Saturday, January 31, 2009

200?!

So everyone get ready to do a happy dance. This is my 200th blog post! *imagine confetti and sparklers and all that fun stuff now* In some ways I can't believe that I have 200 posts already, and in some ways it seems like I have been at this FOREVER. Now that we have that out of our systems, we can go about our regular blogging for the day.

Life today was pretty boring. Samuel seems to have a runny nose, and I think he might be coming down with what Genevieve and I had last week. I know for me, it wasn't fun. So I tried to keep things low key. That worked for the two of us, but Genevieve had other plans. She was crazy all day. We did survive the day though, and I'm happy to report they are both in bed asleep now. *knock on wood*

I have this tooth that is killing me. I know it isn't the tooth itself because I had a root canal done on it, and it is capped. It's under the surface, like down in the roots. The only thing I can think of is that something is wrong with it. I wear a night guard at night, and I wonder (it doesn't fit as well as it use to) if it is messing up the tooth or making things shift. The other thing I wonder is if it is due to me clinching my teeth at night. Either one makes sense to me. I guess I'm going to have to figure out when I can get in down here. I absolutely hate going to the dentist. I however know the consequences of waiting too long to go, and have learned my lesson.

See nothing too exciting! I think tomorrow I might try and hit up a store in town. Wait! Never mind. It is Sunday and stores here are closed on Sunday. That is one thing that is still hard to get use to. The kids and I will probably just take it easy again. Who knows. I guess it's anyone's guess.

Friday, January 30, 2009

I'm Gonna Get in Trouble!

So I don't always, nor usually, write about deals, websites, and things of that nature. However, two deals were brought to my attention today, and I have to be honest and say I bought more than a few things.

The Children's Place has a code (SA19) that gets you an extra 15% off. I bought some leggings, a hoodie, 3 long sleeved shirts, and a pair of fleece pants for under 25 bucks including shipping. It was a great deal in my eyes. They had a lot more stuff that I really liked, but they didn't have the sizes I needed. I tried to get things I knew I could use for awhile after winter was over.

Old Navy is also having a sale with a code to enter (HALFOFF). This will get you 50% off of the clearance price. It does not work for things that are just on sale or regular priced items though. Here I bought 3 long sleeved shirts, a pull over fleece, polo shirt, and a short sleeved shirt for under 26 dollars with shipping.

I now need to stop looking for deals because I have spent enough money for tonight. I hope you can find something you might like :) I hope I don't get you into trouble. Happy shopping!

Monday, January 26, 2009

What's So Scary About Army School?

Yesterday the kids and I took off and headed to my husband's "Army School." Genevieve asks me about a hundred times a day where her Daddy is. I know how much Genevieve likes school so I told her that day was off playing at Army School. Yesterday there was a Family Day, and we decided to attend. It was about a 3 hour one way drive, but it was really nice to go see him.

We started the day off real early (well early for us). It seems really early around here because the sun doesn't even come up until 8:30. We were up, out the door, and on the road by 7:30. We headed down the road, and the kids took a nice nap. I totally enjoyed driving (although it would have been much nicer to ride so I could totally take it in) and watching the countryside. The little towns on the hill sides were amazing. All the houses were set up in the hills and the land as it was formed. Just seeing them set up was so pretty. I would have loved to see them with all the trees and greenery in bloom.

We had a great day with my husband. We didn't do a whole lot. He wasn't allowed to leave the compound the school was at. We played in his room, watched part of a movie, and just hung out around each other. The kids enjoyed playing at his desk and on the floor of his room. We took him goodies, and Samuel got to show off some new tricks. When it was time to leave, Genevieve said, "I don't want Daddy to stay at Army School. He needs to come home."

The trip home was long. It was very dark, so there wasn't much to look at. What made it the worst was the long day. I was so tired and looking into nothing made it hard. The GPS would say, "Follow the road for 53 km." I just kept thinking...I don't want to! The other thing that was crazy was how fast these people drive here. I was going 120 km/h (about 80 mph) and people would pass me like I was sitting still. They would come out of no where in the middle of the night. One second I'd look in the mirror and no one was around. The next someone would be flashing me to hurry around the car I was passing. It's nuts!

