Mackenzie's and 4 of her friends from dance class entered the school talent show. There might be nothing cuter than 5 third-graders, sparkly from head to toe, dancing in sync to Madonna...
They are dancing their Jazz Dance from The Recital last month. Despite issues with their music (which wouldn't play, due to the CD being an MP3 recording), lack of costumes, stage positioning, and missing dancers, they gave it their all and made it past the audition. There really wasn't any doubt - they were the only group that showed up with any discernable talent and organization.
Yay!
So they decided to practice here yesterday. Five little girls, in my front yard, CD player blaring with Madonna singing "Hollywood", shakin' their booties and rockin' out to the beat. As time wore on, I noticed a fair amount of little boys moseyin' back and forth past my house. They finally found another boy home next door, and just parked their bikes and skateboards and pretended not to watch the Solid Gold Dancers In Miniature. It's the first time I had noticed Little Boy Testosterone giving attention to My Little Girl.
Freaky.
And I wish it to stop right here and now. Can I forbid adolescence?
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Margarita Monday
Sometimes I just love our life here in Oz.
Yesterday, the Kittyhawk came home, and 2 of our Dets with it. Of course, MWR planned a big To-Do for the Kittyhawk guys (even though they have only been gone 10?...12? weeks, but that's a WHOLE other rant...) and since we weren't included, we had to make our own welcome home party (for our guys who were gone 4 months...).
ANYWAY!!!, so Ang, Candi, Jen and I showed up at the squadron for the celebration (cake, cookies, sodas, speeches...), which lasted all of 45 minutes before everyone wandered back off to work, and we were left standing there, on a perfectly good Monday afternoon, with nothing to clelebrate. So we did what any truly "Fun Girl" would do...
We went back to Angie's house, raided her freezer of her Happy Hour Food, whipped up a batch of Margaritas, moved the picnic table into prime "baby viewing location", proclaimed it "Margarita Monday", and set to chatting amongst ourselves. The kids ran wild, Ang fed them corn dogs and Pizza Puffs, and at 8pm, 3 pitchers later, we decided that maybe someone should take charge and round up the troops for bed on a school night.
Happy Tequila Tuesday!!!
Yesterday, the Kittyhawk came home, and 2 of our Dets with it. Of course, MWR planned a big To-Do for the Kittyhawk guys (even though they have only been gone 10?...12? weeks, but that's a WHOLE other rant...) and since we weren't included, we had to make our own welcome home party (for our guys who were gone 4 months...).
ANYWAY!!!, so Ang, Candi, Jen and I showed up at the squadron for the celebration (cake, cookies, sodas, speeches...), which lasted all of 45 minutes before everyone wandered back off to work, and we were left standing there, on a perfectly good Monday afternoon, with nothing to clelebrate. So we did what any truly "Fun Girl" would do...
We went back to Angie's house, raided her freezer of her Happy Hour Food, whipped up a batch of Margaritas, moved the picnic table into prime "baby viewing location", proclaimed it "Margarita Monday", and set to chatting amongst ourselves. The kids ran wild, Ang fed them corn dogs and Pizza Puffs, and at 8pm, 3 pitchers later, we decided that maybe someone should take charge and round up the troops for bed on a school night.
Happy Tequila Tuesday!!!
Monday, May 24, 2004
Anne Frank Educates Another Generation
Mackenzie watched The Diary of Anne Frank yesterday. This is one of my all-time favorite books and such a powerful movie. I have read the book no less than 10 times, and seen several different versions of the movie, yet it never fails to create an ache in my heart. The cruelty and inhumanity baffle me to an extent that I cannot comprehend, and each time I relive it in either print or on the screen, I end up sobbing. Not only for the for the millions who died, but for the millions who were defeated and demoralized. What a travesty that anyone should say that The Holocaust didn't happen. I find myself weeping for Anne, that she survived 9 months in concentration camps, only to die of typhus 2 weeks before Bergen-Belsen was liberated.
Then it occured to me. Had she not died, and her diary not been published, how many people around the globe whould have been ignorant to the horrors of Nazi Germany. Her diary, published in 1947, is one of the most widely read books today, read by both children and adults. Maybe she had a greater purpose in life. I stop short of saying that her suffering was meant to be, but I did say a prayer last night and thank God for the adolescent girl whose death would enlighten millions.
