With Jeff here, we finally took the trip across the Bay to Corregidor Island. Part of a set of 7 islands in the Bay, Corregidor is the one that looks like a bumpy tadpole.
Plenty of people visit the island though it’s not inhabited by islandfolk anymore, and there’s a scheduled CLO trip coming in October (which will not only include the boat and bus tour, but you can sign up to stay overnight, take in a round of paintball and add in the nighttime Malinta Tunnel tour).
There’s a regular day trip that goes to the island on Sun Cruises, so that’s what we did. Arriving at the terminal, we retrieved our boarding passes and lunch ticket and took our seats on the ferry. I hadn’t thought about what the ferry might be like, but was pleasantly surprised to see that it was a well-kept machine (from the outside at least), the crew was sharply dressed in white uniforms, the seats were worn but relatively clean… and in fact there were bona fide cushioned seats. Rows of wooden benches wouldn’t have shocked me, but the air conditioned lower deck with multiple TVs and a snack cart was indeed pleasant. The upper deck was split between an indoor air conditioned section with a little snack bar and an outdoor section for the smokers and those who felt less than fine on the trip.
Mostly on time, we left the little harbour around 8 a.m. and took off at 23 knots across the Bay. We’d chosen a row of seats in the lower deck, chatted, watched some history programs about Corregidor and munched on some snacks for the first 30 minutes. The snack cart came by a couple times, the first time the crew giving Nicholas a full package of Pringles then taking it back… as a joke! OK, that’s just mean to a 4 year old. On the second swing by they gave him a pack of Piknik potato strings… and let it be a gift. Either they thought he was really cute or they realized that taking back a snack from a 4 year old is wrong and were trying to make amends. Either way, he was thrilled and did share it with the rest of us.
The girls couldn’t eat much, including me. The rocking of the boat took its toll. Rebecca lost her breakfast into the bathroom sink. Katherine paled and curled into a ball. I watched TV hoping that looking up would even out the rocking, then resorted to closing my eyes and trying not to think about anything. Later Ian said he hadn’t felt too great either and neither did Jeff, but since the rest of us were a mess they didn’t fall apart like we had. Did I learn nothing from crossing Cook’s Strait?
The hour and twenty minutes could not go by quickly enough. It should have taken 10 fewer minutes but we sailed through a small rain storm on the way. The skies were fairly clear when we arrived though and we discussed options for alternate return methods. How sad. The only thing we could think of was to request air relief. Ian texted the flight school.
So we boarded our bus and packed 40 people into 35 seats. We were off. Corregidor’s tadpole shape had us start at the tale end and work our way over to the head, passing Japanese dug foxholes along the way. Our first stop was a memorial to various victorious battles fought by famous Filipinos. Jeff later noted that it was a memorial to valiant fights that didn’t bring about future success. In every conflict in history the Filipinos have failed to claim overall victory. It was a testament to a good try. Our hero, Lapu Lapu had a segment of wall for defeating Magellan, but we all know where that ended.
Our tour continued and we wound our way around the island seeing batteries, bombed out buildings, craters, and more memorials. One garden was for the Japanese who had died in battle. It was a lovely area even with the guns still mounted and had the distinction of also being the Drop Zone for American paratroopers during the final recovery siege. A small gift shop sold “Drop Zone” gear, but with only 7 minutes to tour around it was the gift shop or actually seeing the place, so I missed out on purchasing some nifty gear. Unfortunate, because that little shop was the only place on the entire island to get those items and I don’t see us going back to Corregidor any time soon. Perhaps some kind soul can be bullied into buying me a souvenir on their future visit. Being a drop zone may not seem like a big deal, but the zone was the worst designated zone of the war being a narrow strip of land with cliffs all around, and jagged concrete waste littering the ground. Because of this, they expected a huge casualty rate. Instead, 280 were killed or severely injured, a 13.5 % casualty loss. That’s impressive for what they faced.
Another stop was the “disappearing battery”, a couple of hydraulic powered guns that could rise up from the ground when they fired, then sink down again to be a more difficult target. Under the guns were a number of doors with stairwells leading down to the depths to keep munitions and bunker soldiers. Katherine had the idea to go down a set and check things out. Though I could see that it became pitch black rather quick, we started down. About 10 to the bottom and couldn’t see any firther, though we could tell the tunnel turned sharply to the right. Trying to let our eyes adapt, we stopped and listened. Ssssss. Ian, what was that? Sounded like water to me. Sssss. From behind us, Rebecca said I made that noise. It was coming up, not down, it wasn’t you Rebecca. Yes it was. Ssss. OK, that’s not water. Watch everyone turn and head back up the steps to daylight.
