When I was first dating Rafe, it was a while before I actually met his family. We'd met briefly in 2001 when we were both dating someone else, then again in early 2002. We were friends first, and then eventually began dating each other. When I first found out that he had a large and close-knit family, I was pretty excited. I love big families and the hustle and bustle that involves big get-togethers and informal visits, and I was especially impressed with how close he was to his cousins, aunts and uncles.
The first time I met his Nana, it was at a Thanksgiving Dinner at Sherlene's house, and I was scared to death to go inside. I can't remember why, but Rafe wasn't able to be there at the same time I was, and I had to go and meet every single person for the first time by myself with the exception of his mom and sister. (Now that I look back, I think, what kind of person would let their brand new girlfriend walk into a lion's den alone?!?! and I cant' believe he did that). What I remember most about that first visit was seeing Rocky outside and he waved me on into the house, being welcomed inside by Sherlene, and immediately hearing Nana yell, "You must be Rafe's girlfriend! Come on back here so I can talk to you!" She was sitting at the round table in the back of Sherlene's kitchen, and most everyone else was in the livingroom or on the front porch. Frank was sitting in his chair by the door, with a big smile on his face and a friendly hello. Believe it or not, I felt much better after that. I liked that she was direct and bold and she was asking me all kinds of questions. She always seemed very interesting to me, and I enjoyed our conversations on the phone when we were able to talk occasionally. I feel very lucky that I was able to meet his Nana and Papa before they passed away.
Braden was just a baby when I met him that day. I think he was actually in the crib by the front door, up against the wall. If I remember correctly, Julie and Nathan were on the couch and I think football was on the TV. When I first met his girl cousins, I was stunned at how gorgeous they were. All three of them could be models. Not only that, but they were really down to earth and very nice. One of the best things was watching them with their parents - it's one of the most loving and closest families I've seen. They genuinely enjoy each other's company and it's a delight to be around them. They are all very intelligent, talented women.
I not usually a person who is too star struck; partially I think because over the years so many famous people have come into the places I've cooked for or stayed at hotels I've worked at. But I have to say it's a bit different when it is someone in your own, albeit extended, family. I personally think it's really cool to have someone I'm related to be so talented as to make it to the Dallas Cheerleading Finals. If you're from Texas, you will realize what a big deal this is; and if you're not, then I'd just like to say that Football is like a second religion to most Texans. Rafe's aunt sent me a video of one of his cousins during a tryout. What's really amazing about this woman is that she doesn't even do this full time!! She has a full time, intense job and is just that talented that she made it this far!!
Anyway, because I feel like helping Rafe's aunt brag and I think it's so cool, here is the link to the video - Britt is the last dancer, and you can see her also in the very beginning of the link.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Missing the Meat!
Amelia doesn't eat much meat. Not chicken, beef or pork. Not even chicken nuggets. She will occasionally eat some hamburger if you sneak it in pasta or wrap it in cheese, but often she will just nibble around it and spit it out.
It's difficult cooking fabulous meals for one; I've gotten out of the habit of cooking anything that takes more than 10 minutes to throw together for Pasta Girl. Lately I've been craving meat. I have always loved vegetarian meals, but it's not cutting it for me anymore. The past few days I've been on a small cooking binge and let me tell you, it's YUMMY!
Everything in this house just feels homier with the smells that have been wafting through here. It seems less lonely, somehow. Tonight I imagined Rafe was going to be coming through the door soon, and what he would think when he smelled the ribs slow roasting in the oven. I made on of my favorite dishes, my mom's ribs & sauerkraut, but a little differently. I rubbed the ribs with fresh chopped garlic, caraway and fresh ground black pepper, then slow roasted them in the oven for about 2 hours. In the meantime, I mixed onions, cabbage, sauerkraut, more caraway, brown sugar and beer in a Le Creuset Dutch Oven (love those things!! I got mine on a closeout sale - never buy full price!) and threw it in the oven to slow cook also.
Amelia actually helped me with throwing things into the pot and she had a blast. I took pics, to be posted later.
Now that the ribs are nice and crusty, I put them into the Dutch Oven and threw it back into the oven to cook for another hour or two. I'm loosely following a recipe I found over the weekend. I'm a big fan of caraway. The house smells incredible - buttery, meaty, like it's cold outside and there's a fire going. Never mind that people are still wearing shorts and tank tops here and it's humid and hot outside. I've got my AC going full blast.
I also roasted some chicken and made Arroz con Gandules for a side dish (just followed the recipe on the side of the can; however if I make it again I'm going to add more chicken stock and salt). It was easy and fabulous. What is really funny is that was for a potluck dinner I went to last night - where the host had also made the same rice dish!! And neither one of us had ever seen anyone else ever make it!! Great minds think alike.
