Don't keel over yet, I have valuable advice--GI Bill

One thing I have learned through this whole retirement process, is that no one ever gives you the full story.  That's frustrating because you miss out on a lot of opportunities, and also because you have no idea that you are missing out on them!

So here I am to let you know how it really is.  We spent hours upon hours talking to someone from the VA about the GI bill.  Apparently the VA has about 6 positions throughout the US, where they have put someone from the VA into several colleges, so that they can make sure that the Vets are taking advantage of all the opportunities afforded to them.

First.  If you enlisted in a certain state, and currently live there, check for programs that will pay your way through school.  If you enlisted in Texas and retired in Texas (or got out) then you can qualify for the Hazelwood Act.  Unfortunately, even though I had Gunner make Texas his home of record, he enlisted in Indiana.  Who the heck wants to enlist in Indiana?  If we had retired there, then he would have been able to use the program that they have there.  If he had retired there, he would be living alone though.  :)

Second....have your husband run and give your children 1 month of his GI bill.  The beauty of that is, that they can apply for extensions, and he only has to give up one month.  I wish we had known about this, and I am kicking myself that I didn't find out about it sooner.  Set your kids up for the future, and RUN RUN RUN and give them a month!

If you husband is 20% disabled....only 20%.....then he can use the Chapter 31, vocational rehab.  Take advantage of this, without a doubt.  They pay for your books, tuition, and supplies.  As of August 1st, 2011, you can get vocational rehab with your Ch 33 money, which is more.  (For example, Gunner's ch 31 payment if he is full time, is $949.58 because he has 4 dependents.  If he goes under Ch 33 money, he gets $1017.)

If your husband hasn't done all of his disability (read Gunner has not, but thankfully it is retroactive), then you can use your Ch 30.  Ch 30 is good if you are going to a cheap school, like a community college.  They will give you $1473, but you have to pay for everything. 

Ch 33 is the post 9/11 GI bill.  If you are full time, you can get your books, tuition, fees, supplies, etc paid for, plus receive BHA for an E5 with dependents.  So we would get $1017 for this option.  This option is great if your spouse is at a 4 year university, and the costs are a lot more. 

Side notes:
1.  If you start out on Ch 30, then switch to Ch 33, you cannot switch back to 30.
2.  If you go with Ch 31 (voc rehab) you get a counselor, employment help, and can get your credits extended to 48 months.  There are certain circumstances where they can reallocate even more credits.  For example, if you used up almost 36 months of your GI bill, and accomplished nothing, then qualified for the voc rehab track, they can get you requalified for additional credits, if you haven't gotten anywhere, or had a lack of direction.
3.  If you are using your GI bill, you must get certified for every semester.  Make sure that you take your schedule into the VA office and have them certify you, so that you can get paid.
4.  You have to specify a degree plan in order to have the VA pay.  Be careful what you take at a community  college, because it might not transfer to a 4 year college.  The solution is to get a generic degree in Interdisciplinary Studies or General Studies, but take classes that will transfer into the major that you want.  This means you have to go to the 4 year college that you want, in order to secure the degree plan and know what you need.  This will save you time and money.  Trust me.
5.  When they say you get credits for your military experience.  Don't hold your breath, that you are walking out with an associate's like they say.  Try about 12 hours if you are lucky, and they will cover your PE, and your electives.  That being said, if you have college credits that only fall under electives, then they will put those first and not count your military credits at all.
6.  Make sure you register with www.ebenefits.va.gov in order to have access to all the benefits available.  You will have access to benefits by state, compensation, death education, employment, financial services, health, housing, rate table, insurance, retirement, transition assistance, travel & transportation, vocational rehabilitation, calculator, calendar, and prescription refills.
7.  If you are a military retiree, then you can obtain Level 2 access in ebenefits if you register using your DFAS pin.  Retired personnel who have been issued a DFAS pin may apply for access directly and do not have to proof in person. 

Coming up I'll let you know about the additional benefits available for service connected disabled veterans.  I'm on a roll.

If you have any questions, let me know and I will ask the lady who helped us out aka the only one who knows what's going on!

7 Reasons to Date a Military Man

I am a regular at Fox News (you had an influence on me Dad!), and I saw this article.

Bringing Home the Troops:  7 Reasons to Date a Military Man

What do you think? 

I totally disagree with #6.  Gunner might have been a neat freak at one point in time, but it hasn't been while he is married to me!

