Great Day with Tractor and a Girl

What a long day for Matthew!

Yesterday, Matthew finally enjoyed riding his tractor! This tractor toy he got for Christmas last year from his grandparents. He used to be scared driving it. He’ll only step on it once or twice but after a few jerks, he’d stop and just play around it. Now he actually drives it and he’ll go around. He still needs to practice turning it to go to other directions but otherwise he’s had the hang of it. He rode if the whole morning and he didn’t get tired.

Background: Lake Martin, Alabama (Photo taken on July 2, 2009) Click photo to enlarge.

In the afternoon, we went to this lakeside park/ camp site. The school took the cadets for a swim and play, and we tagged along. While the cadets are on the beach side, Matthew and I were on the ‘playground’ side. There he played to his heart’s content and he even found a playmate. Together they were playing - well, he was mostly following her around. She’s this pretty little blond girl who’s less than a year older than him, and she just talked a lot! I should have taken a photo of them together, but I just completely forgot about the camera when she came along. I am focused on the two of them, and making sure Matthew wouldn’t show his over-eagerness by hugging and kissing her, which he is known to do to girls his age. From our experience before, from Mathew’s play dates, I’ve known that girls his age get upset being hugged and kissed. There is this little girl in Florida, her name is Anna, whom he plays with. She gets really upset whenever Matthew would grab to hug and kiss her. But Matthew just gets so excited and keeps on doing it.

The thing is our unusual situation living in a school campus means we don’t have the usual neighborhood, and no other kids his age he can play with around here. He does play with the cadets a few times especially the younger ones, but they usually play down to his level that they don’t exactly know how to play with him. So he gets really excited whenever he meets kids that he can actually play with, like Anna or that little girl in the playground.

On our trip back home, he passed out completely that no matter how rough I got changing his diaper, his dirty clothes and rubbing his hands and feet, he didn’t wake a bit. He slept right thru bedtime. When he was brought to bed, I observed him sleep. In his sleep, he was smiling and talking little conversations he had with this little girl. What a delight! It just melts my heart to know that he had such a great day.

Click for more about Matthew.

Stranger than Fiction, Reality and TV

Is your life a tragedy or a comedy?

What sort will your life be if it is a TV show or a movie? sitcom-like comedy, a dramatic TV series, tragic soap opera, suspense thriller, sci-fi/fantasy, horror?

My life is so blessed to be a tragedy! (Not that I’m complaining.) So far, it’s definitely a happy comedy.

I don’t think we have that kind of interesting extra-ordinary lives that anybody would consider watching on TV. But should we be on TV, considering my passive non-confrontational sensitive personality, my struggles with my hyperactive almost-3-years-old toddler, and a fishing loving hubby, who has one-of-a-kind personality and a very interesting job. Our lives as a TV show will probably have a lot of ordinaryness and a few moments of comedy more than anything else.

These question are inspired by the movie ‘Stranger than Fiction’ and reality TV show ‘Jon&Kate plus 8′.

Movie, Stranger than Fiction

In the movie ‘Stranger than Fiction‘, Will Ferrel plays Harold Crick, a lonely IRS agent who lives his life so systematically. His life took a turn when suddenly he started hearing a woman’s voice narrating his life. He sought the help of Jules Hilbert played by Dustin Hoffman, who asked the question about his life, whether his life is a tragedy or a comedy. Since that question, he made a tally about events in his life to evaluate if his life is - comedy or tragedy.

It is actually a good movie. It’s NOT a laugh-out-loud comedy, but it was made better by the love story between this IRS agent and a baker who wouldn’t pay taxes. What a funny combination! And of course there’s the successful novelist who had writer’s block narrating Crick’s life and struggling how to kill Crick’s character in her novel. The movie has a great concept and it’s very well written.

