Wyatt has finally decided that walking is his primary mode of transportation; it's funny how sudden it was. Anyway, while he still has some drunken stumbles, he's steadier every day. He was very cooperative while I was taking this video, but what I really need is footage of him watching himself. It's hilarious! I'll have to figure out a way to set that up so you can see and hear him admiring himself.




Little Man Walking from Stephanie Rock and Vimeo.

The Finality of It All

Well, I did it. I finished the last Harry Potter and I can't believe it's really over. I seriously might have to start over again with the first book so I can feel like it's still out there.

Jeff asked if I've ever loved any other books so much and I was a little offended. I mean, of course I have! It's just that I've never loved a book at the same time a gajillion other people were loving the same book, you know? Nor have I ever been so timely in loving books; usually I have to hear about 27 recommendations before I actually go out and get a book. And I never buy hardbacks! But once I read The Sorcerer's Stone, I was hooked and knew I needed to be one of the first in line for the next installment. And I love the Harry books because they're so clever and so fictional, whereas most fiction could be someone's reality. Does that make sense? Take, for instance, The Grapes of Wrath - one of my all-time favorite books - a fictional story set in a very real time and place. What little Science Fiction I've read has always seemed very gloom and doom about the future and that holds no charm for me. Many other books I've read and enjoyed leave me with a sense of "what if that actually happened to someone?" and "that could totally actually happen", which then leaves me with a bit of worry for the characters or anyone whose life truly takes those turns.

But magic, magic, is inherently charming. No offense if you believe otherwise, but I am certain that Hogwarts, thestrals, centaurs, ogres, Diagon Alley, Goblins at Gringotts, sorting hats, apparating and disapparating, the Floo Network, portkeys, hexes and curses, quidditch, designer broomsticks, a secret snake language, invisibility cloaks, marauder's maps, pictures that move and portraits that talk do not actually exist. It is a fantastically creative world in which readers can lose themselves without ever having to wonder, "could it be so?" because no, it could not. And therefore, though I spent the last 72 hours absolutely lost in the world of Harry Potter, there's something very relaxing about knowing that it's completely and totally made-up. That's not to say that the stories of individual characters don't stick with me, because they do, but I'm not left wondering if anyone in the world right now is having to fight off the Death Eaters with a borrowed wand. Catch my drift?

And in case you can't tell, I thought this one was REALLY GOOD and I think you should all go read it so we can discuss it at our leisure! Who's with me?

It's the Little Things

Do you think J.K. Rowling knows how much fatigue she causes? I mean, I can't be the only one staying up well past my bedtime to read about Harry and the Deathly Hallows! I have about a hundred pages left and it is so stinkin' good! AFN was playing all the Potter movies a couple weeks ago so we watched parts, if not all, of each of them so now Jeff thinks he knows the characters and stuff, but really? He doesn't. So when he finally got home last night (late flying this week), he was full of questions about specific people. I just laughed because, really, how could I possibly explain all the twists, turns, mayhem and magic in just a few short sentences? I read part of it aloud yesterday to Wyatt (yes, a thinly veiled attempt to digest more of the book during Wyatt's waking hours and I figure all those big words are good for him) and I'm glad to say that he seems like a Harry fan in the making. I can't wait until we read these books, page by page, volume by volume, together.


In other Wyatt news, I'm also thrilled to report that my happy baby (toddler, if you must, Lisa) has returned. He's been in the best mood this week! I mean, yes, I know it's only Wednesday, but I'm willing to give advance credit for Thursday through Saturday. He's just been his charming, smiling, easy to play with self and it is such sweet relief! On Monday, we took Millie to get her nails trimmed and Wyatt laughed the whole way there. I have no idea what was triggering the little outbursts, but there we were, just driving down 58 and all of a sudden there was giggling from the backseat. That made me laugh, in turn making him laugh more. I don't remember him ever doing that before so it's really good times around here. My glitch now is that I still haven't gotten his 1-year shots and everyone I know tells me to expect him to feel crummy afterwards - the ped. even said it could take up to two weeks for the fever and stuff to kick in - so now I've set myself up to deal with an ill child while my husband is gone for two weeks. Brilliant. Oh well, this too shall pass.


