I forgot to mention that last night as we were getting ready for bed and I was about to read Charley a book ("Puff, the Magic Dragon"), he said that I was the best Mom in the world. :)!! I have no idea where he's heard that before. I have a hard time believing he came up with it on his own, but you never know, he's a sharp kid. Even though I know he doesn't know what that means, it was still nice to hear.
In other news, he now knows what lying is and how to convincingly tell one. ugh! It's scary how good he is at it. Hmmm, do I wash his mouth out with soap or is that too much these days? :) Right now I'm settling for simply talking to him about honesty and trust and what God wants us to do, with time outs, creative discipline to fit the crime and spanking, if necessary, to follow.
In better news, Charley can almost spell his name. The other night we were writing with soap crayons in the tub and he asked me to write a C-H-A-R but didn't know the rest. I know it's sight spelling, but it's a start and it's nice to know some things are coming together in his little head. We've always worked on phonics so hopefully that will be the next step. It's a whole new world!
Friday, August 03, 2007
Thursday, August 02, 2007
lovely words on a hot day
I don't know if I've mentioned yet in my blog that Will is taking classes in Dalgren, VA for 2 months while we are up here. It's been pretty miserable with the heat and no A/C; add to that the fact that Charley acts up when Will leaves so all the great changes that have occurred since he turned 3 (calming down a little, more self-control, more understanding, not as reactionary, less of a temper etc.) have gone on hiatus while he tests me day after day. Maybe it's because he wants to know if things are still the same when Dad's gone, maybe he doesn't like the change, maybe he's too hot! or maybe he's just lapsing for awhile, probably some sort of combination of all of those and more I don't even know.
Anyway, he said some sweet things to me today that I wanted to remember for posterity. I had just gotten off the phone with Will and gotten myself really depressed b/c I was thinking about how when you're on your own with the kids, the weekends are no different than the weekdays = no break. I was laying on our bed trying to pull it together (Ben was already down for the night and Charley was playing with trucks in the living room) when Charley came in, crawled on the bed and said, "I just wanted to come snuggle with you and give you company." I started to lose it again.
Then he wanted me to come outside and play before his bedtime, so we did (after a good hug and kiss). I, of course, had to tell him how much I loved him and how happy he made me and he said, "because I help my baby brother and a good boy?" and a list of a few other things I can't remember now. Then he set up some chairs and a little table as a foot rest and we sat there together talking (with our feet up together, so cute!) and asked, "Do you think Daddy would like doing this too?".
Then we made pretend snacks out of the maple tree seeds, then we made a train track out of them, then we blew them on the ground, it was so much fun! Then, he wanted to play catch with the nerf football, and to my amazement, he can catch now! So we had such a blast actually throwing the ball back and forth and I felt so lucky to be the mother of two little boys that will want to play sports with me (hopefully) :) He even put a spin on the ball a couple of times! :) Now just a year or two more and we can all go camping. Charley could probably go now, but I don't think Ben would do well, especially in a tent at night. ahh someday!
I'm also holding out for a girl and she will hopefully want to play sports and camp too, and with a mother and grandmother who love those things, I'll be surprised if she doesn't. In fact, my Mom taught me more about sports than my Dad and was a bigger sports fan in our house. It's funny because now I'm the bigger sports fan in our house, although I don't keep up with it right now for obvious reasons. Anyway, Will knows that I'd be happy having even four boys before we had a girl. I think we'd finally stop at boy 5, but hopefully, we'll have a girl before that. If not, I think we'd seriously consider adopting one. :) Who knows, maybe we're not even supposed to have that many kids b/c the two we've got require so much activity and energy. One kid at a time then, until God gives us peace that we're done.
Anyway, all that to say I had a lovely evening with my son at the end of a very hot day. :) Thank you Lord!
Anyway, he said some sweet things to me today that I wanted to remember for posterity. I had just gotten off the phone with Will and gotten myself really depressed b/c I was thinking about how when you're on your own with the kids, the weekends are no different than the weekdays = no break. I was laying on our bed trying to pull it together (Ben was already down for the night and Charley was playing with trucks in the living room) when Charley came in, crawled on the bed and said, "I just wanted to come snuggle with you and give you company." I started to lose it again.
Then he wanted me to come outside and play before his bedtime, so we did (after a good hug and kiss). I, of course, had to tell him how much I loved him and how happy he made me and he said, "because I help my baby brother and a good boy?" and a list of a few other things I can't remember now. Then he set up some chairs and a little table as a foot rest and we sat there together talking (with our feet up together, so cute!) and asked, "Do you think Daddy would like doing this too?".
Then we made pretend snacks out of the maple tree seeds, then we made a train track out of them, then we blew them on the ground, it was so much fun! Then, he wanted to play catch with the nerf football, and to my amazement, he can catch now! So we had such a blast actually throwing the ball back and forth and I felt so lucky to be the mother of two little boys that will want to play sports with me (hopefully) :) He even put a spin on the ball a couple of times! :) Now just a year or two more and we can all go camping. Charley could probably go now, but I don't think Ben would do well, especially in a tent at night. ahh someday!
I'm also holding out for a girl and she will hopefully want to play sports and camp too, and with a mother and grandmother who love those things, I'll be surprised if she doesn't. In fact, my Mom taught me more about sports than my Dad and was a bigger sports fan in our house. It's funny because now I'm the bigger sports fan in our house, although I don't keep up with it right now for obvious reasons. Anyway, Will knows that I'd be happy having even four boys before we had a girl. I think we'd finally stop at boy 5, but hopefully, we'll have a girl before that. If not, I think we'd seriously consider adopting one. :) Who knows, maybe we're not even supposed to have that many kids b/c the two we've got require so much activity and energy. One kid at a time then, until God gives us peace that we're done.
Anyway, all that to say I had a lovely evening with my son at the end of a very hot day. :) Thank you Lord!
Monday, July 30, 2007
10 years ago . . .
It was strange and wonderful being back in my hometown of Houston for my 10 year high school reunion this past weekend. 10 years ago I graduated and moved away (probably for good). It's a fun town, more so than it probably gets press for and it was so great to see so many people I had gone to elementary, middle and high school with. My family never moved in my 18 years at home so I was always in the same school district with some of the same friends, some of whose parents also haven't moved. : ) It was great to see how successful so many of them were and also how much so many of them had overcome. It made me feel blessed in my own right, but also special to be a part of such a great group of people. It was also fun to find out how many of them are living in this area so I really want to get together an Alief/New-England reunion sometime before we move. New Years anyone?!
One of the very different and great things about Alief is that it is so equally diverse. There is no real majority of race and a couple of nights ago I was standing next to my Chinese, Hispanic, Black, Arab and Indian friends almost in amazement that we were all so close and actually all in the same room. I seriously think the last time I was in a room that diverse was probably when I had my driver's license picture taken a few years ago and I was in Houston then too! I feel fortunate to have been able to attend a high school like that because I got the chance to learn so much about so many different people, races, religions, cultures, etc. It was more of an education than I bargained for and I will always be grateful that when a lot of our friends were moving farther out into the suburbs, we stayed in the shadow of Houston (just outside the city limits) in what became a more diverse area every year.
One comment that was fun to hear from the people who had moved away from the state and come back to visit, was how friendly Texas was and how they missed it. I was surprised to keep hearing it from different people in different conversations throughout the two night reunion. I wasn't able to attend the final family get-together on Sunday because I had to catch an early flight home, but I'm so grateful that my husband supported me going. I had a wonderful time and had a blast catching up with some very old friends.
