The countdown begins

Jim left this morning. I woke both kids to be off by 6:30 to take him on base... I started crying as we entered the gate... I know that it is silly but I just can't help it... I hate it when he leaves... one day down, 27 to go...

The kids and I came back home to eat breakfast and get ready for a day trip adventure! We left about 9:30 and drove to Richmond. After three potty stops, we made it to Troy and Kat's house. I met Greyson for the first time! He is such a cutie and he didn't cry the entire time that we were visiting. And, he loves his bouncy seat! Jemma and James both loved playing with/chasing Ursa. Ursa was such a trooper and really handled both kids well. We took the kids to the park, which was a short trip because it was rather hot. And, James got sunscreen in his eyes, so he was not very happy. I never got sunscreen in Jemma's eyes and I felt horrible today. I kept trying to pour water and rinse his face but I'm not sure that made it feel much better. I need to get another stick to apply sunscreen to the face instead of trying to use the lotion. We ate watermelon then loaded the car for our trip back East.

We stopped to visit with Brien and Lily. (Rachel already had plans so we missed her... next time we'll see her!) And it was especially nice because Brien's Mom and Dad came to visit, too! Jemma and James both had a great time playing with Lily and I was able to chat/visit with the grown-ups. After eating pizza, I put pjs on the kids and we loaded the car for home.

Now, Jim is safely in Fallon and both kids are sleeping. I'm off to get some rest myself! :)

Eat, eat...

James cracks me up with his budding vocabulary. He pointed to the pudding in the refrigerator and said, "Eat, eat" while giving me the more sign this afternoon. It was so cute! :)

Here he is eating/wearing his yogurt, pancake and bacon yesterday at breakfast:

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We had our predeployment brief last night. I almost started crying when it started. Yes, I know that it is coming, but I'm in blissful denial. The brief was a reality check... yes, it is coming and it will be here soon. Yikes!!! I have to concentrate on getting through this next month with my husband gone before I can think about 7 months without him home!!!

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I don't leave the kids with babysitters often, so I'm always a little worried about leaving. Last night, when Taylor arrived to watch the kids, Jemma said, "Bye, Mommy" before I had even had a chance to chat with Taylor. Then, after I finished talking with her, I went to change and Jemma says, "Mommy, Aren't you leaving yet?" She wanted me to leave! And as I'm backing out of the driveway, James is doing his Miss America wave and saying "Bye-Bye" and smiling. Taylor said she had no problems and they both did great! Yippie... I foresee using sitters a lot over the next few months!

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We took the kids to the Strawberry Festival on Saturday for the parade and back on Sunday for the pig races. James wanted to get down and get the pigs... Jemma was upset that they only ran four races... it was well worth the walk and crowds for the entertainment of watching the kids' faces! After the pig races, we had strawberry tacos (waffle cone shaped like a taco, with strawberries in sugar syrup with whipped cream). Then Jemma got to ride one carnival ride (the circus train), then she had her face painted by the Marines and rode in the turret ontop of a Humvee. While Jim grilled porkchops for dinner Sunday (he made an incredible marinade with garlic and soy sauce... we also had a salad and fresh asparagus from a local produce stand... yummy!!!), the kids played in the sandbox:

Here are the kids helping Daddy make pancakes Sunday morning:

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I'm off to bed and I'll catch up more later... we've been enjoying our time as a family!

Scout is home!

Merin, Kelly, Mya and Scout are home! They arrived early yesterday afternoon and we were lucky enough to share dinner with them. Mya is her bright, happy, shiny little self. Merin is very, very happy to be home. Scout is still a medical mystery and such a sweet little baby girl. Merin said that they plan to have her hip surgery done in the next 4-8 weeks, so she will be in a cast for 3 months after the surgery.

We took Mya and Jemma out for ice cream after dinner last night... they are so, so happy to be back together!

It's a wonderful life...

These past few days have been pure bliss... two healthy kids, a husband at home and perfect weather!!! :) Who could dare ask for more?!?

Yesterday was almost a perfect day... almost because after the kids were in bed, Jim had work to do... a perfect day would have been no work and all play! Jim fed both kids breakfast while I got ready and then we all went to the zoo. (We let Jemma decide between the zoo and beach and she chose the zoo.) I packed us lunch and we enjoyed a couple of hours of just walking around and looking at the animals. James' favorite were the Bongos, or "Bo-go" according to our little man. Here are the kids "riding" the rhino:
The kids in the car with lolipops (they were a happy, sticky mess):

Jim gave Jemma the map because she said that she wanted to read it. We had skipped the kangaroo exhibit and Jemma was upset as we were leaving because she saw the kangaroo picture on the map... she has talked about seeing the kangaroos constantly since! We are going to have to make another zoo trip soon... thank goodness we are members.

