Like I'm really going to answer a number on my phone that's labeled: "Professional Telemarketing."
Riiiiiiiiiiight.
*rolls eyes*
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
30 is as 30 does. (Nope, it's not a post about my age. *grin*)
Well, the local news last night said that we received right at 30 inches in that Christmas blizzard - wow! I guess now we understand our drifts a little bit more. *wink*
Here's some pics from after all the shoveling was finished. Well, another 1/2" or so had drifted over on the driveway, but you get the idea.
From the front door to the entry walk.
The other side of the door.
Those are about 6' banks up to that top stair, too.
The wall of snow on the kitchen side of the house.
The driveway.
A different view.
We got the garage and storage room squared away yesterday. As it turns out, the storage room inside the garage is even much bigger than we'd thought it looked. We were able to put the pieces of the shed into the back, and then all of our regular shed items in front of them - and there's still room to spare! It looks soooo nice in there now. Also, today was Trash Day - yay! All we have left is to wait for the box/material pick-up from the moving company, and then we'll be golden.
Philip went back to work this morning. He's still finishing up training for this base, and then he's home in the evenings. I'm making a mental list of things to pick up tomorrow while we're out (gonna be seeing our 'reward' movie!), and I also want to find a quilt shop somewhere. Philip's looking for a small engines repair shop, as the starter is out on our snowblower, too.
Alrightee, I'm having some lunch and then getting back to work. Toodles!
Here's some pics from after all the shoveling was finished. Well, another 1/2" or so had drifted over on the driveway, but you get the idea.
From the front door to the entry walk.
The other side of the door.
Those are about 6' banks up to that top stair, too.
The wall of snow on the kitchen side of the house.
The driveway.
A different view.
We got the garage and storage room squared away yesterday. As it turns out, the storage room inside the garage is even much bigger than we'd thought it looked. We were able to put the pieces of the shed into the back, and then all of our regular shed items in front of them - and there's still room to spare! It looks soooo nice in there now. Also, today was Trash Day - yay! All we have left is to wait for the box/material pick-up from the moving company, and then we'll be golden.
Philip went back to work this morning. He's still finishing up training for this base, and then he's home in the evenings. I'm making a mental list of things to pick up tomorrow while we're out (gonna be seeing our 'reward' movie!), and I also want to find a quilt shop somewhere. Philip's looking for a small engines repair shop, as the starter is out on our snowblower, too.
Alrightee, I'm having some lunch and then getting back to work. Toodles!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Unpacking under the movies and the mail.
So. Much. Unpacking.
It feels like it will never end! Realistically, however, it will be done late tomorrow or Tuesday - I can't tell just yet. I am so very much looking forward to calling the moving company and asking them to come back and pick up all their boxes and packing material! (I'll have space in my garage again - whee!)
My dining room is just gorgeous and huge. I still cannot get over all the space in there. That, to me, is the most drastic difference between our old house and this one. I love the fact that it's not situated off the main garage entrance into the house, and it's not near a television of any sorts. It's awesome, truly.
The plan tomorrow is for Philip and I to move/unpack all the stuff in the garage. See, the movers unloaded all our shed and garage items directly into the garage, so we've got to unpack everything and get it moved into its proper place in the storage room in the back. Philip already took apart our shed, and we'll put the pieces in our "renovation space." (When they renovated this house, they built on an extra room along the basement wall, and they entered through there, bringing all their equipment with them. Once they finished, they closed off the room and left a large access flap. We can easily open it via the flap, and it's an 8x10' space, at least.) While we're doing that, the boys will be playing hard in the snow. Once we're done, we'll have all our space back in the garage, and we'll move all the boxes and packing material to the breezeway until pick-up. Trash Day is also on Tuesday, and it'll be great to have all that gone, too. (Gosh, but moving creates a lot of excess trash!)
Depending on how long we're out in the garage tomorrow, we'll work on the office afterwards. It's the only room left, and that's because I considered it the lowest priority of all the rooms. I mean, *I* love this room, and I practically live in it sometimes... but everything I really need (computer, bills, filing cabinet, etc.), I can already reach, and we brought with us ahead of time. What needs to be unpacked are the bookshelves and lots of Philip's military memorabilia and knick-knacks. He heads back to work on Tuesday, and I can finish this room by myself, if needed.
As a reward once ALL of the unpacking is done, we plan to go see Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. The boys are dying to see it, and I think it looks pretty cute, too. I thought the first one was good, and I'm sure this one will be about the same. The boys are also anxious to spend some of their Christmas cash at the mall, too. *wink*
Speaking of movies, we all went to see New Moon last Friday. It was the boys' first time seeing it, Philip' second time, and my seventh time. I probably won't see it again in the theatre, but it was just as good this time again. A quick rundown of the showings I've been to:
1st - with Marissa as my 'date' to Amy's midnight premiere party (11/20)
2nd - with Marissa again on Sunday afternoon (11/22)
3rd - with Liz on Sunday night (11/22)
4th - with Philip the following Tuesday (11/24)
5th - with Cheyenne on Thanksgiving night (11/26)
6th - with Aimée on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (11/28)
7th - with the family (12/21)
We also recently saw The Princess and the Frog (on opening day!), and we all loved it. I cried a little near the end, but it was wonderful to see the old-style animation again. And - I was so surprised when the first song began! I'd almost forgotten how the older Disney movies always had original songs - how sad is that?! I thought the characters were very charming, and I really hope the movie does well enough that Disney will do another one in this style again soon.
We saw Disney's A Christmas Carol in 3D, too. I found it to be much darker than I'd imagined, but the effects were amazing. Honestly, though, there were parts of it that unsettled even me, and I don't think I'd let younger children see it yet (though the Disney Channel promotes it constantly). We were late to the game on this one, having been planning on seeing it ever since we rode the official movie train back in August (what a neat experience, too!). After seeing the movie, we bought my favorite as a young girl: Mickey's Christmas Carol. I didn't have the movie growing up, but I had a record of it, and I played that over and over all year long. I still have most of it memorized. :-)
I'm hoping to have mail tomorrow, but I'm not terribly optimistic. There was, of course, no mail yesterday in the face of this major blizzard, and then today was Sunday. Philip and I did watch some lady trudge through all the snow with her key, falling down in the deep drifts and then crawling on her knees atop them to get to the box, only to open it and find it empty, of course. We learned long ago (in both Alaska and Nebraska, actually) that even though the post office's motto is, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," that isn't always the case. We've had numerous times with no mail delivery due to inclement weather, and on a day where no travel is advised, I'm surprised that anyone would think there would be mail.
Perhaps she didn't check her box on Christmas Eve, then? *nods* We'll go with that. :-)
It feels like it will never end! Realistically, however, it will be done late tomorrow or Tuesday - I can't tell just yet. I am so very much looking forward to calling the moving company and asking them to come back and pick up all their boxes and packing material! (I'll have space in my garage again - whee!)
My dining room is just gorgeous and huge. I still cannot get over all the space in there. That, to me, is the most drastic difference between our old house and this one. I love the fact that it's not situated off the main garage entrance into the house, and it's not near a television of any sorts. It's awesome, truly.
The plan tomorrow is for Philip and I to move/unpack all the stuff in the garage. See, the movers unloaded all our shed and garage items directly into the garage, so we've got to unpack everything and get it moved into its proper place in the storage room in the back. Philip already took apart our shed, and we'll put the pieces in our "renovation space." (When they renovated this house, they built on an extra room along the basement wall, and they entered through there, bringing all their equipment with them. Once they finished, they closed off the room and left a large access flap. We can easily open it via the flap, and it's an 8x10' space, at least.) While we're doing that, the boys will be playing hard in the snow. Once we're done, we'll have all our space back in the garage, and we'll move all the boxes and packing material to the breezeway until pick-up. Trash Day is also on Tuesday, and it'll be great to have all that gone, too. (Gosh, but moving creates a lot of excess trash!)
Depending on how long we're out in the garage tomorrow, we'll work on the office afterwards. It's the only room left, and that's because I considered it the lowest priority of all the rooms. I mean, *I* love this room, and I practically live in it sometimes... but everything I really need (computer, bills, filing cabinet, etc.), I can already reach, and we brought with us ahead of time. What needs to be unpacked are the bookshelves and lots of Philip's military memorabilia and knick-knacks. He heads back to work on Tuesday, and I can finish this room by myself, if needed.
As a reward once ALL of the unpacking is done, we plan to go see Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. The boys are dying to see it, and I think it looks pretty cute, too. I thought the first one was good, and I'm sure this one will be about the same. The boys are also anxious to spend some of their Christmas cash at the mall, too. *wink*
Speaking of movies, we all went to see New Moon last Friday. It was the boys' first time seeing it, Philip' second time, and my seventh time. I probably won't see it again in the theatre, but it was just as good this time again. A quick rundown of the showings I've been to:
1st - with Marissa as my 'date' to Amy's midnight premiere party (11/20)
2nd - with Marissa again on Sunday afternoon (11/22)
3rd - with Liz on Sunday night (11/22)
4th - with Philip the following Tuesday (11/24)
5th - with Cheyenne on Thanksgiving night (11/26)
6th - with Aimée on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (11/28)
7th - with the family (12/21)
We also recently saw The Princess and the Frog (on opening day!), and we all loved it. I cried a little near the end, but it was wonderful to see the old-style animation again. And - I was so surprised when the first song began! I'd almost forgotten how the older Disney movies always had original songs - how sad is that?! I thought the characters were very charming, and I really hope the movie does well enough that Disney will do another one in this style again soon.
We saw Disney's A Christmas Carol in 3D, too. I found it to be much darker than I'd imagined, but the effects were amazing. Honestly, though, there were parts of it that unsettled even me, and I don't think I'd let younger children see it yet (though the Disney Channel promotes it constantly). We were late to the game on this one, having been planning on seeing it ever since we rode the official movie train back in August (what a neat experience, too!). After seeing the movie, we bought my favorite as a young girl: Mickey's Christmas Carol. I didn't have the movie growing up, but I had a record of it, and I played that over and over all year long. I still have most of it memorized. :-)
I'm hoping to have mail tomorrow, but I'm not terribly optimistic. There was, of course, no mail yesterday in the face of this major blizzard, and then today was Sunday. Philip and I did watch some lady trudge through all the snow with her key, falling down in the deep drifts and then crawling on her knees atop them to get to the box, only to open it and find it empty, of course. We learned long ago (in both Alaska and Nebraska, actually) that even though the post office's motto is, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," that isn't always the case. We've had numerous times with no mail delivery due to inclement weather, and on a day where no travel is advised, I'm surprised that anyone would think there would be mail.
Perhaps she didn't check her box on Christmas Eve, then? *nods* We'll go with that. :-)
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The Christmas blizzard.
Snowed in, for sure.
On Christmas Eve day, the snow started falling. And blowing. And falling and blowing some more. By 4:30pm, we knew that a Christmas Eve church service wasn't possible. By 11pm, travel warnings were issued everywhere.
Christmas Day the snow fell nonstop - from midnight to midnight. It didn't stop snowing until yesterday around noon, and thankfully, the winds let up a bit then too. The accumulation wasn't nearly as crazy as the DRIFTS. Philip shoveled twice during the snowstorm, but by the time we woke yesterday morning, you couldn't tell he'd done a thing!
The TV channels turned to static in the morning, along with a message alerting us that the road conditions were RED. No travel was allowed on base at all, and everything was closed. Fine by us, as we didn't need to be anywhere, either!
He shoveled for hours and hours yesterday. We had much higher drifts than our next-door neighbor, and when he was done with his own house, he helped Philip for another hour-and-a-half, at least. I still can't much see out of my windows, but I expect that's just how it's gonna be for a while. ;-)
Drifts up to our office windows.
A sideways view out the window of the front lawn, including the completely buried front three steps.
The drifts up to the dining room window.
Looking out the kitchen window, the drifts blocked the garage and part of Philip's truck.
The view when we opened the garage door...
The solid wall of snow from the garage door to my kitchen window.
The view from our master bedroom deck.
This is a picture of our back-yard neighbors. The house on the left is the same floor plan as our own. Those neighbors were SLEDDING down their steps - that's how high the snow was!
Last night, Philip and I glanced out the dining room window just before I was going to start dinner. A beautiful dog was leaping through the snow, looking lost. Philip went to the front door and called, and the dog ran right to him. The dog had no collar, and Philip pulled him into the mud room for warmth. He had snow on his little nose, but he was just gorgeous. Philip and the boys sat in the mud room for over half an hour and loved on the dog. Finally, the police arrived to take him back to the squadron to read for a microchip, and they let him go.
The lost 'Snow-Dog.'
On Christmas Eve day, the snow started falling. And blowing. And falling and blowing some more. By 4:30pm, we knew that a Christmas Eve church service wasn't possible. By 11pm, travel warnings were issued everywhere.
Christmas Day the snow fell nonstop - from midnight to midnight. It didn't stop snowing until yesterday around noon, and thankfully, the winds let up a bit then too. The accumulation wasn't nearly as crazy as the DRIFTS. Philip shoveled twice during the snowstorm, but by the time we woke yesterday morning, you couldn't tell he'd done a thing!
The TV channels turned to static in the morning, along with a message alerting us that the road conditions were RED. No travel was allowed on base at all, and everything was closed. Fine by us, as we didn't need to be anywhere, either!
He shoveled for hours and hours yesterday. We had much higher drifts than our next-door neighbor, and when he was done with his own house, he helped Philip for another hour-and-a-half, at least. I still can't much see out of my windows, but I expect that's just how it's gonna be for a while. ;-)
Drifts up to our office windows.
A sideways view out the window of the front lawn, including the completely buried front three steps.
The drifts up to the dining room window.
Looking out the kitchen window, the drifts blocked the garage and part of Philip's truck.
The view when we opened the garage door...
The solid wall of snow from the garage door to my kitchen window.
The view from our master bedroom deck.
This is a picture of our back-yard neighbors. The house on the left is the same floor plan as our own. Those neighbors were SLEDDING down their steps - that's how high the snow was!
Last night, Philip and I glanced out the dining room window just before I was going to start dinner. A beautiful dog was leaping through the snow, looking lost. Philip went to the front door and called, and the dog ran right to him. The dog had no collar, and Philip pulled him into the mud room for warmth. He had snow on his little nose, but he was just gorgeous. Philip and the boys sat in the mud room for over half an hour and loved on the dog. Finally, the police arrived to take him back to the squadron to read for a microchip, and they let him go.
The lost 'Snow-Dog.'
Monday, December 21, 2009
Yay, cards!
We received a ton of cards in today's Monday mail, and I'm loving it! Several were from fellow LJers, including ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
mayna, laurushka, posthaste, butterflymama3, dottey & kechara, and desertmommy. Thank you all!
