Busy Base and Random Photos

The GW pulled back in last week. The aircraft carrier has a fairly predictable schedule, which is nice for the sailors and their families, so they can plan around the ship's comings and goings. The base, on the other hand, does NOT plan around the GW's comings and goings, and I can't understand why. The base is dramatically different when the ship is in versus out. How can it not be? 3500 additional people on the base when the ship is in is not a small number. But, it doesn't seem to occur to base officials to do road maintenance when the ship is gone and the traffic is lighter. Last year, they actually decided to repave a parking lot for GW sailors the week after the boat pulled in, closing the lot for most of their time home. Yeah. That was smart. The commissary doesn't really adjust either--so for the next six weeks, I'll be crossing my fingers that there is yogurt, oj, and apple sauce each time I go to the store. I am extra vigilant while driving when the GW is in, as it seems there is always a sailor in every crosswalk at every hour of the day. Although I feel bad for the families when the GW and all of the other ships are out, I can't wait until the GW leaves again in a month or so--the base will be much calmer!

And now for a completely different subject...

I was playing a little bit with some fun photo editing software on our iPad. Enjoy my creations for the day!

Professional pics at Mikasa Park

Recently, we had some professional pictures taken by some sisters (and their Dad who did not come to our shoot), Amy and Ashley.  We were primarily celebrating RJ's third birthday, but we all were involved.  The girls did a great job getting us to do things and getting some smiles out of RJ and Ryleigh while we were at Mikasa Park.  Here's a sampling of what they took.  Enjoy!

-Jip

Too hot to play

Our leisurely Sunday started way too early with Ryleigh up at 3:30 and on and off asleep again until about 7:00.  RJ did his usual and got up at about 5:30.  While we were eating breakfast, RJ requested that we go to the Rainbow Slides.  They are the roller slides up in the Kanazawa Park (this park has a small zoo, too).  Amy and I both looked at each other and said, "If we are going to go, we need to go now because it's going to get too hot later."  We rushed everyone around, got dressed, packed some snacks, and headed off.  We took the non-toll road route which we'd never done before in hopes the kiddos would sleep along the way--not so much :(  We got to the parking lot and had to walk up a very steep road, then over the top, and back down to the other side of the park where the slides are located.  Amy and I were sweating heavily after pushing the kids up the road in the 88 degree weather with over 90% humidity.  The "feels like" temperature was around 100 degrees.  I looked like I'd just stepped out of a shower.

RJ made a few runs down the slides and then decided that he had enough.  Ryleigh was doing okay until I looked up from her once to see what Amy and RJ were doing and she toppled forward out of the stroller onto the wood chipped area near the bottom of the slides.  I felt horrible--I'm a bad Dad.  She has a couple bruises and some scrapes on her cheeks and forehead, but is otherwise just fine.   Lesson learned--don't let her just sit in her stroller without strapping her in!

After we all had a round of vending machine drinks, we decided that it was just too hot to play anymore, so we packed up and headed home.  After getting home and having some lunch and naps, we filled the kiddie pool in the backyard so the munchkins could have a good time. 

That pretty much sums up our day. 

The following are some videos we took today with Amy's iPhone.  Enjoy!
-Jip

Progressive Party

We had such a nice time tonight!  Not only did Jip and I have fun at the Progressive Party for the SRF Wardroom, but Ryleigh and RJ had a blast with Tricia, Jessica, and James.  First Jip and I...

We started off at one of the civilian SRF Wardroom member's apartment.  RJ would have loved their location--it overlooks the fire station!  While there, we enjoyed cocktails, wine, champagne, beer--you name it, it was there.  There was also a fun spread of food, including this little guy.

We then headed to the Production Officer's townhouse.  They have a four bedroom townhouse down the road from us.  Their yard is at least twice as big as ours and they have a 6-foot privacy fence.  Envious!!  There was also a great spread there.  We contributed a cornbread salad (toasted cornbread cubes, tomatoes, red peppers, black beans, basil, green onion, and a red wine vinaigrette) and deviled eggs three ways (traditional, sriacha, and bacon-balsamic).  There were three grilled meats, carne adovada (you would have loved it, Mom and Dad--so spicy with peppers from New Mexico), flatbread pizzas, and more.  Of course, everyone was having such a nice time, we didn't even come close to making it to the CO's house by 8 pm, so Jip and I had to forego that stop and head home to get kiddos in bed.