And finally, because I shared the scary spider with you, I think I should also share the invasion of the Lilliputians! About a week-and-a-half ago we had the tiniest little gecko in the house (who conveniently took shelter near Wyatt's empty oatmeal canister) and last night, when I let Millie out, the babiest frog I've ever seen hopped right in. Sad that both were smaller than that nasty spider, but if it's a two-for-one trade, I guess I'll take it because you know me, I love the little critters!

Call Me Orchid.

Few of our visitors (okay none, except my parents - and they were silly enough to do it twice) have been here during the summer months. To the rest of you who thought it might have been hot and/or humid during your stay: you were wrong. Okinawan summers are downright oppressive. Arizonans have their dry heat, like an oven, and we have our wet heat, like the inside of your dryer about five minutes after you put in a big load of wet towels. You think I'm exaggerating? Today's forecast is for it to be 88 degrees and 80% humidity. And I would argue that today is a "medium humidity" day. The "extreme humidity" days are easy to spot because when we wake up, our windows - all of them - are covered with condensation. Thank God for central air. But even today's kind of hot makes me start glowing (my southern friends have taught me this is a more demure way to say that I'm sweating like a pig) while I load Wyatt in the car. And it's really helpful that the sun rises at about 5:50 am and doesn't set until well after 7:00 pm. Are you getting my drift? Long, hot, humid days.

So this is the part I don't get: how is it that on my way home from Kindermusik, at 10 am on this hot, humid, sunny day, I saw an Okinawan woman RUNNING in calf-length black tights and a long-sleeved nylon jacket? These people are invincible, apparently, because I was still overheated from having put Wyatt in his seat five minutes prior, despite one of the a/c vents blowing full-force on my face. And while I admire her fortitude (and no, she isn't an exception to the rule; you will see Okinawans in long sleeves and long pants year-round yet they never seem to be too hot), I must say I'm rather pleased to be sitting here listening to the air conditioner and sipping my icy beverage. And while I don't really consider myself a delicate flower or anything, apparently I am.

That's okay, though, delicate flowers are pretty. Just like me when I'm glowing.

You Might Think...

...that I didn't appreciate all the comments helping us with carseats since I didn't reply, but you'd be wrong. They were very helpful! Oh, well, no we haven't actually ordered one yet, but we're much closer. Much, much, closer. I think.

Or you might think my absence from blogging for the last week would indicate I was very busy being productive or contributing to society but alas, that's not true. I spent the last week trying to figure out my child. His alter ego, Cranky McFusserton (© Lisa, I think) came out to play and it turns out the two of us don't really get along. I blame it on the apparition of two molars and know that someday soon my sweet Wyatt will return. Until then, I'm just here pulling my hair out. I mean, I felt really bad for him when he was running a fever and obviously didn't feel well, but it turns out my sympathy cup doesn't runneth over. Two days post-fever and any form of illness and I think he should be able to sit by yourself long enough for me to make lunch or oh, I don't know, go to the bathroom? without him throwing a fit. Cranky disagrees.

It actually was a busy week, too. Lots of 100 yenning (had to get party supplies for a naming on Saturday night and wouldn't you know? there were ZERO grass skirts to be found! so sad.), two evenings out with the ladies, news of another baby born into our circle of friends (we can't wait to meet you, baby Charlie!), the release of the newest Harry Potter book, a party on the seawall (fyi - if I were a bachelor here, I would want to reside at the Ocean View Palace, too - these guys have the top two floors of the tallest building on the seawall and their deck is bigger than my living/dining combo room with stellar views of the East China Sea and approximately half of Okinawa; not a bad way to live.) and all of this with Cranky McFusserton in tow (well, not the party).

I have to admit there were some redeeming moments. Like watching Wyatt get in and out of his Cozy Coupe the right way, then opening and closing the door, turning the key and honking the horn with his forehead; the addition of "rock chalk" - sounds more like ah-ah - to his vocabulary and his new abililty to point out every Jayhawk in the house (and the one on the back of the Surf that's visible from his carseat), which is prounounced, "ay-dah" in case you didn't know. We're also taking care of Sandy which Wyatt thinks is great but he points at Lisa & PC's front door asking for his friend, Nay-da (that's Nathan for those of you not fluent in Wyattese).