We chatted amongst ourselves about our failed adventure as we returned to the bus, when our tour guide casually mentioned that the island is crawling with cobras. Perhaps she was pulling our leg, but it seemed plausible so we decided not to venture off the main path again. Granted we’d been given no warning not to go into the depths, nor were there any signs or barriers telling us to stay away, but now there was no question. Katherine’s curiousity would have to be satiated at another time.
Further on we visited an “aviary” because it seems that every Philippine attraction has to have a bunch of birds and small creatures in cages. Yet again, we saw sorry creatures with nothing of interest to look at or do. There is no limit to the space available on Corregidor to make a huge sanctuary, yet one small bearcat was housed in a birdcage of all things. It was just big enough for it to turn in a circle. A pond of turtles had a wire screen over top, presumably to keep them from escaping, but the water was foul and there were too many turtles crammed in to draw anything but pity. Yet another cage held tiny monkeys and a keeper brought one out for the kids to pet. I visibly shuddered at the sight of my children touching its fur and paws. How wonderful it would have been to glimpse these same creatures out in the wild taking their chances with a free life as we bounced along in our open air bus than in those wire cages, “safe” and miserable.
The aviary was adjacent to the tennis courts. Not terribly exciting until you learn that Corregidor has no source of freshwater, so all drinking water is brought over from Cavite and Bataan. During the war, some freshwater was safeguarded under the tennis courts and it was a bombing target for the Japanese though I don’t believe it was ever directly hit.
General Macarthur was a big man on Corregidor. Lorcha Dock is where he said his famous “I shall return” before setting sail for Australia to run the Pacific theater. For a long time I’ve wanted to get to Leyte, another island, where he actually did return. There’s a pool with statues of Macarthur and his entourage walking ashore. Thing is, there’s nothing else there but a couple midgrade resorts. Now that we’ve seen where Macarthur spent a good deal of time, seeing Leyte is less pressing. Corregidor is also so much easier to get too with the regularly scheduled hour long ferries. Reaching Leyte takes a plane, a boat and a bus. No wonder there’s not much else there.
The highlight of the trip is the Malinta Tunnel. Ma means many and Linta means leech. When in use, the tunnels were dark and damp with poor air circulation. Morale was low for the soldiers there and illnesses rampaged. The tunnel was constructed in the 1920s and then during WWII it was used as a hospital, MacArthur’s headquarters and President Quezon’s wartime residence. I recommend spending the P150 to take the “light and sound” show. It’s quirky but informative. I didn’t know what to expect when it started, so I don’t want to give it away for those who take the tour themselves. Jonathon was unimpressed though. Once you’re near the exit of the main tunnel there are several laterals in various degrees of disrepair, and Jonathon would have nothing to do with any of them. Not that they’re open for inspection, really, but when Ian would veer any bit from the middle of the tunnel, Jonathon would react “No daddy! No tunnel!” Poor kid was traumatized.
Ft. Drum, aka El Fraile, would be an amazing place to actually walk through if it were safe and stable. We glimpsed it off in the water, from high atop Malinta Hill and it looks for all intents and purposes, like a ship. In 1909 construction on the island began to change it from the plain rock it was to a multideck concrete battleship with two 14” guns. There’s a book all about it called The Concrete Battleship: Fort Drum, El Fraile Island, Manila Bay by Francis J. Allen.
Lunch was at the Corregidor Hotel and for typical Filipino fare it wasn’t that bad. The kids ate enough spaghetti and watermelon to make it worthwhile, but Jeff was confused by the pork dish, basically finger long strips of pork where ¾ of each piece was skin and fat with barely a nibble of pork at the bottom. We don’t wonder anymore, we just shrug and skip over it. With our view of Malinta tunnel, the serenade trio sang “Que Sera Sera” to our table and put in the requisite Beatles tune to another table. All that was lacking was an ABBA song. We stopped into the gift shop then climbed back onto the bus for the remainder of our tour. I won’t tell you the rest, consider it your duty to find out should you take the trip yourself.
The return boat trip was so much better. Our attempts at finding an alternate way off the island had all fallen through, but it didn’t matter. Loads of folks must have been staying overnight because the formerly packed and smoky outdoor deck was empty. We stayed outside to enjoy the breeze and view while sucking on some ancient Mentos from the snack bar. No seasickness this time around and we considered our trip a complete success.
Addendum: Since our trip last week I have been spending a lot of time on-line reading about Corregidor, Ft. Drum and Bataan. I purchased a book on the island about the history of Corregidor and while the printing job is simply awful, the writing is very readable and completely enthralling. I have found a new interest. And isn’t that the point?
Sunday, August 22, 2004
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Are you wondering...