On a good note...I did dive the whole way there and back alone. I would still be nervous about driving other places, but my GPS did gain more trust :p We made it in one piece, and we are still tired. Maybe it won't be too much longer before we head out again and find something new.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

All You Need is Love

So I have been burning the midnight oil most nights this week, and I still hadn't had any inspiration for my blog. I have been in a bit of a rut. I am going to blame part of it on the little sleep I have had. I am going to blame the other part on being sick. Then I will tell you that if those things weren't an issue, I still would probably be in a rut. Maybe it is time to find a list of things that might be fun to blog about :p Needless to say, it's been slow going not only in my personal life and on my blog. However, I did find a little inspiration in the last couple of days.

As everyone in the world knows, the US has a new president. I have heard so many people talk about why they really like this guy and why they really don't like this guy. As I have watched the event unfold over the last few days, I have felt myself very hopeful about life as I know it. I find it amazing that our country has come so far. I find myself full of hope that if this man can become the President of the United States, my children can do whatever they set their minds to. It all of a sudden has hit home that it doesn't really matter where you come from and where you are. You can make a difference in the world, and there IS hope for the world. How amazing was it that you saw not only an African American running, but also you saw a woman running for both offices (president and vice president). However, I am getting off on my whole point of what I was going to blog about. Funny hu?

The thing I noticed the most was the love of the new First Family. Did you see the way this family acted around one another? You can just see the love. I loved watching the kids interact with their parents. I see my kids doing some of the same things as they grow up, and it is just so nice to see the normalcy of their family. Maybe it is seeing that with their family that makes me think they understand more what it is like to have a family with young kids. They are there now. They are doing it now. I don't know though. I just love seeing families like that though.

The thing that struck me the most was seeing how much Barack and Michelle loved each other in that day. You can just see the love they have for each other when they are around. It has been awhile (or I just haven't noticed) since I have seen a president really show affection the way he does. They way they play around with each other. I saw a clip (because we are in another time zone, and I didn't watch it all the first go around) of the two of them dancing around listening to the music in the parade. You saw how they talked, danced, and were with each other all day.

Making a long story short, I just hope that in another 10 years, my husband and I still have fun and show love the way you see them doing it. I hope that people can look at us and see the love and pride we have for one another. To me it is a wonderful goal to aspire to.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

You Know You're a Militay Wife If...

I found this on a website I frequent, and I thought it was funny. Although some of these things I can't relate to (mainly the places they talk about), a lot of things stand true. I found it amazing how many things I saw on there that I was shaking my head at. Have fun reading, and enjoying my pathetic attempt at blogging tonight. The kids have me worn out (it was a LONG night last night), and it hurts to think :p

You are a military wife if...
..you can unpack a house and have everything in place in 48 hours
..you string concertina wire to keep the neighbor's kids out of your flower beds
..your husband's work and dress clothes cost more than yours do
..you've changed more oil and mowed more lawns than your husband because he's never there to do it himself
..you use a crook-neck flashlight with a red lens during power outages because it's the only one you can ever find in the house
..your children say "hoo ah" or "roger that" instead of "ok"
..you know that it's normal to light shoe polish on fire and that the best way to spit-shine boots is with cotton balls
..your husband does a route recon and takes a GPS for a trip to the mall
..you only write in pencil because EVERYTHING is subject to change
..you need a translator to talk to your civilian friends, only because they have no idea what DFAS, AER, TDY, ACS, NPD,
PCS, and ETS mean
..you have a larger selection of curtains than Wal-Mart does
..you can remember where you kept the Scotch tape in your last house, but unfortunately, not in this one
..you mark time in duty stations, not years
..you refer to friends not only by name but by the state that they live in
..you know that "back home" doesn't mean at the house you live in now
..you tear up when you hear "Proud to Be An American," even though you've heard it 50 times by now
..you know that a 2 month separation IS short, no matter what your civilian friends say
..you ALWAYS know when payday is and get ticked off if there are more than 2 weekends during that pay period
..you know better than to go to the PX or commissary between 11:30 and 1:30 unless it's a life or death emergency
..you show your military ID to the greeter at Wal-Mart
..you know that any reference to "sand" or a "box" describes NTC at Ft. Irwin, not your kid's backyard toys
..you know that "Ft. Puke" is a completely accurate description of Ft. Polk
..you find yourself explaining your husband's LES to him
..you have enough camouflage in your house to wallpaper the White House
..you don't have to think about what time 21:30 is
..you've ever been referred to as "Household 6"
..you're the TC, not a backseat driver
..you start ripping open MREs and looking for the M&Ms when you run out of Halloween candy
..you can't remember the last time you saw a doctor who wasn't wearing BDUs
..you've ever had a pet named Scout, Ranger or Sergeant
..the local dry cleaner knows you by your first name
..it only cost you $25 to have a child
..you find that a large number of your clothes and household items are olive drab or loam, even though you never planned it
that way
..you pick apart uniforms on TV and in the movies, even though you used to yell at your husband for doing the same thing
..you know what "pogey bait" is and which kinds everyone in your husband's platoon prefers
..you wish you could go to CIF to DX your old stuff like your husband can
..you've learned to sleep through the sounds of tanks, planes, helicopters and artillery simulators
..you give your kids a hand receipt when they take your Tupperware to school
..you can hate military life but be terrified to leave it all in the same breath
..you defend your lifestyle no matter how bad things get because you know there's no other life for you!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