I was able to buy the ribs on sale for a little over a $1 a pound at the commissary; so I cut them in half and slow roasted the other half with bbq spices. I accidentally left them in the oven for 6 hours - but the oven was at 200 degrees so it worked out perfectly. Literally falling off the bone and so tender they melt in my mouth. I think that will be the way I do it from now on. I've served Rafe some terrible ribs in the past. I know now that I just didn't cook them long enough or that I cooked them at too high of a heat. I just poured bbq sauce over them when they were done and chowed down. I did not miss that PB&J that Mia was having AT ALL!
Tomorrow I'm going to make ham and bean soup with some ham scraps I had in the freezer and can of beans that have been calling my name. Serve them with some crustry French Bread... maybe Amelia won't notice that there's ham in there if I chop it up finely enough.
It's difficult cooking fabulous meals for one; I've gotten out of the habit of cooking anything that takes more than 10 minutes to throw together for Pasta Girl. Lately I've been craving meat. I have always loved vegetarian meals, but it's not cutting it for me anymore. The past few days I've been on a small cooking binge and let me tell you, it's YUMMY!
Everything in this house just feels homier with the smells that have been wafting through here. It seems less lonely, somehow. Tonight I imagined Rafe was going to be coming through the door soon, and what he would think when he smelled the ribs slow roasting in the oven. I made on of my favorite dishes, my mom's ribs & sauerkraut, but a little differently. I rubbed the ribs with fresh chopped garlic, caraway and fresh ground black pepper, then slow roasted them in the oven for about 2 hours. In the meantime, I mixed onions, cabbage, sauerkraut, more caraway, brown sugar and beer in a Le Creuset Dutch Oven (love those things!! I got mine on a closeout sale - never buy full price!) and threw it in the oven to slow cook also.
Amelia actually helped me with throwing things into the pot and she had a blast. I took pics, to be posted later.
Now that the ribs are nice and crusty, I put them into the Dutch Oven and threw it back into the oven to cook for another hour or two. I'm loosely following a recipe I found over the weekend. I'm a big fan of caraway. The house smells incredible - buttery, meaty, like it's cold outside and there's a fire going. Never mind that people are still wearing shorts and tank tops here and it's humid and hot outside. I've got my AC going full blast.
I also roasted some chicken and made Arroz con Gandules for a side dish (just followed the recipe on the side of the can; however if I make it again I'm going to add more chicken stock and salt). It was easy and fabulous. What is really funny is that was for a potluck dinner I went to last night - where the host had also made the same rice dish!! And neither one of us had ever seen anyone else ever make it!! Great minds think alike.
I was able to buy the ribs on sale for a little over a $1 a pound at the commissary; so I cut them in half and slow roasted the other half with bbq spices. I accidentally left them in the oven for 6 hours - but the oven was at 200 degrees so it worked out perfectly. Literally falling off the bone and so tender they melt in my mouth. I think that will be the way I do it from now on. I've served Rafe some terrible ribs in the past. I know now that I just didn't cook them long enough or that I cooked them at too high of a heat. I just poured bbq sauce over them when they were done and chowed down. I did not miss that PB&J that Mia was having AT ALL!
Tomorrow I'm going to make ham and bean soup with some ham scraps I had in the freezer and can of beans that have been calling my name. Serve them with some crustry French Bread... maybe Amelia won't notice that there's ham in there if I chop it up finely enough.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Pictures coming soon
Ever since we left for the Hurricane that never happened, my wireless router hasn't been working. Amelia's pics are downloaded onto my laptop, because I want to keep them all in one spot for organizational purposes. This week I will either hit the library for wireless access or get the router figured out and post pictures. This blog is sort of boring without them.
I was actually able to get 4 emails from Rafe today! I feel like Christmas came early. Things must be slowing down for them right now.
I was actually able to get 4 emails from Rafe today! I feel like Christmas came early. Things must be slowing down for them right now.
The Most Embarrassing Grocery Shopping. Ever.
I went to the commissary yesterday but I forgot to pick up beer.
Don't you love it when the story starts like that?!?
Anyway, I forgot beer, caraway seeds and milk for Amelia. I don't even drink beer, but I'm trying a new recipe for ribs that calls for one can of beer. So I swung by Walmart tonight, picked up the milk, the caraway seeds, and one box of frozen chinese food. I was trying to find just one can of beer for sale, I stood in front of the beer for a long time, trying to figure out which beer would give the ribs the best flavor. I wanted a dark beer, but how do I tell what's a dark and what's not? I was pulling out bottles and holding them up to the light, squinting at them.
