Happy Un-Birthday, Hunter!

Hunter's birthday isn't for a week yet, but daddy has to go train in the field for a few weeks and won't be here to celebrate the actual day with us. Daddy was deployed to Afghanistan last year for Hunter's first birthday, and he will more than likely be in Iraq next year for Hunter's third birthday. We wanted to take advantage of having daddy here this year (even if he won't be here on the actual day) and make it special.
A few weeks ago Husband's company (4 platoons in a company, 4 companies in a battalion) had a big Family Fun day at a local lake. The lake had a great swimming area, a playground, volleyball court, boats to rent and was just fun in general. We decided to go back to the lake yesterday and celebrate Hunter's birthday.
In the morning I was moving very slow. I have some new medication that makes me sleepy and it's difficult to get up and moving in the morning. By the time I got up and took a shower, Husband had fed the kids, made the sandwiches and fruit salad for our picnic, made cupcakes for Hunter, wrapped the presents, and packed the diaper bag. Whew!! I was glad I had him around!
We got to the lake around noon. It's about a 40 minute drive out there. This section of the lake is just for us that live and work here on Fort Polk. There are cabins to rent and you can camp there. We ate our delicious lunch, grabbed our swim gear and hit the water. No, we didn't wait an hour before going swimming! We bought a floatie thing for Hunter where he can sit in it like a little boat. He had so much fun floating around in it. The water was so warm, it felt like a big bathtub. Hunter liked watching all the little fishies. He'd get excited and call, "Fish, fish!"
After awhile we hopped out, cleaned up, changed clothes and gave Hunter his presents. Of course the kids had to help him unwrap them. Daddy picked out the presents and he did a good job. Hunter loved them all.
We got the cupcakes and put two candles in Hunter's and one in Drew's and Louisa's. Hunter blew his candles out right away, and then blew out Drew's and Louisa's! Then he dug in to his cupcake, totally oblivious to the chocolate goatee that he was sporting. The kids played on the playground for quite awhile. Daddy went to find out how to get a boat license so that the next time we come out we can rent a pontoon boat.
It was a very fun day. I wish Hunter would remember it, but I know it will be one of those things that some day he'll look at pictures and have no memory that he was there.

A Cheerleader Mom?

There's soccer moms and football moms and baseball moms.... all of which I'm more than happy to become. But NOT a cheerleader mom!

When I was in 9th grade the city I lived in built a new high school that I would attend the following year. I decided new school, new me, so I tried out for cheerleading. Not exactly the "cheer" type because I had long dark reddish-purplish hair, I wore headbanger t-shirts, a leather jacket, and black Doc Martens. I went to a week of cheer try-out practice. I felt good, I started to dress like "them", and I really believed that this was for me. At the end of the week we had our auditions. A week after that I got my letter in the mail. Apparently cheerleading was not for me. I was heartbroken for a few days.

When I was little, in my very small town that revolved around high school sports, I idolized the cheerleaders, including my sister's best friend and my best friend's sister. I knew all the cheers, and sometimes, because they all knew me, I got to stand next to them and cheer along. I got to carry their pom poms and get them water. I wanted nothing more in life than to some day be a cheerleader.

After my disappointment in 9th grade, I swore a vengeance to all cheerleaders everywhere. MY daughter would NEVER be one!

Fast forward to last week. The children's youth club here on base offered some free summer camps including cheerleading. We thought we would give it a try. Louisa was in ballet for 5 years, she loves dancing and gymnastics type activities. She's not overly perky, but she's always friendly and cheerful. At the end of the week she decided that maybe cheer wasn't for her. On Saturday, however, I walked in to her room to find her doing cheers to an audience of her brother, her cat, and all her stuffed animals lined up on her bed. She knows my past experience and she knows that I have always had a little "thing" against cheerleaders. I'm guessing part of her apprehension is due to me and what I may have said in front of her. I let her know that it was perfectly ok to like cheerleading. She wouldn't disappoint me or embarrass me if she did.

Today we went to sign her up for cheer for the fall. Last week she just learned some cheers and dances, but this fall she will actually cheer for the flag football team. Louisa said she's a little scared to cheer in front of boys. We talked to daddy about it and he told us that when he was in high school playing football he didn't even notice the cheerleaders, he was too focused on the game. That helped her a little. I hope she likes this and I hope it turns into something good for her.

If not, then we also signed her up for soccer and we'll always have sports to fall back on.

A new little blogger

Apparently Hunter got into my blog. He even managed to publish his post. Great job, Hunter! LOL!!

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Budding Artists

Thursday's "successful" playgroup led us to a paint your own ceramics shop in the nearby town. One side of the shop was filled with ceramic pieces to glaze, and then the shop would fire it for you. There were dishes and picture frames and figurines. All very cute and tempting, but all a tad more than what I had in my wallet. The other side of the shop had plaster figures, signs, picture frames, that sort of thing. You paint them with permanent paint and you can take them home right away. Each piece, no matter what it was, cost about $10. Having three kids to pick out a piece and paint, we had to go with the plaster. We are definitely going back to do the ceramic pieces some day, though. I already have gifts picked out for future birthdays and Christmases!
Hunter saw a low shelf with several different shaped kitties on it. He ran over with great enthusiasm shouting, "Kitty kitty, kitty kitty," and meowing at them. There were puppy figures on the shelf, too, and he barked at them all, but in the end chose a small kitten to paint. Hunter was one of only two little ones who actually painted anything. The rest either played in a playroom or sat in their strollers being too little to really paint much. Several of the mommies put their baby's feet and hands on plates and picture frames, though. They all turned out very cute.
There were cups of brushes on the table and a cup of water. Since the paint was permanent, the lady who worked there told us to use one brush per color, then stick it in the water and take a clean brush for the next color. Hunter thought that meant he could paint one stripe, stick the brush in the water, grab a new one and paint another stripe. He used up the whole cup of brushes. All 40 of them.
Drew chose a bigger cat that he affectionately named Marissa. When he was finished painting, he got to add glitter. The lady who worked there took Drew outside and they added the glitter. I think Drew fell in love. Not only was she very cute and sweet, she took the time to listen to him. And anyone who knows him can attest to the fact that he's never quiet. He has a million stories to tell and he tells them all to everyone he meets. This girl was very nice to sit and chat with him for as long as she did. Drew also got to add the glitter to Hunter's kitty.
Louisa had a hard time choosing. She always takes a long time when she needs to make a decision. Especially one as important as which figure to paint. She's very particular. She needs to have a vision of how it will turn out before she'll choose. Louisa ended up choosing an Indian Princess head. Right away she knew what she wanted to do with it. It turned out great and she had the admiration of the whole shop by the time she was finished. She is extremely proud of what an awesome job she did.
The playgroup ladies are already planning a mom's night only to the ceramics shop. It was so much fun, and I think it would be nice to go when we can all paint something just for ourselves without little ones crying and running around the store.

Successful Playgroup Meeting... kind of!