I'm even more amazed that so many of these cards are coming addressed to the new house, rather than being forwarded. Look how on-the-ball you all are! :-)
mayna, laurushka, posthaste, butterflymama3, dottey & kechara, and desertmommy. Thank you all!I'm even more amazed that so many of these cards are coming addressed to the new house, rather than being forwarded. Look how on-the-ball you all are! :-)
Moving: Our stuff is here!
Wow! Color me amazed!
Last night, I wrote that I hoped we'd hear from the moving company about our household goods. At best, I was hoping they'd arrive today, and that we would be able to *squeak* in a delivery by Wednesday, the 23rd (they're off the rest of the week for Christmas Eve & Day, and they don't deliver on weekends).
But they just called ten minutes ago! And they're on their way right now! And they'll be here in an hour or so! Yay!
And now, it's time to become a "Nicole Tornado." Too-de-loo, my friends!
Last night, I wrote that I hoped we'd hear from the moving company about our household goods. At best, I was hoping they'd arrive today, and that we would be able to *squeak* in a delivery by Wednesday, the 23rd (they're off the rest of the week for Christmas Eve & Day, and they don't deliver on weekends).
But they just called ten minutes ago! And they're on their way right now! And they'll be here in an hour or so! Yay!
And now, it's time to become a "Nicole Tornado." Too-de-loo, my friends!
Advent, and we wanted to make it.
Philip woke early this morning, and he ran to the Shoppette to get a copy of the base newspaper**.
**Side tangent: the base paper is an awesome one here. It reminds me of the hey-days of the great paper at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska. It's chock-full of stories, happenings on base, etc. It even has a TV guide in it for the upcoming week!
/tangent
He got a copy of the paper, and he also picked up some grape and apple juice for breakfast. We looked at the church directory, and we decided on a Lutheran church (Missouri Synod). Services started at 11am, and so I went back to snoozeville while the boys ate breakfast and Philip showered. Once he was out, we all got ready for church.
We left in plenty of time, and thank goodness for that! Philip had thought it would be about six minutes away, but it ended up being closer to sixteen. He dropped me and the boys off at the door, and we walked in at 11 on the nose. I noticed a guest book to sign, but as soon as I picked up the pen, the organ began playing. I told the boys we'd sign it afterwards, and I ushered them inside... down to the first few rows. You know, folks always joke that Baptists sit in the back, but let me tell you - those Lutherans had left 3-4 rows empty at the front of each of the three sections, too! We sat in the third row, and Philip joined us a moment later.
The church was much larger than we'd imagined, and they were presenting their childrens' program today. It was cute, and the congregation sang along here and there. Jack got a kick out of using a hymnal again (we usually attended the Contemporary service in Nebraska), and I enjoyed singing the alto harmonies of several of my favorite Christmas hymns. The church was extensively and beautifully decorated, and I couldn't help commenting on it. A very nice couple then introduced themselves, and we chatted with them for over an HOUR after the service...
... but that was because today was Jesus's birthday party, too! The fellowship hall of the church had been decorated with balloon centerpieces on every table, and each child received a birthday goodie bag. The younger children received red plastic mugs, and the older children received white stone mugs. They were filled with cocoa, candy, and stickers, and everyone munched on cupcakes, frosted brownies, and ice cream. The couple we had been talking with in the sanctuary introduced us to many, many folks (there is no way I can remember all those names correctly!), and one of the youth directors joked with A.J. for a while. He was grinning from ear-to-ear, and then she introduced him to a handful of other sixth graders, too.
It was a wonderful experience, and now we'll have to decide whether we want to try a few more churches, or go ahead and commit to this warm, welcoming congregation. Even if we don't end up joining this church, I feel very blessed that God has led us to what will be a wonderful congregation to share our Christmas Eve together.
After leaving the church around 1pm, we grabbed a bite for lunch. We stopped at Barnes&Noble for a quick return, and then we headed home. With a full tummy and in the warm car, I was dozing before we reached the base again. Once home, Philip set up the air mattress for me, and I was down for a nap (around 3:30 or so).
I didn't wake until 6:30! Baby kitty had joined me for sleeps, and I think we both needed it. We had easy dinners tonight, and then after the boys went to bed, I began the wrap-fest of Christmas presents. I had intended to do it tomorrow, but I got a jump on it instead tonight. I'll run some errands tomorrow instead because I ended up finishing all the wrapping in one go - yay!
And now, it's 2am, and I'm back to bed. Here's hoping we hear from our moving company about our household goods tomorrow... *fingers crossed*
**Side tangent: the base paper is an awesome one here. It reminds me of the hey-days of the great paper at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska. It's chock-full of stories, happenings on base, etc. It even has a TV guide in it for the upcoming week!
/tangent
He got a copy of the paper, and he also picked up some grape and apple juice for breakfast. We looked at the church directory, and we decided on a Lutheran church (Missouri Synod). Services started at 11am, and so I went back to snoozeville while the boys ate breakfast and Philip showered. Once he was out, we all got ready for church.
We left in plenty of time, and thank goodness for that! Philip had thought it would be about six minutes away, but it ended up being closer to sixteen. He dropped me and the boys off at the door, and we walked in at 11 on the nose. I noticed a guest book to sign, but as soon as I picked up the pen, the organ began playing. I told the boys we'd sign it afterwards, and I ushered them inside... down to the first few rows. You know, folks always joke that Baptists sit in the back, but let me tell you - those Lutherans had left 3-4 rows empty at the front of each of the three sections, too! We sat in the third row, and Philip joined us a moment later.
The church was much larger than we'd imagined, and they were presenting their childrens' program today. It was cute, and the congregation sang along here and there. Jack got a kick out of using a hymnal again (we usually attended the Contemporary service in Nebraska), and I enjoyed singing the alto harmonies of several of my favorite Christmas hymns. The church was extensively and beautifully decorated, and I couldn't help commenting on it. A very nice couple then introduced themselves, and we chatted with them for over an HOUR after the service...
... but that was because today was Jesus's birthday party, too! The fellowship hall of the church had been decorated with balloon centerpieces on every table, and each child received a birthday goodie bag. The younger children received red plastic mugs, and the older children received white stone mugs. They were filled with cocoa, candy, and stickers, and everyone munched on cupcakes, frosted brownies, and ice cream. The couple we had been talking with in the sanctuary introduced us to many, many folks (there is no way I can remember all those names correctly!), and one of the youth directors joked with A.J. for a while. He was grinning from ear-to-ear, and then she introduced him to a handful of other sixth graders, too.
It was a wonderful experience, and now we'll have to decide whether we want to try a few more churches, or go ahead and commit to this warm, welcoming congregation. Even if we don't end up joining this church, I feel very blessed that God has led us to what will be a wonderful congregation to share our Christmas Eve together.
After leaving the church around 1pm, we grabbed a bite for lunch. We stopped at Barnes&Noble for a quick return, and then we headed home. With a full tummy and in the warm car, I was dozing before we reached the base again. Once home, Philip set up the air mattress for me, and I was down for a nap (around 3:30 or so).
I didn't wake until 6:30! Baby kitty had joined me for sleeps, and I think we both needed it. We had easy dinners tonight, and then after the boys went to bed, I began the wrap-fest of Christmas presents. I had intended to do it tomorrow, but I got a jump on it instead tonight. I'll run some errands tomorrow instead because I ended up finishing all the wrapping in one go - yay!
And now, it's 2am, and I'm back to bed. Here's hoping we hear from our moving company about our household goods tomorrow... *fingers crossed*
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The Year in Review.
~ meme that's been making the block
Jan - It's very quiet in our house lately.
Feb - Open your Paint program. Close your eyes. Draw a cat!
Mar - Yes, THAT movie.
Apr - I can cry at the drop of a hat today.
May - I'm so very tired of being so stupid with maps and directions.
Jun - I've worked my frustrations out in the earth today, and I will sleep well tonight because of it.
Jul - Remember when my iTunes directory went kaput a few months back?
Aug - We're finally back!
Sep - We can't find Vanilla Coke™ anywhere lately, and after several weeks of looking, I was frustrated!
Oct - Normally, I love Hallmark.
Nov - I have been working, working, working, and working some more lately - craziness!
Dec - We're officially homeless now!
Jan - It's very quiet in our house lately.
Feb - Open your Paint program. Close your eyes. Draw a cat!
Mar - Yes, THAT movie.
Apr - I can cry at the drop of a hat today.
May - I'm so very tired of being so stupid with maps and directions.
Jun - I've worked my frustrations out in the earth today, and I will sleep well tonight because of it.
Jul - Remember when my iTunes directory went kaput a few months back?
Aug - We're finally back!
Sep - We can't find Vanilla Coke™ anywhere lately, and after several weeks of looking, I was frustrated!
Oct - Normally, I love Hallmark.
Nov - I have been working, working, working, and working some more lately - craziness!
Dec - We're officially homeless now!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Lazy security in Alaska.
We received more cards today, including ones from hetterrific and flyingwolf - thank you both!
Today felt mostly lazy on my part. You see, since our household goods are not here yet, we have no washer & dryer. It had been a week since we did laundry on our last night in the TLF, and we all were down to having no clean pants. The boys and I bluffed the day away in our PJs, while Philip headed out to the base laundromat, only to find it empty. He also had to take money out of an ATM, but then find a nice store that was willing to give him a couple rolls of quarters. Once he had the laundry washing at a laundromat downtown, he headed over to Napa AutoParts for a new oil cap for his truck. Then back to switch the laundry to the dryers, and then out to pick-up the BIG. NEW. TV!
Meanwhile, the boys played and watched a few videos here at the house, and I unpacked the cleaning supplies. It was the last box of stuff we'd brought with us in our U-Haul trailer, and I wanted to find my cleaners so that I could give my red kitchen trashcan a good scrubbing (we used it to haul items during the move, too). I made lunch for myself and the boys, and then I set aboutdestroying fixing my computer.
I bought and installed new security protection, but in doing so, I then had to make sure that I had all the Windows Updates I needed. I didn't, and that took a couple HOURS to do - ugh. But now everything is running smoothly, and I'll have it do a deep scan tonight while I'm snoozing.
I also paid all the mid-month bills, paying a handful of them way, way ahead, too. I love the feeling that comes from sending $800 to a bill instead of the $100 it asks for. We are so blessed to have come so far in our finances, and I'm thankful every day for that. Also, I discovered a mistake on the Air Force finance side of things... I'm sure no one who is/has been military is shocked by that one. It always happens. Philip will go to Finance on Monday and let them know what we've found. Until then, we've moved the $1888 error to a side savings account so that we'll have it to pull from when the military then sharply deducts it from Philip's pay in the future. Wouldn't it be lovely if Finance could ever get anything right the first time?!
I took an evening bath/shower, and then we all headed out to dinner at Alaska Alder Grill. (I've just looked, and I can't believe they don't have a website!) It was very reminiscent of our times at Alaska Wild Berry, except that it was a food place, not just a chocolatier. Among the store area, we looked at a huge buffalo, a white ram, a cougar, a hyena, a wolf, and many deer heads. I loved all the beautiful wood carvings and stone pottery. It was a neat experience.
Now we're home, and the boys are headed to bed. I've culled the receipts that stacked up everywhere during these last two weeks of moving, and I feel much better about the state of things now. I still need to get my holiday cards in order, and I need to pick out a "Card Wall" here and get it going... :-)
hetterrific and flyingwolf - thank you both!Today felt mostly lazy on my part. You see, since our household goods are not here yet, we have no washer & dryer. It had been a week since we did laundry on our last night in the TLF, and we all were down to having no clean pants. The boys and I bluffed the day away in our PJs, while Philip headed out to the base laundromat, only to find it empty. He also had to take money out of an ATM, but then find a nice store that was willing to give him a couple rolls of quarters. Once he had the laundry washing at a laundromat downtown, he headed over to Napa AutoParts for a new oil cap for his truck. Then back to switch the laundry to the dryers, and then out to pick-up the BIG. NEW. TV!
Meanwhile, the boys played and watched a few videos here at the house, and I unpacked the cleaning supplies. It was the last box of stuff we'd brought with us in our U-Haul trailer, and I wanted to find my cleaners so that I could give my red kitchen trashcan a good scrubbing (we used it to haul items during the move, too). I made lunch for myself and the boys, and then I set about
I bought and installed new security protection, but in doing so, I then had to make sure that I had all the Windows Updates I needed. I didn't, and that took a couple HOURS to do - ugh. But now everything is running smoothly, and I'll have it do a deep scan tonight while I'm snoozing.
I also paid all the mid-month bills, paying a handful of them way, way ahead, too. I love the feeling that comes from sending $800 to a bill instead of the $100 it asks for. We are so blessed to have come so far in our finances, and I'm thankful every day for that. Also, I discovered a mistake on the Air Force finance side of things... I'm sure no one who is/has been military is shocked by that one. It always happens. Philip will go to Finance on Monday and let them know what we've found. Until then, we've moved the $1888 error to a side savings account so that we'll have it to pull from when the military then sharply deducts it from Philip's pay in the future. Wouldn't it be lovely if Finance could ever get anything right the first time?!
I took an evening bath/shower, and then we all headed out to dinner at Alaska Alder Grill. (I've just looked, and I can't believe they don't have a website!) It was very reminiscent of our times at Alaska Wild Berry, except that it was a food place, not just a chocolatier. Among the store area, we looked at a huge buffalo, a white ram, a cougar, a hyena, a wolf, and many deer heads. I loved all the beautiful wood carvings and stone pottery. It was a neat experience.
Now we're home, and the boys are headed to bed. I've culled the receipts that stacked up everywhere during these last two weeks of moving, and I feel much better about the state of things now. I still need to get my holiday cards in order, and I need to pick out a "Card Wall" here and get it going... :-)
It's here!
Our new TV has arrived at the store! Philip is on his way to pick it up right now, and we are SO EXCITED!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Holiday-ing.
Whew, I'm beat!
Philip and I began the day earlier today than we have all week, and I'm bushed tonight to show for it! We had decided today would be the day to finish up the Christmas shopping, as he will begin working here on Monday, and it was best to take advantage of the full day with the boys in school. So, we dropped them off at 9, and then we were on our way into town!
We did all of the rest of our holiday shopping VERY early this year, knowing that the confusion of moving would put things into a tailspin. I'm so very thankful for that, as it's been a comfort to only have the boys left to shop for. We bought everything, I wrapped it all, and then I shipped it to everyone via UPS waaaaaaaay back on Nov. 7th... I think if those folks haven't received their packages by now, it's safe to call them lost. ;-)
For the boys this year, we had decided on one thing: A.J.'s gift would be easy, and Jack's would take a bit more searching. We purposely did no shopping for them ahead of time because we didn't want the movers to pack any gifts, and we had no spare room in our vehicles for packages, either. See, we've had things stolen from each move, and I figure a wrapped holiday present is just *TOO* much temptation, ya know?
