Whew!! Saturday is over, one less thing to accomplish. Madie's party was a big success. However, we older Chronisters learned a few lessons this go round.
#1 Big birthday parties, even with other kids parents, STINK!!
#2 Big birthday parties without our families are hard, tiring and they STINK!!
#3 Big birthday parties with boys and girls just mean extra work, in other words they STINK!!
#4 Birthday parties in Gtmo are not the same as in the US. What is standard etiquette in the US is not standard here in Gtmo.
#5 Did I mention big parties with out our families STINK?
Okay so let me paint the picture. Madie has been asking for a Luau party since last Dec. She knew what she wanted and I promised to get it for her. I did not plan for the Luau party before we moved. Thank goodness the good Lord has my back, my shop had a huge crate full of luau stuff. Leis, grass skirts and the like. So that was covered. Now all we needed was the guest list and we would be golden. Well being new here, I figured Moo would have a few people to invite. Nope. She invited 11 kids. All but two showed up, and you know our rule, everyone in the family is invited. No dropping off unless you really want to. So what this boils down to is that we had something like 50 people in our house. Thank goodness we live where we do, because we took advantage of our tropical weather. Alan and I planned a few relay races for the kids as well as limbo. All of which was exhausted within the first hour. Now what. So the kids and Alan sat on the hill in our back yard and gazed at the stars. Well that was the plan. What ensued was chaos. Poor Alan was beside himself. We live off of the "other" busy street here on base, our back yard butts up against the road. Mind you there is a large culvert in between, but still a major road. Now, cars are only doing 25 mph here but still all we needed was for a kid to get hit by a car at one of our birthday parties....And did I mention the boys? I swear, boys are crazy and they make girls crazy. We literally had two hours of nothing but screaming girls and cackling boys. It was a bit much for me and Alan to handle I must say. But I digress. We started with food, we had the kids make fruit kabobs complete with star fruit, which I am happy to report my kids love. I have always wanted to try it and figured a birthday party was a good excuse to buy them. All three kids love it. Then we had chips, salsa, guac and some kick butt pico de gallo made by me of course. I was very happy with our treats. And of course cake. So the kids came in and each got a lei as well as a flowered bracelet for the girls and a grass bracelet for the boys, then off to make kabobs. Then we played the games, after which Alan tried to wrangle screaming kids. Then we looked at the time, realized we still had an hour and half with the monsters that the kids were becoming and fear set in. Some how we managed to keep the kids occupied sort of until cake. Then it was another free for all. At one point I looked over and realized I had kids climbing on my couch! It was too much, I had to get all MOMMY on them, complete with yelling at everyone to take two steps back. Anyway, I filled their bellies with cake and ice cream and then sent them outside once more. After cake we opened presents and then sent the kids home. Madie did tell me she had a ball, which makes it all worth while, BUT....no more big parties like that.
See we have been noticing some things about children here in Gtmo. We meaning Alan and myself, I haven't shared this with my Gtmo gals...but we have noticed that there are quite a few kiddos out there who are off their rockers. It is so easy to get complacent here. The kids have free reign over their parks, and yards. They get out of control so quick. I mean I am guilty of this as well. Adam and Madie come home from school and then out the door they go, only to return for dinner. What they do outside all day? Heck if I know...And that although liberating for all of us, I think is the undoing. We adults are so lazze faire about the kids that we tend to forget that they do need to have manners. At one point I walked into Madie's room last night to find two girls on her bed with a sword swinging at her light while three others were digging through her stuff. Madie was outside....I got all kinds of ticked at the kids and did the whole respect our stuff, or you won't be allowed back here speach. Complete with making them all repeat what I said and telling them that I expected apologies from them. Yes, things here are different. Course it could be this way in the rest of the world, I am just more exposed here because we are so much more involved here. I mean we have never invited more than three friends over for a party and my desire to get the kids interacting with the kids here has become too much. Can it be that we are too out there?? Too eager to make new friends?
I really think I just figured it out. In my desire to make the kids feel connected and part of something I have over, shoot what's the word? exposed?? I don't know..I guess what I am trying to say is that my built in filter, the one I am supposed to use to edit what I say to the kids and strangers and what I get us involved in, it must be stuck in the off position. I think that in my eagerness to feel part of this community I have tuned out the filtering of both myself and what is being presented to me....Hum something to think about surely...
At any rate, Moo had a good time, we learned never to have a big party again and we all went to bed last night with smiles on our faces. I will post pictures of her cake and some of her tomorrow, I hope. Here it is 1:30am and I have to be at work as well as two other commitments tomorrow. So I must get off the computer. I send you all my love...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
What day is it??
Okay so as far as staying on top of my blog, I get the "most pathetic" award. I have been so busy lately, I haven't had to time to do much. The computer connection is so super slow and what in the world happend to spell check on this blog? I can't find it anywhere, and I spell atrociously. Case in point. Anyway...
