Winter Fun

Several weeks ago, while Dean was still convalescing from his knee surgery, we decided to take a short family vacation down to Myrtle Beach, SC. It's only 2.5 hours from here, and a hotel with an indoor water park was recommended by friends, and in the winter season it was a bargain to go. We had a lovely time. The boys played their hearts out in the two water parks - one in each of the two buildings that make up the hotel. Even Tristan had a little fun. I couldn't get many good pictures because it was too steamy; the water was nice and warm.

We have never paid for TV our entire 10 years of marriage. I just can't bring myself to do it. So, it is always a huge treat for me to get to watch the History Channel, and the Discovery Channel, and the Learning Channel..., so I was content to stay in the room with Tristan and watch the two TVs, but did go with the boys a few times to play.


This restaurant was recommended to us as well, and it's always a treat to have Brazilian food. Of course they bring the meats by so fast, and I want to try them all, but feel like such a glutton. It was delicious, and Dean always loves to surprise the staff with his Portuguese.




Here's a picture of the little man. He has been the most wonderful baby and we all love him so. He does this face when he's eating baby food. He has 8 razor-sharp teeth now, which is hazardous for Mother who is still nursing! He army crawls, and gets up on his knees to crawl, and ultimately gets around pretty well now. I'm slowly starting to baby proof... He is 7.5 months old. He says "la la la" and "ma ma ma" and "na na na". It melts my heart!





Here is my new 'do. I love having long hair. Those who knew me as a child might not recognize me for the last 10+ years, as my mom always gave me a boy-looking haircut. It's thick, and I remember getting "rats" in it at times, so off it went. After leaving the nest, I found that without perms, it would actually grow - imagine that! So, it's all been down as far as my waist, but alas, it is too heavy, so I've had lots of layers cut into it, while still keeping some length in the back. Every couple of years I get layers, then a couple of years later tire of them and cut them off...





Snow! On the North Carolina coast! By morning we had seven inches. It typically snows here maybe once in 8 years or so, although we did get a slight dusting of snow once last year. Hunter was out playing in it before 7:00. We were woken by Kyler at 7:00, as he came in demanding snow attire. Dean and I both recall staying out in the snow playing until we could barely move our lips or fingers; these guys don't last nearly as long! Last night Dean and I racked our brains trying to think of where there might be enough of a slope to take the boys sledding, as we have a couple of disc sleds, but it's pretty flat here. Kyler tried the drainage ditch in the front yard, but it didn't much work.

Oh, and we did find a van. We got just what we wanted, and Dean talked the dealer into just the right price. With a shockingly nice tax refund, and the money from selling Dean's car, we don't have any debt, either. Dave Ramsey would be pleased. It is a 2004 Chevy Venture with eight seats. We're still getting used to all the controls. We haven't had a Chevy yet. It's especially nice to be able to separate the boys so they don't fight like banshees where ever we go.

Bumpersnicker

So some time ago I purchased some pro-life bumper stickers and put one on each of our cars. One was more inflammatory than the other: "It's easy to be pro choice when you're not the one being killed", and it had a picture of a baby with it. I put that on Dean's car, which was mildly concerning to him, because of his being in the army. You can't make waves in the military, so he was worried what people might think/say/do. The one that went on my car says "I have noticed everyone who is for abortion has been born"-Ronald Reagan. They both have gotten rave reviews from many people. So, we recently sold Dean's car in anticipation of buying a larger vehicle for our growing family. It sold in about a day on Craigslist, by the way. So, we had to scrape that one off when we listed it. So he's been taking my car to work this week. So, a new obnoxious person at work, who happens to be the EO person (equal opportunity) informed Dean that the bumper sticker on MY car (the Ronald Reagan one) was offensive to someone and that it "needed to be covered up" when he was at work. (He is the boss man at the facility here, by the way). He's only been back at work for about a week, now, and she informed him of this about his second day back - probably after she first noticed it.

He was awfully upset by this, which makes him want to not be in the military any more "I'm not allowed to have an opinion!" he says. I told him that was ridiculous, that someone should take such offense to the sticker, since it's really not an inflammatory one - except perhaps for people who've had abortions. The EO person is most likely the one who is offended by the sticker, since she's new and apparently hadn't seen the one on his car. Anyway, I was fuming and wasn't about to just let it go. I suggested that he let the offended one file a complaint and go from there. Although, his NCOIC (non-commissioned officer in charge) was nervous about it, as was the other captain. So, Dean finally brought it up to his commander, a Lt. Col in Virginia. She told him in no uncertain terms NOT to dare remove it. She is my kind of person! She says what she thinks and doesn't take crap from anyone. So, we feel empowered, and for the time being at least, the sticker remains. We are looking forward to putting a (pro life) Mother Theresa bumper sticker on our next vehicle, which we hope to get soon. I'd like to see someone get offended by Mother Theresa.

A Taste of Home

A few weeks ago at church we noticed a couple visiting their son, a young marine. They looked like they were from "back home", the southwest. So I chatted with them, and sure enough they are from Paige, AZ and were visiting Josh before he shipped off for a deployment. We invited them to have Sunday dinner with us (hoping we had something respectable on hand to serve). He is the president of an LDS branch there. They were wonderful company, and we shared many laughs. Navajos exude humor, and they've raised a bunch of sons and had some hair-raising stories to tell, including about Josh. As soon as he brought them in from the airport, he had all the fixings for his mom, Marilyn, to make Navajo Tacos for him and his buddies. I don't blame him! What I wouldn't give for an authentic Navajo Taco! President and Sister Bryant are well traveled and knowledgeable. Thomas is a contractor and keeps busy with that and his duties in the gospel. It was a treat to get to know them and feel a bit of kinship from the part of the country that we call home and miss. Hunter likes to jump around during picture taking, so he is blurred.

