Our summer

It occured to me that I since I was very neglectful this summer in keeping up with our blog that maybe I ought to share what Addie and I were up to all summer long... We had a very busy and fun-filled summer up here in Washington and I have a few hundred (literally) pictures that go along with our summer. But quite frankly it is going to take me a long time to get them organized and sent out. One day soon, that will be the project that I take on!

My parents purchased a home over at Lake Chelan, WA - which is in central Washington! It is gorgeous lake, the water is so clear you it seems like you can see the bottom. It is in wine country so is surrounded by vineyards, which used to be apple orchards. There is a cute little town there too. We made three trips over there this summer. The first one was a work trip. I jokingly called it "Stewart Work Camp" because we worked our tails off around that house. The next time we went we took three of my mom's neices and nephews. That was a fun trip because I don't get to spend much time with those kids. They had a blast playing in the lake, going to the waterslides, riding bikes around town, playing put-put golf, and playing with Addison. The last trip we made was a short one. Over on Friday back on Sunday, but it was probably the most fun of all the trips. My dad's family had the annual family reunion over there! And all I can say is that bunch is a crazy, wild, fun crowd!

Prior to the third trip to Chelan we took a little road trip. We drove up part of the Olympic Peninsula to Paulsbo - a very cute little town that is styled after a Eurpoean village! So many cute little shops and restaraunts! We didn't spend much time there, just enough to walk around and see it. Just enough to know that I would love to go back and spend more time there! From there, we hopped back in the car and drove further up the Peninsula to Port Townsend. Again, we walked around the town - again, very cute and I would love to spend more time there. (Let's be honest, we didn't see as much as the Peninsula as I would have liked, so we will be going back at some point. It is so beautitul!) From Port Townsend, we took the ferry across the Puget Sound to Whidby Island - again, awesome - and a Navy town! We crossed Deception Pass - which might be one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and I stood above it! I can't imagine what it looks like from water level!

The next day we drove across the North Cascades Highway! And if I had a dollar for everytime I said it was spectacular, I would be a millionaire! Words cannot express how truly amazing the scenery is, and looking at my pictures, they don't do it the justice it deserves either! One thing I can say is if you have never been to the state of Washington - you are missing out! If you are planning a trip out here, the North Cascades Highway is a MUST on your itininary!

My best friend and her husband were also here for two weeks. They had been traveling and camping across the country from Virginia and I am pretty sure that by the time they got to Washington they were pretty tired of the whole process! Barb has been here several times before, but Chris had never been to the West Coast - and I am pretty sure like most, he would gladly become a convert! Barb and I took him to Cannon Beach, OR one day and to Portland another. I think they both fell in love with Portland and I can safely say that I can invision them living there one day. I always thought Barb would be a good fit there anyway!

In early August we took Addie to the Cowlitz County Fair to see all the animals! She loved the horses and learned how to "cock-a-doodle-do!" She got to hold rabbits - thanks, Barb Rider - and "moo" at the cows. And of course, even though we tried to keep her from seeing the rides, she did! Sadly though, she was too little for any of them. This of course did NOT go over well and we had to leave the fair.

This little break down of hers lead to our next little outing. The following week we took her down to Seaside, OR to ride the caraosoul. We made an unexpected stop in Astoria, OR to see the sealions - which she LOVED. But while watching the sealions, the little trolley that goes along the water front went by. And of course, we HAD to ride the "coco." I think she really liked it from the temper tantrum she threw when it was time to get off. If she had her way, we would still be riding it! We than drove over to Seaside and rode the caraosoul. The plan was to also go to the kite store to get her a kite to fly, but she was too tired for that. So she settled for some candy and the candy store and a nap.

She has loved being outside in the backyard at Mimi and Papa's. Mom gathered up some little riding toys for her which she loves to have Papa push her around the yard in. They put up a swing for her and again, she loves that! She wasn't too interested in the pool. But really, I have just loved that she has been able to spend so much time outside - even though the weather hasn't been too terribly great!

Now, after reading this blog, I hope you will forgive me for being so neglectful. We have had a great summer and I am so thankful we were given this opportunity to do so many fun things with Addison!

David

David. He was someone Charlie met when he returned to the Air Force Academy after being at the Naval Academy for a semester his junior year. David was the first person I met in Colorado Springs - the first friend of Charlie's that I met. He helped us move into our apartment when Charlie moved me to the Springs over spring break in March of 2001. We spent a lot of time with David the first few months I lived in the Springs. I took him to a doctor's appointment after he had surgery, he would randomly come over for dinner with us and hang out, his date for Ring Dance stayed with me and we went to Vail with them for the weekend, and than when things didn't work out with her the way he hoped, he called me a lot for girl advice. David came to Kelso after graduation to be an usher in our wedding - which to this day, I don't know if anyone Charlie's Academy friends that came to the wedding know how much that meant to both of us.

