Mommy To Bees

So much....

.... for good intentions.

So, I had plans to have daily posts on here to get back into the habit of blogging....

....and then Lori got sick.

We have news!  We have a diagnoisis!!!  At this point didn't expect one, but we got word today.

 

Lori has some strange strain of mono!!!

 

She is resting and doing well.  She's been almost a week without a fever and hasn't had a headache since Sunday.

I just couldn't post what was going on until I knew something to post.

From May....

Mom's dog Vader

and Dinner the Bird

Mom's visit

In November my mom came to visit us for a few days.

It was great seeing her and we had a blast playing games,

crafting, chatting, and we went to Magnolia Plantation.

Calvin playing with Ginny's rope.

Mom poking the kitten near her feet.

Did she learn her lesson?

NO!

 

Growing Puppy!

Yesterday I mentioned that Ginny has grown....

a lot!!

Take a look:

 Sept 2011

When we first brought Ginny home she loved

to sleep UNDER things.

The microwave cart (above) and the table (below).

Sept 2011

She tried to get the cat from under the microwave cart a few days ago...

Nov 2011

Nov 2011

She was so very confused that she spent

about 20 minutes trying to climb under the cart AFTER the cat fled.

Long time, no blog

Can you believe it is December 1st?

I can't.

So much has changed.

We made it to the Charleston area this summer.

After spending several weeks in a hotel,

something I am NOT repeating again,

we purchased our first house.

It is a cute little ranch style with a large FROG upstairs.

No picture, though, sorry.

I'll take one this month and post it.

Shortly thereafter we got a puppy and two kittens.

Sept 18, 2011

Meet Ginny.

Short for Ginevra.  As in Ginny Weasley....

She is now about 20 weeks old and is as smart as a whip.

We are activly working on training and socializing.

Sept 18, 2011

She was soooo very small!!  About 10 lbs above.

Here she is now:

Nov 2011
 much much bigger.

About 19 lbs now.

Nov 2011

She'll get to be about 40 lbs full-grown.

The boys arrived about a week after we got Ginny!

Sept 2011

Meet Calvin & Hobbes!!

Cavin is about 5 weeks younger than Hobbes.

Hobbes was born ON A's birthday in May.

Sept 2011

The boys love Pepsi...

Sept 2011

...and fighting...

Sept 2011

...and combining the two.

Sept 2011

They, too, are much bigger.

Nov 2011

Calvin (left) & Hobbes (right)

Nov 2011

Calvin

The kids are doing well.

We've been doing school,

working on the house and yard, and generally trying to catch up with life.

Oct 2011

Oct 2011

My goal this month is to blog daily.

Maybe I can catch up with what I've missed, 

but I mostly want to get back into the habit of blogging again.

I'm also doing Journal Your Christmas this year,

so that will help and I'll try to post some of that here too.

 

 

 

P.S.  I miss Japan.

Update: April 13

It has been 3 weeks since we finally left Japan.

I've been homesick and so have the kids to a degree.

We miss Japan.  We miss the life we had there.

****

Things here are interesting.

Shortly after we arrived I developed a rash.

Initially I thought it was an allergic reaction to my mom's laundry soap.

But, as I watched it progress I realized the rash had started prior to our leaving Japan.

I was able to talk myself into my mom's dermatology clinic.

The doctor I saw was great.  

She took "samples" from the rash on both of my legs (OUCH)

and

she found a "funny" mole on my shoulder, so she took it off too.

The rash on my legs are getting better, 

but we still don't know just what it is yet.

I should find out next week.

*****

We've started doing some homeschooling.

Just a bit of reading, art projects, and math-critical thinking games.

****

We're watching Japan closely.

At this point I have no intention to return.

The nuclear power plants at Fukashima are NOT stable.

My in-laws keep telling me they don't see how the Dept. of State

could recall the Vol. Departure anytime soon.

We're also hoping A can get orders soon.