Army Friends

One of the good (and bad things) about military life is the coming and going of friends.  I'm sure you have all been the ones who have left friends behind, and also been the ones who have left.  I remember when I left Fort Lewis, one of my civilian friends cried.  I was so sad for her, but it had also become second-nature to me and I was okay with it.  Sure I would miss them, but I have learned that it is never "Goodbye" but always "See you later"....

When I moved to Fort Carson, I didn't know anyone.....except one lone blogger, Erin.  Then I met The Displaced Dutchican.  When my house flooded, I didn't have to ask twice, I called Erin and she took Sammy and grabbed Junior from daycare to keep him till I could get there.  She kept Sammy for about two weeks and even cut poop out of his matted dog hair.  If that doesn't mean love, I don't know what does!

The Dutchican picked up the girls, fed them, and had them ready to go when I went to pick them up.  I never worried.  (Although I heard Abs was quite vocal at the local hamburger spot, much to Em's embarassment!)

That's what makes a military friend.

Friends that know when you call that you are in trouble.

Friends that know you need help, and will drop everything to help you.

Friends that don't think twice and know that often times you have no one else to help.

So many times our families live so far away and we have to count on those friends to help us get through things.  When my dad passed away, I had a friend that came over and cleaned my entire house (I was 7 months pregnant) and later that day her husband came over and mowed my lawn.  Then he knocked on the door and took my car to get cleaned inside and out.  I didn't have to say a thing, they were there for me.  I had friends that made dinner for the girls and I during that time as well.

I didn't ask.

If anyone knows me, I rarely ask for anything, but would drop anything for a friend.

So while I can go to almost any place that I have ever lived and know that I can count on a friend, I will miss that part of the military life.  There's nothing like another military wife.  Like Erin said to me when Gunner deployed for the third time to Iraq "If you want to come over and just sit here with someone who understands and you don't have to say a word, just show up".

I've had friends that have helped me through deployments.  Friends that have made me laugh when I only wanted to cry.  Friends that had faith in my when I had little faith in myself.

I think that the friends that I have made in the military will stand the test of time.  The Army is a small place and we have run into people in Germany that we hadn't seen in forever, and I still meet with friends from other posts, that I haven't seen in years, but it's like we never were apart.

I only hope that your military friendships are as incredible as mine.  No one else will ever understand what we go through, but someone else in our situation....no words needed.  What military friendship have you had that has stood the test of time?

End of an Era?

After over 22 years in the Army, the 5 uniform changes that have occurred, and 5 deployments, I always said if there was a war that you should be at my house.

What once fit in a tiny front closet when we got married, now takes up half of our garage.

What is it you ask?  TA-50

I'm sure you have all learned to embrace the plethora of equipment that your husband has been issued.  I've tried numerous ways to organize the crap too.

There were hanging devices.  Stacked crates.  Left in the boxes that they were packed up in.  Footlockers.  Tubs.  The tubs seemed to work the best, because at least I could stack them on top of each other.

How many gorilla trunks are sitting in your house right now?  We got 4 by mail shortly after Gunner returned home.  I was totally not overjoyed to see it arrive.  These were added to the 8 gorilla trunks we already had here waiting for his return.

But.......

In just a matter of time, this stuff will start disappearing from my garage.  Hopefully huge amounts of it.

Soon he can go request a list from CIF with the master list of everything that he needs to turn in.  What will I do without 50,000 pounds of TA50 to move every couple of years?  What if there is a war and we need to hunker down and live off of MRE's and be ready to dig our own trenches or create a new village complete with a multitude of uniforms for everyone to choose from?

But then I start thinking about all the duplicates he has.  You can't just have one e-tool can you?  A Soldier with less than 5 canteens?  That's unheard of.  How could he have been a Soldier without stocking up on 8 sleeping mats?  Less than 20 pairs of boots?  How would that work, since he has to have tanker boots, then there are the black boots, then there are gortex boots, mountain boots, rubber boots, desert boots--you know, the right boots to match the right uniform?

With the right boots you have to have the right accessories.  We have a rucksack in every uniform color.  Don't worry, as he also has accumulated an assault bag in every color.  In case he gets thirsty, he has a camelbak in every color.

There are soft caps, berets, kevlars, pyle caps, pt caps, stetson, mess cap.  We've got 15 duffel bags, all painted with previous unit assignments.  We've got DIFFERENT PT belts from every.single.unit.

The list goes on.  So while I started thinking that we might be downsizing, I realize that my grandchildren should someday be prepared for their Grandpa to be sitting in old uniforms and telling them stories "Back when I was in the warrrrrr....".