It was all fun and games until one of Amelia's day care teachers went by the milk section, right across the aisle. She gave me the funniest look, and as I was walking to the check out section I realized why. I had Amelia pushing the cart, a 6 pack of beer in my hand, and the only thing in my cart was a small amount of food for me and ... nothing else! It reminded me of the people who go to the convenience stores and pick up a few things but what they really came for was the beer. She knows Rafe is deployed, so I can only assume she thought I needed the 6 pack for drinking!
Don't you love it when the story starts like that?!?
Anyway, I forgot beer, caraway seeds and milk for Amelia. I don't even drink beer, but I'm trying a new recipe for ribs that calls for one can of beer. So I swung by Walmart tonight, picked up the milk, the caraway seeds, and one box of frozen chinese food. I was trying to find just one can of beer for sale, I stood in front of the beer for a long time, trying to figure out which beer would give the ribs the best flavor. I wanted a dark beer, but how do I tell what's a dark and what's not? I was pulling out bottles and holding them up to the light, squinting at them.
It was all fun and games until one of Amelia's day care teachers went by the milk section, right across the aisle. She gave me the funniest look, and as I was walking to the check out section I realized why. I had Amelia pushing the cart, a 6 pack of beer in my hand, and the only thing in my cart was a small amount of food for me and ... nothing else! It reminded me of the people who go to the convenience stores and pick up a few things but what they really came for was the beer. She knows Rafe is deployed, so I can only assume she thought I needed the 6 pack for drinking!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sanity
"The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you."Oh boy, am I in trouble! I think my three best friends are fabulous! Actually, it's four, so I'm in double trouble!
-Rita Mae Brown
VOTE!!!
I hope everyone is registered to vote. This presidential election will change the country, one way or the other. For me, personally, knowing what I know about how Obama feels about the military and his plans for our future engagements; the fact that he truly knows next to nothing about how our military operates and why what we're doing now shouldn't be dependent on public polls and the opinions of people who make their decisions based on sound bites, terrifies me.
My husband will live or die by his misguided decisions and his desire to hold "kumbaya" talks while holding hands with the enemy.
If you are not registered to vote, please don't tell me. I won't be kind about your laziness and total lack of responsibility to the way your country operates and I certainly won't have any patience when I hear you complain about how things are going. As far as I'm concerned, you lose your rights to whine about the government when you don't participate in the process when you have a chance.
No one person or party is perfect, but you do have the burden of choosing the individual you feel is best suited for the office. Hopefully you are also doing your research and not just regurgitating what you hear in the evening news. Know what issues are really important in the big picture, not just your immediate concerns. Presidents have long term impact.
As for me and my house, we're voting McCain. It will be good to have a president in the White House who has actually served, and a president and vice-president who have children in the military. It's been a very, very long time since we could say that about a ticket.
My husband will live or die by his misguided decisions and his desire to hold "kumbaya" talks while holding hands with the enemy.
If you are not registered to vote, please don't tell me. I won't be kind about your laziness and total lack of responsibility to the way your country operates and I certainly won't have any patience when I hear you complain about how things are going. As far as I'm concerned, you lose your rights to whine about the government when you don't participate in the process when you have a chance.
No one person or party is perfect, but you do have the burden of choosing the individual you feel is best suited for the office. Hopefully you are also doing your research and not just regurgitating what you hear in the evening news. Know what issues are really important in the big picture, not just your immediate concerns. Presidents have long term impact.
As for me and my house, we're voting McCain. It will be good to have a president in the White House who has actually served, and a president and vice-president who have children in the military. It's been a very, very long time since we could say that about a ticket.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
"I sing-in!"
Sometime in the past 2 weeks, Amelia has discovered that if the bathtub water is high enough, she can float. At first she was content to scoot along the bottom of the tub a little easier, still sitting up.
I filled up the tub a little too high one night on accident, and she ended up on her belly, floating and scooting along that way. We'd been reading a bedtime story about dolphins a lot at night, so she would swim along, grinning at me and exclaiming - "Daw-fin, Mommy!! I daw-fin!" I keep telling her that when Daddy comes home, he will teach her how to swim and take her to swim lessons.
In the meantime, she's discovered a lot of fun things to do in the water. Last night and tonight she would lay her head in the water on one side, and then sing or talk, and laugh, and say "ears!". At first I couldn't figure out what she was doing (duh!! I'm so slow). I finally realized she was listening to the different sounds her voice makes under water. About halfway through tonight, she started saying "POP!" in the middle of singing, until we were both laughing so hard that I fell off my little bath stool. "I sing-in, Mommy!! I sing-in!"
And it's the best song I've ever heard :)
I filled up the tub a little too high one night on accident, and she ended up on her belly, floating and scooting along that way. We'd been reading a bedtime story about dolphins a lot at night, so she would swim along, grinning at me and exclaiming - "Daw-fin, Mommy!! I daw-fin!" I keep telling her that when Daddy comes home, he will teach her how to swim and take her to swim lessons.