They Come That Big?


So, the picture isn't the greatest, but I think you can see what I'm talking about. Look at how big these snow flakes are! It was a weird day of weather today. (My husband is going to laugh hard when he realizes my blog is about weather :p)

The snow started this morning about 11. At that time it was like little icy pellets. They weren't very hard, but they were more solid than snow. I dropped Genevieve off at the CDC, and went about the day. I had several things to get done and buy while I only had one child. It was the same the whole morning we were out.

After we made it home, the snow seemed to change. It got really fluffy and big. It was so pretty. It seemed to cover the ground really fast too. I don't really like snow, but I would even venture to say that this was nice to watch. Too bad I don't have a fireplace.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Lack of People and Lack of Sleep

I realize I haven't been keeping up with my blog as much as I'd like recently. I don't usually have something set to blog about, I just come up with my thoughts for the day. It seems like the last week as pretty much been the same. It is very boring around here, and I'm totally exhausted. Before anyone asks, I am NOT pregnant. I don't know how many times I have been asked that in the last week. :p

It has been a week of adjustments. We went from a house full of people (4 adults and 2 kids) to an empty house. My in-laws left and my husband left all on the same day. I dropped my husband off right before I took my in-laws to the airport. The day was really full and busy. We spent just about all of that day on the road and running around taking care of things. The other events for the week included lots of errands, Genevieve going to school one day, and MOPS.

It is amazing how empty everything feels. I have found myself getting really tired. I don't really sleep well when my husband is gone anyway. The last few nights I have been up late, and I have been woke up early. I'm also trying to wean Samuel and get him to sleep through the night. So I haven't been getting the most sleep. Hopefully he will catch on soon, and I'll be sleeping good.

Other than that, life has been just going on. I told you I was boring :p I hope that everyone is having a great weekend, and I hope your week is great. Please get some of the sleep I can't seem to get :)

Thursday, January 8, 2009

2 Kids, 25 Degrees, and a Fire Truck

Today has been a very busy day. Genevieve went to school, and I was looking forward to relaxing a little. Well, that didn't happen. I suddenly had about 50 things to do, and it was just easier to do them while she was there so I was only dealing with one child. It's funny how when you only have one child you live for those moments when you can do something alone. However, when you have two children, your day is made when you only have to deal with one of them. That was today. Needless to say, I was looking forward to bedtime tonight.

Tonight is a night where I am the sole parent. My husband is off at "Army School" (as Genevieve calls it), so it was nice and relaxed...for a bit. I spent the evening getting the kids fed, giving baths, putting PJs on, and then tucking in kids. Samuel went down very easy. Genevieve not so much. She had finally gone to sleep, and I had eaten dinner. I had just got really comfy on the sofa when the excitement began. The fire alarm for the building went off.

I hauled through the house to get a coat for me. I got my coat on, and I got Genevieve up and her snow boots on. I got her wrapped up in her fuzzy blanket and told her to go to the door. I ran into Samuel's room, and I wrapped him up in a blanket too. I grabbed the phones (home and cell), the van keys, and we headed out the door.

The cold hit us like walking into one of those meat freezers. It was so cold. I quickly got Genevieve into the front seat of the van, and Samuel and I headed to the driver's side. I started the van and prayed for it to warm up quickly. There is a law here in Germany that you can't let your car idle for long periods of time. If you do, you could actually get a ticket. I didn't really care though. We were freezing as it was.

It took 20 mins for the fire department and the MPs to show up. I think that is pretty poor myself. If there had been something wrong, I think the building would have been gone :p At least we got back in and the kids went back to bed. There was a bit of fussing and crying, but for all that excitment, it didn't bother me too much. Needless to say, I hope that doesn't happen again without my husband here.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

That Whole New Year Thing...

