Happiness & Freedom

Holiday Season

2011-12-07T17:07:00.000-08:00

I'm kind of surprised how fast this year has flown by. I know, we all say that right. There have been so many changes over the past few months its like a blur at times. But here we are in December. Enjoying the cold, the festivities and attempting to make some fabulous memories.

Last weekend I took the boys to the Victorian Christmas Market which reminded me so much of the Christmas bazaars in Germany although much larger. I didn't have any intentions of purchasing anything I just wanted to see what was available. In the end I didn't buy anything more than some kettle corn for the boys and drinks. It is amazing the amount of random rubbish people will buy simply because they feel the obligation to give someone a present this time of year. The boys did also ride on the carousel as well as get their photo with Santa. Animal told Santa what he wanted for Christmas and Q-tip said he didn't know. I guess this year he is leaving it up to the big guy to surprise him...or something. My whole reason for going to the market was to see Gloriana live. The line started forming more than an hour before the performance and I was amazed at how long it got. We decided to walk around and come back after everyone had sat down to see what kind of seats were available and enjoy the market a bit more. 20 minutes in we returned to find loads of seating and sat to enjoy a few songs. The boys did great and fell right asleep when we got home.

Sunday morning I decided to take Q-tip out for some "no little brothers allowed" time. We had breakfast and did a little Christmas shopping. He did really well shopping for Animal and I think he has finally hit an age where he fully understands what others would like and not just what he would like. I am excited for Animal to open the gifts from his brother and even more excited to take Animal out this weekend to shop for Q-tip. Little peoples minds are amazing things!

I am happy to say that I am registered for winter quarter and going to an orientation for the Medical Laboratory program next week. I can not wait to get back in school. I'm a little nervous to be honest but all in all totally looking forward to it. Chemistry here I come.

The weather here has gotten a lot colder but nothing a few layers cant control. Although before long I know we will have snow and I am NOT looking forward to that. I do not like to drive in it or go in it. Look at it, sure that's lovely. But I'll pass on the rest.

St. Nikolaus came for the boys the night of the 5th. They love the wooden boats and have eaten almost all of their chocolate. I love this tradition and am happy to do it every year. The boys were very curious where the apple went that they left for his donkey and so I told them that either it was very hungry after its long journey or maybe St. Nikolaus took it for later. They were okay with that.

The boys have been enjoying their advent calendars daily. Q-tip has a Star Wars LEGO calendar and Animal has a Playmobil Santa's Post Office. The little toys are neat and I am glad I was able to find them something they had not had before. As well as get each of them their own. Traditions are wonderful things. Happy Holidays!

Settling In

2011-10-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

We've been here a few weeks and I feel like we are finally settling in well. The first couple days/weeks were a little crazy but now I think I have it figured out. The boys love their school (also super crazy experience with no availability for kinder and changing schools after one day) and are making friends. Animal says he even has a "girlfriend" although the extent of that is very vague. J has been here for over a week and picking up the boys from school in the afternoons. Last weekend he took them to his Aunt/Cousins house and a pumpkin patch with his mum. They had a great time. I am not sure what they are doing this weekend but I hope that it gives them lots of good memories to look back on. I'm not sure when they will see their dad again.

I feel like a resident and at home here. Not just because I grew up here but because I have registered my car, gotten a new cell, license and of course the apartment. I want to take pictures but there are still a few things to put up and I was hoping to have it completely done before I did that. I guess in all honesty it doesn't really matter. Last weekend I did a major push to unpack and hang things on the walls. The boys room was done for them when they returned home Sunday evening and Animal thought it was fabulous. Q-tip was a bit more reserved in his reaction about the whole thing but seems to be enjoying playing Pokemon again and with his little brother and toys. They get along really well and I am happy to report that currently the shared room is going very well. I bought them some bunk beds at IKEA so that they each have their own space and put their name signs next to their beds. Animal REALLY liked that.

I think my favorite part so far about the apartment is being able to cook meals again and eating at the table as a family. I have made quite a few different meals and even been able to stretch them to more meals. For instance last week I made some BBQ pulled pork and then the following day Cowboy Quasadillas. J's mum came for dinner the first night and some friends the second. Yeah me! Two meals and they both tasted awesome. I also bought a waffle maker and have enjoyed making the boys waffles for breakfast. I seriously love waffles. Ive never been much of a pancake fan but waffles, they are a total winner. And french toast of course. Now to get a rice cooker. Ive made a few meals that go with rice and every time I am not impressed with how it turns out. A cooker is just so easy and right every time. No more mushy rice for me.

I have started looking into school and hope to have more solid information when I return with my transcripts. When I originally went in there I was told I would have to request them but was pleasantly surprised to find a copy in the envelope with my associates. SCORE! If I can not get into the program I was intending straight away I will look into other schools and other programs or get some sort of job to keep me busy until then. Next week should give me more information to work with.

Things here are going well. I am beyond happy and pleased. I am smiling constantly! Life is good and for once I fully believe that.

Ducks In A Row

2011-10-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

We are here, we are here! The boys last day of school in Las Vegas was Friday. While they were getting educated and saying goodbye to their teachers and friends my brother, brother-in-law, sister and Maya were loading all of our things into a 16 foot trailer. We took up that whole trailer. Yes, I brought enough things for our apartment that (fingers crossed) will be available the end of this week/early next week. The location is great. Plus it has a fitness room. Oh how I am looking forward to working out on a regular basis again. I need routine and structure. I am a little tired of living out of suitcases, its been 3 freaking months!

The drive here was good. We left around 2 or so Friday afternoon and drove for 10 hours. That was a long drive considering my brother and I (the only drivers) were up by 5 am that morning. We took a sleep break for about 4 hours but I'm pretty certain the max sleep any of us got was 2.5 hours. It was cold. There were no rooms available where we stopped so we slept in our vehicles. BRRRR! We hit a ton of fog and curvy roads the following morning and saw very little sunshine. That is until we got here. The sun was shining the whole time the trailer was being unloaded. Bloody brilliant.

Sunday was spent seeing family that my siblings hadn't seen in 19 years. It was a lot of fun. Ive missed my family as crazy as they may be. They all had an influence in who I am and I am quite proud of who I am. I am happy with the choices I have made and am making. This is an amazing adventure! Its definitely a process though.

Besides getting everything ready for my apartment yesterday I also started the enrollment process for the boys to go to school. The school I had wanted them to attend has no kindergarten slots. This kinda bites. That said the school the boys will be going to is still rather close. When the admin told me that there was only one school in the whole district that had a few kindergarten slots my mouth dropped. I have never heard of such things. I just assumed that when you are zoned for a school that you are going to go there. Obviously that is NOT the case. All in all I think it will work out just fine. Next year I can transfer them to the school of our choice.

Today I have more things to work on. The list is quite large but I know that when it is all said and done I am going to be VERY happy. Heck I'm already walking around with the cheesiest grin. I'm here, I'M HERE! Life is good. Things are falling into place and we will be settled soon. Now that's freaking awesome!

New Beginnings

2011-10-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Today is our last day in Las Vegas. I am excited, the boys are excited and so are family and friends. This is a good thing. This is a fresh start. All that said why am I nervous? I know we have tons of support here and there, I am so thankful for everyone that is supporting me. I guess maybe its all that lies ahead. The unknown, the dreams that are so attainable and within reach. I am going for my dreams. I am going to make choices that are for me and the boys. We will do brilliant. Flourish and thrive in an environment full of love and support.

The past few weeks have been spent wrapping things up here. I could not thank Jamaya enough for all that she has done for me and the boys. I will miss her tremendously. The boys will miss her tremendously. We may be moving close to family but we will be leaving behind some as well. For a while anyway, I am certain there are many adventures for all of us ahead.

So for now I will just leave it at this. A road trip is ahead and none of us can wait!

Single Mum

2011-09-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of the rest of my life! The divorce is final and I am officially a single mum. Over the years I have painted quite a picture that has resulted in some being shocked by this new revelation but lets face it more often than not I was already living that status. And that has very little to do with our military family status. I loved our military life and the privileges it gave us. The adventures and experiences were completely worth it. That said, being a parent is a tough job and maybe more than some can handle. I am more than willing to step up to the plate, always have been. Bring it!

I plan on going back to school to become a laboratory technician and gain a career that I will love and enjoy. This is a dream I have had since I was in high school. I am looking forward to the education, challenge and opportunity to be exactly what I have wanted. After 11 years of marriage I am ready to go for my dreams, reach the goals that I had set before I took a different path. I am taking my path now, the one I left for another.

The boys and I will no longer be living in Nevada, which is very bitter sweet. We will miss the friends we have made, the ones that have become family and the family that we have grown to love. These relationships will not be lost. We plan to stay in contact as much as possible and lets face it, we will only be a day and a half away. Y'all like green and water right...ditch that desert and come to the greener side!

Lift up a glass with me and relish in the adventures ahead. CHEERS!

Within A Box

2011-08-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

Living within a box does not make me happy. I cant imagine it would make anyone happy. I am done fitting within the box. Within the image that everyone wants to see. Sure from the outside it looks lovely, maybe even "perfect" but honestly it is not what is on the outside. Inside the box things aren't perfect. Never have been. I have carried around a weight that no one sees, a weight that I can no longer carry. Every day I wake up and tell myself that I can handle it. Ive allowed it to get heavier and heavier over time and I told myself I could continue to deal. But I cant. This weight makes it to hard to portray what people want to see or think they see and just isn't worth it anymore. It hurts, it drags me down and is starting to break me apart. Ive lost myself under the weight and I am not the person I want to be. I want happy. I want to smile real smiles every day. I'm tired of lying to myself and everyone around me so that they can see what they want to see. Hear what they want to hear. Pleasing everyone is impossible and I tell others this all the time. Its time I fight for me. Leave the box.

I may fall, I may lose everything (which of course is a matter of perspective) but in the end I will stand tall and be who I know I am and can be. Make decisions on my own. Walk with my head held high. I will be who I am and not what others want me to be or think that I am or should be. If I lose people along the way I will be ok with that. Everyone has the right to make up their own minds about who or what they want and need in their lives. I am making that choice for me. We all deserve to be happy. EVERYONE! Others may not understand the choices I am making but they are my choices, the ones I will have to live with. I am willing to live with them. I am confident that these are the right choices for me and the ones that matter most. I know it will be hard but I believe that the hard I am choosing is a lot lighter than the hard I am living. I do not believe the grass is greener on the other side. I know that it will be trampled and walked upon over time.

My choices are not made to hurt others or make it harder on anyone. Do they affect others, sure all the choices we make affect something or someone. Whether its the bigger picture or more immediate. I am okay with that. I am moving forward because that is what I need to do. I will not live a life of what ifs. I am stepping up and finding out. Making goals that are attainable with the right mind set and motivation.

I know that there are people who could bear this weight I have carried for years and keep going. That is ok for them. It is NOT okay for me. I know that there are people that do not understand why I would have let it get so heavy but life is what it is. I have made my decisions and I dealt with them. Now I am making different decisions. I also know there are people who could not have woken up everyday and said "I can do this". I was not one of those. I am the person that is choosing now to let them go and move forward. Accept that there is another path, another place to be. Change is not bad, hard and scary but a part of life. I have found that I am not where I need or want to be so I am going to jump off this path and take another. I am going to keep exploring, find happy. Find me!

Judge how you will. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. We can not live the life of another, ours is the only life we have. Therefore one must live that life to their best ability. Sit back and enjoy the show.

Months Go By

2011-03-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

Its been months since I have even opened our blog. The thought crossed my mind that there were pictures to post, events to document and what not but I just haven't done anything. The boys are growing. J has adapted to his new routine. And well I am making the changes necessary to lose a few pounds. Life is an ever rolling ball. Sometimes its smooth going and sometimes its up and down over mountains and obstacles.

I have started a garden with various vegetables and two new trees (a pear and almond). Sadly I fully killed the lovely fruit cocktail tree we purchased 2 years ago. I think it mainly had to do with the large amount of rocks that were piled around it with the changes we made before J left on his deployment last summer. The roots were squashed beneath the weight and it was just down hill from there. The other change we have made to the back garden is the clothes line. I love that line. I enjoy hanging our laundry and saving every bit of energy that would have been consumed to dry that load of clean clothes. It makes me very happy.

There are many things to look forward to over the next few months and I hope that I will be able to share those things here. Finding the time to blog is just time I haven't really been interested in finding. So...until I post again. Auf Wiedersehen.

Santa Clause aka Dada HoHo

2010-12-24T08:02:00.000-08:00

Back in the day (about 2 years ago), Animal called Santa "Dada HoHo". It was cute and sweet although he does not remember or call him this now. Ugh, they grow up so fast.

