5k Race for the Fallen

Taken from the Active.com registration website.

Date

Saturday, September 04, 2010 @ 8:00 AM local time

Address

Fountain Fort Carson High School, Guy Barrickman Staduim
900 Jimmy Camp Road

Fees

12and under $13.95/Adults 12 and up $28.95

 

Registration Closing Date

Saturday, September 04, 2010 @ 8:00 PM

 

Brief Description

Created by the family and friends of Spc. Ronald J Tucker, our mission is to honor and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our FREEDOMS. Our creed of In the Community, for the Community represents our committment to ensure the Fountain Valley pays reverance to all of the service men and women in all military branches. DEEDS NOT WORDS

Spc Tucker was in Gunner's unit and was KIA along with their CO, Cpt Pearson.

I hope as many people as possible that live in the area come out and participate.  If you are, let me know!

Calling?

We got a note from the FRG the other day, that basically said:

1.  We do not have a number for your husbands in Afghanistan.
2.  Quit calling Rear D about stupid crap, they are busy.
3.  We do not know when extra pay will kick in, so just wait till September and if it's not there, then we'll go from there.
4.  If you are having financial hardships, then contact us and we can point you in the right direction.

It's sad that they have to write this note at all.  I haven't gotten a phone call from Gunner yet, but with no phone cards, I am not surprised!

So my question is.....do you go crazy when you don't hear from them every day?  If I hear one more person tell me that they freak the heck out if they don't hear every.single.day., then I might freak the heck out on them.

It''s only been a little over a week since he left, and I am still busy unpacking.  I have parent/teacher conferences today, the girls are at camp, I need a new driver's license, trying to get Junior into preschool, and a laundry list of other things.

Maybe it's because we have been married almost 16 years?  He's not going anywhere, and I know he misses us terribly, and will call or write when he can.  He told me once, that not having that pressure to call when he is exhausted, makes his job easier.  He saw so many Soldiers that could barely stand up, but they had to call every day and spend an hour or two on the phone in order to keep the wife/girlfriend happy.  That gave them little sleep at night, which led to them being exhausted on a mission, where they really can't afford to be tired.

I guess I am low maintenance in that respect.  Oh sure there are times that I want him to call, but I won't lose it if he doesn't.

Tell me I'm not the only one please!

Time is flying away from me!

Tons to blog about, but maybe when I am down to one kid this week I will have more time.

I did make these brownies, and they were amazing!  I used tapioca flour, almond flour, and some other kind since I was out of regular flour.  The kids gobbled them up.  They were amazing.  (I also used flax seed in place of eggs since Junior can't eat them)  The blog belongs to a friend of my friend Dave, and she is like superwoman--marathons, insane workouts, full time job, two kids--an example that you can do it all!  (I need to get back into doing more!)

I am still slowly unpacking, have already taken out the trash once--only 51 more trash days left!  (The place where we moved has trashcans, woohoo?)

Today we are heading out to Pikes Peak National Forest to take the girls to Camp Purple.  I hope Abs can hang, because I could use the down time to get the house finished.  

Em is home from London (as of last night), but Junior and Abs and I managed to have an adventure before we picked her up.  I like to keep busy!

I am meeting with my personal trainer on Monday, parent/teacher conferences are this week, and I will only have one kiddo!  After having three, I could probably move a mountain with just one.  

Gunner still has not made it to his final destination, his elbow is infected (we though he pulled something after moving us), and he continues to crack jokes from a distance.  I forgot to send a phone card, my Sam's membership expired (now renewed), so it's on my list of things to do today.  

Oh, and just so you don't think it has been all fun and games, our toilet had to be removed from the wall, Junior woke up barfing and we were out of food, so I had to take him to the commissary, and Abs....well she is just Abs. 

Milspouse Friday Fill-In

This week’s questions are
1.What is something you wished you’d learned to do earlier in life?

I wish I had learned to ski.  I've been a couple of times, and while I have gotten better (trust me, it was hard for me to get much worse), I would love to be able to swoosh down the slopes.  
2.What is your biggest pet peeve with the military?

Deployments are starting to wear me a little thin.  I'm all about Gunner doing his part, but why has he been gone 3 years in Iraq and now to Afghanistan, when some guys haven't been yet.  My friend asked her ex's CO that same question because hers never deployed.  He answered with "You don't want an idiot with you".  While that doesn't apply to all people, how do you make it an entire enlistment and not go anywhere?  

