We are celebrating another birthday at our house today - Daddy's. Not only is it Chris's birthday, but it's a big one, he's 30 today! Luckily, he got to come in from the field today for a break, so we get to celebrate together. I got him a cake from the bakery, I wanted the one that said "older than dirt", but that one wasn't available, so I had to settle for the camo/army cake.
Aiden was excited when we picked up the cake, and then upset to realize that it wasn't for him. The kid doesn't even like cake, so I don't know why he's so upset. I guess he's just 3.
Happy Birthday Chris! You'll always be older than me....:-)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Conversations With Little People
In the last couple of weeks, the floodgates of Aiden's conversation skills have opened, and it's like he's had a word explosion. He can suddenly, like, talk, and use these huge long sentences and all kinds of words that I had no idea he knew just come spilling out. It's crazy! He's also learning how to do all kinds of things by himself. For example, he can now get himself completely dressed, including his socks. He can also make toast. At least, he thinks he can make toast, and he probably could if I would let him, which I won't. We've had some interesting talks lately. Have you ever wondered what actually goes through a three year-old's mind? It's fascinating. Here's an example.
Aiden is in the playroom upstairs, watching Diego this morning....
"Aiden, it's time to get dressed."
"Oh, not right now. Diego's saving the baby birds. I'm helping. I get dressed in a minute, okay?"
"Ummm...okay. Heaven forbid I interfere with the saving of the baby birds. Just make sure you get dressed when the show's over, okay? Please?"
"Okay. Yeah. In a minute."
"Here's your clothes, I'm setting them right next to you."
"Oh...I don't want to wear those. I get my clothes later."
"Yeah...okay...whatever..."
After this little exchange I went downstairs. About 30 minutes later Aiden came downstairs for breakfast. He was dressed. And I can tell you for a fact that what he was wearing was NOT what I picked out for him. He was wearing camo shorts and a gray and blue t-shirt with black socks. He told me proudly -
"I get dressed Mommy! I match!"
"Uh, not exactly. But good job!!" Good thing we aren't going anywhere today....
Jack talks too. He's not quite as understandable though. He mostly blabbers, although he does say "Mama" and "Aid". He's starting to throw "Daddy" in there sometimes too. He says "NaNa" when he's hungry, although I'm not sure what that's supposed to be. Jack's big accomplishment this week is that he can now stand, unassisted, for up to 30 seconds. HE'S NINE MONTHS OLD! I am not ready for him to walk yet. Once he starts walking that will be the end of his babyhood, and I just can't handle that yet. I might have to knock him over so he stops trying. Kidding...I'm kidding. Not really.
Aiden is in the playroom upstairs, watching Diego this morning....
"Aiden, it's time to get dressed."
"Oh, not right now. Diego's saving the baby birds. I'm helping. I get dressed in a minute, okay?"
"Ummm...okay. Heaven forbid I interfere with the saving of the baby birds. Just make sure you get dressed when the show's over, okay? Please?"
"Okay. Yeah. In a minute."
"Here's your clothes, I'm setting them right next to you."
"Oh...I don't want to wear those. I get my clothes later."
"Yeah...okay...whatever..."
After this little exchange I went downstairs. About 30 minutes later Aiden came downstairs for breakfast. He was dressed. And I can tell you for a fact that what he was wearing was NOT what I picked out for him. He was wearing camo shorts and a gray and blue t-shirt with black socks. He told me proudly -
"I get dressed Mommy! I match!"
"Uh, not exactly. But good job!!" Good thing we aren't going anywhere today....
Jack talks too. He's not quite as understandable though. He mostly blabbers, although he does say "Mama" and "Aid". He's starting to throw "Daddy" in there sometimes too. He says "NaNa" when he's hungry, although I'm not sure what that's supposed to be. Jack's big accomplishment this week is that he can now stand, unassisted, for up to 30 seconds. HE'S NINE MONTHS OLD! I am not ready for him to walk yet. Once he starts walking that will be the end of his babyhood, and I just can't handle that yet. I might have to knock him over so he stops trying. Kidding...I'm kidding. Not really.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Lullaby...and Good Night...
I'm trying something new with Jack, to help him sleep better (he wakes up ALL the time). I'm going to be blogging about our experiences over on Mommyland, so if you'd like to read more about it and follow along with us, be sure to check it out!
Jack's First Haircut
My little Jack got his hair cut yesterday, it was getting kind of scraggly. Daddy came in from the field for a little while and took one look at the boys and declared them both in need of a haircut. So off we went to the barber shop. Jack was so good, he just sat there and looked very serious for the most part. Aiden wasn't thrilled at first (he doesn't like getting his hair cut) but then once the buzzer started he laughed and laughed, I think it tickled. So now both my boys have little soldier-boy haircuts, they are too cute.
Anyway, in honor of Jack's first haircut, I did a comparison of both the boys and their first haircuts. We got Jack's cut a lot earlier than we did Aiden's (mainly because Jack has much more hair than Aiden did at this age!), so Aiden is 14 months old in this picture, and Jack is 9 months.
