She's slowly taking over...

Ryleigh is slowly taking over as ruler of the Mosman house.  She is getting more rambunctious, more verbal, more mobile, and more SASSY!  It's great to see her develop.  Being a girl and being #2, she's doing a lot of things that RJ didn't do until he was older.  You can almost "see" her think--and most of the time, she's thinking of ways to outsmart Mom or Dad or RJ.  Here are few recent Ryleigh moments:

Tonight, I took RJ and Ryleigh upstairs to go get baths.  Ryleigh found the iPad upstairs and promptly disappeared.  RJ, meanwhile, behaved and got into the bath.  Amy was downstairs cleaning up.  Ryleigh knew that she was supposed to be upstairs, and she knew that if she went downstairs, she'd get the iPad taken from her and would be told to go upstairs.  So what did the little smarty-pants do?  She stopped in the middle of the stairs, fired up the Curious George video and proceeded to let the world keep revolving around her.

=======================================

RJ is not very good at shutting the door behind him when he goes to use the potty.  This is partly because he needs some help occasionally cleaning up and because he can see the TV from the toilet if he keeps the door open.  I watched Ryleigh the other day walk  up to the door, throw the door open, and quite loudly tell her brother, "Wash your hands, RJ!"

=======================================

Ryleigh likes to drink the bath water.  I know, it's disgusting, but we can't seem to get her to break the habit.  The other night while I was giving her a bath, she kept sipping water out of a bottle that she plays with in the tub.  I scolded her and told her to stop it.  The next thing I saw was a scene from the Got Milk? ads that used to run.  She had the biggest soapy foam mustache you could imagine.  I tried to get a photo of it, but missed.

======================================

When Ryleigh is ready to eat, she loudly proclaims, "Eat."  We know to take action when we hear this.

======================================

The only time Ryleigh uses a pacifier is when she goes to sleep. It helps her to relax.  When she's tired (and hasn't already fallen asleep), she'll point toward where the pacifiers are located and say, "Pizza-fire."  We know to take action when we hear this.

======================================

When it's time to say goodnight, one of us will say, "Okay, kiss your brother (sister) goodnight and let's go to bed."  RJ is usually too distracted to care, but Ryleigh will pull her pacifier out of her mouth, go kiss Mom, kiss Dad, and try to kiss RJ.  If she can't get him to kiss her goodnight, or if he gives her the half-second kiss on her head, she'll yell something unintelligible at him and force her way in closer to him to get a better kiss.  She knows what she wants.

======================================

Day by day, she is slowly taking over the household.  We love her dearly and it is amazing to watch her grow and learn.  I guarantee that she's going to be a handful when she gets older!

-Jip

Jet Ski

Not a real jet ski, Silly. A bouncy one at the playground provided many minutes of amusement this morning.

Poor girl has never seen one in real life, so she didn't quite get which end is the front.

Once Ryleigh turned around, RJ decided to get on with her. You can tell from the progression of the photos what Ryleigh thought of that.

At first, having the extra weight made the rocking back and forth fun. Then it wasn't so fun. Sorry, Miss Ryleigh. Thanks for trying, RJ!

All The News That Is News (And Something That Isn't)

Today was RJ's last day of 2-day-per-week preschool. He starts going Monday, Wednesday, and Friday next week. Yay for RJ! Yay for me!

We finally received our itinerary for our flight to San Diego. We were pleasantly surprised by a direct flight on a commercial airliner! We leave the evening of October 3 and arrive before lunch on October 3. Weird.

Monkey Island, a recreation area located just off the base in Tokyo Bay, was on fire tonight. Witnesses say that one or more of the beach shacks was on fire. The Japanese construct shacks each summer to serve as restaurants and bars at the various beaches. They aren't the safest structures, so one in flames didn't seem to surprise anyone. The island closes at sunset, so no one was there. And the water is so shallow near the island that the fire boats that responded had to turn away and just let it burn. We'll see how it looks in the morning.

And lastly, this video gave me a good giggle tonight. Enjoy!

