Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Almost a Full One

I am happy to report that we have nearly survived the first full week of Daddy being gone. Not that I had any doubt that we wouldn't...

We've been keeping busy. So far we've attended Ben's party and made a Walmart run. LOL Sounds like a jam-packed week, huh?

Tomorrow, I'm contemplating attending a special event at our local library. He really loves music and dancing BUT this event takes place at nap time. There aren't many things that trump a nap so the jury is still out on that one.
Bubba will get to stay with Grandma in the evening while I do a Pampered Chef show though. That should be fun (for both of us). He likes playing with Grandma and I need some time away from the house without my shadow. It's a win-win.

I do feel bad for my little Bubba though. He is so confused and it breaks my heart. He'll pick up my cell phone and say, "Daddy?" or just randomly say, "Daddy home." in the middle of the day. He doesn't want to talk to Daddy when he calls because, quite frankly, I think he's mad at him for leaving. He doesn't understand that he'll be back in a few weeks. I'm sure it will get better as the weeks go on.

So other than a few stressful situations and moments where I was at the end of my rope, we made it unscathed through most of week one. The next couple of weeks should zoom by as my brother and sister-in-law will be in town visiting. After they leave we should find out where home sweet home will be so then I can spend my days daydreaming about unpacking the things we haven't seen in nearly a year. :D

Even More Reasons to "Go Green"

In my search for a diaper rash/heat rash remedy, I came across this. For some reason I never thought of using Baking Soda in the bath!
I thought this was interesting and worth sharing. Here is the direct link to the page:


Using Baking Soda for Baby’s Bath, Diaper Pail, Cradle Cap, and More!

Discovering new ways to use natural, inexpensive products gives me a slightly bizarre thrill—like winning the lottery, fully reversing global warming, or seeing my toddler son first thing in the morning.

You can imagine my euphoria when I found out that a fifty cent box of baking soda could replace diaper cream, eco-friendly cleaners, and baby bath without any artificial ingredients or phthalates. For those of you that didn’t catch last week’s post, you might want to read up on how baking soda can also replace deodorant, shampoo and even toothpaste!

Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun, and Frugal Uses You’ve Probably Never Thought of” offers a plethora of ideas using for baking soda with babies and throughout your house. The book is chock full of ways to replace potentially toxic mainstream products and expensive green cleaners with simple baking soda solutions. The list below is compiled from the book’s section on caring for babies and children.

Diaper rash treatment. Generously dilute baking soda with water and gently sponge onto baby’s skin to neutralize the acidity of urine.

Baby bath. Skip the bubbly stuff, and add a few tablespoons of baking soda to baby’s bathwater to soften the skin.

Bath toys. If you have bath toys that are prone to mildew or mold, sprinkle them with a bit of baking soda every now and then. It will prevent the green stuff from growing on junior’s rubber ducky.

Cradle cap treatment. Make a paste of baking soda and add a bit of baby oil. Then gently work the mixture into baby’s scalp and carefully rinse.

Deodorizer for baby bottles and nipples. Soak baby them overnight in hot water and a half of a box baking soda.

Cleanser for baby’s room. Rather than using harsh chemicals, just mix baking soda and water to clean cribs, bassinets, and the changing table.

Diaper deodorizer. Whether you add it to your load of cloth diapers, dump it into your diaper pail, or sprinkle it into your wet bag on the go, baking soda can make cloth diapering infinitely less smelly.


Thursday, July 23, 2009

T-Day

Today Chris left for Texas. His flight left from Pittsburgh at 7:30 am so we decided to get up in the middle of the night (3:00) to drive rather than making the trip the day before. If we would have gone on Wednesday afternoon/evening, we would have had to spend the money on a hotel, a dinner out and fight with Alex to sleep (he is NOT a good hotel sleeper). It was just much easier, as crazy as it sounds, to get up at early and be home by 7:30.

We had a rainy drive in the dark. I was glad that Chris was driving because there is nothing I hate more than driving in the rain in the dark. I have horrible night vision and the rain just makes it worse. Makes you wanna take a ride with me after dark, doesn't it? ;) Thankfully, I had a much less rainy drive home AND it was light out. Bonus!

