Happy Halloween

It's raining outside right now and I am wondering how we are going to go Trick-or-Treating? I took some photos of Chase yesterday in a make-shift pumpkin patch and afterwards took some pictures of the boys in their costumes. By then Chase was done having his photo taken and started crying. I thought all is well I will take some photos tomorrow before trick-or-treating, only now it's raining, and I am not going to get any good photos. Therefore I am going to have to share the photos that I took yesterday.

Last night was Trunk or Treating on the Marine base and they let all the local nationals on to participate also. Chase was a star in his little Chewbacca costume. The locals don't know how to speak very good English but they all pointed to their cameras and then at Chase. They would put their child next to him and snap away.

UPDATE: It rained on and off all evening and the boys were soaked. Bryson said this was the worst Halloween. I have to agree. No fun at all! The costumes are all hanging up to dry as we speak.

Here are the photos from yesterday.

Darth Vader

Carter was given this blank paper doll at school on the first day and was told to decorate it. This is what we came up with.

Silly Boy

We were at the clinic yesterday to get flu shots. I do not plan on giving the kids the H1N1 shot so I figured I had better at least give them their flu shots. At 4 this was Carter's first flu shot, thankfully my kids are very healthy and never get sick so its just one of those things I don't make them get. Back to the story..

We were at the clinic waiting and Carter places his hand on Chase's head and says "Chase this is your forehead." He then looks at me all seriously and asks "Mom, where is our three-head?" I thought it was so funny.

Later on that day when it was time to get ready for preschool I grabbed his (flu-shot) arm and he screams "You've broken my arm!" In a very southern drawn out yell. I couldn't stop laughing. Apparently his arm was a little sore from the shot.

Everyone is doing well after the shots and little Chaser's at six months finally got his four month shots. I know dead-beat mom. You can go back and read here why he is off schedule.

That's it folks!

How long do spiders live?

I have my very own Charlotte. My little spider friend has lived in my side view mirror for going on 6 weeks now. There have been several occasions where I thought I have lost him. Sometimes when I am driving he likes to hold on to his web and then he spins very fast in circles while I am driving. Once I come to a stoplight/sign he will crawl back behind the mirror.

One time I really thought he flew off his web and I called Joe and said "I think I have lost him." Is it strange that he knew exactly who I was talking about? His reply was "Are you seriously calling to tell me that!" The kicker is Joe called me the next day and said "You didn't lose him, he is still there." I see him everyday and will be sad when he is no longer around.

Foster Fest

Allissa

Bryson

Carter

Anthony

The Marine base had another Festival. Joe was busy with work so the boys and I went with the Salas'. We all had a blast. Ramon was Chasers rent-a-dad.

Happy Half a Birthday!!

Half a year is already gone and our little Chasers is getting so big. We took him out to Chili's to celebrate and we let him sit in the high chair for the first time.

We also moved him into his big boy car seat.

I also put up his Johnny Jumper and let him jump away. I think he had a great day, now only 6 more short months until his first birthday. I am getting sad already.

• Chase you sit up all by yourself.
• You can roll around the room.
• You do a little bit of an army crawl.
• You love it when we are rough with you (swinging you around, putting you upside down, bouncing you all over the place)
• You giggle and laugh and squeal.
• You love your big boy food and your bottles.
• I no longer nurse you.
• You sleep from 8ish to 7ish.
• You still love your exersaucer.
• Your chunky thighs are almost to big for your bumbo seat.
• Your favorite time of the day is bath time, you cry if I cut it short.
• Bryson can make you laugh so easily.
• Daddy and you are buds.
• I could have sworn you said bye.
• I also think you said mum.
• You have the prettiest gummy smile.
• You have the cutest little curl in your hair.
• Everyone says what a great kid you are and always ask what I do to make you behave so well.
• You still love to be held and my friend but it best "As long as you are touching him he is content."
• You can entertain yourself which is awesome.

You are such a joy to be around. We love you so much! Happy 6 Months Chase.

What does the Yellow light mean?

Carter: Mom the red light means you have to stop.

Mom: Yep

Carter: The green light means you can go.

Mom: Very good Carter, What does the Yellow light mean?

Carter: Go faster or you'll never make it!

So Big

In the last two weeks Chase has decided that sitting up is the best thing ever. These photos were taken about a week after he started sitting up and now that another week has gone by he is doing awesome.

Fall in Okinawa

We have now been on the island for 2 1/2 months. In that time we have had three possible typhoons that could have been disastrous had they not of changed their course and missed us. Only bringing lots of wind and rain. Being inside and looking out the weather can be quite fooling.

Last year we were living in North Carolina and a day like that would have been a cold, wet, windy, miserable day. Here in Okinawa its just wet and windy and still very, very, very HOT, with a shit load of HUMIDITY. But if you turn down the thermostat really low, grab yourself a Vanilla Latte (they don't have pumpkin spice here), a pumpkin cookie (courtesy of my friend Leann), some old pine cones from NC, and just look out the window, you can almost trick yourself into believing its really cold outside.

Lunch at the seawall

Saturday morning I loaded up the car and pulled out at 5am to head to my garage sale.  I paid 15 dollars for a spot at the golf course where they let locals come.  At 530 they opened the gates and gave us all our spot and I started to unload my car.  There are some locals that buy and sell every weekend.  As I started to unload I had some coming up to my van helping unload and going through my items.  By 615 I had already made 100 dollars and the gates weren't even open to the public.  At 7am the gates opened and the locals where RUNNING from two gates.  It was the craziest thing I had ever seen.  They were everywhere.  I would say there were probably between 60-80 people selling items and hundreds of locals to buy.  It was so fast that I packed what was left back into the van and I was pulling out of the golf course by 930 and had made 270 dollars.  It was the easiest yard sale I have ever done and will do it again when I need to unload some junk.

Some highlights of those few hours were.

• Watching an old man try on one of my belts from back in the day.  It was rhinestone studded with the words either FLIRT or HOTTIE on it.  He bought it and I chuckled. 
• I have a large foot which equals to a Men's size 8 1/2.  One younger man tried on a pair of my nice boots with a zipper on the side.  Once again I laughed to myself.
• I had a few items stolen.  I know this because the items missing had pairs or went with something.
• An old lady almost broke her hip after slipping on a piece of plastic and falling down hard on the pavement.  She dropped her scale she had just bought, two Barney dolls and two Elmo dolls.  She hobbled away.  Poor thing.

Around lunch time we decided to go spend some of my money and have lunch at a Gyro place by the seawall.  On the way there I checked the tide chart and realized the tie was going to be out so I asked the boys if they would like to go look in the tide pools.  I leave the water shoes in the car because you never know when you will need them.  They boys and I had some much fun looking at the crabs, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins.  Joe was a trooper and carried around Chase so I could take photos.

There are usually no waves here in Okinawa but we have some stormes rolling in soon and the waves are picking up a bit.

Comprehensive Water Park

Last weekend we ventured out to Comprehensive Water Park. We weren't sure what to expect and boy were we surprised. We had a blast. The big slides have a ridiculously high height limit so Carter wasn't able to ride.

Which is funny because he can co go Disney World and ride rides like Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad and Fast Track at the age of 2 but he can't ride the water slides at the age of four.  Even with that minor set back we all had lots of fun.  There was still plenty to do for all of us....

even CHASERS!!

The park is now closed for the summer and we can't wait until next year.  Bryson has already claimed this as the place to hold his birthday party next year.  I can't wait, its sure to be lots of fun....Do you want to come?