1. What tourist attraction near you have you never seen?

That's easy to answer since we have only been here a year.  I haven't seen Pikes Peak, with the kids.  I saw it when I was 7, but that was years and years and years ago.  

1. What are you avoiding doing right now?

Folding laundry so I can go to bed.  I dread folding laundry.  It's not the actual folding, but the delivering and putting away, which if I don't do, I see the same clothes in the laundry again.  A never-ending cycle...

1. Wine, beer or liquor?

I like it all, but lately it is wine.  I loved the beer in Germany though!

Who's in this with me?

Who else is dealing with deployment right now?  I'd like to make sure I am reading your blog, so please leave a comment with a link!

While you are at it, why don't you give me your best deployment tip, I could use a few new ones.  Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday--Saying Goodbye

Something I Heard

Part of the problem with deployments, is that there is a lot of sitting around and waiting.  There's only so many times you can say "I love you" or "I'll miss you", and you spend a lot of time sitting there not having to say a word.  At this point, I can rest my head on Gunner's shoulder, he'll put his arm around me, and we both understand.

At one point I needed to get out of the stuffy company, so I went outside where I found a Soldier talking to his buddy and his buddy's wife.  The Soldier was telling his buddy that he just didn't have any words left to say to his family, and that while they kept calling, he kept blowing them off.  Probably hard for his family, but I can understand that.

Anyway, after the Soldier's buddy and his wife went back inside the company, the Soldier got on his cell phone and called his mom.  I couldn't help but listen into the conversation, okay, so I was eavesdropping on this 21 year old kid that was about to head out.

Soldier:  Hey Mom, sorry I don't call, I just don't have anything to say.

More chit chat between mom and son.

Soldier:  I was just talking to my best friend and his wife.  He's got it hard Mom, he's got a wife and a baby and she has two other kids from a previous marriage.  He's got a family, and he has to leave them.  I know you don't want to hear this mom, but my job over there is to make sure that he comes back to his family.

Soldier:  I'd do anything mom, anything to make sure he comes home.  I don't have kids, my job is to keep him safe.

At this point I had to leave before I started sobbing.  This kid is 21 years old and is more worried about making sure his buddy comes home than himself.  You can't get much more selfless than that.

When you enter post, there is the Soldier's Creed.  The kids like to read it while we drive by.  Last night I saw yet another man, that lived by it.

I am an American Soldier.

I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.

The Time Has Come

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."


--Lewis Carroll


Or we could talk about deployments.


Saying goodbye for a year....again.


Watching your Soldier say goodbye to the kids.


Knowing how much they will miss, no matter how much you try to fill them in on everything.


Taking out the trash for a year, a task I hate.


Coordinating activities, bath time, bedtimes, for three energetic children.


But I think for now I will just focus on getting this place unpacked, before I lose my mind!

Can't they just run through the sprinklers?

Reason #6548483 that I don't care for my inlaws

It was weird.

My MIL was here visiting.  I think she was ready to leave, so she got pissed over absolutely nothing, and left.  Seriously, she was already packed and ready to go, so it was kind of like she was looking for a reason to take off.  I guess she found one.

I wouldn't normally care, but she left without saying goodbye.  Her son is about to leave for a year, and she does something like that?

If you knew "the rest of the story", you would understand why I have a love/hate relationship with them.  Just when I think they are going to get it together, they do something crappy like this.  Unfortunately, this won't be the last time, as ever single time we give them another chance they somehow manage to screw it up.

Gunner was upset.

We just can't figure it out.

BTW, the dog peed on the floor.  So glad that they issued us a house with carpet.

Best Wishes for Gunner

We are still alive and living among a sea of boxes.

Gunner is still here.

My ankle is not broken, but I did strain it, and am in pain.

I was hoping all my followers would leave some words of advice for Gunner, or well wishes, or something before he leaves soon.

I'm sure he'd love some encouragement.  So comment away, and let him know you care!  Thanks!

Guest Blog: The More the Merrier

ABW here--While I'm busy unpacking, I've asked my friend Dave to fill in again.  This time he provides a unique perspective on my ability to collect (to put it nicely) various items for our household.  After nearly 20 years of knowing me, I do have to admit that he has pretty good handle on my habits.  Enjoy!

Well, here I am guest blogging again while ABW begins to unpack at Fort Carson. Now on day two of guest blogging, I have a sense of how guest hosts on shows such as Regis & Kelly must feel. Viewers are like "oh, Regis isn't here today and now I've got to hear stuff from this random guy." Oh well, that's the way it is today so let's get the show started (play theme music here)...

