I put the 'suck' in 'Suck-it-up'

Did I really go through the last year without posting? Curse you , FACEBOOK! Basically the whole deployment went undocumented. So yeah, I suck, whatevah.

I will try to spend the next week re-capping our last year, with month/season-to-month/season highlights (of the kids of course, since they are the only entertaining things around these parts).

To give an overview of now:

We decided to do WAVA again this year for the girls (public school at home). We considered sending them back to public school, but F-bomb still presents an 'issue' for our school, as they have no placement testing, nor supplemental programs to challenge her. She is working 2 grades ahead in all her Literature/Language Skills, and a grade ahead in math. The school SJ would have gone to does not allow running on the playground at recess, nor any physical contact on school property (yep, that includes high-fives and hugging), due to the HUGE 'mean-girls'/bullying issue there last year. That's just the tip of the iceburg, but enough. There's also the fact that we are moving in the Spring anyway, and would like to take our time coming across the country, so the homeschooling allows us to get ahead, or not, whatever - we can school on the road if need be! Believe me, good schools will be top priority in choosing our next home's location!

We did send Mel to Kindergarten right around the corner from our house. It's a half-day program, but he is a perfect fit, and LOVES it! Most mornings, as we are walking out the door heading to school, there is a vanload of girls from Kindergarten passing by, and windows are rolled down with a resounding "Heeeeeeyyyyyy, Melsssssooooonnnnn!" followed by giggle, giggle, squeal. Seriously, this kid's got game!

Of course, JM is back from his 3rd year in Iraq, and we are just beginning to find our 'normal' family battle-ryhthm again. Four months after his return. Yeah.

Our next assignment has us 'out of the fight' for what looks to be a solid three years. He will be teaching Captains at Benning's career course for a couple of years, then we should be off to Leavenworth for ILE (Major school) for another year.

A right-now snapshot of the kids:

SJ - Fiercely responsible and practical. Actively seeking employment. Not afraid to scoop cow poop if that's what it takes to earn a buck. Always has a running list of things to get done. Likes country music (>sigh<). Says frequently that growing up isn't fun. Still crazy about her Daddy, and compares all males to him, at which point they all come up abruptly short. Just found the first boy who is "funny and nice like Daddy", Zach, and is giving him a chance. Hates her hair. Has reading glasses (understated - purple-ish), and loves to read. Gets mature/adult humor, probably too much, but I love it! My 'partner'.


F-bomb - Still quirky, if not more so. Dances in double-and-a-half time to the beat of 11 different drummers AND their accompanying bands. Still only tolerates Mel, but trying more and more to be a help. Idolizes SJ and wants to share a room again with her. Loves shoes, fashion, and all things girl. "Rainbows/Unicorns/Glitter - EEEEEEEEEEE!" Loves to read. Wears reading glasses (RED! and rocks them). Might have a lucrative future in acrobatics and contortionism. Seriously. Although still a worrier, has discovered her thrill-seeker side this last year. Likes 'biker stuff' and has asked for leather chaps. Is very into writing books, and has at least four works-in-progress, of all genre, all the time, on our hard drive. Thinks outside the box - asked Santa for fried chicken if he can't bring her the two other things she asked for. She is the reason for at least 1/2 of the 'stick around' friends I have - they have clearly stated that I'm great and all, but they really just want to see what she turns out to be.



Mel - B. O. Y. And all that encompasses. He is completely in awe of his Daddy. Wants to be "something where I can carry a gun" when he grows up. Builds his own made-up weapons (yesterday's was made out of a pencil case, a drum stick and a flip flop, and it was actually pretty cool!) Charm is an understatement. Gets unsolicited kisses from other Kindergarten girls. Only has eyes for one in particular, though (one of a set of identical twins - and he can tell which is which!) Rotten. Loves music, all kinds, and has a great sense of ryhthm and genre. Proves that particularness about clothing (sleeve length, sock wrinkles, ANY wrinkles, fit, feel) is genetic - thanks Dad (mine)! Doesn't care as much about style of the clothing, as long as it is 'tough'. Dent in his chin - works it. Dimple on his left cheek - works it. ONLY likes the good guys - doesn't even like the bad guy if they come in a dueling set. Sweet and caring toward his sisters when they are hurt/sad/crying, but otherwise takes great joy in tormenting them in typical little-brother fashion.

Them Bones

Tonight's dinner conversation between me and Melson:

Melson: Mama, what does a boy skeleton look like?

Me: I guess just like a girl skeleton, why?

Melson: NO! Where's the weiner bone?!

