Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Hail to Camp Judson

I had a blast as a Program Director at camp! I'm wondering why I didn't go to camp more often as a kid. Actually, I don't wonder. I had a not-so-pleasant experience during day camp one year. I was young enough to think that camp was like that all the time. Stupid counselor. You ruined it for me. hahaha

In any event, it was a wonderful week teaching second and third graders about Jesus. They learned what it means to be fishers of men and I'm fairly sure they had a blast doing it. I am so blessed that I had this opportunity. I am thankful that I was led to direct this week.

We had a beautiful week (we only dodged rain showers one day). I'm looking forward to doing it all over again next week! I only wish I didn't have to spend three nights away from my baby and my husband. :(

I was even able to sneak away one evening to snap some photos at the lake. I was hoping for a nice sunset but it was really cloudy so it wasn't great. Thankfully I have three more days to try. Here are just a few pictures from the week.

This is what 46 campers playing games looks like. They were a pretty impressive group. I was anticipating total chaos but they were wonderful.

I'm guessing it was a good plan to play lots of running games right before Vespers and bed. ;)







They were a riot playing Run, Rabbit, Run and Zookeeper.






On Sunday night, we walked to the lake to have Vespers. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset (I forgot my camera), learned a few new songs and got the campers geared up for what we would be learning about and talking about over the next couple of days.

On Monday night, we walked to The Cathedral in the woods. (pictured) This is a pretty amazing site and I'll have to remember to take pictures of the "pews" next week. Here is a picture of the "altar" and our little Vespers fire.

Our Vespers for Tuesday night was scheduled to be at the Prayer Tower but it was really wet so we just held it in the pavilion. I'm hoping that next week will be dry so I can take photos at all three places.

Here are a couple from my trip down to the lake. There's just something about being there all alone that takes my breath away every time. I am always truly in awe of His creation.
We had several small showers and a couple pretty good downpours that day so the sunset wasn't great. Plus, the windy weather made for a very angry Lake Erie. Even so, it was still beautiful.



Product Endorsement

I just have to share this for all of you with small children!

I've been searching for those old school watercolor books that don't actually use paint. You know, the ones where the kids just "paint" with a wet brush and the picture magically colors itself. Either I haven't been looking in the right places or they just don't make those anymore.

When we were out and about yesterday, I mentioned to my sister-in-law that I was searching for one of those for Alex. I figured I'd take a look since we were at Michael's. She mentioned something that she and my brother had purchased for some friends' children.

It's called Water WOW Doodle Book. This is what the front cover looks like. There were a couple other characters but a certain toddler here is completely obsessed with The Backyardigans.



It comes with a brush that you fill with water. Of course, you could just use a regular paint brush too. This is the good part. You paint with the water, this really vibrant picture appears AND THEN IT FADES AWAY!! They can use it over and over and over again. Genius! Here's one of the pictures. I left part of it "unpainted" so you could see.



It was well worth the $3something that I paid because Alex can use it again and again. Although, I'm not sure who is having more fun with it, him or me. :P

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Those Summer Nights

Let me start by saying that I realize the temperatures are by no means hot compared to other parts of the country. I get that. We've lived in San Antonio. You don't have to explain to me what 100*+ feels like.

Let me continue by saying that if this was as good as summer got, then I'm good. I'm sweating my tooshie off!

All winter long we thought that the temperatures were pretty reasonable. There were even a couple of days when we cracked a window. I'm not sure if this was due to the fact that it was actually nice out or because the rest of the family insisted on keeping the thermostat at nearly 78*!!!

I now have confirmation that my blood is, indeed, still thick. I guess that's what three years in Alaska will do to you, right?

Friday, June 26, 2009

Day Five: Friday

Seriously. I need a vacation.

I was planning a very lazy day today. The only thing the two of us were going to do was run to town on a couple of quick errands. Other than that I was planning a day of playing outside and relaxing. I planned wrong.

My mom called at around 10:00 to ask if we were planning on heading to Edinboro for anything. I told her no. She explained that they STILL needed to pick up archery pins for camp and that some kids would be earning their pins today but wouldn't get them. I felt horrible for the little kid who earned it but wouldn't have anything to show his mom when she came to get him.
I agreed to go and pick up the pins. Edinboro is only about 11 miles from here. Camp is just as far IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

Alex started a major protest when I told him we had to go "bye-byes" and then see Grandma at work. Apparently that wasn't in his plans for today either.