About ‘Jon&Kate Plus 8‘, well what can I say. Their lives including the 8 kids’ are all over the news. Obviously, they have interesting life having 8 kids total to have a reality TV show. I guess their show has turned dramatic to possibly tragic. I do not actually follow this show. I don’t watch reality TV shows (except for American Idol only because I consider AI a singing talent show more than a reality TV show). But with the very few glimpse I had of Jon&Kate from their show while channel surfing, there’s always Kate whining and Jon casting a big sigh, surrounded by 8 busy kids. Did I ever suspect then that they are going to divorce? I had no clue!

Aloha Friday originated in Kailani’s An Island Life. If you would like to join in the fun, simply answer the question as a comment then visit Kailani’s An Island Life for more details. However, your answer and comments are welcome even if you do not want to participate.

Happy Father’s Day, Daddy

To Daddy, the most hardworking, the most caring and thoughful man …
Happy Father’s Day!
From Mommy and Matthew

To all fathers out there, enjoy your day!

Welcome Summer, Summer School

We’ve been back for over a week now from our week-long vacation in Florida .

Hubby is already busy with Summer School. The few cadets who are attending summer school came in fro and stylish hairstyles. I mourn for their lavish hairs, which are all gone now. They already got a haircut, including hubby. Coming to a military school, even only for the summer means losing your hair down to the scalp.

I don’t especialy like summer. Summer heat can be too striking, and just sucks out energy but it gives me more excuse to stay indoors aside from movie marathons and blogging, at least during the peak hours. I do like late afternooons to early evenings, when it’s not too hot anymore when the sun is about to set.

Welcome Summer, Vacation in Florida

After the school year ended, we went to Florida for a week-long vacation. We went to Gatorland in Orlando. We saw a pack of alligators, turtles, and others, but all Matthew was interested in is the slides at the playground beside the Splash Water Park. We rode the Gatorland Iron Horse (train) going around the Gatorland area. Matthew did enjoy the train ride. We also walked by the swamp.

All Gatorland photos are taken on June 2, 2009 at Orlando, Florida.

Matthew and Daddy, At Gatorland' Entrance

Matthew and Daddy, (baby alligators at the background)

Matthew and Mommy

Matthew caught by alligator.

Gatorland Iron Horse

Gatorland Iron Horse

Matthew at the Playground.

Matthew with a real live white alligator

Matthew and Mommy. Walk in the Swamp

Before our day at Gatorland was over, we realized that although Matthew is almost three years old, he is still too young to go Disneyworld, Universal Studios, or any other amusement parks. Over the weekend, we also went boating and fishing at the Tiger Lake. We went to an RV park by Tiger lake and stayed there for 3 days. I think, the ones who enjoyed boating-and-fishing the most were hubby and my father-in-law.

Matthew with Grandma and Grandpa. while leaving the dock... (Photo taken June 5, 2009)	Boating/Fishing at the Tiger Lake (Photo taken June 5, 2009)
Matthew Fishing (Photo taken June 5, 2009)	Matthew, Daddy and Grandpa. The ones who had the most fun are those who got the most tan. (Photo taken June 7, 2009)

Oh, Hubby and I did have a few moments together by ourselves. We left Matthew with brother-in-law Tom, and we went out to watch a movie. I was hoping to catch X-men Origins: Wolverine but we got there late. We watched UP in 3D instead. It was my first time to watch a 3D movie in the movie theater. With watching a 3D movie, the 3D picture looks better except it’s feels so funny to have to wear those awkward-fitting sunglasses.

We plan on going back to Florida after summer school. My plan to go to the Philippines this year is on hold for now. I think Matthew is too young, too persistent and too curious to stay ‘behaved’ in a plane for 16-hours and with the Swine Flu still going on, I think it’s best to stay put for awhile.

One School Year Over

I can’t believe we have survived a whole school year here at the military school. The school year officially ends this weekend. The cadets will be off to their homes for the summer break. Some will be coming back for summer school or not. Some have graduated and will be going to college or not …

It all started last year after hubby’s retirement from the Army. He accepted a job as a tactical officer, to take care of young boys, most of them troubled in the teens, to mentor them and to provide a sort of authority figure in a military fashion. Shouldn’t be hard! Hubby, after all, survived being in the Army at worse conditions imaginable. How hard can this job be? Well hard .. considering the ‘troubled kids factor’ which is a new territory.