So these last few weeks, months, heck I don't even know what day it is. But I have been running around like crazy. Last night was the first time we as a family actually got to eat dinner together, and that is only because I didn't go to the church decorating committiee meeting...Bad christian that I am.
To fill you in. All of you know about my trash and trivia shop, well I had just gotten it looking clean and neat and organized, when the HOLIDAYS hit. I emphaze holidays because once again I underestemated Gtmo. Again with the huge holidays. When we leave here the kids will be so disappointed by the real world. Okay so, today I am in the middle of our "Black Friday". Yep having a black friday sale a week early. Why? I have no desire to work the day after Thanksgiving. I plan on decorating for Christmas here. Anyway I am busy as hades...So, this is a very short blog to just say I haven't forgotten to inform you all of what is going on, just been too busy to do it. I have so much to tell you all too. But, Madie's birthday party is tomorrow and then I will get a chance to actually blog. I'll even have some pics of our girl. Until then I send you all my love
So these last few weeks, months, heck I don't even know what day it is. But I have been running around like crazy. Last night was the first time we as a family actually got to eat dinner together, and that is only because I didn't go to the church decorating committiee meeting...Bad christian that I am.
To fill you in. All of you know about my trash and trivia shop, well I had just gotten it looking clean and neat and organized, when the HOLIDAYS hit. I emphaze holidays because once again I underestemated Gtmo. Again with the huge holidays. When we leave here the kids will be so disappointed by the real world. Okay so, today I am in the middle of our "Black Friday". Yep having a black friday sale a week early. Why? I have no desire to work the day after Thanksgiving. I plan on decorating for Christmas here. Anyway I am busy as hades...So, this is a very short blog to just say I haven't forgotten to inform you all of what is going on, just been too busy to do it. I have so much to tell you all too. But, Madie's birthday party is tomorrow and then I will get a chance to actually blog. I'll even have some pics of our girl. Until then I send you all my love
Thursday, November 12, 2009
House Pictures
So here are some pictures of our house, only the front mind you, as Alan refuses to let me take pictures of the back yard until he gets the back yard set up. Like I said Madie's Luau is coming soon so everything will be done by then. At any rate, here are some house pics....
This is the front of our house. We of course have the ghost in front. I took these on Halloween. We do not water as you can tell. Our new neighbors do however, so we will forever look like the family that doesn't care. But really, we live in the desert and what is the point?
A little closer veiw of our side. We have rocks for our garden, again a nicety, no flowers to water. We are planning on putting some chairs out soon so that we can be social with the neighborhood. Everyone has chairs in their front yards.
Thi is the veiw looking out our front door. We are the only house in the cul de sac and the park is directly across the street. See that hill in the background? That is the hill my son and now daughters climb looking for
Big Foot. There are also drainage ditches back there that the kids play in.
What lives in those hills you ask? Only the Cuban Boa Constrictor and the Banana Rat.
Worried at all???
A little closer veiw of the park. Maegan always leaves her shoes over here, I mean ALWAYS!!
Every day I have to ask her where her shoes are, and everyday she
runs out of the house to the park.
Bikes? Dolls? Legos? Balls?
Apparently the park stores them for free. Yep no charge to leave your
stuff at the park. It will be so hard coming back to the states I tell you...
Now of course this isn't our house, but it is God's house, and I think it is so
Caribbean and cute. I love it. I will be decorating it here very shortly for Christmas.
At any rate, I thought you would all like to see our place of worship.
Usually there is a big ole iguana sitting in front gaurding the doors, or prwoling the parking lot.
Okay that is all for now. I will have more pics soon and more stories.. I send you all my love
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Holy Cow!!
I have heard from one and all that I have not just slacked, but I have in fact left all of you hanging. I am so flattered that my life's musing have entertained you all so much. I am hoping to get back on the writing horse here and get you all caught up in the goings on here. Have I mentioned that for such a small locale and population, it is incredibly busy here?