One of the very different and great things about Alief is that it is so equally diverse. There is no real majority of race and a couple of nights ago I was standing next to my Chinese, Hispanic, Black, Arab and Indian friends almost in amazement that we were all so close and actually all in the same room. I seriously think the last time I was in a room that diverse was probably when I had my driver's license picture taken a few years ago and I was in Houston then too! I feel fortunate to have been able to attend a high school like that because I got the chance to learn so much about so many different people, races, religions, cultures, etc. It was more of an education than I bargained for and I will always be grateful that when a lot of our friends were moving farther out into the suburbs, we stayed in the shadow of Houston (just outside the city limits) in what became a more diverse area every year.
One comment that was fun to hear from the people who had moved away from the state and come back to visit, was how friendly Texas was and how they missed it. I was surprised to keep hearing it from different people in different conversations throughout the two night reunion. I wasn't able to attend the final family get-together on Sunday because I had to catch an early flight home, but I'm so grateful that my husband supported me going. I had a wonderful time and had a blast catching up with some very old friends.
Monday, July 23, 2007
another New England saying, Holy catholic church, one body, one Christ
As I was on the plane to Kansas (last May)(well to Detroit since that's where my layover was) for a former roommate and bridesmaids wedding, I sat next to a lady in a Catholic missions group. The group was on the plane too. She referred to New England Christians as the "frozen chosen". I thought that was hilarious, but pretty accurate. New England is a very challenging area spiritually (to put it delicately). It's interesting too because this is where the nation began and so many great men of the faith lived and attended church here. Anyway, times have changed. Now it's a very liberal area for the most part. The New England Christians I have met are quieter about their faith and not very evangelistic. However, the show their faith in other ways such as serving and helping the people and community around them. They are there for you when you need them most. They have a quiet, commitment to their friends and their church. I'm not referring to just Protestants in the area, since it's a predominantly Catholic area, I'm referring to ALL Christians. I have met some wonderful Catholic brothers and sisters in our neighborhood as well.
Which reminds me of something I believe and have wanted to convey for a long time. I just want to express the importance of our responsibility as Christians and Protestants of any denomination to support our Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ. Their church has gone through some difficult times as we all know and this has done a lot of damage to their witness and shaken their faith. I've talked to several people who have dismissed going to church at all (and believing in anything related to church) because of what's happened. So this is when we need to pray for them and for the Catholic church because we're really a part of the one Holy catholic (lower-case) church under one Lord and one Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I watched the replacement process of the pope pretty closely and was excited that they elected a conservative pope, Pope Benedict, to follow John Paul II. Because of the influence and power of the Catholic church and the stance that they have on certain issues such as abortion and homosexuality, I thought this was important. We need to remember that we are on the same side when it comes to these issues, even if we disagree about how to worship or on the leadership of the church etc.
I was disappointed when Pope Benedict issued a document a couple of weeks ago saying that the Roman Catholic church was the only true church and that Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches and thus, don't have the means to salvation. This really ignores that we all serve the same God. He asserts that Jesus only created one church, but we believe this is for all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and died and rose again for our sins.
Despite that however, I still believe we should, with full knowledge of our disagreements and differences, choose to support each other in our common missions and goals whether this be a political or moral stance, or simply to help people begin a relationship with Jesus.
Which reminds me of something I believe and have wanted to convey for a long time. I just want to express the importance of our responsibility as Christians and Protestants of any denomination to support our Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ. Their church has gone through some difficult times as we all know and this has done a lot of damage to their witness and shaken their faith. I've talked to several people who have dismissed going to church at all (and believing in anything related to church) because of what's happened. So this is when we need to pray for them and for the Catholic church because we're really a part of the one Holy catholic (lower-case) church under one Lord and one Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I watched the replacement process of the pope pretty closely and was excited that they elected a conservative pope, Pope Benedict, to follow John Paul II. Because of the influence and power of the Catholic church and the stance that they have on certain issues such as abortion and homosexuality, I thought this was important. We need to remember that we are on the same side when it comes to these issues, even if we disagree about how to worship or on the leadership of the church etc.
I was disappointed when Pope Benedict issued a document a couple of weeks ago saying that the Roman Catholic church was the only true church and that Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches and thus, don't have the means to salvation. This really ignores that we all serve the same God. He asserts that Jesus only created one church, but we believe this is for all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and died and rose again for our sins.
Despite that however, I still believe we should, with full knowledge of our disagreements and differences, choose to support each other in our common missions and goals whether this be a political or moral stance, or simply to help people begin a relationship with Jesus.
busy July
Wow, this month is flying! I just finished an incredibly busy week leading VBS singing and reviews at the beginning and end of the day with a friend. It was so fun to be up there in front of all the kids doing motions to fun songs and recapping the days' stories and Bible points and verses. Too bad we will have moved the same time next year. Maybe we'll be moved in enough so I can do it again though. SO much fun. We even did a recap on Sunday for the church. We had the kids come up and do a couple of songs, then retold a Bible story from the passed week. The kids love watching the wall of Jericho fall down! :)
Anyway, this Thursday, my gracious husband is watching the kids so I can go down to my 10 year high school reunion. Then when I fly home on Sunday, he drives 10 hours down to Dalgren, VA to begin classes there for 2 months. So we basically have 3 days left together until he's gone, except for any weekends he's able to fly up and visit. I'm hoping some of his family will come visit. Also, I have my sights set on September when pre-school starts because that will be different, fun and exciting and it will begin a whole new schedule for us. I already plan on going over a little pre-school book with him just to start home lessons during Ben's morning nap, just to get him into a routine and try to get him ready. Also, I'm hoping our little lessons go well so that he might enjoy home schooling later on if I decide we need to do that.
That's one of our plans now if we move back into our house in Norfolk. The public schools in our area are not good and we knew that moving in, but we had small children and knew we'd move before they would attend school. We didn't count on really loving that house though. :) So if we move back there I'll either put him in private school at Norfolk Christian or home school. The other option is buying another house in a good school district and letting him go to public school. I really like Norfolk Christian though, it's just a big investment. It's actually a very reasonably priced private school associated with the church we attended while we were in Norfolk, Tabernacle Church. Several of our friends attended and one of our friends teaches there. I think it's worth it, we'll just have to budget for it if that's what we decide to do. Who knows, our orders might change and we might not even be stationed in Norfolk. I really love the Norfolk, Virginia Beach area though. We'll see!
Anyway, this Thursday, my gracious husband is watching the kids so I can go down to my 10 year high school reunion. Then when I fly home on Sunday, he drives 10 hours down to Dalgren, VA to begin classes there for 2 months. So we basically have 3 days left together until he's gone, except for any weekends he's able to fly up and visit. I'm hoping some of his family will come visit. Also, I have my sights set on September when pre-school starts because that will be different, fun and exciting and it will begin a whole new schedule for us. I already plan on going over a little pre-school book with him just to start home lessons during Ben's morning nap, just to get him into a routine and try to get him ready. Also, I'm hoping our little lessons go well so that he might enjoy home schooling later on if I decide we need to do that.
That's one of our plans now if we move back into our house in Norfolk. The public schools in our area are not good and we knew that moving in, but we had small children and knew we'd move before they would attend school. We didn't count on really loving that house though. :) So if we move back there I'll either put him in private school at Norfolk Christian or home school. The other option is buying another house in a good school district and letting him go to public school. I really like Norfolk Christian though, it's just a big investment. It's actually a very reasonably priced private school associated with the church we attended while we were in Norfolk, Tabernacle Church. Several of our friends attended and one of our friends teaches there. I think it's worth it, we'll just have to budget for it if that's what we decide to do. Who knows, our orders might change and we might not even be stationed in Norfolk. I really love the Norfolk, Virginia Beach area though. We'll see!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
we're home!
what a whirlwind! We went to Europe and back in less than a week. Everything worked like clockwork, barely, and we made it! In fact, I was laughing at what a checklist might look like for what we did so here goes . . .
