Back to Business

I kind of doubt my absence has really bothered anyone but me, so I've made a pledge to myself (incidentally, at about 2:15 am when I was struggling to go back to sleep) to write more. About whatever. That's my way of warning anyone who's stumbled across this that you might not get much that's interesting. I kind of feel like there's a lot of 'whatever' to cover and someday maybe I'll be glad I didn't completely forsake the blog.

So today it's a list, and at some point I might choose to elaborate on any of these things. Or not…we'll just have to see. In no particular order:

1. We live in Alaska now and it's kind of awesome. It's also strangely like living anywhere else, which, after all these moves shouldn't surprise me but somehow does. I ran errands yesterday (kid-free - hallelujah!) in Anchorage which is all of twelve miles from my house. It's just a city, but after being someplace that only existed in my mind it's kind of weird to see that it's like so many other places with its mega-stores. It's just that I keep my eyes peeled for moose and think the mountains are pretty great.

2. Today's April 7th and it snowed all morning. And I'm not bothered by it in the least. Yes, I see all of my Facebook friends talking about the 80 degree sunshine and I see pictures of people enjoying the beach, but I'm content. Quite honestly, that surprises me. I love warm weather, I love the beach. I know that if we were still in South Carolina, we'd be wearing shorts, grilling out, riding bikes, enjoying flowers and leaves on trees, etc. But we're not. Instead we're glad we can at least see the grass that's still brown and I'm a little nervous because the bears are going to wake up in the near future. My house is cozy, the sun is warm (and already stays up almost later than I do) and the people here are nice, so I'm content.

3. We're back in a squadron and after three years away, it feels amazing. I haven't even been to an official function yet (unless you count a ladies' crud tournament) and it still feels like coming home. Ite doesn't hurt to have so many old friends and acquaintances here. Some of our favorite people live here and we seem to finally be reaping the benefits of being the old people in the squadron. 

4. Millie is getting so old and, even worse, really showing it. It's the bell-curve of life, I suppose, but she's up multiple times every night to go outside. I think she aches all the time, her back is shot, we know she has arthritis in her hip and now she seems to be favoring a front paw, too. It's not a good time for us to be living in a two-story house because it seems to be really hard on her. It's so annoying to wake up so much but it's also so sad to think that I can't remember the last time she sprinted across a yard or chased down a frisbee. 

5. Natalie has suffered the brunt of this move. She's not enrolled in school up here for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that there was so much other stuff to figure out and preschool fell by the wayside and the options are few. Therefore, she's stuck with me all day every day. We're making the best of it, but a five-year old really shouldn't be having to help unpack a house. I feel kind of cruddy about it, but it is what it is. The house is close to being settled-ish so hopefully we can make up for lost time with some fun outings pretty soon.

6. Speaking of Natalie being five, she's been pretty funny since her birthday. She woke up that morning and asked if she looked bigger, she's told me that there are words she didn't know when she was four but now she does and she truly believes that she was instantly bigger, smarter, funnier, etc. on March 15th. I wholly support that notion because, why not? It also marked the first time ever that I had to buy my kid's birthday cake. We'd been in Alaska for 36 hours when her birthday rolled around, so no baking was happening. She was upset until we went to the store and I let her get the one that was completely coated with sprinkles. To quote her, it had at least a thousand hundred sprinkles on it and was awesome.

7. Wyatt is kind of awesome, too. We yanked him out of a class he loved in a school we all loved and dropped him off in a brand new place with brand new people and a different way of doing things and he has flourished. I think the first few days were hard on him but he kept a (very) stiff upper lip until he really felt good about his new school. I'm not sure I would've been brave enough at his age to do what we asked of him and I'm really proud of how he's handled it. 

8. Moving is hard. We've moved three times in as many years and for the first time this one has kind of kicked my tail physically. It doesn't help that something about the ferry seems to have triggered a serious round of migraines that I can't quite shake, but I almost feel like I'm getting too old for this. I'm really hoping Alaska turns out to be a three-year assignment as promised because we all need some time to actually settle in. 

9. South Carolina was the first assignment I was ever mad about. It wasn't a place we wanted to go, it wasn't a job Jeff wanted to have and (surely you know where this is going) it was so good. I'm slow to learn! It's always the people that make a place, and Sumter was no different. It stretched us in new ways, specifically teaching us how to put ourselves out there a little more to make friends since we didn't have a squadron, and it was just so good. I don't necessarily miss the place, but I sure do miss the people.

10. America is amazing. Not as in 'America is the best country in the world' but it is, geographically, amazing. Our driving adventure through 13 states was a huge bonus to us. Rest assured, we realize that we're lucky to be afforded the opportunity to spend nearly three weeks traveling and we made the best of it. I hope the kids remember some of it but moreover I hope we're raising them to appreciate the diversity of our country and its people. All four of us are already plotting the return trip to the lower 48. So as much as this lifestyle is challenging and, at times, exhausting, it is also full of unique opportunities that I never would've imagined for myself.

11. This is the first time we've rented a house sight-unseen. It's also the first time we've moved someplace without having visited first. It's worked just fine, which is great. What's even better is that our landlord gave us permission to paint the kitchen. I know some of you enjoy red walls but I never have and probably never will. It's just not me. It's even less me when the adjoining walls are verging on mustard. With exception of having our entire house painted in Virginia, it's the first time Jeff has suggested hiring a painter. I'm delighted to say that a funny little gentleman named Mark is hard at work in my kitchen, eradicating two red walls and two mustard walls while I'm going about my day.