I think I finally had a successful playgroup meeting. Now, I know you're asking, "You THINK?" Yes, I think! We were scheduled to go to the zoo yesterday. It's about an hour drive, so we were all supposed to meet at the on post gas station and then go from there. When I got there and parked, two ladies rolled down their window and asked if I was in the playgroup. (it's that obvious?) I said yes, introduced myself and peeked into their backseat to see what little cuties were sitting back there. Empty. I looked at them funny and they both giggled and told me they don't have any kids yet. They are both pregnant, one due in August, one in September. I thought that was kinda silly, but yet, smart. A good idea to join a playgroup when you're a first time mom, even if the baby isn't here yet.
A few minutes later another lady showed up with her little one and she said we should go because everyone else was meeting us at the zoo.
We drive off, and about halfway there the car with the pregnant ladies stops and turns around. I got kind of worried. When we got to the zoo my playgroup friend told me they called her cell phone and one of them had started leaking fluid so they turned around. I hope she's okay.
We enter the zoo and kind of look around to see if anyone is waiting for us. Nope. So we start to walk and look at... well... zoo stuff. My kids are so into animals. Zoos, even small ones like this, are great excitement for them. Drew, now that he can read so well, likes to read all the signs. He thoroughly impressed our playgroup friend with how well he could read.
We wizzed through the zoo in record time. I think the kids could have probably stopped and looked at some of the animals more, but when you're walking and talking you don't realize that you're passing stuff by.
At the end of the zoo our playgroup friend's son was pretty tired so she went home. We stayed to ride the train. Of course, you have to ride the train when you're at the zoo.
I think it was a successful playgroup meeting, even if there were only two of us.

The Half-Way Point

Today is husband's 10 year anniversary. 10 years in the army, that is. He's given 10 years to one of the toughest jobs anyone can do, and he's half-way to retirement. Retirement at age 38 is very enticing, espeically when he's only got 10 years left.
Although I was best friends with husband's sister, I didn't really know him the day he raised his right hand, took the Oath of Enlistment, and hopped on the airplane headed toward Ft. Benning, GA. I can only imagine how excited he must have been for this new challenge as he arrived at basic training.
Ten years later, he's a completely different person. He has a wife, three kids, and he's 5 ranks higher. He looks older than he is, he has wrinkles around his eyes, he has fractures in his shins from running on concrete every day, he has sore knees from jumping out of airplanes. He's a 28 year old man in a 41 year old's body. But he rarely complains, he takes his job in stride, and in the end he knows that retiring at 38 sounds very sweet!
Tomorrow he is going in to re-enlist for pretty much another 10 years. After he gets back from the next Iraq deployment that is scheduled, he'll have 12 years in the army anyway. And now that a nice sized re-enlistment bonus has been dumped in his lap, it makes the deal all that sweeter.

Some Really Do Give All

On Wednesday night we went to a farewell dinner for a fellow army wife who is moving. She's lived here at Fort Polk for about five years. In the last year her life has flipped upside down in a way that most of us pray never happens. July 17, 2006, her husband was killed in Afghanistan by an IED. My husband worked along side her's, fighting the "war on terror". A lot of the guys remaining in the platoon have survivor's guilt because of what happened. The event is often spoken in whispers among the men who were there, and who lost a good friend.
Staci, the widow, has remained strong and proud. As the guys gave her yet another plaque on Wednesday to show their undying gratitude for her and her family's sacrifice, she gave a touching speech that I think will always stay with me.
She told the guys not to ever feel guilty for what happened. She told them her husband would be pissed if he knew the guys were sitting back here feeling bad that they are home with their families. She told us all that she will be alright. That she sits alone in her house and cries, that she's sad and mad and that sometimes she looks up and yells at her husband for leaving her with two girls who act exactly like him. But she's very proud, and she will be fine. She watched her mother grieve when her father died, and her grandmother grieve when her grandfather died. She saw them be happy again, and she knows that she can be happy again someday, too. Staci is proud of her husband, and she's proud of all the guys in the platoon for being so strong. She told us that she has educated her daughters to know the truth of how their daddy died. She told them that President Bush did not kill their daddy, nor did the United States government. The Taliban killed their daddy. Terrorists. They are the only ones to blame.
One part of Staci's speech that really got to me was when she said, once someone told her that every touch she makes counts. Whether it's good or bad, it counts. She said she has thought of that often since her husband has gone, and she works hard to make her touches count. She reminded the guys that they should do the same. Staci asked them that, if they took anything away from their time with her, that should be it. To learn how to make every touch count.
We sent Staci off to start a new place in her life, in a new house she just built, in the place where her and her husband first met. Staci and her two girls have great plans for their new house, including a "daddy room" where they will hang the numerous plaques and awards and pictures they have received.
Staci is one of those "seasonal" friends that I'm sure I won't see again. She will, however, forever impact my life. I will strive to make all of my touches in life count. I will remember her sacrifice to our country, and to my personal freedom. My children will always be reminded of those who didn't come home. Especially daddy's friend. And I know my husband, who wakes up in cold sweats in the middle of the night, will never forget the friend he had.
Life for us here will go on. The guys will deploy again and we will hold down the fort, as usual, and pray they all return home safely.

I'm Officially a Paid Blogger!

Well, I haven't actually even started yet, but I've been accepted as a Blogger for 451 Press writing for their Watching Lost blog. I've got my foot in the door! Who knows what this will lead to. I hope you check out the Lost blog often. It's one of my favorite shows and I am excited to write about such a complex show. This show has so many levels that it should always be easy to find subjects to write about.

The Ball ~ finally over!

Yes, it went much faster than it came. All that build up and anticipation, and it was over in a matter of 4 hours.

We got to the hotel on Friday around 3:00, got our very luxurious jacuzzi suites, and started getting ready. A CafeMom friend gave me a great suggestion for my hair that I figured I could pull off by myself. After spending $30 at Claire's right before leaving for the hotel, I hoped it would work so that I didn't waste my money.

I twisted the front into six cute little twisty things. That's how the front was for my wedding as well. Then put cute sparkly bobby pins in to hold it down. I tried to curl the back into springy curls, but my hair doesn't hold curls for more than 5 minutes no matter how much hairspray I use, so I gave up and used a pretty butterfly clip to hold a bun in place. It looked cute. Or as cute as I could get it doing it myself.

The whole time I was getting ready I felt like a silly little girl wearing my mom's cocktail dress. I never actually felt like a grown up going on a date with my husband. Even when I was sitting at my table with my husband and his fellow soldiers, and we were all drinking beer and wine, I kept looking around to make sure my mom wouldn't catch me holding a beer in my hand!

The Ball ~ part three

Today's the day and my stomach is in knots! I still have no idea what to do with my hair. My mom and I are going to Claire's later today to see if we can find cute stuff to stick in it. Most women, if past experience serves me, will have their hair in an updo. Which probably explains why all the salons around here are booked today.
My parents did arrive safely yesterday. Late, but safe. Their plane was scheduled to land at 11:08 and they got there at 12:20. Apparently the baggage was loaded wrong and the plane was unbalanced. So they had to unload everything. Well, with 50 military duffle bags aboard, I can see how that could happen.
The kids got to sit on an observation deck and watch the plane come in. Then Gramps came walking down the stairs and they all started calling, "Gramps, Gramps!" They didn't know he was coming, too! We surprised them!
My parents were very excited to see the kids, of course, and very happy to be off their cramped little plane.
In a few minutes we'll head over to their hotel to do some long awaited swimming. Later today we head down to Lake Charles to the hotel where the ball is at. We all got jacuzzi suites and if the kids behave and everything works out right, husband and I will have a night to ourselves. I'm not even sure the last time we did that. Years. But I'm leaving the ball early to hit that jacuzzi, I know that!

The Ball ~ part two ~ SHOES!

If I had cute little feet, I'd totally be a shoe person. I'd buy Payless and Shoe Dept. out every time I went there. Darn these wide, chubby feet of mine! Why o why must I be cursed this way? I rarely find a decent size to fit me. I usually end up squeezing my feet into something way too small and totally regretting it 30 minutes later.

This time was going to be different. This time I was going to wait until I found a perfect pair of wide size 7 1/2's. This time.... no matter how long it took.... I was going to.... Nope. I didn't. I found Wide size 9's galore, though. So if you're a wide size 9, come shopping for shoes by me!