Words With "Friends"

I like playing Words With Friends. A lot. I have multiple games going with family and a couple games with friends. But, the time difference sometimes makes it hard to play--we each may only get to play one round each day. So, every few days, I start a game with a random opponent, hoping to play some Words in the middle of the day. I've had two opponents who I know were in the eastern hemisphere because of the time of day they played. I've had others who play in spurts, especially on weekends. A couple of my opponents have chatted through the program, giving compliments about my gamesmanship and asking what country I'm in. It's fun to say "hello" and "nice game" across the miles, even when you don't know the person.

I enjoy playing with my family. For the most part, we understand how each other operates. My sister, Mom, and Jip also understand when it is time to sacrifice for the sake of the board--I appreciate that. Playing with strangers is more challenging. For one thing, their skills are completely unknown. Another problem is that some people give up pretty easily if you make a good play and they resign the game. But, the biggest problem with playing with strangers is that you don't know if they are cheating. There are a number of apps that will help players cheat by coming up with words based on the tiles. There's even an in-app purchase in Words that will give three suggestions for words.

I'm left wondering whether those players who really challenged me were doing so on their own. I hope so. I like those hard games, even if I get beat by 100 points. I just hope that I never get paired up with the person who played this. (This can't be real, can it?)

Protests

A couple weeks ago, the base started warning of an upcoming protest that would result in the main gate to the base being closed to auto traffic. The problem was, the base never said what the protest was about. Many of us assumed that the protest was going to be anti-nuclear, geared toward hating that USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is here.

Then, the protestors started showing up last Monday or Tuesday. The protestors were early, at least according to the base's planned gate closure on Sunday. Well, after much discussion on the Internet and some smart cookies who asked their Japanese friends, we found out the protests were scheduled for a week and they were actually right-wing protestors, Uyoku dantai, who were opposed to the national teachers' union. The union, which was holding its annual meeting at a hotel down the street from the base, opposes the playing of the national anthem in schools and the display of the Japanese flag in classrooms. That does not sit well with the Uyoku dantai. (Please read more about them--they are an interesting group, or group of groups. They even have ties to organized crime. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyoku_dantai)

Protests have to be registered with the local police. The Yokosuka police took this one very seriously, as right-wing protests have occasionally turned violent. The police presence was huge. They wore full riot gear. They had microphones out to ensure the decibel level of the protestors was under the limits of the law. The police presence coupled with the protestors' actions made for huge traffic problems off base and those problems even trickled onto base, as it was difficult for people to head north out of the gates when the gates were open.

Today, the union ended its conference and the protestors packed up. Traffic should be back to normal tomorrow. No more police in riot gear. No more weird chants coming from loud speakers on black vans. But, another unique experience to add to our Japan repertoire.

Hustle and bustle.

The base is alive!

When the GEORGE WASHINGTON Strike Group is out, the base is very, very quiet and, to be honest, much more enjoyable.  The traffic is less, the lines are shorter, there are not pedestrians on every crosswalk, and the pace just seems to slow down.

Well, that all changed last Friday and Saturday.  The GW pulled back in along with all the strike group.  Also, three "visitors" pulled in.  Now, instead of the usual 11 ships (max) that we have in Yokosuka--7 Destroyers, 2 Cruisers, 1 Command and Control Ship, and 1 Aircraft Carrier--we have 12 ships in port.  Only two of the normally home ported ships are gone right now, and before last Friday, only 6 ships total were in.

I instantly could tell that the ships were back this morning when I took off on my bicycle headed to work.  There were people EVERYWHERE.  It also just so happens that today was the first day school, too, so there were kids everywhere as well.  Instead of a nice leisurely bike ride to work, I felt like I was in an obstacle course trying to avoid all the pedestrians.

Luckily, the strike group will go back to sea in about three weeks.  I'm already looking forward to the peace and quiet.

-Jip

Someday

Someday our kids will sleep like other kids. Someday, they'll lay their heads on their pillows, say goodnight to Mom and Dad, and fall asleep in 10-15 minutes on their own. Someday it won't take 2 hours, yes 2 hours, of coaxing them to be still and stop talking. Someday, Mom and Dad can have some adult conversation before the 11 o'clock news. Someday, our kids will sleep through the night. Someday, if they wake early, they'll play or read on their own.

Someday.

40 days and 40 nights

That's the count until we're back in the States...but who's counting.