RJ and Ryleigh love it when any of the Marshall clan come over, so it was an extra special treat to have not only Tricia, but also Jessica and her brother James come over, too.  They played hard!  They ate well!  RJ and Ryleigh didn't even care we weren't there.  And, to top it off, we came back to two kids in pajamas, ready for bed, dishwasher unloaded, all of my dishes in the sink washed and put away (I didn't quite get all of the dishes done from my food preparation done--I hate that I left them there!!), and all of the toys cleaned up.  All Jip and I had to do was kick off our shoes and get to our bedtime routine of stories and Ryeligh nursing.

As much fun as we had this evening, I'm ready for a break.  Tomorrow night's dinner will be cooked in the crockpot so I can focus on laundry, keeping cool, and enjoying a day with just the four of us.

Is Summer Over Yet?

Monday I blogged about summer finally being here. It has only been 5 days, and I'm ready for summer to be over. It was HOT today! Even right now, it is 9:45 pm and it is 81 out, but the humidity makes it feel like 86. I'm trying not to think about the fact that we still have a few days in July, all of August, and part of September before the humidity is back to bearable.

Fun Friday in the heat/humidity was fun! I couldn't take pictures, so you'll have to trust me on this one! The only part that wasn't fun was the toll the elements took on the food. My cupcakes, started out like this:

Isn't the way I frosted them cool and artsy? I thought so, but I also knew they wouldn't look like that for long. Yup, by the time we ate them after sitting out for 45 minutes, all of the frosting had melted and run down down the sides. I'm glad I didn't put more effort into the frosting! Buy, they still tasted good!

After 20+ minutes of prep (sunscreen, shoes, using the potty, locating hats, etc.) we hit the playground for awhile this afternoon. Although I usually let RJ choose the playground, I insisted we go to the playground by the water under a giant sail/shade. I knew that would be best for Ryleigh and there would be a higher likelihood of having other kids to play with because there would be other parents with the same thought. There ended up being 3 other boys and RJ had a great time. Ryleigh had fun, too--the playground is designed for crawlers up to 5 years old, so she enjoyed having her freedom as she crawled all over the equipment.

I know many of you have been suffering in the heat this summer. Know that we feel your pain and we, too, look forward to some relief!

Cul-de-sac party #2

We had another cul-de-sac party tonight (Thursday night) organized by one of our neighbors.  We/She had originally planned to do it on a Thursday night because the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN-73), upon which her husband is stationed, was due in on Friday after about 2 1/2 months at sea, so having the party on a not-to-interfere with the ship homecoming was a good idea.  That was, until the ship came in a day early.  Her husband was a good sport tonight, though, and even made a killer artichoke and cheese dip.  We had  good time being neighborly and enjoying some good appetizers and snack food.  No one prepared any main course, so Amy and I had to make ourselves a sandwich later after the kiddos went to bed, but the food that was there worked well for the event and for the bunches of children out playing. 

The best thing about the party was that RJ got to run and run and run with the neighborhood kids.  He was sweaty, sweaty, sweaty.  He did pretty well although he was a little rough sometimes (he doesn't understand just how strong he is) and he had a hard time sharing on occasion (again, he's 3--not an age where sharing comes easy).  Tonight, he dug out his big beach ball that he got for his birthday.  Actually, he "made" Mom and Dad get it out and blow it up.  Thank goodness for my little electric air compressor, by the way.  There is no way I would be able to blow up that ball without it!  It was hit with the kids and got some serious mileage rolling around the parking lot and grass over the couple hours we were out there.  Below are some pictures of the party and the big ball.  Enjoy!

Cheers!
-Jip

Good Day at Swimming Lessons

We had a better day at swimming lessons today.  RJ only got out of the pool to go potty.  Of course, they had his exits blocked again, but I think he really would have stayed in the pool today. We had a chat this morning and he said he would stay in--and I believed him.