(oh yeah, we drove to Newburgh, NY on Wednesday afternoon to be near Stewart AFRB and catch our Thursday flight to Dover)
1. Thursday: catch "ify" mac flight to Dover then find out flight to Ramstein has been cancelled . . . check
2. surprise Dover AFB staff and try to fit on different plane going to Ramstein, Germany . . . check
3. 6 AM Friday morning: make it to Germany on a noisy C-5 (wearing earplugs the whole way) watching a sunset and sunrise (really cool) over a 7 hour flight and take taxi to nearby train station (by the way, "try to communicate in German" should be at the end of some of these next few) . . . check
4. buy correct passes/tickets for traveling through Germany and on to Prague . . . check
5. catch four trains, make all connections (usually late), poorly order lunch on train, sleep on train (barely), sit in wrong seats reserved for same people twice . . . check
6. get passports stamped when crossing Czech border (tense, but fun!) . . . check
7. end up in Prague and figure out how to take metro to our stop to meet Will's family . . . check
8. arrive w/i half and hour of the rehearsal dinner, meet Andrew and family for first time (Elanor's fiancee), surprise everyone that we actually made it . . . check
9. call mom back in RI with Will's Aunt's blackberry and cry b/c I miss my kids (that actually happened 3 times over the course of our trip) :) . . . check
10. Friday night and Sunday morning: attend rehearsal dinner, relax Saturday morning, walk through Prague (touristy part), get awkward pedicure and manicure from lady who barely spoke English, learn a bunch of Czech words, get Czech money (crowns) . . . check
11. attend beautiful, and very different Anglican wedding at 7 PM and see Elanor and Andrew ride off to reception in horse drawn carriage . . . check
12. attend reception and get to bed at midnight suffering from jetlag :) . . . check
13. Sunday: finish gift shopping Sunday morning after sleeping late and finding a French Czech restaurant to have breakfast at . . . check
14. train back to Germany, not able to buy ticket at all at first and irritating Czech attendant when we only have Euro's to pay for it . . . check
15. stop in Munich late for the night, no place to stay, hungry, figure our how to use pay phone and call hotel, take taxi to hotel, arrive at 11, walk to dinner a few blocks away (still open thank the Lord) and finally sleep at 1 . . . check
16. Monday: walk through Englisher Garten (largest inner city garden in Europe) get rained on twice, figure out metro system back to huge Deutche Bohn (German train) station where we had Burger King and sank into our private first class train room for long trip back to Kaiserslautern train station . . . check
17. after 2 or 3 train changes arrive in Ramstein, taxi back to base and sign up for mac flight leaving on Tuesday . . . check
18. Tuesday: after staying in cute hotel in town of Ramstein and having a nice meal at a local restaurant the night before, we taxi to Ramstein base at 8 AM to stand in line and hopefully catch a potentially very full flight back to Dover, DE . . . check
19. make it on flight, whew! (note: when flying space-A on a free military flight, you are not guaranteed a seat. You are given priority in travel based on your Class and when you signed up for the flight. We are Class 3 (active duty) and signed up for the flight 5 days before when we arrived. There were 99 seats to fill and a large room full of people to fill them, thus the thrill of "making" the flight!!) . . . check
20. arrive in US on Tuesday afternoon and fly to Providence, RI on a delayed flight (now 2 AM Germany time and we are tired!! Germany is 6 hours ahead of East Coast time) . . . check
21. friends pick us up at Providence airport and we arrive safely home in Middletown at 9:30 (now 3:30 AM German time) ugh! but soooo happy to hold sleeping children and see Mom!!! . . . check
22. Wednesday: drive back to Stewart AFRB to get car where we left it, see West Point and beautiful Hudson river valley along the way . . . check
Whew! what a trip!! My Mom did a wonderful job with the boys, I swear they didn't miss us. :) She flew out on Friday and I began VBS as a singing/drama leader this past Monday. We're still going!! Will leaves July 31 for a 2 month school in Dalgren, VA the same day I return from my 10 year high school reunion in Houston. This summer is flying by! Thanks for all the prayers of safely while we were gone. I'll post pics when I can. Germany was absolutely beautiful country! I wish we could be stationed there for a little while so we could learn the language and culture. Taking the train around really enabled us to see so much and the public transportation system in Europe is so incredible, it's amazing (and probably a shame) we don't have the same thing in place over here. It was so easy to get around and once you were on a train you didn't have to worry about driving and you had time to talk, or rest, or sleep or read . . . it was wonderful!! :)
(oh yeah, we drove to Newburgh, NY on Wednesday afternoon to be near Stewart AFRB and catch our Thursday flight to Dover)
1. Thursday: catch "ify" mac flight to Dover then find out flight to Ramstein has been cancelled . . . check
2. surprise Dover AFB staff and try to fit on different plane going to Ramstein, Germany . . . check
3. 6 AM Friday morning: make it to Germany on a noisy C-5 (wearing earplugs the whole way) watching a sunset and sunrise (really cool) over a 7 hour flight and take taxi to nearby train station (by the way, "try to communicate in German" should be at the end of some of these next few) . . . check
4. buy correct passes/tickets for traveling through Germany and on to Prague . . . check
5. catch four trains, make all connections (usually late), poorly order lunch on train, sleep on train (barely), sit in wrong seats reserved for same people twice . . . check
6. get passports stamped when crossing Czech border (tense, but fun!) . . . check
7. end up in Prague and figure out how to take metro to our stop to meet Will's family . . . check
8. arrive w/i half and hour of the rehearsal dinner, meet Andrew and family for first time (Elanor's fiancee), surprise everyone that we actually made it . . . check
9. call mom back in RI with Will's Aunt's blackberry and cry b/c I miss my kids (that actually happened 3 times over the course of our trip) :) . . . check
10. Friday night and Sunday morning: attend rehearsal dinner, relax Saturday morning, walk through Prague (touristy part), get awkward pedicure and manicure from lady who barely spoke English, learn a bunch of Czech words, get Czech money (crowns) . . . check
11. attend beautiful, and very different Anglican wedding at 7 PM and see Elanor and Andrew ride off to reception in horse drawn carriage . . . check
12. attend reception and get to bed at midnight suffering from jetlag :) . . . check
13. Sunday: finish gift shopping Sunday morning after sleeping late and finding a French Czech restaurant to have breakfast at . . . check
14. train back to Germany, not able to buy ticket at all at first and irritating Czech attendant when we only have Euro's to pay for it . . . check
15. stop in Munich late for the night, no place to stay, hungry, figure our how to use pay phone and call hotel, take taxi to hotel, arrive at 11, walk to dinner a few blocks away (still open thank the Lord) and finally sleep at 1 . . . check
16. Monday: walk through Englisher Garten (largest inner city garden in Europe) get rained on twice, figure out metro system back to huge Deutche Bohn (German train) station where we had Burger King and sank into our private first class train room for long trip back to Kaiserslautern train station . . . check
17. after 2 or 3 train changes arrive in Ramstein, taxi back to base and sign up for mac flight leaving on Tuesday . . . check
18. Tuesday: after staying in cute hotel in town of Ramstein and having a nice meal at a local restaurant the night before, we taxi to Ramstein base at 8 AM to stand in line and hopefully catch a potentially very full flight back to Dover, DE . . . check
19. make it on flight, whew! (note: when flying space-A on a free military flight, you are not guaranteed a seat. You are given priority in travel based on your Class and when you signed up for the flight. We are Class 3 (active duty) and signed up for the flight 5 days before when we arrived. There were 99 seats to fill and a large room full of people to fill them, thus the thrill of "making" the flight!!) . . . check
20. arrive in US on Tuesday afternoon and fly to Providence, RI on a delayed flight (now 2 AM Germany time and we are tired!! Germany is 6 hours ahead of East Coast time) . . . check
21. friends pick us up at Providence airport and we arrive safely home in Middletown at 9:30 (now 3:30 AM German time) ugh! but soooo happy to hold sleeping children and see Mom!!! . . . check
22. Wednesday: drive back to Stewart AFRB to get car where we left it, see West Point and beautiful Hudson river valley along the way . . . check
Whew! what a trip!! My Mom did a wonderful job with the boys, I swear they didn't miss us. :) She flew out on Friday and I began VBS as a singing/drama leader this past Monday. We're still going!! Will leaves July 31 for a 2 month school in Dalgren, VA the same day I return from my 10 year high school reunion in Houston. This summer is flying by! Thanks for all the prayers of safely while we were gone. I'll post pics when I can. Germany was absolutely beautiful country! I wish we could be stationed there for a little while so we could learn the language and culture. Taking the train around really enabled us to see so much and the public transportation system in Europe is so incredible, it's amazing (and probably a shame) we don't have the same thing in place over here. It was so easy to get around and once you were on a train you didn't have to worry about driving and you had time to talk, or rest, or sleep or read . . . it was wonderful!! :)
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
waiting . . .
