The Heart of a Child

Tonight was Halloween. We had been trick-or-treating a few times already this season. I was sure the girls were tired of it. But, I announced it was time for costumes and all three got excited. Even the baby.

At twenty-til-six, we hit the pavement. My Celestial Sorceress, Pirate (Arrr, Mateys) and my Bumble Bee.  At first it was easy. Neighbors were home. They weren't tight with their candy, either! I tried to leave early enough so that families hadn't left to trick-or-treat themselves.  After a bit, it was hit-and-miss. Mostly miss. Madelyn got tired of ringing doorbells and just standing there. Hannah got tired of carrying her bucket.  The buckets were getting pretty heavy.

We turned a corner and headed down another street.

"Last block, guys. Then, we will head home and hand out the treats, okay?" They got excited about that.

This street had several houses that put a bowl of candy out, using the honor system.  The girls thought that was pretty fun.  So they trekked up to the door and picked out one piece of candy and marched back to me. I was playing with Audrey. She was cute. I wasn't paying much attention to the older two. Maybe I should have been.

We got to the end of the street and Madelyn's bucket was overflowing. She sat it on the bench of the Kiddy Limo and shoved her hat in the basket under Audrey. She was tuckered.

I asked Hannah where her bucket was. She held it up to me. There was less than half of what Madelyn had  in Hannah's bucket. I pondered that fact. Why didn't they get the same?

I glanced back down the street out of curiosity.  Then it hit me.

Hannah was leaving a piece of her candy at each house in the bowl. She wasn't taking one.

Bless her little heart...
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When Everything Goes Your Way...

Of course we have those days where everything is a disaster. But, do we ever have its inverse? I am not talking about opposite, where everything goes smoothly, but the true inverse, where things seem to be 'fixed' right in front of your eyes.

I put the girls into Child Care last week. I was leaving the center with a truly elated feeling. I was excited about getting my hair cut. I only get this opportunity about twice a year, so it kind of is a big deal for me.  I decided to go ahead and dig out my Military ID while I was stopped at a stop sign. I got my walled out, and there was a huge hole staring at me. The world started to close in on me. My ID slot was vacant. I couldn't breathe. Jay was half way around the world and he had to be present for me to get a new one. I couldn't get on post again without this little piece of plastic. Or healthcare. Oh no!

I closed my eyes and thought hard. I had it at the air show. Oh no! Did I lose it there? It is so gone if I did. Then I remembered that the girls got shots since then. Shot Record! I checked the clear plastic envelope and there was my ugly mugshot staring back at me. Oh praise the Lord! I was hoping that it wasn't going to be that kind of day for me. It turned out to be so much better.

I made it to my hair appointment on time. The lady had never cut my hair before, so I was nervous. She did a fabulous job. I was able to eat my lunch in peace at home. I opened the dishwasher and not a single one of the seven tippy cups in there had flipped and filled with nasty dish water. That was truly amazing for me! I was able to get five loads of laundry folded and put away, all floors swept, vacuumed, and mopped. I picked up random clutter from all over the house and had a roast in the crock pot simmering for supper.  The girls were in Child Care for just five hours, and an hour and a half of that time was used at the Paul Mitchell Salon. I checked the time to see how I was doing.  I still had 90 minutes left. Yey!

I balanced our budget, paid bills, and planned for Christmas.  I organized Halloween costumes, printed pictures for Jay, and cleaned out the truck.

I still had thirty-five minutes left. Whew. I spent that time on Pinterest. That went by very quickly!

Everything just seemed to go my way. It just seemed to flow in front of me. It was amazing. I counted my blessings for everyone in my life, and said prayers for those who were pressing in my heart. It sure was nice to pick up the girls and feel totally at ease and accomplished. It made the evening go so much smoother.

Saturday was a Halloween event at Freedom Crossing. We got to trick-or-treat the stores, and do the whole face-painting and photo booth again. It was a blast.  The photo booth picture hasn't been posted yet. I can't wait for that one!

Hannah the Pirate and Madelyn the Celestial Sorceress

Audrey had a dumdum. The slobbers made her Ladybug costume stick to her. heheheh

The girls made a great haul. They didn't just get smarties and jawbreakers, but chocolates, and Butterfingers, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Oh, and balloons.  

We made it home in time for naps for the two youngest. They went to Child Care that night so Madelyn and I could go to a movie. Puss In Boots was the choice. And I really enjoyed it. But I had a fun date, too.

Apparently, I wore her out. I found her in the chair like this, holding her toy from her kiddie bucket at the theater:

Today we tried for the Zoo. By the time we got there, the parking was atrocious. So, we circled the lot and headed right out the exit. We decided to check out a mall we had never been to before. It was the Sunland Park Mall, or something like that. It was a few miles, so I decided to make small talk.

"Madelyn, your room is a wreck."

"Well, you know, you do what you can."

Seriously, child? That was your reply. I lost it. I had to pull over and write that one down. It was classic.  She asked what I was doing. I told her I was taking inventory of my kids. Just making sure I had them all. I called off roll, and each kid answered with a yelp, and we were on our way again.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Madelyn?"

"How many girls do you have in your loving care?"

Oh my goodness gracious! She just cracks me up.

It turns out it was an awesome mall! Great kiddie play land. It was clean and sparkly, and not crowded at all.

I had a coupon for free underwear at Victoria's Secret. I debated taking all three girls in there with me or not. It is getting pretty racy in all sections of that place. I decided to risk it. In and out. Couldn't be that bad.

The free ones were on the back table, of course. We had to walk through all the different levels of cleavage to get to them. I scooped up the first pair I saw in my size and headed to the checkout. Madelyn was eyeing the lip glosses.  I told her in a few years she still wouldn't be able to shop in this store. :) I traded the coupon for the undies and we were headed back out the store. Whew. Nothing uncomfortable about that at all. Sheesh.

We had travelled down to the other end of the mall and up an escalator to find the food court.  I was walking, commanding the Kiddy Limo when I tripped on something. I was scanning the eateries and wasn't paying any attention to where I was going. I stopped and picked up Audrey's pink Paci. No surprise there. She usually did that.  But I could hear her slurping on something. I had to check it out. This is what I found:

Yep. They had put it on a shelf two-feet from the floor at Victoria's Secret. Where kids can see it. Audrey took full advantage and swiped a can. I was cracking up. She was holding it up like a bottle waiting for the milk. Oh good grief. I checked the bottom and it was a $15 can of adult pleasure. Whoops.

Madelyn asked, "What is that?"

"Stolen, Madelyn. We will take this back after lunch." I averted that issue. Yikes!

I put it in my purse so they would forget about it and I could return it.

But, as you can imagine a day in my life, we didn't leave the mall the same way. I forgot all about it in my handbag and it came home with me.

Its on my refrigerator. I am debating just mailing them a check for the $15 or just forgetting about it. So want to pay for it. My conscience is nagging at me.

But, seriously? On a shelf high enough a baby can grab it? That was inappropriate. No comments about having a baby in there in the first place, please.

Humph.

We found a huge mirror. Had to pose. Not often that all of us are in a photo!

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Time Does NOT March On

I have been struggling with sleep for the past three months. Audrey just doesn't accept that it is imperative that I get a minimum of six hours of sleep a day to be considered human. If those hours are consecutive, then that would be the icing on the cake. But, lately, I have only been getting two at a time. Occasionally. Rarely. Humph.

The only way that I have known to trudge through another day is by consuming caffeine.  Of course, this antidote reaps havoc on Audrey's little system, thus creating an evil circle of events. Audrey is up at night. I consume coffee to get through day. Coffee gets to Audrey when she nurses. Caffeine upsets Audrey's stomach. Audrey up all night, et cetera. I decided that keeping my heart rate up all day would be a good way to break that cycle. Who needs coffee?

Yes. I know my cousin, Allison, would be able to give me a great argument for the stuff. I would be totally on her side, too.  But, alas, I must sever the tie.

I think I can feel Allison wince as she reads this. I agree. It will be painful.

So, if heart rate is my answer, then I need to find ways to keep my blood pumping. Kids screaming while they run around is enough to raise the blood pressure of any body. But, I needed something physical to do.

Let's clean out the storage closet in the car port!  I took pictures.

The right side: Before

The right side: After

Center: Before

Center: After

I was pretty proud of my work. I didn't throw a thing away either. My husband had ravaged that sucker before he left. Instead of making everything fit nicely, he just threw it back in there. I am not complaining at all, because I know a lot of men do the same thing. I learned this fact at my last MoPS meeting. 

Whew! I must have killed a lot of time. Audrey and Hannah were in the car port cheering me on the whole time. I felt like a champion. 

I checked my phone for the time.

Ten minutes. Ten minutes had passed. Oh boy. What now?

I looked around and noticed the big tree in the back yard. The property management was going to have it trimmed the next day. So I decided to take some pictures of it before its makeover.

Okay, the tree wasn't interesting. The monkey in it was, however. I took many more shots, but I didn't want to bore everyone to death. Audrey had fallen asleep, so she didn't get to play with us. Next time.

The wind started to kick up. As you can tell by the background of the photo that we have no grass or landscaping here. So when the wind blows, so does the sand. A sand storm can take over in just a matter of minutes. So I hurried up and snapped a shot of it coming over the mountains.

I grabbed my monkey and we headed inside.  Now what to do?!? Hannah wiped the hair from her eyes.

Ah ha! Hair cut! Her hair has been bugging me for such a long time. Bangs have got to go.

I lead my little toddler into my bathroom and perched her on the counter in front of the mirror.  I misted her hair and divided it into sections. She wouldn't stay still at all. I tried my best. All I had were my big scissors. You know the kind. The ones with 6" blades. Not good for cutting hair. The bigger the scissors, the bigger the mistakes.  I clenched my teeth, and went to whittling away.

Hannah doesn't understand 'hold still' or 'don't move' or 'keep your head here'.  She can't just look with her eyes, either. She has to turn her entire head.  I had to work around that.  I didn't mess up. I was glad. The final product was exactly what I was looking for.  I had caught the clippings in my left hand as I had snipped with the scissors in my right. I laid the hair on the counter so I could help Hannah down.

Mistake.  Never saw that one coming.

Hannah glanced over and saw the hair laying there. She got so mad at me.

"Aww! My hair! My hair, Mommy! Now, what am I gun do?" That is Hannah speak for 'what am I going to do?'

I cracked up. She tensed up.

Bad reaction, Mom.

I sobered up and gave her a hug. I told her she could grow more, if she wanted to. She smiled and said, "Okay" and ran off.  Crisis averted. Super Mom saves the day.

Check time.

Thirty minutes have elapsed. Total. Good grief.

I started eyeing the Coca-Cola.

I said I was giving up coffee, right?

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Unexpected Visitor

I love surprises. Even two-year-olds found in unexpected places types of surprises.

Today was a huge day for us girls.  Everyone made it out of bed in a timely matter. Breakfast, teeth and hair brushing tackled, and shoes made it on the correct feet on schedule. You could tell it wasn't a Monday!

Madelyn's parent/teacher conference was scheduled at 1:30 today. School let out at 12:15.  We live a mere 7 minutes from the school, via Kiddy Limo. To help give the families something to do during conference down time, the school held a Craft Bazaar and Health Fair.  They also had the Military Clinic on site with free flu vaccines for Military and their dependents. That fair started at 1:00.  Yes. Another day of everything happening back-to-back-to-back. But I was super mom. I can do it!

We picked Madelyn up on time. Audrey needed to eat her lunch, so we walked home so she could nurse. After spending fifteen minutes there, we went back to the school to get in line for the flu vaccines.  We arrived at 12:45.  The girls went to play on the playground and Audrey and I hung out with the other Mommys.

At 12:55, I called for the girls and they came to stand in line with me. Unfortunately, the announcement was made that the nurses had vehicle trouble, and they were running twenty minutes late. Oh boy.  That put my conference at 1:30 dangerously close to the 1:20 commencement of the shots.  And I wasn't first in line.  Or near the front at all.  What made it worse, was that I wasn't near the back, either.  If I left to go to the conference, I would lose my place in line.

Crap.

One-fifteen came, and the organizer stepped out of the doors. All of us pushed forward. We were ready to get in out of the sun and get poked.  This was our only opportunity for flu shots. The clinics on post said they didn't have enough for dependents, so only the active duty sponsors were on the list for the shots. So we were very antsy to be the first in line. Plus, this was the only time the nasal mist vaccine would be available.  That is an answer for needle-shy six year-olds like my Madelyn. She looked at me, scared, wondering if they would run out before we got our chance.

Then we heard wonderful words. We heard amazing words.

"Anybody have a one-thirty conference?"

"YES! I DO!"

"Here. You take ticket number one. Go on in."

Yey!  I was so happy. I am a very charming person, and had become life-long friends with all the other Mommys in the line, so they were very happy to step aside and let me through. Right.

After presenting Military ID and shot records for all three girls, we were approved for vaccinations by the pediatrician, who happened to be my girls' doctor, and sent into the shot-room.  One-twenty. I have ten minutes. Then the chaos ensued.  The needles weren't correct. I don't know if they were too big, or too little. But five-eighths was muttered quite often with a lot of tension.  The nurses seemed a bit disorganized, and rushed. I felt bad for them. But I really needed four vaccines to be administered so I could get to my conference.

Finally, they were ready. One-thirty. Crap.

Hannah went first. I had to hold Audrey on my left hip because she was done with the Limo. Madelyn sat in the Captain's chair of the stroller, watching in horror as the inevitable doom was about to be inflicted on her little sister. She didn't seem concerned enough to stop her, though.  Hannah watched everything the nurse did.  I reached around behind Hannah and told her to grab my thumb with her right hand. She was busy watching the alcohol pad being swiped across her left thigh.  I didn't want her to see the needle coming towards her. I told her to squeeze my thumb until it popped off. She looked towards the right at my hand, then at me like I was a bloody idiot, then zeroed in on the nurse.  Oh boy. She's going to kick and fight and scream and lunge for me. I won't be able to hold her down with Audrey on my hip.

I braced myself.

Nothing happened. Hannah watched closely as the shot was administered and the bandaid was applied.

Wow.

Hannah hopped down and told Sissy it was her turn. Madelyn looked at me like she was ready to bolt. I reassured her that she was getting the mist. And she did. Audrey was mad at me for holding her tightly.  But as soon as I let go, she quieted down.

I couldn't get mine. I was in the pediatrics room. I had to go get in another line for adults. Great. Have to do it later.

I jetted out of there to go to the conference. One-forty. Madelyn's teacher was in the hallway and smiled when she saw me. I was happy to see that. I am glad she wasn't upset. I was the first of the day and begged for that time-slot.  But, Madelyn is a great student and we didn't have much to discuss. Her teacher explained about how the day progresses and all of the journals that the students keep. Then we went over the report card. Letter grades aren't assigned until second grade here. So Madelyn made M's, for mastery of concept.

I was much more relaxed after we left that classroom. We moseyed back to the multipurpose room so I could get my shot. There wasn't a line by then and I was able to get stuck and get out. And I did. Then we wandered around the fair for a while. We all had a pretty good time. And then Audrey, not so politely, reminded us it was nap-time.

Audrey crashed when we got home. It was about two-thirty.  I crashed, too. I was beat.

After supper tonight, I had put Audrey to bed, and started a video for the other two girls.  I use that time in the evenings to take my shower. Tonight went a little differently.

I had shut the water off and was getting ready to lean out to grab my towel. I shoved the curtain back out of the way and was scared to death by what I saw.

Perched, on the toilet, was Hannah. With just a shirt on.

"Hannah! You startled Mommy! Are you okay?"

"Yes, Mommy. Apple juice."

"Huh?"

She pointed to the counter next to her.

"I want some apple juice, Mommy."

She had gone to the fridge and brought the apple juice into the bathroom, and stealthily waited for me to finish.

Good grief, child.

"Okay. Let's go get your cup first, though."

She was an unexpected visitor, but always a welcomed one.

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Do you see something disturbing in this photo?

This is not me, nor my family.

I just found it posted on Pinterest last night.

Cr-eepy

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The Amigo Airsho (They leave the 'w' off on purpose.)

The Blue Angels have been circling our house for three days. The girls and I packed up and headed out to see what all the fuss was about. It was a trip to remember!

After Audrey's morning nap, we had a quick snack, smothered ourselves in SPF 70, and left for the air show.  The gates opened at nine o'clock, but the demonstrations didn't begin until eleven. We left the house at eleven fifteen.

I had just merged with traffic on the 601, which is an elevated highway,  and Madelyn announced that she saw red in the sky. I thought of fire. So I had to gawk, too.  It was the Army's Golden Knights. They are a parachute team that fall in formation, with some sort of vapor trailing them. They chose red vapor. I have no idea why. Maybe it was because the red was a pretty sharp contrast with the bright blue Texas sky.

So we continued on to the Global Reach exit towards Biggs Air Field. It was a rather smooth trip. Even with stoplights and spectators coming from all directions, traffic moved very efficiently. The parking attendants were thick and were quick to halt any rogue drivers trying to cut off and park elsewhere. Of all of the Military events, either sponsored by or held on their property, this was by far the most organized.

There was a break after the Golden Knights while we were getting out of the truck. So I used that time to my advantage to get my Kiddy Limo fully stocked. I had baby bottles, water for the bottles, baby food, baby spoons, wipes, diapers, sunglasses, digital SLR camera, video camera, iPhone, wallet, Military ID, and a general sense of direction for where we needed to be headed. Audrey and Hannah were loaded into the Limo, and off we went towards the shuttle station, with Madelyn's hand tucked in mine.

The shuttles were school buses contracted from all of the local school districts. I saw lots of names on the sides of these buses.  Madelyn was so happy she was speechless, which is good because now I know how to quiet her down. She has 'always' wanted to ride a school bus. Hannah was terrified. She did not want to get out of the stroller. A nice attendant approached to assist with loading my stroller into the back of the bus
and Hannah lost it. She started screaming. So there I was, holding Audrey, and trying to unclench two fists of a two-year-old who was determined to stay in that stroller. Madelyn jumped on the bus behind me and I almost lost it. I was not comfortable having her separated from me. But it was the thing that I needed. Hannah had seen her and was up those stairs and nestled by her sissy's side in a blink. I had no idea what happened. So I shrugged my shoulders and boarded the bus, too. We were the last to load, so the driver shut the door and off we went.