When we arrived home, Merin and family were already back. Jemma and I went to visit while Jim put James down for a nap. Jemma and Mya were too cute... hugs and giggles and saying "I love you, Mya" and "I missed you, Jemma" and more giggles. Then they disappeared to play in Mya's room. After chatting for a little while, I ventured to the store for dinner items... hamburger meat and buns and chips and dip. Jim makes the best hamburgers! I don't know exactly everything that goes into them, but they are delicious. While he made the patties, I made a pan of brownies. We took everything over to Merins' house for dinner, then took the girls for ice cream. I am so, so happy they are home! I am so, so happy that my husband is home...

Daddy's home!!! :)

Jim flew in yesterday afternoon. YIPPIE!!! :)

Unlike other husbands who called and/or emailed their wives that they would be flying in after the change-of-command on the ship, mine neither called or emailed. He had hinted earlier in the week in an email that he would be home to take Jemma to school on Friday morning, but there were no definite plans communicated. So, I decided not to join the other wives and families who were at the squadron to greet their husbands and celebrate. I was afraid to take Jemma and then find out that my husband didn't get to fly off the ship... I couldn't imagine disappointing her like that. So, I decided to drive on base for a special treat (aka, McDonalds nuggets). We sat in the parking lot and watched the jets land... and I waited for a phone call. Of course, my smart little girl kept asking, "Is my Daddy coming home?" and "Is Daddy in one of those jets?" and "Is my Daddy on the ship?" and "Is my Daddy in Norfolk?" and I kept having to be vague and not really answer because I really didn't know. After allowing what I thought was enough time for Jim to get out of a jet, I gave up hope and headed for the Exchange for shopping. Upon getting the stroller and James out of the car, my husband phoned that he was indeed on the ground and enjoying the celebration. It was pure joy... tainted with a bit of frustration. I was so close... we could have been there already... but we were there in 15 minutes and got to share in cake and champagne! Jemma and James were both so excited to see their Daddy!!! And what a relief to have him home safe with us...

Now I am going to enjoy the next two weeks with my family together!!!!

Smoke detectors...

I know you need them, but right now I hate them... yes, our smoke detectors (SD) are driving me nuts! They went off at 3:45 this morning and I had a terrible time getting myself back to sleep. Thankfully, both kids slept right through them going off! :) We had issues with the SD when we first bought our house but since we replace the batteries regularly and vaccuum them monthly, we haven't had problems. So, I vaccummed them today. And they still kept going off. Jemma is totally freaked out. They went off every 10-15 minutes for about two hours... finally, with the help of our wonderful neighbor (who I called during his 20th wedding anniversary dinner... felt horrible about that!), I turned off the circuit breaker and removed every battery. Yes, it is dangerous to be without a smoke detector but I'm just going to have to risk it until we can figure out what is wrong... I can't take the noise and poor Jemma is going to have a nervous breakdown if it goes off again! She just covers her ears and gets this scared expression on her face... so sad!

We went to the farmer's market after I picked Jemma up from school and got fresh asparagus and strawberries. I had not planned to get strawberries, but Jemma insisted. James put a whole one in his mouth, including the green top, while we were walking and I could not fish out the green leaves... he ate the whole thing. Normally, he spits out strawberries, so I was surprised that he fished it out the bag and ate it! Then, I treated the kids to ice cream at Yoder dairy. James only wanted the waffle piece from the cone, and Jemma gobbled up the ice cream. It was a special treat because Jemma's teacher said she had a fabulous day at school... yippie!!! :)

Trina and Derek, and Carol and James came over for dinner. I made chicken with pineapple and raspberry vinegrette in the crockpot, rice, asparagus, and salad for dinner. Trina brought mac-n-cheese for the kids and cupcakes. It was a very delicious dinner. The kids all had such a great time playing together and it was nice enough that they played outside!! :)

I took no pictures today, so here are some pics of the scrapbook pages that I made for Jemma's display at school.

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Here is Jemma on 5/6... I think it is such a cute little picture!

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School lunches: I try to make sure that Jemma has a healthy lunch that she will actually eat every day. I mentally plan for the week on Sunday (I should probably write out a menu to just make it easier) to make sure that I have plenty (and a variety) to send to school. I was quite proud of this lunch (ham, grapes, tomatoes and cucumber) because it looked so pretty and her teacher said she ate everything, including the string cheese and butterfly shaped crackers!