I cannot WAIT for Christmas morning, as I'm so excited to see A.J. open his gift. He has a small handful of gifts, as well as his Christmas stocking, but that's because his main gift will be...
... his very own netbook!
Not just his own computer, but he's receiving his own mini-laptop! His mini comes with Windows 7, and I'm so geeked to set him up with his own email account. I've got a pocket full of addresses from several of his gal pals back in Nebraska to set him up with, too (they all made sure to give me their emails on the night of his band concert, and it was so sweet to see their *goo-goo* eyes). I just know he will have so much fun with his new computer. And probably the best news of all - he won't have to share it AT ALL. We're going to set a very strict rule: it is A.J.'s computer, and A.J.'s only.
That may sound harsh, but the reality is that my boys have to share practically everything. It's been this way since Jack was born, and I think that lately, it's really starting to affect A.J. how he never has his "own" things, and he really gets very little personal space from Jack. Sure, he can go to his room for alone time, but he still ought to be able to have some things that are his alone, and this will be one of them. I know he will be stoked, and we'll have to work with him on not gloating, even just a little.
As for Jack, he'll still have use of the secondary computer. It is on a LAN with mine, and it's what the boys currently use on a desk in A.J.'s room (which takes even further from A.J.'s personal space, but that's where it fit in our old house). Here, we'll either set up a smaller desk in the office with our computer, or we'll put one in our large dining room. Either way, A.J. will be free to use his bedroom desk for just his own computer.
So we were shopping today mainly for Jack, as well as for stocking stuffers. Along the way, I ended up with a new wardrobe. Now, I hate shopping for myself, but I badly needed to, and Philip insisted. In fact, Philip was encouraging me to "just get it, honey" with almost every single item I picked up all day. As a result, I came home with a LOT of goodies. I kept saying, "But what about you?" He just insists that he's got something in mind, so don't worry about it.
Hmmm...
So the shopping is finally complete, and I have a ton of wrapping still ahead of me for next Monday and Tuesday while the boys are in their last days of school before holiday break. Right now, all the packages and items are hiding in the cabinets in the basement. See? I'm using them already! ;-)
In addition, we returned home to two large packages of Christmas gifts from our family, as well as a host of cards. These included ones fromhappysmiles01 and adiasplat. Thank you!
Philip and I began the day earlier today than we have all week, and I'm bushed tonight to show for it! We had decided today would be the day to finish up the Christmas shopping, as he will begin working here on Monday, and it was best to take advantage of the full day with the boys in school. So, we dropped them off at 9, and then we were on our way into town!
We did all of the rest of our holiday shopping VERY early this year, knowing that the confusion of moving would put things into a tailspin. I'm so very thankful for that, as it's been a comfort to only have the boys left to shop for. We bought everything, I wrapped it all, and then I shipped it to everyone via UPS waaaaaaaay back on Nov. 7th... I think if those folks haven't received their packages by now, it's safe to call them lost. ;-)
For the boys this year, we had decided on one thing: A.J.'s gift would be easy, and Jack's would take a bit more searching. We purposely did no shopping for them ahead of time because we didn't want the movers to pack any gifts, and we had no spare room in our vehicles for packages, either. See, we've had things stolen from each move, and I figure a wrapped holiday present is just *TOO* much temptation, ya know?
I cannot WAIT for Christmas morning, as I'm so excited to see A.J. open his gift. He has a small handful of gifts, as well as his Christmas stocking, but that's because his main gift will be...
... his very own netbook!
Not just his own computer, but he's receiving his own mini-laptop! His mini comes with Windows 7, and I'm so geeked to set him up with his own email account. I've got a pocket full of addresses from several of his gal pals back in Nebraska to set him up with, too (they all made sure to give me their emails on the night of his band concert, and it was so sweet to see their *goo-goo* eyes). I just know he will have so much fun with his new computer. And probably the best news of all - he won't have to share it AT ALL. We're going to set a very strict rule: it is A.J.'s computer, and A.J.'s only.
That may sound harsh, but the reality is that my boys have to share practically everything. It's been this way since Jack was born, and I think that lately, it's really starting to affect A.J. how he never has his "own" things, and he really gets very little personal space from Jack. Sure, he can go to his room for alone time, but he still ought to be able to have some things that are his alone, and this will be one of them. I know he will be stoked, and we'll have to work with him on not gloating, even just a little.
As for Jack, he'll still have use of the secondary computer. It is on a LAN with mine, and it's what the boys currently use on a desk in A.J.'s room (which takes even further from A.J.'s personal space, but that's where it fit in our old house). Here, we'll either set up a smaller desk in the office with our computer, or we'll put one in our large dining room. Either way, A.J. will be free to use his bedroom desk for just his own computer.
So we were shopping today mainly for Jack, as well as for stocking stuffers. Along the way, I ended up with a new wardrobe. Now, I hate shopping for myself, but I badly needed to, and Philip insisted. In fact, Philip was encouraging me to "just get it, honey" with almost every single item I picked up all day. As a result, I came home with a LOT of goodies. I kept saying, "But what about you?" He just insists that he's got something in mind, so don't worry about it.
Hmmm...
So the shopping is finally complete, and I have a ton of wrapping still ahead of me for next Monday and Tuesday while the boys are in their last days of school before holiday break. Right now, all the packages and items are hiding in the cabinets in the basement. See? I'm using them already! ;-)
In addition, we returned home to two large packages of Christmas gifts from our family, as well as a host of cards. These included ones from
happysmiles01 and adiasplat. Thank you!
Squirrelly girl.
Happy Birthday, Kiki!
My Kiki girl kitty is 11 years old today. She won't be celebrating with a party and cake this year (I know you'll never forget that,hetterrific!), but we love her even more.
What a fuzzy, sweet presence she has continued to bring into our lives. :-)
My Kiki girl kitty is 11 years old today. She won't be celebrating with a party and cake this year (I know you'll never forget that,
hetterrific!), but we love her even more.What a fuzzy, sweet presence she has continued to bring into our lives. :-)
Moving: House pictures!
Since everyone has been dying to see... here are the pics I snapped when we got the keys to the house. They were taken at dusk, and I've not done anything to brighten them up, but you can still get a "sorta" feel to the house, I think.
ALL of the pictures are located HERE. I tried to caption them with descriptions, too.
Feel free to ask any questions you might have as you look through them. I know it's hard to understand floor plans just by looking at pictures, ya know?
ALL of the pictures are located HERE. I tried to caption them with descriptions, too.
Feel free to ask any questions you might have as you look through them. I know it's hard to understand floor plans just by looking at pictures, ya know?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The bigger, the better!
As a Christmas/housewarming gift, Philip's parents have ordered us a new TV. Mind you, our current TV is still in excellent condition (it was a Christmas gift from my parents a few years ago when we did not have a working one at all), but his parents have been introduced to the HDTV age, and they insisted that we must have one as well.
The day after we took keys to the new house, the new TV was ordered, and it is still on its way. A 52" RCA LCD flat-panel TV that is so flippin' huge that it didn't have a chance on fitting in our current entertainment center. Soooo...
... the current entertainment center will go downstairs (when our household goods arrive, that is), along with the 32" TV from my parents. We have been carpeting the basement (in a tiled pattern, and I'm doing it slowly - I keep taking breaks!), and one half of the basement will be a relaxing area for the boys (entertainment center, TV, carpet, couch, and several of their toys). The other half will be my scrap/craft room, complete with the sink and all those lovely, lovely built-in cabinets.
We bought and built a beautiful new entertainment center to house our new TV in the living room. We subscribed to digital cable again, but for the first time, we joined a new club: those with DVR. We never really felt we needed it before, but it was only a couple bucks more with our internet/cable packaging, so we sprung for it. It's only been a day now, but I think Philip loves it already. ;-)
Merry Christmas to us, indeed! Now we just wait for the TV to arrive!
The day after we took keys to the new house, the new TV was ordered, and it is still on its way. A 52" RCA LCD flat-panel TV that is so flippin' huge that it didn't have a chance on fitting in our current entertainment center. Soooo...
... the current entertainment center will go downstairs (when our household goods arrive, that is), along with the 32" TV from my parents. We have been carpeting the basement (in a tiled pattern, and I'm doing it slowly - I keep taking breaks!), and one half of the basement will be a relaxing area for the boys (entertainment center, TV, carpet, couch, and several of their toys). The other half will be my scrap/craft room, complete with the sink and all those lovely, lovely built-in cabinets.
We bought and built a beautiful new entertainment center to house our new TV in the living room. We subscribed to digital cable again, but for the first time, we joined a new club: those with DVR. We never really felt we needed it before, but it was only a couple bucks more with our internet/cable packaging, so we sprung for it. It's only been a day now, but I think Philip loves it already. ;-)
Merry Christmas to us, indeed! Now we just wait for the TV to arrive!
More cards!
Today's regular and forwarded mail brought only Christmas cards - yay! Nothing but the good stuff! :-)
Among those received were ones fromashen_butterfly, 1grl_revolution, and sdaisyk - thank you!
Among those received were ones from
ashen_butterfly, 1grl_revolution, and sdaisyk - thank you!
New school.
The boys have had almost a full week in their new school, Dakota Elementary. This is their first time attending an on-base school, and I gotta say: it is super-nice. The security from knowing the school is under more protection than a regular school, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that each and every one of their classmates understands and lives the same hardships, difficulties, family separations, etc. is golden. I wouldn't trade it away for any price right now.
In addition, the school is brilliant. I love the stage in the gym - the fact that their new school can hold their own concerts and assemblies without traveling away. I love that the get to experience a "true" school cafeteria, complete with sliding their trays down metal beams while their food is served. Near the front of the building, there is a special place for the pick-up children to wait - it's called the "Snow Den." The classrooms for grades K-3 have bathrooms inside, so there's not much instruction time missed for a potty break. The student ratio is a bit smaller than our their last school, and that's always a plus, too.
Their school day is now from 9am-3:15. I was surprised to hear that, having always seen schools start between 7:45-8:15 or so. The later start is great for these darker mornings though, and I have appreciated the extra minutes of shut-eye myself. We had to purchase school supplies over the weekend for the first time (our old school district supplied them), and the boys had fun picking out certain colors of their items. The breakfast and lunch choices are FAR superior, and I love that there is no set pattern in the lunch menu. Philip and I were reading the monthly menu, and even then, *we* each picked several days we'd like to join the boys for lunch, if only for the great selection!
The change in weather between Nebraska and North Dakota is apparent, and not in the least on the playground rules. Back in Nebraska, the boys had outdoor recess at school unless is was below 20°. In their new school, the school operates with outdoor recesses unless it is -5° or the windchill is -15°. Wow! Due to these regulations, students are required to wear full snow gear for recess (boots, snowpants, gloves, hat, coat). All students are provided bus transportation too, but they must wear the full snow gear while on the bus. This week, we have been dropping off/picking up the boys, as we're waiting on their brand-new (tags still attached) snow boots and snowpants to arrive with our household goods. They are SO EXCITED to ride the bus for the first time, and I'm excited to turn in my years of driving them for a bit of jammy-clad, kiss-'em-on-the-cheek goodbyes at the door. ;-)
Both of the boys have been placed into the Gifted & Talented program at school. A.J. had previously been in the HAL program (High Ability Learner) since 3rd grade at their old school, and they simply transferred him over. Jack had been pegged for the HAL program by his other teachers, but was waiting until next year to start. (He's in 2nd grade, and the program does not begin until the 3rd grade.) At this new school, however, the Gifted program begins in the 2nd grade, and he has already easily tested into it. In addition, his teacher has placed him in a special math club for advanced students. She also will be supplementing his reading curriculum with material from the 5th grade classrooms (that is where he has level-tested now). With all the extra reading he does at home, I'm not surprised in the least!
A.J. will be playing a bit of catch-up in band, as the school here began instruction in the 5th grade, so his classmates are one year ahead of him. I hope he is able to hold his own, but I'm encouraged by how well he enjoys playing his instrument.
The boys don't break at the same time as their old school for the holidays. Instead of having their last day tomorrow, the 18th, they will continue until next Tuesday, the 22nd. They return on the 4th, which is the same. We also noticed fewer breaks throughout the year, but they have a solid 90-day summer vacation, and I am very happy for them for that. School won't begin next year until Aug. 27th - which will be the first year A.J. has ever celebrated his summer birthday (the 23rd) by NOT already being in school. He is ecstatic over the news!
All in all, we have no complaints with the new school, and we have only joyful news to share. What a blessing!
In addition, the school is brilliant. I love the stage in the gym - the fact that their new school can hold their own concerts and assemblies without traveling away. I love that the get to experience a "true" school cafeteria, complete with sliding their trays down metal beams while their food is served. Near the front of the building, there is a special place for the pick-up children to wait - it's called the "Snow Den." The classrooms for grades K-3 have bathrooms inside, so there's not much instruction time missed for a potty break. The student ratio is a bit smaller than our their last school, and that's always a plus, too.
Their school day is now from 9am-3:15. I was surprised to hear that, having always seen schools start between 7:45-8:15 or so. The later start is great for these darker mornings though, and I have appreciated the extra minutes of shut-eye myself. We had to purchase school supplies over the weekend for the first time (our old school district supplied them), and the boys had fun picking out certain colors of their items. The breakfast and lunch choices are FAR superior, and I love that there is no set pattern in the lunch menu. Philip and I were reading the monthly menu, and even then, *we* each picked several days we'd like to join the boys for lunch, if only for the great selection!
The change in weather between Nebraska and North Dakota is apparent, and not in the least on the playground rules. Back in Nebraska, the boys had outdoor recess at school unless is was below 20°. In their new school, the school operates with outdoor recesses unless it is -5° or the windchill is -15°. Wow! Due to these regulations, students are required to wear full snow gear for recess (boots, snowpants, gloves, hat, coat). All students are provided bus transportation too, but they must wear the full snow gear while on the bus. This week, we have been dropping off/picking up the boys, as we're waiting on their brand-new (tags still attached) snow boots and snowpants to arrive with our household goods. They are SO EXCITED to ride the bus for the first time, and I'm excited to turn in my years of driving them for a bit of jammy-clad, kiss-'em-on-the-cheek goodbyes at the door. ;-)
Both of the boys have been placed into the Gifted & Talented program at school. A.J. had previously been in the HAL program (High Ability Learner) since 3rd grade at their old school, and they simply transferred him over. Jack had been pegged for the HAL program by his other teachers, but was waiting until next year to start. (He's in 2nd grade, and the program does not begin until the 3rd grade.) At this new school, however, the Gifted program begins in the 2nd grade, and he has already easily tested into it. In addition, his teacher has placed him in a special math club for advanced students. She also will be supplementing his reading curriculum with material from the 5th grade classrooms (that is where he has level-tested now). With all the extra reading he does at home, I'm not surprised in the least!
