Resolutions

December 30th...

Today I got a head start on my New Year's Resolution. I am hoping that since I started early, I might actually keep it...who knows though! I'm not the best at making changes and sticking to them. I have been in quite the funk for a good chunk of this deployment and it's probably due to the fact that I am so ready for it to be over! I am ready to have my husband back so I can quit telling myself "Eh, that'll be easier when Derrick is home...I'll just deal with it then" Things like laundry and dishes are not going to wait until he is home to help me wash them, so boycotting really doesn't do anything but make my chore list longer and more dreadful. So, as a start to my new year (and the end of this one) I decided to put us on a schedule! It's nothing set in stone, I just split up our day hour by hour and figured what would be the most useful, healthy and realistic way to spend our time. I even designated certain "hours" when the TV when be on, and when it will be off. This morning was my first test to try it out, and I am PROUD to say, I stuck with it! When Cael came into my room and woke me up at 6:30 this morning, I didn't put in a movie for him and go back to sleep like I really, really wanted to. Instead, I put a movie on for him, and jumped in the shower. By 7 Averi was awake, and that was perfectly OK because so was I! We all got dressed and had breakfast and then it was on to my first chunk of "chores." I had put on the schedule that from 8-9 I would wash any dishes, start and fold whatever laundry needed it, and vacuum...and you better believe at 7:59 I was sitting on the couch trying to stop the clock with my mind! I did it though, I got up, turned the TV off (yep, off!) and did all three of those things. And the best part? The kids were fine with it!! Cael played in his room the whole time, while Averi bounced back and forth between helping me put the dishes in the dishwasher (and then back out again) and playing with her toys. It was pretty amazing, I must say, and it really set the pace for the rest of the day!

Grocery shopping, lunch, and naptime were pretty straightforward, no big changes there. But after naps, that was a biggie. As soon as both kids were awake, I let Cael pick out a movie to keep them busy while I cleaned both bathrooms! I know! What an accomplishment! Normally, I will clean one...maybe half way...and then say I will clean the other one the next day. Or week. I'm pretty bad, I know. But I did it today, because it was on the schedule :) After that we played, I cooked dinner, we ate, bathed, and now the kids are sleeping soundly!

It feel like a million bucks tonight! But I can already tell, I really don't want to get up at 6:30 again...

Pretend Shopping Sprees

December 29th...

Ever have one of those days where you just have to get out of the house, but you can't think of a single place to go? It's still a few days until payday, it's already dark out, we already ate...what should we do? Well lucky for me, my son always has the answer. We went to Toys R Us to play with the Choo Choo Train display...obviously! I'm not sure if it's there strictly to keep 2 year olds busy for an hour or so when the mom has no intention of buying anything...but I hope so, because that's what we did! He played with that train for the longest time while Averi and I window shopped that one isle that the display is in. (All Thomas toys are buy one, get one half off...FYI) Then of course, on our way out we HAVE to ride the Winnie The Pooh airplane! I always get so embarrassed because it's right there by the checkout and it plays the Winnie The Pooh song SO loud, and for forever! Oh well though, they both love it. If you can get both kids out of the house for a while and keep them entertained the whole time for only 50 cents, I'm not going to complain!

I've Got Mail!

December 28th...

My mom and sisters made my day yesterday! (Yes, yesterday...I'm a day off with this picture, sorry!) Jo barked at the window, and Cael and I looked out to see the postmistress stopping in front of the house, which is always a great feeling. She brought up a box to us and Cael pointed at it all excited and said "Dada home!" It was more than a little heartbreaking. I just looked at him and said "You really think daddy could fit in here?" instead, what we got was an awesome box of goodies from my families "baking day" tradition! I was bummed I couldn't take part this year, and I guess they were bummed not to have me there. So to make me feel included, they sent us some samples! Everything is awesome, you guys did a great job!

Ponytails!

December 27th...

