Day 1

This is going around Facebook and I decided I wanted to do it just for fun. It’s 60 days worth of photos, each day having it’s own “theme” of sorts.

Here is the entire list:

Day 01 – A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 – A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 – A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 – A picture of your night.
Day 05 – A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 – A picture of a person you’d love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 – A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 – A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 – A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 – A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 – A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 – A picture of something you love.
Day 13 – A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 – A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 – A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 – A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 – A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 – A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 – A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 – A picture of somewhere you’d love to travel.
Day 21 – A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 – A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 – A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 – A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 – A picture of your day.
Day 26 – A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 – A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 – A picture of something you’re afraid of.
Day 29 – A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 – A picture of someone you miss.
Day 31 – A picture of a tradition you have.
Day 32 – A picture of a crazy night.
Day 33 – A picture of the house you grew up in.
Day 34 – A picture of your currently most played CD.
Day 35 – A picture of your favorite place to eat.
Day 36 – A picture of your ‘other half’.
Day 37 – A picture of the people you spend most of your time with.
Day 38 – A picture of the best part of your day.
Day 39 – A picture of your favorite movie.
Day 40 – A picture of your favorite Disney character.
Day 41 – A picture of your pet.
Day 42 – A picture of your dream house.
Day 43 – A picture of something you can’t function without.
Day 44 – A picture of someone you’re told you look like.
Day 45 – A picture of your room.
Day 46 – A picture of where you wish you were right now.
Day 47 – A picture of your favorite place to shop.
Day 48 – A picture of your favorite actress/actor.
Day 49 – A picture of where you live.
Day 50 – A picture of your most frequented place.
Day 51 – A picture of your dream car.
Day 52 – A picture of your favorite sport.
Day 53 – A picture of someone you think is hot.
Day 54 – A picture of the one thing you would bring if you were stranded on a deserted island.
Day 55 – A picture of the last movie you saw in theaters.
Day 56 – A picture of something that makes you happy.
Day 57 – A picture of your favorite holiday.
Day 58 – A picture of your favorite animal.
Day 59 – A picture of a random item that you own.
Day 60 – A picture of something you’re excited about

Here is today’s post:

Day 01 – A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.

1. I am a lapsed Mormon. I haven’t been to church in 4 years. I have considered going back but my husband isn’t a member of the church. (It’s an entire lifestyle)
2. I am absolutely obsessed with FRIENDS & Dexter.
3. I am a pretty avid tweeter. {www.twitter.com/auphelia}
4. Growing up I swore I would never be like my parents. Now, I go to them for everything.
5. I have never met my maternal grandfather. He is in prison for life.
6. I cannot stop biting my fingernails.
7. I adore France and the French language.
8. I want to do too many things with my life – so many that I can’t decide on a single path to follow.
9. I say “shut up” way too often.
10. I love living in Japan. I hate my husbands work schedule.
11. I am addicted to my iPhone.
12. I still think of (and miss) Kairi everyday.
13. I clean when I am stressed, sad, or mad.
14. Growing up I hated spicy foods – now I love hot wings.
15. Chemistry and Web Development were my favorite classes in high school.

Wordless Wednesday – The Marina

Valentine’s Day 2011

Christian got me a couple odds & ends for Valentine’s Day and it was all very thoughtful and sweet of him. He got me two in-game World of Warcraft pets (Lil’ Ragnaros & Moonkin Hatchling) which I looove because I am a super nerd and I collect the game pets. He also got me two Precious Moments figurines – one holding the November birthstone and the other holding the July birthstone. Can you guess why? For the kids of course! He also got me two of my favorite candies ever (giant chewy sweetarts and chewy sprees), along with $20 in cash for me to pick somewhere to eat our late Valentine’s Day dinner. Christian worked the last 12 days in a row so I am grateful he found the time to grab something for me at all, especially something so thoughtful. It’s not fancy, it’s not expensive, but it’s so me. Thank you, my love.

My lovely gifts

Christian got two of his much desired gifts for Valentine’s Day: a grill and Little Big Planet 2. He’s been asking for the game since it was announced and when it was finally released the Exchange sold out almost immediately. They called the other stores and everyone gave me the same answer: no copies in stock, no idea when the next shipment would arrive. I finally ordered it off of Amazon but we’re still waiting on the box to arrive. He did, however, get his grill the same day that he picked it out so he went to putting it together right away. He cooked some delicious steaks for us right off the bat, then made fantastic hamburgers and hot dogs the next night.

Enjoying himself

We spent our actual Valentine’s Day out with a friend, Mindy, and her girls at MonaKids Jungle. I have a post in the works about our adventures there that should be out by this weekend. Keep an eye out – it’s an awesome place and I can’t wait to show off all the fun photos we took!

