Watts Up Daily: 2006

Sunday, December 31, 2006

10 years

Ten years ago this night I was eighteen, home on winter break and designated driver for my three girlfriends Annie, Tamara and Carissa. Annie had told me of this guy she liked named RW and that he was at a party we should go to. Well, ever the obedient friend, off to the party we went. I met this RW and thought he was funny, cute, nice, intelligent and the object of my friends affection, so of course....off limits (girlfriends rule). Over the course of the night, I lost all three of my girlfriends to their former high school flames, leaving me; the failed designated driver and RW as the only sober people at the party, so obviously conversation sparked. I never gave it much thought since he was targeted by my best friend, but enjoyed the conversation regardless.

I finally found my flock and went home wishing Annie was not the first to stake claim on this RW. The next day he called and invited me to a movie and all girlfriend regulations went out the window as I accepted. So here we are ten years later. Annie blessed with forgiveness is still one of my most treasured friends who is happily married to her own dream man as I am to mine.

M and R January 1997

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays All!

We had such a great Christmas! R and I decided after going to Japan and Hawaii, we should stay in one place on Christmas. After hearing about holiday travel this year, we think we made a good decision!
C was completely and totally into the Christmas morning experience this year! I figured we would have another year of more fascination with the boxes and paper, but not our boy! Once he figured out there were new toys under all that paper, he got the idea pretty quick! Our families sent so many gifts, R and I just sat back and enjoyed watching our little guy. What a great day! We missed our family so much on Christmas Day, but we enjoyed our time together.
R has been working half days much of this week, so it seems as thought we are still on vacation. We have been doing a lot of organizing of the house since that's my obsession lately. I'm not sure why I do it, like I think R leaving on deployment is going to be easier if the house is organized!!!! I question my sanity sometimes!
Not much else has been happening around here. C got the Chickenpox right after returning from Hawaii! That was fun! Actually since he had the vaccine, it was an extremely mild case, but still interesting none-the-less!
Lately I have been struggling trying to keep my chin up about this looming deployment. I think how the heck am I going to do this without my Germany family! However, one thing I've learned since becoming a military wife is never to question how to endure things before hand, question them afterward and then pat yourself on the back!

Have a wonderful New Year everyone!!! Good health, love and safety to all!!!!!!!

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Hawaii

Hey all! I thought I would share some pictures of our trip to Hawaii. We had the most amazing time. We met my parents over there for a week to catch some sun and for my Dad and R to go to the Hawaii, Oregon State football game (which we won of course!). R and I were able to Scuba and snorkel and we took a shark hunting trip with my Dad (he caught one, catch and release of course!). My Mom got lots of cuddle time with C. C was a wild man in the water. He tried his very best to let go of our hands and just bail in the water! One week was just not enough time, I hope we can visit there again someday soon.

Monday, November 27, 2006

It fought a good fight

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I thought I would update you all on the Turkey's fight to the very end. Well, once I bowled with the turkey on the Commissary parking lot, it was time for Thanksgiving day. All was well when we put the turkey in the roaster all seasoned to perfection. We checked on it an hour later only to find out the plug was not plugged in. To make my girlfriend "M" feel better about forgetting to plug it in, I told her I would not put it past that Turkey to yank the plug out himself. After plugging it back in and cooking for about an hour, the electricity went out in the house. Now by this point, I'm a little leery of eating the darn thing! My fear was this turkey's last revenge will be giving us all food poisoning. Nevertheless, the power came back on about 40 mins later and we ate that turkey at our lovely Thanksgiving meal.
This is a message I'm sending up to Turkey heaven......."BLAME THE BUTCHER, NOT ME!!!!!"

Happy Holidays All!

Friday, November 17, 2006

And the turkey goes a rollin!

Have you had one of those days where you seriously think your mental and physical abilities are lacking? This morning I took C to hourly care (first time) and went to a craft fair on post for some Christmas shopping. I was looking forward to it all week and had a lovely time. I was on a serious shopping high when I picked up C, which then got even higher when I heard how much he enjoyed himself and was so thrilled to see me. I thought he was in such a good mood, I could push it by getting lunch and running to the commissary for the turkey for Thanksgiving. That was my first mistake! I got lunch at Popeye's and shared with C, popcorn shrimp and fries (not exactly on the Weight Watchers suggestion list) That was my second mistake. Apparently C did not care for the fare I picked out for us and showed me by throwing it up all over his shirt and pants. Of course, the only outfit we had with us. So there I am in the middle of a crowded food court during lunch time grossing soldiers out with my son's throw up. I stripped him down to just his diaper and proceeded to the PX, which was luckily right around the corner. Now today was the first cold day here in NC all year, so imagine the looks I'm getting strolling through the store with my son clad only in his diaper and Nike's. I get the ugliest outfit because it was only $6 and put it on him back at the food court. Then I'm off to the Commissary. I have the stroller, but I figured since I need just a couple of things, they can fit in the bottom. I must have forgotten how big a darn turkey is! I balanced it on top of the stroller with one hand while driving with the other (third mistake). By the time I got to the car, my usual routine is put the baby in the car, then groceries. Well, when I grabbed C out of the stroller, the 19 pound turkey tipped the stroller backward and then rolled down the slopped parking lot of the commissary! So here I am with a baby in my hands watching my Butterball tenderize itself on the concrete. I was almost too embarrassed to run and get it! It would have been so easy to pretend it didn't happen and just get in the car and drive away! I put C in the car, locked it and then walked to go and get my bird. I seriously hope this is no indication on how the rest of the Thanksgiving preparations will go!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Pictures

Here are pictures of our trip to Japan

Konichi-wa

***Disclaimer***
To all Military personnel who may (unlikely) read my blog, I would like to assure you that even though I accompanied my husband while he went TDY, he stayed dedicated to his work at hand while on assignment.

With that said, I GOT TO GO TO JAPAN!!!!!!!

It's been forever since I've posted, but luckily I have reason for it. We have been very busy around here. R's parents came to visit us during the end of October and then R found out he had to go TDY to Japan to work for a week. To my surprise, R suggested I go with him. My first answer was a resounding "NO". I just couldn't imagine leaving C for a whole week. After a few days, I started to realize what a wonderful opportunity it would be. R's parents are wonderful with C and offered to stay with him while we went away. My other realization was R will be leaving again soon for a year-long deployment and a week away alone with my wonderful husband sounded too good to pass up. So, away I went.

The week was amazing! During the day while R worked, I lounged around in my pajamas and read my book and watched old episodes of CSI. In the evening, we would walk outside of the gate and take an adventure of trying to find dinner. Now I know what some of you are thinking, I spent an entire week in Japan doing nothing. Well let me tell you, that post lodging felt like a five star resort. I can't even begin to tell you how nice it was to take a nice long shower every morning only to put on my pajamas or sweats for the day! I can't even remember the last time I sat and read more than one chapter in one sitting. I missed C, but knowing he was in good hands, I totally kicked my feet up and took some much needed rest, plus, I was too chicken to go outside the gate without R!!!
We had just two days during the weekend that we really could go and sight see, so we chose Tokyo one day and Kamakura the other. We saw the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and walked through the gardens. We saw the Meiji Temple where we saw a traditional Japanese wedding, it was so amazing. Over the weekend, there was an event at every major Temple in Japan called the "3,5,7 Festival" Where children ages 3,5 and 7 would get all dressed up in traditional costume and were blessed at the Temple. They were all so adorable! The streets lining the road to the temple were full of vendors selling sweets and treats and every little one had their bag full of them. One of the treats were these dumplings with a little octopus in them, YUM YUM!!!! In Kamakura, we saw the "Great Buddha" and ran into the cutest Japanese girls who asked if they could have their picture with me. We also went to a temple still maintained by traditional Buddhist Monks, something we Americans don't see everyday. The food, like I said, was an adventure. We became familiar with Noodle shops where we could get the most amazing bowl of Ramen for a few hundred yen. We also found a Sushi bar where the chefs would put out the fresh fish on a conveyor belt and everyone sat at the counter and chose the plates they liked. When you were finished, the waitress would add up your tab by counting the plates stacked up next to you.
By about day 5 without C, I started to really miss him. I can't explain it, it was like my arms actually ached to hold him. By the time we got onto the airplane bound for home, I was nearly sick with missing him. His Mammie and Papa took wonderful care of him. When we arrived home, he was in the bath and just stood up and clapped his hands and squealed. I really enjoyed my time without him, but I know my place is at home with C. I love that little turkey, diapers, boogers and all!!!!!!

Have a wonderful week!!!!

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Worst Mother in the world

So C has a cold, just a congestion thing, so I wasn't too worried about it. I wanted to try and nix it before it got too bad, so we went to Walmart and bought a vaporizer and the Katz soothing vapor stuff. Last night I hooked it up and put the medicine in and then started the bedtime routine with C. I kissed him and put him down around 8pm. As I've said in my last post, I am on a cleaning mission, so I went out to the garage to start tidying up. I didn't have the baby monitor out there but C's room is on the other side of the wall from the garage so I could hear if he had a meltdown. About 9pm I did hear him cry, but told myself to be strong and let him cry it out instead of going in there to rock him to sleep.
About 10pm I went in to check on him. As I walked into his room I thought "that vaporizer stinks!". I peered into the crib and saw my sleeping angel breathing well, so I kissed him and went off to bed.
At 5:30am I heard C on the baby monitor crying and again I told myself "be strong, you don't want to start putting him in bed with you again, just let him cry". At 6:30, he was no longer crying, instead yelling "MOOOOMMMMMYYYYY!" I finally went in there and picked my son up who was completely covered in vomit. Not recent vomit, but completely dry vomit. Vomit ALL OVER HIM AND HIS CRIB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bad Mommy.
The first time he cried he must have vomited. When I went in and checked on him, because I've never used a vaporizer, I assumed the smell was from that (as I write this I now feel like such a moron, what vaporizer would smell like that!) I didn't feel anything wet when I touched his face to say goodnight.
Bad Mommy.
To defend myself, with the exception of the stomach bug last year, C rarely vomits. He didn't even spit up as an infant, but I still should have recognized that smell!!!!!!
Now today, I am trying everything possible to get that smell out of his room. I've had the window open and the fan running, Lysol, vinegar, baking soda, fabreze, you name it, I've tried it.
I'm sorry if this was too much info for you all. I actually feel better writing about it and no longer feel like I may have possibly scarred my son for life. I pray the day gets better from here!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

An ordinary Wednesday

What a difference a year makes!

Hey all! I am trying to do my best by posting every few days, but my life just isn't all that interesting!!!!

C and I are flying solo for the next few weeks as R is TDY. I really hope stalkers or predators don't read my blog as they will now know!!!! C has started to talk! It seems like it's happened overnight. Yesterday I asked him where something was and he threw up his hands and said something like "I don't know!" I just sat there a moment with my mouth hung open. Of course, I'm sure I would have been the only one to understand what he was saying, but it was still a proud Mommy moment!

I have begun a mission to have everything in the House organized. My hope one day is to be like Paige A, a woman I admire very much. A wonderful friend in Germany with four children. Her house was always spotless and everything had it's place, I was very impressed. Knowing myself, I will do the best I can! It seems like when life is chaotic, a clean, organized house makes me feel like I have a bit more control over things.

We love and miss you R, be safe.

Have a great day everyone!

Monday, October 02, 2006

Grandma's and Grandpa's

With Grandma and Grandpa H at the County Fair

Already behind the wheel!

Smiling for the camera!

It's been forever since I've posted. We have actually been busy around here for a change! My parents came for a visit earlier this month. C was attached to Gma and Gpa by the time we picked up the luggage off the baggage claim! He thought they were just all right! R was able to get last minuet laser surgery on his eyes during that week, which was wonderful, but limited our ability to run around too much. My husband went into that office nearly blind and walked out with great vision. Medical advancement is amazing! The week following was very uncomfortable for him since he had the surgery that was a little more invasive than the traditional Lasik (I forget what exactly that kind of surgery is called), so it took a little more recovery time. He's now back at work and seeing a whole new world!

I crawled back on the diet wagon and dragged myself to the gym for the first time in almost two weeks. I take a group power class which is basically an aerobics class with a bar and weights. It was all I could do to pick up C from the daycare and walk downstairs to the car without my limbs shaking!!!!!

We are starting the count down to Hawaii at the end of November!!!!!!!!!!We were told by the unit R is not able to take leave over Christmas because of the upcoming "you know what" (OPSECK for all my military sisters!) so, we worked out a mini vacation in Hawaii with my parents. Oregon State is playing Hawaii, so what more of an excuse do we need?????

I'm still trying to get acquainted with my new area here in NC. I joined the OSC (Officer's spouses club) as well as attended my first FRG (Family Readiness Group) meeting this month. I met some really nice people so far including my dear friend Eve who makes the daily journey through toddlerhood alongside me with her own year and a half old, Emma. It's always nice to have a battle buddy!

Have a great week everyone!!!!!

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Family

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.

