Special Outtings

When I was a kid my dad started taking his kids out individually for quality time. One on one.  You could call it a "daddy daughter date when it was my turn or one of my sisters. But what was it called when it was father and son time? Maybe just that?

Well, I felt my kids could benefit from some one on one time. So I took Luke out. I didn't want to call it a "date" and make him uncomfortable. haha

So I called it a "special outting."

Then I kept calling it that as I took turns with the kids.

Luke was the first. All the middle schoolers were given a free scoop of ice cream from Baskin Robins. I took Luke to the craft shop with me and told him I would buy him craft supplies if he wanted. He loves crafts but he didn't find anything he wanted. When it comes to shopping he has always been super picky. He chooses nothing usually. I was surprised this time though. Free craft supplies and he chooses nothing. 

Then we played arcade games at the YCC. There was a Meta Knight hat he was trying to win. 900yen later and we gave up. I wasn't willing to spend more than $10 on it. 

Then we ate the ice cream on the roof.

Athena's outting came second. I was doing one a week.

Athena got something she had been asking for for months...photos in the photo booth at the stores on base.

And we got Baskin Robins ice cream.

For Tiberias I had a trickier time planning. I knew what he would like most is rollerblading with me. Luke's blades are my size so that was totally possible. But, the skate park is shut down. They've torn it to pieces...the equipment I mean. I don't know what the governments plan is for it.

Ty is afraid of getting hit by a car so skating in the street even on a quiet street wasn't a good idea. And the sidewalks are bumpy and terrible here. I kept praying God would guide me to a good location for this activity! And He did. 

A park we'd been to once before came to mind and I thought maybe I remembered there being a path that winds all around the outside of the playground. So, I hoped it would turn out to be a smooth and large path for us. 

I took Ty out at lunch time and he chose a place to eat. BK. So, we went through the drive through and took our food to the park that had previously come to mind. We ate lunch on a bench then put on our rollerblades. This park is the best place to rollerblade on this base!

Not only does it have a smooth path around the park it has an additional path that leads to a ramp! A ramp that goes up, on a bridge and down on another part of base. There is a street off base that runs under this bridge! 

We didn't skate all the way up and over. We just used the lower part of the ramp to skate fast down. It was a lot of fun!

Then we got Baskin Robins and ate it on the roof of the YCC where I took all my kids to eat their ice cream. Because...it has a nice view...

 Sterling made ribs recently and we all enjoyed it. The kids and Ster looved it. But he hadn't made enough for all to feel truly satisfied. So then he made them again. This time he doubled the amount of meat he made. haha
It was delicious!
Sterling likes to improve in his recipes. He wants them to taste twice as good every time he makes something.

 The Kartchner's youngest three spent a school day with us. The Kartchner's household goods were being packed up and taken away in preparation for their upcoming move to America. They are moving to Orem UT!
Anyway, I was teacher to all of these kids for one day...

 They picked up lunches from the elementary school and brought them home to eat.

 I have been painting a lot of rocks lately. Some for hiding for the rock hunting that goes on and some for selling. The most popular rock styles...

The Mendel panda mascot in front of Mt Fuji and with giant cherry blossoms.

Some I painted to give as gifts to the Parks family who are self isolating:

I painted rocks as a gift for Brandon and Lumen and their family. 

brandon and Lumen pretend to be these anime characters called Deku and Todoroki. I painted them on their rocks.

The kids then placed them on the front porch of the family as a surprise.

 

Memorial weekend rocks:
 

I had a unicorn cake ordered recently. I accidentally put the eyes on wrong at first. I did this...

 But then I took another look at the photo given me by the customer and saw they wanted the eyes like this...

 Luckily it turned out to be an easy fix.

Turning 35!

 Tiberias created a new club of friends last week. He is happiest when he is part of a club and I don't recall him ever being in a club that he wasn't the creator of.
This time it's a rollerblading club. It includes himself, Escher and Aurora Cothran and their neighbor Everley. They meet on the Cothran's street and hangout and rollerblade.

Monday, Memorial day, I took most of the rollerblading club to the park that turned out to be so great for rollerblading. I made all of my kids go too. They had a great time:

She turns 35!

I love my birthday! I have never had a lack of enthusiasm for it.
Today I celebrate my birthday similar to every year...I do things I wish to do and have my family hand me gifts I bought myself.

