As of late...

* My friends have truly been my sanity saver this past year.
When John is gone, we spiral into this weird twilight zone where nights and weekends are the times I dread most.  Those are the times that we look forward to most when john is around, but when it's just the boys and I, lets just say the time passes so slllooooooowly. My friends all know that, and invite the boys and I over.


* I had one of those embarrassing moments where my kid puked in public. It was outside , in a parking lot, so it could have been much worse, but embarrassing none the less. If you're keeping track, The puke bug score around here is Bram: 2 Ambrose: 1 and me: 1 all  since john has been gone. For the love, lets everyone keep the contents of their stomach INSIDE their body for the next 5 weeks.


*The other day we were out running errands and Bram was falling with impressive frequency.  At one point I turn to him, and exasperatedly say " Jeez Bram, could you try falling a little less." After getting to the car I look down and realize I had dressed him with both legs through one leg hole. Another gold medal in momsmanship added to my collection.


*Brammy turned two a couple days ago, and I'm sorry to say, it wasn't quite the production like Ambrose's. Poor guy, second born gets screwed sometimes. In my defense, even when Ambrose and I burst into Brammy's room all excited singing happy birthday, Bram just kind of glared at us through the bars of his crib, so I think he preferred we keep things low key. So, we did. You're welcome Bram. We did go out together and eat at this super yummy specialty cupcake place, and they were delicious.We chose to sit outside in hopes of helping the staff avoid the crumbly mess that is cupcake eating with kids. So, we sit down at an outside table, and about 5 seconds later a young kid less couple sits down at the table behind us. The boys are snarfing their cupcakes and a gust of wind comes up and blows the cupcakes, plates and bagillion little cupcake crumbs right onto the back of the gentleman  sitting behind us. Not all was lost, the boys don't mind eating cupcakes off the sidewalk, so we scooped up the cupcake remnants and the boys recovered from their tearful fits and happily finished their cupcakes. Crisis averted (except for the guy sitting behind us...).


Oh ya, and we also went to the zoo for a quick trip to visit the animals on Bram's birthday, but that ended abruptly when Ambrose was pecked by one of the guinea fowl in the aviary. Non stop action around here folks.

*We have a new addition to our morning routine. It involves me barking to Ambrose to get his shoes on and meet us out at the car. He then runs over to the stools (where we have kept our shoes since we moved to this house) and stares perplexed at the pile of shoes. You guys, there is never, ever, ever a PAIR of shoes. There's just a pile of single shoes....it's maddening. What's even more maddening is he's more confused than I am about where the mates have all gone. Then comes some tears (from him) eye rolling (from me) and a lot of sprinting around the house look for just one PAIR of shoes (by both of us).

...see...total confusion.

*Speaking of shoes, I forgot Bram's today. As in, we are driving down the road, I look back at him, and he has no shoes on. I blame it completely on the Air Force because the only well baby appointment they had available was at 745 AM, and I don't do well getting everybody out the door that early. So, something had to give, and apparently, it was Bram's shoes. But, since I'm so unorganized in all avenues of my life, I happened to have a long forgotten pair in the car. So See, today, my disorganization paid off. If I had actually CLEANED my car, I'd have looked like a mom who didn't have her act together. My messy car totally saved my butt today.  Take that John.

P.S Am I the only person that dresses up for Well baby visits? The whole "fake it till you make it" is my motto for well baby visits. Maybe if I look the part of  "mom who has her act together", they'll totally buy it. Good thing Ambrose didn't rat me out about the forgotten shoes debacle.

*These two guys are actually playing together more and more. They used to play in the same room at the same time, but not really interact with one another. Now, they have little games they play and they run around and chase each other...it's adorable. I think the ages of 2 & 4 are going to be the best yet!   

Vegas baby

This past weekend I had the awesome chance to go see john by MY SELF. I had been looking forward to the trip since the moment I booked the flights!

I of course talk a big game and am all..." I just need a cotton pickin break"....." I just want to pee by myself for once"..." do you have to eat all the good parts of my dinner son"....but man alive, when it came time to say good bye to the boys, I almost died. It was tough.

I usually dread flying. It is such a total pain now, with the impatient and usually crabby TSA people, me barking at the kids to stand in line, trying to get their shoes off, trying to keep the pile-O-crap from falling of the security converyor belt, wrestling the kids through the medal detector and praying that neither of them are trying to smuggle a plane or train through security. From start to finish, flying with kids just about kills me. So, going all by myself, I actually wasn't filled with total anxiety, and dare I say, I was actually looking forward to it. The idea of sitting in one spot for an hour or so actually kind of thrilled me  because I might actually be able to read a book, or rest, or stare out the window instead of dealing with two boys fighting over who got the better snack, or who wanted to watch a different movie, or who pooped their pants. As I suspected, check in was a breeze, secruity was quick and painless. You'd think I'd feel free, but really, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was forgetting something (or two very important somethings), so it took me a bit to truly enjoy the freedom that came with traveling without the boys.

