Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We certainly did!

We went up to the hubby's parents' yesterday to exchange gifts with them. We had a nice time, kids not too many gifts, and we ate too much. We got home about 7 last night. After we got home, we made cookies for Santa and the kiddos went to bed. One of their new aunts sent each of them a gift bag that included reindeer food, so they left food for the reindeer along with milk and cookies. My mom and her husband, and my sister, her husband and my niece were coming for Christmas today, so I got as much done last night as I could, which wasn't as much as I wanted. But we got some of the food prepared and rearranged some for this morning, and then headed on off to bed.

The kids didn't get us up as early this morning as we expected, which was a pleasant surprise. So we got up and came downstairs to get ready for them to open their gifts. Santa brought them some awesome gifts this year. J got a Razor electric-powered dirtbike, and A got a Razor electric powered European-style scooter. His is blue, and hers is pink (big surprise for the princess). They went nuts waiting for us to get the rest of lunch prepared and ready to go in the oven before they finally got to get out and try out their new toys. They zipped around on our street for a little while. I had no doubt J would take to the dirtbike like a fish in water, but I was impressed with the baby girl. She has no fear...she was running up and down the street with it, and doing u-turns with no issues at all. That's my girl!!

A on her scooter

J on his dirtbike

While the kids were outside riding their bikes, my mom and her husband got here, as did my sis and her family. At that point, I had everything ready for dinner, it just all had to go in the oven. Once I got everything ready, we all sat down for dinner and ate too much yet again. Everyone enjoyed the food, and after dinner we came in to exchange presents.

Yet again, the kids got too much, but they absolutely LOVED everything they got. I think the hubby and I succeeded in pleasing everybody with the gifts we gave them, and that always makes me feel good.

So tonight I'm sitting here trying to unwind, the boy child is playing his new PlayStation2 game, the girl child is working on the latch hook kit she got for Christmas, and the hubby is checking out one of his gifts.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Slacker

That's what I've been lately, where blogging is concerned. I know I keep saying I'll get back to it. I guess I'm just having trouble finding blogging inspiration.

I'll try to do better. And I know I still need to post pictures from my mom's wedding and some other things. I'll get them up soon.

Happy Thanksgiving

We're having Thanksgiving dinner at the hubby's parents' house this year. I cooked dinner here last year and had my family over, so this year we'll be up there with them. The good news is that I get a break from all the work that goes into preparing such a meal.

I did offer to bring my Pumpkin Cheesecake. That is a recipe that I've been making every Thanksgiving for the past three or four years now. When I told my mother-in-law that I would bring it, she said that maybe she wouldn't bother making the pies that she usually makes. She had bought a cake at a bake sale, and thought that between that cake and the cheesecake I'm bringing, we'd have enough desserts. When I mentioned that to the hubby, though, he pouted a bit and said he really wanted a pecan pie. So I called her and told her what he'd said, and told her that I would make that as well. Turns out I called her just in time, because she was just pulling out the stuff to make the pecan pie there. I figured that would be one less thing for her to have to worry about. The hubby's brother likes coconut pie, so maybe she'll have the time to make it.

I have so much to be thankful for, and always appreciate the reminder to do so. My husband is home with me this year. My children are healthy and happy, and are wonderful kids (even though they make me crazy). I'm thankful for our military members, at home and abroad, who serve our country and protect our freedom. Those who are separated from their families are always in my heart this time of year. I'm also thankful for the time we have to be close to both of our families right now. I love that the kids get the chance, even if just for a little while, to spend time with their grandparents and aunts and uncles. I'm thankful for all the blessings I have been given over the years.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow...

Well, today actually, my mom is getting married.

My sister and I, along with one of my mom's fiance's daughters, spent the day decorating the chapel where they're getting married. All of the decorations in the chapel were white. But the walls are red, as is part of the carpet. My mom is having autumn colors for her wedding. My sister is the creative one, and she had to find a way to tie in the colors my mom wanted for her wedding with what was already in the chapel. I have to say, it looks beautiful now! I'll have to post before and after photos later. I didn't have my camera with me when we were decorating today, so didn't get to snap any before photos today. But I figure I can snap a few tomorrow after we take our decorations down. We were over there all day, and it really paid off. It looks so much better.

I'll put up pictures tomorrow...or today. Whatever!

Petty Complaint

OK, I'm going to bitch here for a minute, and my complaint will probably sound stupid. But I'm entitled from time to time.

I was in the mood for Chinese take-out for dinner tonight, but neither of us really felt like going to pick it up. So we perused the yellow pages (and hubby the internet...lol) looking for a place that would deliver. After three phone calls, we finally found a place. We gave them our phone number and address, and they told us no problem. Placed our order, she told us it would be about an hour, which would be cutting it close to the kids' bedtime, but we decided it would be ok.

About a quarter till eight, the restaurant calls me. By this time it had been over an hour and a half. She verified our address with me, and then told me that the driver couldn't find us. OK, well, that's happened before, since we're in a brand new section of the subdivision, but usually the driver calls us for directions. Apparently the driver had already returned to the restaurant, and she asked if we could come pick the food up. I was annoyed, the hubby was pissed! Honestly, it wouldn't have been so bad if they'd have called a lot earlier, giving us the opportunity to get the kids fed and still in bed on time.

So I went and picked up the food. Got there and the lady asked me to point out on the map where we were located. Well, there's the problem...their map doesn't have our section on it yet. But I pointed out to her the general vicinity, and she said she'll tell the driver, and maybe next time it will be no problem. The good news is, the food was really good. This is one of those little hole-in-the-wall type places, which from our experience usually have the best food. We weren't disappointed this time either. Plus she did throw in about a quart of iced tea, so she at least made the effort to make it right. I always appreciate that kind of effort. I was calmer by the time I started on my way home.

Anyway, that's my bitch for the night.

Great Weekend!

Well, my house guest for this past weekend left this morning. I have to tell you, we had the best time, and I hated to see her and her little girl leave. It never ceases to amaze me the kind of friendships that I have developed over the years with people who I communicate with primarily online. Mel and I have been "online" friends for nearly 10 years, and this weekend was the first time we met in person. I was comfortable with her almost instantly, and she is just as great in person as she has been in our many online conversations over the years.

My kids loved having her little girl here to play with. I had told here when she first started planning to come visit, that she probably wouldn't see her Princess much throughout the weekend, because my kids would sweep her away and take care of her and play with her. True to my expectations, they did just that. So she was able to have a little bit of a break, which with her hubby deployed, is always a nice thing. I was glad that we were able to help her out a little for a few days.

This past weekend was a weekend of good friends and good conversations. We laughed a lot, and shared quite a bit. I truly can't wait to have her visit again, or visit her and her family one day. Hopefully we will be able to spend some time with her after her hubby comes home.

Thank you for coming and spending time with us, Mel...we loved having you both here!

Pictures to come soon.

Veterans Day

Veterans Day Comments - DazzleJunction.com


This post is dedicated to all those who have served to protect our freedoms over the years. Some of you served in times of peace, some in times of war. Regardless, your service is appreciated.

I have always appreciated those who so selflessly serve our country, but it's amazing how my perspective has changed as a result of being married to such a man.

So to all our veterans, from all eras, THANK YOU!

Coming Back

I know my blogging has been seriously slacking for quite some time now. I'm going to make an effort, starting now, to start writing again. It was so therapeutic for me when I was writing regularly, and I miss keeping up with all my blog friends, too!

I finally finished school! It seems strange to say it still. I haven't gotten the documentation yet, but I have officially finished my Bachelors Degree in Health Administration. What I'm going to do with it, I'm not quite sure yet.

I have company this weekend. Mel from Mel's Musings in my blogroll is here for the weekend. I've known her for nearly ten years now, although up until yesterday, our relationship has always been through email. But when she got here, there was an immediate comfortable relationship, and we're having a great time. My kids are really enjoying having her little girl here to play with, and hopefully it's helping Mel have a bit of a break since her hubby's deployed right now. And those of us who've been there know how important every little break can be.

So I have all intentions of blogging regularly again. I have a lot to talk about. My problem has been the fact that with all the papers I had to write for school, I had very little motivation to write for pleasure. But now that's over, and I look forward to writing here again. I hope to have some photos to share after this weekend, although my camera is on the fritz. I guess I'll just have to make sure to get copies from Mel.

One Year Ago Today

I became an aunt!

I'm not sure at the moment where my pictures from the day she was born are, but she was absolutely beautiful! I can't believe it's been a year already.

My sis took the day off work today to spend the day with the little Birthday Girl. I called this evening to sing Happy Birthday to my little booger. I can't even begin to explain how incredible it is to be a part of her life, especially after being gone so long. It's more special than I could even begin to describe.

I love you, my little booger, and look forward to spending lots more time with you!!

Busy Schedule

We have a busy schedule for the next few weeks. I didn't really realize it until I was talking to my mom Tuesday night, and then again when we got an invite from some new friends to visit them in Virginia.

As those of you who read my blog know, we were in Denver last weekend. This weekend we're going to be in Raleigh for the Battalion's Annual Training Conference (ATC). Friday night and Saturday night will be fun, but other than that, not a whole lot for me to do, especially since I refuse to sit through a day's worth of spouse training this year. Call it a bad attitude if you will...I don't care.