Are you wondering what has happened to us? Our internet has been more than flaky of late, and it has been extremely difficult to be on-line. I'm hoping the issues will be cleared up soon. Until then, I'm keeping up the journal in Word and once things are more stable here, you'll get caught up. Promise!
Watching Time Pass
My baby boy is three. I don’t know how it happened, but there you have it. He’s three now.
He’s headstrong, fearless, charming and irritating. He whines more than any creature ought to, he melts my heart whenever he says “Mom, I like you”. How does the work Like affect me so much more than Love? Perhaps because telling someone you like them takes forethought, when a quick I Love You rolls off the tongue without much thought anymore. When he says I Like You (and even I Love You), I truly believe he means it.
All day he was so proud to be three. When someone asked how old he was, he remembered without hesitation, and it seems that he physically grew this week to fit his new three year old image. He was quick to say “I’m the birfday boy!” to anyone who would listen, reminding us that it was his turn to be in charge because it was his birthday and never tiring of hearing his song. While Nicholas became shy during a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday in April, Jonathon would beam every time.
For preschool, he wore a borrowed crown from Rebecca’s Filipino celebration last year, a piece reminiscent of mardi gras. Bedecked, he strutted around reveling in all the attention. The day before I’d asked him what sort of snack treat he’d like for his friends and offered suggestions of brownies, cookies or cupcakes. He chose ice cream, so ice cream it was. At the end of his class, we passed out cups of chocolate and double dutch ice cream to twelve 2-4 year olds. (I made the mistake of not checking with parents beforehand though, and one little girl told me she was allergic to chocolate. Oops! Luckily Teacher Nympha had a package of vanilla ice cream on reserve in the freezer).
One mother asked me when Jonathon’s party was. I told her that today was his birthday. She asked if the party was on Saturday and I said that, no, we were having a family party tonight. I was dense. It dawned on both of us then what the other was saying. She was asking me if we were having a big party for him and I was saying we weren’t. It hadn’t occurred to me to have anything else for him. Another party would simply have had the same kids and after thinking about it I realized that four hours of playing at preschool followed by ice cream with his friends was just about perfect for a three year old.
We swung by the school to get the girls and get Katherine to the swimming pool to try out for the Sailfish swim team. She did amazing in her new Harry Potter swimsuit, I didn’t know the kid could even backstroke. The tryouts were not for elimination, but for placement, so everyone who has an interest can practice and learn how to be a better swimmer. They can also participate in meets, which Katherine is looking forward to. Her new friends Erin and Gillian also tried out so the three of them will be in the pool together. Rebecca watched from the sidelines with a look that said she wished she could swim better but that she knew she couldn’t be with them. It was sad for me to see. I know that it’s more a confidence issue with her, but swimming is hard for her and I don’t think she’s quite ready to face that beast in a competitive arena yet. Give her a couple more years.
After a quick ice cream in the Middle School canteen we went by the house to pick up the receipt for Jonathon’s cake, then I waited illegally while Jeff ran in to the Red Ribbon shop and picked up Jonathon’s Batman cake. All day he’d been telling people that he was having a Thomas the Tank Engine cake and I just couldn’t find one anywhere. When I told him, he said that was OK, at least I got the flavor right. Chocolate, just like last year. The evening was winding down with only one thing left. Presents. He opened his cards from great-grandma and grandma&grandpa (both had cash which is now safely put away) then reached for the gifts. Grandpa had sent a Nemo art pack that he will get loads of use from, along with a stuffed Nemo that he hugged fiercely. He also received a set of Nemo sheets that, once washed, will go directly on his bed. And of course, some new underwear. Bob the Builder! Mom and dad got him a wooden toy locally called the RollerCoaster. A tall structure with a little train that zigzags its way down the path. Hard to explain really, I haven’t found a similar item on-line so you’ll have to wait for photos. His sisters also gave him some gifts. Katherine had beautifully wrapped a lollipop and small puzzle for him and Rebecca had hand-made a paper gold medal. He was charming about all his gifts, pronouncing them his favorites and fawning over each one in turn. The only bad thing was we’d run out of video tape during the cake cutting so I missed his reactions to his gifts. That’s a missed memory but one I will try to hold on to.
He’s such a wonderful kid, even for all the times he stops my heart with his wild ways, interrupts incessantly and won’t stop picking his nose and spitting in the car. His smile makes me happy and in every way he is very special, even “ ‘pecial to push buttons”. He knows he’s not a big kid yet, but that he’s bigger than he was at two and that he’ll keep on growing. It’s something I can’t wait to see. Jonathon is the spice in our lives. Without him life would be simpler, mellower and a lot less fun.
Guess what baby boy, I like you too.