In other words, it's more of the same around here. Jeff's insanely busy at work getting ready for a two-week TDY that he's more or less in charge of and I'm pretty much hoping and praying that my sweet boy returns in time for Daddy's departure because two solid weeks of Cranky McFusserton is not a good time in the making. Oh and did I mention that my blogging may have to take backseat to Harry? Because this new book is good so far and I'm only a hundred pages in. I'm already looking forward to Wyatt being old enough to enjoy the whole series, too.

Since this post is already a rambling bit of nothing, how about if I leave you with a picture Cranky and call it good? Great. I knew you'd like that plan.

Above: Cranky McFusserton, playing in the kitchen after escaping a diaper change without having his pants put back on because the world comes to a screeching halt when diapers have to be changed and crazy fits ensue. At the time of this photo, Cranky's mom was seen banging her head into a wall.

Help!

I need your help. We (maybe just me) are mired in a big bog of indecision re: Wyatt's new carseat. I've pestered everyone in real life about this ad nauseum, but still....STILL can't make a decision and I just need to order something already!

If you like me at all, you'll weigh in on this topic. Here are the seats being debated:

1. Britax Roundabout. Yes, it's their "low-end" seat, but it's still a great seat! And its price tag doesn't make me stutter. Rear-facing to 35 lbs., forward-facing to 40 lbs. No extreme bells or whistles, just a solid seat with great safety ratings.

2. Britax Boulevard. Yes, we're skipping the in-between options because (1) the Marathon's safety ratings aren't as good as even the Roundabout and (2) I see no reason to buy the Decathlon for only a $15 savings over the Boulevard. I mean, if we're going whole-hog, shouldn't we just go whole-hog? Rear-facing to 35 lbs., forward-facing to 60 lbs. Full side impact protection in the form of extra padding, easier-to-adjust harness, etc.

3. Britax Diplomat. This one's new and available for pre-order. It's a little less expensive than the Boulevard ($40) and the only difference is its weight capacity (it goes to 40 lbs. instead of 65). The expected ship date is 8/24, so we'd be betting against Wyatt growing another inch between now and then.

Here are my sticking points:
1. Wyatt is a (well-documented) small guy. He'll be 65 pounds in what...maybe the 4th grade? And I'm not going to make him sit in a carseat until he's a 4th grader. Do I really need to pay more for the extra weight allowance?

2. To those of you with older children - you know, like my sister and my best friend, ahem - don't Andrew and Jack want "big boy" chairs instead of a baby carseat? Am I placing too much emphasis on helping my son feel like a big boy when I should only be worried about his safety?

3. Is it worth the extra $100 so that if we, God forbid, get in a bad accident we never have to worry that we didn't have Wyatt in the safest seat we could find?

How about this for some incentive: if you give me the most convincing argument for getting the best all-around seat, I'll send you a cool Japanese prize!

And if you haven't noticed, I'm grovelling, so please help me.

UPDATE: Crud! Perhaps the Decathlon is in the running after all? Elitecarseats.com suggests it's "better suited for long driving trips" because some kids don't like the "wings" of the side impact padding in the Boulevard. Hmmm....do they mean, like, driving from Florida to Virginia? Or from Virginia to Kansas? Now what?

Does anyone just have a crystal ball I can borrow?

Guess What?

I totally forgot to share the fact that we had family pictures taken! We used a photographer recommended by some good friends, and the little we've seen so far makes us happy. Wyatt was a trouper - it was seriously hot! - and we're glad to have captured our little family on....well, pixels, I guess...for evah. Look here to see for yourself.

Brace Yourself, Effie!

Introducing Man-Yi. As in, man, ye better batten down thee hatches. Check it out!

1 bonus point if you know which little green island is Okinawa.

2 bonus points if you've done your research and know the trajectory of this storm.

3 bonus points if you can tell me what movie the title is quoted from.

Who wants to play?