Feeding Miss Leah: 2

It’s been a while since I posted about Leah’s progress with trying new foods and textures. In all honesty it’s mostly because I’ve given in to her picky-ness lately and have just let her eat whatever she wants. She has been quite the tiny tyrant and Daniel has his first cold. She had a few days where it was her way or the highway and for the sake of my sanity I went with the tried and true ‘meals’. I decided two nights ago to try to come up with a new food with a bit of substance to it that Leah could try to try to get her back on track. For some reason I was into sandwiches that night and decided to go with a PB&J. Sure, it’s not the healthiest thing in the world, but it’s better than letting her eat applesauce all day.

I put apple slices, yogurt drops, Ritz crackers, and her PB&J (cut into random shapes using one of my new kitchen gadgets I got at the 100¥ store) on a Minnie Mouse plate it hopes that it would entice her to clear it off entirely.

As expected Leah avoided the sandwich at all costs. She ate the Ritz crackers one by one, moved onto the yogurt drops, then the apple slices. I could tell she was curious about the sandwich pieces but wasn’t brave enough to try them herself. I took a bit to show her it was okay but she just was not having any of that. Christian showed her instead and she immediately opened her mouth, willing to take a bite. If that doesn’t scream “Daddy’s girl” I don’t know what does.

To my surprise she didn’t find the sandwich to be repulsive. She took two more small bites before deciding she was done. Truthfully, I am just grateful she tried the sandwich. People tell me I should have higher expectations of her otherwise she will never improve but I think she’s doing just fine on her own. She’s happy, she’s healthy, and she’s thriving. Being picky about what she will eat is her quirk. I’m a pretty particular eater myself so I can’t say I blame her! This works for us for the time being. I am still trying to think up new foods I can make for her that won’t be too difficult to get her to try texture wise which I think is the toughest part. Well, that’s not entirely true. The hardest part is definitely being okay with her making a big mess just because she can. Such is the life of a toddler mama!

Wordless Wednesday – My husband

2007 - Dating

2008 - Just Married

2009 - Deployment #1

2010 - Deployment #2

2011 - Okinawa

The Simple Things

 

“My bubbles!”

Over the past few months we’ve noticed Leah is tiring of the old games we would play with her such as peek-a-boo or tickle wars. As she’s getting older she has more energy and want to physically be involved in what’s happening – not just acting as a bystander. She loves being scared (no, really!) and will sometimes stand in the corner to let you hide then will walk around trying to find you. She jumps and shrieks when you pop out but she immediately begins to laugh and clap. There are days when she wants to play alone, happily babbling away while tinkering around in her play kitchen or with her shopping cart. Then there are times when she wants something out of the ordinary, when a “normal” game won’t cut it. You can try all of the ‘tried and true’ activities only to have her have a tantrum or completely ignore you out of boredom. Monday was that kind of day.

 

Sitting in amazement

During my trip to the 100¥ store I noticed a toy-like aisle. They had crayons, chalk, dolls, paint, bubbles, balloons, and even fake food. I remember my mother mentioning during her visit that Leah seemed to like bubbles. I figured they were cheap, why not grab some and try to play with them inside later on? I also grabbed a bag of balloons because I remembered her getting excited about seeing one at the PX Food Court. Later that night when she got bored and was ready to tantrum to let us know just how bored she was I broke out both purchases. I found what they call “touch bubbles” at the store along with classic bubbles so I bought a bottle of each. The touch bubbles were made of an odd almost latex-like material. Leah liked that she could touch them and that they didn’t pop when they landed but she also noticed that they left a residue on her hands which she wasn’t completely fond of. She enjoyed the old school bubbles and chased them around swatting at them then clapping when they all disappeared.

 

Blowing bubbles

After 15ish minutes I started getting light headed from blowing bubbles nearly nonstop so Christian blew up two balloons for Leah to play with. At first she was mad at me (clearly I am a mean, mean mama!) but once she noticed the balloons she had completely forgotten about the bubble games we had just been playing. She struggled to carry both balloons at the same time but once she realized she could hold them by the tied off end she had a blast, running around throwing them and hitting them together.

 

Mastering the balloons

She happily played with them for about a half an hour then it was getting close to her bedtime so there were no games or distractions that would prevent the inevitable exhaustion tantrums we often face when she is suddenly hit with fatigue. We made her warm cup of milk (as is tradition before naps and bedtime), then she relaxed for a few minutes before heading upstairs. All the while Daniel and Christian were having some much needed father-son time, chatting away and just basking in each others awesomeness.

 

Why yes, we are quite handsome.

What Will 100 Yen Get Me?

Saturday I was given a unique opportunity: the chance to go shopping alone.

I decided I was going to visit the 100¥ plaza I found while my Mom and I drove around a few weeks back. A 100¥ shop is the equivalent of a dollar store in the states. (100¥ is approximately $1.21 currently) I easily spent an hour there looking through each aisle at all of the cute odds & ends. I often tell Christian that one of my favorite things about Japan is that they make everything look fun and cutesy. Even their baby formula has happy anime-type characters practically begging you to buy their can (Daniel will just have to do without! 😉 ). I took some photos to share because I’m sure I can’t be the only one out there who enjoys seeing photographs of day-to-day stores, objects, and places in foreign countries!

