Big time re-cap

Okay, I am back to this blog. I have had a gnawing sense of guilt about not writing on here, although from what I can tell there are only about 3 or 4 people who read this (not that there is anything wrong with that...) so I don't know why I stress. Regardless of who or how many people read this though, I feel the need to blog so here I go, once again.

(But it won't be a long one this time, I am busy and besides, I have to ease back into this saddle)

I last left you in March, complaining about a spider vein on my leg and the cruelty of the aging process. As far as I can tell, the vein is still there, however I do have a little tan, so hopefully they are camouflaged better now. Very shortly after I wrote that blog, I heard some news from my husband. His grandmother was very sick in the hospital and the prognosis was dim. He was granted emergency leave from Iraq, however due to sandstorms in Kuwait, his flight was delayed and his grandmother died one day before he was able to fly home. We were then faced with attending the funeral, but the flight would have had to have been over Easter weekend, and bought at the last minute. Can you say "out of our price range"? It would have been about $4,000 for our family to just go to New Mexico. Since we were going to be on the mainland we were planning on a quick visit to my family so they could see the grand kids as well.

To make this particular looooooong story short(er), we took a Space A flight to CA. Space A is a military flight with room available. If a plane is going to where you want to go, and if there is room, and if you are the right priority passenger, you can take the flight for free. Since Erick was on emergency leave, we were 1st priority leaving Hawaii. We spent 12 hours at home packing before taking this flight, the next 12 days flying/driving/flying around the US and back to Hawaii where Erick had time to sleep one night in his own bed before having to pack back up and head back to the sandbox. It was basically a "don't blink or you'll miss it!" kind of break. It went very fast and was actually kind of hard to recover from. But we did.

After that trip, I spent the last week in April doing laundry, catching the kids up with schoolwork and lamenting the 5 pounds I managed to pack on while we were traveling. When you are only 5 feet tall, 5 pounds may as well be 15 pounds. And I had just been able to fit back into my little-er post baby jeans. Poop.

The kids and I somehow made it to May intact, in maybe a less picked up house, but we still were functioning. Then I was talking to a friend of mine who had started working out at the YMCA. I found out that since my husband is deployed I am eligible for 6 months free membership PLUS they have FREE childcare. And so I left the house right that very second and followed her to the YMCA to sign up. I have been going since that day in May, and happy to report those jeans fit me once more! I have now set my sights on the size 5's and 3's that are taunting me from inside my closet. Oooh, I can even fit* some little dresses again!

The kids finished school the first week of June which also was the same week my big brother Ed came out here on his R&R from Iraq. He brought his little girl with and I was able to wear my "Aunt Bonnie Hat" for the first time! The last time I saw my niece she was a 5 month old infant, so it was really special to have some time with her. They were here for a week, a busy, insane, fun-filled week. Joe and Lily enjoyed having their cousin around as well as Uncle Ed! For me, it was great to have my brother here, and also a treat to even have a grown up to talk to (although, Ed being a grown up, that is debatable... Just kidding, Ed! Ha ha!).

And that quickly brings us to now, the end of June. I just went to the first meeting tonight for this years soccer season. Joe and Lily are on the same team, also the same team as my friends kids, so that worked out nicely. Joe and Lily are also doing cooking class once a week, and once school starts Joe will have cub scouts again. I really hope the den meetings are not on a soccer practice day or cooking class day! I do Zumba once a week in the evenings, as well as a 30 minute cross-training/personal torture session that I actually look forward to. That leaves only a few possible times for the den meetings to not interfere with what we currently have planned, so we'll see how this goes...

Oh, I am also now conducting a summer school in my home for Joe and Lily. Joe needs the extra help and it won't hurt Lily any either. We learn from 1pm-3pm each day and so far it is going fairly well. We've had some bumps here and there, but I think the kids actually like it! I hope it does the trick and helps get them better prepared for 2nd and 3rd grade.

(That is totally crazy, that I have a 2nd and 3rd grader! Where on Earth does the time go???!!!!)

Let us see, other things to re-cap...

Oh.

New skills Leah has learned:

• crawling up the stairs
• saying "I/you did it!"
• calling the dog by; 1. her name "Jewel!" and 2. kissey sounds that she does with her tongue sticking out, like a kissey-raspberry!
• playing tug-o-war with the dog
• light switch on AND off
• walking while holding on to things
• dancing
• giving momma things she shouldn't have
• climbing on the dishwasher while the door is down
• learning what "no" really means when she is climbing on the dishwasher when the door is down...

So, the kids and I are chugging along and keeping ourselves occupied till October when we should have our main man home again. And since I took time to type this and it is now 0100, I am done for the day.

I am going to go check my crops on Farm Town** and go to bed.

The laundry can kiss my butt.

-B

*They don't look very pretty yet, but darn it, I can pull the dresses over my hips (!) and the zippers finally go ALL the way up!

**This little Facebook time waster is actually very cute and simple. Grow crops, harvest them and earn coins to buy farm-y stuff. Yeah, I know it is a little lame, but don't hate... Hey, Solitaire is a time waster too, and I know people play that all the time!

GGGRRRRR

There are so many cliche' sayings, like "Don't go to bed angry", "Never drink and dial", "Count to ten before you speak"... And those are all great advice. I have no idea if there is some saying about writing when you are angry/frustrated, but I AM both and so here I go.

This will be akin to a PMS rant, however, that is not what this is. I have no M with which to have the P and the S.

Today it is warm outside. It has been rainy for weeks and weeks (Hawaii wintertime) and the weather has recently changed. The sun is shining, birds are chirping: Spring time is here. I have lost a few pounds, only 2 or 3 really, but whatever. I take what I can get (wink wink, honey!). I decided to wear shorts again today, as yesterday was lovely and I wore shorts then as well. Except I have always been the "must shave legs daily" kind of girl. No skipping days for me, I even manage a 5:00 shadow sometimes. So I did a quick shave sitting on the side of the tub. I didn't want to take a shower since I have a full day of working to do, and I will end up sweaty anyhow. It makes more sense to me to bathe before bed. So, as I shaved without the nice hot shower to soften my leg hair, I was mildly concerned about razor burn. I have some nifty after shave spray for women, it even sprays while upside down. So I begin to spray my legs and I pivot to see the back of my legs so I can spray there.

W. T. F.

If you don't know what that stands for, Google it. I warn those of you with baby ears, its strong language.

Apparently I have developed a lovely spider vein, as well as some waaaay sexy bumps and lumps. And I am mad about that. It means I have lost another battle to the aging process that is totally preventable. I could have been working out like a fiend to get back into shape, but I have had NO energy to do that. With the 3 kids, I only have nights aloneto myself. That is when I should have been doing my exercise. Did I? Nah, I just spent that time chilling out, watching movies and folding laundry, most times snacking, sometimes on healthy stuff, sometimes not. I haven't gained weight, (wheeew!) but I haven't lost it as I'd like to. And now, there is a stupid spider vein that I could have laser-ed off, but won't, because that is a luxury most common people cannot afford.

And I did it to myself. Or at least I didn't stop it from happening. Aging is a cruel, evil bitch.

What will I do about this? I suppose I have to just make time to exercise. I will have to loose my chill out time, and I am okay with that. My family says to me that the chill out time is good, totally expected when raising 3 kids. And I agree, that alone "me time" is healthy, but I will just have to turn that into "healthy me time" instead.