While I was waiting for my flights, I realized that Vegas flights are a gold mine for people watching. Really. The whole "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" way of thinking starts with the flights en route to Vegas. The outfits that people wear (or don't wear), the ammount that they drink on the flights and the excitement all begins in the airport. It never helps either that we are usually flying there on a Thursday or Friday and leaving on a Sunday or Monday...prime time for those looking for a good time in Vegas. Did you know people cheer when the flights lands in Vegas....they do. Applause..... cheering....the whole nine yards. The flight attendents are more fun too. I'm on the look out for the one that raps, I hear they're on the Vegas flights.

In a (not so small) miracle, John is able ti pick me up at the airport. We go to dinner and have what feels like our first good conversation in ages. It's refreshing and so so nice! . We've often joked that we'll have to start dating one another again once the boys are a little older and don't require 100% of our attention, but after the many many months apart , it's almost sad at how true that statement is. We go back to John's (dorm style) room, where I thought for sure I'd sleep like a baby ( for the record, I hate that saying). But I was oh so wrong. I slept terribly. Bram wasn't there to wake me up with his refusal to sleep and Ambrose and his loud terrifying night terrors were gone, but for some reason, I woke a million times. Speficially at 12:54 I laid awake for ages. Frustrating! Then because of the time change, I was awake at 5:05 ready for the day. Gah. You'd think that my sleep debt would be so significant that if given the chance, I'd sleep for days. Aparantetly, not the case. Anyway, John obsessively goes to the gym every morning, and with his crazy schedule it often means getting there when the clock says 4:somthing . That day though, he didn't have to go until the reasonable hour of 530 *eye roll*, and since I was awake, I went too. We part ways, he heads to work and I go shopping. Living where we do, there's no shopping...literally. We have Wal-mart and a JC penny, that's it. No lie. So, I'm over the moon excited to not only be able to try stuff on, but to do it without my kids. I am thrilled to find a few things and proceed to ( get lost and take 45 minutes to find) Panera Bread for lunch. I quietly eat lunch, where I don't take a break to wipe anybody's butt or bark a single command at anyone. It was blissful. Dinner that night was uh-MAZING. Again, we are hurting for good food and service in our small town, and I had almost forgotten what it's like to be at a nice restaurant. I loved it!

Saturday I started my day with reading. An entire book. Literally. While on my 4 day vacation, I read 4 books. I had forgotten what it was like to read more than 2 pages in a sitting. We went to the gym, had breakfast together and then packed up to head to the Wynn where we would be seeing the Cirque de Soleil show La Reve and then staying the night. We checked into the hotel, and if you're ever stumped at which hotel to stay at in Vegas, I have to say go wtih the Wynn! The bathroom and the view alone will sell you on the place. It was amazing. We had drinks and tapas at another awesome restaurant and then went back to the hotel to get seated for the show.

The show was a cirque de soleil show, and like all cirque shows it had incredible acrobatics and stunts, but this one was set on an aquatic stage, so it included diving that made it that much more amazing.

The best part about the weekend was just the time spent together...not just together in the same place, but completely focused on the other person. Two little boys aren't exactly conducive to giving one another our undivided attention, so when it does happen, I drink it in.

All that came with that weekend wouldn't have been possible without my amazing mom. The restorative time for my marriage, the emotional recharge that came from thinking solely about myself, the re-energization  of myself so that I could come back here and be a better mom to my boys...all those gifts wouldn't have been possible had she not sacrificed her time to be down here watching my boys. She is selfless in every way, and delivers support from afar or in person (depending on my emotional state) with out fail.

Stop me if you've heard this one before...

 Yup, another blogging hiatus over here. Sorry about that. I know I issue this apology frequently, and I find that I quit blogging when I feel like I have nothing to write about. When John is gone, life takes on a very ground hog-esque feel, and we do the exact same thing over and over just plugging towards another day checked off the "how man days until daddy comes home" calendar. However, my aunt and mother assured me that despite the fact that our days may be monotonous and boring, some people still enjoy reading about them, so I'll try to be better about popping over here (but don't say I didn't warn you about the million pics of kids bath time, or running around the lawn in nothing but a diaper, or the giant pile of unfolded laundry on the couch that seems to appear in the background of every pic, or the paragraphs of me whining about how the last 15 minutes of the day just about kill me dead every time).

So, I'll dive right in with Ambrose's birthday party. We went with a Lego theme this year and it was a total blast!

One of my favorite parts of the party was a photo booth. My mom and I made some props for the kids to pose with, and hoped for the best. I was positive that we wouldn't get a single kid to sit down and pose with a mustache, but I think that we got a picture of almost every single child at some point. 

 I think for every child at a birthday party, opening presents is the most exciting part. Watching Ambroses'  friends excitedly give him their gift was so cute!

This is the face of...