Everyone else was in the corner, out of the shot, listening to the teachers.  RJ was being an excavator.

Ahhh, the freedom to splash!  Get it out of your system here, buddy, because there is no splashing in the bathtub!

This was one of RJ's favorite pool activities at his very first lesson when he was 8 months old--chasing the duck.

Ring Around the Rosy, Pocketful of Posies, Splashes, Splashes, We All Go Under!

Getting the bubbles down.

The ring is supposed to be at the bottom of the pool and RJ is supposed to put his face in the water to retrieve it.  I guess this is RJ's interpretation of that game.

"Hey Guys!  It's time to do jumps!"

"And, Jump!"

I'm looking forward to Fun Friday, the last day of class, for a couple of reasons. I'm ready to be done with these instructors for RJ. They just don't measure up to Miss Lemonade and Mr. Sierra from last summer. And, I'm looking forward to giving him some one-on-one time with just me in the pool.

I'm debating whether to get on a wait list for private swimming lessons this fall.  I think some one-on-one would do RJ a lot of good.  I'm not looking to get him to the next level--I just want someone who is patient but firm.  I think he'd listen better and be eager to please if it was just him and 1 other person.  Then, next spring or summer, he might be ready for the group thing again.  I have to remind myself that RJ just turned 3.  I know he just needs a little maturing and maybe a little confidence, but I really want him to love the water as much as I do.  I'll keep you posted...

Good morning, Kiddo.

I'm struggling to find a really interesting topic to talk about tonight, but as I sit here at 10:40 p.m., my thoughts turn to the 5:30 a.m. alarm that will go off in just a few short hours.  Lately, however, our son has been beating the alarm clock by a few minutes to nearly an hour.  Sometimes we can get him back down to sleep for a little while in our bed and sometimes it's just a lost cause.  Over the past week, I think he's met me down on the first floor sometime around 5:45 on at least three days.  My routine is to get up, pack a lunch, and then eat some cereal while I surf the internet and catch up on news.  Lately, I've been quietly sitting there when I hear little feet coming down the stairs and making their way to  the office/playroom area where the desktop computer is located. 

The funny thing is that RJ has what I would term verbal diarrhea when he wakes up.  He will ramble on and on and on about something and anything.  Most of the time, I can't even begin to follow his logic or thought process, but it's always 100% cute.  I think that he's reviewing some dreams that he had during the night, but I'm not sure.  For instance, he has come downstairs to tell me about trucks and fire and things that fly and his pillow and apple juice and tractors--and that's just the first sentence.  Sometimes, he'll conclude by saying "It's a deal, Dad." or nod his head up and down and say, "Okay, Dad?"  I usually don't know what I just agreed to do, but within a few minutes, he'll move on to another 10 topics, so I'm off the hook.  This morning he woke up around 5 a.m. sobbing and crying about screws and nails not being in a box.  It took him about 20 minutes to calm down enough that I could get up (before my alarm by the way) and not feel bad about Amy having to continue to console him.  After I ate breakfast and got a shower (he joined me in the bathroom just after I shut off the shower), he and I came downstairs and in his first discourse downstairs, he talked about how the screws and nails were on his workbench.  This is why I think that he's actually summarizing his dreams when he gets up.

If this is the case, I can say that he is his mother's son.  I can't remember my dreams.  Very, very rarely do I ever remember a dream.  Amy, on the other hand, can recall with amazing detail her dreams, and some of her dreams are completely random and go on for a long time--just like RJ's!

Well, it's 11 p.m. and RJ just woke up and started whimpering.  Amy went upstairs to put him back to bed.  I'm sure he'll be asleep in a just a couple minutes--he hasn't gotten very good at putting himself back to sleep after waking up for some reason.  Usually holding his hand or putting a hand on his back for a couple minutes after tucking him back in will do the trick and he's back out for most, if not all, the rest of the evening.

I'll head upstairs to either help out or just go to bed and rest before tomorrow's adventures begin.  Oh, if you're wondering how Ryleigh does during the night.  She's a complete opposite and likes to sleep from about 9 p.m. to about 8 a.m.  Occasionally she wakes during the night, but a few minutes being held in a lap will put her right back to sleep.