David was the quiet friend. The one who everyone teased because he could take it so well, but hardly ever dished it back. In fact, Charlie teases him on our wedding video while introducing our wedding party and he is just laughing and shrugging his shoulders. One of my favorite memories of Dave is the day he helped us move into our apartment in the Springs. We hadn't even known each other an hour and he teased me mercilessly about the amount of boxes that were marked "clothes." I think it was one of the only times I heard him tease anyone.

We lost touch with David after the wedding - all the guys scattered and were off getting their Air Force careers started - pilot training and what not. But we always seemed to know where David was - even though we didn't keep in contact with him. We knew that David was doing exactly what he said he wanted to do the whole time at the Academy - he was flying helicopters.

About a week after I got home to Kelso, Charlie called me and told me that David had died. At the time, I had felt like someone had kicked me in the chest. I couldn't believe it!!! And I was so incredibly sad. We didn't know much about the accident at the time other than he had been piloting a helicopter in Afghanistan that had been shot down. Initially he survived, but died from his injuried a few weeks later. (Fortunatly, he had been flown to DC and his family was able to be with him at the time of his passing.)

Yesterday in the mail we recieved Checkpoints - The Air Force Academy's Alumni magazine. David's obit was in the "gone but not forgotten" section. And even though I knew it would be there, I was still not prepared for it. In fact, I couldn't even read it right away. I had to push it aside and read it later. I won't go into details - frankly, because I am not sure I would be able to finish this blog without breaking down in tears again. But what I will say is that after reading it, I had a new found respect for Dave. I am so proud and honored to have known him. His actions on that day earned him a purple heart that day, along with a very accomplished service record. And even though I still feel sad that we will never see David again and that we had lost touch with him over the years, I am so greatful to David for his service and his sacrifice. Rest in Peace, Dave! You will be missed!

This and That

Addie and I went down to Las Vegas to see Charlie over Labor Day weekend. We flew down Thursday evening and came back Tuesday afternoon. We had a great weekend with him. Luckily, he was done with work at 10 Friday morning so we ended up getting a bonus day with him. Here is a run-down on all we did...

Friday: He took us to his room so we could see what "daddy's house" looked like. It was a very good decision for us not to stay in his room - talk about tight quarters! The trip to his room was followed up by at trip to Toys R Us so Addie could pick out a new toy for daddy to buy her. (He is slightly smitten with her!) We also met up with the other guys in his class for dinner. It was fun also because there was another wife in town with a little girl about Addie's age - so Addie got to play while we had some adult conversation! We ate GREAT this day!

Saturday: We went over to Donna and Ethan Waitte's new home for a house warming party. These were people we knew from Langley. It was great to see them - and Donna looked adorable at 37 weeks pregnant! They have a pool so Addie had a hayday swimming and running around. Unfortunatly, she didn't get a nap that day and had a nuclear meltdown right about dinner time and we had to leave. Also, again with the eating - FAB!

Sunday: Family day! We took Addison down to the strip. Family day, you say? Yes. We took her to the aquarium at Mandalay Bay to see the "Nemos" - all fish are Nemos. And daddy bought her presents, again. We than took her on the "coco" - tram from Mandalay Bay to the Excalibur - and walked over to M & M World. It was crowded, but of course, Addison found things for her daddy to buy her. (Again, totally smitten!) The plan for the evening was to take Addie back down to the strip after it got dark for her to see the lights and to take her to the fountains at the Bellagio - but we didn't make it that far. We got down there and the traffic was bumper to bumper - she was tired and was begging for ice cream. So we got off the strip, got her ice cream and headed home. But like all days while we were there, we ate great!

Monday: Charlie had to spend most of the day working. Sad, but true. He went in to the squadron for a few hours and than brought his work home with him. I spent the day much like I always do - cleaning, doing laudry, playing/taking care of Addison. Also packing! After cleaning Claw's apartment - where we were staying - I made a family dinner to include Claw who had just gotten back from seeing him family in Rhode Island. (Claw is the other f-22 guy in Chuck's class and had gone home to see him twin baby boys and wife for the long weekend.) I think, I hope, he appreciated a home cooked meal in a clean house.

