Update with Pics

We are alive and well. In fact, James' runny nose is almost completely gone... yippie!!! We have been super busy, which is good but exhausting. Here is a brief catchup from the past few days!

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Thursday (10/16)

What a beautiful day to play outside!

At the park today, Jemma was trying to do everything that the six year old little girl was doing. She wanted to go across those bars by herself so badly, but she couldn't quite reach! Jemma in her "new" dress-up skirt:

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Friday (10/17)

It is 7:01 AM and Jemma is already dressed-up with the "new" horse costume!

Today was Yellow Day for Jemma's class. So, this is the outfit she choose to wear. I packed her lemon pudding, lemonade, pears and string cheese.

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Saturday (10/18)

We were supposed to have our neighborhood Fall Festival today. We've been planning this for over a month. It is raining and windy and cold. The Festival is postponed until next Sunday because the winds are forecasted to be 25-35 mph tomorrow and the bouncy house people will not set up in high winds!

This is James at 8:11 AM... in the doll swing! On my toes all day...

We went to a birthday party for one of Jemma's classmates, Abby. When I told the kids we were going, James kept naming all the Sesame Street characters. Once we were at the party, he was upset because Abby was a little girl and not the Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street! Both kids had a blast. It was at Ocean Tumblers, which is a gym. First the kids played with the parachute, which I had to pull James off of and take him out of the area... he would not get off the center of the parachute to give the other kids a turn. Then, they went into an inflatable whale through the mouth, through a mini-obstacle course, up a mesh ladder and down a slide, which was the tail. James was too little to navigate the ladder, but he loved going in and out of the mouth and through the obstacle course! Then, the kids went onto the trampolines. James had to wait with me and just play on the other equipment. When the kids from the birthday party moved onto the next activity, I went with him on the trampoline. I was sweating because I bounced with him to keep him happy and occupied! I couldn't leave him alone because the springs were not covered and I was afraid that he would fall through. It was such a nice diversion for such a yucky weather day! :)

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Sunday (10/19)

We went to church this morning. I had planned to go down to the big church by the boardwalk, but we were running very late so I decided to head to Sandbridge instead. On our way there, we passed Tabernacle. Jemma said, "Mommy, I want to go there." So, I turned around and that is where we went. This is a small church that Jim and I enjoyed attending the couple of times that we went together. Jemma loved it... in fact, she stayed for "children's choir practice" and was begging to do it again. I'm torn now because the big church by the boardwalk is really nice and has such a great room for James... he is excited to be left in the nursery. On our first visit, the nursery worker said, "He just pooped... let me change him before I give him back to you." That is enough to get me back to church! However, he cried and was very unhappy with the small nursery at Tabernacle. I like both churches... both pastors are very warm and have good sermons... both have very warm and inviting congregations... we'll just have to give it a few more tries! After church, we went to give a letter to Koko for Daddy. Koko is leaving to join the squadron because one of their officers is unable to fly for medical reasons, so they need another qualified pilot. Koko volunteered take letters to our spouses. This was wonderful because I have yet to mail my wonderful husband who is defending our freedom and putting his life on the line daily a care package. I have had one sitting on the kitchen floor for four weeks... I just have not taken it to the post office. I don't know why.... I have no good excuse...

On the way home, I stopped at the Golden Arches for lunch for the kids. James was so excited and kept chanting "French Fries" the entire time that we were in the drive through. To end the day, Merin and I ordered Chinese. Jemma and Mya were playing and James was napping late, so while Merin went to pick up the food, I got to keep Scout. She was so good the entire time that Merin was gone. (Of course, I did hold and snuggle with her almost the entire time that she was away.) However, the moment that Merin opened the front door, she started to cry! I think the little girl has a mommy proximity sensor!

I just didn't have the energy to cook and clean... and it was really nice to have the company! I'm so lucky to have neighbors who are friends!!! :)
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Tuesday (10/21)

I took James to the childcare center on base for a few hours. I finally picked up the Corolla from having the state inspection done on base. (Jim dropped it off a week before he left and I just had not gone to get it!) Merin and I went out to lunch, which was really nice. We went to a local Italian restaurant and we were one of two tables. So, it was quiet and the service was excellent!

The childcare provider asked me if I knew that James knew his shapes... circle, square, triangle, oval and rectangle... who do you think taught him?!? Of course I knew! She was amazed that he was not older... I guess that he appears older because of his size. He can also count to twenty with a little assistance... he usually will skip a couple, but I have heard him in his crib counting all by himself. And if you say one, he says two, then you say three and he says four... up to 20... it is so incredibly cute!

Keebler FudgeStripe cookies are a weakness of mine. I resist the temptation by not purchasing these evil little cookies. However, Jemma saw them in the store and asked for them and in a moment of weakness, I purchased them. They were on the counter. I went to the bathroom and when I returned, James had taken them off the counter (did I mention that he is tall and can reach lots of things?!?) and both kids were feasting.
I love yellow mums and we usually have two on our front porch for the fall. However, these deep purple ones were so pretty at Atlantic Garden Center that I had to have them!

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Thursday (10/23)

Jemma got a good note from her teacher! "I just want you to know - Jemma has been doing a great job!" I love this note! :)

After helping to decorate the classroom for Jemma's party tomorrow, I made this dinner, which I thought was a yummy and rather attractive dinner. My husband would have loved it... meatloaf sandwich with mozzarella cheese, mashed potatoes and asparagus! Jemma had three helpings of mashed potatoes with her and half of my asparagus. James ate the sandwich with his and half of my asparagus.

We had Catherine, a potential new babysitter, come to meet the kids and chat with us for a while. She seems very sweet and I'm looking forward to having her watch the kids while I attend a meeting on Saturday!

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Friday (10/24) - BUSY day!!!

I dropped the girls at school, took James to MyGym, then came home to change for Jemma's Halloween Parade and Party at school. Thankfully, Sarah - a wonderful friend- volunteered to watch James for me to attend the parade/party! What a generous and wonderful friend...

Jemma, a ballerina fairy, in the parade at school:

I made 14 pumpkin shaped and 28 bat shaped little ham and cheese sandwiches plus some extra cheese slices, which took over an hour. But the parents noted and appreciated the effort and all the sandwiches were eaten! :)

During the school day, Jemma and Derek decided to act like brother and sister and not listen to the teacher (trouble). Together, they had to sit while their classmates picked out their pumpkins as punishment. So, after the party, Jemma had to pick out her pumpkin from the remaining ones: