Family Readiness Group

By default, I am the FRG's Treasurer. Interesting. I have no idea what I'm doing and just figured out what the acronym meant about a month ago!

Tonight was the Boone's second FRG meeting under our new presidency. The Family Readiness Group is a command sponsored group of volunteer spouses who try to provide morale building activities for all family members and service members. We plan parties on the ship for the kids, try to have a Mom's Night Out, fundraise, build relationships so the family and service members of the Boone can meet the challenges of Navy life.

I never been involved in this sort of thing before kids. I was on my own and didn't really feel the need to be a part of something like an FRG. Now, though, I think it's an important way to not only to show support for the ship and your husband but to just get out there and do something. Why not do one more positive thing to make deployment smooth? As the boys get older, I want them to see that I didn't sit around and grumble about underway time and deployments (even if I do!). It's so important to me to show them that they're not "entitled" to anything just because we uprooted them every 18 months.

This was the last (it better be) underway before deployment so the FRG is gearing up for all sorts of fun stuff. I'm hoping that we can make this a great experience for everyone involved.

Oh, Boy!

...or girl. Yep. I'm pregnant. OMG. WTF?

I'm taking a deep breath and just trying not to have another panic attack, but it's the truth. I'm about 7 weeks now. I'll go and see the midwife December 11th for my first appointment.

Right now I'm nervous, ambivalent, annoyed, hopeful, doubtful, scared and stunned. I mean, obviously, I know HOW it happened but it doesn't lessen the shock value. The reason I am all of the aforementioned feelings: John is leaving for deployment not to return until the week the baby is due in July. After that, we will be moving to our next duty station in August where Turner will start preschool.

I can't believe all of that is going to happen in the summer of 2010. I'm scared the boys will react adversely, Turner will hate all the associations, Eli will become even crazier and a third child will never get much but dragged around. I have two hands and am, at most, a married single mother. I can't believe I'm going to have to explain where daddy is to three little faces.

As much as I want to cry and sleep, I can't. I have a job to do and I intend on doing it well. While John is gone, the boys and I are going to make the most of the time we have together and I'm going to do everything in my power to be so organized (muah hahahaha) that we have a smooth transition from a family of four to a family of FIVE.

Mario & Luigi Hats

While the kids are little, I like to think I can choose what they'll be for Halloween.

I mean, come on, a monkey and a banana...

How cute!

For this year, I really wanted a "brother" costume idea. I settled on Mario & Luigi.

After searching, I finally figured out how to make the hats! I found this blog and made the hats in 10 minutes, total.

At JoAnn Fabric I bought 1/2 yard (1/4 for each color) fleece fabric, sheets of brown, black and white felt and two pairs of white gloves for $7.40.

Double the fabric, and trace a circle at least 12 inches in diameter. I had a mixing bowl that was the perfect size.

Cut out the two circles and keep the scraps as it will be used to make the bill of the cap. Next, trace a smaller circle on one of the circles. I used a small snack bowl. The fleece has a bit of stretch to it so I chose this based on a toddler head size.

I cut out circles on the white felt to make the emblems that go on the front and then cut out letters from the black felt. Then, take two scraps from the larger circles and make a bill by taking the obvious parts (that fits like a puzzle piece against the rounds you cut out) and cutting it as large or small as you'd like.

Now, for the next step I wish I could say I got all Martha but I didn't. I was going to sew the hats and have fun "make believe" toys for the boys' stash of stuff...but...

I hot glued all the parts together! Lame, but it worked! Glue the edges of the largest rounds. Flip "right side" out. Then, glue the bill, flip it "right side" out and glue to the edge of the small hole in the hat. You'll get the idea when you see the hats and read the blog I linked to!

Eli had a pair of overalls and I stumbled upon a pair of overalls for Turner at a local resale shop for $5.99. Top it off with two Granimals brand Wally World shirts for $3.50 each! Oh, and the brown felt is to make little shoe covers and attaching at the back with a hairband. We'll see if that works!

So, for about $20 I've got Mario & Luigi!

Fall!

Our little vacation to Lynchburg, VA, for Chad and Kate's wedding made me keenly aware of the fall we'll be missing out on this year. Those first cravings for chili, sweaters and all things cozy will likely be forced here -in the name of fall! On the flight home, I was thinking of all the falls I've experienced.

My childhood falls were filled with camping, playing even harder ouside since it was not as hot (note: I did not say cooler). Pumpkins were picked in a "patch" at a church or along side the road and it was imperative that Halloween costumes were light weight because it was almost certain that it would not be cooler than 75 degrees. There was nothing spectacular about fall in Florida. No peak foliage, no scarves, and no bitter good-byes to flip flops. I never knew any different until we started travelling.