A.J. will be playing a bit of catch-up in band, as the school here began instruction in the 5th grade, so his classmates are one year ahead of him. I hope he is able to hold his own, but I'm encouraged by how well he enjoys playing his instrument.
The boys don't break at the same time as their old school for the holidays. Instead of having their last day tomorrow, the 18th, they will continue until next Tuesday, the 22nd. They return on the 4th, which is the same. We also noticed fewer breaks throughout the year, but they have a solid 90-day summer vacation, and I am very happy for them for that. School won't begin next year until Aug. 27th - which will be the first year A.J. has ever celebrated his summer birthday (the 23rd) by NOT already being in school. He is ecstatic over the news!
All in all, we have no complaints with the new school, and we have only joyful news to share. What a blessing!
Cards!
I've received several cards, but the majority are still slowly trickling in due to mail-forwarding. For example, the ones we received yesterday were originally postmarked the 7th of December, and it never took 10 days for mail to reach us state-to-state before.
But thank you toprosodic, gardenmama, and niftybabe313 for the cards we have already received. I haven't decided on a 'Card Wall' here in the new house yet, but you can bet I'll be deciding soon. ;-)
Now that we're here and have an address, I'm going to work on my own holiday cards. We don't have our household goods yet, but I figure that just means I'm *supposed* to really buckle down and do cards now - hehe!
But thank you to
prosodic, gardenmama, and niftybabe313 for the cards we have already received. I haven't decided on a 'Card Wall' here in the new house yet, but you can bet I'll be deciding soon. ;-)Now that we're here and have an address, I'm going to work on my own holiday cards. We don't have our household goods yet, but I figure that just means I'm *supposed* to really buckle down and do cards now - hehe!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Another one for the vault.
For the umpteenth time, I nearly killed myself trying to walk around the far side of the bed in our room in the TLF. Why? Because there is a warm lump of a cat, hidden from view under the bed comforter, yet sticking out in the way. I have tripped over said cat many times and grappled to the wall to spare my face a floor-smack.
Me: *walks into living room*
Me: I'm going to kill the cat soon, I swear.
Philip: What?
Me: I'm going to kill the cat. If I don't, she's going to kill me.
A.J.: Which cat?
Me: Kiki. She keeps sleeping in hiding on my side of the bed, and I'm tired of falling over her.
Philip: *laughs*
Me: I don't get it. I keep scooting her over under the bed so that I won't step on her... why does she do it?
Philip: Because she can't fit under the bed?
Me: No, she fits fine, 'cuz I scoot her under it with no problem.
A.J.: If you kill Kiki, I'm going to secede.
Me: *confused look*
Philip: You're what?
A.J.: I'm going to secede from this family.
ALL: *laughs*
And as I type this, Kiki *merps* into the room, purring and acting all adorable and sweet. That cat, I swear. *shakes head*
Me: *walks into living room*
Me: I'm going to kill the cat soon, I swear.
Philip: What?
Me: I'm going to kill the cat. If I don't, she's going to kill me.
A.J.: Which cat?
Me: Kiki. She keeps sleeping in hiding on my side of the bed, and I'm tired of falling over her.
Philip: *laughs*
Me: I don't get it. I keep scooting her over under the bed so that I won't step on her... why does she do it?
Philip: Because she can't fit under the bed?
Me: No, she fits fine, 'cuz I scoot her under it with no problem.
A.J.: If you kill Kiki, I'm going to secede.
Me: *confused look*
Philip: You're what?
A.J.: I'm going to secede from this family.
ALL: *laughs*
And as I type this, Kiki *merps* into the room, purring and acting all adorable and sweet. That cat, I swear. *shakes head*
Moving: we have a house!
We have a house!
We looked at two, and we fell in love with one, so now it's ours. It is HUGE and spacious, and gosh, I don't even know how I'm going to fill all of it! I'm pretty sure we need to go "stuff" shopping now, just so it won't look so bare. ;-)
Guys, I have prayed and prayed over this. We have agonized and worried over the housing situation, having been told we'd have to wait over a year for a house on base (which we learned upon arriving was very WRONG information - the wait list is only for those who need a 2-bedroom unit). I cannot believe how blessed we have been, and how God has answered my prayers with a house more wonderful than anything I could have imagined!
Here are several of the perks:
I just really can't imagine how we're going to fill up the space. It seems SO BIG. I'm sure I'll figure it out, though - hehehe. The housing office told us we're welcome to come by and pick up keys again before our move-in date, in case we'd like to get inside again and measure anything or take pics, and I think we'll take them up on that. I know a couple people that would be interested in seeing the inside. (*coughs in Grammy's direction*)
As for actually moving in, we called up the TMO today, and our household goods have not yet arrived. When they do, we'll set up a delivery/move-in date, and then we'll be set. It should be no later than next week, though. I'll check with housing tomorrow to see if we can go ahead and snag our mailbox key though, so we can stop our temporary mail forwarding and begin permanently forwarding. :-)
Also, we picked up our mail at General Delivery on base, and it's a peace of mind that the temporary forwarding has gone according to plan thus far. Philip will begin in-processing tomorrow, and now that we have a house, we know which school the boys are zoned for, so I will be registering them tomorrow. Their first day should be next Monday, and they'll be attending Dakota Elementary here on base.
We're headed to the commissary in a bit to pick up some foodstuffs for make-shift meals here in the TLF through at least the weekend.
What a great Thursday!
We looked at two, and we fell in love with one, so now it's ours. It is HUGE and spacious, and gosh, I don't even know how I'm going to fill all of it! I'm pretty sure we need to go "stuff" shopping now, just so it won't look so bare. ;-)
Guys, I have prayed and prayed over this. We have agonized and worried over the housing situation, having been told we'd have to wait over a year for a house on base (which we learned upon arriving was very WRONG information - the wait list is only for those who need a 2-bedroom unit). I cannot believe how blessed we have been, and how God has answered my prayers with a house more wonderful than anything I could have imagined!
Here are several of the perks:
- gorgeous, genuine hardwood floors throughout the entire house (not just the hallway, like our old house)
- TWO large family/living rooms. One has an elevated ceiling, and the other has a cathedral ceiling. BOTH have beautiful ceiling fans, and we can't decide for sure which will be the "official" family room yet.
- a large, large kitchen (twice the size of our old house, at least). It also has an eat-in bar attached.
- gas stove
- ice-maker in fridge/freezer
- an arctic entryway/mudroom before entering the foyer
- two gigantic picture windows. One is in one of the living rooms, and the other is in the dining room. (Both my full-size Christmas trees can be seen from the road!)
- a massive dining room (easily twice the size of our old one)
- more closets than we can figure out what the heck to do with
- a storage closet IN THE GARAGE (which is bigger than the shed we bought ourselves years ago and have been using)
- an indoor storage space which we have NO CLUE what to fill with (about the size of our old laundry room)
- four doors to the outside, plus a garage door (in other words, tons of entrances/exits)
- beautiful tub in the main bathroom (I love the built-in hooks, shelves and racks)
- much larger shower in the master bathroom, plus storage
- a private DECK off the master bedroom (!!!)
- old-timey crank windows (I think those look so nice!)
- a full basement (One side has a kitchen's worth of cabinets installed, as well as another complete two-sided sink, and the other side has cable hook-ups, etc. It screams 'Craft room!' to me.)
I just really can't imagine how we're going to fill up the space. It seems SO BIG. I'm sure I'll figure it out, though - hehehe. The housing office told us we're welcome to come by and pick up keys again before our move-in date, in case we'd like to get inside again and measure anything or take pics, and I think we'll take them up on that. I know a couple people that would be interested in seeing the inside. (*coughs in Grammy's direction*)
As for actually moving in, we called up the TMO today, and our household goods have not yet arrived. When they do, we'll set up a delivery/move-in date, and then we'll be set. It should be no later than next week, though. I'll check with housing tomorrow to see if we can go ahead and snag our mailbox key though, so we can stop our temporary mail forwarding and begin permanently forwarding. :-)
Also, we picked up our mail at General Delivery on base, and it's a peace of mind that the temporary forwarding has gone according to plan thus far. Philip will begin in-processing tomorrow, and now that we have a house, we know which school the boys are zoned for, so I will be registering them tomorrow. Their first day should be next Monday, and they'll be attending Dakota Elementary here on base.
We're headed to the commissary in a bit to pick up some foodstuffs for make-shift meals here in the TLF through at least the weekend.
What a great Thursday!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Moving: Tearful Jack.
Upon hooking up to the 'net in our TLF, I saw in my email that "I" had been tagged in four photos by our next-door neighbor back in Bellevue. I saw that the pics were of our old house covered in snowdrifts, and that our neighbor girl, Natalie, was at our door. I called Jack to the computer to see, and he was looking over my shoulder. We read the captions together:
And that's where Jack turned, and I spotted the tears in his eyes. Within minutes, he was full-on crying, saying and wishing that we didn't have to move. Philip and I both tried to console him, but his heart is a bit broken right now. Finally, I got him to come around by showing him a special, funny postcard that I had purchased *just* tonight *just* for mailing to our friends. He got a smile out of writing a special message on it, and we'll stick it in the mail tomorrow.
We miss our friends! :-(
1) Natalie wanted to show Nicole their old house. (of Natalie trudging through drifts in our driveway to get to the front door)
2) "I wish Jack and AJ really could come and play." (almost to the door then)
3) Ding dong. :-( (of her ringing our old doorbell)
And that's where Jack turned, and I spotted the tears in his eyes. Within minutes, he was full-on crying, saying and wishing that we didn't have to move. Philip and I both tried to console him, but his heart is a bit broken right now. Finally, I got him to come around by showing him a special, funny postcard that I had purchased *just* tonight *just* for mailing to our friends. He got a smile out of writing a special message on it, and we'll stick it in the mail tomorrow.
We miss our friends! :-(
It's tough to know whether you have the correct weather, ya know?
Since so many folks are interested in our weather forecasts, here is the best website for checking on Minot AFB (which is 15 miles north of Minot).
Tonight seems nice. We encountered no winds as we ate dinner and checked out the BX. We drove around and looked at holiday lights and located several empty homes (*insert excited squeeee*), and we are optimistic about tomorrow. Also, I'm excited to meet Michelle at the Youth Center. It seems like she and I have talked on the phone a ton in recent weeks while we got the boys registered for the youth programs, and while getting Jack enrolled in the indoor soccer league which starts in January.
And speaking of weather, this TLF unit has a super-effective heater. I keep turning it DOWN, and we're still HOT!
Tonight seems nice. We encountered no winds as we ate dinner and checked out the BX. We drove around and looked at holiday lights and located several empty homes (*insert excited squeeee*), and we are optimistic about tomorrow. Also, I'm excited to meet Michelle at the Youth Center. It seems like she and I have talked on the phone a ton in recent weeks while we got the boys registered for the youth programs, and while getting Jack enrolled in the indoor soccer league which starts in January.
And speaking of weather, this TLF unit has a super-effective heater. I keep turning it DOWN, and we're still HOT!
Moving: Made it!
We're here, and we're all snuggled into our TLF. We even have hi-speed internet, so I'm über-glad we brought our desktop. :-)
Tomorrow, we'll be checking in with housing and then finding out about the boys' school. Philip may in-process in the afternoon, and then he'll have eight days off before beginning training. My fingers are crossed for good news tomorrow!
ETA: My mouse seems crazy-fast right now, and I've got no clue why. I even went into the Control Panel and adjusted the speed down two more settings. Hmmm.
Tomorrow, we'll be checking in with housing and then finding out about the boys' school. Philip may in-process in the afternoon, and then he'll have eight days off before beginning training. My fingers are crossed for good news tomorrow!
ETA: My mouse seems crazy-fast right now, and I've got no clue why. I even went into the Control Panel and adjusted the speed down two more settings. Hmmm.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Before I forget...
Did everyone pick up their copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince today on DVD? If you're not moving, you have no excuse. Heck, even if you are, you still don't!
I can't wait to crack it open and watch the extra features. Oh, but as luck would have it, my license plate frame cracked on Sunday afternoon - the day before we hit the road. I was gonna save that puppy with my "SLYTHRN" license plate. Boo.
I've got a fantabulous idea for my next plate, though...
Oh, and speaking of all things fangirly, did I mention that I've now seen New Moon SIX times? I know I mentioned it over on FB, but yeah. Oooh, I swear it gets better each and every time.
/geek to bed
I can't wait to crack it open and watch the extra features. Oh, but as luck would have it, my license plate frame cracked on Sunday afternoon - the day before we hit the road. I was gonna save that puppy with my "SLYTHRN" license plate. Boo.
I've got a fantabulous idea for my next plate, though...
Oh, and speaking of all things fangirly, did I mention that I've now seen New Moon SIX times? I know I mentioned it over on FB, but yeah. Oooh, I swear it gets better each and every time.
/geek to bed
Moving: Makin' it.
We're on the home-stretch now: 530 miles down, 208 left to go. We will make it to Minot AFB tomorrow!
A la Kevin Smith, I yelled as we passed the border: "NORTH DAKOTA, I am IN YOU!"
*giggles*
Now the knowledge is out in the open, and that feels nice. Even so, it still gives me a great little thrill that we kept our moving news so locked down for six months to just a handful of special people in real life. I love that folks didn't know until I chose to let them know. For the sake of the boys and their church/school situations, it made things much simpler. Thank you, my LJ friends, for keeping mum on the subject since June - hee!
And it sounds like our friends in Nebraska have had more than a bit of snow since we left. We got some on Sunday night that put us in a tizzy over whether to leave or not... but we decided that we couldn't wait and then risk being trapped by the larger storm system due on Monday night. Apparently, we made the VERY RIGHT decision in leaving, as they have been nothing but blasted by snow since we left.
Meanwhile, I'm not a great big ol' fan of South Dakota. There was hardly any accumulation going on along the interstates, but the 3-5" of snow that was already in place was whipping across the lanes, and we felt as if we were driving in an intense fog. For most of the roads in SD, we were buzzing along at 35-40mph... in an area with a speed limit of 75mph. Philip's truck pulled the U-Haul, and he was the one equipped with our GPS, so I was lolling afterward. At one point in the afternoon, he was at 1/4 tank of gas, and I had a solid 1/2 left plus Jack and both kitties sound asleep. We made the decision for me to whip on and find a place for dinner and 'free time' for the kitties, and then it took Philip another 40 minutes or so to catch up to us.