Our good-bye was short and sweet. I could barely talk in the car without wanting to cry so I just didn't say anything. I always try so hard to be "me" when we have to say good-bye.

I guess it all stems from our good-bye before he left for Korea...

With all of the stress and preparations with our move from Texas, I hadn't really had much time to actually think about how he would be gone for an entire year. The night before I was to leave for the drive home, I lost it. The house was empty and we were sleeping on a pile of borrowed blankets. It all just sunk in and I bawled like a baby. Chris asked me if I could do him a favor. He asked me if, when we said good-bye the next morning, I would try hard not to cry. He wanted to have a happy image of me to take with him.

I'm proud to say that I did it. I'm not sure how, but I did. I always think of that now when he has to leave for an extend amount of time. I thought about that again this morning.

The next six weeks will be a mix of things, I'm sure. I know there will be sleepless nights, early mornings, frustrating days, and huge messes. I know that there will be afternoons without naps and late evenings. I also know that there will be lots of laughs and several milestones. The biggest of those milestones being a second birthday.

In a really weird way, I'm looking forward to this time. It's always nice to prove to myself that I can do things alone. It's really empowering. I'm looking forward to some time to gather my thoughts to get ready for the next chapter of our lives.

I guess what I'm saying is that I know these next few weeks are going to be hard but we can't move forward without them. And moving forward is good.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Family Fun Day

We decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather today and go on a little family outing. We opted for the zoo. I really wanted to do something as a family before Chris leaves on Thursday. We had a great time!

Alex wasn't too sure at first. He, most likely, doesn't remember his first Erie Zoo trip. He was over a year old but he had no fear. This time, however, he was a little nervous about all of the strange critters wandering about. He kept saying, "Out, out, out." I can't tell you how many times I reassured him that the animals couldn't get out. I kept telling him that that was their home, their "kennel". (He understands that Molly stays in her kennel sometimes so I thought maybe he'd understand that the animals would stay where they were.)

He eventually warmed up to the idea and spent most of the day running alongside the stroller. He especially loved how the ducks were begging for his peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

I wish Chris was going to be here for the month of August. I'd really like to enjoy the nice weather while we can. I guess Mommy and Alex will have to go on adventures alone.

Here are a few pictures from our day.


THIS WAS WHAT BROUGHT HIM OUT OF HIS SHELL. THE KITCHEN. THAT BOY HAS QUITE THE CULINARY IMAGINATION!



PLAYING WITH DADDY IN THE CHILDREN'S AREA



ONE OF THE DUCKS TRYING TO SCAM SOME PB&J



ANOTHER DUCK POSING AT LUNCHTIME



THIS IS AS CLOSE AS I'VE SEEN EITHER OF THESE GIRAFFES. HE WAS SNEAKING LEAVES FROM THE TREE OUTSIDE THE FENCE.



SOME SORT OF MONKEY

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Cracking

I feel like I'm going to break. I have so many emotions swimming around in my head now and I'm not really sure what to do with all of them.

I'm really looking forward to our next adventure. I'm excited to move and I'm reeaallly excited to find a place to call home. Coming into this, we thought we'd only be "homeless" for a couple of months. When it's all said and done it will be a year.

I feel like we've had to put our entire lives on hold for that year. I feel like we haven't been a real married couple and a real family. It's hard to have any conversation without someone seemingly hanging on your every word. It's hard to get into a routine when you have to follow the one already set by the household. It's hard to be yourself sometimes even when it is just family around.

I feel like I'm going to go nuts over the money issue. Overall, we've done really well. We've basically lived off of our savings and extra money we earned from moving for this year. We're at the point where that money is almost gone and I'm worried how we're going to make it through September, let alone set up a new home. On one hand, I am thankful that we really beefed up our savings when we had the opportunity. On the other, I am just raging mad that that money is gone. We had a decent down payment saved. It's gone.