Okay, first things first. Kids update. Madie: Our oldest in now a cheerleader. That is right my friends we have a cheerleader among us. Does she cheer at any sport in particular. Heck NO where do you think we are, the US. Nope here, our cheerleaders are a comodity. They are by invitaion only cheerleaders. What is that you may ask. quite simply it means that she will cheer only at the tree lighting ceremony at the NEX Atrium and at a parade. Pretty pathetic if you were to ask me last week. This week however, is a different story. Apparently the cheer coaches of years past, well let's just say they seriously lacked knowledge, drive or a desire to really teach the girls anything. But seriously what can you do. You have to take what you can get here on base. Not like the Army is asking soldiers that have experiance in cheer to come on down to Gtmo to teach the girls cheer. But this year we have among our ranks eight professional cheerleaders. That's right my firends. PROFESSIONAL CHEERLEADERS!! Six of the eight are actually active duty so that terrified some of the parents. See, we have huge turnover here. If you work for the JTF (that means the prisons) then usually you come here unaccompamied and for only six months at a time. BUT, and this is the big BUT, if you come here with your family, you are here for at least two years. All but two of our cheer coaches are here for two years. YIPPEE. I know seems crazy, but this is big news. The coaches are treating the cheer squad like it is an actual cheer squad. That means the matching warm up and work out outifits, matching cheer suits and bloomers, practices twice a week at least. This was supposed to be a six week camp, but since we have eight ladies that want to send our girls back to the states with real knowledge of cheer and how it works in the real world, it has been extended. So, if Miss Madie continues to love it as much as she is right now, I may be in big trouble back in the US. Cheer is expensive back home. Apparently our $70 investment in the states would equal about $1500. So, while I am glad Madie has found something she loves, I hope we have enought cash when we get back to the US to support it....Picutres of her will come soon...
Adam: Oh my Adam. I just love this little dude so much. He is just as skinny as ever, but he is getting soo tall. He looks the same as he did in his two year pictures, I know this becuase we just looked at them, only he is taller and his smile is a but brighter. Not much to report on him. He is part of CHaracter Counts at school. Apparetnly DoD schools have the six pillars of good character. Adam has learned about Honesty, Trustworthiness. He is in a play that his club will preform in front of the school this week I belive. He is loving CCD (Sunday School). They too are learning about being good soliders of Christ and the benefit of being honest and trustworthy. He is our concience here in this house. He is forever asking ALL of us, if we think God would like our actions. I think he may end up a priest after all. But, I have to say, his attitude is amazing with his friends. He is the first to check and make sure someone is okay if they get hurt and he makes sure everyone gets to play. No leaving anyone out on his watch. He stands up for the underdog almost all the time. Again I am amazed by his heart and love.
And then there is Maegan: My dear baby. She and I are butting heads right now. She is experimenting with lies, sneakiness and the constant need to eat. Growing much?? We have gone round and round with the lying issue. I am so tired of trying to teach this child not to lie. For some reason, she just doesn't care...I will get to the bottom of it, just don't know when. She is bored to tears at the shop now. I am trying to come up with things for her to do, but the reality is, she is getting to the point where being by herself is making her nuts, and selfish. I can't wait for her to start school, nor can she. I would love to do it now, but the money, just stupid. So instead we work on her letters and numbers at the shop and she plays with the kids after school. She is my struggle right now, course by next week it will be one of the others.
As for Alan, well he works. Right now he is busy decorating our house. He has been going great guns for the last two days and it is really starting to look good here. Those pictures will be posted as soon as he gets things mostly finished. We have a deadline of Nov 21. Madie is having a luau party for her birthday, complete with about thirty guests. So, we are husteling to get the house decorated. Or at least close to decorated. We are also inviting Alan's pharmacy and some of his collueges to Thanksgiving dinner here. There are about ten people that work around him that are here unaccompanied. So we are opening our home to them.
As for me....where to begin. Work has actually been very good lately. I am making tons of friends out of the TCNs (third country nationals). They are made up of mostly Filipinos, Jamacians and some Cubans. The lady who worked before me made it sound like this group of people where the bane of her exsistance. But I am telling you, they are wonderful. Kind, genrous and good sources of information. I have my regulars who come in and visit everyday and then some who only come in once a week. I just love them all.
After work comes everything else. I swear, I haven't been this active in real life outside of my family since college. This week I stopped by the open parish council meeting, got roped in. I now am helping with the decorating of the church for the holidays and helping get the kids ready for the Christmas Pagent. I am organizing the bowling night for the schools, that will be done by next week and well, lets just say I am one busy lady. Which reminds me, if any of you out there have any ideas on a good dip, my cooking club is having a Dip It night on the 23rd. I want to make something different. I imagine crab, artichoke and guacamole will all be present. I want something different and unique. Course I need to be able to find all the ingriedants here on the island.
Okay, so the next time I blog I will tell you all about my frustrations and joys of living on an island....Until then, I send you all my love
OOOHHH POOP!! I am just looking at this and I know that I have about twenty thousand spelling mistakes and I can't find spell check, yikes. SO no making fun of the dyslexic spelling chanllenged, got it!!
