Mom Clones, Zip-Lines, and Bingo

I didn't really have big plans for last Saturday.  It started off when I woke up next to a new roommate at 6:32.  Michael was spending the weekend at a scout camp out, and Andrew was scared in his room all by himself so at 3:14am he decided to crawl into our bed.  After trying to get myself back to sleep in a very crowded bed, I finally gave up and decided it was time for coffee.   

Bill woke up a little while later and suggested we go out to breakfast.  After getting ourselves (and the kids) dressed and ready to go, we set off for the Tee House--a small restaurant here on base near the golf course.  The best thing about this place is that it sits up high on a hill and the diners enjoy their meals with a panoramic view of Okinawa and the East China Sea.  About halfway through breakfast, Andrew said, "Hey....there's Abuela!"  (That's what the kids call my Mom.)  I turned out to look and saw Mom's Okinawan clone at the window.   This woman had the same shortish stature, wore the same quilted-style vest (even though it was 75 degrees outside) and accessorized with the same glasses and big purse.   

Since I didn't want Clone-Mom to think I was stalking her, I also took a picture of the gorgeous view.....

After breakfast (and the shock of seeing Clone Mom), we decided to take advantage of the sunny day and we headed over to Pirate Ship Park.  I'm not sure what the locals call this place, but this is what all the Americans call it because, well....it's a park shaped like a Pirate Ship.  I love it because it sits on the beach, so if you can filter out the sounds of kids screaming you can actually relax as you stare out onto the sea.  The kids love this park because it has a zip line.  That's what Mary was doing when she came close to causing an international incident. 

 Apparently, she was so excited about her turn that she neglected to see the two-year-old Japanese boy playing dangerously close to her flight path.  After (or maybe before) she took off,  the kid toddled right in front of her and she plowed into him.  That's when all Hell broke loose.  The little guy was crying because he'd just been knocked over, and Mary was mad because this kid had interrupted her flight.   The other Mom and Bill and I all ran over to the kids, and then proceeded to embark on a very awkward exchange of apologies.   I said "I'm sorry" several times, and she said "Gomenasai" (the Japanese word for I'm sorry)  over and over again.  Then we switched and I said Gomenasai, and she said I'm sorry, then we each bowed about 15 times, then I made Mary reluctantly apologize and the other mom made her little guy bow.  It was all very uncomfortable for everyone involved.  When we couldn't take it anymore, we each parted ways, and I led Mary over to a different part of the park known as Pirate Ship Jail.   

Afterward, Andrew entertained himself by launching his paper airplane onto innocent park dwellers....

while Emma and Bill were involved in a deep conversation.  She was probably trying to convince him (again) that she really does deserve an ipod for her birthday. 

(Side note....after I took the above picture, I turned around and saw this sign....

So much for relaxing at the beach!  My favorite part is how the big wave is grabbing the kid's shirt...these people don't sugar coat things)

Our last stop after the beach was our monthly family BINGO game.  The last few months it's been too rainy or cold for most outside activities, so we've spent one Saturday afternoon a month playing BINGO at the community center with a bunch of other families who have nothing better to do.   We've always been slightly disappointed in the BINGO games because we had never won, and we were starting to think the game was rigged.  Well, this time they proved us wrong when Emma won a $30 gift card.  I don't think there's ever been a more excited BINGO winner.  She was like one of those crazy contestants on the Price is Right. 

Our weekends are usually not this exciting, so we'll really need to take it easy this week....especially since I'll be hosting 15 ten-year-old girls for Emma's birthday this Saturday.  Wish me luck!