A little boy who is going through a night terror phase. They play out exactly like the articles describe.... Completely and utterly traumatic for a parent. Lots and lots of loud screaming, eyes open and clearly seeing something and totally terrified and I can't wake him (which I tried once, and then read the articles that specifically say not to). It is truly one of the most helpless things to observe. He never remembers them and swears that he didn't cry in the middle of the night, but man alive, the entire neighborhood would say otherwise. 

an almost 2 year old that has a black belt in sleep fighting. I'm sure, if you've never had the experience of parenting "A Bram" , than you're like me and my pre Bram thinking that my child's lack of sleeping is because surely I haven't tried this that or the other thing. But oh ho HO, let me tell you folks, that is not the case. Throw your suggestion, book, article and message board at me, I've READ it,   put it into practice and come out the other side with a kid that still fights sleep. * after hitting publish, I decided that I was a touch harsh....its' all relative, and we've come a LONG way in the sleep department...he doesn't always sleep through the night, and getting him to finally fall asleep at night is a battle, it could be A LOT worse...so here I am eating my words a bit.

a sweet boy who every preschool morning says to me, " I'm going to miss you today mom."

of a kid, who pooped 4 times yesterday, and the last two were in the bathtub (just to be sure you're looking at the right picture...this is about Bram....my poor other child bathes on pins and needles, fearing that I'll lunge for the stack of red solo cups on the edge of the bath, and shout at him to stand up and get out because his brother just pooped in the bath...again...sometimes Ambrose asks to just skip bath time, which may be the smartest option. He probably comes out cleaner in the end when he skips it. And now for all of you worrying that I don't clean the bath or kids in between the incidents, don't worry, all involved get a good spray down  ). 

* of two people who realize they are truly and undeservedly blessed with this life, but are still totally bummed at the insane amount of time we are spending apart this year.

Playmates

Lately the boys are starting to play more and more together. I decided to try and capture a cute moment the other day. Ambrose and Bram were sitting together watching a show that they both giggle like crazy at. I crept to the door to try and capture their giggles on film, and this is what I got. 

P.S Sorry for the loud gasp at the end, I'm not known for my quiet laid back responses to anything.

Not quite a complete thought...

I had a couple of posts waiting to be published, but all were just a bunch of ramblings and had very few complete thoughts, so, I'm shoving all those incomplete thoughts together and calling them complete. You're welcome.

It appears my builders decided to skimp on the pipe insulation, twice in the past two weeks, I woke to frozen pipes. Not just one or two, but every single faucet in the house.  Thank you ToolBelt homes.

Also, when it rains it pours. Bram woke up early from his nap yesterday, and when I went to go and get him he was fussy, clingy and wouldn't eat (biggest red flag, because this kid eats like it's his job). As we sat on the couch for a while I could tell he wasn't feeling well, but unfortunately, there's no barf warning light on a toddler, and after a few minutes of him sitting on my lap, out came his lunch.

Of course my only reinforcements come in the form of my 3 year old, and while the toddler was barfing, Ambrose was  (literally) running around the room in a panic shouting  " I don't want to see it, I don't want to see it."   Thankfully Bram waited until after the pipes had thawed to loose his lunch, and we at least at a chance to get the smell of stomach acid and McDonalds hamburger out of the carpet. Of course, as it always goes with sick kids, I was panickly sprinting towards him with the blue barf bucket at every cough, burp and weird blink. Bram would look at me like I had lost my mind and push the bucket away.

Have any of you seen this saying going around pinterest?

"I don't have awkward moments. I have an awkward life, occasionally interrupted by normalcy"

Ya, that's me. Except for awkward, I'd throw in embarrassing...but you get the gist.

Today in Step class, I completely fell off the bench. Like, laying on the floor, bench on one side of me risers on the other, kind of fell off the bench. And while I was embarrassed, I wasn't mortified like I would have been 10 years ago. I got to thinking, maybe it's because of perspective, or because I've grown emotionally. But really,  it's because I've had so much practice at learning how to shrug off those embarrassing moments, they happen far to frequently and I just now completely embrace them. In the last couple months....

*  While at an outdoor BBQ at the squadron, I was speaking to one of John's coworkers. While standing there, a giant gust of wind came and blew my dress up around my waist completely flashing him, and the others around me.  (for any normal person, this would be their first and last flashing-their-husbands-coworker incident, but this is me you're talking about and due to an unfortunate forgotten slip and a sheer white dress, the whole flashing occurred one other time while at Kadena. ). Poor John.

* While grocery shopping the other day, Bram lifted my shirt and loudly said "Yuck."

* On the same note, I overheard Ambrose telling his teacher "my mom goes to the gym because she doesn't like to have a fat belly."

* We had company over the other day, and earlier in the week I had spilled something onto the bottom of the oven, which caused the oven to produce billows of smoke when I used it. I had forgotten about it until we had a friend over for dinner. While our company was over, the oven begins to produce copious amounts of smoke, causing the smoke alarm to begin screaming. At the sound, Ambrose turns to his friend and says "yay, dinner's ready!" 

My list of embarrassing moments while in high school and college is a mile long (and much much more embarrassing), and we just don't have enough time to rehash those, but let me tell you, there's some doozies. 

This folks,

 is the reason we go home for Christmas. Family! All together .....in one place..... at the same time! Yay!