Waiting on the World to Change

Not this family. We're generating lots of change, no waiting here. One big change we set in motion even had change in the title. Paul's Change of Charge Ceremony was January 18.









An hour of speeches under the sun with two little boys. . . I held my breath. Mercifully our good friend Jessica was in attendance with her nearly 3 year old, Patrick - a good friend of Charlie's. When the boys had given it their all but still had energy to spare, Jessica ushed the wiggle worms away. And after the ceremony the boys were beside themselves with the chance to "play" with Paul's ceremonial sword.






Macalan kept Mommy company through Paul's touching recount of his time as OIC and our time as a family in Hawaii. The pictures we received from the event were priceless.








The Green Piece - Hopefully with each post I will have something to contribute under "The Green Piece." For this entry a little updated on gDiapers. We're enjoying tremendously! I written the company in hopes they will find a market here in the islands; although their delivery time is remarkable, it would be convienent to run to the store to stock up rather than wait for a delivery. We do have a Whole Foods opening here on the island soon and I will do my best to convince them this is a product worth stocking! gDiapers are a little more "hands on" but the "eco karma" points acrued make it well worth it. And it's worth stating again, they are just so darn cute! Several of our mommy friends are hooked once they get a chance to check them out on the boys. Of course, I'd love to just get Charlie potty trained and be done with it. And we're making good progress with #1, but #2 ... well, we're just not quite willing to go there yet. But that's okay - we're at least making progress.

My brother's new venture, the OC Green Guide is making continual strides and gaining recognition daily, it's thrilling and inspiring to see. I'm hoping to get up enough steam to make a monthly contribution writing a column, "Itsy Bitsy Green." For now I have a short stand alone article that's available at, http://www.ocgreenguide.com/OCGreenGuide/Interviews/Interviews.html

And lastly, I am looking for a compost tumbler. So far no luck on finding one on the island, and shipping to the islands is a little outrageous for such a large item. This may be something that ends up waiting until after our transition to the civilian realm, but I'll continue to research the products that are available.

gDiapers and Purple Yoga Mats

Oh happy day! This morning our sample pack of gDiapers arrived. They are so darn cute and I've been thrilled by how easy to use and effective they are (two very important factors in diapering...). The boys took to them immediately and their cute little rumps made me think of our very own GG who calls the kids "happy bottoms" whenever she visits. And now...well, they really are happy bottoms. And I could swear I could hear the Earth give me a little applause this morning. These diapers biodegrade in 50-150 DAYS versus the 500 YEARS traditional diapers take. Not to mention the liners are flushable...so no more offensive diapers accumulating until trash day. I need to have another baby just so I can use these things longer - I love 'em!

And, I found a yoga class with child care! Namaste. I'm sure my children will be the ones to make them realize that $2 for an hour and a half of child care is unheard of for a reason - and I'd gladly pay more should they come to their senses. But for now I am a happy bottom myself. Not to mention I get the biggest kick out of the way Charlie's face can't seem to help but smile when he says, "purple yoga mat." Which he says each time I throw the mat in the car for a class. I tried out my first Ashtanga class Monday and I'll be sampling their Vinyasa Flow class tomorrow.

Happy New Year

Christmas morning was quite the event. But then it must be pretty overwhelming to barely understand the ways of the world and wake up one morning to see wrapped packages have devoured your previously normal livingroom. The boys barely said a word all the way down the stairs, but there was lots of finger pointing, wide eyes and, "Ooo, Ooo's" to be heard.

The boys received 2 kites this year, the one pictured here was deemed better for napping on than for flying, it crashed well, but didn't fly so hot...but that's alright I suppose...the boys creative use made for a darling picture.

New Year's morning Paul and I each strapped one child to our backs and hiked up Diamond Head. We weren't sure if it would be enough entertainment for the boys, but as it turns out they had a pretty darn good time. Hopefully the family centric and healthy event sets a tone for the rest of the year.