Then it occured to me. Had she not died, and her diary not been published, how many people around the globe whould have been ignorant to the horrors of Nazi Germany. Her diary, published in 1947, is one of the most widely read books today, read by both children and adults. Maybe she had a greater purpose in life. I stop short of saying that her suffering was meant to be, but I did say a prayer last night and thank God for the adolescent girl whose death would enlighten millions.
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Let It Pour, Let It Pour, Let It Pour...
Oh, where to start????
...the monster ache in my mouth/jaw/head after having a broken filling fixed...
...the fact that the only American grocery store within 20 miles can't bother to keep in stock a quarter of my shopping list but DOES have 15 different kinds of Filipino sausage...
...or the fact that Dillon was hanging out with four other 9th graders yesterday who were busted for drinking during the lunch hour - one to the point of passing out...
So much strife, SO little rum.
Has anyone seen my Tylenol-3?
...the monster ache in my mouth/jaw/head after having a broken filling fixed...
...the fact that the only American grocery store within 20 miles can't bother to keep in stock a quarter of my shopping list but DOES have 15 different kinds of Filipino sausage...
...or the fact that Dillon was hanging out with four other 9th graders yesterday who were busted for drinking during the lunch hour - one to the point of passing out...
So much strife, SO little rum.
Has anyone seen my Tylenol-3?
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Hawaii Rocks!
Ok. I'm back!
Hawaii was awesome!!
Here's the proof.
We just hung out for 7 days with long lost (well, 6 months lost, anyway) friends and drank Lava Flows* for sustenance.
The wedding was beautiful, and we were so happy to see our friends Neil and Mai get hitched.
*Lava Flow: The best drink in the world, consisting, basically, of a Pina Colada with strawberry syrup swirled in. Mmmmmmm. No reason for breakfast, lunch, or dinner if you have copious amounts of Lava Flows!
Hawaii was awesome!!
Here's the proof.
We just hung out for 7 days with long lost (well, 6 months lost, anyway) friends and drank Lava Flows* for sustenance.
The wedding was beautiful, and we were so happy to see our friends Neil and Mai get hitched.
*Lava Flow: The best drink in the world, consisting, basically, of a Pina Colada with strawberry syrup swirled in. Mmmmmmm. No reason for breakfast, lunch, or dinner if you have copious amounts of Lava Flows!
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Sunday, May 02, 2004
Finding a Sparkle In All the Muck
Ok. Taking deep, cleansing breaths...
I'm feeling much more at peace today. I'm still horribly frustrated by the insanity of the past weekend, but am coming to terms with the fact that there is nothing I can do about it. Toxic people will come and go and it's my new mission in life to ignore and avoid them.
I have made a new friend here that I enjoy being around. Her name is Candi. (Sort of.) Though there is a 12 year difference in our ages, each time we are together we unearth, like the little sparkles that make me so happy, another similarity between us. We crack ourselves up, laughing at us, and in my book, anyone who can laugh at herself is a keeper. I know I must like her, because I've talked to her almost every day for the last couple of weeks. And that is NOT like me. I am overjoyed at the thought of spending my last months in Japan with her, but saddened at the thought of leaving her in a few months. I know what it is to watch special friends leave and either having to find new ones or go without. It makes me want to revert to my old protection mechanism of refusing to get close to anyone during my last months at a duty station. But this time I'm smarter than that. I know that by pushing her away, I would be missing out on a truly special person. And who needs THAT?
I will enjoy and cherish our budding sisterhood.
I'm feeling much more at peace today. I'm still horribly frustrated by the insanity of the past weekend, but am coming to terms with the fact that there is nothing I can do about it. Toxic people will come and go and it's my new mission in life to ignore and avoid them.
I have made a new friend here that I enjoy being around. Her name is Candi. (Sort of.) Though there is a 12 year difference in our ages, each time we are together we unearth, like the little sparkles that make me so happy, another similarity between us. We crack ourselves up, laughing at us, and in my book, anyone who can laugh at herself is a keeper. I know I must like her, because I've talked to her almost every day for the last couple of weeks. And that is NOT like me. I am overjoyed at the thought of spending my last months in Japan with her, but saddened at the thought of leaving her in a few months. I know what it is to watch special friends leave and either having to find new ones or go without. It makes me want to revert to my old protection mechanism of refusing to get close to anyone during my last months at a duty station. But this time I'm smarter than that. I know that by pushing her away, I would be missing out on a truly special person. And who needs THAT?
I will enjoy and cherish our budding sisterhood.
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