Well, our mac flight was canceled today (which is completely common for mac flights, that's why they're free) :) so then we spent a few hours in the morning trying to buy a last minute flight+hotel deal and the website wasn't letting us through. After a few hours on the phone and trying different things, Will finally had to take a break. That was all before 10 AM this morning. So then I called another base and found out they had a flight to where we need to go later on this week. We're going to try to catch that one, and all the trains to take us to Prague after we get to Europe. Getting back here should be less challenging, but just as interesting. We'll see. :) If it comes down to the wire, we'll buy me a ticket home and Will will follow later on a free flight.
All this going back and forth between commercial and military/train travel has been a bit stressful, but we're easing into the drama. It will be quite a story for later though, that's for sure! :) We're trying to take things one step at a time, not taking anything for sure, or granted and if we make it, wonderful, if not, well, we really tried. I know Will would be more disappointed than that though since it's his sisters wedding, but we were never sure we would even make it in the first place.
Anyway, we're both nearly packed in our hiking backpacks and feeling more prepared now than if we had left this morning. Plus, we don't have to pack as many clothes since we're leaving later so that's a plus too. Oh yeah, and we get to spend more time with my mom and leave her here for less time alone with the boys. I'm going to miss them so much!
Well, time to start our trip again . . . tomorrow :)
All this going back and forth between commercial and military/train travel has been a bit stressful, but we're easing into the drama. It will be quite a story for later though, that's for sure! :) We're trying to take things one step at a time, not taking anything for sure, or granted and if we make it, wonderful, if not, well, we really tried. I know Will would be more disappointed than that though since it's his sisters wedding, but we were never sure we would even make it in the first place.
Anyway, we're both nearly packed in our hiking backpacks and feeling more prepared now than if we had left this morning. Plus, we don't have to pack as many clothes since we're leaving later so that's a plus too. Oh yeah, and we get to spend more time with my mom and leave her here for less time alone with the boys. I'm going to miss them so much!
Well, time to start our trip again . . . tomorrow :)
Sunday, July 01, 2007
zzzzzzzzzz
Oh yeah, another thing we did this past week was get a new mattress. We have had a hand-me-down one since we got married that was well-worn before we got it. We opted for a Simmons Beautyrest Plush top in a King size. :) The thing is 15 inches thick!! Anyway, it's so comfy and we're sleeping and feeling so much better on it. Mattresses can make a huge difference in how you feel and I'm so glad we finally got a new one.
We went with a King because we enjoy snuggling with the boys in the morning, but we were always getting trampled on before if they decided to start moving around. Plus, we plan to have more kids and thought it would be fun to have the space as a family. We wrestle, and tickle and play on the bed so it's like a soft, social gathering area at certain times of the day in our house. :) Also, my circulation has been bad since I was a kid. Limbs would fall asleep in elementary school if I sat the wrong way. So now, it's nice to be able to stretch out at night and not poke Will. Yes, I'm one of those people who can't touch anyone if I'm trying to sleep. Unless I'm really tired and we're snuggling. That works.
Before we got it Will said the only reason he slept on our previous mattress and not on the couch was because I was there. Now he actually looks forward to going to sleep. Amazingly, it also makes it easier to get up in the morning, because we feel so good! Time to go try it out again for the second night while I wait for Will to get home from the Boston airport with my Mom! YAY! zzzzzzzzzz
We went with a King because we enjoy snuggling with the boys in the morning, but we were always getting trampled on before if they decided to start moving around. Plus, we plan to have more kids and thought it would be fun to have the space as a family. We wrestle, and tickle and play on the bed so it's like a soft, social gathering area at certain times of the day in our house. :) Also, my circulation has been bad since I was a kid. Limbs would fall asleep in elementary school if I sat the wrong way. So now, it's nice to be able to stretch out at night and not poke Will. Yes, I'm one of those people who can't touch anyone if I'm trying to sleep. Unless I'm really tired and we're snuggling. That works.
Before we got it Will said the only reason he slept on our previous mattress and not on the couch was because I was there. Now he actually looks forward to going to sleep. Amazingly, it also makes it easier to get up in the morning, because we feel so good! Time to go try it out again for the second night while I wait for Will to get home from the Boston airport with my Mom! YAY! zzzzzzzzzz
one by one
my goodness what a busy summer we're having, and I don't even have kids in school yet! Will and his friends made it home last Monday from their boat trip. We spent all week running errands and doing chores since he had the week off. We also, just enjoyed some downtime. I'm not sure we had time for the downtime, but it was nice to relax anyway and be together after the busy weeks we'd had before with Will graduating, and the boat trip etc.
I busied myself getting the house in order for a trip to Prague, Czech Republic this week. Will's sister is getting married over there this Saturday, July 7 to a guy she met at Abilene Christian U who's from Ohio I think. They're over there on a year long mission trip. I haven't said much about the trip because I wasn't sure if we would be able to go, but pieces are falling into place and it looks like it will happen. We're going to try to mac-flight (military space-available) out of a nearby reserve base over to Ramstein in Germany, then take trains over to Prague. All of it is a little tricky with security measures, timing, luggage (backpacks basically) not to mention language and exchange barriers. It will be an adventure for sure! My mom is flying in tonight to take care of the boys for us for 2 weeks. Hopefully we'll make it back in time to spend time with her before she leaves though.
Bon Voyage! (I'll have to look up how to say that in Czech)
I busied myself getting the house in order for a trip to Prague, Czech Republic this week. Will's sister is getting married over there this Saturday, July 7 to a guy she met at Abilene Christian U who's from Ohio I think. They're over there on a year long mission trip. I haven't said much about the trip because I wasn't sure if we would be able to go, but pieces are falling into place and it looks like it will happen. We're going to try to mac-flight (military space-available) out of a nearby reserve base over to Ramstein in Germany, then take trains over to Prague. All of it is a little tricky with security measures, timing, luggage (backpacks basically) not to mention language and exchange barriers. It will be an adventure for sure! My mom is flying in tonight to take care of the boys for us for 2 weeks. Hopefully we'll make it back in time to spend time with her before she leaves though.