Generally speaking, we had a great weekend. It was really nice to have that family time. You really don't know how much you miss it until you get a little taste of it. Leaving Tueday was a lot harder than I thought it would be and Addison cried too, which didn't help! Even Charlie seemed to be a little misty as he left us at security! On the bright side, we did have a great weekend and Charlie decided he didn't want to wait to see us again until the end of November - he booked his ticket that afternoon to come up to Kelso for Columbus Day weekend in October.

In other news, Luci had her surgery while Addie and I were down in Vegas. I felt so bad we weren't around to be with her, but lucky for Luci, my parents are crazy about her and were more than willing to take care of her to for the first few days of her recovery! Two weeks later, she is doing GREAT and we have our first follow up appointment is Friday. I sure hope they think she is doing as great as we do! It has been rough keeping her "quiet" especially with two big black labs running around.

I have been busy, busy learning how to sew. I think mom thinks I am going to become a quilter like her - well, maybe someday. But for now I am content with making aprons, purses, coffee cozies, etc. I feel like I am getting pretty good at sewing but know I have a long way to go. By the way, the goal this year is to MAKE all - or most - of our Christmas gifts. My "sewing to do" list is very long, but I am making headway. I am also making a few things to put in mom's bazaars with the hopes of making some money. Mom says I have been bitten by the bug - I will agree if I make some money from my "craft" this fall.

Amoungst the other crafts I have on my list - scrapbooks, garden stepping stones, jam, etc. - mom and I have also started ripping out the wallpaper in her dinning room to re-decorate it! I am so excitted - for those of you who know me, you know my ultimate goal is to be an interior designer someday so this is like Christmas morning for me. First though, we have to get through the wallpaper! YUCK!!! I will post before and after pictures when we are done. The goal is to have it done for the BIG Thanksgiving dinner mom has planned this year.

Luci

Since we have been here, Luci always seems to need to break up the two black labs - Lily and Newly - whenever they are playing/wrestling. Since I wasn't outside with them - my dad typically lets the dogs out in the morning - I am not really sure what happened, but I woke up to a very loud "yip" on Saturday morning. Luci came in from outside limping. Because she didn't seem to be in too bad of shape, we decided to wait it out and not take her to the emergency vet. We medicated her with a few aspirins, thinking she probably just twisted or tweaked something. However, by Monday morning, she was still not any better and I made an appointment to take her in.

When I was sitting in the vets office, I noticed she had a toe nail that was crooked and I couldn't help but think "Oh, great news!" I totally had myself convinced that was the problem, but couldn't help but feel bad that I had missed it entirely before - I thought I had been doing a good job checking out her leg/foot/hip. Finally, once we went back the doctor assured me the nail was NOT the problem. "Ah, crap!" But she thinks it could be a hairline fracture in her leg. "Poor dog!" Not great news, but I think that is better that having an acl tear. To be safe, she suggested we do an xray and tells me the treatment is anti-inflammatorys, pain meds and keeping her off it for a while. "No problem!"

Well, this is where my optimism changes. When she comes back from the xray, she tells me that it is not a hairline fracture - instead it is a ccl tear - which is the human version of the acl! "$&@*!" And better still - they don't do the surgery in town. We have to take her to Portland to a specialist. (For those of you who have known us for a while, you know we have all ready walked down this path with Coco, our chocolate lab.)

I met with the specialist today. He was great! He used English that I could understand and explained the whole process with pictures - yuck!!! - and all. I feel really good about the care she will be getting. (And yes, I know she isn't a person, but our dogs are a part of our family - like our first babies - so it was important for me to be comfortable and like her surgeon.)

I won't go into the details of the surgery because really, they turned my stomach - but I will say that Luci is having surgery on Saturday. I am hestitant to do so than because Addie and I will be in Vegas seeing Charlie, but the next available time wasn't until next Thursday and I didn't feel comfortable waiting that long based on the surgeon's explanation. I am lucky in that my mom will be able to take Luci -those two have always been pretty chumy anyway.

Please keep my poor, sweet, hound dog in your thoughts this weekend. She is in for a very long and painful surgery and not to mention recovery!

It is time to get serious!

So what is the point of having a blog to keep your friends and family in the loop with what is going on with your family if you don't even bother to keep it updated? This is the question I have been asking myself over and over again the last few days. It has been since May since I last added anything to our blog and even before that I wasn't that great at keeping it up to date. As I kid, I never was good at keeping a diary or a journal - which is exactly what a blog is - an online diary/journal.