In the meantime, she's discovered a lot of fun things to do in the water. Last night and tonight she would lay her head in the water on one side, and then sing or talk, and laugh, and say "ears!". At first I couldn't figure out what she was doing (duh!! I'm so slow). I finally realized she was listening to the different sounds her voice makes under water. About halfway through tonight, she started saying "POP!" in the middle of singing, until we were both laughing so hard that I fell off my little bath stool. "I sing-in, Mommy!! I sing-in!"
And it's the best song I've ever heard :)
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Email from Rafe
Every once in a great while, I am able to receive an email from Rafe. I excerpted part of it here, because I think the story is interesting. And I have a pretty good idea of what the potholes really were.
Today is kind of a relaxation day. I hope that we have more of them. I will use my time to catch up on some work, do my laundry and write you this email. I might study some Arabic too.Things have been moving at a constant, but slow pace here. The Iraqi government is very bad about planning things out well, so as we come close to a departure point, it gets delayed even further. It is like a carrot dangling out there in front of us and our counterparts. This has happened to us about five times in the last month. I just want to get settled down into our own battle space and be near Marine units. I have spent the longest time in this particular battle space and it feels good to get to know the nooks and crannies out there. I am able to make suggestions to my counterparts based on enemy patterns and the terrain I see out there. There are bad guys out there who would have been captured or killed a long time ago had this been a Marine Infantry Battalion doing business. Sometimes I wish we could bring a Marine infantry unit in here and just go to town. They would have a heyday.I met a 90 year old Hajji yesterday out in the middle of nowhere (which is our operating area). This guy remembers meeting with the British back in the 1920's. They took one of his father's sheep and bunch of tea without even paying for it. He did not know there was an Iraqi military until a soldier demanded to see identification on the outskirts of Baghdad in the 1970s. He is just an old farmer guy who is the eldest member of his tribe. When he saw me and I introduced myself and greeted him in Arabic, he just became all smiles and started talking a million miles per minute. He said that he knew and remembered me (I had never met him) and that he was so thankful for the ice and cold water that I brought for him and his family on some prior occasion. He said that his family prayed for blessings upon me that night as they enjoyed the cold water and ice. I told that we perhaps met in a different life. He just smiled and offered me a pillow to rest my elbows on as I sat out on his porch and listened to the conversation taking place between the Iraqi Officers and our staff.The ride back to our command post was bumpy because of all the “potholes” in the road.
Friday, October 3, 2008
By the way...
Not mentioning any names or anything (mom and dad) but if you run your cursor over the colored sentences they are links to more interesting stories than mine :)
Remembering
When I was a KV (Key Volunteer) for his unit the second time Rafe deployed, one of "my wives" was a woman stationed at Cherry Point with 2 children - one of them just 4 weeks old. I'll never forget having to make a phone call to her after she was informed of her husband's death. It was the hardest phone call I've ever had to make. You don't want to be intrusive, but you don't want for them to think that they have been forgotten.
I kept his name on a list, and hers, for a long time. It seemed to be the least I could do to remember him - every time I ran across the name I would think of or pray for them. I ran across it again today, cleaning out old boxes and going through papers.
His name is HM1 Gilbert Minjares, Jr.
I hope, if anything ever happens to Rafe, someone somewhere will do this for him also.
I kept his name on a list, and hers, for a long time. It seemed to be the least I could do to remember him - every time I ran across the name I would think of or pray for them. I ran across it again today, cleaning out old boxes and going through papers.
His name is HM1 Gilbert Minjares, Jr.
I hope, if anything ever happens to Rafe, someone somewhere will do this for him also.
My sister's kids
2 0f 9 fabulous kids
When you get to the page, type in "johnson" as the password.
For some reason, that link isn't working, so try www.herdofbirdz.com and then go to "client proofing", then type "johnson" as the password.
One of my nieces decided to donate her hair to locks of love. Before she did, my sister wanted to take some pictures of her with a local photographer. This photographer is incredible! If you're in the Dallas area and need one, give her a buzz. She might be coming out to the Beaufort area in the future, so if you're in my area and need one, give her a buzz also.
And, can I say that my sister is absolutely gorgeous???!! And those are only 2 of her 9 kids. She's a great mom.
I think it's fun to have so many nieces and nephews. I have from oldest to youngest (these include my brothers and sister in law's and my own kid):
Zeke
Katie
Eli
Braden
Dylan
Asa
Bella
Molly
Vivi
Kolton
Greta
Amelia
Noah
Lucy
Thomas baby unknown!
FIFTEEN KIDS!! I wish I could get them all together in one place and have a big huge party.
When you get to the page, type in "johnson" as the password.
For some reason, that link isn't working, so try www.herdofbirdz.com and then go to "client proofing", then type "johnson" as the password.
