outcome: Success! We got on that plane that was headed for San Antonio. We were the first name called, actually. You know, since we missed it the day before by a stinkin' seat. Today, though, we emerge victorious! However, knowing that this plane was originally supposed to leave Friday and it is now leaving on Sunday, we remain skeptical. Will this aircraft actually get us home?
We gather our things and head through security, then to the bus to get out to the aircraft. This is all, of course, a logistical nightmare when traveling with two infants. Nightmare. Nevertheless, we get on the bus, then get on the plane, climbing the ladder from cargo to the main deck while each holding a baby and trying to protect Adam. Nightmare.
Crew guy: "Where are y'all headed?"
Alan: "San Antonio"
Crew guy: "Oh, that's where we're all from."
Alan: (refraining from responding, "No shit.") "Well, is this plane gonna get us all the way there?
Crew guy who shouldn't be allowed to speak: "It is now."
Ha. Once we took our seats, we sat there on the plane for at least an hour while they tried to get the engines started. Great. I think that probably isn't a good sign. Eventually, however, they got them started and we were off. A little while later, we stopped in Osan, S. Korea, but didn't get off the plane. I think we were there for two hours, then we were off again, headed toward Yokota AB, Japan. The plan was to spend the night in Yokota and take off the next morning. So we made the mad-dash to billeting. Did I mention that Yokota doesn't allow cabs to run on-base and the shuttle was off for the night, resulting in a WALK to lodging. About 15 minutes. Stupid Yokota. Luckily, they had availability for us and we got a really nice room, actually. To bed we went.
Take Three
Date: Sunday, November 14, 2010
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: Yokota AB Passenger Terminal
Luggage: We consolidated and did away with the rolling backpack. Adam wasn't pulling his weight.
Attendance: Again, everyone.
Monday morning, we show up for the flight, check our bags, purchase our meals and wait to board. There's a playroom at the Yokota terminal, so the kids are (relatively) happy. We wait and wait and wait. Then we hear what we knew we would hear all along, but were praying we wouldn't - a rumor that the plane is broke and it could be a week. Crap. So Alan immediately calls to get us another room for that night and we check the board for other flights heading out. There are two on Tuesday that we'll try. We head back to the room - walking again because it would be almost an hour wait for the shuttle.
We spend most of Monday watching the television channel that shows outbound flights. We notice that the two we were going to try are changing and they eventually disappear. Tuesday we don't see anything for the rest of the week going to the States and we don't know anything about the plane we came in on. So, we decide to bite the bullet and purchase commercial tickets out of Tokyo. Surprisingly, they weren't as expensive as we anticipated. Still a lot of money, but it could have been worse. We're all set to leave Wednesday evening, which would put us in San Antonio on Wednesday evening, due to the time change.
After making that purchase, we decide to walk to the BX to grab some (cheap) lunch. While we're there, we see a few of the guys on the crew of our plane. One asks what we decided to do and we told him we bought tickets. Then, Alan asked the question we almost would rather not have known the answer to: "What was wrong with the plane?" As it turns out, there was no safety issue with the plane and we could have made the trip to San Antonio just fine. It was a matter of convenience. The Auto-Pilot Stabilizer wasn't working, so the pilots would have to manually fly the plane and they just weren't willing to do that. I know the mission comes first and we're just catching a ride, but really? The mission must not have been that important if the Auto-Pilot Stabilizer delayed it. Meanwhile, 40 people were left stranded . The part was due to come in on Thursday and they were shooting for Thursday night take-off, at the earliest. We definitely didn't want to wait until Thursday night, so we made the right decision (plus, Mom & Dad were begging us over skype to just get on a plane).
Final Take
The rest of the trip went exactly as back-up-planned. We rode the shuttle to Tokyo, flew to LAX, then flew to San Antonio. The babies did amazingly well, all things considered. They mostly slept on the plane rides and Anaya only blew out two windows with her screeching. Everyone was a trouper, but Audie gets the "Best Traveler" award because he was such a little champ.
It's nice to be back in the States, but let me tell you people: Nothing beats flying an Asian airline. Even if you aren't flying first class. They helped us carry bags, they carried a baby if it was needed, they gave special kid and baby meals, they had baby beds on-board that attached to the wall, they brought hot water to make bottles with, they smiled and cooed at the babies any chance they got - they can do service like no other. And what did we get from United? A broken stroller that will hinder us for our entire stay. Thanks, a lot. You just made my life even more difficult. Welcome home.