So maybe we'll be okay in case of an emergency, because I can't imagine all of this TA50 is going anywhere...

Military Housing

Besides a few apartments when housing wasn't available yet, we have always lived in housing.

I like that I don't have a lease, that I can leave when I want, and that there is always someone to call if something goes wrong.  I like that there is always a fenced in backyard.  It's awfully convenient to have someone come unlock your door when you manage to lock yourself out, with no fees.

Housing will mow my yard when Gunner is gone.  They will come pick up a dead animal in my yard if I call them.

We have lived in stairwell housing in Germany, "townhomes" at Fort Lewis & Fort Hood, a duplex at Fort Hood, a duplex at the Academy, and now we are in a townhome type situation once again.

I currently LOVE our house.  It's not big, but there's room.  I like having a garage.  There are enough bathrooms for us, especially since Junior doesn't use one.

I like being close to a shoppette, the commissary, the px, and hourly daycare.

Some of the drawbacks are that you are very close to your neighbors.  Last week I had the crap scared out of me because someone rang my doorbell at 11 pm.  I answer the door and it's the MP's asking about a domestic disturbance.  I explained that I had three sleeping children, a barking dog, and a deployed husband. They were looking for my neighbor.

At Hood, our neighbor (in our duplex) tried to kill his wife.  He went to jail for about a month till he was bailed out, and he came back and within minutes we were surrounded by MP's.  Housing moved her out the next day to an undisclosed location.

Gunner once found our neighbor's kid in a diaper, down the street, in freezing weather, playing near a storm drain.

So anyway, all this leads up to me being addicted to House Hunters.  Maybe it is the fact that we have never owned a house and I dream of one day (not anytime soon) buying our first house.  Maybe it is because I like to see how other people live.  (Surely I'm not the only one who is out walking the dog and will glance over if a window is open to see what it's like.  Really, I'm not a peeping ABW!)

What I have a hard time with is people that turn their nose up at the houses they are shown!  I know people want their "dream house" with the big master bathroom, walk in closets, an island in the kitchen, and all the things that they have dreamed of.  Maybe it is so many years of just taking what is offered, that I can't imagine being THAT picky?  We do have a master bathroom and a walk in closet in this house, but many haven't had those features.

I sometimes think if Gunner and I went on that show, they would show us the first house, and we would sign for it.  Having alternatives?  Unheard of!  A garden tub?  Never had one, but was at my mom's house and discovered that it is hard to bathe a child in one.  A gigantic kitchen?  I'd probably just fill it with appliances instead of having the bare minimum.

We have never looked at a house and said "the rooms are too small" but instead say "we'll give Junior the smallest room since he is the youngest" or "Em can have the small room this time because it has a door to the bathroom".  We don't look at a kitchen and think about all the baking we are going to do and the lack of counter space, we are just relieved if there is a pantry to put food in!

What's the best housing you have ever lived in?  (Ours is here at Carson)

Have you ever bought a house at a duty station, and was it worth the trouble when you moved?

Have you ever had crazy neighbors like mine?

How has living in military housing changed the way you view your future home?

I'm so sorry....no, really, he didn't leave me!

Back when we were stationed at Fort Lewis, many moons ago, I took a Parenting with Love & Logic class.  Gunner of course was in the field, so I had my assistant at work that volunteered to come over to babysit.  I introduced myself the first night, and then attended class once a week for about 6 weeks.

Near the end of the 5th class, our instructor came over to ask me how things were going.  I told her that my husband had left, but that so far so good.  She gave me this huge hug and told me how sorry she was that he was gone.  I looked puzzled, and said that he was gone for a month.  She thought he had walked out on the girls and me.

Fast forward to yesterday at the girls' school, and I was chit chatting with one of the moms and one of the dads, and we were talking about potty training.  The mom had a 4 year old and had battled potty training as well, and she was asking if Junior was fully trained.  I told her no, that since my husband had left and we had moved across town, that I was kind of holding off for a bit.  The dad jumped in and asked if it was possible for my ex to spend more time with his son, and maybe that would help.  It shocked me, and I explained that I was married, but that he had deployed to Afghanistan.

I guess I am so used to being around people in the same situation, and goodness knows at The Great Place, that almost everyone can understand your situation.  Now that we live in a relatively large town, I forget that we are around people again that don't get it.

What things have you said that people misunderstood because they weren't used to the military way of life?

BDU's, DCU's, ACU's, FRCU's, Oh My!