It takes us over an hour to drive to Edinboro, pick up the pins and drive back to North Springfield. Seriously? We get there and go into the office to visit Grandma. She asks if we want to go to Tasty Twist for lunch, her treat. Another car seat protest ensues.

In any event, it was nearly 2:00 when we got home. I let Alex play outside while I cleaned out the car. Even at that point it was very evident that a nap was not happening.

In an attempt at some quiet time and a chance for him to relax, I've started a Backyardigans DVD. He loves those critters too much to fall asleep in the middle of one of their episodes.

Oh well. Tomorrow will be a nice, relaxing day at home for him. While I'd really like to take him to the airport with me to meet Daddy, I think he's going to stay home with Grandma. I just don't see it being a very pleasant ride for him. He'll stay home, take his nap and we'll be home by the time he wakes up. He'll never know he missed a thing. The best part will be that Daddy will be here to greet him!

Here are a few pictures of the cooking fun we've been having.

This first one is the cleaning of the food that took place in the bathtub. LOL







Next we have the organizing of the new kiddie cookware I picked up last night. He's loving it!


***Daddy Update***
I got a message at around 0930 this morning that said "I'm going to Texas in July!!!" That's code for "I made it!".
I am sooooo happy for him. I knew he'd make it but just having the official word makes it that much better.
He'll go to Lackland AFB in mid July for a six-week training. After that? Who knows?
I can't wait to see him tomorrow!!

Day Four: Thursday

It was another semi eventful day. Should I have expected any less?

We passed up the opportunity to run an errand with Aunt "Chelle" so that we could have a normal morning at home. I just knew we'd never make it through a whole week without at least one bloody lip. We had two. Within ten minutes of each other.

Bloody lips are a common occurrence so other than a little crying, he knows the drill. He actually giggled when I pointed out that he got blood all over my shoulder. Stinker.

He really looks pitiful here but he's just between smiles. The smiley picture didn't really show the "damage" as well. I have to say, this is the nastiest lip injury to date. (The first one coming when he was just six months old...)

Other than a little complaining when eating certain foods, he's fine. I do think that this one may scab. Yuck.





After a nap and delivery of the new kitchen :) I was able to sneak away with Aunt "Chelle" alone. We needed to make a Michael's run for craft supplies for our week of camp. Let me just say that beads aren't cheap!!
In any event, it was nice to get away for even just a couple of hours.


***Daddy Update***
Chris called when we were on our way home. I am so proud of him!
They had just finished their "class dinner". He mentioned that he didn't have to pay. When I asked why he explained it was because he recited the ten phrases that they had been working on all week VERBATIM! I guess that semi photographic memory and all of those plays in high school paid off!
The instructors said that they haven't had anyone all year do that and they can only think of two or three that have EVER done it. *beaming*
They'll find out between 0800 and 0900 tomorrow if they've made it or not. It seems like a done deal but stranger things have been known to happen.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Day Three: Wednesday

Wow. I'm going to need a vacation after this week! We've been going non-stop! It's been fun to pass the time more quickly but I keep wondering if we'll do the same thing when Daddy is gone for six weeks. I don't think I have it in me.

Today we went to visit Grandma H at work. My sister-in-law and I will be directing a week of camp soon so we needed to get some scheduling things straightened out. I thought it might be fun to visit Grandma at the same time.

My little monster put on quite a few miles running around the office and playing ball. We even walked up to the dining hall and had lunch before coming home. I, by the way, planned the trip home perfectly. We ate, I changed his diaper and we left right at nap time. I *knew* he'd fall asleep and I'd be able to lay him down when I got home. (The ol' car to crib routine doesn't work often but I had an inkling it would today.)

After nap time and Grandma's return home, we headed to a jewelry party. I'd never heard of this "brand" before (Silpada), but it was very nice. Pricey, but nice. It always turns out that I fall in love with the $250 piece. I did, however, find a nice simple pair of earrings that were very, very reasonably priced. Extra money for such items is coming at a premium these days but I felt bad attending and not buying anything.

The most exciting part of the evening came when I friend mentioned she and her mother-in-law were going to be having a yard sale on Friday and Saturday. I just casually asked if they had a toy kitchen or a sandbox and she said yes! They had a kitchen in the sale. She proceeded to tell me about how they had a bunch of food, plates and, "silver"ware with it. She said to swing by and look at it if we wanted. We stopped by on our way home (the back way home).
My jaw about hit the pavement when I saw that they had a sticker for $7 on it! Sold! It's really cute and Alex immediately flew to cooking up a storm.
We came home and took a bath with the new food and dinnerware. (He'll often take a washable toy to the tub to "keen it".)