Okay, first things first. Kids update. Madie: Our oldest in now a cheerleader. That is right my friends we have a cheerleader among us. Does she cheer at any sport in particular. Heck NO where do you think we are, the US. Nope here, our cheerleaders are a comodity. They are by invitaion only cheerleaders. What is that you may ask. quite simply it means that she will cheer only at the tree lighting ceremony at the NEX Atrium and at a parade. Pretty pathetic if you were to ask me last week. This week however, is a different story. Apparently the cheer coaches of years past, well let's just say they seriously lacked knowledge, drive or a desire to really teach the girls anything. But seriously what can you do. You have to take what you can get here on base. Not like the Army is asking soldiers that have experiance in cheer to come on down to Gtmo to teach the girls cheer. But this year we have among our ranks eight professional cheerleaders. That's right my firends. PROFESSIONAL CHEERLEADERS!! Six of the eight are actually active duty so that terrified some of the parents. See, we have huge turnover here. If you work for the JTF (that means the prisons) then usually you come here unaccompamied and for only six months at a time. BUT, and this is the big BUT, if you come here with your family, you are here for at least two years. All but two of our cheer coaches are here for two years. YIPPEE. I know seems crazy, but this is big news. The coaches are treating the cheer squad like it is an actual cheer squad. That means the matching warm up and work out outifits, matching cheer suits and bloomers, practices twice a week at least. This was supposed to be a six week camp, but since we have eight ladies that want to send our girls back to the states with real knowledge of cheer and how it works in the real world, it has been extended. So, if Miss Madie continues to love it as much as she is right now, I may be in big trouble back in the US. Cheer is expensive back home. Apparently our $70 investment in the states would equal about $1500. So, while I am glad Madie has found something she loves, I hope we have enought cash when we get back to the US to support it....Picutres of her will come soon...
Adam: Oh my Adam. I just love this little dude so much. He is just as skinny as ever, but he is getting soo tall. He looks the same as he did in his two year pictures, I know this becuase we just looked at them, only he is taller and his smile is a but brighter. Not much to report on him. He is part of CHaracter Counts at school. Apparetnly DoD schools have the six pillars of good character. Adam has learned about Honesty, Trustworthiness. He is in a play that his club will preform in front of the school this week I belive. He is loving CCD (Sunday School). They too are learning about being good soliders of Christ and the benefit of being honest and trustworthy. He is our concience here in this house. He is forever asking ALL of us, if we think God would like our actions. I think he may end up a priest after all. But, I have to say, his attitude is amazing with his friends. He is the first to check and make sure someone is okay if they get hurt and he makes sure everyone gets to play. No leaving anyone out on his watch. He stands up for the underdog almost all the time. Again I am amazed by his heart and love.
And then there is Maegan: My dear baby. She and I are butting heads right now. She is experimenting with lies, sneakiness and the constant need to eat. Growing much?? We have gone round and round with the lying issue. I am so tired of trying to teach this child not to lie. For some reason, she just doesn't care...I will get to the bottom of it, just don't know when. She is bored to tears at the shop now. I am trying to come up with things for her to do, but the reality is, she is getting to the point where being by herself is making her nuts, and selfish. I can't wait for her to start school, nor can she. I would love to do it now, but the money, just stupid. So instead we work on her letters and numbers at the shop and she plays with the kids after school. She is my struggle right now, course by next week it will be one of the others.
As for Alan, well he works. Right now he is busy decorating our house. He has been going great guns for the last two days and it is really starting to look good here. Those pictures will be posted as soon as he gets things mostly finished. We have a deadline of Nov 21. Madie is having a luau party for her birthday, complete with about thirty guests. So, we are husteling to get the house decorated. Or at least close to decorated. We are also inviting Alan's pharmacy and some of his collueges to Thanksgiving dinner here. There are about ten people that work around him that are here unaccompanied. So we are opening our home to them.
As for me....where to begin. Work has actually been very good lately. I am making tons of friends out of the TCNs (third country nationals). They are made up of mostly Filipinos, Jamacians and some Cubans. The lady who worked before me made it sound like this group of people where the bane of her exsistance. But I am telling you, they are wonderful. Kind, genrous and good sources of information. I have my regulars who come in and visit everyday and then some who only come in once a week. I just love them all.
After work comes everything else. I swear, I haven't been this active in real life outside of my family since college. This week I stopped by the open parish council meeting, got roped in. I now am helping with the decorating of the church for the holidays and helping get the kids ready for the Christmas Pagent. I am organizing the bowling night for the schools, that will be done by next week and well, lets just say I am one busy lady. Which reminds me, if any of you out there have any ideas on a good dip, my cooking club is having a Dip It night on the 23rd. I want to make something different. I imagine crab, artichoke and guacamole will all be present. I want something different and unique. Course I need to be able to find all the ingriedants here on the island.
Okay, so the next time I blog I will tell you all about my frustrations and joys of living on an island....Until then, I send you all my love
OOOHHH POOP!! I am just looking at this and I know that I have about twenty thousand spelling mistakes and I can't find spell check, yikes. SO no making fun of the dyslexic spelling chanllenged, got it!!
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