Kris

 

Made it to Phoenix....

We made it to Phoenix.

Jet lagged, bad!!!!

Will update soon.

The why.

"The crisis has still not been resolved,

and the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant remains very serious,"

Yukiya Amano, the director-general of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency,

told its board of governors Monday after a visit to the site.

 

I've been asked why I am departing when "everyone" is saying there is no current danger.

There are several reasons, but it comes down to this:

If we were in the states with all of this going on,

I would pack up my car and take my kids somewhere safe.

I don't have the option to drive further away to safety.

So, we are flying back.

The earthquake didn't do more than give us a brief fright.

The tsunami only made us sad and prompted the desire to help.

The worsening situation at the power plant and the lack of upfront and honest information

has made staying unsafe.

Evac' scheduled

It took 4 days, but we finally received our evacuation TDY orders

and flight information.

We leave on Wednesday morning at 11:35am.

Arrive in Chicago around 9am Wednesday morning.

Arrive in Phoenix Wednesday evening.

We're tired.

We're stressed.

I've packed 4 times for 4 different sets of packing instructions.

Thank heavens we aren't flying out of Atsugi.

The base passed out KI, potassium iodine pills today.

The doctor on site informed me that the pills would NOT help me,

since I have limited-zero thyroid function, but they wouldn't hurt me either.

 

Rude. Rude. Rude.

Dear Earth,

I went to bed last night at 9:30pm and had a hard enough time falling asleep.

I finally fell asleep at 10:30.

I find it very very very RUDE that you decided to hold two parties,

one right after the other near enough

my home that it woke me up.

Two 6.0JMA earthquakes only 1 hour

after I fell sleep is RUDE.

Stop it.

 

Kris, who is very tired and very very very cranky

Tired and cranky.

Check this news site out to see what is happening here:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-world-tv

 

We are staying inside.

I'm tired.

This last earthquake

(they are NOT calling it an aftershock)

got me out of bed.

I'm going back to bed now.

I'm *tired* and *cranky*.

 Oh... also....

watch this lady's Twitter site:

http://twitter.com/#!/makiwi

She is a Japanese woman living in the US.

She's been translating a lot of information for non-Japanese speaking/reading

people for the past several days.

JMA is where we get our earthquake info:

http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/00000000091.html

I think I....

....live at the orthodontist's office.  Specifically the dental waiting area.

Studying Weather

Ohoooo, my belated Valentine's Day present

He went to Yokohama JUST for doughnuts!!

I haven't had any in several years!!
Oh, and these were NOT cheap!

These 12 doughnuts were Y1600,

about $20. 

This is what we went to bed seeing....

 

.... and this is what we woke up and did....

 

By the time we got outside, just after 7am, the temperature

was already about 35F.  Lots of wet snow and slush greeted us!

After I went to bed last night, Kyler and A saw some teens

outside making these snowmen.... it was 10:30pm.

Lori throwing snow at Kyler.

Kyler getting hit by a snow "ball".

Lori wanted a picture with the snowmen.

At this point I was cold and hungry.

So, I went inside.

They are still outside...an hour later.

The temp has risen to 38F and the snow is rapidly melting.

A few shots from last week

We don't get very much snow here...

...so when we do, it is taken full advantage....

....even if it doesn't stick or last long.

Year of the bunny

So a bloggy friend of mine posted this today:

 

“People born in the Year of the Rabbit are articulate, talented, and ambitious. They are virtuous, reserved, and have excellent taste. Rabbit people are admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky. They are fond of gossip but are tactful and generally kind. Rabbit people seldom lose their temper. They are clever at business and being conscientious, never back out of a contract. They would make good gamblers for they have the uncanny gift of choosing the right thing. However, they seldom gamble, as they are conservative and wise. They are most compatible with those born in the years of the Sheep, Pig, and Dog.”

 

 

 

Well, since I'm a Bunny person I just couldn't resist.