On an impromptu trip to the BX we came across Santa in a sleigh next to the Christmas decorations. The schedule said he wasn't scheduled to be there until later that week but heck, we weren't going to complain. Both the boys took their turn sitting with him and proclaiming their one Christmas item wish.

Animal said he wanted a remote control dinosaur.

Q-tip wanted a full Kung Zhu set.
Will Santa pull through. Will he give the boys just what they wanted again this year...close I think. I swear this gets harder and harder to fulfill each year.

Christmas Decorating

2010-12-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

Last year my sister posted pictures of my mum decorating the Christmas tree with my two nephews. I thought it was very cute. I mentioned to my mum that I would love for the boys to have that experience as well so we both agreed that we needed to find time to put up the tree and decorate while she was visiting. Luckily I am a huge advocate of decorating for Christmas right after Thanksgiving (trying to enjoy that stuff as long as I can before having to pack it up for another 11 months). The boys loved decorating the tree and having Christmas decorations helps me get in the holiday spirit. Although I'm slacking on most of that this year still.

The tree is up...now to get some ornaments out.

We started with all the boys ornaments.

Q-tip has an amazing collection of Grinch ornaments from his Great Grandpa that he loves to put up and we all enjoy seeing. Considering that is one of Animals FAVORITE movies he liked saying "I saw that on TV" and would tell us how the scene played out.

My mum putting up some of the ornaments she has purchased me over the years.

After the ornaments comes the star. Animal being the youngest usually gets this privilege.

We acquired this star from our neighbors in Germany after purchasing this tree. I love the star so much I do not see myself ever replacing it. It is a lovely reminder of the great friends we have made over the years. Thank you Mrs Daisy!

Lit, decorated and topped. Adorable!

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care...and the watchful eye of S'mores. He LOVES sleeping right next to the fire. The warmest place in the house.

We still have the first tree J and I bought together in Oklahoma over 10 years ago. It adds a bit of Christmas charm to the dining room.

J and Q-tip also put up outdoor lights this year. I am so thankful I had no part in that. They look great! Festive and full of holiday charm. Now bring on those presents.

Exploring With Grandma

2010-12-22T07:47:00.000-08:00

Most of the time spent with my mum was at home with the boys. We ventured to the grocery quite a few times for Thanksgiving but I wouldn't call that exciting really. We spent only one day on the strip for a bit. We went to the Bellagio gardens, watched the water display outside and browsed a few souvenir shops in Miracle Mile. The boys really wanted to take Grandma to M&M World so we did that as well before stopping at Chili's for dinner and returning home.

This years fall garden display.

The pumpkins are so big.

Grandma and Q-tip.

A glimpse of what last years display was like.

These water streams were very neat. Q-tip put his hand in the way of the flow and got J all wet. It was much better to just slice the water and break the stream for a second or so.

My mum and I in front of the Bellagio water display.

My boys enjoying the dancing water.

In front of the M&M race car at M&M world.

There are so many things we didn't get to do while my mum was here and I hope that next time we will have the time to do them. She missed so much of the strip and never even got to see Fremont Street. Next time...and if things go well hopefully that will be next Christmas.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

This was the first Thanksgiving I have spent with my mum since I was a teen. It was very cool to share with her the recipes I have picked up over the years and let her see some of the traditions we have acquired. She made homemade pumpkin pie and assisted with some of the sides but for the most part she was here on holiday and I did the majority of the cooking. My brother and I worked together to try and recreate the dressing he made last year. I think he did a lot better on his own. J and my brother fried 2 turkeys (an extra just in case they messed up the first), their first. They turned out amazing! It was a wonderful Thanksgiving spent together with family. I hope that one day we are close enough to family to have everyone come to our house for a large, traditional, Normal Rockwell Thanksgiving. Wishful thinking...I know.

J and Broski putting together the turkey frier. My brother is not a fan of my picture taking and was "nicely" suggesting I leave the garage.

The igniter for the flame. A very important part of the fryer.

This was suppose to be the only picture I was to take on Thanksgiving, hence the pose. They both should know me well enough that one picture would not suffice for the whole day. Thanks though, I do like this one.

The table set for dinner.

Attending to the first frying turkey.

Verifying the internal temp.

The fried birds turned out fabulous. We had so much meat though.

The boys kept themselves entertained most of the day playing games in the loft.

Q-tip made the ambrosia salad for the second year, with a little help from Grandma and his Uncle.

Sometimes he smiles but only when he isn't expecting me to catch him with the camera.

Q-tips place at the table.

Finger foods and desserts.

Serving drinks, dinner is just about ready.

S'mores got a GIGANTIC bone that he devoured in two days. Finally a bone he doesn't eat in minutes.

Q-tip talking to family.

J carving the turkey for our feast.

Happy and ready to eat.

Dishing up.

Family!

During dinner we were having phone wars...we were trying to catch each other eating. It was very entertaining.

Broski and my boys. These two love their uncle.

J and I. Happy to be together for Thanksgiving. I am so happy he made it home for the holidays.

Like a G6!

After dinner J, Browski and I enjoyed a few drinks and chatted while my mum was entertained or ignoring us. I'm not sure which.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and I am so happy to be able to spend it with family. I do hope that one day we will be able to spend it with everyone at the same time.

31 Years Young

2010-12-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

My mum arrived the afternoon of J's birthday for a week with us. This was the first time she has came to visit me in my own home as a wife and mother. I was a bundle of nerves or at least wonder but am thankful at how well the visit went. It was nice to be able to go out with J for his birthday just the two of us while the boys were happily at home playing games, watching shows and reading books with their grandma. Finally getting to know her and have quality time.

I picked up a tiramisu sheet cake from the grocery that we all had a piece of before J and I ran off to dinner and a movie (kid free!).

Making a wish. I have yet to find out if that wish has come true.

The cake was good but very rich. A small piece went a long way.

We ate dinner at On The Border where J was presented with a free dessert. After dinner J and I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1 (I swear these movies get scarier and scarier).

And The Winner Is

2010-12-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

Every month since February Q-tip has signed a ticket to be entered in the monthly drawing at his orthodontist. Just before Thanksgiving the office called and told me that Q-tip had won the basket for November. I was so happy for him and he was overjoyed. I was surprised to see how much was inside the very neat movie themed basket. With no appointments for the month of December (we are now waiting for both of his teeth on either side of his front and canines to come down) he will have to try again in January.

Periscope

2010-12-18T08:03:00.000-08:00

The boys had so much fun making the Lowe's Flapping Bat that I have continued to sign them up for the Build and Grow Workshops. Just after J's return they made a periscope. They were very excited to have Daddy help and see what great builders they are.

Q-tip needs very little assistance with these projects.

Its so neat to see him work through the pieces and create an object.

Animal needs a lot more assistance and sometimes just wants to watch you do all the work. Hammering isn't so easy for his little 4 year old hands.

He tries though and has a fun time doing it. He also really likes the finished projects.

Periscope project: check

Welcome Home

2010-12-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

Q-tip adding words to his welcome home sign.

Animals sign. He chose the words and I created it for him.

Q-tips finished sign ready to take to the airport to pick up Daddy.

My sign waiting for the final call saying "I am arriving on this day at this time". When I got the call the numbers were 5 months, 0 weeks and 3 days since we had seen J.

At the airport waiting for Daddy.

He's just a little excited to see his Daddy again.

As soon as he saw his Daddy he ran to hug him!

And then Animal joined in.

Animal making sure Daddy saw his sign.

My boys!

Animal and his Daddy. Check out J's "awesome" deployment mustach e-o...BLAH! I am not a fan of the deployment stach.

Not only was my brother awesome enough to drive me and the boys to the airport, he also helped J by lugging his HUGE bags out of the airport. And they were far from light.

Its crazy to think that J has been home for over a month now. The time went by so fast. I think for the most part things have just gone back to "normal". As if we were never apart. This is good. There was one week of stress but ultimately we all have those. Its good to have him home.

Homework

2010-12-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

Animal has been learning so much at his preschool. He sings songs, recognizes letters and is progressing with his writing. Oh and he loves to try to spell. Each week he is given homework to do over the weekend and return. Most of which he flys through with little to no difficulty.

Level 3 Swimming

2010-12-15T08:05:00.000-08:00

Animal has progressed so much in swimming. Its hard for me to think that he is the same kid that refused to jump in the water or melted into a puddle of tears when asked to swim past the 3 foot depth (just 3 months ago). He LOVES swimming and does so well. He can now swim freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, some sidestroke and also an interesting dolphin/mermaid move. And he just reminded me that he can float on his back, dive and do canon balls! These last being very important skills. As expressed by Animal.

Animals third swim instructor whom he adores very much.

I am so proud of him. There are days that he says he doesnt want to go to swimming but when we get there he has a blast and then refuses to leave the pool. Silly kid!

YMCA, Taekwondo & Halloween

2010-12-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

Trick-or-treating the booths at the Y.

Watching the balloon artist. We stood in line for over an hour for the boys to get a special Halloween balloon made upon request.

Q-tip chose a skeleton.

Animal chose a pumpkin.

Getting ready to play "pin the stem on the pumpkin".

Q-tip played too.

Photo op! There were a few booths to trick-or-treat, a game, a craft, a bouncy house and a scary maze. The event wasn't extremely large but the kids had fun and accumulated MORE candy.

The Taekwondo trick-or-treat event was a huge success again this year. The boys filled their buckets with candy and treats. I received tons of coupons and information from around the community. Then the boys all took turns playing on the climber course and one game.

Animal was the only boy I could catch in photos and even those are with him on the move.

Animal chose green Vampire teeth as his prize for his game.

The boys (with Animals friend from school) at the end of the trick-or-treating just before heading to IHOP for the free scary face pancakes.

All the kids received a free pancake that they could decorate with candy corn and oreos. Animals scary pancake!

Q-tips scary pancake.

Our group enjoying dinner at IHOP.

Animals friend and his scary pancake.

On Halloween the boys and I chose not to go trick-or-treating. With all the Halloween events we had already attended they had accumulated quite a bit of candy (that we still have random pieces from) so Q-tip did his favorite thing...he handed out candy. He had so much fun and the weather was a bit warmer than last year (notice he is not wearing a jacket).

I supplemented their candy with a few festive treats that were not edible.

They each received a book and Halloween movie...

and Playmobil of course!

Longest Lapse

2010-12-13T07:57:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure Ive ever taken such a long hiatus from blogging. Especially at this time of year when so many things are happening that I want to remember and document for the boys. I am now in a dilemma of where to start...I am thinking I should just go with the Halloween, Homecoming and Thanksgiving pictures because of their importance. Yeah lets put aside all this Christmas cheer for a bit to go back to HALLOWEEN. It wasn't that long ago, was it?

Animal in his pumpkin costume, heading to his first school Halloween party.

After the morning routine the class walked around the offices and trick-or-treated. The kids were very excited and had so much fun.

Animal has a LOT of kids in his class!

This Halloween party had so many treats and snacks. I can only assume that some of these little people were bouncing off the walls. While I was observing from outside the class I watched one little boy walk up to the table of everything and eat the frosting off 4 cupcakes in a row. He never touched the actual cupcake but enjoyed the frosting and candy treat on top. There were so many crackers, cookies, cakes, candies, drinks and treats to choose from.

Animal taking another look at the snacks selection. I believe he just opted for a glass of juice this go around.

All the cute little ones dressed in their costumes!

The last part of the party was a dance party. Here is Animal dancing with one of his teachers.

Checking out his loot.

So many treats to enjoy and its not even Halloween yet!

The worst part about blogging after the fact (way after the fact) is not remembering everything in detail. This is also why I haven't scrapbooked in so long. I have the worst memory in the world.

Carving Pumpkins

2010-10-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

As soon as I had picked up Q-tip from his club and brought him home the pumpkin carving began. The boys were so excited.

Being the sharing sister I am I let Broski and the boys do all the pumpkin gut cleaning, while I went in search on the internet for a skeleton template for Animals pumpkin.

Animal is quite good at sharing too. After one hand inserted into that gooey squashy mess he decided to let his Uncle do all the cleaning.

Q-tip was quite a bit more hands on.

I cant say this was Broski's favorite part but he was an awesome sport. Notice how enthused he looks and how encouraging Animal is. Talking his Uncle through.

He was willing to feel around for any stray bits after it was all cleaned out.

Q-tip did get some help as well.

Animal and I went in cahoots to work on his pumpkin. After printing up a photo I used the punching holes technique to create the image on the pumpkin.

