Smellyann Strikes Again

Not-So-Wordless Wednesday: Earth Day 2013

It's super-annoying that Typepad doesn't seem to wanna auto-save anymore, and I lose almost an entire kick-ass post when the screen freezes. But anyways...

While I was going about my business preparing for our Earth Day picnic on Monday, Rob came out wearing this Navy-issue peacoat, with the Meerschaum pipe in his mouth, saying, "Picture me on the bridge of our boat, steering across the Atlantic..." and I totally could. Can you? Course you can. It's still our dream, y'know. In a heartbeat, we would...

I had been searching on the old innernet for Earth Day activities and crafts when I came across The Nature Conservancy's All Hands on Earth picnic website. The idea, in a nutshell, is to foster sustainable food-eating practices by buying local and in-season to reduce, you know, gas and energy consumption from the production and distribution of worlds-away, out-of-season, uh... I said that way better the first time, but you get the gist, right? Right.

I had no fundage available at the time to run out to the Farmer's Market and pick up some deliciousness, so I figured I'd just use what we already had on hand to reduce waste, live frugally, and other great things we try to practice on a daily basis. I had cooked a bunch of chicken tits in the Crock-Pot the night before and still had half a -Pot left, so I tore that up and added some gorgonzola cheese crumbles leftover after our salad fixin's were used up, along with some apples I diced to add some sweetness and crunch. Along with some seasonings and Miracle Whip (Rob's fave), it was aces all around. Total yummo.

We chose Biscayne National Park as the nearby destination for our picnic because, despite the fact that it's too far to walk or ride a bike for us, the idea of Earth Day connotes (to me, anyway) surrounding oneself in the beautiful precious natural resources of our planet, and so it seemed a fitting locale. The last time we were there, I'd gotten a wicked bad sunburn from being too stupid to put on SPF before lying down on a towel with my library book. I just discovered what appears to be a melanoma - for which I'm going to the doc in about 7½ hours - on my chinny-chin-chin Monday morning, so I wasn't taking any chances with those harmful UV rays. We took along everything from SPF 30 all the way up to 85+. Although, really? Is that fo'real?

 

Aside from our afore-mentioned chicken salad on both spinach and sun-dried tomato wraps (also already on hand), we had mango cubes (I'd searched for a YouTube video on cutting them perfectly:

 

and it was spot-freakin'-on. Worked like a charm, after many failed attempts on my part.)

Plus, I threw in a bunch of bagged cereal for snacks, and Sophia snuck in half a pound cake for good measure. We served everything on reusable napkins and wrappers, and a pitcher of fruit punch was served in regular ol' plastic kids' cups. Leave no trace, leave the place better than when you found it, and all that.

When Jack dropped a piece of his cereal, this duck walked boldly up to him and looked askance. Not in the "how dare you?!" sense of the word, but "how dare you not feed me?" sense. He stayed there, quacked a few times, and made Jack squirm and squeal a whole bunch. It was hilarious.

We really laughed out loud a moment later when the two ducks on the bottom and left waddled up in perfect unison, speeding zip-zip along the sand to get their pieces of the proverbial pie. They didn't get any from us, although I noticed Sophia "accidentally" dropped one or two their way. Soon a fourth joined the flock, and by then we were surrounded by Muscovies looking to join our Earth Day picnic. Fun times.

After lunch, I sent the kids off on a Nature Treasure Hunt geared for kids aged 8-11, which, hey, is perfect since that's what range my kids all fall into, hey? The first one (of ten) was: "Find a place where an animal made a home," so off they went toward the mangroves to find nests or burrows. The three quickly spotted deep, wide holes in the ground and decided something had dug its way in, and I couldn't argue with that, so I gave them credit.

The second one directed them to make fairy homes out of natural objects, so Sophie had the idea to make teepees out of dried-out palm leaves. Chloë and Jack quickly followed suit; all but Chloë got them to stand without being held.

3. Find a seed - Easy! They just had to look up at the big palm trees everywhere to find them hanging out like so many, um, testicles. (What can I say? It's where the mind automatically goes.)

4. Make a tool, like a hammer or drawing stick. Jack, not being terribly imaginative, picked up a stick and started drawing. Okay, fine. Sophia, surprisingly equally unimaginative, picked up a stick and started hammering the top of her fairy teepee. Okaaaay, Chloë? She picked up a stick and pretended it was a screwdriver, driving, er, screws into the dirt. Better, but totally uninspired. Still, we moved on.

5. Find or name two things that all living things need to survive. The kids shouted out things like, "A home!" "Air!" "Food!" "Water!" etc. This one was too easy for this age group, IMO.

6. Listen for five sounds, including both human ones and otherwise. They listened to birds singing, people shuffling their feet on a nearby path, folks talking, boats' engines starting up at the marina next to us, and the wind whispering through the trees. That last one was my favorite.

7. Find a place where a plant-eater would be happy. Again, in a national park, way too easy.

The eighth one was super-cute. They had to spy on a bug. Jack crouched down first and watched an ant go ten ways to Sunday, all over the sand. Sophia and Chloë traced their own insects, and soon they all met up, head-to-head, with their daddy. I was thinking he probably wished he had a magnifying glass to light 'em on fire, because that's just the kind of Bob he is, but maybe I'm wrong. Maybe.

9. Find a pattern in nature. They all came up with A-B-A-B-A-B patterns, so I challenged them to find something other than that. Jack was the first to do so; he found spirals projecting out from the center vein of a leaf, and I was proud.

10. Find something other than an animal that can live in water. First, they named about 3400 different animals before noticing us crossing our arms over our chest, tapping our feet and rolling our eyes all over the place. "Ohhhhh! Like seagrass?" Yeah. Duhhh.

We were done with that, and rather than do sunprints, they decided to go swimming again. Fine and good, but I was freezing and wasn't joining in. The lifeguard came over to speak at us about letting them go too far out without a parent right there (in zero waves, with a lifeguard spitting distance away, but whatevs), so Rob went in while I lay in the sun and fried a little more. My SPF 85+ was failing me, y'all! I reapplied.

Then, Rob rigged up his fishing poles and took us to go fishing. Well, took the kids, while I followed along for some Instagramography of whatever they caught (big fat nothin', it turned out). But check this sign - crocodiles?! In Florida? Gators, sure - we'd seen an 8-footer the last time out, in the canal near our house - but crocs? Who knew? Not I, not me, not us. Jack was determined to find one, but we didn't.

Also, I'm pretty sure they stole that croc drawing from Peter Pan.

 

Rob didn't have any bait, so he used a Sabiki Rig to try and catch some. He cast waaay far out, and then near, and then far again... but not even the pinfish were biting. So the kids and I went exploring while he kept trying.