He’s headstrong, fearless, charming and irritating. He whines more than any creature ought to, he melts my heart whenever he says “Mom, I like you”. How does the work Like affect me so much more than Love? Perhaps because telling someone you like them takes forethought, when a quick I Love You rolls off the tongue without much thought anymore. When he says I Like You (and even I Love You), I truly believe he means it.
All day he was so proud to be three. When someone asked how old he was, he remembered without hesitation, and it seems that he physically grew this week to fit his new three year old image. He was quick to say “I’m the birfday boy!” to anyone who would listen, reminding us that it was his turn to be in charge because it was his birthday and never tiring of hearing his song. While Nicholas became shy during a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday in April, Jonathon would beam every time.
For preschool, he wore a borrowed crown from Rebecca’s Filipino celebration last year, a piece reminiscent of mardi gras. Bedecked, he strutted around reveling in all the attention. The day before I’d asked him what sort of snack treat he’d like for his friends and offered suggestions of brownies, cookies or cupcakes. He chose ice cream, so ice cream it was. At the end of his class, we passed out cups of chocolate and double dutch ice cream to twelve 2-4 year olds. (I made the mistake of not checking with parents beforehand though, and one little girl told me she was allergic to chocolate. Oops! Luckily Teacher Nympha had a package of vanilla ice cream on reserve in the freezer).
One mother asked me when Jonathon’s party was. I told her that today was his birthday. She asked if the party was on Saturday and I said that, no, we were having a family party tonight. I was dense. It dawned on both of us then what the other was saying. She was asking me if we were having a big party for him and I was saying we weren’t. It hadn’t occurred to me to have anything else for him. Another party would simply have had the same kids and after thinking about it I realized that four hours of playing at preschool followed by ice cream with his friends was just about perfect for a three year old.
We swung by the school to get the girls and get Katherine to the swimming pool to try out for the Sailfish swim team. She did amazing in her new Harry Potter swimsuit, I didn’t know the kid could even backstroke. The tryouts were not for elimination, but for placement, so everyone who has an interest can practice and learn how to be a better swimmer. They can also participate in meets, which Katherine is looking forward to. Her new friends Erin and Gillian also tried out so the three of them will be in the pool together. Rebecca watched from the sidelines with a look that said she wished she could swim better but that she knew she couldn’t be with them. It was sad for me to see. I know that it’s more a confidence issue with her, but swimming is hard for her and I don’t think she’s quite ready to face that beast in a competitive arena yet. Give her a couple more years.
After a quick ice cream in the Middle School canteen we went by the house to pick up the receipt for Jonathon’s cake, then I waited illegally while Jeff ran in to the Red Ribbon shop and picked up Jonathon’s Batman cake. All day he’d been telling people that he was having a Thomas the Tank Engine cake and I just couldn’t find one anywhere. When I told him, he said that was OK, at least I got the flavor right. Chocolate, just like last year. The evening was winding down with only one thing left. Presents. He opened his cards from great-grandma and grandma&grandpa (both had cash which is now safely put away) then reached for the gifts. Grandpa had sent a Nemo art pack that he will get loads of use from, along with a stuffed Nemo that he hugged fiercely. He also received a set of Nemo sheets that, once washed, will go directly on his bed. And of course, some new underwear. Bob the Builder! Mom and dad got him a wooden toy locally called the RollerCoaster. A tall structure with a little train that zigzags its way down the path. Hard to explain really, I haven’t found a similar item on-line so you’ll have to wait for photos. His sisters also gave him some gifts. Katherine had beautifully wrapped a lollipop and small puzzle for him and Rebecca had hand-made a paper gold medal. He was charming about all his gifts, pronouncing them his favorites and fawning over each one in turn. The only bad thing was we’d run out of video tape during the cake cutting so I missed his reactions to his gifts. That’s a missed memory but one I will try to hold on to.
He’s such a wonderful kid, even for all the times he stops my heart with his wild ways, interrupts incessantly and won’t stop picking his nose and spitting in the car. His smile makes me happy and in every way he is very special, even “ ‘pecial to push buttons”. He knows he’s not a big kid yet, but that he’s bigger than he was at two and that he’ll keep on growing. It’s something I can’t wait to see. Jonathon is the spice in our lives. Without him life would be simpler, mellower and a lot less fun.
Guess what baby boy, I like you too.
Saturday, August 7, 2004
A fun day today.
Ian may be off touring the Korean DMZ today, but the kids and I had fun at the Back to School swim party at Seafront (thankfully the rain held off until the party ended) and at Glorietta to see the Imperial Circus.
There were plenty of kids at the party, enough to actually be a surprise. The pool is never that busy. But for 3 hours, with a short break for lunch, the kids swam and swam and I took Jonathon to the potty 4 times. I didn't think it was possible for a little guy to go that much.