Alright, so it's not the prettiest ponytail ever...but in my defense, it is my first! Well, it's my first in a while. I have to admit, there were a few times Cael got one. Or a headband. Or a barett (thanks Nik!) He had really long hair as a baby and it was adorable so I wasn't about to cut it...instead we would just "put it up" at dinner time. But still, this is my first ponytail that I did for my daughter. Whenever I do my nieces' hair, it's more the "sit in your lap so they can get their hair done" type of environment...Averi's is more the "hold still for 2 seconds!!!" type of environment. But regardless, she has one! And that means her hair is growing, which is a really good thing. She doesn't have much in the back, but at least she didn't lose it all, I am definitely thankful for that.

Big Bone...Bad Idea!!

December 26th...

So Jo Boxer got a bone for Christmas...but I decided to stray from the normal rawhide bones that she loves so much because she gets so paranoid about there whereabouts. You get her a rawhide bone and she will hide it 57 times in a day. And as soon as she hides it, she will walk around in total worry-wart mode and run back to it every time someone steps in that general direction. Out side, she will constantly dig holes to bury it and then dig it back up and put it in a new whole. Since we are renting, she is not allowed to take her bones outside. But that's alright because there are hundreds of places for her to hide those big slobbery chewed on bones inside...like the laundry. Or Averi's stuffed animal shelf. Or in Cael's bed! So....no more rawhide bones for Jo. At least not for now, when we own a home then sure dog, go for it!

Anyway, to my point, I got her a real bone this Christmas. So she could feel super special and eat it, and let that be that. Well...that wasn't that. She ate that bone in about 15 nano seconds and threw it back up all over my living room while we were sleeping. Awesome. From now on, I am sticking with tennis balls!!! She's not the type of dog who likes to play with toys, but that is just too bad!

Christmas Day

December 25th...

Last night when I was filled with sadness and hurt for all the people I love but didn't get to see this year, I didn't put much faith into the rush of presents and happiness I would witness this morning. I love my kids so much and they snapped me right out of my funk today! They are both so hilarious, after two or three presents they wanted to stop and eat breakfast. After breakfast we got back to it and they started handing them to me to open! All they could focus on where the things already unwrapped that they wanted to start playing with. Silly kids, don't they know the unwrapping is supposed to be one of the major highlights at that age? I'm not complaining though, the pressure is definitely off for next year! Quality over quantity, definitely!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! I would like to just say a special thanks to everyone who has stuck with me this long! I can't believe the year is almost up, I only have a few blogs left and it felt really great (and maybe a little too open, at times) to share the main events of each day with you. It has really boosted my confidence level when it comes to letting people into my life and not worrying about what they are going to think. We are who we are, that's all there is to it! You either like it, or you walk away and read someone else's blog!!

Christmas Eve

December 24th...

This is oficially my first Christmas alone. Not only am I clear across the United States, celebrating the holidays farther away from my family than I have ever been, but I'm even farther away from my husband. When looking at Christmas from a distance it's easy to say "Oh, it won't be that big of a deal to spend it just me and the kids this year, we will have a better "Christmas" when this deployment is over next month." But before you know it, Christmas is staring you in the face and all you can really focus on are the things you really don't want to do by yourself. This is our first year where we can explain to Cael about Santa and have a lot of fun, and it feels like Derrick got cheated out of it. I was really excited to set up the tree tonight, but as soon as I did I started crying. I can't pinpoint why, exactly, it just didn't feel right. It felt to small and undone, and it wasn't because of the amount of presents or how full the stockings were, it was because I felt completely alone. Tomorrow morning I will take pictures and videos...but I know it won't be the same for him, it just doesn't seem fair.

And I know, I know, who am I to mope on Christmas Eve? There are a lot of people out there with a lot less. I have two beautiful children and a husband who would walk through fire for me, and I do not take that for granted one bit. I'm just a little sad...that's ok to admit right? Even on Christmas?

Yay!

December 23rd...

Hooray! I got my medical bills from California all paid off!! I got the final letter in the mail today and I am so proud of myself! Doing the happy dance...doing the happy dance...

Peach Fuzz!

December 22nd...

Ok, I know this is one of few pictures I have posted of the back of my baby's head, but to anyone who has seen her (especially in person) can hopefully see how big of an improvement this is! We woke up this morning to a little peach fuzz on the back of her head, even though the doctor said it would probably take about a year and a half for her hair to start growing back! It's only fuzzy in a few patches, and that might really start to freak me out later...but for now I am just happy that she is getting better and will have her hair back one day!!