This morning I stayed in bed. I love doing that lately.
Usually I lay in bed until I feel awake enough to get up. I'm spoiled that way.
I usually use my phone to see what I've missed on Facebook. Then I say my morning prayer and get up to get dressed.
This morning however Athena came in excited to wish me a happy birthday. She loves being the first one to see me in the morning. She opens my door a crack to peek in and see if I am awake. Even if her dad told her to let me sleep.
I say "Good morning Athena!" then she knows she's invited to come in my room, hug me and talk about the day.

This morning Sterling came in after her and they asked me what I want for breakfast. I had no idea. Usually I eat eggs or quinoa...something healthy.
I said "If I could eat anything in the world it would be strawberry stuffed french toast from IHOP.
So Sterling made some sugar free whipped cream, unthawed some strawberries (because fresh ones cost an arm and a leg here) and made me french toast. It was delicious! And I ate it in bed watching one of my favorite tv shows. Desperate Housewives. The one thing I don't like about the show is that all the women in the group of friends are toothpicks. And that just isn't normal. Housewives get fat. Or atleast chubby.  It makes me feel fat when I have no reason to feel that way.

Nowadays celebrities put on a few extra lbs and don't have to lose them. It isn't required to be skinny anymore. Viewers want to see women with realistic bodies...not anorexic womens bodies. We want to relate to the characters in our shows..not feel bad because we are not as skinny as them.
That's the main thing I love about shows and movies today.

Back to my birthday...
Today is the first day of summer for us. Technically school doesn't release here until the end of next week. BUT...the teachers are not handing out new homework. It's time for those who fell behind to catch up. So, we are starting our summer learning.

Usually we give the kids a week or two or free living before we start summer school. However, it's not a normal start of the summer. So many friends are self isolating because their parents are being overprotective. It truly is safe here for the kids to go out and play.
And some of the friends are using this week to catch up on school work that didn't get turned in yet. PLUS, Athena is grounded. She just can't remember to follow the rules when left outside alone. So she is grounded one week from playing outside without adult supervision and from playing with friends.
If she ignores her parents any more she will start being grounded from electronic time too.
It's sad because she looooves playing outside. And it's so healthy for her. But if she disappears, makes the neighbors angry and floods moody places then we can't allow her to play unsupervised anymore.

Every day during the week the National Anthem plays on loud speakers around the base at 5pm. This is when we eat dinner. But for some reason , instead of coming home at the Anthem, she disappears. Then dinner gets cold as we go out yelling her name and searching for her. It's annoying. And Sterling feels like it happens every single day. It doesn't. But it does happen more often than it should!

Currently we are hoping she will shorten her sentence by listening and obeying when dad or mom tell her something. She has a fun chart to keep track of when she is extra good or when she is extra bad...so she will be able to see if she is adding to her sentence or shortening it.

Again, back to my birthday...
I have wanted to learn how to do makeup...for years. I know how to do very basic makeup. But I want to learn some party makeup application techniques. So I watched a Youtube video and did my makeup. It did NOT turned out the way it did in the video. I must be afraid of applying too strongly one color because I always end up with a very natural look instead of the bold party look I attempted to get. Maybe I just don't have the right kind of makeup.
What I want:

What I end up with:

At 9:50am I went on a bike ride. I rode to the other side of base to get supplies I need at the craft shop. Sadly, the craft shop is running out of things and not getting new shipments in.
With so many people painting rocks on base the paint is running out. The craft store is the only store on base that sells it. And our favorite Japanese store Daiso doesn't sell paint.

So, I have to order it online and wait for it to come in the mail. It seems there is a shortage of craft paint online as well. Small bottles that cost 60cents at Walmart are $4.50 online. And even if you order paint you have to wait on backorder. I found the best deal today...I needed only white but I wasn't paying that price. But I found 18 bottles of different colors, one of which is white, for $17. I ordered it but it wont be available to ship for two more weeks. That's okay. It's better than my other choices.

The craft store didn't have any of the supplies I need. But I got a good exercise and that's important...knowing the dessert I have chosen to eat later today.

It's a beautiful day! Not hot and not cold. Sunny and pretty.
I came home and Ster was baking a store pizza for the kids. He drove to Dana Chula and got us some lunch. My favorite dinning place in Japan! The kids don't appreciate it so...we don't spend the money for them.

I got creamy chicken curry and plain Naan. Ster bought a funny new side but it's wasn't yummy. My other food was so amazing though!