Bon Voyage! (I'll have to look up how to say that in Czech)
Saturday, June 23, 2007
long day starting at 1 AM
So, putting Charley to bed in undies w/o anything to drink and going to the potty right before bed still didn't work. He woke up crying around 1:15 AM because he was all wet. The only sheets I had left were some girly pink striped ones and a floral pillowcase. :) I'm still washing his other ones from wetting the last two nights before last night. Still, after I changed all his clothes and his bed, he came back in to snuggle with me at 1:50. I let him stay until around 2:15, but then I couldn't fall back to sleep until around 2:45! Ugh!! Then wake up call every morning is just before 6 and I try to stay in bed and make them wait until 6:30. It's not really a relaxing time for me though. So I dragged myself out of bed and now it's 11:45 and I still feel like I'm half asleep. We played outside and went to BJ's this morning. They're down for an early nap so we can go to the air show in the early afternoon. So, I'd better grab a nap while I can! See ya!
Friday, June 22, 2007
tears of relief, joy, pride
So today is day 3 since Will's been on the boating trip. He said it's been a little rougher than they expected with some engine trouble and rough seas, but they made up a lot of time today with some smoother waters and might make their destination of Annapolis by tomorrow. He got sea sick today though, which wasn't fun, but said he's feeling better.
My plan for today was to take the kids to the mall. I had some things to return and there was a big sale going on that I wanted to use a 20% off coupon with. We left at 9ish this morning for a 40-45 minute drive to the Warwick mall. The thought was for Ben to take his morning nap in the car on the way, and for us to be home before 12/1 o'clock naps in the afternoon. :) ha ha I was also planning on going to Target after the mall. Well, Ben did sleep in the car, but we never made it to Target and didn't leave the mall until 12:50. They usually are napping by then. :) It turns out that I got an even bigger discount on some things I needed because I got to apply for a new Macy's card so I wanted to use it to get stuff I might wait on (but really need later) that I really liked. I'm pretty good about returning stuff I realize I don't need right away anyway. By the way, I think that's the second time I had been to the mall all year so I tend to cram all my shopping in at once for stuff I've been waiting to get. Anyway, that's why we were there for so long. It was fun and the day flew because of it, which was nice.
Ok, enough about shopping. The real reason I wanted to post is because the boys were soooo good for me that I actually cried when we left. We ended up staying and have lunch at the mall and I had some returns from VS to make (they're have a big sale too) and then we went back to Macy's where I actually tried on a dress, took Charley to the potty for the second time and then made it out to the car when I realized (after the kids were buckled in) that we'd left Ben's bear/blanket inside. I just couldn't leave them and run in really quick so I got them out, left the stroller and walked in. Someone had left it right inside the door on a display knowing I'd come back and find it. I was just so proud of them. They didn't whine, or fuss, or pick at each other (well barely at all). Charley told me he had to go potty and went! He sat in his chair at lunch and I didn't have to strap him to a high chair or the stroller. He stood halfway on the stroller and the chair most of the time, but that was fine, at least he was staying put. He's so active, especially after being tied to a stroller for an hour or two, that he needs some running time, but he was sooo good for me. I was really surprised actually. Turning 3 has really done wonders for him or he's turning a corner or something. He didn't break down or throw a fit about anything and we all talked and had fun the whole time! (he did when we got home because he was sooo tired, but that's my fault) :) I was so grateful b/c the morning didn't start out that smoothly and Charley was crying for Daddy twice before 8 AM. But, we made it out of the house, whew! and on the way home, Ben slept, and I managed to keep Charley awake passed his nap time so we could make it home. We got home at 1:30. Ben went right down and I made Charley go down at 2. He slept for 2 hours and Ben stayed down for the same time as well so all in all, Ben slept for 3 hours and Charley 2. I didn't sleep because I had coke for lunch, but I still rested. It was a nice break. The evening was long, but we made it and tomorrow we're going to the air show to see the Blue Angels! Sunday is church and another long afternoon and then Will flies home Monday!! :) and I will have made it. ugh deployment is going to be a beast! At least Charley will be in school. :)
Anyway, another really neat thing is that it seemed like at every store or place we went, there was never a line, then one would develop right behind me. I felt like God was just sheltering me or giving me an easy time or something just to give me a break. It was really nice. Thank you Lord for whatever You were doing. I felt your love so many times, and thank you for my wonderful boys and that they did so well today. I really needed that!
Also, I have to mention, in other news, Charley went #2 for the second time again today!! I'm so excited. It so strange what a difference being potty trained makes. He's really getting the hang of it. He didn't have an accident all day and is getting to the point where he's only having them at night. I should have put him in a pull-up, but I want him to get up and go. I don't know, maybe night is another step for later on. I know people who still put their 4 & 5 year olds in pull-ups just in case. I don't think I'll do that, but the whole potty training thing is still new so maybe I should. Well, he's in undies tonight, went pee right before bed and hadn't had anything to drink for an hour or two before bed, so we'll see if that helps. :)
g'night!
My plan for today was to take the kids to the mall. I had some things to return and there was a big sale going on that I wanted to use a 20% off coupon with. We left at 9ish this morning for a 40-45 minute drive to the Warwick mall. The thought was for Ben to take his morning nap in the car on the way, and for us to be home before 12/1 o'clock naps in the afternoon. :) ha ha I was also planning on going to Target after the mall. Well, Ben did sleep in the car, but we never made it to Target and didn't leave the mall until 12:50. They usually are napping by then. :) It turns out that I got an even bigger discount on some things I needed because I got to apply for a new Macy's card so I wanted to use it to get stuff I might wait on (but really need later) that I really liked. I'm pretty good about returning stuff I realize I don't need right away anyway. By the way, I think that's the second time I had been to the mall all year so I tend to cram all my shopping in at once for stuff I've been waiting to get. Anyway, that's why we were there for so long. It was fun and the day flew because of it, which was nice.
Ok, enough about shopping. The real reason I wanted to post is because the boys were soooo good for me that I actually cried when we left. We ended up staying and have lunch at the mall and I had some returns from VS to make (they're have a big sale too) and then we went back to Macy's where I actually tried on a dress, took Charley to the potty for the second time and then made it out to the car when I realized (after the kids were buckled in) that we'd left Ben's bear/blanket inside. I just couldn't leave them and run in really quick so I got them out, left the stroller and walked in. Someone had left it right inside the door on a display knowing I'd come back and find it. I was just so proud of them. They didn't whine, or fuss, or pick at each other (well barely at all). Charley told me he had to go potty and went! He sat in his chair at lunch and I didn't have to strap him to a high chair or the stroller. He stood halfway on the stroller and the chair most of the time, but that was fine, at least he was staying put. He's so active, especially after being tied to a stroller for an hour or two, that he needs some running time, but he was sooo good for me. I was really surprised actually. Turning 3 has really done wonders for him or he's turning a corner or something. He didn't break down or throw a fit about anything and we all talked and had fun the whole time! (he did when we got home because he was sooo tired, but that's my fault) :) I was so grateful b/c the morning didn't start out that smoothly and Charley was crying for Daddy twice before 8 AM. But, we made it out of the house, whew! and on the way home, Ben slept, and I managed to keep Charley awake passed his nap time so we could make it home. We got home at 1:30. Ben went right down and I made Charley go down at 2. He slept for 2 hours and Ben stayed down for the same time as well so all in all, Ben slept for 3 hours and Charley 2. I didn't sleep because I had coke for lunch, but I still rested. It was a nice break. The evening was long, but we made it and tomorrow we're going to the air show to see the Blue Angels! Sunday is church and another long afternoon and then Will flies home Monday!! :) and I will have made it. ugh deployment is going to be a beast! At least Charley will be in school. :)
Anyway, another really neat thing is that it seemed like at every store or place we went, there was never a line, then one would develop right behind me. I felt like God was just sheltering me or giving me an easy time or something just to give me a break. It was really nice. Thank you Lord for whatever You were doing. I felt your love so many times, and thank you for my wonderful boys and that they did so well today. I really needed that!
