October 25, 2010- Turtles, Rope Swings, Milkshakes, and Bedtime Routines...

     As I wrote the title of this blog, I couldn’t get the sight and sound of Julie Andrews from the Sound of Music singing, “These are a few of my favorite things” out of my head. I’m not a big musical fan, but I can’t help but love the magnificent scenes of Austria in the movie as well as the catchy tunes sung by various “family members” throughout the story.  There are a few things that are as magnificent in experience and view as those in the movies here on the atoll, and I had the good fortune to see and participate in 4 of my favorite activities all in one afternoon.      
     During my second year of leading the 4-H Ebeye Citizenship Club last year, I decided to try a new activity on Kwaj, “The Island Tour.” Originally my thoughts on the tour were to provide the Marshallese children an understanding of why there is an American base near their home island of Ebeye and how our lives are connected.  This would mean having the kids visit Mission Operations and asking the rocket scientists and radar engineers there to explain their jobs, which can get quite technical. During the last summer camp I led here, we took such a field trip there, and although their extensive Power Point presentations were impressive, they did have some trouble “bringing the information down” to the kids’ levels. So, in thinking out my “island tour” ideas a little more, I realized a bunch of third through sixth graders whose English is limited at best, would get very little out of such a tour.  This is when I changed gears and decided the best island tour I could give them would be one in which we participated in some of our “island kids” favorite activities on base. It ended up being one of the most relaxing and enjoyable activities we’d ever done in the club, so I decided to do it again this year. 

     First, we took our comfy island bus to the Kwajalein Turtle Pond where 3 resident sea turtles have spent most of their lives.  These guys love leafy greens, and we brought plenty to fill their bellies. The best part is when they are looking for more and raise their heads above the water, open their mouths, and breathe loudly in the potential meal provider’s direction.  I never get tired of visiting my turtle friends, and not to mention checking out the view next to the pond of the sailboats moored in the most beautiful blue-green lagoon in the world.  Next, we headed to the best beach on the island, “Coral Sands” where they have a most adventurous rope swing hanging off the branches of some sort of pine tree right over the water at high tide.  My two boys, of course, ended up dragging their bottoms in the water and sand while swinging, but that’s part of the fun, after all.  The sand is the softest and deepest on the island at this spot, and the ghost crabs for chasing down the beach are abundant! After washing and brushing the sand off our feet, we were back on the bus headed to the snack bar.  Normally, the snack bar would not be high on my list of favorite things to do, but the comfort of the milkshakes and/or ice cream you can get there is a favorite for both my kids and me!

     Last but not least, my other favorite activity really has nothing to do with the 4-H Club or the atoll. It’s a very personal favorite that involves my kids and our bedtime routine. I was able tonight to put my kids to bed while their dad was at an island function, and it just reminded me of why I’ve missed that so much the past three years I’ve not be able to be with them every night.  I love the reading, praying, and singing parts of bedtime with my babies.  My oldest son, when I asked him if he wanted me to put on his bedtime music from the CD player I bought for them as infants for just such a purpose, said, “Oh yeah! And can you say prayers with me? I’ve been saying them every night now.” I told him that I would love to, and I was so glad he wanted to hear his music as it’s not a tradition that his father has kept up since I’ve been gone. It was kind of a mom thing between my son and me.  At any rate, when I did put the music on, he told me about the songs he used to love listening to at bedtime and how he looked forward to being able to have our bedtime routine together at my new house soon.  That melted my heart, and to put a cherry on top of my already delicious evening with them, I went to my youngest son’s room, and he asked me to sing to him like I still do when he is able to stay with me, and he said, “What’s that song you sing that I like?” and when I sang some of it, he replied, “Yeah, that one, can you sing it?” I did, but before that he told me how whenever I sing to him it makes him go right to sleep because I sing so “good.” Okay, now my heart is just a ball of melted wax.  These are the things I needed to hear right now, and a day full of my favorite things has put life back into perspective.  I can’t wait to move into the newest phase of my life in a home of my own on the most beautiful atoll in the world!