Sweet dreams!
-Jip

Summer's Back

The last couple days have been overcast and almost chilly--well, chilly for July. Little people were in jeans all weekend if that's any indication of the lack of summer on Saturday and Sunday.

But, summer came back today. We went to the playground to celebrate with Lauren, Bella, and Isaac. Then, Melissa, whose husband is SRF's attorney, met us there, along with her 2 boys, Walker and Ryder. Walker is 3 months younger than RJ, but he's the same size, so they make perfect playmates. We all had a great time.

The sun was a-shining while we played, so hats, and shades in RJ's case, were a must.

I hope you have a sunny Monday, too!

Was Today Really Sunday?

As predicted, Jip had some serious time on the phone this morning. It got out of hand and he decided to just go put a face on the orders he was giving. Thankfully, that solved the problem for most of the day and we were able to commence with our normal Sunday of errands and playground time.

While Jip went for a run with Ryleigh this afternoon, RJ and I went to the playground to work on pedaling. It is coming along! Hopefully RJ can pedal long enough without me soon do I can stand back and shoot some video!!

This is the last week of summer lessons for RJ. Ryleigh gets to go the last session. We also have another cul-de-sac party Thursday. Saturday, if we can get a sitter, we'll attend a progressive dinner that is being held by the SRF wardroom (officers and senior civilians). It should be a good, fun week ahead.

To close tonight, a couple of pics and a video. We haven't posted pics since Monday, so it is time. Tonight's feature is Ryleigh. The first is a cute pic in the stroller. The second is trying to capture her newest facial expression (which is usually paired with very loud monkey sounds).  Lastly, she was a giggle monster tonight after RJ went to sleep (sorry that it's so dark).

Have a good week!!

When will the weekend be the weekend again?

Just a quick rant about my job interrupting the weekend. Including this job as the SRF Repair Officer, I've had three jobs in a row where the weekend is either spent at work or waiting for the phone to ring. Before anyone jumps on the fact that I'm a member of the U.S. military and we operate 24/7, I'm fully aware of what I'm paid to do. That being said, however, I would sure like to have a job sometime where I can go through a Saturday and Sunday without having to be attached to my phone.

Today, due to several things going on at SRF, I was on the phone quite a bit--while at work for the couple hours I was there, while I was driving the van around Yokosuka showing our adopted sponsoree some local sights, while eating dinner, while spending time with the kiddos after dinner, while trying to get RJ to sleep...

I went through my cell phone:
21 incoming calls
26 outgoing calls

And the kicker is, I'll have a bunch more tomorrow because we have some emergent work on a Coast Guard cutter that will require Sunday work.

Okay, I feel better. Thanks for listening. I'm going to enjoy the rest of my weekend and do my best to minimize the impact of any more phone calls or time at work.

Despite my complaining above, I really do like what I do, and my job is pretty darned satisfying. I do, however, look forward to a phone-free weekend at sometime in the future. Of course, that could be after retirement!

I hope you have a great weekend!
-Jip

Better News Tomorrow?

Icky things in the news--stuff known to anyone who reads the news on the Internet or watches TV and stuff just to know to a few people.

A shooting in a movie theater in Aurora.  I don't get it.  I don't think anyone does.  I'm thankful we weren't there.  I'm thinking of all of those who were.

Drought is killing crops.  Bugs are eating crops that the drought didn't kill.  Food prices are going to go up.

Whooping cough is at the highest level since the 1950s.  Seriously people.  Vaccinate your kids.  Adults, get boosters.  It isn't that hard to keep this disease under control--we just have to remember pertussis still exists.

Our new friend Mark may have to do his tour in Japan alone thanks to Navy red tape.  Ugh.  We are so sorry for him and his family.

The person who is supposed to relieve Jip late next summer is probably going to be re-routed to a different job.  It's rough for his family because the new job is an unaccompanied tour of 1 year.  It's rough for us because they don't yet have a replacement in mind, so our plans (yes, we had plans--we just hadn't shared them with anyone for this very reason), though very tentative, may get totally derailed.