I settled. As usual. I'm wearing them right now, and it's not too painful. I've been wearing them for about two hours and so far so good. I did stand for awhile and my feet started to hurt a little. There's just no such thing as a perfect shoe for me unless it's a flip flop or a Converse Chuck Taylor.

I am, however, very happy that I got the first pair of shoes I fell in love with a few weeks ago when we went dress shopping. You know how you see something and then can't get it out of your mind and no matter how many cute other things you see, you still really really want that first cute thing you saw? Ya, that was this first pair of shoes. Those cute little Mary Janes fit me (figuratively) so well. Tonight, at the last possible shoe store I could check before the ball, there they were. Not in a wide size, of course, but I was able to squish my feet in a size 8 1/2. I'm sure I will regret it later, as I'm standing during "social hour" waiting to sit down to dinner. But at least I'll look cute!

Another Father's Day

Wow! It's been a whole year since my last Father's Day post? Time sure did fly by.
Last year husband was in Afghanistan. He probably didn't even realize it was Father's day. We probably sent him a box and added some goodies and cards, and he probably got the box with that sinking feeling in his heart that he was missing yet another occasion with the kids. Thousands of daddy's are feeling that sinking feeling this year as they celebrate with their children through pictures and boxes and cards. To make those daddy's (and mommy's who missed Mother's day with their kids) feel better, why not go here to find some wonderful ways to help.
Next year husband is scheduled to be gone as well. I am sure he would love to get packages and love and support from everyone who knows him, as well as those who don't. So why not support the soldiers this year. It's never too late to say Thank You.

Awwww.....

Last night the kids and I were up way too late looking back at all the pictures I have on the computer. They were oohing and aahing over younger versions of themselves, and Hunter was pointing at baby pics of Drew saying "Hunter".
I don't really take too many videos, but we did come across a few cute videos of Drew and Louisa. They have always been best friends. People ask me how I do it and I really don't do anything. They have just naturally been best friends since day one. Most of the videos we have are of them being cute together. Playing together and making funny faces and stuff.
This one video brought back the most memories and heartiest round of laughter ending in tears streaming down mommy's face. When Drew was 2 and Louisa was 5, they would sing this song called "So Night". And that's all they would sing, "so night, so night, so night...." over and over and over. I don't remember how it started but it had something to do with Drew being scared of something and making this song up to cheer himself. Then Louisa, of course, would chime in.
Without further ado, Drew and Louisa singing the pop hit, "So Night".

Hunter's New Underwear

Today we start the big Potty Train! When Drew was little he was so into trains that he was always disappointed the Potty Train had nothing to do with an actual train.

Now it's Hunter's turn. At 22 months old, I'm bound and determined to get this thing started. Both Drew and Louisa didn't fully train until they were a whopping 3 and a half. My mom was scared that they'd both go to kindergarten wearing diapers. I'm happy to say, they didn't. I did cut it pretty close to preschool, though!

I'm on top of this potty training thing with Hunter. We got the Elmo potty out, washed and waiting in the bathroom. We also bought some Nemo underware, and he promptly put on all three pairs. Hunter proudly pranced around the house showing off his Nemo underware to everyone that would pay attention to him.

After awhile the excitement of the potty and the underware will wear off. I just really hope that it doesn't take until he's 3 and a half before he finally gets it.

Army Wives: the show vs. real life

A lot of people have asked me what I think about the new Army Wives show on Lifetime. Gee... I don't know. I don't need someone telling me about my life. I don't need people glorifying and romanticizing what I go through. And I certainly don't need anyone thinking that the show is real life. It's Hollywood. It's Desperate Housewives on an army base. I don't like Desperate Housewives, so why am I going to like Army Wives?
If you have no clue what I'm talking about, click here to see the first two episodes.
Here are some of the things I see wrong with the show (and yes, I know the show is fiction!):
~Where the heck do they live that they get nice housing like that?! Seriously, if you came here to Ft. Polk, Louisiana, you would see housing that would make your stomach turn. And yes, we HAVE to live here because the alternative is worse.
~If a wife ever spread a lie so that another wife's husband wouldn't get promoted, there would be serious ramifications. UCMJ would be involved and ranks would be taken away. Period.
~As far as the whole surrogate mother thing goes, her hubby is in Delta Force and yes, he could be kicked out if his commanding officer ever found out he was in debt. Delta is the highest, most special operations unit you can possibly get in, and there are very strict rules to being there. They will easily kick you out and put you back into regular army circulation for breaking any of the rules. It is that strict. So ya, if a wife was doing surrogacy to get more money because they were in debt, she'd have to keep it secret. (If you have no clue what I'm talking about, watch the show.)
~There's a lady who married a soldier after just meeting him in a bar. Guess what? It happens a lot. You see them in their uniform and they act all big and tough and you just can't resist. Here's this real live superhero standing right before you and you see shows or read books like Army Wives and it all seems so romantic. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work. But really, a lot of military marriages fail. I think it's hard to pinpoint just why. It's a stressful life, but so is over-the-road trucking and police and firefighters and doctors....
~The "FRG". This part cracks me up! There is no "team" of FRG ladies that wander around with baskets of cookies. The FRG (Family Readiness Group) is a support group for military families. Each unit has their own FRG and it's usually broken up into smaller sections to make it easier to get the word out and have meetings. I volunteer frequently with my FRG. I am a Point of Contact for our platoon. It doesn't really mean much, but I get info firsthand from the FRG leader, which is nice. Then I have to pass it along to the spouses/wives in my husband's platoon. I don't walk around dressed to the hilt handing out cookies and giving parties. Neither does my FRG leader, or the leader above her or the leader above her. It's just a support group. Some units, like mine, has very active FRG's. Other units never even hear a word from their FRG's. They are most helpful on deployments, and they can be there to help notify a spouse that their loved one was killed in action, but it's not their job to be. There are special grief advocates for that.
~The other thing I find hysterical is the guys walking around in their dress uniforms. Ok, really, that *never* happens! I've seen my hubby, in the past 7 years, in his dress uniform just a hanful of times. He certainly doesn't just walk around in it for no reason!
~The guys are not going to be sitting at their kitchen table cleaning their weapon. Ever. Ever.
~I don't know any wives who actually do their husband's deployment packing list for them. That's the soldier's job. Not ours. If something is missing, or forgotten, or the wrong color or shape or size... the guys could get in a lot of trouble. It's up to the soldiers to make sure they have everything they need.

So now that I've totally ruined the show for everyone, you can see why I don't need to watch a show to tell me what an army wife is supposed to be like.
This is my day as an army wife:
~4:30 am, wake up with hubby, make sure he has everything to start his day, see him out the door
~5:00 am, go back to bed
~6:30 am, get up and get the kids ready for school
~7:00 am, see the kids on to their school bus
~7:30 am, hubby comes home for "breakfast break" after morning PT. Make him breakfast while he takes a shower
~8:30 am, hubby goes back to work (whatever that is)
~9:00 am, the baby gets up
~10:00 am, off to playgroup (usually)
~11:30 am, hubby comes home for lunch break
~12:30 pm, hubby goes back to work (again, whatever that is)
~afternoon, baby takes a nap and I do some chores. yipee.
~3:30 pm, kids get home from school and do homework
~5:00 pm, get dinner ready
~6:00 pm, or 6:30 or 7:00 or 7:30 depending on who's in charge, who got in trouble, who needs extra counseling, or what he was doing that day, hubby gets home and either eats dinner with us or eats the plate I left in the fridge for him
~8:00 pm, two older kids go to bed
~9:00 pm, baby goes to bed
~9:30 pm, hubby and I finally get alone time
~10:00 pm, hubby goes to bed

