It’s the Most Wonderful Time…

Christmas Tour

This is the entry to our house/stairs

This is our Christmas tree

This is our lovely little “Nicky” hiding out in our tree..

“Nicky” is our Elf on the Shelf that came to us this year.

The Elf on the Shelf is a story written by Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell. He/she is a little elf that keeps an eye on everyone in the house, and after the kids are asleep each night he/she flies back to the North Pole to tell Santa who’s been naughty and who’s been nice.

Every Elf on the Shelf is sold in a keepsake box with the storybook.

The kids chose his name and decided he would be called “Nicky.” They had so much fun every morning searching the house to see where he hid the night before. It was a great family tradition that we started and we can’t wait to continue to next year.

Happy Holidays from Japan!!

Till Next Time,

Mrs. M…

Good-Bye Diapers… Hello Underdares!!

LOVE the title!

My son, had his 3rd birthday in December. WOW! I can’t believe my big boy is 3! Mommy made his birthday cake and we had a small celebration with close friends at our home. He was thrilled to get the chance to play with his friends and of course we ate the typical kid birthday food, hot dogs and mac -n- cheese. The party was a success and he had a blast.

Of course, with every year comes a new challenge. I was so thrilled that the 2 was gone. In a way. Now, as many parents know even though the child leaves their second year it doesn’t mean they are leaving the “terrible 2′s” behind them. Honestly, it’s been pretty good so far. Not that the 2′s were terrible, but honestly, they are a bit challenging at times.

With the big 3 looking we began potty training. Now, my typical routine is we don’t leave the house for a whole week and we basically live in the bathroom the whole time. However, I must say this time was WAY different. The holidays were here and then we had family visit and YIKES! Let’s say our 1 week of seclusion didn’t go so well. However, I am happy to report that as of today, February 10, 2012 my baby boy is officially potty trained!! Can I get a woo hoo ?!?! It seems like it’s been a long time coming.

He has done so well, I took the he will let me know approach with him this time. We started at the start of December. However, Christmas came and went and then our family arrived. He would do the occasional trip to the bathroom, but it seemed like he wasn’t ready, our schedule was far from consistent and we just couldn’t get it done. So, once the family had left, big sis was back in school, mommy made it her goal to get this done.

We had 3 diapers left and I REFUSED to buy another pack. I was sick of changing diapers. So, Mommy vowed to stay home and let him “be free.” Yes, I let my child run around the house naked. Honestly, I can tell you he only had an accident once. He didn’t like that very much, so we began our trips to the toilet. You know, the every 15 minutes, go to the bathroom and sit on the toilet. Well, we purchased some new Thomas the Train underwear and he was thrilled. He loved wearing them and kept saying, “Mommy I wear big boy underdares.” Followed closely by, “I go pee toilet.” Once he got the hang of it, it was smooth sailing. We have since been able to go eat dinner out of the house, go to the grocery and a even a shopping day, all while wearing big boy underdares. He is so proud of himself as mommy, daddy and big sister are as well. We have no more diapers in our house and I tell you it was a LONG time coming. I have found boys are much harder to potty train than girls. At least, I think anyway. There was much more to this story about how we potty trained, but basically, here are my thoughts, a child has to be ready. They have to understand and know when they need to go. I honestly felt the “go free” method worked well for us. We tried pull-ups, but they felt too much like a diaper to him and he would use the bathroom in them. So, we tried just diving head first in and put on the big boy underdares, it only took him once to potty in them before he realized that wasn’t a good idea. So, he began using the toilet instead. He is 3 now so this was a major milestone for us. I am so excited to have my big boy potty trained, however, it seems a little sad that he is no longer a “baby.” So, any mommies out there, what is your potty training method? Trust me, I’ve read a million books, over exaggeration of course, but nothing compares and prepares you for how YOUR child will potty train. So, now that gives you a little insight as to where I’ve been for awhile now… in the bathroom, potty training.

Till Next Time,

Mrs. M…

MIA..

