Sabbatical Over?

I can say I have been horrible recently about keeping up with my blog. I feel horrible. It's been a good couple of months now. That's pretty bad. However, like everyone else out there, this is a crazy time of year for us. We not only have the normal Thanksgiving and Christmas mess, but we also have two birthdays in the middle of it all. It makes for one busy time of year.

Genevieve turned 4 this year on November 30. I can't believe my first born is 4 years old now. When did she grow up to be such a young lady? She has been going to Preschool since May now. She loves it and now has two best friends. She was very excited to have her very first real Birthday Party. It was nothing amazing. We just rented out a room at the Bowling Alley here on post. Her friends got tokens for the machines, and they played on the play house. They loved the pizza and cake, and went back for my playing. They played so much she didn't even have time to open her gifts at the party. We took her to school right after it was over, and she opened gifts that night after dinner. She got a lot of really cool stuff, and still loves playing with it all. She's so grown up. I was thinking about the holiday next year (we are starting to maybe plan a big trip back home), and it was hard for me to wrap my mind around the idea that she was going to be 5 in a year. Soon it will be time for real school. HOLY COW!

Samuel celebrated his 2nd birthday tonight. To say it's been an easy year is a total lie. He has been such a handful, and he's been very hard to deal with at times. He has had some issues with speech delay, and he was enrolled in an early intervention program to help him. I'm happy to report that with 6 months of work, he is now more than caught up, and he's actually advanced for his age now. He went from no words and only grunts 6 months ago to full blown sentences now. His new one is "Mommy, I want shoes." Then it will go on to shirt, pants, socks, shoes, etc. It just keeps going. Even with all the tantrums he throws, he is a joy. He makes me laugh all the time. Look at that face!! Just when I'm thinking I can't take something, he makes the goofiest face, and everything just goes away. I'm getting ready to *think* about potty training him. It takes me thinking about it for awhile for me to actually start. I want to have him ready to go so when he has his birthday next year, he can start Preschool too.

Other than that, life has been probably a lot like yours. It's busy, crowded, and full of anything and everything. I love this time of the year, but boy am I glad when it's over. It just seems like time goes so quickly and is so packed. I will be ready for "normal" again.

OOPS!

I made a really big oops tonight. I totally forgot that tonight is Daylight Savings Time here. It happens earlier than in the US, and it had slipped my mind. That being said, I didn't even try and keep the kids up any earlier to try to help them get on track. We have had a full day.

Today we had our MOPS Fall Council at the church. People from groups all over Europe came so we could have a training day. They provided child care, and we met in the next room. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a few new things. I think it is always nice to learn something in a new light than you saw it before.

Because of this, the kids and I were up early. I had to be there by 8, so we were up before 7. Mainly I was up before 7. I wanted to make sure I could get dressed and ready without the kids being up. Just as I was finishing up though, Samuel woke up. I got him ready, and about that time Genevieve was up. So it worked out nice. They both didn't want to leave though because they were enjoying Clifford on TV. They were glad when we got there though. They always enjoy playing at the church with their MOPS friends.

Everyone please cross your fingers that my kids don't get up too early now :)

A Big, No HUGE Announcement!

I found out some wonderful news a couple of weeks ago. It is that kind of news that is life changing. When I found out, I was amazed, shocked, and just couldn't believe it. I've been waiting for a long time for this news, that I just almost couldn't believe it. The evening went kind of like this.

I was sitting at my computer after getting the kids to bed. I got a message on my Facebook to call my sister. This isn't uncommon since no one really calls me from the US. I have an international number, and it is free for me to call home, but not the other way around. I think everyone I know is about saving money, and we are in the same place. Why pay for another phone service just so we can have a US number?

So I picked up the phone and called her. I was thinking it was about a Mario Kart date or something. Instead I got some really awesome news. I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE! I have been waiting for a long time to enter into Auntie-hood. So, congrats to my sister and her husband. I can't wait to hold that lil darling and spoil them only the way an Auntie can.

How Momma Got Her Groove Back

So I have finally got into the groove of life with my husband gone. It is always a learning curve for me at the first. Those of you that know me in real life know I am not always the most motivated person when it comes to housework. I do it because I have to, but I never WANT to do it. I'm sure 90% of people out there agree. I have a hard time staying motivated to do it though when my husband is gone (you know the whole no one to be accountable to). So today I think I have kind of got back into my groove.

Now my kids aren't living in filth or anything like that. However, I do not put away toys every night. I do not load and wash the dishes every night. I get them done once a day, and the dishwasher has yet to fill up. I think it is just something that is hard to keep up with when you are playing a role as a single mom. For me, I choose my battles and limits.

All that said, I have started to pick up on the number of things I feel like doing. Today I have done several loads of laundry (including the sheets that are in the dryer as I type), dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and did some light cleaning. Tomorrow I need to get a bit done. I have friends coming over for soup, and I need to vacuum and things like that.

Now onto soup :) I love soup. I don't make a lot of soup in the summer months due to the heat. However, it is cold enough now to really make soup. There is something about soup that really just makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. So since it has been colder, I have been in the mood to make it. I can't eat a whole pot myself, so I asked a friend, her sister, and her two kids over for soup this week. I can't wait to pull out my big pot and start making it. There is just something about a pot of soup that simmers on the stove all day.

So pretty pointless tonight. I just am glad that I'm getting the hang of things, and that I'm going to make soup this week. That's all :)

My Tuba is NOT Playing

Have you ever read that poem by Shel Silverstein called What A Day? That poem pretty much has summed up my day today. The link has a cute picture to it, but if you don't want to click, here is the poem.

