I thought we'd talk about me again. The next item on the list is a "fun fact about me." This one is actually tough for me, which is why there has been a delay in postings. I don't know what other people would consider a "fun" fact. I'll go with this little fact and you can categorize it as you see fit. It is something that not many people know, though, so I hope you at least categorize it as "interesting."
When I was a freshman at The University of Texas, I decided to walk on the track team. Not as a runner - I knew my place there would be last - but as a long and triple jumper. I was pretty good in high school and I enjoyed it and they had a try-out, so I figured I'd give it a shot. For six weeks I worked out with the team, but never saw a jump pit. Despite my frequent request to just jump, the coach never let me. She had me running miles upon MILES with the runners (while the field event competitors were practicing their respective events). At the time, I didn't do miles upon miles. The most I ever did was a quarter mile. I did it fast, but that was it. I didn't keep going. So I was miserable. It became evident to me that they had a "try-out" because they were supposed to and she thought she had all the jumpers she needed, so she was just going to run me to death. Until I quit. So after six weeks, I walked right back off the team. And that season, I watched those jumpers. And a lot of times I could have beat them with what I jumped in high school. Her loss.
Truthfully, though, I never looked back. I got a job that I loved and kept that job for the next seven years, which I would not have been able to do with being on the track team. And I had a lot of fun ;-)
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Change
"You must be the change you wish to be in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi
This has always been a favorite of mine. I think it is always relevant and is applicable in nearly every aspect of life. Parenting, friendship, professional life, marriage...I think that if you don't like the way things are, you have all the skills and tools to change them. You just have to apply those tools to gain the power to make the changes. Whether it's political, legal, work-related or just amongst friends. You start by setting the example. You be the change. Others will follow because we are a flock. It's inherent to us. Contrary to popular belief, you actually can make a difference.
As you all know, I recently decided to take on the daunting task of organizing a 5K here to coincide with the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure. Well, today I got an email from the Race organization with this quote, which is a new favorite:
"How wonderful it is that no one need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world" -Anne Frank
What are we waiting for, anyway? Let's get going.
This has always been a favorite of mine. I think it is always relevant and is applicable in nearly every aspect of life. Parenting, friendship, professional life, marriage...I think that if you don't like the way things are, you have all the skills and tools to change them. You just have to apply those tools to gain the power to make the changes. Whether it's political, legal, work-related or just amongst friends. You start by setting the example. You be the change. Others will follow because we are a flock. It's inherent to us. Contrary to popular belief, you actually can make a difference.
As you all know, I recently decided to take on the daunting task of organizing a 5K here to coincide with the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure. Well, today I got an email from the Race organization with this quote, which is a new favorite:
"How wonderful it is that no one need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world" -Anne Frank
What are we waiting for, anyway? Let's get going.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Goodnight Moon?
The next item on the list is a favorite book. I'm guessing I'm not supposed to say Guess How Much I Love You or Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins or Dinosaurumpus, so I don't know what to do here. Really, I don't have much time for reading books I actually choose. A friend gave me a few books she had finished like three months ago (or more?) and I have yet to even open the cover. The most recent book I read was The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, and I absolutely loved it. But that was like six months ago. It was funny and sad and relative to me and it made me appreciate Karina even more. But it isn't necessarily my "favorite" book. I don't really have a favorite book. I have a favorite author - James Patterson. I love a good whodunit and I really like his Alex Cross series, as well as his Women's Murder Club series. Also, I have always thought I would enjoy working as a forensic scientist. I know it could be really depressing and traumatic work, but once I got used to it, I think it would be really, really interesting. If I ever went back to work, that is what I think I would want to try and do. Except I want all of my work to be as interesting and important and dramatic as the cases in the Patterson books. And maybe Morgan Freeman could be a detective I work with. Bonus!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
#3
I know it's been a few days, but let's pretend I didn't miss any days and that it really is Day #3, OK? So...a favorite TV show...hm...I'm admittedly out-of-the-loop when it comes to TV. Since we don't get it live here, and really don't even see the previews to hook us on to a show, it's tough. Plus, with the kids...I really only watch like three regular shows on Apple TV. Grey's Anatomy, The Office, and The Biggest Loser. I love Grey's for the drama and the totally believable and realistic personal and medical situations. OK, just the drama. I love The Office for a good laugh. Could you even imagine working for Michael Scott? I'm not sure how Jim & Pam remain fairly normal. I'd have gone crazy a looooong time ago.