We went up to the end of the walk, which culminated in, like, a pier, and looked out at the water. Another fisherman was next to us, so they meandered over to him to see what he was doing. "Fishing." What do you have on your hook? "Bait." He amused me. The kids kept pressing. My kids are pressers. So we learned this about him: He was originally from Ithaca, New York, now lived in Texas, and was here in Miami on temporary extra duty. He had never fished here before and insisted that pinfish couldn't be used to catch snapper, grouper, or larger fish, but Rob taught him how to rig the baitfish for better success (not that he was having any, but he had on previous outings, after all). He was fishing with live shrimp. I had about seventy-nine more facts about him on the tip of my brain, but they all just scattered because of course, I need them right now. Oh, and he gave Rob a beer. That was nice. Maybe it was a consolation prize, since neither man was having any luck with the fishies that day.

 

Rob gave up for a while, and just then, a manatee came into view, swimming toward the harbor. Another, smaller (I'm guessing female) sea cow swam toward him, and they met nose-to-nose for a few moments before the female turned, and they both swam away in the direction of the marina. It all happened too fast, just like with alligator the other day, for me to get a good picture, so all I have is this one of the four of them looking and pointing. It was SO breathtaking, Chloë was near tears, Sophia couldn't stop exclaiming, and my heart was racing. What wondrous things we've seen in our month here so far!

 

And then, if that weren't enough, a pelican flew in and landed near us. The kids thought that was just fantastic; they walked over and got in the big bird's face, not knowing how aggressive those things can be. They want fish, and they want it now. The pelican squawked, flapped its wings, and moved toward them. They yelped and jumped back, while I laughed. A third fishergent caught a pinfish - at last! - and threw it in the center of the pier. The kids gawked while the pelican stormed over there and gobbled it up. Only, the fish was spreading its rays, and the bird couldn't swallow it. We all watched, helpless, as it gagged and regurgitated the fish repeatedly, struggling to get it down its gullet with no success. What to do, what to do? Call a park ranger? Finally, with one loud gulp, the fish was choked down and bulging in the pelican's neck. Whew! What a relief.

We went home, exultant in our beautiful day, reliving all the amazing sights we'd seen.

Hope you all had a happy Earth Day, recycling and reusing and reducing. Remember to link up here if you're wordless - or not - today, too!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: The Eve Was Framed Meme

Link up here if you're a dirty, dirty meme'er like me.

Cheers to all of us thieves!

 

1. Why is your favorite color your favorite?

It's the color of the clear sea in the medium depths of the Caribbean, the most beautiful color I've ever seen, and reminds me of what I love in the world.

 

2. Do you prefer dogs or cats or do you just hate animals, and want to kill baby seals?

That question made me snort! I prefer itty bitty little puppy doggies, but I love all animals. Even the ugly ones.

 

3. How much time do you spend on the computer?

Six.

 

4. Not including porn, what do you do on the computer?

This meme is cheeky, eh? I do everything, a little of this, a little of that, a little of s'more stuff... nunya, mostly.

 

5. Are you a clock watcher?

Rarely. Only if I'm bored, which I try not to be.

 

6. What did you look for in a partner?

Intelligence and a good sense of humor, decency and kindness, love and passion.... and obviously not height. Sorry, baby. Hee.

 

7. What type of clothing do you prefer?

Whatever I look good in and disguises my 7-to-10-year-old baby belly!

 

8. What is your favorite type of music?

I can't lie. I like my Pop music best. I know it's lame, but it's so... singalongable, mostly!

 

9. Do you believe in the paranormal, ghosts, ESP, levitation, spoon bending?

Not right now, nope.

 

10. The most important question: Do you have a innie or outie belly button?

I've got a way-the-hell-innie.

 

11. What kind of car do you drive?

C'mon, I've got three kiddos. A minivan. 2010 Honda Odyssey. I've had it a year and a half, and I still miss my old van.

 

12. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun or The Boys Are Back in Town?

 

The former!

 

13. Camping or the Ritz?

 

As much as I love the great outdoors, I'm more at home in a fancy hotel.

 

14. What food are you craving RIGHT NOW . . . did you eat it?

 

I don't know, but no, because whatever it is, we don't have it. Oberweis cottage cheese, I think. It's the best!

 

15. The most thrilling place you've ever visited. Why?

 

Oh, gosh. I'm hard-pressed... Okay. Our 2008 Mediterranean cruise was pretty awesome. I love culture, I love travel, I love being on the water... and I was with my darling husband. The only downside about that trip was that I was still mighty big (I had my surgery the following January), and we couldn't do a few of the excursions we'd planned because of my size.

  

16. If you could slip into the skin of one public figure--celebrity, artist,--who would it be?

 

Does Matt Damon's wife count? Then he could slip into my skin. Did I just say that?

 

17. Look up from your computer. What do you see first?

The Britto we bought on the aforementioned cruise!

 

18. Sum up your philosophy of life in one sentence. You can borrow it from someone else, if you'd like.

You take the good, you take the bad, you take it all, and there you have the facts of life, oh, the facts of life... sorry. I'm in a singing mood.

 

19. Name the one thing you just don't understand about kids today.

No. The kids, I get. It's their parents I don't often get!

 

20. If you could steal one work of art from a museum or gallery, which would it be?

 

Dalí's The Persistence of Memory has always captivated me.

 

Have a stellar week, kids!

 

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: The Never-Ending Meme, Parte Uno

Link up here if you're meme-crazy like me, too!

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. Song that always makes you sad?

"To Where You Are" by Josh Groban, and "Tears in Heaven" by E.C.

2. Last thing you bought?

Canned foods for our donation to the Food Bank, part of our entrance fee to last night's Girl Scout Cookie Rally  

3. Last person you argued with?

Rob and I had it OUT the other day about where we're going to live after he retires in 1½ years from the US Navy, but I'm going to keep mum this time, until we actually make things happen. Sorreh.

4. Do you put butter before putting the peanut butter on?

Huh? Butter with peanut butter? Huh? Is you crazy?

5. One of your stuffed animals’ names as a kid?

My Cabbage Patch Kids were Aubrey Lenora, Tiffany Jacqueline, and Andrea Jeanine.

6. Did you ever at one time own a Barenaked Ladies CD?

Well, of course. "If I had a million dollars" is one of "our" songs...

7. Favorite day of the week?

Any day that Rob is home with me, sap sap, mush mush, gag.

8. Favorite sundae topping?

I can't eat it anymore, but if it's going to be a sundae, it better have nuts, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry. Good stuff, there. Mmm.

9. Did you take piano lessons?

Yes. Well, my mom played the organ, so when she died, I took organ lessons to honor her. When the piano teacher came to my house, I played the organ. When I went to her house, I played her piano. So, kinda.

10. Most frequent song played?

Right now I'm overplaying "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5. There are boobs in the explicit version on YouTube, you know. I discovered this the other day. Who doesn't like boobs? I was told recently that even gay guys like 'em. Who knew?

11. TV show you secretly enjoy?

I enjoy Phineas and Ferb, which we stream on Netflix, since we don't have 'real' TV. Rob and I laugh more than the children do, I swear.

12. Would you rather play basketball or hockey?

Hockey. I can whack the shit out of some puck, dude.

13. Date someone older or younger?

I prefer them older. I don't want to teach you new tricks. I want you to know the tricks. Kwim?