I was super-nervous this morning when we hit the blustery roads, but by mid-afternoon, I was asking Philip to go faster. I'm more than a little proud of myself for keeping it together and pressing on. :-)
Philip just brought me a hot fudge sundae from McD's while I'm down here in the hotel lobby using the computer. Mmmmm!
My friends have more than kept me occupied with texts and Tweets. Thank you, all of you, for checking in so frequently. If nothing else, I catch up on potty breaks. ;-) Oh, andkerryblaze, thanks for the LJ gift, too!
hearts_refuge, did you get your box yet? Mailing that sucker out involved being a party to the most RIDICULOUS conversation ever. Seriously, I was shaking my head in bewilderment and looking around for a hidden camera.
kp_nut, I received your Christmas card in our last day's mail. Anything else should be forwarded right now, but yours came just in time. Thank you!
On a side tangent, our hotel tonight has the best showerhead ever. Goodness, it was relaxing to stand there forever after the chilly parking parade. I also love how hotels have neverending supplies of hot water. Philip jumped in with me, and then afterwards, Jack took his bath. We were dressing in our jammies and giggling, listening to Jack singing, "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" while he bubbled away in the tub.
I can't wait to download some pictures. I've not taken any of the trip, but I have several from before that I think will be keepers. We were SO PROUD of A.J. in his very first band concert last Thursday night. I was so tickled that we were able to stay until that point (the next day, Friday, was their last day of school), and that he enjoyed it so much. We sat in the second row, and I took a bunch of snaps. He is one of six clarinet players, and he clearly knew his stuff.
Even better, he surprised the heck outta me when we arrived back at the TLF that night. I had watched Mr. Holland's Opus with the boys the previous weekend, and A.J. had been particularly interested in the clarinet player's struggles (which I expected, and which is the reason I suggested the movie, besides just loving it to pieces myself). He told me he wanted to play something for me, and he pulled out his clarinet...
... and then he played THAT TUNE from the movie! He played it by ear, having guessed and practiced it by himself all week. I was ASTOUNDED! I told him he's really got a gift, and that not many folks can "hear" notes like that, and especially not just three months after beginning to play an instrument. He just grinned and played it over and over, working on figuring out the next note as he went. Wow!
I should probably get moving here. No one's waiting on the computer, but I would like to get a long, lazy sleep in, and that means I should start snoozing soon. 'Night, all!
A la Kevin Smith, I yelled as we passed the border: "NORTH DAKOTA, I am IN YOU!"
*giggles*
Now the knowledge is out in the open, and that feels nice. Even so, it still gives me a great little thrill that we kept our moving news so locked down for six months to just a handful of special people in real life. I love that folks didn't know until I chose to let them know. For the sake of the boys and their church/school situations, it made things much simpler. Thank you, my LJ friends, for keeping mum on the subject since June - hee!
And it sounds like our friends in Nebraska have had more than a bit of snow since we left. We got some on Sunday night that put us in a tizzy over whether to leave or not... but we decided that we couldn't wait and then risk being trapped by the larger storm system due on Monday night. Apparently, we made the VERY RIGHT decision in leaving, as they have been nothing but blasted by snow since we left.
Meanwhile, I'm not a great big ol' fan of South Dakota. There was hardly any accumulation going on along the interstates, but the 3-5" of snow that was already in place was whipping across the lanes, and we felt as if we were driving in an intense fog. For most of the roads in SD, we were buzzing along at 35-40mph... in an area with a speed limit of 75mph. Philip's truck pulled the U-Haul, and he was the one equipped with our GPS, so I was lolling afterward. At one point in the afternoon, he was at 1/4 tank of gas, and I had a solid 1/2 left plus Jack and both kitties sound asleep. We made the decision for me to whip on and find a place for dinner and 'free time' for the kitties, and then it took Philip another 40 minutes or so to catch up to us.
I was super-nervous this morning when we hit the blustery roads, but by mid-afternoon, I was asking Philip to go faster. I'm more than a little proud of myself for keeping it together and pressing on. :-)
Philip just brought me a hot fudge sundae from McD's while I'm down here in the hotel lobby using the computer. Mmmmm!
My friends have more than kept me occupied with texts and Tweets. Thank you, all of you, for checking in so frequently. If nothing else, I catch up on potty breaks. ;-) Oh, and
kerryblaze, thanks for the LJ gift, too!hearts_refuge, did you get your box yet? Mailing that sucker out involved being a party to the most RIDICULOUS conversation ever. Seriously, I was shaking my head in bewilderment and looking around for a hidden camera.kp_nut, I received your Christmas card in our last day's mail. Anything else should be forwarded right now, but yours came just in time. Thank you!On a side tangent, our hotel tonight has the best showerhead ever. Goodness, it was relaxing to stand there forever after the chilly parking parade. I also love how hotels have neverending supplies of hot water. Philip jumped in with me, and then afterwards, Jack took his bath. We were dressing in our jammies and giggling, listening to Jack singing, "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" while he bubbled away in the tub.
I can't wait to download some pictures. I've not taken any of the trip, but I have several from before that I think will be keepers. We were SO PROUD of A.J. in his very first band concert last Thursday night. I was so tickled that we were able to stay until that point (the next day, Friday, was their last day of school), and that he enjoyed it so much. We sat in the second row, and I took a bunch of snaps. He is one of six clarinet players, and he clearly knew his stuff.
Even better, he surprised the heck outta me when we arrived back at the TLF that night. I had watched Mr. Holland's Opus with the boys the previous weekend, and A.J. had been particularly interested in the clarinet player's struggles (which I expected, and which is the reason I suggested the movie, besides just loving it to pieces myself). He told me he wanted to play something for me, and he pulled out his clarinet...
... and then he played THAT TUNE from the movie! He played it by ear, having guessed and practiced it by himself all week. I was ASTOUNDED! I told him he's really got a gift, and that not many folks can "hear" notes like that, and especially not just three months after beginning to play an instrument. He just grinned and played it over and over, working on figuring out the next note as he went. Wow!
I should probably get moving here. No one's waiting on the computer, but I would like to get a long, lazy sleep in, and that means I should start snoozing soon. 'Night, all!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Moving: Homeless!
We're officially homeless now! Our house passed the final inspection this morning, and we've been staying in the TLF since Monday night. We have just a few more days, and then it's bye-bye, Bellevue!
I'm at the base library right now to "play internet" while Philip is finishing up some more out-processing. We'll be picking the boys up from their last day of school here in an hour, and I'm already sad about that. They took special treats to school with them for their friends - Hershey® chocolate bars that they wrapped in special snowman wrappers and signed their names on. The wrappers ended up being a bit large, so Jack helped trim each one as we went.
Speaking of which, I think everyone knows that Jack is left-handed. He's the only lefty in our family, and has been the only lefty in his class since preschool, even. However, he uses scissors with his right hand, and he uses them perfectly. What a trip!
I have yearbooks from last year ready and waiting in the wings for the car trip to North Dakota. I bought them without the boys' knowledge, and I've been saving them. I know that A.J., especially, is having a stressful time with the move, and I hope that being able to spend a few hours remembering his friends will help. We also plan to split the boys in our two vehicles, giving each of them lots of special one-on-one time with us. The kitties will be entirely with me in my car, though. ;-)
And the kitties have tranquilizers, too. That's a first for us, but poor Baby was just trembling for even the 3-minute ride from our house to the TLF a few nights ago. I hope the meds help to mellow her out for the ride so she isn't traumatized TOO badly. We also bought new carriers for them, as well as super-comfy mats to put inside, and we've had them open in the room, allowing the kitties to become comfortable with them. This morning, I tucked a bit of catnip in the back end of each one, and they had to crawl inside to nom their treats. I really do hope they move as well as the cats did years back on the 10-day drive/move from Alaska to here.
I ate lunch at the boys' school one last time this past Wednesday, and I'm really gonna miss all their sweet friends. We had dinner with our dear friends, the Thrasher family, that night. There was food, fun, chocolate fondue, and lots of laughing. The kids played their hearts out, and before we knew it, the time was 10:30pm... on a school night! Jack crashed in the car in just minutes on the way home, but I'm so glad we were able to spend the time with them before we leave. We had A.J.'s band concert last night, and we said goodbye to several of his friends then. We are spending the evening tonight with the Petersons, then tomorrow night with the Gettys, and then Sunday night with the Bradleys. We've got a lunch date with the Vassers tomorrow, and hopefully, we can get together with Marissa's family on Sunday afternoon, too. I am physically exhausted at the end of each day from all the running around and visiting, but I wouldn't waste a minute of our time left by not seeing friends!
I'm at the base library right now to "play internet" while Philip is finishing up some more out-processing. We'll be picking the boys up from their last day of school here in an hour, and I'm already sad about that. They took special treats to school with them for their friends - Hershey® chocolate bars that they wrapped in special snowman wrappers and signed their names on. The wrappers ended up being a bit large, so Jack helped trim each one as we went.
Speaking of which, I think everyone knows that Jack is left-handed. He's the only lefty in our family, and has been the only lefty in his class since preschool, even. However, he uses scissors with his right hand, and he uses them perfectly. What a trip!
I have yearbooks from last year ready and waiting in the wings for the car trip to North Dakota. I bought them without the boys' knowledge, and I've been saving them. I know that A.J., especially, is having a stressful time with the move, and I hope that being able to spend a few hours remembering his friends will help. We also plan to split the boys in our two vehicles, giving each of them lots of special one-on-one time with us. The kitties will be entirely with me in my car, though. ;-)
And the kitties have tranquilizers, too. That's a first for us, but poor Baby was just trembling for even the 3-minute ride from our house to the TLF a few nights ago. I hope the meds help to mellow her out for the ride so she isn't traumatized TOO badly. We also bought new carriers for them, as well as super-comfy mats to put inside, and we've had them open in the room, allowing the kitties to become comfortable with them. This morning, I tucked a bit of catnip in the back end of each one, and they had to crawl inside to nom their treats. I really do hope they move as well as the cats did years back on the 10-day drive/move from Alaska to here.
I ate lunch at the boys' school one last time this past Wednesday, and I'm really gonna miss all their sweet friends. We had dinner with our dear friends, the Thrasher family, that night. There was food, fun, chocolate fondue, and lots of laughing. The kids played their hearts out, and before we knew it, the time was 10:30pm... on a school night! Jack crashed in the car in just minutes on the way home, but I'm so glad we were able to spend the time with them before we leave. We had A.J.'s band concert last night, and we said goodbye to several of his friends then. We are spending the evening tonight with the Petersons, then tomorrow night with the Gettys, and then Sunday night with the Bradleys. We've got a lunch date with the Vassers tomorrow, and hopefully, we can get together with Marissa's family on Sunday afternoon, too. I am physically exhausted at the end of each day from all the running around and visiting, but I wouldn't waste a minute of our time left by not seeing friends!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Moving: Almost gone.
The movers come tomorrow to pack us. They'll be loading our truck on Tuesday, but we begin staying in the TLF tomorrow night, so tonight - Sunday - is our last night in this house.
:-(
Our phone/cable/internet goes off on Wednesday morning, but since we don't have a laptop, I can't promise how "present" I'll be in the next two days anyway. Of course, moving goes hand-in-hand with chaos, rushing, and lots and lots of last-minute errands.
I've got no forwarding address. I hope to rectify that tomorrow, but we have had no luck with the Minot AFB post office yet. This worries me GREATLY, I should add.
Right now, we've received word from the Minot housing office, and they're telling us to expect a 12+ month wait or more. It's not been good news, and that just adds to my worry. Where'sashen_butterfly? I'll give her some of my worrying, for I know she's so darn good at it. ;-)
We leave Nebraska on Monday, the 7th. I've got a doctor's appointment that cannot be switched or made any earlier, and Philip has an out-processing appointment that morning as well. We will leave after lunch. The tearful goodbyes have already well-started with several folks I won't see again before then.
If you didn't make the switch back in the summer and have been meaning to get around to it, PLEASE change my email in your books now: sncleghorn at gmail dot com
:-(
Our phone/cable/internet goes off on Wednesday morning, but since we don't have a laptop, I can't promise how "present" I'll be in the next two days anyway. Of course, moving goes hand-in-hand with chaos, rushing, and lots and lots of last-minute errands.
I've got no forwarding address. I hope to rectify that tomorrow, but we have had no luck with the Minot AFB post office yet. This worries me GREATLY, I should add.
Right now, we've received word from the Minot housing office, and they're telling us to expect a 12+ month wait or more. It's not been good news, and that just adds to my worry. Where's
ashen_butterfly? I'll give her some of my worrying, for I know she's so darn good at it. ;-)We leave Nebraska on Monday, the 7th. I've got a doctor's appointment that cannot be switched or made any earlier, and Philip has an out-processing appointment that morning as well. We will leave after lunch. The tearful goodbyes have already well-started with several folks I won't see again before then.
If you didn't make the switch back in the summer and have been meaning to get around to it, PLEASE change my email in your books now: sncleghorn at gmail dot com
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thanksgiving menu.
Befores:
- chips & salsa
- pepperoni & summer sausage
- colby jack, cheddar & mozzarella
- Ritz crackers
Durings:
- roasted turkey
- mashed potatoes & gravy
- sweet potato casserole
- stuffing
- green bean casserole
- homemade mac 'n cheese
- store-bought mac 'n cheese (Andy wanted a stand-by, "just in case")
- yeast rolls
- corn
- jellied cranberry sauce
Afters:
- mini pumpkin pies
- pumpkin pies
- pineapple upside-down cake
- spice cookies with cream cheese frosting
- white chocolate tarts
And of course, there'll be sweet tea, soda, and eleventy billion choices of hot cocoas. :-)
- chips & salsa
- pepperoni & summer sausage
- colby jack, cheddar & mozzarella
- Ritz crackers
Durings:
- roasted turkey
- mashed potatoes & gravy
- sweet potato casserole
- stuffing
- green bean casserole
- homemade mac 'n cheese
- store-bought mac 'n cheese (Andy wanted a stand-by, "just in case")
- yeast rolls
- corn
- jellied cranberry sauce
Afters:
- mini pumpkin pies
- pumpkin pies
- pineapple upside-down cake
- spice cookies with cream cheese frosting
- white chocolate tarts
And of course, there'll be sweet tea, soda, and eleventy billion choices of hot cocoas. :-)
Lunches and feasts.
Philip and I both headed up to the school for lunch today, bringing with us Subway for a treat. We can't go tomorrow on our usual Wednesday routine, as the boys' school is out for Thanksgiving break, so we bumped up a day.
When I asked them last night, no one was sure of the lunch choice for today. Because of this, we opted for lunch brought in, and they collaborated and chose Subway. Fine by me - I love subs! When we walked into the lunchroom, we found the school lunch to be hotdogs, seasoned potato wedges, milk, fruit, and a chocolate chip cookie. That choice is pretty decent - bummer!
