Big Boy Choices

He’s only six. Well, technically Jace is six and a half years old now. We did just celebrate his half birthday the other day! However, the number of years he’s been alive is deceiving. He’s so strong in spirit and has an incredible heart...he often seems more grown up to me.

We’re at Disney World. Today we came back to our room for naps at lunch time and Jace looked really warn out. He got up after his nap and sat in a daze for a few minutes while we were getting ready to go back to the parks. He told Scott he had to throw up…and did.

Scott put it this way, “It was like a switch. He lifted the toilet seat and blaht. Most of it made it in the toilet too.” There was definitely a hint of pride in Dada's description.

So, we decided to hang out for a while and let him rest before trying to walk around for a few more hours. An hour later he said he was ready to go. He’d eaten some grapes and had some water and kept everything down so we went for it. As we were walking to the bus stop he just kind of plodded along. Jace doesn’t skip, so plodding isn’t all that unexpected, but matched with the dark circles under his eyes and the ashen color in his cheeks…he just didn’t look ready to have fun. When we got to the bus stop I asked him one last time.

“Jace, if you’re still not feeling good I’ll stay with you. What would you like to do?”

Quietly, he said. “I think I should stay.”

So, Tyler, Jace and I walked back to the room for some R&R. Along the way I told him I was proud of him for making such a hard decision. He said, “It was hard, mama, because it would have been fun, but not if I was sick.” He’s right and I couldn’t have said it better.

Later, after he threw up again and the color started to return to his cheeks we walked to the food court to pick up dinner. When we went past the pool he made a few comments about the swimmers and the life guards. The best one, that let me know he was feeling much more like himself, was, “It’s good that the life guards are here to save people because you can’t enjoy Disney World if you’re dead.”

And that’s Jace. I’ve never sure if he’s being funny or serious. He certainly keeps a proud smile on my face! And when we got back to the room he ate his dinner (and kept it down), told me how much he enjoyed spending time with just Tyler and me and that he hoped Dada and Gracie were having a good time at Magic Kingdom. Could anyone ask for a more precious six and a half year old son? I don’t think so.

Classic Queen By Our Little Queen of the Nile

This is Gracie's current version of "We Will Rock You." It has changed many a time. No matter what alterations she makes, it remains one of her favorite things to clap to and shout at the top of her lungs! And, she's even getting Tyler to sing along with her.


We will, we will rock you! Rock you!



We will, we will rock you! Rock you!



Got mud on your face. Big disgrace.



Chicken pox all over your face.








By the way, I got this little costume for $1.74. Can't beat that! And, no, no one has chicken pox. Everyone is healthy, happy, and ready for a group sing along!

Tylerosauraus

We all know that kids say things each and every day that make us smile, chuckle, almost pee ourselves laughing! They're really great entertainment, aren't they? Tyler hasn't quite gotten there yet, although he does make us laugh with his little bird lips (he puckers them so they look like a beak, in my opinion), his joyous eyes, and all the grand ways he plays. But he doesn't say much yet.

That's why he's taking speech therapy. He's almost 23 months and working at about a 12 month level for spoken language. Everything else is fine...he can comprehend everything we tell him, just doesn't speak to us in the same language. So we're working on it. He's discovered the word "more" and tries to get everything he wants saying that. He has said a few other words, though, and will hopefully blossom even more over the next few weeks and months.

While we're waiting for Tyler to crack us up saying something sweet and silly we'll just have to keep on enjoying his brother and sister.

Like last week when Jace asked if Tyler's progress with speech.

"Has Tyler's paleontologist been to the house yet today?"

"Um...(stifled giggle)...do you mean speech therapist? (not-so-stifled giggle)

"Oh! Yeah. She doesn't look at his bones. He's not a prehistoric animal. Duh! I meant speech therapist!"

Really? Our almost two-year-old can't say cup or please or mine yet but our six-year-old can correctly pronounce and knows the meaning of paleontologist? Good grief!

And to answer your question: yes, we have our hands full. Wouldn't have it any other way!

And So It Begins...

....The holiday season. Strangely, though, my holiday season is beginning this year with a car wash and baked food sale. Fundraising car washes in November are really not something I'm used to. However, tomorrow Cub Scout Pack 269 will be out washing cars in 70-something degree weather. I'll be manning the bake food sale table.

I've made sugar cookie dough and have it in the fridge, awaiting rolling, cutting, and baking. I'm making leaves. I'm not going to frost them, though. Hopefully they'll still sell with sprinkles. Scotch treats are done.

I'm also making an apple pie. That's not for the sale, though. It's for us. I've been wanting one and decided there's no time like now! Yum.