12.  Like a mullet, our house is business in the front (normal neighborhood) and a party in the back - a forest that quickly drops to the river. I love the sense of living in the wilderness but I'm a little sad we can't have bird feeders because of the bears. I'm also a little paranoid that I'm going to look out and see a moose on the deck, but until then it's good. It's also a little ironic, because as I was unpacking our pictures I came across the woodblock print from Japan that my parents bought me for my 30th birthday and it looks strikingly like the view out my current back door. Maybe I was subconsciously choosing this for myself way back when.

13. It's been nearly a decade since we moved to Japan. How can that be? I'm plotting a return visit courtesy of space-a travel and the assignment gods who've placed a handful of good friends in Okinawa for the next few years. Wyatt is pretty excited to see his first home, too, and to visit said friends. I really hope we can make it happen.

14. I saw this quote by Gabrielle Zevin last summer and it summarizes my life, and my kids' lives, so well. It's so perfect I might have to redesign the blog header.

They should tell you when you're born: have a suitcase heart. Be ready to travel.

Current Events

*As I type, my kids are playing in their "spy fort" under the dining room table. We know this because

1. Jeff told them he could see them in there, to which Wyatt responded, "okay, but don't tell Mom where we are."
2. Natalie asked if they could spy on me some more (only she says, "fy", darn those tricky sounds) and when I said yes, she excitedly ran to tell Wyatt, "Mommy said we can FY on her!"
3. We can hear every bit of their conversation which has included snippets like, "Natalie, we are not cats, dogs or animals so we don't hibernate, we just sleep."

*My new favorite phrase of Natalie's is delivered when she sees trash on the ground then tells me that someone has "glittered." Ah, yes, glittering is so rude.

*Wyatt has read three books out loud to his class this past week. So proud of him!

*In the past few weeks, Natalie has mastered pumping her legs on the swing, therefore rendering me unnecessary at the park, and just last night she mastered the monkey bars. My baby girl is strong and fearless.

*Wyatt watched a little bit of Top Gun last week - his first time ever. Now I'm hearing new phrases when he has dogfights with his airplanes and seeing new drawings of tactical flying in his art. Two nights ago he demonstrated a flat spin with his Tomcat and told me that's what happened in the movie. If it involves airplanes, he's a sponge.

*Both kids are playing church league basketball through the Y and it's highly entertaining. Natalie is very interested in the water breaks and the wearing of her team shirt, but mostly stays out of the fray of the game (and there is much fray with a few boys who believe tackling is part of basketball). Wyatt is improving weekly, aided in large part by the amount of time he spends on the back patio with his new basketball goal, and manages to ignore the ceaseless flirting from one of his cute little girl teammates.

*We have one fish (swordtail) who has survived for a month. It's a record and, now that I've typed this, he'll probably float belly up too soon. For now, we're all feeling good about reducing our fish-killer reputation.

*Wyatt received the board game Othello for Christmas. It's not a well-known game but I grew up playing it and loved it. My parents realized he was probably ready for it and they were right - it's played almost daily, most often with Natalie who's okay with losing since her brother is playing with her. It's a pretty great arrangement since Wyatt enjoys playing more when he wins.

*Thursday marked our one year anniversary here in little ol' Sumter. To say that it has been better than we expected is a vast understatement. We are blessed with a great network of friends, a church that feels like home, two kids who love their schools and a sense of being connected to the community that we haven't always had. 

*Natalie is ramping up her birthday talk. To refresh your memory, she began talking about her 4th birthday only two days after her 3rd birthday and the topic has come up every few days for the past ten months. This week, her planning has begun in earnest. She's whittling her guest list, planning the cake and games and deciding where we'll have it. All of this despite me telling her she might not be having a party.

*The kids saw me looking at beach houses online last night and Wyatt wanted to know if South Carolina had beaches. I reminded him about our weekend in Myrtle Beach two months ago and he was only kind of convinced. Looks like it's time to get serious with a map since I refuse to have geographically illiterate kids.

*I have good intentions of blogging more. I'm told my audience of one will appreciate it (here's to you, Mom).

I've Got Nothin

There's the bandwagon of blogging every day... here's me nearly falling off. Jeff is my cheerleader and just handed me his computer because I already have my boot off and I didn't want to hop across the house to retrieve my own. What a guy. My husband is pretty great, isn't he? Think carefully before you answer: he helped you waste your brain bytes on this.


Recently:
1. I took a bread class last night at the culinary center; it was good but I'm not sure it repaired the damaged  relationship I've developed with bread. I'll have to keep working on that. In the meantime, I need this baking book.

2. All of a sudden, Natalie is asking about the arrival of her big girl bed every day. I hope she likes it as much after it arrives!

3. I'm refinishing an antique dresser for Natalie's room and I can't wait for it to be finished. So far I've sanded, repaired and primed. Still need to clean a few brass hardware items on it, put on a couple coats of paint, a layer of sealer and then put on the pretty new knobs. She better love it. Also? How did people figure out the best way to do stuff like that before the internet?

4. Wyatt had a friend over for a little while this afternoon. I think it made his week.

5. We need to take the trampoline down before it freezes too many times, yet the kids keep going out there in the afternoons and bouncing themselves silly. I really don't know how they'll expend that same energy indoors.

6. Millie is currently sleeping like a baby on Jeff. Literally, she's on her side, head on his shoulder and completely sacked out. Rough life.