I am feeling so defeated now. So unmotivated today, and that is making me sad and even MORE defeated. I can tell I am on a downward pity spiral and that is SO not my style. I almost feel like pulling my workout shoes on right now and starting up the treadmill (not so unmotivated after all?). I won't do that of course, since my 8 month old is napping. Those of you with children (and a little life experience) will recognize how Murphy's Law will snap into action the second I step foot on that treadmill. I know she will wake and need all sorts of things, a new diaper, maybe a new onesie, a boobie and a cuddle. Then my older two will float in with needs of their own, help with a Lego structure, a Barbie who needs her dress tugged on... Most likely, the dog will have to go out to pee at this exact same time. And while I am thinking the worst, I bet the doorbell would ring with the Kirby salesmen trying to pressure me into buying a $2000 vacuum!

PHHHOOOOOOOOW!! (large and cleansing exhale)

Yes, I think it MUST be nearing the middle of this deployment. I think today I have fallen off the horse and it is time to climb back on. The lovely view of the back of my legs has truly bothered me, it has disturbed me. I am ready to get myself back to how I used to be. I have been VERY overweight before, and I bounced back from that. I can do it again, however I am older and with more kids and less energy. But, excuses excuses, I just have to do it.

I SO miss my husband. Not that he can do anything to help me loose weight... THAT has to come from me. But he reassures me, makes me feel beautiful no matter what. He also could help me find more time... But that is not worth thinking about, since we still have about 7 months left of this deployment.

Okay, I am still mad at myself, still frustrated, but I guess typing it all down has eased all the stress a bit. I was 100% frustrated, now I'd put myself at about 40-50% frustration.

PHOOOOOOOWWWW (another deep breath)

-B

"Holy Flying Time, Batman!"

Whoa kids, it is the middle of March! And I'm sure approximately 15 minutes from now it will be April 1st...

Time is warping by and I am glad, but without much evening free time now. I will have a nice juicy blog soon enough, I have been composing little bits here and there in my head. One of these days/nights I will sit and type it all out. For now though, I have a sink of dishes to attend to, a glass of passion fruit wine (yes it is just as good as you think it is -- they also make pineapple wine...) and a movie in bed. I did a lot today and tomorrow will be no different.

Till I can manage to push the pause button on my life...

-B

And we are called "stay" at home moms..

365-15 Stop #6 out of 11 for the day...
Originally uploaded by B_Williams

Each night after my children are in bed I pick up the house, do some dishes and get ready for the next day. There are so many times I think I can take a day off, which my idea of a day off is a day spent on the couch with a book or a movie, napping with the baby and doing laundry or something minor like that. And I get all relaxed and excited to take that day off, when suddenly I will realize I have to go run a bunch of errands and then my day off is gone. Since the name of this blog is A Cross Section of My Life, I give you today for an example:

2130 last night - I realize my son needs a new dresser for his clothes, and Tupperware for his Lego's. I also realize we have a birthday party on Sunday, and that I will be busy all day Saturday. This means I have to go run around tomorrow. ~sigh~

0635 - My annoying inner alarm goes off, you know the one that your body sets. You really have at least 15 minutes more to sleep, but your inner alarm clock starts to ring and you can't really get back to the deep sleep you were in.

0645 - My real alarms sound, both the traditional alarm clock and the cell phone alarm. I don't trust myself to wake to only one alarm, so I use backup. I also heavily use the snooze button for some reason. The clock alarm has a 9 minute snooze and my cell alarm has a 7 minute snooze. I wish I knew the reason for the odd minutes. My theory is you have to actually use your brain a little to figure out how many more times you can hit the snooze button. If it gave you 5 or 10 minutes you'd know right off and your brain wouldn't engage as much, thus you'd stay in the sleep zone longer. At least that is my theory. I digress....

0652-I hit snooze on my cell phone.

0653- Baby Leah wakes up ready to nurse and likewise, I realize that I am more than ready to nurse her. She started to sleep through the night again, so as it was before, I now wake up to a few gallons of milk under my shirt. Okay, it's not that bad, but let me just say that it is once again uncomfortable to sleep on my stomach. It is not too bad though, since I am still breastfeeding it means I can bring her into bed and try to sleep a little while she nurses.

0658 - I stop trying to fight it, it is time to wake up and get the big kids ready for school.

0715 - Joe and Lily are dressed, downstairs and hopefully eating breakfast -- not playing around. Leah has had a diaper change, new clothes and she has been nursed. She is playing with her toys that I keep in a toy box in my room. I am getting my "mom-on-the-go" clothes on. At least that is what they call it on What Not To Wear. Okay, not too bad, I feel like I found a reasonably good looking outfit today, I just need to do some 1000 crunches or so...

0730 - Coffee is brewing and the scent of it IS morning as far as I am concerned! The dog is out doing her morning duties and for once (!) the kids are actually eating their cereal, not messing around. I open the front door for my neighbor's daughter. I take her to school and back each day since we live so close.

0740- The neighbor's little girl arrives and that is the cue for Joe and Lily to get shoes on and grab backpacks. It doesn't always go so smoothly, there are many many times I am having to nag them to eat, to find shoes, to take their backpacks, sometimes to even put their homework into their bags... I try to be more organized but I fail at that quite often.

0748- We are late leaving the house, Joe couldn't find his shoes and we are a few minutes behind. I know it sounds so ridiculous, but even a few minutes can make all the difference. Just a few minutes here or there can mean we will be on time or we will be tardy. As it happened today, they were a little late. Oh well, TGIF.

0805- I am down to one kid now and she is falling fast asleep in her car seat. We drive down to K-Mart and it is a very pleasant drive. I have brought a to-go cup of coffee and my blue tooth so I can call my mom and dad. They will be celebrating their30th anniversary next week and Erick and I have planned a nice dinner out for them. I got to call and tell them the surprise! I love giving people good news or fun surprise gifts, or both!

0830- Once I am in K-Mart, I peruse the shoes. Not like they have amazing shoes, it is K-mart after all. But you never know if there will be a sale or something... Plus I kinda have this weakness for shoes. It's a good thing high heels aren't very practical for me to wear, or I'd certainly be lusting after some Jimmy Choos or Manolo Blahniks.

0845- My cell phone rings - it's the health room at school. Lily says her tummy hurts, so I tell the school nurse to let her sit out for 15 minutes and if she needs to, I will drive back and sign her out. Lily sometimes tries to get out of doing things by saying her tummy hurts, or her head hurts, or her elbow.... Mostly I think she is crying wolf, but you never know.I hurry and finish shopping in case I have to go get her.

0900- Cell rings again, Lily had some water and her tummy feels all better. She is heading back to class. I am heading back to the car and on to the next stop, Goodwill.

0915- My friend has a daughter who just turned 10. She still loves to play dress up ( I did too at that age) and her birthday party is this Sunday. Her mom asked me to find fancy dresses at the thrift store and tailor them to fit her daughter. I have done this before for Lily, so it is no problem. I actually love this idea for a little girl birthday party, and I will most likely do it again if Lily has any more girl birthday invitations. I take my time at Goodwill to find the perfect dresses to tailor. In the end I found a beautiful ball gown which was on sale for half off (it wound up being only $6.50!), two full skirted dresses and two teal tops to make the dresses more appropriate for a 10 year old.

1045- Leah and I return home to have lunch. I let the dog out, nuke a Lean Cuisine and make a salad. Leah has milk and a teething biscuit, followed by some squash. She is ready for another nap after lunch which is perfect for me since I have the dresser to assemble. I like putting furniture together so this part of my day was actually quite nice. I found a fun movie on TV (Death Becomes Her) and I get in to the assembly. By the time I was nearly done, it was time to get the kids from school.

1345- I was able to transfer the sleeping baby Leah from her crib into the stroller with only a tiny whimper of complaint and then she passed back out. The walk was nice, breezy and not too hot. Lily was going to a friends house after school and then to ballet practice where I'd meet her with her shoes and leotard. So the walk home was just Joe and I, plus the neighbors little girl.