14. One place you could travel right now?

Could, or would like to? I mean, I could travel to Williamsburg or the Outer Banks. I would like to travel to Japan or Australia. Say what you mean, and mean what you say, dammit.

15. Do you use umbrellas?

We have a Britto umbrella, which I bought for Rob as a gift during a trip to Charleston, that mostly sits unused. I prefer to just get wet, unless my hair and make-up are done, and then I'm using that mofo. I like getting rained on.

16. Do you know all the words to the Canadian national anthem?

Yeah, I know all the words to all the national anthems, dude. Duh. :\

17. Favorite cheese?

Velveeta. Sike! (Although I admit, I'll use it when it suits.) Hmm... I do like my Muenster.

18. The Smiths or The Cure?

Depends on the mood. Whatever, I like it all but country.

19. Do you prefer blondes or brunettes?

I really don't give a rat's ass. I like arm muscles, though. Not that you asked that.

20. Best job you ever had?

You should expect me to say the current one, mothering my three bebes. Which I do love, of course. But aside from that, I'd say it's a toss-up between my internship in Fisheries Biology at Mote Marine Lab and my stint working at the dive shop Diver's Paradise on Key Biscayne. Times of my life, both.

Well, that wasn't exactly never-ending. Twenty questions, really? I was prepared for fourscore. Ah well. More fun next week. Ciao, thieving peeps.

Fin.

September 11, 2001 - September 11, 2011: Our Story

Our 9/11 "where were you when ..." story goes this way (and it's long, just forewarning):

We were living in Panama City, Florida, at the time. I was eight months' pregnant with Chloë Raine, with an extreme case of polyhydramnios going on. So we were headed, on 9/7/01, to Pensacola for a 4D-level ultrasound to find out exactly what was happening there and make sure Baby Girl Odette was fine.

Along the way, I writhed in agony over each and every fine bump in the road as Rob drove the three hours to Sacred Heart Women's Hospital in P'cola. It got worse as the trip progressed, and by the time we got to the hospital for my test, I was half-crying, half-screaming in agony.

Fast-forwarding through the stress of not knowing where to go and being brought all over the hospital while the wheel of the wheelchair rubbed against and burnt my thigh, all the while with me hollering and moaning in severe pain, we finally ended up in the L&D ward for Maternal-Fetal Medicine patients. Basically, I was a high-risk pregnancy without being aware of it, for several reasons: My weight was high, we had the polyhdramnios, I had developed pre-eclampsia but NOT been told about it, and Chloë's triple-screen test had come back with a high risk indicator for Down Syndrome.

Anyway, we got to L&D, and by that point, my blood pressure was so high, and I was shaking badly. They were doing everything in their power to calm me down, and I overheard someone tell someone else (maybe I'm the "someone else," I can't even remember anymore) that I was on the verge of having a major stroke that could be deadly. So things were quite serious, you could say.

I had about 24 people, including the janitor I think, reach up into my cervix and push through to check on things. At one point, they decided to break my stubborn amniotic sac, and holy crap, that hurt. Not only that, but there was SO much extra fluid that the staff of this teaching hospital laughed as they had never seen such an amount come out, and it flooded the floor all around my bed. I remember everyone calling for "Towels! More towels!" It even splashed the feet of Rob, who was holding my hand and standing near my head.

When the rush of fluid poured out of me, it dragged Chloë's infant hand out with it, so that when they checked me again, they felt her hand instead of the tip of her head, as things should be. So now I had complicated presentation on top of everything else! With that, the severe pre-eclampsia, and the determination that my placenta had abrupted after one long, continuous contraction on the drive to the hospital, a decision was made that I needed to have her by emergency C-section. I was devastated, having had my birth plan written up for months, and it didn't include no damn surgery!

(An emergency c/s is pretty much a slice-and-dice operation, and the focus is obviously more on getting the baby out and keeping her and the mother safe and healthy, rather than on having a pretty scar. And I've had three emergency sections now, plus a hysterectomy, plus gastric bypass surgery. Not that you asked - but my abdomen is basically one big scar now. It looks awesome.)

So we readied me for surgery as fast as possible, and when Rob was let into the O.R., I was singing "Come Sail Away" to him for reasons I can't explain, other than that I was high on meds by that point and it was one of the songs he sang/played for me during our brief courtship, being a Sailor in the US Navy and all.

I have to admit, also, to being disappointed I was having my baby for my 25th birthday, because all I really wanted to do for my birthday was not give birth but go swimming! With the polyhydramnios, I was freaking e-NOR-mous, and the only time I was comfortable was when I was swimming in the base pool. I even asked the surgeons, during the surgery, if I could go swimming the next day. Their answer came in the form of chuckles and guffaws. I easily guessed that meant it was a big, fat "no." Dammit.

Anyway, moving along. The surgery progressed rapidly, and Rob looked over the hidey-sheet they put up so Mom can't see anything, and he saw lots and lots of blood all over the place. I think that will stick with him; not sure it traumatized him, but it definitely made an impact on him. When they pulled Chloë out of me, she dipped her head back and gulped in some of the fluid, which was not supposed to happen. Uh-oh. I'm unclear on whether that's what led to her subsequent breathing problems, but they had to put her on O2 for a while to get her to breathe normally. I can't remember the exact numbers, but her APGARs were low to medium. She was not a healthy baby.

They brought her over to me, and I had just enough chance to see how freaking cute she was - especially her tiny nose, I noticed - before I started to barf all over her. They whisked her away to get her clean and then took her down to the NICU, where she remained for ten days. Meanwhile, I was sewn up and brought out to recovery, where my blood pressure continued to be sky-high. I was one stressed-out and fearful Mama!

I'll skip over my own recovery mostly, but Chloë was in the NICU for a week and a half with one problem developing after another. At first, it was the breathing issue I mentioned. Then, she refused to eat. I tried nursing her, and she just didn't "get" it. I was pumping away, but my milk didn't come in for 10 days, so they insisted on giving her bottles of formula which, again, greatly upset me. When they gave her a pacifier, too, I flipped out on them, having done my reading and research on nipple confusion. Argh! I was adamant that she would be a breastfed baby, and this was especially aggravating to me. Anyway.

At another point, she developed fluid outside her lungs, and they were going to have to do surgery for that. Then that cleared up, miraculously and through the many prayers we had for her, by the next day. The following day, it was determined that she had a messed-up shunt in her heart, whereby the blood wasn't flowing properly through her body. They were going to do surgery on that, the next day. Can you imagine? Her parents were now 25 and 29, young enough to be terrified about her baby. At one point, I asked a nurse, "Is my baby going to die?!" and was relieved when the answer was no, she would be all right. But it was an extremely stressful time in our lives.

Meanwhile, four days into this huge, personal ordeal for our own family, September 11th came along. You all know what happened that day.

We did not, not at first. See, after it was determined we would be spending some time in Pensacola for Chloë's sake, Rob asked one of his colleagues to check into our house and look after our beloved dog and cat. Well, this particular guy, Z, was never able to get INTO our house, and so our pets had been locked in their cages with no food, water, or potties for four straight days! Upon finding this out, my blood pressure went through the roof again. I was certain they were dead. Freak out was my main response...

