Super Typhoon Melor Will be Here Tomorrow Morning

School's been canceled and since we could very easily lose power I made a huge pot of chicken soup this afternoon and put it in my slow cooker. I'll keep it on low all night so in case we lose power tomorrow it'll at least stay warm. I bought some paint for the girls that way they'll be occupied and I'll be happy too! All of the candles and flashlights are on the kitchen counter and ready to go and batteries are charged for the radio. I've even got a book and magazines set aside for myself!

My Ombudsman sent an email out a little while ago, and I'll copy and paste some of the highlights below. Hopefully it sounds worse than it is. I think my mind would be more at ease if Bob were here, but I'm not the only one without a husband home to help, so at least I'm not alone! The ships are out there trying to avoid the storm and getting banged up against the pier. I've done what I can in preparation, so now we'll sit back and watch/listen for updates. This website, if you're interested, explains the different TCCOR conditions. Right now (7:15 pm Wednesday) we're at TCCOR 2.

Expected TCCOR announcements:

- TCCOR 1 at 2200 Wednesday night

- TCCOR 1 Caution at 0300 Thursday morning

- TCCOR 1 Emergency at 1000 Thursday morning

- TCCOR Recovery at 1400 Thursday afternoon

- TCCOR All Clear at 1600

These times are approximates. Please keep an eye on Channel 15 and the CFAY website for updated information.

- As of 2200 Wednesday night, only official and emergency personal are allowed on the roads until the All Clear on Thursday.

- Please stay inside from 2200 Wednesday night until the All Clear on Thursday.. Although it looks like the storm has passed, Security has to access all CFAY locations for down power lines and other destruction.

- The largest amounts of rain should occur between 1000 and 1400 Thursday. Overall, rainfall is expected to be between 2-4 inches.

- As noted previously, schools will be closed on Thursday. The Meteorology Command expects the storm to have passed Yokosuka by late Thursday afternoon, so school should resume on Friday.

- All base facilities will be closed on Thursday... CDCs, the Commissary, the NEX (all locations), the Galley, MWR, FFSC, Purdy gym, etc. Business should resume as normal on Friday. The Emergency Room at USNH Yokosuka will be available for emergencies only.

- All bus services will be suspended on Thursday. There will be no Home to Work buses, shuttles to Narita Airport, or base buses.

- If you have any valuables, please move them away from windows. Typhoon rains have been known to blow side-wise and cause rain indoors. Please have towels ready for such an occurrence.

I'll see you online after the storm!

Keanna's Class Celebrates Christmas

Keanna's class had a mini concert for the families. When I say "mini" I mean it, they sang three songs. I took video, but won't post it since I don't want to have other kids' face posted without permission from their parents. Afterward they each decorated two cookies, and they had extra so siblings were able to participate as well. Sydney was in heaven, and Keanna was so happy to see Bob there! He was able to take an early lunch and meet me there.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a Thanksgiving celebration in Keanna's class today and Bob was able to come. He had to go back to work afterward, but Keanna didn't mind. She was so happy to show him her classroom, introduce him to her teachers and show him the chair with her name on it. As you can see, Bob got into the spirit too!






What are you thankful for?

Been Going Non-Stop

Happy Birthday, Sandy!

We've had something every day over the last week and I'm exhausted. Wednesday after we saw the G.W. go we headed back to our housing area only to see people in suits and uniforms walking in. That's when it dawned on Julie, the train gate finally opened up! We headed over that way and didn't exactly take part in the festivities, but did hear a few speeches including one from the town's mayor, CFAY's CO Capt. Weed and a few others...and I'm sorry but I have no idea who they were. After the formalities and ribbon cuttings we all crossed the bridge. Julie snapped a picture of me and I was going for the "oh my goodness, this is so exciting" look! After that Sydney and I came home, cleaned house, played outside and headed back to the base to pick up the kids from school.

Thursday morning we went to the playgroup we go to each week and after that went to lunch at the restaurant on our housing base with a couple of other moms and their kids. We took our time eating and didn't leave there until almost 1 pm...it was nice to have adult conversation and the kids kept each other occupied and, for the most part, quiet. We came home only to have to leave 90 minutes later for Keanna's soccer practice. Julie and Noah came over for dinner, they left, kids got baths and were off to bed.

Friday Keanna went to school and I had a migraine, so I set Sydney up with breakfast and fell asleep on the couch listening to "Little Einsteins." Keanna got home around 1:45, I remedicated, fed the kids and laid back down on the couch until about 3 pm. I felt better so we took the train into town for dinner at our favorite restaurant with the octopus pizza.