The week after our weekend in Raleigh is my baby niece's birthday party. My little sister is doing a pig-pickin for the family to celebrate the occasion. Should be lots of fun! I just have to find the perfect gift for my little booger!

Then the next weekend a girlfriend of mine is coming to spend the weekend with me. I've known her through email communications for about nine years or so, but we'll be meeting for the first time in person this Veterans' Day weekend. I'm so excited about this visit, I can't even explain it!

The weekend after Veterans' Day weekend is the weekend my mom is getting married. I can't believe it's coming up so quickly, and I know it's hitting her even harder. I still have to find a dress since I'm her Matron of Honor. I found one last week that might work, but I think I'll look around while I'm in Raleigh before I commit to anything.

And then of course the following weekend is Thanksgiving. Wow! Never a dull moment around here! I love staying busy, though. Gives me something to look forward to, which really is something I need these days.

So that's an example of what our schedule looks like for the next month. I'll try to put up pictures of all the upcoming events as they come and go.

Back from Denver

Well, we went to Denver this past weekend and had a pretty good time, considering the fact that we didn't really have time to do much.

Friday we ended up being delayed in Charlotte for over two hours. The crew that was flying us to Denver was delayed in NYC because of weather. So it was almost midnight by the time we got checked into our hotel in Denver. And the hubby and I were hungry, because we had been trying to eat light while traveling, but had we known about the delay in Charlotte before we got something to eat, we'd have gotten something a little heavier. After we got checked into the hotel, we decided to find something to eat. We found an IHOP, which was just about perfect for the time being. After eating, we headed back to the hotel, and it was about 2 a.m. Colorado time by the time we got to bed, although my body thought it was 4 a.m.

Because of getting in so late, we slept in a bit on Saturday. I think it was about 10 or so by the time we got up, and it was somewhere between 11 and 12 when we had breakfast. After breakfast, we went downtown to try to do a little sightseeing. But we had very limited time, so just went to the 16th Street Mall which a friend had suggested we check out, and walked for a little while. We did get to check out a local Restaurant and Brewery; we love trying out local breweries like that.

Then we went back to the hotel to get ready for the awards ceremony. It lasted about an hour, if that. The fact that we were flown out there for that hour just blows my mind. I'm not complaining...I'm very happy I got to go along, but that's just crazy!

After the awards ceremony we went back downtown for a while Saturday night. I had noticed the signs for the Coyote Ugly, and wanted to go check it out. I visited the one in Nashville with some friends last summer, and thought the hubby might enjoy going. So we did, and he enjoyed it. We really enjoyed the opportunity to party for a little while Saturday night without worrying about babysitters and things like that, since the kiddos were with his folks.

When we got up on Sunday, it was snowing! The weather had been just gorgeous on Saturday...nearly 80 degrees. But when we woke up about 7:30 on Sunday, this is what we saw out our hotel room window:


Then about an hour later, after I finished getting ready, this was the view out our hotel room window:


It made me miss Germany again for a little while, but I have to admit that I was happy to be back in North Carolina last night with warm weather again.

Update on Hubby's Trip

Well, I get to go with him to Colorado after all!

He called me yesterday afternoon after we'd had lunch to let me know that they'd managed to get approval for spouses to go along. I was really excited! I've never been to Colorado before, and that's one place I've been wanting to go. When he got home and I asked him about his day, he told me that USAREC decided to revoke the approval for myself and the one other spouse from our company after it had already been approved. Needless to say, I wasn't happy. He also told me, though, that Battalion was trying to find a way for us to be able to go. After all, the arrangements had already been made...plane reservations, hotel, etc.

Today he told me I get to go after all. Talk about a roller coaster here! So we're off to Denver tomorrow afternoon, and I can't wait!!

Last Minute Crap

Man, it's been a long time since I wrote here. And here I come to complain. Sorry...I'll get better soon. Lots has happened since my last entry, including a trip to Myrtle Beach for the Fall Bike Rally. Yep...I'll write about that later.

Right now I just want to complain for a minute. Got an email from the hubby today letting me know that it looked like he was going to have to go out of town this weekend. He has to go to Denver, Colorado, for an awards ceremony because his company is being presented with an award of some sort. So why am I complaining? Well, his Brigade has apparently known about this for months, the Battalion just found out about it late yesterday afternoon, and he learned about it upon opening his email box this morning. So now he has to reschedule what he already had planned for the company this weekend, AND get all his travel arrangements made. Talk about frustrating! Guess the kids and I will have to find something fun to do.

Ouch!

My little guy turned 9 on Wednesday, and we had his birthday party today. The boy LOVES to skate, so he wanted to have his party at the skating rink like we did last year. I used to love to skate when I was a kid, too, so I usually skate with the kids when we go. Well, I must admit that I wiped out pretty good toward the end of the skating session. I'm thinking I may have bruised my tailbone...it HURTS! There's no photographic evidence, though, so nobody can prove it actually happened!

I'll have pictures from J's birthday party, as well as A's from July. Yes, I know I'm way behind. I also finally found my battery charger, so I'll take some pictures of the work we've done outside here at the house. I'm really proud of the way the yard looks, as well as everything else we've gotten done.

Patriot Guard

I've actually been a member of the Patriot Guard for almost a year now. Up to this point, though, I haven't been able to participate in any missions. I wish I could say that was because there had been none to attend, but unfortunately, there have been.

Hope Mills, the town I live in, lost a soldier last week. His name was SPC Steven Elrod. When I first learned of this, I thought that this might finally be my opportunity to stand for one of these brave soldiers who so fearlessly fought for us. Then last night the hubby told me he was going to be gone all day today. The Patriot Guard mission was today. Darn it.

My mother-in-law called me this afternoon, and I took the kids to their house this evening. On my way home I passed a few bikes that were obviously returning from the funeral mission for SPC Elrod. One bike had a large American flag mounted to the back of it, but it was wrapped around the flagpole...those flags aren't great for highway speeds. I saw another bike with the Patriot Guard banner mounted to the windshield. All I could think about was that I wish I could have been there with these PGR members standing for this young man. One day I'll be able to particpate.

Week Off

I am enjoying this week off between classes. It's nice not having to worry about a paper I need to be writing, or research I need to be doing, when I have so much other stuff around home to worry about. I think that the first thing I'm going to do when I finish my degree (after resting, of course) is to finally finish taking care of things here around the house that I've been neglecting since we moved in. Mostly I have to finish organizing my bedroom and the bonus room upstairs. I worked on my bedroom some last week, so there's not a whole lot left to do in there, beyond getting rid of things I no longer need and hanging things on the walls. The bonus room, though, is a huge project. I had started in there several weeks ago, working a bit each day, but the kids have completely messed up what I started. Ah...the joy of kiddos!!

Tomorrow is my kids' last day of school for the first nine-week term. Starting tomorrow, they have three weeks off, not going back until October 9th. They're really looking forward to it. On a downside, I discovered last night that my son's been lying to me about his homework. I think he accidentally let me in on it. I trust my kids to bring home their homework assignments and do them the way they're supposed to. He told me last night that he didn't get to go to recess yesterday because he had to scan in his math. I asked why he had to miss recess for that, and he gave me some excuse that I can't remember right now. Basically what it boiled down to is that he hasn't been bringing his math home to complete his homework, so he had to miss recess yesterday because of it. I guess he thought I was going to give him some sympathy. Sorry, not gonna happen. So I lectured him, yet again, on the importance of doing his best in school and doing his homework. I think I scared him when I told him that if he didn't do his math homework and really apply himself (if you'll recall, math was the portion of the End of Grade test he had difficulty with last year in spite of the fact that he had As and Bs in class), he was going to end up failing and have to repeat fourth grade. Well, if scaring him was enough to make him take his homework seriously, then it was worth it. He also got grounded for the rest of this school week. He brought his math homework home and did it today, though. He also told me today that he's going to have to work on math over the break. I had intended to have him work on his multiplication tables anyway, since that's still an issue for him.

I'm getting to spend the entire week with my niece this week. My sister's mother-in-law is on vacation, so I get to have her all week. She's such a joy to have around, and a reminder of how fun babies are. She'll be 11 months old next weekend. So of course she's crawling everywhere, pulling up on everything, and seeing what she can get into without me telling her "no." She's getting to the age where she hears "no" a lot. She's such a good baby, and my sister is very blessed, but I keeping teasing her, telling her that her next baby is going to be a pill. After all, that's what happened for me...the boy was just about as close to being a perfect baby as possible, while my daughter was, well, NOT! I love her with all my heart, but she was a very difficult baby. She's mellowed as she's gotten older. She still has her moments, but they're very rare compared to her first years.

The hubby's been a bit under the weather this week. There's been some kind of virus going around. His 1SG had it last week, and apparently he picked it up from him. I just hope he doesn't give it to me. I am usually able to avoid getting these things...I guess my immune system has benefited from all my years of working in the health care system...but every now and then, a bug manages to get me down.