Hello Blog World,

As you can tell, I have been MIA for the past 5 months. WOW! I can’t believe it has been that long. So, I have decided, I will take a few posts and update on where I have been. So, check back often, I am hoping to do several posts to fill you in on all the scoop.

Till Next Time,

Mrs. M…

Emotions…

Emotions…

Something many of us don’t understand, we can’t begin to grasp the magnitude of what they are, nor how they effect us. We simply think of emotions as how we feel. Time has taught me many lessons throughout my life so far and one I would like to share with you right now.

We recently had family visit us in our Japan home for the holidays. The trip was wonderful, we spent time just enjoying the company, while also exploring and seeing the sights. However, the time came when our family had to leave us and head back to the states. This is something that I knew was going to happen and I felt I was prepared for this. We have had to say many good-byes in our short time in the military thus far, and I thought I could handle this. My husband and I have 2 children, our son who is 3 and our daughter who is 6. Both children knew that the family was leaving and both seemed to take it ok, at first. However, upon arriving at the airport, my son had a meltdown and kept saying he didn’t want them to go, he wanted them to stay at his house. My daughter seemed to understand that they would be back and we would see them again, she was sad but she held back the tears. We said our good-byes and began walking out to the van. At this moment, holding the hand of my 6 year old daughter, she looks up at me and says, “parents always stay calm when things go wrong.”

I was in utter shock. These words that came from her mouth were so innocent, pure and true to her. Yet, as I loaded up the van and we began to drive home the words kept running through my mind. She felt that we stayed calm during moments of chaos. I was thrilled to an extent, she had realized Mommy had it under control. I had passed the test, I remained calm and collected during a time that was challenging emotionally for me.

Now, if you are parent, you have been placed in similar situations. We put on our brave faces, smiles and portray that we have it all together as we face obstacles. Knowing very well that we are just pulling through for our children. I came home got the kids settled and made a bee line for the shower, my place to hide from the world and let my emotions escape if only for a moment or two. I cried in the shower for awhile, then realized the world was still turning outside. So, I got out got dressed and kept pushing through. My emotions had gotten the better of me at that moment, but once I knew that I was ok and that my children were watching, I gladly placed that brave face smile back on my face and moved forward.

We hold so much in to protect our children. We let them believe that we stay calm, this was a moment in time that I never wanted to forget. My daughter had seen that in her moment of need, she could count on me to be her rock. She knew that I would be there to wipe away her tears and make it better, if only for a moment. Emotions are tricky, confusing and sneaky. We may never understand them, nor how they truly effect us. We place a high emphasis on being a good role model for our children. Yet, they learn so much from us and things we didn’t even know we were teaching them.

If we take a step back and really look we can see that each person in this world is facing their own challenges. Each day we all must face our own struggles. Even a 3 or 6 year old child has struggles they face. We may not think of them as a struggle, yet to them they are. We each place our smiles on our faces and push through one day at a time. Everyone has been that kid on the playground who got picked on and had to fight back tears, or the person who got fired from work and won’t let their kids see them cry about it. We’ve each put on a brave face to portray we aren’t struggling. Why? Why do we do this if we know that everyone has their days when tears are struggling to be set free?

The world. We want the world to be a better place. I smile and hold back tears to protect my daughter, son, family and the world. There is enough sadness in our world and sometimes we feel that if we smile, the world might be a better place, just for today. We don’t want anyone to see that we are human, that we all make mistakes, we all cry, we all fear, we all hope and we all struggle.

I learned a lesson on that day. A lesson I didn’t know I would learn. I can reassure you, there will be times when the tears will come, no matter how hard you fight, letting go and letting your emotions take over, sometimes is exactly what we need. Emotions, they are always there, always sneaking up on us when we least expect them to. We may feel we have them under control, yet we know nothing about them.

Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. It is when we lean on another during our weakest times that we find strength within ourselves. My daughter, leaned on her mommy and daddy and she made it through. She knew that “when things go wrong, parents always stay calm.” Those words touched my heart and reminded me that everyday my children need me, everyday is a new day and that everyday we learn a new lesson. We learn more about ourselves and more about the world around us. It’s ok to open your eyes and look around. You will be amazed at what you will see. There are so many things the world has to show us.