I'm so excited that my little pretender now has a kitchen. He has such a great imagination and loves to pretend to cook things for us. I wonder if I have a little Emeril in the making?

I didn't get him in bed until nearly 10:00!!! Sign me up for Mother of the Year.

***Daddy Update***
Chris called during the jewelry bonanza tonight. He sounds really great. I can hear the confidence in his voice and it just makes me so happy.
The memorization part is really easy for him so he's feeling good about that. They had to do short speeches today and he said his went really well.
Tomorrow they have a longer speech (5 minutes or so) and then Friday they have a presentation/interview before a panel. I'm really looking forward to hearing all about his week. I'm really excited for him!

Day Two: Tuesday

Today we were on the hunt for a sandbox. I am determined to give this child a place to dig. He's starting to unearth things he shouldn't be.

We were up and running far earlier than Monday. We were both dressed (and me showered) and out the door before 9:30 this morning. I figured we'd start our search at Wally World. I'm really only looking for a kiddie pool and there are a few other things on the general list so it seems logical.

As soon as we pull into the parking lot, I notice that Grandpa C is working. We head back to the automotive department so we can watch him work on a Suburban. I have a feeling Alex would have stood on that chair all day if I'dve let him.

After a jaunt around the garden-y things, I find a really small $10 kiddie pool. Sold. Until I realize that I forgot to take the stroller out of the trunk. How in the heck am I going to get this thing home?!?! I remember Grandpa C. We shop for the other items on the list and then head back to the Suburban.

Grandpa C says, sure, we can put the pool (I mean sandbox) in the back of his truck. Score!
I promise to pick it up later but Grandma C has other plans. LOL (If you know Grandma C, this won't surprise you.) She offers Grandpa C's delivery services.

So, late this afternoon Grandpa C dropped off the "sandbox" and three bags of sand. I wish someone could have taken a picture of all of us gathered around it playing like kids again.
Grandpa H even got in!

I'm having trouble with the video uploading so here's a couple pictures of the festivities.


He absolutely *would not* get in the sand without his boots on. I'm not sure what it is about those boots. I think it has something to do with his being able to put them on himself. I guess we'll just have to sport barn boots at the beach.






This is my new hangout for the rest of the summer. Just get me a foot rest and a fruity drink and I'm golden.

Notice he's still standing in the sand with his boots on. He wouldn't sit down in it either. *rolling eyes*






***Daddy Update***
I received another text this morning. The running portion of his PT test (1.5 miles) went well also. He ended up with a total combined score of 80.5 This is slightly lower than what he was hoping for but good considering the minimum expected was a 75. The scoring for PT tests is really weird and complicated so don't ask how it's done because I won't be able to explain it well.

He called this evening and said that it's going well overall. He has a semi-photographic memory so he's not having any trouble with the memorization portion of the week at all. LOL
Everyone seems to be getting along really well and he's enjoying himself for the most part.

When I asked him if they'd said anything about the openings for the July class he said that there are eight. This means that, unless something really crazy happens, he'll be going to Texas for six weeks in mid July. Yeehaw!! There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Day One: Monday

Our first night/day went really well. Alex seemed a little confused as to why we left daddy sitting on the shuttle bus in Pittsburgh but as long as he has mommy, nothing seems to bother him for too long. ;)

We spent most of the morning inside. I know. It was a waste of a beautiful day. We really just needed a low-key day. I spent the morning unpacking, washing and putting away while Alex played with his toys and watched a couple Backyardigans episodes. Thank goodness for those little buggers, by the way.

We headed outside when I needed to hang a load of clothes on the line. This was a poor decision on my part. It was nearly 11:00. He'd had a snack but he was fading fast. Lunch is normally between 11:30 and 11:45 around here. I have no idea what I was thinking. I *knew* it would be nearly impossible to get him inside when it was time but I did it anyhow. I felt bad for depriving him of his Vitamin D.

After a few trips around the yard with the bubble mower, a brief stop in the hay field, some digging in the mud and several trips down the slide, I realize that it's waaaay past lunchtime.
I couldn't persuade him inside so I end up lugging him in kicking and screaming.