It would take me weeks to get everything that we have done this summer blogged about. And quite frankly, I am not sure anyone even reads these so I would just be wasting time. So rather than try to get everyone - if we even do have any "fans" out there caught up - I am going to start fresh. I am starting today to keep this thing updated with events and moments that are happening as we speak. We have had a great, fun summer but we will just leave it at that.

If we do have any "fans" out there, I hope we didn't loose you by my lack of posts. Please come back!

Mama's New Ride

We have been talking about it for a long time and finally broke down and did it the other day. We are now the proud owners of a 2011 Honda Pilot. With our expanding family, we knew the CRV would not be appropriate for much longer. And with a cross-country trip on our horizons, on Monday we decided to go "look" and see what they would give us for a trade on our CRV. In fact, when we left the house, Chuck specifically said "I am not buying a car today!" He even went as far as telling the salesman the same thing. However, I think they had to be DESPERATE to make a sale - they gave us a GREAT trade-in - way above what we needed to make it work, they knocked money off the price, etc. In fact, the model we ended up with is a much nicer model than we had planned on buying because it was all they had on the lot and when we told them what we wanted to spend, they made it work. Obviously, we love our Honda's since this is our third one - and this one, BY FAR, is the best one.

Also, going to start working on updating and "fancing up" our blog! Stay tuned!

Travel Buddy

I haven't spent anytime updating our blog since Addison and my trip to Beaumont to see Uncle Jake and Aunt Brandi. While there are so many things about our trip to talk about, I will first start by chatting about the drive to and from Beaumont. In short, she did AWESOME! Ten hours is a long trip for anyone and of course, she had a few moments here and there were I thought she was about to loose it, but she never really had ANY melt downs - either direction. I was amazed at how well she did! I had expected the worst but was not only surprised by her, but also so very proud of her. I simple made sure I had lots of snacks, lots of toys within arms reach and MOVIES, MOVIES, MOVIES! I think the movies were the key because she watched movies almost the whole way, both ways!

I don't really have time to go into the whole trip tonight, but I will chat more about it and get you all caught up over the next few days. I also will be posting pictures - but in the meantime, if you can't wait to see ALL the pictures from our adventure, I have posted them on my facebook page!

Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

Making out

I know a lot of people will be grossed out by this, but it was so funny! And yes, she did get a good scrub down when they were done "making out."

Shooting hoops

Addison got a little basketball hoop and ball from Uncle Jake and Aunt Brandi for Christmas. I took this video a while ago on my phone and everytime I watch it I get a big chuckle!

Where is the kite?

Someone at the beach today was flying a kite and Addison was intrigued by it. I didn't think anything of it because she stopped talking about it when she couldn't see it anymore. But tonight when Chuck got home she started talking about the kite and telling him about it. She went on and on and on and on about it. It was so cute that I got out my phone and took a video of her saying it - hence the quality of this video is poor, it was taken from my phone. In case you can't pick up what she is saying, it's "where's the kite?"

Beaumont, Texas

My brother and his wife live in Beaumont, Texas which is about nine hours from here. Since Chuck is going to Atlanta for a few days this week, Addie and I are going to venture on over to Beaumont. I am very excited to see Jake and Brandi, but nervous at the same time. Addie has never had to be in the car for this long - even when we moved down here our days were shorter. I sure hope this doesn't turn out to be a nightmare! I am stocking the car with her favorite movies - how did our parents travel without those portable dvd players? We will also have lots of her favorite snacks and lots of toys. I am hoping to be on the road by no later than 8 so with any luck I will be there by dinner time - depending on how well Addie does. So I won't be blogging for next week or so! Have a great week, all! And wish us luck... We may need it!

First beach trip of the spring

Addie and I met up with Kelly and Emily, Kris, Ian, and Callie, and our new friend Chrystal for a little beach outing this morning. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was warm, no humidity, and very little wind. I tried to keep Addison out of the water for as long as I could because the water isn't too warm yet - even though she didn't seem to care. She loved being knocked over by the waves or just sitting in the sand and having the waves crash around her. The kids played in the sand, chased seagulls and collected shells while us ladies were able to chat. It was such a perfect day - not much could have made it much better. Addie didn't even scream when we left - I think because she was tuckered out. How lucky are we to live on beautiful beaches that we get to enjoy so early in the year?

Water Table

I broke out the water table yesterday! Yesterday, the water was great - pretty warm, muggy almost. So after our walk, I was trying to come up with a way for Addie to play in some water to cool off without taking her to the beach. Since the pool isn't open yet - something that throws me off because it is so warm here so early - it occured to me to get out the water table. The water out of the hose was cold, but she didn't seem to care. She had a great time and only came in after an hour and a half because daddy came home and we made her come in - or else she would still be out there now. She had fun and I got a little sun time of my own.