Hot Chocolate

December 21st...

A little hard to believe it's almost Christmas and this is only my first cup of hot chocolate! It could be because Derrick makes it soooooo much better than I do, it's just not the same with out him. But I managed, and added a little peppermint mocha flavoring...oh heaven! Deliciousness!

Why???

Why????

Oh...of course...

December 20th...

It never ever fails. I am slowest laundry folder that ever lived, to start off with. Add to that one little helper who hurries to the laundry basket every time I sit down and one child who thinks he has never eaten before and if he doesn't have something right now he's just going to die...and folding is almost impossible if not done at certain key times during the day. So I finally get a load folded and before I turn around...my laundry basket has been confiscated! It happens all the time! If someone isn't sitting in it, then it's probably filled with cars or legos. The laundry baskets real purpose is life, has nothing to do with laundry! It's just a toy, that's all.

It Is About Time My Deary

December 19th...

For the past 2 months Averi has been battling this skin infection on her head, and in the beginning it really hurt her. Bad. I had no way of knowing just how bad it hurt of course, but now that Cael is dealing with it too...I have some sort of idea what she was going through. She had to cope in a million little ways to stay comfortable everyday, and one of those ways was not drinking out of a sippy cup by herself. I think it just hurt too bad to tilt her head back, so she didn't. Instead I would hold her and lay her in my arms so she could drink it that way. I didn't mind at all, I would have walked through fire if it would have made her head stop hurting her. That is, of course, until her head stopped hurting and she still thought it would just make life a whole lot simpler if I would go ahead and hold her cups for her everyday. Talk about a pain in the butt! I would have just walked away and made her drink it by herself, or not at all...but she was antibiotics that had to be poured into her milk for weeks. I had no choice but to take a 15 minute break from everything else three or four times a day while she slowly sipped away. Finally, she doesn't need those certain antibiotics anymore so I let her come to the slow realization of "Oh...if momma's going to walk away, I guess I have to hold this myself" and today she finally gave up the charade once and for all! It's amazing what simple pleasures we find on a day to day basis...today mine was watching my daughter drink a cup of milk all by herself!

Shopping Spree

December 18th...

Going to the mall on the Saturday before Christmas...it's not for the faint of heart! I'm a little proud to call myself a mall survivor this time of year! I took the kids out last night to do a little clothes shopping (hence the adorable jeans I found Averi at Old Navy!) We bought our yearly Christmas Tree ornament, a calendar for next year, and the most expensive of all...a picture with Santa. Now, I realize that malls need the money made from Santa's visit, to afford him next year...but seriously? With how much we paid for one 5x7 picture...next year better be absolutely off-the-wall amazing! He should probably fly in on his sleigh and let all the kids pet the reindeer. Maybe even take them each for a little joyride around downtown Clarksville. Just some ideas...

But regardless, it's a tradition, and it's fun. Cael loved it and Averi didn't have a total heart attack, so it was worth it!

The Expression Game!

December 17th...

Oh my, Faith and I always have so much fun when we hang out together. Tonight we invented the expression game, her brother would say an expression or a phrase just before taking our picture and we had a split-second to come up with a way to show it. It makes for some GREAT laughs! They were all pretty funny, but this one is just BAD! Apparently, this is how we "celebrate!"

Oh Faith, I miss you!!

Genious!

December 16th...

I can't think of one good reason why these drive-thru convenient stores are not in every state! That's exactly what they are...convenient!! Faith had told me about them a long time ago, so she made it a point to take us through one while we were in Lima today. Awesome! I think they should really expand, especially other cold places like Washington where you really don't want to take the kids out of the car if you don't have too.

Early, early, early drive...

December 15th...

What better way to get back in the swing of things after your family leaves? Leave yourself! Ok, I'm sure there are other ways, but we are taking a trip that will definitely get our minds off how quiet the house has become over the last day. We are making the 6 1/2 hour drive to Lima, OH to see our friend Faith! A little gutsy with 2 little ones in the back of the car, but when your friend needs you, you do whatever you can. And I am. We will leave at 2 in the morning so the kids can get some good sleep in the back of the car and hopefully not realize just how long the drive is, and we will spend the day tomorrow in Lima!