I never thought that they would change the uniforms as much as they have while Gunner has been active duty.

Of course I never thought he would see a war, or that he would deploy as much as he had.  I guess I lived in denial?

First deployment to Iraq.....BDU's.  He was so young!

When Gunner first went to Iraq, they didn't have all the rules they do about getting involved with the animals.  He loved this puppy.

The second deployment it was DCU's. (This picture was from the first deployment when they could wear both uniforms) I still think that they are kind of pink.

Then there was the third deployment to Iraq.  ACU's.  I like them better than the DCU's, but not as much as BDU's.

This picture was from his homecoming from the third deployment.  So much for getting a nice picture of the two of us with crazy kids like this!

In keeping with the Army's tradition of changing the uniform every time Gunner deploys, they have come out with the FRCU's.  As if our house didn't have enough abandoned uniforms littering the basement, we'll be able to add to the collection.  All of Gunner's uniforms and TA50 fit in the front closet of our one bedroom apartment when we got married, not anymore!

Oh, and just for the record Army, I miss my husband shining his boots every morning. Can you go back to the old boots?

Preparing for Deployment

You would think after 4 year long deployments, I would be an old pro at this, but every deployment is different, and so it's time to start thinking about this next one.

Gunner hasn't deployed to Afghanistan before, so I need to have plenty of time to read up on it, and learn about what is going on over there.  I am not totally oblivious to the situation, but I like to be informed.

We need to update the big white notebook that Gunner made for me last deployment.  During his first deployment to Iraq, I couldn't find POA's, and luckily he had given my mom one, so she was able to sign for housing for us.  His last deployment he made an organized notebook (since I am the most unorganized person around) that contained sections with anything and everything I could have needed--POA's for all the different possibilities, his will, daycare information, shot records, educational records, copies of deployment orders, all of our accounts organized with passwords and account numbers, emergency contact numbers, and tons of other information.  I carted that big white book around religiously, and always had anything and everything that I needed at my fingertips.  We still use it consistently, but it's time to start making sure it is updated with all of our new information, stuff about Colorado, and anything else we can think of that I might need.

Pictures.  I need to update the photo frames that each of the kids have with pictures of them with their dad.

We need to make sure that Gunner has an album with pictures of the kids to take with him, and this time, come hell or high water, I am scrapbooking a deployment countdown calendar for him to take with him and one for each of the kids.

I need to have plans in place in case one of the kids gets sick in the middle of the night, which means I need to get out and meet some people.  Ugh.  I'm not the most social person, and I seem to attract people with more issues and drama than any one person should have.  Can't I just meet some people that 1. Like their kids, 2.  Like to get out and do things, 3.  Value education, 4.  Knit, 5. Have financial sense, 6. Like to workout and do triathlons and 5 and 10 K's, 7. That are honest, and 8. Are independent?

This is just me personally, but I can't stand people that sit back and wait for their husband's call every single day, don't go do anything because their husbands want them to wait till they get home, or don't take the opportunity to make their lives better for the entire family.  It's a year people, get out and accomplish something for yourself!  Go back to school, learn something new, get in shape, explore the area you live in, and realize that the year is going to pass and you can either do something with it, or waste it away.  Em told me after last deployment, that she was glad that I took on something so huge (going back to school to become a teacher) when I had all of them to take care of, plus getting in shape, and taking care of everything else.  She told me I was a great example of how to handle deployments and life.  That made me feel good and made me realize what a great example it was to them on how to take a not-so-good situation and turn it into something that made all of us better.  Just my .02 worth.

So, I am making a list of things that need to be covered over the next 10 months before Gunner leaves.  I would rather that he stay here, but I am glad that he has such an important job to do.  Once he is gone, I will wallow in self pity for a few days, and then begin my list of everything that I want to accomplish before he returns.  I'm thinking a marathon, half ironman triathlon, and learning digital photography are going to be at the top of that list.  This time I want the kids to set some deployment goals for themselves and we will pursue those as well.  Maybe they want to learn to ice skate, snowboard, run a 5K themselves?  Maybe they want to dance or learn to cook (since they won't get that lesson at home!) or travel?  Deployments in our household are viewed as a time to make things happen, so that when Gunner comes back he sees that we survived, grew, and even thrived.  While he makes our family complete, I don't want my children to look back on deployments as a time of misery and hopelessness, but rather a time when they missed their dad terribly, were proud of what he was able to accomplish and also had great accomplishments of their own that made them, me, and Gunner proud.