Today was another hot, muggy day here in Japan, but since there was a nice cloud cover, it didn't feel as hot as it has for the past couple weeks.  To help combat the heat and boredom, we met another family at the pool and let the kiddos play in the water for a while.  RJ had a great time and didn't want to leave.  Ryleigh, on the other hand, started feeling bad at the pool.  She spent the rest of the day with a slight fever and was not her usual self.  Hopefully, a long night's rest will help her to feel better tomorrow.

Here's a photo of RJ from today.  That's his friend in the background.  They play very well together in and out of the pool.

Have a good night/day!
-Jip

Ryleigh in Rare Form

We enjoyed the company of our friends Melissa, Jack, and Maggie this morning. The kids played in the pool in the backyard while Melissa and I caught up on the Yoko news and shared some parenting woes. It is always fun to get together, and today was no exception.

This is how Ryleigh played "in" the pool today.

Tonight, soon after Jip came home, Ryleigh ran off to grab some things. A couple minutes later, Ryleigh came riding on her scooter, wearing a cowboy hat, and carrying that all-important cowgirl accessory--a plunger. She yelled "yeehaw" a few times while spinning in a circle. It was awesome. So awesome, we barely got pictures with the iPad and Jip's iPod, both of which have no flash and turned out a poor-quality picture. But, you get the idea.

Oh yeah--pink flip flops completed our cowgirl's look. More awesomeness.

Cowboy Day

The theme this week at preschool was cowboys. The kids were encouraged to wear cowboy stuff to school today. But, cowboy stuff has never been our thing. So, we made a quick run to Daiso yesterday to see what we could find. Lo and behold, we not only found a bandana, but we also found a cowboy hat. Of course, the bandana was with the stuff for pets and the hat was made for an adult with a large head, but they still looked great!

Not bad for $2, huh?

The teachers reported the kids had a lot of fun being dressed up all day. I KNOW RJ had fun--he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow for the nap. Yee Haw!!

Thankful for Two

Last night, at around 11:00 pm, I received a call from my friend Lauren. She was in labor. Her childcare arrangements had vanished. So, the back-up plan was in effect. Bella and Isaac were going to spend the night with someone who had furniture, then I needed to pick them up at 7:00 am.

Thankfully, today was the day Jip had selected to go to work late and run to Yokohama to complete our bi-annual car registration. So, he was able to stay with RJ and Ryleigh while I walked an empty stroller to the overnight person's house and came back with two additional kiddos. We hung out, and Isaac ate breakfast again. Then, he ate Ryleigh's breakfast. Then it was time to go to Yokohama. Labor was slow going, so Lauren's husband was able to meet Jip so we could get car seats. We went up and back (That is a post for another day--so inefficient in the name of giving lots of people jobs!). Still no baby. We had lunch. Still no baby. Jip went to work. The kids and I rented a movie, and I begged kids to rest/nap. No naps. No baby. We popped popcorn. No baby. At 5, childcare plan #1 came back into effect, and she picked up two tired kids. Finally, around 7, Lauren's husband called to say baby girl was born at 5-something and all was well.

Bella and Isaac were pretty easy to watch over. They have sweet dispositions, and thankfully, are comfortable here. Isaac kept looking in RJ's room for all the toys that were packed up, but he was fine with the minimal stuff we kept. Bella entertained herself, played with RJ, and then entertained herself again. I really didn't have to do much. Nobody fought. Nobody got seriously hurt. It was a pretty darn good day for four kids. I was grateful that I was able to help my friend and be there for her and her family! But, with that said...

----------
An acquaintance of mine posed a question on Facebook a few months ago asking how people knew their families were complete. People said they just knew. They were right. We knew after Ryleigh was born. I can barely parent two children, and I recognize that I am not meant to parent more than two on a regular basis. That was reinforced 100 times over today. I'm exhausted. Zone defense (1:4) was tiring. "Stay out of the trash." "Be careful." "I don't know where your water is." "Are you okay?"

How do parents do it when they are outnumbered? I'm not sure, but I just want to say--good job, all! And, thanks, Jip, for agreeing four is our right size. Now for some sleep!!

Apple juice

Scrolling through the 'Humor' section of Pinterest tonight, I came across a funny pin that made me think about how much apples play a role in our lives.  

I eat at least one apple a day at work.

We often eat sliced apples at night with dinner.

A favorite snack is apples with peanut butter.