Then, Z told Rob to turn on the news and see what was happening. At that point, the North Tower of WTC had just been hit, so we all still didn't know what was going on. I was lying in my hospital bed, Rob next to me, and Baby Chloë down the hall in the NICU, when we watched the events unfold. I was transfixed. Utterly immobile. What the hell?! What was going on?

Then the phone calls started. Rob was in the Navy (still is), so everyone wanted to know what this would mean for him, as far as a deployment or what kind of duty, etc. He never did deploy and was put on security duty for several month after that, so thankfully I had him home with me while we were adjusting to life with a semi-sick little baby. (She still never wanted to eat at first, and then when she did come around and start nursing, she didn't want to stop! BUT, she had major reflux and would projectile vomit at least a dozen times a day, so she didn't gain any weight. We had to have weight checks done on her twice a week, and it was months and months before she regained her birth weight of 7 lbs and then hit the 10-lb mark...)

And finally, a couple days later, I found out that my boss from my law firm, where I'd worked until I got married, and who was like a second father to me, had dropped dead while watching the news of the attacks, on September 11th. I cried for days over that. I loved that man. He was wonderful to me. If Sophia had been a boy, her middle name would have been his...

So.

That's our story for September 11, 2001. For this anniversary, ten years later, I will be remembering all of that (well, I just did, didn't I?) as well as our country pulling together. I will remember all of the commercials with people from around the U.S and, indeed, the globe, saying, "I am a New Yorker," and I will remember the feeling of shame I felt that everyone was so focused on NY and that the Pennsylvania crashed flight and the Pentagon flight were somewhat ignored and forgotten by the media, it seemed like.

But mostly, I will remember how, as the TV showed clips and ongoing coverage of the horrific attacks, our country banded together and showed unity for the first time in... maybe ever? And I will remember as well the fear of, "What kind of world have I brought my baby into?!" that I had for a long time.

We don't have television service, so I will not be watching coverage of that day, but I don't need to. You see, I really AM a New Yorker, and I spent a lot of time in that city throughout my childhood, and the World Trade Center towers were common sights for me then. And with their disappearance came shock and many other emotions too fragile for me to even name. We're all New Yorkers - no, we're all AMERICANS - on this day, and we will never forget.

God Bless you all and keep you safe, on this day, and always.

Fin.

A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama

Y'all did know that's, like, a palindrome, right? That's not news?

Anyway. Not where I'm headed.  Nor is this collage of silly pictures I took of myself early this morning when I meant to be writing up plans and writing down lists:

I love Instagram.

I also seriously LOVE these Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers, which are so good I can't stand it. I got a case of them from Moms Meet to share with my mommy group today, but I've literally eaten like 10 ½-oz bags myself since they arrived. They're addictive! Perfectly crunchy, wonderful texture, delicious flavor, and just the right touch of salt. Mmm. I can definitely endorse this product! Bonus: They're gluten-free, for those of you needing such a product (but they do contain soy, though it's low on the ingredient list.)

ANYWAY.

The plan. The plans. That's why we're all gathered here together today. And no, we're not moving to Panama. Or Thailand. Or Florida, Or Hawai'i, or Australia (boo-hoo). Nor are we going to live on a boat.

  
No, we have decided that, all things considered, those ideas just aren't going to work out for us, right now. Maybe in the future, but not right now.

Instead, here's what:

Rob'll retire in about a year and a half, after 20 years of service to our great country.

Then a lot of this will happen. Hopefully our shithole house will sell sooner rather than later, and we can high-tail it out of here shortly after retirement.

...After which, we'll end up here, this being a marina in downtown San Diego. Okay maybe not *exactly* here, but somewhere in this neck of the woods. And by "neck" I mean Southern California, and by "woods" I mean United States. It all depends on where we can find affordable (please, God, let it be four-bedroom) housing in a safe place, but the closer to SD, the better.

Now you may be asking, in your grammatically-incorrect way that I love so much:

???

Well, there are a few reasons.

#1. Process of elimination. After deciding we couldn't expatriate for medical reasons (my bipolar disorder and Jack's growth hormone deficiency, chiefly), our list narrowed down to Hawai'i, the Florida Keys, or San Diego. It had to be somewhere warm but NOT the Deep South, and I didn't have much interest in the Southwest, either. No particular reason, just, meh.

#2.

The whole reason Rob got into the Navy in the first place was for the G.I. bill, so he could go to college, never intending to do 20 years. But that's neither here nor there anymore, and now he's ready to get that degree. Between the GI bill and Voc Rehab, he hopes to get his B.S. in Nursing, become an R.N., and then continuing ed. to become a Nurse Practitioner. I think that's great. I'm all for it.

So why San Diego?

a. Proximity to MTFs (Military Treatment Facilities) to minimize our out-of-pocket post-Active Duty medical expenses. (Our prescriptions add up, dudes.)

b. Proximity to family, vs. Hawai'i. As Rob pointed out, "our parents aren't getting any younger..."

c. Quality and quantity of accredited institutions of higher learning, vs. the sole Florida Keys Community College (which, by the way, is supposed to be competitive for nursing, but then he'd have to commute to Miami after two years, and .... nah)

# 3.

There's so much for families to do there! We've heard lots of great things from friends and fellow military members who've lived there, so it will afford many opportunities for exploration, discovery, and fun.

So that's pretty much the whole ball of wax, in a nutshell. Maybe we'll be able to live out Plan B of The Retirement Dream, which includes

Oh. When I first read that, I thought it said "OUR," not "ORR." Heh. Whatever. Sorry I stole your banner, Orr Family Farm.

We'd love some of this:

because we go through, and desire plenty of fresh, healthy, organic:

If the place is big enough, we might even have a goat or even a cow, for milk, and cheese, and yogurt, and all sorts of things I'd learn to make.

Dang. Just dang.

And hopefully a big, beautiful vegetable garden will keep us occupied in the growing season (or is it always the growing season there?), so with the chickens and goat/cow and veggies and whatever else, we can be pretty self-sufficient and organic, food-wise.

In the dream/fantasy, I'd also get an alpaca or several, to raise for the fiber.

Of course, I could either sell the fiber outright, or learn to spin it. Or both. Yes, probably both.

And I could learn to dye it with natural materials, and I would produce the most beautiful yarns.

And of course, I'd keep homeschooling the kids, and they'd learn so much from the farming and the husbandry and the learning. All the learning, every day, from doing. And behold, it would be very, very good.

And in a perfect world, I'd have her body.

So it will be interesting to see how it all pans out. Whether any of it does, whether it all does, and we get to grow old together and live happily ever after.

That's the plan, Stan!

Fin.

P.S. I forgot to mention one final "plus" that San Diego had going for it: proximity to

,

should Chloë (or even Sophia, but never Jack) decide to pursue that avocation after all.