I've known ABW since college. We met on the sailing team and became fast friends and sailmates--always sailing together when possible at regattas, practices and the like as most people had a partner they sailed with most of the time. Now, though we loved sailing, don't get me wrong--we were often minimalists in terms of the amount of effort that we put into it. I remember our first year on the team when the current leader would say at a meeting "now, some of you need to spend more time on your tacking (which basically means turning in sailing speak) instead of just sailing back and forth across the lake. What? We needed to practice tacking? Um, we had a lot of stuff to talk about and all that practice was getting in the way. We had the wind in our hair and that's all we needed. Well, I exaggerate a little bit, but only a little.

But, I digress. Anyway, that brings me back to the term minimalist. I've always been one as I've moved around quite a bit and see no need to pack or unpack things that I don't need or use. And, since I only have one small dog and no children, this has been easy to maintain. As a matter of fact, as I get older I keep finding more and more things that I feel I can live without. ABW, on the other hand, is not someone that anyone would ever qualify as a minimalist. Now, I'll preface it right now that she has a different set of circumstances than I, what with having three children and a spouse and all, but still... Her husband, Gunner, says about her and her entire family that "if there is a horizontal surface exposed anywhere, it will quickly become covered with stuff." He's not lying.

Now, I'm going to blow the oar out of the water right now and tell you that ABW is basically a hoarder. I'm not talking about one of those that you see on television where they've got pizza boxes from 1997 hidden under a pile of papers or anything--nothing that would entail a visit from CPS or the exterminator or anything like that. But, there's just stuff...and a lot of it. When they moved to the Air Force Academy and she told me they now had a basement I was like NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO because this allowed ABW the luxury of having more room for all her "stuff." And, when she didn't want to unpack all this said stuff, she could just leave much of it boxed up in the basement and buy more stuff--replacement stuff for the stuff already packed and new stuff because now she had a basement. You people reading her blog (and particularly those that also see her facebook status updates as well) have got to have figured this out already. I mean, she's gotten rid of over 30 bags of stuff plus furniture and still confesses that there's lots more to go through. They will need close to three trips with the 26' truck they rented and Gunner has packed that thing to the nines. Three truckloads equals 78' of space packed high and wide and that's not including things packed and transported in their cars.

Now, at this point I'll be surprised if ABW even posts this guest blog. The only reason I feel she might is because she's now in recovery. I think having to move themselves this time instead of having the army do it has really caused her to see the error of her ways. I mean, it's not like she hasn't known this about herself. How could she not as I would call it to her attention every time I would visit? But, where she went wrong over the last couple months was not only telling me about how much she wanted to change, but also telling me about examples that I didn't know anything about. For example, she confessed awhile back that they probably have thirty pairs of scissors scattered or hidden (aka lost) throughout the house. The main reason for them being hidden is to keep them away from Abs for reasons that all of ABW's followers already understand. The reason for so many was because they could never find a pair of scissors when they needed one and would have to buy more. Then there are the books. Oh the books. ABW is a book person. She likes having the physical book for any and everything that she wants (or thinks she wants) to read about. That's a lot of books. And that's not including the "teaching" books she buys for her teaching stash for when she returns to teaching. Let's just say the thrift store isn't really her friend. I'll refrain from sharing much more detail about all the other items ravaging the house, but I will leave you with a couple hints such as clothing, pyrex, scrapbooking, teaching stuff, old electronics and any and everything that might be valuable one day. And, do I even need to mention the sock buckets? I could go on. And on. But I won't.

This move has sparked a fresh start for ABW. Life will become so much easier now which is exactly what she needs. To make her feel better, please feel free to share stories about things you've bought or kept (or are still buying or keeping) that are essentially ridiculous. Everyone has their thing, what's yours?

Guest Blog: An Evening with ABW's kids

Well, ABW asked me to write a guest blog since she's busy moving and suggested that I tell the story of when I came down from Denver one day to babysit as Gunner was off doing army training or something.  At first I felt I wouldn't be able to remember many of the events from that day but then it all started coming back to me like a bad dream.  You have to remember that I don't have children and it's experiences like these that make me glad for that.
 

I will start off the story by saying that it wasn't that bad overall.  However, that being said, there was still a text to ABW at some point saying something to the effect of "I'm surprised you don't drink more." 

