Catching My Breath

I feel like I've spent the last two months catching my breath.  The twins turned two and all hell has broken loose.  These kids are crazy!  Here's an update:

ADAM

Adam started karate this month and is doing fairly well.  Discipline isn't exactly one of his strengths, but we're getting there.  He's still doing well in kindergarten, but remains one of the smallest kids in his class.  Let's be honest, though, if you knew Alan or me as a child, you know he doesn't have a prayer.  And I guess I'd always rather have a kid that's too skinny than the alternative...but I also would rather have a kid that eats whatever is cooked.  I am so tired of picky eaters!  I'm going to have to resort back to the Deceptively Delicious recipes...

Favorite foods: French Toast, cheese pizza, fried rice

Most-used phrases: "NO, ANAYA!" "I want that for my sixth birthday," and "MOM! YOU MIGHT WANT TO COME SEE WHAT THE BABIES ARE DOING!"

Favorite activities: Playing outside, drawing, or playing games on the computer

(Thank you, Pinterest.  This was his Valentine, with a lollipop going thru his hand)

ANAYA

Anaya is definitely the child who most thinks she's in charge.  And, honestly, a lot of times she is just because I don't have it in me to fight it.  It's just not worth it and it causes great embarrassment for me.  She is talking up a storm now and loves to try and help everyone.  But she remains my shy child.  I don't know if it's so much that she's shy as that she is just a diva and makes you wait until she decides whether or not you deserve her affection and attention.  I like to think it's a positive trait - that she won't ever be easily taken advantage of because she's so cautious of who she lets in.  Time will tell.  Nevertheless, she is successful at getting what she wants, so she's doing something right.  

Favorite foods:  Baked ziti, cereal, yogurt

Most-used phrases: "I get it!" "Audie stinky", "Watch cartoons" and "SNACK!"

Favorite activities: Bouncing on the trampoline, playing in the water, coloring, and watching cartoons  

 AUDIE

Audie is a lot like his big brother.  He's a ham and a charmer and is (mostly) very sweet.  But he has a short fuse, which he may or may not have inherited from his father.  Contrary to Anaya, he does not enjoy helping, but rather being helped.  He's always willing to let Anaya run and get his cup/toy/paci/snack and bring it to him.  I've noticed lately that he's stuck to Adam like glue and just wants to keep up with the big kids.  I'm sure that's going to start getting tough to deal with, but for now it's pretty cute.  He may not try to rule the roost directly like his sister, but he knows how to play the "baby" card successfully and shouldn't be ruled out as a contender.

Favorite foods: Cheese pizza, fruit, cereal 

Most-used phrases: "NO! 'NAYA!" "'Naya did it" "Look! Tractor!" and "Mommy, watch"

Favorite activities: Coloring, going down the slide, playing outside



Except The "Oink Oink"

Last night, Alan and I found ourselves at dinner with an Okinawan woman named Akari (who speaks almost no English), and her sister, Hikari (who served as the translator).  Are you wondering how on earth that happened?  It's a long story, but basically the base allows certain professionals in the Okinawan community to serve as "co-commanders" with the squadrons.  It's a mutually beneficial relationship - we get the honor of learning a lot about the culture we are living in, and they get to be involved with the American bases here.  It's really a fantastic idea, all-around.  When Alan told me that we had a co-commander and had received this invitation, I was thrilled!  So we met her and followed her to the restaurant she had chosen - Yotsutake.  We were told it "serves traditional Okinawan cuisine and Ryukyuan dance during the meal" and that we should "dress comfortably because we would be sitting on the floor."  When we arrived, Hikari told us that Akari knew the owner of the restaurant and that she wanted to take us there because it would be a classic Okinawan experience.  The website (http://www.yotsutake.co.jp/kume/?lang=en) also explains that the site has historical significance for the Ryukyu Dynasty and is an old samurai residence.

We were led to a private tatami room with low tables, that opened up to a large rock garden and stage.  The first course was brought to us right away.  We had to ask what everything was.  The first three items: mimiga (pig ears), mozuku seaweed (like a seaweed soup in vinegar), and andansu (we were told it was pork, radish and kelp).  Here's what the pig ear looked like - and on the left you can see a little of the andansu:

I had a feeling we were going to be in for a long night! 

Next up: kibinago tempura.  Kibinago is an Okinawan fish.  It came with a mixture of hibiscus and salt, which you dip the fish in before you take a bite.  I guess it's supposed to make it taste better?  Actually, it did not taste bad.  Once I got over the fact that I was just supposed to bite the head off and eat the tail, too, it was pretty tasty. 

 The next course was tibichi - pig's feet!  This is when Hikari told me "we eat all parts of the pig.  Except, we say, the 'oink oink'."  And that's when Alan told her that we had a mutual love for pork and our squadron mascot was the hog.  Then we asked them if they knew anyone who owned a pig that we could borrow for a fundraiser.  They wanted to know if we were going to kill it.  I told them it would be quite the opposite...we would be kissing it.  They were confused and giggly.  Here's the pig foot stew:

Again, it didn't taste bad - it tasted like ham.  But there seemed to be very little meat.  The first bite Alan picked up contained a knuckle, I'm pretty sure.  He promptly spit that out.