Throw in some computer time, running errands, and maybe taking a nap once in awhile, as well as going out to lunch with friends one or two days a week, and you've got my oh so glamorous life as an army wife.
Now don't get me wrong, it's great to fantasize about what it's like to live in a world other than your own. Like how wonderful it would be to live life in Meredith Grey's shoes for one day, or Susan, Lynette, Brie and Gabrielle's lives... but I personally don't really care to see a glorified version of how someone perceives army wives to be. And trust me when I say, there's nothing romantic about fearing for you husband's life every waking (and sleeping) moment. How this show can romantisize a deployment, I will never understand. What we go through when our loved ones are gone is far from glorious. It's a lot of tears, a lot of stress, a lot of worry, a lot of sleepless nights and fear and what-if's and imagining the worst and "how will I tell his mother?" and explaining to the kids every single night why daddy isn't here to tuck them in and.... you get the picture.
My suggestion to anyone who wants to get involved with helping the troops or supporting the spouses left behind is... just help them. Don't watch a show and think you know what we go through. Take dinner to a friend who's hubby is deployed. Offer to help her plant some flowers. Send packages to the troops. Ask me, I've got a ton of good websites to visit. Click on my link on the side that says ""Let's Say Thanks". Watch the show and enjoy it, but remember, we're real and the real wives sometimes need help. But we won't ask for it. We're a proud sort of wife.

The Ball ~part one~

In a few weeks we are going to the army ball for our unit. I hate balls. I hate dressing up and getting all girlie. I'm not even close to a size that is comfortable wearing a ball gown or any type of formal dress. And although I've been running on the treadmill and watching what I eat for the past few weeks (not for the ball but just because) I am not seeing any progress and I'm pouting about it.
I didn't know I was going to the ball until a few days ago. We couldn't find a babysitter, not that I was looking too hard. The ball is in a city that's over an hour away, and silly me, but I seem to have anxiety issues about leaving my children with someone I hardly know and then going an hour away from them for about 5 hours. Chances are, I'd have a panic attack and not even enjoy my time.
In steps my dad. And mom. Last week as I was whining to my dad, he decided to help me out. He's sending my mom down here for a few days so she can watch the kids while we go to the ball. Even better, my mom is getting us a few suites at the hotel so that the kids can be right there near me.
After my mom told me she was coming down to watch the kids thus ending that crisis, my next issue came up. The Dress. As I mentioned, I'm in no shape to be picking out a dress that I feel and look good in. I don't like dressing up. I didn't even enjoying dressing up and being the center of attention at my own wedding (yep, that's weird, I've been told!).
Today the kids, the husband, and I went up to the big city to visit the mall. We went to store after store and after carefully considering a blue giraffe look that Drew picked out and a blinged out cheetah pattern that Louisa picked out, we entered our last store for the day. Dillards. I was looking at all the sophisticated "Misses" formal dresses and honestly, none of them were me. I'm 5'3", so that leaves all floor length dresses out. Unless I wear 6" heels. And I'm not Sarah Jessica Parker the last time I checked. We were on our way out to go back and check out the blue giraffe dress again when I saw a few ball gowns in the Juniors section that looked nice. I liked a whole bunch of them and, lucky day, they had my size! That doesn't happen often.
I tried on about 6 of them, really really liking two. The kids and husband helped me make my final decision. Well actually, Drew was begging me to try on the green bean colored polka dot dress, and Louisa wanted me to try on a size 4 floor length blue glittery Cinderella dress. But they were ok with my final choice as well. Hunter had his eye on a red one, and a blue one, and a yellow one, and pretty much anything that his little stroller passed by.

While in the dressing room, Louisa kept opening the door to hand me yet another dress that daddy had found. Yes, while I was partly naked. I did happen to be the only one trying on dresses, but scary for anyone who walked by to glimpse my granny underwear in the mirror. I did finally lock the door, only to find that Drew's Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest key necklace could open the lock. Now seriously, who would have thought that the stupid necklace pendant could open locks? Of course, Drew knew it could the whole time.
While paying for the dress, the cashier gave us many strange looks. Probably wondering why an entire family needs to help mom pick out a formal dress. I, actually, was wondering the same thing. But at least we all got out of the house and the heat for the day.
No luck on shoes yet. That will be part two. My issues with my dumb wide feet and how I can never ever find formal shoes in a wide size.

A Walk Down Girl Scout Memory Lane

Louisa has been a proud Girl Scout for four years now. She started as a Daisy in kindergarten, served three years as a Brownie, and last Thursday we had the honor of watching our little birdie bridge to Junior Girl Scouts. The big difference between a Brownie and a Junior, besides the uniform being green instead of brown, is the maturity level. Junior Girl Scouts have typically been through 3 or 4 years of Girl Scouts. They know what to expect and what is expected of them. But what I'm most excited about is all the trips that Louisa will get to take. With Brownies she's been camping and roller skating and on volunteering trips and to the movies and tons of other stuff. But with Juniors Louisa will get to do much more camping, go to museums and national monuments, explore factories and see what makes America so great, as well as learn life skills. Her new scout leader is very active and we're excited to be a part of this new, more grown up troop.

I was a little sad at first because I was always hoping to be a scout leader or at least a co-leader. When I asked if I could help out next year because only 3 girls out of our troop are bridging up to Juniors, I was told that the Junior scout leader is very established and has been leading for many years. No, decades! She's been around for almost 3 decades. With a small sadness in my heart, I realize that it's best if Louisa goes with someone who has been doing this for a long time. Also, that she can be with a scout leader who can devote a lot of time to being very active with the troop and take them on a lot of trips. Now that so many days have passed since Louisa bridged, I realize that I'm excited for this opportunity for her.

Here is a walk down that old Girl Scout Memory Lane, but I don't have any Daisy pictures available. Those were my pre-digital days, and therefore the photographs are buried somewhere in the bottom of a big plastic tub and I just didn't have the energy to dig them out. Now might be a good time to start scrapping all of this for her, though. Before I forget too much of it!

{This is Louisa's first Awards Ceremony as a first year Brownie in 2004. She had ballet class right before Brownies, so she always had to wear her ballet leotard during meetings.}

{Louisa has marched in a total of about 6 parades between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This was Memorial Day 2005. Louisa's the one sporting the cool purple sunglasses!}

{May 2005, Louisa and I went on our first camping trip with Brownies. I am about 7 months pregnant with Hunter at the time. We had a blast and earned a lot of badges on this trip. I'm very grateful I got to tag a long!}

{In the summer of 2005, Louisa's Brownie leader rented them a garden plot in the local community gardens. The girls spent the summer working in the garden. They donated more than half of what they grew and they brought home a lot of yummy veggies to eat! Louisa is in the middle and the other two girls are the leader's twins, our very good friends who we miss a lot since we've moved, Caitlin and Ashley.}

{Perhaps one of the funnest trips we've taken to date is the trip to Libby Lu last spring. The girls worked hard selling cookies and their goal was a trip to Libby Lu in Milwaukee's Mayfair Mall. They all got make-overs, got to dress up, and then dance and have a lot of fun. Although, what Louisa gets to do this year with her new troop with the money they earned selling Girl Scout cookies will probably top Libby Lu, it was a blast and another trip that I'm so lucky I got to go on.}

{Last summer, separate from her regular troop, Louisa played Girl Scout softball. I was the head coach. My memoirs are listed here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here. Ok, you don't really have to read them, I just like bragging about how I coached the team to First Place!}

{Now we fast forward to this year. Third year Brownies. We moved to the army base in the end of November. I called in December to locate a new troop for us. They finally called us back in the middle of January. Just in time for cookie sales. Go figure. But, because of those cookie sales, Louisa gets to go spend the night at the Johnson Space Center in Houston so it was totally worth it. Here's my little birdie bridging last Thursday. She flew up, earned her wings, and is now officially a Junior Girl Scout. She's very proud of herself and all the hard work she's done.