Q-tip and Broski had a better stencil I printed and they went for the cutting out and tracing technique. Q-tip is holding the image I used as a stencil for Animals pumpkin.

Animal would cut a little although I did most of the carving. He liked to get the cut out bits from inside the pumpkin.

Working together on the carving.

The finished projects: A reaper and a skeleton.

Pumpkin Picking

2010-10-29T07:25:00.000-07:00

Last year I bought the boys pumpkins but we never carved them. This year I was on the fence about doing the job myself so I recruited Broski. Having family nearby is a new thing for us and the boys love it. Broski came by after work, Q-tip was still at his after school club so Animal helped his Uncle pick out two pumpkins at the pumpkin patch.

He knows that I am all about the photos and just laughed when I pulled out the camera. To say the least Broski is not a fan of the paparazzi.

We have a winner folks. I believe this was Q-tips pumpkin.

Wandering around looking for the right one for Animal.

Broski explaining to Animal why this one just didn't make the cut.

Keep looking!

Checking some more out. Animal was quite determined to get the perfect one.

We have another winner. Come back tomorrow for the finished carved products.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

Haunted Harvest

2010-10-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

We really enjoyed Haunted Harvest last year so I wanted to take the boys again this year. Seeing is how this is Animals absolute favorite holiday I am more than willing to try and do as many things as I can. Plus it helps keep us busy and distracted from thinking about J being gone.

This is the spookiest costume Q-tip has ever worn. He is an Unknown Phantom and his eyes fade in and out. Its pretty cool and he received a lot of attention.

Both the boys picked out their own costumes.

The line to the Preserve was amazingly long, thankfully the friends we went with decided to get a season pass and we jumped ahead. That choice saved us a good 45+ minute wait in line.

My little pumpkin ready to start trick or treating.

Unknown Phantom, Fat Little Pumpkin and Princess.

The Preserve had some great decorations!

We went to a few candy stations and then stood in line for the haunted maze. It was very cool. Not as spooky as a full on haunted house but with my easy to scare personality I got a good scare and everyone heard a loud scream. At which point Q-tip practically ran through the rest of the maze. We went to the rest of the candy stations and played a game before the Preserve closed. It was a very fun night and the end to a GREAT Halloween filled day.

New Blog & HUGE Giveaway

2010-10-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

Have you been wanting to improve your household sustainability? Do you already live a very green lifestyle but want to do more? Visit The Organic Sister to learn about her new blog, Sustainable Baby Steps, for all the information you need. And while you're there, enter The GREAT Big Giveaway. She has an abundance of sponsors and products to help you on your sustainable journey.

Boo Shirts

2010-10-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

Over the summer I tried to take the kids to a few different Michael's craft days. They had a lot of fun every time. Since school started our schedule has been quite busy and I haven't thought to check what projects have been happening. After making the Lowe's bats Q-tip said we should see what Michael's had going on. After a quick web search we were on our way. These shirts looked so fun and cute. I helped Animal and Q-tip made his all on his own. I think his pumpkin is super cute.

The boys upside down hand prints made little ghosts. I loved this idea.

We will be returning at least one more time before Halloween to do another craft, next time it will be a Halloween treat bag.

Lowe's Flapping Bat

2010-10-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Lowe's has projects monthly for kids to do free. I have been wanting to do this with the boys but forget. When I saw the sign for the flapping bats while getting the supplies for the tub faucet change I made sure I put it on the calendar. I'm really glad I did.

Finished bat #1

Finished bat #2

The boys had so much fun with this project I signed them up for both of next months creations. They were out of aprons but the boys got the patches for this project to hopefully add next time they have aprons in. This was a great way to start off our Halloween fun.

Farmers Market

2010-10-16T17:01:00.001-07:00

I honestly wish I would have taken pictures although to be honest the market was quite small. A few tents with jewelry, an animal accessories tent, some home made soaps and lotions as well as food/drink vendors. My favorite were the delicious strawberries the boys picked out. They are so yummy. This particular vendor was also selling avocados although I did not purchase any (should I have Nicole, are they delicious?) There was a particular vendor that had such a huge variety of fruits and vegetables I was quite pleased. Sure the number of vendors was low but this one made up for all that. I was very reserved only purchasing a few fruits Q-tip requested, I now wish I would have picked up some veggies as well. All the fruits are so yummy. I plan on going back next month. I hope they have just as much.

One thing I did consider signing up for was Winder Farms delivery. I'm not sure its cost effective for us but their root beer milk is delicious! I remember last year at Q-tips fall festival there was a booth set up for this as well and I was interested. Maybe one day I might actually decide.

So yeah this week did go rather well. Q-tip came home with a clean calendar all week, excluding that X-NN (no name on a paper but I looked past this, he fixed the problem). This was the first weekend in about a month that the little guy has not been grounded. I was/am so proud of him. He has enjoyed playing with toys, his brother, watching movies and TV as well as just being free to have fun again. No more endless hours on his bed staring at the walls. I know he knows how to be good and am so happy he is back to his happy self. Yeah!

I'm thinking of taking the boys to a pumpkin patch this weekend but I'm not fully decided. I need some energy and dinner before I can decide.

Are They Finished Yet?

2010-10-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

Its been a long couple days. Early mornings, waiting, dust, people and still the job goes on. Friday the dry wallers returned, the inspector came by (although I had left the airmen to keep an eye out while I took the boys for breakfast, he said there was nothing to report he check off the permit so the job was good), and then the holes were patched and textured. Since there were only 2 guys I sent the airmen away just after noon. Long weekend for him I assume. The rest of the project is just me and the boys but no big deal its only a few people here and there not 6+ guys all over everywhere.

Saturday I woke up at 6 AM so that I would be ready for the painters by 7. I waited. And waited. And waited some more. A little after 9 I was called and asked if I still wanted them to come. Well duh! I was told they would be here at 2. So I waited some more. Talked to J's sister and finally at 330 they arrive. They were able to paint all the walls but did not bring enough paint for the dining/kitchen ceiling and said they would return Monday.

Sunday was a laid back day of relaxing (no people coming and going), cleaning and putting back some of the items that were displaced for the replumb. Plus of course, I did some catching up on sleep. We also got the items we needed for this weeks menu. I'm venturing away from the crock pot for a bit and pulled out my reliable Pampered Chef cookbooks.

Today the painters are finishing up the ceiling. I hope to have my washer and dishwasher put back in place. I also hope that the inspector fixes the huge dent in my dryer and the squashed hoses for the dishwasher. Everything is suppose to go back to the condition it was prior to this project so in my opinion both of those things are their responsibility. Ugh just two more things I'm stressing over lately.

I am also trying another technique with Q-tip. This week I am using incentives to get him to behave proper at school. He misses his Dad so much and is beginning to feel that since he is in trouble anyway whats another week of grounding. Who cares if he is naughty if it doesn't change anything. Poor kid, I feel so bad for him. I really hope he is able to cheer up when J returns. I am happy to say that the thought of TV, games and video game time with me seems to give him major incentive to do well. I sure hope so. This consistent misbehaving is wearing me very thin.

Here's to a good week for Q-tip and a finished replumb project. I could really use both right now!

The Past Two Days

2010-10-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

So yesterday evening I took the boys to our first deployment dinner. I guess its a monthly thing that either I am not paying attention to in emails or have never heard about. Either way on Tuesday I received my first contact from the squadron in 4 months and was invited to this dinner. The boys had an amazing time. Eating at the mess hall isn't 4 star food but it was good. We were surrounded by people asking how we were and if there was anything we needed help with.

To be honest I feel I am pretty self sufficient but the upcoming replumbing project had me very nervous and stressed. I mentioned this to one person and they then made a few calls to a few people and BAM I had an airmen scheduled to hang out at the house with me while people were tearing up the house. I'm sure it was a false sense of security but it made me feel a bit better to have someone in uniform around as well as an extra set of eyes. He came in most handy by allowing me the opportunity to take Animal to preschool and feel like I wasn't just abandoning the house and all its occupants.

The replumbing went well. It was actually pretty quick. Within only a few hours the water was turned back on and all the "bad" connections/piping was replaced with plastic tubing that is guaranteed for 25 years. This is good I think.

In the process of covering everything with plastic, cutting holes everywhere and changing out the pipes an issue was brought to my attention. The on and off valves on both the upstairs bathrooms were leaking water into the wall. Thankfully this is and easy fix with a bit of DAP and a new spicket. I have that on my to do list tomorrow with help from my brother.

I am thankful this project is no cost to us and is a major improvement to our home. Seeing some of the build up in the areas of pipe they removed was amazing. It seems that when our home was build the connections that were used have a high amount of a particular metal that attracts minerals or what not in the infamous hard water of Las Vegas. Simply put it is like clogged arteries. With the changing out of these clogged areas we now have equivalent hot and cold water pressure. This is fabulous. I am interested in seeing (after I fix the leaks) how well the boys shower now works. The pressure in that shower was rather non existent.

Tomorrow our day will start at 7 AM again with the dry wallers returning to put in wood so that after the Las Vegas inspector approves the job will allow them to put the dry wall back up. I believe they will also be taping, texturing and painting. But that might be Monday. I am so confused and overwhelmed with information lately.

I'm going to go find some dinner and escape my little plastic bubble.

Plastic is covering everything that the plumbers did not need access to. Which means the whole downstairs excluding the living room area.

The downstairs bathroom is completely out of commission.

The new tubing. Red is for hot water, white is for the cold.

As much of the old pipes were taken out as possible and then filled with foam to seal them up to avoid bugs from finding homes in them.

Huge junction of tubing for upstairs bathrooms.

My next project. Seal and replace.

That one small slit gives me access to the only non plastic area down stairs. Upstairs thankfully both boys rooms are plastic free as well as a large portion of the master. We can still sleep in our beds just not eat or drink. And we can access both upstairs toilets just not use the showers/tubs.

When We Can

2010-10-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

I think it is very important to do what you can for others and the community. When I get a random donation envelope from St. Judes I always try to send in a few bucks. I can always use the address labels. When a yellow bag from the Veterans Charities arrives in the post I take that as a perfect time to declutter and downsize. We also still have our sponsor child through Plan USA. But I think when possible it is good to do more. What may seem like almost nothing to you can make a huge difference to someone in need.

On Monday Chilis gave all their profits to St. Judes. That to me is a total win/win. We get yummy food to eat and St. Judes gets funding for research and children. The boys enjoyed that very much. Then today the boys and I participated in a walk for breast cancer awareness, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Brilliant! This was our first walk ever and I really enjoyed it. Animal was in his stroller, Q-tip was trekking next to me and I was sweating like crazy. Las Vegas is warm yo! Yes, even in October.

I was amazed by how many people came to the walk. I had no idea what to expect but it was really neat.

There must have been thousands of people!

I was extremely amused by the pink "port-a-jane".

Q-tip and I put on our pink and showed our support.

We walked with my friend Nicole who's mom is a breast cancer survivor. Gives the walk even more meaning when it affects someone you know.

I hope to take the boys to do more things like this. I think they have purpose and are a great way to show your support for others and our community. If I can teach the boys one thing, its to support others because not everyone is as lucky as they are.

PBS is having a Keeping Kids Fit walk next week that I am seriously debating taking the kids on as well.

Stepping Back

2010-09-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

So last week Q-tip was grounded for his "lost notes" from his teacher which resulted in a call home. I was not pleased and tried various means of getting that point across. Ultimately none of these strategies worked because Sunday while preparing breakfast I started asking Q-tip how excited he was to no longer be grounded Monday. He could come home from school and play with all his toys again. His response "did you see my calendar?" Oh no! Well that was the straw that broke the camels back. All week I had been reminding him to behave at school and all week he said he was; only to find out that all week he was not. I added another 2 weeks to his grounding for the 2 days that behavior was marked on his calendar, which encompasses the unsigned calendar and missed homework assignments. It was a VERY rough week for him.

I was extremely hurt by his week of lying, I was frustrated that I was unable to get through to him about his behavior, I was ashamed that he disregarded another students feelings and actually went as far as pushing someone and elbowing someone. This is not my son! My son is a sweet boy who loves his little brother as well as the rest of his family. Hes the little boy who does his chores and homework not always the first time or super quick but well and proper most of the time. He is my baby! It really shocked me I guess because I pretty much melted at that point in a puddle of tears. I had no idea what to do. I love my children so much and only want the very best for them. I questioned if I had failed him!