Outside the store

Down a random aisle

Bento!

Drinks - 2 for 100¥!

Note the familiar sweets...

The aforementioned formula cans

Lots of snacks

Super Bowl Sunday: Supporting Grandpa

 

The Steelers may not have won Super Bowl XLV but Leah and Daniel were still wearing their jerseys in support of their Grandpa’s all-time favorite team. 🙂 Granted, we slept through the majority of the game (D has gone nocturnal on us!) it was still disappointing to see the final score. There’s always next year!

 

Feeding Miss Leah: 1

Most of our friends and family know who Leah is – my 18 month old daughter – but not all realize that she is one of the pickiest eaters I know. She is very texture specific and still prefer pureed baby mush over solid foods. We’ve been struggling to find snacks, meals, and treats that are not only tasty but also reasonably healthy for her. We are not willing to force new foods into her mouth and we also do not believe in withholding food in an attempt to coerce her to eat what is placed before her. Instead, I am serving her small amounts of different foods – both familiar and new – and letting her take the lead. If she tries something, great!, but I do not expect her to change her eating ways overnight.

Today was the first day of my new plan to expose her to more foods. I purchased this Dr. Sears Nibble Tray off of Amazon and have used it mostly when out & about to hold snacks in place. Tonight I used it to keep everything separate while still providing a decent serving size in case she did enjoy something new.

Her tray consisted of 3 chicken nuggets cut into cubes, corn, blueberries, yogurt drops, Ritz crackers, cheese cubes, and honey grahams.

The bolded foods are those that Leah has never eaten before. As expected, she didn’t eat any tonight, either. She did, however, touch them and take some out of the tray which is a start. She ate everything else on her tray along with some dried banana slices.

This weekend I am hopefully making a soup or two that I intend to have her try. I’m still coming up with finger food ideas – if you have some, pass them my way!

New Year, New Goals

With a new year comes a new set of goals. I have 7 main ‘resolutions’ I want to stick to this year, and for the sake of remembering them and remaining accountable (to myself at least) I have decided to share them here.

1. Take more pictures. Ideally I would like one good photo of each child every day. Daniel is already changing so much it is hard to believe he isn’t even 2 months old yet. Leah will be 18 months in a few days and photos have definitely been lacking around here lately. Sure, I take snapshots with my iPhone but I want to really start taking my camera around with me again so they are better quality.
2. Blog more often. Currently our blog is yet again lacking updates but I have a darn good excuse in my opinion!  I don’t expect to be able to post big entries everyday by any means but I want to update it in some way at least 3x a week. Let’s face it, sometimes there isn’t a lot going on in our day-to-day life. So I may fill posts with photos if need be. 😉
3. Make more friends. I need more friends, period. End of story. I need to socialize for my sanity and Leah could definitely use the interaction, too. I’m sure there are plenty of nice people here I could be great friends with…they are all probably just as nervous and shy as me, right?? *crickets*
4. Read 1 book a week (or 52 total by the end of 2011). Pretty self-explanatory! I have a TON of books I want to read but never seem to get around to opening. Not after this year! I don’t want to give myself criteria of what counts as a “worthy” book, so I’ll say really any new reading material is okay. I am considering doing a monthly round up of the books I’ve read just for the sake of doing so. For my fellow bookworms (or those doing a ready resolution) I am on GoodReads.com and Shelfari.com – look me up!
5. Pay off ½ of our debt. We only had one bill for the longest time then we visited family on vacation, I found out I was pregnant, we moved halfway across the world…and spending got away from us. Unexpected expenses arose and we spent money “just once” on credit cards for various reasons. We definitely aren’t in over our head (we could be completely free of debt in 9 months if I really wanted us to be) but I don’t want us to use every last extra cent of our paychecks to pay bills. We need money to treat ourselves every once in a while and for unexpected expenses (baby items being concern #1). So, I’m going to be really lax and say just 50%. That sounds like a nice, safe number to me!
6. Build up our savings. Ideally I would like to have 6m worth of pay (approx.. $21,000) but I am aiming for $7,000 by 2012. This would be do-not-touch-until-the-sky-falls savings. We have two savings accounts, one is more for putting money aside for large cash purchases as opposed to actual long-term saving.
7. Finally, cook at home more often. My goal is 4 times a week. This means actual means – no frozen pizzas. In my ideal world I would be able to cook fabulous meals 7 days a week but let’s face it, I am a newbie in the kitchen trying to juggle two kids. That just isn’t going to happen quite yet. If you have any recipes you want to share e-mail them to me! I’d love to read them. {auphelia@ymail.com}

Well, those are MY goals for 2011. What are yours?