P.P.S. Today is Rob's 39th birthday. Happy birthday, Rabbi/Rupert/Ribbon/Rabbit/Robin/Ruben and everything else I call you!

Aloha Friday

 

Link up here if you're playing along today!

My question for you this week is:

Do you like being on, in and around the water?

We do, we love it. My husband's in the US Navy, I'm a former marine biologist, and our three kiddos are turning into quite the little water babies themselves. We'd love to be houseboaters!

Have a great weekend and a safe and happy Independence Day!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: The Clown's Meme I

Click on over here for more Sunday Stealing and to find out from whom they ripped off this meme.

1. How old will you be in five years?

38, yikes!

2. Who did you spend at least two hours with today?

Rob and the kids

3. How tall are you?

5'2"

4. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks?

The end of the 2010 Girl Scout cookie sale =D

5. What’s the last movie you saw?

The Hangover... but the DVD was all scratched up, so we only saw ½ of it

6. Who was the last person you called?

Rob (besides him, Linda)

7. Who was the last person to call you?

Rob (besides him, my sister)

8. What was the last text message you received?

Rob telling me the price of an item I sent him to hunt for at the grocery store, from three aisles over :P

9. Who was the last person to leave you a voicemail?

Rob (see a pattern??)

10. Do you prefer to call or text?

Text. And I hate it when people don't text me back!

11. What were you doing at 12 am last night?

I was zonked out for once, after not sleeping, again, at all the night before (or all day following, either)

12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced?

My dad's a widower :(

13. When is the last time you saw your mom?

We're coming up on 26 long years :*(

14. What color are your eyes?

Brown, but the edges are green...nope, I guess they're not anymore, I just looked.

15. What time did you wake up today?

About 10 am

16. What are you wearing right now?

I'm all decked out in 'Canes gear, with my U-Miami bright orange sweatshirt and Miami green flannel pants (and they're now much too big, I'll need to downsize!)

17. What is your favorite christmas song?

"The First Noel"

18. Where is your favorite place to be?

Anywhere with Rob... but especially at the beach ;)

19. Where is your least favorite place to be?

Wal-Mart, where I spent 8 hours today!! (Stay tuned for that explanation)

20. Where would you go if you could go anywhere?

Regular readers will already know... Australia, to dive the Great Barrier Reef!

21. Where do you think you’ll be in 10 years?

That'll probably depend on where Chloë chooses to go to college, if we do end up fulfilling our dreams and living on a boat until then! I don't want to drop my baby off after 5ish years of close-knit living and run off again. She'll need me. I think.

22. Do you tan or burn?

I fry.

23. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?

Freddy Kreuger ::shudder::

24. What was the last thing that really made you laugh?

Okay, since you asked... we were grocery shopping for HOURS today, and after several of them, my back was absolutely killing me, and I was walking funny because of it. I came back from fetching a porkloin, to our carts where Rob and the kids were waiting. Rob looked at me and said, "Horse dick?" I said, "Huh?" He repeated, "Horse dick?" I said, "Why, am I walking like I've just been f**ked by one?" He said "No, that meat you're carrying!" I died laughing, because of where my mind automatically went. I live in the gutter ... well, we both do!

(And no, the kids could not hear this conversation...)

25. How many TVs do you have in your house?

One.

26. How big is your bed?

King-sized... but I wish it were Shaq-sized

27. Do you have a laptop or desktop computer?

Desktop. I hate a laptop.

29. What color are your sheets?

Yellowish-beige

30. How many pillows do you sleep with?

One, and my teddy bear

31. What is your favorite season?

SUMMER!!

32. What do you like about Autumn?

Our annual trip to the pumpkin farm

33. What do you like about winter?

Not a damn thing, except when it ends.

Fin.

On The Run

Monday was a busy day.

After the kids got on the bus, I had to shower and get dressed right away for my first doctor's appointment at the Navy base. It was for my referral to plastic surgery to get abdominoplasty. The doc was really pleased with my progress since the last time he saw me; he seemed just as excited about the change in me as I am, and he congratulated me at least five times!

He did caution me that they might not approve the referral, and that they might not pay for the surgery. The latter, I was certainly prepared for, but I was kind of surprised I might not even get the consult! I guess I'll find out tomorrow when I call in and see.

I stopped at the post office after that to mail a couple of Christmas packages. I waited behind several people at the APC who had no idea how to use the thing. Really? If 50 people are waiting behind you, you can't ask someone for help with the machine instead of making us wait for an hour behind your dumb ass? Annoying. Those other people were probably all on their too-short lunch hours, too!

After that, I saw Dr. P., who prescribes my bipolar meds. I asked him about getting my meds while we're living on the boat. Basically, he told me that when people have certain health issues, such as mine, they need to put their health above all else. And that if I didn't come see him after three months to get my medicine, I would no longer be his patient - and that no doctor in good conscience would prescribe me the meds for a year or more at a time. And that, basically, I shouldn't go live on a boat and travel the world. So that sucks. But, we'll find a way to do this... we will. I have faith.

While I was out and about, one of Sophie's teachers called to tell me that a parent had drawn her name for a prize, and that I needed to come and pick it up. She made it sound like there was a pile of gifts, a LOT of stuff, that couldn't be carried home on the bus. I went to the school after seeing Dr. P., and I was amused when it turned out to be one small bag of clothes! Not that I'm not grateful - I am, I really am! - but it was funny that I was expecting to need help loading the van with all of her prizes!

Later that night, she modeled all of her clothes (it was already dark out, so we had to do it inside in yucky light, sorry):

This outfit, from The Children's Place, was her favorite. She wore it today, and she looked so cute! You like Tiger Lily's butt in the picture?

Same jeans, because she didn't want to change them, with another Children's Place sweater. I really like the sweater on her; it looks great!

This little blue dress looked pretty cute on her, too. (Except for the sleeves; I think they look stupid.) She blinked massively even before the flash went off, in anticipation!

 

This little outfit was also quite nice, but it's a size 5 and too big for her. Especially the waist on the pants. I'll give them to Chloë, who they'll fit for the length, and pin up the waistband if they aren't adjustable. 

So that was nice, right? I don't even know whom to send the thank-you note too, because the teacher wouldn't tell me. So thank you, mystery parent!

After the school, I went home and made a bunch of phone calls before finishing the last of the three scarves I knit to sell for the CARE Package fundraiser. I already took that page off the site, so no more of those scarves! 
 
Then I took a nap until the bus came. I was tired! Naps rule. 

A package from Grandma - Rob's mom - arrived just before the kids came home. They all gathered around eagerly to see what it was!

It turned out to be 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, with a recording of the book read by Grandma! The kids didn't know that part yet, though. Upon seeing that it was a book, and not a truck or some car, Jack growled, "I don't want that!" and stomped away. But not long after, he stole back into the office to look at the book, and that's when he discovered that it "speaks" to him! He loved it. I kept turning around and watching him surreptitiously, as he turned the pages back and forth, back and forth, to hear the story read again and again. It was so sweet.

No one has homework this week, so the kids were pretty antsy and into everything, driving me a little crazy. I was relieved when Rob came home from work around 1800!

