Lovin' Summer

It's officially hot here on Okinawa, the weather report has started to list the low as 81 and the high as 89. The humidity is picking up which makes me feel like I'm in a steam room all the time. We've been doing our best to beat the heat with indoor activities and many trips to the beach and pool. Gabriella has started swim classes, so she is in the pool every morning at 8 am. Today was Greg's day off, since he worked on Sunday, so we headed out for a bit of adventure. Our first stop was a glass blowing factory in Yomitan, it was already almost 90 degrees and the workers were in the shop working over fiery heaters making beautiful handblown glass items. Afterwards we drove along the coast winding our way to our lunch stop. Manza Sub shop is a little hut with the most delicious sandwiches on the island. We all enjoyed our lunch and as a special treat the owner brought out a special dessert, fruit and sorbet, for Gabriella. Back on the road we headed to Zampa beach, we'd visited a few weeks ago but the beach wasn't open for swimming then. Today it was open with all the traditional accessories found on most Okinawan beach. There was a snack bar, lifeguards, and lots of beach rentals. We watched a group of school kids ride banana boats and some families paddle out in oversized water tricycles. We swam in the cool water and while I snoozed in a chair, Greg and Gabriella built a sandcastle. We made it home with a brief stop at the Makeman store for a new pair of sand shoes for Gabriella and a handy claw to help me pick up things around the house. I'm sure I'll post a few pictures of me using it in future posts.

Southern Island Adventure

Saturday was a sunny day and after Gabriella's ballet class we headed south to explore. Our first stop was Cape Kyan, a beautiful overlook on the southern tip of the island. We drove down a few tiny roads to get to the Cape and for a while I didn't think we were actually going to get there, but Greg once again proved his amazing navigational skills were up to the challenge. We arrived and walked through some castle ruins enjoying the beautiful view from the top of the cliffs. Gabriella and I talked about how wonderful it would be to have lived in this beautiful location and we discussed what the castle looked like before it was just another pile of rocks. The next overlook had some interesting signage it was called a "quasi national park" which got us thinking about what kind a quasi park they were talking about since all we saw was a pretty view. The overlook was beautiful and once we got our fill of the scenery we began our leisurely drive back home. We stopped at a few convenience stores on my search for unusually flavored kit kats, unfortunately we didn't find any new ones. The drive back was relaxing and the day as a whole was wonderful in its simplicity.

Snorkel Adventure

Sunday dawned cloudy with looming grey clouds, the complete opposite of the day before which was bright and sunny. We had bought a day of snorkeling in the Kerama Islands and it wasn't looking good weather wise. As we pulled up to the meeting point we recognized Gabriella's school friend Carlie and her family. They were going on the same adventure we were. As we waited for the bus the kids played on the playground. Once the bus arrived we loaded ourselves and headed to the port. Getting on the boat was pretty easy however the trip across the ocean to the islands was slightly more of an issue. The seas were choppy and the boat was rocking up and down on the waves, not an ideal situation for a pregnant woman prone to seasickness. I did manage to hold on until we actually arrived at the first stop, where I tossed my breakfast over the side of the boat. The first stop was full of beautiful coral which unfortunately we all got a little too close to earning ourselves a few scrapes and scratches. Gabriella loved using the mask and snorkel, she was able to talk around the mouthpiece and was often heard exclaiming excitedly at the sight of various fish. We saw parrot fish, clown fish and even some blue tangs. Once we were back on the boat it was lunch time, we opened our lunchbox and extracted our delicious sandwiches and I made a tasty salad for myself. Greg hopped in the water at the second stop but Gabriella and I stayed on the boat enjoying a leisurely lunch and a bit of a rest. Once everyone was back on the boat the captain told a few of the marines on our trip they could jump off the roof of the boat into the water. Once Gabriella saw that was an option she immediately wanted to try it. She and Greg jumped twice and it was only Greg's ear pain that prevented them from doing it again and again. At the third snorkeling stop Gabriella and I played in the water just next to the boat. She practiced her jumping off the back of the boat while I treaded water in the cool ocean water. All three of us napped on the way back to Naha, which probably prevented any of us from getting seasick. It was a great adventure and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the neighborhood.

Friends and Showers

It's shower season here on Okinawa, not just weather wise but baby wise too. Over the past two weekends my wonderful friends have showered me with attention and gifts. The first shower was hosted by my friends Rachel and Angie, for me and another pediatrician who is due at the beginning of August. It was held at N's garden, a wonderful tea restaurant with a beautiful garden. Although the weather was a little misty it didn't stop us from taking a few candid snap shots while strolling through the garden. The food was delicious, it included a tasty salad and a mountain of desserts but the best by far were the chocolate croissants. In a word they were heavenly. Rachel and Angie really out did themselves with the decorations. They had a decorating onsies game and both Mandy and I came home with lots of cute personalized onsies for our new babies. Rachel also made two fantastic diaper cakes, mine looked like two peas in a pod while Mandy's was a tricycle she also made sock bouquets. It was a wonderful afternoon spent with friends in celebration of 3 little babies to be.