I ended up calling a very close friend (my go to girl for talking things through) and then my brother for a much needed break. I am so thankful for all the support they as well as many others gave me that day. It was a pretty rough one at the beginning. After a few hours break and a good night sleep (and lots of talking...you know who you are) I am ok again. Q-tip is still grounded but I'm quite certain that he too is feeling the stress of Daddy being gone. Summer was a time of lazy days and fun. Lots of fun! Now with school back in he is feeling the need for bike rides, hikes and movie dates with his Dad. A break from the week of working, studying and being constantly structured. He wants him home so badly. I know this and hope that the time left fly's by.

We are doing our best to deal with it a day at a time and I really do hope this week proves to be a lot better one for all of us.

Military Mondays-Dont Do It!

2010-09-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

I came across an article at MilSpouse.com that I thought was rather entertaining. Most of these things I can totally agree with. My favorites:

Don't whistle while you pack. Your whole spiel about two weeks of training in Key West being "such a drag" and "full of boring meetings" means nothing at all when you whistle "Cheeseburger in Paradise" as you pack your suitcase.

Don't call home drunk. There are two rules when calling home from port calls or other R&Rs overseas: use the first phone you see before you have the second drink. Get this backwards in any way ("use the fifth phone I see after leaving the first bar of the night") and you might as well not call.

Don't look horrified if we talk to the Captain's wife at dinner. Just because you have a rank and a boss doesn't mean that we do, too. (If you only knew what some of the wives — yes, even the Captain's wife — already know about you!)

Don't invite over the guys without warning us first. Nothing spells "no sex for you" like coming home from work with five extra guys who will put their feet up on the coffee table and hog the television with ESPN all night.

Don't bring home trashy lingerie. When selecting gifts to bring home from deployment, think jewelry, not "what all the hookers in Paris are wearing," "cheap rugs," or "beer mug from my favorite bar in Spain".

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in

2010-09-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

1. What characteristic about yourself has either been strengthened or weakened due to your experience as a Military Spouse?

Strengthened: My ability to adapt and deal with things on my own. I don't need to rely on hardly anyone to go about life (excluding J but I think that's a given). I feel strongly that I can handle most things that are dealt to me (although a slight breakdown on initial impact may occur). I may not enjoy being a single parent for months on end but I know I can do it. I also know I can run our household on my own for long lengths of time.

Weakened: Need/want to acquire new friendships. Moving every couple years has made it hard to stay friends with people for any length of time. I do not carry around the Filofax to call everyone or keep up to date with those I have known. I do not have the time or energy. This has resulted in many distanced and lost friendships. Those that are still strong are over distance and take effort which leaves none for trying to make new friends where we currently live.

2. What is your favorite vacation spot and why?

As a family we love to travel. I adore anywhere that involves little effort on my part ie cruises or holidays that do not include me in the kitchen. The beach may be a prized location simply because I love the water which we see very little of in Las Vegas.

3. If you could have any fast-food restaurant in the food court on base/post what would you pick?

Since I don't visit the BX often and am avoiding eating out I'm not sure how to answer this question. I despise Burger King so maybe a better burger rival.

4. Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We didn't actually have one. Only days after getting married, rather simply, J received his orders to Belgium and we kind of just decided that we would enjoy our time overseas. We had a blast and traveled tons!

5. If you could have any job in the world, regardless of money, degree, or experience, which job would you have and why?

Excluding the time involved, I still have a passion for being in the medical field. I realize I do not like people in general so it would have to involve little to no people interaction. I just want the ability to better others lives, without taking away to much time from my own family.

Focusing...AGAIN

2010-09-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Its been 3.5 months since J left and in that time I have had no reason to step on the scale. For the first couple months I was taking the boys out to eat a lot. As time passed I started feeling my clothes fitting tighter but didn't really pay much attention. Sunday I stepped on the scale for the first time in months just to see where I was, assuming that my new consistency at the gym would be helping. OH MY GOD! I'm not sure what it was helping considering the number that showed up. I have put on more than "a few" pounds since J left. I was appalled. This could not be so. Not only have I lost all the progress I made my last year in Germany but now I am right where I was after I had Animal. This is NOT good. This is NOT OK.

I will continue going to the gym 4 days a week, swimming on swim days and working out on preschool days but now I am counting calories and drinking my water. I feel confident that since the workouts have already been established in my routine I only have to add the calorie counting and water drinking. If I try to go full force right away I get bored, distracted, overwhelmed. I don't know but it doesn't work. I have continued to say I want to get the pounds off that I gained when moving back to the states. I continue to start and stop without making any progress. And to be honest maybe this is the same story all over again or maybe, just maybe I can do what I did in Germany and make progress. Finally get over the "back in the states" obstacle and reach my goal. A goal, the starting goal. The finish line is a long ways away.

Since living here I haven't had a gym routine like I did in Germany so I feel confident this is the part that was working the most against me. Well besides all the food. Bad food. Fast food. Eating out food. Food that I didn't eat very often if at all overseas. Why is America so focused on eating and consumerism? I swear that is all we do, eat and shop! Its rubbish, I know its rubbish. Yet I so easily find myself doing just those things. Scoff, I am stronger than that. I do not have to be like that. I will not be like that!

Military Mondays-Flat Brat

2010-09-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ive been brainstorming ways for the boys to stay in contact with J. Not just letters but creative ways that can be entertaining and fun. I had thought that creating their own version of Flat Stanley would be fun and then I came across Flat Brat (not that I'm a fan of "military brat" but it works). This is just too cute! Not only is this adorable for deployments but fun to send to family and friends.

Q-tip coloring his flat brat for daddy.

Animal coloring his flat brat.

I printed Q-tips flat brat a little bigger than Animals because he is older. It was very cute and the boys liked that one was big and one was small.

Splash Park

2010-09-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

It seems I haven't been on top of postings recently because I came across the splash park pictures I took before school stared and realized I hadn't posted them yet. So here we go, free water fun that is perfect on a hot Las Vegas summer day.

The water guns were a huge hit with the boys.

Much cooler. It was over 107 on this particular day.

In the "kid wash"

MilSpouse Friday Fill-in #13

2010-09-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

I don't normally do 2 posts in one day but I came across this MIL Friday Fill-in and thought it was pretty representative of recent talks and thoughts. Question 1 hit home straight away. Feel free to join in. Whether I make this a continuous thing I do not know. We will see. Oh and feel free to check out the HUGE amount of MIL blogs I added in the side bar. Very exciting!

1.How do you spend your deployment money, do you save, pay off bills or enjoy the extra money while it is there to buy the things you do not normally have?

Honestly I must admit that I am a spender. I tend to have the money slip through my fingers very quickly. How? On what? I don't always know. I get lonely and bored and ultimately spend money. Thankfully J is very understanding and supportive.

2.If you could relive one occasion or moment, what would it be?

I think today that day would be our wedding. I don't know where my head was at the time but looking at the pictures I wonder if that was really me. I cant remember what our vows said. I cant remember anything really. Watching the video that was made only reiterates the confusion as it has NO sound. Its like a daze of walking through the motions but not knowing if its you and what words are being exchanged. I would love to go back and fully absorb the moment.

3.What’s the worst job you ever had and if it was so bad why did you take it?

Considering Ive technically only had 4 paying jobs in my life I don't have much to choose from. I adored them all to be honest. At the time they worked well for me.

4.If you could play any character on TV, who would you be?

Being the host of Survivor would be great. Talking to the players and seeing first hand the challenges would be fun.

5.If you could become the world’s expert in something, what would it be?

I would love to to be an expert in the medical field. I don't know which specialty but just to have the ability to change someones life for the better would be amazing.

Family Reunion

2010-09-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

For S'mores 1st birthday I thought it would be fun to have a play date with his puppy family. He has a brother and sister that still live with his mum and dad. I wasn't sure how S'mores would react to being around 4 dogs but assumed that since he did so well at my brothers he would be fine. Not so surprising it went really well.

S'mores spent quite a bit of time with his tail between his legs initially but it wasn't his house and his normal reaction to new people aka puppies. His parents didn't seem to care whether he was there or not. They are older and more calm. I look forward to the days when S'mores is calm, well kind of. His energy fits very well with the energy Animal has currently. His brother was probably the most friendly, I wouldn't necessarily say to S'mores specifically, Roscoe was sweet to EVERYONE! Donut was sweet to me and the boys but wasn't all that keen with having yet another male in her house. I could see her predicament, living in a house with 3 myself I feel very out numbered most of the time. Girl power! I thought it was hilarious that she would chase S'mores down and he would freeze. As if being super still would confuse her and she would walk away. When that strategy didn't work he would slowly sulk away. Super hilarious and entertaining. It was adorable seeing all the puppies together and I was reassured that S'mores isn't as tiny as I thought. He has grown quite a bit and fit in well with the rest of his puppy family.

Rosco

Rosco and Donut

Donut, her coloring is very similar to S'mores but a bit lighter.

Sam, S'mores Dad.

Rosco on the chair again. This cracked me up. Thats one way to get someones attention.

S'mores, Donut and Rosco at my feet.

S'mores jumping for my attention or maybe he wanted me to throw the ball again.

Pebbles, S'mores Mum.

Evening Stroll

2010-09-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

On most days our evening schedule works out fabulous and we make it through everything in a timely fashion. Those days are great! The boys decide if they are going to walk, ride bikes or scooters around the neighborhood while I attempt to keep S'mores from choking himself to keep up. Which reminds me, maybe today would be a good day to look for that harness Ive been forgetting to purchase.

I'm amazed at how well we all sleep on nights that we take our walk. It is so much cooler in the evenings. Luckily its been cool in the mornings too so I am able to open the doors while we are all preparing for school. I didn't so much like when the house was closed up all day because it was 90 by 8 AM and still in the 100s at 9 PM. Summer in Vegas...Last week only hit the low 90s but this week we are back in the 100s again. I do see fall on the horizon and I look forward to having the doors and windows open all day and turning off the A/C completely.

More often than not Animal will choose to ride his bike.

Q-tip was walking on this day.

Another Week

2010-09-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

Another week down. Preschool is going very well. Animal had shaved ice (banana) one day and played "with balls" in the gym on another. He's only gone 3 days and is already blowing me kisses at the door. What is up with that? I'm not sure if he is in that much of a hurry or just that cool. He does yell "MOMMY" and run to me for a huge hug after class. Ill take it!

Q-tip is doing well also. He enjoys specials and tells me about them each day. Yesterday he was doing a sunset painting in art. It sounded amazing. The time it takes to do his homework has improved with the setting of a timer. His teacher claimed it should only take about 30 minutes but Q-tip was topping out at 2 hours! Not cool. Our schedule does not allow for 2 hours of homework time. I cant say he is soaring ahead in reading and writing but when he speaks clearly, is focused and has confidence in his ability he does brilliant. If only he could keep that for longer than 5 minutes.

Our evening schedule is working very well. We haven't been on our neighborhood strolls this week but its not forgotten. I did put in an hour each day of preschool on the arc trainer which I have grown to love. I have been sticking to the hill interval setting which pushes me through the ski, glide and climb modes. I find that the first 15 minutes are the hardest (have to get past the initial thigh burning) and then its just making it through the climbs that I tend to use more arms than legs to power through. I love this workout though. On swim days I take Animal a bit early so we can swim together before class and then again after. We swam for over 90 minutes the other day which included him in a life vest doing laps in the big pool with me.

I haven't taken many photos at swim, school or Taekwondo. I am completely slacking. Just staying busy and going day by day.

3 Months

2010-09-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

The summer has flown by. The boys are in school. The lazy days of summer are behind us and the reality that J is not home is sinking in full force.

I Wanna Grow Old With You

2010-09-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe that we have been married for 10 years...where has the time gone. Its taken some major compromise and devotion, let me tell you, but I do have to admit...it was/is totally worth it. I love you J! Come home soon.

(my first attempt at a slide show with music overlay...hahaha I could use more practice)

Preschool

2010-09-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

This day has been anticipated for some time. Last year I looked into preschools in our area only to find the reasonably priced ones were not actually preschools. I think the kids should already be potty trained and an all day ie 12 hour option only proves that its a day care. And don't even get me started on the smell. Day cares have a very "unique" smell. No preschool should smell like that! The preschools that were actually preschools had the cost equivalent to a second mortgage. It was insanity! I held little hope for this year being any different but then I received an email from the YMCA. The program seemed just what I was looking for, the hours were good and the cost...it was fabulous! I couldn't wait to get J's opinion.

In the end we chose the 2 days a week option which fits well with his 2 days of swim class. I could have thrown in that 3rd day of preschool but I honestly wasn't ready and at the time I wasn't sure Animal was either. For weeks I have been trying to get him excited about school and for weeks he has not been OK with the idea. He would wake up at night crying that he was going to "miss me at class". With our issues in swim and his inability to connect with his new instructor the outlook was glum. I was very worried to say the least. But low and behold he proved me wrong AGAIN. That boy knows how to keep me guessing.

