Monkey and I made it home to visit with our families last Friday night after a four hour layover in San Antonio and a thunderstorm. Oh how I love a thunderstorm! We were so happy to arrive at the airport in Nashville and even happier to get to my moms house in Alabama. It has rained and its been glorious! We’ve been busy visiting with family and friends. Monkey has been running her uncle ragged, but he’s loving every minute of it and so is she. We’ve had a couple of “I miss my daddy” moments, but a quick phone call to hear daddy’s voice seems to help. We took Monkey to the park today to let her get out some of her endless energy. We’re looking forward to going to the beach next week and we’re hoping that the hurricane won’t disrupt our plans! Hopefully I’ll be able to post some pics at some point before we return to Texas.
Our Princess Amidala
August 21, 2008 at 3:20 pm (Monkey)
We went to Target yesterday to get some last minute needed items for our upcoming trip home. As always, Monkey wanted to look at the toys. She has been asking for a light saber since she saw the Star Wars movie with her daddy. So, my hubby said “If I didn’t think she’d hit anybody with it I’d get her one.” We asked her if she was going to hit anybody, she said no, we told her if she did the light saber would go to time out, and we ended up buying it. This morning she had on her Princess Aurora dress with light saber in hand. Now, we just have to go back and buy one for my hubby so they will stop fighting over who gets to play with it!
Shopping for Baby K
August 19, 2008 at 7:22 pm (Kendal)
With our upcoming visit to see our families and our impending move to the frozen north (which is coming faster than I care to think about thank you) we decided we needed to buy as much as we could for Baby K while we were still near civilization. So, after a very nice lunch, at my absolute favorite restaurant, where I will eat like a pig and not even care, we headed to the baby store, the big baby store that Monkey and I both love and Hubby tolerates. We ordered our crib, which is a big relief to me and we bought the bedding that I fell in love with right after I found out I was pregnant, but was willing to give up in the event we had a boy. This bedding, in my opinion, is perfect for our new little girl. With it’s combination of sage, brown, and cream it’s not too girly, because that’s just not my style. So, we are pretty much set for our big move. We have the travel system, playpen, crib (which should be here in a week or two), bedding, and a bathtub. Everything else I want is just fluff and we can do with or without. Hubby painted a dresser for Monkey to match her bedding before she was born and he has plans to repaint it for Baby K to match her bedding. My stepmother’s sister makes diaper bags, tote bags, and purses and she made one for Monkey that is brown with pink polka dots and her initials, I’m hoping she’ll do the same for Baby K but in a different color scheme. It was a good day. Any day I can eat tiramisu at lunch is a good day!
Changes
August 13, 2008 at 10:02 am (Army Wife, Kendal, Monkey)
I will be the first to admit that I do not like change. At all. Even though I know that some changes are good, I still don’t care for them. So, this week, next week, and the following weeks will be very, very difficult for me as we make the changes for our impending move to Alaska. Am I excited about this move? Nope, not at all. Am I worried? Oh yes, very much so.
Yesterday we put my hubby’s truck on the you sell lot and now we are praying that someone buys it and buys it soon. Silly as it sounds, it’s sad to see that truck go. It was the first major purchase we made after we got married and it’s been so good to us. We turned in our notice to vacate our lovely military house yesterday too. The house, I won’t miss so much!
We are trying desperately to figure out what to do with our dog. It will cost us an arm and a leg to fly her to Alaska and then she would be miserable since it’s snowing and so cold and she needs time outside. Really it wouldn’t be fair to take her. I dread having to explain that to Monkey, so I have delegated that task to Hubby. I will be so sad to see her go, she is such a part of our little family.
It’s been nice being able to find an inexpensive flight home when hubby is deployed and I’m missing my family, now I’ll have to save for a year to go home. Especially since there will be three of us to fly and my mama makes me feel bad because it’s going to be a while before she gets to see her new grand baby. I’m sorry, I know it sucks, but we didn’t ask for this, it was dumped into our laps, please don’t make me feel guilty.