Deployments come whether we like it or not, but take it by the horns, you won't be sorry you did.

"I'll make it up to you"

I'm sitting here watching Army Wives, with Em in her bed asleep, still running a fever and suffering through strep throat.

I just watched the part where Trevor had to leave the bowling alley and he promised Roxy that he would "make it up to her" as he raced off to do his job.

How many times have you heard that?  After a spur of the moment staff duty or CQ, a long deployment, JRTC, NTC, field time, TDY, PCS, and eventually one day, when he puts in his retirement package and there's finally an ETS.  I'm not even sure how many years Gunner has left in the Army.  I used to know at least how many years, but now it just seems par for the course.

When he calls from Iraq and I've got three barfy kids and am sick myself, he promises to make it up to me.  When he misses birthdays, anniversaries, and pregnancies, he assures tells me that he will try to make the next one (besides pregnancies, those days are over!).  He sends letters and cards.  He calls when he can, and he thankfully, does make up for it when he gets home. 

This weekend I left Gunner with all three kids while I headed off to the Great American Beer Fest with a good friend of mine.  He sent me off with a hug and a kiss, and assurances that everything would be fune, and I should have a good time.

I had a great time!  I went to my friend's house and then we met a friend for lunch and then my friend and I went to the GABF.  When you walk in they give you a small glass with a 1 oz mark.  There are thousands of beers to sample!  We tried a few on the way to find my sister's booth.  Met my sister and she gave us a list of beers to sample.  We headed out and tried those out.  We had our pictures taken in those photo booths, got a free tshirt, and met some interesting people.

We met friends again for dinner, hung out by the pool and went to bed early.  The next day we hit a Russian spa and had massages, body polish, and got hit with leaves in a steam room.  It was absolutely the best massage that I have ever had.  We ended the weekend with my first taste of Pho and I headed back to reality.

The house was a mess, Em now has strep, we're out of food (but he bought extra ice cream!).  The kids were happy though, had a good time, and I am ready to face the next week, but this time he's home, and he kept his word and in two days made up for the last year away.  It's the little things....

Counting Time

Obviously in order to practice good OPSEC I can't give more details, but we are down to counting time. Very little time. Not enough time. You get the picture.

We've been bums all weekend and enjoying all of Gunner's favorite foods. I don't think one of the foods is on WW, but I will be back on the program once he is gone. I couldn't deny him all the things that he will miss. Tonight we will have German food. Yum. Crepes for dessert.

I ordered the girls dog tags with a picture of them and their father. Once he deploys, the girls will be able to post a picture of their dad on the 'Wall of Heroes" up at school. A high school collected and donated teddy bears for each of the children at the girls' elem. school to have a bear once their father deploys.

Gunner HAS to pack tonight. He can't put it off any longer.

Daycare, Bulgogi and Passports

I am on the waiting list for daycare on post. I have finally agreed that I will try a FCC provider. I've just talked to her on the phone and will meet with her tomorrow and let Andrew get a feel for the place as well. She seems really sweet and I am sure he will be immersed in Spanish, which in Texas is not a bad thing at all. I'll try her out for a while and see how he does, but they are pretty monitored so I feel pretty good about this. I'm sure it has to be more fun than hanging out with me all day!

Gunner and I were supposed to go get Em's passport today and I met him at the post office with all the paperwork and no Em. I didn't know I had to take her along! So now we have to wait till tomorrow to do it. Hopefully we can get it completed tomorrow and mailed off and it will be one less thing to worry about.

Since we couldn't get the passport Gunner and Junior and I ran over and had bulgogi for lunch. Junior was devouring the side dishes, so the waitress kept bringing him more and more. We went to the doctor after that and he had packed on some weight since he was there two days ago. Junior got the all clear on his ears which is good and he prescribed something new to try on the cradle crap that we are still battling off and on.

Tonight the VLA theatre is putting on Dream Girls and my friend Amanda and I are going to since it is free for military spouses. Gunner has no interest in going. Even after 13 years I am still working on him.

Deployment is looming over our heads and our To Do list keeps growing every day as I think of more things that we need to take care of before he leaves. Hopefully it will all get completed and we can kick back and spend the last few days relaxing. Time is going by way too fast.

Soldiers

Em wrote this for school:



Soldiers are brave, helpful, admirable, honorable, kind, true and loyal.

These heroes protect our country and keep the United States of America safe.

So we should appreciate what they do for us.

They let us have freedom to go to school and be proud of who we are and where we live, in the USA. These special people are only normal people who live in the world where they make a difference.