Where to begin

Dean had his surgery, then developed a clot. Great. He had a near-constant fever that would go up and down along with some nausea and generally unwellness until he finally called the surgeon on Sunday, four days after the surgery. The surgeon was concerned and had him come in. The surgical site looked good, no signs of infection. He said the only other reason for a fever that long after the operation would be a clot. So he was to take a full-strength aspirin and we were to call again the next morning if the fever hadn't resolved. So, sure enough, we went in again to Wilmington - an hour away. The surgeon sent Dean to a vascular surgery clinic to have an ultrasound, where they quickly found the clot in his calf. He's on coumadin to prevent any new clots, and self-administered shots to help break up this one. And he's finally now not really having the fevers, and doesn't need to take the percocet around the clock any more, but it is still uncomfortable and when he walks much it hurts, as it did going to church today, and to a wedding reception last night.

In other news, the boys and I won't be able to go to Korea with Dean. What a bummer. He's been given a few more options, but none are desirable. He could go to Riyadh, the capitol of Saudi Arabia, to do public health stuff (such as checking the swimming pool water and microwaves for proper-ness - I don't recall any such classes in vet school, hmmmm), take care of whatever working dogs need care, and food safety. Yeah, not so appealing for him, not to mention that apparently the climate is much like that of Phoenix, AZ, which is most unappealing to him. He's been emailing with the guy currently there (it has to be a man, which makes the position harder to fill, as most new vets these days are women), and that guy says the position is a "diamond in the rough". It would be tax-free pay, but that still doesn't take the sting out of the rest of it. Another possibility would be to go to a unit in Georgia. That is even more unappealing because he would spend the whole time training (in the "swamp" of Georgia - miserably hot and humid) for a deployment. That one is certainly crossed off the list. So, that leaves going to Korea by himself, or Riyadh, either one for a year. The commander in Korea is expecting him anyway, and it would be a nice job with lots of learning experience for him, namely to be the CO's assistant in planning and operational stuff, with some occasional veterinary work.

So, what about me and the kids? I've always thought we'd just stay here if we had to be separated, like when he was supposed to deploy a few months ago. But, since he would be leaving in the summer, it seems like a good opportunity to just go back to Ramah, NM for a year (my home town, of about 400 people). There, the kids could spend a lot of time with all their grandparents and cousins (some of whom are in Albuquerque) and experience all the stuff I did as a kid, like real snow, going on the ranch to find a Christmas tree, and care-free summers. But, in such a small town, there's not much of a rental market. As an autonomous adult for more years than I care to admit, I don't wish to live with anyone, namely the folks. That is not to mention that they are settled in their house full of stuff and wouldn't really have room for four extra people anyway. So, they are asking around, as there are a couple of old vacant houses just being used as storage and such. It would really be nice to sock away and save during that time, living the simple life. If nothing else perhaps we could move to Albuquerque, or just stay here. If I did that, though, I'd probably want to put Kyler in private school for kindergarten, as his birthday is Sept. 2, so he just misses the cutoff. There wouldn't be any socking away if I did that, but at least he'd start school on time instead of having to wait a year, which torments my soul. There wouldn't be any such options in Ramah. I'd probably be better off putting such money away for college for him, but it really bothers me that he'll be a year behind in school. That's a sore subject for me. Dean and I were both August babies and excelled in school. Hunter was a premature Sept 9 baby and started the year he turned 5, and was a "role model", said his teacher, not to mention at the top of the class academically.

We have tried out my Christmas presents, including a new popcorn popper from Dean, which was what I had asked for. It's an air popper, which I wanted. I always lusted after one as a kid, and my mom always said "no". Although my younger brother Curtis says they had one for years - must have been after I left. We all love it, and it's fun to watch it pop - just ask the boys. I also purchased a new digital camera online from Staples right before Christmas. Then I opened the present from my mom, which was a similar camera. What a dilemma! I had actually thought that I should hold off a bit to buy one. Then Staples solved my dilemma by sending an email saying I didn't qualify for the rebate that had been advertised with the camera. What? You suck Staples, so I'm sending it back and keeping the one from my mom.

I finally found a perfect bed for Hunter. I've been looking for years it seems, to find just what I wanted at the right price, namely solid wood, with drawers beneath, on a platform, with a bookshelf headboard. It was on lejeuneyardsales.com, where I've looked numerous times - and finally got lucky. He loves it, and it's perfect, especially for $150. I even got the guy to deliver for $20. It has a cubby, which they've already been in apparently, as there's a pillow in there. I used to like to crawl in small spaces as a kid for fun. Hunter likes to read before bed, so he can put his books on the shelf. I just need to get a clamp lamp or something for light. A regular lamp wouldn't survive in their room. There was a matching dresser as well, so I got it and soon we'll get rid of the behemoth dresser that I hate. I found a race car bed for Kyler at a yard sale several months ago. I hate when people say to "make an offer" on an item. I have no idea what they're looking for. $10? $100? So I offered $10. The guy was taken back, but talked me up to $15. I would have paid more, but the sign said... He even delivered for free. I swear someday we're going to own a truck again. I hate not having one. Of course Kyler crawls in bed with Hunter nearly every night, so the race car doesn't get much use.

Notice that there are two bumps in Hunter's bed, and no one in Kyler's.

So, I took a break to run around and take a couple of pictures of the beds and my new haircut :) I had put away the new camera we bought to get it ready to ship back to Staplessucks, and haven't gotten into the new one from my mom yet. So, I started looking for the "old" one that we've used thus far. Yesterday I took it away from Kyler as he was messing with it, which he has done much in the past. Santa even brought him his own little digital camera so that he would have one to mess with. Santa brought one for Hunter as well. Naturally, Kyler doesn't know where his is, so he still messes with everyone else's. So I looked on top of the tall bookcase where I had put the camera yesterday, but it wasn't there. I asked Dean, and he did the exact same thing with Kyler yesterday, even putting the camera in the same place. This kid is making me crazy. He defied us both. So I looked around and found the camera under the desk in the guest room, with the battery cover broken off. So it's no good now. I called up my bff the other day and told her I would mail it to her, as she didn't have one, and it still worked just fine. Now, with that door broken off, the sensor won't be activated to power it up and it's worthless. I am so upset. I'll say that it is a good thing for Kyler that he's in bed right now. I am so tired of him being so destructive. I wish we didn't have so many appointments for Dean tomorrow, because I would keep the boy in his room for the day. So, perhaps the rest of the week, when we are home, he will get to spend all his time in his room, thinking about not being so destructive. I've had it. He needed a new bed because he d-e-s-t-r-o-y-e-d his last one. To smithereens. It was one of those tubular metal toddler beds. It went out in the trash, and he had a crib mattress on the floor for a long time until I got the car bed. Anyway, hopefully by this time next week he'll be a new boy. I know most people's blogs are about how wonderful their supposedly-perfect children are. Yeah, I'm happy for you, but you won't find that here. I will say that most people's kids that I'm around act much like mine, so I'm pretty sure they are all normal, but being so destructive is not acceptable.