Then there’s the weather. Hello, we’re from Alabama. They say snow and the schools and roads get closed down. It doesn’t get that cold, ever. I mean, in the middle of winter a long sleeved shirt and jacket is all you need. Really, what do we know about driving in snow and ice much less how to keep our children and ourselves alive in negative 40 degree weather? I’ll tell you what we know. NOTHING.
My Hubby will deploy soon after we arrive (hopefully they will let him stay until after Baby K is born), but then I’m on my own, having to figure all of this stuff out. It happened when we moved here, but at least here it doesn’t freeze for six months out of the year and I didn’t have to worry about my child getting frostbite or being eaten by a polar bear or attacked by a moose. OK, I know the odds of the last two are slim, but I worry. I worry about everything!
I’m really trying to find positives here. I know that God has a plan and that there’s a reason we’re moving there, and I know we’re not supposed to question, but I can’t help but ask “Why? Why us? Why Alaska?” We’ve talked to people who’ve been stationed there and everything we here is positive, so maybe, just maybe it won’t be as bad as I think it will be. I do love sweaters and here I got to wear them for about a month or so, at least now I’ll get my moneys worth!
I guess this rant has been long enough. We are looking forward to next Friday, Hubby is going to school and Monkey and I are going home for three weeks! We are looking forward to seeing our family, friends, and getting to go to the beach! Thanks for listening!
Daddy-Daughter Date
August 10, 2008 at 8:13 pm (Dear Hubby, Monkey)
My hubby loves sci-fi, anything sci-fi, and it seems that my Monkey has taken a liking to it too! So, today, the theater on post had a free screening of the new animated Star Wars movie, and my sci-fi fanatics went. I do not enjoy sci-fi, I will watch it if I have too, and I was asked to go to the movies, but decided to stay home, enjoy the peace and quiet, and just relax. It was so nice!
When they got home, Monkey was so excited. They ate blue popcorn, drank soda, saw Star Wars characters with light sabers…to hear them tell it, it was all so fantastic! They had a great time and I’m glad they had the opportunity to go together, even though Monkey is more obsessed with Yoda than she was before! I think it’s so important for them to do things together, creating wonderful father-daughter memories!
My hubby jokes that he and Monkey will be going to sci-fi films while our new baby girl and I are at home painting our toenails and scrap booking!
Busy Week
August 8, 2008 at 10:26 pm (Army Wife, Monkey)
This week has been incredibly busy. I volunteered to teach four year olds for our base Vacation Bible School. I loved it! I had so much fun. I taught preschool for years before the birth of my Monkey and even though I love being able to stay home with her, there are days I really miss teaching. So, volunteering gave me the creative release I needed, I was able to make lesson plans, prepare activities, and work with little ones again, everything I loved about being a teacher. Monkey had a great time too. She especially loved the music class and puppets, even asking if one of the puppets could come live with us. Tonight we had the closing assembly. Each age group sang two songs in front of friends and family. Monkey thought this was very exciting. She loves being on stage! As much as I enjoyed the week, I have to say that I am a tiny bit glad that it’s over. I’m exhausted. I realized today just how incredibly tired I was and how the week has caught up with me. Monkey is sad that VBS is over, she is going to miss music class and her new friends.
After the closing assembly we headed out to see Sesame Street Live! It was cool, they came to the gym on base for a free show for military families. Monkey was excited to see Elmo. They gave out free Elmo spinning light toys, which are kind of cool and lots of free goodies. We took some pictures and I will try to post them later.
Anyway, I’m exhausted and plan on sleeping late tomorrow, if Monkey cooperates! All in all, it’s been a great week, but a really busy one!
20 Weeks
August 6, 2008 at 3:05 pm (Monkey, Pregnancy)
A picture of my Monkey and me at 20 weeks! We’re halfway there!