By: Em H.



Thinking back, I really had no clue about the military when I was her age. I remember I used to have nightmares about the Russians invading us and WWIII, but with everything that was going on, that's probably not too surprising. I remember when the first Gulf War started I was a freshman in college at Baylor. My best friend Catherine, whose dad was in the Army, called me to let me know that the war had begun. My roommate and I watched for a while and then went to dinner with my friend. I still remember how directly it affected her, but I couldn't even think of someone that I knew personally, that was serving at the time. Fast forward 18 years (geez, I am old) and I am about to send my husband off for the third time to Iraq. I have spent more time stationed in Texas than he has. Looking back I was so clueless about what was going on in the world even in college, and now I'm not.



When 9/11 happened (I found out because my friend Peggy called me and told me what was going on) we were stationed at Fort Lewis, WA. My husband was in the field and was on standby and not getting very much information about what was going on. I went on into work (groceries had to be bought, and there could be a nuclear war and my company at the time would have insisted that it was still okay to get in there and work). After I picked up the girls, I had to travel from North Fort on to Main Post and Em wasn't even phased about the new security system that they had in place. There were Soldiers everywhere with their weapons, and a plethora of other security features everywhere. Her military daycare had increased security as well and nothing seemed out of the ordinary to her. I had talked to Em about what was going on in 4 year old language and she said something to the effect of "my Daddy will go get those bad guys and make sure they don't hurt Americans". Her dad was and still is her Hero. Even then she knew that he had an important job and she was proud of him.


From that time, Em has grown in her understanding of what is going on in Iraq and other places throughout the world and why. I can't say that she would know or understand this much if she wasn't the daughter of an American Soldier, but I would like to think that I would have taught her. Abs is not far behind in her understanding of the War in Iraq and how she also plays a role in this because of her love for her dad.


Since Gunner is a lifer, and the girls are at an impressionable age, the choice he has made to serve in the Army will continue to have an effect on them and shape their thoughts and views of the world around them as they grow.

I don't understand

I cannot for the life of me figure out how the army works. My daughter takes a certain medication so in order to do hourly care after school in case of an emergency and have her covered for daycare this summer while I am back in school, I had to get extra medical forms filled out. I got the forms filled out, took them into CYS and they told me I had to go to Darnell to the first floor and have EFMP sign off on it. I told them she wasn't enrolled and they said that was okay, but it had to be done. Gunner took them in there and they said he had to have Abs enrolled in EFMP in order to go to CYS. They said that in 30 days a community health nurse will call and there needs to be a paneled discussion done and I will enroll her and get her the helps she needs. SHE DOESN'T NEED ANY HELP!!!! They told me that I would be entitled to 40 hours of respite care. Well if they aren't taking all three, then I don't need it! I called and talked to the EFMP and she told me it had to be done. I argued with her and told her why I wouldn't do it and how I didn't need any help. She said she would call back before 1:30 after she did some research. It's after 2 and I still haven't heard from her.

I'm just pissed. I jumped through the hoops that they wanted me to and it still wasn't good enough. They must get a certain amount of money from the government for every family member they enroll in EFMP.

The man from Mars

Em had an eye doctor appointment this morning at 8:45. The girls didn't have school, but I had to wake them up early, feed them and then hit the road. We made a pit stop at the school to get her glasses that she left there over the weekend and then we were on our way. We drove the 40 minutes to the doctor's office, unpacked all three kids to find out that they didn't change the appointments but instead had cancelled them. I was mad. We left. Then I called Tricare who said I had to just choose someone from the phone book, so we went back and took the appointment at 10:30 this morning and we set off to find a way to amuse three children for two hours.

Target. We scoured the aisles for good deals and managed to find a few along the way. After we had looked at (and the girls had touched) everything in the store at least once we went back to the eye doctor.

Junior was all over the place after sitting nicely in the car and a guy who was wandering around while waiting on his wife told me he was from Mars and had experiences with martians. I didn't even know what to say. He had his pants tucked into socks so they looked like knickers. A tall distinguished looking gentleman asked him why he wore knickers and he said they were regular pants but he wore them like that because when he went to the bathroom in public places he didn't want to get his pants dirty. The second reason was because one time a spider climbed up his pants and got on his parts.