So I guess it's that time to say you really want to do something and see if you can keep up with it. Usually I resolve not to have any resolutions. That way I'm not disappointed in myself when I can't keep the extreme things I say I want to do. I should just set my goals to be a bit more realistic, but those kinds of resolutions are cool to tell people. I mean it isn't too impressive to tell people you just want to get up everyday or be able to sleep all night. So that's why I will just make my resolutions very boring this year. I think I'm going to open up more. I think that no matter what people think of me, I'm going to let you all in on a piece of me that isn't always shown. I have had some things happen in my life that have made it so I keep certain things guarded. I hate feeling vulnerable (I know most people do), and I tend to guard myself. Because of my past, I really care what others think about me. I shouldn't, but I do. I hate it if others think I'm a bad mom, wife, or person in any way. It really plays on my self esteem, and even though I may sound and act like it's in great shape, it isn't really. So tonight I will start. I will do one major post a month about something new. Something very honest, and I will pray that people won't tear me apart. :p

So here it goes. Tonight's topic...I guess tonight I will talk about my insane fear of the way I die. I have a huge fear that I will die in one of two ways. I will either drown or I will die in a fire. I will say that I do not sit around obsessing about it, and I don't let it get in my way usually. I do enjoy swimming, fishing, boating, camp fires, BBQ, and candles. I can function around all of those things. Somehow though it is in the back of my mind. It will make its way out of the back every now and then and hit me in some way.

I was talking with my husband last night about flying. I took his parents back to the airport to fly home yesterday. His mom was really nervous. I get VERY nervous when I fly. My stomach gets in knots, and I almost feel sick. It is really bad at take off and landing. Sometimes I find myself with white knuckles until we are safe at cruising altitude. It starts all over once we start to descend. My husband was asking why I was so nervous. I can't pin point it to any one thing. I haven't ever really had a bad experience. I have been in a few bumpy flights but nothing major. The only thing I can even remotely pin point it to was the crash of TWA flight 800. Being in a plane crash such as that one would be one of my worst fears come true. I would probably either die in the fires that overtook the plane, or I would die in the water that it landed in.

I had a dream several months ago that shook me hard. It was one of those dreams that was so real you "felt" it. When I was little I always had really vivid dreams. I could remember them really well, and I could feel thing that were going on. It was like I was right there. I could see, smell, touch, and all those sorts of things. It was like I was right there. I never really said a lot about them because I was sure no one would believe how vivid my dreams were. One summer while staying at my Grams' house, I had one. I couldn't shake it, and I had to tell her about it. I told her to please keep an open mind because I was worried that she wouldn't believe me. When I finished she said the same thing happened to her (vivid dreams). Anyway, this was one of those dreams.

It started out normal. I was just in town walking around. I had a conversation with a friend, and I told them about what was going on in life. I had to get to the school for the book fair before it closed (don't ask me why a book fair). I left my friend and went on to the school. Once at the school I got side tracked, and I wound up in a different area. There were a lot of people there, and I'm not quite sure why. A man came in the room, and he was talking about how he didn't fit in. He was talking about how no one gave him the time of day, and did we know how that felt. A he was doing so, I noticed he was messing with something. He went over to the door, and he made sure it was locked and chained up so no one could get out. All of a sudden he had one of those flame throwers (I didn't say they were logical :p), and he started to use it. I could feel the smoke filling my lungs. I could feel the heat on my skin. I could feel the burn. I woke up in a fright, and it took me awhile to calm down. I don't think I slept really the rest of the night.

I could go on and on about my fear of dying by fire or water. That is just one example. I have several like that. Instead I will leave it at the one. It's a horrible fear, and I pray that I never have to live it. I am truly sorry for those who have.

So there you have it. That's my juicy tidbit for this month. You'll have to keep coming back to hear about my life and all that. I'll try and come up with a good one for next month. I tried to do a poll, but it didn't work. So just throw some things in the comments, and I will pick one. If you don't, you are subject to my ramblings.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

My Daughter...Dog Whisper?

Have you ever seen that show? I use to watch it a lot back in the states if something wasn't on. It seemed like it was always on. I never thought that the noises and techniques would be used on ME. That's right! Genevieve has decided to use Cesar's noises and techniques.

I noticed about 3 days ago when I would tell her something she didn't want to hear, she would tell me "shh." If you have seen the show, you know the noise I am talking about. It makes me wonder what she is trying to "train" me to do. If it weren't so annoying, it might be cute. Naw!