Tuesday, July 31, 2012

When Big Sister Strikes...

When I called B3 to get ready for Church on Sunday, this is what I found. His sister had dressed him up already in a flower hat, tulle scarf, and a fluttery skirt.  It's not the first time, and it's not likely to be the last!

Monday, July 2, 2012

What a Difference 6 Months Makes

It's 4:22 am, and I'm wide awake.  I could blame the jet lag, but instead, I'll blame the 6 year old's jet lag. She's reading stories on the iPad as I type.

We've been back in the US for about 2 1/2 days now.  In that time, we have: 
  • Enjoyed Chic Fil A, Mexican, Krispy Kreme, and BBQ
  • Shopped at Wal-Mart, Target, Sam's, and Talbot's
  • Changed a flat tire in sweltering heat on the way home from the airport (actually, Ben changed the tire while my Dad supervised.  Mom, the kids and I walked to an insurance office and enjoyed their Air Con while we waited)
  • Picked up a car to drive for the month of July. Our Pre-B3 car. It's like having being reunited with an old friend!
  • Been to Church
  • Picked blueberries. Twice.
Wal-Mart was our first stop, simply because we had to get the tire repaired. Never, ever have I been so excited about a trip to Wal-Mart.  Normally, I'd avoid it at all costs.  Not on Saturday!  I didn't even know where to start.  My favorite moment of the trip was when Ben exclaimed, "You oughta see their Old El Paso section!".  Ha!  Can you tell we love Mexican food but have a shortage of provisions in Singapore? 

It's nice to be here ina familiar place where the kids can play while we regroup.  B3, who loves to be outside, is feeling a little bit of cabin fever.  It's been around 106 degrees since we've been here, which severely limits our outside time. but, we've been berry picking twice.  Each time, we've used it as a diversion to distract him, and it works like a charm!  It's too hot to stay for long, but the first day we were trying to keep him awake just a little bit longer; he was falling asleep during his dinner. 





The berries are in my parents' yard. For years, my Dad has been plotting to grow blueberries, and I think this little boy is thankful that he finally succeeded!  This year's crop is unbelievable; they're sweet and plentiful. 

Several years ago (alright - 17 years ago), I picked berries with my Mom the day before I had a job interview.  I ate as many as I put into my bucket, and the only other thing I ate that day was 1/2 of a ham sandwich.  Imagine my embarassment when they called to inform me that I had failed my drug test!  Oops.  Evidently, eating a quart of blueberries sends those tests out of kilter.  Who knew?  I'm thankful I don't have any interviews this week...

Our firstborn, our DaisyDog, seems happy to have us home.
She may tire of being waked up from her all afternoon naps by little petting hands, but she certainly didn't seem to mind the cookies B3 insisted on giving her at 5 am on Saturday. She's a good dog...no matter what her PaPa says.  She's up to her old tricks again. 

See this fence?  Is it to keep deer out of the tomatoes? 

Nope.

It's to keep Daisy out of the tomatoes.  She's a patient dog; she just surveys the crops for weeks, never disturbing anything.  But, then, the tomatoes begin to ripen.  Still, she waits.  She doesn't eat green ones.  Pink ones don't even tempt her.  No, she waits until they're ready to pick.  She waits until they're red and perfect.  Then, she has a mid afternoon snack.  Just before The Farmer makes it out to the garden.  Her green snout is  a dead giveaway; she just looks guilty if you ask her about it. 
But, it's no surprise.  She's been eating tomatoes straight off of the vine for at least 9 of her 10 years. It's not her fault the fence went up after the first tomatoes got ripe!

It may seem like 6 months isn't very long, and that things don't really change in that period of time. In manny ways, that's right. In others, 6 months seems like an eternity.   For example:

This product was not available in December. Cream cheese and dark chocolate?  Yes, Please!  Actually, it's a good theory, but I'm still undecided about the actual product. More investigation is required. 

Then there's neon.  Really, fashion people?  Is it necessary to bring 1986 back?  Some things are best left in the past. Neon is one of them. I'm glad that AK wasn't with me when I went to Target; something tells me she'd be the proud new owner of the 4 pack of neon socks.  There's yet time...

And the radio. I suppse there are ways to stay in tune (no pun intended) with current music, but it's not a top priority.  As a result, everything seems strange and new.

Speaking of new - Hartsfield Atlanta's new International Terminal is fabulous!  It just opened recently, and Friday we saw it for the first time.  What an improvement.  Before, international arrivals had to clear immigration, retrieve baggage, clear customs, recheck baggage, catch a train to baggage claim (again!), and then find a way out of the airport. While it was a well orchestrated procedure, handling multiple suitcases - twice-  while keeping exhausted children upright and quiet (since it seems that ours collaborate and decide which one will wail and flail the minute we get into the immigration queue) was a nightmare. On Friday, we were greeting Inga and Papa just a moment after we found our bags (for the only time).  If our June visitors had not departed from that terminal and told us all about it, I may have worried that we had arrived into the wrong airport. It would have been a pleasant surprise.


We've got a busy few weeks planned. There are cousins to see, a wedding to attend, and friends to visit.  There's more shopping to do, too.  Those two empty suitcases we brought with us will go back filled with provisions for the next year. We intend to enjoy every minute of our visit!