So the older gentleman and the Mars guy talked for a little while. The Mars guy was off the wall. He was from India, looked and spoke with a Slavic accent and kept talking to us about totally random things. He asked me what my husband did and I told him he was in the army. Mars guy asked what he did and I told him Gunner was a tanker. He commented on how it was an important job and the older guy pointed out how my job was important and equally as hard. The Mars guy started to say something negative and before he could get it out the older gentleman made a point of saying "You better watch what you say to her cause I won't let anyone speak to a military spouse like that". Mars guy kept quiet.

We finished up there and had enough time to run home, eat lunch that Gunner had prepared, talk to my MIL briefly as she took over watching Junior and we hit the road again. We tried a new dentist and I really liked him. I made an appointment for me to go on Monday to see him and Abs has to go back for a cavity. Poor kid. I don't know how they managed to get Ab's teeth clean as she talked the ENTIRE time she was back there. By the time she left she was hugging the dentist and telling him she would see him on Monday. Let's hope she keeps that attitude!

We finished up there and ran home to drop Em off with MIL and Abs and I headed out to her PT appointment. Met a girl there who spent two years in Korea with her husband and kids. I'd love to do that! I'd pretty much go anywhere.

Abs got done with PT and was worn out from all the activity. We made it home to find MIL had taught Em to knit and she is now addicted. I told MIL it's time to teach me how to do something else besides knit a scarf cause my family is running out of necks.

I was waiting for Gunner to bring home some ground turkey so we could have turkey burgers tonight but they are stuck at work. A 5 ton got stranded outside of the motorpool so they have to tow it back in. We have nothing to eat but gizzards and french fries. Not exactly a WW meal so I might have to resort to grilled cheese if he doesn't hurry home.

I'm tired but still hoping I can make it to the gym and workout.

The Year of Me

I am focusing on myself this year. I'm going back to school. I'll lose the weight. I'll get organized (quit snickering guys, this time I mean it!).

I started with making all the appointments that I need to have done, like the dentist (trying a new one since I absolutely love to go to the dentist and still haven't found one that I love here locally). Of course then I had to make the girls appointments.

I know I need to get new glasses, so I made the appointment. Well the girls need to go to, and that means Abs needs a referral, so I had to make an appointment for that too. Which reminded me that she needed to see the urologist, so I made that appointment around her PT appts.

Needing a break from all the appointments I made one more for Junior for a day at the hourly daycare that he loves on post. He needs his shots, which required an appointment for him.

Maybe this will be the year of me....and Em....and Abs....and Junior.....and Gunner. Definitely in 17 years when Junior heads off to college I will focus on me. Just me. I'm in no rush though.

Tueday Ramblings

I worked today and tried to help my mom clean out some stuff. We didn't get very far, and I left her with specific instructions to get rid of an entire drawer of "dickies" and old socks. I should have taken them with me because I am sure I will see her start wearing them now that she "found" them.



I got a bluetooth in the mail--just a cheap version off of newegg.com that got great ratings. Now I won't be driving illegally since you aren't supposed to drive on post without a hands free device.



My husband has to dress up in a 70's costume tomorrow for a PT battalion run. I'll be sure and get pics. He might be my WW if we get our act together.



A week and a half till we are in Hawaii!



Report cards came out today and the girls did great! Em made A's with a few B's, and Abbie made straight A's. So proud of both of them.



The little girl across the street came over and so I asked about her grades and she told me she made an F in math. I asked her why and she told me it wasn't a big deal because now the school had to provide her with tutoring. I would be really upset if my child made an F.



I absolutely hate going to the Killeen walmart any other time than first thing in the morning.

Field Time

Dh is set to deploy sometime this year. They are out in the field for gunnery for the next two weeks. Luckily they get to come in every once in a while for showers and clean clothes. He leaves clean and smelling good and I am left with dirty uniforms, smelly socks, mud all over the place and an empty fridge.

I wouldn't change a thing.

He loves his job. I love my Soldier.

Expos, Birthdays and Emails

We took the kids to the Kids Expo in Belton today. It wasn't too crowded when we first got there and the kids had a great time. They got to rock climbing, jump in the bounce houses, get lots of free stuff and watch some shows. We left before a lot of the more exciting things were on the stage, but we had places to go. I love to go to little things like this with DH when he is home. He misses out on so many things in their life.

Went to my mom's house and then my SIL and brother showed up. They are running an Ironman Triathalon tomorrow. Wish I could do something like that. Maybe for my 40th birthday? I'm still nursing a sore foot. Maybe the beer tonight will help?