I guess that about covers it for what's going on here lately. My final course starts next Tuesday. Then five weeks later I'm done. REALLY done. I still don't really believe it.

One More to Go...

I finished up another class tonight. Now I have a week off and then have one more class to go. Can that really be possible? Can I really be only one class away from finishing up my degree? After all this time, it's nearly impossible to believe.

Here's how I put it to some friends of mine earlier tonight. For so many years, it seemed as thought I couldn't even see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, all of a sudden, it's blinding me! It seems like I've been working on my degree for so long now (3 years by the time I'm done), that I don't know what I'll do with myself when I'm actually finished.

Maybe life will get back to normal...whatever that is!

Never Forget

The memories of this terrible day have been heavy on my mind and heart for the last few days. Today I remember those who lost their lives in the terror attacks six years ago today, as well as all of those who have lost their lives since as a result.

Never forget.

Distractions

So here I am trying to work on one of my papers and dealing with all sorts of distractions today. For example, I had to share my computer with my son so we could get a part of his Social Studies project done...this part is due tomorrow. I'll write a bit more on this later.

Anyway, this evening the hubby has been trying to get the kids to leave me alone so I can concentrate on what I'm trying to write. I haven't been able to convince them yet that Daddy can answer question for them as well as I can. For that matter, sometimes I still have to convince Daddy of that. Sometimes they'll ask him something and he'll look at me. I have to teach him that he is allowed to make decisions about the kiddos...haha!!

Well, the kids have gone to bed, and I'm thinking that finally I'll be able to finish this paper with no more interruptions. Well, a couple of weeks ago, the kids had dinner out with my mom and her fiance', and his two younger grandkids went too, because it was the little boy's birthday. My kids came home with a couple of balloons. They were the foil kind with helium. Well, they lasted a long time, and would startle me every time I heard them scrape across the ceiling when they would move. The hubby took them down tonight and cut the bottoms off.

Can you see where I'm going with this?

Yep, he decided to inhale some of the helium and talk to me. So of course, I start giggling and can't stop. He inhaled some more and continued to talk. At this point I've got tears rolling down my cheeks. I beg him to stop, after all, I'm trying to write a very serious paper. After some urging, he convinces me to do it too. So I did, and before I could get the second word out of my mouth I cracked up. So then he starts fussing at me for "wasting the helium by laughing!" Crazy thing!

So that was our excitement for the night. It doesn't take much to amuse me.

Back to my paper...

Just Don't Get It

I spent the better part of this afternoon and evening helping my son clean his room. We just haven't been able to get him to grasp the concept of taking out a few things to play with and then putting them away before pulling something else out. And to make matters worse, his sister has a tendency to go in his room to play, bringing along toys of her own and helping him make a big ole mess, but not wanting to help when it comes time to clean it up.

When we were in Germany, I bought these racks with buckets to sort their toys. I thought that having a way to keep them sorted would help make cleaning up easier. After all, that's sort of how daycares do it, and they would help clean up at daycare without any problems. Each time we move, I sort their things into their buckets and put them on the racks. It doesn't take long for everything to get all messed up again.

So today I went in to help him. It had just gotten to the point where it was overwhelming for him. He would come down and tell me that he was finished, and I'd go up to check and things were just shoved against the wall, up next to his bed...I guess pretty much to get it out of the middle of the floor. Is this a boy thing? Then when I told him again this afternoon that it wasn't finished, he just got so upset. So that's when I knew that it was time for me to step in. So I went in there and together we took out all his buckets, sorted everything out and organized it again. Then when we got the majority of his room mostly finished, I took his mattress and boxsprings off his bed. The bed is really low to the floor, and the only way to clean out from under it is to take it apart. I still haven't figured out how he manages to get so much crap shoved up under there...not to mention all the crap between the bed and the wall. Blows my mind! So we got that cleaned out, I vacuumed under the bed and moved it over as close to the wall as I could get it to try to keep so much stuff from getting down there, and we put everything back together.

So now his room is nice and neat again. I guess we'll just have to see how long he can keep it that way. I try to tell him that he has a birthday coming up (in less than three weeks), and he's going to be wanting new toys for his birthday, so he needs to take care of what he already has and keep things put away when he's not playing with them. Both the kids were impressed with how nice it looked when we were finished, and how much room they had, so maybe that will be at least some motivation to try to learn good habits.

Shoot, I'm still trying to improve my habits!

Hit and Miss

I know, that's how my blogging has been lately.

I'm just having a hard time getting motivated to write much of anything these days. I have about a month and a half (actually a little more) before I'll finally be finished with school. So any writing I've been doing has been for that purpose, and it's not exactly the kind of writing that I enjoy. I enjoy writing here when I can take the time to do it. Let me get through these last two courses, and hopefully I'll be able to find the inspiration to start writing here again.

The hubby and I are heading to Myrtle Beach the first week of October. The fall Bike Rally is the 3rd through the 7th. We avoided the Spring Rally, in large part because of the crowds. From what we've heard, the fall rally is much nicer. So my mom and her fiance' (they got engaged this week) are coming to stay with the kids so the hubby and I can have a vacation alone. The nice thing is, it will be sort of a birthday present for me since my birthday is the 8th. I can't wait! I'm also glad my mom will have the opportunity to spend that time with the kids.

So that about sums up what's been going on around here lately. I'll just be glad when I'm finished with school and can start focusing on other things.

Making a Difference

I was finishing up a paper for my current class tonight. It was a critical thinking assignment, and we were supposed to use the "Critical Thinking Problem Solving Model" provided for us, which my husband was sure to remind me was based on the military's problem solving process. Can't remember what he called it, but ok.

Basically, we were supposed to identify a problem in our work environment that we had been involved in finding a solution for using the problem solving model, or a current problem. Considering the fact that I'm not currently working outside the home, I chose to write about the first problem that came to mind from my job in the clinic in Vilseck. It had to do with the EFMP screenings that family members had to go through anytime they were coming to, leaving, or moving within an overseas duty station. Those of you who are or have been in the military system (especially overseas) know exactly what I'm talking about. Those of you who don't, google "EFMP" or "Exceptional Family Member Program" for more information.

Anyway, as I was writing this paper, I had to consider my role in ensuring these screenings were accounted for in my clinic. They took up a lot of time by the nurse responsible, and were not accounted for before I started working there. Once we decided that these visits needed to be accounted for, we then had to decide the best way to report them.

As I was proofreading my paper, I was trying to read it as an outsider would read it. Not to sound conceited, but the process sounded quite impressive if I hadn't been the one writing it. I talked to the hubby about it as I was writing it. I told him, "wow, maybe I did make a difference, even in a small way." My main goal in that job was to make sure that our soldiers and their family members were taken care of to the best ability of the clinic, and that the care was reported as accurately as possible. When I told him that, he said, "I'm glad you finally see it."

Did I make a difference? I don't know. I hope so. Our Soldiers (Marines/Airmen/Sailors) and their families deserve the very best our military health care system can provide. And part of that includes ensuring statistics are reported as accurately as possible to ensure the care only gets better. Did I help in that goal? I can only hope so.

Been a While

Wow...I haven't blogged in a while.

Been busy around here. I still need to take pictures of the work we've done around here. Still haven't found the charger for my camera battery. I haven't really looked for it, though...been focusing on other things.

I have about two months left before I'll finally be finished with school. I can't believe it. There was a time when I thought I'd never finish my degree, and now here I am on my next-to-last class. So most of the writing I've been doing lately has been for school, and I haven't felt much like writing anything else. So that's why I haven't been blogging lately. Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things when I finish.

I've been neglecting the blogs I've been reading for the last year, too. Boy am I gonna have a LOT of catching up to do!! I'll get caught up with you all, I promise!

Isn't it Kind of Early for This?

My phone rang this afternoon, and I didn't recognize the name or number on the Caller ID.

I answered the phone, and it was a little boy asking to speak to my baby girl. I told him she couldn't talk at the moment because she was cleaning her room, but that I would be sure to tell her he had called. He was very polite.

So I called her downstairs.

Mom: A, who's D (the little boy's name)?
A: He's a boy that rides our bus
Mom: So are you giving all the kids our phone number?
A: (Looking concerned) Mommy, he ASKED for it!

I couldn't help but laugh at this point.

Mom: So, is he your boyfriend?
A: (Looking embarrassed now and bumping up against me, sort of pushing me) No, he's just a friend!

Then my son decides to chime in. "Mom, remember she has a boyfriend from Kindergarten in Germany?"

How do they remember these things? I reminded him that's been almost two years ago now.

A: Yeah, I'll probably never see him again.

So I told the hubby about this tonight. He said he guessed he'd have to start keeping a shotgun in the house now.

Funny...I can remember at least one occasion when a boy came over to the house my daddy was sitting in the living room cleaning his shotgun when the boy came in. Aaaahhhhh memories!

Request

I got an email today from a friend of mine I met through blogging. I'm not sure where this woman gets the energy to do all the things she does for our servicemembers. She's a working mom, regularly sends care packages to our troops overseas, and now is involved in a charity for wounded heroes.

I'm behind on reading my favorite blogs, or else I'd have posted something about this earlier. Fortunately, I got an email from her today asking me for help. All she's asking for is a couple of minutes of your time to vote for the charity.