Afterwards, we were home for about 1/2 hour, enough to change and rest before getting to Glorietta with the dream of seats. I should have known better and just taken the kids during the week. Saturday afternoon at the mall? Yeah right. But we were close enough and sat on the ground and it was fine.
The Imperial Circus is a small traveling show with former members of the Moscow Circus and Cirque de Soleil. I don't know if they are former members because the cast changed or because they weren't quite up to par, but either way it was a great show. Our favorites were the acrobats balancing atop a stack of chairs, hanging from a hoop, and swinging round through the air from a long flowing span of material. The clowns were fun but (is this possible?) I think some of the humor went over the kids' heads.
I'm really pleased with the cultural activities brought free to the community. An hour or less is perfect for all of my kids to enjoy a show and be exposed to artistry and music. Not to say that they wouldn't enjoy longer, but these bits here and there really give them a wide range of exposure that doesn't have to be planned and scheduled. It fits into our daily life without trouble and makes it something they are familiar with rather than something unusual and foreign. I like that. Now that we've seen The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and the Imperial Circus, I wonder what's next?
There were plenty of kids at the party, enough to actually be a surprise. The pool is never that busy. But for 3 hours, with a short break for lunch, the kids swam and swam and I took Jonathon to the potty 4 times. I didn't think it was possible for a little guy to go that much.
Afterwards, we were home for about 1/2 hour, enough to change and rest before getting to Glorietta with the dream of seats. I should have known better and just taken the kids during the week. Saturday afternoon at the mall? Yeah right. But we were close enough and sat on the ground and it was fine.
The Imperial Circus is a small traveling show with former members of the Moscow Circus and Cirque de Soleil. I don't know if they are former members because the cast changed or because they weren't quite up to par, but either way it was a great show. Our favorites were the acrobats balancing atop a stack of chairs, hanging from a hoop, and swinging round through the air from a long flowing span of material. The clowns were fun but (is this possible?) I think some of the humor went over the kids' heads.
I'm really pleased with the cultural activities brought free to the community. An hour or less is perfect for all of my kids to enjoy a show and be exposed to artistry and music. Not to say that they wouldn't enjoy longer, but these bits here and there really give them a wide range of exposure that doesn't have to be planned and scheduled. It fits into our daily life without trouble and makes it something they are familiar with rather than something unusual and foreign. I like that. Now that we've seen The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and the Imperial Circus, I wonder what's next?
Scrapbookers Unite
Months ago Laura K. showed me her scrapbooks, and I took the plunge. Then my mom saw mine and actually went QVC on scrapbook stuff. She wants to get together with a coworker to get started. Today at the pool Laura, Stephanie and I talked about getting together weekly to scrap (I might get caught up?? Ha. But I'll get a whole lot further than I am!) and then I talked to a new arrival, Sonja, and she scraps. I'm hoping she'll join the "group".
I knew it was taking over, but this is ridiculous. In a good way.
I knew it was taking over, but this is ridiculous. In a good way.
Thursday, August 5, 2004
So I'm single mother for 6 days.
Ian left for Korea this morning and after 6 days will return with Jeff in tow.
He's flying Korean Air and when I spoke to him this evening he said it was a decent flight. Not long either, it runs about 4 hours. He certainly had it easier than Jeff who flew in from D.C.
On the way to drop him off at the airport we passed a Cebu Pacific billboard. The image was of the aisle in an airplane with a giant bee smiling gleefully and holding a take-out box of food. Yup, CP now serves Jollibee on their flights. YumBurger or ChickenJoy, how will anyone choose?? Like I don't feel ill enough with the flight alone.
The kids were getting sad knowing daddy wouldn't be there to say Goodnight in the evening. Ian tried to lighten the mood and was chatting with Jonathon about his upcoming birthday. The littlest man will be 3 on the 18th, can anyone believe that?
Ian: Only a couple more weeks until your birfday.
Jonathon: Then I be three. Then I be bigger.
Why do kids want to grow up so fast?
We said our farewell and reached SM in good time. It wasn't completely chaotic yet (and I've discovered that if you park on the 8th level of the Park Square garage, there's a bridgeway directly into the children's section of the department store) so we had way too many people hovering when buying shoes for Katherine, and hovering when looking for swimsuits for Rebecca and hovering when choosing flashlights and nails in the home repair section. Which is worse... 1000 people squashing you every way you turn or 4 people watching your every move? I think they are equally unpleasant.