1430- Joe and I worked together to finish the drawers for his dresser. Leah played with her toys and supervised our progress. Once the dresser was finished we had about 10 minutes to transfer his clothes into the dresser and then put his Lego's, Bionicle's, Mega Blocks and other assorted toys into the old Tupperware drawers. Then we bopped around the house looking for all the parts of his Cub Scout uniform.

1600- We arrived at the PX (Post Exchange, like a Wal-Mart) and Joseph found his den right away. They had to be courteous and polite when approaching people to buy the coupon books. Joseph ended up selling two of them! Not bad for a little boy who sometimes is shy around people! I was just starting to feel a sore throat forming so the Starbucks around the corner sounded awesome. I ducked inside, changed the baby and bought some strong coffee. Aaaahhh, an afternoon pick-me-up! I went back outside, talked with the other women for a bit and let Leah have some well deserved playtime on a blanket. Which she pulled up and started chewing on, while also getting her white socks super dirty. Since I had forgotten to put the stroller back into the car after the walk home from school, as well as I'd forgotten to put the baby sling in, I was down to carrying her on my hip, along with the diaper bag and my purse. So I ducked back into the PX for an umbrella stroller, new socks and a pair of scissors to cut the zip ties on the stroller.

1720- I have a blister on the back of my heel, right on the Achilles Tendon and my shoe is rubbing it raw. Since I have only minutes to get Lily her ballet clothes, I make a faster-than-the-speed-of-light stop at my house and throw a band aid at the blister.

1729- I make it in time to the dance studio with Lily's ballet clothes and the baby in her car seat sawing logs. She is an 18 pound baby and the car seat must weigh at least 10 pounds, maybe 15. Ugh. I herd Lily into the handicap stall in the bathroom and I help her on with her tights, leotard and ballet shoes. This is the first I've seen her since school was out, and I've missed her! I give her a kiss and send her into dance class. I leave the studio with her school clothes and her backpack as well as a balloon necklace and bracelet she made at her friends house. Oh yeah I am also carrying the baby in the car seat and my purse. I looked like a llama going on an expedition weighed down with too many packs.

1735- I arrive at the Commissary (grocery store) with one of Joseph's recipes from cooking class. He just started the class this past Wednesday and the first thing they made was S'mores. He came home with a packet of S'mores-themed recipes so I told him he could pick one recipe and make it at home. He chose the S'more muffins and I had to buy a couple things, mini marshmallows and graham crackers.

1750- I decided to wait at the self checkout, the quick line which is a 50/50 chance of actually being fast. You never know if it will pan out for you, or if you would be better off going in the regular short line. This time the odds were against me -- I was stuck behind a woman with over the 15 items plus she didn't know what she was doing. Very frustrating.

1800- In the car driving 100 yards over to the PX parking lot. Normally I'd just walk (obviously) but I was pressed for time and my heel is in no shape for walking that distance. Plus, Joe was starving and I had to stop at the Food Court to pick up Burger King for their dinner. So, no walking for us, though it irked me to have to drive that little bit.

1825- Back at ballet class and I was just in time to see her practice her routine for the recital. Joe stayed in the car with his feedbag on, wolfing down his double cheeseburger. Leah was thrilled to get out of the car, as she had been in the car seat or stroller for the better part of the day. I will let you imagine how happy she was to have only 5 minutes of freedom before I had to strap her back in. But I distracted her with a shiny toy and all was well.

1835- Home finally. The weekend can now begin. Except this weekend doesn't sound very relaxing, it too is filled with ballet dances, Cub Scout stuff and a birthday party. Plus laundry, dishes, vacuuming, mopping and general up keep.

I will take a day off next week. At least that is my plan....

2334-I have finished typing this blog. My nose is running on one side, the other side is clogged, go figure. My slight sore throat has now escalated nuisance-level sore throat. Hopefully some sleep will knock it back down. I'm gonna go eat a zinc lozenge and pass out.

Peace.

-B

"Why are there SO many buses, Mommy?"

Last night I was up sneezing and blowing my nose every 30 minutes. My baby daughter Leah was keeping me company, she slept next to me the whole time I was loudly honking into the Kleenex. Once I finally thought the allergies were taking a break (so I could get 45 minutes of sleep before the alarm went off), Leah decided she was awake and ready to give a rousing speech (in baby babble) about who knows what to my half asleep form in the bed. I lovingly dropped her off into her crib, with her lights and songs and a teether to play with. I guess that worked, because around 30-40 minutes later the alarm indeed went off and woke me from sleep. Joe and Lily were up, in the showers and Leah was still talking about something, when I realized I was going to have to have one of those days, a Benedryl Day. Those are days I feel half asleep until I drink a bunch of coffee and then I feel just fuzzy. It isn't all together horrible, but I don't usually get much done.

It was a rainy day anyhow. Grey skies with a cold, misty rain every now and then. It was the kind of day that tea and books are perfect for. With a fleecy blanket. So I did the morning drop off at school and then was back my warm house, a fresh pot of nice coffee waiting.

My husband told me to buy nice coffee. I am a frugal person by nature, so I had
been buying plain old Folgers, French Roast. Not that there is anything wrong
with that... But Erick explained to me that I need to have something to look
forward to. I sometimes stay up late at night to catch up on housework, and I
make some coffee for myself to stay awake. He thought I should have something
nice to drink, not the plain old normal stuff. And he was right! Thanks love!

So, the kids were at school, the baby and I were at home with fresh coffee, and outside it was lightly raining. Leah was sleepy and hunrgy so we spent a lovely 20 minutes snuggled and nursing. Once she passed out I did random things around the house, they must have not been important because I cannot remember right now. Anyhow, by 10:00-ish I realized I would have to make a trip out to Wal-Mart for Joe's birthday. He is having a pirate party and I am doing some really fun things for the kids. We have invited a lot of kids, so we'll see what happens (aaahhh!!). Leah and I both were feeling like crap. When she woke up, she looked the way I felt. Fuzzy and sneezy. Her eyes looked like they were itchy, I can tell she inherited the allergies from me. Joseph also has the allergies (sorry kids).

The shopping was great actually, Leah was in a happy mood even thought she was sneezing every 10 minutes and shooting snot down past her lips! Her nose must have been sore after all the wiping I had to do. But snot aside, she was all smiles! I found all the things I needed (and more) and the sun even peeked out for a bit. I was feeling a little better when I drove home through Schofield Barracks and I once again saw all the "Welcome Home Daddy" signs all over post. One of the big units here is done with their 15 month deployment. And this is the week they are all returning.

Now, I have been through deployments. This is my 3rd. The 2nd one was 15 months, so I know what it feels like to go through that separation, and how amazing it feels to have them come back home. I hear the women in the morning walking the kids to school, talking to each other with excitement in their voices. They are keeping themselves busy these last few days, helping to make the rooms nice for the single Soldiers, manically cleaning their houses, nail and hair appointments, hanging up all the welcome home signs, decorating the cars... And I have been part of all that, and I will be part of that in about 8 months. But I am not part of it now, and right now I miss my husband. I really am happy for the friends I have whose husbands are flying home now. I know they have been alone so long and how good it feels to be reunited. I know where they are, I know what that is like, but I cannot help feel a little blue when I see so many "Daddy is our Hero" or, "We missed you so much Daddy, Welcome Home!" signs. But I just try my best to ignore them.