After lunch the kids gave me birthday gifts.
I received a beautiful big bag to carry my church supplies on Sundays (when church starts up again) from Luke.
I received two coloring posters I intend to paint, frame and put on walls in the house...from Tiberias.
I received two new rings from Athena. I love having options when I leave the house based on what I am wearing at the time.
My gift from Sterling is him always supporting me and spoiling me too.

Yesterday I had a late realization..."Dang it! I should have thought to ask for a deep freezer for my birthday! Before I went and bought new clothes and all sorts of gifts for myself."
I told Sterling and we seriously discussed it. At first he said "Where would we put it?" This made me frustrated because I have wanted, nay, needed a deep freezer almost our whole marriage. And he never lets us get one. He says it has to be kept indoors and it has to be hidden from guests view. So, until now he's never said we could get one.

This time we decided it could hide under the stairs. He said yes!!! I am super stocked.
But, we'll have to order it online. It might be 6 months before we have one in our house.

During present time I also opened a package from my mom. It had random fun stuff from her "birthday box" which contains things she found cheap at yard sales or on clearance in stores.
I received from her Christmas socks, a makeup or pencil bag, a small roller back massager, a dragonfly charm to hang from my car mirror (Yay!), kitchen towels, a crochetted potholder.
She also ordered me some paint pens to make my rock painting hobby easier. :)

This evening I have a few friends coming over for a girl's night. At 7:30 I expect Charisse, Elizabeth and Sarah. I also invited Christina Parks but she is pregnant and is being extra cautious not to catch the Covid-19.

I am serving brownies and ice cream and I think the film I am going to show is "From Prada to Nada." Most people don't know that movie and it's been a long time since I watched it last. I am in the mood to watch it.

Sterling and the kids had their dessert upstairs and watched tv and/or play video games during my girl's night. Nathan Kartchner was there too. Ster was helping him figure out his Kodi computer.

My party was downstairs and it was Elizabeth Frost, Charisse Kartchner, Sarah Auna.
It felt so good to hang out with other women... to chat and have fun together. And these three are so awesome. I am going to have to do girl's nights regularly from now on.

I forgot to get a group picture while the girls were over. I was disappointed so Charisse put together this silly pic and sent it to me...

You know...I don't mind growing older. I don't mind turning 35 or who knows it. It's hard to believe I can have reached that age but still feel I am so young. And at the same time feel I've lived an entire lifetime of experiences too! Crazy!

Some of the gifts from friends:

 We got together a week late for another girl's movie night and got this shot:

Mother's day

This doesn't really apply to me. I am self isolating a little bit but not in quarantine. But it is relevant to so many women this mother's day! And it's such a funny mother's day card! (FRIENDS tv show themed)

Saturday night the family cleaned the house because I decided that I was not going to clean on mother's day. I have an addiction to cleaning/tidying up. So, my goal was to not clean all day Sunday. I doubted I would be able to stick to that.

I hand made homemade bread rolls Saturday night so Sterling could make my breakfast wish Sunday. It's an apple cinnamon roll with frosting on top. I had frosting left over from a cake I decorated yesterday.

I let the kids stay up half an hour late last night so they would sleep in this morning. I slept in too.
Sadly, the kids were grumpy today. Tonight they get to go to bed on time!

After breakfast we had a fun family church lesson. Then I did a dance workout so I could feel good and healthy.
I attended a RS meeting via Zoom online video meetings.

Sterling bought a dragonfruit for Athena. she has been dying to get one. We had strawberries, cantaloupe and dragonfruit to snack on today.
The dragonfruit looked so science fiction and beautiful. It was not too sweet or strong in flavor. But it didn't taste bad either. Athena loved it...mainly because of what it looked like. I think that's why she ate so much of it. ;)

I laid down to watch a show alone in my room for an hour. Then I made orange chicken marinade and got the chicken soaking for dinner.
I felt exhausted and wanted to go take a nap. But I knew that wouldn't be good. So, I got my family to go on a bike ride with me. It was warmer outside than I expected but the ride was a lot of fun.
We got our exercise then stopped at "the hidden playground" to play and have a snack.

Dinner was wonderful. Ster and I played my homemade Loveopoly I gave him last anniversary. Luke and Athena were our Bank and cashiers.
The kids picked out different fairy house/yard supplies I wanted for my project. They gave those to me as my mother's day gifts.
What a wonderful mother's day I had! Sterling washed the dishes three different times that day! That is my norm too. I did give him the tip that Luke knows how to wash dishes too. But Ster was fine doing it himself...for one day.

