{p/h/f/r} - tropical weirdness & silly babies

Linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter for {pretty, happy, funny, real}!

Pretty:

A strange thing about living close to the equator is the way the days are pretty much the same length year-round (not to mention the lack of seasonal variation in weather). It really weirded me out when we first moved here; it felt like summer, it was JULY for goodness' sake-- not that that makes much difference here-- and yet the sun was setting before 7pm. It also rises by around 6am every day... which tends to lead to early-rising toddlers as well. But one benefit of being up with the sun is getting to walk into your back yard and see this:

Happy:

I mentioned in my last post about the free printable high-contrast images for newborns that I love. I claimed newborns love them too, and here I present Video Proof! Soak in the excited baby limb-flailing and fast breathing! (Oh, and a cameo from Josie.)

Funny:

These are Faith's favorite socks. She wears them year-round. I've considered taking them out of her drawer and putting them away (on the closet shelf? with the seasonal decor? in the trash?), but I mean... if jack-o-lantern socks made ME that happy, I'd wear them too.

Real:

Having three little kids who are reasonably close in age is great. They love each other dearly. Faith and Josie play fantastically together (or, well, as fantastically as one could expect a toddler and preschooler to play). But then there are also times like these:

Sigh.

To the linkup with you!

seven quick takes - ed. 29

1. I'm probably the last person to jump on this boat, but I've been trying One-Pot Meals lately, and they are AWESOME. (In case you've been living under a rock even more than I have, one-pot meals are just that... dinners that are all cooked completely in one pot, including the pasta/rice/whatever.) We just tried this one last night, and we all devoured it: Spicy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Tomatoes. Soooo yummy. (The commissary was out of grape and cherry tomatoes this week, so I just used a can of diced tomatoes. Worked fine.)

2. The definition of terrible: going to Guam's Department of Vital Statistics and Social Security Office... in the same day... with a 4-year-old, a 23-month-old, and a newborn... and waiting for 4 hours in total. I may have PTSD. I'll let you know.

3. In case you missed it, I'm sharing a free printable baby book with you. (I posted about it here.) Share with anyone who might enjoy!

4. It's a bit of a long read, but this article does a terrific job outlining the history of medical training and summarizing why it's so messed up. I'm sure the book that the article cites does an even better job... but I haven't read it. So I can't say.

Training Young Doctors: The Current Crisis

5. This video made me laugh. A lot. It's only 15 seconds, so you should watch it too.

6. This is really cool: Step Into a Van Gogh with a Virtual Reality Tribute to his Famous Paintings

7. Finally, here, have a picture of an adorable one-month-old boy-child. Enjoy.

Head over to link up with Kelly at This Ain't The Lyceum and read more quick takes!

seven quick takes - ed. 28

1. This normal pregnancy shortness of breath (aka physiologic dyspnea of pregnancy) is killing me. Okay, not literally... obviously. Otherwise it wouldn't be normal/physiologic. I don't know if Jackson is sitting higher than the girls did, or if I just notice it more since I'm not working full-time, but when it hits hard I feel like I'm dying or something. Luckily it comes and goes, so I have periods of time where I can breathe comfortably, but man... I will not be sorry when this baby drops, even if I do start having to pee twenty times a day.

my poor internal organs, haphazardly shoved aside.

2. Vignettes from a house with two small girls:

Faith: "Mama, can put your cereal bowl in the sink?"
Me (thinking she is making a sweet offer to help): "Sure, baby!"
Faith (after a pause): "So, do it!!"

At 4:30am, I was woken by the following:
Faith: "Josie! JOSIE! Wake up! It's time to get up!"
Josie (sleepily): "Dawa? Uh?"
Me (jumping out of bed and rushing to the girls' room): "Faith! Stop!! It is not morning time!!!"
My thoughts: "WTF WHYYYYY"


3. If you haven't read this yet, do it. It is high-larious. The Presidents of the United States: In Order of Hotness. A few choice (spoiler-free!) quotes:

Here is a man whose appearance would be radically improved with the simple addition of a neck tattoo.