While Q-tip was getting ready for school Animal was doing the same. He wanted to eat breakfast with his brother and dress too. I held him off by saying that he needed a shower first but that didn't stop him from setting out his shoes. Nearly and hour and a half before it was time to go he wanted to really get ready. He was so excited!

I asked him where he wanted his first day of school pictures and he said "outside like Q-tip". He is dancing...I asked him to do a cool pose like Q-tip always wants to do. This is what I got. Too funny!

I wasn't sure what to do with his hair. Every time I take him in for a trim I feel like they just hack at it and he walks out looking like the flowbee kid. Or maybe that was the kid that didn't use the flowbee. That said I decided to brush his hair forward. When he saw himself in the mirror he said "I look like Zack". I had no idea who he was referring to so he said "Zack, from Suite Life on Deck". That was just too funny!

Wearing his backpack...he was so ready!

Waiting in line for class he talked to a little boy who was just as talkative as he was. I thought it was cute how the little boy introduced himself and then proceeded to spell his name. Animal does that most of the time as well although not today.

After saying hello to his teachers and putting his backpack away he looked at me and said "this is the best class EVER!". I was seriously happy and reassured that this was a good thing. Preschool, my baby is growing up.

We had about 5 minutes together to walk around and explore his new area. There were so many things to see. The dress up area is HUGE and full of all kinds of neat outfits for the kids' imaginations to run wild.

Animal found this puzzle on top of a shelf with more puzzles and games. He thought the magnets were interesting. A puzzle with magnets...not something I would have thought of but so practical for keeping those little pieces together.

There were a whole bunch of different bins with toys here. I could tell that Animal was never going to get bored in this classroom.
But then they called the kids to the rug and said it was time to leave. This was the part I was dreading most. Animal clung to me. He started crying, not much but a few tears rolled down his cheek. His teacher said I could sit with him for a minute. The children started passing around a puppet they used to introduce themselves. Animal thought it was interesting that there were two other kids in his class with his name. Parent fail for name originality on my part. It took about 5 minutes before I was able to pull myself away and slowly creep to the door. When I made a run for it Animal collapsed on the floor devastated. A teacher was right there to comfort him. I tried to keep an eye on him but decided it was best to let him be and go work out.

45 minutes later I passed the class again and he was happily playing with a few kids and his teacher in the dress up area. Yeah, he was happy. I went to the store to pick up some extra supplies Q-tips teacher requested and returned just as class was letting out.

Animal was all smiles. He was so happy. He went on and on about how fun it was and how great his class was. I took him to the jeep and gave him the new lunchbox I had picked up on clearance, that only made his day even better. Relief, pure relief!

At home he wanted to play with his new lunchbox and backpack.

Everything is ready for his next day of school.

After eating a snack he curled up and fell asleep for a few hours. He was so exhausted. On our way to school he was looking pretty tired and I knew he would be needing a nap. Thankfully he made it through the day without any issues. I'm not sure how we will do the nap schedule on school days but I don't see them disappearing completely right away.

The Wheels On The Bus

2010-08-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

Today was the second day of school and Q-tips first time riding the afternoon bus. I picked him up EVERYDAY last year. I had the schedule and walked to the stop about 10 minutes early. Animal found a little boy to play with while I melted in the 93 degree relentless sun. 30 minutes later the bus stopped and Q-tip did NOT get off. I was determined not to panic and called the school. They asked for his teachers name, his name and then put me on hold. 10 minutes later as I was pacing up and down the street watching every bus and car pass I see a bus turn on its flashers. Off comes Q-tip a bit frazzled but in one piece and home. Relief! I spent the next 5 minutes drilling him on what the heck happened, this is his story:

He got on the correct bus. The bus has two stops (not known to me or him). He got off at the first stop. The bus drove off and he realized that I was not there. He wasn't sure where he was and started yelling and trying to flag down another bus. The first bus didn't notice him but the second one did. It pulled over and he asked if they had a phone. When they said no he asked if they could take him to his bus stop. He climbed on the bus and they drove him home.

I have to admit that I am very proud of Q-tips quick thinking. To flag down a bus for help was a good idea. When I asked what he would have done had there not been any buses he said "cross the street and figure out where I was. Then walk home." Thankfully he was not that far away and could have done just that but it wouldn't have been as quick and I probably would have been a lot more worried. As it is I could use a LARGE bottle of wine or a very stiff drink.

3rd Grade

2010-08-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Our evening schedule went very well last night and I look forward to sticking to it again this evening. I was a tad bit behind on dinner but the boys and I were still able to do an evening walk with S'mores. That dog is all about walking. I cant say he is much of a leash rule follower and I am thinking I need to pick him up a little harness instead of using his collar. I swear he spends the first 10 minutes attempting to drag me and choking the crud out of himself. He is so determined to keep up with his boys.

This morning I was shocked to wake up at 630 on my own. I'm not sure how my body did it. For the past 2 weeks I have been trying to wake up before 8 with little progress. I set the alarm for 730 this morning and didn't even need it. So strange! Q-tip woke up with his alarm and went straight into doing his morning list. He picked out what he wanted to wear from his new school clothes and was great at sticking to the task at hand. As many issues as we had with the list last year I am impressed with his focus now. Its amazing what a few months will do.

After doing his morning reading we took a few first day photos and headed to school. Q-tip is so grown up he asked that I only drop him off. His excitement was over flowing, he didn't even wait for me to get to the actual drop off zone. I hope he has a GREAT first day in his new class.

This is the excitement I'm talking about. He was so ready for school to start up again.

Out he goes. Grabbing his backpack FULL of school supplies and his lunch.

So big. Off to his first day of 3rd grade!

After taking Q-tip to school Animal and I came home to get ready for swim. I tried so hard to convince Animal to follow his teachers directions. I was sure we had come to an agreement but sadly he was not interested all that much. I don't know what it is with this teacher but he does not trust her. He refuses to swim out to her or jump off the wall to her. I just don't get it. When there is a life guard near instructing him he is a lot more willing to follow their instruction. Even if its the same thing his teacher had said. UGH...so frustrating. Please say he clicks with his preschool teachers a lot faster and easier.

Last Day of Summer Vacation

2010-08-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe that summer vacation is over. Has it really been 3 months?! That is amazing. We immersed ourselves in the lazy days of summer. We were sleeping in late, staying up late, watching movies, playing games and enjoying little to no obligation. Oh the joys of summer holiday. Sadly (and a little happily) that time has come to an end. We must begin to wake up at a reasonable hour, shower and dress for a day of learning and activity. This year not only will Q-tip be expanding his knowledge but Animal will be doing so 2 times a week as well. I am so excited for them both. Its hard to say that my little boy is now a 3rd grader or that my baby is now in preschool. Life goes on, we grow and age.

We attended both of the boys pre-school meetings. Q-tips teacher looks quite nice. Lets hope she has a good schedule and class structure Q-tip can grow and thrive in. Animals parent meeting was just that...no teachers to meet or classroom to explore. It was not what I was hoping for but the information was ok. The curriculum sounds good on paper and I only hope it goes as planned. It will be interesting to see how my little sponge picks up on the classroom information. It makes me giggle just thinking of the things he will say and do. Those teachers have no idea what they are in for.

I find my life runs a lot smoother with schedules and lists. I need to have something to follow or I will stray so easily. I created our after school schedule for the boys to see and it looks pretty straight forward. If all goes well things should be low stress. Having a day by day plan also allows me to stay busy and forget that we are starting a new venture without J around to join us. This is hard and I try not to think about it much. When he comes home we will have so many things to show him that's for sure.

I took the boys for haircuts and school lunch shopping. It was a mad house out there. Everyone had the same idea I think. The haircut shop was buzzing and the store was insanity. I was amazed at the amount of people picking up school supplies. Really, the day before school? That just doesn't seem logical. That said I was in search of a drink and snack combo for Animal. I don't think he needs an actual lunch box but a reusable water bottle was my goal. The one I grabbed will have to do for now, he is happy and that is all that really matters.

Now lets get this day over and tomorrow under way. I'm ready...I think.

Just Keep Swimming...

2010-08-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

Playing on the stairs before class.

Swimming to his teacher.

Swimming back to the stairs.

Swimming under water to his teacher...and then all the way across the pool.

Working on his legs and being on his back.

Having so much fun.

Doing brilliant!

Pointing his toes and kicking his "straight legs".

And now he's using his arms.

Relaxing...Animal does not like water in his ears.

The sinking of the belly.

Last swim back at end of class.

Rain

2010-08-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

It rained recently. Not for long mind you but long enough for me to take a couple pictures and this video. I turned off the A/C and opened the doors downstairs. I was hoping for that fresh rain smell. Sadly when it rains in Las Vegas it is not exactly the smell you want to bottle and sell to the masses. J calls it "ozone". It pretty much smells like dirt. I still was happy with that "fresh dirt" smell and the cool breeze that came with it. Okay so it was still in the 80 but it was cooler than the 100+ it has been. And just for the record, I don't think Ive seen rain since January! I was pretty excited.

Relax

2010-08-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

During the busy week, what do you do to relax?

During the week both boys have an activity 2 times a week with a possible third day for Q-tip if we go to sparring class. With school starting soon I'm pretty sure every week will be a busy one. I try to follow the boys to bed in the evenings between 8 and 9. Depending on how tired I am I will watch a movie or read. Rarely am I exhausted enough to just fall asleep. Being a mum I find my brain can function a lot longer than my body.

During the day if I find some free time I like to blog. This blog has become a great way to keep so many people up to date on how things are going with me and the boys. Every once in a while I even mention J (mostly I feel its his job to inform whom he wants on his current circumstances). I'm not sure when I will find time to create another blog book but those are fabulous. The boys love them, I love them and so does J. Whenever I find a free moment I'm also checking FB for status updates and application items. No I'm not a farmer, I gave that up. But there are 2 other games as well as wordscrapper and family feud I enjoy mindlessly losing brain cells to.

I don't have many activities I do to relax. I do miss long baths with a book but neither of the tubs in this house are deep enough for soaking. Heck even Animal isn't impressed anymore. In Europe that was probably my top choice for relaxing and escaping the stresses of life.

Best Friends

2010-08-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

Animal has learned to love his mini baby (we call her that because she is smaller than his previous baby) but she is NOT allowed downstairs (S'mores has already chewed up one of her feet). When Animal is tired downstairs he will get very cuddly with S'mores. Holding his ear or tail. S'mores thankfully is a good sport and loves the attention. They will nap for hours together.

Penguins

2010-08-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

Animal likes penguins. Thank you Grandma!

Benguino (that's his name) has a permanent place on Animals bed.

Animal likes cards too.

He was just a tad happy to find 4 dollars in this one.

Deployments = Waiting

2010-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Beginning Session 2

2010-08-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Like I said before, I was beyond impressed with Animals skills this session. All it took was his comfort level with the water and his teacher to improve and he was swimming like a fish. I do hope that he will continue to love swimming and that this is the sport he chooses. I think he would do brilliant with dedication.

This was not something he enjoyed last session. Being dunked into the water and having it go into his eyes and ears was not fun. Now...its just part of the process.

I love that he can now stick his head in the water and hum. This is very important for not getting water up his nose or in his mouth. His "hi mommy" is just to cute! And those chubby little legs kicking in the water...ADORABLE!

Working on just his legs.

Animal was very interested in doing the techniques correctly this session. I think its cute how after being instructed not to sway his head he points out very excitedly "Yeah but NOT my head" when his teacher comments on how well he is using his arms.

Not much forward movement for the little guy but working hard on moving his arms and legs.

Animal doesn't mind waiting his turn. He actually spends most of his time practicing.

At the end of every class the kids have to do a task to earn candy. Today's task was grabbing a ring under the water.

Glow Chuck Videos

2010-08-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

The kids were so excited to see their glow chucks in action. I have to admit, I thought it was pretty cool too.

Q-tip is in the middle spinning a yellow chuck.

The kids worked on techniques they knew with their regular chucks.

The kids were called in front of the class in small groups to show everyone what they were doing.

When the music came on and the students were preforming in front of the parents Q-tip broke it down! Jumping, dancing and still spinning those chucks.

Last group technique performance.

Exploring

2010-08-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

A friend from childhood was on holiday in Vegas and sent some cookies to my house for her convention. When the cookies arrived the boys and I ventured down to the strip to deliver them to her. I totally had to put on my big girl panties and make the drive without J. Thankfully it went quite well. While there we explored the Luxor and Excalibur, two casinos we had yet to venture inside. We also ate at our first strip buffet. It was a fun day.