Japan was much like living in Virginia, I'd say.

A mild fall, where the leaves changed and you got cozy in your sweaters and scarves. It wasn't the fall I had dreamed of as a kid. I always imagined the epitome of fall to be a magical event that only happened in Maine. I mean, I know it's gorgeous elsewhere. But, Maine...
Our next duty station was Monterey, CA. Fall in that part of California was still on the edge of an Indian Summer. I wasn't complaining, considering the other 10 months of the year it was cold and damp. We did get to experience our first real pumpkin patch! It was neat to pick out a pumpkin that was sitting in the exact spot it grew. After Monterey, we were lucky enough to be in New England.

When fall came it just made me melt and fall in love with Rhode Island. The smells, the feeling of that crisp air and the ambiance (is that true of nature?) make you feel like a kid! I'd give anything to be there right now with the boys the ages that they are. There really is nothing like warming up to soup or cuddling up on the couch and actually needing a blanket. Did I mention that Fall means LAAAHBSTAH?

Run Report

Note to Self: Remember to eat! Poor nutrition is not only going to make for painful runs but will also contribute to injuries. There will be NO injuries while John is gone and I am training for these races. NONE!

Today was my first "long" run. I say "long" because it was just 3.75 miles. I am sticking to a Runner's World training program and just running 3 days a week. It's a great way to stay focused but not stuffing the kids in BOB to run all the time. Most important is going to be my long run and, since it's probably going to be the only time I'll run alone, I have to make sure it's good.

I haven't paid attention to time, yet. I'm just working on getting my form and pace back down. I feel like I made great time today but we'll see next time when I run with a watch on.

This week is an off week since we're leaving for Chad's wedding Thursday morning. I'll be running 3-4 miles Monday and Tuesday and crossing my fingers to get 5 miles in after (if) John comes home Wednesday. I don't want to count on getting out for a run in Lynchburg since it's our famly vacation before John leaves for deployment.

Situation Normal

The boys and I had the most wonderful day. It was absolutely normal and boring by most standards. And I have no husband to share that with.

I took the crazies to the gym to see Ms. Debbie, worked my shoulders, did some training stuff for my legs, stopped in at the children's museum to play, came home and had a nice quick lunch, they both took short naps and woke up cranky...so we headed to the zoo, ran in to a detour on the single road that goes to the zoo, drove around north Jacksonville for an hour while Turner told me it was ok that I was lost (who said I was lost? my GPS/phone kept telling me that the road I was on didn't exist), made it to the zoo at 4:53 -7 minutes before closing, ran around the zoo (literally), ate dinner in the back of the car, decided to go to Chick-fil-a as all those calories burned and impending Auntie visit made mommy super hungry, ran around like caged animals in the super awesome play area with no nasty ball pit, came home and took a warm bath, snuggled on the couch, put Eli to bed, and then snuggled even more with super silly Turner.

I hate not telling him the details of the day, like when Eli got the attention of everyone at Chick-fil-a because his squeals (aka high pitched screams) seemed to interrupt peoples' dinners. Or, that Turner reminded me that you can't see Daddy from the bridge on the way to the zoo because the ocean is in the other direction and that we're crossing a river.

It's hard entertaining the thought that there will be 7 (give or take) months of not sharing details. Oh! I tried the most wonderful drinking chocolate, I'm seeing a nutritionist/trainer for my race training, I let Eli get too big and wasted a brand-new-never-been-worn pair of Riley Roos, I scared the kids when I clapped really loud, Eli said "Hi Daddy!" when we went over a bridge and saw water, I found the missing orange baba, John's ribons came in for his super spiffy mess dress, I found outfits for the boys to wear to Chad's wedding and I decided that they're going to be Mario and Luigi for Halloween.

See? That's a whole lot of detail for one day...and that's not even the half of it. You may be asking yourself (probably not, but let's pretend): Why, with technology, won't you be in much contact with your sweet husband? Well, that's the beauty of his ship. It's the second oldest in the Navy...and it shows. It's like trying to upload picutres if you're on dial-up. All but impossible. Yay. Go Navy.

That Kid

Turner is the most gentle boy I'll ever know. He spent 45 minutes "brushing" and "styling" my hair tonight. If I looked down, he'd tell me I needed to look up and then he'd say "Wow! You wook weewly gweat!" It feels like such a guilty pleasure for me when I let him stay up past his usual bed time.
I am so grateful to spend so much time with him. The good and the not so awesome all end the same way. With one sweet little toddler comfortably residing in my bed at night.