The bus was allowed to go off-road! We went along a very rocky path towards the end of an air strip, which marked the Entrance to the Air Show. It was so bumpy, and it made it hard to take a good picture of the girls. But they were eating it up, so far.  Buses sure are different now than they were when I was growing up. These things had air-conditioning and a radio!

After we came to a complete stop, we disembarked and found our Kiddy Limo waiting for us. That was great service! I re-mounted all my gear, including kids, and struck off towards the entrance.  I looked up and there was a massive silver something gleaming in the sun. I shouted, "Photo Op!" to the kids and they lined up on cue. They knew what to do, even Audrey. So proud of them.

I have no idea what that thing is in the background. I was very curious. So we continued on.

We arrived at the main gate about a quarter of a mile later.  It was getting warm outside. I didn't realize how much warmer it would be on all of that pavement of the runway. I was just ecstatic that I had remembered sunblock. I had remembered lots of sunblock. :)

We were herded into the 'stroller' line for a pat down. I told them it was a Limo, but those Air Force guys didn't understand. Our goods were examined and we were sent on our way. I had lots of contraband in there. I had brought in outside food and drinks. But, maybe they gave me allowances since I was alone with three girls.

I was waiting to purchase a ticket for Madelyn and myself when someone tapped me on my shoulder. It was an early-teen boy asking me if I wanted to buy his ticket instead.  I was disappointed. Scalpers at an air show. Sheesh. What next? Then he said his friend got sick and couldn't come and they had an extra ticket. It was a pre-purchased ticket for Madelyn and four dollars cheaper than what I would have had to have paid, even with the military discount. So I bought the six dollar ticket from the little guy. He was very polite. I gave him a ten, and he gave me three ones. Humph. Then his mom came up behind him and gave me a dollar in nickels and dimes and pennies. Oh great. Whatever. I bought my ticket and a program and was herded, again, through another gate. This time it was to tear of the ticket stub of the tickets I had just purchased. Madelyn didn't take that part too well.

"Aww, we just got these!"

Once we stepped in we could tell how well this thing was set up. Children's Play Land was right there.  All the bouncy castles, inflatable slides, tilt-a-whirls, face and body painting, etc at our fingertips. They all varied from one to three tickets per ride. Tickets were a dollar each. Oh boy.

I tried to keep the girls distracted from the money pit, a.k.a. Children's Play Land, as I pushed on through onto the main strip. It was an actual runway with venders perched on the sides. In the middle were static displays. Each branch of the U.S. Military had a wide section. We saw all sorts of vehicles, and aircraft. But, our attention was drawn to the sky. There was a moron up there whose engine was busted. He never landed, though! He just kept trying to die. So I took a picture.

I guess he made it. I bet his mechanic was upset with him blowing the engine during the air show like that. Oh well. His loss. It sure was entertaining for us to watch! He was so disoriented that he kept flying upside down, up and around in a loop and rolling over and over. I wonder if that cabin was equipped with a vomit bag. Oh, and I videoed it, too. Just in case CNN didn't get it on film. I will sell them mine!

I knew that the Blue Angels were at the far East end of the strip. We headed that way. That walk was a long one. We had to stop for lunch in the middle. We ate nachos, and Audrey had her bottle, under a Chinook. Pretty shady.

I had to yell "Photo Op!"a few times before we made it to the Blue Angels.

I had to take this picture for Jay's Dad

Madelyn had to pose in front of something.

I just liked this shade of yellow. I have no idea what it is.

Hannah didn't care. She had ice cream.

This wasn't meant for public groping, but the guy said

that the girls could sit in it. He was nice.

I like how the 'rescue' is pointing at Madelyn.

Hannah pulled the 'aw, shucks' maneuver on me.

She didn't want to get out of that helicopter.

Blackhawk down!

Well, it is. Its on the ground.

This guy wasn't getting any attention at all. I couldn't

let him feel left out. So I snapped one of him, too.

I think he smiled when we walked on past.

Another 'For Papa' Picture. Hannah really didn't care.

She was elbow deep in her ice cream cup in the Limo.

Well, two hours after we left the house, we finally made it to the Blue Angels. They were fenced off, but still pretty close. So I captured them, as well. I had to make my photo collection complete.