My second shower was hosted by my friend Anita and attended by my book club. It was a luau theme and everyone showed up in their hawaiian best. The room was amazingly decorated and included some really snazzy signage. I saved my "Montoya babies" sign to put on the girls hospital bassinet. The food was amazing, a tropical pot luck, I had seconds of everything. The gifts were once again beautiful and generous. I was really touched by the time and effort put in by my friend Tonya who not only made two crocheted blankets but also two diaper cakes. I really enjoyed spending the afternoon with my friends and fellow preggo Sabrina. We had a great time playing shower games, including a race to see who could change a diaper fastest. I'm sorry to report that Sabrina beat me by quite a bit. Clearly it's something I'll have to work on before the babies arrive. I left the party with a flower in my hair and a heart full of gratitude to my wonderful friends for their amazing gifts and choice to spend their Saturday celebrating my little twins.

I have to say that I didn't really expect to have a shower, these are my second and third children and although I didn't bring any baby stuff with me here it just never crossed my mind. To have not one but two showers thrown for me is a testament to how generous my friends are and how loved I am in this home so far away from home. I want to say again thank you to all my dear friends both near and far who've made this pregnancy so special.

Summer Loving

Well it's officially summer for Gabriella, school is over and the activities are already beginning to pile up. On Saturday she started her new dance class. Although it's with the same teacher as last time she is now learning both ballet and jazz. The class has been stretched from 45 minutes to an hour and the moves are definitely more defined and the directions are given with a little more authority. Gabriella loved trying out the new moves, especially the jazz walk and leaps. It was interesting for me to watch her learning a new set of steps and wrestling with the differences between the jazz style and ballet. I think she will enjoy learning both this summer.

After ballet we hurried to one of her classmates birthday parties, held in the same location as hers, at Torii Beach. Gabriella enjoyed seeing her friends after the first week of summer vacation. The party featured a bouncy house, bbq and lego cake. Gabriella's favorite part was finding hermit crabs in the sand. The day turned out just perfect for a beach party despite being rainy when we left the house, however the party weather machine could only hold out for so long so once the clouds began to roll in we made our exit.

Class of 2010

We recently reached an important milestone in Gabriella's life, she graduated from preschool. The ceremony was brief but very special. Her class sang songs in both English and Japanese, she also received a huge binder of work she's done throughout the year and there was a brief reception afterwards. Greg was able to take time off of work for the ceremony and we both stood proudly watching Gabriella sing with her classmates. She's really learned a lot this year and her progression is clearly shown in the binder of work. Next year will be kindergarten and the start of 6 years of elementary school. As a token of our congratulations Gabriella received a new DVD and a special preschool graduation card. It just shows there really are cards for every occasion. The video is of Gabriella singing one of her Japanese songs. Please note that she chose her outfit and hairdo, personally I think she looks adorable.

Mini Break at the Beach

This week Gabriella and I left Greg at home while we headed north to Okuma for a mom and kids trip. Our good friend Erika coordinated 7 families for 3 days and 2 nights of fun in the sun. The memorial day weekend was completely rainy and miserable, however Tuesday morning dawned bright and sunny. Gabriella and I had to run a few quick errands before we headed on our mini break. Our drive up to Okuma was fairly quick, we listened to the radio and talked about what we would be doing during our vacation. Gabriella was very excited to see her friends but the idea of vacation without daddy was a little disconcerting for her. Once we arrived we met our friends in front of our spacious condo. The Dunes condo has 7 rooms and comfortably slept all of our families. We got in and unpacked our stuff before hurrying to the beach to catch a few rays and play in the water before dinner. The beach was beautiful and the water, although chilly at first, was quite refreshing. That night for dinner we grilled steak and potatoes for the adults and the kiddos feasted on hotdogs. We had a late night of movie watching and game playing but eventually we were all tucked into our beds.

The next day we stopped off at the playground for a little while before heading back to the beach. All the kids and adults swam in the water enjoying the beautiful sunshine and calm seas. No one partook in any water sports on this trip although Gabriella had mentioned wanting to kayak, but we never really found time to do it between all the playing. The order of the afternoon were naps and once everyone woke up we headed to the restaurant for dinner. After dinner we made smores for dessert and the kids and adults crashed a little earlier than expected.

Our final day at Okuma was spent in a flurry of activity as we raced to get packed up before the 11 am check out time. We managed it with ease and were sitting in the picnic area grilling steak for lunch before time had expired. After lunch we headed back to the beach, then mini golf and a post vacation snack before heading back home. It was a great mini break with friends, all the kids got along well and the adults enjoyed being second banana when it came to playing. I can't wait to do it again.