Nothing is sexier than a man giving a speech while covered in blood.

What’s not to love about a corrupt bad boy who plays by his own rules? He’s like the James Dean of presidents!


4. Honest Toddler makes me laugh every time.

5. Did you know you can download Facebook videos (without also downloading scammy-looking freeware)? I just figured this out. It actually works-- this was how I downloaded Faith's birthday video from earlier this week. Here's how you do it:

6. Ugh. The commissary on base has had pretty slim pickings lately, and it appears it'll be awhile before it gets better. DeCA expects several more months before Pacific commissaries return to normal. On Guam, there aren't really any civilian grocery stores in the same way we think of grocery stores in the states-- and the prices are absurd (think $8 for a gallon of milk), so we're kind of in a tight spot.

Shipments of staples are delayed often enough that it's not unusual to find shelves looking like this (photos from this past Monday, courtesy of my friend Katie):

bread selection

chicken selection

Thanks a lot, West Coast dockworkers!



7. Aaaaand I don't have a seventh take, so head back over to This Ain't the Lyceum!

new year, new couch (sort of)

So we had this couch. It was a super-comfortable leather sleeper sofa that I bought on Craigslist three years ago for $160. But, it was old. I don't know how old, but old enough that the leather was literally disintegrating. I tried stitching it, patching it, even gluing it... but it just kept falling apart. (It didn't help that Josie used the rip on the seat as a handhold for hoisting herself up.) So we decided to get it reupholstered-- expensive, but less expensive than a new leather sleeper sofa. And the process was just so, so very Guam.

First off, the shop where we got it done was just... okay, you have to see it to believe it.

 

Josie and I can't decide whether to be amused or incredulous. Or horrified.

This was seriously this man's place of business. And this is just how it looks when you walk in the front door, it's not like the back room or anything.

That door IS the front door.

Gotta be a fire hazard, right? Fortunately, this is Guam, where no one cares about such things.

Second, the timeline was ridiculous. Guam is a place where no one has any sense of urgency at all, about anything, ever. When we left our couch at the shop, the owner and upholsterer (hereafter known as Upholstery Guy) told us it would be ready in "Ten to fourteen days, probably closer to fourteen." Fair enough. He said he would call us when it was done.

Day 14- No phone call, so I call to follow up. Upholstery Guy is confused and vaguely incredulous. He says it will be done by Wednesday (which is day 18, by the way). He will deliver it to our house.

Day 16- I call to clarify when the delivery will be, to ensure someone will be home. Upholstery Guy is confused and vaguely incredulous. He says it will be done sometime this week. He will call us. He cannot deliver the couch; we will have to pick it up. 

Day 20- I call to ask if the couch is done. Upholstery Guy is confused and slightly annoyed. He says it can be done by tomorrow. But maybe we could give him until day 23 instead? That would be better. But if I insist (which I do) I can pick it up tomorrow.

Day 21- Given how this has been going so far, I call to confirm that the couch is indeed ready. Upholstery Guy is confused and slightly annoyed. He says OF COURSE it is done. YES, we can come get it.

Day 21 (later that day)- We arrive at the shop to pick up our couch. Upholstery Guy tells us, "You call too much."

(Now, to give you a more well-rounded picture, he was actually very nice, and I'm sure some of the communication problems were due to language barrier issues. But still. Seriously.)

But! The couch looks awesome now! So all worth it. I guess.

(Sorry, couldn't find any good "before" pictures. Apparently I was subconsciously avoiding having any photographic evidence of such an eyesore. Bad blogger, I am.)

seven quick takes - ed. 26

1. You guys! YOU GUYS! I know it's been, um... awhile... ok, 3 months ...since I last posted, but I'm not dead! I just felt like life was getting a little out of control, and I needed to take a bit of a break to get things back in hand.