7. I learned today that Millie likes raw green beans. Who knew? Sometimes it pays to be a messy cook.

8. I got to hold a friend's new baby today, who weighed a few ounces more than Wyatt did at birth. It is unbelievable how tiny these little people are when they enter the world and how quickly I can forget exactly how little that feels in my arms. It was delightful.

9. Natalie decided today that I needed some big hugs. No joke, I think they were the best squeezy hugs my girl's ever given me.

10. Wyatt still holds the title around here for best hugger. That kid can really make you feel loved.

11. Wyatt is so sweet to Natalie much of the time. I did her hair a new way today (two braids, a la Pippi Longstocking) and when she came downstairs, Wyatt told her she looked beautiful and gave her a hug.

12. Natalie loves her brother so much that she gets mad if she's not accompanying the parent who retrieves him from school (Jeff's schedule is finally kind of awesome; he can actually pick up Wyatt sometimes).

13. After a ton of people recommending it, my book club picked The Hunger Games for December so I've finally decided to start reading it. Oh my goodness, I get it. I could totally neglect my family just to sit down and finish it. But I won't, don't worry. The blog though? It could become a casualty.

Just Write

There's been so much going on here and every time I think that I should sit down to document it, either something else pulls me away or I'm overwhelmed by the thought of where to start. So it occurred to me that it's time for a list in no particular order and I'll even toss in some pictures for added interest. I'm pretty awesome.

1. Wyatt loves school and loves going every day. 

2. I love Wyatt going to school every day. We were all desperate for some structure to our days.

3. Natalie is firmly undecided about Wyatt going to school every day; in fact, yesterday in the car, she specifically told me she misses him, she wished he were there to play the foot game with her (it involves them kicking each other and always ends with someone screaming or crying, yet they continue to do it) and that she needed a big hug from Wyatt when we picked him up. She proceeded to demand that hug from him at the library after school and it turned out a hug wasn't sufficient. She, instead, required that he pick her up and wasn't satisfied until he did it. I think they love each other.

4. Without Wyatt around for three hours every morning, Natalie is allowed to speak with no disturbances. My ears are so tired and I'm not sure how there's anything left to talk about, yet somehow there is. And she's funny.

5. We went house hunting over Labor Day weekend with the goal of choosing which city to live in: Sumter versus Columbia.

6. In a surprise victory (even to us), Sumter won and we will be calling it home come January.

7. In an even greater surprise, we think we've even found a home to rent. Oh sweet relief to have that settled. We think. And we will have a guest room so please plan to visit (unless you're a lurker that I don't know and then that would just be weird.)

8. We took Wyatt to the doctor right before we left for some ongoing gagging issues. He was diagnosed as most likely having reflux, just like his dad, his grandpa, his aunt, his great-aunt, and a smattering of cousins. You could say it runs in the family. It was also noted his tonsils are the size of my fist and that perhaps he's, um, not as regular as he should be. You might recall a certain young man didn't enjoy that part of potty training and it seems maybe it created some lasting effects. Or maybe there was always something at play that made that part of potty training more challenging. Who knows.

9. From that one appointment, we received two new daily medications and referrals all over creation to a pediatric GI, an ENT and to X-Ray for a picture of his innards. Last week was chock full o' doctor's appointments and ended with a colon cleanse. Whoo boy, that was a good time.

10. Next week will bring us a barium swallow and an endoscopy at our local children's hospital, where we have the utmost confidence that they'll help us figure out what the heck is going on. When the GI asked me when the symptoms started, I was flummoxed. I mean, they never started. This is just who Wyatt is. He's always had a hair-trigger gag-reflex; he's always needed water on hand, just in case he gets that gaggy face; we've always known a cold means that he'll toss his cookies because he can't handle the drainage that comes with it. It's just him; it's how he's made.

11. Today we met with the ENT, who was awesome. In all honesty, military healthcare often (and in many cases rightfully so) gets a bad rap. You never know who your provider will be, you never get a choice in that, so you just have to hope for the best. We just can't say enough good things about our experiences here. The PA we saw today was fabulous, just like the PA we saw two weeks ago who sent us on these referral rabbit trails to start with. Anyway, the exam today lasted for about five minutes before he provided the kids with two otoscopes, tongue depressors and rubber gloves so they could perform an exam on Natalie's baby doll while he delivered his findings to me. His verdict: Wyatt's tonsils are actually the size of my fist. In doctor-speak they call it a 4+, they touch each other, they touch his uvula and leave very little space for anything to pass. He said anyone would gag with that at the back of their throat. He said a lot of other things that were very, very insightful also but in summation, Wyatt is now scheduled for a tonsillectomy in mid-October.

12. Perspective tells me that we are so very, very fortunate. I have a very healthy little boy for whom we are able to seek medical care for outpatient procedures and we have insurance that is covering them. We are geographically fortunate that right now we can (and are) leaning heavily on my parents for help with Natalie during these appointments and have already booked them for the tonsillectomy morning. But seriously, I'm capped with the medical drama right now and I need this to be the end of it for a little bit, okay? And yes, I'm furiously knocking on wood as I type that.


13. We took the kids to the KU football game last Saturday night and I'm telling you, that was a top five reason we chose Leavenworth for this school year. The weather was perfect, we sat three rows off the track, the kids were totally into the spirit of it, Grandpa and Grandma were there with us, we were all decked out in our Jayhawk gear, the 'hawks pulled out the win, we waved the wheat over and over, it was simply perfection. I sincerely hope the memories seared into my brain from that night never, never, never leave me. Funny moment? Wyatt's initial concern that he couldn't see the dancer girls when we first arrived.