Wall mural in Luxor.

U.S. flag hanging in the center of the pyramid. Super cool! Along the sides you can see the halls for the hotel rooms. I thought that was very neat. Step outside your room and look down onto the shops, food and fun.

Animal and Mommy in Luxor.

I was trying to photograph the female silhouettes in the windows. They were really neat.

Doors to the "club".

Beautiful clear Las Vegas sky's.

My favorite picture of the day...waiting for the tram to Excalibur.

Inside Excalibur.

After lunch and heading back through Luxor to the jeep.

Second Time

2010-08-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Animal concurred his shyness in his first swimming class but his teacher and I felt a second round at level 1 was necessary. He wasn't solid on most of the basic skills. When I took him to his first class this session I was in shock. Who was this boy in the water? He had no fear. He was following every direction. He was a leader! I was so proud of him. Another Mom actually came up to me and said how impressed she was and could not believe he was so little and swam so well. Talk about pride...! Parenting has its perks.

Waiting on the stairs for his class to start.

Hi mom, am I doing awesome?

Yes, he is in the water swimming to his teacher. All by himself!

Jumping in has been his hardest step but I can honestly say I think he has concurred this fear as well.

Glow Chucks

2010-08-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

The day our A/C was repaired Q-tip had a glow in the dark nunchuck seminar. I was so stressed by 730 PM I felt like kicking the A/C guys out and telling them to come back the next day. All day those men were going in and out of the house. All day I was stuck downstairs in my 108+ degree living room trying to stay busy. I was so ready for them to leave so that I could shower and get Q-tip to his class. Yes a shower WAS necessary. We made it thankfully and only about 10 minutes late.

Q-tip spinning his yellow chuck.

Lots of spinning chucks in lots of different colors. It was very neat.

So serious.

Animal's 4th Birthday

2010-08-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

I took a kitchen towel and wrapped it around each child's head on their while they stuck the trucks on the arena. The game was a huge hit. As was the candy they each received for playing.

I made just enough balloons for each party guest to pop. Inside was a small container of goo and a piece of candy.

Game 3 was a layer game. Each child got to unwrap a layer of the present which would release a toy and/or candy. The last child found a box with lots of candy and a Grave Digger monster truck.

So excited to start opening his presents.

A bag full of Toy Story toys!

Grave Digger swim trunks and a Monster Jam movie.

A cool card. He would not put it down until he had done the maze on the back.

Animal's big gift from Mommy and Daddy was a Big Boy Bike!

He couldn't be happier.

Pit stop for Blue Thunder tattoo.

His cake with two of his favorite monster trucks...Blue Thunder and El Torro Loco.

I can only imagine what he wished for. The world is his oyster! I only hope that I am able to make all his wishes come true.

Military Mondays-Post Deployment

2010-08-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

Post-Deployment and reintegration can be a very tricky time. All the feelings of being alone and missing your loved one are coming to an end or a head as you may want to talk about the feelings and issues you each endured while separated. These feelings are then replaced with so many more. All the what ifs, excitement and fears of being together again. Faith Deployed suggests these 37 tips to help you maneuver through this part of the deployment. (I have highlighted the ones I find VERY important)

1. Normal has changed for everyone.
2. Be patient-it takes time to get into a routine.
3. Soldiers haven’t been on a vacation.
4. Expect your household to be different.
5. Keep life as simple as possible.
6. It takes time to re-adjust to one another.
7. Go slow.
8. Communicate feelings. Encourage them to share feelings, but give them space if they aren’t ready yet.
9. Anxiety is normal.
10. Discuss frustrations.
11. Accept that we are all different.
12. Take time to re-adjust.
13. Initial discomfort doesn’t mean your spouse is unhappy with you or the family.
14. Communicate ahead of your spouses return about radical changes in your physical appearance (once a red head now a blonde.)
15. Communicate about changes in discipline of the children.
16. Assume you’ve both been faithful to one another unless strong evidence indicates differently. Then seek wise counsel.
17. Be open about changes that have occurred in your life- spiritual –emotional- and physically.
18. Avoid the “who had it worse game.”
19. Be prepared that they may not want to go out much.
20. Try to avoid the tendency to overspend during this time. It will cause financial hardships that will add extra strain to your marriage.
21. Remember intimacy and sex are not the same thing. There can be an initial sense of awkwardness and plan may not be as romantic as you envisioned.
22. Accommodate-accommodate-accommodate. Meet small requests-like eating favorite food three times a day.
23. Listen-look-listen. Be aware of what’s going on.
24. Old problems don’t disappear. It you were having marital problems before he left, seek help.
25. Take time to share expectations and concerns before spouse returns home.
26. Soldiers sleeping patterns may vary.
27. Spouses may need space- let them have as much time as needed.
28. Let them quietly slip back into being dad. Don’t expect them to come home and immediately resume all of the discipline.
29. Realize we will never understand all our spouses have been through.
30. He will never understand totally what we have experienced as the head of the household.
31. Military spouses may have nightmares-don’t panic. If it appears to be long term, encourage them to seek help.
32. If a soldier doesn’t want to talk-don’t push.
33. Teens may feel displaced. They have had extra responsibility while dad has been gone. They may feel like they are giving up control.
34. Your children have probably been your sole focus while dad has been gone. Try to give them extra attention. Also, anticipate them (especially young children) not feeling comfortable sharing mom.
35. Dad may not feel comfortable babysitting. Give them space to adjust to new babies.
36. Remember reintegration for spouse and soldier is difficult, even for the strongest couples, try to focus on all the things you love about your spouse and not the things that bother you. If their habits bothered you before they left they will bother you ten fold when they return. Stay focused on the positive characteristics that make you love your spouse and let go of the small things that annoy you. They are not important. Having your spouse home alive and well is all that matters, everything else can be worked through. Don’t give up!
37. Just take it a day at a time and figure out where everything falls into place and move forward. It doesn’t have to be exactly like it was before, it can be different and better if you let it.

Spam Comments

2010-08-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

I have loads of pictures to share since we have gotten our A/C working but have been avoiding blogging to see if my Chinese Spammers would go away. Its not working. I am changing settings (Thanks Elissa) to see if I can deter them. Fingers crossed!

To get my blogging back in progress here are party prep pictures from Animals 4th birthday.

I used Animals Monster Jam toy as a center piece on the table. It looked pretty cool!

Animals Monster Trucks were great decorations. He has quite a collection now.

Coloring the Monster Jam arena with me for the pin the truck on the arena game.

I taped our colored area to the door and printed up some popular monster trucks. Animal was very excited but surprised that it was a game and not for his actual monster trucks.

Hung and waiting for guests.

The dining room fully decorated for the party.

Animals new big boy bike!

Presents...now let's party!

Waiting...

2010-07-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

We've spent a lot of time waiting lately but some waits are finally coming to an end. As I type this post the A/C is getting repaired. YEAH! I can not wait to crank that baby on and feel the cool breeze blowing through the WHOLE house. Life will be good. REAL good.

I just had my baby brother and his girl friend here for two days...his weekend. It was fun having him around for a bit. I sent them out on ventures to stay cool. I'm not honestly sure how much sleep they got with the heat. They were warned of the extreme temps of my house. Wednesday night I made a full dinner and we all sat at the table, something I haven't done with the boys since the A/C went out. I seriously enjoy having my baby brother around. He even spent a few hours playing video games with the boys. Something I don't do but they love and miss Daddy doing with them.

The next few days will be full of friends and fun. Friends that were stationed with us in Germany will be stopping by. I am so excited to see them! I'm sure their girls will be so much bigger than I remember. It has been over 4 years since we have seen each other. WOW! Their littlest was only a few months old when they PCS'd from Germany to Texas.

Animals 4th birthday is this weekend. I am very happy that we will have A/C and we can have a low key party at home. The kids can go wild playing while the adults get to drink and hanging out. I hope to get J on Skype to sing to Animal and so that he can see our guests as well as Animals new bike. He cant wait to ride his new bike. His BIG BOY bike! Yes y'all he knows what he's getting. I had to try him out on a few to know what size to purchase as well as the fact I take the boys EVERYWHERE with me these days. Although lets be honest...that hasn't really changed from before.

Lastly we have some more friends venturing to Vegas for a convention that we hope to cross paths with as well. So many people going through our doors, I LOVE it! It makes time go by quickly and keeps us all in good spirits. We love our family and friends.

Time to Hermit

2010-07-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

The A/C ordeal is still ongoing. Ive called 2 or 3 times this week to see if the parts have arrived but no such luck. I was even told yesterday that supply would be called and they would call me back. I didn't hold my breathe. Good thing cause I never got a call. We are officially at 2 weeks since the unit was looked at, not since it went out but since the tech said "I'll have it fixed in two weeks". Sure you will buddy. Sure you will.

Without A/C I have been making a point to get out of the house quite a bit. Very few if any of these things are free. Go figure. So the amount of money Ive been spending has been exceeding what we normally spend (with J home). Its time to hermit down, get a decent schedule back in place and stop filling my boredom with shopping. Of course I still want to do a few things with the boys the last month of summer but we will have to stick to a much firmer budget

Thankfully I bought this 49 cent slip n slide before my budget consciousness kicked in. Hahahaha! Target had some summer clearance items at 90% off. It was a great buy. The boys and I had so much fun and heck maybe today would be another great day for slip n slide action. I will try to remember to take my phone out of my pocket this time.

None of use could make it all the way down the 16 ft slide but it was awesome none the less. I blame that huge bump created by blue mats going over the cobblestone path. Which is quite painful to hit by the way.

Splashing at the end...he crawled the whole way for this.

Black Light Mini Golf

2010-07-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

Another hot day in Las Vegas means another day I need to find something fun to do outside the house but still staying cool. J suggested I take the kids to mini golf. He has talked about this place for a while and wanted to go to but we never made it. Now that Ive taken the boys they cant wait go with Daddy too.

We started the morning with breakfast at Mimi's Cafe.

Animals keeping himself entertained with his placemat.

Mimi mouse pancakes...to cute! Animal had chocolate chip pancakes while I had a Pacific Croissant. The croissant was delicious but so filling, I had to take half home for later.

Time for black light mini golf. They are a tad excited.

Swinging at the same time.

We didnt keep score (as if I know how), we just sort of went for it and had a blast in the process.

Im glad we went and the hour we spent golfing did get us out of the heat. We finished off the afternoon doing some shopping at Old Navy. It was a good day!

Multi Purpose

2010-07-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

Lots of sun, extreme heat and no A/C means that I need to be creative in our cool down methods. And boy do we need to cool down. I pulled out the sprinkler for the first time in maybe a year and let Animal have a blast. He was laughing, playing and the back garden really needed that water.

S'mores was having fun in the water too!

Haircuts!

2010-07-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

After the dentist I had this genius idea to drive across the car park to get the boys haircuts. It was a lapse of sanity I think because the jeep was acting up and I knew I shouldn't push my luck. My brother was planning on coming after work to check it out so I guess I just figured..."Whats one more stop. Its right there." Hahaha!

Animal getting a trim.

Bye bye mohawk!

4 on top, fade on the sides. Just like Daddy!

My Q-tip is back!
So yeah, after the cuts (which turned out great) I loaded the boys back in the jeep and it wouldn't start. The starter went out! Not even 24 hrs after the shop had said "I'd fix it really soon". We weren't going anywhere. It was GREAT! I tried and tried again but no luck. Finally I did the only thing I could think of, I called my brother at work. Within 20 minutes he was at the jeep and teaching me how to pop the clutch to get it home. That was really neat by the way. We parked the jeep at home and went to a local auto parts store for a new starter. He had the jeep fixed within an hour, maybe a little less as the clock was off by about 50 minutes this morning. (it took me a few days to get the balls to drive it again) I am so thankful for him and his ability to fix things. Being close to family is amazing. I love Las Vegas!

Military Mondays-Deployments Are Good...

2010-07-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a list to remind myself the benefits of deployments because there are two sides to every coin.

Missing someone is not always a bad thing.

Having the opportunity to find one's own strengths can be very good indeed.

Talking. Limited distractions (this is questionable). The want to talk to your partner becomes stronger. Their desire to hear about daily life. Hearing the others voice can make your whole day.

Writing. Emails or letters, sometimes what you can not say verbally you can put on paper.

It gives you time to cherish the little things. Thank you's and I love you's have more value.

Being reminded of the many things you take for granted when you are together. Putting away the dishes, yard work, whatever those chores are that you don't normally do yourself or by yourself.