Home Again

Dean finally had his knee operated on on 12/30. It was injured in the summer compliments of Army combatives, and all this time they've had him going to useless physical therapy that clearly wasn't doing him any good. There were broken chunks of bone and cartilage floating around in the joint which were causing further damage all this time. One of the tendons that holds the patella in place was torn, so when Dean was anesthetized the surgeon moved the patella around, and could see how it had clearly been dislocated upon injury. He replaced the torn tendon with a "new" one from a cadaver to help keep the patella in place. He also fixed up the cartilage and bone and took out the floaters. It took about 2.5 hours. Some generous and kind hearted friends took Hunter and Kyler for the day (starting at 4:30 am) so that I could take Dean to Wilmington and be there with him. He was released on the 31st mid afternoon. Around 10pm it started hurting more and more and his low grade fever started rising again. We called the nurse advice line at the naval hospital and didn't get any good info (the surgereon must have been revelling in the new year, as he didn't answer our page). So I called the ER and a useful guy named Tony answered and gave some good advice, namely to double the percocet, so Dean proceeded to sleep pretty well overnight. Dean will be convalescing for a month at home. He wears a gigantic brace on the leg. So that's how we rang in the New Year. I actually went to the neighbors' party with Hunter and Kyler for a little while, and was taught some dance moves by an older black guy, ha ha.

the Daily Grind

Ahhh. Another day. It seems like so many things happen in a day, yet they aren't significant enough to write about... Tristan is growing and developing just as he should, and it is so fun to watch. One day he wasn't really grabbing for things with his hands, and the next day he started. Now he has those "powerful urges" to grab everything remotely within his reach. He slaps at it, whatever it is, or grabs it, or scratches it. I have to keep his nails clipped to not be clawed daily. I took him to the doctor for his four-month appointment, although he was more like five and a half months. He finally got his first set of vaccinations. Before we knew if he had hemophilia or not, while he was still in the hospital just after birth, they were of course poking and prodding him with the usual battery of tests, including taking blood to test for hemophilia. Finally, Dean said enough, and wouldn't let them stab or stick him any more, hence no vaccinations in the hospital (hemophiliacs should have pressure held on needle sticks for five minutes afterward, but of course no one at the hospital knows that). His doctor never mentioned anything at his next couple of appointments, so he still didn't get any vaccines. Anyway, this guy (a Navy captain, no less, an O-6) who just saw him was enthralled with him, and kissed him more than once. It was so sweet. He is indeed a sweet little guy and we all love him to pieces. He has been rolling over I think since just before he turned four months. He doesn't roll around, just over once. He is finally taking infant cereal. He didn't think much of it for some time, but tolerates it now. He has been hungrier lately it seems, or at least draining me thoroughly. He loves to smile and wins people over all the time by smiling at them, and even laughing when Kyler plays with him. He also has his two bottom teeth, and uses them to let me know when he is done nursing. I need to put a stop to that before it becomes a habit.

That Kyler. He is something. This morning I gave him a kiss on the mouth. He slipped me the tongue. I was so shocked that I hooted and hollered and made a lot of noise. He thought it was great and laughed hysterically. I won't be kissing his little mouth any more. He is a doll, though, and full of fun and mischief. He is noticeably taller and thinner to me by the day almost. His pants are loose on him and his cheeks are losing the baby fat. He likes to help with things around the house, like a little cooking (stirring on the stove), vacuuming with the hose, wrapping presents, etc. I worry about his teeth. He gets into so much candy and whatnot, and is not obedient about brushing his teeth. When I go after them they sometimes bleed.

Hunter is thoroughly enjoying his time off from school right now. He is getting addicted to one of Dean's computer games, Age of the Empires or something like that. It is an involved strategy game. Dean's hard work of grooming Hunter since he was small to enjoy games is paying off. Hunter can actually play those games with Dean, and board games of the same strategy and complication. I have no interest whatsoever in such games. I'm more of a Scrabble or Apples to Apples kind of girl. Hunter had tubes placed in his ears today, for the third time in his life. A lot of thick fluid came out, so once again it was warranted.

Dean is up to his usual tricks, ha ha. Actually he had today, Tuesday the 22nd, off of work. He is on tomorrow, then off the next few days. We certainly enjoy the time off he gets in the army. He said the other day that he is much less stressed than he was in private practice - at any of his jobs, and he works fewer hours as well. Of course he makes far less money, but it has been well worth the change to the military for so many reasons. We don't know how long he will stay in the military. He could be done after his three-year commitment, or he could make a career of it.

I have hesitated to say that we may go to Korea in the summer for his next assignment, as nothing in the military is definite until you are traveling to your new assignment with your orders. He has been penciled in for an assignment in Korea for a few months now, and we were all hoping/expecting to go. We are not sure if we will be able to accompany him, though, only because Hunter and Tristan have hemophilia. The medical facilities there would have to be comfortable taking us. All that we really need is available "factor viii", which is what they are deficient in (which means that their blood doesn't clot well when they have a bleed, or a procedure such as placing tubes, or surgery). It will likely be months before we know anything for sure. If we can't go with him, he'll go unaccompanied for a year, or possibly get assigned somewhere (undesirable) here in the states. Dean is scheduled to have his knee operated on in the near future to fix the meniscus or ligaments or whatever is damaged (from the army combatives course in the summer). The recovery time will be three to six months.

I am always busy, yet hardly seem to get much done. I bought a new digital camera recently, and have taken a few pictures with it. I still need to read the manual to figure out all it's capabilities and to learn how to get the pictures on the computer. I spent a lot of time researching cameras on Consumer Reports and from online reviews, so hopefully I got a good one, at least for the price, which was fairly inexpensive.