Easter

This year for Easter we were invited over to some friends house. The Schantz' were people we have known since Langley so we have known them for a while. They had a whole crew over for some wine, appetizers, an Easter egg hunt and a dinner. The weather was awesome so we turned all the kids loose in the back yard to play - Addie was out there the whole time and we were there for a good three hours. It really was a perfect day! It is times like these I am so grateful we have such a great group of friends because holidays away from our family are tough. We really are lucky to have an "Air Force" family.

Just have to share this

Just want to share this picture.

Baby toes + flip flops = CUUUUTTTTTTEEEEEEE!

Goodbye 2nd Fighter Squadron!

The 2nd Fighter Squadron here at Tyndall closed last Friday - April 2nd. While we were here once before while Chuck learned to fly the F-15C, we were not in the 2nd FS while we were here before! But I think we feel a strong connection with the 2nd because we were in the F-15 before the F-22. In honor of the closing of the 2nd, they flew a huge mission - 20 jets flying at once. I didn't end up going over the the runway to watch the launch, but I was able to take some pictures of some of the jets coming back right over our house as they were getting ready to land for the last time here. It was a sad day overall, not only because it was the end of the F-15 era, but because we have a lot of friends in the 2nd who will now be leaving us. Oh such is the military life!

Bored with the Work out

Addie and I have been spending a lot of time walking and running as I am still fighting with being overweight! (The dieting is only going to work if I get the exercise as well.) One day last week while we were walking, she got really quiet and when I looked down at her, I noticed she was passed out asleep. Apparently, walking/running with me is really, pretty boring!

Squadron Easter Egg Hunt

The week before Easter, the squadron had their annual Easter egg hunt at the commander's house. Charlie had to work so since my mom was here was a visit, we decided to take Addison. I had gone earlier in the week and bought her a basket and eggs so we could practice at home. She figured it out without any problem and we really thought she would do great at the party! However, she didn't get a nap in that day so we showed up at the party with a CRABBY baby! The commander and his wife had rented a bouncy house - she wouldn't go in that. She begged to get onto the trampoline - than she screamed for me to get her out. She chased the cat under the fence and got mad at the cat for not wanting to play with her. She wanted to get in the pool so we put her in her suit and she got mad when the water was too cold and we wouldn't let her get in all the way. After a half hour of fighting with her and not being able to do ANYTHING to please her, my mom and I decided we would not be staying for the egg hunt. Of course that didn't go over well at all - but she fell asleep within five minutes of being in the car.

Toddler Bed, Cancelled

We have been fighting Addison for two weeks at bed time. She hasn't been going to sleep alone and she hasn't been staying asleep for more than 3 hours at most. And really, she hasn't even been sleeping in the toddler bed. She has been sleeping on either a twin air mattress OR with us in our bed. Last night in a fit of PURE EXHAUSTION, we decided we had had enough! A friend recommended we take out the platform the mattress sits on in the toddler bed, drop the mattess to the floor, and put the crib rail back on. (Addie's crib is a "lifetime" bed - goes from a crib, to a toddler bed, to a double bed.) So we did this tonight before we put her down. She went to sleep without us being in the room with her and it only took her a few minutes. Now, let's just hope she stays asleep for the remainder of the night. She had been doing so well at night - sleeping all the way through until we tried to put her in the toddler bed. Now that the mattress is all the way to the ground, the top of the rail is now at eye level for her, so it will - hopefully - be a while before she can climb out of the crib. Because as we have learned over the past few weeks, she is clearly not ready to be in a big girl bed!

What we do know for sure...

In regards to weapons school - here is what we know for sure that will be happening with us. First of all, we know that Chuck's class starts on July 6th so we plan to get to Vegas on July 3rd. We will spend the 4th in Vegas and I will drive out of Vegas heading for home on July 5th to be in Kelso for my dad's birthday on the 6th. This means we will be leaving Panama City on the 30th of June. We will be moving out of the house and Addison will be flying most - if not all - of the way home with Grammy who will be flying down here to get her. Those are all the decisions we have made so far. Anything else will be determined when we find out IF we are coming back here. We should know in a few weeks if we are coming back here and if we aren't we will know where we are going...

Also, we have decided to take a trip just the two of us after he graduates as a reward to us both! WE ARE GOING TO PARIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the word is...