It was ten after one in the afternoon. It took us forever to walk to this end of the runway. The girls were beat and Audrey had had enough of the front seat of the Limo. I had to put her in my Baby Bjorn front pack baby carrier thing to give her a change of scenery.  She had moved from being at everyone's butt level to boob level. She was very happy. Squealing and waving her arms like a crazy person, actually. Glad I could make someone feel better. Madelyn had worn flip-flops and was getting a blister, and Hannah was ready for her nap. Yes. We have begun the 'winding down' segment of our day. Ugh. And we were three miles from our truck. Double Ugh.  Or, Ugh Ugh, I guess.

We worked our way back through the crowd, which wasn't too terribly bad. I was moving rather slowly. Hannah had crept into Audrey's former seat, and Madelyn was on the bench of the Limo with her shoes off. I was now pushing fifty pounds and carrying twenty-two on my shoulders. That walk was getting longer and longer.  The sun was in our eyes and the girls were getting whiny.

So was Mommy.

When what to our wondering eyes should appear? But, visions of aircraft zooming in near.

There was something that usually dropped bombs giving a demonstration.

Again, I have no idea what it was, but it was awesome to watch. Ten minutes flew by without any of us making a peep. That thing was highly maneuverable and fast. It kept Hannah's attention, and that is saying something.

I was wondering what we should do. The Blue Angels took flight at three. I had an hour and a half to kill. I decided to quit worrying and just finish wandering the show. Neither diapered child had pooped, so I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere.

I wanted to see that silver thing that I had spotted when we arrived. So we sped down towards the West end of the runway. There weren't any spectators over there. I had a clear path to walk with the kids. That made it nice because the Limo was difficult to turn and stop when I had Hannah and Madelyn, both, in it.

I did discover that there were, indeed, people over there. They were just all huddled under the silver ship. I opened my mouth to say "Photo Op!" but Madelyn was already muttering "I know. I know," while she was getting her shoes back on. Good puppy.

That is Madelyn in the front center, to show you how massive this thing really is. The ship had NASA on it. I was told that Biggs Airfield has the longest runways in the nation. It is the back-up landing site for the space shuttles.  Whoever wrote Google verified those facts for me. Doesn't it look so awkward?!? It's like a huge Hercules thing has Down's Syndrome. Its amazing that it gets airborne. Madelyn just said it looked like a dolphin. She's right. Well, more like a porpoise.

We wiggled over to the money pit and I started struggling with Audrey. Hanging directly in front of me put her within arms reach of the command center of the Limo. I had Hannah's cup of frozen lemonade in one cup holder, my iPhone in the other, and my truck keys in a little compartment with a flip-top lid. I couldn't see any of those things through her red-headed noggin. I knew I was in trouble when I heard the keys jingling. I quickly figured out what she was up to and had to relocate them to the bottom of my purse. That required me to bend over, with Audrey dangling in front of me, and putting her very close to the pavement.  I dug everything out of the stroller, stuffed my keys into the purse, zipped it, and replaced all my items I had scattered around me.

After another twenty feet or so, people started to smile at me. I knew Audrey was so stinkin' adorable that you have to smile at her, but they were really smiling. I smiled back. Yes. Admire my three girls. They are all gorgeous and wonderful and...

"Ma'am, your infant has your iPhone."

Crap! Audrey! Gimme that!

Madelyn tucked that into my purse that time. I was getting frustrated. My back hurt from that silly baby carrier and my arms hurt from pushing the Limo all day. I looked at the time before Madelyn put the iPhone away. Two-oh-four. Blue Angels fly in about an hour. Do I want to stay and watch, or go home and beat traffic?

GO HOME!

I was pushing the stroller with my finger tips so Audrey was as far back from it as possible.  I was about to the ticket booth, so that the girls could slide down one giant slide, when I heard a disturbing noise. It was like a splat.

Then I felt something crawling on my leg.

"Ewww! Get it off! Get it off, Madelyn! ... Wait. What is it"

She just looked up at me with the most pitiful expression on her face.

"Audrey dumped the frozen lemonade. Well, it isn't frozen anymore."

I whipped around sideways to see what had been in front of me.  She had dumped it all over the command center of the Limo. And over the diaper bag that was hanging from it. And down my leg. I was a sticky mess.  We wormed over to a trash can and I started cleaning with baby wipes. Half of a box later, we were as good as new, and baby fresh.

I was still going to let the girls go down that slide. It had become a mission.  We waited for five minutes in the ticket line and found the biggest slide they had.  I didn't realize that the entrance was a wall-type of obstacle. Hannah wouldn't have been able to crawl over. Madelyn was gone in a flash. I was mad because I wanted them to go together so Madelyn could help Hannah.  But the more I thought about it, I had come to realize that Hannah really didn't need much help in the climbing/falling area.