Mail, who doesn't love to get mail?

Home comings are amazing!

Less laundry.

Less dishes.

The house stays clean a little bit longer.

Being reminded daily how much you really do love the one that's gone.

No longer having to share one vehicle.

No junk food in the house...unless I buy it myself.

These are just a few things that make deployments and separation that much more bearable.

Dentist

2010-07-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

Keeping on top of the jeep maintenance has not been my concern but with deployment comes more responsibility on my end. Freaking brilliant! J has always chose to take the jeep to the dealership or now the 4x4 shop where he had the lift kit installed. I have a personal comfort zone that I drive in and this particular place was not there. Thankfully I have been venturing out more and more which means my comfort zone is growing. My brother had offered to take the jeep in for me but was unable to get a ride to the house on that day so I stepped up to the plate. I can do this is all I kept saying and yes, yes I did. Getting there wasn't the problem. I actually gave myself plenty of time to do so. Arriving nearly 3 hours early. After dropping the jeep off I decided to take the boys for a walk.

We stopped at Marie Callender's because I had only heard good things and was very excited to have an excuse to check it out. I'm not sure if our waitress was having a bad day or the thought that we walked to the restaurant and entered with a stroller was more than she could handle. I wouldn't consider this a place worth dressing up for so the fact the boys were in shorts and t-shirts while I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt shouldn't have been an issue either. Hello 110 degree weather! Whatever the reasons, our service was despicable. We were ignored and as thirsty as we were, refills were not on our waitresses to do list. The food wasn't bad but having to remind the waitress that my lunch item came with a slice of pie after she had just finished the same order for an elderly guy 2 tables away really frustrated me too. I left annoyed and unhappy. Even Q-tip noticed her rush to get us out of there as well as the fact she practically threw the slice of pie and extremely dirty spoon on the table after I reminded her of my order. To say the least I did not give her a tip. And the next 15 minutes Q-tip and I spent venting about our horrible experience and desire to never return again. Sorry J if that sounds like a place you want to visit, you better find a different one.

We walked a lot that afternoon, sweat a lot more and I dont even know how much I spent on drinks to keep us hydrated. The last hour of our return route was the worst and we were so glad to be back to the shop before the jeep was finished. Thankfully I was the only one with a slight sunburn on the back/side of my neck. It was hot! It took another hour and a half for the jeep to be finished. All of that time Animal was sound asleep in his stroller and Q-tip was bored out of his mind. During the paying process I was informed that the battery was fine (I had left the lights on a few days prior and the jeep was having issues turning on as soon as the key was turned) but the starter was definitely going out. No time frame for the starter was given but the advice "very soon" for repairs was suggested. I thought "Ill bring it up with J and make an appointment next week".

On the way home my phone rang and the receptionist from our dentist office informed me that Q-tip and I had appointments the next morning. OMG timing is everything and who made these appointments?! I was in rush hour traffic and not exactly in a position to talk so I quickly agreed to be there the next morning and focused on the road. I do not like auto routes and I REALLY do not like them with traffic. There was a point where I took my foot off the gas but still needed to use the brake only to have the car behind me swerve to the shoulder and come to a stop right next to me. OMG! I was that close to getting rear ended and wanted to be home more than anything.

After returning home that is where I stayed until the next morning when I took the boys to the dentist and a whole nother day of adventure began...

Since my appointment was at the same time as Animal's Q-tip became my photographer. He took some really neat shots.

Deciding what angle he wanted to take pictures from...preferably out of peoples way.

Animals check-up went well. Nothing to report.

I don't know what this face is about but it cracks me up. They were making all kinds of faces at the camera and laughing so much.

Time for his cleaning.

Beautiful pearly whites!

Despicable ME Morning

2010-07-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Staying cool is an issue these days without A/C. Yesterdays weather hit a lovely 112. This weekend will continue in the 110s. An extreme weather warning has been issued for most of the weekend. Las Vegas is AWESOME! I'm not sure what we will do this weekend to keep cool but this is what we did one day this week.

The boys and I woke up at a decent hour, got dressed and then headed to IHOP for a Despicable ME breakfast. Q-tip wasn't a fan of the minionade but all other items were great. I ate the loaded minion taters, they were very good. We all enjoyed the ciniminions. Very yum!

Animal went for his regular, baby cakes.

Q-tip ate kids french toast...I wonder if J is enjoying his daily breakfast of french toast?

Ciniminion down in one bite...or close to it.

Making sure he didn't miss a single sprinkle.

Doing a silly dance to the credits of Despicable ME.
This was a very cute movie. We all enjoyed it very much. The boys said as we were leaving "we totally need to buy this movie!". I agree completely. So when J gets home I think we will have to have a movie night: garlic popcorn and Despicable ME. You up for it J?

A/C Update: I called in the middle of the week for information and was told the Tech had not called the home warranty company so nothing had moved forward. I called again yesterday and at the same time the Tech was giving them his report. Later in the afternoon the home warranty company returned my call to say that the cost on our part was minimized and permission for work was granted. I called the A/C company in the evening to make sure parts were ordered. Now we wait for the parts to come in before work can start. I will be calling on Monday to see if scheduling can be made to fix the A/C. The sooner the better!

Playing at Mt. Charleston

2010-07-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

Trying To Stay Cool

2010-07-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Its just me and the boys again. My niece went home over a week early. It was a sad and crazy day. I was feeling like complete rubbish and the A/C tech finally came to give me news I did not find helpful or enjoyable. Maybe I should start a couple days before my niece left...

The weather had been hitting a consistent 107-108 for a couple weeks. Our A/C was getting louder and after the curtailment not able to cool the house back down to 82. The first time I thought it was my mistake for baking garlic bread to go with dinner. The result pushing the house temp to 91. Boy was it HOT! After an initial mini break-down I remembered that I could hide the kids and myself in the master with the portable A/C unit J purchased last summer. That worked and we all slept well. We did this again the next night and maybe even again before it became obvious that the A/C was no longer working at all. It was completely broken. No cold air was being pushed out of the vents even with an overnight shut off. I finally had to make the call to the home warranty for a referral...that took 2 days!

The first day we hung out upstairs mainly but the second I just could not. 3 kids, the dog and myself in one room was just to much. I decided to drag the kids to Mt. Charleston for a reprieve from the heat. It worked for the most part. The weather was cooler and the kids found ways to entertain themselves during our 5 hour cool down.

The following day I woke up early and was feeling like absolute rubbish. I was determined to not let that affect my day. I was optimistic that the A/C tech would make everything better. Or NOT! He came and pretty much said that we would need a new unit. Which of course would cost us and take time. At least 2 weeks time! Are you serious?! 2 more weeks without A/C with the forecast saying we would be hitting the 111 make within 4 days. My life is awesome!

I was devastated to say the least and could not even lean on J for support. I needed so badly to pick up the phone and talk to him. Unfortunately that was not going to happen. In the past month we have been able to talk on the phone 3 times for a maximum time of 15 minutes. That is not a positive to deployments. Thankfully I do have 2 brothers living not far from Vegas and when I told one they instantly gave me a mini solution to my stress. Within 5 hours my niece was on her way home...early. This was a sad thing and a somewhat good thing. I was super sad to see her go but at the same time I had one less child to worry about heat exhaustion. I also was able to get out of "guest mode" which is a stress all in itself. I know there are many things I still wanted to do while she was visiting but I guess they can just be added to her next visit.

Now I can have the boys eat sandwiches and salad for lunch and dinner or some other completely not well rounded meal and not feel bad about it. I can hide with the boys in the master and not feel like I am being a horrible hostess. The stress has been lowered...a little. I am waiting patiently (or not) for a call from our home warranty and the A/C company making the repairs. Although I may be making calls today and check in on things. Ive found leaving them to their own devices is not always productive.

So here I sit, another summer without A/C in Las Vegas. Its wonderful. I wake up in the mornings to open doors and windows and let in the cooler morning air. Which is usually already in the mid 80s. This morning was the coolest Ive found the upstairs in about a week, it was only 91 and surprisingly it was only 80 or so outside. Its pretty nice right now but tomorrow is making its way into the 110s. Summer in Vegas is truely summer.

Military Mondays-PCS No No's

2010-07-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

With all the stress that comes with a PCS don't let these top 10 mistakes happen to you. Make sure that you keep your feet on the ground and are as organized as possible. A PCS is not the end of the world. To be honest it can be a great adventure. A time to re-evaluate your household needs and wants. A time to downsize. Be excited for a PCS. And always remember the attitude you portray will be the one that will make or break the whole process.

4th Of July

2010-07-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

Chillin' after breakfast.

Family dinner: grilled steak and salad.

Pop-It time!

Lovin' the pop pop.

Having issues with getting his pop its to pop.

Give me a light, its SPARKLER time!

Still not sure what to think initially.

Q-tip loves his Mommy.

Sittin' on the RV watching the fireworks display.

Piece Of History

2010-07-10T07:01:00.000-07:00

Exploring a piece of history.

Military graveyard.

The color of this plane is so cool!

Q-tips second favorite...can you guess the first?

Tribute to military dogs lost in war.

It was a very hot 105 that day. The kids went through 4 bottles of water and were still super thirsty after walking around the old military gear.

Hot and windy...but the wind was that special Las Vegas wind (it felt like a blow dryer hitting you in the face).

This plane was making a horrible racket so the kids came to the conclusion it was haunted. Anythings possible I guess.

We Love Summer...

2010-07-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

Or at least that's what I keep telling myself the past couple days. Its down right hot here people. Even J said it was cooling down for him. Not sure its the same as my classification of cooling down but none the less we aren't even doing that.

This is our weather at 830 AM, I would say that's pretty toasty. Then again that is still cooler than inside our house which reached a whopping 94 before I hid myself in the master for the rest of the evening with the portable A/C and 3 wild children. I called the A/C tech this morning, seeing is how they NEVER called me yesterday evening, and found that I was not on the books for a visit. The receptionist scheduled me for Sunday between 8 and 11 AM. GREAT!? I now have two very hot days to find things to do outside of this very hot house or hide in the master with 3 bored kids. And as spacious as that is I'm not all that keen. I'm thinking Mt. Charleston here we come.

In other news: Swim lessons are going great for Animal! His very first lesson he wore a life vest which was completely unnecessary but a comfort item for him. He decided that for the rest of his lessons he would not before his teacher ever approached us to suggest he try without one. I agree he needs to learn without but with 3 kids under my supervision it was a lot easier for him to have one.

And he is just so cute in that little vest. He goes all over but during swim lessons it does make more sense to have him sit on the stairs paying attention. It also makes it hard for him to understand the water and for his teacher to have him float on his back or stomach. Bye bye life vest.

He is comfortable in the water but his first lesson was a test of his Independence. He wanted me close by so that I could give him the thumbs up when he finished a task. He wanted me to watch everything he did. And lets be honest, I love watching my little man grow so it didn't take much convincing.

Loving his next lesson without the vest. Although he seems to only like to do swim lessons without a vest. When we swim after with Q-tip and my niece he wants the vest on so he can go everywhere. To some extent I think this is okay because it allows me time to swim some laps and play with the older kids too.

His lessons are going great. He still doesn't like to jump into the water at the end but is more than willing to try and swim around when asked. He is still working on his breathing or humming under water so no water goes up his nose. He is doing well with kicking his legs and is starting on arms. Im excited to see how he progresses over the next couple weeks.

Meeting Family

2010-07-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Summer time is a great time to travel but we aren't actually doing that this summer. Thankfully other people are and Vegas is quite the holiday get away. One afternoon I received a call from J's Aunt who we made plans to meet for dinner. I haven't seen J's Aunt since her oldest was maybe 2. It has been quite some time! It was great chatting with them and meeting their little people. Those kids are AWESOME! She was amused by the boys and found my niece quite cute. Cause dude, she totally is!

Hanging in the jeep. We arrived a bit early. It was hot...hot like PHEW and not hot like err err. Confused...ask Q-tip he can explain it for you.

All the munchkins.

The loudest group in Ruby Tuesdays. No one seemed to mind and we all had fun.

Lunch

2010-07-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

We spent a day or so at home and I was in need of getting out so I took the little people to lunch and then shopping. It was a fun day!

Keeping themselves entertained while waiting for their food.

Catching Animal mid bite cracks me up.

Me and my baby!

Q-tip is use to playing with J and is quite good at these menu games.

Digging in...but wait its a bit hot. The rubbish part was that none of them were even slightly full. Next time we are doing Claim Jumper where the portion sizes are grand and leaving hungry is IMPOSSIBLE!

Mac and Cheese, really? I would have never guessed.