Now I am STUFFED, and we're fixin' to head out shopping for all our Thanksgiving feast supplies. We've got two folks (and a guest) from work coming over to celebrate with us, and Philip also has a troop coming over. It should be good, and we'll be sending most of the leftovers home with all of them. :-)
When I asked them last night, no one was sure of the lunch choice for today. Because of this, we opted for lunch brought in, and they collaborated and chose Subway. Fine by me - I love subs! When we walked into the lunchroom, we found the school lunch to be hotdogs, seasoned potato wedges, milk, fruit, and a chocolate chip cookie. That choice is pretty decent - bummer!
Now I am STUFFED, and we're fixin' to head out shopping for all our Thanksgiving feast supplies. We've got two folks (and a guest) from work coming over to celebrate with us, and Philip also has a troop coming over. It should be good, and we'll be sending most of the leftovers home with all of them. :-)
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Vacation 2009 Tweets.
One day, I'll get around to the photos and stories, but for now, I wanted to get these cleared off of my phone. You may have seen all of them on FaceBook back in "real time," but this is a decent record of our vacation. :-)
7/22/09:
- is full after a yummy dinner at Bob Evans. We laughed 'til we cried over the meal, and then just bought a new iTrip (our current one must've just died today?).
- says we have passed so many flippin' fireworks stands in Missouri!
- wonders why moms are gifted with a super-power for identifying the 'tooters' claiming innocence by their unique smell. But yeah, I'm a pro.
- says Philip keeps chuckling at me as I belt out songs in the car. My voice cracked once, even - Brady Bunch, anyone? "When it's time to change..."
- is cracking up! I just turned on the light to find my tatting piece firmly clinging to the shoulder of P's shirt. NO clue how it got there - hilarious!
- just stopped at Kum&Go's - yes, two of them. A Kum&Go directly across the street from a Kum&Go. We came and went. *grin*
7/23/09:
- just saw a cow stampede! Cool!
- walked the streets of Branson in the early morning. Now we're Memphis-bound!
- is OMG! Shipley's Donuts! Best donuts in the world, and I haven't had them since I left Texas almost 15 years ago! Dude, we're getting donuts!
- is surprised - Arkansas has trolleys! How quaint!
- Bliss! Hardee's for lunch, followed with Shipley's for dessert!
- just shared an awesome tour of Graceland with my boys - all three of 'em. I'm so excited to share the Guynes family Elvis love! :-D
- is on a riverboat dinner cruise. Live blues band and gorgeous scenery - the boys are loving it! :-)
- will be stopping outside the Memphis-side of Nashville for the night. 'Night, y'all!
7/24/09:
- is on the road again! Breakfast in Nashville, and then we're headed to eastern Tennessee.
- just finished up a great breakfast of Chick-n Minis at Chick-fil-A... thanks, Bri!
- is lunching at the Huddle House, and all the guys are 'huddled' around the jukebox, selecting songs for our meal.
- #872 Thing I Love About the South: every eating establishment has sweet tea... and all made the "right" way - with sugar added when hot!
- thinks Tennessee ivy is the 8th wonder of the world!
- *squeee* We're taking the boys on a skylift over touristy Gatlinburg! So high!
- we had 'old-tyme' portraits taken together, and now we're eating at Hard Rock Cafe Gatlinburg. This is the second pin A.J. has added to his collection this vacation. :-)
7/25/09:
- is in Cleveland, TN right now, but only passing through. *waves at Annie*
- is almost to Atlanta, and we are all wondering why we see no peach trees in GA yet. Shouldn't they be lining the interstate for viewing?
- says that Philip creamed an innocent raccoon last night. Poor guy just exploded under the tires - eww. :-(
- we are touring the 'World of Coke' in Atlanta. Yeah, I'm in heaven!
- thinks the museum was great! I loved trying new flavors in the 'Taste Factory' - the Starberry was yummy! :-)
- is at the beach!
7/26/09:
- has survived the first beach outing. I went under - and I mean *UNDER* and could not recover. P finally noticed and rescued me. Having fun!
- is tiiiiired. Oh my, but I think the road trip has finally caught up with me. That, or almost drowning - hard to tell. Sooooo sleepy!
7/27/09:
- is sitting at a quiet table with her journal.
7/28/09:
- just finished up at the beach (Ocean Isle) for today, and is now headed to Myrtle Beach to cuddle with baby tigers!
- is stuffed after a birthday dinner for BIL Tom. P, me and Jack are now headed home - Jack fell asleep at the table at T-Bonz. He's just too exhausted.
- is amused. Jack says that, "Pond turtles must be some of the 'shyest' little critters!" :-)
7/29/09:
- is eating at Big Nell's Pit Stop. SIL Shel says it's the local, famous 'Greasy Spoon.' :-)
- just got a hole-in-one on Gold Course Hole 3! (It took Philip seven tries - hehehe!)
- just got another hole-in-one on Hole 4. :-)
- can't seem to find Hard Rock Cafe Myrtle Beach - GPS keeps taking us to the wrong place...
- got her ice cream on at the Ocean Isle Creamery. Cherry vanilla with chocolate syrup - mmmmmm!
7/30/09:
- is breakfasting at 'The Purple Onion,' and A.J.'s blueberry biscuits look and taste amazing! he was served before the rest of us. :-)
- on our way to the Intercoastal Waterway Cruise. *fingers crossed for dolphin sightings*
- saw dolphins today, and I also got my first facial sunburn, too.
7/31/09:
- just got back from the beach for the last time. :-( On the bright side, we're going jet-skiing on the waterway in an hour. Gotta hang tight to P while he drives - eep!
- is sipping on a Cheerwine - mmmmmm!
- is pretty much awesome at mini-golf. I just won two more hole-in-ones here on the island course, playing with P, Grammy and the boys. :-)
8/1/09:
- is on the road again. Bye-bye, beach! First stop: the local post office. We've already amassed a TON of souv's, and we're mailing 'em home.
- has the 'Oobi' theme stuck in her head.
- wants to get her rings professionally cleaned again soon.
- thinks the clouds are being boring in this stretch of road. I can't seem to find *any* good shapes in them!
- it's snowing in August in Atlanta! It looks *so* life-like, but really, a down pillow fell off a truck in front of us and has exploded on the highway! :-)
- I've been tatting it up on this trip - missing you, Lizzles!
- says that Philip is jealous of my mad Bee-Gee's singability skillz.
- Convo... Jack: Dad, my scar hurts. Philip: Does that mean VoldeMonkeyBars is near? Jack: No, just VoldeBars! *impish grin*
- is less than 5 miles away from AnnieMcFranniePants! I can't wait!
8/2/09:
- tidbit from Jack upon leaving Annie this morning: "Ahhhhh! It was nice seeing an old friend again!"
- awesome! Just slowed down for a pic along the trail in Smoky Mt. Nat'l Park, and a black bear cub walked right across the path *right* behind us!
- Jack just got a hole-in-one on the 1st hole at Adventure Golf. He won a free game!
- all my guys got hole-in-ones on #12. (I sucked this game - yowzers!) In fact, each of the males managed TWO h-i-o's in this course. :-)
- here's me, pooped out - sitting in the largest, most gorgeous Pizza Hut I've ever seen, waiting on our order, and all the boys are hoofing it to 'Star Cars.'
- 'Star Cars' is a museum showcasing famous Hollywood vehicles. It's about one block away, and I'm chilling in the upstairs loft of Pizza Hut.
- we're staying in an idyllic little lodge here in Gatlinburg tonight. I swear, G-burg has quickly become my favorite 'find' on this vacation!
8/3/09:
- is leaving Gatlinburg. *sniffles*
- says, "Move over, Shipley's." We just ate breakfast at a locally-owned Dippin' Donuts in Knoxville, and it was the BEST donuts I've ever had.
- is at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville. :-)
- just spent the last hour+ walking the streets of Nashville. Stopped in the Hard Rock Cafe, then checked out the Charlie Daniels Museum, too.
- is petting stingrays, and next we're dining in an aquarium - eating right under the fishies!
- is getting ready to watch G-Force. We've all been waiting for this! This is our wind-down event for the evening. :-)
8/4/09:
- just left Tennessee and has passed into Kentucky.
- is so full. Steak 'n Shake chili and a Snickers shake - mmmmmm!
- is in St. Louis - Gateway Arch, here we come!
- is at the very tip-top of the Gateway Arch!
- has been to Hard Rock Cafe St. Louis, all over Union Station, to dinner, then swimming at the hotel. 'Night!
8/5/09:
- eek! My first Tweet of the day just woke us up (thankswendywoowho)! Wow, our room was *very* quiet, dark & comfy, and we must've all been exhausted!
- Pay-It-Forward in action! Jack gave away his earned free golf pass a few nights ago, and a lady just handed us 2 free kid passes to the park!
- is at Six Flags Over St. Louis amusement park for a day of rides, fun, and perfect weather!
- is watching the boys get their game on in the arcade, and then we're headed for dinner and swimming at the hotel. Prizes ain't fun to carry!
- the downside of jet-skiing? The burned scalp peel-a-thon about four days later. It looks like I have giant dandruff tonight. :-/
8/6/09:
- is homeward bound! We should be home by early evening. :-)
- has roughly 3.5 hours 'til we're home.
- We just took a touristy picture next to the road sign as we finally crossed back into Nebraska!
7/22/09:
- is full after a yummy dinner at Bob Evans. We laughed 'til we cried over the meal, and then just bought a new iTrip (our current one must've just died today?).
- says we have passed so many flippin' fireworks stands in Missouri!
- wonders why moms are gifted with a super-power for identifying the 'tooters' claiming innocence by their unique smell. But yeah, I'm a pro.
- says Philip keeps chuckling at me as I belt out songs in the car. My voice cracked once, even - Brady Bunch, anyone? "When it's time to change..."
- is cracking up! I just turned on the light to find my tatting piece firmly clinging to the shoulder of P's shirt. NO clue how it got there - hilarious!
- just stopped at Kum&Go's - yes, two of them. A Kum&Go directly across the street from a Kum&Go. We came and went. *grin*
7/23/09:
- just saw a cow stampede! Cool!
- walked the streets of Branson in the early morning. Now we're Memphis-bound!
- is OMG! Shipley's Donuts! Best donuts in the world, and I haven't had them since I left Texas almost 15 years ago! Dude, we're getting donuts!
- is surprised - Arkansas has trolleys! How quaint!
- Bliss! Hardee's for lunch, followed with Shipley's for dessert!
- just shared an awesome tour of Graceland with my boys - all three of 'em. I'm so excited to share the Guynes family Elvis love! :-D
- is on a riverboat dinner cruise. Live blues band and gorgeous scenery - the boys are loving it! :-)
- will be stopping outside the Memphis-side of Nashville for the night. 'Night, y'all!
7/24/09:
- is on the road again! Breakfast in Nashville, and then we're headed to eastern Tennessee.
- just finished up a great breakfast of Chick-n Minis at Chick-fil-A... thanks, Bri!
- is lunching at the Huddle House, and all the guys are 'huddled' around the jukebox, selecting songs for our meal.
- #872 Thing I Love About the South: every eating establishment has sweet tea... and all made the "right" way - with sugar added when hot!
- thinks Tennessee ivy is the 8th wonder of the world!
- *squeee* We're taking the boys on a skylift over touristy Gatlinburg! So high!
- we had 'old-tyme' portraits taken together, and now we're eating at Hard Rock Cafe Gatlinburg. This is the second pin A.J. has added to his collection this vacation. :-)
7/25/09:
- is in Cleveland, TN right now, but only passing through. *waves at Annie*
- is almost to Atlanta, and we are all wondering why we see no peach trees in GA yet. Shouldn't they be lining the interstate for viewing?
- says that Philip creamed an innocent raccoon last night. Poor guy just exploded under the tires - eww. :-(
- we are touring the 'World of Coke' in Atlanta. Yeah, I'm in heaven!
- thinks the museum was great! I loved trying new flavors in the 'Taste Factory' - the Starberry was yummy! :-)
- is at the beach!
7/26/09:
- has survived the first beach outing. I went under - and I mean *UNDER* and could not recover. P finally noticed and rescued me. Having fun!
- is tiiiiired. Oh my, but I think the road trip has finally caught up with me. That, or almost drowning - hard to tell. Sooooo sleepy!
7/27/09:
- is sitting at a quiet table with her journal.
7/28/09:
- just finished up at the beach (Ocean Isle) for today, and is now headed to Myrtle Beach to cuddle with baby tigers!
- is stuffed after a birthday dinner for BIL Tom. P, me and Jack are now headed home - Jack fell asleep at the table at T-Bonz. He's just too exhausted.
- is amused. Jack says that, "Pond turtles must be some of the 'shyest' little critters!" :-)
7/29/09:
- is eating at Big Nell's Pit Stop. SIL Shel says it's the local, famous 'Greasy Spoon.' :-)
- just got a hole-in-one on Gold Course Hole 3! (It took Philip seven tries - hehehe!)
- just got another hole-in-one on Hole 4. :-)
- can't seem to find Hard Rock Cafe Myrtle Beach - GPS keeps taking us to the wrong place...
- got her ice cream on at the Ocean Isle Creamery. Cherry vanilla with chocolate syrup - mmmmmm!
7/30/09:
- is breakfasting at 'The Purple Onion,' and A.J.'s blueberry biscuits look and taste amazing! he was served before the rest of us. :-)
- on our way to the Intercoastal Waterway Cruise. *fingers crossed for dolphin sightings*
- saw dolphins today, and I also got my first facial sunburn, too.
7/31/09:
- just got back from the beach for the last time. :-( On the bright side, we're going jet-skiing on the waterway in an hour. Gotta hang tight to P while he drives - eep!
- is sipping on a Cheerwine - mmmmmm!
- is pretty much awesome at mini-golf. I just won two more hole-in-ones here on the island course, playing with P, Grammy and the boys. :-)
8/1/09:
- is on the road again. Bye-bye, beach! First stop: the local post office. We've already amassed a TON of souv's, and we're mailing 'em home.
- has the 'Oobi' theme stuck in her head.
- wants to get her rings professionally cleaned again soon.
- thinks the clouds are being boring in this stretch of road. I can't seem to find *any* good shapes in them!
- it's snowing in August in Atlanta! It looks *so* life-like, but really, a down pillow fell off a truck in front of us and has exploded on the highway! :-)
- I've been tatting it up on this trip - missing you, Lizzles!
- says that Philip is jealous of my mad Bee-Gee's singability skillz.
- Convo... Jack: Dad, my scar hurts. Philip: Does that mean VoldeMonkeyBars is near? Jack: No, just VoldeBars! *impish grin*
- is less than 5 miles away from AnnieMcFranniePants! I can't wait!