America's Wounded Heroes is a new charity. You can find their temporary website here. Yes, you can donate there, and I know they appreciate donations, but that is not what they're asking for at the moment. But you can read their mission statement there.

They're currently involved in a contest to win funds for the charity, and they are depending on votes. All you have to do is register at the website, and it's free, in order to be able to vote for America's Wounded Heroes. All it takes is a couple of minutes, and is a small price to pay. You can go here to vote. America's Wounded Heroes is about the eighth down on the list.

Thank you all!

Ugh!

My allergies are giving me a fit today. At least I hope it's just my allergies. I've been sneezing all day, my nose is stopped up, and my asthma is acting up a bit (which only happens when my allergies flare or I get sick). I REALLY hope I'm not coming down with something. I really don't have the time or patience for that.

I've been tired and cranky all day, which I thought was just because I didn't sleep well last night. I got a bit too much sun while outside helping the hubby with the fence all weekend, so had a little difficulty getting comfortable. My own fault, I know, but it still hurts! But maybe my crankiness has more to do with my allergies or whatever it is I'm trying to come down with.

The idiot drivers around here didn't help matters any today either. I went to meet the hubby for lunch today, and was sitting at an intersection getting ready to turn right. I had a red light and the left turning lane facing the same direction I was facing, as well as across the intersection, had a protected left arrow. Meaning I had to wait for the people turning left from across the intersection to clear the intersection before I could make a right on red. Well, the idiot behind me blows his horn at me wanting me to go. Then, a little ways down the road, the car in front of me needed to make a left turn. We were on a two lane road, one lane in each direction, and of course the car in front of me had to stop to wait for traffic. I stopped behind him, and the car behind me stopped as well. A pickup truck two cars back from me decided it would be a good idea to come around everybody on the shoulder, nearly taking off my mirror. You know, with everything I have been through with my car, I would have had a hissy fit, let me tell ya! So I was fuming by the time I met the hubby at the restaurant, which didn't make me very pleasant company for him.

Then I came home and tried to get some rest before going to meet the kids at the bus stop. My baby girl didn't get off the bus at the stop. This is the third time this has happened in about two weeks - not with my kid, but another little girl who rides the bus has missed the stop a couple of times. Isn't it the bus driver's responsibility to make sure the kids get off at the right stop? I had a few words with her this afternoon, especially when she tried to use the excuse "some of the kids just don't want to get off the bus." Yeah, I don't THINK so! It happens again, I'll be up in the school office before she even has a chance to get back with the bus. I really miss the bus driver the kids had last year...he was great!

So that's what's going on around here. I still need to take some pictures of what we've done here at the house, but I have to locate my battery charger first. Can't remember when I had it last...imagine that!

Not Funny

The hubby and I were sitting here trying to relax last night after the kids went to bed. We had just decided to go to bed just before 11 when we heard what sounded like a gunshot. The hubby hit the floor and sort of crept over to the window to look out while I was hollering wondering what it was. There were a couple more explosions, and I could see a flash out the window from where I was sitting. Turns out somebody (probably some kids from a nearby neighborhood) had decided to put firecrackers in our next-door neighbors' mailbox and blow it up.

Like I said, we didn't think it was funny at all. Most of the neighbors nearby came outside to see what was going on. Nobody saw who had done it. One of these days those kids are going to mess with the wrong person. I just hope somebody manages to catch them soon.

More Improvements

I really need to get outside and take some pictures of all the work we've done out there over the past couple of weeks. Well, last weeked it was the hubby doing the majority of the work outside, but that's really mostly because he was putting trees and plants in the ground. If I mess with plants, they die.

He had to go in to work for a while today. It was a processing Saturday, which is usually the Saturday before a mission day. Then after he came home, we all had lunch, and he and I went outside to get to work putting up the privacy fence. The materials for the fence were delivered on Wednesday. The good thing is that it was almost 20 degrees cooler today than it has been all week. When we went outside a little after 1 this afternoon, I think the temperature was about 86. Thursday and Friday we had temps of about 112. Crazy!

I had gone Thursday to get the permit we needed to put up our fence. I ended up having to go to three different places. Well, the first was because of an incorrect assumption on my part. I've always considered Hope Mills as a sort of subdivision of Fayetteville, so I went over to Fayetteville City Hall to get the permit. They told me Hope Mills has their own Town Hall and Inspections Department. Duh! So after having lunch with the hubby, I go over to Hope Mills Town Hall to apply for the permit, only to find out that we're just (barely) outside city limits and don't need one from Hope Mills either. So I called over to County Inspections, and found out I had to get a permit from them. So I went over there to get the permit, and was actually able to get a clearer copy of the plot map from them too, which was great since our copy was awful. We could barely make out the numbers. So armed with the permit and the clear plot map, all I had left to do was call for the utility companies to come out and mark the yard so we didn't hit any lines while digging. I did that when I got home, and they came out and marked the lines Friday.

So today the hubby and I went out to start on the fence. I know the part we're working on right now, putting in the posts, is the most time-consuming part. We got most of one side done today before having to stop. It's hard work, but I know will be worth it when we're finished. Even more so right now considering the couple of vegetable plants we have out there right now. We have two tomato plants and a couple of English cucumber plants. All the leaves on both tomato plants had been eaten off, and we found rabbit droppings in the yard. I was not happy, nor was the hubby! Hopefully the fence will put a stop to that. The tomato plants had just put out a bloom each, too, so I don't know how this will affect when I'll have tomatoes. We can't figure out, either, why bunny ate the tomato plants and not cucumber. Oh well.

I'll try to get some photos up soon!

Another Kid Funny

I know it seems all I've been talking about are the funny things my kids have said lately. I can't help it...they've come out with some good ones.

Last night we went to have dinner with the in-laws. Some family that we haven't seen in years were visiting from Alabama, and we went to visit with them a little bit over dinner.

We sat down to the dinner table, and my son, out of the blue, asks my mother-in-law:

"Nana, were you alive when the Titanic sank?"

Everybody at the table just burst into laughter. The hubby had a mouthful of tea, and I'm pretty sure some came up through his nose. Nana was sure that Daddy had put the little man up to asking the question, but nope, it was completely out of the blue.

Kids are great!

Could it Be?

Looks like we're actually gonna get some rain tonight!

Hallelujah!

It has been so hot here this week that I've been seeking refuge in the house whenever I can. I haven't even gone riding...well except for today when I took the hubby's bike over for its annual safety inspection. It's just entirely too hot, and humid! I shouldn't complain, though. My hubby talked to a buddy of his in Iraq today and he said the temps there are 130+. So when I start wanting to complain about the heat, I try to remind myself of what our military goes through, then I realize it's not so bad.

Yep, sounds like a good thunderstorm coming through. As long as it doesn't scare the kids into jumping out of bed and running downstairs, we'll be ok.

Another Kid Quote

I'm supposed to be finishing up a paper that is due for my class that ends tonight, but I needed a brief break. So I thought I'd put up another funny from my daughter.

We're eating dinner tonight and were talking about my sister's baby. I had mentioned that I'm not going to be keeping her this Thursday (I usually have her every Thursday and Friday) because they have a doctor's appointment (probably her well-baby check, but I didn't ask). So the kids asked me if I would still have her on Friday (they love getting to see her those two days every week), and I assured them that I would as far as I know. Then the following conversation took place between the Princess and myself. Remember...she just turned 7.

Princess: Mommy, when is the last week we're going to have the baby (my sister will be putting her in daycare some time in the not-too-distant future).

Me: Baby, I don't know. I told you last time you asked me that I didn't know.

Princess: That was a rhetorical question.

Hubby looked at me, and I looked at her.

Me: What? You don't even know what rhetorical means.

Princess: It means don't answer.

Hubby and I both just started laughing. Can't argue with that. As the hubby said, not only did she know the word, but she used it properly. She then says, "you always laugh at me when I say something wrong." We assured her that she didn't say anything wrong, that she actually had said it just right, which is part of why it was funny. Hubby then informs me, "that's YOUR daughter." Yep...she gets the brains from me! So glad he could admit it!

From the Mouths of Babes

My baby girl said something yesterday that really tickled my funny bone.

We were on our way over to Home Depot to get some plants and things for the yard (the hubby's been working out there all weekend). When we took the exit from the freeway, we drove right by Fayetteville's water tower.

The boy said, "look, Mommy, you can climb up the water tower" (referring, of course, to the stairs winding up there).

Then the Princess says, "yeah, that's how they get the water up there."

As if that wasn't funny enough, the hubby quipped, "yep, one bucket at a time."

I think I giggled about that one off and on for a good 10-15 minutes. Thinking about it still makes me giggle. The baby girl also noticed the "trap door" through which they put the water in.

Kid logic - I LOVE it!

Busy Day

I feel like I was running pretty much all day today, but I also feel like I got quite a bit accomplished.

After I dropped the kids off at the bus stop (about 7:15), I headed off to the gym. I'm going about three days a week now, the days I don't have my niece, which is lots better than I've been doing for the last several months. I'm feeling better about myself for it, too. Right now I'm just doing cardio when I go so I can get myself moving. I hope to start some weight training within the next week or two. I've also started eating better. If I can just keep up my motivation, I should finally be able to lose the weight I want to lose.