Our children keep Juicy Juice in business by drinking apple juice ALL THE TIME.

And here's the post that made me think about apples:

And, counting the wireless router, we have at least 7 Apple products in our house!  

"An apple a day..."

-Jip

Pool Party

Our SRF Spouses' Club had a pool party at the Commanding Officer's house today. The kids had a blast. The big kids kept to themselves, but looked out for the littles when they wandered into the big kid area. RJ chased kids and played in the pool. Ryleigh did her usual and figured out how to get as much water out of the pool as possible using cups and water guns.

It was a fun afternoon, though no naps could happen. Mom and Dad benefitted, though--kids were asleep by 7:30. The last time that happened? Never.

It's going to be a long 6 1/2 weeks...

It's late--after 11 p.m.--and there isn't much new to report.  All I can say, however, is that it's going to be a LONG 6 1/2 weeks if the kids don't start going to bed easier.  I'm not sure if it's the new beds, or just the "new" of everything else around them, but it is very hard to get them down.

With that, we're off to get some sleep before one of them wakes up...

Good night,
Jip

Keikyu Aburatsubo Marine Park -- One Last Time

It is hot. Japanese schools aren't in session, so people are traveling all over Japan. Those two factors make me want to not go anywhere. But, we decided to get out and about anyway today. We headed south to the Keikyu Aburatsubo Marine Park. It was our second time there, but it was just as fun as the first time.

The kids enjoyed the mammal show. We then took a spin through the indoor aquarium, touches some little sharks, said hello to the penguins, and had some lunch.

The highlight of the excursion, just like last time, was the menagerie of coin-operated rides. The kids spent every single 100 yen coin I had to ride on a couple buses and three different trains.

The kids were sweaty people by the time we were done at the park. We all enjoyed cooling off in the van and then the kids slept the whole way home. It was a good Saturday outing with the sea animals!

New beds, new sleep patterns.

Ryleigh and RJ are sleeping in "new" beds since we have the temporary furniture.  RJ is sleeping on a twin bed.  Since she was in a crib until Wednesday morning, Ryleigh is on a twin mattress placed directly on the floor.  We didn't want her to roll out of a bed and hurt herself.  Amy and I are still in our queen size bed because we're going to sell it before we come back to the States.  We have a king size bed in storage and we are sooooooo looking forward to sleeping on it again.

So back to RJ and Ryleigh.  RJ is having a difficult time understanding why Mom or Dad have a hard time lying down next to him, but he's adjusting fairly quickly.  He still doesn't fall asleep quite as easily because it's not a comfortable bed at all.  Ryleigh is STRUGGLING to get into a new routine.  She thinks that the mattress is a play mat vice a bed.  She laughs, knocks on the wall, talks, and all out fights the urge to go to sleep.  It's been very frustrating the past few nights.  Hopefully, she'll get the hint soon and realize that the bed means sleep.

Wish us luck!  Did I mention that we'll be flying out in 48 days?

What's Missing?

I've told everyone to ask me on Friday what I should have kept here, as I should know by then what I had packed that shouldn't have been. Well, it is only Thursday, and I already have a small list of "oops-ies." The sheets I had purchased last week for the kids' twin beds accidentally got packed, so Jip had to make an emergency run to the home store for more sheets. (I even got them washed and dried in time for bed!) We had to buy some coat hangers and a paring knife. And, both of my nursing pillows got packed. (We still use a nursing pillow to hold Ryleigh as she falls asleep each night.) But, I'm not replacing that--we'll just have to use a bed pillow.

Despite these little missteps, I think we did pretty well with our picking and choosing of stuff. I'll let you know if something more major pops up as missing.

Unbelievably fast packers!

Today marks the first major step in our transition back to the United States.  Our household goods (herein referred to as our "stuff") were packed up and loaded into crates to start the long journey across the Pacific Ocean to the house we have lined up to start renting on October 1st in San Diego, CA.  When we arranged for the pack out date, we had to estimate how much weight we'd be moving.  Since we brought roughly 7000 lbs over here, I guessed that we'd take back about the same amount or a little more since we've added Ryleigh to our family since we've been here in Japan.  That, we were told, meant a two day pack out.  Given that information, we arranged for the temporary, loaner furniture to be dropped off on day two.  

