Here we go again....

Abs was sitting on her bed playing her leappad and came out of her room and told me "I barfed".

Woohoo!

I went to checkout the damage and she got her leapad, her bed, the floor. Not very much.

While I was cleaning up the mess she returned with the biggest barf bucket she could find. She could probably give her brother a bath in it.

She is now in the tub singing opera, feeling better. I wonder if it was her deworming medicine?

Is the sick diet around the corner for all of us?

We got the Christmas tree put up, and it looks nice. It's a pre-lit tree, but I can't figure out how to get the top colored lights on. Who wants a tree that's totally lit anyway. It gives it personality.

No presents yet underneath it, but that's probably a good thing since Junior is way into presents now and thinks that they should all be for him. We have a Fisher Price little people nativity set under the tree and he thinks the baby is his cousin Wyatt. We put the tree up while Junior was napping and he didn't know what to think when he got up.

I finally watched Front of the Class, the Hallmark movie from several weeks ago. It was really good and made me want to teach 2nd grade--wait, I do, but my kids, well, are my kids. Great story though. I would like to think that I would be able to go forward and dream anything if I had that much negativity towards me, but who knows.

....several hours later and Abs is fine. We'll just chalk this up as one of those random times that she barfs. She actually does it quite a bit. My mom is coming over to get all three kids, I just need to feed them and dress them for bed. Done. Thank goodness they like oatmeal! I'll spend an exciting Saturday evening cleaning, sorting, folding laundry, and sleeping. You know, I used to be a more exciting person!

Gunner called the other night, but was hard at work after running missions. He sounded tired. He had gotten several Christmas boxes from some friends in Washington and my uncle in CA, and even one from his parents. During his first deployment, on clearance, I bought 24 stockings at Michael's for cheap, cheap, cheap. They are still sitting in my closet waiting to be used. Maybe the next deployment?

Abs tonight--she was upset because I told her she needed to go to her room until she was calm. She threw a fit, then as she was storming to her room we had this conversation:

Abs: Mommy?
Me: Yes?
Abs: Crown is spelled c-r-o-w-n.
Me: Okay, go to your room.
Abs: Remove the c and you have r-o-w-n.
Abs: Then add a f and you have f-r-o-w-n frown.
Me: Where are you going with this
Abs: Add an -ing and that's what I am doing right now. F-r-o-w-n-i-n-g. Frowning.

She then went to her room.

And how come the minute you run out of trash bags you manage to find millions of things to throw away? Probably the same reason that I was trying to be energy efficient and buy those super expensive lightbulbs that are so dangerous when they are broken. I discovered that they really don't fit in any of my light fixtures because they are too long.

Missing Gunner...

Deworming

Luckily Abs still goes to a civilian doctor, so my mom was able to convince them to call in a prescription for Ab's worm problem. I talked to the pharmacist and the doc put in a refill. Thank goodness. She said the worms probably didn't clear up from the first time since they only gave Abs one dose. Time will tell. I'm so grossed out, that I hope this is the last time we have to go through this.

I got an email from Ab's teacher today:

I’m sorry to inform you that I had to write Abs up this morning. While I was testing another student at my U table my students should have been finishing up their writing from Wednesday morning. During this time Abs chose to exclaim “Prepare for war!” She proceeded to throw a pencil at another student. The pencil hit the other student’s arm. Thankfully the other student is un-harmed.
I’m sorry that we had to start the morning this way. Expect a phone call from the office.

I shouldn't laugh, but I imagined it being totally quite, everyone hard at work, and "Prepare for war!" being yelled out by my daughter. She ended up getting D-hall during lunch. Maybe they should make that permanent since she wasn't there to cause a riot at the lunch table or ask people if certain words are part of the English language.

Remember the cupcakes that I went out for late at night? Well Em brought 9 of the 12 back. I told her she should have stood over her friends and made them eat all of them!

And Junior??? He thinks he is a cat--he meows and everything. I used to think I needed to breed like crazy to make sure the world is full of sane people--now I am thinking it is a good thing we stopped because maybe we are contributing to the problem?

