3 going on 13

My favorite phrases:
1. "But Moommm, it's not PERRRFFFECT!!!!" (hmm, which parent does this sound like?)
2. "You crack me up, Zander." (building up his self-esteem of course)
3. "Do you want to hear some tinkles?" (preface to each potty time)
4. "Vamanos, Zander, Vamanos!!!" (thanks again Dora the Explorer)
5. "We don't say THAT word . . . but we can say 'Oh my gosh, or holy cow, or fiddlesticks, but not THAT word.'" (acceptable expressions)
6. "Don't you tell me no!!" (mimicking Mom & Dad)
7. "Santa's not scary, he's nice." (self reassurance)
8. "Yeah, that's cool." (one of my all time favorites)
9. "Of course." (common response to Mom & Dad's request to do something)
10. "The food will be ready soon, but I just have to be PATIENT." (working on weaknesses)

Chatterbox

My ever-expanding vocabulary list:
1. Mama
2. Dada
3. bye
4. huh-woh (hello)
5. Wassat? (What's that?)
6. Papa
7. booey (booty)
8. Melmo (Elmo)
9. baw (ball)
10. knee
11. bee-bee (baby)
12. nana (banana)
13. dank-doo (thank you)
14. ha (hat)
15. hoos (shoes)
16. po-yo (pillow)
17. bo (boat)
18. moo (moon)
19. no (nose)
20. eye
21. mine
22. peez (please)
23. ni-ni (night night)
24. Do-do (Dora)
25. Boos (Dora's friend Boots)
24. moooo (cow sound)
25. mow (kitty sound)
26. nee-nee (horse sound)
27. doo-doooo (rooster sound)
28. eee-eeee (monkey sound)
29. me
30. ha-da (hot dog)
31. eeese (cheese)
32. pee pee (potty)
33. no no
34. uh-oh
35. oh no
36. mote (remote)


And you all thought my sister talks a lot!!

Barney's Buddies

Inspired by our big purple dinosaur friend, we have donned our pirate hats (yes, those are our pants on our heads) and are sailing on our new ship to Coco Island for a pirate picnic. Would you like to join us?

"Go home and take the rest of the day off"

Well, here I am, with no more guests, laundry to do, a house to clean, presents to wrap, cards to fill out, gifts to mail, people to call, and emails to return . . . but I don't care at the moment because I'm going to take the rest of the day off. I'm just plain old tired. Not necessarily that sleepy kind of tired, but the kind where you are just worn out and need to sort of take a mental break. So, per my Mom's instructions, that is what I am going to do for the rest of the day.

This morning we got up early (as usual) and got ready to take my Dad to the airport. On our way, we stopped and got some yummy malasadas, which are Portuguese in origin, similar to a doughnut, and very popular in Hawaii. My Dad said it was "the best baked item" he has ever had. So if you ever come to visit, remind us to stop and get you one (or a dozen if Brian is around). Then we headed over to the Navy Exchange to burn some time before my Dad's flight, and while we were there we ran into Santa. As soon as I pointed him out, Charley immediately got the "deer in headlights" look, as if she was thinking, "Please God, not again!" I'm hoping that with a little more explanation and rational discussion over the next couple weeks, we can get her prepped for our annual Santa photo session so that we don't have a repeat of the last two years, which as most of you know involved pure hysteria. So, after the Santa spotting, we headed to the airport to drop my Dad off, and for the first time, Charley cried at the departure of a grandparent. It was pretty sad, but it makes me happy to see how bonded Charley is to her Grandpa, even though the distance makes it hard to see him more than a time or two a year.

After wiping a few tears, we headed off in the direction of the Navy Commissary because I was completely out of milk for the kids and knew I HAD to go, even though I didn't want to. Somehow I took a wrong turn and ended up being forced to enter Hickam Air Force Base instead of the Navy Base, but then I remembered this base had a store too, so I stumbled around the base until I found it. I tortured myself with a brief grocery shopping trip (the kids were tired and hungry so therefore NOT on their best behavior), and then headed home. So here we are on this gray rainy day (which is a nice change), sitting around being bums for the rest of the day. And for just today, I don't feel one bit guilty about it.