It was a long trip and I'm glad it's over. On the plane, when we landed in San Antonio, Adam mentioned something about wanting to sit by the window when we went back to Okinawa. I told him I didn't want to think about that. It's just too much. A line from Mr Potato Head in Toy Story 3 comes to mind: "You have no idea what I've been through tonight."
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Take One
Date: Saturday, November 13, 2010
Time: 0500
Setting: Kadena AB PAX Terminal
Attendance: The whole friggin' family
Luggage: 3 suitcases, 1 diaper bag, 1 backpack, 1 purse, 1 rolling Lightning McQueen bag, 2 car seats...all stuffed to maximum capacity
Weather: Rainy, of course.
Time spent waiting: 3 hours
Outcome: Well, we're still in Okinawa, but we came close - missed it by a seat. They had four seats left and we were next in line. One. Darn. Seat. I'm about 99.998% sure there would be some pissed off grandparents if we left a child behind.
Outlook: Sunny, actually. Tomorrow there are two planes we can try: one plane is going to Kelly Field, Texas (but said plane, unfortunately, has a tendency to break and since it stops in Osan, South Korea, we're a tad bit scared to get stuck), and one plane is going to Hickam AFB, then on to McConnell AFB. Now, most of you probably recognize that Kelly Field is SAN ANTONIO. Could it be any more perfect? Yes, it could. We will probably take our chances on it because it has more available seats and we're at least near the top of the waiting list, but it isn't the most reliable. Here's hoping that bird flies - all the way to Texas. Before you get too concerned, though, I should clarify that we don't think the plane will break while it's flying, just that we'll land in South Korea and they'll find something wrong that prevents them from clearing it to fly again. Maybe for a few hours, maybe for a few days. Either way, no me gusta the idea of being stuck in Korea. The alternative flight takes us to Hawaii and then on to Kansas. So if that one breaks, we're stuck in Hawaii. I'm having a hard time finding much wrong with that. If it doesn't break, which it is less likely to do than the other one, then it will get us to Wichita, Kansas, and we'll have to get to San Antonio from there. That's not a bad deal, either. We would just like to get on a plane tomorrow.
Stay tuned!
In other news...We got back to the house and the babies were ecstatic to be unstrapped. Audie, who's been scooting around on his belly for weeks, was so excited that he just up and crawled! That, combined with the fact that he is already pulling up on anything and everything, makes me believe this could be the beginning of the end. I better lace up my running shoes.
Time: 0500
Setting: Kadena AB PAX Terminal
Attendance: The whole friggin' family
Luggage: 3 suitcases, 1 diaper bag, 1 backpack, 1 purse, 1 rolling Lightning McQueen bag, 2 car seats...all stuffed to maximum capacity
Weather: Rainy, of course.
Time spent waiting: 3 hours
Outcome: Well, we're still in Okinawa, but we came close - missed it by a seat. They had four seats left and we were next in line. One. Darn. Seat. I'm about 99.998% sure there would be some pissed off grandparents if we left a child behind.
Outlook: Sunny, actually. Tomorrow there are two planes we can try: one plane is going to Kelly Field, Texas (but said plane, unfortunately, has a tendency to break and since it stops in Osan, South Korea, we're a tad bit scared to get stuck), and one plane is going to Hickam AFB, then on to McConnell AFB. Now, most of you probably recognize that Kelly Field is SAN ANTONIO. Could it be any more perfect? Yes, it could. We will probably take our chances on it because it has more available seats and we're at least near the top of the waiting list, but it isn't the most reliable. Here's hoping that bird flies - all the way to Texas. Before you get too concerned, though, I should clarify that we don't think the plane will break while it's flying, just that we'll land in South Korea and they'll find something wrong that prevents them from clearing it to fly again. Maybe for a few hours, maybe for a few days. Either way, no me gusta the idea of being stuck in Korea. The alternative flight takes us to Hawaii and then on to Kansas. So if that one breaks, we're stuck in Hawaii. I'm having a hard time finding much wrong with that. If it doesn't break, which it is less likely to do than the other one, then it will get us to Wichita, Kansas, and we'll have to get to San Antonio from there. That's not a bad deal, either. We would just like to get on a plane tomorrow.
Stay tuned!
In other news...We got back to the house and the babies were ecstatic to be unstrapped. Audie, who's been scooting around on his belly for weeks, was so excited that he just up and crawled! That, combined with the fact that he is already pulling up on anything and everything, makes me believe this could be the beginning of the end. I better lace up my running shoes.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
9
Seriously? Nine. Friggin'. Months? Some days it seems like it was just yesterday that Mom was arriving, expressing her concern over how huge and uncomfortable I looked. But then, some days, it seems like it was years ago. Time has both flown by and stood still at once. Isn't it funny how that happens? Anyway...