 

ABW had an early deployment meeting to attend and was going to be gone for about two and a half hours which included travel time and her obsession with being extremely early to everything.  Sammy was so hyper with so much energy that day and I remember thinking that what he really needed was a proper walk.  I thought a trip to the park would be a great activity and that Abs should be a part of this process since dog walking was originally supposed to be one of her responsibilities when they got him.  I explained all of this to Abs and then proceeded to get Junior ready since I also wanted him to go along (I just love that kid--besides the potty training issues, he's the right age and stage for me).  It wasn't that difficult to get him ready, though there was some coercion with socks and shoes and I did have to pry him away from the television.  Luckily he really likes me and didn't put up a fight.  I decided that Em wasn't going with us.  I knew she had no interest in going as she isn't my biggest fan and has no interest in outdoor activities.  Also, she had homework that needed to be completed and getting her to do her homework had been an issue in the house at that time.  So, I informed her that her mother would be checking her homework later and that she'd better be doing her homework and not watching television while we were gone.   

 

Of course, before we even left the garage, I could see it going downhill.  First there was an issue getting the leash on Sammy.  All he wanted to do was play with it and started going nuts trying to chew/bite it.  I was under the impression that they always used the harness and when I asked Abs about it she didn't know where it was or how to put it on.  I began to get annoyed and was already jumping to the conclusion that Abs wasn't being entirely truthful.  It's just hard to tell with her sometimes and I don't want to be the one that she pulled one over on.  Oh well, I just decided that we would go without the harness.  Then, Abs TOLD me that she was going to ride Andrew's scooter and that I would walk the dog.  Um, no, this wasn't the plan.  She was to walk Sammy and I would walk with Junior.  Of course, once she brought up the scooter idea, Junior wanted to ride it.  Fantastic, now our walk included a scooter.  We were only half a block away and I was already ready to turn back.  Abs wouldn't just walk Sammy like I asked because she kept waiting for Junior and I.  Well, Junior and I were now going super slow as Junior was attempting to ride the scooter.  The main reason for the outing was to give Sammy a walk and this wasn't really happening.  We made it another half a block before Junior fell and barely scuffed his knee--nothing serious but you know how that goes.  We had to discuss his new "ouchy" for awhile before we could get on our way.  Luckily we started moving faster at that point as Junior no longer had an interest in riding the scooter and I was there to carry if for him.   

 

Once we were at the park, the kids hit the playground area.  I couldn't go into the actual area since dogs aren't allowed in there.  Of course, Abs kept trying to tell me that Sammy could come onto the playground.  On her third attempt to let me let Sammy onto the playground, I finally pointed out the sign above her head stating the playground rules and the subject was dropped.  Of course, Sammy was running and jumping around and wouldn't stop tying to chew/bite his leash and was starting to get really annoying.  That dog is so good in the house, so I was amazed at the transition and couldn't help but think he needed more walks or something. 

 

Then Abs decided she was going to climb a tree.  I didn't know if this was a good idea, but at least it seemed to calm Sammy down since he could be closer to one of the kids.  And, since I'm tall I figured I could help get her down if need be and there was really no stopping her.  She spent what seemed like forever climbing around on one low branch.  As soon as I mentioned that it was time to go, she announced that she'd "hurt" her ankle and couldn't get down.  I finally had to lift her out of the tree.  Now, don't think I don't listen to the kids and take them seriously.  If one of them says they're hurt, I"m going to check it out.  But, I've also heard many Abs stories over the years so I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a lot of doubt.  After I lifted her out of the tree she proceeded to limp around.  I couldn't actually see her ankle because she was wearing cowboy boots (yes, that's right, cowboy boots).  However, it didn't take me long to notice the inconsistencies of her new limp, particularly when she mentioned that she would HAVE to ride the scooter back because of her injury.  Now I could see where this was going.  After waiting for Junior for what seemed like at least twenty "just one more time" trips down the slide, we proceeded to walk back. 