Saturday morning we got up and to the base by 10 am to go to the bazaar they hold twice a year. We went for a walk outside the base and I took some pictures. The girls had fun on the little bench, it was perfect size for them. YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — More than 100 vendors are scheduled to take part in the Yokosuka Bazaar this weekend at the Fleet Recreation Center. Vendors will offer furniture, carpets, antiques, jewelry and more from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Booths will be set up in the parking garage, first- and second-floor lobbies and fourth- floor gym. I didn't go to the one in the spring since it was held a few days after I moved into the house. But this time I really wanted to go and buy something. I told Bob I may buy a side table and magnet, but a few hours later I walked out purchasing a bench, step tansu, vintage obi and some goodies for stocking stuffers. We didn't get back home until after 3 pm. Sydney fell asleep in the car and I managed to keep her asleep and laid her down for a nap in the house. After dinner at the restaurant in our housing area it was bath and bed and we all got to bed early...

...because Julie was picking us up at 6:30 am Sunday morning. She was competing in a triathlon in Kawasaki and we came along for moral support, my navigational skills and the girls kept Noah occupied while she was doing her thing for a couple of hours. We managed to get there without much fuss. Her directions weren't very specific and we got off the Yoko Yoko toll road (highway) a little too early. We found a koban and fortunately she speaks and understands enough Japanese well enough to understand what the cops were telling her. We headed left, found highway B, went over a bridge, and at the point followed other cars that had bicycles in their cars! The kids had a great time playing and running in the grass and sand. We met a woman and her little girl cheering on her husband. They were very sweet, spoke a little English, and all of our kids got along great. We ate baozi for breakfast, and Keanna had two! Sydney had half of one but only because she had two bananas first. I took some pictures of the different booths, and I think my favorite was the American food booth selling burgers, hot dogs and fries. They even had an American flag to let the people know. After Julie finished she got her lunch (free for participants) and asked if I wanted to try the chicken balls. I looked and her and seriously thought she was talking about chicken testicles! Seeing as the ball was about the size of a golf ball, that had to be one well endowed chicken. At the same time my jaw dropped and I questioned her, I thought of the scene in "Funny Farm" when Chevy Chase's character beats the record for eating the most lamb fries, a.k.a. sheep testicles. Click that link and you can see the scene. Anyway, we got back home around 2 or 3 pm and yet again Sydney fell asleep in the car. I carried her inside and the three of us fell asleep until dinner.

Yesterday Keanna went to school and Sydney and I headed there at 10 am to do a tie dye project. Each kid at the school is getting their own shirt and tie dyed their own shirt with the help of five or six moms in each room. I have to be honest, it was so much fun, and Keanna's teachers are so sweet. They let Sydney participate in the activities and even gave her a chair and sat her next to Keanna. It was adorable and heartwarming (obviously it would be since it's my child), and now Sydney's convinced she's going to school and sitting next to Keanna every day. After almost three hours we headed home we played outside since it was gorgeous out. Around 3:30 I headed down to the mini mart parking lot because the furniture I bought Saturday was being delivered. Boy was that fun. It wouldn't fit in my car, so they offered me the NEX pickup truck. Let me explain that I opted not to pay the $55 delivery fee. I told Bob I'd buy a side table, and after spending over $1000 I didn't want to spend another penny! Myra and Katelyn were walking by the mini mart at the time, so she stayed with Keanna and Sydney (thanks again, Myra!) while I drove up to the house. I called Julie and she met me then we recruited my neighbor, Jen, to help too. The three of us carried it in the house and put it in the middle of the living room floor. I got back down to the parking lot and fortunately the bench fit in the back of my car with the 3rd row seat folded down. Julie helped me carry the bench inside, the kids had a blast popping the bubble sheets, then we went to her house to eat grilled cheese for dinner. She found a new snack, fried chicken flavored Cheetos. They tasted like chicken at first, but then the flavor changed to mashed potatoes with gravy. And believe it or not, they were really good! We hung out there for a little while, came home and went right to bed.

This morning we headed back into Keanna's school for more tie dying. We were there for three hours today! I wanted to go to the commissary, but was just drained....so I'll go tomorrow. We got home and played outside for a couple of hours. Came in, had dinner, Sydney fell asleep on the couch and in the mean time Keanna got a bath. Sydney woke up having a complete fit so I held her for a while. They both were asleep by 8:15 and since then I've been enjoying the quiet! I did get the step tansu put together and where I wanted it (for now) and put the bench under the window in the living room, but once Bob gets back we'll carry it up the stairs and put it in our bedroom.

Tomorrow is my day to drive to school then Sydney and I are going to Brenda's in the morning, from there a store out in town, the commissary and then picking up the kids.