14. We woke up bright and early Sunday morning to meet  Jeff's cousin and his wife at a local vineyard (yes, in Kansas) for their annual grape-picking. Liz signed us up for it months ago and we're so glad we went. The kids had a great time. Wyatt even got his own little pair of clippers with special help from Liz and Natalie was granted permission to eat as many grapes as she wanted, so she too was a happy camper.

15. There's a building in town being demolished and it is proving to be quite entertaining for the kids (and who am I kidding, I find it fascinating, too). So far we're at about three hours of time sitting, just watching the digger claw its way through the walls.  Good small-town fun.

16. We had a little lesson in economics a few weeks back when I took the kids to our local paint your own pottery place to paint plates and discovered they wanted $28 for each plate. I just couldn't do it. For $56, I could go buy a few place settings of white dishes that are on my perpetual wish list! So I made us leave. It was awkward since the owner had already started getting the kids all set up at the table while I picked out the pieces for them to paint. Fortunately, the cousins were available and willing to paint pottery in Lawrence just a few days later (where plates are $12 - I knew I wasn't crazy) and we had a grand time. Fast forward to this week, when Wyatt is invited to a birthday party at the local studio. Wyatt wanted to know if I was sure he could go since it's expensive. I assured him he could and then please asked him not to mention that I made us leave. We'll see how that goes; I have a sneaking suspicion it will come up again.

17. We got a new puppy. Natalie's in love with it, though her fascination is already waning now that it's been here for a month. The puppy is pretty perfect since it doesn't really require anything from us other than a small space to stand. It's the cutest cast iron Boston Terrier door stop a girl could hope for, but that hasn't stopped Natalie from talking to it or from introducing our guests to it. Turns out this has been a good lesson for me - we're definitely not in the market for any small living things around here as I don't think they'd be safe in Natalie's overly loving arms!

18. The weather has been nearly perfect so we're trying to take advantage with lots of park and trampoline time. Hopefully it will hold for a while so we can continue to enjoy it because I love a happy, exhausted set of kids at naptime.

19. Soccer season has begun again and we're off to a slow start. For some reason, the city is struggling to get the schedule set (heaven forbid we should be able to plan our Saturdays) and it's the same 4-6 year age range as our spring team but apparently many of the older kids moved up. That means there are a lot of four-year olds so Wyatt is now one of the more experienced players on the team. My friends, he is an enthusiastic young man but he is not what you would call focused on the sport of soccer. There are a couple of little guys who are, perhaps, more aware of what needs to happen to actually score a goal, but we'll just have to see how this season pans out. He likes it and that's all that matters for now. But there's an awful lot of this jumble-of-kids type of stuff at practice:

Natalie is, however, a huge fan of soccer. HUGE. Because there's a playground. So you'll find us doing this: 

That girl can ride the not-so-springy duck all day long. 

Random Realities

1. I might be so very over this cruddy weather that I might have "upholstered" the walls of our unfinished basement. I can't do gray cement downstairs when it looks like gray cement in the sky. So, you might want sunglasses if I invite you into my green basement. For those of you who knew my Okinawa living room, it's baaaaack. Oh, and the kids find it amusing. Jeff's just along for the ride.

2. I have declared a moratorium on small, junky, never-used toys. There's going to be a mother of a garage sale at some point, or maybe just a really cathartic run to the Salvation Army drop-off.

3. Is it any wonder I'm pulling my hair out with the arguments? The children are in their respective rooms - asleep - and Natalie is yelling, "My wawa! No MY wawa!" GO TO SLEEP, CHILD.

4. After two months of denying the truth, I finally admitted that the plants who froze in our moving truck are not going to miraculously reincarnate. They've met their fate with the trash and have been replaced by living beings from my local WalMart.

5. I still don't like WalMart, but with the closest Target being a highway drive away (only 15 minutes, but still…) I find myself there far too often. I will admit, they have more goods worthy of my attention than I might have previously believed but they still have slow, poke-my-eyes-out-because-I'm-still-waiting-in-line customer service. What gives?

6. I put a fair amount of effort into fixing a wide variety of (mostly) healthy dinners for my family. I subscribe to a recipe service which I really enjoy and it has caused us to try innumerable new things. Yet most nights I find at least one small person at the table either literally or figuratively throwing said dinner back at me. Tonight, I had no fight in me. We had waffles and omelets for dinner. I sliced strawberries and made homemade whipped cream to top the waffles and guess what? They ate every last bite. Well, Wyatt didn't want any eggs, so he just stuck with the carbs. And the fat. That's right, America, I served strawberry shortcake for dinner and it was a success! Go figure.

7. We have a lightbulb out in a fixture in the basement. There is one true ceiling fixture with four halogen-ish bulbs in it and then there are two other single, basic bulbs in sockets. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to get that little halogen dude out. I even let Jeff try to no avail. So I emailed my landlord and asked if there was a trick. His reply? He wanted to know if it was one of the single bulbs I was talking about. I guess I know what he really thinks of me now, don't I? Or maybe I have a little insight as to his wife's handy-woman skills?

8. Jeff and some of his workmates (schoolmates? Army pals?) were comparing notes on the APFRI assessments - you know, the one that told me I'm not a fit fitty yet - and he told them about me being called a fit fatty. So now this guy who Jeff finds so entertaining is apparently referring to me as Fit Fat. Like it's my name. I'm just really looking forward to meeting him on Saturday…don't you wonder what he envisions me to be?