Me: There's not a weiner bone (giggle, giggle)

Melson: YES THERE IS!!! (feels for his 'weiner bone') Feel it Mommy, there's a BONE in there!

Me: Um, ...no.

Boys, sheesh! This fascination with his junk is never-ending! Why, oh why, did corndogs have to be on the menu for tonight?

Bang your head!

F-bomb just keeps 'em coming!

In reference to the latest book she's reading, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, she says:

"The Dad in this book says he doesn't care for heavy metal music - that's odd."

SJ's reply: "Well, not everybody likes heavy metal music."

F-bomb: "Yeah, but he's a DAD"- >pause, waiting for someone to catch on< - "Not liking heavy metal is kinda girly, and a Dad being girly is just WEIRD!"

Well-done JM! I see no tolerance for weak girly men in THIS little girl's future!

Soccer would suck.

F-bomb in the car today, completely out of the blue:

"I SURE AM GLAD they don't have soccer in the dessert! ONE: it would be hard to kick the ball in the sand, and TWO: Daddy would be even MORE SWEATY!"

OK F-bomb! Whatever you say!

They have their moments

They love each other, they really do! Although Mel doesn't hide his adoration of F-bomb, he also doesn't hide the joy it gives him to irritate the crap out of her. Her love for him looks more like hesitant toleration to the untrained eye. Everyone tells me they will be very close. One day. Until then, even in the sweetest moments, the true undercurrents of the way F-bomb feels about him shine forth, and she gets her punches in where she can, in true F-bomb fashion...

Whatever you do...

DON'T. OPEN. THIS. BAG.




This situation is a testimony to how well the double-zip ziploc bags work. Trust, me, we would know by now if there was a leak! The "treasures" we collected from the beach at Salter's Point just are not valuable enough to open that bag and release the smells within it, in order to retrieve them. What a tease for the kiddos!

Don'tchoo judge me!!!

I know, long time no updates. Whatevah - like I tell the kids: You get whatchoo get and you don't throw a fit!

I'm not even gonna try and catch this thing up, so I will just jump in where we are right now...

Took a trip to Salter's Point yesterday with a friend and her boys since it was extremely low tide. It was rumored to have some pretty cool sea life to explore, so off we went.

Anyone who knows me is aware of my "aversion" to stepping on stuff. Like, ANY kind of stuff, grit, slime, grass, lake bottoms, etc. Heck, even the tiniest sliver of rogue ice chip coughed out of the fridge's dispenser sends me into convulsions. Yes, I know, I have a problem, but the first step is realizing and admitting you have a problem, so, step one: check! Off me.

We parked, hauled all the stuff down the steps to the "beach", and this is what I saw FIRST:


Not exactly the powder-fine white squeaky sands of the Gulf Coast, but, I was expecting that - "at least they aren't wet, icky, slimy, or jagged" I thought to myself. Still I had shoes on.

We plopped the stuff down, then continued on toward the water, because, you know, that's where the action is!

But there was one problem between us and the water, and it came in the form of this next level we had to work our way through:




OK, I had children watching me, for God's sake, so I took some deep breaths (and Melson's hand, since this stuff was slick as owl poo) and moved forward. I will take a moment to again remind you that "the fun Mom" I am not, nor have I ever tried or claimed to be. It's just not how I'm wired - so this whole experience was monumental for me on SO MANY levels.

We all "made it" to the water, physically unscathed, which is saying a lot, considering F-bomb was present. I won't mention the mental "scathing" I had endured by this point.

So the final phase of beachy goodness looked like this:


Yeah, Woot - that's what I was thinking too!!!! Every picture of feet I have from our morning was tiptoe - It is official that not one heel touched down during our excursion till we got off the "beach".

But the torture was somewhat worth it, because we did see some cool stuff, like starfish, crabs, clams, jellyfish, and some deep purple sea plant that was irredescent blue when you turned it in the light.





The highlight of the morning was when we all gathered around this "thing" with meshed teeth, that looked sort of like a piece of driftwood or a toad. I messed with it enough and the kids were squealing, we drew strangers over to look - just in time for me to really tick it off - it quickly retreated into the mud and shot out a gallon of water all over us! It scared us so bad!
We all screamed - even the stranger. SJ got the majority of the water - on her butt of course, because she was hauling booty. I swear all of us could have walked on water. Well, that was the end of the "fun" for F-bomb, and she trekked back up to the safe, dry, round rocks and sat the rest of the morning exploration out. Funny stuff.

So yeah, my "fun Mom" quotient has been maxed for the month. Let the OCD re-commence!