10 for TDYs

10 on Tuesday: Why I love my husband

1) He returned from a business trip with flowers this time (smart man)

2) He is a phenomenal Dad

3) He can cook (really well)

4) The man knows how to clean (and he helps out on a regular basis)

5) After a 9 day TDY, he knows just how to bring a smile to my face (believe me, I wasn't smiling when he returned home a day late)

6) Despite our month o' TDYs, I am so grateful that he is NOT deployed

7) He makes me a better person

8) He calms me down

9) I picture our life in 30 or 50 or 60 years, and I am filled with happiness

10) He loves me

Ten on Wednesday

1) We had an amazing time in Covington, LA for a crawfish boil to celebrate my cousin's safe return from Iraq and college graduation. I'm SO proud of him.

2) About to go to a photo shoot, taken by my good friend Tara. She's an amazing photographer and I'm so excited!!

3) My cousin and his girlfriend are here to visit for a couple of days. SO excited that we're close enough for easy visits.

4) Ollie's last day of school was yesterday and it ended with a very cute presentation.

5) We have a very fun summer planned.

6) We're going to see another allergist for Ollie.

7) The one on base told us to get rid of Risby, based on one skin test.

8) When I asked the office on base about the results (cat and dog are exactly opposite on this test), they couldn't even fathom that they *might* have made a mistake.

9) On a brighter note, the kids continue to do very cute things.

10) Its time to wake them up and take them to the shoot!

Have a great week : )

Ten on Tuesday

Its Tuesday! Yay!

1) Charlotte is doing very well with potty training. We're not 100% yet, but its going well.

2) Ollie is a great big brother.

3) The kilz on my bathroom looks so much better than the puke yellow.

4) I'm going to finish the layer of primer before putting on the pretty Wedgewood Gray (which involves fixing a little bit of the wall).

5) May is flying by.

6) Tim and I will celebrate our 8th anniversary (yikes! that makes me feel old) at the end of this month.

7) Ollie knows I'm joking, but I tell my kids I want to sell them to the gypsies sometimes (like when they're both crying).

8) Food usually fixes that problem.

9) If not food, then sleep.

10) I'm going to sign up for a marathon and then a half Ironman. Its crazy, but I am SO excited.

Ten on Tuesday

Yes, its Thursday again. But hey, its the next week and not the next month.

1) We're landscaping our garden ourselves and its a work in progress. Things grow very well here in FL...like the weeds.

2) As I was removing some grass this morning underneath our dogwood, I saw a little snake slithering away. He was little and not poisonous, but I was happy not to run into him again.

3) Ollie actually swam a few strokes of free-style at swim lessons the other day. It was exciting for me.

4) Charlotte LOVES the water. A lot.

5) Risby is finally regaining her girlish figure. Poor pup has been on weight loss food, and its nice to see some results.

6) Tim and I are doing an Olympic Tri this weekend.

7) We are VERY excited to see our good friends Bill and Erin. The four of us were like peas and carrots back in Boston.

8) Can't wait to meet Liam and Maddie (their kids).

9) We'll be sort of near Cape Canaveral, so I hope to see some little bit of the shuttle launch. Maybe.

10) LOVE my kiddos these days. They're both very cute. Not so cute when they flip out over tiny things, but overall...very cute.

Ten on Tuesday

Or...Thursday. My friend Susie does this and I love the idea. A quick update of our life every week. I know the family will love it : )

1. The kids are taking swimming lessons every week and they love it. Charlotte was actually bobbing at the wall and Ollie will dive under and get rings.

2. We joined the local pool as a way to beat the heat this summer, and to take advantage of the swimming lessons.

3. Life is settling in for us and our weekly routine is nice. Its gonna change in another couple of weeks as summer hits, but we all love this part of the world.

4. Ollie would like our next house to have stairs. Our current house has none.

5. Ollie is settling in well also. He's begun to make friends and talk about CA a little less. Good thing that Carter is nearby : )

6. Charlotte is talking up a blue streak. I sometimes understand what she says and other times, I have to smile and nod.

7. I have a hard time believing that my sweet girl will be two in a couple of months. She'll be ready for a big girl bed soon.

8. Ollie has become a great big brother. He likes to wake Charlotte up with her morning vitamin and he offered to sing her a song when she had shots the other day.

9. Charlotte misses O when he's at school. She stands at the window and waves when he gets a ride and she cries when we drop him off. Its very sweet.

10. You wouldn't know that they loved each other so much at times. Can I super glue a halo to their heads?

How Wonderful Life Is

We went to Home Depot today and it was very exciting. I get it now, why people who only live somewhere for a few years but still spend money on a house. Its not just a house, its our home. And I love it. Tim primed the pillars on our front porch and I painted our entryway. Its going to be beautiful when we're done.