Then there's The Biggest Loser. I love it for the transformations it yields. I hate that it's become such a "game" and that there have been a few bad apples the last few seasons. I think they need to figure out how to get back to what they originally started trying to do - get people to lose weight. Gaming aside, the show really does do amazing things. It is not uncommon for me to cry during The Biggest Loser. I just cannot imagine losing control of my life like that, and then the feeling they must get when regaining control is within reach and the responsibility that comes with that control. They are completely overwhelmed. I also love when Allison counts them down to go for a challenge and she drops her hand, like it's a drag race. Like she can't just say "GO!", she has to give them the sign, even if they're standing right next to her. Cracks me up every time.
In honor of The Biggest Loser, here's a picture of me, when I could have been a contestant:
Then there's The Biggest Loser. I love it for the transformations it yields. I hate that it's become such a "game" and that there have been a few bad apples the last few seasons. I think they need to figure out how to get back to what they originally started trying to do - get people to lose weight. Gaming aside, the show really does do amazing things. It is not uncommon for me to cry during The Biggest Loser. I just cannot imagine losing control of my life like that, and then the feeling they must get when regaining control is within reach and the responsibility that comes with that control. They are completely overwhelmed. I also love when Allison counts them down to go for a challenge and she drops her hand, like it's a drag race. Like she can't just say "GO!", she has to give them the sign, even if they're standing right next to her. Cracks me up every time.
In honor of The Biggest Loser, here's a picture of me, when I could have been a contestant:
If any of you actually scrolled down, excited that you were going to see a picture of me morbidly obese, then you are no longer allowed to read my stories. Haters. Truthfully, though, karma is going to get me for eating ice cream while I watch my favorite show :-)
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Who is the Weak One?
Four years ago, Alan and I sat in my doctor's office, waiting for her to come in. About a month before that, I had gone in for a visit because I felt a lump in my right breast. I was still breast-feeding a then-six-month-old Adam, so it was tough for them to tell anything. They asked if I would feel comfortable stopping the breastfeeding so they could get a better image. So I went back two weeks later and the lump was gone - determined to be a clogged milk duct. Two weeks after that, I felt another lump. This time on the left. A lump that made my heart stop for a beat. So back I went. My doctor saw me, hesitantly, noting that my chart was marked "paranoid" (this wasn't the first time I'd been in for a lump...or second...or eighth). As she got ready to examine me, she said, "You know it's not cancer. Cancer's so far down on the list." Nevertheless, she thought it was something, so she ordered an ultrasound. At the ultrasound, the radiologist thought it was something, so he ordered a biopsy. I had the biopsy done and was told my doctor would call me to talk about the results.
Tuesday morning, March 20, 2007, I got a call from General Surgery. They wanted to know when I would like to come in and speak with the surgeon. "For what?" I replied. "Oh. (pause) Has your doctor not called you?" "No. Is this about the biopsy? What's going on?" "Ma'am, we're going to need to schedule you for a consultation with the surgeon. Your doctor should be calling you soon to give you more information." WHAT?!? Big oops going on here. But I wasn't getting anything out of this girl, so I scheduled the appointment and hung up. Thirty seconds later, my doctor calls and needs to schedule an appointment ASAP. So Alan met me there later that day and here's how it went:
My doctor walked in to the room, sat down on her little spin-y stool, and said, "Well, it's not good. It's cancer." I know she said some other stuff after that, but she lost me at "cancer." All I could think about was what she said to me when she examined me. How totally wrong she had been. Not a little wrong. Totally. I remember she seemed to know absolutely nothing and was no help to us in answering any of the immediate questions we had. She left me with a piece of paper that she had printed out after no doubt Google-ing "breast cancer". I was so disappointed. And scared. But oddly enough, not totally shocked.
I had always felt some sort of special connection to my Nanny (my Dad's Mom). She was girly and liked Estee Lauder lipstick and shopping - so that connection was obvious, but that wasn't it. My Nanny was a breast cancer survivor and a recurrence of the disease is what ultimately took her from us. That was it. There was something about her battle with that disease that felt incredibly personal to me. I knew I would fight that battle. I know it sounds weird and creepy and scary, but I just knew. I just didn't know I would be so young when I fought. So my shock at being diagnosed was more because of my age. Only about 5% of all breast cancers occur in women under the age of 40. How special am I, right?