We celebrated Em's 10th birthday tonight with my mom and sister and her boys. Em had a lot of fun and loved her gifts. Her new furniture gets delivered on Tuesday. I can't believe I have been a mom for 10 years. I can't imagine when I am old and gray and will have been a mom for 60 years! Em is mastering the being a teenager early and it is driving me nuts.

I came home and the electricity had gone off so somehow all my emails had disappeared. I needed recommendations for my new plan, and I lost all the information I had collected so far. Frustrating. Tomorrow is a new day, I will eventually get it all back together.

It is almost 10 pm and Abs is still up and singing in her bed. I wish I could function on such a little amount of sleep....

Sacrifices & the Military Challenge

Michelle over at A Cup of Tea with Friends, has a husband who is deploying in the near future. She was challenged to give up three items during his 12-15 month deployment to show her support for her husband and his fellow Soldiers. How can I argue with that! This will be Chris' third deployment and I know I can follow suite.

Three things that I will give up during this deployment:
1. Ice cream. My husband and I love it, and this will be hard but if he can't enjoy Blue Bell, I'll wait until he can.
2. Diet Coke. This will be a hard one too as I have a several-can-a-day diet coke habit.
3. Frappacinos. Another weakness.

Hmmm....all these center around food.

Michelle also takes on the following challenge:

But then I got to thinking. In honor of the freedoms they fight for, maybe I should try three new things because as Americans we have the luxury of making choices, whereas in many other countries people are persecuted for going against their society. So in honor of their fight for our freedoms I will:

1. Try something new every month (they give up their hobbies and liberties to protect us)
2. Workout at least 4 days a week exercising (my husband had to run on a dirt track that surrounded the FOB when in Afghanistan)
3. Participate in at least two activities a month that include other spouses (support is a valuable asset during a deployment.)

These are great!

So I vow to do the following:

1. Try something new every month (this is a great one and will hopefully get me out of the house and help me to meet some new people).
2. Complete an unfinished project a month. Hmmmm...maybe my mom should join me on this one.
3. Complete at least 4 fun runs/walks/rides or something. I really want to do this with my husband, but I'll just be in tip top shape when he gets back. Not to mention if I have to carry three kids on my back across the finish line that will help me along!

I'm off to work, but who else wants to take on this challenge?

Houses & Ramblings

The house I wanted to buy is under contract. Not that I know where we will be after this next deployment, but I still wanted it. Sigh.....

Junior went over the the outlaws today and I think that will be the last time for quite a while. They need to get rid of some dogs. With the puppies they have 8 dogs right now and it smells like they have a hundred. And I thought potty training children were messy....yikes! If I even had one ounce of desire for a dog (which I don't) it was squashed today by visiting over there. Junior had fun chasing the puppies and playing with them though.

Dh and I went to the gym tonight for a body step class. I absolutely love it, although I think my old class had better classes or I am just out of the loop with the new releases. (BTW the old gym called last week and offered me a good deal and I reminded them that I was happy over there and if they had offerend me the low prices they were offering now I would have stayed! About 3/4 of the way through class they came and got us because Junior threw up. Not sure if he did, or maybe it was his reflux (I have to remember to pick up his prescription tomorrow), or maybe he was sticking his hands down his throat--his latest trick, or he has a cold and if he coughs too much he will throw up. Hopefully it is nothing serious.

I'm not liking Dh's new job because he has to work late every day. I know it will be better once he is in Iraq though. We just want to spend as much time with him as we can before he does go.

I read a report the other day that our car--the Toyota Highlander--was rated one of the top 10 cars to own. It is supposed to last till over 200K. Anything has to be better than our Saturn! Actually I love our highlander though, especially since DH and the kids cleaned it out the other week.

I went to the volunteer orientation at the girls' school this afternoon. There are hundreds of kids at this school. Anyway, out of all these children only 6 parents, including me, have registered to volunteer. Are all schools like that? When the girls went to private school it seemed like almost all the parents were there for every function. This just seems like an awfully low number to me.

Abs got her new homework packet and I am supposed to write down how many minutes it takes her to read her reading assignment each night. So I timed her tonight and it took less than 20 seconds. I know she is a great reader, but the poem was really short. It took her about 10 minutes to choose what colors to use to color her pattern worksheet. Hard decisions you know!

Em is making an island in social studies in the shape of a book. They have to include all these different items in a legend. She gave her island five cities and then didn't want to connect them with roads. I told her she could use a train, but then she would need a station at each town so she went back to the road idea and tried to lower the amount of cities that she was using. I am not raising a city planner.

I need a change of scenery...how many more days till my vacation?