One of my nieces decided to donate her hair to locks of love. Before she did, my sister wanted to take some pictures of her with a local photographer. This photographer is incredible! If you're in the Dallas area and need one, give her a buzz. She might be coming out to the Beaufort area in the future, so if you're in my area and need one, give her a buzz also.
And, can I say that my sister is absolutely gorgeous???!! And those are only 2 of her 9 kids. She's a great mom.
I think it's fun to have so many nieces and nephews. I have from oldest to youngest (these include my brothers and sister in law's and my own kid):
Zeke
Katie
Eli
Braden
Dylan
Asa
Bella
Molly
Vivi
Kolton
Greta
Amelia
Noah
Lucy
Thomas baby unknown!
FIFTEEN KIDS!! I wish I could get them all together in one place and have a big huge party.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
I never bother with the news anymore...
Mostly because what you hear/see on tv is woefully inadequate to explain what is really going on. Lots of details are left out on both sides. It's shocking how easy it is to spoon feed most people their information on tv, and they swallow it without ever asking questions or doing research on their own, or doing that crazy thing that they used to teach way back when - logical thinking for yourself.
Another blogger's view on Obama (military wife)
Another blogger's view on Obama (military wife)
"I refuse to lower myself to bickering and slinging mud in the direction of Obama. I will, however, share a little something that main-stream media isn’t sharing (because you must admit, they are very Pro-Obama). When Obama visited Iraq in July, 2008 he barely spoke with the troops. In fact, an email from someone over there states that Obama looked at the troops ”as if they were scum.” Obama had scheduled photo shoots with the troops. He didn’t dare touch the troops for a second longer than necessary to snap a publicity photo. The basketball? Totally scripted. By that point in Obama’s tour with the troops, they had to order troops to play with him. Obama’s conduct in Iraq was inexcusable. These are the men that fight for our freedom, and they are being treated like trash. None of this was ever covered in the news, why? because the media is hell-bent on getting Obama elected. Oh, and I left out the really raunchy parts of the email from Iraq. "
Must See Video
http://didyouseethis.wordpress.com/
If for some reason this link doesn't work, please go to the Sept. 26th entry and view the video. It's a real eye opener about Obama and the current crisis we're in.
If for some reason this link doesn't work, please go to the Sept. 26th entry and view the video. It's a real eye opener about Obama and the current crisis we're in.
Preach it, Brother!
This is from one of my favorite blogs - OneMarinesView.com
"Tough life.
Images It’s a hot afternoon. One hundred and twenty something and I’m soaked to death from a previous mission. I have to admit I didn’t worry about traffic during rush hour (hummers prevent that) nor did I worry about what to wear….it was pretty determined for the next oh, 7 months.
Now, as I drive the streets of Washington DC, I wonder how some of these people got their drivers license. I guess I will chalk it up to one other thing I will get use to again. The sight of green grass, bushes and the feel of rain. It’s been rainy here lately and I finished a nice cigar standing outside as it began to sprinkle and the pour. The neighbors thought “what is that nut job doing?” but if you go a year or so without seeing clouds or rain, then you begin to understand.
As Dirt people, your skin was tattooed with the dirt from the area. Crow feet on the corners of 20 year old Marines eyes and characters to match. Talking with them now after our return I laugh as we all share the same opinions of the states and how people take it for granted. The same feelings I had after every other deployment.
With everything going on in our world these days, remember, yes congress is getting a self alignment, banks are scared to loan, but know that that steely eyed warrior out in northern Iraq is ready to keep the wolf at bay.
You have running water, you probably had a starbucks this morning and your paper is still in your driveway for the love of god. You will have a good dinner tonight and after watching the biggest looser or some other feel good show you will hit your rack and get a solid 8hrs of rest.
Tough life.
Although the week is almost over, remember it can always be worse……so stop your bitching and kick some ass. Have you really made a difference this week? If you haven’t, shame on you. If you have, then you can look at your self in that 100watt lit up bathroom mirror that your Mrs loves and say, I can do better.
Tough times don’t last, tough people do!"
"I've got a bracelet, too"
I don't know how many of you actually watched Obama utter these words, but if you did, and you still think that he is in any way a sincere individual who doesn't play act for the crowd, please email me. I've got an underwater basket weaving company I'd like to sell you.
One Marine's View
That link can explain it far better than I can. While the significance of him not even knowing the name of the guy on his bracelet might have gone over less educated heads, it was glaringly obvious to anyone in the military. Most people don't know that McCain has worn that for years, long before he ever mentioned it to anyone.
And since we're talking politics tonight, let me remind everyone that if you have to choose between a President with little to no experience and an enormously steep learning curve, and a Vice-President with little to no experience and a slightly less steep learning curve, it's obvious that you choose the VP. Especially when she's going to be the VP for a man who is notorious for wanting to take away some of the vast power Cheney was handed during the last 8 years. She will not be making policy decision, people. She'll be the best XO to his CO. We're not voting Palin vs Obama. We're voting McCain vs Obama. And I, for one, do not want his learning curve to take place on my shift.
One Marine's View
That link can explain it far better than I can. While the significance of him not even knowing the name of the guy on his bracelet might have gone over less educated heads, it was glaringly obvious to anyone in the military. Most people don't know that McCain has worn that for years, long before he ever mentioned it to anyone.
And since we're talking politics tonight, let me remind everyone that if you have to choose between a President with little to no experience and an enormously steep learning curve, and a Vice-President with little to no experience and a slightly less steep learning curve, it's obvious that you choose the VP. Especially when she's going to be the VP for a man who is notorious for wanting to take away some of the vast power Cheney was handed during the last 8 years. She will not be making policy decision, people. She'll be the best XO to his CO. We're not voting Palin vs Obama. We're voting McCain vs Obama. And I, for one, do not want his learning curve to take place on my shift.
"bye bye, fwens"
Amelia is always so cheerful. I drop her off at the CDC (Child Development Center) in the mornings and she runs in with a happy smile and says hello to everyone. When I pick her up, she always leaves happily waving "bye bye" to all the other kids (who honestly don't seem to notice - I guess it's a 2 yr old thing) like she's the Queen of England and it's been a grand time visiting the locals.
Today I walked in and she was busy putting some toys away (obviously she takes more after Rafe than me). She noticed me, said hello, but was intent on finishing her project first. Another little girl next to her kept telling her, "Mia! Mommy!!" and pointing to me. Apparently she started to get a little worried that Amelia was being a bit too nonchalant about mom being at the door, so she grabbed Amelia's hand and turned her around to face me and yelled again, "Mia!!! Mommy here!" I guess Amelia figured she couldn't ignore me forever, because she finally got the hint and came running.
As she was leaving, Amelia turned around to wave goodbye and yelled out, "Bye bye, fwens!! Bye bye fwens!!". Walking down the hallway, she kept saying, "Mommy, fwens!! Mommy, fwens!"
She's so darn cute.
Today I walked in and she was busy putting some toys away (obviously she takes more after Rafe than me). She noticed me, said hello, but was intent on finishing her project first. Another little girl next to her kept telling her, "Mia! Mommy!!" and pointing to me. Apparently she started to get a little worried that Amelia was being a bit too nonchalant about mom being at the door, so she grabbed Amelia's hand and turned her around to face me and yelled again, "Mia!!! Mommy here!" I guess Amelia figured she couldn't ignore me forever, because she finally got the hint and came running.
As she was leaving, Amelia turned around to wave goodbye and yelled out, "Bye bye, fwens!! Bye bye fwens!!". Walking down the hallway, she kept saying, "Mommy, fwens!! Mommy, fwens!"
She's so darn cute.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
I'm a plumber!!
Sort of. My tub has been stopped up for several days with the water level not going down at all. I've cleaned it, but still not any luck. I was going to call the base maintenance to snake it or buy some drano, and I remembered a non-toxic cleaning remedy that I'd wanted to try to clean out drains, a combination of baking soda and vinegar. I'm going to eventually switch most, if not all, of our cleaning supplies to home made ones - less toxicity and much less expensive. And, as far as I can tell, equally effective.
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar
Pour the baking soda in first, then the vinegar.
That is the recipe, but I didn't follow it. I sprinkled in what was left of my baking soda box (about 1/3) directly into the water over the drain and then followed it with an equal amount of vinegar (I just eyeballed it). I wish Amelia hadn't been asleep because she would have loved watching what happened next. It bubbled and fizzed up like alka-seltzer and then died down. I figured nothing much was going to happen and went to bed; but not before I noticed a few air bubbles coming up from the drain. I just thought it was still part of the reaction.
This morning, much to my surprize, the tub is empty! It worked!!!
That really helps make up for the fact that I tried to put together a cheapo Walmart play tent for Amelia (that Rafe has put together before with no mishaps) and broke the rods. Amelia kept asking to play in the broken tent all day and I felt really bad that it is pretty much useless now.
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup vinegar
Pour the baking soda in first, then the vinegar.
That is the recipe, but I didn't follow it. I sprinkled in what was left of my baking soda box (about 1/3) directly into the water over the drain and then followed it with an equal amount of vinegar (I just eyeballed it). I wish Amelia hadn't been asleep because she would have loved watching what happened next. It bubbled and fizzed up like alka-seltzer and then died down. I figured nothing much was going to happen and went to bed; but not before I noticed a few air bubbles coming up from the drain. I just thought it was still part of the reaction.
This morning, much to my surprize, the tub is empty! It worked!!!