I came home and the hubby was having his breakfast before heading to work for the day. I was kind of surprised to catch him at home, since he's usually gone before I get home on the days I go to the gym. So I saw him off, had my breakfast and sat down to chill out a bit before getting my shower. I got a phone call from the guy who was coming to replace the windshield in my car, much earlier than I expected. The insurance company gave me a timeframe of 12-5 p.m., so imagine my surprise when he called just after 10 this morning! After getting directions to my house (this new part of the subdivision can't be found on Mapquest or similar programs), he told me he was on his way. So I hurried upstairs to jump in the shower and get dressed before he got here. He arrived sometime after 10:30, and had my windshield done by 11:30. Awesome!

I couldn't drive the car for about an hour after the windshield was replaced, and the hubby and I were pretty hungry for lunch, so I hopped on the bike and rode over to his office to meet him. We rode over to our favorite Sushi place for lunch (I figured that was a safe bet for my diet). That place is excellent! There's only been one thing there that I've been unimpressed with. It wasn't BAD, but it was bland and not nearly as good as everything else we've had.

After lunch, I rode home, got in the car, and took off to take care of some errands. I had to go over to the courthouse because when I tried to renew my tags on my car, I found out that there were still outstanding taxes on it. Since my car is titled in both of our names, I have to pay half the property tax on it (the hubby's half is exempt since he's military). Either my math was a bit off or I was a bit slow sending it in (remember my previous posts about procrastination?), because there was $4 and some change left over. Ooops!! So I went and took care of that and got the registration renewed before I had to meet the kids at the bus stop. Then the kids and I took off to get it inspected since it was due as well. We waited there for a while for them to get that done (amid complaints from the kids about being bored and thirsty...always fun), and then headed home. So my car is good for another year. The kids did their homework after we got home and I relaxed for a bit before getting dinner started.

After dinner, the kids helped me clean up the kitchen. They have asked me for a while to let them help load the dishwasher and such, but I've always just done it myself. Tonight, since they wanted to help so badly, I let them go to work. The baby girl rinsed the dishes and the boy loaded the dishwasher. I was putting leftovers in the fridge and doing other things while keeping an eye on them. He asked me a few times where to put certain things, and I'd guide him. I also showed him that he could sort of "stack" things on the top rack to make a bit more room, since he was putting them flat. Other than that, I really didn't have to rearrange much of anything. They were so enthusiastic about it. If only they'd keep that enthusiasm! Heck, if only they'd apply that same enthusiasm to keeping their own rooms clean! They were just tickled to have been such a big help to me in the kitchen, and honestly, I was tickled to have the help. They're great kids! Maybe I've done something right after all!

After they went to bed, I set to helping the hubby with his bike. It's also time to have it inspected. This is the one he had the accident with back in March. When he did the work to get it back up and running, we had to figure out how the front brake switch worked because we noticed the brake light was staying on all the time. I found out how it worked, and we got it working properly for our trip to D.C. in May, but I noticed when we were out riding the other day that his brake light was staying on all the time again. Before we went to D.C., we also noticed that the brake light wasn't illuminating when he used the rear brake, which we weren't too concerned about at the time, because we usually use both brakes. But we figured it would cause a problem for the safety inspection. So one of the things I was doing this evening was trying to find out how to help him fix that problem.

I did some research on the internet and found out how to fix the front brake switch (beyond the temporary fix we did a couple of months ago). I also found out where the rear brake switch was located on his motorcycle. So then we went out to find it and fix it. Turns out when he had his extended controls put on last year (some time in October I think), the shop that did it did not put the switch back together properly. Apparently, they got in a hurry and one of the prongs was bent so wasn't engaging properly. Once the hubby got in there and figured that out, we were able to get it working. I was quite proud of myself that I'd found the answer he needed to be able to help him fix the problem. I also got down there to see where the switch was so I'd know in the future, and would be more likely to be able to find it on mine, although mine's a little different.

After that, we came back in and I finished writing a paper that I've been procrastinating on (imagine that...ME procrastinating!). And now I'm just trying to relax a bit before it's time to hit the sack. But I'm rather satisfied with what I got accomplished today. I have a lot to do around the house that I didn't even touch today, but sometimes other things have to take priority!

FINALLY! - Updated

I got my car back today!!

After a week of thinking they'd be finished with it, they finally called me today to let me know it was finished. There were problems last week with computers and wrong parts and things of that nature. I was ecstatic when the girl called me this afternoon to let me know it was ready! There was only one problem. The hubby was in Raleigh today so couldn't get home to take me to bring it home. When I mentioned that to her, telling her I'd have to see about finding someone else to take me over, she asked for directions to our house and said they could bring it to me. WOOO HOOO! The frustrations of the previous week were almost forgotten...ALMOST!

She called after they got into the subdivision to clarify the last part of the directions I'd given her, so I walked outside about the time they pulled up. It was all I could do to keep from jumping up and down and squealing in excitement! Or maybe I did just that...who knows?

Anyway, after a little more than seven weeks, I finally have it back. Good as new!

Update

We went out to get some dinner tonight after the hubby got home. On the way there, a pickup truck in the oncoming lane kicked up a rock into my windshield and cracked it. Damn, I just can't get a break! Called the insurance company when we got home and there will be someone here Wednesday afternoon to replace it. It wouldn't be such a big deal except for the fact that it has already expanded quite a bit since it first happened. At the rate it's already expanded, it would expand across the entire windshield in no time. At least I won't have to be without the car for another seven weeks for that!

First Time for Everything

The hubby and I had a busy day today. The kids are spending the weekend with my in-laws, so we decided we'd try to get some things accomplished around the house.

We've been wanting to get a privacy fence put up out back. Since the kids weren't home this weekend, we decided to try to get started on that today. So we planned to go over to Home Depot to price the things we would need. I have been pretty adamant about having a shadowbox fence ever since I first started researching different styles. The hubby wanted to use pre-made panels, because they're so much easier to work with. But whenever we would look at fencing supplies, there were no pre-made panels in the shadowbox style. Well, today at Home Depot, we were comparing prices, and come to find out, they now have the pre-made shadowbox panels! Yay! I get my pretty shadowbox fence, and the hubby gets the convenience of the pre-made panels. Can't get much better than that! Only downside is that those particular panels are special order items, so it's going to take a week or two for them to come in, then our local store will deliver them for us. Although we weren't able to start putting the fence up today as originally planned, we're both very happy with what we were able to get.

Another thing I've really wanted since we bought this house is a nice flag pole for the front yard. We have always had the type that mounts to the house or porch, but now that we own our home, I wanted a nice pole out front. We found a kit at Home Depot while we were there today that was much less expensive than the ones that we had looked at before, and it was steel instead of aluminum. Cool! So we bought that today too. So I now have one in my front yard. We also bought a set of solar spot lights so it will be lit at night without us having to remember to turn on the lights. I'm terrible about that. We'll just have to make sure they work properly and are bright enough. Only one of them is lit tonight (we didn't run the flag up yet...waiting for the concrete to set), but I'm hoping that's just because it was late afternoon before we got them put out so they're not fully charged yet. We'll see.

After the hubby finished working outside, we decided to take a ride to get some dinner without the kiddos. Here's where the first time for everything comes in. While he was out working, I kept thinking we were going to get a storm. There were some dark clouds overhead, and I kept hearing thunder. It mostly missed us though. The thunderstorm warning for our county was expiring at 6:30 this evening, and it would be after that by the time we left the house, so we figured we'd take the chance and ride. On our way to Fayetteville, we felt some drizzle. No big deal, nothing to warrant turning around and heading back home. Once we got farther into Fayetteville, though, we could tell they had gotten a good rain. The roads were wet. So we just slowed down and made sure we kept our distance all around us. So although we didn't really have that much rain, we got pretty wet from the water being splashed up by our tires and the mist from the cars in front of us. It was a good experience, though. It had been so hot today that it actually felt pretty good to get a little wet while riding. It definitely cooled us off. I also figure that if we're going to continue to take trips on the bikes, we're eventually going to have no choice but to ride in the rain - can't avoid it forever. I'd much rather be in familiar territory for a first time experience like that. Yeah, Fayetteville is crazy, but I know the roads around here.

On the way home, I had an experience that reminded me that I always have to watch out for others when I'm riding...even more so than when I'm in the car. I was in the center lane of three lanes going in the same direction. That makes me nervous anyway, but I hadn't had an opportunity to move over into the right lane yet. I was watching the vehicles on either side of me to make sure I'd be prepared if anybody decided to do anything stupid. Sure enough, the car on my right came over into my lane practically right on top of me. Fortunately, I was watching him so had plenty of room to slow down without having to lock up my brakes. My biggest concern was that there was also a car on my left and I wasn't sure what that one was going to do. I just didn't want to get boxed in there. But when that car cut in front of me, it gave me room to get into the far right lane, where I wanted to be anyway. The funny thing was that when I got into the right lane, the hubby blew past me on his bike. I think he was more pissed than I was about the car that cut me off. He got over in the right lane a car or two in front of me, and I caught up with him a few minutes later. I figure there was no need to get pissed, because I sort of expect people to do that when I'm on my bike...after all, that's what I was taught to watch for. The ironic thing was that the car had a bumper sticker on it that said "Got Jesus?" I was thinking to myself that it's a good thing I do since you tried to take me out!