Gunner's Children & the Poop Patrol

Junior is doing great with no binky. He did find one last night and sucked on it for a few minutes before Abs pried it from his mouth and gave it to me. He cried, but tonight there were no tears. He still says every once in a while that he needs one.

Em has been reminding me that she needed cupcakes for tonight. We had PT and OT tonight too, plus we were meeting the outlaws for dinner. So of course I forgot. Em came out at almost 9, after I just gotten Junior to bed. We loaded up everyone and ran to the store.

It's 9:30 at night and Abs comes out because her bottom itches. So I take a look, like every good mother would. The girl has freaking worms AGAIN. Are you kidding me???? Can this really be happening???? So I think since my first day off of school is on Monday, I will add going to the doctor to the list of things to do. I could go to the er, but sitting in the er and catching the flu or something before Christmas doesn't sound like much fun. Until then, the poop patrol is back in business.

Ab's teacher emailed me on Tuesday to tell me that my daughter almost got a referral. Apparently at lunch she wanted to know if bi&$^ was a word. None of her friends would answer so she asked the aide. The aide replied that it was, but not a word she should be using. So Abs was content with that answer, and luckily the aide likes her and my daughter's teacher and the entire class, so she didn't write her up. Great.

We miss you Gunner!

Happy Anniversary Gunner!

Thanks for 14 years of love, children (well they started coming around year 3), chaos, PCSes, TDYs, togetherness, loneliness, laughter, tears, deployments, and reunions. I think we have covered all the emotions! I should have known when you were deployed for our FIRST anniversary, that it was a sign of things to come.

We have had 7 addresses in those 14 years, three kids, 3 big moves, 4 year long deployments, two trips to NTC (yeah, we lucked out the first 10 years we were married!), an endless number of field problems, and thousands of nights aparts.

It was by chance that we met, but by hard work, determination, and love that we are still together. No one can say marriage is easy, and I think it is twice as hard when you maintain it with one phone call a week.

I wouldn't trade Gunner for anything (remind me of that after he has been home for about 3 months and is leaving his dirty laundry everywhere!), and I can't wait to see what the next 20 years hold.

Why I hate Barnesandnoble.com

I have to teach about Hanukkah tomorrow and do a craft, etc. On the 12th I ordered some Hannukah books and paid $3o to have them sent two day express. I was supposed to have them yesterday, but when I checked the status, it showed that it wasn't even going to ship till Wednesday. I had to teach Wednesday morning, so that wasn't going to work.

I called B&N and told them that I selected for my items to ship as they were available, and that wasn't happening, so I wouldn't be able to use them and I wanted to cancel my order that wasn't going out till Wednesday (this was Monday).

Me: I want to cancel my order
Lisa: You can't, because it is too far along in the shipping process.
Me: Are you kidding me? It's not shipping for two more days.
Lisa: That's how it works.
Me: It's not a very efficient system.
Lisa: You are the one that signed up for all items to be held until they were ready for shipment.
Me: No I didn't, I wanted them shipped as soon as each item became available.
Lisa: Oh yeah, you're right.
Me: So I want to cancel my order.
Lisa: You can't, but you can refuse the shipment.
Me: I can't refuse the shipment because I will be teaching a unit on Hanukkah without books.
Lisa: Well you can ship it back to us and receive credit minus shipping.
Me: So you want me to pay to ship something back to you, after I paid $30 to have it shipped to me.
Lisa: Right.
Me: Well, I won't do it. You can credit my credit card for the shipping and then I will keep the books.
Lisa: I can't do that because you requested two day air and it cost $30.
Me: Well are they coming in two days?
Lisa: No
Me: Can I speak to your supervisor

Joelynn the supervisor: This is part of the management team how can I help you.
Me: I want my books, a refund, or my order cancelled today.
Joelynn: We can't cancel the order it is too far along in the shipping process.

This went on for a while, going around in circles and circles.

