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!