The twins are NINE MONTHS OLD!! The best part about it is they are really getting fun. I mean, the work's not over - not by a long shot - but at least there is more joy thrown in the mix. They are very aware of each other now and play together a lot, even fighting over toys. He yells at her when she has something he wants and she yells at him when he takes it away from her. They're both talking a lot now and both continue to develop their own unique personalities. They still aren't completely sleeping through the night, but we're shifting our focus and are intent on making that happen soon. I'm tired of being tired. It is soooo much work having two, but I can almost feel it starting to be fun, so I'm more excited about the months ahead.
The twins are NINE MONTHS OLD!! The best part about it is they are really getting fun. I mean, the work's not over - not by a long shot - but at least there is more joy thrown in the mix. They are very aware of each other now and play together a lot, even fighting over toys. He yells at her when she has something he wants and she yells at him when he takes it away from her. They're both talking a lot now and both continue to develop their own unique personalities. They still aren't completely sleeping through the night, but we're shifting our focus and are intent on making that happen soon. I'm tired of being tired. It is soooo much work having two, but I can almost feel it starting to be fun, so I'm more excited about the months ahead.
Anaya
Anaya has become pretty scrappy lately. With Audie on the move, he likes to scoot on over and pick on her, steal her toys or whatnot. I keep waiting for her to just stand up and chase after him. But, no. She seems determined to not move. We put her on her tummy and put something enticing in front of her and she just screams at us until we either move it or her closer. It's not because she's not strong enough - she can push up. She's just not interested. She remains a diva, screaming when she isn't immediately getting what she wants. However, in between the screams, she has also learned to give big, wet, sloppy kisses, so we almost forget about the screaming. Until we ask her to give one kiss too many, in which case we are quickly reminded of the screaming. She still seems to overreact about everything. She eats pretty well, but turns her nose up at anything green. She's all about feeding herself, which has forced me to be creative since they still don't have any teeth. Some favorites are bananas, avocado, string cheese and crackers. Anaya loves the bath and gets excited when she sees me filling up the tub. In the bath, she loves to splash BIG and squeals with delight as the water comes down around her. She really seems to like the water. She also loves to play with Adam and her Daddy. Her eyes never leave Daddy when he's in the room. She has also made it her responsibility to fatten Rosie up (as if she was hurtin'). Most of what's on Anaya's tray ends up on the floor, and then in Rosie's mouth. Rosie's not complaining, of course, and really neither am I - I don't have to sweep! Anaya loves to look in the mirror at herself and enjoys books a little more than Audie. She also loves to bounce when you stand her up. Anaya's personality has definitely been a challenge for us, but it's nice to see that she is getting sweeter.
Audie
Audie is MOBILE now. His world just got a lot bigger. He goes wherever he wants, and especially loves to pick on his sister. He can just take himself right over to her and grab whatever it is he wants, and make a clean getaway. Now that he's on the move, we're finding out what he's really like :) He is already more curious than Adam was and leaves no stone unturned. He explores everything. Just today, Alan found him with a trash can of diapers dumped over, his head in the can. Thankfully, Karina had just emptied that trash, so there was only like two diapers in it. Also thankfully, he did not figure out how to get in the diapers. Audie is a mess. He ventures through the house, leaving a path of destruction. And he's starting to show the bumps and bruises that come along with being an explorer, as well as just being a boy. He's a flirt and a sweet-talker already. He's generally full of smiles and loves to talk. Lately, though, he has really amped up his temper and I often get an earful from him when I'm trying to get him to do something he doesn't want to do. He'll just start yelling at me (not crying), shaking because he's so mad. Then, he follows it up with his same, pitiful cry that makes anyone within ear-shot think I just pinched my baby. He's got my number. And yours, for that matter. Audie loves to chase Rosie around, but I don't think that's a mutually fun game. He also loves the bath and has been known to attempt to throw himself into the tub as I'm filling it with water. He especially loves to shove the head of a rubber ducky in his mouth and just leave it there while he enjoys the tub time. He's crazy. He loves his big brother and is always trying to get in the middle of whatever Adam has going on. He's beginning to look a lot like Adam did at this age, too. We'll consider ourselves lucky if we have another little Adam running around :) Audie eats well, but is very messy. He insists on feeding himself and I insist on battling over that, which usually results in flung food. He also likes to spit food at me, which is particularly nice. He loves musical toys and isn't so much in to books - just tries to eat them. His favorite place to be (besides in my arms) is staring out the patio door. He's loud and fun and is going to fit right in around here.
We'll see you soon!
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