What a day,
Oh what a day.
My baby brother ran away,
And now my tuba will not play.
I'm eight years old
And turning grey, Oh what a day, oh what a day.

So today was a mess. It started pretty good, but real quick. It seemed like when we got up, we were hitting the road running. We had to go pay the phone bill this morning so we just decided to get a few things at the PX there. While at the PX, Samuel decided he wanted to step up on the diapers in the cart and over the side he went. Thank goodness he had his big winter coat on, and he didn't hit his head. It took us a bit to calm down, but it turned out okay.

Due to lunch out, running errands, and an unexpected gate check, Genevieve was late to school this afternoon. She seemed to just go right in and do her daily routine alone. When she gets to school she has a routine they do. First she goes in and goes to the bathroom, then she must wash her hands, answer the question of the day, and then she signs her name. After all those things are done, she can sit down at the tables and play or do the activities on them. As a mom who likes having a schedule for her children, I like that she knows what to expect when she gets there.

After school was over, we had a pretty relaxed evening. It was completed with dinner for the kids and bath time. They both went to bed without too much of a fight. They both go to hourly care late morning tomorrow. I'm looking forward to running the errands I have to alone :) Grocery shopping is always better when I don't have to drag the kids along with me. Here's to a great night and a better day tomorrow!

Lack of Updates, Trips, and BFFs

So I know it has been forever and a day since I have been on here updating everyone to the mundane things going on in my family's life. It's been a crazy few weeks, and maybe things will slow down for at least a little bit. I doubt it though. This is the time of the year when life just seems to fly by. I think that is true for just about everyone with the holiday season, but I also have both kid's birthdays in there too. It's a crazy time of year.

So since I have updated last, I have made a huge step in life. I went on a trip back to the US for the MOPS convention. The best part of the trip...no kids. That's right, I went on a trip without my kids. The woman I went with and I were so excited about our first flight without our kids, we chatted the whole first 3/4 of the flight. Then we got in a movie before they served the snacks and turned off the movie system. The convention itself was amazing. I had a great time, and I got so much useful information. It was great to get away, and it was even better to see that the kids, husband, and house could survive without me. It makes me ready to plan my next trip.

Since I have been back, I have been busy trying to get the kids to realize I'm not going away again. Genevieve has been really bad. She has been waking up in the middle of the night just to make sure I'm there. I think she is getting better about it, but it was rough going for a bit there. Samuel was extra clingy, but he's also calmed down. I think it was good for both the kids and their Dad. He seemed to come away with a new respect for what I do around here. It's always nice to hear that. Since I have been back, he's also been really good about helping out more. Double score!

Genevieve has been doing good in school. She has her routine set, and loves it. She has also found her very first BFF. :p Her and her friend are always together. Out of that, her mom and I have also become friends. It has been nice having someone else to talk to and hang out with.

So in a nut shell nothing amazing has been going on, but life has been going full force. Now that I'm home and have time in the evening, I hope to update more.

The Week's Over?!

So it seemed like one of those weeks. Everything was busy and everything crazy. I can't even remember how the week started, but I'm sure it was crazy :) I remember needing to go to a store on Tuesday but having an appointment for Samuel. I was so very thankful that Ms. Carol (his speech therapist) called that morning to ask if it was still a good time to meet. Thankfully we rescheduled to the end of the week.

Wednesday started very quickly. I had a meeting at 9 that morning. I woke up a little late (hit the snooze one too many times). In the rush to get everyone ready, I pulled off Genevieve's nightgown to find a nice big rash all over her stomach and back. If you know how my insurance works, you have to call in and make an appointment on a central number. They book for everything. If you call in to book something that you need looked at, you better hope they have something. They usually only schedule appointments for the day that it is. I have been able to talk my way into getting appointments the next day if it was less than 24 hours out. When they picked up the phone, they let me know they had an 8:45 or a 11:00. I knew that she shouldn't be in childcare at my meeting without knowing it was okay. So I took the early one. Little did I realize I only had 20 mins to get there and get checked in. Where we live, it takes at least a good 15 mins to get there.

The doctor was sure it wasn't contagious, but said it would be best to keep her out of the CDC for her preschool class just because of how bad it looked. I agreed, and we all took naps that afternoon. The next morning the kids both had appointments for their CDC renewal. The doctor we saw is the "rash expert" at the clinic, and he said it was indeed only Hives. He gave us a note so she could go back to school that afternoon. SCORE!

Yesterday I spent the day trying to get the stink out of Samuel's Diaper Champ. I love the Champ, but I can't stand how yucky it smells. A friend of mine who is OCD cleaning lady gave me a few options. I mixed a couple of them. So I spent the afternoon rubbing the Champ down with Odor Eraser Dawn and letting it sit. After 3 goes at that, and used some cleaner with bleach on it. If I stick my nose down the hole the diapers go in, you can still smell a hint of the nasty that was there. However, his room doesn't stink anymore, and the bathroom we have it in doesn't either. I'm guessing it is as good as it is going to get.

I also spent the day trying to get a jump start on the cleaning I know I need to do next week before my trip. I always try and keep things going in the week, but I always try and do a bit more when I'm going to be gone. However, when I go I usually take the kids. This time I am having to think about diapers, food, etc. It should be and has been a learning experience.

Our weekends are pretty lazy, and today wasn't any different. I tried to stay in my PJ pants as much as possible. We went over to the PX to grab a few things, but it didn't take more than an hour. We had pizza for dinner, so no cooking involved. I'm looking forward to tomorrow because there will be a good breakfast followed by time lounging on the sofa. The only thing that is going to really stink about tomorrow is all the laundry I have to fold. I sure wish the laundry folding fairy would show up tonight and surprise me.