Here are some more shots of Jack at the barber shop, as well as one of the final result!
Anyway, in honor of Jack's first haircut, I did a comparison of both the boys and their first haircuts. We got Jack's cut a lot earlier than we did Aiden's (mainly because Jack has much more hair than Aiden did at this age!), so Aiden is 14 months old in this picture, and Jack is 9 months.
Here are some more shots of Jack at the barber shop, as well as one of the final result!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Political Venting
I don't usually talk about politics, on this blog or in person. But sometimes things just fester and since this is my forum, I'll say what I want.
First of all - I did not vote for Obama. Agree with me or not, I don't really care. That being said, however, I wish this country the best and hope that he manages to do a good job as our leader. I'm not impressed so far, and it's only been 3 days. Choosing Hilary Clinton as our Secretary of State made me want to throw up. The woman's politics aside, she has an arrogance about her that just makes me want to hit something. She seems to think she's the Queen of America and that everybody loves her. Personally I think she's egotistical and power hungry, and someone with that type of attitude is probably not suited to be our country's top diplomat.
Now Obama has overturned the ban on federal funding for abortion clinics and family planning centers. I don't agree with abortion, I believe that life begins at conception, but I'm not going to say that I should have the right to make that decision for everyone else. BUT, I don't think I should have to pay for it, either. Now that federal funding will be available for those wanting an abortion, that's basically what we as tax-payers are doing - paying for it. Our president is now forcing me to go against my beliefs and contribute to what I feel is the slaughter of the most innocent form of human life - our unborn. And I'm definitely not happy about that.
But you know what really bugs me? The way everyone is dissing Bush. I'm not saying that Bush is perfect, I'm sure some things could have been done differently, but hey - hindsight's 20/20 folks. Bush did some great things for our military, he improved our quality of life by quite a bit. Better pay, better benefits, better housing. And yes, he did send us to war. Something that shouldn't be all together unexpected for the military. Everyone acts like it was such a horrible thing that Bush sent us to war - like he did it all by himself. No one seems to remember that the President can't send us to war just because he feels like it, it takes the approval of the Congress. Something else everyone seems to have forgotten is that in the early days of the War on Terrorism, Bush had upwards of a 90% approval rating from the public. That means that 90% of the country agreed with us going to war. Now people just think it's taking too long. Why are we still there? Well folks - changing the world takes time. Introducing democracy to a country that's been living under tyranny for the last several decades takes time. Here's an idea - if you don't like the way things are going in Iraq and Afghanistan, how about you put on a uniform, strap on a rifle and go fight it yourself.
The Economy. People are again blaming Bush, like he tanked the economy all by his lonesome. Somehow I don't think it was Bush who was approving all those sub-prime loans, or convincing people that they can afford a $700,000 mortgage on a $50,000 annual salary. I don't think that Bush was whispering in the Big Three automaker's ears, telling them to make bad business decisions. I believe that We The People have contributed to the state of our failing economy more than anything else. Through our greed and the sense that WE MUST have the biggest and the best of everything, we have done this to ourselves. And now we expect the federal government to come bail us out, and again, we're mad that it's taking so long. Grow up. Buy a house that you can afford, drive a car that's a few years old, and stop acting like you deserve everything.
And last but not least - Obama Worship. Am I the only person that's noticed this? People act like he's some kind of Messiah, come to save our country from the evil Republicans. I keep hearing things like, "With Obama, there is hope again!", and " Obama's going to make this country great again"...blah, blah, blah. He's just a man, folks! One who happens to be a good speaker and knows how to make grand promises. Let's wait to see if he keeps them before we elevate him to Hero Status, shall we?
There...I feel much better now. And I am still proud to be an American, if for no other reason than that my saying this will not earn me a trip to the guillotine.
First of all - I did not vote for Obama. Agree with me or not, I don't really care. That being said, however, I wish this country the best and hope that he manages to do a good job as our leader. I'm not impressed so far, and it's only been 3 days. Choosing Hilary Clinton as our Secretary of State made me want to throw up. The woman's politics aside, she has an arrogance about her that just makes me want to hit something. She seems to think she's the Queen of America and that everybody loves her. Personally I think she's egotistical and power hungry, and someone with that type of attitude is probably not suited to be our country's top diplomat.
Now Obama has overturned the ban on federal funding for abortion clinics and family planning centers. I don't agree with abortion, I believe that life begins at conception, but I'm not going to say that I should have the right to make that decision for everyone else. BUT, I don't think I should have to pay for it, either. Now that federal funding will be available for those wanting an abortion, that's basically what we as tax-payers are doing - paying for it. Our president is now forcing me to go against my beliefs and contribute to what I feel is the slaughter of the most innocent form of human life - our unborn. And I'm definitely not happy about that.