Asian Persuasion

I've previously mentioned the wide variety of Japanese cars with all their unique colors and funny names, but I don't think I've ever reported about the way they trick out their cars with after-factory fun. Every type of car you can think of can be seen with some sort of accoutrement, be it fancy headlights, ground effects, different wheels, special window tinting or even the occasional fuzzy dashboard petting zoo. In fact, if you peruse the model car section at Toys'R'Us, you can buy these after-factory fixin's for everything, down to the tiny little Honda Odysseys (yes, they even pimp out their minivans - maybe we should start doing that in America to reinvent the mom-mobile?).

My point? We've fallen under the influence. Oh, wait, before you get excited that we've done something to enhance the Crapina, you should know it's really Wyatt that is embracing this Japanese charm.
That's right, it's a one-of-a-kind Cozy Coupe. Blackwall tires and a custom plate. Eat your heart out, suckas who drive straight out of the box.

The Things I Do For You

I'm pretty devoted, you know. I told you there was cool video from lunch at Ishigaki and, after trying yet another video uploader (and still waiting 16 minutes due to our lovely island internet), now you can see it - the perfect pour! Japanese ingenuity could take over the world. No wasted beer, no mess...do you know how cool it would be if we could locate one of these for our Bat Pass?





Untitled from Stephanie Rock and Vimeo

Ishigaki, part blah, blah, blah

This little Lisa-style document everything is wearing me out. Mmm...usss......t......fffff...innnnnn....isssssshhhhhhhh.....

Luckily day two started much better than day one ended! Wyatt was up fairly early, which meant we were up fairly early because it's pretty hard to pretend we don't hear him when he's two feet from our bed and can see us. We decided to get beach ready and head for breakfast. I'm telling you, this place had awesome food! So we enjoyed a nice breakfast and then moved to the sand. The morning was beautiful - the ocean was so calm and hardly anyone was out yet, so we had it largely to ourselves. It totally didn't come out in the picture, but there was a local on the rocks down the coast in a straw hat, fishing with a bamboo pole. It was fun to watch. And while I was busy with the camera and observing beach life, Jeff had Wyatt in the water play, play, playing.

(this is where the cute video of Wyatt in the water goes. But blogger video sucks.)

Have you EVER seen a hermit crab this small? Just goes to show, everyone starts somewhere.

We managed to get two naps out of Wyatt on this perfect day, so Jeff & I had time to take advantage of all the sports Club Med offers. Jeff (being the ultra-sporty guy he is) took windsurfing lessons, played tennis, went to the archery range and participated in the afternoon ping-pong tournament (which, actually, Wyatt was awake for and witnessed. He thought it was really cool to see Daddy hitting that little ball all over the place.) I was a little less exciting and only went to the archery range and took a couple turns on the trapeze. Yeah, that's right, a trapeze! It was so fun! There's video, but you know how sometimes you feel one way but then realize you look another way? Well, that's me and the trapeze. I felt graceful and possibly even slightly athletic. The video shows otherwise. It, in fact, shows that all those early years of gymnastics have decidedly NOT stuck with me and that I look like a dork with my limbs all akimbo. But I had fun and it was a total rush, so that's all that counts. And no, you probably won't see the footage. Just rest comfortably knowing it exists and that I've spared you.

The evening entertainment turned out to be a casino night set up around the pool along with some sort of swimming demonstration (I wasn't too clear on that one) and they had a telescope set up. The stars were amazing, as I should have expected considering we were a speck in the middle of the wide, dark ocean. The funny thing was that I took my turn at the telescope and asked what I was looking at and the guy said, "that" and pointed to the brightest object in the sky. Uh, yeah, got it. So I pressed on and said, "right. Is it a planet?" I received a very confused look in response, so I said, "is it Venus?" because really, isn't that always the bright planet? I have no idea but figured Mr. Club Med employee would because he's the one getting paid to monitor the big telescope. His response? "Oh, I have no idea what it is." Ahhhhh, I feel so much smarter now. So after I lost all my Club Med bucks playing blackjack (with Ben the Watersports Manager as my dealer), we called it a night.