Over the next three weeks I had two surgeries to remove the lump. Then, over the next three months I had four rounds of chemotherapy. And over the next 7 weeks, I had daily radiation treatments. By the end of October, I was finished with the intensive treatment.
Cancer did a lot of ugly things to me. It made me sick. It made me bald. It made me skinny. It made me scared. It stole my innocence. It made me look weak. But you know what? Cancer did a lot of good things to me, too. Cancer really is so limited. I might even say that Cancer is the one who is weak. It made me realize that I might have looked weak, but I was STRONG. It made me savour my loves, friendships, hopes, and memories. It did not conquer my spirit or my Faith. In fact, it restored my Faith to a new level. It did not shatter my dreams. It made me realize that bald is beautiful...and that summer, I really enjoyed not having to shave my legs or armpits! It made me thankful for Adam, since we might not be able to have any more children. It made me thankful for Alan and how strong and dependable and loving he is. It made me skinny (because while this was considered a "negative" side effect, let's be honest...). It gave me Anaya and Audie. This one's a long story about the pain I have endured as a result of the chemo, which I ultimately believe resulted in twins...Or, maybe cancer was God's test for me and He found out I was tough enough for twins. Sort of his way of saying, "Okay, now if you thought that was tough..." Amazing. If I had to have cancer to get everything I have today, then I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Tuesday morning, March 20, 2007, I got a call from General Surgery. They wanted to know when I would like to come in and speak with the surgeon. "For what?" I replied. "Oh. (pause) Has your doctor not called you?" "No. Is this about the biopsy? What's going on?" "Ma'am, we're going to need to schedule you for a consultation with the surgeon. Your doctor should be calling you soon to give you more information." WHAT?!? Big oops going on here. But I wasn't getting anything out of this girl, so I scheduled the appointment and hung up. Thirty seconds later, my doctor calls and needs to schedule an appointment ASAP. So Alan met me there later that day and here's how it went:
My doctor walked in to the room, sat down on her little spin-y stool, and said, "Well, it's not good. It's cancer." I know she said some other stuff after that, but she lost me at "cancer." All I could think about was what she said to me when she examined me. How totally wrong she had been. Not a little wrong. Totally. I remember she seemed to know absolutely nothing and was no help to us in answering any of the immediate questions we had. She left me with a piece of paper that she had printed out after no doubt Google-ing "breast cancer". I was so disappointed. And scared. But oddly enough, not totally shocked.
I had always felt some sort of special connection to my Nanny (my Dad's Mom). She was girly and liked Estee Lauder lipstick and shopping - so that connection was obvious, but that wasn't it. My Nanny was a breast cancer survivor and a recurrence of the disease is what ultimately took her from us. That was it. There was something about her battle with that disease that felt incredibly personal to me. I knew I would fight that battle. I know it sounds weird and creepy and scary, but I just knew. I just didn't know I would be so young when I fought. So my shock at being diagnosed was more because of my age. Only about 5% of all breast cancers occur in women under the age of 40. How special am I, right?
Over the next three weeks I had two surgeries to remove the lump. Then, over the next three months I had four rounds of chemotherapy. And over the next 7 weeks, I had daily radiation treatments. By the end of October, I was finished with the intensive treatment.
Cancer did a lot of ugly things to me. It made me sick. It made me bald. It made me skinny. It made me scared. It stole my innocence. It made me look weak. But you know what? Cancer did a lot of good things to me, too. Cancer really is so limited. I might even say that Cancer is the one who is weak. It made me realize that I might have looked weak, but I was STRONG. It made me savour my loves, friendships, hopes, and memories. It did not conquer my spirit or my Faith. In fact, it restored my Faith to a new level. It did not shatter my dreams. It made me realize that bald is beautiful...and that summer, I really enjoyed not having to shave my legs or armpits! It made me thankful for Adam, since we might not be able to have any more children. It made me thankful for Alan and how strong and dependable and loving he is. It made me skinny (because while this was considered a "negative" side effect, let's be honest...). It gave me Anaya and Audie. This one's a long story about the pain I have endured as a result of the chemo, which I ultimately believe resulted in twins...Or, maybe cancer was God's test for me and He found out I was tough enough for twins. Sort of his way of saying, "Okay, now if you thought that was tough..." Amazing. If I had to have cancer to get everything I have today, then I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Four years. Just like that.
The day Alan took Command of Rebeleven...Also the day my hair fell out
Alan and me after shaving our heads that night
Pennie's wedding...in a wig
High School Reunion...in a wig
My last chemo treatment!
