Spring Break

Well, Spring Break didn't start out too great for us. Child Thing #1 got a nasty stomach bug. Then the baby got it. Then I got it. Then everyone else we had come in contact with the previous week got it. So...we basically spent the week laying around feeling sorry for ourselves.

But...the positive part of Spring Break is that my sister and brother-in-law brought my cute little niece to Texas, and I finally got to meet her for the first time. They are stationed in Italy, so I had to wait a year and a half to see her! I bought her some ice cream to try and get her to like me. It may have worked. I'm not sure, but she's let me hold her a few times, so that's a good sign.

Clever Birthday Boy

Child Thing #2 is one year old! And with his age comes wisdom...like how to work the baby locks on our cabinets. Tell me he doesn't know exactly what he's doing! Clever boy!

Best Friends

Can you think of any better way for a three-year-old to spend a warm afternoon than sitting outside with her best friend eating a fudgecicle? And I don't use the term "best friend" lightly.


Let's call this friend "Owie," shall we? Let me illustrate how much Child Thing #2 and Owie adore each other. Owie recently suggested an even trade to her mom. Owie's little sister could come live with me and Child Thing #2 could live with her so they could be sisters! And every day, without fail, I answer the question, "is today a school day?" because if it's not, we get to play with Owie. Sure, these two girls have spats over sharing toys and etc., but Owie's mother and I agree that they would forgive each other for anything.



But here's the best part: Yesterday, a certain three-year-old told me, "Emily Elizabeth and Clifford are best friends."

"That's right," I responded. "Who's your best friend?" I fully expected to hear "Owie, Owie, a million times Owie."

But instead, she pointed her plump little finger at me and shouted, "You! You! You! You!"

:D I just love being a mom!

Gettin' Around

Here's a little clip of the new crawler in our house. He's getting around pretty well these days!

CUTE!!

We sighted some exceedingly cute child things on Halloween this year! Check out my adorable little brown bear!

This year was the first that Child Thing #1 really picked out her own costume. I'm glad she went with something cute like a brown bear instead of, say... Dora. When her costume first came in the mail, I asked her if she wanted to try it on. She said "Yes, but Mommy, when I put it on, don't say I'm the cutest little bear." I agreed, but when she put it on, I forgot myself and told her she was the cutest little bear. Apparently that embarrassed her. :P

And I got to pick this costume myself! I have a thing for giraffes. Is that a cute costume or what?

Public? Private? Homeschool? No School on Fridays?!?

Four days of school a week?!? As if Hawai'i doesn't already have the worst school system in the United States. Has the news of "Furlough Friday" made it back to the mainland? If not, here's the deal: the state of Hawai'i is facing some sort of budget crises, so the elected officials have decided to save millions of dollars by closing schools on Fridays. And I mean every Friday. For the whole school year!

If I were a kid, I'd certainly be excited about this, but I just don't see how this is a good idea. Obviously, a kid's education is going to suffer. Also, parents (who still have to work on Friday) are having to come up with ways to take care of their kids on Fridays. This policy really just reflects the government's attitude toward education: it's not a priority.

Scott and I had been considering sending Child Thing #1 to a private pre-school next year, but this whole Furlough Friday thing makes private school that much more appealing. Scott has even brought up homeschooling recently, so that's something to consider.

It's just kindergarten...I doubt going to a below-par kindergarten would be damaging in the long run, but still...it's something to think about.

Things a Military Spouse Has to Put Up With #1

Things a military spouse has to put up with #1--living far from home.

About a week ago, my sister-in-law brought a precious little girl into the world (Congratulations, by the way!). Then she sent out this picture. Ack! So sweet! How can you resist such cuteness? And how can I wait another four months to meet my little niece?

I'm certainly not going to complain about Hawaii. I feel very blessed for the chance to live here for a few years, but being so far away from family may possibly be one of the hardest things a military spouse has to put up with. Maybe not as hard as deployments, but still...

When I was a kid, all of my extended family lived pretty close together, so we visited often and always had fun together. It's sad to me that my children won't have that daily interaction with their grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins.

Even though the military life includes some hardships, like living so far away from family, it is not so bad. What life doesn't include hardships, after all? But really...how am I supposed to ignore that pink little bundle, just begging to be cuddled by her auntie Amanda? :)