Also, I have to mention, in other news, Charley went #2 for the second time again today!! I'm so excited. It so strange what a difference being potty trained makes. He's really getting the hang of it. He didn't have an accident all day and is getting to the point where he's only having them at night. I should have put him in a pull-up, but I want him to get up and go. I don't know, maybe night is another step for later on. I know people who still put their 4 & 5 year olds in pull-ups just in case. I don't think I'll do that, but the whole potty training thing is still new so maybe I should. Well, he's in undies tonight, went pee right before bed and hadn't had anything to drink for an hour or two before bed, so we'll see if that helps. :)
g'night!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
ahh beautiful opera!
I stumbled upon this clip in another blog and had to post it. It's absolutely beautiful. Paul Potts, the latest America's Got Talent winner sings "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's Turandot. Just beautiful!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Boat trip news
. . . it was too foggy for the guys to leave when they had planned this morning. So after going to bed at 12:30 last night and getting up at 5 something, driving Will to the boat, going home to get something he wanted and coming back, we all ended up going to have breakfast then coming back to the boat. That's when Will discovered he forgot the laptop charger and had to take me back home to get it. It was already 9 something and Ben was asleep. It's just funny because he could have driven himself in the first place. It was a fun adventure even though we were very tired. It will be a long day for the guys trying to navigate through pea soup and showers. They're supposed to make it to Long Island to the Merchant Marine Academy which apparently is a mansion and the former residence of a Roosevelt or some other wealthy person, I can't remember.
As for me, we all came home and took naps. I was so glad Charley was tired and ready to sleep. It means that he won't nap this afternoon, but that's ok. The day has been moving quickly and I'm got a babysitter tonight for a First Presbyterian Ladies Night Out at a Pawsocks game in Newport. I'm not a big baseball fan, but it will be fun to get away again and hang out with the ladies.
As for me, we all came home and took naps. I was so glad Charley was tired and ready to sleep. It means that he won't nap this afternoon, but that's ok. The day has been moving quickly and I'm got a babysitter tonight for a First Presbyterian Ladies Night Out at a Pawsocks game in Newport. I'm not a big baseball fan, but it will be fun to get away again and hang out with the ladies.
Victory . . . maybe
Well, I was all ready to post a happy, excited, hallelujah, hooray, and tadah post that Charley went poopers on the potty last night for the first time!! This is, of course, wonderful and exciting, but this morning, he had a tiny stool, like the kind he had when we had to put him on the Glycolax to get things moving. He also wanted me to put a diaper on him so he could go in it instead of using the potty. I obliged because I thought he was in pain and was trying to pick my battles. Then, just a little while ago, he had a normal size/consistency stool but went in his undies. yuck! He told me he had to go pee and so I thought he had gone, since he frequently tells me then goes by himself, but it turns out he didn't go at all and I was downstairs (he was up) thinking he'd taken care of things and the next thing I know, he's calling me to tell me he went in his undies. hmmmmm we still haven't started him back on the Glycolax, but the randomness of his stools are throwing me off. We're just going to have to take this a day at a time and see what develops.
It is great though that he at least felt comfortable enough to go on the potty. Will threw a little mini-celebration for him (lots of Shrek M'n'M's was the promised reward if he did this). I missed it because I was taking a Mom's night out before Will took off on his boat trip. I did get a phone call at Target though and Charley told me everything! Apparently, he was asking to call me before he'd even finished. I was sad not to be there, but I needed the break.
It is great though that he at least felt comfortable enough to go on the potty. Will threw a little mini-celebration for him (lots of Shrek M'n'M's was the promised reward if he did this). I missed it because I was taking a Mom's night out before Will took off on his boat trip. I did get a phone call at Target though and Charley told me everything! Apparently, he was asking to call me before he'd even finished. I was sad not to be there, but I needed the break.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
nothin' much, or not
I want to post something, but don't really have anything to say :) Just random thoughts that don't comprise a theme, which is always fun! :)
I'm stressing a little about Will leaving tomorrow to go on his 5 day boat trip. I have a few activities planned to keep us occupied and one night with a babysitter, but that's about it. They're getting easier to do things with, but Ben's fussiness combined with Charley's strong will at times, makes things very interesting and impossible for me to predict. I'm sure no one knows what I'm talking about. :) hee hee We may be watching some movies this week to help out. Although, I think I've been doing such a good job of keeping Charley down to watching only half an hour to no television each day.
Charley is almost fully potty trained as far as going pee. We're having some setbacks on the poop front. He hasn't gone in a day and when he went before, it was solid and hard for him to push out. We might have to start up the Glycolax again or try Fibersure that a friend of mine, Rachel, is using with her daughter. He's still trying to go, at least, and on the potty no less. He used to want us to put him in a diaper before he'd go. Who knows, he may want us to again once he starts going. Two steps forward, one step back, and one step at a time. We'll get there eventually. :)
Ok, I'll say it, (partially because another friend of mine, Christianne, mentioned it on her blog first), I've been having lots of baby thoughts lately! aaaaghh :) We've gone back and forth about timing etc. and agreed that we'd wait until Ben was around 2 to try again, and that's still the plan, and my hope. That doesn't mean you can always control your thoughts. It's not like their bad thoughts, just thoughts about holding a newborn, being prego again, nursing, swaddling, all the noises and smells and crying . . . knowing that both boys would love it and want to make it happy and take care of it. I loved giving birth at the Newport Hospital. They have a wonderful birthing ward with wonderful nurses and our experience there was, well, wonderful. But we're moving in a year and to do that with a newborn, especially when we're talking about moving states, or even overseas, would be quite a challenge. Not to mention, Will would need to focus on his responsibilities on his new ship and not need the stress of a baby not sleeping through the night yet etc. I want to be able to support him, not need him a lot. Anyway, we're praying about it right now so that hopefully these "thoughts" will go away, or God would confirm that it is the right time to have another, or I could just get pregnant, although birth control is working pretty well for us right now. God's bigger than the pill though. :)
Ok, that's all of my random thoughts for now, so now I can let go of them. Whew, one less thing to keep up with in my brain. :) ta ta
I'm stressing a little about Will leaving tomorrow to go on his 5 day boat trip. I have a few activities planned to keep us occupied and one night with a babysitter, but that's about it. They're getting easier to do things with, but Ben's fussiness combined with Charley's strong will at times, makes things very interesting and impossible for me to predict. I'm sure no one knows what I'm talking about. :) hee hee We may be watching some movies this week to help out. Although, I think I've been doing such a good job of keeping Charley down to watching only half an hour to no television each day.
Charley is almost fully potty trained as far as going pee. We're having some setbacks on the poop front. He hasn't gone in a day and when he went before, it was solid and hard for him to push out. We might have to start up the Glycolax again or try Fibersure that a friend of mine, Rachel, is using with her daughter. He's still trying to go, at least, and on the potty no less. He used to want us to put him in a diaper before he'd go. Who knows, he may want us to again once he starts going. Two steps forward, one step back, and one step at a time. We'll get there eventually. :)
Ok, I'll say it, (partially because another friend of mine, Christianne, mentioned it on her blog first), I've been having lots of baby thoughts lately! aaaaghh :) We've gone back and forth about timing etc. and agreed that we'd wait until Ben was around 2 to try again, and that's still the plan, and my hope. That doesn't mean you can always control your thoughts. It's not like their bad thoughts, just thoughts about holding a newborn, being prego again, nursing, swaddling, all the noises and smells and crying . . . knowing that both boys would love it and want to make it happy and take care of it. I loved giving birth at the Newport Hospital. They have a wonderful birthing ward with wonderful nurses and our experience there was, well, wonderful. But we're moving in a year and to do that with a newborn, especially when we're talking about moving states, or even overseas, would be quite a challenge. Not to mention, Will would need to focus on his responsibilities on his new ship and not need the stress of a baby not sleeping through the night yet etc. I want to be able to support him, not need him a lot. Anyway, we're praying about it right now so that hopefully these "thoughts" will go away, or God would confirm that it is the right time to have another, or I could just get pregnant, although birth control is working pretty well for us right now. God's bigger than the pill though. :)
Ok, that's all of my random thoughts for now, so now I can let go of them. Whew, one less thing to keep up with in my brain. :) ta ta
Monday, June 18, 2007
blossoming!