The nails and flashlights were easy enough. The swimsuits were a bust as all the store carried was Speedo and I there are better deals ordering overstocks on-line or asking my mom to watch the post-season sales. And the shoes, well, I sure hope Katherine's feet don't grow too quick, and that she doesn't lose them in the meantime. I battled between junky $10 tennies and decent more, um, expensive shoes. She's wearing a size 4 now, the last size in children's shoes, so I took the plunge. She now owns a great pair of Skechers that has some toe wiggling space and thankfully no cartoon characters. I told her she was too big for charater shoes anymore and I think that took her aback. Was it the wrong thing to say? She's only 8 afterall, but if she wants character stuff I have no problem with a t-shirt. I feel that shoes should be able to go with anything, even tennis shoes and she's old enough to look nice and think it matters. I'm probably scarring her for life.
With no reasonable swimsuits in sight we decided to try the stores in Glorietta. Can you believe not a single child's swimsuit in the entire children's section? Tina T. and I will be going out together to shop in a couple weeks so we'll look together then, perhaps in Landmark.
We had lunch at Coeur de France and the kids played for a bit at the playground. There was a swimming lesson in the afternoon so we went home for about an hour to relax and rest beforehand. The lesson was good, part of it down in moderately heavy rain (but no lightning) and with a quick stop in the Club to pick up a soda and brownie we were off to home. Jonathon and Rebecca were seriously fading so we had an early dinner of hotdogs and watermelon before stories and finally bed.
What am I up to tonight? I have a couple things to get ready to mail then I feel like cleaning up the bedroom a bit. The next few nights will be quiet but I hope I don't use them as an excuse to stay up until 11 or 12. I've done that before when Ian was out for the evening or gone on a trip. But I need to be rested since it's just me for 5 more days. Tomorrow should be a good day, I've let the kids decide what to do before swimming. Thanks AmyN for the suggestion.
He's flying Korean Air and when I spoke to him this evening he said it was a decent flight. Not long either, it runs about 4 hours. He certainly had it easier than Jeff who flew in from D.C.
On the way to drop him off at the airport we passed a Cebu Pacific billboard. The image was of the aisle in an airplane with a giant bee smiling gleefully and holding a take-out box of food. Yup, CP now serves Jollibee on their flights. YumBurger or ChickenJoy, how will anyone choose?? Like I don't feel ill enough with the flight alone.
The kids were getting sad knowing daddy wouldn't be there to say Goodnight in the evening. Ian tried to lighten the mood and was chatting with Jonathon about his upcoming birthday. The littlest man will be 3 on the 18th, can anyone believe that?
Ian: Only a couple more weeks until your birfday.
Jonathon: Then I be three. Then I be bigger.
Why do kids want to grow up so fast?
We said our farewell and reached SM in good time. It wasn't completely chaotic yet (and I've discovered that if you park on the 8th level of the Park Square garage, there's a bridgeway directly into the children's section of the department store) so we had way too many people hovering when buying shoes for Katherine, and hovering when looking for swimsuits for Rebecca and hovering when choosing flashlights and nails in the home repair section. Which is worse... 1000 people squashing you every way you turn or 4 people watching your every move? I think they are equally unpleasant.
The nails and flashlights were easy enough. The swimsuits were a bust as all the store carried was Speedo and I there are better deals ordering overstocks on-line or asking my mom to watch the post-season sales. And the shoes, well, I sure hope Katherine's feet don't grow too quick, and that she doesn't lose them in the meantime. I battled between junky $10 tennies and decent more, um, expensive shoes. She's wearing a size 4 now, the last size in children's shoes, so I took the plunge. She now owns a great pair of Skechers that has some toe wiggling space and thankfully no cartoon characters. I told her she was too big for charater shoes anymore and I think that took her aback. Was it the wrong thing to say? She's only 8 afterall, but if she wants character stuff I have no problem with a t-shirt. I feel that shoes should be able to go with anything, even tennis shoes and she's old enough to look nice and think it matters. I'm probably scarring her for life.
With no reasonable swimsuits in sight we decided to try the stores in Glorietta. Can you believe not a single child's swimsuit in the entire children's section? Tina T. and I will be going out together to shop in a couple weeks so we'll look together then, perhaps in Landmark.
We had lunch at Coeur de France and the kids played for a bit at the playground. There was a swimming lesson in the afternoon so we went home for about an hour to relax and rest beforehand. The lesson was good, part of it down in moderately heavy rain (but no lightning) and with a quick stop in the Club to pick up a soda and brownie we were off to home. Jonathon and Rebecca were seriously fading so we had an early dinner of hotdogs and watermelon before stories and finally bed.
What am I up to tonight? I have a couple things to get ready to mail then I feel like cleaning up the bedroom a bit. The next few nights will be quiet but I hope I don't use them as an excuse to stay up until 11 or 12. I've done that before when Ian was out for the evening or gone on a trip. But I need to be rested since it's just me for 5 more days. Tomorrow should be a good day, I've let the kids decide what to do before swimming. Thanks AmyN for the suggestion.
