New Mommy Confessions

Planning Is For Pansies

2012-05-24T23:52:00.000-04:00

Most people actually make plans in life. I'm not talking about the what-should-we-have-for-dinner type of plans, I mean the drastic-life-change type of plans.

I don't think I've ever really made up my mind about whether I wanted to be a "planner" or not, and half the time it really seems like I'm just making it up as I go. But whereas most people will fly by the seat of their pants about unimportant decisions, I tend to over think the simple things. The big decisions are the ones I make randomly, with little to no warning. Just because I was bored.

Seven years ago I was so undecided about whether or not to renew the lease on my apartment that it literally became too late. The choice was made for me due to my own inaction. I had little interest in moving back home, and I hadn't bothered to find another living space. Instead of sitting down and making a real plan at this point, I just jumped into the first interesting thing that came up.

I sold half my stuff, stuck the rest in storage and bought a one-way ticket to Ireland. I'd never flown before, so I hoped I wasn't going to get sick. I showed up in a foreign country with a rather large backpack, a tent, a guide book and absolutely no clue where I was even going to sleep that night. It was AWESOME. I spent a few weeks traveling between Ireland and Scotland before finally flying home and getting myself another job and apartment.

Not long after that I was complaining to a new friend about my crappy job. She jokingly suggested I join the Navy.

I enlisted a week later.

People thought I was joking when I said I joined on a whim, but really that's what it was. I wasn't doing anything better at time, and it didn't seem like a bad idea. So why not?

This week I made another random decided-in-less-than-24-hours decision. Although not quite so life-altering.

I enrolled in college.

That's right, I'm going back to school. I tried this once fresh out of high school, and let's just say that I didn't have the motivation or the discipline at the time to follow through. Also, I had no idea what I wanted to do with myself. Not really. Although I think it's rare to find a 17 year old who does.

I don't know if I'll ever actually use this degree, and to be honest I don't care. My wonderfully useful GI Bill is covering it, so the money isn't an issue. Really, I feel like I need to do this. I feel this deep need to finish something. To accomplish something.

So off I go. To college land. I was always a good student (when I cared enough to go to class) but I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. It has been years since I've been in school. I hope I haven't forgotten anything.

Here goes nothing I guess!

How about you? Ever made a big decision on a whim?

Themed Care Package Fun - Mess Deck Survival Kit

2012-05-21T21:59:00.000-04:00

Continuing the recent theme of posts, it's time for another Care Package!

Now, this one isn't quite a one-size-fits-all theme. But for those of you who have service members gripping about horrible food (especially those stuck out to sea) this might at least get the creative juices flowing.

If you don't know much about food on naval vessels, allow me to explain to you.

It sucks! And I'm not blaming the poor cooks on board. You can't make a 5 star dining experience out of food that is clearly labeled as "Not fit for human consumption". I wish I were kidding.

They get to eat the same horrible crap day in and day out for months at a time. There's a reason why a lot of sailors - Huzzy included - can't eat eggs without Texas Pete or some kind of hot sauce. You need to put SOMETHING on this food to mask the horrible-ness of it all.

Anyway, so this care package theme is Mess Deck Survival. I put in things I thought Huzzy would enjoy and would (hopefully) help him mask the taste of that God awful crap they call food. If your guy isn't a big fan of this stuff get creative! You know your guy best. Pack the stuff you know he likes!

So without further ado...

Mess Deck Survival Kit

Individual packets of Peanut Butter
Individual packets of ketchup
Various hot sauces
Bacon bits
5-6 of every dipping sauce McDonald's carries
A handful of every sauce packet Taco Bell carries

And when the food is so bad you need a back up plan:

Cup of Noodles
Homemade brownies
A tin of tuna and crackers

I don't think I can stress enough how many sauce packets/dipping sauces there are in this box. It is FULL UP.

Don't worry, the brownies are hidden underneath!

What would you put in a mess deck survival kit?

RIP - Every Plant in My Yard...

2012-05-19T15:42:00.000-04:00

Last year I made a big deal out of redoing my yard. Well, the garden area at least. It looked like a jungle and very much needed to be revamped.

This year I've given up hope. Why? Because anything that I plant is ripped out or chewed up. Anything that dares to try and grow on its own is likewise destroyed. Baby Girl and Misty (our puppy) actually seem to work together in an effort to destroy my yard.

Don't believe me?

This is pretty much what happened with every single growing thing in our yard. Including an azalea bush and a rosebush. I kid you not.

And people wonder why I'm just not bothering this year.

Bonus points if you get the reference in the last picture. Hint - It's old, so chances are slim that the youngsters are going to get it. (Did I really just say youngsters?)

Product Reviews And A (Small) Giveaway

2012-05-18T10:17:00.003-04:00

So a while back I signed up for Smiley360. I had heard pretty decent things about them, and figured what the hell. I mean I sign up for all kinds of useless stuff anyway. Within a few weeks I was given two new missions and it was looking pretty sweet. Then it hit a lull. Seriously I didn't qualify for a mission for about a couple months.

But it looks like lady luck is smiling down on me, as I have four new missions! Three of these actually give you the product to sample first, which is a total win in my book. I love trying new stuff but I hate spending money to do so. What if I hate it? What a waste of money! So this is an awesome way to try a new product without spending a dime.

Anyway, I've completed two of these missions, so I thought I'd share that with you guys today!

Mission One - Mystery Lotion? New and Improved Vaseline® Total Moisture®

OK, so this was actually pretty fun to do. Basically they sent me out a 3oz container of a mystery lotion, which I was then to try and fill out a survey on. Easy-peasy. They didn't actually tell me what it was until after everything was all submitted. I think that's actually a really smart way for them to do it honestly.

I was actually very surprised to find out it was Vaseline. I've never in my life used their lotion, but I guess I was expecting something more greasy. I was impressed with how quickly my skin absorbed it, and I definitely didn't get that gross greasy feeling afterwards. The smell was nice, and it wasn't too much. Personally I hate lotions that are too smelly. If I want to smell like flowers or puppies or whatever I'll wear some perfume.

Anyway, I was impressed enough with the lotion that I actually used all of it and will now need to go get more. Maybe that was their plan all alone. Like how drug dealers let your try stuff before hand so you get addicted and then you're their customer for life. I'm assuming that's how it works, based on second-hand stories and bad cable TV shows.

This lotion gets an A from me.

Mission Two - ARM & HAMMER® Sensitive Toothpaste

Now this I was a little dubious about. I've never actually tried Arm & Hammer toothpaste. I'm a Crest kid. Always have been. I've tried Colgate before and I hate the way that stuff tastes. Nastiness.

But again I figured why not? It isn't costing me anything, so if I hate it I'm not out money. And not only were they sending me a full size tube of toothpaste, but they also sent me four samples to hand out. Super win!

I started using it the day after it came in the mail. First off - taste! I know this isn't as important with some people, but if I have to use toothpaste multiple times a day then I don't want to gag on it, you know? But the Arm & Hammer stuff actually wasn't bad. The box says it's a "fresh mint" flavor, but honestly it tasted really, really bland to me. I don't know how to better describe it. I think my tap water has more flavor than this stuff. (Of course, ours is city water that is probably killing us slowly, so perhaps not the best comparison.)

Bright side? Little to no taste means I definitely wasn't gagging on it.

It's also supposed to help whiten teeth, and I do think I see a difference between now and when I started using it (about a week now). So in my experience it does work, but the Crest I was using wasn't a whitening toothpaste so I'm not sure if the Arm & Hammer is better than what else is out there.

As far as sensitivity goes... Well, Arm & Hammer got there late on this one. The only tooth I had that was bothering me just got a good old fashioned root canal, so I haven't had any issues with sensitivity.

Overall I'd give it a B+. Good toothpaste, but honestly I think I'll just stick with Crest. Those guys know just what I want my toothpaste to taste like.

Also, I'm a creature of habit when it comes to toothpaste. Don't ask.

Oh, and if you managed to read it this far....

I have 4 samples of this to give away!

I'm not bothering with a crazy Rafflecopter thing for this, so all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite toothpaste is! I'll pick 4 people at random (assuming more than 4 people post comments) on Friday, May 18th.

Oh, and if you haven't done it yet you should totally go sign up for Smiley. It's so worth it and it doesn't cost anything!

Disclaimer: If you've read this whole post you know that I was given these samples to try. Everything written is my own truthful opinion. Seriously, they aren't paying me off to tell you what toothpaste to buy. If they did I would totally have to pay them back anyway since I still like Crest. I wonder...If they did pay people for reviews and they still got bad reviews would they send hired goons to go collect their money? Or break legs? Do toothpaste companies have hired goons? Is anyone still reading this? See, this is why I don't get paid for this shit. Also I've managed to work drug dealers and hired goons into this post. TOTAL.WIN.

Cheerios Are Now Banned In My Home

2012-05-17T22:01:00.000-04:00

In case you were wondering how many Cheerios are in those cereal boxes....

Might be hard to see, but trust me, they're everywhere.

This pretty much spread throughout the house.

Apparently one box is more than my vacuum can hold.

The answer is MILLIONS.

This is what I get for going to the bathroom by myself.

Keeping Daddy Involved When He's Not Home - Deployment Survival Techniques

2012-05-16T12:03:00.000-04:00

Since I've started this blog I've had a lot of moms asking for ways to keep Daddy 'present' in their child's daily life. Though this list is by no means complete, and everyone does this differently, I thought I would tell you all how we keep things going in our household.

1. Make Memories

First and foremost, when we know a deployment is coming we start trying to plan a lot of family time together. Since our daughter is still young, it's unreasonable to expect her to really remember everything for long. There's a reason why we keep multiple cameras and video recorders in our house. Take lots of pictures. Lots and lots. And when you think you've taken too many, take some more. A lot of people get family pictures done as well.

This will give your child something he or she can actually look at to help remember spending time with Daddy. Don't delete the silly pictures because you're embarrassed. Those are the pictures you'll want to hang on to the most. Make sure there are lots of pictures with Daddy and the kid(s). Put these pictures up everywhere.

Kids cling to the silliest things that you wouldn't even think of. Baby Girl will sometimes walk around all day with her Daddy's expired driver's license clutched in her little hand.

Though no one likes to think about it, there are always risks with deployments. It doesn't matter where he is sent. Though I try to push it to the very back of my mind, I always wonder... Being a military spouse means facing harsh realities. What if this were the last chance you were ever going to get to take pictures of him? Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Snap away, ladies.

2. Videos Of Daddy

Last deployment I convinced Huzzy to record himself reading books. I never thought it was going to be the big deal it turned out to be. Baby Girl watched her video daily, and even at bedtime she preferred hearing the books that Daddy read to her. She was only 6 months old when he left, she had no understanding of what was going on or why Daddy was gone. But she did know that Daddy would show up in the TV and read her stories...for as long as she wanted.

You don't have to stop with just recording videos with him reading. Have your service member record messages to be played at specific time, such as:

Birthdays
Holidays
Graduation
Special school or family events

3. Security Items

Most kids have some sort of security item. It might be a blanket, a specific toy, a binky. When Daddy leaves, give them something to help remember him. There are a million different options, but here are a few I love:

Build-a-Bear - If you have one of these awesome stores near you, you should check it out. I'll warn you, it isn't cheap but it is so worth it. Your child can make and dress their own bear, and Daddy can record a special message to go inside of it.
Operation Kid Comfort - These awesome people makes quilts for kids 6 and under that include pictures of their deployed parent.
Daddy Dolls - You need to have a full length picture of your service member to order one of these adorable dolls.

4. Don't Shy Away From Talking About Daddy

I know that when Huzzy leaves I kind of just want to pretend like nothing is different. The first few weeks I actively avoid phone calls from family and friends calling to see "how I'm handling it". It doesn't seem real yet. It hurts.

This is a painful time for everyone, and especially for children. Even though you are hurting too, you have to help them get through it.

Make talking about Daddy a normal and every day thing. It will help the kids to know that Daddy is still a part of their lives, even if he isn't there physically. If the children are old enough, make sure he is sending them letters or emails that are just for them. If they're too young to read on their own read it to them. When they ask questions about Daddy be as truthful as you can without scaring them. That too, will depend on how old they are.

