Hawaii-Sunday, Day Two

This was the day that Arnheidur and George left for their vacation on the 'big island.' Kate and I got up pretty early again, but we read bible, ate breakfast, and took Embla and Ellert on a walk outside around the base while their parents packed. It is a very good neighborhood, there are several parks on and off the beach as well as picnic tables galore! The weather was warm and breezy so it made our walk pleasant. The children were pushing the bears they got at the build-a-bear workshop the day before in little strollers. We played on the park, walked to the inlet, raced witht the strollers, and then came the first dispute with Embla. Remembering the day before when I carried her up Diamond Head, she asked quite whinily if I would carry her back to the house. No, I said, You can walk, you're a great walker! And besides, it's not far at all back to the house!" She commenced to crouch in the middle of the sidewalk and cry. Ellert, who is very attached to his big sissie, walked over and said "O no! E'bla crying! It's okay, E'bla, it's okay."

Cute, yes, but it didn't solve the problem of the little girl who would pout all day if you told her no. Then, an idea occured to me. I asked Ellert if I could use his baseball in a whiny voice, and, of course, he said no. At the speaking of the word, "No", I screamed, cried, yelled and dramatically rolled on the sidewalk like Ellert does when has a fit. You should have seen their faces. They were shocked! Here's big girl Margaret, throwing a fit like a baby in the middle of the sidewalk on the naval base. It worked beautifully, and I told them that was what the same thing Embla had been doing when I told her she couldn't go on my back. Something seemed to click inside her, even though Ellert just thought that it was downright hilarious. They thought it was so funny, they forgot the crisis of Embla not wanting to walk, and then they saunterd on back to their home. After a lovely walk on the beach with my best friend Kate, who I was so blessed to have with me on this adventurous trip, eating lunch, and watching the Scenic Hawaii channel, it was time to go to the airport.

I was more than slightly terrified when I realized I would be driving them to the airport that day. I knew that I would need to get the way back down cold so I tried my best to listen to their instructions and pay attention to the road signs as we went. Kate was praying for me the whole time because we were both nervous about driving in all the Honolulu craziness. George directed me to his office on the Naval base in Pearl Harbor which was fun to finally see! Embla knew her way around that building so well.

Since they had separate flights, Arnheidur dropped off George first and then while I got to talk to my dearest of dear Mother back home, she drove us the the comissary, another shop. They must think we just love to shop! :-)

We took turns going into the store because the children were asleep. I went in with Arnheidur first, and purchased some lovely postcards and she bought an iPod that I will hopefully be able to set up for her while I am here. Then it was Kate's turn, and I happily sat in the car eating a snack while the children napped. Then, Ellert woke up screaming. I happended to be holding the remains of a mini Luna bar I was eating in my hand, and he saw it and screamed for some. I told him he had to calm down and stop screaming if he would like any. He did, and I broke him off a chunk. No dice. He screamed. And screamed and screamed. "NOOOO, A LOT!" he said, and thus began the fit that ensued the rest our time in the car. I on the other hand was not upset at him and was calm-I knew that I must be so if he has any chance of stopping the screaming. As if things in that little minivan couldn't get any worse, Embla, dazed and half asleep, got out of her seat and said, "I need go bathroom."

I grabbed a plastic bag that I had my postcards in, but before I could get her pants down, she went to the bathroom all over herself. Still trying my best to remain calm, I helped her take off her pants and dry off the carpet. Eventually Ellert stopped crying and calmed down, and asked very nicely for a banana, which I happily gave him. Then, as soon as he saw his Mommy coming to the car, get this-he SCREAMS at the top of his lungs. I mean, he had been calm for probably 5 minutes, and here he was, crying. I think that he felt like he hadn't gotten any sympathy for his outrageous fit from me so he'd try to get some from his Mother, which he did.

Then we dropped Arnheidur off and said goodbye. We were officially babysitting now! Someone called Heida kept on calling the phone, but we weren't sure if we should pick it up or not. Kate braved the highways as the driver and I was the navigator. For the most part, we did pretty well finding our way back to the house. We did miss the turn and got confused a couple of times, but we made it! After playing monkeys on the junglegym at the beach and jumping on the trampoline, we came inside and E & E watched a movie in Icelandic while we fixed dinner. Then, right before bed, Kate came over and said, "You know, that person that kept calling and calling....that must have been Arnheidur!!"

My heart almost stopped beating. Heida......arnHEIDur.....oh nuts!!! She must have called 6 times! How many things can I do wrong?!

I instantly called her back and she was so freaked out and nervous that we didn't answer her calls and understandibly so. I assured her that everything was going well and the children were not crying for her yet. She was glad to hear that. She then said that she would try to call at noon and at night each day to check in.

Embla put herself to bed but for Ellert, on the other hand, it took a good deal of coaxing and Kate driving him around the neighborhood listening to Icelandic Lullabies before he drifted off. Kate and I drifted off almost immediately. :-)