Till Next Time,

Mrs. M…

A DIY Southern Backyard/Patio – Day 1

Hey guys!

Boy have we had a BUSY weekend. The weather is starting to cool off here in Okinawa but the summer was a killer. My family and I are southern, we enjoy SWEET iced tea, backyard fire pits, cook-outs and sitting on our porch in the evening. I have noticed not many of our neighbors are like this. It seems we hardly ever see anyone outside. Well, I started to think maybe the weather deters them. It sometimes does that to me. So, we decided to fix this problem. We bought 2 different sun shade canopys this summer and sadly they both bit the dust. At about 100 bucks each these suckers are NOT cheap. However, the wind and pretty frequent typhoons do a number on those canopys. So, the hubby and I decided we had a solution. We discovered our “home depot” on the island and since we have been regulars there. I think we made a couple trips just this weekend. WHY, you ask. We are building FROM scratch an awning/canopy for our back patio. GRIN! This makes my heart beat so fast. We took our first trip with BOTH kids. It went as well as could be expected. We ended up getting ALL the wood we needed. Now, let’s just say we had 10′ 2×4′s so now you ask how did that work. …. I’m sure you have all seen the Beverely Hillbillies. Well, we brought that back, FOR REAL. We have a mazda mpv minivan. So, the back seats fold down and lay flat, we did that, put both kids in their seats in the middles seats and of course the hubby and I were in the front seats. The hubby then shoved the boards through the back hatch and put them ALL the way up onto the dash in the front. It was a sight to see, let’s just say that. BUT I will say we were all legally buckled… safety first! However, that wasn’t all that we got. We got flowers and potting soil, about 6 bags I think. So, once we were loaded up we headed back home to start on the projects for the weekend. Now, I am a blog follower. I love DIY projects and live to decorate and craft. So, having said that I will show you my inspiration. http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/ She has all the DIY know-how. If I am ever lacking in ideas, or need to know how to do it myself, this is my first stop. Well, actually I’m normally browsing her blog daily. It was on a trip to her blog not to long ago I discovered her DIY window boxes. So, since we live in military (UNISON) housing, my biggest issue is making it a home and making it cozy and UNunison. SOOOO, my hubby gladly accepted the task of adding some window boxes to our windows. We used Thrifty Decor Chick’s tutorial and adapted it to fit our needs. You can find her tutorial here http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2009/08/diy-window-boxes.html

So, day 1 the hubby got the “skeleton” done on our awning/canopy. This is really not my strong part, I don’t know how it really came together or cutting lengths or anything. I do the decorating. But here is a peek at the end of day 1 for the canopy.

Stay tuned for the recap on Day 2!!

Till Next Time,

Mrs. M…

DIY 3D Cardboard Star

As you all know I have gone Pinterest CARZY!! I have been pinning away something crazy. I love the ideas that are on there. I saw during one of my pinning moments that someone had made a 3D star out of a cereal box. Well, since we are penny pinchers we don’t use the cereal in the boxes. I have some tupperware storage containers that we keep our cereal in so it just always seems like a waste, plus most of the time cereal in the bags is usually cheaper. Anyway, we do however get TONS of priority mail boxes, between me ordering stuff off the net and family sending us stuff we never have a shortage of those boxes.

So, I got this WONDERFUL idea! I would take the flaps and cut them into a 3D star. Now, it was about 10:30pm one night when I got that idea. I spent about 30 minutes trying to figure out how to get a stencil big enough. Then suddenly it hit me. HELLO you have about 50 tin barn stars around the house. So, lightbulb, I got plain printer paper and traced the sides of the star. Then I cut them out and then used that as my stencil. MUCH easier.

So, I thought I would break it down for you..