Let's hope Saturday brings better news.

Healthy kids

I sat down here at the computer thinking I'd talk about how RJ was not a good kid today (3 accidents in his underwear, obnoxious, didn't play well with others, etc.) but instead I'll just report on how healthy the two kiddos are right now.  :)

Today, they both had their checkups.  RJ had his 3 year old well-child and Ryleigh had her 9 month well-baby.  Some stats on the rugrats:

RJ:
39 inches tall
34.7 pounds

Ryleigh:
30 inches tall
19.3 pounds

Both were deemed healthy, at the right stage in their development, and "normal."

Yay for healthy, happy kids!
-Jip

Swimming Challenges aka Missin' Mama

Yesterday one of the college students in charge of the summer aquatics program pulled me aside.  She asked me if I would be willing to leave the pool area while RJ was in the pool.  They wanted to see whether me not being there would keep RJ in the pool.  I was willing, but I also got a little defensive.  "That's fine.  I'm glad to try it.  But, I need you all to remember that RJ just turned 3 yesterday and you need to step up your patience level with him."  That sent her fumbling for words for a minute.  She got my point--I am the mama and I have seen you come close to losing it with my child.  She offered to get me a chair and come get me if needed.  I said no.  I told her that I will stand right outside the pool area where he can't see me, but I will be standing in case that I hear there is a problem and can get to him long before they deem it necessary to come get me.  I reiterated that he is 3 and that his behavior is typical.  I reminded myself they are college students and they think they know it all because they've taken 1 childhood development class and babysat when they were 12.  Then, I put RJ in the pool and walked out.

Within 5 minutes, I was walking back in to take RJ to the bathroom.  But, that's par for the course.  We haven't had one lesson yet that hasn't been interrupted by a potty break.  I put him back in after he used the restroom and again I walked out. RJ didn't get out of the pool again.  But, I don't think it had anything to do with me not being there.  He didn't get out because they had another instructor sit in front of the ladder and block RJ's exit.  Still, the girls came and talked to me after the class and said how well he did and that they felt bad for asking me to sit out there, but asked if I could do it for a few more days.  Yeah, yeah.  Whatever.

Today, RJ wouldn't leave my side.  Even during the pre-pool time where they have a little safety chat, RJ kept leaving the circle and finding me standing off to the side. I took him to the potty after circle time was over then immediately put him in the pool and walked out.  I  waited until the lesson was over yesterday, so today I decided I would go back in with 5 minutes to go.  But, with about 10 minutes left in the class, I heard RJ cry out.  It turns out it was nothing, but he saw me whip my head around the corner and then pull back.  But, he couldn't get out because again they blocked his exit via the ladder.  I then came in to sit down for the last few minutes.  The class was exiting the pool to prepare to jump in and go into floating positions.  But, not RJ.  As soon as he had access to that ladder, he was off.  He came running up to me and said, "Mom, I saw you outside.  I really missed you."  I melted.  The instructor who was blocking the ladder then came over and said, "RJ, let's go back and finish the class."  I just looked at her and said, "No.  He's done for the day."  RJ then crawled in my lap for some snuggles and we left about a minute before the class was over. 

No question.  "I missed you" wins every time. 

Extending the Navy Family

A couple of months ago, I responded to a post on a Facebook group page for Naval Officers' Spouses.  A few people were looking for information on Japan.  I volunteered to answer questions out of the forum, via email, for a family who just received orders to Japan.  And, Jiza actually took me up on my offer.  She has been faithfully sending questions she has had and her husband, Mark, has had from what the weather is like to how much to budget for a car to local car seat laws.  I've had a great time offering information and advice to a fairly young couple (young compared to us). 

Unfortunately, the paperwork parade that the Navy loves caught up with them and Mark had to come to Japan without Jiza and their two little ones.  Hopefully, the separation is merely temporary as they wait for the i's to be dotted and the t's to be crossed by the powers that be and the family members get their okay to come on over.  Mark will join his ship, which is out to sea, next week.  This week, he is going through the orientation class and just getting acclimated to the climate, the time zone, etc. 