HE IS IN! We found out yesterday that Charlie did get into the weapons school class that will be starting in July. We have been waiting for several weeks are were really starting to feel the strain of the wait! They kept postponing when the word would come. It was incredibly frustrating and we were seriously on edge with anticipation! When that phone yesterday, my heart stopped and my stomach leaped into my throat because we knew it yesterday would be the day - we were told so by someone with authority, so we knew it would be true! I will never forget Charlie's words "Well, it was worth the wait!" I knew immediately the news was good!

We have so much to do now - I will be going home to Washington while he is at Weapons School. No sense in spending six months alone when my mother would die to have us home. Now we have to decide if we are going to keep our house or move out and put our stuff in storage. But we also need to find out if we are coming back to Florida in December when he is done which we won't know for a few more weeks - I know, more waiting! We don't have any concrete plans yet, but check back soon because we will! Considering he has to be in Vegas in less than 90 days, things will be happening fast!

Alligator

Quite often when we go to the park across the street from our house, there is an alligator - little one - sitting on the bank of the pond. I almost never have my camera, but yesterday I did. He looks a lot bigger in the picture - in reality, he is small and only about 4 feet long. I still wouldn't mess with him though and luckily there is a fence between the pond and the park. So not to worry, nobody is in danger. Pretty cool though that he "posed" for my picture!

Stretching

Whenever Chuck runs from the house, he stretches. Addison has taken to "copying" him. It is very, very funny to watch her. I was lucky enough to grab a picture of her doing it!

Toddler bed, night #2

Night number 2 report: SHE DID IT! SHE DID IT! SHE DID IT! She slept all night in her big girl bed and we only had to tell her ONCE to bet back in her bed. When I checked on her at 11 she was still in her bed and when Chuck checked on her at 5 this morning, she was still in her bed. She woke up at 9 and just started playing with her toys. I am one proud mama this morning! Way to go, Addison - you did a good job!

Toddler bed, night #1

Night One report: I would say she flunked this round. She didn't nap at all yesterday so she passed out in her daddy's lap shortly after 7. We changed her and put her in the big girl bed and that lasted a whole 15 minutes. She got up after much fussing from her and played until about 9 when we finally tried again. I went up with her and laid on the floor next to her bed for over an hour. She tried to get up a couple of times, but after telling her to lay back down she would. Finally after over an hour, she was still not asleep and I decided to take a new approach. I went downstairs and no sooner did I get downstairs did I hear her knocking on her door to be let out. I hollared up the stairs and told her to get back in bed and we didn't hear another peep out of her. A little before 11, we decided to go to bed and checked on her on our way. She was asleep, but she had fallen asleep on the pillows we had laid on the floor next to her bed. After some debate, we decided to move her up into the bed and remarkably, she stayed asleep. However within ten minutes she was hollaring at the door again. Screaming bloody murder and nothing we could do was making her happy. After 45 minutes of this, we put her down with a bottle on the twin air mattress on the floor of our room next to me. She had a comfy little nest and ended up sleeping there last night. So sleeping in our room with us does not constitute a success in my book!

Nap time seemed to go a little better today, but only because she fell asleep in the car on the way home from the grocery store. I was able to get her upstairs without waking her up and she slept for almost two hours in her toddler bed. I am hoping that this was all she needed and that tonight won't be much of a struggle at bed time. Here's hoping!

And by the way, we still have no word on Weapons School yet and quite frankly, I am getting FED up with this. It has been a month and in my opinion - for whatever that is worth - there is NO reason it should take this long! UGH!!!! Very, very frustrating! Again, here's hoping for tomorrow!

Toddler Bed

One of the days that I have been truly dreading was the day that we are forced to take the front rail off of Addison's crib and replace it with the front "toddler rail." All week, when we have put Addie in her crib she has been threatening to climb out - putting one foot on the top rail and trying to pull herself up. Last night she got so close that we decided to put pillows/padding on the floor surrounding her crib, just in case she figured it out. Today at nap time, she finally figured it out. I put her in her crib, walked to the door, shut it and before I could even make it to the stairs I heard her hit the floor and start knocking on her door. Luckily she didn't hurt herself! While I was out for my walk a little while ago, Chuck replaced the front rail of her crib with the front toddler rail. Now she can get in and out of bed by herself and we don't have to worry that she is going to hurt herself. But now of course, we get to fight the battle of getting her to stay in that bed at naptime and bedtime. A battle I am not fully prepared for! It is something that I just know is going to make her sleeping even more challenging then it all ready is. Wish us luck! It might be a rough couple of days/nights around the Schuck household!