Then when we got into our neighborhood, there were some kids that really frustrated me. There were two teenage boys and one little boy probably my daughter's age or younger. The littlest one was standing right in the middle of the road that the hubby and I were turning left onto. Smack in the middle! I had my signal on and he wouldn't move, nor did the two older boys tell him to move. He just stood there, with his little hands posed like he was holding handlebars. Bless his heart, I know he just wanted to watch, but the older boys never should have let him be in the middle of the road like that. It's dangerous for him, and it was dangerous for us on the bikes. What if he had unexpectedly moved into our path? He could have been hurt badly, as could one or both of us. I thought about having a few choice words with the older boys, but decided against it.

So that's our day in a nutshell. Although we didn't get as much accomplished as we'd have liked, we did get quite a bit done. We'll be glad when the stuff gets here from Home Depot so we can get even more done!

OK I'm Pissed

My husband has been trying for nearly a month to schedule an appointment for a consult. Last time he went out to Womack he was seen in the Pain Clinic. They entered consults for him to have an MRI on his back (long-term problems there) and another exam that he never had after coming back from Iraq. He was able to get the appointment for his MRI scheduled without many problems. However, the other consult has been a different story.

He's been trying since July 5th to get his consult appointment scheduled. He called the front desk of the clinic he has to go through, and they told him there's a specific line he has to call for it. So he's been calling it, getting only an answering machine. He's left numerous messages and nobody has ever called him back. His goal was to be able to get that consult done the same time he had his MRI, which was yesterday, the 25th. When he wasn't able to get anybody on the phone, I advised him to actually walk into the clinic where he has to have the consult done to see if he can schedule the appointment by talking to somebody face to face. It's kind of hard for them to ignore somebody that way. Well, by the time he was finished with the MRI, he was hurting pretty badly (had to lie on his back perfectly still on a board for about 45 minutes), so didn't go by the other clinic. I can't say that I really blame him.

So today he decided to try to get in touch with the other clinic again. He called, got the answering machine, hung up, and tried again. I guess he did this for about a half hour. FINALLY, an actual person answered. The hubby let him know exactly what he thought about the fact that he'd been trying for three weeks to make this appointment, and that he would not be hanging up the phone until he got his appointment.

He got his appointment. The date? September 5th.

That's just bullshit. If somebody had answered the freakin' phone when he tried to call three weeks ago, he'd have probably been able to get an appointment much sooner. I'm beyond pissed!

I'm sorry, but it just pisses me off that this is the kind of "care" that our servicemembers receive here. I can honestly say that this is the worst care my husband has had since he's been on active duty. Maybe it's because he's in Recruiting and they don't have their own unit PA. I know that's what he's used to. And the even scarier thing is that once they're no longer active duty, it only gets better (much sarcasm here).

I'm so frustrated for him...although I know my frustration doesn't come anywhere near matching his. Not knowing what exactly the future is going to hold for us (depending on the medical stuff) is pretty scary. I'm trying not to worry, because I believe that things will work out the way they're supposed to, but the insecurity where that's concerned is disturbing.

Lots Going On

We've had a lot going on here. We're settling in to the kids' new school routine. Well, the kids and I are anyway...it doesn't really affect the hubby much. I can see right now that this is going to be a challenging year for the boy. Our PA warned me about that, but you can't really be prepared until it starts. The homework is completely different this year and he's been struggling. I'm having to remind him that I'm not going to just give him the answers to his homework. He asked me yesterday what the capital of North Carolina is, and I told him that if that was one of his homework questions he needed to learn how to find it himself. This should be an interesting year.

Sunday we had the baby girl's birthday party. She wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese's again. I swear that place seemed even louder this year than it was last year. I had a headache by the time we left. But the kids had a good time, and that's what matters. My sister's baby even got to get in on the fun. They put her on all the little kids' rides, and she seemed to enjoy it. Whenever one of them would stop, she'd start kicking her legs, wanting it to go again. She's so darn cute!

I'm working on finishing up my degree. I'm about halfway through my current course and have two more to go. I'm scheduled to finish in October. I can't wait!

The hubby's job is keeping him busy and frustrated as usual. We're counting down the months to the end of this assignment. I don't know what will be next, but it's gotta be better than this.

I finally started going to the gym again. I've been meaning to for a while. I knew that once I started going I'd feel better and keep going. I just started this week, and wasn't able to go this morning (I leave straight from the kids' bus stop after dropping them off) because the hubby needed the truck (and I STILL don't have my car back...hoping for this week). My biggest thing, though, is getting the motivation to START going. Once I make myself go the first time, I'm usually good. I've started being more careful about what I eat, too, as well as making myself eat something for breakfast. So hopefully I'll start losing the weight I want to lose and get in better shape.

So that's what's been going on around here. Never a dull moment in our house.

Yummy

Last night I asked the hubby if he felt like going to Carrabba's for dinner. I had heard a commercial on the radio a couple of times about their Cozze in Bianco (Mussels in White Wine) and had started having a craving. Yeah, I tease my kids about being commercial junkies, and I guess in this instance, I fall into this category. But I just love mussels in white wine sauce, and haven't had them since leaving Europe. Well, Friday night, the hubby didn't feel like going out. For that matter, I was moody and picking arguments, so it was probably not a good time to go anyway.

Today we worked on straightening up the house. The hubby went through a box of military books that has been in my kitchen for more weeks than I can remember. I got some cleaning done, to include the kitchen floor which I have been needing to do for a while. I pretty much have the downstairs done to the point where I just have to maintain. I have a bit of work to do upstairs, but it will be nice once I get that done.

This afternoon I asked the hubby about going to Carrabba's for dinner tonight. He said he was open to it if that was what I wanted. Considering the fact that I really wanted it last night, I told him that yes, I did really want to go tonight. So we made plans to go. Woo Hoo!

The battery had gone out in my watch a little more than a week before, so I needed to take it out to have it fixed. Also, the hubby brought me a Breitling watch from Iraq that I had never work because it was too big (imagine that!). So we decided to take both watches with us tonight and go by the mall to take care of both problems this evening. Well, on the watch that needed a new battery, I paid $21.95 (or something like that...need to look at the receipt) for a lifetime maintenance deal where they'll replace the battery for me anytime in my lifetime without charging me again. I can deal with that. It was Reed's Jewelers, in case you're interested. They also removed a couple of links from my Breitling watch for me. Charged about $10 for that. Fits just about perfectly, with a little room in it. I'll need to have it adjusted again when I lose weight, but I won't worry about that until I lose the weight I want to lose.

We had a wonderful dinner at Carrabba's, of course. J had spaghetti with meatballs, and A had cheese pizza. I had their Lobster Ravioli which was one of their daily specials, and the hubby had one of their salmon daily specials. We weren't disappointed. For dessert, the kids had the Bambini Sundae each, and P and I split the Creme Brulee. Yummmmmmy!!

We spent too much money, but we rarely get to go to Carrabba's. For authentic Italian food, it's the best in the area, hands-down!! Christy, I thought of you as I was eating my Lobster Ravioli, since I was with you the first time I ever tried it. We really need to get together soon...definitely before you and the hubby leave the area!

First Week of School

Well, first half-week anyway.

My kids started back to school on Wednesday. They're in year-round school here.

My son is going to have quite an adjustment to make this year. He started Fourth Grade. Our PA told me Monday that it's been his experience, from his patients, that fourth grade is the hardest year for kids. Said he has a lot of kids in the office staying home with complaints of bellyaches, etc. Here we are two days into the new school year, and I believe it already.

We got home from school this afternoon, and J was supposed to be doing his homework. I heard him upstairs playing and reminded him more than once that he was supposed to be doing his homework. Finally he complained, "It's too hard!" Maybe the difference is that this year they have actual textbooks. He had science homework tonight and he was supposed to read a chapter on minerals and then answer questions on a worksheet. He really struggled with that. I know it's a different style for him, and I tried to help him understand what he needed to do, but we were both getting frustrated. He was working on his homework until nearly 7 tonight, and he still had to read for a half hour. Their bedtime is 8 on school nights.

I had to get out of the house for a bit this evening after making sure he finished his Science homework. We're having the baby girl's birthday party Sunday evening, so I needed to go get gifts for that. I ordered her cake too. So we should be ready for her party now. Going to Chuck E Cheese. I know they'll have a good time, although it's crazy for the grownups.

Sunday should be fun!

Porch Swing Blogging

Well, glider-rocker anyway.

We're experiencing a very rare cool, breezy July afternoon here in NC today. So I'm taking advantage of it by sitting on my porch watching my husband cut the grass and working on my school work. I'm just taking a quick break before I really get started. Haha

Today has been a busy day. I rode the hubby's new bike up to Smithfield for its first service since he had to work. Don't you know that was such a chore for me! The ride was great, but the waiting around for almost three hours wasn't. Oh well, it got done, and I enjoyed the opportunity to take a ride.