8/2/09:
- tidbit from Jack upon leaving Annie this morning: "Ahhhhh! It was nice seeing an old friend again!"
- awesome! Just slowed down for a pic along the trail in Smoky Mt. Nat'l Park, and a black bear cub walked right across the path *right* behind us!
- Jack just got a hole-in-one on the 1st hole at Adventure Golf. He won a free game!
- all my guys got hole-in-ones on #12. (I sucked this game - yowzers!) In fact, each of the males managed TWO h-i-o's in this course. :-)
- here's me, pooped out - sitting in the largest, most gorgeous Pizza Hut I've ever seen, waiting on our order, and all the boys are hoofing it to 'Star Cars.'
- 'Star Cars' is a museum showcasing famous Hollywood vehicles. It's about one block away, and I'm chilling in the upstairs loft of Pizza Hut.
- we're staying in an idyllic little lodge here in Gatlinburg tonight. I swear, G-burg has quickly become my favorite 'find' on this vacation!
8/3/09:
- is leaving Gatlinburg. *sniffles*
- says, "Move over, Shipley's." We just ate breakfast at a locally-owned Dippin' Donuts in Knoxville, and it was the BEST donuts I've ever had.
- is at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville. :-)
- just spent the last hour+ walking the streets of Nashville. Stopped in the Hard Rock Cafe, then checked out the Charlie Daniels Museum, too.
- is petting stingrays, and next we're dining in an aquarium - eating right under the fishies!
- is getting ready to watch G-Force. We've all been waiting for this! This is our wind-down event for the evening. :-)
8/4/09:
- just left Tennessee and has passed into Kentucky.
- is so full. Steak 'n Shake chili and a Snickers shake - mmmmmm!
- is in St. Louis - Gateway Arch, here we come!
- is at the very tip-top of the Gateway Arch!
- has been to Hard Rock Cafe St. Louis, all over Union Station, to dinner, then swimming at the hotel. 'Night!
8/5/09:
- eek! My first Tweet of the day just woke us up (thanks
wendywoowho)! Wow, our room was *very* quiet, dark & comfy, and we must've all been exhausted!- Pay-It-Forward in action! Jack gave away his earned free golf pass a few nights ago, and a lady just handed us 2 free kid passes to the park!
- is at Six Flags Over St. Louis amusement park for a day of rides, fun, and perfect weather!
- is watching the boys get their game on in the arcade, and then we're headed for dinner and swimming at the hotel. Prizes ain't fun to carry!
- the downside of jet-skiing? The burned scalp peel-a-thon about four days later. It looks like I have giant dandruff tonight. :-/
8/6/09:
- is homeward bound! We should be home by early evening. :-)
- has roughly 3.5 hours 'til we're home.
- We just took a touristy picture next to the road sign as we finally crossed back into Nebraska!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
My team has not changed.
I stated on the first read of New Moon that I was all about Jacob/Bella. This hasn't changed, even in reading Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I still wish things had worked for my pairing, but I enjoyed the series anyway.
BUT - the onslaught of "TEAM JACOB!" is now crazy. I'm proud to say I was an original Jacob fangirl - before he had short hair and crazy-good abs of steel. I'm very happy to see Jacob now getting the gamut of attention he was always due...
... but I still want an eensy-teensy kiss. Is that too much to ask? *sigh*
I've seen the new movie twice now, and it is even better the second time. Philip and I will be seeing it sometime as well - probably mid-week next week, I imagine. I'm already revved to see it again, so I hope he doesn't fall asleep in non-Twerdy boredom.
BUT - the onslaught of "TEAM JACOB!" is now crazy. I'm proud to say I was an original Jacob fangirl - before he had short hair and crazy-good abs of steel. I'm very happy to see Jacob now getting the gamut of attention he was always due...
... but I still want an eensy-teensy kiss. Is that too much to ask? *sigh*
I've seen the new movie twice now, and it is even better the second time. Philip and I will be seeing it sometime as well - probably mid-week next week, I imagine. I'm already revved to see it again, so I hope he doesn't fall asleep in non-Twerdy boredom.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
B-A-K-L-A-V-A.
Because I know you are all so very worried about my sugar consumption... (you weren't? YOU SHOULD BE!)
I wanted to inform you that I have already devoured my first piece of baklava for the season. In fact, I had three pieces over a week, and even then, it was about ten days ago.
Yummy.
Flaky.
Sticky.
Buttery.
Goodness.
Screw "baklava." No, from now on, I'll gonna call it "YFSBG," because it'll help me to remember how truly wonderful and delicious the stuff really is. ;-)
I wanted to inform you that I have already devoured my first piece of baklava for the season. In fact, I had three pieces over a week, and even then, it was about ten days ago.
Yummy.
Flaky.
Sticky.
Buttery.
Goodness.
Screw "baklava." No, from now on, I'll gonna call it "YFSBG," because it'll help me to remember how truly wonderful and delicious the stuff really is. ;-)
Reading, lunches, and the boys' friends.
This morning was 'Breakfast & A Book' again at the boys' school. We all went, and while there, I also gifted their teachers with some cute, homemade goodies (to be shared about in a separate entry). I then walked the halls and gave the rest away to other teachers that happened to be milling about, as well as the entire office staff and the librarian. Then A.J. headed off to class, and Philip and I brought Jack home for a little bit.
The boys had their regular dentist check-ups yesterday, and Jack needed to go back this morning to have some sealants done. He's got the same substantial "grooves" on his molars that A.J. did years ago, and they want to prevent cavities in those grooves by sealing them now. I took him to that appointment, and then back to school before 9:30. While in the office, another teacher was asking me about the goodies, saying she'd already heard about them from several folks. Fun!
Then I went back at 11:00 for my regular Wednesday lunching with the boys. I'd forgotten to look at the school menu, so I had all my fingers crossed that it was something good... TACOS! I can always support tacos. ;-) A.J.'s group of friends was particularly talkative today, and that was fun. I had put a special, sealed bag in his friend Jade's desk early that morning, and she was BEGGING me to tell her what was in it. I shook my head, and promised her it was worth the wait! Then Jack's group of friends is always so much fun, and I love knowing all of them by name, and continuing individual conversations with the kids from week-to-week. Today, I let his friend Noah Dettmer know that I had *just* spoken with his mom and RSVP'd for the fun 'Mystery Theater' birthday party he's throwing this Saturday. He was very excited, and was *fist-pumping* the air. :-)
As I headed to the office, I was stopped by a few more folks, asking about the goodies. I apologized, saying I was now fresh out, but they still wanted to know how to make 'em. Then it became a baking jamboree discussion in the office, and I love that so many are so interested!
A.J. asked if we could head to Borders after school, and I've got a Bath & Body Works birthday giftcard burning a hole in my pocket, as well as a birthday giftcard to Wheatfield's, so... sounds like a plan to me!
The boys had their regular dentist check-ups yesterday, and Jack needed to go back this morning to have some sealants done. He's got the same substantial "grooves" on his molars that A.J. did years ago, and they want to prevent cavities in those grooves by sealing them now. I took him to that appointment, and then back to school before 9:30. While in the office, another teacher was asking me about the goodies, saying she'd already heard about them from several folks. Fun!
Then I went back at 11:00 for my regular Wednesday lunching with the boys. I'd forgotten to look at the school menu, so I had all my fingers crossed that it was something good... TACOS! I can always support tacos. ;-) A.J.'s group of friends was particularly talkative today, and that was fun. I had put a special, sealed bag in his friend Jade's desk early that morning, and she was BEGGING me to tell her what was in it. I shook my head, and promised her it was worth the wait! Then Jack's group of friends is always so much fun, and I love knowing all of them by name, and continuing individual conversations with the kids from week-to-week. Today, I let his friend Noah Dettmer know that I had *just* spoken with his mom and RSVP'd for the fun 'Mystery Theater' birthday party he's throwing this Saturday. He was very excited, and was *fist-pumping* the air. :-)
As I headed to the office, I was stopped by a few more folks, asking about the goodies. I apologized, saying I was now fresh out, but they still wanted to know how to make 'em. Then it became a baking jamboree discussion in the office, and I love that so many are so interested!
A.J. asked if we could head to Borders after school, and I've got a Bath & Body Works birthday giftcard burning a hole in my pocket, as well as a birthday giftcard to Wheatfield's, so... sounds like a plan to me!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Tales From the Kitch.
From the kitchen audiofile library moments ago:
A.J.: Mom, what are these little brown things in the fridge?
Me: They're part of the special dessert I'm making.
A.J.: Do they go with the marshmallow stuff you were doing, too?
Me: Nope, that's a different one.
A.J.: Are they for the cookie cutters we bought?
Me: Nope, that's another one.
A.J.: Wow. Then these must be some REALLY SPECIAL desserts if it's taking you a couple days to make them!
*grins*
I'm in the kitchen, I'm baking up special things, and I'm having loads of fun. Love this! :-)
A.J.: Mom, what are these little brown things in the fridge?
Me: They're part of the special dessert I'm making.
A.J.: Do they go with the marshmallow stuff you were doing, too?
Me: Nope, that's a different one.
A.J.: Are they for the cookie cutters we bought?
Me: Nope, that's another one.
A.J.: Wow. Then these must be some REALLY SPECIAL desserts if it's taking you a couple days to make them!
*grins*
I'm in the kitchen, I'm baking up special things, and I'm having loads of fun. Love this! :-)
Friday, November 13, 2009
All the Ways That I Love You.
The cat's out of the bag now. ;-)
For her birthday, we gave Heather a special gift... one that she would cherish, but that would really best be given to her children. (But aren't those some of the best gifts? The ones that make your kids smile, and in turn, make you smile even wider?)
We picked up a copy of All the Ways I Love You, and then we recorded into the book all of our voices reading the story. She will forever have the boys' young voices, and her kiddos will always have a story that can be read to them. They will know how much we love them and think about them every time they pick up the book.
I almost cried while reading my line at the end. So here, have a listen. And while you're at it, wish my fellow Zippy a happiest of birthdays on this glorious birthday that we share!
For her birthday, we gave Heather a special gift... one that she would cherish, but that would really best be given to her children. (But aren't those some of the best gifts? The ones that make your kids smile, and in turn, make you smile even wider?)
We picked up a copy of All the Ways I Love You, and then we recorded into the book all of our voices reading the story. She will forever have the boys' young voices, and her kiddos will always have a story that can be read to them. They will know how much we love them and think about them every time they pick up the book.
I almost cried while reading my line at the end. So here, have a listen. And while you're at it, wish my fellow Zippy a happiest of birthdays on this glorious birthday that we share!
 | VoicePost  231K 1:15 | (transcribe) |
Silky.
I just made the creamiest chocolate cake batter ever. Seriously. It was just a boxed mix, but dang - it was SO.SMOOTH. coming out of the batter bowl.
I hope it tastes as great as it looks right now. Next, though, I'm going to crumble it all up. ;-)
I hope it tastes as great as it looks right now. Next, though, I'm going to crumble it all up. ;-)
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Going, going, going.
I'm on my third load of laundry already, and it's a gorgeous day out. I hope to take advantage of this by being extremely-very-majorly productive today.
I started the day with a quick call to my bestie to tell her that I missed her. That always puts a smile on my face, too. And I could hear little Catherine in the background saying, "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Love that little girl, I do.
I did some more holiday shopping last night, and now I've got a dining room FULL of gifts that need to be wrapped and boxed for shipping. That's high on the agenda today, but I need to swing out to the store to get some shirt boxes first. I'm considering baking cookies while I'm wrapping, too.
I'm paying bills right now (well, I was... then I stopped to make an entry, that is), and I'll be heading out in just a moment. I am excited and happy for this big, beautiful day!
I started the day with a quick call to my bestie to tell her that I missed her. That always puts a smile on my face, too. And I could hear little Catherine in the background saying, "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Love that little girl, I do.
I did some more holiday shopping last night, and now I've got a dining room FULL of gifts that need to be wrapped and boxed for shipping. That's high on the agenda today, but I need to swing out to the store to get some shirt boxes first. I'm considering baking cookies while I'm wrapping, too.
I'm paying bills right now (well, I was... then I stopped to make an entry, that is), and I'll be heading out in just a moment. I am excited and happy for this big, beautiful day!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
A holiday update.
Jack and I headed out this evening to begin our holiday shopping. We worked very hard for over two hours, and we made a lot of progress! I'm now happy to report that gifts have been purchased for six special people. That means we only have, let's see... um... six just-as-special people left to buy for. We're halfway done - YAY!
At the very end of our shopping, we passed a makeup section, and Jack was all, "OOOOOooooooh!" He wanted to show me the LipSmackers that his teacher sometimes uses, and he was super stoked to find a Dr. Pepper flavor one. I let him have the 85c chapstick for being such a big help to me in picking out gifts, and he is over the moon tonight about his flavored lips. What a funny guy!
As we were piling purchases into the car, I scouted the parking lot for a cart return. I spotted one, but it was a few aisles over. After emptying out the cart, I let Jack return it, but I warned him to walk slowly and look for traffic constantly. I then started the car and crept alongside him. He did exactly as I asked, being very vigilant in looking for cars, and then he politely pushed the cart all the way inside the return, as the beginning of the next neat row. He then hopped inside the car with me, and I navigated the rest of the parking lot.
"Why were you looking at me with that funny look out the window, Mom?" he asked.
"Hmm?" I questioned. "What are you talking about, bud?"
"You were watching me real close with a kinda smile on. Did you think I couldn't do it by myself?"
I sighed a mother's sigh. "No, sweetie. I knew you could do it. I just look at you sometimes, and I can't believe you are as big as you are, and that you can do all the things you now can. You are just growing up so very fast, you know?"
"I know, Mom," he said knowingly, nodding in the rearview mirror. Then he smiled that loopy smile of his, and he gazed out the window into the clear night.
At the very end of our shopping, we passed a makeup section, and Jack was all, "OOOOOooooooh!" He wanted to show me the LipSmackers that his teacher sometimes uses, and he was super stoked to find a Dr. Pepper flavor one. I let him have the 85c chapstick for being such a big help to me in picking out gifts, and he is over the moon tonight about his flavored lips. What a funny guy!
As we were piling purchases into the car, I scouted the parking lot for a cart return. I spotted one, but it was a few aisles over. After emptying out the cart, I let Jack return it, but I warned him to walk slowly and look for traffic constantly. I then started the car and crept alongside him. He did exactly as I asked, being very vigilant in looking for cars, and then he politely pushed the cart all the way inside the return, as the beginning of the next neat row. He then hopped inside the car with me, and I navigated the rest of the parking lot.
"Why were you looking at me with that funny look out the window, Mom?" he asked.
"Hmm?" I questioned. "What are you talking about, bud?"
