Lemon Throwing

Old pictures, but ya'll needed an Oce infusion!

*I make cute kids...*

So we've known we were going to Samoa for several months now. I've mentioned it before, but the short story is this: We work for an organization that has a medically equipped ship. The ship travels through the Pacific Islands every winter (non-typhoon season) and offers free medical care, as well as dental, optical, and when they can - eye surgeries for cataracts. After Joshua died, our director - Jesse - asked if we would mind them naming this outreach season (Winter 2008) the Joshua Outreach in his memory. Jesse found it fitting "Be Strong and Courageous"... makes sense right?

So every time a team comes on the ship (4 since April, we're the 5th and last) it's explained to the team about Joshua, about "Be Strong and Courageous", and it's been really special to us that in a special way Joshua's legacy lives on. For me it's been really special to know that specific children are helped this year - my mother (who lives on the ship with my father and little brother) tells me the stories about people she meets, how their lives are changed, and it means a lot to me. She says she sits with the Fijian and Samoan grandmothers and shows pictures of Joshua. Like my mother said to me several months ago - the parents in the Pacific cry just as much as we do, when they lose their babies.

Until 2 days ago the plan we for Havalah to stay here and be at the house on her own. She wasn't too excited about that. She's 19 and just starting to get used to being on her own. She doesn't do well when she's home alone - so she wasn't looking forward to the next two weeks. But then she got a temporary job (poor kid's been looking for over a month) for the next 2 weeks, up in Auckland. It's good for her in both respects - $$ and people. But we weren't thinking about being gone for two weeks without a "housewatcher". So as of two days ago we started "the list".

*Must finish leftovers
*Must finish milk
*Must all laundry (Two week old cloth diapers...*YEEEERRRRGGG!*)
*Must dry all laundry, or leave in a dryable location.
*Must clean entire kitchen
*Should dispose of months and months worth of recycling
*Should change sheets (it's been wayyyyyy too long)
*Should vacuum (especially since Andrea's popcorn is all over the floor)
*Should do a final blog
*and on and on and...

See? Must get done. Not that I'm complaining, but my hands are still bothering me since my dumb-dumb hair coloring moment - so washing dishes isn't on my "Yay List". I'm hoping that I can convince Matti that he'd like to do it. I can - but it's gonna frustrate me. And of course there's the "We're going on a two week trip in a 100 degree climate with a two-year-old so we better pack carefuly since we have to carry some medical supplies to the ship and take a few blankets and two packs of diapers in 40kg of luggage).

I'm losing it. Stop laughing you dork. Your husband/boyfriend/parent/kid is looking at you from across the room saying "Please stop snorting".

On that note.

Yes, today's going to be a bit of 97 subjects FYI.

Snorting. I went to college with a girl that snorted. I didn't like to sit with her a meals because other people sat with her in efforts to make her laugh and snort. (Oh, that an she burped like grungy old man, which she's proud of). Anyways. I never used to snort. Note the used to. Yeesh. Just recently I've noticed that if it's really funny - particular on TV when I'm not thinking about who's around me - I snort.

AK! I SNORT????? You've got to be kidding me.

I've noticed lately like Mrs Hub has been doing her "Dessert for Dinner" routine once a week in efforts to build a special fmaily tradition. I like the idea. While I'd love to pull that at our house, I don't know it will float at the moment - but I also won't be copying. I like the idea though - spoiling our kids for the sake of "Special" - not to create brats. I can assure you - from what I've read at Mrs Hub there's no detrimental spoiling going on - only lots and lots and lots of love. And that I love.

This morning Oceana asked for "Pop'orn". At 7:00am. And you know what? I gave her the nearly empty container and let her finish it (and spread it on the carpet, see above list). I know it's not on the list of Balance Foods for Breakfast - but she had fun. And I had fun watching her. she's not bouncing off that wall (like I said, it was nearly empty, since her auntie and Mommy made SHORT work of it last night). But I like doing things like that every once in a while.

Lately we've been having "Picnics" on the living room floor when we get fish and chips. We unwrap the newpaper and spread it out on the floor. We plop our food in the middle and pour our ketchup in puddles across the paper. It's a fun family meal - I'll have to take pictures next time we do it. I like things like that.

For me it's up there with snapping bushels of green beans when I was 12 while watching Sound of Music on the living room floor.

Like the first move I went to at a theatre on Christmas Eve 1993 (Mom needed to wrap presents so Dad got us out of the house).

Like the Hardees Chicken and Golden Corral stops on the way home from long 12 hours drives from NH to VA.

Like taking 2 weeks off school to go to Disneyworld for the first time in February 1999.

These are the things I remember.

The exceptions to the rule.

I wonder if Oceana will remember eating popcorn for breakfast, or flying to Samoa, or sailing on a ship.

I hope so. I hope the exceptions to the rule continue too.