I decided to walk to pick the kids up after school. I like to walk home, they talk about their day, they unwind a little, and it is nice to get the fresh air. Joseph was the first to ask about the signs. He wondered if his daddy would be home soon, "is that why the signs are up?" I've always explained it to Joe and Lily that the Soldiers have to take turns going to Iraq. And that is what I said to them again. Joe and Lily understand that, but I can tell they felt a little blue like I did. After we came home, it was time to pass out Joe's birthday party invitations. We walked through the neighborhood for most of them, but a few friends were too far and we had to drive. The last invitation to deliver was over on Wheeler Army Airfield (WAAF). Now, when the Soldiers return, that is where all the families can pick their Soldier up and take them home. So once I drove onto WAAF, I saw all the signs pointing to the Welcome Home Ceremony.

~Sigh~

I dropped the last invitation off but by the time I left her house, I managed to get stopped at a stop sign as ten giant buses full of the returning Soldiers came round the bend, headed to the Welcome Home Ceremony. The buses are come right from the airport where they have just landed. Lily lets out a sigh of impatience, "Mommy, why are there SO many buses?!" I'm frozen, do I tell her and Joe that those are all the daddies, or just hope she doesn't ask again and they don't figure it out? Because, honestly, I felt a little like crying a bit. My frame of mine might have been a little off, it may not have helped that earlier I delivered an invitation to a friend whose husband was going to be home that night (he was, in fact, with the group on the buses I saw). I went to her house first and I could feel the excitement in the air, almost taste it. And of course I remembered what it was like when I was on my way to pick Erick up.

By the time I made it to Lily's ballet class (again passing all the Welcome Home signs), I was determined to have a chilled out evening. I dropped her off at class and drove over to the Class Six (a.k.a. the liquor store) and bought some wine and some gin and Sprite. And that is what I am drinking now, the gin. Not much of course, (still nursing) but just a little "boo hoo I miss my man" pity party. I am going to get PJ's on, pour one last drink and read till I fall asleep.

I miss my guy. This isn't our first or second deployment, but somehow it has more rough patches than I thought it would. This week sucks a little, I guess it will be better once the big group is home and I can forget about it again. But to be reminded so heavily of the homecoming still so far away has left me feeling a little more than blue. Maybe I feel navy.

-B

What a fun-filled, kid orientated weekend I just had. Wheeewwwww!!!! Lily has dance class each Friday. We usually go home and have a late dinner and I let the kids stay up late since it is the weekend. But there is a "Family Fun Night" here on post at a arcade-kind of place called Tropics. There are quick junky foods available, (chili cheese fries, hot dogs, soda, beers...) and they also have a Starbucks there, so I am all set. I took the kids there, let them burn 5 bucks in quarters, we can play ping pong, air hockey, foosball, the old school 2 player Packman (where you sit on either side of a gaming table... remember? They were in all the pizza places in the 80's). Each time there is a family fun night, they have nonsense activities, like a banana relay race, or a donut-on-a-string eating contest. This time FORD was there holding a drawing for prizes and I won a hat for Joe. I got him one with flames, that is sure to please him. He loves all things with racing-style flames. That was Friday night, we all had fun and the best part of course was getting to sleep in the next day!

Saturday was the Cub-O-Napolis race at a local field. The kids had finished decorating their cars the night before and they were all pumped to race. The line up with all the kids cars was so cool, some kids really went all out with their designs! Lots of creativity on the field. When Joseph was up to race I had a friend watch Leah while Lily was going to help be part of the Pit Crew. In the end, another dad who was on his own ended up being my partner, I helped him with his son and he with mine. After the kids completed one lap of the race they had to "pull in to the pit" and have their tires (shoes) changed. We had to take the shoes off, the socks also and turn them inside out. Then we had to put those sweaty socks back onto the sweaty feet and tie the shoes again. Not as easy as it sounds!! The second lap they pull in for gas (water), which the pit crew gives them, the kids cannot use their hands. The third lap they have to have their windshield cleaned, so we had to take off their goggles and put them back on. Cub scouts doesn't really focus too much on the winner, everyone was just there for fun. The "winners" did get ribbons, and Joe wasn't one of those. He usually gets bent out of shape when something like that happens, but I was pleasantly surprised to see him just having fun. He might have won the race, but the dad helping me with the shoes had a really hard time getting his sock back on his foot, and then a hard time getting the his shoe back on his foot. Then, Joe was running so fast he lost two tires AND one of his rockets! He overheard someone say "Oh, you lost a tire" and he stopped to look. Then he bopped back and forth trying to figure if he should run back and get his tire, or keep running. Once he started back running, he was already behind in the race, but he just kept going. He had a great attitude and even now his favorite part of that day was when his stuff flew off his car!


Lily ran next in the "sibling" heat. She looked cute at can be, and also just ran to have fun. The siblings didn't have to do the shoe part, so it was just water and goggles. When I changed her goggles, I accidentally put them on wrong, so she ran the last lap of her race almost blind!! Lily isn't graceful AND she is seriously accident prone, so it was a sheer miracle she didn't trip and fall her way into the finish line!

So I went home after the box races to relax and chill out. The first thing I did was check my messages. I was surprised (and a little confused) to hear an urgent message from Kay Jewelers about our account, something to do with our rings. I called back right away and I provided my name, asking what was the matter. I was told I needed to come in right away since there was a problem with our rings. The woman I spoke to didn't have anymore info, (she said) just that it was important for me to drive in. I gathered the kids back into the car and drove all they way to the mall, with our warranty papers in my bag. I walked into the store and told them who I was, asked what was the matter... That is when the manager walked out with a HUGE flower arrangement, card attached and a little golden gift bag. She told me my husband wanted to give me an early Valentines Day gift! She said "Your husband is a really wonderful person!!", and I was thinking, 'Of COURSE he is!!!!!!' When I opened the present I found an opal and diamond bracelet. ~Sigh~ I've always admired bracelets like this one, so of course I loved it! But honestly, if it had just been the flowers and a card, I would have been just as happy! It was the thought, the surprise and the fact that he went to all that trouble for me that made it so special!! The gorgeous bracelet is just icing on the cake! I told Joseph and Lily to pay attention. For Joseph to learn how to be with women, how to be romantic and thoughtful. For Lily to find a man who will treat her the same way. It was so neat, the people in the store were all whispering "Oh wow, her husband just gave her flowers and jewelry all the way from Iraq!!" I felt really special! It was something I'll always remember.

~Sigh~ He's a keeper.

So I had to stop gushing about Erick, because my kids were getting bored! Lily asked my why I kept saying how great her daddy is. (Lily hasn't learned how to be tactful yet). Anyhow, that same night was another Parents Night Out, and it was Lily's turn. We went to Burger King for dinner since we had only a little time before our movie. Burger King has these new "Six-Pack" burgers, tiny little things perfect for sharing. They remind me of the sliders I grew up eating at White Castle. Short story, I was walking the kids home after school when Joe if I knew what sliders were. I said, "Do you mean the little burgers" and he said yeah. I said "Joe I grew up in Chicago and the midwest -- I certainly know what they are!!" That is when the woman in front of me started laughing and she turned around. She said "I miss White Castle too! Those little burgers are so greasy but delicous!!" We had a little moment, her and I, reminicing about sliders. Mmmmmmm, steamed bun, little onions, burger patty with holes for quick cooking....grease.....little ketchup, little mustard.....Ahhh. Crap, now I am thinking about food from Chicago like Superdawg hot dogs, Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza, and all the Italian Beef sandwiches, served wet (when you dunk the whole sandwich in the meat juice)...