Oh my goodness, Ben is growing so quickly and blossoming right before our eyes! He's catching onto so much and communicating so much as well. It in such a beginning stage that it still catches us off guard when he does it. Today, we told him to go put a dirty shirt in the dirty clothes hamper. I never thought he'd do it and was really kidding, but low and behold, he walked straight back to his room and did it! Will and I had the most amazed looks on our faces since we didn't even think he knew what that was, much less could follow a one step direction. Well, he's 1 so I guess it's time, but he still feels like my baby so I guess I just wasn't ready for it. It's here now though so here we go.
By the way, one of his favorite hobbies is to go fish the wet diapers out of the trashcan and put them in the dirty diaper holder. (I only put dirty ones in there so I don't waste bag space with wet diapers that don't smell as much) It's really cute to watch, although I don't relish him digging in the trash. :) Oh well, it's not toxic and I wash his hands enough.
He's also in a climbing stage. He can crawl up on the chairs and onto the top of the kitchen table with no sweat. It's surprising and scary. :) So we have to keep the chairs away from the table so he doesn't do that.
Unfortunately, all this "understanding" has led to a discovery of his own "will". He's in a really fussy stage right now because he realized we wants to do all of this stuff that he can't or that I won't let him do. This is especially frustrating when he decides to get picky about his food and since I refuse to keep fishing around for stuff he will eat, he can either stop fussing or go to bed to take a break. I think he went hungry this morning, but he made up for it later and one or even two missed meals aren't going to hurt him. I think children's appetites are so subjective at this age anyway that they're always changing. However, he has a little habit right now if throwing food or drinks on the floor and so formal discipline has finally begun for him. It's hard to get used to because I still think of him as my innocent little baby who can't help crying or throwing etc. Not anymore!
He's also teething again right now so that's part of it. He's taking up to 3 naps a day at times and still sleeping a full 9-10 hours at night! It's a trial, but I'm hoping he'll learn the ropes soon and the fussiness will end.
It's also kind of funny because for the longest time we've worked on Charley sharing with Ben and he's done a really good job. But now, Ben has to learn to share and not always get into Charley's stuff. I'm glad Charley finally gets to feel and learn that the rules don't just apply to him.
Anyway, just another chapter in the beautiful life of my wonderful and really, really cute blue-eyed boy Ben.
By the way, one of his favorite hobbies is to go fish the wet diapers out of the trashcan and put them in the dirty diaper holder. (I only put dirty ones in there so I don't waste bag space with wet diapers that don't smell as much) It's really cute to watch, although I don't relish him digging in the trash. :) Oh well, it's not toxic and I wash his hands enough.
He's also in a climbing stage. He can crawl up on the chairs and onto the top of the kitchen table with no sweat. It's surprising and scary. :) So we have to keep the chairs away from the table so he doesn't do that.
Unfortunately, all this "understanding" has led to a discovery of his own "will". He's in a really fussy stage right now because he realized we wants to do all of this stuff that he can't or that I won't let him do. This is especially frustrating when he decides to get picky about his food and since I refuse to keep fishing around for stuff he will eat, he can either stop fussing or go to bed to take a break. I think he went hungry this morning, but he made up for it later and one or even two missed meals aren't going to hurt him. I think children's appetites are so subjective at this age anyway that they're always changing. However, he has a little habit right now if throwing food or drinks on the floor and so formal discipline has finally begun for him. It's hard to get used to because I still think of him as my innocent little baby who can't help crying or throwing etc. Not anymore!
He's also teething again right now so that's part of it. He's taking up to 3 naps a day at times and still sleeping a full 9-10 hours at night! It's a trial, but I'm hoping he'll learn the ropes soon and the fussiness will end.
It's also kind of funny because for the longest time we've worked on Charley sharing with Ben and he's done a really good job. But now, Ben has to learn to share and not always get into Charley's stuff. I'm glad Charley finally gets to feel and learn that the rules don't just apply to him.
Anyway, just another chapter in the beautiful life of my wonderful and really, really cute blue-eyed boy Ben.
Happy 6 Years! and Happy Father's Day!
Happy Anniversary and Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband Will. We've been through so much in 6 years (2 kids, 5 moves, 1 deployment and more) and I only dreamed we could be this happy! Thanks for your patience and love and for being such a wonderful Dad! It's nice to know you love the job. I trust you with my kids, my life and my future and I look forward to many more years (in the Navy or out) with you.
For our anniversary, we went out to dinner at Newport's Vincent's on the Pier. Will got stuffed lobster and I got clam chowder and shrimp ceasar salad. We had calamari for an appetizer and didn't have room for dessert. It was fun getting all dressed up and then afterwards, we sat on the pier looking at the water, boats and sunset for a bit. It was chilly though so we took a drive on the beautiful Ocean Drive (around the South part of the island) then went home.
Father's Day was a little more low key since we felt like we'd been partying all weekend with the graduation and our anniversary. We went to church, and Charley stayed in the adult church with us for the first time until they had children's story time and dismissed them for Sunday School. He also wore undies their for the first time and didn't have an accident the whole time!!! After church we took naps, except for Will, he was waiting for a friend from El Salvador to come by. His friend brought us a beautiful hammock and some cute children's toys from El Salvador. Then he did some chores and we all went to the neighbor's Graduation party. We were in bed by 9:30 because Will had to get up at 2:30 AM to drive his El Salvadorian friend's mother to the airport. He got back home at 6:20 this morning and is beat. He's done with school now though so he has a few weeks off.
Will leaves on Wednesday with a friend, Jeremy, to drive a boat down to Annapolis for 5 days! I hope it will be a nice little vacation for him. I'm sure they'll have a great time!
I love you Will!!! :)
For our anniversary, we went out to dinner at Newport's Vincent's on the Pier. Will got stuffed lobster and I got clam chowder and shrimp ceasar salad. We had calamari for an appetizer and didn't have room for dessert. It was fun getting all dressed up and then afterwards, we sat on the pier looking at the water, boats and sunset for a bit. It was chilly though so we took a drive on the beautiful Ocean Drive (around the South part of the island) then went home.
Father's Day was a little more low key since we felt like we'd been partying all weekend with the graduation and our anniversary. We went to church, and Charley stayed in the adult church with us for the first time until they had children's story time and dismissed them for Sunday School. He also wore undies their for the first time and didn't have an accident the whole time!!! After church we took naps, except for Will, he was waiting for a friend from El Salvador to come by. His friend brought us a beautiful hammock and some cute children's toys from El Salvador. Then he did some chores and we all went to the neighbor's Graduation party. We were in bed by 9:30 because Will had to get up at 2:30 AM to drive his El Salvadorian friend's mother to the airport. He got back home at 6:20 this morning and is beat. He's done with school now though so he has a few weeks off.
Will leaves on Wednesday with a friend, Jeremy, to drive a boat down to Annapolis for 5 days! I hope it will be a nice little vacation for him. I'm sure they'll have a great time!
I love you Will!!! :)
Friday, June 15, 2007
Naval War College Graduation!