 

 

 

“People born in the Year of the Rabbit are articulate, talented, and ambitious.

 

Good to know....currently my ambitions run to making dinner and figuring out

 

who is going to teach Algebra.

 

 

 

They are virtuous, reserved, and have excellent taste.

 

SNORT!!!!  I have excellent taste....just ask my husband.

 

 

 

Rabbit people are admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky.

 

I am a Bunny person, Thank You Very Much!!

 

 

 

They are fond of gossip but are tactful and generally kind.

 

Okay, I'll go with that.

 

 

 

Rabbit people seldom lose their temper.

 

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!!

 

I say a Rabbit Person is just an Ugly Bunny Person.

 

 

 

They are clever at business and being conscientious, never back out of a contract.

 

Something correct as yet!

 

 

 

They would make good gamblers for they have the uncanny gift of choosing the right thing.

 

Yes, but unfortunately I think gambling is sinful and a waste.

 

A is grateful!

 

 

 

However, they seldom gamble, as they are conservative and wise.

 

Snicker!!!

 

 

 

They are most compatible with those born in the years of the Sheep, Pig, and Dog.”

 

Okay then!

 

 

 

I married a snake.  Gave birth to a tiger and a snake.

 

I have a Tiger nephew, a Rabbit niece, a Dragon niece, and a Monkey niece.

 

Fun!

.

.

.

.

I wonder when the next run of nephews and nieces are going to come about....

I'm becoming a nomad.....

...specifically a math nomad.

I'm lost and desperate.

 

My kids get math.

They understand it.

They did NOT get this math gene from me...

...maybe through me, but not FROM me.

I lay the blame on my husband.

Years ago we started with Saxon math.

Your typical "American" math program.

Kyler hated it.

So, on the advice of a friend we changed to Singapore math, the state curriculum for Singapore.  

Singapore has awesome standards for math.

Oh!  What a great fit.  We stuck with it for several years.

Well, about three years ago I realized we were rapidly approaching a point in math

where I wouldn't be able to teach the subject anymore.

So, we moved to Math-U-See.

An American curriculum written by a math teacher for homeschoolers.

Perfect!  A teacher on the DVD.

Phew.  Saved.

Fast forward 3 years....

ACK!

Kyler has started Algebra 1

and

Loralai started Pre-Algebra

and

I

can't

help

Kyler

at

all!!!

(I'm doing okay with the Pre-Algebra....)

 

Crabs!

I ordered Teaching Textbooks Algebra and Pre-Algebra.

FAIL!

Neither child liked it.

Why?

The program was "too easy and simple".

As Lori put it, "I'm not slow."

(No offense intended to those of you who do like TT.)

GRUMP!

Alright, we are back to MUS....

... but I decided to go ahead and take the leap and go back to Singapore.

Right now the kids are doing their respective MUS levels and

Kyler is doing New Elementary Math 1 (basically pre-algebra level)

and Lori is doing Primary Math 6A (first half of 6th grade math).

A is going to be making a decision in the next week

about which curriculum we will be using for Algebra 1 and beyond.

I might be hiring a teacher for when A leaves.....

..... but at this point....

I'm just a nomad.

MIA.....

We've been busy.

Between swim team, school, art class, this and that I've been busy.

I need one of two things to happen.

A needs to either be OUT all the time

or

HOME all the time.

None of this in for a short time and out for a short time BS.

The ship hasn't gone anywhere,

just he has.

He's home now.... again.

We are about caught up with school 

and I'm hoping to catch up with everything else this week too.

Laundry is CAUGHT up with for the most part.

Why they feel like using towels all the time?

 

 

 

 

 

P.S.

I've been walking again.

I'm up to 4 miles a day.

Why is it that when I start losing weight it all comes from my boobs first??

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

What better way to say it then with my favorite Japanese kitty!

I love Maru!

私信

 (click the kanji for Maru's site)