Awkward introverts unite!
(I mean in spirit. Not in person. That would be, well, awkward.)

2. In fact, not only am I not dead, but mathematically speaking, I'm kind of the OPPOSITE of dead. I mean, if regular = 1 life, and dead = 0 lives... well...

Two lives = extra-alive? Anyway, Miss or Mister Extra Life will be arriving late April 2015. :o)

("Two lives" meaning mine and baby's. Not twins, thank goodness. I don't have anything against twins, but I'd be shipped off Guam for medical reasons if there were twins. Like, by myself, without my family, to waste away in a hospital in Japan from 24 weeks until delivery. Which would, to put it mildly, be really crappy.)

Possibly this was part of the reason things felt like they were getting so out of hand. First Trimester Terribleness-- you know what I'm talkin' 'bout. But now we're 19 weeks so everything is happy.

3. We had fun hosting Thanksgiving for a bunch of friends this year. No family nearby means Friendsgiving, which is exactly what we did. Sixteen people total, counting babies. (There were rather a lot of babies.) And I kind of... forgot to take pictures. But I was busy with turkey and mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes and rolls and salad and gravy and all kinds of goodness, so I think that's fairly excusable, right? Also, PREGNANT. ULTIMATE EXCUSE FOR EVERYTHING.

4. How's your Advent going? We're trying to be mindful that It's Not Christmas Yet, while still being festive and fun, because being completely un-Christmasy all month makes us a little depressed. So here's what we've got going on:

- Our Christmas tree is up, but only has lights (and a star) on it. We'll add the garlands on Gaudete Sunday, but won't put the ornaments up until Christmas Eve. Last year we tried waiting until later to set up our tree, but Guam only gets a couple of shipments of live Christmas trees, and they tend to get them bizarrely early (bizarre especially considering they're not super-fresh when they get here).

- We're lighting the candles on our Advent wreath every night at dinner, and Faith adds an ornament to the Jesse Tree.

- We're listening, at least mostly, to Advent music rather than Christmas music (but we're not totally against a few carols now and then).

- We've got a purple-and-pink garland hanging in our dining room... which we'll replace on Christmas Eve with a holly-leaf garland and mistletoe.

5. Faith is 3-1/2 this year, so it's the first year she's actually excited and anticipating things. However, she also has a hilarious 3-year-old perspective on everything. I told her that St. Nicholas was coming to leave her a present tonight, and showed her the St. Nicholas prayer card, and she got SUPER weirded out. "Why he coming to my house?! I no want him! He's not my best friend!!" (That's her current way of saying, "I'm not a fan of you/him/her right now." As in, "Mommy, I don't want to clean up! You're not my best friend!!" However, when I specified what St. Nicholas would bring (a book and chocolate), and clarified that she wouldn't actually have to see him (she's quite shy), she was mollified. Somewhat.

6. She's also been paying unexpectedly close attention to the lyrics in the Advent music, and asking for rather difficult definitions. "Mommy, what means 'rejoice'?" "What means 'gloria'?" "What means 'forever'?" Hmm. Parenting is hard.

7. You may have seen this already, but I laughed.

Head over to Conversion Diary This Ain't the Lyceum for more Quick Takes! And Happy Advent!

seven quick takes - ed. 25

1. I'm really terrible at this blogging thing lately. Seriously, these past couple of weeks have flown by.  Plus, Jack was off-island this week (in Japan for a conference), so things were a bit more desperate than usual around here.

2. I'm still way behind on Downton Abbey, but I'm keeping a running list of all the medical problems that could've been fixed with modern medicine (hint: basically all of them) and exactly how. I'm in early Season 3 and I'm up to eight major life-changing medical issues that would be much, much smaller issues nowadays. It makes me ridiculously grateful that we live in the times we do. (Though I imagine 100 years from now, people will look back on diseases today and shake their heads in dismay almost as much.)