Some families still set a place at the table for Daddy. Some do countdowns. Everyone deals with this differently. Just make sure that your child(ren) know that they can talk about Daddy, and it's ok to miss him. Help them get excited about homecoming by thinking up fun things to do as a family once he returns.

5. Keep Daddy Feeling Involved

Lord knows that he isn't going to be able to help with every decision or every mini crisis you experience during deployment. Being deployed is tough. Being deployed and away from your children is heartbreaking. They know they're missing moments and memories they'll never be able to get back. They know they'll have to hear about first accomplishments through phone calls and email. It doesn't really get easier.

One thing I like to do is ask Huzzy's opinion on a lot of stuff. That probably sounds pretty silly. I mean, we do that normally, right? If he's home sure. But how many times have you just done what you thought was best while they're gone and not had a second thought about it?

I know a lot of the time I will have to make a decision before he can email me back. But I do it anyway. I tell him what's going on at home, I ask his opinions and I try to keep him involved in the way we run our family.

Trust me, it may seem silly but it's much better than him feeling as if he has no real say or input for 6 months or more. It's the little things that matter.

And like earlier, pictures. Lots of pictures. I take a picture of Baby Girl for every day he is gone. Every single day. It's a pain, but it is so worth it. I take video. A ridiculous amount of video. He may not be here for everything, but I try to catch it all on film.

In our care packages, flash drives are the most precious thing you can get.

This has been a pretty long post, and there's always more to add to it but hopefully this will help out those of you who were looking for help.

To those of you who have gone through deployments with children, what would you add to the list?

I'll Stop Pinning After I'm Dead

2012-05-14T19:39:00.000-04:00

The last week or so has really taken it out of me. By the time I get Baby Girl settled for the night, get the puppy settled for the night and finish doing the dishes I'm wiped. I haven't even had the energy to do a true blue update in some time.

So today I'm just going to share with you some of the awesome things I've pinned lately. Huzzah!

In Crafts:

This apron is adorable. I just wish I had the time (and talent) to make one!

Seriously, how cute are these?!

In Geek Out:

Definitely asking for this for my birthday.

I'm too cheap to buy this, so maybe I'll just make myself one.

In Homemade Gifts:

These teacup candles are adorable. Plus, it's totally easy to find some nice looking teacups at the thrift store.

And finally, in Funny :

Thanks to this pin I know what it feels like to spray milk out of your nose. Uncomfortable.

You know it's funny.

Hopefully things will start calming down here and I'll actually get the time to post something vaguely interesting. Until then hope you're all doing well!

Happy Mother's Day!

2012-05-13T07:55:00.000-04:00

I'll admit that I was pretty bummed this week as Mother's Day approached. This is my second Mother's Day. It's also the second Mother's Day Huzzy isn't home for.

When your kid is this young they can't go to the store and buy you a card. They aren't able to make you breakfast in bed or even say Happy Mother's Day. Usually it falls to the dad to take care of these things on the kid's behalf. The same goes for Father's Day.

Last year I got my Mother's Day card a month and a half late thanks to the wonder of Navy mail. This year it actually arrived on time. So I guess I'm already having a better holiday. Huzzah!

There is not time for me to take a day off. I'm the only one here. I can't lay in bed all day and relax, I won't be getting handmade gifts and drawings and really this day is just like any other.

And I was bummed about that. (Hey, I'm human after all)

But you know what? That's not the point of today. Sure, it's supposed to be a day for our children and families to thank us. But I think it's also a perfect day for us to be thankful as well.

I'm thankful that I am a mother.
I'm thankful that I have a beautiful, smart, energetic child who loves me even if she can't always express it.
I'm thankful for all the time I'm able to spend with her, watching her grow and learn.
I'm thankful that I've had another wonderful year of this.

So I think today I will relax...kind of.

Today I'll set aside the cleaning and the chores and do what you're supposed to do on holidays - spend it with my kid.