Next, we received a kubuirichi.  This was a kelp salad that had - you guessed it! - bits of pork in it.  Here's a pic of the plates so far:

Still more came - rafute (which is stewed pork belly and was probably my favorite), I didn't take a picture, but it looked like this:

It was basically a bacon steak - a big chunk of bacon.  What's not to love?  Moving on...

Next came jushi (which is a mixture of rice, seaweed and vegetables), served with miso paste (YUM!), and inamuduchi (Okinawan miso soup).  Finally, we had dessert - a matchbox-size piece of brown sugar jello and one single piece of pineapple.  It was a long, interesting meal, but I'm so glad we were lucky enough to experience it with someone who could educate us.  We were told it was the typical meal of the king when Okinawa was still the Ryukyan Dynasty.

Along with the food, there was entertainment.  I apologize for the poor photo quality.  My pictures don't do the entertainment any justice.  It was fantastic.  There were several different forms of dance - eisa, which is traditionally done during obon, which is kind of like a celebration of the dead:

   

Karate is obviously a huge part of Okinawan culture.  So here is a karate dance:

Yotsutake is a dance of congratulations, where dancers wearing hanagasa hats click yotsutake castanets to express the beauty of the dynasty:

Tanchame is a fisher's dance.  Two dancers represent a young boy and girl, catching fish:

Finally, there is katashi.  During katashi, everyone is invited to the stage to dance.  It is also popular at wedding receptions.  It's not freestyle, though.  You are told specifically how to do it.  Men make a fist and women leave their hands open.  Here we are, doing our thing:

Just so you know, they told me I was a very good dancer.  No matter what the picture portrays.

Here we are with our new friends - Akari on the left and Hikari on the right:

I feel incredibly lucky to have had that experience with these women last night and I'm looking forward to more adventure.  It may have taken two and a half years, but I think we're finally going to experience this place the way it was meant to be!

Okinawa Warriors

This is a big month for me.  March 20, 2012 marks an official milestone.  Last week, I received this:

along with an email from my doctor saying that all of my lab results were clear.  Clear.  For five years.  FIVE!  I'll never consider myself "out of the woods" because there's just way too much life left and I know that I'll spend every day of the rest of it just as I've spent every day of the past five years - wondering if it's in there.  That one tiny cell.  Sitting, waiting, quietly planning.  I don't think any survivor lives without that tinge of fear.  So we remain vigilant, dedicated, healthily scared.  But today, I celebrate being cancer-free. 

Celebrate with me and join my team.  Okinawa Warriors is this year's Global Race for the Cure team name.  Key word: Global.  No matter who you are or where you are - join me and others around the world on June 2nd.  You can even join the team and "sleep in" for the cure!  If you can't join the team, I beg you to donate $5 toward the cause.  Here's the link:  http://globalrace.info-komen.org/site/TR/GlobalRaceForTheCure/KomenGlobalRace?team_id=204586&pg=team&fr_id=2314  

Let's Race!      

Smarty Pants

I know, I know - two posts in a row about Adam?  But he really is just too much sometimes!  He's constantly providing me with material! 

Adam has been dressing himself for school since he was three.  He picks out what he's going to wear every single day and as long as it's weather-appropriate, I let him flaunt his personal style.  Sometimes it results in a wrist sweatband around his ankle.  Sometimes it results in wearing a Santa hat to the beach in August.  Sometimes it leads to this:

*Confession: He comes by this honestly.  My Mom tells me stories about how she would watch me get on the bus in a totally inappropriate hat that looked like I should be going to the Kentucky Derby or Prince William's wedding.  Or a shirt that used to belong to my aunt, with a belt cinched around my waist (Seriously, people, I was 25 years ahead of the curve.  I knew all about the belt.)

He really wanted to wear those Nike shorts, but it was just a tad too chilly for shorts, so I told him to change into pants.  I walked out of his room and got busy doing other things.  He changed (I assumed) and then went and sat at the table to finish his homework.  When it was time to walk out the door, he hopped up, grabbed his bag and then I saw his outfit.  What a silly boy.  But I just don't choose that as a battle.  I'm sure he got giggles yesterday and I'm also pretty sure that he is more-than-happy to provide those giggles.  You know what he also got yesterday?  Accepted into the "Gifted" class at school.  I know, it's only kindergarten, but still!  How proud am I?  I mean, we know he's smart because he amazes us every day.  Just the other day, we were getting ready to brush his teeth and he started telling me that "the earth is always spinning, even at night."  I asked him if he learned that at school and he replied, "No, I just knew that because I'm smart.  You know I'm smart.  I know everything."  I tried not to snicker and just said, "Well, you are very smart and you do know a lot.  But, you don't know everything.  You still have a lot to learn"  He was skeptical of that and demanded an example: "Like what?  What do I have to learn?"  I went with something easy - "Do you know how to drive a car?"  Obviously, he replied no.  "Well, I'll learn that when I'm bigger."  I told him he would learn a lot when he was bigger, but that for now I thought he was probably half right.  He knew everything he needed to know at 5 years old. 

He was smart enough to have the foresight two wear workout shorts with his jeans, in case he wanted an impromptu workout ;)