Today is my baby girl's birthday. She's 7 today. She and her brother are spending the weekend with their Nana and Papa at the beach. It's Nana's birthday, too, and this is the third year in a row they have gotten to spend it together. Last year they visited my brother-in-law and his wife and had a great time on the water there, and the year before the in-laws came to visit us and we were in Paris for their birthday. Their birthday also happens to be Bastille Day, so there was a big celebration, to include fireworks. I haven't gotten to talk to her yet today...got no answer when I tried my mother-in-law's cell phone. If I don't hear from them I'll try back this evening.

The hubby and I are really counting down the months to the end of his current assignment. We don't know what will be in store next, but it'll have to be better than this. He's just so stressed lately, and it's really wearing on him. His BN Commander actually tried to enlist my support last month to try to convince the hubby to extend for a year. I know he figures that I'd rather have him extend in his current job than deploy. He's sorely mistaken, and I told him so in no uncertain terms that day. I had rather my husband go back to doing the job that he loves, even if it means a deployment, than see him miserable for another year. The LTC acted shocked. Guess he doesn't know me as well as he thinks he does. And things have only gotten worse, so woe be upon him if he tries barking up that tree again next time I see him. He may get more than he bargained for there. I would REALLY have to speak my mind then.

Oh, and on the car front...looks like I might get it back around the 27th of this month, if all goes well. They called me the Friday before the 4th of July to tell me that once they had started on my car they'd had to order more parts. They had told me that was a possibility. She also told me that they were going to be off for three days the week of the 4th, so that would delay it even more. I called earlier this week just to touch base, and she told me they were having to replace the entire dash. Wow! Doesn't really surprise me, especially because of the airbags, but I guess I wasn't really expecting it. This week was when she gave me the ballpark date, although she did tell me they hoped to have it done sooner. Not as much as I hope they're able to! Will be interesting to see what the final cost of repairs is when all is said and done.

So that's about all that's new here. Lot of the same old stuff going on.

Gone Again

Yay! I can add titles again! I'm really happy about that...Blogger was really messing with my OCD there for a few days.

The kids are gone again. The hubby's mom called me this afternoon to tell me that she had a doctor's appointment in Fayetteville today, and that my father-in-law had to visit a lady in the hospital. They wanted to stop by for a visit while they were down this way. She then asked if I needed some fresh veggies...they plant a garden every year. I told her that I certainly wouldn't turn down fresh veggies. Love, love, love veggies from the garden. Maybe next year we'll have the time to plan a garden here.

So they came by and brought me two bags of veggies, and took the kids with them when they left. This will be their last long vacation with Nana and Papa before they start school. They have to go back to school a week from today, on the 18th. I only feel a little bit guilty because I'm not going to be with my baby girl on her birthday. This is the second year in a row that she has spend her birthday with my hubby's parents, but I'm glad she can do that, because she shares a birthday with her Nana. So it's pretty special for them to be able to spend their birthdays together while we're here. They're going to the beach this weekend. The in-laws are going to be there for a week, but I'll of course have to go get the kids earlier so they can be back in time for school to start.

So the hubby and I have been enjoying some peace and quiet tonight. We went out and had a nice dinner, just the two of us, and were able to hold a conversation without constant interruptions. That's always nice. We were going to go to the beach for a couple of days with them, but turns out the hubby has to work this weekend. So we're going to have to try to figure out a time to go down and pick the kids up.

So we're going to enjoy our alone time while we have it. After all, we don't know how much longer we have to be here close to family. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts!

Better Day

After my complaining post last night, I thought it only fair to brag tonight.

I kept a friend's little boy today (actually a coworker of my sister). He had been sick and had to be out of daycare a couple of days, but neither Mom nor Dad could miss anymore work. I understand what it's like to be in a bind like that, since I've been a working parent, so I was happy to help.

I have to admit that my kids did more babysitting than I did. From the time the little guy got here this morning until the time he left (with the exception of lunch and nap for him), my kids had him upstairs playing. He had a great time, and didn't want to leave when Mommy came to get him this afternoon. J came down at one point and said the little guy was hiding in the closet. Awwwww!! I went upstairs and carried him down, and he and mom headed home. He's a good little boy, and had lots of fun. My kids had a great time playing with him, too. They both love little kids.

My mom and her boyfriend came over to visit for a bit tonight. The kids were down here visiting with them at one point, and I can't remember what J said, but I was fussing at him about not listening. He said something that cracked us all up:

"What's wrong with my earsight?"

I lost it! Kids come out with the funniest things sometimes!

But, after I complained last night, I just wanted to share today how great my kids are. And, yes, I did praise them and thank them for how good they were today. Positive reinforcement!!

One of Those Days

It's been one of those days.

You know the ones. The days when your kids just refuse to listen and do everything EXCEPT what you've told them to do. That was the kind of day I had today, and I'm exhausted. I've had a tension headache most of the day, and while I was attempting to close my eyes and have a bit of quiet to get rid of it, they decided to make as much noise as possible.

:::Sigh:::

They've just pushed every button they could think of to push today. I hate to yell, but I'll admit that I did today. But at least that's the worst I did. I've been working on my patience...but they tried it beyond its limits today.

I love my kids with all my heart, more than anything. But they were driving me nuts today.

Oh well...tomorrow's a new day.

Oh, and blogger is jacked up and I can't add titles to my posts.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is up with that??

Procrastination

I'm usually the world's worst procrastinator! I was doing really well keeping up with my school assignments and such for the first year and a half or so, but after we moved to the States I had a really hard time readjusting. I told myself that with this class I just started Tuesday I wasn't going to do that. In a five week course, with the workload, it's really easy to fall way behind.

I know I'm less than a week into the course, but I'm starting off a lot better. I got my discussion questions (I'm in online courses) turned in on time, even a day early with one of them. I'm trying to keep up my participation, which is a challenge for me. I usually have to force myself to come up with a response if I don't necessarily feel I have anything to contribute. I had an individual assignment due tonight by midnight, and I actually got it turned in with three and a half hours to spare. Usually I'm still writing come midnight of the due date, and squeaking it in just under the wire.

Not procrastinating feels good. Maybe I'll make a new habit!

Role Reversal

There's been somewhat of a role reversal in my house this evening.

I'm quite hot-natured. I'm usually comfortable (or sometimes hot) when the rest of my family is complaining about being cold. I joke about having hot flashes, although people usually reassure me that I'm much too young for that.

This evening the hubby got up to adjust the thermostat. I asked him if he was cold. He said that he was actually hot. I'm sitting here thinking the temperature is just about right, and my kids are under a blanket. A few minutes later, I see him pulling on the front of his shirt. I guess I must have given him a look, because he looked at me and said, "I'm sweating!"

It really is a rare occasion in this house that he's hot and I'm not.

So what does he say next? "Maybe I'm going through menopause."

Oh hahaha! He's such a comedian!

I must admit, though, I haven't laughed that hard in a while.

Fireworks

I'll never look at them the same again.

The hubby and I used to love watching fireworks. I can remember our New Year's in Heidelberg. We walked out on the balcony and watched the fireworks from our apartment, and loved it.

Things have certainly changed. His first 4th of July home from Iraq, we went on post in Vilseck and watched fireworks with the kids. I didn't really notice anything different. Then his parents came to visit us. We were in Paris for my daughter's and mother-in-law's birthday, which also happens to be Bastille Day, France's Independence Day. There was a parade, the museums were free, and there were fireworks that night. The hubby was on edge all evening. I didn't really put two and two together then either.

Last year we went to watch fireworks with my mom and her boyfriend in the town we live in. P was, again, on edge from the time it got dark, knowing the fireworks would be starting soon. I finally got it.

So this year, I just told him I'd take the kids to see fireworks and he could stay at home. The problem? Fireworks are legal in for individuals NC now. That's not a problem, except for the fact that for the last two days we've been hearing them here in the neighborhood. When I got home tonight with the kids after seeing the fireworks, he had the TV quite loud, trying to drown out the sound of the fireworks here in the neighborhood.

Just a reminder of one way our lives will never be the same.

Independence Day

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Today is the day we Americans celebrate our independence.

I took the kids to watch a parade today. My hometown has an annual 4th of July celebration, even as small as the town is. The celebration isn't nearly as big as it was when I was a kid, but I still kind of enjoy going. It gives me the opportunity to see people that I haven't seen in years, or that I may not get to see any other time. They used to have fun activities for kids of all ages, but it seems nowadays the only thing they have is a dunkin' booth. It wasn't run very well this year, either. Oh well, J enjoyed the chance to dunk the guy in the booth. He came pretty close, too, but wasn't able to hit the target just right. They let him go up and push it after his five tries, though, so he got to dunk him anyway.

I walked around for a bit and said hello to people I have known since I was a kid. Folks that watched me grow up and can't believe "you girls" (my sister and me) are all grown up already. Most recognized me right away, but some take a minute. I was told that I sound just like my mom today. That's not the first time I've been told that, although it is the first time in person...usually people hear me on the phone and think I sound like her.