Jane Howard

Sunday, September 10, 2006

I never thought I would love another man!

This child of mine. C has just found so many new ways to crawl into my heart!!! We have entered full toddlerdoom with world ending fits and eating strikes, but my child has learned how to charm his Mom and Dad. I think God must arrange it that way, a little of the good with the bad. Otherwise, I'm not sure there would be too many of us walking around if we started out toddlers!

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Trial

Here is C's (although I say his name on the video!) first dip in the ocean. It's my trial on learning to post videos on the blog.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

This and that

At the Children's Museum

This week was pretty uneventful. Ernesto put a wrench in our plans to drive up to W. Virginia to see our friend M, so I have decided to finally tackle painting our bedroom. Of course, along with the new paint, we had to get new bedroom furniture!!!!! "New", I suppose furniture in our bedroom for the very first time is a better way to explain it! Our room has always has a "storage" room appeal to it. We have the same furniture (or lack there of) that we had in college, just now combined! I don't know what it is about our bedroom, but it's always the last room in the house to get any attention, if any at all. This move, I have decided our bedroom has to be our sanctuary. I can't wait to have a room that is comfortable to be in and nice to look at! I will be sure to include before and after pics and show you all the progress, I hope it turns out well.

C has turned into a full fledged toddler complete with feet stomping temper tantrums and ability to take off own diaper. If they figure out how to take off the diaper, does that mean they are ready for a potty????? Ha Ha, I'm sure I know the answer to that!!!! This week, C's thing is dancing. You can clap your hands together and say "go C go!!" and he will do the funniest dance you can imagine. I need to get our video cam out and document it for future use at his birthday parties, and first dates. Oh yeah, it's my right as a Mom!!!!!
Have a great week all!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Reunion time

SH High School 1996

Here is a dorky picture to share with you all (boy, I thought I was cool!) My ten year high school reunion was this month. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend having just moved across the country.

There is something about your reunion that makes you begin to take stock of your life. My girlfriend made sure to call with all the juicy gossip about how everyone looked and what everyone was up too. I heard about old friends doing everything from teaching art in high school to flying jets in the Air Force.

What is it about reunions that make you wonder if you had taken different paths, where you would have ended up? What memories would you have? What friends would you share life with? It's a common notion, there are a million movies out there about about this very thing.

I seriously cannot even begin to think about that other path if one ever existed. That, I believe, is my proof that I am truly happy. I seriously tried to sit back and imagine being in a different sort of life and I came up with nothing! Plain and simple, this is where I am destined to be. I was meant to marry R, I was destined to be C's mom. Of course there are days I would pay a hefty sum of money to be something else, but usually that indicates the need for some time off for a pedicure or something!!!

So here is to another wonderful 10 years!!!!!

Monday, August 21, 2006

First trip to the ER

Well everyone it happened. Our first trip to the ER. I knew my day was coming, but it never seems to come in the way you expect it to come! It started out a fine day at the PX to pick up a scooter push toy thing for C. (proudly demonstrated in photos). While R was putting the box in the car out in the parking lot, I decided to let C. play in the kids play area next to the food court. He ran into the little cove without looking back and lost his footing about twelve inches away from the end of the slide, just close enough to bang his head on the very end. To me, it looked like any other fall that happens occasionally (ok, hourly more like) but this time, when I picked him up....HE HAD A DENT IN HIS HEAD!!!!!!
A DENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He cried a little I think only because I acted so horrified. I ran outside to the car where R. was (by this time C. was laughing because Mommy was running) and I screamed to R "HE HAS A DENT IN HIS FOREHEAD!!!!!!". R looked at C. and looked at me. I knew he wanted to laugh, but judging by my actions, knew it wouldn't be well advised. I was absolutely convinced my son had just cracked his head open. While R. and I were debating going into the ER, C. calmly observed from his carseat where he preceded to find a cracker by his leg and have himself a snack.
R looked over C. for any indications of head trama poking and prodding while C. giggled in response. I, myself was not feeling better since THE DENT WAS STILL THERE!
Off to the ER we went.
Waited in the waiting room for an hour
Waited in the examination room for another.
Believe it or not, C. was just fine. By then, the dent transformed into a blue Easter egg. The nurse helped by explaining that "kids are squishy".
We did get a huge bottle of children's Motrine for free so it was not a total loss and I was able to sleep knowing my child did not have brain damage.

Monday, August 14, 2006

I am just not up to speed!