I want to have a wonderful birthday for Alex, even though I know he doesn't know the difference. I don't want him to have to go without. I think any parent can relate to that. That goes for just about everything, not just birthday parties.

I feel like I'm being taken advantage of too. I am constantly cleaning up other people's messes and washing other people's clothes. It gives me something to do but I hate that it feels like it's expected. Is it so hard to take the trash out or wipe the counter off after you make breakfast or lunch for yourself? I only wish I could be a fly on the wall after we leave. Then, and only then, will everyone realize just how good they had it.

I'm bubbling with excitement, sad that Chris is leaving, worried about money, frustrated with our situation and hurt by my family. I wish that is was all just a dream and I'd wake up tomorrow in our new home.

Friday, July 10, 2009

A Few of My Favorites

A couple of my favorites from the Fourth of July. The second one was a complete accident but I think it's really awesome.




The next few are from camp. I walked down to the lake during my second session to see if i could get any better sunset pictures. It was pretty cloudy but I got a few.

I found this stump that had drifted to shore overnight really neat.


This is a picture of The "Cathedral" that I referred to in a previous post. Pictures really don't do it justice. It's a fairly steep slope down to a cross (you can barely see it here). The "pews" are railroad ties that are set in the ground. It's really very pretty.
And, last but not least, what would a photo tour of Camp Judson be without a stop at the prayer tower. Soon, it'll have fresh artwork on the walls inside.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Crazy Mixed Up Mess

The next few weeks are going to be a few of the hardest ever. They are also a few of the most exciting. On July 23, my husband will leave us for six weeks. At the end of that six weeks we'll finally be moving. The latter can't happen without the first.

We've dealt with separations before. The longest was a year. I'm not doubting that we'll make it through one bit. We've just never been in this exact situation while dealing with a separation before. I'm sure the days will crawl by one moment and speed by the next. All in all, it's really only the month of August. The only "biggie" is that Alex's birthday also comes in August. :(

We're going to try to take advantage of the next week or so. I'd like to take a zoo trip or go to the spillway. You know, do something fun before Daddy leaves. It looks like summer has come to Northwestern Pennsylvania today. I hope it's here to stay so we can get out and enjoy it.

I am actually really excited about what's in store for us. I know some people don't like surprises but I think this will be a good one. We're ready to see what's next. We NEED to see what's next because the situation we're in isn't as pleasant as it once was. Ah, family...

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

This song spoke to me today. Ok, so it didn't "speak" to me it sang. I know the lyrics aren't really about living in the same ol' town but that part really caught my ears. It's what I've been feeling a lot here.
I really enjoy Leeland's music. If you'd like to listen to this song and a couple others, check this out. My absolute favorite is Carried to the Table.




Opposite Way
by Leeland





Living in the same town
For all these years
Doing the same old things
Hanging with the same crowd
And it’s starting to get crippling
You’ve never felt in place
And you tell yourself it’s all okay
But something’s different today
You want to run the opposite way

And it seems like you’re locked in a cage
And you need to find a way of escape
When everyone is setting the pace
It’s okay to run the opposite way

The Father sent His Son down
The light of men
The cross He bore was crippling
Rejected in His own town
They couldn’t see the sun shining
He knelt in the garden and prayed
Father, let this cup pass from me
It’s not Your will for me to stay
Your will for me is the opposite way

And it seemed like He was locked in a cage
And He couldn’t find away of escape
But through the cross He conquered the grave
My Jesus ran the opposite way

Oh, and through the cross He conquered the grave
Oh, He ran the opposite way
Yeah, through the cross He conquered the grave
So you could run the opposite way

© 2008 Meaux Mercy (BMI) / Meaux Jeaux Music (SESAC) / Meaux Hits (ASCAP) (adm. by EMI CMG Publishing). All rights reserved.

Monday, July 6, 2009

@!#$%&!

Ok. Seriously. So I don't have to keep writing things like this... PROPERLY RESTRAIN YOUR CHILDREN IN THE CAR!!!!!!!

If you don't know how, ask. If you're in an accident, the only thing protecting your most precious cargo is that car seat. Use it correctly.

The End