Last night we decided to use one of the gift cards we've received in the last year and go to dinner, to probably my favorite restuarant the Olive Garden. I guess it's been a while since we've eaten there, as there were a lot of new things on the menu, and the prices were noticeably higher. It was delicious as always. Dean had the ziti, and actually said that mine is better. I tried it, and agreed. It didn't have meat in it, though, so my sausage of course would make it better. I had the braised beef and tortelloni. It melted in my mouth - oh, sooo delicious! Hunter enjoyed his ravioli and Kyler had fettuccini alfredo.

After seven years of PTSD, I have started trying to make Christmas candy again. When we lived in Colorado, I worked with the Young Women at church, and some of the other ladies had "no fail" recipes for making different kinds of candy, and for an activity one week, we made them at the church. Well. We went to my parents' home for Christmas that year and I attempted on my own to make one of those no fail recipes. About three batches of it went in the trash, and I've never tried since. So this year I decided to find recipes that don't need to boil or need any specific temperature. Dean's brother Dusty has said before that he makes microwave fudge. I figured if he could do it, maybe so could I. He's given me a recipe book before (1001 Fast Easy Recipes) that has several easy candy recipes. So, I've made several batches of different types of fudge, and even some toffee that only had to boil for 7 minutes (no thermometer or ice water needed). It all worked out well. The toffee actually must have gone just over seven minutes, as it went from just right to starting to caramelize/burn in a few seconds, but it wasn't ruined, and still had a wonderful flavor, so I call it a success! I'm so excited! We'll see if I'm still so excited in a couple of weeks when I step on the scale!

We had a Christmas party last weekend. It was a lot of fun. I went the easy route and had the guests each bring a food item, so that made it pretty easy on me. I threw some frozen meatballs in a crock pot with salsa and grape jelly as I learned from Aunt Linda, and they were a hit. I also put together grape juice and ginger ale, which she recommends, and it was also well received. I made some crescent rolls, rolled up with cranberry sauce and ham, which were ok. There were lots of yummy things to eat, and we did a white elephant gift exchange. Those are always entertaining.

We are enjoying this wondrous time of year, and wish you a Merry Christmas!

Side tracked

I got side tracked with the old guy in the swimming pool in the last post. So here's more of the trip, mostly from pictures. I didn't think to take a picture in Havre de Grace, Maryland of my college freshman roommate Emily and her hubby and baby - who was born a few weeks before our Tristan. We hadn't seen each other since 2000, when we both graduated from the University of New Mexico. It was fun to see them. Our boys very much enjoyed their baby's toys. We saw them on the second day of the trip. We did a drive by of Edgar Allen Poe's grave in Baltimore, MD. It was rainy and we didn't feel like dragging the kids out of the car.

I did manage to get a picture of Dean's cousin on his mom's side of the family. Nora is in red. She and Dave (the camera man) have a lovely home that they have remodeled beautifully, and a fun little guy named Jack. We saw them on the other side of Connecticut on the way back down.
They are trying to live a vegetarian and even vegan lifestyle, which I admire. They served us some delicious holiday-type breads and vegies with a fantastic hummus that was reddish with fire roasted red peppers. Yum. Satisfying and tasty.
Here is one of many lovely churches that we saw.

We drove a few miles past Uncle Jerry's home in CT so I could say that I had been to Rhode Island.

We spotted this on the way to R.I.

It was like home sweet home for the boys in the hotel room - snuggled up together, and worn out from all the adventures...

On Saturday night, we stayed with my cousin Clint and his wife and their sweet little boy in Lorton, VA. Kyler must have been carsick by the time we got there at 10pm. Neither of the boys has ever been carsick to my knowledge. He had said one time in the car that his tummy hurt. So as we were getting ready for bed and had the air mattress all set up and sheets and blankets on it, he said something about Baby and throwing up. Dean and I went to investigate, and Baby was indeed covered in mass quantities of gray vomit, with chunks, as were the bed linens. Dean and I were trying to wrap our minds around how this could have come from Baby, who has only ever spit up breast milk. Finally it dawned on me that this couldn't have possibly come from Tristan - something would have been very wrong with him if it had. I asked Kyler, and sure enough he was the source. Mystery solved, but then we had to bother my poor cousin, who had just returned himself from New York with the family, for more sheets. I didn't manage to get a picture of them either. We went to church with them on Sunday, which was nice. Then we headed for home! It was a lovey trip, but it is always so nice to get back home!

Thanksgiving

Two years ago when we lived in Astoria, OR, we had Thanksgiving together as a family, just our family, which was ok. Just ok. Dean and the boys spent the morning trying to catch tasty creatures from the sea, and I spent the morning slaving away in the kitchen. Then we sat down for the big meal, and thirty minutes later it was all over. I decided I didn't want to do that again. It is hard living so far from family that we can't get together very often for the holidays. Last year we drove to Florida and met up with Dean's family near Disney World, and even went to the magic kingdom on Thanksgiving day. This year we decided to drive to Connecticut and visit Dean's uncle that he hadn't seen for probably 15 years. I had not ever been to New England, so there was lots to see. It was surprisingly much like Astoria, with many older Victorian homes. There were old, beautiful, stone churches galore, which I love to see. We spent two days driving each direction, for a total of about 700 miles each way. We stayed the first night in Washington, DC in a hotel close to the capitol. We toured the Mall in the evening. It was dark, so it was pretty cool to see the monuments and memorials in the light of the street lamps.

The next three nights we stayed at a hotel in New London. Dean took the boys swimming in the pool once, and I took just Hunter one time. While I was in the pool with him, an old man was in the water. He wouldn't leave Hunter alone. I just didn't know what to make of it, and my mother bear sensors were on high alert. He kept asking Hunter questions - must have been hundreds of questions. They seemed more or less friendly and innocuous, but with all those questions, he got out of Hunter his first and last name, what Dean does (military, etc.), our family makeup, our religion and more. I would tell Hunter to swim, to do a down-and-back, that there wasn't any point in being in the pool if he wasn't going to swim - so he would when I told him to. But this guy just wouldn't stop asking him questions when he'd swim back. I didn't know if he was just a lonely old man, or if he was hoping to molest/kidnap Hunter if he could get him away from me, or what the heck he was up to. He asked him so many questions that Hunter couldn't get away to swim in the pool, except when I stepped in and told him to go swim. That was what bothered me so much. Hunter didn't go to the pool to answer questions from a stranger, to the exclusion of swimming. But while that guy was there he couldn't do anything. Hunter is pretty trusting of people and would get pretty close to him in the water in order to hear and answer. That made me nervous, too. I do NOT teach my kids stranger danger because it makes no sense (read the book Protecting the Gift to learn much better things to teach children). I also don't force them to be polite or affectionate to anyone they aren't comfortable with (that book says that doing so shuts off their danger instincts).

I asked the guy a few questions to slow his torment of Hunter. He's Catholic, but no longer practicing because he decided the church just wanted money. He's Polish (as was Dean's Grandmother whose home we visited that Uncle Jerry now lives in), and a retired engineer. He never said a word about his family; he wasn't in the pool with anyone, so I don't know if he was in the hotel with anyone, or visiting family or what he was doing there, or if he is a child molester. He was from another part of Connecticut. Finally another family came to the pool and this old guy got out, got dressed in the bathroom, then put on his hat and floor length fur coat, (which also weirded me out) and left. I kept a close handle on the boys the rest of the stay in the hotel, not that I wouldn't have anyway.

So, in discussing it with Dean, he pointed out a few things. He says Polish people are very friendly - and he would know. (On a side note, the first time I took Dean home to meet my parents my dad told Pollack jokes). He also explained that New Englanders are very talkative, just like Dean's late father Norm. So, maybe that was just it. Maybe he was just a friendly, talkative old gentleman. I guess we'll never know. I didn't necessarily get any bad vibes from him, but it weirded me out that he wouldn't let the boy swim! He totally monopolized Hunter's pool time.


Grandpa Norm's old stomping grounds, where we visited Uncle Jerry.

Becky and the boys in front of the submarine in New London, CT.

Hunter and Kyler at the controls on the submarine.

Dean, Hunter and Uncle Jerry in Preston, Ct.

I'll post more pictures when blogger will cooperate and let me :)

Never a dull moment

I thought I'd take Tristan to get some pictures today since it's been a while. I didn't have an appointment, but thought I'd "walk in". Kyler brought a pen along for entertainment, and even asked for paper to write on. I thought it was nice that he was going to keep busy in the car. It wasn't long before he said that he didn't draw on Tristan's face. He often tells us that he "didn't" do something, invariably something awful that he knows he really shouldn't have done. That is our cue that he just did whatever it was. So, I asked him if he drew on Tristan's face. He said "no". I asked if I should stop the car and look at Tristan's face - much like I ask to smell his mouth when I don't believe that he has brushed his teeth, even if he says that he did. I was surprised that he said it was ok if I stopped the car to see. So for some reason I didn't worry about it, until we got to the picture place and indeed, he had done it. So much for pictures today. I made an appointment for tomorrow, and even got to spin the wheel of excitement to win a freebie. Naturally it was a 16x20, which I have no use for whatsoever. So I asked if I could spin for something else. Surprisingly, the lady just asked what I wanted, so I said the 8x10 collage - much more useful. She gave it to me. Hopefully we can make it tomorrow unscathed. Oh, and Kyler is spending some time in his room to think about not drawing on Baby anymore. He did also do quite a job on his own legs as well, as he has done many times in the past.

Regarding matters of parenting, I absolutely love John Rosemond. I've read a few of his books, which guide me tremendously in raising my children. I am further astounded on a weekly basis with his insight and common sense in his newspaper column. The current column discusses the common error that modern parents make when they tell their children that they can do or be anything they want. Sound outrageous? http://www.rosemond.com/Weekly-Column---92109.html Last week's column was just as interesting, though a different topic.

endorsements

Perhaps this is too much information, but it might be helpful for someone. I am delighted to report that the "clinical strength" antiperspirants that are now on the shelves actually work! I got a free sample of Secret, and was most pleased until I looked at the price at Walgreens - about $9. So I looked at the commissary and found that Suave had a formula for $4, so I picked it up and it works just as well as the Secret. I was hesitant before to try any of them because of the price, but since they actually work and at least one is reasonably priced, I have one less distressing issue in my life. Of course it would be nice if the regular products worked as advertised, but they don't much for me. Even Dean was impressed after doing an assessment (he must really love me to take a whiff there). My life is improved!

If you can't beat 'em. . .

I've mentioned that I relented recently and let the boys purchase a pre-owned Game Cube, along with a couple of pre-owned games (Harry Potter). I hoped that they would be motivated enough to play it to be more responsible and keep their bedroom clean and their chores done, which are the requirements to be able to play. Those are the TV-watching requirements as well, however they will go ages without seeing TV at home, until I can't stand their mess any more and help them shovel through it. They are old enough to be responsible for that themselves, although when it gets to a certain point it is overwhelming so I have to step in.

The last week or so, Hunter has been speeding through his chores and has (mostly) been willing to do whatever else is asked of him, and he has been tidying up his bedroom and bathroom daily (or at least a LOT more than usual)!!! I'm so excited. This evening he told me that he was doing his chores faster now. I had a hunch, but asked why that was just to see what he would say. Sure enough, he said it was so he could play Harry Potter, and earn money (he gets paid a commission for his chores). Success! It worked! He's motivated! He has goals! Granted, it's to play video games and buy toys (see previous posts). But it is something, and it is far better than choosing to spend all Saturday in his bedroom because he's too lazy to tidy it up so we can all go do something fun.

Kyler more or less rides Hunter's apron strings and gets to play because their room is clean, but not so much because Kyler cleaned it. He does help me quite a bit at home during the day while Hunter is gone to school, so that's worth something. I've been more consistent with my "powerful parenting" (read John Rosemond if you're interested) when he really steps out of line, so in some instances his behavior has been improving, and he is definitely much better behaved in public (after spending the remainder of the day in his room a couple of times following some egregious behavior whilst out and about with me).

Anyway, those words from Hunter today were music to my ears. And, I went to a cooking group this evening, so Dean reported that Hunter actually got out of bed because he forgot some trash that needed to go out (it's trash night, and gathering up the trash and taking it out is one of his duties). Ahhhh. I am patting myself on the back. That is the first true sign of responsibility I've detected.