But you know what really bugs me? The way everyone is dissing Bush. I'm not saying that Bush is perfect, I'm sure some things could have been done differently, but hey - hindsight's 20/20 folks. Bush did some great things for our military, he improved our quality of life by quite a bit. Better pay, better benefits, better housing. And yes, he did send us to war. Something that shouldn't be all together unexpected for the military. Everyone acts like it was such a horrible thing that Bush sent us to war - like he did it all by himself. No one seems to remember that the President can't send us to war just because he feels like it, it takes the approval of the Congress. Something else everyone seems to have forgotten is that in the early days of the War on Terrorism, Bush had upwards of a 90% approval rating from the public. That means that 90% of the country agreed with us going to war. Now people just think it's taking too long. Why are we still there? Well folks - changing the world takes time. Introducing democracy to a country that's been living under tyranny for the last several decades takes time. Here's an idea - if you don't like the way things are going in Iraq and Afghanistan, how about you put on a uniform, strap on a rifle and go fight it yourself.
The Economy. People are again blaming Bush, like he tanked the economy all by his lonesome. Somehow I don't think it was Bush who was approving all those sub-prime loans, or convincing people that they can afford a $700,000 mortgage on a $50,000 annual salary. I don't think that Bush was whispering in the Big Three automaker's ears, telling them to make bad business decisions. I believe that We The People have contributed to the state of our failing economy more than anything else. Through our greed and the sense that WE MUST have the biggest and the best of everything, we have done this to ourselves. And now we expect the federal government to come bail us out, and again, we're mad that it's taking so long. Grow up. Buy a house that you can afford, drive a car that's a few years old, and stop acting like you deserve everything.
And last but not least - Obama Worship. Am I the only person that's noticed this? People act like he's some kind of Messiah, come to save our country from the evil Republicans. I keep hearing things like, "With Obama, there is hope again!", and " Obama's going to make this country great again"...blah, blah, blah. He's just a man, folks! One who happens to be a good speaker and knows how to make grand promises. Let's wait to see if he keeps them before we elevate him to Hero Status, shall we?
There...I feel much better now. And I am still proud to be an American, if for no other reason than that my saying this will not earn me a trip to the guillotine.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
A Happy Jack
Here is a video I took of Jack the other day. I put it on my Facebook, but I've had requests to put it on here as well, so here you go...:-)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
To the Field!
There comes a time in every Army Wife's life that she looks forward to with unmatched anticipation. That time when your husband comes home and says, "Honey, I'm going to the field!" All my fellow AW's know what I'm talking about, say it with me ladies...
"Field Problem!!"
Despite it's name, a field problem is not actually a problem at all, at least not for those of us who don't have to actually go to the field. No, a field problem is when our soldiers go out and "play GI Joe" for a while, in this case, TWO WHOLE WEEKS!! They take their rucksacks and their canteens and their who knows whatsits and go sleep outside and eat MRE's and pretend they are fighting bad guys.
Now, a normal woman when told she will have to live without her husband for 2 weeks may get upset, and dread the time away...blah, blah, blah. We Army Wives answer the field problem with two words: "WOO HOO!" Why am I excited about the prospect of my husband being gone for 2 weeks? Let me spell it out for you. It's a time when our homes will be cleaned and actually remain so (or mostly). A time when we can watch whatever the heck we want on TV after the kids go to bed. A time when dirty socks will not "magically appear" in the middle of the living room floor every day. A time when we can make cereal for dinner and nobody complains.
You may be thinking to yourself that this sounds an awful lot like life during a deployment, why is this exciting? Well, it is kind of like life during a deployment, only you don't have to worry about your husband getting shot, or blown up, or captured, or whatever. Plus, two weeks is much better than 12 months. They are simply out of your hair for a while, and as every good Army Wife knows, absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
So early Saturday morning my hubby departs for the field. I think an ice cream run is in order....:-)
"Field Problem!!"
Despite it's name, a field problem is not actually a problem at all, at least not for those of us who don't have to actually go to the field. No, a field problem is when our soldiers go out and "play GI Joe" for a while, in this case, TWO WHOLE WEEKS!! They take their rucksacks and their canteens and their who knows whatsits and go sleep outside and eat MRE's and pretend they are fighting bad guys.
Now, a normal woman when told she will have to live without her husband for 2 weeks may get upset, and dread the time away...blah, blah, blah. We Army Wives answer the field problem with two words: "WOO HOO!" Why am I excited about the prospect of my husband being gone for 2 weeks? Let me spell it out for you. It's a time when our homes will be cleaned and actually remain so (or mostly). A time when we can watch whatever the heck we want on TV after the kids go to bed. A time when dirty socks will not "magically appear" in the middle of the living room floor every day. A time when we can make cereal for dinner and nobody complains.
You may be thinking to yourself that this sounds an awful lot like life during a deployment, why is this exciting? Well, it is kind of like life during a deployment, only you don't have to worry about your husband getting shot, or blown up, or captured, or whatever. Plus, two weeks is much better than 12 months. They are simply out of your hair for a while, and as every good Army Wife knows, absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
So early Saturday morning my hubby departs for the field. I think an ice cream run is in order....:-)
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