9. There's a house on our route to Wyatt's school that is decked out in all kinds of Jayhawk flair - flags, statues, painted signs, yard art, whirlygigs, etc. - and my kids wait every day to drive past it. No kidding, Natalie starts talking about it almost before we leave the neighborhood (she has to talk about the cows we pass first, but then as soon as we establish that yes, the cows will be there, she starts talking about the Yay-You house). I feel like I should write the owners a thank you note since they are a bright spot in our day, three times a week and are also greatly contributing to my kids' brainwashing school spirit. Would that be weird?

10. Every time we pass Dillons (which is a lot), Nataile starts shouting (because it's her only volume) "row up! row up!" Now, I think she's talking about buying fruit roll-ups but it's a distinct possibility she's reminding me that's where she had her throw up incident. My life? It's awesome.

Resolutions

Just like the change of address cards that I never got around to sending (they were joined with my Merry Christmas cards in my mind, so that explains why you got neither, right?), my new year's resolutions are about to become spring solstice resolutions. But, because I want to become someone who is ahead of the curve, I'll go ahead and post them now.

1. Instead of thinking writing a blog post in my head, I will write it on the computer and actually publish it. This is not because I think any of you are withering away without my inane stories, but rather because I see life flying by and realize I'm doing a really poor job of documenting it.

2. I will actually use one of my three pretty great cameras to take real pictures of people and things in my life.

3. I will stop thinking about what I'm going to be when I grow up and just be who I am right now. This one, my friends, is an uphill battle of epic proportions for me.

4. I will continue to exercise every day, or at least most days, so that when I go back for my follow-up health assessment at the fancy Army clinic, I will no longer be disgruntled with one particular component of overall health. (Spoiler: I'm doing just fine according to most standard measurements, but have the flexibility of a 70-year old and just enough body fat that I was termed a "fit fatty." Humbling. I will become a fit fitty, I will become a fit fitty, I will become a fit fitty….)

5. I will be patient with Natalie, even though the only volume she has right now is LOUD, which is often accompanied by a side of SHRIEKING with a dash of gonna throw a fit.

6. I will be patient with Wyatt, even though he asks me every day what our surprise is for the day. More importantly, I will resist the urge to say, "SURPRISE! There's no surprise again today."

7. I will be patient when my kids' sicknesses ruin my weekend plans because, hello, it could be so much worse.

8. I will be brave enough to leave my kids with a new sitter, even if she isn't as fantastic as our sitters we left behind.

9. I will suppress the urge to fix this house just the way I want it, since we're nearly 20% through our time here.

10. I will continue to book my weekends to their max because we are nearly 20% through our time here.

11. I will finish converting this blog's Japan years to a book (a project I started over a year ago, I think) so that I can then convert the Virginia years, so that I can then convert the Kansas year. Upside? My blogging has diminished (in quality and quantity) greatly, so each book should get progressively easier. Perhaps I should rethink number 1.

In Brief

1. We have arrived and are slowly getting settled in our new home.

2. This was, perhaps, our worst move yet as far as the professional movers were concerned. It took the  three guys we hired only 3 hours to load 10,500 pounds of our stuff into our truck, yet two packers and two movers needed nine hours to finish the remaining 5500 pounds. By the grace of God, it all seems to have made it and only a few small items were broken. As a sidenote, I might start packing for pay - everything I packed arrived safe and sound without one thing broken. Good to know I have something to fall back on.

3. The cross-country caravan was fairly entertaining, to phrase it positively. Despite our plans to the contrary, we didn't leave Virginia until 3:00 in the afternoon and had made reservations in Charleston, WV for the night. That was one long, dark drive. Sadly, it was even longer for Jeff who had (in his words) a really steep learning curve with the 26-foot truck plus tow dolly and the ways of truck stop diesel pumps. After enduring a nearly 30 minute screamfest in the car, the kids, my mom and I arrived around 10:30. My sweet husband and dog arrived about three hours later. Luckily the next couple of days were better and Jeff was so excited to be back in Kansas that he even wielded that truck through southern Johnson County for a quick lunch with one of his best friends.

4. Despite having moved two-thirds of our household goods, we had no mattresses in our truck. That, my friends, is a critical error. We reasoned that we wanted them in new mattress boxes and that our shipment would have a head-start to Kansas, but in the end we stayed in Lawrence for almost a week. That was a week of 45-minute drives (each way) to get our truck unloaded, clean the new house, two really early mornings to get Wyatt to his new school and - bless my parents - a week of us exploding into their house. We finally stayed here (in our house) last Friday night with Natalie in her bed (we'd been smart enough to bring that ourselves), Wyatt in a sleeping bag and me and Jeff on an airmattress….that deflated during the night. I don't know when you last slept on the floor, but I really don't recommend it.

5. We are now almost finished unpacking and are enjoying the new layout. We have an unfinished basement (holla for a basement - it's so amazingly awesome) that we've ghetto-finished with a large piece of carpet and some nice 8 lb. carpet pad. It's now known as the playroom. Oh, and since Jeff's studying this year, we stuck his office down there, too. There's talk of creating a little home gym, but the space we had carved out for that is slowly being encroached upon by small trampolines and indoor basketball hoops, so we'll just see how that goes.

6. We've arrived here just in time for a seriously arctic blast; I'm really okay with the cold, but the wind takes my breath away. I think my nerve endings have lost their tolerance for so much wind, though I'm sure they'll get it back in short order. Thankfully our landlord left a snow shovel in the garage with which I'm becoming fondly acquainted. On the flip side, we were so warmly welcomed by family and friends alike that we can't help but feel warm on the inside.