Needless to say, the handwashing and shoe removal don't go very smoothly. I fix him a grilled cheese sandwich and give him an organic juice box (juice is a treat around here). The screaming subsides and we (mostly) enjoy lunch.

***Daddy update***
Chris texted me early in the morning to let me know that the sit-up and push-up portion of his PT test go well. He says he won't be able to talk much because they have a mandatory study time after dinner. I'm a little concerned about how Alex will ever get to talk to him this week but I know we'll figure it out.
That night, before bed, we tried to call but he didn't answer. Alex was really confused as to why we weren't actually talking to daddy before bed. When Chris is away we *always* call and say good night. Thankfully, we got a call back during our second time through Arthur's Tractor. ;)

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Love You Forever

If you can read this story without tearing up or getting a lump in your throat, then you are a much stronger person than me. I love this book. (Especially the end.)


A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
And while she held him she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

The baby grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled all the food out of the refrigerator and the took his mother's watch and flushed it down the toilet.
Sometimes his mother would say, "This kid is driving me CRAZY!"


But at night time, when that two-year-old was quiet, she opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor, looked up over the side of his bed; and if he was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
While she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

The little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was nine years old. And he never wanted to come in for dinner, he never wanted to take a bath, and when grandma visited he always said bad words.
Sometimes his mother wanted to sell him to the zoo!


But at night time, when he was asleep, the mother quietly opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep, she picked up that nine-year-old boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
And while she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

The boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was a teenager. He had strange friends and he wore strange clothes and he listened to strange music.
Sometimes the mother felt like she was in a zoo!


But at night time, when that teenager was asleep, the mother opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed. If he was really asleep she picked up that great big boy and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang:
I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

That teenager grew. He grew and he grew and he grew.
He grew until he was a grown-up man. He left home and got a house across town.


But sometimes on dark nights the mother got into her car and drove across town.

If the lights in her son's house were out, she opened his bedroom window, crawled across the floor, and looked up over the side of his bed. If that great big man was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
And while she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

Well, that mother, she got older. She got older and older and older. One day she called up her son and said, "You'd better come see me because I'm very old and sick."
So her son came to see her. When he came in the door she tried to sing the song.
She sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always...
But she couldn't finish because she was too old and sick.

The son went to his mother.
He picked he up and rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
And he sang this song:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my Mommy you'll be.

When the son came home that night, he stood for a long time at the top of the stairs.

Then he went into the room where is very new baby daughter was sleeping. He picked her up in his arms and very slowly rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
And while he rocked her he sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

~Love You Forever by Robert Munsch




Wednesday, June 10, 2009

You're Welcome

After a very exhausting weekend, we had the most wonderful experience on our way home.

We stopped at the rest area just outside of Meadville, PA. I love this rest area. There is a ton of grassy area and there are several picnic tables. It is such a park-like setting. It really breaks up the trip to be able to get out and run with Bubba for a few minutes. With so much grass, I don't worry about the cars because we're so far from them.

ANYwho, we had to stop for a couple of reasons (one being to pee and the other being to fix my messed up contact lens). We decided to take advantage of that grass and play. I grabbed the trusty bat and ball (it hadn't failed me yet) and we started to play.

Since we left as soon as Daddy was done with his meeting, he was still in uniform.

*I don't know how many of you know the "rules" of being in uniform but there are a couple. First of all, you have to wear you're BDU shirt outside. You can't just run around in your fancy camouflague  pants and be done with it. Secondly, you must always wear your hat. So needless to say there is no way to make yourself look like you're not in uniform if you're in uniform.*

As the three of us took turns being the pitcher and the batter, I had a thought. How all-American do we look right now? A little boy plays baseball with his uniformed Daddy.
Apparently others were thinking the same thing. A nice older woman came over and asked Daddy were he was serving. She shared that she had two sons in the military, one in Afghanistan and one serving as a active duty recruiter in the Pittsburgh area. She thanked him for his service and went off to continue her journey.
Not much later, another older woman approached us with arms outstretched. She thanked Chris for his service to his country and then turned to me and thanked *me*. She remarked how it was so nice to see a family together, etc.

In his ten years of service, NEVER did a stranger thank Daddy for his service. Certainly no one ever thanked me. I was nearly in tears when I told that sweet woman, "You're welcome."

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

One Down.

I committed vehicular homicide today. That's what most would call it but I know differently.