 

Abs explained that she had probably sprained her ankle but was doing okay with the use of the scooter (ironically she could still use both legs equally well and her occasional limping would switch from one leg to the other).  She then wanted to hold my hand and asked me not to tell her mother because she'd think Abs was "sweet"on me.  I suggested she keep both hands on the scooter.  Junior didn't want to walk anymore so I had him on my shoulders while walking Sammy who was still going nuts and trying to chew/bite the leash.  Then it finally happened.  Sammy broke the leash and now I had a leashless dog running around.  Great.  There wasn't a lot of traffic on the road we were next to, but I wasn't going to be the one that killed the dog.  So, guess who got to carry Sammy back to the house?  He's not a big dog mind you, but bigger than mine and more than anyone really wants to carry for twenty minutes while he's squirming, etc.  This did nothing for the sciatic pain I was experiencing (and still am, but that's a different matter)..  Of course, Junior still wanted to be carried but understood that I couldn't carry both him and Sammy.  So, he decided to hug one of my legs for support and I was now the walking with a limp due to the extra weight.  Luckily Abs was miraculously getting better as long as she stayed on the scooter of course. 

 

Anyway, we finally made it home.  That's when I sent the text to ABW about drinking.  Though nothing monumental happened once we got back, it wasn't a time for boredom either.  I had to clean Junior's nearly invisible wound and, more importantly, put a children's band-aid on it.  Of course, Abs also needed a band-aid for her ankle and then asked me not to say anything to her mother about what had happened.  Oh don't worry Abs, your secret is safe with me.  I made individual microwave pizzas for everyone as prescribed by ABW, though Abs was adamant that I didn't need to cut Junior's pizza into smaller pieces.  Junior didn't have a problem with it and ate each and every bite.  Before and during dinner, Abs was using her microscope on the table and was attempting to dye things red to see them better.  Seriously?  This only proved to make a huge red mess on ABW's nearly new kitchen table.  By that point I pulled a "wait until your mother gets home" which caused her to realize she'd better clean it up or ABW wasn't going to be happy.  I asked Em which one of them normally took the first bath and she told me that Junior goes first.  I had no intention of doing that right away and suggested she go first to help me get the ball rolling with Abs.  Of course, I later found out that Em always goes first.  You just can't trust any of them.  Anyway, it wasn't long before ABW made it home and I cracked open a bottle of wine. 

 

So, babysitting wasn't that bad.  But I know I'd be crazy if they were in my custody all day each and every day--they need a mother's love.  The point of this story is that the things ABW blogs about really do happen and if you're ever in the neighborhood you should stop off and babysit--it's an experience you won't soon forget but will wish you could.

 

ABW here.....I've known Dave since we were 19 and in college.  He truly does love my children, but not being an experienced parent, he often finds times with them a little on the overwhelming side.  LOL

Break Time!

Gunner and his mom ran to Burger King for lunch, so I am taking a break too.

Moving is for the birds.  Luckily the unloading she be a lot quicker, because even with a 26' truck, we have at least three loads that we'll have to do.  That's crazy!

I labeled the boxes that I packed, and Gunner didn't find them very funny.  

They included:

   --useless Army Crap

   --TA50 that never sees the light of day, so why are we carting it around

   --clothes that were in the MBR but belong to children who failed to pick up their laundry

   --comic books that I plan on selling during Gunner's deployment (he would kill me)

   --every canned good we own, because you are strong as an ox (he was able to carry it)

   --BDU's & DCU's why are you still in my house (he says he has plans for them)

The list went on.  Then I noticed boxes with "how much scrapbook crap can one person own" and "will this scrapbook stuff ever get used?".  

Okay, okay, point made.  Good thing he is cute. 

My MIL arrived and has been put to work.  She's a determined German, so you better stay out of her way while she is carrying boxes.  

I hear my name being yelled from the basement.  They must need my brute strength...

Thank you Army

Every once in a while I am thankful for things that the Army does.  Not too often, but they can surprise you.

Gunner got his flight delayed three days because of the move.  Every little bit counts.

The Army is letting them off about thirty minutes early every day to have more family time.  Not a whole lot of time, but I'm not going to complain.  This past week they had half days, 4 day, then half days this week.  

Paternity leave.  While we are done, done, done, having babies, I like that they give paternity leave to the Soldiers.  If you have a child due during the deployment, your Soldier will get paternity leave when they return.  Funny thing is that Gunner had a great chain of command when Em and Abs arrived and he got paternity leave.  With Junior, not so much, but that's okay.


I love, love, love, love that the Army moves you.  They are not moving us from where we live now to where we are going, because it is a local move.  This boxing up crap, renting a truck, and paying for everything with blood, sweat, tears, and a ton of money is not my idea of fun.  I'll leave it to the Army from now on.


I love that they don't charge leave for R&R.  They did during the first deployment, and there were guys who weren't able to go home because you had to have more than 15 days saved up.  Glad they are with the times now.


I love that housing means I don't have to worry about a mortgage and all that goes along with it.