Themed Care Package Fun - A Night At The Movies

2012-05-09T23:20:00.000-04:00

After all the fun I had putting together Huzzy's baseball themed care package I decided to do another themed box. This time I'm going with the simple A Night At The Movies care package.

I didn't go overboard with the decorating on this one. I printed up some pictures I found online that were movie themed and went with it.

So pretty basic really. You can put in any movie you want, though I think most people try to stick to new releases. I didn't see anything coming out that was even vaguely interested, and since Huzzy has been catching up on Doctor Who thanks to my obsession with it, I thought it would be nice to send off the DVDs he hasn't seen yet.

A Night At The Movies:

Doctor Who Season 4 (or movie of your choice)
Popcorn holders
Twizzlers
Good & Plenty
Snow Caps
Cookie Dough Bites
JujuFruits
Swedish Fish
Sugar Babies
Popcorn

Hope you guys like it. And more importantly, I hope Huzzy likes it!

My Mailman Is An Evil Mastermind

2012-05-09T12:28:00.000-04:00

Deployments are hard on everyone. We know that. Well, we think we know. Really, you know that in theory it's hard, but only from your side. Like I know it's hard on Huzzy, but since I haven't been in his shoes I don't really know.

Sometimes I forget how rough it is on him, but then he goes and does something so sweet and it just reminds me of how much he loves us and how rough it is on his as well.

Huzzy isn't the letter-writing type. The only thing I demand of him while he is deployed is that he send home postcards from every port. He has to actually write something on the back and mail it from that country. I know it sounds weird to be so specific, but if I didn't say exactly what to do he would literally just buy them and hand them to me when he comes home. New and unused.

I know a lot of people ask for trinkets and jewelry but to me the postcards are just so much more meaningful. I look forward to growing old with him (assuming we don't kill each other first) and having these postcards to look back on.

A couple weeks ago Huzzy told me that he was actually writing me letters too. This probably sounds boring to most of you, but this is huge for us. He just doesn't really do that sort of thing. Huzzy will email me when he can, but he's never been a big letter writer. So I know he's missing us, and he's trying to stay connected. For that I love him like crazy.

Not long after he told me he was writing letters I received the first one. Being too impatient to even get inside the house, I opened it right on the porch. And cried. He had actually written this very sweet letter to me. I loved it. I read it about a million times, put it back in the envelope and waited for my next letter.

Well they haven't shown up. Not one more stinking letter! Huzzy keeps asking if I've gotten any, since apparently he has sent 10+ letters thus far and only one made it.

My mailman is now a ninja. He used to come at the same time every day, but now it's like he hides in the bushes until I leave to quickly deliver the mail. Bills and junk mail and nothing else. That bastard knows what I'm waiting for!

My best friend and I have decided that the mailman must be hoarding all the letters as part of some evil mastermind plan. I have no idea why he would need them, but that must be the reason. You know, that or the Navy is just taking it's good old time.

Either way, if I don't get another letter soon I'm going to set the mailman on fire. With my mind.

I should probably bake him some cookies after this deployment as an apology for practically assaulting him on a daily basis. Or maybe if I made him cookies now he would give up his evil plot and give me my letters. Holy hell, what if his whole plot is just to get cookies?

I gotta go guys, I need to get my baking on.

Evil masterminds like chocolate chip cookies, right?

My Kid The Nudist and Other Fun Times at the Zoo

2012-05-08T19:18:00.000-04:00

This week our hardwood floors are being redone. Yay! I can't express to you how happy this makes me. Our dining room floor has bothered me for years and now it will finally look halfway decent. I'm ecstatic.

The only problem with this is that I had to find a way to keep Baby Girl out of the house practically all day yesterday and today. I managed it, but only barely. Yesterday I decided to take her to the zoo while they sanded everything down. Good plan, right? Just me and my daughter spending a nice day together at the zoo.

Baby Girl really likes the elephants. They weren't outside which really pissed me off since that's what she wanted to see so bad, but we did get to see them inside... a little. It kind of sucked.

We ate lunch at the zoo and that was nice except she kept stealing my hamburger and tried to shove her chicken nuggets in my face. And I bought her a little stuffed elephant since she likes them so much.

