Ze Greatest Singer in ze World

I have spent the past hour singing Celine Dion's greatest hits from the 90's, using Bella's plastic "echo mic"

Why? You may ask. Because it is 1:30am, and I am home alone (well, semi-alone. I always feel alone when the kids are sleeping), and bored. So naturally, singing "I'm Your Lady" at the top of my lungs was the first thing I thought to do with my time...

The Morning Routine

I think if my life was a reality show (which I sometimes wish it were, just so every moment could be caught forever so I could always relive the good parts), I think people would get a kick out of the morning routine: Every morning, Bella wakes me up. She usually says something like "I'm hungry" or "mommy, I wanna watch cartoons." And I always turn on the cartoons in my room, and for some reason I always expect that she will stay in my room to watch cartoons so I can get another hour of sleep. But then I wake up, and she is not there.

At this point, the baby wakes up so I get him. He's crying because he's hungry. The cat starts meowing at me because he is hungry too. Bella isn't hungry. Bella is downstairs eating a whole package of cheese, and there is an empty box of cereal on the floor. The cereal is in a pile on her table...and also under the table. But Bella is thirsty. I shake my head, and I will clean the mess later. Right now I have a baby crying because he is hungry, a cat meowing because he is hungry, and Bella crying because I'm not getting her a drink fast enough. Why is the cat's meow so long? A pause button would be nice here. Or at least a mute button. It is loud.

But if this were a sitcom, this would be hilarious. A lot more hilarious than it may sound because I am a horrible narrator. I just know that every morning, when I should want to pull my hair out, I can't help but laugh hysterically.

I may just be embracing crazy.

Bella entertains the locals

I just needed to write

I'm not exactly sure where I want to go with the post, so I'll just keep writing and see where it takes me:

Today felt strange. I found out Blake Webb passed away. Now, I don't even remember Blake and I ever conversing, but we did sit at the same lunch table on a number of occasions and hung with the same crowd. In fact, we participated in the same conversations. Just never directly to each other. I remember going to Hunan with him and the football team one time. I remember thinking he and Justin Summit looked alike, with the blond hair and ruddy cheeks. And I remember facebook "stalking" him from time to time (really, I would just click on his page as I made the rounds through my friends), and thinking "hmm..I should really add him as a friend and say hi"...And just hours before I found out, I had a dream about everyone from high school, and he was in it. He played a small roll in the dream, all he did was walk by. But he was there. And now he isn't.

It's sad that it takes moments like this, a classmate, a friend, leaving for everyone to come together. Because I know all across my facebook status updates, everyone was feeling the same thing. Shock first, then sadness. The memories, however small or long ago, are there. And now everyone talks about how much they appreciate and loved him. I need to remind myself to appreciate, love, and thank everyone while they are still around. I need to remember to say hi before the chance is gone.

On another note, I am severely homesick. I just need to be back. I love it here in Japan. I'm having a lot of fun, experiencing a completely different culture, and enjoying it immensely. But it just feels like we need to be home. Brian is thinking about doing green to gold, and I pray it happens for us. He's in Australia right now, and I am incredibly lonely so I am sure that has something to do with it. I have a lot of friends out here already, but it's just not the same yet. I know it will take time. This is the first duty station we've been to where I didn't have a girlfriend or wife of one of my husband's current friends to become friends with, so it feels like there is more pressure to have people like me because no one is obligated to lol.

hmm...what else?

I'm pretty certain of the career path I want to choose. Of course, I have said that before. I think us going home will help me out a lot though. Good babysitters, real schools, I might actually get more done. Oh, speaking of getting more done, Coralyn said I should post this picture to let everyone know I finished my class:

I rearranged the living room, put up curtains, and cleaned because I suddenly have all the time in the world. I'm hoping I fill more of that time with hobbies, and not so much of it on Facebook!

You know, life can be sad and confusing. But even when I am feeling down, I just feel so completely blessed. All my faith is in God. I have no doubt that He is making a way to do great things through me. Even in my darkest hour, I will be filled with joy.

The Giant Spider I Killed to Save My Family (but not before a photo-op)

I'm a Vegetarian: Day 26

Dinner tonight was black bean enchiladas and salad.

I absolutely LOVE being a vegetarian.

Done

No more pencils. No more books.