Jack and I went out to do a little shopping, since I'd found more great deals and steals on those blogs I told you about the other day. We went to CVS again, but they were out of the main item I wanted, a free $9 bottle of contact solution. I really need the solution, so I'll have to go again another day. I did get a free tube of Bonne Bell lip smacker in Cotton Candy for Chloë, though. Every time I turn around, she's putting more on her lips!

Then we went down the road to the nearest Walgreen's. They were out of some more stuff I wanted, but they did have a few things. Including Hot Wheels cars for 49¢ apiece, a great price. The limit was 10, so I bought 10 to stock up. I decided at that price, I will add that to the list of things the kids (namely Jack) can spend their Dad Dollars on, to keep them earning "money"!

We went to Food Lion next, to get milk and eggs and the three things I had free product coupons for: 7-Up, coffee, and chocolate chips. A weird assortment of things, but we can use all of those, and who doesn't like free? 

Another stop at the P.O. to mail more packages and expired coupons to overseas military after that.

I really wanted the super-cheap John Freida hair products the first Walgreens didn't have, so we drove to the next closest one down the road. Good thing there are lots of Wags stores in our area! They had the John Freida stuff, so I'm going to give them a try tonight when I take my shower, since I'm just about out of my other stuff and, well, I can't wait! I love new stuff. And I got 10 more of the 49¢ cars for Jack's stash.  He was in a highly excited state, like a little valance electron, over the idea of having 20 new Hot Wheels cars in his possession. Did he want to carry that bag? Of course he did.

Home again, home again, jiggety jog.

Sophia had napped the whole time we were gone, and for another hour past it, so she was up 'til about 0100 with me last night. That was fun. Not.

This morning, at the bus stop, Jack puked all over his shoes just before the bus was due to arrive. Yippee! Guess who didn't go to school today? Another mom volunteered to stay with the girls, so I could take him home. Poor thing, he had told me that his belly was upset, and I told him to "go take a good poop" when he got to school (because he said he had to go), and he'd be fine. Hahaha! And then the puking started. I'm such a good mom.

At home, he was more like his normal self, other than having a bunch of upset tummy poop. He took a long nap, and so I did the same. It was nice napping with my boy. He can be such a pill sometimes, but when he's sweet, he's very, very sweet.

For the rest of today, he has been doing little chores like sweeping up the dog hair downstairs (always a job in need of doing) and putting all the shoes away in the big shoe box, to earn Dad Dollars for buying those Hot Wheels. Between last night and today, I think he bought eight! I may have to raise the price...

When the girls got off the bus, Sophie's nose was painted red for Rudolph, and Chloë was toting two gift bags, from one from each of her teachers. She - and Soph - were excited about the candy the bags contained, but even more fun were the pencils with her name on them! She gets a lot of joy out of stuff like that.

All afternoon, for more than three hours, all three babies snoozed on the couch. It was good for me, because before then, they had been squabbling nonstop and driving me up a wall. I hate it when they fight a little bit, but when they won't stop quarreling for ages, it makes me want to shoot myself to stop hearing it!

So that's it. The kids are out of school now for the Winter Break, and Rob only has to work until 1100 or so tomorrow. And then, on Thursday, we go to Great Wolf Lodge! We can't wait. Now to find their bathing suits... guess tomorrow will be spent packing.

If I don't come back before then, have a very merry Christmas!!

Fin. 
 
  

Third Time's A Charm

Whew. What a whirlwind school day we had.

We had signed the forms allowing the kids to get the free H1N1 vaccine at school, and today turned out to be the day. The preschool asked me to come in and be with Sophia, taking her home afterward to watch for any reactions. And since Chloë and Jack were getting it too, I stopped in a the main office on Friday to find out what time I should be there.

I got ready to go and arrived at the school just in time for Chloë's class to be in the gym. Not very many kids were there to receive the vax, and no other parent was there to be with their kid. That kind of surprised me. If my kid is going to be injected with something, well, I'm going to be there for them, dammit! I mean... right?!

One of the little girls next door, the daughter of our nice Japanese lady neighbor, was in the gym at the same time as Chloë, since she's a 3rd grader, too. She was looking really scared, almost like she was going to be ill. I offered to hold her hand during the shot, and she readily accepted. She and Chloë sat next to each other, and then - surprise! - they were offered the choice of the shot or the flu mist. Of course, both girls chose the mist, and it was quick and painless for both of them. I hugged two very relieved little girls, kissed Chloë good-bye, and left to go to the preschool.

Only, when I arrived back there, one of the teachers said, "You know we don't go down there until noon, right?" Um, no, I wrote down 1100! What the heck is wrong with me? Oh well, at least I needed to be there anyway for Curls.

So I had an hour wait, and it's only a five minute drive home... so I left. I stopped at Rite-Aid on the way home, to use a $2 off any Rite-Aid beauty or skin care product coupon. I got a tub of dip-in nail polish remover for 21¢! Sweet.

I was going to do laundry when I got home, but I found myself terribly unmotivated to go upstairs and do that... so I didn't.  I just farted around and wasted time online until it was time to leave again, 40 or so minutes later. 

I arrived at school at five after noon, so I just went straight to the gym, thinking Sophie's class would already be there. But they weren't. They were waiting for me at the class! Oops. We finally realized and made our way down there, just as they were about to give up on me. Sophie was very relieved to see her mommy there again.

Now, I think I've posted here before, but Sophie gets extremely upset about getting shots. I mean, you have to drag her kicking and screaming, holding her down the whole time. It's pretty awful. So I was grateful not to have to go through any of that, right? Wrong. Even though she was getting the up-the-nose treatment, she still freaked out when it was time to sit down and git 'er done.

She cried, she thrashed, she ran away, she hid. I retrieved her and sat her on my lap, and the nurse and I soothed her for at least ten minutes, promising her that it absolutely WOULD NOT HURT. She didn't believe us for a second, and she was terrified. After a long time of trying to calm her down enough to try just one nostril, unsuccessfully, I finally held her arms down with one of my arms, and held her face still with the other hand. She screamed and cried and shoved against me. I hated it. I hate doing that to her.

Of course, it was over in a second, and it was completely painless. But she was mad! And still scared, so she kept bawling for a good five minutes after we went out to the main area to sit and make sure she didn't react to it. I tried to hug her, I tried to hold her and talk to her, but she wouldn't have me. She turned her back to me, wiping away her tears, and there was nothing I could do to console her.

And then, in an instant, her mood changed. She suddenly realized it didn't, after all, hurt a bit, and Mommy hadn't lied to her. She was smiling and playful again, huggy and kissy, cuddling and nuzzling. Phew. That's my girl. Hopefully she'll remember that in a couple months, when it's time to get the second round!

