Tyler Makes Dinner

What a sweet boy I have! Tonight he offered to make dinner for us. Since I really didn't have anything planned yet, I totally welcomed the idea. Tyler prepared peanut butter sandwiches for us both. He even set the table with forks and butter knives for us to eat the sandwiches with. LOL And added napkins folded all fancy-like. We ate dinner together at his little table where he had everything set up. While we were eating, he told me if we eat everything on our plates that he would also make dessert. LOL Oh boy, I love dessert, so after we finished all of our dinners, he made both of us a bowl of yogurt with honey. It was sooo delish!!! The entire dinner was just absolutely beautiful and really cheered me up thanks to my wonderful son.

Tyler DOES the Darndest Things

Tyler passed me this note and then stood like a statue...

In case, you are unable to read it, it says "I am not here today." LOL

Lego Bus

A Day of Goodbyes

Our Memorial Day weekend continued yesterday with a chat with Dad. Sadly, this would be our last chat together for awhile as the ship left port this morning to continue their mission. So, as always we made the most of it. Later when he was on the ship, he phoned us to say goodnight and to tell us how excited he was to receive his Father's Day gift. We were quite surprised because we only mailed it about 4 days ago. He said he is going to wait to open it until Father's Day.

Soon after we talked to Steve, we left to go to Virginia Beach where we met Trevor and his family for one last visit before they go back to Maryland, and to give Trevor his birthday present. He turned 6 years old today! They treated Tyler and I to a fabulous dinner at a great seafood restaurant. During dinner Tyler and Trevor were kind of shy with each other, however it wasn't long before they were the best of pals. After dinner, we enjoyed a magic show in the street in front of the restaurant. Trevor's older brother, "Big Tyler", sat with the boys while they watched the show. Unfortunately, "Little Tyler" and I needed to head back home after the show was over as it was starting to get late. We're hoping that we'll see Trevor and his family before too long. We had a wonderful time with them.

Memorial Day Weekend

It was a busy start to our long weekend. Our apartment complex held their annual Continental Breakfast over at the clubhouse this morning. As always we weren't disappointed by the delicious spread of food they provided for us. On the way back to our apartment, we noticed the lifeguard prepping the pool for its' grand opening. We had exactly 10 minutes to rush home and get changed before it officially opened. Once we arrived however, we found out we had a little while more to wait before we could go in. Tyler had been talking forever about wanting to be the first one in the pool. Unfortunately, he was beat by another boy only by about 30 seconds. Oh well, he was excited to try out his new life vest and board the Easter Bunny brought him. He only had the life vest on a short time before taking it off and swimming without it. We were only at the pool for about an hour before we received a call from Trevor's grandmother saying they arrived in Virginia Beach.

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from her saying they would be in the area during the holiday weekend. Some of you may recall from way back when we lived in Maryland, Tyler had a best friend from preschool named Trevor. Tyler and Trevor were the best of friends often having play dates together. Over the years we still kept in touch and his grandmother suggested that this weekend since they would be in the area that we get the boys together and see how they react to each other after not seeing each other for about three years. Of course, we were delighted to get together. Tyler couldn't wait to see his buddy as he often talked about Trevor and the big trampoline he had in his backyard. We met Trevor and the rest of the family at Virginia Beach. The boys got reacquainted while playing together in the sand and water. Meanwhile it was nice to get caught up with Trevor's grandmother and rest of the family. We stayed for a couple of hours and they wanted us to go out for dinner with them, however I forgot Tyler's change of clothes and he was covered in sand. We are going to meet again for dinner tomorrow before they return to Maryland.
Steve Update: He was stuck on the ship today for duty. Booo!!!

Chat Cafe

Another day of chatting, shopping, tea and coffee drinking for Steve while in Bahrain. He was with two other guys also chatting to their wives. The sailors have to be in packs of three when they go off base. Tyler had fun showing him his paper airplane collection and even demonstrated a few for us. Meanwhile, Steve showed us how packed the mall was by taking us throughout the mall for a short walk. We're 1/3 finished with this deployment, but it couldn't come soon enough. We want him home now.