Monday, August 2, 2004
The final week of summer.
I know summer doesn't actually end for a while yet, but summer vacation is just about over. The kids start up next week.
We had a fun weekend. They're all doing well in swimming still. I need to take video of them this week to mark how far they've come because it really is astonishing. Or maybe it's just that I didn't have any real expectations?
After swimming on Friday, we stayed at Seafront and had dinner at the Club. Ian met us there and we joined a bunch of other people, including the Videgars, for a CLO sponsored Scavenger Hunt. The race was to begin at 7 p.m. with four teams, each with about 8-10 people. At a few minutes to 7, the skies opened, lightning flashed and we paced about wondering what to do. The kids were going to be a real pain if all we'd hyped was literally going to be washed down the drain.
So we all sucked it up, got our first clue and started running. Within minutes we were drenched but that just made the evening more fun. For an hour the eight of us (including Katie and Jeff Groves) slopped about through the puddles from front gate to back, from FPO to USEC and the baseball field. We even picked up a straggling blue team member for a while. Nathan is 5 years old and is Nicholas's "best friend" so he stuck with us until the blue team collected him again. The joke later was that while the blue team won the hunt, they should have forfeited by losing one of their members! The final clue led to a pot of gold. Or in our case, a pot of chocolate coins. While we didn't win, we did have a blast and were glad we didn't bail out when the rains started.
Afterwards we hung out in the bar for a bit and introduced the kids to a couple of new arrivals. I know how that sounds, but while it is a bar and folks were having a Happy Hour, we also have lunch in there periodically and when the AmeriKids have a Club Lunch they sit in the bar as well. It's a very family friendly place. Really. Katherine entertained the table with talk about Harry Potter and the boys tried to kill themselves by climbing the bar stools. All in all, a fun night. I met the new folks as well, Tim & Amy and Eric & Rachel. Tim and Rachel are both in NIV with Ian.
Saturday I did some quick groceries then the family went to Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong. Just like last week. This time we had lunch at the Steak House and stopped in at the American Eye Center. The Steak House was surprisingly good with some great cuts of meat. There was even a salad bar with clean and fresh foods. I gave a plate of apple and pineapple slices to Jonathon to eat with his soup and garlic bread and he was content until taking a bite of apple.
"Mommy, this yucky"
"It is?"
*mom tastes*
"Oh my goodness, that's awful! Hey Ian, know how everything in this country has sugar added to it? Well the things you might expect to have sugar, like these apples, have been salted. Taste this"
*expect him to lick it or take a nibble, he pops a chunk into his mouth*
"Ack, that's awful!"
"Yeah, I think they soaked these apples in salt water. Why would they do that?"
Remember: Never assume anything.
Saturday evening, Laura & Ryan and Stephanie & Matt (with their son, Cavin) came over for a nacho buffet dinner. Laura brought ice cream and toppings. Stephanie brought fresh fruit. All together, we had a really great meal. We even brought the kitchen table out to the dining area so we'd all have plenty of room and the kids wouldn't feel separated, even with sitting at another table.
Sunday was church, then Ian went flying at his new school while the kids and I hung out at home, then Misty and Chad came over for a bit and we talked about New Zealand and Vietnam. They borrowed some travel books and will lend us theirs on Vietnam. We'd planned on them staying for dinner and had potatoes baking in the grill with chicken waiting, but they had some errands to run so we had a quiet evening of just the family. It was nice though after being around so many people the last couple days.
Today was the day I'd set aside for going to ISM and finishing up last minute paperwork. The car now sports an 04-05 parking sticker, the girls have their new IDs, and I filled out the form for bus pick-up. I'd actually done that already back in June, but they raised prices so the new price form had to be filled in. Then we went by both girls' classrooms and I'll be going in with them on Monday too to meet their teachers. We'd wanted to play at the playground for a bit, but the covers had been taken down and there were gardeners everywhere so we didn't stay. The kids were bummed of course, but what could I do? We had lunch at home (all those yummy leftovers from the weekend) then it was school time. Nicholas did lessons 5 and 6 in _100 Lessons_, Jonathon finished up all the spacial orientation worksheets, and Rebecca has finally progressed to reading instructions in her workbook on her own. Until now, she would complete a page then sit and wait until I turned the page and read the next set. Of course, being a workbook there are several pages of similar activities or pages that focus on the same concept so she can do them on her own. She can read so much better now, but still needs to be cajoled into doing it on her own. Katherine is flipping around in her workbook and I have to keep reminding her that concepts build on each other. Even if she wants to do a different section, she needs to start with the first page of a set. She's not buying it.