Signing off for the day

Well, gang! I did a pretty good job of getting caught up today! Still have a lot to do, but have to spread out the work. Since we didn't find out if Charlie is going to weapons school today or not, I am going to need something to do to keep my mind occupied next week while we wait. Anyway, Charlie just called and is on his way home, so I guess I will stop playing with this blog and do something constructive - like make dinner. (We have gone vegan out our house - more to come on that next week.) Check back next week for more "thrilling" adventures of the Schuck's.

PS Is there anyone out there even reading this? Or am I doing it purely for myself?

Pig Tails

When we first started talking about having kids, Charlie kept saying he wanted a girl. Surprising to me, but even more so was one of the reasons he listed for wanting a girl. What is that reason you ask? Pigtails! He couldn't wait to have a little girl with long enough hair for pig tails. Guess what? Addison's hair is long enough for pig tails! Not only does she look ADORABLE with them in, but she also looks so grown up. When she is wearing them, I don't see a baby when I look at her anymore - I see a little girl. Again, mama turned on the waterworks the first time, but daddy LOVES them!

Battery Powered "car"

One day in February the Bay County Schools had a teacher inservice day. Some of the mom's with school aged kids decided to have a playdate in which all kids in the squadron were invited. Addie and I decided to go. We were all asked to bring a bike, etc for the kids to ride and play on in the cul-de-sac that the family lived on. Once there, Addie wanted nothing to do with the "bike" that I brought her. Instead she went right over and climbed into one (of the two) battery powered "cars" that were there. Of course she was too little to drive it so she got into the passenger side and one of the bigger kids drove. I about had a heart attack when the big kid stepped on the "gas" peddle and took of. Those things move pretty quick! So of course, I panicked and made her get off of it right away. However, I couldn't keep her away from it so eventually gave in BUT I made her hold on with both hands. (I know! When did I become such a mom???) She had such a great time on this thing and didn't want to share with the other kids. AND she did great holding on. I am so glad that I eventually relaxed a little because had I not, I don't think she would have had as much fun as she did. In all honesty, I think it may have been one of the playdates she went to that she had the most fun! And, truth be told, I had fun watching my little dare-devil. (Which, by the way, she does NOT get from me!)

Feelin Crabby

One of my favorite things to do when I get a little "me" time is to go walk on the beach, listen to the surf, collect shells, etc. Last Saturday, Charlie told me to take a couple of hours for some much-needed "me" time - so I grabbed my camera and headed to the beach. I don't always take my camera, but did this day. While out walking, I came across this little guy. At first, I didn't think he was still alive, but when he started crawling toward me I realized he wasn't. I snapped a quick picture of him and walked away - didn't really feel like getting my bare feet pinched by a crab!

Shades

For the longest time, we could not get Addie to keep sunglasses on her face while out in the sun. In the past few weeks, she has discovered sunglasses. She loves them and wears them all the time. However, this is not the entertaining part of the story. The funniest part about the wearing of the shades is that she likes to wear them upside down. And somehow, they stay on her! Such a silly kid!

"Bike"

Addison got a "bike" for Christmas. I say "bike" but it is a tri-cycle and when she says "bike" it more like "bie." That "k" sound is a tough one! When she first got it, it was too big and she couldn't reach the peddles. Now that she has grown about 12 feet since Christmas - ok, that might be a slight exagerration - her feet now touch the peddles. She still hasn't figured out how to peddle it yet, but she loves to cruise around the neighborhood on it. In truth though, we only make it about half way before she loses interests and wants to get off it to push or walk along side it. Luckily we were smart and it is one of the ones with the long handle so mom or dad can push/steer. (And thank heavens for that - that would be a long walk hunched over pushing it around.)

The attached pictures are from right after she got it.

My Guess Is...

The rumor last night was that today would be the day we would find out if Chuck got into weapons school for the July class or not. I have been waiting all day - pouncing on the phone whenever it would ring - and still we haven't gotten the word yet. Well, here it is - 3 o'clock - and as most of you know work in a fighter squadron comes to a standstill at about noon on Fridays (not really, but it seems that way sometimes) and my thinking is that we aren't going to hear today. It is going to be a very long weekend around here because we are both getting so impatient!!! I think up to this point we have done a really good job being patient - in the fall by this time when we were waiting we were both so anxious we couldn't sleep and were almost distraught by now. But really, a month is long enough. (The board met in mid-February.)

