I'm just an ordinary girl doing ordinary stuff.

I just happen to be a single mom in the military.

My kids are part of the military too.

When I deploy, their heart breaks too.

They're strong little guys.

Being their mom is the most humbling experience I've ever had.

Follow the adventures

See if you can keep up with me as I serve my country holding my kids in my arms.

Monday, January 28, 2013

How To Have A Good Day


You can make the day good by doing a headstand in the Chic-Fil-A tunnel.

Or by hanging upside down on things you're not supposed to.


By playing nicely with your brother.

By being cool in the dentist's office.

By sleeping as if the world doesn't exist.

And cuddling in blankets.

And appreciating the sky.

Most times all it takes is a smile.

Or a funny face.
 
 
A kiss!
 
A good day is easy to have.
If you choose to have it.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Thursday Sunrise

Today's sunrise was very dramatic and it was the talk of the day.
My coworker said, "Did you see it? Oh my gosh. It was amazing."
It was.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Bisketti Night!

Caden
"Guess what! I eat all bisketti noodles!"

Me
"Really? But there are lots of noodles in your bowl."

Caden
"That's just for now. There will be no noodles left behind."

Sauce
1 can of meat sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes w/oregano
1 tsp minced garlic
1 minced onion
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp salt
1 lb browned ground beef
1 package fully cooked meatballs

Add cooked thin spaghetti noodles and serve!

The boys loved dinner. :)

Mr. Zippity Goes To the Hospital


You might remember that Bruce chewed Mr. Zippity's eye out on Friday. You can read more about it here. I was able to save him but he wasn't in any shape to go back to school. I had to buy a new one.

Instead of taking pictures of Caden's activities with Mr. Zippity, we decided to write the journal and draw about it.

We drew Mr. Zippity recovering in a hospital, thinking about all the fun he had before the incident.

Caden felt much better about the whole thing after we were done.

He's also pretty sure Mr. Zippity is happy with the project.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Mr. Zippity Loses His Eye

Sean
(In his best He-Man voice)
"For the honor of Grace Skull, I am SPIDER-MAN!"

Caden
(In his best He-Man voice, too)
"Me TOOOOO!"

Sean
"Oh my gosh, Caden! Bruce is chewing Mr. Zippity!"

Like all kids, mine have a habit of leaving toys around. I nag and threaten to throw toys away if they don't show me they care for them. But it's pointless. They're kids. And it isn't a crime to forget to put their toys away. It is, however, a different story when the toy doesn't belong to them.

Caden's weekend project is Mr. Zippity's Travel Log. Each kid in his class will have a chance to take a stuffed animal zebra home for the weekend, take pictures with him, and journal their time together. On Monday they are to bring the travel log and zebra back to class and talk about it.

Caden was so excited to have Mr. Zippity! He ate dinner with him, did homework with him, even brought him to his morning babysitter's house. It was so cute and I thought the project was really sweet.

And then something incredibly ... what's the word ... Common. Yes common. Something incredibly common happened.

Mr. Zippity was found in the mouth of Bruce, our 5 year old bloodhound mix. I couldn't fix it. I sewed his face up and hand washed him. But he was permanently damaged. I ended up purchasing a replacement on Amazon. Thank goodness that store had it.

Caden was so sad but more than that, he didn't want to tell his teacher that he wouldn't be bringing her zebra back. Hopefully this will be a lesson for him--take care of toys!

The culprit. Bruce is known to steal stuffed animals and chew their eyes out. I don't know what it is but he won't do anything else but take out the eyes. Sometimes a nose if its shiny enough.

Caden's tree frog was found mutilated under the dining table.

Sean's Kanga was found under my bed. Thankfully he paid no attention to the baby in her pouch.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Sean Got His Shots

Sean
"Excuse me, can you make sure you put the shot ON my leg and not in it?"

Med tech
"Aw sweetie, it's gonna pinch just for a second. It'll be really fast."

Sean
"Just do it really soft ok? Don't do it hard because it'll hurt real bad. Just put it on my leg, not in it ok?

Med tech
"Ok hold Mommy's hand."

First shot
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Second shot
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Med tech
"Just one more sweetie."

Third shot
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Med tech
"There, there. It's all done sweetie."

Sean
"But I asked you to not do it hard! And it hurt so bad!"

My poor little guy. He was so sweet trying to ask the med tech so nicely not to let the shots hurt. It hurt my heart to see him cry.

Later, he told Caden that he got three shots. Caden's eyes widened. "THREE shots? Oh my gosh! Can I see your band aids?" It made me smile when Sean nodded his head, as if he just won a battle.

Later he told me, "Mommy those hurt really bad. My heart hurts." Thankfully he doesn't need anymore shots for a while.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

4 Year Old Shots

Sean:
Mommy I don't want the shot to go IN my leg I just want it to go ON my leg.

Caden:
No Sean. It has to go IN your leg. Through your meat!

Me:
Caden don't talk about it. You're scaring him.

Sean:
Mommy it'll go like this- pook! And I'll go like this Ow ow ow ow ow!!!!! And it'll break my heart!

Caden:
But Mommy I'm not scaring him. I'm telling him the truth. The needle goes through his meat!

Sean:
Nooooo!!!!!!

So Monday Caden overheard the front desk clerk at Sean's daycare tell me that Sean is due for his 4 year old shots.

So Caden spilled the beans as soon as he saw his brother.

It is the topic of the week. And poor Sean keeps trying to convince me that the needle shouldn't go IN his leg. It should go ON his leg.

So I told him that since he's getting big kid shots he gets to pick out a small toy after. And Caden isn't liking that idea at all.

Caden's plan is to scare Sean enough that he won't get shots so he won't get a toy. Well... That's what I am suspecting anyway.