A Really Good Day

2010-07-02T17:00:00.001-07:00

Between time differences, kids needs, work schedules and bad Internet connections we don't get to do video chat often. But when we do it really makes all of our day! Phone calls are limited too. This deployment feels so much different from the last one. The kids don't fully understand chat so that is hard and our main way of saying hi. I am thankful we are able to at least do this every couple days. I breathe a lot easier when I know he is OK. Its amazing how much time has passed already. Its gone by so quickly! We are staying busy so that strategy must be working.

J was amused I was taking a photo of him on the TV. Im special like that.

Military Mondays-Brat Bugle

2010-06-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

When coming up with ways for the boys to keep in contact with J I came across The Brat Town Bugle. We create our paper weekly and send it out to J. He has yet to give me feedback on the publication (hint, hint). Every day or so I print up a page or two for the kids to create. Q-tips favorite is probably the closing page where he comes up with an original comic. Animal usually does an art page or I will create a page with him. We love doing our newspaper and telling J all about whats been happening at home.

Super happy to write to his Daddy.

Dropping our weekly newspaper in the post.

Meeting Up With Old Friends

2010-06-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

Got a call from a friend that was stationed in Germany with us but has since moved back to the states. She was visiting family here in Vegas and invited us over for some backyard fun. It was a GREAT day. It started off a little rocky but ended VERY well. Thank you so much for making my day chica.

Swimming on his own...with a life vest.

Q-tip had so much fun in this little raft. He spent all day in it just paddling around.

My niece liked the slide. The deep end was no thing for her. She is a little fish!

They have grown so much since we left Germany.

Enjoying some bubbles in the hot tub.

Mommy and Animal.

A few hours of swimming had him completely zonked out. He took a good nap.

Thoughtful Thursdays-When I Grow Up

2010-06-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I think in my elementary years I really wanted to be a dancer or maybe a doctor. By middle school I was leaning more towards the medical field but had no solid profession picked. By high school I was taking any medical class that was offered and enjoyed a few different job shadow opportunities. I had focused mainly on massage therapy, herbology and lab tech. By the time I graduated I had practically given up on a career and just wanted something that gave me money right then. I moved to OKC where I didn't think twice about college. It took a few years in Belgium before I decided to start taking college courses but the ones that were offered focused on computers and business. I received my associates degree in computer studies. It isn't exactly the route I thought I would take or one I am really interested in beyond email and blogging. Will I ever have a money making career? That is a good question. Most likely none of the ones I thought I would like as a child, that's for sure.

Today I am a full time mum and enjoy my job tremendously. I would never have thought this is where I would be had you asked me any time growing up (okay maybe in the years 5 through 8 or so I thought babies and kids were cool but after that I changed my mind completely). To be honest I'm not all that keen on kids today but I love the ones I have and have found a few more I adore quite a bit. Few do I instantly click with but there are some. Most grow on me and then there are those random children I never seem to understand or care to spend much time with. Sad really but a part of life I guess. Its just like people really, I have the same way of describing them. Ultimately the ones that I never seem to understand I tend to avoid. We are all better for it. Trust me!

Wii Fun

2010-06-23T13:27:00.001-07:00

Green Belt Promotion

2010-06-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

Green Belt

"The pine tree is beginning to develop and
grow in strength."
The student's technique is developing power. The
components of the basic techniques are beginning to work in unison.
As the
pine tree develops, it sprouts green pine needles.

ATA Taekwondo
Q-tips Master replaces his old camo belt with his new green belt.

Q-tip and his cousin wait for instruction to tie new belt.

They are both so proud!

Military Mondays-Stages of Deployment

2010-06-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Deployments are never easy but understanding what you are going through and being able to rationalize those feelings can help. Hoorah 4 Health has quite a bit of information on deployment and military life. Here are the 5 stages of Deployment:

Pre-deployment:
Anticipation of loss vs. denial
Train-up/long hours away
Getting affairs in order
Mental/physical distance
Arguments

Time frame: variable

Deployment:
Mixed emotions/relief
Disoriented/overwhelmed
Numb, sad, alone
Sleep difficulty
Security issues

Time frame: first month

Sustainment:
New routines established
New sources of support
Feel more in control
Independence
Confidence ("I can do this")

Time frame: months two thru five

Re-deployment:
Anticipation of homecoming
Excitement
Apprehension
Burst of energy/"nesting"
Difficulty making decisions

Time frame: months five thru six

Post-deployment:
Honeymoon period
Loss of independence
Need for "own" space
Renegotiating routines
Reintegrating into Family

Time frame: three to six months after deployment

Knowing ahead of time the emotions you and your family will encounter can make the deployment more bearable. Keep in mind that you are not the first to experience these feelings or the only one currently experiencing them. You are not alone! Talk, write, email, blog, or even cry. Do whatever you need to keep yourself sane.

I highly suggest reading the full article that includes how to cope with these feelings. As well as situations you may encounter or have encountered. Click here for full article. Oh and always remember to breathe.

Keeping Them Busy

2010-06-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

After making the duct tape wallets at the craft store I let the kids each pick out an item from the dollar bins to do at home. The boys both chose wooden models while my niece chose a canvas to paint. Yesterday afternoon between swimming at the Y and Q-tips Taekwondo graduation we all sat down to do our projects.

Q-tip worked diligently on his little airplane while lil chica painted. The projects kept the kids busy for over an hour! Yeah for $1 projects that take time and focus.

This was one of my favorite pictures of lil chica. She was so focused and towards the end I showed her how mixing different colors gave her even more colors to paint with. It was so much fun. I think I want to pick up a little canvas on our next craft day.

Q-tip did so well with his first model. He plans on adding some detail this afternoon. I have a feeling he will be picking out another one of these next time.

Summer Guest

2010-06-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday my niece arrived for the summer. It is so much fun having another little person for the boys to play with. And so much different having a girl! She is super respectful and sweet. I have not had the privilege to spend much time with any of my nieces and nephews with our previous assignments so I am cherishing every minute I can now.

Considering our regular schedule summertime has allowed us to slow down a bit. We try to go to the Y 3-5 times a week to swim and workout. We also have Taekwondo 3 times a week and swimming lessons starting at the end of June. There are a few obligations but we still have time to throw in free craft days at Michael's and maybe even free movies at Regal. And without fail we are writing J, doing worksheets and reading for the library summer reading program. Hmmm I could have sworn I said a "slower summer schedule", when its written out it kind of looks a little crazy. That's okay, it is super fun.

Yesterday was a swimming day. Animal wore his life vest and clung to the floating dumbbell for life for the first 30 minutes. He ditched the dumbbell for my hands the next 15 and then wanted to be left alone the last 15. He has adjusted to the water being in his face and knows how to spit it out when it goes in his mouth. He is my little fish! I was beyond impressed at how far he came in 60 minutes. Seeing him float and swim around the pool was so cool. Q-tip, well that's a different story. He does not know how to swim and was frustrated that his cousin of the same age did. He got annoyed after about 20 minutes in the pool and chose to sit on the side and watch us play. We tried to convince him many times to come back in but he refused. He became the photographer after a while but not for long as it seems cameras are not allowed in the pool area. That was absolute rubbish! I plan on working with Q-tip more the next time we go swimming now that I know Animal is so independent. As for my niece, she can rock the pool! We were having races and she actually wants to go lap swimming with me on one of my workout days.

Last night was Q-tips last Taekwondo class before graduation. He is very excited and has even asked his cousin to tie on his next belt. This is a special task and he is always super excited about who he chooses. That special person is usually very honored as well. His cousin is no different. She cant wait!

After Taekwondo I took the kids to Michael's to make duct tape wallets. I had no idea there were so many colors of duct tape or that people made things out of it. Like dude you can make clothes and stuff. Its CRAZY! It was an interesting craft and the kids seemed to have fun. I couldn't believe how many people were there, this was the 3rd craft we did this summer and the most busy.

Today we have quite a bit on the schedule again but hope to throw in some Wii. Its been quite a while since we turned it on and the kids are all excited to do some Wii Fit. We are so go, go, go. I need some down time yo!

Thoughtful Thursdays-Reality TV

2010-06-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Do you watch reality shows? Which ones?

I am not a huge fan of reality TV (I think there are probably more of these than I even realize and after looking up the definition I would guess a whole LOT more) but then again I'm not a huge fan of TV in general. It just seems like something to fill time and I don't normally have much of that to spare. The channels most often viewed in our house are Nick and Disney. That said I might watch a bit more if we had BBC America. Doctor Who is AWESOME! I do have nights of insomnia and currently tune into the Food Network. Now that I think of it, I guess they have quite a few reality TV shows.

As a family we enjoy Survivor (Q-tips favorite) and Amazing Race (Animal calls this "his show"). They are the two TV shows, there was LOST but that's over now, we try to watch diligently and when missed we view on the Internet. These shows were popular on AFN where the options for programming is extremely limited. I cant say we've watched every season of either but do try to keep on top of the most recent. We always pick our favorites but rarely do they make it to the end. I guess that's just one more reason we should never gamble! How about you?

Military Mondays-Boxes

2010-06-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I thought yesterday was Tuesday but I was obviously not thinking straight all day. I even was reminded by my sister that it was Monday...that did not sink in one bit. Here is the post that was for Military Mondays on Tuesday.

Last time J was deployed I sent more emails than I did letters or packages. Q-tip was pretty little and I was pregnant with Animal. This time I think it would be better for all of us if we make a point to use the post. I called the USPS and had a military pack sent to our home. These packs have supplies that we can use to send J packages quickly and easily. These supplies are free and when we run out I can simply call again and they will send us a refill. Anyone sending packages to deployed service members can call. I am going to highly encourage all of our family to do so (hint, hint).

I've Got Skills!

2010-06-14T06:04:00.000-07:00

Growing up observing as much as I could or being instructed to do things I wouldn't have chosen to do as a child has become beneficial with each passing year. Especially since purchasing our home last year. There are times when not having to rely on someone can come in handy. For instance...

Yesterday, at least I think it was yesterday, I noticed water on the downstairs bathroom floor. I really hoped it was water anyway. I mopped it up and went about my day. Later I noticed the floor was wet again, this time assuming it probably was not water I mopped again, ranted about boys not having good aim, and went about my day. Last night before bed I did this same routine again. Argh, seriously! This morning when I saw the floor was wet yet again I knew we had a problem. I started feeling around to see if there was a leak but the toilet was completely dry. That said the water line leading to the toilet was not. When I checked to see if it was loose by tightening it a little it broke. Cheap plastic rubbish! I turned the water valve off and made a note to call my brother for advice or repair work.

After talking to him I realized that replacing just the water line was not an option and that the whole valve would have to go. Why they built this house with permanent things like that I do not know. I remembered doing the same thing under the kitchen sink when we first moved in. That time I broke the plastic knob on the valve. I knew I could do this.

After taking the boys to watch The Karate Kid movie (which was amazing by the way) I stopped by our local hardware store to find the parts. The associate was very helpful and gave me exactly what I needed. Although I'm not sure he actually believed I was going to be the one fixing the problem. Men of little faith. I came home, turned the water off to the house and got to work. Within 15 minutes I had the new valve and hose put in and the toilet was functioning without any leaks. Oh yes, I am that good!

This is the old part. The ribbed pipe is welded to the on/off water valve and the plastic nut that attached it to the toilet is broken. All items had to go. Thankfully it was only about $15 to fix. Note stupid plastic turn knob, previous kitchen sink knob was also plastic but instead of metal screw it was attached with what seemed to be a plastic screw too. I broke it right off when I turn off the kitchen water. D'oh!

So shiny and new looking! I am proud of my plumber skills. I don't know where I picked up such knowledge but I am really glad I did. It has come in handy not once, but twice! Now to take those skills upstairs and unclog our slow draining master bath. This job will probably be just as easy but not nearly as pleasant. That said today was Sunday so it wasn't very fresh and clean until after I fixed the toilet and sent Q-tip in for the weekly scrubbing. Do you know what comes out of clogged drains? Ill spare you the pictures.

Love Notes

2010-06-13T07:29:00.001-07:00

Before J left the boys and I sat down to write him a few surprise love notes that we could hide in his bags. The boys loved this! They had so much fun coloring and coming up with something to say. Q-tip wrote a song for him and then wrote another that he sung to J when he returned home from work that afternoon. I wrote random sayings, some serious some more funny, on 12 small cards that J came across a few times rummaging through things. He caught on quick what we had done and avoided seeing them whenever possible. I'm not sure how many were a surprise by the time he made it to his destination but I hope a few. I have a feeling they put a smile on his face whenever he found one. Mission accomplished!