"You were watching me real close with a kinda smile on. Did you think I couldn't do it by myself?"
I sighed a mother's sigh. "No, sweetie. I knew you could do it. I just look at you sometimes, and I can't believe you are as big as you are, and that you can do all the things you now can. You are just growing up so very fast, you know?"
"I know, Mom," he said knowingly, nodding in the rearview mirror. Then he smiled that loopy smile of his, and he gazed out the window into the clear night.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Random is as random does.
I have been working, working, working, and working some more lately - craziness! This week, I should pull into overtime again, too.
I've gotten back into the beta'ing bug again for my dear friendkataclysmic. Even if just for one story, it's been fun, and I've realized how much I've missed this in the last couple years. Dramione, how I still love you. ♥ ♥ ♥
I bit the fingernails on both of my ring fingers much too short yesterday morning, and they were both SO SORE all day yesterday. Today, they're not as sore, but they do feel awful funky as I click away on this keyboard. My poor left middle finger should be worried, as he's the next to go.
** Yes, I bite my fingernails. I always have. I could care less whether you find that disgusting because I find it to be the best way to cut as very, very, VERY close as possible, and I loathe taking care of my nails, so I prefer to do it the least often possible... meaning it needs to be TO.THE.SKIN.**
I need to begin my Christmas shopping. Last year, I was on top of things. In fact, last year, I was sickeningly jolly in my holidayness. I had all our gifts purchased and/or made, already gift-wrapped and stacked decoratively in a corner, and photographed (for PROOF!) on this day, November 4th. And then I sent it out to most everyone I knew. After all, how can you properly hate me without knowing the full extent of my awesomesauce? ;-)
This year, I've got diddly-squat done so far. Okay, okay - that's not entirely true. A couple gifts have already trekked out to AnnieMcFranniePants (the_mommy_in_me), but that's it. There are, however, a few in the later stages of being made, so I suppose that's something. But I desperately need to get out there, get shopping, get back here, get wrapping, and get shipping. QUICK!
We got the boys' school portraits a couple weeks ago. I should probably share those, right? I know, I know... "this post is useless without pictures" is ready and waiting in the wings of the comments, so I'll just cut to the chase and share 'em:
Eh? Love 'em? I'm think they are both good pictures, but I also know that neither of those smiles are genuine for my boys. I guess I'm happiest that they save up their very best true smiles for me! ;-)
(It DOES make you wonder though, doesn't it, if the photographer even CAN center a child for their picture. I mean, GAH.)
I've gotten back into the beta'ing bug again for my dear friend
kataclysmic. Even if just for one story, it's been fun, and I've realized how much I've missed this in the last couple years. Dramione, how I still love you. ♥ ♥ ♥I bit the fingernails on both of my ring fingers much too short yesterday morning, and they were both SO SORE all day yesterday. Today, they're not as sore, but they do feel awful funky as I click away on this keyboard. My poor left middle finger should be worried, as he's the next to go.
** Yes, I bite my fingernails. I always have. I could care less whether you find that disgusting because I find it to be the best way to cut as very, very, VERY close as possible, and I loathe taking care of my nails, so I prefer to do it the least often possible... meaning it needs to be TO.THE.SKIN.**
I need to begin my Christmas shopping. Last year, I was on top of things. In fact, last year, I was sickeningly jolly in my holidayness. I had all our gifts purchased and/or made, already gift-wrapped and stacked decoratively in a corner, and photographed (for PROOF!) on this day, November 4th. And then I sent it out to most everyone I knew. After all, how can you properly hate me without knowing the full extent of my awesomesauce? ;-)
This year, I've got diddly-squat done so far. Okay, okay - that's not entirely true. A couple gifts have already trekked out to AnnieMcFranniePants (
the_mommy_in_me), but that's it. There are, however, a few in the later stages of being made, so I suppose that's something. But I desperately need to get out there, get shopping, get back here, get wrapping, and get shipping. QUICK!We got the boys' school portraits a couple weeks ago. I should probably share those, right? I know, I know... "this post is useless without pictures" is ready and waiting in the wings of the comments, so I'll just cut to the chase and share 'em:
Eh? Love 'em? I'm think they are both good pictures, but I also know that neither of those smiles are genuine for my boys. I guess I'm happiest that they save up their very best true smiles for me! ;-)
(It DOES make you wonder though, doesn't it, if the photographer even CAN center a child for their picture. I mean, GAH.)
Thursday, October 22, 2009
No zoo for you!
It's my day off. My day off is usually on Wednesday, but it is Thursday this week because I had volunteered to go to the zoo with Jack's 2nd grade class for a field trip. I chaperoned this same field trip for A.J. in the past, and I was excited to do it again for Jack.
But it was drizzling all day yesterday. In fact, A.J.'s class had a field trip yesterday (no chaperones allowed, however) to a farm, and it was canceled then. And by early evening last night, it was raining.
And it hasn't stopped.
I charged my battery packs, cleared my memory cards, and made sure sack lunches were ready last night. I was up, getting ready, when the phone rang this morning. It was Jack's teacher, Miss Wiebers, informing us that the field trip was canceled due to the excessive rain.
Darn, darn, darn!
I hope it's rescheduled soon, but I'm not overly optimistic. A.J.'s class went on this trip in late September, and it's already late October. The way I figure it, they probably will try to reschedule the field trip for next spring. That makes me just as sad, because then Jack will miss it entirely. :-(
But it was drizzling all day yesterday. In fact, A.J.'s class had a field trip yesterday (no chaperones allowed, however) to a farm, and it was canceled then. And by early evening last night, it was raining.
And it hasn't stopped.
I charged my battery packs, cleared my memory cards, and made sure sack lunches were ready last night. I was up, getting ready, when the phone rang this morning. It was Jack's teacher, Miss Wiebers, informing us that the field trip was canceled due to the excessive rain.
Darn, darn, darn!
I hope it's rescheduled soon, but I'm not overly optimistic. A.J.'s class went on this trip in late September, and it's already late October. The way I figure it, they probably will try to reschedule the field trip for next spring. That makes me just as sad, because then Jack will miss it entirely. :-(
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
O-nions.
My hands smell like onion. I actually quite like the smell, and I'm always up for working with them, when possible. But in the last day, yeah... I've peeled, sliced, dipped, and chopped a lot of onions.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Book-a-licious.
I just returned home from the 'Pastries for Parents' breakfast event at the boys' school. Once again, the turnout was extremely low, but Philip and I were both there (he had gotten it approved to be half an hour late to work today). We ate our muffins and drank our juice, and then we began browsing the book fair.
I love books. :-)
We're all excited for the boys' conferences this afternoon. After school, while we're waiting for their conference time, we'll shop the book fair. After conferences, we're headed out to Borders to pick up A.J.'s reserved copy of the fourth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He's been waiting for weeks and is excited to get it.
Should be a very book-ish day!
I love books. :-)
We're all excited for the boys' conferences this afternoon. After school, while we're waiting for their conference time, we'll shop the book fair. After conferences, we're headed out to Borders to pick up A.J.'s reserved copy of the fourth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He's been waiting for weeks and is excited to get it.
Should be a very book-ish day!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Hallmark killed me today.
Normally, I love Hallmark. I love everything about the store, and I could easily drop a few hundred bucks every time I visit (but I don't).
But today? Today, Hallmark killed me. Man, I have never left feeling so deflated and saddened. I can't give more details yet, because I've got to rear the last of my hope into my projects, get them out to the recipients, and then PRAY FOR THE BEST...
But dang, Hallmark. My poor spirit. Why do you hate me so?! *wrings hands*
Bah humbug. :-(
But today? Today, Hallmark killed me. Man, I have never left feeling so deflated and saddened. I can't give more details yet, because I've got to rear the last of my hope into my projects, get them out to the recipients, and then PRAY FOR THE BEST...
But dang, Hallmark. My poor spirit. Why do you hate me so?! *wrings hands*
Bah humbug. :-(
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
My heart is hurting.
I do not want tomorrow to come.
Tomorrow, my very bestest best friend moves away. She's moving to New Mexico, and I know, I know... it's not the end of the earth. It's not even a different country, and it's not halfway around the world.
But it's too far for me. It's too far for me to call her and say, "Hey, I'm gonna drop off those pictures/boxes/gifts/papers/random objects you wanted, and I'll see you in a minute, okay?" And it's too far for me to run over and snap pictures of Catherine's first days of preschool/kindergarten because I'm just as excited and happy and thrilled for her as she is. And it's too far for me to take my kids trick-or-treating like we've done every year because her neighborhood is more awesome than mine. And it's too far for me to be there for John's first birthday in time. And it's too far for me to make Thanksgiving dinner and give her some of our ham because she never makes it herself, yet she craves it sometimes.
And it's too far for us to throw silly birthday parties together for our joint-birthday. And it's too far for me to do all the tours and house-shopping with her. It's too far for me to help her unpack her kitchen and put everything in just-so places, and for us to see a rainbow together while doing so. And it's too far for me to see Catherine stomping around in her froggy shoes, and for me to teach John all the wonders of Coca-Cola. It's too far for me to get to hug their little arms and kiss their little cheeks. And it's too far for me to baby-sit her precious kiddos while she runs an errand, and to feed them too many mandarin oranges. It's also too far for me to kitty-sit for "Hidey" Milo and "Escapee" Tasha.
And it's too far for us to go on vacation, and then bring back Chick-Fil-A for each other, dropping it by each other's house on our way back home. And it's too far for her to make it to all the boys' school concerts. And to all their book fairs. And their carnivals. And their birthdays. And now I'm just being selfish again...
It's too far for me to fall into her arms when I need her hugs - her special, 'we-don't-do-it-all-the-time-but-she-touches-my-soul-when-we-do' kind of hugs.
This past Friday, the 25th of September, marked seven years to the day that I first walked across the street and introduced myself to Heather. These seven years have been the very best and worst times of my life, and she's been there for every second of it. I can't imagine any of it differently, and I can't imagine it without her. She's in every part of my scrapbook, every part of my life, and she holds a very, very special place in my heart.
Two weeks ago, Catherine and I chatted on the phone. I'd been talking to her mama, and she wanted to say something special. When she was ready to get off, she said, "I love you." And I know I will get to hear her say that on the phone now, but I'm sad for all the goodbye hugs and sweet, goodbye kisses on my cheek that I'll miss.
And I know that New Mexico isn't the end of the earth. I know that I'll trip to see her, and she'll trip to see me. And I know that we'll have to pick certain events/holidays to travel and share with one another, and that we'll always have internet and phonecalls.
But it's too far not to still hurt, and to hurt so deeply.
Lastly, it's too far for me to ever have a chance at being even half the friend and family to her that she has been to me. She is my sister, and she's not too far away to love.
Tomorrow, my very bestest best friend moves away. She's moving to New Mexico, and I know, I know... it's not the end of the earth. It's not even a different country, and it's not halfway around the world.
But it's too far for me. It's too far for me to call her and say, "Hey, I'm gonna drop off those pictures/boxes/gifts/papers/random objects you wanted, and I'll see you in a minute, okay?" And it's too far for me to run over and snap pictures of Catherine's first days of preschool/kindergarten because I'm just as excited and happy and thrilled for her as she is. And it's too far for me to take my kids trick-or-treating like we've done every year because her neighborhood is more awesome than mine. And it's too far for me to be there for John's first birthday in time. And it's too far for me to make Thanksgiving dinner and give her some of our ham because she never makes it herself, yet she craves it sometimes.
And it's too far for us to throw silly birthday parties together for our joint-birthday. And it's too far for me to do all the tours and house-shopping with her. It's too far for me to help her unpack her kitchen and put everything in just-so places, and for us to see a rainbow together while doing so. And it's too far for me to see Catherine stomping around in her froggy shoes, and for me to teach John all the wonders of Coca-Cola. It's too far for me to get to hug their little arms and kiss their little cheeks. And it's too far for me to baby-sit her precious kiddos while she runs an errand, and to feed them too many mandarin oranges. It's also too far for me to kitty-sit for "Hidey" Milo and "Escapee" Tasha.
And it's too far for us to go on vacation, and then bring back Chick-Fil-A for each other, dropping it by each other's house on our way back home. And it's too far for her to make it to all the boys' school concerts. And to all their book fairs. And their carnivals. And their birthdays. And now I'm just being selfish again...
It's too far for me to fall into her arms when I need her hugs - her special, 'we-don't-do-it-all-the-time-but-she-tou
This past Friday, the 25th of September, marked seven years to the day that I first walked across the street and introduced myself to Heather. These seven years have been the very best and worst times of my life, and she's been there for every second of it. I can't imagine any of it differently, and I can't imagine it without her. She's in every part of my scrapbook, every part of my life, and she holds a very, very special place in my heart.
Two weeks ago, Catherine and I chatted on the phone. I'd been talking to her mama, and she wanted to say something special. When she was ready to get off, she said, "I love you." And I know I will get to hear her say that on the phone now, but I'm sad for all the goodbye hugs and sweet, goodbye kisses on my cheek that I'll miss.
And I know that New Mexico isn't the end of the earth. I know that I'll trip to see her, and she'll trip to see me. And I know that we'll have to pick certain events/holidays to travel and share with one another, and that we'll always have internet and phonecalls.
But it's too far not to still hurt, and to hurt so deeply.
Lastly, it's too far for me to ever have a chance at being even half the friend and family to her that she has been to me. She is my sister, and she's not too far away to love.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
200!
I doubt anyone checks back to this older entry, but this is worth announcing:
JACK HAS READ 200 BOOKS THIS YEAR!
He's had lulls here and there, and he's had months where he just goes crazy with reading. His skill level is amazing, and we couldn't be prouder of his progress over the summer months! He received a progress report home on Thursday, and the news was insane: to be classified at the 'Advanced' level for second grade, he was expected to read 78 words-per-minute. His score:
192 wpm
*cartwheels* We are just blown away! Looking ahead, he should be reading 117+ wpm by the end of the school year to still be classified at 'Advanced.' I've got an idea that's gonna be NO problem. ;-)
JACK HAS READ 200 BOOKS THIS YEAR!
He's had lulls here and there, and he's had months where he just goes crazy with reading. His skill level is amazing, and we couldn't be prouder of his progress over the summer months! He received a progress report home on Thursday, and the news was insane: to be classified at the 'Advanced' level for second grade, he was expected to read 78 words-per-minute. His score:
192 wpm
*cartwheels* We are just blown away! Looking ahead, he should be reading 117+ wpm by the end of the school year to still be classified at 'Advanced.' I've got an idea that's gonna be NO problem. ;-)
School pictures.
I have paid for the boys' school pictures online. Their picture day is Monday, so I'm now prepared. This wasn't on my (short) to-do list today, so now I've gone and overdone it - heh.
Being sick sucks.
Being sick sucks.
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