Hermit?

I went to a housing meeting last night with my kids. It was a meeting to discuss the destruction of our home. Yes, I am still in the middle of that. No, it isn't over yet. Yes, I am still in the same house, I haven't moved yet. At times during the meeting voices escalated, and people were a little miffed. BUT I knew going in that NOTHING was going to change. Why not? Well because, this is the military, and that is the way things are. I did say a few words myself, and I pray that I came across as kind and not someone who should be flying around on a broom stick (though I do feel like that so much as of late, or maybe it has been the last few years...anyway I digress). For the last 12 hours, when I have been awake, I have been mulling over what was said. And at the end of the meeting I was talking to another wife, and she called me a hermit. Seriously, me a hermit? Well she isn't of the homeschooling weirdness, so she doesn't know what a homeschool mom goes through. Schooling her kids, then when done comes the housework, then it is dinner time, then bedtime. She also lives down the street so she doesn't see me come and go with my kids to other places, park day, friends homes, hiking, field trips, the store, church, youth, and sports. Am I really a hermit?

Reset

Good morning dear reader. I am so sorry the days just seem to fly by, and life is just so crazy. I know that you really want to hear all about me and mine, that your day just wouldn't be the same if you didn't hear what was happening in our neck of the woods. Okay, you can quit laughing now...no seriously, you can stop...no really. Sorry, trying to create a smile on your face in this crazy world we live in, on this crazy day in June. JUNE, can you believe it? It is June already! Anyway...

Well I have been reset. FINALLY! I had been in a funk for several weeks and just had the hardest time getting out of it. I sat and chatted with a dear friend for several hours on Tuesday and life just seemed to fall back into place. The birds sang again, the sky was blue, and the Cold Stone ice cream we were eating turned into creamy goodness. What had happened you asked, just life happened. I could bring it all up but that would just take up too much time. Why should I bore you and take up more of your time. You just need to go eat some Cold Stone and feel that lovely sugar rush you get when you partake of Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate chip (or my favorite All Lovin' No Oven) in a beautifully chocolate dipped bowl with sprinkles. Oh I just love those waffle bowls! Oh, curse the person who ever first came up with them. And curse the person who decided to dip it into chocolate and then add sprinkles. It just makes me feel like a kid again, picking out my favorite chocolate glazed donut with the colorful sprinkles on top. Maybe I should really be cursing the person who first made ice cream, or should I go all the way back and curse the donut maker? :) Or run up to them and love on them all for bringing such goodness to our lives and our thighs. See what I mean, my life is just nuts. I guess I do it to myself. Not the military, or family, or people with that say mean comments or have mean actions, or the person that just about ran over me while I was running...no it is just me. It is my attitude toward them and my life. SO if you are feeling grim and need to be reset, call a good friend and meet them for your favorite ice cream or maybe, just maybe your thing is sushi.

Good Start? I think not!

I am amazed at how time just seems to get away from me as of late. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I think that it is just never going to end. Or this deployment...seriously when is it going to end. BUT alas we are over the half way mark. HURRAY!

This morning I woke up in a foul mood. I don't know if it had to do with the 9 hours of sleep that I have had over the past two days. Or the child that shared the bed with me last night made me feel like I was the one off at war. Perhaps the fact that one of our credit cards has been comprised. And to try to communicate over seas is challenging to say the least. Especially when the person is really good at what they do, and they are busy doing it. So anyway, to try to figure out what charges are bogus or not via e-mail adds to the excitement of life. Or maybe the reasoning for my stellar mood might be that I feel like we are behind in Homeschooling even though this is the last week. How about the fact that they are going to demolish my home and I don't know the date, where we are moving, and the craziness that has to do with that and the military. Oh I don't know, maybe it's tons of things. I do feel better now that I have eaten some breakfast. If you know me, then you know that food is an important part of my life. I need it! I am one of those live to eat people, who wants to be part of the eats to live group. Try to figure that one out :)

Anyway, dear reader, I hope you are having a fantastic day! Maybe I will see you at the local Starbucks. A coffee sure sounds good right now, and I really don't feel like making it!

Give me a BREAK!!!!!