Welcome to NC

I had a laugh when I washed my car recently and saw this sign.

Tristan sometimes likes his Johnny Jumpup.

I snapped a picture of Dean in his dress uniform after he had his official pictures taken recently.

Tristan's favorite trick of late is to roll over!

Must be time to feed Baby since he's gnawing on Daddy's arm.

Hallo-what?

So I'm totally holiday lame, and just try to get through a lot of these occasions with at least a little cheer for the kiddos and occasionally a picture. This year I put off buying pumpkins until a week or so before Halloween, and there were none left. Anywhere. I looked at Walmart, a farmers' market, and a couple of grocery stores. I was done looking, and pumpkinless. Oh, well. There will be pumpkins in future years, I'm sure. I even planted some seeds in the spring, but had no luck with that either.

I did manage to get a Spiderman costume for Hunter, which he thought was great. I picked up a little alligator costume that is sized for about a 12-24 month child, to have on hand for Tristan in a year. Kyler wanted to wear it this year, and it was not a battle I would choose, so that's what he got to be. On an appropriately-sized child, it would have covered most of the body. On Kyler, it came about to his waist. But really, who would know any different? A former realtor of ours actually sent a costume for Tristan, so he was a pea in a pod, and that was great. He's the only one I managed to get pictures of on Halloween. Had to get the others to put their costumes on later for pictures. The night before Halloween we drove out to Mike's Farm with the Rogers to go on a haunted hay ride. Standing in line for two hours wasn't too fun, but the ride was enjoyable. Hunter had the most fun, and wanted everyone to know that he wasn't scared. He even pulled the hat off one of the haunters who jumped out of the woods as we rode by in the hay wagon. On a side note, he bore his testimony in church on Sunday and I heard someone whisper "That's the boy who sang so loud last week". He's a memorable kid; what can I say?

We went to the church for chile and dessert on Halloween, then Dean took the boys trick or treating. They made a pretty good haul, which is not necessarily a good thing. A couple of weeks ago I started teaching Hunter a trick or treating poem I learned as a child. It goes "Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat, Give me something good to eat, Give me candy fruit and gum, Hurry up and give me some, You had better do it quick, Or I'll surely play a trick, Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat, Give me something good to eat." From Dean's description he might have been a bit of a menace with it, but he certainly enjoyed saying it.

I actually got a second place ribbon for my dessert at the church party. I was stunned, as making it was a fiasco and the presentation was ridiculous (pumpkin filling squirted out across the cake stand, and the whipped cream fell right off the top, as I didn't think before I put it on the still-warm chocolate glaze), but it was festive - a chocolate pumpkin roll. The chile sloshed and sloshed in the crock pot on the way to the church. I learned through experience, once again, to not take a full crock pot. Not even close. Now the car smells like chile and needs to be shampooed. The crock was in a cardboard box, but it was awfully full...

Dean occasionally needs to go to Fort Bragg, two and a half hours away, for official army business such as buying army pants or uniform patches. There is nothing "army" whatsoever on this marine base. Today he needed to have his official pictures taken. I've said before that I would like to go, as I haven't been on an army base yet since he's been in the military. Yesterday he mentioned that perhaps I could come along this time. I wasn't inclined (all day in the car with Kyler and Tristan) unless there was something in it for me. I looked online and shockingly there was a Hobby Lobby in Fayetteville (home of Ft. Bragg). I haven't been to one in years now, and that was reason enough to go. The base is huge and sprawling, sure enough. It was refreshing to see soldiers everywhere. I've never seen so many. I've seen countless marines here at Camp Lejeune, so it was a nice change of scenery. I actually felt like we fit in.

By the time we went to the picture place and military clothing store, it was just about time to head out if we were going to get home in time to get Hunter from the bus stop at 3:42. So I ran into Hobby Lobby quickly and time flew by before we were on the road again. I did get just a couple of things, but could have spent much more time there. As always, I got to do virtually all the driving. We learned years ago that it's better for our marriage if I drive. I don't tolerate Dean's driving, and he doesn't tolerate my helpful suggestions. So he got lots of work done with his beloved iPhone, which has dramatically changed his life by the way, and I chauffered. Tristan did great as always. Kyler enjoyed the portable DVD player on the way there, and slept on the way back. We did miss Hunter's bus stop by a few minutes, so he was at the neighbors'. We grabbed him and went to his parent teacher conference at 4pm. Then home again and I whipped up some scratch-made macaroni and cheese (yum). Kyler didn't eat one bite, and had been whiney all day, and felt warm in the evening. Great - now he's sick. Temp was 101.6.

There's a news story now about a research study that showed a great reduction in white cells (immunity) for several hours after consuming sugar. I don't give my kids juice or any sugary drinks except for a rare treat; I don't give them "fruit snacks" or other such pretend goodness (they eat whole fruit). Desserts, cookies, candy, etc. are rare treats. And they are rarely sick. But now there's candy everywhere and I haven't put it all away, so crafty Kyler is into it all the time. It only makes sense...

I'll post pictures as soon as I get Dean to upload them (still no "hole" on this new computer to put the little disk thingy).

The Mundane

I picked up some virus this last week. I dread knowing that I'm coming down with something, especially with the current hysteria over the pig flu, as Dean calls it. I looked up pig flu symptoms with Dean, and certainly had some of them (muscle/joint aches, fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache), but not the quick onset, so who knows if it's "just" a cold, or worse. The worst fear, of course, is passing it on to Tristan, which unfortunately I did. He's a day or two behind me in the course of it. It's always so sad to see little babies sick. He's a champ right now, though, with a mild fever, cough, and runny nose. He hasn't been fussy over it at all yet. This is the first time he's been sick. He and I stayed home from church, which was too bad because it was the annual Children's Sacrament Meeting Presentation. I was looking forward to that. Apparently, the swine flu may not be severe; in fact the site I read from said that most cases have been mild. Hopefully it passes soon, whatever it is.