Scouting is definitely her "thing".}

Blast from the past

Sometimes a smell can bring you back to a certain time and place, almost like a time travel machine. The smell of baby powder can bring back an image of the first time you held your newborn in the hospital. The smell of lilac can take you back to the carefree days of your youth when you and your friends would bike ride down the lilac covered alleyways. Such smells can bring so powerful of memories that you feel yourself fully emerged in days gone by.


A few days ago I bought a bag of nectarines that weren't quite ripe yet, so I left them in the bag to ripen up. Today I opened the bag and the strong scent of nectarine overwhelmed me. I was instantly transported back to the summer when I was 20 years old. Louisa was not quite 1 yet. I was standing on my Granny's back porch and my hand was reaching to open the door. Louisa was placed firmly on my hip. She wore a brightly colored sundress and a floppy hat that matched. As we walked in the door, the smell of ripe nectarine rushed up to meet us. My granny was stooped over the stove preparing dinner. She turned around with a big smile. Louisa wiggled in my arms as soon as she saw her Granny, and of course Granny snatched her up and gave her a big hug. Granny's little peach. I took Louisa back and walked into the living room to find my Grandad snoozing in his chair. I set Louisa down in the middle of the living room with some toys. I walked back into the kitchen and grabbed some dishes to set the table with. There was a pot of green beans cooking on the stove, and chicken baking in the oven. Granny was adding milk to the mashed potatoes. As I set the table, I could hear Louisa rummaging through her diaper bag and my Grandad waking up. I felt safe, warm, and loved. In that instant, all was right with the world. I was about to sit down for dinner with my Granny and Grandad, and share the love of my grandparents with my daughter.
In the background I could hear Hunter giggling. My time travel had ended. I was wooshed back to real life, standing in my messy kitchen. I looked into the living room where Hunter was being licked by the puppy, hence the giggling. I took one more big wiff of the nectarine, feeling that warmth for just a little longer.
Life is good now, but there are definitely days that I would like go back to when my grandparents were here, sitting in their chairs, telling tall tales and playing with the little ones.

A Drew Funny

Everyone I know is always sharing funnies that their kids say. Drew says the most hysterical things, but I never think to write them down. Part of the reason I started my blog in the first place was to capture all these funny things he says. He's one of those kids that comes up with the most outrageous stuff. Or he'll bring up just half a conversation like the time he asked daddy about his other woman (you should have SEEN the look on husband's face when that came up! ) It ended up being about his motorcycle. "You remember, Dad", Drew said as daddy swore profusely that there was no other women, and then begged Drew to clarify what he was talking about. "You told me that your motorcycle is like another woman!"
So tonight we were driving to "the big city" to drop off the "other woman" at the Harley shop so she can get some new parts added to her. Drew told me very seriously that he is going to change his name. I handed out a few good suggestions like Bob and George and Elmer. He didn't like those. No, he needs a pirate name. Hmmm... what's a good pirate name? How about Peg Legged Paul? Nope. Shorty McForty? Nope. Drew wants his pirate name to be Jack. I couldn't for the life of me think of why Jack would be a good pirate name. Who has ever heard of a pirate named Jack?!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..... ya. (light bulb)
Ok, so there's a famous "fictional" pirate named Jack. Then Drew is picking out a last name and tells me that he wants his last name to be Pot.
Now my mind is racing. Huh? When has he ever heard of pot? I've never talked about pot around him before. It's not something I've really discussed with him and heck, I don't even know much about it myself.
As my mind is trying to figure out where he's heard about pot before I hear him say, "Wouldn't that be great, Mom? Then everyone can call me JackPot!" hahahahaha
(my very slow moving, and apparently trash filled brain finally processes this and yes, the light bulb goes on yet again) Ohhh! Hahaha! Jack Pot! Good joke, Drew!
So, written down for posterity, or at least to make fun of him when he gets older, is a Drew Funny.

A New Bike, An Old Puppy, and a $130 Pie

If we were playing that game where you take three things and figure out what they have in common, it would be impossible to deduce how these three things are alike. And really, they don't go together. Unless a crazy week of extreme highs and extreme lows counts.


From May 1 to May 18, Louisa's school had a reading contest. Like a lot of schools, they can only read Accelerated Reader (AR) books. After they finish the book they take a test to earn points. Each book is worth a certain amount of points. Eragon, for example, was worth 25 points, whereas Captain Underpants is worth only 4. The point leader for third grade has 360 points, but that is her total for 2nd and 3rd grade combined. Louisa has 284 total points, and that's just since December. For the contest there were two winners in the school. One boy and one girl. The prize is a bicycle. I don't need to tell you who the winner was for the girl's bike.

During the two weeks that the contest was running, Louisa got 85 points and her test average was a 94%. I went and picked up her bike yesterday and took the opportunity to boast about my little girl to the principal as he wheeled it out to my car.

On Monday we got a call from our onbase housing manager. He had our puppy! In the morning he had seen several ladies out for a walk. Low and behold they were walking a puppy that looked exactly like the one on all the posters we put up. The manager took the puppy to the animal shelter to have his microchip scanned and sure enough, it was Flash!

It took Flash a day to adjust to us again. He kind of moped around on Monday and didn't eat anything. Yesterday I went to buy him some canned puppy food, thinking he would be happy to eat that. When I came back from the store his food bowl was empty. That figures! Anyone need some canned puppy food?! He's doing good now. He's 100% back to normal, just like he never left. Still got fleas, though. The people who had him could have at least gotten rid of the fleas, if they weren't going to check and see if he belonged to anyone. I understand that if you see a collar-less puppy running around your yard, your first instinct is to take him in. But at the very least you should take him to the animal shelter to make sure he doesn't belong to anyone. Somewhere out there, there's a family that probably misses him. I'm just glad to have him home with us.

My husband's first sergeant came up with a great idea for a fund raiser. Have the wives (or whoever wants to because I guess I can't assume that it's only the wife that bakes in the house) bake a pie or a cake. Put the pies and cakes up for auction and the soldiers can bid on them. But here's the catch: attach to each pie and cake a special prize. An incentive, so to speak. The incentives were things like, first sergeant for a day, sgt major for a day, an extra 3-day weekend pass, an extra 4-day weekend pass (and those are what the soldiers wanted the *most*). There were so many of each incentive and those guys really wanted those weekend passes. I baked an apple pie (the one on the left side of the picture) but it turned out really bad and there was no way I could present that to guys that my husband works with. So I ran out to the store, bought more apples, and made another one (the pie on the right).

I knew things would get pricey, but I told husband not to spend more than $45 or $50 on anything. He didn't even have the chance. The cheapest a pastry sold for was $80. At the end there was one pie left sitting on the table, and everyone figured out that pie had the last 3-day weekend pass hidden under it. Yep, that pie was mine. It sold for $130 and was the most expensive pastry at the auction. All in all was raised a staggering $1000.02! The first sgt and his wife are very pleased and the money will be put to good use.

We've had a very up and down sort of week. I'm looking forward to the kids getting out of school on Friday and falling into a summertime routine. A long, hot, Louisiana summer...

Do This

Want to create fun fireworks in your own home? Then do this. It's an awesome website to bookmark for rainy days.

