We've had the most beautiful weather and we're not taking a second for granted. The boys have been outside playing until dinner almost every afternoon. So, so, so loving 75 degrees, sunshine, with little to no humidity. I'm not rubbing it in.....talk to me this summer when it's 95 degrees and 95% humidity. We'll savor this while we can.
Beau was so excited to see the Easter Bunny until the moment he layed eyes on him. He immediately changed his mind much like last year. He finally sat close enough to get a (blurry) picture as long as I held onto him. Not sure what causes the fear, but it seems to leave him as soon as the bunny is out of sight. Beau talked about getting to sit with the Easter Bunny the whole way home. In his mind, it all went down without a hitch.
It was super windy AND cooler than usual this weekend, so not optimal soccer weather. Having said that, Bennett was pumped and ready to play. This week he started on offense and he was up and down that field. The Spidey Kids lost 2-1, but not for lack of effort. Beau was a great helper this week as it was our week to supply the snacks. After the game, we had 2 birthday parties. I was ready for bed by 7 pm and, lucky for me, the boys were too. 
The video was suppose to be a surprise for the kids at the St. Patty's Day movie and pot luck, but due to technical difficulties they didn't get to see it. I hadn't told the boys anything about a video in an effort to prevent any disappointment in case it didn't work out. 1 point for Mommy. Our FRO (Family Readiness Officer) emailed that he had put the videos on discs for us and he was willing to meet us to deliver. Of course we wanted the disc. Big thanks to our FRO for doing that for us. The boys were beyond excited to see the short video. A hello from Daddy goes a long way these little guys. We watched it over and over until Bennett literally recited it with Fletcher and I'm sure we'll watch it every night until Fletcher gets home. SO grateful for technology and a husband willing to take his time to do something to sweet for our family.
Sunday night I was watching Fox & Friends when they said to send in your St. Patty's Day pictures. I sent this one in with the caption "Celebrating St. Patty's Day in Okinawa at Kadena Air Force Base USO - Daddy is a US Marine on the USS Essex" and they showed it. Unfortunately, I had gone to bed, but a friend emailed me that she saw our boys on Fox News!
The boys earned their sandbox. We bought the box and took it to Torii Beach to fill it with sand. Thankful my friend Hannah showed up because it was terribly heavy. She followed us home to help us unload. As you can see, all is right in the world of Bennett and Beau now. They have barely gotten breakfast in their tummies in the mornings before heading outside to check on it. The digging and transferring of dirt has endless opportunities for these "workmen", so we're all enjoying the fun this sandbox brings. Job well done to my little worker bees!
The boys have been begging for a sandbox. Lucia across the street has a makeshift one that the they are in love with and cannot seem to leave alone. It's a broken down cardboard box and a shovel. I told the boys if they sold some of their used toys at the flea market, we could see if they earned enough money to buy a sandbox and shovels. Today was the flea market and we were blessed with beautiful weather. Bennett and Beau were troopers, not that they worked all that hard (as you can see in the pictures), but half of their duties were getting along with each other and not whining. Mission accomplished! They picked out a large tupperware with a lid and some sand shovels at the Exchange on our way home from the flea market. We made it to the car and got it all loaded about 2 seconds before a downpour hit. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until tomorrow after school to get to enjoy that sandbox. I guess we learned two important lessons today....hardwork AND patience. 
Bennett has been so excited for his first soccer game and today was the big day. He played defense the whole game and spent the second half as goalie. He was great! He stopped lots of balls coming his way and I was impressed with his drop kick. The Spidey Kids lost today 3-1, but only one goal was scored on Bennett. Beau was a great sideline coach cheering on big bro. Looking forward to next week's game.
There's a pretty worn-down looking ice cream bus that parks at Cape Zanpa. Although in the states I would never dream of buying something from anything with the looks of this, here it just seems like the normal thing to do. Beau's little friend, Mackenzie, lives down the street from us, so we love to get together after school to burn off some energy. Coincidentally, Mackenzie has a brother Bennett too. Obviously, the kids have lots in common. Across the street from the ice cream bus are goats, bunnies, and turtles to feed. It's like a ghetto amusement park and we are all about it. And on another note, Okinawa got the memo that March is here and the weather has been gorgeous. It is mid-70s and lovely, so dinner outside around sunset has become the norm for us. It also makes for easy clean-up for me.:)
The boys have becomed seasoned pros when it comes to dropping off their beloved daddy. So grateful they have learned to cope with this schedule. We went for a quick dinner at Kadena Marina where the boys love to feed the fish before dropping Fletcher off hopefully for the last time with this unit. I'm a bragging mom, but these are smart little boys with sweet, sweet prayers. Bennett prayed last night that "God keep the ship from sinking and keep Daddy from harm" and Beau assured me that "the 'Rines (as he calls them) will shoot Darth Vader if he comes on the ship". Poor Darth Vader if he dare mess with the Marines.:) I don't think I say this enough, but God bless military kids. They are such resilient little people. 
Our first soccer season has just begun with practices. The boys are thrilled (even though only one is old enough to play). You can't tell Beau he's not playing. He practices along the sidelines while Bennett practices on the field. As I sit and watch these two, I realize I have two little boys....not babies, not toddlers, but little boys. Be still my heart, but they are growing and changing way too fast for me to cope. I wish I could capture even an ounce of their funny comments and gestures and bottle it up to savor later on (ex. Beau screaming out at 3 am that the dragon has his toe or Bennett finding a toy ring and telling me he can now marry Ali because he has a ring for her). These boys are eccentric.....they love a good hat :), but my sweet friend in Georgia informed me she expected nothing less of mini-Fletchers. I guess she's right, SO we'll continue to pack our fedora's, costumes, cowboy boots, and now soccer shoes (thanks, Papa) wherever we go.