2007 Race for the Cure, which Mom and Robin came and surprised me for
My 2007 RFTC Team - the Commandant of Cadets ran with me, along with a few of Rebeleven's cadets and some great friends
2008 RFTC, where I finished THIRD among Survivors! Those are a bunch of Alan's cadets running with me.
2008 RFTC Team - what a difference a year makes! About 100 cadets also volunteered on race day.
2009 RFTC in Omaha (while pregnant with the twins)
I missed the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in 2010, which broke my heart. Komen had a direct influence on my cancer treatment and I appreciate this organization. So, I couldn't sit idly by in 2011. I have started a team for the 2011 Global Race for the Cure, June 4th. Although we can't get to Washington, D.C. for the race, we are going to run it here in Oki. So, feel free to be a part of our Warriors on the Rock team. Donate if you can. You can also register and be a part of my team! And on June 4th, put your shirt on and go out in your town and run a 5K. I would be honored to have you.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
A warm place with no memory
Day two is for a favorite movie. My favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption. I absolutely love pretty much anything with Morgan Freeman and this is just a damn good movie. I also happen to love Stephen King, messed up as he is, so this is just the jackpot for me! My favorite quote is from the end, when Red says, "Andy Dufresne - who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side." Although a few other favorites are when Andy asks Red, "What about you? What are you in here for?" And Red says, "Murder, same as you." Andy asks, "Innocent?" and Red replies, "Only guilty man in Shawshank." And then, when Red tells off the parole committee when they ask him if he's rehabilitated. He's awesome. The whole movie's awesome. If I were Andy, I would also want to live the rest of my life in a warm place with no memory. But, as my life hasn't been quite as difficult as Andy's, I'll keep my memories.
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Payback
For lack of inspiration or motivation or because I have a cold, I'm borrowing an idea from my best girl, Teach, who borrowed it from her friend who borrowed it...I forget...Anyway, it's a list and everyday you post something about yourself. Now, considering the twins are WALKING now, I highly doubt you'll get a little treasure from me every day. Especially since the babies have just now spilled their snack and Anaya is fighting Rosie for what's on the floor. Rosie has not yet learned that Anaya always wins. Okay, so the list. Here it is:
Day 01 — A favorite song
Day 02 — A favorite movie
Day 03 — A favorite TV show
Day 04 — A favorite book
Day 05 — A favorite quote
Day 06 — A fun fact about me
Day 07 — A favorite photo
Day 08 — Something I crave
Day 09 — Pet peeves
Day 10 — A photo of me taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of me taken recently
Day 12 — Something I bought recently
Day 13 — Something I want to buy
Day 14 — An old photo
Day 15 — My celebrity crush
Day 16 — A favorite food
Day 17 — A photo of my family
Day 18 — A baby photo
Day 19 — A fun memory
Day 20 — A hobby of mine
Day 21 — A favorite recipe
Day 22 — A favorite joke
Day 23 — A video
Day 24 — A travel story
Day 25 — A favorite photo
Day 26 — A funny (true) story
Day 27 — A child I love
Day 28 — A place I love
Day 29 — A person I love
Day 30 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
I'm going to start with numero uno: A favorite song. I have a lot of all-time favorites, like Goo Goo Dolls - Iris, Jessica Simpson's version of Angels, Etta James - At Last, The Black Crowes - She Talks to Angels, SHeDAISY - Lucky 4 You (Viva #23!)...But right now, I'm really loving that Brad Paisley song, Anything Like Me. It's about finding out he and his wife are having a boy and he imagines getting payback if the boy is anything like himself. I think it's scary looking into Anaya's eyes and seeing a reflection of myself. I like to kid and say she's a lot like my sister, but who are we kidding? Apples don't fall far, right? I think the song also makes me think of the boys being just like Alan, based on stories he's told me. I want Cathey and Bill to know that I cannot get Adam to stop hanging on the towel bar in the bathroom ;-)
Day 01 — A favorite song
Day 02 — A favorite movie
Day 03 — A favorite TV show
Day 04 — A favorite book
Day 05 — A favorite quote
Day 06 — A fun fact about me
Day 07 — A favorite photo
Day 08 — Something I crave
Day 09 — Pet peeves
Day 10 — A photo of me taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of me taken recently
Day 12 — Something I bought recently
Day 13 — Something I want to buy
Day 14 — An old photo
Day 15 — My celebrity crush
Day 16 — A favorite food
Day 17 — A photo of my family
Day 18 — A baby photo
Day 19 — A fun memory
Day 20 — A hobby of mine
Day 21 — A favorite recipe
Day 22 — A favorite joke
Day 23 — A video
Day 24 — A travel story
Day 25 — A favorite photo
Day 26 — A funny (true) story
Day 27 — A child I love
Day 28 — A place I love
Day 29 — A person I love
Day 30 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
I'm going to start with numero uno: A favorite song. I have a lot of all-time favorites, like Goo Goo Dolls - Iris, Jessica Simpson's version of Angels, Etta James - At Last, The Black Crowes - She Talks to Angels, SHeDAISY - Lucky 4 You (Viva #23!)...But right now, I'm really loving that Brad Paisley song, Anything Like Me. It's about finding out he and his wife are having a boy and he imagines getting payback if the boy is anything like himself. I think it's scary looking into Anaya's eyes and seeing a reflection of myself. I like to kid and say she's a lot like my sister, but who are we kidding? Apples don't fall far, right? I think the song also makes me think of the boys being just like Alan, based on stories he's told me. I want Cathey and Bill to know that I cannot get Adam to stop hanging on the towel bar in the bathroom ;-)
Sunday, March 13, 2011
How Thoughtful!