So we've been busy. I didn't mention the breakdowns, temper tantrums, "Mommmmm, I want to play in the water...Mom, I'm thirsty...Mom I want sushi...Mom, put my window down I want to say 'Konnichiwa' to the lady," slips and falls, bloody elbows, falling off the bikes, and hitting chins on coffee tables. And you read that right, they request sushi!

Here are some pictures I've taken over the last few days...



Do you want to go to the "Bar Ber" for your next hair cut? And this is at McDonalds on base. You can have a melon, apple or lemon shot with your soda.


I laughed when I saw this sign. It looks like the construction worker is digging in the Japanese style toilets in the floor. Would you like park or repark your car?

Soccer Season Rolls In

Keanna had her first soccer practice Thursday night. It's called Start Smart and is for younger kids (three and four year-olds were allowed to sign up on base) to learn the basics of the sport. She'll have six practices, no games, and parents (ahem, I mean me) are required to be there each time. We lined up, parents on one side of the cones, kids on another, and kicked the ball back and forth. She learned how to throw the ball in from the sideline, and even dribbled the length of the field. Sydney wanted to play so badly, and the coach took notice. She let Sydney use one of the smaller balls and she participated a little bit. I made sure she stayed to the side and out of the way...I did my best anyway. She got right in there though and dribbled the length of the field behind the kids twice her age. When they were practicing kicking at the goal Sydney stood behind and would kick the balls out of the net. The two of them were playing outside and practicing this afternoon after school. Speaking of school, Keanna did great on her second day today, and my fears of her being scared and not wanting go to have been squashed!

Two Firsts Today

Keanna's first day of school was today (Wednesday for us in Japan), and I turned 29 (for the first time!) today too. Since Bob isn't here, I bought Keanna a book about Elmo's first day of school. I told her he sent it from the ship, and I wrote a little note on the inside cover apologizing for not being there, but thanking her for understanding his job doesn't allow him to be home that often. I signed it his with name and put the date on it too. I emailed him and told him to ask about the book he got her...he obviously had no idea what I was talking about, but the next time he's able to call he knows to ask her if she liked her book.

Keanna did great and was so happy this morning. When we got to the school to drop her off she got shy, but by the time the parents left the room, she had warmed up and looked to be fitting right in. I peaked in the room and saw her and at that moment I realized we were entering a new stage of her life. This was the first time she's been gone. She hasn't been to day care or anything like it before, so this truly was her first day out of the house. Click here to view more pictures in my Shutterfly album.

While Keanna was at preschool I got together with some wives from Bob's command and we walked down one of the main streets outside the base. We went into a grocery store that was also a market with different vendors. We walked into a department store actually, then took the elevator down to the basement. My favorite was the little fish though. From a distance it looked like two large piles of noodles. As we got closer I realized what it was, and when offered a sample Sydney and I took a bite. They were good! One of the wives is from this area and translated for us and explained a lot of things. She said these fish (I forget the name) are high in calcium and are used in rice and omelets mostly. The guy behind the counter was so sweet, and when he gave me my change, he asked me to hand the bag back to him because he was going to give me another bag with extra in it. The Japanese wife translated and said, "He wants to give you extra since you're his type!" We all got a good laugh out of it, and I even blew him a kiss. We moved on to another isle, and I elbowed Brenda and said, "Hey, come with me to take a picture of us." I asked the fish guy if I could get in a picture with him, he agreed, and when Brenda was ready to snap I gave him a kiss on the cheek. He got a kick out of it, and the Japanese wife said, "Oh honey, you just made his day!!!"

When I picked her up she didn't look happy at all and I got nervous. The school didn't call, so I knew she was doing fine during the morning and early afternoon. Turns out she didn't want to leave, that's why she looked so upset! But we went on the swings and that cheered her right up. After about 20 minutes we headed home and baked my birthday cake. On the drive home she told Sydney and I about her day, and how nice her teacher is. I was hugely relieved, especially when she asked about going back tomorrow. Anyway, back to the cake....All I had for box mixes was red velvet, so that's what we made. I was too tired and drained to make a cake from scratch! The girls had fun stirring and eating...as you can see from their dirty faces.

Julie invited us over for dinner, but I told her I was trying to keep the focus on Keanna since this was her day. That, and I was so tired I just wanted to stay home! She was fine with it, and we'll figure something out for next week. After the cake cooled, and when we were done with dinner, We all frosted the cake and decorated it too. Keanna went through most of the blue tube, and she was making a dolphin she said. Sydney insisted she had written her name. I took a video of them singing to me...too cute! Obviously I'm biased, but hey, how could a four year-old and two year-old singing to their mom not be cute?!

To see the rest of the pictures from today, click here, and below is a video of the girls singing. After I set the camera down and keep an eye on their tongues. I didn't see Keanna doing it at the time, just Sydney...