We walked back to the preschool to get her stuff and talk to her teachers. They gave me her progress report, and she's where she should be in all areas. Her behavior in class is excellent (shocker!), and she is well-liked by kids and adults alike. Another teacher, for the other preschool class, told me that she sparkles! That she is the most social, happy, cheerful little thing, and that everyone loves her. Gee... that sounds a lot like someone else I know. Her big sister, maybe? ;)

I took Sophie home (after stopping at Rite-Aid a second time, with a second $2 coupon and getting a huge bottle of liquid soap for less than a buck), and after giving her a series of snacks (that girl is a bottomless pit, I tell ya), we played and fooled around and enjoyed our special little time together. Especially now that Rob is working nights (which should be ending in a week, yahoo!!), it's rare that I get any one-on-one time with any of the kids, so I was grateful for the little bit of time we had.

Soon, it was time to go back for Jack's vaccination. Everyone laughed when I walked back in for the third time. The vax staffers, who don't know me or my kids, kept asking, "Got any more after this?" It seems like I am at the school a lot lately, and that makes me happy. The principal and assistant principal know me and my kids well, and I have a good relationship with both them and all their teachers, as well as many other people in the school. It's a good year, and it's a good school. I'm happy to be part of it.

Anyway.

Jack came in, and he, too, was clingy and worried. I couldn't promise him the flu mist, because I just didn't know their criteria for choosing who was eligible. But it turned out he was, so of course, we picked that! So none of the kids ended up getting a shot, which is great. He was a little nervous, and it was funny, because the little boy next to him was so brave. He actually CHOSE to get a shot and loudly declared, "I like getting shots!" Jack marveled at him; I kind of did, too. Afterward, the little boy was sitting next to us while Jack was watched for a reaction, and he was asking me if Jack was scared. I said he was, and that he wasn't a big tough man like that boy. He puffed up and seemed to enjoy that very much!

Jack wanted to go home with me, but I wouldn't let him, because he was fine and needs the time at school. He's always trying to get out of school, always asking me, "Why do we need to go to school?"

While he was "recovering," I went over and talked to the gym teacher. He and Chloë have had a great mutual admiration for each other, ever since she began kindergarten. So I re-introduced myself, because I don't see him often and probably don't look like the last time he saw me!  We chatted about Chloë, and he really seems to think the world of her. We talked about Jack, and he laughingly told me how Jack is not at all intimidated by the bigger kids and charges right into the pack.

After that, we talked about our Life on the Boat plan in a few years, so I could ask him - as I have asked many other people - his ideas for homeschooling the kids. Naturally, I'm concerned about their physical education when we're going to be confined to a small area. Well, he had the most positive reaction to our plans that anyone has had yet, and I was grateful for it. It's hard to constantly defend our choices with no one gung-ho about the idea. But he sure was, and expressed that that's exactly the kind of thing he would love to do, and how amazing an opportunity it will be for the kids. He even asked that, when we actually do it, I send him the blog link so he can see pictures from all our travels. Cool!

When he left to take a child back to his class - oops, I was monopolizing his time for much too long - the Special Ed teacher came over to introduce herself to me. I know the one who worked with Jack last year, but I hadn't had a chance to meet Mrs. S just yet. We talked at length about how Jack is doing, which, well, isn't too great in class, because he just can't seem to focus. He goes down to see Mrs. S with his classwork every morning, though, and gets his work done just fine without help, in a timely manner. He's having a lot of trouble still, with identifying numbers and other math-related stuff, so we're going to meet soon to amend his IEP to include more pull-out services for math and reading. Right now, he's just supposed to be getting help with writing, but he obviously needs more than that. So, we'll do whatever he needs to keep him on track. I got their report cards today, too, and he is below grade level in all areas. Except Art, which came as a surprise.

Sophie and I took our leave, arriving home just 25 minutes before the bus was due to come. The swine flu took up our entire day!

Chloë was terribly excited to show me her first quarter report card when she came home. She has a solid B average, with a B in every core subject except for her A- in Social Studies, of all things. (I say "of all things," because that is my worst subject!) Her teacher comments were lovely, expressing what a joy she is to have in class. Hm, I wonder why no one says that about Mr. Argumentative? Back to Chloë: She made honor roll, and she was given an Honor Roll certificate. Way to go, Curls!

She has a science test tomorrow, so after snack (I gave them some of Daddy's pumpkin pie, but I got permission after the fact, hee), I made them get right into their homework, so she wouldn't be up all night studying this time. Her test is on Simple Machines. She did her work, Jack did his, and I gave them pizza for dinner. I seem to be sticking a lot of frozen pizzas in the oven lately. With Rob away at night, there doesn't seem to be much point in cooking much else, that the kids won't eat.

Well, that paragraph was all over the place...

Anyway, Jack had his Cub Scouts meeting tonight, so we got him ready to go after dinner and headed over to the church. The Tigers meet in a small little room (small little?) at the back, and we arrived latish, so we kind of had to squeeeeeze our way into the room. That was enjoyable.

The first part of the meeting was spent going over the Immediate Recognition items, which include the Cub Scout Promise, the Motto, and the Sign. Rob worked with him on those things just ONE night, so I didn't really think he knew the Promise at all. Well, when the leader asked who knew it and could lead the rest of the Tigers, Jack said, "I know it!" and raised his hand. I was extremely skeptical, but he went on to reel the whole thing out, by heart! I could NOT believe it; I was beside myself. He is a smart little boy, but he Just. Won't. Work. Seriously, it was amazing to me!

So he knew the other two things and earned his Immediate Recognition badge thingy, and then he earned three beads besides. We are only behind on one activity - making a family scrapbook, which, hell, we can knock that out this weekend - and he'll be all caught up! I thought we had missed a ton of stuff lately, but apparently not. What a relief.

After that, they made pinecone bird feeders, with birdseed and peanut butter. The parents were supposed to help with the knife and peanut butter smearing, especially since we had some very prickly cones, but Jack was insistent on doing it himself.

See his little Immediate Recognition badge? It's the white thing there, with the paw print. Yay!

These are iPhone pics, so you can't tell how great his turned out. It looked mahvelous, dahlink. He can't wait to go out to the backyard with Daddy and hang it on the tree!

Lastly, another little Tiger passed out turkey cupcakes that he had made with his mother and sister. So cute! The girls were killing themselves trying to get a cupcake, so I was glad that there were enough for them to have one.

We left after that. I got the Littles ready for bed and sent them upstairs, and then Chloë and I did a bunch of review for her science test. She knows most of it, but I have a feeling that the stuff I had to re-teach her on the quick, she still won't know tomorrow. She didn't seem to really be listening.

And that, my friends, was Monday.

Fin.

P.S. Here's the picture of Chloë's reaction to the Great Wolf Lodge news on Friday:

Excited, much?

All Knitting, All The Time

Let the countdown begin!

In one week, on the 20th, is Stephanie's baby shower for Luke. I can't believe it's already time! I am sooo behind on my knitting, and so the sucky thing is that I'm going to be pushing it just to have the sweater finished in time for the shower. I will finish the entire outfit before he's born, but not for the party. I'm sorry, Steph! I'm taking a quick break before I go back to it for a little while before heading to bed. I've been working it off and on for a few hours tonight and have finished the cuff and everything above it, in the above picture.