The other day, Adam was eating his lunch, drinking milk out of a cup Alan had brought him back from Okinawa when he was here TDY, before we moved here. After lunch, he told Alan, "Daddy, thank you for bringing me this cup. Since you brought me that, I'm going to give you something I don't want anymore." He disappeared to his room and reappeared a few minutes later, holding a tin, car-shaped box, painted like Dale Jr's old #8 car. This was ironic because that was something Alan didn't want anymore when Jr's number changed (what a nightmare...but that's another story), so he gave it to Adam. So here he was giving it back! Only, it was filled with flashcards that were for learning to read. Adam told Alan, "You can have these cards to use, since I already know how to read." How thoughtful! I had been thinking Alan needed to brush up on words like "stove" and "umbrella." ;-)
To brag on Adam for a minute, he totally can read! In fact, I put him to work most evenings, reading bedtime books to the babies. And, often, he reads his own bedtime books as well. Last night we played this SpongeBob Cranium game that's for ages 7+ and he read all of his own cards! He's doing amazing and we're so proud of him. What a little smartie...that's why I don't question his fashion sense. When you're raising a prodigy, you have to just trust them and let them shine. If he wants to be Sheriff Santa Woody the Waiter, who am I to stifle that creativity?
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Leveling Off
The twins are thirteen months old today! The last month has been full of so many laughs and having two is really starting to get fun. Everyone seems to be dealing with the fact that this is life - like it or not - and trying to make the best of it. We have at least as many good times as bad, which was not always the case in the past. I think it probably has a lot to do with our ability to laugh at situations, though. The fact that there are two of them working against two of us seems to not be a fact at all. It seems that there are four of them working against two of us - plus Adam, so like six, really. This month the focus seems to be on walking. The race is on to see who can do it first. They are both standing without any help and seem to have contests to see who can stand the longest. Audie seems to be ahead in the balance department, but I think Anaya has an edge in her willingness to try. She's the daredevil of the two, so I think she's more likely to give it a shot. I guess we'll have to wait and see!
Another thing that has increased dramatically this month - fighting. People think, "With two, you have built-in playmates, that must be great!" Yeah...half the time. The other half, we have built-in "I'm tired of this same ole' playmate" fights. In the past, it's been Audie who is more guilty of picking on Anaya than the reverse - and he still does his share of button-pushing. However, Anaya now takes the cake for being the Picking-on Queen. Poor Audie gets poked, prodded, and pinched constantly. Ears, eyes, hair, nose, you name it - if it sticks out, it's fair game. And his pacifier doesn't stand a chance - she steals it first chance she gets, even if she already has hers. All the while, looking at me, grinning, as if she's unaware of what her hands are doing. "Who me?" While we're on the subject of Anaya - It is really becoming obvious that God broke the mold on this one. She is truly one-in-a-million. She loves to dance and talk. She said her first word this month - "Adam." She can sign that she's "all done" and wave bye-bye and clap and tell us how big she is. Her sweet smile is her biggest weapon and that one top tooth poking down only adds to the ammunition. She's precious, right down to her little toe, and getting a snuggle out of her is a little piece of heaven. She's easy on the eyes, for sure. But...She kicks and screams when you try to change her or dress her or fix her hair, or get too close or walk away, or tell her "no"...or just whenever she feels like it. She finishes every meal covered in it, but is my best eater - my little Miss Piggy. She splashes every last drop of water out of the tub. She looks me in the eye while she knowingly disobeys. She is high-maintenance, demanding and unwavering in her desires. She is such a mess, it's scary. And to think, one day she'll drive. Oh, good Lord.