Day 3 presented a few challenges since we had to check out at 11 but our flight didn't leave until 8:20. See what I mean? I forget about the fact that we have to entertain a kid!!! Wyatt was super-cooperative, slept a little later but still managed to take a good 2-hour nap ending at approximately 10:55. The front desk took our bags and we set out to occupy our day. Step one, have a big ol' lunch because this was the last meal in our all-inclusive fun. Jeff was a little more restrained than I was, but he really missed out by not having multiple desserts, lots of extra fruit and a cheese plate. Wyatt got the message and stuffed himself. Good boy! And this was the meal that I finally got the time/courage to video the COOLEST machine I've ever seen. Just look! (and this is where video from lunch goes. Google video still sucks.)

After our gluttonous lunch, we staked our claim at the beach. Wyatt was, again, completely fascinated with the water, the jetskis, the fishies, the sand, the shells, Mommy wearing a snorkel and mask, Daddy on a windsurfer, more fishies, more sand, more splashing, etc. I finally was WORN OUT with all the sand and sun and really was craving some shade. Did I mention it was really freaking hot and humid? Because it was. So we moved camp to the pool but then decided maybe we should go inside to the bar for some water first. Guess what? We never left the bar! It was awesome - Wyatt was totally happy cruising around the furniture (it was set up in little conversational areas, if that makes sense) and Jeff and I were thrilled with the open views of the water, the free-flowing beverages - both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, lest you be concerned for the kid's safety - and the snacks they brought out. Perfect!

We chatted with the bartenders (it turns out when you're one of two caucasian families at a place like this, you make friends kind of fast). For some reason I was amused with Blanche (really cute, really blonde, really tall French bartender) when I asked what other Club Med's she'd worked at. Her response, "well, Pour-two-gahl, Frahnce (with a gesture as if to say, how boring!) and ear." Something about the French accent makes me laugh. And are they all so blase about things that the rest of us might consider interesting?

Finally it was time to go clean up in the shower room we'd reserved for the last hour of our stay; it was really nice to know we weren't going home gross! Our cab was waiting for us when we went to turn in the shower room key and the staff saw us off with some candy and lots of waves. As in, they stood in the driveway and waved and waved and waved until we were completely out of sight. Wyatt thought it was fun to wave back!

And now (as though I'm in an eighth grade speech class) in summary, Club Med was fun and I would recommend it to anyone else living here in Okinawa. In fact, it will be on my list of places to look for everywhere we go from now on because we had a very pleasant experience.

(Except for the part where I woke up sick in the middle of the night after we got home. And the part where Jeff is still kind of sick. But hey, Wyatt never got sick and at least it didn't happen while we were still in a hotel room, right? I'm sure it wasn't Club Med's fault, so don't let that keep you away).

Please Pardon My French*

But OH SHIT! Look at what just came cruising through my living room! Do you see the light reflecting from its eyes? Do you see how it took an aggressive stance with me? If you do not see these things, please let me know because I will be more than happy to crop and enlarge this photo so you can see it. I'm now officially ready to leave Okinawa because I cannot handle the heart palpitations this causes. And also, I've been preparing myself for this possibility since we found out we were coming to Kadena because apparently an assignment here is not complete until you've had one of these monsters in your house.


Here's how it went: I'm just sitting here, writing my blog, humdy humdy hum and hey, there's something moving across my chair over there. And shit! It's big and totally alive and just flipped me off! And then the following occurred in about 2.7 seconds:

thought 1: wake up the husband despite the fact he sleeping due to illness because this requires extra help;
thought 2: no! sacrifice the slipcover and spray the hell out of it with the same ortho home defense that killed this spider's mother outside Lisa's house;
thought 2.5: oooh, that could require serious stain treatment on the chair and that will frustrate me tomorrow;
thought 3: isn't this why I bought a Dyson? That thing will kill it! Promptly extracted the vacuum from the hall closet, grabbed camera because who would've believed me otherwise, and then lost track of this arachnid a few times while attempting to photograph it without hyperventilating. Power up the machine, find the damn thing again (it really blended into the dark brown vinyl baseboard stuff) and shloop! GONE! Then I might have left the vacuum running for a few extra minutes to make sure it was dead. See? Dead!

Now onto the important matters, like where did this come from??? I just vacuumed tonight - moved all the furniture and everything (hence the dog fur in the above photo). No doors are standing open, no windows are open, no big flashing signs outside saying, "hey big ol' spiders! come in here!" And to all the geckos who are living in my house, where were you when I needed you most?