Ok, I realize I'm a little slow, (especially after having C.), but I just finished my weekly catching up on all of my friends blogs and I am just AMAZED by what everyone can do with their blog sites!!! Angie D has videos and slide shows! Joy has the most adorable graphics and Monkey house girl has music!!!!!!!! Is there a class or something? I know I've been underground a while, but lately, as I crawl out of the hole, I've noticed so many things in the tech world (I'm sure that term is outdated) and I seriously feel like how my Grandmother must have felt when I showed her the internet for the first time!!!!

Ipods........Who has time to upload 10,000 songs, who knows 10,000 songs (with the exception of Steven T.)????
Cell phones with Cameras................I have barely figured out how to work my no frills one!
Ear pieces for the Cell phone................I answered back to a woman who I thought was talking to me at Target only to find out she was on the phone! (She was looking right at me, I swear!)
T Mobil Sidekicks...........I don't have that many people I actually converse with on a daily basis. The thing I always think about with Sidekicks is seeing Paris Hilton with one at every moment, always typing and reading. Ok, let's think about this for a moment, Paris Hilton is at a blockbuster movie premier and all of Hollywood's who's who is attending...WHO THE HELL IS SHE TALKING TO??????

My br

ain just hurts thinking about this, I'm off to bed!

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Road trip

Since we have gotten settled into the new house and it's been a month of unpacking, we decided to venture out into the world a bit this weekend. Holy Cow! I thought unpacking was daunting! No matter how prepared you are for a day trip with a toddler, you are usually in for a surprise!

We journeyed to the beach, our first time seeing the east coast. We thought C. would like the waves and surf. After a three hour tour of the NC highway system (not sure it was supposed to take quite that long), we finally arrived. Where R. and I grew up, the ocean water is almost always freezing and even if it's 100 degrees inland, it's a good thirty degrees cooler at the beach. Well.........not in North Carolina! I won't go into how hot and sticky it was, I'm sure everyone whose been here or talked to me lately can imagine!

C. thought the ocean was just pretty cool until he got a mouth full of seawater. Then came the sand. Everywhere. On everything. In everything. He was not impressed. Between the 30 proof sunblock and the white sand, we made ourselves quite the cement. We could not get the sand off of that baby!

He was a trooper though, the three hour drive home he sat in the car seat in his diaper only, giving us the occasional scowl. If I would have had a sense of humor at the time I would have taken his picture, it would have made a nice addition.

Here's to better luck on the next road trip. Any advice from you seasoned mom's would be greatly appreciated.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

What's a heat index???

I have never known heat until living in NC! Who would have thought since we just moved from Arizona! The news today said the "heat index" (whatever that is) will be around 110 degrees today and will hold steady through the week. In my world, that means I've got to find lots of interesting indoor activities to keep a 14 month old happy. It's even too hot to play in the pool out back. When C. starts to turn a sugar beet color, it's time to go indoors. I just don't think we are built for this heat! Last weekend, R. and I worked in our front yard trimming bushes and weeding flower beds (pretending to know what we're doing!) all the while, dripping with sweat like we have finished the Boston Marathon! Our neighbors across the street were also doing yardwork and hardly broke a sweat! I hope it's possible to climatize to the weather, I don't want to be known as the "new sweaty girl" in the neighborhood!

Does anyone have any suggestions for indoor activities during this heat??

Monday, July 31, 2006

Pony Ride

I have recently joined a Mommy's meet up group here in town. I figured that it was bad enough for myself to be a hermit, better to not make the boy one either. It was a big step for me, but I figured the longer I wait, the harder it will be. C. is such a social creature, he gets CRAZY bored with just me. I seriously thinks he counts down the minutes until his Dad comes home from work (ok, actually we both do). Today the Mommy's group went to the Horse stables on post to let the little ones ride ponies. I thought off and on for a week if C. was old enough to appreciate the fact he was on a horse. He loves animals, so I figured he would love it. All was good when I was putting him on the horse and then a helicopter flew overhead. Well, all interest was lost on the pony! Ever since we went to see his Dad jump at Airborne school, he has been obsessed with things in the sky. Perhaps the Mommy group can arrange Helicopter rides????

If you fail....try try again!

Hey Family and Friends~

Here's the second attempt at keeping a Blog. I think I am ready for a more responsible attempt at it! Actually, I had so much fun lately keeping up with everyone's blogs, I thought I should give it one more try. So wish me luck!!!!!!!

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