-------------------please wait a sec, have to wipe my drool up off the floor----------------------



Ahhh, where was I? Yes, my night out with Lily. We finished our dinner, talked about girly stuff, and we walked to the theaters. We saw Coraline, the new Tim Burton movie. It was really good, it freaked her out in a few parts (after all it is Tim Burton), but she just hid behing my hand and all was okay. After the movie we had an ice cream and, since we still had a lot of time left, we decided to go home and watch anoter movie and cuddle with the dog. Between my warm little girl cuddling me and the dog snuggled in between, I wound up falling asleep, and Lily started to nod off as well. I somehow managed to wake us up in time get Joe and Leah before 11, which is when you are offically late and the daycare people start charging $1 a minute per kid.



In the morning (Sunday) I gathered everyone in the car and we drove down to Waikiki. I have wanted to hike up Diamond Head for a while, just because it is so famous. The kids were psyched to hike inside an ancient volcano, and Joe loved the old cannons and the tunnel. Lily brought a little spiral notebook and pencil so she could record the things she saw that day. Leah stayed awake the whole time it took to get to the top. She ate some pears for lunch up there, posed for a few pictures and then fell asleep on the way down. I have to give Joe and Lily some major credit for climbing these stairs without stopping: Honestly, I could have used a break but I was too proud to admit how much it kicking my butt! That is 99 stairs, and it is really steep! The view on top of Diamond Head really is spectactular and well worth the hike. It isn't a bad hike at all, just a lot of stairs, 282 all together.

And that was the weekend with the kids, the rest of Sunday we hung out at home, did homework and laundry. I am hoping for a slower weekend this next time, but it also helps to make the deployment go much faster.

And now that I've put all that into words, I am going to sign off.

G'nite!

-B

The tax man cometh...

... and he has brought gifts! I just finished doing our taxes (I use www.taxact.com) and I found myself pleasantly surprised with the refund this year. Always a pleasant way to start the new year, paying off credit cards.

~Insert pithy comment here~

I was going to try to find something humorous to say up there, but I am too tired. And it isn't really late either, I just am nodding off in the chair. Some random late night movie is on, and it is lulling me to sleep.

Baby Leah is sick now. An acquaintance had a sick little girl, didn't tell anyone yet she brought the sick child to a get together, alas Leah has a cold and cough. No worries, just a routine stuffy nose and cough. I've had to use the dreaded nasal aspirator every hour, followed with a lotion-y tissue. She is sporting a bright red little nose and a semi-permanent slick of snot on her top lip. All with a smile though. Even with her issues, she is still lively, happy and full of those great toothless smiles. She is snorting as I type, I can hear her through the monitor. I have a vaporizer near her crib, with the Vics Vapo stuff wafting in the steam. And she still is all clogged. Poor baby. Imagine her trying to nurse! She starts out nursing very actively and then has to take a break for air. So sad!

Good day over all here, Joe did well with his homework. No attitude with me, no drawing a blank with math... he just got to it, and finished his work. He had time to play with his toys, make a giant "sponsor" sticker for his Cub-o-napolis car, and even play Silly Pins (hallway bowling) with me and Lily before bed.

Cub-o-napolis is a Cub Scout event where they decorate a box to look like a car. They attach rope, or suspenders to keep the car up around their torso. Then they run a lap around the track. They have to pull in for pit stops; i.e. change tires (shoes), refuel (get a drink), wash the windshield (goggles). Of course no driver performs his own pit stops, he needs a pit crew (that's me). So awards are given for best car, fastest time, most organized pit crew... I can't wait, I think it will be really fun for all the kids. Lily is going to have a car as well. I think they are going to let the siblings participate also.

Lily is still doing ballet, now they are on the bar doing the usual ballet moves. I need to get a bunch of pictures of that. And pictures of Joe at Cub Scouts as well. Lily was getting a little bored with ballet, but I am going to make her finish what she committed to doing. The dance semester ends in April with a Disney-themed show, I will have her stick to it until then.
She has hinted at gymnastics, we will see about that. She is always throwing herself around anyway maybe she needs just a little direction. Who knows if she'll change her mind in between now and April. She is a six year old girl. She is also growing into that obnoxious phase (ugh), but I will still keep her! I love her in spite of her new odd ways!

And that concludes my entry tonight. I need sleep.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Poor little guy. I put him out of his misery though. :-(

Poor little guy. I put him out of his misery though. :-(
Originally uploaded by B_Williams

So as of tonight the "mouse count" is up to 6; (not six in one night, but total since I found mouse # 1). This guy was stuck to a glue trap for mice AND rats, so it was a deep tray full of very sticky glue. He had already escaped out of one of the other traps, the glue traps for mice that I bought. The one that caught him for good came from the Rodent Guy, and the Pro's don't mess around. That trap was meant to stick the poor unfortunate soul who ventured on the glue fast and tight. As soon as I saw the mouse I knew I would have to end its suffering - his eye was stuck in the glue. His nose was half in the glue as well. The only thing I could think of was a quick death by my foot. I folded the glue trap on top of him, he squeaked. I think I scared him, plus I'm sure the glue stuck him from above also. I wrapped it in a grocery bag, and ~gulp~ stomped once, very hard.

My 8 year old boy laughed, it was a brave laugh as boys will sometimes do to mask their feelings. He may have felt bad for it, but he laughed instead. I thought at first he was being really horrid, till I realized his laugh was not the usual laugh. He was a little more animated than usual, so I think he might have been a little affected by the mouse. But on the whole, I think he was just being a typical boy. They laugh at things like that.

Lily cried. She knew I was going to have to kill it, but still she cried. I hugged her, let her sit on the kitchen counter while I cooked dinner. Her and I talked over why I had to kill the mouse. I told her a story from my childhood, a squirrel fell into our fireplace. It didn't die right away, but it was badly hurt from the heat. My mother wanted to kill it, put it out of it's misery, I cried, I wouldn't let her! I was also older and in need of a lesson. My mother didn't kill the squirrel, instead we watched it die a long painful death. I knew she was right then, the animal needed to die fast, no more pain. So I related this story to Lily, and how I learned a lesson that night. I asked Lily if she were mad at me for killing the mouse. She said she was a little, the mouse was "so cute, he looked like a baby mouse!" But she also understood the squirrel story and she gradually began to realize it was for the best.

I have never had to stomp on a creature. I really, really, really, really hope that was the last little dude. I spray foam/steel wool-ed the crap out of all the little places the mice were known to travel. I guess it worked.

Knock on wood that was the last mouse.

I don't want to stomp on anymore creatures.

yuck.

Jerry's relatives are not welcome here.

I'm ready for sleep, have been tired all day. Here is the tally so far for the past few days:

Number of loads of laundry I hung to dry outside (because the dryer broke...): 5

Number of mice I have caught in my kitchen: 4

Yep, mice. oh joy!

The first two I caught with a humane trap and I released them into the field near the house. I thought I only had one mouse then, but I was surprised to find two in the trap.

(BTW, mice really like peanut butter)

I had also bought sticky traps and they were set out in case the humane traps didn't work. And as I was about to go to bed about 30 minutes ago, I happened to look on the floor where the cabinets and the refrigerator meet. Where I had a sticky trap, and it was full. ~shiver~

Okay, only two mice so it wasn't as full as it could have been. But still, eeeewwww. I didn't want to pick the trap up with my bare hands, so I found some old BBQ tongs that I don't care about anymore. I put the mice into a plastic bag, and that into the big trash outside. The little mice were glued in rather uncomfortable positions, I saw feet going the wrong way, chin and fur stuck down... poor little vermin. Trash day isn't until Friday, but I honestly don't think I can kill the mice. I am gonna let nature take it's course, i.e. starvation or heat stroke inside the trash bin...