We were alerted last week by the primary president at church that Hunter was perhaps too zealous in his singing. After some input from some wise ladies (Kristen and Shayna), Dean made the decision that Hunter should sing however he desired (he desired to be the loudest). Dean was told in the MTC how awful his singing was, which really shot him down, and he hasn't had any desire to sing since (although he does dutifully sing at church; his singing isn't awful, either, he just hasn't been trained like so many people who are raised in the church). Kristi reported that, indeed, it was noticeable when Hunter didn't know the words, because that was the only time he couldn't be heard as the children sang.


In other news, Dean left this afternoon for Fort Eustis, VA (several hours away). He will be attending a "Serve Safe" training through Wednesday, then travel home Thursday. It's kind of funny (to me) that the vets oversee food inspection (much like health inspectors) for the military. I learned a lot of this kind of stuff in my college coursework for nutrition, but not nearly as in depth as he has. He's had lots of training in it in the 14 months he's been in the army.

Since he never reads the blog, I'm safe to say that it is actually a nice break occasionally to have a little mini vacation of my own when he's out of the house for a few nights. Then I don't have to worry about respectable dinners (who wants cereal?!) and having bananas constantly in stock (hehe) and can waste away my nights doing whatever, then hog the whole bed to myself (and Baby). Of course I'll miss him, and be glad when he's home.

On a side note, he was supposed to have deployed yesterday to Iraq for a year. I was well aware of that yesterday, and he mentioned it today as he left. Whew, that was a close one! Though it could still happen if he stays in the military. His knee/torn meniscus, the reason he's not being deployed, is still in bad shape. He goes to physical therapy which is supposed to keep the muscles built up around the knee. Apparently they go quickly with knee injuries. At his last appointment with the orthopedist, he was told it would probably need surgery since it's not healing. If he walks much, or especially if he uses stairs, it swells and hurts. He does his situps and pushups and uses an elliptical to work out and keep up that sexy army figure and his weight down since he can't run.


One thing (of many) I've resisted buying for the boys until recently has been light sabers, you know from Star Wars. It seems everyone has them. They looked like just another big whacking stick (as we call such objects) for the boys to beat eachother and the house with. But of course they've always lusted after them and enjoyed them at other people's homes. So, dearest Heidi invited Hunter over for a showing of Star Wars Clone Wars with Lincoln and other friends, and light sabers were welcome. So, without telling him, I got one for him, and he was delighted to use his allowance/birthday money to buy it from me. He's actually been protective of it (meaning he doesn't want Kyler to break it), and makes a point of not leaving it outside, which is notable. The first night, Kyler ended up with a bloody nose and cut lip. Hunter didn't mean to do it, but that's what happens when boys have big whacking sticks. I asked him what the consequence should be, and he said I should take it away for a week. That sounded reasonable, so it went high up in my closet. The next day I found the step stool in my closet, but alas the little people (namely Kyler) still aren't able to reach, even with a step stool, so there it stayed all week. On the appointed day, I put it up on the grandfather clock in the living room, which holds many confiscated items, to see what would happen. I didn't say a word, but Kyler's awfully keen and soon the step stool was next to the grandfather clock and the light saber was gone. They've been enjoying it since, and Hunter even shares it.



I also broke down recently and let the boys buy (again, with their own funds, to help them appreciate it more) a used game cube and a couple of games. I have always vowed to never have such things in my home. I don't intend to raise video game junkies. But, I thought it would be a good motivator, and it is to some degree (not as much as I had hoped). I keep it in my bedroom so I can monitor it well. They haven't seen TV in quite a while, as the cord I detach from it when they lose the privilege is in a nice safe place right now, unbeknownst to us all :)

I'm throwing in some gratuituous and irrelevant pictures since this is a long, boring post and I get complaints when there are no pictures:) The first one highlights Kyler's photography skills, Hunter being the subject. For some reason Kyler feels more secure being naughty under the couch (if he gets hold of my camera, he'll go under the couch and take scores of useless pictures - this being a better one). He also goes under the couch to eat contraband candy if he has climbed into the cupboard or on top of the fridge to get it. Then he throws the wrappers on the floor under the couch.

Here's Tristan looking nervous while Kyler holds him.

And here's the illustrious Kyler trying to finish his sandwich at Arby's so he can have some beloved french fries.

Picture Overload

We spent some time outside doing yard work. It has been a brisk fall the last week or so.

Mr. Wiggly Worm thinks he's pretty clever now that he can squirm out of the carseat.

He is not distressed by it, just likes doing it every few minutes.

Kyler wanted to be swaddled like Baby.

Hunter likes holding Tristan.

I have never much been inclined to go to Time Out for Women, put on by Deseret Book, but this year when asked about it, I was delighted at the opportunity. I didn't know what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised that it was fantastic. It was nice to get away, and hang with these fabulous ladies (Natalie, Priscilla and Summer). Apparently I'm the shortest of the group. We traveled about five hours to Richmond, VA for the event.

I had to take Tristan along, of course, and he was a champ 99% of the time. The ladies all took turns holding him during the program to keep him happy.

The boys are excited about all the baby toys that are emerging from storage in the garage, and enjoy them as much as the real baby.

Here's a momentary shot from our General Conference viewing at home :)

The boys always love pumpkins (and squash masquerading as a pumpkin). Kyler gathered these together and lined them up.

Here is some of the last of our harvest for this year - some jalapeno peppers, a small honey dew and a tomato. We still have tomatoes and peppers on the vines - until they freeze. It has cooled down over night here.

More Requested

Blogger is cooperating, so here are some more pictures of my little sweetie. He does smile, but I am not skilled enough to get him to smile while I try to take his picture. His only fault is that he scratches his face often. I can't clip his nails fast enough. Funny thing, though, he doesn't cry when he does it. Kyler would cry and cry as he did it, as it certainly hurts! I really love this little outfit he's wearing... I think he kind of has my nephew Isaac's eyes, or at least a similar look as when he was a baby. Otherwise most people notice that he takes after Dean and Hunter.

Baby Pictures

I'm way behind on blogging. Right now I'll just throw in a picture of little Tristan (I can't resist the request:). I would post more but blogger is having issues apparently. He's about 3 1/2 months now, and a true delight - as long as he's not hungry. His eyes seem to be brown, but sometimes look grayish. His hair has been growing in nicely on the top, which hides the cradle cap. He had some fairly long hairs on top when he was born, that fell out within a week or so; there is a lot of nice, long hair at the base of his neck since birth. He sleeps well through the night, just grunting and smacking his lips a couple of times to be fed, which works out well for us both. I am a mess by morning if he doesn't feed overnight. We are so blessed to have him!