Back at HD, I walked through the flower section and left feeling like I'd walked through a botanic garden. I was all warm and fuzzy inside, thinking about my own garden. Our back yard is full of possibilities (which is code for - it needs a LOT of work). We're going to be able to make a nice flower garden, veg garden, and still have space for the kids to play. AND we have a large cement slab, complete with a basketball hoop. When O and C grow a few more feet, we'll be all set.

The weather here has been unbelievable. Saturday morning, Tim and I dropped the kids off at my gym and I was able to go for a bike ride with my love. It wasn't long, but it was nice to ride with him : )

In other news, lots of things are going on in our community. Our lifestyle lets us get to know people and then moves us away. Its both a blessing and a curse. Every time I move, I have insecure moments where I second guess everything I say. This move has been easier as some of my very good friends moved here as well. Good friends know me well enough to forgive those moments when I stick my foot in my mouth. New friends, maybe not so much. So, I usually agonize over something that I said and then try to act cool and nonchalant as I relate my foot in the mouth moment to said new friend in hopes that she calms my fears. This, my friends, after unpacking, is the worst part of moving. The best part of moving is the chance to get to know some amazing people. We've been very fortunate so far to meet some of the best people that the AF has to offer, in my humble opinion.

The other nasty part of moving is leaving old friends and missing out on the big stuff. Our friend had a kidney transplant on Tuesday. Thank the Lord, she is doing well. Two of our friends had healthy baby girls, which is amazing. I've been on FB all day, hoping for good news about our other friend, who is in the ICU. He went from a healthy guy to very sick, very quickly. The latest news is better, but he's still not up and at 'em.

I'm the kind of girl who wears my heart on my sleeve. I always have. What this means is that I have a hard time not thinking about my friend and her sick husband. How can I enjoy a bike ride, when she's at the hospital with her husband? We're doing what we can, which is saying prayers and sending messages. There's not much else to do at this point. I'm just reminded to hold my kids a little tighter and tell my hub how much I love him. Again.

Life is wonderful, because of the wonderful people we share it with. Chances are, if you're reading this blog...you're one of the wonderful people in my life. Thanks.

Happy Friday

Life here in Florida is good. Very good, in fact. Today, the kids and I went to see a production of "Madeline and the Bad Hat" at the local theater. It was based on the kids series and it was just perfect. Every time that we clapped, Ollie looked at me and excitedly whispered, "Mommy, is there still more show?" He loved it. Charlotte loved it too, but an hour was just a little too long for my girl. She did clap and say, "Yay!" at the appropriate times. Tomorrow, we're off to a farmer's market. I am SO excited.

Ollie continues to do well. He's in a preschool program and he seems to enjoy it. I think he's learning a little bit too. He's on the cusp of reading, but I don't want to push him too far. He and I can butt heads from time to time, so I try to pick my battles. Gentle encouragement is the best approach, I think. We've been to story time at the library and he LOVES it. Its going to become a regular event on our calendar. I'm so excited to be in such a great community with so many things to take advantage of. Our town is very family friendly.

O man is still a riot. He's happy to kiss C, but his hugger is currently broken.

Me: Ollie, we'll have to take you in to have that fixed.

O: No Mommy, eating chicken with crumbles is how we fix that

Me: Didn't you have that for dinner tonight?

O: Yes, but the chicken went to the side hugger (pointing to his left leg). It has to go to the middle hugger (pointing to his middle). The switcher is broken. I need rice milk to fix the switcher.

Man, I love this kid. He and C really enjoy each other and they'll do cute things for each other, like bring the other one milk. Makes me melt a little bit inside.

I also love that O can reason now. I can talk to him reasonably and he can make decisions based on information instead of me laying down the law. Don't fret...I let him know who is boss. I don't tolerate whining, and you don't get things unless you ask nicely. But its so great to be able to tell him to play a little more gently with his sister and have him listen. Makes me think that *sometimes* I'm not so bad at this parenting thing. Sometimes.

Charlotte is still my little angel. Okay, when she had big issues falling asleep, she's wasn't so angelic. After a week and a half of really bad sleep, my friend Lauren gave me some great advice and it worked. I went in every ten to fifteen minutes and gave her a kiss, told her I loved her, and left. No holding, no coddling. It took 40 minutes last night, and 5 tonight. Its not that I don't love her, I just need some me time and I get it once the kids are asleep. I don't think I'm unreasonable.

C has also begun to potty train herself. Unless she has pants on, she pulls her diaper off and will run around naked. We have the training potty in the kids bathroom, but O doesn't really use it anymore. I asked him not to use it as I cleaned it out this morning, and he said that he hadn't. C was naked at the time, so I think it might have been her. She's also taken great delight in sitting on the potty and reading potty books. Who am I to stop the flow of progress?

Hope you are all well. We're eagerly anticipating the return of my other half. Its been a couple of weeks and we have a couple more to go. Things are good (as long as we have sleep) and we have a lot of support. I still miss him, though. I can get into a routine while he is away, but I never get used to life without him. Can't wait to enjoy our new home when he gets back : )