This morning beautiful and windy, is calling me. It is calling me to cast all those crazy school books we are trying to get through to the side and head out to enjoy the outdoors. So many things that need to get done, so many things I have left undone. The days are just flying by which is really good! But it also is leaving me drained by the days end with me trying to get it all done. Oh well...is it summer yet?

Home Sweet Home

Dear Reader, I hope you are having a wonderful morning. What a beautiful glorious morning! It should be 80 today. YEAH!!!!! Time to bring out the jeep! Except the boys aren't too fond of riding in the back with all the wind. And I want to drive all over creation when I get into it.

Well today is going to be a busy one! The kids have dentist appointments, not to mention the ortho appointments to take off the wires for their teeth cleanings. We also have our park day with our homeschool group. BUT today I also get to go into housing to ask when they are going to demolish our house. Yes, sometime this year, we will be moving again. I wonder if it will be before my Wonderful Husband gets back or not. I guess I am curious about this, but it has "Thing 2" up crying in the middle of the night. Poor guy. He asked if we could take a brick of our house with us. Our place here is small so it will be interesting to see what they will give us, BUT the view...the view will be hard to replace!

Easter

What a wonderful Easter. Thought it was one that I had not been looking forward to. Holidays without my Wonderful Husband are just a little different. After this past weekend I had I was determined that I wanted to skip weekends entirely. (And here I am looking forward to the summer....seriously what I am thinking?) Why am I so adverse to weekends, you question? Well during the weekends all the husbands are home and everyone is out doing family things. Loving the time together, laughing, grilling, throwing caution to the wind. I do love to see it but it also hurts to see it at the same time. Anyhow, why am I going on to the depressing things...this is about joy, not pain, just sunshine, not rain.

The kids and I kept up the traditions while their daddy has been away. We dyed eggs on Thursday, which was a little early. We usually do it on Saturday, but "Thing 3," just couldn't be put off any longer. I actually boiled 2 dozen eggs instead of the norm 1 dozen. And even now I am thinking why have I only done 1in the past? Probably because I am cheap, and that $1.78 is going to throw me over the edge. Yeah, I'm a nut case...but I am turning a new leaf...2 dozen from now on...maybe I should even do 3 dozen. WATCHOUT! I am on a roll!

Anyhow, our Saturday was packed. "Thing 2," had a friend spend the the night before so they were all up playing video games by the time I got up. After a nutritious meal of French toast dusted with generous amounts of powdered sugar, and then coated with lots of syrup (yes, only the best for my kids. Good old high fructose corn syrup covering white sugar) we headed off to the church. Our church had opened its doors to the community for an Easter festival. "Thing 3," loved it and a great time. "Thing 2's," friend had to leave to play a game (basketball or was it baseball, or was it softball?) anyhow, my middle one is that tender age of awkwardness. He is getting older, but not too old to be over the desire to play games (but then again are we ever over that?). After about 30 minutes of walking from one part of the church to the next and back he finally decided that he was going to participate. Candy was involved so he decided to throw all caution to the wind and win some. He blessed my heart when some of the ladies at one of the station asked him questions about Christ's crucifixion. And you know what? He knew all the answers. So there I was wiping my eyes so proud of my little guy, I know what basket case. Anyway, I digress. Keep going right...okay, sorry. "Thing 1," was talking with his friends that were helping at the different booths. He was enjoying himself as well, until I brought out the camera. He is so much like his dad, loves to avoid pictures. So all in all, all my offspring had a good time. I guess I can't leave myself out, I did see some friends and a close friend and I chased after our youngest ones together.

While at the festival I received a text from another friend that I hadn't seen in a while. She was asking for a lunch date. So the kids and I did a bit of shopping at Target, then off to the house to drop the oldest two off. Now these few precious minutes at home were not only used to drop off boys but used to take the top off the jeep. Let me tell you if you don't own a jeep. Get one! Go out right now and buy one, or borrow one (just make sure you didn't steal it!) Jeeps are therapy! I believe there is even tax credit for owning one, something to do with helping the owl population in the North. I will be so bold as to say that if every American owned a Jeep, smiles would be abundant! No more rush hour traffic, no more shaking fists, or flipping of fingers, no more road rage. Heck it might even end wars and solve world hunger. Probably even cure cancer.