7. Jeff's schedule is predictable and normal. Let me repeat that: Jeff's schedule is predictable and normal. It makes it hard to remember all the years when it was neither of those things. And get this - we already know when his vacation is for the entire year. Fascinating.

It's the Small Things

1. A crisp, fall morning.

2. A farmer's market still overflowing with yummy goodness.

3. A four-year old who begs for sungold tomatoes  as his morning snack.

4. A playdate in the neighborhood.

5. An estimated return date.

6. A quiet house.

7. A busy weekend.

8. A feeling of calm.

9. Looking forward to fun with friends.


Ahhhhh.

Hope your weekend's good, too.

Notes.

I hate it when I take somewhat unintentional breaks from blogging. You know, my adoring public six readers must really be missing me and then I have lots of ground to cover but nothing really earth-shattering to share. What I can tell you:

1. We went to Kansas for a couple of weeks.
     A. no visit is long enough to see everyone/do everything I hope to fit into a single trip.
     B. after more trips than I'd hoped to make, I found us a rental house in Leavenworth.
     C. we're going to miss a lot of things about Virginia.
     D. just because I'm from Kansas doesn't mean my kids know a thing about it.
          1. Wyatt was impressed by all the hills.
          2. Wyatt wanted to know what those big things were in that field (round hay bales).
          3. Cows = common along KS interstates, not so much in other places we've lived.
          4. Wyatt was perplexed as to how there could be a backup on the interstate if no bridges or tunnels are involved.
     E. the Atlanta airport needs to invest in a kids' play area. Seriously? Not one in the ENTIRE airport?
          1. It's amazing how much a four-year old can be amused by riding trains and moving sidewalks from terminal to terminal.
     F. Wyatt is a really great traveller; he can do the security gauntlet in his sleep.

2. I ran a half-marathon yesterday.
     A. the original goal was to start running more (again) and finish the race.
     B. trained as though finishing was my only goal, averaging two runs a week since the first week of July.
     C. was pretty excited to finish in 2:25, but still disappointed to have not finished in 2:20.
     D. had to remind myself of the original goal and that if I want to get faster, I'll have to train harder.
     E. thank goodness for good running partners who get really happy in the last few miles while I'm getting grumpy and tired.
     F. am sore today.
     G. it's seeming entirely possible that I have a stress fracture in my foot.
           1. have been thinking this for weeks (months?) now, but kept thinking it would go away.
           2. running 13.1 miles on a pretty sore foot was maybe not a good move.
           3. am wondering how one goes about "resting" a foot while taking care of two small children.

3. We have a lot to accomplish in the next couple of months re: home projects.
      A. have to find a property manager.
      B. have to find renters.
      C. have to keep each room picked up long enough to take pictures for a listing
          1. of all the tasks, this one seems the most insurmountable.
      D. have a lot of extra junk to cull out of our lives prior to the neighborhood garage sale.
      E. are contemplating a large dity move; need to commit and start packing.
          1. must acquire boxes if this is to be.


That's it. That's all we've been doing (well, in addition to all the normal antics of a 4-year-old and not-quite-18-month-old which, wow, are kind of a lot by themselves).

Hopefully I'll be back on my game soon with pictures and funny stories and whatever other drivel you seek on this site. But for now, I think I'll hobble off to bed.

Here's to the Upswing

We're going to make it. Today we:

1. Had fewer timeouts.
2. Had less back-talking.
3. Got to watch a bunch of Raptors, T-38s and a couple of Eagles take off.
4. Cried less.
5. Napped more.
5. Made shrinky-dinks.
6. Used television to compensate for the evil dinner-time prep meltdowns.
7. Ate meals without prompting.
8. Visited friends.
9. Enjoyed ice cream.
10. Skyped with Daddy.

Mostly these were things accomplished by the younger generation, but I participated in a few, too, and here's what I can tell you:

1. Shrinky-dinks never lose their magic.
2. Nick Jr. and me? We're going to get tight over the next couple of months.
3. Adult company can never be overrated.
4. Ice cream heals many wounds.
5. Seeing the face of a loved one (even if it's growing a mustache!) is always better than just talking.

Praise be.

Ahhhhhh.....

What I did last week:

1. Read four books, two magazines and one travel guide.

2. Lounged poolside.

3. Went scuba diving to such delightful sites as The German Wreck, The Chimney and Cades Reef.

4. Met a fellow Jayhawk.

5. Ate whatever I wanted, kind of whenever I wanted it.

6. Dressed for dinner.

7. Spent time on a sea kayak.

8. Slept in.

9. Stayed out late.

10. Drank too much.

11. Lounged on a beach.

12. Used my passport.

13. Napped before dinner.

14. Took a few pictures.

15. Watched movies. Plural.

16. Beat my husband at ping pong.

17. Lost to my husband at pool.

18. Turned people-watching into a sport.

19. Had a massage.

20. Sat in a hot tub during a nighttime tropical downpour. Would do that every day if I could.

21. Missed my kids.


What I did NOT do last week:

1. Spend more than twenty minutes away from my husband.

2. Cook, clean or launder.

3. Correct anyone's manners.

4. Ask anyone to please stop whining.

5. Take enough pictures.

6. Look at a computer.

7. Worry about my kids.


Friends, if you ever have the chance to go to a Sandals, I highly recommend it. We had a fabulous time. It was beautiful, tropical, indulgent, relaxing, and every other descriptive thing you could hope for in a kid-free vacation. I really didn't take enough pictures, and I think it's one of those places that's difficult to convey anyway, but here are a few examples:

The view from our room

the view from our breakfast table

the view from our favorite spot at the pool

view from chaise back toward the buildings

checking our stash - minibar was refilled daily

Jeff enjoying sunset on the beach

before dinner our last night

Thank you, Jeff, for planning an incredible anniversary trip. Can't wait to see where we go after another ten years!