There was a tiger that was very interested in Baby Girl . It was pretty far away behind glass and when it saw Baby Girl it just came walking over, jumped in the water and swam right up to the glass. And sat there. I don't think I ever realized how big those things are. Baby Girl kept saying "Kitty!" And I was all, "No, that is a tiger and it will rip your face off" but she totally wasn't scared. Toddlers.

Can't tell if the tiger wants to eat her or is just jealous that she has a sippy cup.

She wanted to run around but I was afraid I would lose her so she mostly stayed in the stroller. When we went into the reptile house I figured it would be safe enough to let her walk around since she can't open the doors to get out and it's really just one hallway. Boy was I wrong. I put her in a cute little dress which, in hindsight, was probably a bad idea. As soon as I let her out of the stroller she bolted,.

Then she stopped, whipped off her diaper and threw it, and started running away. EPIC. Thank GOD no one was in there to see it, though I'm sure they have camera and someone saw it. I grabbed her and the diaper and rushed off to the restroom as fast as I could. We left shortly after that. Not sure if I'm allowed at that zoo anymore. If I have to go back I refuse to do so without a wig and full disguise. Seriously guys, I was mortified.

Kids wonder why their parents always seem to want to embarrass them. Well I know. It's paybacks, pure and simple. I'm already plotting my revenge.

Oh, and my floors turned out awesome. The final coat went one this afternoon, and now I just have to get the trim put on and we're good to go. First project is nearly complete!

I don't have pictures of my kid running around without her diaper on in public, because that's kiddie porn and ya'll should be ashamed of yourselves. Here are some cute pictures of her fully clothed at the zoo.

Fake rhino, no worries. I'm not that bad of a mom.


Also a fake turtle. Now I feel like a boring mom.

I would have left her in there, but she probably would have started flinging poo at random people.

My Dog is an Idiot

2012-05-04T11:35:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was planning on taking our puppy, Misty, to get her shots. She was due for some boosters as well as her rabies vaccine. Since I couldn't take her in until 10, I let her out in our newly fenced yard to play in the morning while I took care of the normal routine inside with Baby Girl. When I went outside to get Misty, she was gone.

Gone.

Somehow she pulled a Houdini and got out of the yard. We couldn't find her anywhere. I stuck Baby Girl in a stroller and wandered the neighborhood looking for her and had no luck. No one had seen her.

Personally, I'm not incredibly fond of Misty. She's a sweet dog, but she still has lots of accidents in my house, jumps all over everything and chews anything she can get a hold of. She ate my rosebush. I wish I was kidding. Nothing is growing in my yard this year because of her. I don't hate her, but she does tick me off.

Baby Girl on the other hand was having a fit. She went nuts trying to find her puppy. All I could think of was how this poor kid didn't understand why her daddy wasn't around, and now her puppy was gone too. I saw visions of very large therapy bills in our future.

Eventually we went home and I started calling around. The first place I called was the local SPCA where we go for her shots.

Guess who they had?

Yeah, my dog. My dog who must have known she was due for a vet visit escaped from the yard only to be found, picked up, and taken to the one place she was trying to get away from. Way to go, dog. Brilliant.

All I know is I might be able to live without this dog, but Baby Girl certainly can't. I'm so thankful and so relieved that she was found and returned to us.

Adventures in Diaper-Caking

2012-05-03T08:54:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I promised some pictures and here they are. This was my first attempt at making a diaper cake so I'm hoping that next time it will come out better. Really it isn't terrible, but I think I should have focused on more of a "theme". Instead I just kind of grabbed every cute baby trinket I could and stuck they in there. There's binkys, bottles, baby shampoo, baby powder, toys... it's a little chaotic.

Still, it's the thought that counts right? I'm pretty sure she's going to like it regardless.

Another Disappearing Act

2012-05-02T17:16:00.000-04:00

So the last couple weeks have been crazy! This week in particular has me insanely busy, so I know posts have been practically non-existent lately. I apologize!

Along with the normal lack-of-Huzzy-so-everything-is-done-by-me-and-only-me, I've been busy with our FRG, home repairs and prepping to throw one of my friends a baby shower! And that's just this week. I know right? Crazy.