I love homecomings, and the anticipation of a homecoming.  There's nothing like it.  (the 12 months leading up to the homecoming is for the birds!)


Is there anything that you love about the Army?

Ready, Set, Go!

My MIL should be here in a few hours.  She was originally just coming to say goodbye to her son, but now she gets to help in the fun of moving, or watching the grandkids.  

The boxes are almost all packed.

Paper plates and plastic cups have resurfaced.

The truck is reserved.

Gunner has recruited A buddy.  Yes, ONE buddy.  I'm hoping he is strong as an ox.

Just a cute picture of my boy from our trip to Utah.

Arches National Park

Peace? Or not so much...

Having two girls, I spend a huge amount of my time shopping for back to school clothes.

I look for things that are age appropriate--not always easy to do.

Cover their bodies--I call it in the arm test, they have to be able to lift their arms and not bare their entire body.

Jeans don't need to be cut so low that I got a flash of crack every time.

They need to fit well, be comfortable, and hopefully priced reasonably.

The one trend that I don't get, is this.....

or 

Those were from Justice 4 girls, but don't worry, it's everywhere, like at the Children's Place, where I can usually find cute clothes for Junior and Abs.

You get the picture.  I totally get the whole "retro look", but I guess what I can't get over is that at one time the peace symbol stood for being "anti-war", and our family isn't anti-war.  We're getting ready to ship Gunner off again to Afghanistan, and I just can't get on board with this trend.

I'm probably just overreacting, and maybe people don't view the peace symbol in the same light that I do.  

But, my kids won't be wearing them to school this fall.

Questions--I need answers!

What do you use to wash your face?  I have combination skin, and sometimes Mary Kay works, but other times it doesn't.  There has to be something out there that is wonderful, so I am hoping someone can help me figure it out.

If you have curly hair, how do you keep it from being frizzy?  It's not as bad in Colorado, but now that it is raining every afternoon, I need a solution and fast.  I've tried all the curly shampoos, conditioners, gels, and mousses.  Maybe I am just doing the wrong combo?  It there something new out there?  I have curls and curls and curls.  Millions.

Potty training--The doctor told us to forget about it for a while.  We are trying, but it is hard.  He totally will not do it at all.  I'm sure it's a power struggle, but what can I do for him to get over it and pee and poop in the potty.  We tried stickers, treats, books, cars, prizes, you name it.  I remember my mom telling me that my Grandmother thought I should spank him every time.  I still won't do that, because I know he won't possibly go to college wearing diapers, but I am not so sure he won't be wearing them to kindergarten.  I am open to any and all suggestions.

I want to move my garden with us.  Gunner thinks this is ridiculous and a waste of time.  I am thinking of all the money I have invested in it, not to mention time!  Tell me I am not crazy.

A gross story--the dog kept going after things that were digging holes in our yard.  We figured he would never catch the moles.  Ummmm....he caught one, it wasn't a mole, and he managed to get the bloody carcass into the house.  I turned around and started screaming.  This lead to the girls screaming and Junior screaming.  Gunner walked over, plucked it out of Sammy's mouth and throw it away, while holding his breakfast in the other hand.  Ewwwwwwww......My solution to prevent it from happening again?  He has to be supervised at all times.  Let's hope the next place doesn't have giant rats.

If you ever see me in a store and I am buying a material possession, please knock me upside the head and escort me out of the store.  I do not need anything.

Gunner told me last night that saying goodbye to Em was really hard.  She kept telling him "don't say anything else or I'll start crying".  Poor kiddo, headed off on a big adventure but in the back of her mind she knows it will be a long time till she sees her dad again.  What does every tween pack for London?  Cute clothes, diary, toiletries, and her daddy doll.  

Em's Big Adventure

Em leaves for 10 days in London today.  She went two years ago for just over three weeks, and is headed back to meet her Grandma to travel some more.  I can't complain as my parents took my little sister and my brother and I there one year for Spring Break.  I would love to go back though!

We knew when we agreed to let Em go on this trip, that she would be leaving before her dad.  Just one more sign that it is getting closer.

At Em's request, Gunner is taking her to the airport and waiting with her, so she can wait till the last possible minute before saying goodbye.

I'm sure the big adventure awaiting her will keep her mind occupied while she is on the plane, along with daydreams about Justin Beiber.