Lost Puppy

Lost Puppy

Breed: Beagle

Name: Flash

Flash was last seen on Monday, May 14. Flash is a boy and weighs about 15 pounds. He is 8 months old. He was not wearing his collar when he ran away, but he is microchipped

If you have seen Flash, please call cell phone number (XXX) XXX-XXXX, or take him to the onbase animal shelter.

Thank You!

I am currently printing up about 20 of these to post on the mailboxes in our neighborhood. On Monday the puppy ran away. We have people who mow our lawn for us, and they always leave the backyard gate open. Once in awhile I forget and let the puppy out. He has always just run around to the front door, though. This time he didn't. By the time we realized the gate was open, it was too late and he was long gone.
He is microchipped, so if he's turned in to the shelter they will scan him and give him back to us. Since he hasn't been turned in yet, my guess is that someone saw a sweet little beagle puppy with no collar and took him home. Because of the fleas, the collar was bothering him so I didn't make him wear it. We didn't have a tag on the collar anyway. Just his rabies tag is on there, so it wouldn't have done much good.
Today after school the kids will go around the neighborhood and post these Lost notices. I'm hoping if someone did take him in, they'll see that he has a family who loves and misses him.
Every night I sit and look at his empty crate. I think about how I yelled at him right before he ran away because he was chewing up my sandal (that he totally ruined). I hope he knows we love him.

Crafts n stuff

This week at both Drew and Louisa's schools was Teacher Appreciation week put on by the PTA's. At Louisa's school there was a big lunch for the teachers on Tuesday and I sent about two dozen little mini pecan pies. Drew's school had a week long celebration with a theme each day.
Wednesday was Hugs & Kisses day. We could bring in a gift to the teacher that represented hugs and kisses like candy or pictures or a card. So Tuesday night we made a card with a big X and O cut out of red paper. Drew made a picture inside and wrote "You re a fabylus techr".
Thursday was Apples day. We could bring in an apple of any kind. I figured she'd get enough real apples, so we got creative. We went to WalMart and scoped out the craft section. It's not very big and unless you knit or scrapbook or quilt, there's not much of a selection. We don't have any other craft stores in town that I've seen. After wandering around for 20 minutes for something, anything appl-ish, I spotted some clearance iron-on patches. I dug through and found apples and school themed ones. Now, what do I do with them? We looked around, and around some more until I spotted some cute little (clearance) chalk boards. Teacher... chalkboard... ya, they go together! We bought two of them (because if Drew is making a craft, Louisa has to as well).
I think they turned out pretty cute. Louisa is keeping her chalkboard, but Drew gave his to his teacher.


Today is Friday and it was Flower day. Drew loves to draw and paint, so I just had him paint her a vase full of flowers. It turned out very cute. Plus we were short on time yesterday to do a big project. It was Daddy's birthday and after school we had to go to the store to get him his present. Yes, very last minute! He's so hard to buy for, though. Then we had to come home and get the little mini pizzas ready. He asked for homemade pizza for his birthday dinner. We put a fun little twist on the homemade pizza thing, though. We bought six little premade crusts (like Boboli, but a generic version) and topped them with sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and pineapple (although mine was plain cheese). Then we threw those on the grill until all the cheese melted. It was very good and made the crust nice and crispy, just like Daddy likes them! We also had birthday brownie, because we're not huge cake fans. We prefer birthday brownies, birthday giant cookies, birthday pie, birthday cheesecake, you get the picture.
Then, after the birthday stuff we had to make an "Eggonaut" spacesuit for Drew for a school project today. They were launching Eggonauts off the school roof, and each kid needed to make a spacesuit (padded protection for the egg) so the egg wouldn't break. We've all made these before either for our kids, or for our own school projects. Although when I did it in high school, we also had to attach a parachute. No parachutes for these little guys. We padded the egg with marshmallows. Lots and lots of marshmallows. It couldn't be any bigger than 6x6x6. But of course when we measured the Eggonaut suit it was 11x6x6. That figured. We cut it down to just the exact dimensions. I'll find out in a few hours when he gets home how his Eggonaut survived the fall from the school roof. I hope marshmallows were enough to keep it safe. Since we did it so late we didn't have time to test it. Bad parents! Putting off such a project till the night before.
We only have two weeks of school left. Gotta love the South for getting out so early! Then I'll have a first grader and a fourth grader. At some point do they stop growing? Because I'm really not liking this growing up stuff.

Playgroup for Two

Hunter and I have been meeting with a playgroup here on base for a few months now. There are two parts to the playgroup. One part is for babies under one, and the other is for babies 1-3 years. We usually do activities with the 1-3 year old group. Often times the two groups combine for activities such as going for walks and meeting at the park, but I have not participated in many of those yet. I have never been in a playgroup before, and although this one is very informal, I'm still not sure about playgroup etiquette.
On Monday there was a playgroup meeting at a local park for lunch and playtime. I fed Hunter at home because I knew he wouldn't eat there. Then, as I was going out the door, the dog peed in his cage. So I had to stop and clean that up. Then Hunter had a stinky diaper, so I had to stop and change that. On the way to the park there was construction that stopped us for 10 minutes. It was one of those "if it can go wrong, it will" type of days.
We got to the park an hour late and I didn't recognize a single mom or baby there. I slowly walked up to the pavilion and asked if this was the right playgroup. They were all nice and introduced themselves. With a playgroup of 40 women, I guess it's easy to not have met everyone yet. Especially when most of them seem to have babies under one. And that's the next thing I noticed. They were all little babies. No one for Hunter to play with. Moms with their babies and toys spread out on many different blankets all chattering away. You never realize how big your baby is until he's the "big kid" in a group of littler babies.
Hunter wasn't too interested in hanging around a bunch of babies, so we went to play on the playground equipment. After we played for awhile, I decided we should go back and sit and chat with the other moms. Hunter didn't like that idea. He had fun playing "which toy belongs to which baby", though. And I tried really hard to be sociable and not shy.
We stayed for more than an hour. It was a nice visit, but I did feel like we were singled out. It was more a playgroup for two.
The next day Hunter and I were supposed to meet with the 1-3 year old babies at a new place nearby called Jump City. It is a building with a whole bunch of big bouncies in it and they have "toddler time" on Tuesdays from 10-12. We didn't get there until 11:00, but I figured they would all still be there. There weren't many people playing when we got there, and if any of them were playgroup mommas, I didn't recognize them.
We paid our money and started bouncing. There was a big variety of bouncies, all shapes and sizes. Hunter didn't care for the bouncing part. He preferred to stay on the ground and play with some little soccer balls. It's a place I think Drew and Louisa will appreciate more.
That day was definitely a playgroup for two. We aren't having much luck with this whole playgroup thing. We'll keep at it, though. They have a lot of fun activities and they usually have stuff planned 4 or 5 days a week. Enough to keep us busy, if we can actually get to something on time.
Here are some pics from our bouncy playgroup for two:

Fleas! and it's no circus

When we first got our puppy, Flash, we had him checked by the vet for fleas. He was clean and clear. But he's been scratching and scratching like the dickens for awhile now. Someone suggested he might have dry skin, so I've been using this moisturizing shampoo on him. I can't believe I'm using a more expensive shampoo on my dog than I use on myself. After using the shampoo a few times, he was still scratching. Convinced he did indeed have fleas, I sat him down with a brush and looked through the white parts of his fur. I could see really little black spots moving around. Yup, fleas. Ugh!

So, I put on one of those flea and tick killer things that you squeeze down their back. I used one when we very first got him, too. I waited awhile to see if it would work, but he was still scratching and every once in awhile he would jump up and yelp for no reason.