Wrapping Things Up

As my Dad's visit quickly draws to a close, we've kept ourselves busy continuing the "Palm Tour" of the island. On Sunday, my Dad and I left the kids with Brian for a few hours, and we headed downtown to Waikiki Beach for a quick look-see. We had brunch at The Cheesecake Factory (yum, yum!), and then walked down the beach front area, window shopping and people watching. My Dad was shocked at the fact that the beach was wall to wall people, and even more surprised to hear that it is even more packed during the Christmas holidays and summertime when kids are out of school and people travel more. For those of that have not been there, Waikiki is beautiful and interesting, but is definitely not the place to go for a quiet day at the beach. Relative to the number of tourists there, the beach is not very big and is in the heart of downtown and is constantly filled with thousands of people. On the other hand, this area has a lot of fun shopping and interesting people, so it just depends on what you are looking for. Along our walk we came across this tree, which sort of reminds me of something you would see in a Dr. Suess book. If you look closely, you can see many birds nesting in its branches (or are those roots?).



Yesterday we spent some time doing some Christmas shopping for the kids, and along the way, I picked up this like-new little slide off Craigs List for only $25 (what a steal!).



Needless to say, the kids LOVE it and have already gotten their $25 worth out it. Today we ran up to the Army Base and all got our flu shots, and then we headed on over to the Dole Plantation to show Grandpa Ed what was up with pineapples. He was very surprised to learn (as many people are) that pineapples do not actually grow on trees, but rather they grow on the ground. Who knew? One of the kids' favorite parts of the plantation is the fish pond. Here are my cuties feeding the fish...



So here we are, back at home for a couple hours of down time, as Grandpa Ed gets ready to head back to Sacramento tomorrow. It's been a busy week, but a fun one at that. Next on the agenda? Getting ready for Christmas. Decorating, Christmas parties, visiting Santa, wrapping gifts, lots of food....here we come!

A Great Finish . . .

Well, the conclusion of my birthday was just as great as the start. First, we went and did a little sight-seeing. Our first stop was at one of the windiest places I've ever been to, the Pali Lookout. As you can see, the wind is quite strong there...

Dad, my hair is out of control!


Grandpa Ed and the kids


Wow Mom, that is some crazy hair you have!


After the lookout, we drove around the southeast corner of the island along a scenic highway, showing my Dad some of Oahu's best known sights, like Chinaman's Hat, the Blowhole, and Diamond Head State Park. We were a little concerned about the weather because it rained almost the entire drive, and we were hoping the weather would pass by the time our Catamaran ride started. After heading home, freshening up a bit, and dropping the kids off at Heather's house, it was time to go sailing. And let me tell you, the sailing trip was absolutely beautiful. The weather was perfect, the ride was smooth, the drinks were free, there was plenty of food, and the company was awesome.





Just when I thought the night couldn't get any better, I was so excited to discover that both my kids were asleep at Heather's house (this is truly a miracle in itself), so picking them and getting them to bed at home was a cinch (thanks Heather!). It was definitely a great birthday, so thanks to everybody that made it possible!

A Great Start . . .

Well, so far it is only 9:30 a.m. here, but I've already had a great birthday. First, Brian got up with the kids this morning so that I could sleep in (I told him this is all I wanted for my birthday this year :)). The plan worked perfectly, except that he accidentally left Hobie, our dog, in the bedroom with me, so every time I would move I would hear the jingle of a dog collar and the wagging of a dog tail...but truth be told, this was still better than hearing the screams of children. When I finally emerged downstairs 30 minutes later than normal, Brian said, "Hey Charley, isn't there something you want to tell Mommy? Very smugly, she looked at me and replied, "Well, I'm SUPPOSED to tell you Happy Birthday." Her enthusiasm did pick up however when Brian reminded her about the birthday present she had for me. She quickly retrieved a BEAUTIFUL birthday present. What do you think?



After thanking Charley profusely for the wonderful picture, I asked her for a hug, and she said, "Well, I'm hungry, so I will give you a hug AFTER I get some breakfast." Hmmm, I wonder where Charley gets her attitude? :) So, after breakfast, my Dad surprised me with a card and money for a pedicure, which I cannot wait to use. Now we are on our way out the door for a nice drive and some sight seeing, and later we are going on an adults only Catamaran cruise (food and booze included) organized through Brian's work...sounds like a pretty great birthday to me!

Turkey Day Advice

"Don't worry, today is just another day, and tomorrow is another one, and it will pretty much stay like that for awhile."

--My Mom, Charlotte, on how to survive Thanksgiving Day (needless to say, after she shared this ever-so sage advice, we had a good laugh when we realized how moronic it was)

Thanks Giving

I am thankful for . . .