**Note to self...little boys can turn into little photographers in the backseat when given momma's phone to keep entertained. They can also turn into pro picture delete-ers...tear. That was the last time he got to play with my phone without having me in his line of sight!!

One Little Cache In Clarksville

December 14th...

Well...that was quick. It's already time for my mom and sister to go home. Luckily their plane doesn't leave until this evening so we had some time to spend this morning just hanging out. Mom and I did a little Christmas shopping around Clarksville early this morning and I took her to a geocache that is here in a parking lot, just so she say she has one from here!

A little later, I took Nikki to Ft. Campbell so she could see a few of the stores there and get a few things. The drive to the airport was not a fun one, it's always exciting to go and pick people up...but never to take them back. The kids both had a hard time when we got there, Cael didn't understand why he couldn't go on the airplane too. He had a really good visit with his Nana, Aunt Nikki, and Baby Kwi--Kwi...he didn't want it to end. I don't blame him, I didn't either.

Pretty soon it will be someone elses turn to visit and I can show another sister around Tennessee!!

Nashville With My Sister

December 13th...

Nikki and I spent the day in Nashville today with Quincy. The Country Music Hall of Fame (where we took this nice skinny picture of ourselves in one of their very polite mirrors,) an authentic BBQ restaurant called Jack's BBQ, Walking up and down the main drag of downtown looking in all the shops and touristy stores. It was a lot of fun, something her and I don't get to do very often.

Blowing Kisses!

December 12th...

With only 3 days to spend here with us, you would think we would be going, going, going. Trying to showing to show them everything I could possibly show them...but no. Today was more like a day of exhaustion for everyone. We took a trip to the grocery store (in the SNOW...where did that come from?!?! talk about a blizzard!) for some breakfast doughnuts that we would later unconsciously give to the dog, then lazed around for a good portion of the day just enjoying the company of each other. We took a trip to the mall for a little while and shopped around, saw Santa, looked at ornaments, and came home and had Applebees for dinner. It was a nice quiet (freezing cold) day.

They're Here!!

December 11th...

I can't believe how beautiful this little girl is! My 6th niece, baby Quincy and I finally got meet each other today and I could not be more in love with her. She is adorable (of course, all my nieces are!) and so very smiley. Cael really loved her too, he calls her baby kwi-kwi and he just can't stop looking at her.

It is so nice to have some of my family here, I am taking a much needed deep breath and remembering that I am not completely alone. Even though we moved to the other side of the country, I still have my family back home (well, right now, here!) and they still remember us! Sounds silly, but it really is a good dose of reality to actually see someone from home and say to yourself "Ok, I didn't really fall off the face of the earth....good to know!"

...waiting...

December 10th...

I can hardly wait until tomorrow! My mom and sister are coming to visit and the time will just not pass fast enough! I need to stop looking out the window, we are meeting them at the airport, I'm not too sure what I keep expecting to see in the driveway a day early...

Poor Baby Girl

December 9th...

My beautiful daughter can't seem to catch a break these days. On top of everything we are going through, she decided to add puke to the mixture. Poor thing, she has been lathargic and not feeling well all day. Wake up, throw up, go back to sleep. That is no way for a happy little girl to spend her day, and I really hope it's gone when she wakes up in the morning. Cael hasn't had very many encounters with the seasonal flus and colds, so today was kind of new territory for me and it was absolutely heart breaking. I know how miserable it is to be nautious and throwing up, and it's 10 times worse to watch your baby sick, knowing there's not a whole lot you can do except hold her all day and give her all the love you can.

Lunch Fingers

December 8th...

Getting my son to eat ANYTHING these days has been such a battle. No, not even a battle. It has been non-existent. He just doesn't want to eat. If we have to sit at the table, than he just assumes he doesn't like it and absolutely refuses. Well, today I finally came up with a tactic that he is responding too! He is learning to count, and really liking it, so I decided we would work counting in with lunch and dinner. He starts with his hands up and all his fingers out, and we count them. Every time he takes a bite, we put one finger down and then count them again, and when all his fingers are gone...he gets to get down! He is liking it so far, but of course we tried it with spaghettios. We'll see how he does when it's an actual dinner that he might not be so fond of. But hey! It's something!!