3. This is how sweet this baby is. Unless she's tired or hungry, she basically never gets frustrated. She laughs every time she makes a mistake stacking blocks. Every. Time. (She does the same thing when she stands and falls over. She thinks that is freaking hilarious.)

4. Ready for some more baby cuteness? Instead of being mad that Josie's scribbling on her coloring book, Faith says, "You did it!! Good job!! I'm so proud of you!!"

5. And because I'm on a mommy-blogging role, here are a few other memorable quotes from Faith:

"Other girls like kale. I like CHOCOLATE!!!"

Me: "Faith, why haven't you put your jammies on?"
Faith: (stark naked) "I did! They're pretend jammies!"

Me: "Faith, do you know how much I love you?"
Faith: "No!! You not loving me!"
Me: "What?! Why do you say that!"
Faith: "Because I love YOU! You not love ME!"
Me: "Well, we can both love each other."
Faith: "Oh. Okay."

6. This is a pretty good article: Top Ten Misconceptions About Guam.  And, for your viewing enjoyment, a time-lapse tropical Guamanian sunrise:

7. I'm too tired to think of a seventh quick take.

Head back to Conversion Diary for the linkup!

seven quick takes - ed. 24

1. Last week my Facebook feed was full of news stories about Gaza and ISIS. This week, it's full of articles about Robin Williams.  This one, by Fr. Dwight Longenecker, is probably my favorite: Robin Williams, C.S. Lewis and the Demons that Drove Him.

And for what it's worth, it's okay to feel sad about Robin Williams being so depressed he felt suicide was the only option, AND feel sad about the atrocities in Iraq, AND feel sad about the fighting in Gaza. One doesn't negate the others. And we SHOULD be sad about Robin Williams, even if we don't have a tearful emotional response to it, just as we should be sad when anyone commits suicide-- or honestly, when anything bad happens to anyone. All humans are connected in ways we can't understand, and a tragedy that affects one person has ripple effects that touch all of us. It hurts everyone when something bad happens, even if it doesn't happen to us directly.

2. We had an earthquake the other day! It was 5.4, but only lasted a couple of seconds. It was actually over before I even realized what was happening. Not nearly as impressive as the one a few years ago in the DC area-- which I was also there for. Fun stuff!

3. As we sat down to dinner the other day, Faith said, "Daddy, you want a beer?" And then she went and got him one. We've trained her well.

4. This is seriously one of the funniest things I've ever read.

5. Look what we spotted on our way to my workout group yesterday! He (or she?) was actually pretty big-- a good six inches across, I'd say.

6. This is pretty funny: Should you be worried about Ebola? A helpful chart. (Language warning.)

Ha! But, for serious, here's some good info: Ten Things You Really Should Know About Ebola.

7. And finally, I saw this at the hospital (no worries, it was just a checkup for the baby):

At first I was super confused, like, um, is this a common mistake? I feel like if people are drinking from toilets, the lack of water filtration is the least of their problems...

But then an architect friend of mine gave this helpful response: "You are required to post these signs if you have a gray water system. Even as we buy them we think it's ridiculous!!" 

THE MORE YOU KNOW!

Head back to Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes! 

seven quick takes - ed. 23

1. Hallelujah! Our internet is finally fixed! The Navy is doing some demolition/construction in the area and apparently the line got messed up somehow as a result. But now, much better.

2. This video is too funny: Mission Impossible Squirrel. Watch as the little guy navigates a Rube-Goldberg-style obstacle course built by creative homeowners.

3. You guys have seen Weird Al's parody of "Blurred Lines," right? It makes my little grammar-nerd heart skip a beat. If you have a little grammar-nerd heart too, and you somehow haven't seen it yet, then you're welcome. If you've already seen it, well, take this opportunity to enjoy it again. (Although he did split an infinitive there at the end-- rather than "try your best to not drool," it really should be "try your best not to drool.") (#grammargeek) (But I understand that wouldn't have fit the rhythm of the song as well.) (Still, though.)