Housekeeping

Noteworthy things of late:

1. I turned 35. Who stole my youth and how did they do it without me noticing? Aren't 35-year-olds full-fledged adults? I think I missed a class on that or something because I don't always pretty much never feel like a real grown-up.

2. My husband has planned a mystery trip for us (which I found out about a little over a month ago because I was, um, complaining about how we never go anywhere) and on Sunday I learned the destination: we'll be lounging in Antigua at this little gem of a place. I'm what you would call really excited.

3. The thing I actually wanted for my birthday was from Wyatt  - a whole day of no arguing, backtalking, yelling, causing his sister to scream, etc. It was a fabulous idea. It totally didn't work. I will try again next year.

4. I have decided that I'd like a babycenter update type of thing for myself. I get these emails about my "fifteen month old, week two" or my "three year old, month 11" and then it tells me all about what milestones they're hitting, what activities are good for them, what hurdles we should expect and how to handle them. So I'd like to be able to plug in some goals for myself and then get a weekly email telling me how to get there. Also maybe it could tell me how to achieve a greater level of patience and keep my house a little cleaner.

5. I made the homemade hostess cupcakes and they are goooood. Unfortunately, they're not really the smartest thing to have in my house immediately prior to lounging in swimwear for a week. Add that to the chocolate bomb of a cake that Wyatt has requested for his birthday and I'm pretty sure Antigua won't be impressed with me! But at least I'm fat and happy.

6. I'm attempting to explain the minutiae of my daily life for my mother-in-law (who's taking care of the kids while we're basking elsewhere). As I write it all down I have two thoughts: 1. This doesn't seem that challenging when I look at it on paper and 2. I need to buy more wine for her.

7. I love it when Wyatt is in a lovey mood at bedtime. Tonight, he couldn't quite get close enough or hug me tight enough. He then informed me he will love me over his whole life, with his whole heart and he will never ever ever stop hugging or kissing me. Please, say it will be so.

8. I asked Natalie who she wanted to put her to bed tonight. She actually answered, "Dada" and then went looking for him. I'd be more irritated if this wasn't the exact relationship my husband hoped to have with his daughter.

9. For the very first time, Wyatt used his own money for a purchase last week. We counted out $20 worth of quarters (well, $18 because Banzai gave him two ones for his cause) and toted them in a baggie to Target where he purchased that which he really, really wanted: Hungry, Hungry Hippos. We've been munching marbles with our little colorful hippo heads ever since.

10. I have a gem of a drum show to post for you, but am too lazy (or maybe drowsy from my new anti-headache medication) to get it loaded tonight. We'll just have to save that laugh for another day.

Good Times

My sister and her family are here visiting and there are some seriously great things happening. The boys are  playing really well together and Natalie is holding her own quite nicely, thankyouverymuch. Today's agenda included rocket-building, lots of playing, a visit to our local Air & Space Museum, a water balloon fight and sno-cones. There have been some hilarious comments around here - mostly by the younger generation - and lots of fun. Things I've learned today:

1. When you're almost seven, you know almost everything including that Jupiter does, in fact, have one small ring. And also? When you're almost seven you've now had three sno-cones in your life.

2. When you're four (and almost four), if you are pretend-flying a jumbo jet, you have to watch out for gunnage; your pretend tower calls will include things like, "we've been shotted" and you will repeat anything that your daddy/uncle tells you to say.

3. My cooking is, for the most part, "not yummy".

4. If you're four and feel kind of crummy already, it is heartbreaking for your brother to tag you out in front yard baseball.

5. If you're almost four and your mommy makes you take a bath with your sister instead of your cousins, it is the meanest thing that has ever happened in your whole life.

6. If you're almost seven, going to swim in the Chesapeake Bay is high on your to-do list. And if you're an adult with said almost-seven-year old, you are under strict orders not to mention anything about it not being the Atlantic Ocean.

7. If you're a worn out kid, even sleeping in the same room with two other little boys doesn't keep you awake.

8. If a mom says that a baby can't share fever germs, the four-year-old with said fever might say, "yeah, because they're mine" as if it's something to be really proud of.

9. If you're a girl baby, you should shriek every once in a while just to make sure people are aware of you.

10. If you are the uncle, you will waste many minutes of your life making really accurate rockets for the under-seven set, who will most likely not notice the really accurate sticker placement.

11. If you are almost four, you should remind your cousins that you should "go to sleep because this is the last sleep you'll get before the next sleep."

Good advice. I'm out.

Clutter

There's clutter in my brain, there's clutter in my house. Here are the things I should tell you about but probably won't:

1. Wyatt rang in the new year with us. And he had more energy than most adults in the room.

2. Natalie cruises around all day, every day, making her funny Natalie noises. Yet when I turn on the camera to capture her sounds, she falls silent.

3. I spent waaaaaaay too long agonizing over which camera bag to buy and then bought two so I could try them out but got distracted when I got home and now it's bedtime and I haven't thought about them since 4:00.

4. I'm coveting high-end closet organizers. I loathe their price tags and will settle for something we can finagle out of plywood, paint, duct tape, twigs, whatever. Just as long as they look pretty, don't involve wire shelving  and feel organized in the end.