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Now, I'm off to bed... I hope for a nice, long, uninterrupted night of sleep... and I am counting the hours until my wonderful husband is home!!!!

Rest needed...

Jemma was up at 3 am complaining of her ear hurting. Plus the cops had some girl pulled over for what I suspect was a DUI in front of our house for over an hour last night (3-4:15 AM), so there was little sleep for me. When Jemma was still asleep at 8:15, I debated whether to wake her for school and decided that I should just let her rest. So, she skipped school today. She woke just after 9 and said her ears felt "fine" and she felt "good" so we just had a "restful" day at home. Jemma colored, taped things to herself and the wall, played dress up (7 different outfits during the day!), helped me make lunch, pretended all kinds of things. ("Mommy, I'm a princess. Can James be my frog?" To which I suggested that he be her prince...) ("Mommy, you are at Chick-fil-A, what can I make you?" She made me fruit salad, chicken nuggets, a chocolate shake, and chicken soup.) ("Mommy, I'm going to Walmart." "What will you get, Jemma?" "Apples. To make applesauce.") ("Mommy, I will be right back." "Where are you going this time?" "To the shoe store... I need some pretty socks.") She had me cracking up with her going places... and she carried her purse with her all around the house!

She and James were playing their plastic flutes today... I'm so impressed with how well James can play. He actually understands to blow and make "music"... I've met 4 year olds who have trouble! Now, if I could just get him to blow his nose... a feat that his sister had mastered by his age... did I mention that his nose is still running like a facuet and he still has a cough after 10 days on antibiotics? I called the dr today and they started him on another antiboitic, which I hope will get rid of it!

Here is James with his Parmesan chicken that I made for lunch. I took his chicken off the bone, but he wanted mine! I also made a baked potato soup (leftover baked potato, bacon, cheese, heavy cream, milk and broccoli) that I thought was wonderful but the kids wouldn't eat it!

Here is a picture of James playing with the Little People set. I love how he takes the people in and out of the cars and planes and moves things around... he also makes the "vrromm" sound. He kept running for the front door saying, "Go-go-go-go" today but it was so windy that I didn't want to get them outside with their runny noses. Hopefully, tomorrow will be nice and we can enjoy some quality outdoor time!

Jemma giving James hugs. James is my little lover... he loves to hug and kiss... and he loves to cuddle stuffed animals and Elmos! Here he is just before I took him upstairs for his nap.

On the way to the commissary tonight, Jemma said, "My eyes want broccolli." A few minutes later she said, "My eyes want carrots, too. Carrots are good for your eyes. They have vitamins." I asked if she wanted them cooked or raw and she said cooked, so I promised to cook some carrots and broccolli for her tomorrow...

I'm off to get some sleep... these kids have shared their germs and I have a stuffy nose, sore throat and cough... plus the weather has just been wacky lately (I actually turned the heat on yesterday because it was cold!) so lots of people are getting sick. I'm ready for sun and warmth!!! I'm also READY for my husband to be home!!!!

Monday, 5/12

This is Jemma after school today. I think she is so incredibly cute in these fun tights. She no longer has to wear her uniform for the remainder of the school year, but I do think the jumper is adorable!

We made whipped cream to go with the strawberries that my Mom sent home with us. I started looking at the ingredient list on the CoolWhip container and wondering why I give my kids hydrogenated vegetable oil and high fructose corn syprup when it is easy and quick to just whip heavy cream... and Jemma turned on the mixer and loved licking the whipped cream from the beater!

The kids enjoying their strawberry shortcakes:

James spit out the strawberries and didn't like the cake, but wanted more whipped cream!

I started reading alot of labels once Jemma started eating solid food and analyzing things that I never even thought of before becoming a mom... and I realized that my diet was horrible (and yes, I still have a weakness for "bad" foods) but I am trying to do better for the kids and my husband. I now make mac-n-cheese and spaghetti sauce and noodle casseroles instead of using the boxed stuff, and I do put in peas and brocolli and other pureed vegetables to make them healthier. I try to avoid prepackaged stuff (although sometimes I just get in a time crunch and resort to hamburger helper), and I still don't buy deli meats. I do confess to fast food fixes... chicken nuggets are a favorite of the kids, which is wonderful when we travel or I'm just being lazy! But I'm trying...

