Things ahead.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. The holidays have overcome this house, and between visits home and decorating and getting ready here, I've had neither the time nor the energy, or for that matter, the motivation to get on here. But that will soon change.

I won't be picking anything up for now, because my son, my dear dear son, is trying to kill via sleep deprivation. Today marks his 6 month birthday, and still, we get up 3 times a night, every three hours on the dot. It's quite impressive, actually, how punctual he is. I would be more impressed, however, if I was able to get maybe 5 hours in a row sometime soon. See? No lofty goals. I don't need the whole night. I can be patient. But I need more than three hours. I NEED MORE THAN THREE HOURS!!!

On that note, I expect this blog to gather some dust in the next few weeks, and for that I apologize. We are not only getting ready for the holidays in this house; we are also preparing for Paul's deployment, which is just about a month away. I am getting possesive in a big way of our time together from this point forward, and I just don't have it in me to spend my time on the computer right now.

So check in from time to time, but don't expect much. Come January 14th, however, I will be on here diligently, as it will be my way of keeping Paul in the loop of our day-to-days.

See you in a few! Have a wonderful and very BLESSED Christmas! Savor the time you have with your loved ones, and keep those ones in mind who have sacrificed this time with family to protect our way of life!

PSA - Listen up, yo!

Yesterday was great. We had our family get-together for my side of the family. It was wonderful to see the kids again.

Yesterday was scary.

As many of you know, my parents have a house that's right on the water. I've posted pictures on here before of the backyard, on the back of which is a dock that we go fishing on, and in the summer it's our 'safe zone' for swimming in the channel, which has a pretty strong current the farther you get out. (Can you see where this is going yet?)

We were all enjoying the reasonably warm weather (for November) yesterday. All of the kids except for Eli were outside (which.... 4... 4 of them) doing various outdoorsy-activities. For a while, we were all throwing rocks off of the dock into the water, quite literally squealing with delight that it was not only ALLOWED to throw things, but ENCOURAGED (which doesn't happen often). After a while, Paul and I took the girls back to the lawn and started making our own mischief. My nephews stayed on the dock with my mother and my brother (their father). (Yep... you can see it now, right?)

As we were throwing various things for the dog to fetch, I heard a splash. I didn't think anything of it because they were throwing rocks into the river. A few seconds later I heard another splash. A BIG splash. I looked back, curious as to what kind of fish just jumped that would make that kind of splash, and I saw my brothers head poke out of the water, covered in seaweed.

And in comes the longest second of my life. It's quite comparable to that second you experience if you've ever been in a car accident. During which you have time enough to think that what's about to happen is really going to hurt, and crap, now I won't be on time for Thanksgiving dinner (in my own personal experience), and I wonder exactly HOW MUCH this is going to hurt, and so on and so forth.

At first I was thinking... "What the HECK is he thinking jumping in the river in NOVEMBER?"
Then I thought... "That's gotta be cold."
click
click
click
click
CLICK!
"Shit. There is only one reason why an adult would jump into the river fully clothed in winter."

Sure enough, I take one step to the left, and I see Logan's head bobbing right there alongside his daddy, covered in seaweed. He had tripped on a boat hook that is at the edge of the dock and fallen headfirst into the water, through a huge pile of seaweed that had gotten caught on one of the posts.

Things went really quickly as soon as we all realized what was going on. Paul ran and grabbed a net that they could grab on to, Mike (my other brother) ran and grabbed some towels, and I herded the other children together and kept a white-knuckled grip on them. Logan was fine, just shaken up because of the seaweed. And maybe the 8 foot fall into 14 ft. deep, very cold, water. With shoes and a winter jacket on.

Now, I just wanted to put this up here for one reason. To convince people to put their kids in swimming lessons. I didn't see it, but my mom said that Logan went under when he fell, but then popped right up and started swimming. He is only four years old. But he didn't go under again. I have been a longer supporter for swim lessons for children, but this just proves how absolutely necessary it is. He's been in swim lessons since he was 18 months old. So PLEASE, put your kid in lessons. Especially if you yourself are terrified of water. Because these things happen. Even when you are standing right next to them, as my brother was.