Yesterday I could actually see the big fleas on his skin and in his fur, and I noticed both the cats have fleas. Ok, it's time to take some real action. Husband went out and bought some flea shampoo and flea collars. (yes, I know they don't actually work, but it can't hurt either)

I washed Flash last night. In a few days we'll check him and then wash him again. This shampoo says it works for up to 10 days.

I went to grab Scooter, the smallest cat, and even though he's got no front claws he can still scratch the heck out of me with his back claws. And that's just what he did. My arm has some pretty big battle wounds on it now.

Husband has given the cats baths a few times before. He grabbed Scooter with a towel and then put Scooter in the tub while holding him with the towel and washed him up. That way, Scooter couldn't scratch with his back claws.

Then it was Socks' turn. Husband did the same thing, only Socks is a little stronger than Scooter and he managed to get his revenge scratch in at least once.

Hopefully this will work because I do not want fleas all over the house. The last time we had them was about seven years ago when we first brought Socks home from the pet store. That got to be a fairly bad infestation. Don't want to go back there again.

Although it was hysterical to see the cats when they were all wet and skinny after their baths last night! Then they run around, frantically trying to lick all the water off themselves. Scooter still isn't "speaking" to me. Socks forgives easily, and Flash will do anything for a treat!

How to Have a Successful Pirate Party

Yesterday was Drew's birthday. He's the big S-I-X. You know what that means... you get to do more stuff by yourself, girls dig you more cause you're older now, you can stay up a little later and eat popcorn like your dad... ya know, big kid stuff. Six years old is that passage from baby-hood to big kid-hood. A whole bunch of new options open up to big six year olds!
We kicked off this milestone by having a pirate birthday party on Saturday. This was not only Drew's first "friend" birthday party, but the first one we did at home. For Louisa's parties we have always gone somewhere like bowling or Build-A-Bear or something like that. We invited Drew's whole class and had a total of about 15 kids come. The turnout was just the right size for our house and all the activities we had planned.
To have a successful pirate party, you must crew your ship with rough and rowdy looking pirates.... Arrhhh!

Give them pirate names by having them choose a color and a type of fish. For example, Louisa Blue Angel Fish, or Andrew Blue Shark, or Hunter Green Marlin.

Don't forget about the ocean to sail your ship on. To make your ocean you need water bottles filled halfway with water. Put one or two drops of blue food coloring, depending on how "deep" your ocean is. Add the seashells, boats, fish and other sea creatures, as well as some "sand" (glitter). Then fill the rest of the bottle with baby oil, mateys. Why? Because that's the air above the water, of course! You should probably glue the bottle cap back on, lest ye be swabbing the deck when it all spills out.

When you feed your rowdy crew, there's a certain menu you must follow:
Every pirate has to have Rum! (fruit punch)
And then give them each a cup of sand with some fish that washed ashore. (applesauce with Goldfish crackers)
Pirates need their own ships to set sail on the sea. (hot dog in a bun, and you can add a paper sail to it if you wish to make it look more like a ship)
For desset, don't forget the Treasure Chest full of jewels and gold!
Husband actually made the cake and it looked a tad different than this, but his cake was awesome and he really impressed all the moms that stayed to hang out. And I got to be proud that my husband is not only handsome, but creative, too! We used Rolos for "gold" and M&M's for "jewels". I could not find any candy necklaces anywhere. I checked 4 different grocery stores and discount stores and not one had candy necklaces. Our cake still looked great, though.
For games we played "Pin the EyePatch on the Pirate". For this game, I would strongly suggest using a bandana blindfold because the cheap blindfold that came with the game was too easy to cheat with. The kids could still see through the bottom of it and they all "won"!
We also played "Musical Islands". Husband cut a whole bunch of "islands" out of brown paper and then drew palm trees and treasure maps on them. We laid them on the ground and the kids walked around them to the melodic sounds of pirate music. The rest of the game is played like musical chairs. I bought this "Pirates of the Caribbean: Swashbuckling Sea Songs" CD for the party, and it has become Drew's favorite. He listens to it every night at bed time.



Drew has always wanted a pinata at a birthday party, so we finally got one. This one was a treasure chest and we filled it with gold coins, tattoos, and candy. Just a note, if you put gold coins in a pinata, make sure they are chocolate ones. Kids aren't as excited about plastic ones as you might think! One kid actually started to eat it. I had to pull it away from him to get him to stop gnawing on it.

I gave the kids lots of time to run around the backyard and play with Drew's toys. Too much structure with kindergarteners, and you lose them.
The moms that stayed all chatted and had a good time. Although husband felt out of place and awkward being the only man.

A good time was had by all, and the kids went away with some really good "loot"! We were excited when we found this "treasure box" on OrientalTrading.com, where we ordered most of our party supplies from. Everything was included and it saved us a lot of money rather than buying it all separately.

So now my baby is six (sniff, sniff) and this mama has to live with the fact that he's growing up and there's not much I can do about it. He's already almost as tall as Louisa is and he's definitely just as smart. I love that he's becoming such a big kid, but I miss all the cute little things he used to do.

Happy Birthday, Drew Bear! (at least I'm the only one who still gets to call him that!)

pew-berty

Louisa is now 9 and one half. She'll be 10 in September and I still haven't had the "big talk" with her. I stated previously why. I'm just scared to explain how I, in God's eyes, sinned and she was the result of that sin. This will be so much easier with the boys. Mainly because husband is going to be the one giving the talk. Also, because it's easy to explain how they are a result of mom and dad's love for eachother.
I bought two books that I found online to help me talk with Louisa. She's already getting pimples and of course she needs to know why. And also, I may have gotten my period when I was 12, but other women in my family got theirs when they were 10 or 11. I hope to stay one step ahead of this game.
The books I bought to help me are, Growing Up, It's a Girl Thing: Straight Talk about First Bras, First Periods, and Your Changing Body by Mavis Jukes, and Girl Stuff, A Survival Guide to Growing Up by Margaret Blackstone. The first book is geared toward that younger tween crowd. The illustrations are good and it talks about what I want her to know right now. The second book may have to wait a year or so. The illustrations are a little too graphic for a 9 year old, but more appropriate for an 11 or 12 year old. In my opinion anyway. I may go through a few of the chapters with her in the second book when we're talking about pimples and boys and periods, but she doesn't need to see a complete illustration of a penis right now. She has two little brothers. She definitely knows the difference between a boy and a girl.
Yesterday Louisa saw the books and got very excited about reading them. I'm glad she has such excitement. She knows these books are to help her understand growing up and how her body will change in the next few years. And the covers are very girly and appealing, so she is naturally curious as to what is inside. I'll have to read them both and then decide what she needs to know now, and what can wait for later. Then we can sit down together and read and hopefully I can answer her questions.
For the rest of today and tomorrow, though, I have a little man's 6th birthday party to get ready for. So Louisa growing up will have to wait a few days. Let's hope she doesn't go off and meet the boy of her dreams between now and then! Really, I'm lucky because she's not into boys or crushes or anything like that yet. Although she is quickly becoming a gorgeous young lady, so I will have to worry some day. Just not yet.

How to Pick up Chicks, Toddler Style

I had to take Louisa to the dentist again today. She received the first of the two crowns she needed put on. Now she has this big silver tooth that looks completely out of place. Can't wait until all these decaying teeth fall out and her permanent teeth come in so we don't have to deal with her tooth trouble as much.
In the waiting room I watched Hunter, who is now 20 months old, toddle around and socialize with the other kids. A very pretty little girl came in who looked to be about two years old. Hunter took notice of her as well. I observed him as he did a type of toddler style courting ritual. I've seen him do it before. So here is Hunter's Tips on How to Pick up Chicks, Toddler Style!