Step 1:
Take your box and cut all the flaps off. While you are doing this you want to plug in your hot glue gun so it has time to heat up.
Step 2:
Take your stencil and cut those out using the flaps you cut out. My star was perfect for fitting 2 sides per one flap. This depends on the size of box you have. I know this may sound confusing but I will have some pics to help you along. For my star there were 5 points, which meant I needed 10 sides. I cut a bunch out at once so I didn’t have to keep back stepping.

Step 3: Once you have 10 sides you need to start glueing them together. THIS IS THE HARD PART! It takes time and patience. You line the long sides up together and glue down the side, making one point of the star. Do this for all 5 points.

Step 4: Once you have all the points glued, you want to make sure they are dry. Then you take them and put them into the shape of the star. Then you begin glueing the points together.

Step 5: Once you have all the points glued together you want to make sure it dries.
Step 6: I took mine outside and spray painted them white, I used this as my primer. I was going for a rustic look.
Step 7: After the white dries, I painted them black, a LIGHT spray.
Step 8: After the black dried, I took Wagon Red and sprayed them AGAIN.

I was really surprised with the overall look that came out. I was super happy that they cost me next to nothing to make. It took some time and after the first star was done I really got the hang of it and I was able to make 2 more in no time. I will make many more to come I’m sure. I even have a smaller stencil that I will be using at Christmas to make some for our tree.

IF you find this tutorial confusing please let me know, I’m not sure how else to describe it, but the pics should help.

Enjoy and if someone else in blog world already had “this” idea I’m sorry and PLEASE let me know and I will give credit where credit is due.It’s hard with Pinterest to know where some ideas come from. I adapted it to my needs so I’m thinking maybe this idea isn’t borrowed…

Till Next Time,

Mrs. M…

Labor Day – Who Lives in a Pineapple.. Under the Sea!

Hey guys!

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Labor Day weekend. I thought I would blog today about my wonderful Labor day we spent “under the sea.” I have tried to grasp the concept that the time we spend at each different location is like a permanent vacation. I am still baffled at this concept and it never stops amazing me. Every location we get to live at is different, each location has it’s own sites, sounds events you name it they are all different and wonderful in their own way. Over Labor day weekend I decided we would take a trip to the aquarium. I LOVE the ocean and so do the kids. The hubby decided he would take that day and golf, since he was home from work. Now, I must say in his defense the day trip was planned very “spur” of the moment. I had totally forgot I told my daughter I would take her, so as soon as she woke up that morning she made sure to remind me FIRST thing when she woke up. By that time the hubby had already taken off to golf. So, I decided I would ask my neighbor/ partner in crime to join us. We hurried and threw together some snacks, and of course we packed the kids and bags into the van. We left and drove an hour and a half to the aquarium. Now, there were 5 children in the van so needless to say it was an adventurous trip. Between the “your feet stink” to the “you took my toy” it seemed like a 5 hour drive. It was my first time EVER driving such a distant off base. I made it and I was so excited. The drive was a major milestone for me in itself.

Our first stop was the Nago Pineapple Park. It was wonderful. You pull up, pay your admission fee and they shuttle you into a golf cart with a HUGE pineapple on top of it. You begin the drive through different “gardens”, they talk to you about all the different types of pineapples, flowers and such. It was very interesting. You even get to see “baby” pineapples. Tiny, tiny, tiny pineapples. The cart is computerized which was neat to see, there were no rails, tracks or anything like that. The simple things that amaze me. After you have gone on your drive, you walk through their seashell exhibit and of course the dreaded “gift shop.” ANYONE with children know that the gift shop is the nightmare that never ends. This park is so lovely that it has TWO gift shops. After you continue on through the first gift shop you make it to the tasting part. HEAVEN is what I like to call it. There are so many different wines, passion fruit, sparkling pineapple wine, you name it I think we tried it. Then there are all the FOODS. Yes, samples of pineapple bread, pineapple cake, pineapple chocolate, pineapple cookies. It was wonderful. The kids loved it as well. I think they all just kept going from station to station grabbing handfuls of whatever was available. It was funny to watch.

After this we went to the van and had our snack, we had brought snacks but we also had bought some pineapple choco cookies that the kids LOVED. We all snacked and cooled off for awhile before we took the 30 minute drive to the aquarium.