After a while the kids and I came home to see how the hubby was doing on getting the pool put up. We got a pool in Germany and had let his parents take it home last year since we didn't have a good place to put it at the rental. Well, we have a nice sized yard here, with a great place to put the pool, so we picked it up from his parents' house when we picked the kids up Tuesday. So he put it up today. When we got home they had to wait a bit for it to finish filling up before they could get in it. Soon as they could, though, they were in that pool!

I ran to the grocery store to get a few things for the burgers the hubby planned to put on the grill this afternoon. The kids were in the pool when I got home. I called my mom to see if she and her boyfriend wanted to join us for burgers, but she didn't answer so I left her a message. I figured they were on their motorcycles since I had seen them at the 4th of July celebration earlier. Not even five minutes after I left her a message, I heard them pull up on their bikes...talk about great timing!

We visitied for a while, and a good friend of ours came over for a bit too. He took a look at their bikes while he was here and is going to help get them running the way they should. We all ate and visited for a bit, and our friend left since he was on his way out of town this afternoon. Mom and V visited for a while longer but had to leave because he's going out of town tomorrow, and Mom leaves in the opposite direction on Friday.

I finally made the kids get out of the pool (with much protesting) and they came in to get dressed. I figure they were probably in there a good four hours this afternoon. I took them to see fireworks tonight, without the hubby. He stayed at home...fireworks make him nervous, as they do probably most war veterans. The kids and I enjoyed the fireworks show in our town here, and we came home and they went to bed.

I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July. I just want to take a minute to say thank you to our military and their families, past and present, who serve to protect the freedoms we enjoy, and often take for granted.

THANK YOU!!

We're Back!

We had a GREAT weekend! We don't get to spend nearly enough time with my brother-in-law and his wife, so we really appreciated the opportunity this weekend.

We got to my brother-in-law's house about 8:00 or so Friday night. My mother-in-law was giving the kids a bath before bed, and they watched a movie after their baths. The movie of the evening was "Flushed Away." I didn't watch much of it, just the last few minutes, because I was spending some time with my brother-in-law and his wife while the grandparents watched the movie with the babies. After the kids and the grandparents went to bed, we stayed up a while longer and watched a surfing movie. I don't even remember what it was called. Maybe P and his brother needed to watch it to prepare for the next day. I can't remember when the last time was that the hubby was able to go surfing, and that was definitely in the plans for the next day. After the movie was over, we all went to bed since we needed to get up fairly early the next morning to head to the Outer Banks.

We got up later than planned Saturday morning. I did wake up just after 6:30, as usual, but actually managed to roll over and doze back off for a bit. Next thing I knew, the hubby was waking me up, telling me it was a quarter till 8. My brother-in-law really wanted to be on the road by 8:00. So I got up and jumped in the shower real quick before getting ready to head to the beach. I really did hurry, because I was showered, dressed, and ready to go before 8:15. We ended up waiting for a while anyway, though.

We finally got on the road headed toward the Outer Banks, Cape Hatteras to be specific. We wanted to take the kids to see the lighthouse. The drive was longer than I expected. It took a bit over 3 hours to get there, by the time we stopped to grab a quick bite for breakfast and had to wait for traffic due to an accident. We got to the lighthouse, and went up to the top. The view up there was beautiful. It's amazing that with all the years we've lived in NC, it was my first time climbing it. Lots of steps! My legs are still sore! I told my sister-in-law that if I went to do that every day I could definitely lose some weight and tone my legs and butt!

After we visited the lighthouse, we drove on down the road a bit to the beach access. One thing I love about the Outer Banks, which I noticed when we were there in April for Bike Week, is that you can still drive your car out onto the beach and camp. The hubby and I were riding with his brother, and the kids were riding with his parents. Both vehicles are four-wheel-drive, and my brother-in-law had let some air out of the tires so we would be able to drive in the sand. So we hit the beach access and took off across the beach in search of a place to park. There were a lot more people out there than I think any of us expected. We finally found a spot, though, parked the trucks, and settled in to enjoy the sun and the ocean. The kids played in the ocean with their boogie boards. Well, the Princess played with her boogie board part of the time. The other part of the time, she was just playing in the waves with Nana or Papa, or searching for shells. I don't think the boy ever took a break from boogie-boarding. He had a blast! My sister-in-law and I soaked up the sun and enjoyed watching the boys surfing and the kids playing. I got too much sun because I missed a few spots with the sunscreen, but it will only bother me for a couple of days. After not quite three hours, we noticed a storm starting to roll in and we started to pack up. We left the beach and went across the street from the access to grab something to eat at a barbecue spot after filling all the tires back up with air. As we were eating, it started raining.

The trip back was an adventure. We took a different route because my father-in-law likes to explore alternate roads, especially the more scenic ones. This one turned out to be a bit disconcerting, especially in the weather. It was out in the middle of nowhere, and the road was rough. Lots of time between any civilization. Oh well, lesson learned. We'll not take that route again. Plus, we got caught in a torrential downpour. At one point, lightning seemed to strike quite close in front of us. We were SOOO thankful to get back to my brother-in-law's house.

Once we got there, we gave the kids a quick shower and P's parents took one, too, before heading back to their house. They had to head home because they had church Sunday morning, and the kids went with them. P and I decided to stay in Washington and spend some time with his brother and sister-in-law. We ate a little something and then settled in to play some cards. My brother-in-law had gotten a nice poker set for Christmas and had never even opened it yet. We were more than happy to help him christen the set, and we had a great time. We stayed up and played poker until after midnight and finally went to bed.

Sunday morning P and I got up a bit before 9:00 and had some coffee and watched a bit of TV until his brother and sister-in-law got up. After they got a bit to eat and we all got dressed (and P and I packed our things), we headed off to the beach again so the boys could get in some more surfing time. This time we went to Topsail Beach, close to Jacksonville, since that's where the surf seemed to be better. So it was another 2 hours or better to drive there. We got there and Jen (my sister-in-law) and I sat on the beach and watched the boys while enjoying the sun. I was quite covered up this time, though, since I got too much sun on Saturday. After staying there for about 3 hours or so, we headed home. We were about the same distance from home as they were from their house, so we went our different ways from Topsail.

There's something I absolutely LOVE about hanging out with Jen. She's a quiet person, and I have a tendency to be quiet myself (although some of you who know me may find that hard to believe). She and I can sit together and not feel the need to talk just for the sake of talking. We can sit quietly without talking, and it's not an uncomfortable silence. It's nice.

But that's pretty much how our weekend went. I took lots of pictures. I just need to connect my card to my computer to see how many of them came out. I'll put some up after I do that.

Hopefully I'll start to get back into my blogging groove here pretty soon. I'm really starting to miss it.

Off for the Weekend

Man, I've been really bad about blogging lately. I'll get back into the groove soon, I hope. Just haven't felt much like writing.

We're going to visit my brother-in-law and his wife this weekend. We hope to be able to spend some time on the beach at the Outer Banks while we're up there. Hopefully it won't be raining all weekend.

Since I'm actually in the middle of a week of from school right now (unlike all the other trips I've taken lately), I'm actually leaving the laptop at home! WOO HOO!!

Have a great weekend!

Our Weekend

Yeah, I know I haven't been writing much lately. Just haven't felt much like it, I guess. Haven't really felt like I had much to write about.

So the hubby and I have been kid-free since Wednesday night. Although we miss the kids, without a doubt, we have enjoyed the peace and quiet. I know the extended family in Alabama is enjoying the time they've gotten to spend with them. I talked to the kids briefly tonight, and they're having a great time. They were watching Willy Wonka when my mother-in-law called tonight. It was so nice to hear their little voices.

We got the chance to ride together a couple of times this weekend. We went out to lunch today and had to stop to put gas in my bike. As I was starting the pump, I noticed a wallet lying on top, sort of propped up on a narrow ledge just below the actual top of the pump. I opened it to see if I could find out who it belonged to, and found out it belonged to someone local. So while the hubby gassed up the bikes, I went in to get a phone book to see if I could get in touch with the wallet's owner (hoping he was listed). Found the name in the phone book, and the addy matched up with the addy on the license. Called him up and let him know I had found his wallet and where he could pick it up before handing it over to the folks behind the counter. He sounded very thankful, and the kid behind the counter almost sounded surprised when he took the wallet and told me to have a nice day. Hopefully if I ever lose my wallet, an honest person will find it and contact me in the same manner. The hubby and I just wanted to contact him and let him know where his wallet was before he panicked and felt the need to start cancelling credit cards and things like that.

The kids will be home some time tomorrow. I can't wait to see them and hug and kiss them! My mother-in-law was talking about taking them to the Outer Banks next weekend or the weekend after, depending on my brother-in-law's schedule. Maybe we'll all be able to go. The hubby is wanting to get some surfing in this summer, and the beach we usually go to (which is much closer at an hour and a half away) isn't really a great surfing spot, although it's a great family beach.

If there's a bad thing about year-round school, I guess it would be that the summer is lots shorter. But they have more breaks throughout the school year, so I think it all evens out.

That about covers it. Hopefully I'll get out of this slump I'm in soon and start blogging more.