But that still feels really bad, I know it would be more merciful to make death quick for them. On the other hand, they are mice. In my house where I live with my children. Part of me wants to say, "Screw em, they can just hang out in the trash till Friday." And then another part of me feels like a bad person, what a horrid way to die, stuck to a trap. I don't want the mess of a snap trap... Arrgh, decisions. For now, tonight I have the glue traps for whomever else there is to catch... ~another shiver~

I have two theories as to how I came to have mice in the house. I have not seen any mouse evidence until about a week ago. Lily saw one in the bathroom, and I finally saw them yesterday, that is when I bought the traps. In looking, I found some mouse poo under the kitchen sink (I placed a trap there immediately) and I found mouse poo behind the refrigerator (also another trap was placed there). But it isn't a lot of mouse poo, so I don't think they have been there very long.

AND, about one week ago, after putting kids to bed, getting into PJ's (I had been upstairs almost one hour), I went downstairs to find the laundry room door was WIDE open. So that is my first thought as to how the mice got in.

HOWEVER: In August my refrigerator broke and repair men had to change out the fridge, and the copper tubing that goes into the wall had to be messed with. Today as I cleaned behind the fridge, I saw that the recess where the tubing goes into the wall isn't sealed anymore and you can see into the space between the walls. If I were a mouse, I'd take my family in there.

That is where Jerry always hid from Tom...

SO.... If the mice have been in here for a long time, they had to have been living in the wall, otherwise I would have seen their droppings and I would have fixed it! Now that I have 4 already caught (~shiver~) I am starting to question if that many mice would have ventured in during that hour the door was open.

I think I am going to have mouse nightmares. BLEAAAHH! I can't even stop myself from stealing glances at the peanut butter trap I set a little while ago. I have two sticky traps together, and a dollop of peanut butter in the center. And I hope there is no one left in the house to catch! And of course I am thinking about baby mice... and..... and yuck.

I seem to always have vermin to deal with when my husband is not here. Lice (eeewwwww), weevils (eeewww, but really easy to fix), and now mice. But these are huge vermin compared to little bugs.

I bleached my floor today.

Guess I have to do it again tomorrow. ~sigh~

-B.

Weekly Re-cap

So they started to sell lemonade instead!
Originally uploaded by B_Williams

So the weather service has issued an extreme wind warning for all the islands this weekend. Our power usually goes out when the winds get severe, so I am preparing for that. As I type now, I have a lighter in my pocket just in case we are suddenly thrust into darkness. Joe and Lily just went back to school on Wednesday and I was really glad for the break, for the quieter time during the day. Since Monday is Martin Luther King day, and counting the no school tomorrow, we have a 5 day weekend now. And only 2 days of school this week. Tomorrow has a 90% chance of heavy rains and high wind, so time to break out the puzzles (and maybe the propane so I can cook if the power goes out).

Joe and Lily are enjoying a later night tonight, not the usual early bedtime on school nights. They are watching The Wizard of Oz for the third or fourth time in the last few days. I showed them this movie a few years back, but it didn't capture their imagination then. One of my friends has the movie on DVD, so we have been visiting Oz daily! That movie is such a classic, it holds it's own with current movies, really a great flick. I love that my kids are captivated by it too. Lily asked me, "Mom, what is over the rainbow, does it really looks like that?" I told her, "I've never been over the rainbow, but I like to think it might look something like that." She said, "I think so too!", grinned and went back to watching Dorothy and Toto.

Yesterday Joe and Lily decided to try capitalisim by selling shave ice. A little over a year ago Joseph had birthday money to spend. He bought a hand crank shave ice maker. It is a little time consuming and you really have to put some muscle into it! After the first shave ice, they switched their product to lemonade. And when that was sold out they went to an orange drink I made with water, sugar, orange extract and red/yellow food coloring. I put some sliced orange in to make it look more orang-y. They sold each cup for 25 cents, and a few hours later they came in with $3.00! Not too shabby for a few hours work. The next time I have a yard sale I will let them set up shop again. I bet they will make some bucks then!

Both kids also earn money by recycling. They take the cans and bottles outside and sort it, then I drop it off and give them the money. Lily likes to buy gum while Joe usually buys little toys like a slinky, or some silly putty. They saved a little money however, and their newest purchases were Siamese Fighting fish, also known as Bettas. I bought the fish accessories, but they each picked out their own fish and paid the money for it. Each kids was able to keep their own bamboo plant alive for a year, so I have high hopes for these fish. :-)

On a whole different topic, I had a closet ressurection yesterday, as I decided to try on my pre-baby Leah clothes. Normally, such an activity is depressing and unmotivating. However, I have been watching what I eat lately and I also have gone back to working out like I used to. I was rewarded with jeans that I could zip! Not everything looks pretty, I still have A LOT of work to do, but I feel great that some progress has been made! I am as motivated as ever now, and I also have a few "new" clothes to add to my closet. Of course I am sore from the exercise I did yesterday, so when I stand up from the computer after posting this, I will no doubt creak and groan like an old lady. But as they used to say, No Pain, No Gain.

That is all. I've nothing else to say, and I have to go prepare my home in case I am without power with three kids over this five day weekend. I wish the weather was a little better for driving, the North Shore here is expecting 25-25 foot waves!!!

I'd love to go see that!

5 minute update:

Hello out there! Here is the 411 on me:

It is 2:30 am, I am mopping the floor, doing laundry, trying to catch up on housework.
I am having a hell of a time balancing the 3 kids, house, dog, yard, yada yada, oh and Me. Must find balance, must have some time for me. Seems like time for me happens in the wee hours of the morning.

I'm feeling bad for not writing something, so that is why I am making this quick one. As I type, the floor is literally half mopped, the water is cooling in the bucket, must hurry up!

Kids are good, Christmas was lots of fun, New Years was good as well. Check out Flickr for all the pics.
Joe had a kid beat him up a few days ago, not too serious, as far as fights go. He had some scratches, punch marks and attempted bite marks. He fought back, as we have told him to do. The kid was older, 10 or 11 maybe. Joseph has recovered, physically he was fine after a shower, emotionally, he was fine after dinner and a good nights sleep. I have seen him go a little more towards the MAN land after this experience. He is a little tougher in a good way. (SIGH) I guess this is what happens sometimes, on the journey to manhood. I felt my heart break each time I saw his red scratches and punch marks. My poor baby.

Lily is her sassy self. She will be starting her dance class next week, she is excited of course. She is 6, going on 16 as little girls do. Nothing really new to report on her, she continues to help with baby Leah, draw pictures, play outside... I'll report any news on the Lily front.

Big news with baby Leah, she can now sit up all by herself! Ta Da!! I took baby New Year pictures (see Flickr photo stream) and during the photo shoot I realized she didn't need the boppy pillow for support. She is thrilled with herself! Joe and Lily think it is really cool too. I am glad she isn't frustrated anymore. Anyone with kids remembers how narfy babies get when they want to move, or roll or sit up and they can't. She plays for long stretches at a time now, I guess the next step is crawling! I'll keep you posted.
So, that is the quick blog. I am back to mopping. And then off to bed. I'm sure the floor will need mopping tomorrow (sigh). I will get into some kind of groove and get more constant with the blogging. That was of course my intent all along.

Hang in there with me, I will get this figured out better, the whole kids, house, dog, and me time. I guess I should put myself farther up on that list...

I'm sick... no wait, it's a commentary!