I wheeled Hannah around to the side, and the attendant lifted her over for me. Hannah had a straight shot at  the ladder for the slide. Except she made it half way up before bigger kids decided she was too slow.  They burrowed passed her and all of the weight shifting on the inflatable slide distracted and disoriented her. She panicked and the attendant had to give her back to me.

Meanwhile, Madelyn had already gone down the slide and was waiting at my side for Hannah. Since Hannah didn't do it, we didn't use her tickets. Madelyn swiped the tickets and went through again. Fine. Whatever. I am just ready to go home! Audrey is ready to get something else to play with. She reaches for Hannah's hair. Ugh!

Madelyn put her shoes on and we went out to the buses. They weren't so helpful anymore.  There was a long line to load the buses going back to the parking lots. Everyone was patient. My kids were just exhausted. Then, out of nowhere, we hear, "Why are you all waiting in this one line? There are three empty ones up ahead!"

Those lines weren't marked. We had no idea. Once we got the go-ahead to scoot on up there, it was like a stampede. People get plumb crazy sometimes.

I had help loading my stroller and we boarded the bus. Bump, bump, and a dash and we were at our stop. No one was there to help me unload the stroller. We were last off the bus and the driver was about to pull away. I was terrified! I ran around, with Audrey flopping in front of me, and jumped up high to hang onto the handle of the back door. It took all 120 pounds of me (hehehe) to pull that handle down. This horrific alarm went off. It was like a cross between a beep and a buzzer. It was very high-pitched. I winced and jerked my stroller out. I slammed the door shut and shoved the handle back up. After getting Audrey out of my front pack and buckled into the front seat of the Limo, we took off for our truck.

The alarm was still sounding. I turned around after about twenty paces and the driver had gotten out to fix the back door. He couldn't get it. I kept walking but listening. He ended up driving off with that terrible sound piercing everyone's ear. I didn't mean to break it. I just didn't want him driving off with my Kiddy Limo. I would have been completely stranded without that thing!

We made it to the car and home without anything too exciting. I had just gotten Audrey snuggled in her crib when I heard the Blue Angels take to the skies again.  I had watched them from my house for the last three days. I was too pooped to try to go out and watch again.

I collapsed on the bed and reflected on what a huge experience that entire ordeal was.

It was utterly amazing.

And I would do it again tomorrow, if I could.

But, I am kinda glad that I won't.

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A Letter to a Soldier

Friday, October 21, 2011

Just after lunch

Right before Hannah’s nap

Dear J,

Hi honey! I am missing you terribly. I read your final text from me over and over. Then my mail box got full and asked if I wanted to delete my texts.  I wasn’t thinking. So I said ‘yes’.  I cried for days when I realized what I had done. I am so sorry. But the kids are still alive. I haven’t deleted them yet.

Hannah loves the craft box I created. It amounts to glue sticks, sequins, jewels, and all of my fancy edging scissors that I used when scrapbooking. She refers to the entire collection as ‘skizzor stuff’. I wish I was two, sometimes. I would have so much fun making up words.

Madelyn is at school. She cries every night at bedtime. I am not strong enough to lift her up and over the railing on the top bunk to put her to bed like you used to.  So, she only cries a little after I drop her.  I keep trying, though. I may get it done soon. I will have fabulous bi- and triceps, eh? She gets to sleep with me on non-school nights. That is our deal. She is a beast in bed, though. She likes to sleep perpendicularly to me. I woke her up one night and we had a lesson on perpendicular, parallel, and skew, but she didn’t really care. I thought it was a great teachable moment. Apparently not.

Audrey has been up to her usual drama. She walks down the hallway while holding my hands. As long as she is going towards Hannah, she is speedy.  If we are going towards Audrey’s bedroom, she gets pretty ‘I wanna sit’-y. Oh well.  Her hair gets longer every day, and her temper gets shorter. I wonder to myself, quite often, if they are truly inversely proportional. I would like to shave her head and see if she calms down. Seriously. No, seriously.

We have been eating very well. Our neighbors left last week and they gave us all their food.  Their departure date was moved up a month earlier, and didn’t have time to eat all of it.  We were down to eating popcorn for supper one night. I was praying for an answer after supper. Then, the next morning, after bagels and eggs for breakfast, (we weren’t out of food, just substantial items) they knocked on the door and asked if we could take their food. Hallelujah! God is good!  That evening they showed up with five huge boxes. They completely filled our deep freezer (with meat, all meat!), refrigerator freezer, and our refrigerator.  We have eaten off of it all last week and all this week. It has been a blessing. But, Madelyn did announce she is ready for pizza again, someday.