When the packers showed up this morning at 0730, they informed us that they would not require two days and would be complete by the end of the day.  With a five person crew, they immediately started packing our stuff up, and it was evident that they weren't messing around.  They were smart about how they packed.  They were creative.  They took steps to make it easier, like simply wrapping our big dresser in cardboard with all the clothes still in it vice unpacking it like we've had happen many times before.  They did a good job, too.  It's not like they did took shortcuts and didn't wrap things properly or pack things with inadequate protection.  From what I saw in comparison to other movers in the States, they were just as careful, if not more.

Meanwhile, RJ and Ryleigh went to stay with Miss T. down the street.  Her three kids entertained our munchkins while Amy got drinks and ice for the movers and I "supervised"--more like "sat around and watched."  

What was supposed to be a two day pack out turned out to be just barely over .... 4 1/2 hours!  We've never been packed out that quickly.  By the time they were done, our house was an empty, echo chamber begging for some kind of furniture to be put back in and there were five sweaty, tired guys.

Amy had contacted the housing office first thing this morning after finding out we would need the temp furniture today vice tomorrow, and luckily, the were able to oblige.  The temp stuff was brought in by 1330 and we were back in business.  We have a basic setup now with a couch, a chair, some end tables, a dining room set, and some beds in the bedrooms.  It's nothing fancy, but it's better than living in a hotel for the next 50 days.

Here are a few photos of our house as it is now:

We'll keep everyone posted as the countdown continues.  Before you know it, we'll be back within a few time zones of everyone.

-Jip

Let the Packing Commence

We just have a few things left on our to-do list, and those can be done in the morning. RJ and Ryleigh will be visiting our favorite Miss T most of the day so we can focus on the tasks at hand.

Let the packing begin!

Stuff

I like my stuff.  I've spent a lot of time collecting just the right stuff.  I know I have too much stuff, but I still like it.

When we've moved in the past, we've never been without stuff very long.  The longest was when Jip moved from South Carolina to Newport, RI.  Our stuff (my stuff was already included even though we weren't quite married yet) got sent to a warehouse and then it took awhile to deliver it.  I think Jip was without stuff for about 2 weeks in RI, so maybe 3 weeks from pack to unpack.  Then we moved here.  We packed out just before Thanksgiving and we got our stuff in February.  I was so happy to have my stuff.  RJ was, too.  Even though he wasn't even 2, he was so delighted when he saw his stuff.

And, now it is almost time to say goodbye to our stuff again.  I'm sure on Friday, I'll be missing my rugs and comfy chairs and such and will continue to do so until we get our stuff in early October.  But, right now, at this very moment, I'm so ready for someone to take my stuff.  My stuff and Jip's stuff and the kids' stuff is everywhere and nowhere it should be.  Bags of art supplies are on the counter.  Linens are blocking the entrance to my closet.  The vacuum is sitting next to the stairs.  It's driving me crazy!  And, I still have more stuff to go through to determine what to pack/not to pack.  I still have my clothes, the kids' clothes, the bathrooms, and the kitchen to go through.  Tomorrow night could be a late night as we figure out what is the right stuff to send and the right stuff to keep.

But, 48 hours from now, we'll be on our dental office waiting room furniture.  The kids will have just a few toys.  We'll be working off what feels like the slowest laptop in the world.  And, we'll be anxiously awaiting to see our stuff again in San Diego.

Prepping for the movers

Nothing major today.  We spent most of the day working on moving preps:  putting things in their original boxes if we have them, sorting what is going to stay for now and what is to go right away, and developing the plan of attack for the next couple days.  We survived the unbearable heat outside which subsided a little around 5 p.m. so we played again in the backyard with the pool and slide.

Tomorrow, I go to Narita to pick up my relief and his family as he flies into Japan.  Wednesday and Thursday are the fun filled packing days.  It's a busy week!

Have a good day/evening and we'll keep you posted on how this pack out goes.

-Jip

STILL HOT

It was HOT! What am I saying? It is STILL HOT!! Look at the feels like temperature for nearly 9 pm!!

Yeah. 105 degrees. The sun is down. It has been for awhile. This is a crazy heat wave!

We tried to beat the heat today. When we ran to D2 to get some packing supplies (different colored tapes and a couple plastic bins), we saw the slide that goes with our baby pool was on clearance. So, we figured it would be a nice treat this afternoon and beyond.