So to distract myself I am going to download pictures today and get them out on snapfish and hopefully downloaded onto facebook. When Addie gets up, I guess we will go to the park again - we have all ready been there once today. My plan for next week is to plug away at getting this blog caught up. I know I keep saying I am going to do it but now I have a reason to really work at it - it will keep my mind off the never-ending wait! Please check back this time next week for all the updated Schuck family information and pictures - and hopefully with any luck - a yes or a no in regards to Weapons School for Charlie.

"She held her own."

The church that Addison and I go to MOPS at has opened up it's Parent's Night Out to us in the MOPS program. We haven't used it since they opened it up, but decided to try it out last night. We hadn't had a date just the two of us since October and were really feeling like we were due for some adult conversation and some time together. Here's how it went:

We ended up getting to the church about a half hour late. The kids in her room were eating dinner, but since I had all ready fed her she took off to the toys. Usually she fusses when I leave her at MOPS, but last night it didn't even faze her that I was leaving her. When we came back to get her, we got there about a half hour early so there were still lots of kids left - there were about 8 there. I noticed that Addie was the only girl in the room and said "Oh, Addison is the only girl left." With a little chuckle the teacher said to Chuck and I "Addison was the only girl all night. Let's just say - she held her own." I have to say - this made me so proud! My little girl isn't going to take any crap from any little boy! The other teacher was across the room with one little boy passed out asleep on her lap chimmed in and said "Ya, of all these little boys, Addison is the only one who isn't tired." That isn't surprising as the child never acts tired!

We noticed her being pretty tough with little boys earlier in the week. Some friends of ours had a new baby last weekend so we took them dinner on Monday night. Thier older son is about a year older than Addison so we took Addie to play with him while we visited and drooled over the new baby. At one point, Jack wanted Addison to go in the other room with him and Addie kept telling him no. Finally, when he pulled on her arm, she firmly shoved his arm away and said "NO!" Even Jack's parents were impressed with how she stood up for herself.

She is such a character and I am so proud that she is learning at an early age to stand up for herself. Chuck and I laughed all evening last night about the "she held her own" comment. Because knowing her, I can totally see it!

Weapons School Update

So here we go again. It is that time to sit and wait. Again, Chuck is up for the weapons school class that will be starting in July. This is his second attempt - typically a pilot gets three chances. As many of you know, we did this about six months ago and the result was that Chuck was chosen as an alternate for the class that just started in January. Anyway, because he didn't get in on his first chance, he had to re-apply. His latest package was turned in right before Christmas and the board just met this last Monday and Tuesday. It took almost a month last time to get the results of the board so we are fully expecting to not know anything until the middle to end of March. I am hoping we won't be so anxious this time because this time we know it is going to take close to a month. Last time, we didn't know so everyday was pure torture waiting to find out if there was any news. So check back soon to see if he got in - let's hope he does. I don't think either one of us will survive another six months of anticipation!!!

Pudding

Addison loves pudding - in particular chocolate pudding - always has. Last week at the store, I actually bought oreo pudding and it did taste a lot like an oreo which she also loves. She is now getting big enough to open the fridge and get out pudding, or whatever she is in the mood for, when she wants it. Luckily she doesn't do it very often - but the last few nights before bed she has been bringing it out for her bedtime snack. She is also tall enough to get into the silverware drawer now as well. (When we moved in she wasn't tall enough to reach the top drawers in the kitchen so we didn't put baby latches on them. Now she is tall enough and we just have to take the time to put the latches on.) Last night she went and got herself a pudding cup and brought it to me. She then went into the kitchen and got a spoon and brought that to me as well. I opened it and helped her take a few bites. She than walked away and went back into the kitchen. I could hear her rummaging around in the silverware drawer and than she slammed it and walked back into the living room where I was with her pudding. With her she brought a beater - from the electric mixer, which are kept in the silverware drawer. When I asked her what she planned on doing with it, she totally ignored me, walked over to the pudding cup which I had put down on the coffee table, and put the beater into the cup. She than proceeded to eat her pudding off the beater. This child has done a lot of funny things, but this one might have been the funniest thing she has done in a long time. I was laughing so hard I was crying and she just continued to eat the pudding that way like it was the most normal thing in the world! Of course it was all over the place, but she was so proud of herself since she had done it herself. I guess I don't need to show her how wonderful it is to eat cookie dough, etc. of a beater while baking - she all ready has it figured out!

Stewart Family Photos

Since my family is not all together very often, my mom decided she wanted to get some family beach pictures of us all while we were all together in December. We have a friend here - he flies with Chuck - who does photography on the side. He agreed to help us out. The pictures turned out really well so I thought I would share some...