Chuck E. Cheese's

I should have titled this post "chaos". LOL Tyler has been forever asking for us to take him to Chuck E. Cheese's and tonight he finally got his request fulfilled. We've been putting off a visit to the restaurant/children's entertainment center for good reason; it's one big mass confusion there. LOL But tonight was an exception, it was for our PTA's fundraiser. Chuck E. Cheese's donated 15% of sales to Tyler's school. We invited Yasuko and Yuki to dine and play with us. Tyler ate some pizza and played A LOT of games. The restaurant gave the students an extra 10 free tokens to start off with. Tyler had a great time and he met up some of his classmates.
Steve Update: After he participated in a Change of Command on the ship for an Admiral on the base, he headed over to the mall for a little shopping and of course, Wi-Fi. Before he went to bed, we talked on the phone for awhile. :)

Pool and Great Japanese Food

Tyler and I got another chance to chat with Dad. Today he spent some time relaxing at the pool. It was about 100 degrees there in Bahrain with a slight breeze. After the pool, he joined his shipmates in his shop for a Hail and Farewell at a really cool Japanese restaurant. He said the restaurant was just like something you would see in a movie. Afterwards, he enjoyed some delicious Japanese tea called Happy Forest. Overall, it was a really good day for the entire Smith Family. Steve had a great day off the ship and we got to chat a few times throughout the day. :)

Chatting Away

Yay!!!!! We FINALLY got to chat with Dad today. :) :) :) :) It felt sooo nice to actually see him and hear his voice. Tyler and I have missed him so very much.This was the first time we got to see him since he shaved his head a few weeks ago. Yes, he shaved his head. LOL The other guys in the office were doing it, so he got trapped into doing it too. Oh, the peer pressure. LOL Anyway, his hair grows so fast that he'll have a full head of hair in no time. I think he still looks super cute as always. :) So, we chatted today for awhile and it totally made my day. He was at the mall and he turned the laptop so we could both people watch which was quite interesting considering he was in Bahrain off the base. LOL We had a lot of fun with it. Tyler showed him his Geo Trax train layout he designed himself ad then took it all apart and built it a brand new way for us. I'm sooo happy Steve is off that ship. Unfortunately, tomorrow he has duty. Oh well, I'm extremely happy we got to spend some time "together" today. Sooo can't wait until he's back home in my arms!!!

Granola Bars and Bahrain

We're all about healthy snacks and today we made one of Tyler's favorites. Homemade granola bars without all the hydrogenated oils and refined sugars you typically find in the store bought kind. Ours was made with peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, peanuts we shelled ourselves, and oats. Tyler was a great to help out with the measuring, pouring, and mixing. The finished product was definitely a hit.
Steve Update: It's been awhile since I last updated you all on how Steve's deployment is progressing. Nothing much was new, just the daily stress of getting things done. Today, however, the ship pulled into the Navy base in Bahrain. We talked this morning and he said there might be a small chance of chatting online later on. He wasn't sure if it would be possible because there were 6000 other sailors from the ship also wanting to chat with their families. However, he did manage to get online for a short time. Unfortunately, I was unaware at the time and so I completely missed the chance to talk to him. This completely ruined the remainder of my day. :( But hopefully there will be more chances to talk to him later on. :)

At the Movies

We spent our afternoon at the movie theater today. Ever since we first saw the trailers for the movie, 'The Pirates! Band of Misfits', Tyler and I wanted to go see it. It finally came to the Cinema Cafe where we can get see it for the low admission price of a $1. Tyler laughed out loud throughout the movie and kept saying how good it was. The best part for me was having Tyler sit on my lap for most of it. It was chilly in the theater and he climbed over to me to help get him warm. If only he could stay my little boy forever.

Strike A Pose

Boo! Gymnastics class was canceled tonight. But to make up for it, Tyler and I decided to do a little yoga here at home. I taught him a few poses and then he showed me what he already learned from a yoga instructor that was at his school's Career Day. After we were all done, he insisted he teach me some gymnastics. While attempting to do a backward roll, he said that I needed a lot more practice. LOL Yep, I haven't done one of those in about 30 years or more. I must say though, Tyler was a terrific instructor.