So we had our first care package party today, which was kind of a bummer because we didn't have as many people show up as I would have liked. Still it was a good time, and Baby Girl had a blast playing in the yard with her friend. We got a couple boxes of candy goodies all packed and ready to mail to the ship, so I still consider it a success. Hopefully next month we'll grow in numbers. Keeping fingers crossed here.

My friend is about 33 weeks along, and we have her baby shower planned for Saturday. Unfortunately she's been in and out of the hospital all week thanks to gestational diabetes and now what appears to be preeclampsia. Not fun. So we're hoping everything goes smoothly, and it's looking like her baby shower is just going to have to be really low key. I tried being crafty and making a diaper cake (first ever!) and it turned out.... OK. I guess. I need to get more ribbon honestly. I'll probably post a picture of this later so you can mock and laugh at me.

And on top of all that I'm clearing out my dining room of any and all furniture so that the hardwood floor can get sanded down and re-stained next week.

Oh, and did I mention Baby Girl has figured out how to open all the doors in the house?

It's been a blast around here, let me tell you. Also, started watching Glee and that really sucks up all my spare time. I totally wasn't expecting it to be so good!

Anyway, diaper cake pictures later and hopefully a really for reals post tomorrow....or maybe Friday. You know, we'll just play this by ear, k?

Toodles.

Tim Allen Would Be So Proud

2012-04-25T20:54:00.001-04:00

If only

Everyone sets goals during deployments. It gives you something to strive for, something to keep you busy, and leaves you feeling accomplished (assuming you hit those goals).

There are some pretty common goals out there. Most spouses express a desire to lose weight or get in shape, some have more personal goals for themselves and others (like me) decide to try to tackle home improvement projects. Some women are super ambitious and set multiple goals. These ladies scare me in an I'm-impressed-but-I-can't-be-your-friend-or-I'll-look-lazy-in-comparison sort of way.

During last year's deployment I had new cabinets put in. I was extremely happy with these, since our house is severely lacking in storage space and the kitchen hasn't been updated since the 1960's. I kept it to myself and didn't breathe a word of it to Huzzy, expecting him to be overjoyed when he got home. Well, he was overjoyed when he got home, but it had nothing to do with the cabinets. He didn't give a damn about the cabinets. Oh well. I suppose when you return from deployment you have other things on your mind. You know, like spending quality time with your kids. Geez, get your mind out of the gutter already.

Anyway....

Huzzy has mentioned on more than one occasion that he wants to get the dining room floor sanded down and re-stained. I would love that too, since I'm pretty sure the last people that stained this hardwood floor were the people who installed it. There's literally no finish on my floor at all. It's all worn away over the years.

Unfortunately, (fortunately?) Huzzy is my own personal Tim-the-tool-man-Taylor. There are some things that Huzzy is awesome at fixing, and then there are the things he thinks he is awesome at fixing just because he read about them in a magazine or saw a picture online. Yikes.

This man is a danger to himself and everyone around him.

A couple years ago, Huzzy was working on something in the garage while I was at work. On my way home I got a text asking if we have a first aid kit. He refused to tell me what happened, and said he would be fine it wasn't a big deal. I swung by CVS and stocked up on gauze, peroxide and every other first aid supply I could find. When I got home Huzzy had man-fixed it. Which basically means he wrapped his bleeding hand with a wad of paper towels and duct taped it in place. Nice.

Later that same year he insisted on installing new attic stairs while I was out... I'm not sure if it happened before or after the new ones were installed, but at some point he managed to fall down the stairs and scrape the hell out of both arms. What Huzzy saw as a do-it-yourselfer's battle scars, I saw as another unnecessary brush with death.

He purposefully will wait until I am gone before doing anything remotely electrical, because he has this bad habit of "accidentally" electrocuting the people who help him. According to legend, he electrocuted his sister when they were younger, but she swears she doesn't remember it. In my mind that's just further proof that it did happen. He also zapped a friend of his who was helping fix the wiring in the nursery. The man cannot be trusted.

Where was I? Oh yes, the hardwood floors.