Well that felt good!

December 7th...

While cleaning the kids' rooms today I decided I was cleaning them OUT! It felt SO good to finally just start putting all the baby toys in boxes! And her room is so much more organized now, I love it! Cael's wasn't quite so easy, but I was able to sneak out a few things. Like a cardboard puzzle that was probably missing at least half it's pieces...but more importantly than all that...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY NIECE KAMRYN!!!!! 14, THAT'S PRETTY AWESOME!

No Fair

December 6th...

In a few years she will be able to join her brother outside playing without me, but not right now. It's freezing out, and the second he takes his gloves off (because I know he will) he is coming back in. So Averi and I just stayed in. Lucky for me, she thinks it's pretty funny when he waves at her through the window. I'm sure the jealousy tears aren't far...but for now, if she's happy, I'm happy too!

HAHAHAHA!!

December 5th...

Ahhhh, oh my goodness. This picture just makes me laugh so hard! She was getting frustrated because she kept standing on her pants and couldn't take a step, so I hiked them up for her. I had no clue they would go up that far, and neither did she. She really didn't know what to think. She kept looking down at that wasteband right there under her chin and trying to pull it away. Oh my goodness, the things army wives and moms have to do to get a laugh once in a while...sorry Erkel, won't happen again :)

Clarksville Parade

December 4th...

I took the kids down to the parade tonight (in the cold!) and Cael absolutely loved it! There were lots of big trucks which he thought were very cool. And I was surprised to find out that some of the floats handed out toys instead of candy! Cael didn't get any, because we were too bundled up to run out and grab some, but a very nice little girl got a dolly that she decided to give to Averi! It was really sweet and Averi LOVES it! I took this picture to kind of recreate one of mine and Derrick's feet from a few years ago. It's a little different, but the idea is still there and I really like it. My next mission is to get one of mine and Averi's, than maybe I will turn them into a collage of some sort.

What a Happy Time This Is...

December 3rd...

YUM! I don't think there are any words needed to describe my mood right now. THIS is exactly the reason I picked these dishes when Derrick and I got married. They are huge, perfect cereal bowls. And what is better than sitting down on a comfy couch, covering up in a blanket, starting a movie and eating a big bowl of Captain Crunch Berries with ice cold milk after the kids are in bed. I am in heeeaaaavvveeeennnnnn!

The Snowman Without The Snow

December 2nd...

And the decorating is complete. Mr. Snowman is out in the yard, standing proud (although I'm sure he's a tad disappointed in the lack of snow so far...especially compared to last year back home) but nontheless, he's up! He is really my only outside decoration this year, but with the tree in the window, and the stockings all cute and hung up, I'm happy!

The Cone Of Shame

December 1st...

Wow! I cannot believe it's already December! My year of blogging will be done in 31 days...that sounds insane. It felt like the year wasn't ever going to end, but looking back it really did fly. The whole Spring and Summer chunk is just one big blur for the most part...which I guess is a good thing because that means this wretched deployment is almost over!

Well the dog is sure starting this month off with a bang...a $150 bang to be exact. No hard feelings, it wasn't totally her fault, but good grief! Just last month I spent almost $200 at the vet to get the scratch in her eye treated, and as soon as I think it's all better she goes a little crazy and starts rubbing it! Sometimes I wish her and I could just understand each other better, I tried to tell her! But no, she didn't listen and she damaged her retina. Poor girl! Now I can't let her make it any worse so she has to wear the darn cone, and believe me! It's just as rough for the rest of us as it is for her. Not only did she knock the Christmas tree down already today because she's a klutz, but she also gets stuck in ever single doorway and the sound of that cone scraping the wall scares the beejeebies out of Averi! There will be a lot of deep breaths in my near future, I can already tell. And if that doesn't work...I might take a little tried advice from my niece and try counting unicorns, although they didn't help her get to sleep when she needed them too!