Congrats to my husband! He graduated from the U.S. Naval War College today! We were there all morning and it was a beautiful day for it. The graduation was held outside under an enormous tent. It reminded me of the circus. Anyway, he got all dressed up in his chokers (ahh beautiful white uniform, although I like summer whites the best). I got dressed up in a summer skirt and nice sandals etc., even got to curl my hair! :) We got a babysitter for the boys, which was nice.
One of the fun things about being there was seeing all the different ways the international students and their families were dressed. There were some ladies from Africa with beautiful head dresses on (I don't want to say hats, because it was more like folded fabric, very elaborate, beautiful). I saw a Japanese lady wearing a gorgeous kimono. There were some Indian students there and their wives were wearing sari's, it was all so need to see. It's also interesting to see the uniforms of the other countries. They're basic uniforms though. There were quite a few foreign students in this class.
Anyway, Will is very relieved to be finished and now we can begin our last year here (I hope) as he begins department head school. He'll be down in Dalgren, VA geobatching for 2 months from August through September, then back up here to begin school in October. We'll find out our next duty station and move next June. That's the plan for now anyway. :)
By the way, this weekend is exciting, today Will graduated, tomorrow is our 6 year wedding anniversary, and Sunday is Father's Day! :) We're going out tonight and tomorrow night (I think), but I think we'll be home and relax on Sunday for a nice easy going day.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
good news on the bowel front
Yay! I just had to post that Charley has been off of his Miralax for 5 days now and has pooped once a day for the last three days. I can't remember the 2 days before that. I'm so excited because it means that he's cleaned out and going regularly which is a major achievement. We went for his 3 year well-baby (I don't know why they call it that when he's 3, but they do) and the doctor said we could keep him off of it for the time being, but that if he stopped going, to start it again immediately. I was worried about giving him too many meds and him becoming dependent on it, but he told us the that Miralax (well, I think he's actually on Glycolax and it's a Miralax equivilant, anyway) is not a gut stimulant to MAKE him go, it just helps the gut absorb more liquid so it CAN go; therefore, dependency is not a risk. Also, it's a sugar derivative (whatever that means) but I think he meant that it's closely related to glucose and other natural things that people use to help their children go so it's not like I'm pumping him full of chemicals even when he IS on it.
Anyway, I'm just thrilled I don't have to give it to him anymore and the potty training can continue. Now we're just encouraging him to go by telling him he's making room for more food (and treats) and praising him when he poops because I think he still has a tendency (from previous bad memories of painful poops) to hold it back. It's a slow process, I just hope he'll get there by preschool in September. Even if he's not perfect, I think seeing all the other kids go will help. It's just nice to know that there's nothing physically wrong with his bowel system and we don't have to change his diet.
Anyway, I'm just thrilled I don't have to give it to him anymore and the potty training can continue. Now we're just encouraging him to go by telling him he's making room for more food (and treats) and praising him when he poops because I think he still has a tendency (from previous bad memories of painful poops) to hold it back. It's a slow process, I just hope he'll get there by preschool in September. Even if he's not perfect, I think seeing all the other kids go will help. It's just nice to know that there's nothing physically wrong with his bowel system and we don't have to change his diet.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
fun weekend
This weekend was a long weekend for us. Will had Friday and Monday off! He graduates Friday from the War College so things are slowing down a bit, which is nice.
Friday, we went to Sweet Berry Farm to pick some strawberries. It's such a neat farm with such a cute little farm store. We bought a wonderful blueberry scone there for a snack on the way home since both boys were tired and hungry and I forgot to bring snacks. oops!
Saturday, we had a small, last minute birthday party for Charley. We decorated cupcakes and they all played really well with all the toys, old and new. At one point, all 5 kids, including Ben (1) and a girl who is 6, were all downstairs playing together by themselves. The older girl babysat a little, but we also took turns going down to make sure things were ok. Anyway, it was a nice little get together and we were grateful that people could make it last minute to help celebrate.
We were sad that Will's mom and dad couldn't be here. They were supposed to fly up last Wednesday, but Will's dad got pretty sick and they decided not to come. I was really bummed because I was looking forward to a break!
Then Sunday was Music Sunday at our church. We had an instrumental ensemble play some pieces, and I sang a solo, Selah's version of "I Need Thee Every Hour" and a duet, Rutter's "The Lord Bless Thee and Keep Thee". The lady I sang with also sang a solo, "His Eye is on the Sparrow". Our music minister accompanied the whole thing and played some pieces on his own as well. It was really nice to hear everyone and afterwards, we went to a brunch at the Best Western for the choir. Yum!
Monday was kind of hectic, I spent most of the morning working on invitations for a shower and Will went to help a friend with his boat. After that we were supposed to go play beach v-ball, but we were so tired that we decided to skip it and go see a movie and eat out instead! We saw "Ocean's 13" and it was fun. Then we ate at Sea Shai Hibachi Restaurant, and walked next door to have ice cream after. It was a nice break.
A funny side note: Charley had a big accident in his undies while we were gone and the babysitter had to clean him all up, but she didn't put anything on him for bed. So he went all night w/o a diaper or undies, just his PJ's! I thought he would have wet himself for sure, but he came in at 5:20 in the morning to tell me he had to go potty. He was dry as a bone and went promptly. We were so proud of him even though it's probably a fluke. Who knows, maybe he's getting the hang of it finally.
Anyway, we had a full, fun weekend and once again felt so blessed to be together, for our 2 amazing boys, for our friends and neighbors, for our church, and for our blessed life in general. Thank you Lord!
Friday, we went to Sweet Berry Farm to pick some strawberries. It's such a neat farm with such a cute little farm store. We bought a wonderful blueberry scone there for a snack on the way home since both boys were tired and hungry and I forgot to bring snacks. oops!
Saturday, we had a small, last minute birthday party for Charley. We decorated cupcakes and they all played really well with all the toys, old and new. At one point, all 5 kids, including Ben (1) and a girl who is 6, were all downstairs playing together by themselves. The older girl babysat a little, but we also took turns going down to make sure things were ok. Anyway, it was a nice little get together and we were grateful that people could make it last minute to help celebrate.
We were sad that Will's mom and dad couldn't be here. They were supposed to fly up last Wednesday, but Will's dad got pretty sick and they decided not to come. I was really bummed because I was looking forward to a break!
Then Sunday was Music Sunday at our church. We had an instrumental ensemble play some pieces, and I sang a solo, Selah's version of "I Need Thee Every Hour" and a duet, Rutter's "The Lord Bless Thee and Keep Thee". The lady I sang with also sang a solo, "His Eye is on the Sparrow". Our music minister accompanied the whole thing and played some pieces on his own as well. It was really nice to hear everyone and afterwards, we went to a brunch at the Best Western for the choir. Yum!
Monday was kind of hectic, I spent most of the morning working on invitations for a shower and Will went to help a friend with his boat. After that we were supposed to go play beach v-ball, but we were so tired that we decided to skip it and go see a movie and eat out instead! We saw "Ocean's 13" and it was fun. Then we ate at Sea Shai Hibachi Restaurant, and walked next door to have ice cream after. It was a nice break.
A funny side note: Charley had a big accident in his undies while we were gone and the babysitter had to clean him all up, but she didn't put anything on him for bed. So he went all night w/o a diaper or undies, just his PJ's! I thought he would have wet himself for sure, but he came in at 5:20 in the morning to tell me he had to go potty. He was dry as a bone and went promptly. We were so proud of him even though it's probably a fluke. Who knows, maybe he's getting the hang of it finally.
Anyway, we had a full, fun weekend and once again felt so blessed to be together, for our 2 amazing boys, for our friends and neighbors, for our church, and for our blessed life in general. Thank you Lord!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