Next week things really take flight. Jace has a program at his school and cub scouts. There are Thanksgiving meals at Jace's school, Gracie's school, and Scott's work. I'll be making a pumpkin cheesecake, scotch treats, and fruit salad. It's going to be a busy week...but so tasty and fun!

And then...nine days from now...we get up, eat breakfast and go to Disney World!!!

I might possibly be more excited than the rest of my family, but that's OK. It's kind of like that saying, "If Mama's not happy, no body's happy." I'm hoping the fact that Mama's simply giddy means that everyone will have a great time on vacation!

And then the count down to Christmas is on. There will be other parties at schools, Scott's work Christmas party, and much more baking! Oh, yeah, and shopping! I'm actually almost done, but there are still a few things I need to get in the next month and a half. So, it begins...and I'm not only ready, I'm eager.

Eager beaver for holiday cheerer*!

(*I had to make it rhyme.)

Struggle

You may call me a dreamer with my head in the clouds. You may call me an ostrich with my head buried in the dirt. You may call me anything you chose, but here's the way I see things...

Our house is officially off the market. The current look of things is that Scott will go to school in Connecticut in March 2010 and on to Washington state after that in the summer. The kids and I will stay here in Georgia.

I say that very matter-of-factly, but the truth is,as one very smart COB (Chief of the Boat) told me once, that this is all written in jello, subject to change.

We don't have orders yet, even once we do...those have changed in the past too. So here's what else could happen: Scott could get orders here. The market could improve and we could still sell the house and follow him. Any combination of the above and I'm sure even some other things we haven't thought of.

So, in all of this I'd like to say this: The Navy is not the devil. It's not the Navy's fault any more than it is ours for purchasing a home rather than renting. It just is as it is. I see no reason to play the blame game. Perhaps I'm naive in some people's eyes.

I hope this little vent/rant comes across in a positive and realistic tone. Today is Veteran's Day. It's a day to remember the past, especially those who have served our country and died in her name. It's also a day to show pride and thanks for those who currently work to protect us. That includes my husband. That includes the Navy. I have pride in both, and not just today.

On any day, I think we should give thanks for those who have paved the way in our armed forces to protect our country and bring us to where we are today. I think we should appreciate the sacrifices of those who serve, march, sail, fight, fly, and struggle in any number of ways to keep our freedoms and rights. And, no matter how emotional or frustrating this situation is, I don't think it's fair to say, on any day, that the Navy shouldn't move Scott away from us.

He chose to serve in the Navy. He is good at and enjoys his job. He chose me and explained to me exactly what I'd be getting into if I became his wife. I accepted his proposal. Together we've created a strong foundation, great family, positive outlook, and are ready to face the next challenge...it isn't the first and won't be the last. So rather than put down the military for it's role in the decay of family, why not admit that no situation is perfect (in or out of the military) and support us. Support those who are serving abroad. Support, hold up, and encourage families whose struggle may be related to their duty in the armed forces. After all, their service is a positive thing. And the challenges they and their families face are sometimes sad, yes, but necessary.

I don't think I'm oblivious, but some might say so. I think I'm positive and realistic. I think everyone should work on echoing my rose-colored view, especially on such a day of memorial and remembrance. It's easy to get dragged down in all that is life in the military, but why put the focus there? Why not concentrate on the bravery, strength, commitment, and love for their country that military members have? Why not slip on my glasses and feel the pride, every day, that I have in my husband, his job, our family?

Yes, struggling through these next few months or years won't necessarily be fun...but who's to say it's not the struggle we're meant to go through. It'll build us up in ways we never knew possible. We'll find emotional reserves we didn't know were there. Life will be an adventure...and I love adventure. How do I know? How am I so confident? Because that's what military life is, when you view it through my eyes, an incredible, pride-filled, uplifting adventure.

Book Smart

Jace is smart. I may have mentioned that before. I've probably said it more than once because it's not only true, but flabbergasting and awe-inspiring.


Scott (my husband) and I aren't dumb, but we're not Jace-smart either...he apparently got some great recessive genes. Not only does he have incredible, sparking blue eyes and blonder hair than the rest of us, but he's witty, clever, and a little geeky. What a delightful mix!

Last night Jace told me about a book he'd gotten from the library at the school.

"Mama, this is a fiction book about a baby polar bear who gets lost and while he's waiting for his mama to find him he builds a snow bear to keep himself company. Some of his friends come to help him. Can you guess what animals his friends are? Here's a hint: they're arctic animals."

I guess a fox and a rabbit but he had to help me with the rest. "Let me spell it out for you. M-u-s-k..."