1) When you see her from across the room, stick your finger in your mouth. She'll totally take notice of that. If she doesn't, then gradually move your finger into your nose. That gets 'em every time.
2) It's ok if she's a little older than you. If you're only 20 months and she's 28 months, that just means she'll potty train before you. Your parents may tell you that there's an 8 month difference and they just aren't sure about that, but it'll work out in the end. 5 years down the road, no one will even notice.
3) Check your shoes first before you start to walk across the room to her. You lose major coolness points if you trip on untied shoelaces. If your laces are untied, just take your shoes off cause there's no sense in trying to figure out whatever the heck your mom does to tie them now.
4) If you do trip on your way over to her, just get back up again. Your mom will want to make sure you're ok. Give her a hug in front of the chick cause chick's dig it when you're nice to your mom. And score some extra points by hugging your mom extra long and letting her kiss you.
5) Once you finally get over to the cute chick, do something to get her attention like pull her hair or push her off the chair. Chicks love bad boys.
6) If she cries and runs to her mom, it's still good. She'll come back to ya. They always do.
7) And if she does come back, she's all yours. You can go ahead and be nice to her now. Give her a little pat on the back or smoosh her cheeks like your mom does to you. Now you're home free and you've got yourself a new chick. At least until your mom says it's time to go home.

Oh My, A Cockroach!

Actually, what I really said was.... "AAHHHH!!!! There's a f***ing cockroach on me!!! Get it the F*** off!!!!!!!!!"
In the south it's inevitable that roaches will find their grubby, disgusting little ways into your house. No matter how spotless you keep it, they'll find a way in and they'll find something to eat. They'll go back and tell their nasty little friends, and they'll tell a friend and they'll tell a friend. Before you know it you've got Joe's Apartment right there in your living room. Ok, I've never really seen anyone have that many roaches and we only get one at a time here and there, but it's still gross.
Yesterday I had to wake up way too early for a Saturday to get ready for some Family Fun Military Appreciation day that we *had* to go to so that some mayor could make himself look good because he "supports the troops". So I am already not in a good mood. I step out of the shower, dry off, and grab my pants to pull them on. I feel something run up my arm. At first I figured it was a spider. We have several big, plump spiders running around here. I looked at my arm and saw some very large red legs running up it. A huge chill ran up my back and I kinda froze for a second. I brushed the red legged creature off and when it hit the floor it was the biggest roach I've ever seen. I mean, hugest, biggest, ugliest roach I have ever seen in my life. It ran under the towel I had plopped on the floor after my shower.
My whole body shook and I instantly freaked out. I yelled and cussed and screamed bloody murder. Very few things get that reaction out of me, so husband knew right away what was wrong. When he came in I told him to stomp on the towel because he had his boots on. Instead he picked up the towel and the roach ran under a crack at the base of the wall. No clue how they can do that. The crack wasn't even visible and he was a huge sucker.
The kids are still a little scared to use that bathroom. They keep the door open while they're in there. The fear will eventually die down. And they have nothing to be scared of, the roach wasn't crawling on them! Not sure how long the evil little beast had been in my pants, but it's disturbing. I had the creepy crawlies for a long time after.
Husband thinks it's funny that I was so afraid of a cockroach who really does nothing to harm people, but I wasn't afraid of a spider that could have been venomous. We have several species of venomous spider down here that we have to watch out for. I can't explain it, but cockroaches freak me out more than almost anything else in the world.
So, I dedicate this story to Earth Day and all of Mother Earth's nasty little beasties that we have to put up with.

Fear of the Unknown

Fear is one of those powerful emotions that make us think irrationally. I saw a picture of my little boy on someone else's website one day and immediately that pesky emotion took over my senses. I didn't know how to react or respond. My initial thought was that I was flaming pissed. How dare someone snatch my picture of my little boy!
After a few weeks I realized that I get what I ask for. I publicly posted pictures of my kids. I wanted a public blog to share with all moms. Not just a select few friends and family. I was sad that I no longer had the blog that I enjoyed writing on. I had fun seeing all the return readers. People that I didn't really know, but they still came back day after day to read what I had to say.
I've decided that I'm not going to let that pesky emotion take over anymore. At least not on this subject. I have a blog, I have stuff to say, I'm going to say it. Hopefully people will come back to read it. Part of what I have to say includes pictures. So pictures I will post. I'll continue to keep my CafeMom page "friends only" and my myspace page "friends only", but this is where I come to write about my mommy life. My mommy life sometimes includes pictures that help illustrate that life.
I didn't really know what I was scared of in the first place. A cyberstalker that no one really believes me about? A crazy lady on CafeMom who's had it out for me for over a year now? What's she going to do? She lives way up in Michigan, no I mean New Jersey, no I mean Pennsylvania. Ya, that's it, she's finally settled on Pennsylvania after changing her mind a few times. I'm not going to be afraid, and I'm going to continue to share my mommy life with whoever is interested enough to read it.

Needed a Little Break

Yep, I know what you're thinking, It's been FAR too long since this woman posted anything! I guess I needed a little break. I got discouraged by all that happened and I didn't feel like posting.

A lot has happened since the last time I posted, so here's the high and low-lights.

~My sister and nephew came down to our house for a nice visit. We found a cute little town in Louisiana called Natchitoches (pronounced Nakadish, I have no clue how, but it's a Creole town if that explains anything!) It's the oldest town down here, founded in 1714 and the downtown area was very quaint. Here are some pics, *without* any people in them!

We found this awesome little restaurant called Laysone's (I think!) and Louisa and I had red beans and rice with sausage that was out of this world, and my nephew Andrew and my son Andrew both tried catfish for the first time. My sister wished she had gotten it, so next time when she visits I know what she'll be ordering! I know my mom will love the catfish, so we'll have to get her in there some day.

Natchitoches is the town where they filmed Steel Magnolia's and it's just such a cute little place. There are several plantations to tour, but we didn't get that far. Maybe some day with husband we can do that.

~My mom spent a week in the hospital. She got an infection on her leg, so she had to stay at the hospital so long to get an antibiotic administered intravenously. She's home now and doing well.

~I volunteered to paint faces at a Cajun Festival that was here on base. The Cajun Fest turned out to be smaller than they hoped for because it rained all morning and people were afraid it would rain during the festival. However, our face painting booth was awesomely successful and I painted (and stooped over) for five hours straight. Drew and Husband tried crawfish for the first time. Husband will probably never eat it again, but Drew enjoyed it. He told me later that a soldier told him he was eating the poop, and that he needed to wipe it with a napkin first. Glad I didn't have time to try any!

I did really good at painting little faces, though. Much better than I thought I would. I could not get the hang of the Dora the Explorer face. A complicated dragon I had no problem with, but just could not do Dora. That's okay because I spent a big chunk of time just painting the dragon that I had become good at. The kids seemed to really like that one.

~I joined a playgroup here on base and a bunch of my online "Loopie" friends pushed me in to going to my first meet-up. Anyone who knows me knows I'm scared to death to try new thing, especially if that new thing has to do with meeting new people. But I couldn't "face" my Loopie friends with failure of not being able to go to a playgroup meet-up. And anyway, it was at the Buger King playland, so if no one showed up, at least Hunter would still get to play. But they did show up, and they were nice. Tomorrow we go to an Easter Egg Hunt and that should be fun, too. They all seem like a nice bunch of ladies.

(By the way, "Loopie" has to do with an email loop and I had never heard of that either before I was asked to join, but I guess it's a common thing.)

And so, for that past few weeks, that's what I've been up to. I hope to post more often and I still have to take the time to get all these pictures off so I can go public again.

I was picked to do a Meme, too, by my friend Nikki. So, Nikki, I'll get on that....soon... hopefully!