Tomorrow I plan to take them swimming first thing in the morning. We'll see if the weather cooperates.
We had a fun weekend. They're all doing well in swimming still. I need to take video of them this week to mark how far they've come because it really is astonishing. Or maybe it's just that I didn't have any real expectations?
After swimming on Friday, we stayed at Seafront and had dinner at the Club. Ian met us there and we joined a bunch of other people, including the Videgars, for a CLO sponsored Scavenger Hunt. The race was to begin at 7 p.m. with four teams, each with about 8-10 people. At a few minutes to 7, the skies opened, lightning flashed and we paced about wondering what to do. The kids were going to be a real pain if all we'd hyped was literally going to be washed down the drain.
So we all sucked it up, got our first clue and started running. Within minutes we were drenched but that just made the evening more fun. For an hour the eight of us (including Katie and Jeff Groves) slopped about through the puddles from front gate to back, from FPO to USEC and the baseball field. We even picked up a straggling blue team member for a while. Nathan is 5 years old and is Nicholas's "best friend" so he stuck with us until the blue team collected him again. The joke later was that while the blue team won the hunt, they should have forfeited by losing one of their members! The final clue led to a pot of gold. Or in our case, a pot of chocolate coins. While we didn't win, we did have a blast and were glad we didn't bail out when the rains started.
Afterwards we hung out in the bar for a bit and introduced the kids to a couple of new arrivals. I know how that sounds, but while it is a bar and folks were having a Happy Hour, we also have lunch in there periodically and when the AmeriKids have a Club Lunch they sit in the bar as well. It's a very family friendly place. Really. Katherine entertained the table with talk about Harry Potter and the boys tried to kill themselves by climbing the bar stools. All in all, a fun night. I met the new folks as well, Tim & Amy and Eric & Rachel. Tim and Rachel are both in NIV with Ian.
Saturday I did some quick groceries then the family went to Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong. Just like last week. This time we had lunch at the Steak House and stopped in at the American Eye Center. The Steak House was surprisingly good with some great cuts of meat. There was even a salad bar with clean and fresh foods. I gave a plate of apple and pineapple slices to Jonathon to eat with his soup and garlic bread and he was content until taking a bite of apple.
"Mommy, this yucky"
"It is?"
*mom tastes*
"Oh my goodness, that's awful! Hey Ian, know how everything in this country has sugar added to it? Well the things you might expect to have sugar, like these apples, have been salted. Taste this"
*expect him to lick it or take a nibble, he pops a chunk into his mouth*
"Ack, that's awful!"
"Yeah, I think they soaked these apples in salt water. Why would they do that?"
Remember: Never assume anything.
Saturday evening, Laura & Ryan and Stephanie & Matt (with their son, Cavin) came over for a nacho buffet dinner. Laura brought ice cream and toppings. Stephanie brought fresh fruit. All together, we had a really great meal. We even brought the kitchen table out to the dining area so we'd all have plenty of room and the kids wouldn't feel separated, even with sitting at another table.
Sunday was church, then Ian went flying at his new school while the kids and I hung out at home, then Misty and Chad came over for a bit and we talked about New Zealand and Vietnam. They borrowed some travel books and will lend us theirs on Vietnam. We'd planned on them staying for dinner and had potatoes baking in the grill with chicken waiting, but they had some errands to run so we had a quiet evening of just the family. It was nice though after being around so many people the last couple days.
Today was the day I'd set aside for going to ISM and finishing up last minute paperwork. The car now sports an 04-05 parking sticker, the girls have their new IDs, and I filled out the form for bus pick-up. I'd actually done that already back in June, but they raised prices so the new price form had to be filled in. Then we went by both girls' classrooms and I'll be going in with them on Monday too to meet their teachers. We'd wanted to play at the playground for a bit, but the covers had been taken down and there were gardeners everywhere so we didn't stay. The kids were bummed of course, but what could I do? We had lunch at home (all those yummy leftovers from the weekend) then it was school time. Nicholas did lessons 5 and 6 in _100 Lessons_, Jonathon finished up all the spacial orientation worksheets, and Rebecca has finally progressed to reading instructions in her workbook on her own. Until now, she would complete a page then sit and wait until I turned the page and read the next set. Of course, being a workbook there are several pages of similar activities or pages that focus on the same concept so she can do them on her own. She can read so much better now, but still needs to be cajoled into doing it on her own. Katherine is flipping around in her workbook and I have to keep reminding her that concepts build on each other. Even if she wants to do a different section, she needs to start with the first page of a set. She's not buying it.
Tomorrow I plan to take them swimming first thing in the morning. We'll see if the weather cooperates.
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