Upon arriving at the aquarium we had to find a parking spot. Now, I tell you I have a minivan. MOST Japanese cars look like TINY matchbox cars. So most of Okinawa is designed with these cars in mind. My car is often a hassle to take anywhere. I managed to find a parking spot and BACKED in. Can we say nerve wracking? We got everyone out of the car and sunblocked up, this was a chore in itself. We began by starting with Ocean Expo Park. It is like an aquarium sort of that is all along the beach. We started with the dolphin show. Which is FREE! We got there just in time. The lady spoke Japanese throughout the whole show but it didn’t matter, the dolphins were wonderful and the kids didn’t care what she was saying anyway.

We also got to see baby sea turtles, and manatees. After we had seen all there was to see “outside” we took a few steps down and cooled our feet off in the ocean. We then decided it was time to tackle the aquarium.

The aquarium cost money but I felt it was a good price for all there was to see. We started that with the “petting” part. As soon as you walk in they have a TON of star fish for you to pet and hold. The kids LOVED this part. At first my son wanted nothing to do with the touching part. My daughter however wanted to touch every one of them before we could move on. We then started to look at all the different tanks. It was amazing, the kids were great. There was so much to see and everyone had a great time. The trip home was much better, the 2 youngest passed out and slept the whole way home. It was so nice because my darling husband grilled out so we arrived back home to a hot cooked meal. It was one of the best Labor day’s I can remember. I know the kids had a blast, and I can say we will plan another trip soon.

How was your labor day ?

Till Next Time,

Mrs. M …

9/11… A Look Back..

This day is one that we all remember. A time when we were reminded we are not fearless untouchable or invincible. As I take a look back to that day 10 years ago, I am shocked. I was in middle school at the time. I remember sitting in my social studies classroom when all the teachers walked out into the hall and started talking about what was going on. Then they came back into the classroom and turned on the TV. At this time the first tower had just been hit. I remember looking around my classroom at all the faces. No one really knew what was going on, or how to react to it. I had family that worked in the Washington DC area. As we sat and watched as more events unfolded I remember feeling so scared and nervous.

Now, 10 years from that day, I am married to my middle and high school sweetheart. I have 2 wonderful children and we live in Japan. My husband proudly serves in the military and I think to myself how far we have come since that day. I support our troops on a daily basis because I have seen fathers, husbands , mothers, daughters and sons leave for deployments and I see the toll it takes on the family and the military member. I see the sacrifices everyone makes on a daily basis. On this day 10 years ago, the United States faced a great loss. So many lost their lives, loved ones and since of security.

I say today that I will never forget, I will never lose my gratitude that I owe all those that have fought for our freedom throughout the many years. We continue to fight today and everyday. We stand and defend what we believe to be true, right and worth defending. I say we take that pride that we carry on this day and all those other holidays such as labor day, memorial day and we carry that with us everyday.

I refuse to let all those lost lives be lost in vein. Stand with me and REMEMBER not just today but every day forever and ever. Carry your pride, freedom and gratitude everywhere you go. Give support, thanks and kindness to your neighbor, mother, brother, for I have learned that one of the greatest lessons 9/11 taught me is that what you have today may be gone tomorrow. Never take things for granted. Stop and tell someone you love them, give them a hug. How many of the people that lost their lives 10 years ago didn’t take the time to say I Love You not knowing it would be the last time they saw their family and will never have that chance again. Live everyday as a remarkable day and dream your dreams. Make a choice to stand in freedom and give thanks to those that protect that freedom.

I would like to thank all those that have fought for our freedom, those in the past, present and future. I would also like that send my thoughts and prayers to all those families that have lost someone. I will never forget how I felt that day nor will I forget what people lost.

Take the time today to say my thoughts are with those that lost loved ones. Really take the time to think how their lives changed that day.

Now, think about it, how has your life changed? What were you doing that day 10 years ago.

Till Next Time,

Mrs. M..

Back to School!!

FINALLY!!