There I go again, I just want everyone to be as happy as I am while driving the jeep...So "Thing 3," and I got into that wonderful jeep with the top down and headed to Chili's. We met my friend and one of her sons there for some catching up and grub. What a lovely time. We decided to continue our party at the local Walmart. Everyone goes to Walmart with their friends, right? I always used to meet my friends there in good old TN. After we spent our alloted time in Walmart we went our separate ways. "Things 3," and I jumped back into the jeep and headed home with our hair flying in the wind.

At home we were lazy for a bit and a neighbor dropped by some tasty cupcakes for the kids and I to enjoy. We talked and caught up, but by the time she left the kids and I didn't have much time to get around for church. So we all scrambled around getting on our different dress outfits. Our church started doing a Saturday service about a year ago, and we have been going ever since. Though this being the Easter service and it being on a Saturday instead of a Sunday seemed a little strange, but we are strange so we went anyway. We left the topless jeep and settled into the truck and sped, I mean drove very carefully to church. I was supposed to be there early to greet, but I am such a slacker, it just didn't work out that way. The service went all too fast and it was time for us to retreat back to our abode. On the way home, "Thing 3," fell asleep. So I carried her into her room, dropping articles of clothing along the way. By the time I put her down, she woke up. Which is all fine because we had almost forgot about making the forgotten cookies. AND, (that is a big and!) my Wonderful Husband called to wish us all a Happy Afghani Easter. (Gosh, wonder what the Afghani's would have thought of that?) Glad we didn't miss his call! So we talked, then kids and I made cookies. Then off to bed for everyone...except the Easter bunny who decided that watching a movie was a good idea.

Easter...I believe I was the one who got up first. I was just so excited about seeing the kids. And wondering what they were going to do. "Thing 3," woke up followed by "Thing 1," and I had to wake up "Thing 2." We opened up the oven to eat our Forgotten cookies for breakfast and followed that with various candies the Easter bunny left behind. The younger two ran around collecting Easter eggs. After that was done, they all settled down to check out their loot and their baskets. The rest of the morning the kids played and I...well I don't know if I should say what I did. I put away all the Easter things. I felt so unholidayish. I know that isn't really a word, but it just fits.

Our day was complete when we went over to our friends house for dinner. I say friends, when I should say family. We are forever at their place, or hanging out somewhere together. They have been such a blessing to us! It isn't too many people that will invite a family over for a holiday. Let alone a family that is missing a spouse. BUT they are that type. We have been so blessed with many friends who just love to take care of us and adopt us as one of theirs. I could go on and on and describe every detail of this weekend, but I think I have probably lost one of the two of you that read this. So I will spare you the details. Hope you had a blessed Easter as well! HE IS RISEN!!!!!

she's got legs, she know how to use them...

Did I get the old ZZ Top song stuck in your head? For some reason, that song came to mind while I sit here nursing my sore legs. Why now you ask? well when my wonderful husband left, the kids and I left to visit family and friends for a few weeks. Well now we are back. I did keep up my running, even increased my running while in AR to 9 miles, and in TN to 8 miles (instead of the usual just over 7). I am not one to that sits around trying to figure out how the elevation affects my runs. I try not to even have the thought cross my mind. I really don't want any thought to taint my run in any way. I know this sounds a little strange, but it is me trying to fool myself. While running here, I try not to think of the mountain sides I am running up, I just run. Now I am beginning to sound like the old Nike Commercial, "Just Do It." BUT, though I am not telling my mind, I guess I forgot to not inform my legs. My legs are trying to voice their discomfort. They had taken a vacation from hills and such, but now they are back from their time off and letting me know their frustrations. Then the wind...ah the wind. Love the way it sounds rushing through the trees, and how it feels on a hot day. Adore the sound the wind chimes make...BUT for some reason, running into it isn't the best thing when your already tired legs are screaming their displeasure. The positive thing? Well there is ice, oh and a lovely weekend that I am going to take full advantage of and sleep in!