Are These Cups Getting Smaller?

Ryan asked me if the cups were getting smaller.  I laughed and told him his paws were getting bigger!!!!  He looked down at his hands and made that cute Ryan noise of "hm, eh, oh, ok". He is so funny! I bought these cups way back when were on Okinawa when he was two and he used to use two hands to hold them, i guess they used to be pretty big to him!

Smackin' Golf Balls....In All The Wrong Places...

Cleaning the kids bathroom because they are outside playing....both boys come inside and offer to clean the bathroom for me....red flags in Mommy brain flying like crazy, they have NEVER asked to take over in the bathroom and Ty is scooting me away from the toilet to start cleaning it, Ryan starts on the sink....door bell rings...I tell Ry to go get it because it is likely one of their friends…Ty is deeply focused on cleaning the toilet…Ryan tells me the door is for me.  Odd, my only friend is an ocean and a couple of countries away…..it’s one of our neighbors informing me that someone, and he doesn’t know who, was golfing from my yard with rocks and one hit his truck but not anywhere where it mattered but I might want to check with my boys because whoever it was has a really good swing and next time it might be a window.  I told him Ty had just come in and took over cleaning the bathroom and I was just starting to clean the toilet and so I knew something was up!!! He laughed, he’s a really nice guy. I went back to the now almost spotless bathroom and asked Ty if he thought cleaning the bathroom would clean the past? He mumbled no and we had a little chit chat on how he knows where he is allowed to practice and why his brain would even consider taking rocks out of her landscape that we paid for and launch them towards people’s houses etc….!!! He went and talked to the person whose truck he hit and surrendered all his electronics to me. Ryan surrendered all his to me as well since as he said, “I was with him…” Gotta love boys, but man they can drive me crazy!!!  Soooo, they have their bows and their guns in the back yard and are waiting for some birds to land in the yard…..  

Kodomo-no-Hi In America

As a Military Family it has been fun to add traditions from different parts of America and around the world to our own family traditions.  One of our favorites that we picked up during one of our Duyy Stations, AKA, Family Adventures on the Marine Corps Dime was in Okinawa. Kodomo-no-Hi.  This holiday is celebrated each year on the 5th day of the 5th month. In English it is called Children's Day. The Japanese have several holidays that revolve around children as the people of Okinawa just love their kids! During this time you will see carp streamers flying everywhere! A typical koinobori (streamer) will have a multicolored streamer called a fukinagashi on the top.  This is to represent the rough waters of the Yellow River. Next will be a large black carp called a magoi which represents the Father followed by a red carp, higoi, which is for the Mother, next will be smaller carp of other colors for each child in the family. We miss seeing all the carp streamers flying this time of year but we went ahead and attached ours to Old Glory and celebrated by swinging by a new Asian store in town that carries all the kids favorite snacks from "back home" as they say!  It was a peffect Kodomo-no-Hi day, watching the boys play baseball and eating our favorite Okinawan snacks. 

Spring Break = Strawberry Picking

Every Spring Break I do my big strawberry picking.  Year one we were here Ty and Ryan begrudgingly helped me.  Year two Vicki complained the entire time.  This year, I decided to hear all three children grumble in unison as we picked strawberries so I could make jam!  They were not happy, but they did force a smile or two for me in between telling me that I was ruining their Spring Break and something about child labor laws I was breaking having them work in the fields……


I was the only one seriously picking strawberries.....



Ryan and Vicki were excited with their pickings!

I had in about 3 minutes what all three kids had combined in about 30 minutes!



...a year ago.....



......Vicki just sauntering a year ago as well.....

Cold Water Leverage

Ryan had been teasing Ty non stop.  He knew he had no worries as his big brother had chosen to NOT wear his swim suit and was in his shoes.  Ryan on the other hand was bare foot and in his swim trunks.  The water was his safety net everytime he went a bit too far and Ty started to chase him.....i think this story tells best in photos with caption bubbles....





It all started because Ryan was building a giant fortress and Ty kicked some of it over, apparently on accident....but Ryan did not seem to think it was on accident.......words were exchanged....Ty thought he should kill Ryan, Ryan ran to the safety of the water since he had no shoes on and his brother did....Ryan proceeded to verbally torment his big brother from the safety of the water.....and the following pictures kinda tell the rest of the story!



Ty got tired of watching Ryan parade back and forth and walked back to shore.....

 

Ryan now wondering how long he must stay out in the cold April Atlantic waters!



It didn't end well....Ty ran and caught Ryan and threw him face first into the ocean.  It wasn't pretty, but sometimes they need to end their own stories.....or battles i should say.....




When i confronted Ty on pushing his little brother into the water on his face he just quietly put his finger under his nose.....this lets me know that he is NOT Ty, just a random stranger who looks like Ty with a mustache.....





Someday their battles might not end blood free......





But, till than.....we have survived another outing with the boys!



So Far, They Have All Been Kicked Out!

I like consistency in some things…..but as for Ryan and his teeth…….huuummmm…..
Ed and i had only been gone for a little while.....we pull into the neighborhood and as we are getting out of the car we are getting a bombardment of information from the kids in the hood about a tooth getting knocked out....it all starts coming together, One of Ty's friends accidently kicked out his tooth on the trampoline. UUHHHG! First, we had just spent the afternoon at the dentist with Ty getting a cavity filled.....second, my rule is that they can NEVER jump on trampolines (or climb trees, ride bikes,....) when i am NOT home! Also kinda wondering why nobody called the cell phone?!?! Ty has his permanent teeth, this just can't be good and i was totally dreading going into the house....it turned out it wasn't Ty, it was Ryan, and it was his bottom baby tooth that got kicked out! I couldn't stop laughing. Jorden kicked out Ryan's 2 top teeth Dec 2006. Ryan learned real quick you don't tickle somebody's feet when they are sleeping, or atleast with your face right there in front of their feet. Another one of those after hour’s trip to the Doctor.... Now a bottom tooth was kicked out by his friend. I'm beginning to wonder if he will lose ANY of his teeth the natural way??!!! He said that only his lip hurt and was excited that the Tooth Fairy was going to come!!!