So this week, expect to hear a lot about that.

Not a lot to write about today. I slept in late, and Rob fed the kids blueberry muffins (Schwan's, very yummy). They were lounging around when I reminded Rob he and Jack had a show-and-sell to get to! They went, but arrived late. I guess Jack's heart wasn't in it today, and he came home telling me he wanted to quit Cub Scouts. That's not going to happen, Little Dude, but I understand he is sick of selling popcorn! (How do you think I feel at cookie time?!)

The girls played with the dolls Chloë got for her birthday, and they were awfully cute doing so, while the boys were gone. I should have videotaped it, but I didn't want to interrupt their fun. I snoozed a little on the couch, too.

We didn't end up going to the NICU reunion after all, because the boys didn't get home 'til after 3, and it ended at 4. There wouldn't have been any point. I'm disappointed, but not terribly so.

I cooked dinner again. I think that's the third night in a row? I know Rob appreciates it. I made fish sticks for the kids, crab-stuffed cod from Trader Joe's for us, and peas. Again, Chloë ate a fantabulous dinner, earning a trip to Baskin-Robbins for ice cream. (I had a coupon for a free cone for her birthday, and it expired tonight, so it was now or never!) Sophie managed to eat all her dinner, although I had to feed her the peas. I had separated the pile in half and told her she needed to eat one half, but every time she looked away, I scooped up more from the other half - so she unwittingly ate the whole thing. Hee. Jack, on the other hand, sobbed buckets about having to eat his peas, but we managed to get him to eat one bite. He almost puked it up, though, so that was it for peas!

Oh, and the TJs crab/fish things were really good. I ate some of the inner crab part - which was surprisingly cheesy - and gave Rob the rest. I was just too full, or I'd have eaten it all. He liked it, too. I don't think we bought anything from there that we haven't enjoyed.

I read an article about using "Dad Dollars", which you can make here, in September's Family Fun magazine, to reward the kids for doing their chores and things, and then they can spend them on things that don't cost the parents any real money. I'm down with that, since times are so tough for us right now, so we are going to try that instead of The Game of Life for a while. The lady who wrote the article has a blog, and she has suggestions on it here, if you're interested in this system. I just printed up a bunch of Dad Dollars (Rob hates that picture!), so I'll tell the kids about it after school tomorrow. I don't think a friend sleepover is going to make it onto the reward list, though!

And what do you think about the fact that her kids can buy "pop" (hehe, soda) every night for dinner if they do their morning chores? I think if I do that, it will be something like Sprite or caffeine-free root beer, obviously, but it will cost more than a day's worth of Dad Dollars. I don't want them drinking soda that frequently.

Anyway.

So tonight was tough. Our checking account was in a bad way, and I called the credit union to beg them to remove some of the NSF fees. They did, but it still wasn't enough to bring us out of the red, so they suggested I transfer the money over from the kids' Christmas club account to cover that and the two checks that will bounce tomorrow if I didn't. So, I did it, but not without bawling. I didn't mean for the lady on the phone to hear me crying, but she did, and she was very soothing and comforting. At least we have that money, but I feel so awful about taking that money. They have their hearts set on going back to Great Wolf Lodge for Christmas, which they chose instead of getting any presents this year; I think I posted about that? Well, I guess I will just have to go in and get that job tomorrow and work my tail off to make it up, right? Right. Things will be okay.

On that note, I am going to knit for a little while longer and then head to bed. Hope you have a great week.

Fin.

P.S. Speaking of Christmas, I thought tonight, what about Christmas when we're living on the boat? We certainly can't pack our tree and all our ornaments. So what to do? Just another thing to think about before the time comes...

P.P.S. I don't think I posted here, but I listed all the remaining tutus I have on my Etsy shop at clearance prices! I sold three already, but there are still a bunch left if you want to get a good deal!

The Plan

So lately, I've been talking a little bit lately about our future plans. At first, I was cautious and nervous, but as more thinking and talking goes on between Rob and me, I am starting to bubble over with excitement!

The Plan is to sell our house and buy a live-aboard boat. Sometime in the next four years, before he retires from the Navy, we may do this and start living on the boat at the base marina, continuing to send the kids to public school and taking 'er out on the weekends.

Then, the first year, we will stay close to home, hugging the East Coast, maybe going over to the Gulf of Mexico and seeing his sister in Louisiana, maybe going up the Mighty Mississip (or is it the Missouri? Whatever, as he says, he will be the captain, and I will be the admiral!) to St. Louis. Who knows about that yet?

Then, we will start to travel the world. We will cross the Atlantic and bip around the Mediterranean a while, visiting Spain and Italy and Greece and all those countries we visited - and maybe some we missed - last year on our European cruise. We'll head to Asia and see Japan, Korea, China maybe. All that. Then Australia!! I am beside myself about going to Australia. We may revisit Guam, which will pull all kinds of heartstrings for me, but I feel we need to go and make our peace with it. Plus, the diving in Micronesia will be incredible - we are both SCUBA certified but have not dived the entire time we've lived here.

We'll visit Africa, and South America, and of course Hawaii and the Caribbean. We'll go up and down the American and Mexican West Coasts, and we'll take the kids through the Panama Canal.

It will be the adventure of a lifetime. It will be amazing. I cannot wait.

All the while, Rob will captain the boat - which we plan to name Sweet Pea - and I will be homeschooling the children. I have been thinking a lot about that. Chloë will be about 7th grade by then, Jack 5th, and Sophia 3rd. I think I can handle that. It will be interesting, figuring out teaching schedules for three different age ranges, and I am completely open to any and all suggestions, never having homeschooled before. We will utilize the computer as much as possible to save space for the supplies that just won't fit aboard the Sweet Pea, but I am adamant that we will bring the globe! ;)

I'm concerned about social and physical education aboard, since we may be at sea for weeks at a time, but Rob assures me that when we spend time in port, we can find groups of local children and join our children in their playground games. And, of course, long before we set sail, they will have to learn to swim and be comfortable in the water.

I don't know how we are going to dive, since PADI doesn't certify before age 12 (at least when I certified, years ago), with three kids sitting on the boat. We'll have to figure it out, though, because I plan to log many excursions to the deep!

Rob will get his Coast Guard captain's license, and we will take all the safety classes we can. The kids' safety will be our utmost priority at all times. They will wear life jackets at all times up on deck, and they will be fitted with turtle watches. Maybe the pets, too. I don't really want to live-aboard with such a big dog, but we'll manage. She'll be old by then, anyway... and the kitty should be fine.

So here is the latest boat that Rob showed me, and I think it looks perfect! I'm sure it's not The One, because we have to sell our house first and that will take ages, but it gives you a good idea of what we're looking for. He knows what to look for; all I want is three separate sleeping spaces, a washer and dryer, and a shower. Those are my specs!

The only question I have is... what about my yarn??

(Not really. I have tons of questions. But I've been reading this blog and this one and this one, and looking around all over for more answers to my questions about living on a boat with children. 'Twill be interesting, to say the least!)

So, what do you think?

Fin.