At least for now. I took my final today, and I passed. So I am officially done with my Anatomy & Physiology class! I even finished early, which means I got 50 extra credit points. I totally got an A.

Sometime during the chapters on the nervous system, I decided Medical Transcription is not my calling, or even my temporary calling. The plan was to get my certificate, then a temporary job as a medical transcriptionist, work from home, and eventually go back to school to get a degree doing something I love. This class made me reconsider. Half the stuff totally went over my head, mainly because I realized I have no interest in anything related to the medical field. Unless of course I'm dying, then I'm totally interested in the people working in the medical field saving my life, ya know?

I was really debating whether or not I should even be taking classes right now. On the one hand, I feel totally accomplished. On the other, I feel like a complete failure. You see, in order for me to get that A, my family had to suffer. Dinner was hardly made, the kids were babysat by the TV (and my friend Melissa, who I dedicate at least part of my grade to. Thanks Melissa), and my house...well, it looks like this right now:

This is what my back is turned to while I'm sitting at the computer taking quizzes and doing homework (and..ok, yes; playing Farmville).

Notice the pile of dvds that my son took off the shelf, the clean clothes that have yet to be put away because I hardly get a chance to go upstairs (forget ever folding them), my husband's shoes (that I pray to the Lord he doesn't need in Australia since he left them here), and my picture frame lying there broken on the end table (I'm blaming the cat, but it could've been anyone) next to a bag of trash.

I'm rethinking my priorities right now. I'm so glad I took the class, because if I hadn't I would be mad at myself for not doing it. Now, at least I can say for certain that it is just a horrible time to be going to school. My kids need me. My husband needs me. I need a clean house, and to put a real dinner on the table and on clean dishes. I need time for my hobbies, and to just have the chance to chill right now.

So until we are back in the states, I'm on hiatus. Now I'm off to feed my daughter a Kid Cuisine, and my son some jarred Gerber baby food. Tomorrow will be the beginning of cleaning and eating well again :)

The Fountain of Youth

The Bock Bock Chicken Song, and other happy melodies

I have been writing songs for as far back as I can remember. I'm sure my family remembers such hits as:

"Rock Steady"

(Rock steady, you know what it means....it means the world is round like an orange, not flat like a pancake)
 

"We All Fit the Same"

(Mommy and daddy and Tara and Jackeliene and Jenni and Jaycee...we all fit the same, we all fit the same)

"Grand Old Dad"

(You're a grand old dad, your a short and fat dad, and forever you're hair will look baaaaaaad)

(this song was not about my dad. I think it was about an ugly paperdoll) 

and who could forget:

"Fart-Knocker"

(You're a fart knocker, beef hawker, and a rodeo go south, a rodeo go south south south) 

True, a lot of my songs made little or no sense in those days. Rock steady does not mean the world is round like an orange, and I have no idea what a beef hawker is, or what a fart-knocker has to do with a rodeo going south south south. But I sang these songs over and over. They brought me hours of enjoyment, minutes at a time.

And now, I find myself singing random songs to Bella. Every moment brings about another song lyric. Since she was old enough to sit in the tub I serenaded her with "Lean Back-baby in the bath remix" (My babies don't dance, they just pull off their pants and scrub the dirt away, now lean back, lean back lean back...and here I would lean her head under the faucet to rinse out the shampoo). And potty training brought about "Pee Pee in the Potty" (Go pee pee in the potty, then you can wash your body). Then there was "Bella's Lullaby" (Bella, Bella, go to sleep my dear, and when the morning comes, you'll wake up, and I will be here for you, you, yoooooooou). For everything, another song.

More recently, as I was trying to play Farmville and entertain her at the same time, I wrote "Bock Bock Chicken"

"Bock bock chicken

Bock bock bock chicken

There's a mouse in the house

and a bock bock chicken"

Bella loved it. She started asking me to sing it all the time. She would add animals for me to sing about ("mommy, do cow..do kitty cat), and sometimes even colors ("mommy, sing purple"). The other day that song was the first thing out of her mouth when she woke up. Brian thinks my songs are annoying, but loves "Bock Bock Chicken" when Bella sings it, and thinks I should make an album of songs for children. But for now, these songs are just to get us through the mundane tasks of each day, and to distract my children when I need a little Farmville time.

Springtime in Okinawa