Hi out there! I am sick with the crud so I will get back to writing more in the upcoming week. My voice is shot, my nose stuffed and congested. I have been drinking a lot of hot tea. The kids will soon be on winter break (!) and I don't know who is more excited; Joe and Lily or me. We are looking forward to sleeping in, and the leisurely days, spending more time each other. Tonight I let them cook dinner, something very easy from a box. While it was baking in the oven, we took a short walk around the neighborhood to admire the Christmas lights. Leah especially loved it! That baby could look at pretty lights all night long. We even took our puppy, and she was wearing a little doggie hoodie. My neighbor's dog grew too fat to wear it, so Jewel got the hand-me-down doggie sweatshirt. Very cute, and useful as well (she is a Chihuahua, they get cold if the sun goes behind a small cloud :-). Well, I am off to have more nearly scalding tea. My throat seems to be craving super hot water, it feels wonderful and I can talk after about 3 cups!

Oh, here is a thought provoking thing I did today; one of my friends sent me a video of wedding -- an Iraqi wedding. At first nothing really stuck out as odd, it was just a normal Middle Eastern wedding... then you see a little boy, maybe two years old. He is holding a handgun. It looks like he is trying maybe to give it back to his daddy (who is standing up over the boy), but he is looking at something else. Then somehow, the toddler shoots the gun!!! And it hits his dad in the chest, killing him! This was all caught on a cellphone camera. Wow. There was a watermark on the video with a web address so I typed that into my browser and suddenly I was at an all Arabic web page. Me not being able to read Arabic, I pushed the translate button and I found myself on a news site. And it was really fascinating to see the news headlines in that part of the world. I could read what makes their news stories, see what sort of things go on day to day over there. It was so full of tragic stories; suicides, accidental shootings, rape, murder, bombings... and there were also graphic photos to go along with them. Of course the news here in America sensors the images, however we still report on the crimes, though it seems we have fewer horrific stories. I just tried to imagine what it would be like if the news I am used to watching was as raw as the news on that site. What would my frame of mind be like? My children as well, since they also see the news? I usually turn the news on every morning as I nurse the baby and Joe and Lily are getting ready for school. They float in and out of my room, catching little bits of each story. But since the news here is quite tame (compared to what I saw on the Arabic site), I don't feel bad letting the kids hear or see the news. They should have some knowledge about the rest of the world. However, if there seems to be a troubling story about Iraq coming on, I'll turn the channel since their daddy is deployed. They don't need any help imagining what could go wrong...

But what if our news showed the real pictures???!!! Raw, unedited, and sanguinary??!!

I am not writing this to suggest we change our newscasts here in America and start to show every gory detail. Nor am I here to denounce the news stations in the world who do show the horror in technicolor. I suppose I am just marveling at the difference of each culture. Trying to imagine myself living there, seeing those images on the news. How would that affect my frame of mind, the choices I make for my family? The way I protect my children? I also know my husband and my brother are living in Iraq for a while. So that is their reality right now. They may not be living in the big cities, sharing the same streets and market places with the locals, but they do interact with them, they do experience the same things and at times they even may see those horrors. So I ask myself, What if it were me living there, can I imagine myself living there? I want to understand what it is like for my husband, and for my brother. For all my friends and family who are there right now.

I think it is so easy to dismiss the nature of what it is like in other places in the world, places that are politically unstable and therefore physically dangerous. I know I have done it, put the danger out of my mind when my husband has had to deploy. He has been gone several times and I think part of me threw a defense up to deal with the stress. I never forget that he is in a dangerous place, how can I? But each time he has had to go, I have made sure to keep those thoughts from occupying my mind. To not allow the images and fear to fill my thoughts with worry. Moreover, I have small children, I've had to shelter them somewhat from what it really is like over there. They know a lot now, but I still protect them as best I can from uncertainty and distress over their daddy. Perhaps I listened to my own sterilized versions of deployed life a little too often. I have not let myself "go there" too many times, if you know what I mean. Otherwise, if I did, I think I'd be constantly irritable and troubled, if I let myself recognize what I know to be true. It is a different and dangerous world that my husband and brother live in for now. It is not all sand and camel spiders, scorpions and MRE's. There are guns, bullets, and grenades, with humans who will use them against another. And then I remember it isn't just Soldiers and the extremists they fight living there. There are also families, mothers just like me. They too rock their babies to sleep at night, and make dinner for their families. They take joy in celebrating the simple wonders of each day. All the same, they have a darker cloud over their heads, and I wonder if they think about other cultures. About societies who have a more coated and modest newscast. What might those mothers think of the place I live?

And even as I write this blog, my husband has called me from Iraq, a welcome break from such serious thoughts above. We are able to talk about our kids, talk about what they need to feel better about daddy being gone. We think about gifts we are going to buy for them, all sorts of little things husbands and wives talk about all the time. We manage to cram all that in with each phone call, those calls that never seem to last long enough. Those phone calls are like appetizers, making you hungry for the full meal, but of course the next call isn't long enough either, so you never really seem to feel full.

I began this post with the notion to make it quick, just a note to say "I'm sick, tune in next week..." and now it seems I've written a brief commentary on "The News Style of America vs. the News Style of the Middle East" as well as "Dealing with Deployment Stress". Well, I didn't see that coming. If I'd known I would still be at this computer chair 2 hours later, I would have made a cup of tea. Tea sounds great now, I think I'll go start a cup steeping...

Anyone who has any thoughts to add, or shared experiences dealing with loved ones in dangerous places, please feel free to comment! Or if you have nothing to really add, but you just like to type, you can comment as well! Have fun! Go crazy!

:-)

Just the two of us...

Making a book for Daddy
Originally uploaded by B_Williams

Every other Saturday night, there is a "Parents Night Out" daycare here on post. Since Erick is deployed, I have a special card that entitles me to free use of that daycare. Without the card, the fee is not too bad, I think $5 an hour. So, I signed Lily and Leah up and I took Joseph out this past Saturday night. He really needed some one on one time with me, so the timing was perfect. That morning Lily had a ballet dance to do, and there was also a holiday fun fest at the same place. We drove out to the place, it was a 30 minute drive (which is considered a long drive in Hawaii). Lily did her dance, the kids got to play a little at the fun fest, but the evening belonged to Joe and I. On the way home from the fun fest, we stopped at Walmart to find some crafts for our night. We decided to make a book for Daddy, but we made a wooden cover, front and back. That way Joe could use some tools!

This was my first time ever taking my kids to daycare. I have dropped other people's kids at daycare and I always found them to be a little depressing. Well, mostly just the infant room. The cribs look so instutionalized, all steel and plain white sheets... However, I know the babies don't care about what color the sheets are... they just need the basics; diaper changes, milk and cuddles. And there was plenty of everything for baby Leah. There were two workers that night in the infant room, and 8 babies were expected. Now that would certainly curl my toes to watch that many infants, but I also know these ladies are pro's, they have tips and tricks, plus a large dose of patience. And they were both soft and sweet with the babies. I had pumped milk for Leah for 2 days and I had an almost full bottle of milk (took me that long to get 7 oz, my hat is off to the working mom's who pump everyday). The daycare changes the diapers every hour, whether needed or not, so I brought plenty of labled diapers. And the two women in the room had the whole baby in each arm thing happening, they were feeding kids with both hands. So I knew Leah would have some cuddle time. Later, when I picked her up, the one lady said Leah wasn't liking being rocked, so they just laid her down in the crib and she put herself to sleep. I should have told them that when I dropped her off! Leah is a really easy baby.

So, once Leah was in the infant room, I took Lily to the building next door, the older kid daycare. They had a gym with dodgeball to play, movies, a fooseball table, books, crafts... you name it. Lily brought a blanket and pillow, but I don't think she stopped playing to ever need them. Lily was situated, Leah was set, it was time for Joe now. I felt really odd, like I was forgetting something, to not have a baby carseat, diaper bag and two kids to help through the parking lot. It was a nice change to just have one child for the night.