Each command assigns people to sponsor the newbies.  The sponsors are supposed to answer questions, help the new people get mailboxes, show them around, etc.  But, some commands just don't quite get how to properly assign sponsors.  Mark and Jiza's sponsor is married, but she doesn't have kids.  The sponsor is well-intentioned, but she and her husband don't have a clue as to how to help Mark and Jiza decide where to live, how to find a preschool, how to get to the best playgrounds, etc.  Plus, the sponsor is currently on the ship and her husband is here--with no car. 

So, that's where we come in.  We have dubbed ourselves Mark and Jiza's informal sponsors.  Tonight, we had Mark over for dinner.  Mark is a super nice guy who was content to hold Ryleigh all evening--well at least as much as she would let him.  We'll take Mark out this weekend and show him where the Ikego Housing Detachment is located as well as the most important things to know in Yokosuka--D2, LIVIN, Homes, and the parks with the roller slides.  We don't expect Mark to remember all of this stuff when he comes back from deployment in November, but every time you go off base, you get more comfortable doing it, so we might as well start him off now!

We have had fun extending our Navy Family to include Mark, Jiza, and their kids.  We look forward to meeting Jiza and their son and daughter--hopefully very soon!

Happy 3rd Birthday, RJ!

Today was RJ's actual birthday.  We celebrated yesterday because I was home, but today was the actual day.  Now, you could argue that he was born in VA, so based on time zones his birthday actually didn't start until after 1 p.m. here, but let's not get too geeky...

I worked until lunch today and then came home to change and head out.  We loaded up into the van and went to..drum roll, please...Taco Bell (you thought I was going to say Legoland, huh?).  After lunch, then we went to...drum roll, please...LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Tokyo.  It was a nice hour long drive up the toll roads to Tokyo and about a 45 minute trip down the off-ramp!  We discovered that the intersection where we wanted to get off is poorly designed and given the fact that today was a Japanese Holiday (Sea Day, or Ocean Day, depending on who you talk to) so there were tons of pedestrians out and about, getting off the highway and onto the city streets was a nightmare.  That being said, we finally made it to the mall where the Discovery Center is located.  The Legoland Discover Center is nowhere near as big as Legoland in California, but it's large enough for the kiddos to have a good time.  It contains a Disney-esque ride where you shoot the "bad guys" at various stops (RJ didn't particularly like the ride).  There's an area for the kids to go play on a padded jungle gym, an area to build cars to race, an area with Duplos only, a theater (we didn't go in), the Tokyo model city, and several other areas to enjoy and explore.

Once inside, we had a great time!  RJ was in seventh heaven playing with all the Legos and looking at the animals and structures built entirely of the little bricks.  He had a blast looking for fire trucks, buses, and police cars around the model Tokyo city and even more fun playing in the piles of Legos located throughout the place.  Below are some pictures from the day.  Enjoy!

The "daytime" view of Tokyo.

The Rainbow Bridge "at night."

Sumo wrestlers!

Realistic construction site with a rolling cement mixer and a jackhammer that moved.

A train that moved back and forth across the Rainbow Bridge (this is the North end of the bridge).

Ryleigh was fascinated with the fireworks that went off about once every five minutes.

Just his size...

We had to keep these little bricks linked together so Ryleigh didn't eat them.

A Lego elephant.

Who's cuter?

A big giraffe.

The two Lego maniacs in one of the piles of bricks.

What started as a small train pulling a penguin...

...became this after RJ stole a bunch of train cars from around the room.

Yum!  This horse tastes good.

Now, who's the cutest of them all?

A future karaoke star?  Why so serious--isn't singing supposed to be fun?

After wearing ourselves out at Legoland, we went over to the New Sanno Hotel for dinner where RJ was treated like royalty with a small strawberry shortcake with a candle and some fine singing from the staff.  He even got a signed card from the manager! 

All-in-all, after two days of birthday events, I think RJ had a wonderful time.  I know that we sure did watching him absorb it all in.

Happy 3rd B-day, Buddy!
Love,
Dad and Mom