4. This happened in my office this week:

Teenage with pinkeye: "I heard pinkeye has been going viral."
Me (slightly puzzled): "Well, it can be caused by bacteria or viruses..."
Teenager: "I mean, everyone's getting it."
Me: "Ohhh... 'going viral'... gotcha."

The best part is, she wasn't trying to be funny at all. I can't decide whether this little vignette makes me feel old, or smart, or medical, or what. Amused, in any case.

5. Sunscreen will NOT give you cancer, folks. No need for panic.

6. Another scientific mythbuster article: 10 Common Science Myths that Most People Believe.

Sorry, Scarlett Johansson. The whole premise for this movie is, well, false.

7. While we were visiting family in California, everyone wanted to know what Guam was like. However, everyone seemed to be picturing it either as a collection of grass-hut villages:

Image borrowed from here.

Or an adorable brick-sidewalked tourist destination:

Image from here.

It wasn't until we got back that I finally figured out a way to describe what Guam really looks like. First, picture a lush, gorgeous tropical island setting, complete with flowering jungle trees and pristine beaches with clear aqua water (like the island on Lost).

This actually is Guam. (From Wikipedia.)

Then, in the middle of that, drop Modern Suburbia. But it's a Modern Suburbia built entirely from run-down concrete, sheet metal, and chain-link, and with no Starbucks, Target, or modern grocery stores (and a few of the roads don't exactly have names).

This is Guam, too. From here.

To complete the picture, scatter in some elements from third-world Central America, like wandering chickens and stray dogs, and random shacks in the jungle built of corrugated metal tied together.

This is real, too. Got the picture from here, but I've seen the guy many times in real life.

Finally, sprinkle in a few enormous military bases here and there.

 

Now if you managed to picture all of that at the same time, congrats! You have a general idea of what this crazy place is like!

Head back over to Conversion Diary for more quick takes!

answer me this: imagine your own embarrassing photo edition

1. Beach or Mountains? Where would you rather be? 

Beach. More relaxing-- especially the beaches here on Guam, which are often empty and have grass and trees ten feet from the water, as opposed to beaches in the States, which too often consist of hordes of people on vast expanses of burning hot sand. 

2. Which is more fun, Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Christmas Eve is more reverent-feeling, but Christmas morning is more fun. So exciting! Such huge irrepressible smiles! So much wrapping paper and laughter! Of course, my opinion is largely due to my Christmas experiences growing up-- we always went to the candlelight church service on Christmas Eve, and opened presents on Christmas morning.

3. What's the most embarrassing childhood outfit you remember wearing?

Oh my gosh, I know exactly the outfit to tell you about. I was about ten, and it was a white, cotton, collared shorts-jumpsuit covered with-- this is the kicker-- huge polka dots in primary colors. If only I had a picture to show you. The best part, though, is that I actually loved that jumpsuit. It was my favorite outfit; I didn't think it was embarrassing at all. It's only now that I look back and cringe. I'm sure it looked awesome with my scrunchies and enormous round gold wire-rimmed glasses.

Picture this jumpsuit (the one on the left):

In this fabric:

On this child (yes that is me):

4. Your house is quiet, you don't have to do any work (housework included). What do you do?

Um... read, duh. And also, eat baked goods without having to share.

5. What movie do you want to watch when you're feeling under the weather?

Pride and Prejudice. Preferably the BBC miniseries with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, but I like the Keira Knightley movie too.

OMG THAT LOOK. I MELT.

6. Did you have an American Girl doll when you were little? If so, which one?

Sadly, no. But it wasn't for lack of wishing and poring over the American Girl catalogues. I mean, how awesome would it be to have the EXACT SAME NIGHTGOWN (complete with frilly cap) as your Felicity doll?

Okay, now click over to Catholic All Year to join Kendra for the linkup!