There's my soapbox speech. Hope you take it and run with it.

Mommy Confessional Thursday

I have been feeling guilty lately for not posting as frequently as I want to. To remedy that, I am going to (try) start posting at least every Thursday, with an update on awful things I do during the day that normally I would not post on the internet for fear of people coming and taking the kids away. Fun, no?

So let's kick it off with some food safety.

Yesterday, I was mixing up some corn for Alex's lunch when I accidently drooled in it. A big old wad of mamma drool plopped in there. (Don't ask why all of a sudden I am having trouble keeping said drool in my mouth... perhaps that gives you a bit of an insight into my day? At least none of the brain that continually drips from my ears dropped in there.) And that's not even the bad part. The bad part is that, after a short pause, I stirred it in and served it anyway.

Yay!

And I just ask those for who have eaten anything that I have made previously, don't worry. This only happens to one in every ten dishes I make. Odds are, your plate was drool free.

Halloween in Three Parts.

Act One:

Partying it up with some friends. Chose a family theme. Started with Alex as our bag lady (please notice the shopping cart... and fingerless gloves). Paul and I are homeless. And then we have our cat. ...Er.... Lion. (All the cat costumes were a bit too feline for my liking.) Upon arrival, first person who sees us says, "Oh good! You didn't dress up either!" Fail. Second person says, "No! They dressed up! They are Winter People!" Fail. I decided to rethink our costumes for the big day.

Act Two:

Buy tiger costume on sale. Also purchase huge bag of candy. Eat lots of the candy before nightfall (there is a reason I don't buy the candy till the day of). Have a wonderful time walking around the block with the kiddies. Night was saved by our wonderful neighbors and their wonderful wagon. Which I am now coveting.

Act Three:

Oldest must have been tuckered out. Fell asleep mid-paci-hunt. There is a reason we check on her before we go to bed. Surprisingly enough, this is NOT the first time we have found her under her bed.

Did you hear that? That's what CHANGE sounds like.

Not pocket change. I have none of that. (I am definitly one of those people who uses a debit card to pay $1.50 for a pop. Sue me. Also one of those people that uses the free address stickers I get from charities without donating anything.... aren't I awful??)

What I have are big BIG changes. Changes that, had this happened 10 years ago, I would have had to write several letters with PAPER and PENS and send them out in ENVELOPES after I LICKED A STAMP.

Well, maybe the first change isn't so large. I got my hair cut. And really, all that means is that I have more in my face when it's in a ponytail. See, look. (Ignore the large bags under my eyes. Those are standard. As is the absence of my glasses. Because I usually don't remember that I wear them until I realize sometime during the afternoon that it shouldn't be so hard to read my child her books.)

The second change is a bit bigger.

This is where I would tell my poor father to take a seat had I not already told him the news.

If you actually know me or have been following me since I was on Xanga, you may remember that when Paul and I first got married, he was living in England. Six days after we married, we got on a plane and started our life together. It was a bumpy transition for the both of us, but we made it work. After a year, we moved back to the states to start our new life (and our family) together. Well....

Come July, we will be headed back over the pond. After a lot of back and forth, we decided that that was the route our lives were headed, and it wasn't long before the deal was final. We will be there for three years, and then who knows where after that (I am still holding out for the Denver area, though).

Initial thought.... CURRY!

Second thought... 8 HOUR PLANE RIDE WITH A ONE YEAR OLD AND A TWO YEAR OLD!

I am encouraged that the percentage of freak-out versus excitement is about 20/80 right now, so that's good. There is just so much to do between now and then, it's overwhelming. Especially since Paul's deployment is looming over our heads. But I am excited. We are all.... excited.

Things are changing. Aaaaaaagaiiiiiin.