Out of Gas...LOL

It's Magic

Tyler performed this cool magic trick today for me. When I asked him how he made the cap stay like that by itself, he said "a magician never reveals his secrets". LOL

Mom's Day Part 2-Greek Festival

My special day continued with a visit to the Greek Festival. This festival waited for all year long for. Yasuko, Yuki, Tyler, and I went last year and it was just as fabulous this year. The food is out of this world and it being Mother's Day I decided to treat myself to a wide selection of yumminess. My plate included pork souvlaki, moussaka, pastitsio, spanakopita, and for dessert, baklava which I shared with Tyler. His meal was his very favorite,  Greek salad, and some rice pilaf. The pork souvaki was just incredible. It was sooo good. And the moussaka was by far, the best I've ever tasted. After we finished making pigs of ourselves, we sat and let our food digest a bit while taking in the atmosphere. There was lots of entertainment that included Greek music and dancing. When we finally felt that we could get up and walk off our meals, we checked out the vendors. They had clothing, jewelery, souvenirs, books, ornaments and imported foods. We got the boys ice cream, while Yasuko and I shared some freshly made loukoumades. They made them right in front of us. Then we decided to tour the church. This was the first time we were inside and it was stunning. So many details to admire. Finally, it was time to head back home. The festival was a nice addition to my day. My mouth is already watering thinking about next year's. LOL Here are some more photos.

Mommy's Day

My Mother's Day started early this morning when my darling little son woke me up with a big Mother's Day greeting and a hug and kiss. Then he gave me the most precious crafts he worked so hard on at school. One of which came with a bag of tea for me to drink while relaxing. He had been so eager to give these to me ever since he secretly brought them home from school and hid them in his room. Then after getting up with him and getting him a drink and turning on the television, he told me that I should go sleep in today. LOL

So as a laid in bed listening to the television, it wasn't long before he came back in the bedroom and handed me a glass of water and said "Here Mom this is for you". LOL A few moments later, he came back with a bottle of water containing the remainder of the water. LOL He left the room once again. This time sometime had past before he ventured back in. When he did, he announced that he was giving me breakfast in bed. To my complete surprise, he made me a banana sandwich and some slices of banana on the side. It was the sweetest thing. No one has ever done that for me before. He stayed and sat with me in the bed while I ate the delicious breakfast he prepared for me all by himself. He was pretty darn proud of himself too.

Well, he didn't stop there either. While I was in the shower, he was quite busy making me more beautiful Mother's Day crafts. He made me a picture frame made out of Popsicle sticks, a paper figurine of myself, and a pom-pom fish. All of which are truly treasures. I also received a beautiful e-mail from my husband wishing me a Happy Mother's Day. The day didn't stop there though. I will add part 2 of my Mother's Day in tomorrow's post.

Theodore the Tugboat Visits Norfolk

When I heard that Theodore the Tugboat was going to be in Norfolk this weekend I was super excited. Theodore originates from Halifax, Nova Scotia, so it was like having a little piece of home right here in Virginia. For those not familiar with our tugboat friend, he is based on the Halifax based children's television program. He's basically our "Thomas the Tank Engine". He is also famous for his children's books, of which Tyler has in his own personal library here at the apartment.

 The plan for today was to actually surprise Tyler, however he kept asking where we were going to go with his friend, Yuki. Finally I gave in and said we were going to visit a type of boat that started with the letter "T". Well, he guessed "tugboat" right away. LOL So, then shortly after he started to think some more and then asked if it was the tugboat that has a face on it that Nanny gave us a book about. OK, I was pretty surprised he remembered about it because we only read the book once and it was last year. LOL We then got out the book and read it before going to see Theodore.

As soon as boarded Theodore, one of the crew picked Tyler up and brought him to the bridge and sat him right in the Captain's chair. He then placed the Captain's cap on him. Tyler was very proud to be sitting in such an important seat. Then it was Yuki's turn. We then toured the small tugboat. There was some Theodore merchandise for sale. Both Yuki and Tyler bought Theodore DVDs to watch at home. They've never seen the show before. We got to meet more of the crew which were based out of Halifax, so it was nice to talk to someone from home. They told us that Theodore sailed all the way down to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to get some work done. They made some stops along the way visiting different ports. Theodore's next stop is New York City where he is going to meet up with the Tall Ships and then together they will sail back home to Halifax. Another interesting note is that Norfolk is a Sister City to Halifax. Crazy, right? They both have a lot in common in that they are both Navy Cities.