Me: How come you can't cancel my order?
Joelynn: Oh, I can do that, but I thought you wanted the books.
Me: Are you kidding me, I don't want anything from B&N.
Joelynn: I can cancel the order, it will ship and come back.
Me: Will I get a total refund including shipping. I can ship a package to my husband in Iraq for less and it will get there faster.
Joelynn: Yes.
Me: Including shipping?
Joelynn: I said yes.
Me: Can you put that in writing?
Joelynn: No, I can't do that.
Me: So how do I know you will do that.
Joelynn: Because I said I would.
Me: You and Lisa also told me over the course of an hour that I couldn't cancel my order.

This went on forever, and so supposedly my order will be cancelled and I will get a refund including my outrageous shipping charges. And this is why I will stick with ordering from Amazon.com. I'm sure this will be a battle, but I shouldn't be penalized for their mistake!

Houston, we have a problem...

I was down to two binkies. Somehow when Junior got up this morning he binky was missing and I couldn't find the other one stashed away. He cried this morning but didn't ask for it after daycare today, so I forgot....until now. My sweet baby boy is crying himself to sleep over a binky. I went in there to calm him down, covered him up with his fuffy, and then he asked me to please look for his binky. I told him they were all gone, and he started up again. I reminded him that he was a big boy, and he told me no "I a baby and I want my binky!". If you can use that many words, it's time for it to go! This is the same little tot that for the first 5 months of his life while Gunner was deployed, I rocked him in his carseat with my foot while one arm dangled off the bed and held his binky in because he couldn't figure it out. I was too tired then to fight him.

We had to run to Office Depot tonight in the freezing cold to get a toner cartridge for my copier. We get in there and Abs has to go to the bathroom. I send Emily along to monitor and I am working with the sales clerk to find the right cartridge while chasing Junior who has managed to poop. I am saddled with everyone's jackets and hats, my 500-lb purse and my list. Abs comes running out, so I get her to hold Junior's hand so I can pay for the cartridge. We are still waiting on Em to come back from the bathroom at this point, so I start to look at construction paper.

I'm perusing the construction paper and Abs is on the same aisle with Junior in tow. Twenty seconds later it is quiet and Abs is sitting on the floor alone reading a book. I couldn't find Junior anywhere. I round the corner after calling his name and hear all this giggling. The boy has put himself inside a backpack and is trying to hide. I drag him out, grab my cartridge, all the coats, hats and gloves, and then go back to get Abs who has decided that she wants to help again, but this time she wants to carry the construction paper.

By this point I am wondering why I didn't get a cart. I load Abs up with construction paper, grab Junior's hand, the coats, hats, gloves and my purse. Abs decides that the paper is too heavy and she would rather checkout the m&m display.

Thankfully Em appeared around this time, and I got her to take over Junior, and I wrestled Abs and my purchases up to the front. Em decides that this is the time to tell me that Abs found a bottle of air freshener in the bathroom. Apparently Abs got done before Em and washed her hands. Around that time Em heard all this noise and asked Abs what she was doing. According to Em the conversation went something like this:

Em: What are you doing?
Abs: Oh just freshening up the place a bit
Em: Do you have air freshener?
Abs: Duh
Em: You better put it down, mommy will be mad
Abs: She likes things to smell nice
Em: Not in a public bathroom
Abs: Whatever
Em: I'm telling
Abs: I stopped
Abs: The bottle is empty now
Abs exits the scene.

Em said the place smelled like a giant flower. Great. I apologized to the salesclerk, and headed out with everyone and everything.

I asked Abs about what happened once we hit the car.

Me: Abs, what happened in the bathroom
Abs: Did something happen in there?
Em: She's talking about the air freshener
Me: Em, let her talk
Abs: I don't recall anything special happening in there.
Em: You're lying Abs.
Me: Let me handle it Em.
Abs: Oh, you mean the bottle of air freshener that Em sprayed all over the bathroom even the mirrors?
Em: I did not
Abs: Well it wouldn't be me, I was trying to wash my hands. You know how those pre-teens can be mommy.

I then reminded everyone of proper bathroom etiquette and decided that I will not venture out in public again for the rest of this deployment.