"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...