My DD started back to school on Monday! I am feeling I’m sure just like every other mother… happy, sad, tired, confused, frustrated. My DD entered the 1st grade. WOW! Where has the time gone? I remember the day she was born and I tell you it doesn’t seem like it was over 6 years ago. This summer was a blur. I tell you between on-base activities, moving in, traveling, meeting new friends, the beach, cook-outs and so on I feel like I blinked and the summer was GONE! I know I am feeling a little happy to be back in school, this means, cooler days, FALL and of course CHRISTMAS right around the corner. This also means more time for Mommy, as well as hanging my taxi sign above my mini-van. You all know what I mean. I plan on spending the fall getting organized and of course crafting. I have already been able to finish a few projects. We’ve been in school for 3 days and I tell you I think we are FINALLY getting the hang of it. We are up around 7am and the day speeds by until bed for the kiddos at 8:30 pm. My DS and I spend our days in the pool in the backyard, coloring, and really anything we feel like doing. It’s so nice to get to spend that extra time with him. It seems only fair since I had that one on one time with my DD when she was younger. She seems to be enjoying her time in school and I’m so glad. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the school year holds and see how she progresses academically.

Tell me all you mothers out there.. how are you feeling now that school is back in session.

Till Next Time,

Mrs. M….

Ten Things To Do Before 2012 UPDATE :)

Ok…So IF you have been following my posts you will know that awhile back I posted about all the things I wanted to get done before 2012.

I thought I would take that post one step further and do an UPDATE to that, just in case you all were wondering how I was coming along with the progress.

So My list was:

1. Check out 5 local beaches.
I can officially say I have been to 4 local beaches in Okinawa. I am so close to this, I have a feeling we will reach this goal and surpass it before 2012. Considering it’s so hot here and when you live so close to the beach WHY NOT enjoy it.
2. Post at least 25 new posts.
I am working HARD on this one. I am trying to update this blog as often as possible. IF you have any ideas or want to know anything leave me a comment and I will make a post about it.
3. Get 10 followers.
I NEED more followers peeps. Send out those shout outs. I am trying hard to think about what the bloggers want to read. I know sometimes it seems the life of a stay at home isn’t all that interesting but trust me. I have a list of blog ideas, I think you will enjoy the posts to come. Plus those “it just happened” posts are usually the best.
4. Finish the Thirst series.
Sadly I am still on the first book, it seems in the evenings by the time I lay down to rest, reading is not on my to do list. I have lately been falling to sleep as soon as I lay down.
5. Get the new house organized.
I am making GREAT progress on this part. I have unpacked EVERYTHING from our household shipment. Now I am taking it room by room. I am REALLY in the organizational mode so I’m tearing each room apart. I am making keep, donate, sell, trash bags and I am sorting EVERYTHING in EVERY room. I am loving this. Still have a little ways to go with this but I have a feeling the rewards will be totally worth it.
6. Pay off at least 1 bill.
This one is the challenge. With my daughter back in school, all you mothers out there no that means, back to school shopping, after school activities and so on and so forth. I am going to have to tighten the belt and cut some costs in order to make this one happen.
7. Have a yard sale.
Since, we live in base housing, this is not allowed. However, monthly you can rent a table at the community center and sell your items. I’m hoping to do this once the school year is well under way and I have gotten through some more of the rooms in the house.
8. Watch Season 2 & 3 of True Blood.
I can HAPPILY report I have completed this task. I am now hooked on the series and can’t wait till season 4 starts.
9. Spend more time with the family.
I am making a lot of effort in this department. We are doing pool trips, beach trips, cook-outs, family fun nights and so forth.
10. Potty train my son.
This seems to be one of the hardest things on this list. I have no idea why boys seem to be so much harder than girls. It’s so frustrating at times. It took me 2 weeks AT MOST to potty train my daughter. However, my son seems to have no end in sight for the diaper stage. Any helpful tips or ideas. What worked or didn’t work for all you mommies out there in blog world?

Let me know where YOU are in your list of to- do before 2012…

Till Next Time,

Mrs. M…