Then, there's Audie. Audie has these giant, dark-as-the-night puppy dog eyes that never let you believe he's guilty of anything. He's got mad-fast crawling skills and is, without a doubt, the more playful of the two. BREAKING NEWS!! THIS JUST IN: HE JUST TOOK TWO STEPS!! Does it feel like you were there?? Seriously!! Just happened!! Back to the regularly scheduled program... He's sweet and cuddly almost always, but the boy isn't afraid to get his fit on either. He'll definitely let you know when he's not happy. He's generally a pretty good sport about his sister needing so much attention, which is quite gentlemanly of him. He also said his first word recently - "ball." As far as he's concerned, everything is a ball right now. He loves playing and wrestling with Adam and Daddy and can't wait to be able to keep up with them. I think he really looks up to Adam and admires him so much. Just yesterday, Adam was reading Audie a book about animals and was pointing and naming all the animals. When Adam left, Audie grabbed the book and started imitating what Adam was doing. Now if we could only instill that whole "lead by example" thing in Adam, we'd be golden. To contrast Audie's playfulness, he's also pensive and analytical and extremely curious about everything from the toilet to the surround sound system. He loves to have fun and laugh and joke. He loves life - except when life hands him five teeth at once. He doesn't eat as much as Anaya does, but he eats more than Adam so I think we're still doing alright. He really takes after Adam in the sense that he's our little sweetheart and is such a ham, and that is a good thing.
Here is a mini-scrapbook from this month:
Thirteen months down, about 215 to go...but who's counting? Buckle up!
Another thing that has increased dramatically this month - fighting. People think, "With two, you have built-in playmates, that must be great!" Yeah...half the time. The other half, we have built-in "I'm tired of this same ole' playmate" fights. In the past, it's been Audie who is more guilty of picking on Anaya than the reverse - and he still does his share of button-pushing. However, Anaya now takes the cake for being the Picking-on Queen. Poor Audie gets poked, prodded, and pinched constantly. Ears, eyes, hair, nose, you name it - if it sticks out, it's fair game. And his pacifier doesn't stand a chance - she steals it first chance she gets, even if she already has hers. All the while, looking at me, grinning, as if she's unaware of what her hands are doing. "Who me?" While we're on the subject of Anaya - It is really becoming obvious that God broke the mold on this one. She is truly one-in-a-million. She loves to dance and talk. She said her first word this month - "Adam." She can sign that she's "all done" and wave bye-bye and clap and tell us how big she is. Her sweet smile is her biggest weapon and that one top tooth poking down only adds to the ammunition. She's precious, right down to her little toe, and getting a snuggle out of her is a little piece of heaven. She's easy on the eyes, for sure. But...She kicks and screams when you try to change her or dress her or fix her hair, or get too close or walk away, or tell her "no"...or just whenever she feels like it. She finishes every meal covered in it, but is my best eater - my little Miss Piggy. She splashes every last drop of water out of the tub. She looks me in the eye while she knowingly disobeys. She is high-maintenance, demanding and unwavering in her desires. She is such a mess, it's scary. And to think, one day she'll drive. Oh, good Lord.
Then, there's Audie. Audie has these giant, dark-as-the-night puppy dog eyes that never let you believe he's guilty of anything. He's got mad-fast crawling skills and is, without a doubt, the more playful of the two. BREAKING NEWS!! THIS JUST IN: HE JUST TOOK TWO STEPS!! Does it feel like you were there?? Seriously!! Just happened!! Back to the regularly scheduled program... He's sweet and cuddly almost always, but the boy isn't afraid to get his fit on either. He'll definitely let you know when he's not happy. He's generally a pretty good sport about his sister needing so much attention, which is quite gentlemanly of him. He also said his first word recently - "ball." As far as he's concerned, everything is a ball right now. He loves playing and wrestling with Adam and Daddy and can't wait to be able to keep up with them. I think he really looks up to Adam and admires him so much. Just yesterday, Adam was reading Audie a book about animals and was pointing and naming all the animals. When Adam left, Audie grabbed the book and started imitating what Adam was doing. Now if we could only instill that whole "lead by example" thing in Adam, we'd be golden. To contrast Audie's playfulness, he's also pensive and analytical and extremely curious about everything from the toilet to the surround sound system. He loves to have fun and laugh and joke. He loves life - except when life hands him five teeth at once. He doesn't eat as much as Anaya does, but he eats more than Adam so I think we're still doing alright. He really takes after Adam in the sense that he's our little sweetheart and is such a ham, and that is a good thing.