1. My beautiful daughter, who is strong, tenacious, independent, creative, articulate, intelligent, and simply amazing

2. My handsome son, who is smiley, silly, curious, observant, sensitive, affectionate, and simply amazing

3. My wonderful husband, my soulmate, the father of my children, a man that God hand-picked just for me, who is simply amazing

4. The chance to live in this beautiful paradise that is now our home, and to live in this perfect house that Brian so carefully chose for us

5. All my new friends that have so openly welcomed me into their lives

6. Our health

7. The opportunity for me to spend some time at home with my children, soaking up every minute of this special time in their childhood

8. The effort made by all our old friends and family to stay close, despite the thousands of miles that stand between us

9. Our awesome pets, Hobie and Oliver, who have followed us all over the country and across oceans, pets that so unselfishly eat all the scary monsters that lurk around our house, just for Charley and Zander

10. For this amazing life that God has given us . . .

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

More Honesty . . .

Danielle: "Charley, do you know who is coming to visit you today?!?"

Charley: "Paaapaaa Eeeeddddd!!!!

(pause, as she looks off deep in thought)....

Charley: ..."But we don't want him to see our dirty potties... but that's okay, you cleaned them."

Danielle: (laughing) "That's right, I cleaned them for once."

Thanksgiving Scrooge

While I always enjoy the end result of Thanksgiving dinner (i.e. eating mass amounts of food with virtually no guilt), I despise all the preparation required for this one meal. I hate the crowds of people clogging up the isles at the grocery store. I hate running from store to store trying to piece together all my ingredients because for some crazy reason, several stores fail to order extra roasting pans, cranberry jelly, and frozen pies for the holiday weekend. I hate that the cashier at the grocery store ripped the price tag off my turkey and didn't give it back because now I have absolutely no idea how much my turkey weighs so that I can figure out its cooking time. I hate the fact that the cashier lady at the Quickie Mart has to make the comment to the other clerk, "Boy, this one sure likes the drink" simply because I bought two six packs of beer and vodka, again in preparation for our impending guests and the upcoming holiday. But mostly I hate the fact that Thanksgiving means my birthday is lurking around the corner and I turn another year older.

Okay, now that I have all my whining out the way, on a much happier note, we are excited that my dad, Ed, will be joining us for the next week. It has been almost a year since we've seen him, and this will be his first trip to Oahu, so we are all looking forward to the visit. And I cannot help but mention that we are also looking forward to spending at least a couple days of the week at the beach, lounging around and working on our tans in our balmy 83 degree weather. The reason I mention this you might ask? Oh, mainly because several of you mentioned to me in the past couple days that you are expecting snow. And yes, as crazy as it may sound, we are jealous that you get to experience snow. So maybe I'm trying to make you jealous that we get to spend some of the weekend at the beach. Is it working?

The Virtue of Honesty

Charley: "Mommy, can I touch your big boobies?"

Danielle: (laughing) "No sweetie, you cannot touch my boobies. Do you really think their big?"

Charley: "No."

Six Degrees of Separation

The world truly is a very very small place . . . . either that, or God makes it just a little bit smaller when we need Him to.

Two months ago, shortly after we moved here, I decided to take the kids for a walk, with no particular destination in mind. We walked a couple blocks from our house before I randomly decided to hang a left down a street that we had not traveled down before. Towards the end of the street, I just happened to glance at this gal coming out of her garage, pushing two small boys in a stroller. I sort of squinted, looked at her closer, and decided she looked a little familiar. So, I asked her, "Excuse me, where are you from?" She looked at me kind of funny and asked, "Are you Amber?" Now, many of you may not know this, but Amber was that friend in high school that we all had, that one who I was joined at the hip with, the one that people always associated me with. So, her question of whether I was Amber was not so weird, and so I said, "No, I'm Danielle." She laughed and said, "Oh, I knew it was one of you." As it turns out, I had run into Heather, a gal I had worked with fifteen years ago in Montana at the Big Sky Waterslides where we were both life guards. And if that wasn't enough, she had married Matt, and Matt's dad and my mom worked together for many years at the Hungry Horse Dam and were very close friends until Matt's dad moved to another part of the state. I have fond memories of those waterslide days, one of which includes my first drunken night at a local bar with Heather and Matt (and yes, I was only 16 and at the bar for those of you that can do math . . . but hey, this was a redneck bar and they weren't carding and no, I didn't drive). Now think about it . . . what are the chances of me running into someone I knew in Montana fifteen years ago, all the way out here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, AND that person only lives three blocks from me?