I'm nervous about her flying by herself, but she has a direct flight, and we are paying the $100 to have her escorted through customs.  Let's hope everything is uneventful.  It's a great opportunity for her, although I know Gunner has a hard time when we leave him.  While it is never easy to leave us, that's the way it usually is, so he finds it hard when the roles are reversed.

In the meantime Junior has pooped in his pants and he didn't take anything, and Abs is in rare form.  Hopefully one day he will look back on this and laugh.

A status worth sharing

I saw this on someone's fb and had to post it as my own and here.

ABW can't believe the news coverage being given to a spoiled 20-somethingyr old. Here are a few 20 somethings worth knowing about: Justin Allen 23, Brett Linley 29, Matthew Weikert 29, Justus Bartett 27, Dave Santos 21, Chase Stanley 21, Jesse Reed 26, Matthew Johnson 21, Zachary Fisher 24, Brandon King 23, Christopher Goeke 23, Sheldon Tate 27~These 20 somethings gave their lives for you this week. LINDSEY WHO?


It reminds me of a few years ago when some idiot in Hollywood died, and at the same time there were about 14 Soldiers that were killed...guess who received the most coverage, and I believe it was from a drug overdose.  What's wrong with this country?  

She likes to cook!

It's no secret that I am not a big fan of cooking.

Every once in a while I get motivated to make something, bake something, or throw something in the crockpot.  It's not very often though.  Thankfully Gunner is a great cook and enjoys doing it.

I am good at meal planning, so I handle that portion, and I will usually start dinner.  Once Gunner is home, I pass the baton and he finishes it up.  It works for us.

When Gunner leaves, we eat a lot of steamed stuff, or quick stuff like oatmeal. 

 Em can make a mean spaghetti.  Tonight she wanted to make hamburgers, and they are excellent.  Grilled cheese and tomato soup are something else she can cook.

The best part.....she LOVES to cook!  How can I argue with that?  She offered to cook at least twice a week while her dad is deployed.  Hmmmmm....I could get into this.

I'm not a slave driver, so if she doesn't want to, she won't have to, but if she does want to.....I can't say no!  I might be hampering the next Top Chef--okay so maybe not the next Top Chef, but maybe she will at least like cooking more than me!

She just found a box of brownie mix and asked to make those for dessert.  I already see that this deployment is shaping up to be a little bit different.

Another sign....no words.

Facebook--Is it right or wrong?

I'm a rules girl.  I like rules.  I do what is right.

The other night at dinner they undercharged us for our beer, and I pointed it out.

When I walked out of Target with a pillow underneath the cart that I forgot to pay for, we went back so I could pay for it.

It's just the way I roll.  I watched my parents do the exact same thing, and I learned.

Then facebook arrived.

You have to be 13 to get an account, and last time I checked, I didn't have any 13 year old children.

They understand why they can't have it, but they still want an account.  Do they really need to talk to their friends that also aren't old enough to be on there?  Do they really need to waste time playing Farmville or Petville?  Is there some reason they need Facebook that I am missing?

Am I totally a crappy parent because I won't bendbreak the rules?  I see tons of people to do it, but I just can't justify doing it.

There are rules for a reason, and I just don't understand those that break those rules, because their kid wants it.  If my daughter wants to go vote when she's 17, I can't let her.  If she wants to drive when she's 15, she can't do that either.  Does it make a difference that it is a rule and not a law?  I don't think so.

What do you think?  Does your child have one if they are not 13?  If so, why?  If not, why not?  Please tell me I'm not the only one...

Dressing for Bed

Abs got ready for bed....

Ab's Philosophy on Science vs. Christianity

Ab's is reading the Bible.  She tried to move on from Genesis to Exodus, but she found Genesis too exciting and keeps re-reading it.

While waiting for her EEG last week, she noticed that they had a copy of the Bible and she picked it up and started reading.....Genesis.

Out of the blue, she said:

Abs:  It's hard to be a scientist and a Christian at the same time.

Me:  Why?

Abs:  Because you are thinking about how God created people and at the same time thinking about how people evolved.

Me:  So how do you figure it out?  (Seriously, I don't know how to answer her or what to do, so I just ask more questions to make her think it through....is that what I am supposed to do?  Who the heck knows.)

Abs:  God created the things we evolved from.  Once we started to communicate then Adam and Eve named themselves.

Hmmmmm......

MyCAA changes--Right or Wrong?

Read here.

So it covers E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2.

Think it is wrong?  Right?

Should people get extra money just because they don't make as much?  Do people that make more money be more responsible with their money and spend it on education, or are they deserving of it as well?