The kids had a great time!!

The pool had lots of grass in it from the repeated cycle of slide, jump out, and run back to the steps. But, we washed it all out and left the pool and slide inflated so we can do it again tomorrow. The temp felt like 113 most of the afternoon and tomorrow is suppose to be worse. Can't wait!

HOT day!

Today was hot. Too hot to play outside (although the kids tried) and too hot to go to the SRF Bon Odori (summer party). Here's the weather app's "feels like" temperature...

Tomorrow starts our let's-prepare-for-the-packers actions. We're going to spend the rest of our weekend dismantling, sorting, boxing, and planning ways to live minimally for the weeks after the movers take our stuff. Wish us luck.

-Jip

Cups Two Ways

We fell in love with this cover of "Cups" from Pitch Perfect a few weeks ago.

Their talent makes both Jip and me giddy!

Then my friend Angie posted this parody of the "Cups" song today.  The kid is a bit flat in places, but it is super cute!

The melody has been stuck in my head all day, but it is better than "Wheels on the Bus" or "Bubble Guppies!"

I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I do! (Sorry if they don't come through for you Apple people!)

Happy Birthday Grandma Mosman!

Just a quick blog tonight to say Happy Birthday to Grandma Mosman!  We are looking forward to seeing you again soon.  Only 8 more weeks until we're down to one time zone of separation.


8/10/2009:

4/21/2012:

Best wishes on your special day!
Love,
Jip, Amy, RJ, and Ryleigh

Tired Girl

Ryleigh was exhausted today. She passed out about 30 seconds after lunch in her car seat. I brought her inside and put her on the couch. She took off one shoe and went into her froggy position on her tummy. After 30 minutes, she sat up and looked at me. I smiled, saying nothing. Then she looked like this.

Based on Ryleigh's posture, I guess she was wanting a nap in her car seat? Sorry, Baby Girl. Next time.

Happy Kids

Here are a couple of edited photos from yesterday's beach day. May your smiles be this bright all day!!

Boat Launch + Sand = Beach?

The answer to the title equation is "yes!"

We had intended to go to our favorite Tateishi Beach this morning. But, at 9 am, there was a line of cars waiting to park and they had closed the gates to prevent other people from waiting. So, we turned to our trusty GPS (in Japanese, mind you) and looked for another symbol for beach. After driving just a few minutes, we found ourselves at a public boat launch next to a swanky marina. The boat launch was covered in sand and there were a couple people laying out and a few others fishing. So, we figured, "why not?" We planted our beach blanket, bags, and toys in a nice little spot and dug in.

We observed a few schools of fish and a moon jellyfish. RJ (more like Jip) built a road with a fiberglass stake he found. Ryleigh got sand everywhere she could.

We also observed some Japanese ingenuity while we were there. A guy came back from fishing and drove his boat as far up the ramp as he could. He then brought his van to the ramp and anchored the boat to the van. He wheeled the trailer down and wedged it under the boat. Then he hooked up a winch to his car battery and pulled the boat onto the trailer and pulled the trailer and boat up the ramp. He got stuck in the sand a couple times, and a nice man finally helped him. But, we still thought that for an almost solo operation, he was pretty successful!

We stayed about 90 minutes. In that time, the "beach" filled with swimmers, picnickers, and even some couples who took their dogs out on their sea kayaks. Our random boat launch beach was a great way to get off base and spend the morning!

Finding Our Own Fun

Today was Friendship Day. Friendship Day is when the base is open to the public, and throngs of people come on base to eat American food from the many booths, play the cheesy carnival games, and watch the various entertainment options.

I hate Friendship Day. It is way too many people and way too hot. So, we decided to find our own fun today.

First, the kids played outside in their pajamas after Jip mowed.

After lunch and naps, the kids played outside while Jip did his good deed and helped at the SRF food booth (to raise money for various morale-maintenace-type activities). Jip took a pic of the crowd so I would know I wasn't missing anything.

We then met Jip at the playground, where the kids tried out the re-installed bouncy-springy animals.

We ran home to eat dinner, then it was back out to the sea wall to watch the fireworks--the only good part of Friendship Day.

We're looking forward to a normal day on a normal base tomorrow.