I must unwind now....somehow. It's past my bedtime and I can't bring myself to put my feet down on the floor. Nightmares are bound to follow....please think positive insect/arachnid-free thoughts for me. Thanks.


*yes, I'm aware that phrase isn't remotely French. If I actually knew any French, I'm sure I would've used it.

Ishigaki, part one.

Okay, this is my third rewrite of this entry because the first attempt was yesterday, when I was wracked with the stomach flu, the second attempt tried to put everything in one story and then I realized the pictures pretty much told their own story, so that's how this one's going to go. Feel free to skim, you won't hurt my feelings. I just decided that if this blog is my history of Okinawa, I don't want to leave out the details.

Okay, so you know how sometimes a quick trip can feel as refreshing and far away as a long vacation? This one definitely did because we crammed a lot of fun into three days. We left on Wednesday morning, EARLY because I forget sometimes when I'm making plans that hey! we have a kid and we should be mindful of his schedule. But he was great, napping in the car on the way to the airport and then playing at the gate before we boarded. Luckily, the flight is only 45 minutes because Wyatt was really uninterested in sitting still. We're hoping that changes before we move back to the states. At the very least, it's motivation for strapping him into a carseat!

By 9:30, we were landing on Ishigaki. This little island is southwest of Okinawa and is part of the Ryukyu archipelago, but it's kind of the "hub" of the Yaeyama Islands, which also includes Iriomote (famous for its wild jungle cat that, strangely, looks an awful lot like the cat named George we had growing up), Yonaguni and Taketomi. It lies due east of Taiwan in the wide open East China Sea. Anyway, the big draw of Ishigaki is that it's home to a Club Med (Kabira, to be specific) and who doesn't love the idea of an all-inclusive tropical getaway? The Club Med reps were waiting for us at the airport and whisked us into a waiting taxi for the 40 minute drive. We really didn't know what to expect from the resort; we've heard good things from other people, but it's still Japan and they do things differently here. We were pleasantly surprised to be greeted with an iced jasmine tea, cool cloth and the news that our room was ready. In fact, the doorman got our bags out of the trunk and had the labels waiting for them so he took those to our room as we completed the check-in process.

We requested a crib for Wyatt when we booked the trip and had already gotten confirmation that it would be in our room. We should have known that the Japanese never half-do anything, so they also included a bottle sterilizer, a ceiling projection system, a bathtub, a special diaper can and (as I like to call it) a toilet pony. Now really, where else would they be so thorough in their child-prepping of a room? AND there was a note on the bed letting us know that we could find baby food in the dining room, available for the taking at every meal.

We put Wyatt down for a nap as soon as we got settled in the room, so Jeff & I sat on our patio and enjoyed the view. Jeff left to do a little exploring and returned with two Orions, which is never a bad thing. Seriously, sitting in deck chairs, gazing at the beautiful ocean, sipping yummy beer? That's a good way to start a vacation!

After lunch, we went all got suited up for the pool; no surprise, but Wyatt loved it. The kids area was just shallow enough for him to walk around the outside, holding onto the edge. He also loves Japanese people and - go figure - the resort was full of them and they were equally fascinated with him. Around 3:00, servers started wandering around the pool with big trays of fruit. We learned that Wyatt loves watermelon. He's never had it before (and probably won't again for a while) because watermelon is one of those freakishly expensive things here; you know, like $20 for a small one. But hey, that's what all-inclusive is all about, so Wyatt ate lots of watermelon in three days and we learned to keep an eye on him because he'll eat it right down to the rind!

So day one wrapped up in a not-so-hot way, with Wyatt refusing an afternoon nap and us slamming down an early dinner because he was in NO MOOD to be there. Club Med seems to have the theory that everyone should become friends, which is fine, but also a little embarassing when you're sitting at dinner with very polite Japanese people and your kid is throwing food on the floor. Nice. But we enjoyed talking with Ben, the watersports manager from Australia, during dinner and learned that the staff is very international and rotates from resort to resort every 4-6 months. He seemed to understand when we virtually sprinted from the table to get our seriously cranky kid to bed!