Who can decide who deserves it more?

Should they just get rid of it altogether if no one is going to be happy?

Do they assume that those spouses married to those ranks aren't educated?  If they are, should they be allowed to use the money?

Should it only be for undergraduate, or should it cover graduate degrees as well?

Gunner's Silver Linings

After Gunner read my post, he had his own ideas on the silver linings of deployments from his end.

--Not finding an empty bottle of shaving cream because someone used it to shave their legs.

--He gets more sleep, sometimes.

--He gets boxes and letters, it's like Christmas.

--Homecomings.

--Using what he has been trained to do.

--No decisions on what he has to wear 24/7.

--Someone does his laundry and doesn't complain about it.

--Saves money on shampoo because he shaves his head.

--He knows where everything is, because it is the last place he left it.  No one has touched it.

--R&R.

--A sense of accomplishment.

Does your husband have any other silver linings?

Beach Time

While in Florida, we went down to Tampa and spent a few days with one of my oldest friends, Peggy.  We met at Girl Scout camp when we were about 11 or 12.  Peggy purchases sun hats for the girls, and Junior felt left out so she let him wear hers.  Thankfully he wore it the entire time, which probably prevented him from getting sunburned like the rest of us, despite being a slave to the sunscreen.

While Gunner was building the sand castle, Junior tried to fill the moat....bucket after bucket after bucket after bucket.

He finally passed out.

They wanted to go back, but unfortunately, we were so drained we could barely move the next day and instead hid out to watch Toy Story 3 in 3D.

Pre-deployment guilt

Right before Gunner leaves, I start feeling a little lot guilty.  While I will have the comforts of home, he will be stuck in a tent somewhere in Afghanistan.

Sure they have steak and seafood nights in some of the DFACs, but who wants to eat seafood in the middle of the desert?

We went to the thrift store today so I could drop off another 16 bags of "crap" that we didn't need.  Make that a total of over 30 bags that I have dropped off in the last week.

I needed some more laundry detergent so we stopped off at Sam's--hey, with 3 kids and one who will be potty training forever, we wash a lot of clothes.

There it was, Gunner saw the Nintendo DSi XL.  He wanted it.  I couldn't say no, since I knew we had the money.  He needed games for his new toy.

We are busy eating his favorite meals and visiting his favorite restaurants.

What extra things do you do before they leave?

A must read...

A must read for every parent.....here.

Disney Junior Style

Much to the dismay of other people in the group, Junior loved It's a Small World.

Going all day will eventually lead to meltdowns.

He looks so innocent when he is sleeping.

He loved Epcot because there were so many hands on things to do.  He played the drums for a while, made a mask, danced, and wore himself out.

It's not Disney, but Junior loved Seussland at Universal Studios.  Everything was so whimsical, and who doesn't love Dr. Seuss?

Junior loves maps.  

What boy doesn't love games where you can shoot?  He was a huge fan of the Buzz Lightyear ride and also my favorite ride, Toy Story.

Hopefully he will have some memories from our trip, because it will be a while before we do it again!

Upsides to deployment?

My husband isn't the type to beg to deploy.  It's his job.  I'm trying to look for the positive side to it all.....

The 16 hours of free daycare is going to be nice and well used this time.

The tax break is nice.

Not charging leave for R&R is a great bonus as well.

Extra pay.

Letters that arrive with "Free Mail" in the upper right hand corner make my heart melt.

A 10 minute phone call when it has been weeks since I have heard from him.

The "buzz" of Yahoo IM.

Webcams.  

People that say thank you.

Seeing the flag and understanding what it signifies.

How he can make me laugh even when he is halfway around the world.

That we make time count each and every day when he is home.


Kids that will stop whining when I pull out a tape recorder while they are throwing a fit, promising to send it to their dad.


I don't have to do a whole load of Army "crap" to make sure that he has clean socks, PTs, and a uniform.


I get the bed to myself and can surround myself with dozens of pillows.


I can eat the same thing for dinner every single night and he won't be there to complain.


I can indulge in brussel sprouts, something he can't even stand to smell cooking.


No alarm clock going off in the middle of the night or late night alert phone calls.

I can watch all my reality tv shows without hearing how I am losing brain cells.  I can fill up the entire DVR.


No TA50 lying all over the living room and the bedroom.


No green socks tucked underneath the couch.


After about a week or so though, I might miss the load of Army crap and the green socks.  


What's your favorite positive side of deployment?