We blessed Tristan at church on September 27, and this little sweater outfit is what he wore.

An Acronym for Everything

So this morning as we were eating breakfast at 7:30 Dean mentioned that their unit was traveling to Wilmington, NC to see the battleship North Carolina, about an hour away. It is called a "Staff Ride", basically a field trip to foster camaraderie. I didn't have anything going on today, other than feeding the missionaries this evening, so I asked if I could tag along, which he said would be fine. I managed to get showered and get the boys ready and to the base just after 8:30. Civilians can't ride in the "GOVs" (government-owned vehicles), so he rode with me, Kyler and Tristan in our "POV" (privately-owned vehicle). Before we left I asked in jest if he would be embarrassed to be seen with me since I still have a bit of post-baby weight to lose. He laughed and said he had just learned a new term, a "CD". That would be a "chubby dependant".

In the first picture, Kyler had his "sword" - actually a honing thing for knives, not sharp or anything, and was waiting for a victim to come out of the back door at Dean's work as we waited for everyone to be ready to go. Then Kyler moved on to table dancing in the next picture, as Dean conducted some official business on the phone while a computer dude was working in his office. If you're concerned, Dean is in a "no cover" (hat) zone there. When they are outside they are required to wear cover when in uniform, but they pass from one part of the building outside then inside again to another part of the building... and don't have to wear cover or salute there, since they go back and forth all day... Kyler did actually poke the Sergeant First Class with his "sword" (who took it in stride), at which point Dean confiscated it.

Here are Kyler and Dean on the deck of the USS North Carolina.

And Tristan was an angel the whole time! Afterward we all ate at Sticky Fingers, a barbecue joint. I had a potato stuffed with pulled pork and topped with melted cheese - yum! Dean rode back with the soldiers; I had to rush home to meet Hunter from the bus.

"Thank You"

For the first time in memory yesterday, Hunter thanked me for making a yummy dinner. He is the pickier of the two boys and rarely gives compliments, at least to me. His list of dislikes includes tomatoes - he surely gets that from me, which I read in the newspaper a few years ago that "they" have found a gene for liking or hating tomatoes; mushrooms - definitely at the top; and meat - unless it's a burger, hot dog, sauage, chicken nuggets, etc. He thinks he's crafty, of coure, and recently he came in for Sunday dinner. I told him his plate was in the kitchen, but there seemed to be a delay in his getting to the dining room. I knew to have a look and sure enough the meat was missing from his plate, pot roast if I remember right. We gave him a small portion to begin with, but he still thought it was a good idea to chuck it in the trash. I had him retrieve it...

Anyway, I made my favorite quick meal last night. Dean was out with the missionaries and had already eaten leftovers. So I love to throw a can of refried beans in the microwave (beans removed from the can, of course), some corn tortillas in the toaster oven, and cook some eggs on the stove top. Smear the beans on the warm tortillas, top with egg, cheddar cheese, and some El Pato, salsa, enchilada sauce or whatever I have on hand for the mature palates, and we have what I call "Huevos Becky", in five minutes. We ate that a lot while Dean was gone earlier in the year. It's terribly healthy, in my opinion, gluten free - which I've been working on better of late, we all love it, and I always have those things on hand. A variation is "Mexican Hamburgers": omit the egg and top the beans with a (cooked) hamburger patty (cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato as desired), serve with your favorite papas (potatoes). A flour tortilla may be used, though I have moved away from them (white flour and shortening/lard - nothing healthy there).

Tards no more

Until very recently Kyler was unable to say the "k" sound. He couldn't really even say his own name. When people would ask what his name was, he would always say "Tyler, with a tay". I think my mom worked on it with him while she was here, or at least that's the story Hunter tells. Kyler said some funny things all this time, such as "tards" for cards. It was cute, but I guess he's growing up - he turned 4 yesterday after all. He never really knows how old he is, perhaps because he doesn't know what that means. For the longest time when people asked him how old he was he would say "six and a half". That was long before Hunter was ever six and a half, so I'm not sure where he got that. Now when people ask him, he asks me.

So yesterday morning we told him it was his birthday, and he said "I know". He always "knows". So I took him to Dean at work while I did a little shopping to get him a few things, and he and I made a birthday cake for him. I used a fun pan set that Penny gave me with which you can make a filled cake. I had pudding mix on hand, so that's what I used. I had to use two cake mixes to have enough batter for all the layers. I didn't realize that I was nearly out of powdered sugar, so I had to borrow some from Kristi to make the frosting - thanks! Kyler put the candles on the cake himself, so there are a few extra. Hunter has uncontrollable urges to blow out candles, so I had to hold him back so Kyler would have a chance.

Mysterious Ways

A hint or two had been dropped lately about Dean possibly getting a new calling. He's been a counselor in the Elder's Quorum in our ward. So on Saturday night he got a phone call wanting him to be early at church to meet with a stake guy. He was called to be the executive secretary to the bishop, which he actually thought might be what was coming. So when he was to be set apart, the bishop told us that for months Dean's name came to mind when he thought about needing to call someone to that, as the former one is now deployed. But the bishop also knew that Dean was scheduled to be deployed in October, so he didn't understand how it could be Dean. Then a while back we were chatting with the bishop and mentioned the debacle of army combatives and Dean's knee injury and how it could potentially keep him from being deployed. So on Sunday the bishop said that when we were chatting he had to subdue the urge to grin from ear to ear and hope he wasn't deployed. He said that clearly the Lord knew that that was going to happen (didn't cause it, but knew it was coming) and that was why he kept coming to mind as the person to fill the spot, even when it made no sense.

AND, after being most impressed with Bro's iPhone when we saw him at his wedding, Dean decided he had to have one as well. After all, he wanted to organize his own calendar and work schedule (he has something different going on every day), and be able to access his work email when the network is down at the office, or when he's sitting around waiting for an appointment or whatever... He got the iPhone just a few days before the calling. It was definitely meant to be. Now he can keep track of the bishop's schedule and all that as well and be efficient.