It was late morning. I was coming up the driveway at about five-seven miles per hour. All of the sudden, something behind me catches my eye. I realize that it's probably a woodchuck but didn't think that he was actually stupid enough to keep running into an oncoming car. I was wrong.

I feel a bump and hear a crunching sound. I look in my mirror and see the poor thing twitch and take its last breath. I feel bad. I keep driving.

Had I been driving down the road at nearly sixty miles per hour, I probably would have had to pull over and puke. For some reason I handled my first roadkill incident rather well.

In this case, I'm calling it survival of the fittest. Really, woodchuck or human, don't run under a moving car. You're just asking for it.

Weekend Warriors Part II

Bubba and I wake at around 8:00 Sunday morning. We are both in much better moods. Breakfast proceeds a lot like it did Saturday morning. This time, though, he tries his hand at big boy cereal (I added milk). He did really well! Thank goodness for that leather chair though. ;)

Check out was at noon. Toddler Entertainment Time would have to coincide with Packing Time. I decided to take things slow. After all, it was only 8 and I had until roughly 11:30 to pack and entertain. I didn't want to get everything done and have to sit around wondering what to do.

We hung out in our jammies for a little while and watched Special Agent Oso (something we had never seen but he really liked) and Handy Manny. We slowly got dressed and packed.

Toddler Entertainment Time was in full swing with a ride on the elevator and a walk down the fourth floor hallway and back, a trip around the lobby and a walk to the pool to watch a little boy jump in. I was running out of ideas. We had just gotten back to the room and started to play the animal sounds "game" on my iPhone when joy of all joys, Daddy called!! He was on his way.

We each take a trip to the car to load up. We're finally ready to check out and leave. It's around 11:30 (earlier than I was expecting to be out of the hotel) so we grab some lunch and take it back to base. We all sit on a bench outside Daddy's building and eat. Bubba actually eats the most he has all weekend. After a quick walk to the Shoppette, Daddy abandons us. This is where the true Toddler Entertainment Time begins.

It is a balmy 80some degrees out. Even though I've slathered sunblock all over Bubba, I decide we need to find a shady spot to play. We find a big maple tree with a picnic table. We play ball (for the zillionth time since Saturday morning) in the shade of the tree until Mr. Crabby Pants starts to run off. A quick glance at the time alerts me to the fact that it is indeed almost time to meet Daddy AND nap time. Yay!

With about 45 mintues left to kill, I load him in the car and decide to go for a little drive around base. Since this is one of the last times Daddy will have to come here, I want to see what I'll most likely never see again. In about five minutes, I've seen all there is to see. The good news is Bubba is sound asleep. I find a parking space that's a little closer to the building we need to go to and sit and wait. The sweltering heat inside the car tells me it's time to find an outside spot.

It's 2:00 and time to meet Daddy. I remember that there is a little cafe inside the building we need to meet in. Bubba and I go in to wait. Daddy arrives shortly and we make our way to the basement so I can get a new ID card.

If it weren't for a Commander's Call, Daddy probably could have signed out right then and we could have started the trip home. No such luck.

I head to my trusty maple tree for another game of baseball. Bubba really isn't as thrilled this time around. Daddy assures me that these end-of-weekend meetings usually only last 20-30 minutes. I figure I can handle that. Twenty minutes turns into 30 before I know it. We ended up pounding the pavement (I swear we made a path) for nearly an hour.

We both nearly jump for joy when we see Daddy heading toward us. The sight of his face is a promise that the weekend is indeed over and we can start the trek home.

The change of pace was much needed but I think next time, we'll just tough it out at home without Daddy. Almost-two-year-olds are much happier when they have their toys to play with and their normal routine to follow. Mommies are happier that way too.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Weekend Warriors

We had a nice little excursion to Pittsburgh this past weekend.

The idea to make a family affair out of a Reserve weekend is almost funny. Every single time Daddy goes (and doesn't stay with our friends), he stays in a hotel rather than on base. This isn't his choice, but he's not complaining about it. ;)
The first time he called me from one of these said hotels and proceeded to tell me about the MINT they left on his pillow, I wanted to reach through the phone. Not only was he getting a weekend away from everything, he was getting the "special" treatment.
When he called last month and was, yet again, holed up in a fancy hotel I put my foot down. "We're going with you next month", I said.

It was an adventurous weekend but I think next time, we'll just let him go alone.