From the beginning, I’ve expected life would be hard for me and Matthew. The location and the population is depressing! Coming from Tokyo, and Matsumoto, I am used to the BX or a mall just around the corner and seeing busy people around. This place, compared to the places I’ve been to, including Zamboanga and Cebu in the Philippines, is definitely what you call ‘in the the middle of nowhere’. And hubby, did have the same concerns about me, when he took the job, about what the heck will I be doing here - in the middle of nowhere!

But then, it didn’t take long. We have gotten used to our routine, including the free good food at the cafeteria, wide space and fresh air, and just a few people to bump into … our lives surprisingly became comfortable that I have started to appreciate the quiet, and the low-key living!

Hubby having a shut-eye after Matthew's done playing with him. Photo taken on May 26, 2009

As for hubby, I constantly ask him if he is okey, happy and content with his job. He seems sincere in assuring me that he is fine and that, except for the really long hours of work, he likes what he does here. He is more active, running around all the time with his cadets and getting his heart pumping whenever he yells disciplines them and he is genuinely happy whenever his cadets gets things right.

Now these cadets, a few of them, are not too easy to be around. I am always amazed at how hubby handles them. I have seen his tough scary side around them on a really bad day but then he switches to this loving husband and playful daddy when he is around me and Matthew. Its like this scary lion turning into a puppy dog. It’s really something.

But then, even though generally life’s a charm, it’s not always rainbows and butterflies being here. The ‘trouble kids factor’ makes what goes around here always interesting, awful and shocking a few times, sometimes heartbreaking, most of the time funny and laughable. I really want to go into details …

The things is we have survived. Even Matthew has found his favorite spot at the campus - by the cannons, which he calls ‘Star Wars’.

Matthew by the 'Star Wars'. Photo taken on April 4, 2009.

Related Post:

• Military Day
• Military Boarding School, What Not To Blog

American Idol Finale

I’m so upset that Adam Lambert didn’t win! Although I have been a Kris Allen fan, I think he won out of sympathy votes and religious “antigay“ “Gokey fan” “Adam hater but not exactly Kris’ fan” conservative votes over Adam Lambert.

The finale show was great. The supposed duet with Adam and Kris with the Queen totally overshadowed Kris, unfortunately. The highlight of the AI Finale Show for me is Adam with the Kiss. I was wondering what Adam was wearing on his shoulder until the Kiss showed up in their full ensemble! I fell off the couch watching them. Love the elevator boots! Great show!

American Idol, Top 2 Performances

I know my post has been about American Idol lately, but I just can’t help myself!

As for the Top 2 Performances, I think Kris Allen’s performances were upsetting. Except for his first song ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, which was great, his next performances were laid back to disappointingly ambitious. He even choked in his last performance. I don’t think he gave Adam a good competition in their final performances.

I’m all the way for Adam Lambert!

American Idol, Top 2

I can’t believe it! Kris Allen is in! It will be Kris vs. Adam next week!

There is no semifinals in American Idol like this one - this intense, when all three of them were good in their own way, and all three of them deserve to be in the finals! I simply just prefer Kris over Danny, as I am Adam’s fan! Now I’m so torn - Kris or Adam, Kris or Adam …

To be honest, I still have the frog in my chest for watching the result show as of this blogging. I know, I’m such a AI fan.

Related Post:

• American Idol, Top 3

American Idol, Top 3

Oh my, oh my!

1. I don’t like Danny Gokey, much less his dancing! But I liked his interpretation of ‘You are so Beautiful’. I want his out though!
2. I actually think Kris Allen’s performances with the two song he did were great, regardless of what the judges think about the first one! At the piano and the guitar thing. I think that’s his advantage, his being able to play instruments shows his versatility and his interpretation to the songs he choses to sing makes the song easy to listen to. I like listening to his songs over and over …
3. I hope to see Adam Lambert perform in person. I may not buy his record but I want to see him perform live! He’s fearless, consistent, outrageous, very entertaining!

View their performance at mjsbigblog.