Every mother's day I should refuse to clean the whole day! It was so relaxing!!

May Begins

"May the 4th Be With You" 

When I was a kid my family loved Star Wars. But there wasn't a "holiday" to celebrate it. Recently May 4th has become a Star Wars' fans day to party or binge watch the saga.

This year on May 4th Sterling was at work. I was not planning to celebrate it this year. Sterling messaged me and asked if we were going to have a party or anything. Typically I don't have the motivation to do this on a whim in half a day's notice but...I got inspired to throw a family party. I looked up some ideas online and was able to pull it off...

 Luke and Athena loved helping cut out and later decorate the Wookies. Ty isn't into baking or being creative in baking.
Sterling came home that evening to a Star Wars feast. After dinner we dressed up!

 We recorded some light saber battle videos. One on one fights.We put on some star wars music during the fights scenes.
We practiced shooting "blasters" using nerf guns and a Death Star cardboard game board.
It was a fun family party to remember.

The community on base loves my Japanese themed rocks. One school administrator of ours loved the Japanese girl rock so much when she found it she asked if she could keep it as they move away from Japan. Since I gave it away I replaced it with two more versions of it. And added some more Japanese rocks. Sterling saw them and said "You can't give those away! I want them."
But, we don't want to keep a collection of rocks. So, photos of my art will do. :)
 

 I took Luke out for some Mommy and Son time. We went to the craft store and I offered to buy him crafts or supplies. He is so careful about spending money, even my money, he didn't like anything enough to spend money on it.
We went for ice cream and ate it on the YCC rooftop with the view.
We tried to win a hat he wanted from an arcade machine. $8 later we gave up.

Luke said he is worried that he wont get to swim much this summer...if the virus keeps the pool closed. I am hopeful that the pool will open by summer break.
Luke is excited for the school year to end. But it usually goes until the first week of June ends.
Luke is still a messy ice cream eater...

 Luke is almost 12. I knew he would get to the point of feeling sad or depressed and not knowing why. Well, he is there. I noticed him silently crying now and then or just tearing up . And I could tell it wasn't the way he cries because he is frustrated at a video game...that lately it's for no reason. At random times. He seems not mad but sad.
So I asked Luke if he was feeling that way lately. He said yes. I told him that when you become a preteen that happens. His friends are probably all going through the same thing right now. It is normal.
That is why I decided to have some fun alone time with him.
And since I took him out, I have to take out the other kids individually soon.

Athena has always wanted to do a photo booth. The YCC has one for $8 a strip. It is robbery. But, for Athena's outing I think we'll do that. She and I can plan our fun faces before trying the booth out.
And ice cream, Luke got ice cream and she wants that too.
Tiberias is harder to hang out with...I knew the perfect thing...rollerblading together at the skate park. He loves rollerblading and I never let them go to the skate park anymore.
Unfortunately...the ramps have been disassembled! I don't know what they are planning or why but the park is no longer accessible. Now what? Simply rollerblading together would be fun for Ty but I can't think of a single place that we can rollerblade at. The sidewalks are so bumpy and it makes it hard and uncomfortable to blade on.
The street is much better to blade on and I would be okay with that but...Ty won't. He is still scared of getting hit by a car. When we bike or when he rollerblades he has that fear. So, I don't think he will be happy bladding in the street with me.

 My mini cake business is going well. Although, I did have a cake failure yesterday. Someone ordered a rosette cake. Rosettes have to defy gravity because they are heavy and cling to the side of a cake. Thus, the frosting has to be made truly thick and stiff. I thought I had made a good icing for it. But when it came to the hour before the cake pickup I frosted the cake. And the flowers were starting to melt off. So, I thought I could just stick it in the freezer and not keep it out too long. I adjusted the frosting in the bowl and found the right stiffness. But I didn't have time to remove what was on the cake and start over. So, I hoped it would be okay.
Sadly, the didn't was melting by the time it got from my house to the customer's house (ten/fifteen minutes). The customer kept the cake in her freezer until it was served but the roses were melting right off the cardboard round which held the cake.
I felt horrible. I felt like a failure. I tried not to feel that way.
I can make 10 customers truly happy and then have one failure and feel like a failure. I realize that my biggest problem with the cake was not decorating it soon enough. I waited until it was too late to make mistakes and restart.