My left turn that day has turned out to be a complete blessing. Heather has taken me under her wing, introducing me to all the neighbor ladies and inviting me along on their Thursday night ritual of watching Grey's Anatomy, drinking wine, and eating popcorn. She has taken care of my kids on several occasions when emergencies came up. My kids absolutely love her (Charley calls her "Momma Heather"), my kids love her two boys, and my kids love going to her house. Matt and Heather watched our dog for us so that we could enjoy a night away from home last month. Matt and Heather have completely opened up their home to us, and for that, I am extremely grateful. Now I just have to start working on repaying her . . . :)

Matt's parents are in town visiting, and Matt's dad was a military man himself years ago. So, today the kids and I took Matt, one of his boys, and his dad to Barber's Point Air Station where Brian works, and Brian gave them "the tour." I decided this was a good opportunity for me to take some pictures and show everyone where Brian works.

This is the front of the air station . . . nice, huh?

This is the back of the air station, the hanger area, where they store the helicopters and perform maintenance on the C-130's

Brian giving the C-130 spiel to his tour guests

The view from the front of the air station

I've been asked many times since we've been out here how Brian likes his job and if he's adjusted to being back at a Coast Guard station. While only Brian can truly answer these questions, my impression is that he does in fact like his new job and is happy back among his Coast Guard peers. We both agree that Little Rock and the Air Force treated us EXTREMELY well and was a perfect arrangement for our life situation the past three years (i.e. having two kids, me finishing school and working, etc.). But I haven't heard any complaints from Brian, and he's never in a bad mood when he comes home from work, so he must like it so far, right?

The List (Part II)

Dear Santa,
My wants this year are simple. I would like:

1. sports balls of any kind . . . soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, I don't care, as long as I can throw it at people while running and yelling, "Baw, baw, baw!!!!!"
2. anything motorized . . . again, I'm not picky . . . trucks, airplanes, trains, cars, bulldozers, or anything that slightly resembles a vehicular unit
3. anything Elmo . . . because all I know is that "Melmo" is the coolest dude on Sesame Street
4. a new sister that isn't so bossy . . . I know this is a tall order, but I'm not sure I can stand a lifetime of living in "Charley's world"

That's it, that's all I want. And let's be honest, unlike my sister, there is little doubt whether I'm on the "nice list" this year. I would say I'm a pretty good boy, and no harm was seriously meant when I threw my sister's shoe in the toilet, or climbed on top of the dining room table, splashed dog water all over the kitchen, or pulled all the garbage out of the garbage can. Nobody seemed to mind too much after I flashed them the infamous Zander smile. And hey, also unlike my sister, I'm looking forward to seeing you this year, especially if it means watching her squirm!

Love,
Zander Palm

Too Much T.V.

Charley: "So Mom, what should we do today?"

Danielle: "I don't know Charley, do you have any good ideas?"

Charley: "Hmmm . . . well, we could go to the jungle and swing from some trees . . . "

Danielle: (silently to myself) "Curse you, Dora the Explorer, curse you."

The List

Dear Santa,
Here are the things that I told Mommy I want for Christmas, but she said I need to ask you myself. So, not in any order of importance, I would like:

1. a leaf blower
2. a cleaning rag
3. a surf board
4. a skate board
5. a ball (and as I told you on the phone, I promise to share this with my brother)
6. a new rope
7. a "big one" necklace
8. some new clothes or somethin'

I'm hoping that this letter will sufficiently inform you of what I want for Christmas and that I won't have to present these ideas to you in person as I have had to in years past. And I hope you know it's not anything personal. I'm just a little freaked out by large men with big white beards and fuzzy red suits.

Sincerely,
Charley Palm

P.S. Is it still a prerequisite to be on the "nice list" and not the "naughty list" in order to receive these gifts? If so, what is your definition of "nice"?

Testing, Testing, 1-2-3

Yeaaaa, we finally got this thing up and running! Starting this blog has been a work in progress for quite awhile, but we never seemed to be able to find the time to get things going. Well, now that I have a bit more time on my hands, and since we are farther away from everybody than ever before, we decided that there is no time like the present. So, we are going to use this blog as a way to keep everybody updated on our happenings, post some pictures and videos once in awhile, and hopefully keep everyone in the know when it comes to the Palm Family. I know, I know, you have nothing better to do than sit around and wonder what the Palm Family is doing . . . but just in case you were, here you go! We will all try to post something as often as we can, so keep checking back . . . and if you should feel so inspired, don't hesitate to make comments. Thanks for listening!