That really helps make up for the fact that I tried to put together a cheapo Walmart play tent for Amelia (that Rafe has put together before with no mishaps) and broke the rods. Amelia kept asking to play in the broken tent all day and I felt really bad that it is pretty much useless now.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Crunchy Lunch!
Amelia and I have a lot of fun cooking together. This past week, I taught her how to clean pomegranates to get the seeds. She thought she was being very sly by sneaking a few seeds into her mouth as she cleaned!! But since it was going to be for her snack anyway, I let her eat away.
Today we had a PBJ, and I had put some pomegranate seeds into her sandwich as a surprise. When she crunched them, it made her laugh - which made me laugh - which made her laugh. She kept saying, "Pop!" (for the seeds popping in her mouth).
Then I tried it on MY sandwich.
I don't know who had more fun eating lunch - Mia or myself. They pop in your mouth like a healthy version of fizzy candy and they come at unexpected places in the sandwich. The tartness of the pomegranate plays really well with the peanut butter and the jam. We're definately doing this one again! I was surprised at how delicious they taste.
By the way, BARB, I can never write surpriZe on this blog now without thinking of you. I had no idea I had been spelling it wrong all these years!! :) That's what you get when you don't ever use spell check, I guess. :))
Today we had a PBJ, and I had put some pomegranate seeds into her sandwich as a surprise. When she crunched them, it made her laugh - which made me laugh - which made her laugh. She kept saying, "Pop!" (for the seeds popping in her mouth).
Then I tried it on MY sandwich.
I don't know who had more fun eating lunch - Mia or myself. They pop in your mouth like a healthy version of fizzy candy and they come at unexpected places in the sandwich. The tartness of the pomegranate plays really well with the peanut butter and the jam. We're definately doing this one again! I was surprised at how delicious they taste.
By the way, BARB, I can never write surpriZe on this blog now without thinking of you. I had no idea I had been spelling it wrong all these years!! :) That's what you get when you don't ever use spell check, I guess. :))
Beautiful Life
The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life. ~Frank Lloyd Wright
These past few years have been very difficult in so many ways for our family - we seem to have had more than the normal share of tragedies hit us, one after the other. I think moving to Beaufort (away from support systems and friends who had been with us at so many duty stations I considered them family) seemed to both concentrate and exacerbate my frustration with it all. At a time when I eagerly looked forward to my husband being home on a regular basis for the first time in 2 years, he was snatched up as an IA and deployed for 17 months. I am now counting his workup of 4.5 months as part of that deployment!
I was wondering why I couldn't seem to pull it together now, when things have settled down and I can set up our routines again... wondering why I can't focus, can't be as productive as I used to be, etc.
Bit by bit, as tragic events have piled on, you go through the day and continue to endure. One more thing falls by the wayside and it's barely noticeable until one day you look around and realize you've let a lot of beauty leave your life in the struggle to get through each day. And worse, it's visibly manifested in the piles of paper and toys hanging out everywhere!!
I've been determined for some time to get on the organizing warpath. I was temporarily sidetracked by the emergency surgery/miscarriage and it's been a struggle to move forward since then. I've gone again to the doctor for blood tests - hair is falling out in clumps and my attention span is reminiscent of a butterfly, with an absolute lack of focus. I originally had this intense desire to cut our possessions by a third, and to create a beautiful sanctuary for my husband.
I do believe that our home needs to be a sanctuary. But within the past week, I've had the revelation that it needs to be that way for not only my husband, but also myself. I've let beauty leave my life in tiny little puffs of air, and with it, a lot of my contentment and peace. What happened to the music, art, flowers that used to reside in this home? What happened to the joy and serenity? What happened to lazy days exploring the country?
I absolutely believe that organization is key to all that. And I'm ready to invest in the beauty of it. :)
These past few years have been very difficult in so many ways for our family - we seem to have had more than the normal share of tragedies hit us, one after the other. I think moving to Beaufort (away from support systems and friends who had been with us at so many duty stations I considered them family) seemed to both concentrate and exacerbate my frustration with it all. At a time when I eagerly looked forward to my husband being home on a regular basis for the first time in 2 years, he was snatched up as an IA and deployed for 17 months. I am now counting his workup of 4.5 months as part of that deployment!
I was wondering why I couldn't seem to pull it together now, when things have settled down and I can set up our routines again... wondering why I can't focus, can't be as productive as I used to be, etc.
Bit by bit, as tragic events have piled on, you go through the day and continue to endure. One more thing falls by the wayside and it's barely noticeable until one day you look around and realize you've let a lot of beauty leave your life in the struggle to get through each day. And worse, it's visibly manifested in the piles of paper and toys hanging out everywhere!!