"A musk ox?"

"Right! Good job, mama. How about something that starts with a w?"

"Walrus?"

"Nope. W-o..."

"Wolf?"

"Right!"

He told me the rest of the animals then went on to explain, "This is obviously a fiction book. If it were a non-fiction story then I'd expect the wolf and fox to eat the rabbit and the duck, at least! They'd probably try to eat the moose and the musk ox and the bear too."

See...clever.

Recently, I met with Jace's teacher to talk about his experiences in school. At home he seems perfectly social, but apparently at school he has some minor issues with understanding how boys his age play. He had to go to the Principal's office a week or so ago after being involved in a fight on the playground. He was playing cops and robbers with some boys and two of them started fighting. Jace was a cop and tried to arrest them, not getting that they weren't just role-playing. He didn't get into any trouble, other than having to move his behavior clip down one color -- from blue to green, basically from excellent to good. When I picked him up hours later he was still upset and kept repeating, "I just don't understand. They were robbers. Why couldn't they just play robbers?"

Jace's teacher did say that she has seen improvement since he began in Cub Scouts. I know that he's getting something from it and that he enjoys it, but after this past weekend, Scott and I aren't sure we do. We went camping with the Pack and Jace was probably the best behaved boy there. In fact Tyler and Gracie were better behaved than many of the kids. If acting his age means that Jace should run amok, not listen, push, pick, and pester...well, I don't know that he needs to act his age.

I don't want to raise a socially awkward child, I'd prefer Jace's social network just followed directions, knew the rules and followed them. Too much to ask? Yeah, probably. I just never knew parenting a smarty pants like Jace would be so complicated...and Gracie and Tyler likely won't be any different. It's gonna be a long haul, as parenting often is, luckily there's an end in sight...Jace plans on moving out when he's 63 years old.

Money Well Spent

A few months back I posted about needing to figure out my new bra size, again, after all these children and nursing and weight gain and loss. I got to it back then, and determined the correct size. However, I only purchased one bra. Having only one bra that fits seemed like an OK plan, since I had several others that didn't. What I mean is that all these other sizes would work for the few hours during the day I was wearing them and then when I lost more weight I'd fit into at least one of them better, right?

Wrong.

What was a financial savings a few months ago was also an uncomfortable situation more days of the week than not. It occurred to me that I would probably enjoy at least one more bra of the correct size and last week I hit the stores again.

I tried on a dozen bras, some were comfortable, some weren't, but this one...that I passed by on my first walk through the intimates section...this one was comfortable, fit well, gave enough support, and didn't cost $30.00. I hesitated in the dressing room for a while. Only spending $7.00 (that's right, only $7.00) on a bra made me a little nervous. I had visions of sagging breasts only days after such a reasonable purchase. I convinced myself it was worth a shot, though, and took it to the register.

Let me tell you, it's been over a week now and I've worn this bra every other day without sagging or any other issue. I'm headed to the store tomorrow to pick up another, maybe two! The price can't be beat...neither can the comfort!

All In a Day's Work

I don't get a pay check. I do, however, have a few jobs. I'm a Navy wife. I'm a mother. I'm an unpublished freelance writer. The writing suffers a bit, which is why I'm unpublished as of now, but I figure it's better to put that on the back burner than my marriage or children. Good call, don't you think?

Anyway, my two priority unpaid jobs have me whipped. Thoughts about everything from education to housing pull me from slumber early in the mornings and keep me awake long after bedtime. Scott and I keep developing plans and those plans continue to be derailed. It's Monday at the office!

Sigh.

Luckily, I do love my jobs. When I dropped Gracie off at school this morning she was asked to draw something she liked and she drew a picture of me. I'm so touched, honored to be her mother.

And when they're not leaving me speechless with heartfelt, uncluttered expressions of love, they're making me laugh, chortle, and chuckle!

Tyler's got mischief in his eyes, hidden behind that thumb he's sucking on, and he just unleashes his energy every so often...it's great to watch! He climbs on anyone who sits still long enough to become a jungle gym. He's simply fun!

Jace continues to read up a storm and funnel his knowledge to us whenever he can fit in a fact about reptiles or prehistoric creatures. I've learned a lot from him, and I'm sure that will continue to be the case. Just the other day he told me that when Tyler turns 2 years old in a few months he'll "finally be able to start living his human life and not just be a baby." All this time I didn't know babies aren't human! Too funny.

So, see, it's all in a days work, being tired and feeling worn out. But at the end of that day, I have a husband who loves, trusts, and respects me. And we have three amazing, intelligent, and amusing children. There's no job worth more.