When we arrived on Friday afternoon, took care of a couple errands on base and then headed to our new home away from home. We stayed at the Sheraton Four Points. It was a wonderful hotel. It would have been more wonderful if it had been just the two of us.

This brings me to the next stage of my weekend: Toddler Entertainment Time.

After a rough Friday night, Bubba and I wake at around 7:30 Saturday morning. This hotel was off my Fancy Meter. No continental breakfast. I could have ordered room service (for nearly $11.00) OR gotten us dressed and went to the restaurant. He's like most kids and doesn't want to do much of anything until he's had something to eat. I plunk him down in the leather covered desk chair (I was planning ahead and figured I could wipe it down if necessary) with a banana, a cup of milk and some dry Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Not exactly the breakfast of champions but I was working on the fly so it would have to do. He seemed happy so I just rolled with it.

I had planned to meet a school friend that day. She was swinging by the hotel at around 9:45. That meant I had roughly two hours of Toddler Entertainment Time. Since the hotel was still fairly new to him (this was his first time in a hotel room), he enjoyed diving on the huge pile of pillows and driving his tractor on the bed. We did end up going for a ride on the elevator and took a quick walk around the building.
Thankfully at around 10:00 M arrived. She was smart and brought presents (aka bribes) It takes Bubba a while to warm up to strangers. He's normally very shy around new people. This time, the new person brought a plastic bat and ball. Jackpot! She also brought his favorite-animal crackers. I'm not sure how she knew but she sure guessed right!

After a quick baseball game, we headed to her house to run outside and play with the dog. He was in heaven again with a big dog to fetch with and a dirt pile to play in. He enjoyed the dirt so much that I literally had to scrub him and change his clothes before we could go and get some lunch. He was having fun so that's all that matters.

M dropped us off at our hotel at around 3:00ish. Little did I know that I had nearly two hours of Toddler Entertainment Time ahead of me. This time, it didn't go as well because the toddler in question was hot, sweaty, dirty AND hadn't had a nap.

Daddy finally arrives! We decide to just stick close because I can tell Bubba isn't up for another car ride. The notel's restaurant was very nice but it wasn't what I would call kid friendly. There was literally nothing on the menu that he would have liked. We didn't want to be rude so we drank our Yuenglings and ordered an appetizer. Our usually very well mannered restaurant going toddler morphed into another kid. He was running away (no high chairs) and throwing fits when we would bring him back to the table. Remember, no nap.

I was so tired that I finally lost my patience and took him back to the room. I remembered to grab my beer. LOL We made it back to the room in about 45 seconds. He was just happy to be out of the restaurant. I was just happy to be out of public so I could cry. Daddy arrived about 10 mintues later with our leftover food. He then proceeded to go to Sheetz so we could all actually eat.

Thankfully bed time went much smoother Saturday night. I think we all needed it. If I had only known what I was in for on Sunday, I would have gone to bed much earlier.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Thursday, June 4, 2009

That's What Friends Are For

Have you ever just been in awe of something that someone has done for you?

I am so thankful for a good friend tonight. It's the times when you're in a tight spot when you find the ones you can really count on.

We honestly weren't expecting the call for Daddy to go to training this month. In the back of my mind, I let myself believe that there was a possibility but I've learned the hard way not to expect things (especially when you're dealing with the military). I never really thought that he'd leave this month.

Next week Daddy was going to go through the uniforms he has here and find others in storage. He knew he'd need a couple new sets of Blues so he wanted to take inventory and then order the necessary pieces so he'd have them in time to leave in late July.

Wrong.

We've had to step it up a bit. Since we are no longer close to a base, we've had to rely on AAFES.com for a few things. The last time he ordered a ribbon rack, etc. it only took a week, at most, for the items to get here. This is what we were planning on tonight when he logged in.

Wrong.

Pants are "not available at this time" and shirts will take up to two weeks to get here. We don't have two weeks. This is not what we needed right now.

The closest base with a Clothing Sales is Wright-Patterson in Dayton, Ohio. Yeah, let's hop in the car for that drive...for PANTS!
I immediately think of two friends in Alaska. I call the one who I think is a little less busy at the moment (sorry Miriah) and explain the situation. She *immediately* agrees to go to the BX, drop nearly $150 on the things we need and ship them ASAP. I'm floored.

What an incredible friend. Not only does she agree to do it but she literally leaves the house at that moment to do it. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. How on Earth am I so lucky to be blessed with such wonderful friends? I only hope that I am given the chance to repay her with more than a simple thank you.