Happy me

Jim just called to wish me a Happy Mother's Day. It was so wonderful to hear his voice. I haven't heard his voice since April 27... two weeks ago... I just wish it had been while the kids were awake. I'd gladly share the 3 minute and 56 second phone call with them! I think prisioners may get to talk to their spouses more than this... I'm not complaining, just thinking... I'm so happy to hear my wonderful man's voice... I admit that sometimes I call his phone just because I know that I'll hear him on voicemail... or I'll put on the DVD of Daddy reading to Jemma just because I want to see and hear him... am I sappy or what?!? I'm off to dream happy dreams of my husband...

Happy Mother's Day

For Mother's Day this year, I did the kid's handsprints for Nanny, GrandMary, Granny and myself. Unfortunately, I have not yet mailed the ones for GrandMary or Nanny... good intentions, but a little late...

Anyway, I went to give James a bath tonight and came downstairs to find Jemma making the kitchen "pretty." She had gotten the tape out and taped the handprints to the wall. She said, "See Mommy, isn't it pretty?!?" Oh, yes it is pretty... and I'll take them down tomorrow while she is in school and put them in the mail. And I'm glad that I came down when I did because I don't know what else she would have thought belonged on the wall or how much more tape should would have used!

I did learn from this project that James HATES fingerpaints. I tried putting his little fingers in the paint to let him do some painting on his own before handprinting him and he just looked at his colored fingers and started screaming. I used a towel to wipe off the paint and he was fine. Then I put the paint directly on his hand for the printing and had to rush through it and wash him off immediately. I don't understand... he loves dirt and he gets entirely messy eating...

Home, sweet home...

We packed up yesterday morning and drove to South Boston for Mother's Day. Then, we drove back tonight. The kids were such wonderful travellers, although I don't think I would be able to do long trips without the DVD player (thank you, Elmo!). Considering we made 5 potty stops on Saturday and 3 today, we made pretty good time! And altough our trip was wonderful, it is nice to be back in our own home with our own beds!

The kids had such fun playing outside on Saturday. They fed the horses carrots, found sticks, picked up rocks, took turns on the swing, played with the balls, and were so incredibly happy to be outside in the sun! Jemma even shocked me by using the toy bat to hit the plastic ball from her hand out of the air. She could get some real distance and I was extremely impressed! James just kept saying, "Go-go-go-go..." while going as fast as his little legs could carry him... all over the yard!

This morning James went to the door and gave the more sign and said "go-go-go-go" but it was cold, windy and rainy. Papa took him out for a brief period when the rain stopped, but he wanted more!

Here is Logan and Nicole... isn't he just a cute little boy?!?

Jemma helping Granny cook pancakes

Logan with the swiffer

James' turn to swiffer!

I just had to post this one...

Jemma helping Granny make deviled eggs...

Jemma sampling a deviled egg (for her Daddy)!

Attempting to get our boys to look at the camera:

Papa took James into their bedroom so I could enjoy a hot lunch. James was "dancing" and having a blast with Papa:

Jemma enjoying strawberry shortcake... well, she ate the strawberries and whipped cream and left the cake!

Jemma misses her Daddy so much. He has started sending emails to her, I print them and we read them several times a day. He checks the blog and/or I email him about what we are doing, so his emails are very relevant (good and bad) to what is happening in our daily lives. Thankfully, it seems to help. Her meltdowns are less frequent and intense.

I'm hoping they both sleep well tonight... I'm off to get some rest so I'm prepared for this week. I can't wait until my husband is home!!! Friday cannot get here fast enough...

A gripe...

Jemma's teacher made a comment today that hit a nerve. I said "no" to volunteering to make hats for the kids this Friday. I apologized, but I just don't have it the motivation/energy to do it... there are lots of other parents... well, sometimes I just have to say no... although I told her that I would help if they really needed me. And she replied that she understands because he husband travels a lot for his job and she has two kids and knows exactly what it is like... EXCUSE ME?!? I held back and just smiled but inside I was seething... does she know what it is like to have one phone in two weeks? She has her husband back every weekend and she knows exactly where he is...

If I'm like this for workups, I pray for the strength to be strong, kind, nice and polite through deployment...

And once again, I admire the spouses of those who are deployed and I feel for those single mothers and fathers...

Nanny's gift

(4/27/08) Jim made this display for Nanny and he was sad that he couldn't give it to her in person, but he wanted her to have it as soon as it was done. He researched Poppy's medals, mounted them, and then had special brass plates made to make it even more special. I think Nanny really liked it! :)