Here is a mini-scrapbook from this month:
Seriously? One of my favorites:
Vogue
Ta-da!
Gettin' jiggy wit it...not really, just standing there, but it looks like he's dancing
Anaya trying to shut Audie in the closet (pay no mind to the closet - I know exactly where everything is)
Anaya stealing another ball from Audie:
Playing nice for a bit - Audie teaching Anaya that everything is a "ball":
Thirteen months down, about 215 to go...but who's counting? Buckle up!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Big Buddha Day!
The next day, we took a day tour to see Tsing Ma Bridge, Tai O Village, The big Buddha at Po Lin Monastary and ride a cable car. As I said before, Michelle has a little conspiracy theory. So when a "company photographer" boarded the bus, she was suspicious. Our first stop was the Tsing Ma Bridge. According to the brochure, this is the longest suspension road/rail bridge in the world, at 1,377 meters. The upper deck has three lanes heading each direction and the lower deck has two tracks of railway and two emergency lanes so that the bridge may stay open during typhoon conditions. It really is pretty amazing. Here are some pictures:
Now, while we were here at the viewing platform, the "photographer" was doing us all a bunch of "favors" by snapping pictures for us. I asked Michelle to take my picture and as I was smiling and she was just about to snap the picture, she was suddenly elbowed out of the way by the "photographer," who was screaming at me, "Ma'am! Right here! Ma'am!" It was really quite hilarious - especially since, according to Michelle's Chinese birth year animal (the monkey), she is "more famous than most," not me. I was wondering what the hell was happening and Michelle was checking herself for bruises...and I guess he snapped a picture somewhere in there. We boarded the bus to head across the bridge, to the fishing village. Fast forward to the end of the day: When we got back on the bus to head back to the hotel, we all had a little souvenir to purchase:
I love that I'm nearly laughing. You bet your ass I bought that plate. Priceless.
Next stop: Tai O Village. This is a rare example of a Chinese stilt-house community. The people here have built their homes on stilts above the water because they do not feel safe on land. That's not the only reason I'd call 'em crazy. Here are a few pictures:
In case you haven't thought that far - there is no plumbing in these houses. Apparently, there is sometimes a waste pipe that goes straight down into the water. That makes me pretty confident that I would never use that ladder...or buy fish from this guy:
We went in a temple here and I saw this warrior:
The tour guide insisted this was not an obscene gesture. I don't know - it looks pretty obscene to me. I wouldn't be messing with that guy.
You could also buy dehydrated fish here in the village. They do this to the fish so that they keep longer. Then, they just rehydrate it and cook with it. Maybe you'd like some dehydrated squid to take home?
Maybe not.
FINALLY, we get to Po Lin Monastery - home of the biggest Buddha I have ever seen. The Buddha is about 80 feet tall and, with the base, over 100 feet tall. The visibility was really poor, unfortunately, but you get the idea:
After seeing the Buddha and hearing about the development of Buddhism, we went down to the actual monastery:
"Maybe you'd like to take a swing?" the tour guide asked...Why yes! I would love to!
The tour included lunch in the V.I.P. dining room where the monks dine. Shockingly enough, dogs weren't allowed in. It was a vegan meal, which I was skeptical of. No meat? Not even bacon? It was actually delicious! Which was great, since it was Michelle's last meal.
The final adventure of the day was a ride back down the mountain, about 5.7 km, in a gondola (which is why Michelle thought she was having her final meal). This cable car ride was quite possibly one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. It would have been so amazing if the day was a clear one. Just gorgeous. The most disappointing part, though, was the end, when we were over the water and the water was filthy with trash of all sorts. Coming from Okinawa, where cleanliness is a must...Hong Kong was not on the same page there. Here are a couple of views from the gondola:
What a day! We rested for a bit in the room and hit the Ladies' Market a little later. That's a whole 'nother story, though, so it'll have to wait!
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