I've been determined for some time to get on the organizing warpath. I was temporarily sidetracked by the emergency surgery/miscarriage and it's been a struggle to move forward since then. I've gone again to the doctor for blood tests - hair is falling out in clumps and my attention span is reminiscent of a butterfly, with an absolute lack of focus. I originally had this intense desire to cut our possessions by a third, and to create a beautiful sanctuary for my husband.
I do believe that our home needs to be a sanctuary. But within the past week, I've had the revelation that it needs to be that way for not only my husband, but also myself. I've let beauty leave my life in tiny little puffs of air, and with it, a lot of my contentment and peace. What happened to the music, art, flowers that used to reside in this home? What happened to the joy and serenity? What happened to lazy days exploring the country?
I absolutely believe that organization is key to all that. And I'm ready to invest in the beauty of it. :)
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Dinosaurs in the water...
Rafe called again today. Woohoo!! He said he was able to sleep in last night - 9 hours of sleep instead of his usual 5. Quite frankly, I don't know how he's doing it. This is a guy who loves his sleep and could easily sleep 10 straight hours every day.
Amelia loves it when he calls and she's awake. She gets kind of shy on the phone, but holds it so close to her face and her ear, as if she's trying to hold him close. She talks MUCH quieter than she normally does, which is quiet and girly anyway. She will have this big ear to ear grin on her face while he's talking, and will occasionally say one or two words. To me, those words are whole stories, but I need to translate them to Rafe since he isn't used to hearing her very much.
"Opit!!" = Open it!
"Bee Beep" = usually means that a car is beeping somewhere, but will occasionally means she wants me to beep the car horn.
"my turn!" = This one always makes me laugh, because it means she totally gets the concept of sharing and taking turns (not bad for 27 months), and uses it to her advantage when she wants to do something that I normally do.
"Reenz" = Marines. Every time she sees a Marine, she comments on them. "reenz, mommy, reenz!!!" When they march cadence, she says, "reenz sing!" Today, I was humming the Marine Corps Hymn while I was changing her diaper (not on purpose, but if you hear something often enough you will hum it. It's better than the veggie tales theme running through my head, trust me) and she said, "Reenz sing, mommy?" I was pretty impressed, because I hadn't realized I was humming it until she mentioned it.
"I 'cared" = I'm scared. She hardly ever used to say this, except every once in a great while with a thunderstorm. But again, she's gotten sneaky recently and begun to say it in all seriousness for sounds or things she never used to be scared of. When I finally caught on, I tickled her and told her she wasn't really scared, she was just messing with mommy, and she laughed and stopped saying it!! I was once again, snookered by a 2 year old.
And my most recent favorite - "dina-soar"... said in two words as we pass over water on a bridge, or go by a marsh when the tide is in. For some reason, she has it in her head now that dinosaurs live in the water around here. When I finally figured out what she was saying, and asked her, "are you telling me that dinosaurs are in the water here?" She very happily sighed and said "yes" and stopped repeating it over and over.
Amelia loves it when he calls and she's awake. She gets kind of shy on the phone, but holds it so close to her face and her ear, as if she's trying to hold him close. She talks MUCH quieter than she normally does, which is quiet and girly anyway. She will have this big ear to ear grin on her face while he's talking, and will occasionally say one or two words. To me, those words are whole stories, but I need to translate them to Rafe since he isn't used to hearing her very much.
"Opit!!" = Open it!
"Bee Beep" = usually means that a car is beeping somewhere, but will occasionally means she wants me to beep the car horn.
"my turn!" = This one always makes me laugh, because it means she totally gets the concept of sharing and taking turns (not bad for 27 months), and uses it to her advantage when she wants to do something that I normally do.
"Reenz" = Marines. Every time she sees a Marine, she comments on them. "reenz, mommy, reenz!!!" When they march cadence, she says, "reenz sing!" Today, I was humming the Marine Corps Hymn while I was changing her diaper (not on purpose, but if you hear something often enough you will hum it. It's better than the veggie tales theme running through my head, trust me) and she said, "Reenz sing, mommy?" I was pretty impressed, because I hadn't realized I was humming it until she mentioned it.
"I 'cared" = I'm scared. She hardly ever used to say this, except every once in a great while with a thunderstorm. But again, she's gotten sneaky recently and begun to say it in all seriousness for sounds or things she never used to be scared of. When I finally caught on, I tickled her and told her she wasn't really scared, she was just messing with mommy, and she laughed and stopped saying it!! I was once again, snookered by a 2 year old.
And my most recent favorite - "dina-soar"... said in two words as we pass over water on a bridge, or go by a marsh when the tide is in. For some reason, she has it in her head now that dinosaurs live in the water around here. When I finally figured out what she was saying, and asked her, "are you telling me that dinosaurs are in the water here?" She very happily sighed and said "yes" and stopped repeating it over and over.
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