We went to a social activity at Freedom crossing last Saturday. Hannah got her hair painted navy and orange, and a Bronco’s helmet on her cheek. Madelyn stayed true to her princess roots. She was blue and purple with fairies and glitter.  I will attach a photo of us that they took when we played with the photo props. Truly a fun event!

I didn’t realize my top was so low.  I had been holding Audrey against me as we walked around and her weight pulled my top down. Oh well. There is a little something for you, I guess! I couldn’t keep the mask.

Oh hold on, my phone is beeping.

It is Yahoo! Messenger sending me a text. Weird.

It says you are trying to reach me.

WHAT?!?

Okay, I am going to go now. I am logging in to chat with you.

I love you!

Bye...

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When Boredom Strikes...

When I was little, I never dared mention that I was bored.  A) There was so much to do that I never really got bored. B) If those words did happen across my lips, I was met with, "Then I will give you something to do," from one of my parents.  That something was never something that was a priority on any of my lists.

I've had a rough go with Audrey. Her stomach and digestive system haven't ever been quite right, and when she is in pain, she lets you know.   Starting at about three yesterday afternoon, she began fussing. It didn't end until about seven this morning. It was a night of waking every forty-five minutes to help console her. She got over the pain this morning, and was back to being a wonderful little baby again. Whew! But, I was exhausted!

Today, I chose to put Hannah and Audrey in child care. I have several free hours a month, since Jay is deployed. It is a great building with awesome staff. Hannah likes it so much she calls it 'school' and begs for it daily. I thought, what the heck? Let's indulge her for today. I phoned and made a reservation, and off we went.

I walked the girls over there and was back rather quickly.  I have to laugh at myself, because I have a stroller that I can safely stow all three of my children. I call it the Kiddy Limo.  The laughing part is how ridiculous I must look pushing that huge, empty stroller back home. :) I don't usually just push it home. I am usually skipping, thinking of the possibilities of how I am going to spend my day. I walked in the back door and everything was quiet. Ahhh...

I had cleaned the house yesterday. So I didn't need to do that. The new operating system was released for my iPhone and iPad. So I updated them.  Humph. It said an hour until finished. Now what do I do?

You guessed it!

I SLEPT!

I had two and a half of wonderful, blissful, uninterrupted sleep. It was the most sleep I have had in such a long time. Well, consecutively. I woke up rearing to go.

I took my empty Kiddy Limo over to get Madelyn from school, then to pick up the little girls. Hannah had a wonderful day, and they told me that Audrey was a good baby, too. Yey! Just what a mommy likes to hear.  So we headed back home.

After snacks, and homework, we needed something to do.  Here I was again. What do we do? From four until about six is such a difficult time for me.  The girls are usually antsy and Audrey is winding down towards her six o'clock bedtime.

Let's do something for Daddy! I get out huge sheets of paper, and we write a message on it. The girls decorate it. Now, how to display it for him? I yelled, "Field Trip!" and we loaded into the car.

There is a fun awards field near Jay's office here at post. We went there.  Here are our photos.

I was focusing on Madelyn and Hannah running around behind Audrey

The girls loved that grass so much! It is artificial and feels great under your bare feet. So, we stayed a while and let the girls play.  They just ran and ran. They played more there than at the park with all the toys and swings. I had no idea they would enjoy it so much. Plus, it was only about seventy degrees out. That helped! 

After we got home, we had supper and got Audrey to bed. She was tuckered from almost thinking about trying to convince herself that she needed to crawl.  She went down fabulously.

I saw these pictures, and thought about how much fun it was taking them. The camera I have is great. So I got the girls' jack-o-lantern out and played with him. I set my camera on manual and adjusted some settings. I turned the ISO all the way up as high as it would go. It was at 1600. 

 Pretty spooky, I know!

Then, I remembered to slow my shutter speed down. This is 1/4 second

If 1/4 was that much difference, what would 20 seconds do? Let's see...

Wow! That face is glowing! And it was just as dark in there as the first shot!

I needed another model. I had to recruit.

Yes, my Madelyn stood perfectly still for a six-second click on the shutter. She didn't move a bit, or you would see some blur on her features. She did great!

So, I ended up not being so bored today. I am glad that I have three great friends/kids to share my time with, but am also glad that I have some alone time to just figure out what I am doing in the first place. I don't really know what to do when I'm not a mom or a wife.

Maybe dabble some more in photography...

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If you have any questions or comments you would like to share directly with me, please email thearmymommy@gmail.com