5. I'm in a serious shoe and clothing funk and am pretty sure it has to do with the fact that I've not purchased anything new in months. Okay, that's a lie. I got a new pair of dress shoes for our Christmas party.

6. I really want to be training for another race and have verbally committed over and over, but then it's freaking cold outside with blustery winds to boot and I'm less motivated. Darn the 30 minute cardio limit at the Y!

7. Our bathroom project is still only almost finished. We have a list of about ten items our contractor needs to fix/finish (one of which is to install the lights in our bathroom that FINALLY arrived) and we still need to pick a paint color. Think we'll finish it before we move out?

8. Jeff got his rip for the next move more than a year in advance. That never happens! There will be payback for this, I'm sure.

9. I just read Three Cups of Tea and totally enjoyed it. It's also made me want to volunteer in a third world country and do something of greater purpose. And it makes me question what I hear in the news (even more than I did before).

10. I'm really bothered by the fact that Avatar is pulling in over a billion dollars. Seriously? A billion dollars? Shouldn't there be some law that at some point these profits have to be donated to a greater cause like, I don't know, the national debt? Surely that's something that we could all benefit from.

11. I need a vacation like you read about, but the kind that takes me out of my comfort zone and challenges me and surprises me and makes me feel less....suburban. But since that's not on the calendar, I'm mentally preparing for my trip to Kansas in a couple of weeks with two kids in tow.

12. Wyatt is seriously hilarious these days. I wish I could capture his essence and put it in a jar because he's really great. Someday I'll really miss these days of football helmets, silly sayings and spontaneous laughter.

13. Natalie is already starting to laugh at me when I tell her no. And she bit me yesterday. I have a feeling life will just keep getting more interesting!

14. While I can't really verbalize any new year's resolutions, I have a lot of them pent up inside. I'm contemplating writing a letter to myself to be opened at the start of the next decade because I think I might surprise myself.

15. Every time I head out to run errands I question how our economy is in the tank because it seems as though people are out in droves spending money. I can't tell you how many giant televisions I saw walk out of Best Buy today.

16. My cell phone spontaneously shuts off. It's totally annoying and I finally got irritated enough that I braved the Verizon store. Please imagine my delight when they didn't hassle me at all, but instead told me to expect a new phone in my mailbox this week. Surely this is a first in the history of cell phone companies!

17. I can't decide if I really really really really want a new (fancy web browsing) phone because of the freedom it would give me or if I'd actually be tethering myself in a new way.

18. I'm still enjoying my Relish subscription and have found some good new recipes that way. But it's completely annoying that there's always at least one thing the commissary doesn't have for my "fancy" new meals. This week's misses? Bean sprouts and frozen pearl onions.

19. We activated our Netflix account last night (thanks mom & dad!) so now I'm anxiously awaiting our first movie-in-the-mailbox. Might it feel like a little gift each time one shows up?

20. The battery is dying - maybe that's another reason to get a Mac? Ahhh, can't wait for the tax refund this year!

Delight

1. LAAAAAZZZZY day for me. I can't remember the last time I stayed in my pajamas that long!

2. Espresso and Jeff's famous egg sandwich for breakfast, Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch and Three Amigos for dinner.

3. NOT fighting the crowds today. I'm very happy for you if you found a deal, but I'm quite pleased I did my minimal shopping online.

4. Christmas decorations in progress: two trees up, one half-decorated; mantel done.

5. A little boy who is loving Christmas thus far. He is single-handedly responsible for the half-decorated tree and greatly looking forward to tomorrow so we can finish.

6. Elf on a Shelf courtesy of Grandma Rock. Really cute book, very cute elf, really hoping it creates some magic.

7. Three-year old logic on how an elf might get in and out of our house. His last theory involved the elf "shooting out the window."

8. Watching an eight-month old cruise in her quest to get ahold of the remote.

9. Feeding the baby from the table...at the Mexican restaurant. Love starting them young.

10. Saying prayers with Wyatt. Funny what he deems worthy.

11. Blackout curtains. Funny what I deem prayer-worthy.

12. A baby who is sleeping through the night.

13. Hearing a little voice sing along to Call My Name  as he falls asleep. Even better hearing him during the night when he's turned his music back on to soothe himself back to sleep.

14. Watching my husband finally just. relax. already. and fall asleep on the couch nice and early.

15. DVR'd tv shows.

Little Joys

1. Using my homemade cleaning supplies.

2. A facial.

3. A quiet house all to myself for two whole hours.

4. Trying a new recipe (successfully) in said quiet house. Just me, my cooking gadgets and some music.

5. Open windows.

6. Sales on current-season clothes.

7. Reconnecting with old friends through the miracles of Facebook.

8. Recipe subscription service (thanks, Whoorl, it was a great suggestion.)

9. Impending vacation.

10. A giggling baby.

11. A no-construction day. No sawing, no hammering, no walking on tarps, no cleaning bits of masonry off my doorknobs, no shop-vac, no grumbling contractor. Bliss.

12. Being a two-parent household again. It was a long week.

13. A little boy asking if maybe, please, if we're good, can we maybe go to the library - as if that's a grand prize - so glad he loves books.

14. And it's only Saturday.

Today's Top Five

1. Getting to sleep while Jeff got up with Natalie.

2. An hour to myself in our house.

3. Haircut and highlight.

4. Shopping by myself. For hours.

5. Running through the sprinklers with Wyatt.

It's been a good day.