I started the night with fun and did something a little out of character for me. I grabbed his hand and said, "Joe, lets run! Let's hurry to the car, c'mon follow me, this is a short cut!!" And I took him along the side of the building, we ran through the grass field and all the way to our car. When we got there, he was all smiles, out of breath and just beaming! I had him sit up front and by the time I pulled out of the parking lot, he had already started to come out of his shell and was talking a whole lot.

We went to dinner at Ruby Tuesday's, Joe's choice. We shared dessert, and talked about all sorts of stuff. A great dinner. We drove home and immediatly went into the garage. I think Joe really likes to be in there, it is like Daddy's main room, it has his motorcycle and his scent (I often go in there to remember Erick). We got busy making the soccer book, starting with painting. We shared the jobs, I stapled, he hammered. We made it a team effort when we used the power drill. We both painted and glued, he did all the writing on the photos (he picked the ones he wanted to use). By 10:00 pm, he was so tired, but very happy. I told him we could just stop for the night and finish in the morning. We had a great time together, he opened up and talked to me, I was able to give him 100% of my attention. I had just as much fun as he did!

When I went back into the infant room to get Leah, I could hear her crying a litttle, poor baby. She had just been asleep, but woken up a few minutes before I got there. Once I went over to her though, before I even put the crib side down, she quieted down. She knew momma was back and she was happy to see me. It felt really good to hold her and she snuggled right onto my chest. They said she did well while I was gone, and she drank almost all her milk! Next time I will try to have a bit more milk just in case, I'll have to start pumping a day earlier! After picking Lily up, getting all the kids back into the van, I felt really happy. The Parents Night Out was a success! Lily had fun, but couldn't wait to go back home. All the kids were so tired, they passed right out fast asleep.

The next night (tonight, as I write this), when I put them to bed, Lily and I planned our evening together. We are going to go to dinner and dessert and then home to do makeovers! She will do my hair and makeup, and I will do hers. We will use the clothes in my closet to play dress up and of course, we will take pictures of all our beautiful styles! She is really excited about it, and Joseph is looking forward to going to daycare. He thinks it will be fun to play with other kids his age. He also asked about the next time he and I go out. I suggested we stay in the house and cook. And bake. He gave me a BIG smile, I think he likes that idea!!

The Parents Night Out is really meant for parents to get away for a night, to recharge away from the kids. I may sometime sign all 3 kids up and just have time alone, but for now, Joe and Lily need me. And this is an awesome way I can give them my time and attention.

Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. As for me and my family, we had a nice day spent with friends. The kids did an "I'm Thankful For..." arts and crafts project that we will mail to Erick soon. We didn't have a traditional "turkey day", though.

We ate nachos instead.

I know you are shocked! "How can you have Thanksgiving Day with out turkey!!???" That is what most people said when they heard what we were doing for Thanksgiving. Now, while it is true that we did not eat turkey, what 98% of Americans eat each year at Thanksgiving, we were still thankful for what we have, thankful for all our blessings. And of course there is a story as to why we ate nachos...

We moved to Hawaii in December 2003, and Erick deployed to Afghanistan in April 2004. He was home in November 2004 for R&R. He was, in fact, home about two days before Thanksgiving, and I hadn't yet bought all the food since I didn't know what he would want to do that day. It was a good thing I didn't go shopping and buy a turkey, he didn't want to have me do all the cooking just for a turkey dinner. As you all know, preparing a Thanksgiving dinner is a full day of cooking. It seems a little silly to take all that time to cook when you only have 14 days to spend together. Erick said he'd rather just spend the day relaxing with his family, maybe have a pizza or go out to eat...

My very good friend, Val used to be a cook in the Army. Her husband is still a cook in the Army. Of course, when it is Thanksgiving, the DFAC (Dining FACility, where the cooks work) goes all out for the holiday. And since they have to feed mass quantities of people, imagine how much turkey and trimmings they have to cook. This has burned Val out on making the traditional meal for Thanksgiving. That year while Erick was home, she was alone with her children and had no big plans for the day, her husband was in Iraq at the time. Since we didn't have any plans, and neither did she, we all decided to spent the day together and have a no frills, relaxed Thanksgiving 2004. As dinner approached we began to think of food, namely pizza. After calling several places, we came to the obvious conclusion that all places were closed. That of course includes all restaurants and all grocery stores. So we cobbled together a dinner of "from scratch nachos". She had fresh corn tortillas that we fried, pinto beans and chicken, we had black olives, cheddar cheese, sour cream... and so it went on, each of us bringing ingredients together to make one meal. And it was great! We baked them in the oven and the kids ate with no complaints. We washed the nachos down with Kool-aid for the kids and Coronas for the adults. Once the kids fell asleep, we hung out talking late into the night.

So, as I see it, our nachos were quite similar to the original Thanksgiving, in spirit at least. Each of us brought something to the meal to share and of course we were thankful that year. Like each and every year. Leave it to one year-plus long deployments to make you realize what is important in life, and what you are thankful for. Now, when our husbands are gone (they are on the same deployment schedule) Val and I have our traditional Thanksgiving Nacho dinner. And everyone still thinks we are nuts for not eating turkey...

A quick funny story to end with. Joesph and Lily were filthy from playing outside after dinner on Thanksgiving. I thought ahead and had the kids bring a change of clothes since I knew they might get dirty. Now, my friend Val has a large home with 5 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms. The showers were full of the boys washing up, so we let Lily use the bathtub in the master bathroom. We have done this before with no problem, Lily is big girl in 1st grade after all and she can take her own showers and baths. In all, there were 9 children in the house (not counting baby Leah) so it was a little confused, but we got everyone settled with movies and blankets and snacks... The playroom was showing WALL-E and the livingroom had Kung Fu Panda on, all kids were content. The adults were out on the back lanai starting up a game of Cranium. I just laid the baby down to sleep in the spare room when I realized it had been awhile since I had seen or heard from Lily. I walked towards the back of the house where WALL-E was playing, thinking she had fallen asleep watching it, and I saw an empty room with the movie on the menu screen. "That's odd..." I thought, as I climbed the stairs. I walked down the long hallway (it really is long, it is a very big house), and at the end of it, I started to hear a voice, faint and sad. I hurried into the master bathroom and I found Lily, in the bathtub all wet, cold and red-eyed. "What's wrong Lily? Have you been calling for someone for a long time?" I asked her as I felt the lukewarm water. "Y-y-y-yes, momma. ~sob~sniff~ I n-n-n-needed help opening the shampoo bottle." she whimpered. It was a press button shampoo, one tiny push and I had fixed her problem. Lily just said a soft, "oh." I asked her why she didn't come down and ask for help? She was afraid one of the boys would see her naked. "Well, why didn't you wrap a towel around you?" She didn't know where the towels were. There was a towel hanging on the towel rack in the bathroom. So, she spent about 2 hours in the bathtub, and who knows how long stubbornly calling for someone to help open a shampoo bottle. That is my daughter, and she gets that stubborn streak from me. But I felt like "Mother of the Year", poor kid all alone in the bath, waiting for some help! I honestly thought she was out of the tub, otherwise I'd have checked on her much sooner! The house is so big, we really couldn't hear her calling, not with all the other kids making noise as well. I washed her hair for her, ran a comb through it and gave her a big hug. She asked "Why are my toes all funny looking?" I stifled a laugh and reminded her how long she spent in the tub. She was feeling good enough to try a little giggle, "Oh yeah, I was in there a looong time!" (~big grin~) Silly girl.

Happy Thanksgiving.