In fact, Norfolk gave Halifax one its' mermaids as a gift. Norfolk and surrounding areas are known for their mermaid statues that are usually painted to match the theme of the particular area. If you have ever visited it, you will probably recall that they are just about located in every landmark here. They said the Halifax mermaid is located near the Dartmouth Ferry. I will definitely look for her then next time I'm in Halifax.
Anyway, we had a fabulous day and you can't help but smile when you see Theodore. I'm so glad that we finally got to see him in person. Here are some more photos of our visit with Theodore.

Tyler was super happy they used the rings tonight; they are his favorite apparatus.

Someone REALLY enjoyed their blackberries tonight.

Volunteer Reception

In appreciation for all of the countless hours we contribute to the school, the teachers, staff and PTA, held a Volunteer Reception to honor and thank us volunteers. After speeches and lots of yummy food, we were presented with a plant of our choice. I, along with the help from Tyler, picked out this strawberry plant. It was "berry" nice of the school to do this for us. The real reward is knowing that our time and work benefit the kids.

All Aboard

He built this all by himself today. It's a good thing too because I'm not much help when it comes to building with tracks. LOL

Pre-K Alumni 2011

We were honored to receive an invitation from Tyler's former Pre-K teachers, Ms. Charlene and Ms. Karen, to come back to Messiah Preschool to discuss kindergarten life with this year's graduating Pre-K class. When I told Tyler about it, he said he would only do it if his friend and fellow alumni member, Rachael, was also going to do it too. LOL Besides telling the class about what primary school is like, Tyler also read a book to the class. When it was all over, he told me that he really liked reading to the class and coming back and seeing everyone again. Both Rachael and Tyler did an awesome job!!! We were so very proud of them. It was so nice coming back to the preschool we love and miss so much. I always tell everyone that if the school offered kindergarten, we would have been more than happy to stay right at Messiah.

Tyler Does the Darndest Things

Tonight, Tyler wanted to make himself a "mushroom sandwich" for his night time snack. LOL It was nothing but bread and mushrooms and he loved it.

4 Wheelin'

Tyler was invited to his friend's, Shaun, birthday party this afternoon. Shaun was turning 4 years old. Tyler got to play with Rachael and Casey, who also attended the party. The highlight at the party was at the end when Shaun received a very special gift from his grandparents. It was a battery operated 4 wheeler. Shaun let everyone have a turn riding around the backyard. When it came time for Tyler's turn, he made the best of it by making a huge lap around the yard. We all laughed as it was too funny how enormous the circle was he made. The backyard is at least a few acres and for a moment we thought he was taking off on us. LOL

Reruns for Wee Ones

Yesterday we went through the very agonizing process of going through Tyler's room and picking out toys he no longer wants. If you've ever stepped foot in his room, then you know just how overwhelming and crowded his room is with toys. The thing is he doesn't play with half of them. He generally plays with the same stuff everyday: Legos, Hot Wheels cars, trucks, and boardgames. Though when deciding which toys to donate to Goodwill he claims that he plays with just about every toy in his room. In the end, we did manage to fill up a garbage bag which is a start and better than nothing, however we do have a long way to go. I think Mommy will have to secretly go back and pick out more toys while he is in school. He'll never even miss them being not there, he has that many toys. Oye!

I've Been Working on the Railroad...

Tyler sang this over and over  and OVER again for most of the afternoon.

May

Here is the page for the month of May for our calendar. Tyler's illustration is of us swimming at the pool. He even added some dragonflies. LOL The pool will be opening up very soon.We could have certainly used the pool today as it was a hot 92 degrees out there!

Growing Up Military

The official flower of the Military child is the Dandelion. Why? The plant puts down roots almost anywhere, and it's almost impossible to destroy. It's an unpretentious plant, yet good looking. It's a survivor in a broad range of climates. Military children bloom everywhere the winds carry them. They are hardy and upright. Their roots are strong, cultivated deeply in the culture of the military, planted swiftly and surely. They're ready to fly in the breezes that take them to new adventures, new lands, and new friends.

Experts say that military children are well-rounded, culturally aware, tolerant, and extremely resilient. Military children have learned from an early age that home is where their hearts are, that a good friend can be found in every corner of the world and in every color, and that education doesn't only come from school. They live history. They learn that to survive means to adapt, that the door that closes one chapter of their life opens up to a new and exciting adventure full of new friends and new experiences.