Since Huzzy is gone, I'm going to take care of the floors myself. I figure in the long run I'm still saving money on gauze, band-aids and therapy bills. Huzzy of course doesn't know, and won't find out until he comes home. And just like last time he probably won't notice for the first few days. If ever.

The only thing that bothers me is that after this deployment the Enterprise is getting decommissioned. Since he's staying on for the decommissioning and then going to shore duty, Huzzy won't be deploying for years. YEARS.

People, this means that any work I want to get done to the house is going to have to be done during his duty day. I'm going to be stuck on 24 hour limits to fix the house without the risk of bloodshed. Meanwhile, Huzzy has been collecting an assortment of tools to help him complete all his "projects" he'll soon be able to work on.

I'm doomed.

I Hate Being Sick

2012-04-24T20:06:00.000-04:00

I know a lot of women who get sick but manage to do everything on their to-do list, care for their sick husband and children, and make it look easy. I'm not one of them.

Thanks to the constant weather fluctuations I've gotten sick yet again. Damn you, Virginia. Huzzy's gone on deployment (duh) so that means I get to suffer through it alone. Baby Girl is sick too, which means we're both miserable and snotty. I should probably just wrap my house in caution tape as a warning to anyone who might possibly want to stop by.

I tend to get sick quite a bit anymore, and no matter what I do nothing helps. I get the stupid flu shot, I take vitamins, I was breastfed. Every time I hear people saying how awesome breastfeeding is and how their kids are never sick I get the stabby urge. Because it totally didn't work for me, as evidenced by the fact that I am constantly sick. Maybe it's just me. Sometimes I wonder if I have an immune system at all. I think it packed up and left after I got the chicken pox.

Chicken pox is totally normal for kids to get, I know. What isn't normal is when you're the only one who has it, and it doesn't hit you until you're 14 years old. And I totally have chicken pox scars because no matter how many time my mom would yell at me for scratching it, scratching felt good and I wasn't about to stop.

Anyway... My God this is a terrible ramble. I'm going to blame it on the illness and the medicine and the position of Mars in relation to the Moon.

I'll leave you with an email I sent off to Huzzy a little earlier.

Hey hon,

Man, this cold is kicking my ass. I feel weak everywhere. I took a warm bath and it was pretty relaxing until I heard the house getting destroyed and had to get out. Then I let Baby Girl take a bath since I'm assuming she was wrecking my house out of pure jealousy. I would have let her in the bath with me, but she likes peeing in the bath and I know people say urine is sterile but I'm not sure I'll ever believe that and as much as I love our daughter I'm not bathing in her pee. Or yours either for that matter, sorry. So don't try getting any ideas. You keep your 'sterile' pee away from me thankyouverymuch.

Tomorrow is trash day and it pretty much took everything out of me just going around the house and collecting the trash. I mean, not like our house is a landfill or anything, but there's the diaper bin in Baby Girl's room, the trash can in the bathroom, the kitchen trashcan and the mountain of dead tissues that were building next to our bed. ok, so maybe they weren't dead tissues since they weren't ever alive really. But still. You're probably all grossed out right now but it's ok because A - I'm too sick to care, and B - the house will be thoroughly disinfected before you come home. Yay Lysol!

Gotta go, I think I just heard something breaking
I love you!

I'm probably going to look back at this post later and think "Omg, what the hell was I thinking?" But again, I'm too sick to care right now.

If you don't hear from me in the next few days it's because I died. Or I just didn't have anything interesting to say. Probably the latter but hey, you never know right? Keep it interesting.

I'm a Terrible Mother!

2012-04-23T11:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel bad for me. Being a mom is tough!

Other times, I feel bad for my daughter. Like, really, really bad.

Today is one of those days.

Because really, who doesn't dress up with a tutu and fairy wings and ride on a huge piggie bank?

I should probably be medicated or something. But saving up pictures to embarrass my daughter with later works just as well.

Better even.

Have a great day. Go embarrass your kids. It's a blast, I swear.

World Book Night 2012

2012-04-22T13:47:00.000-04:00

Loving the special cover!

I'm excited to say that I was chosen to be one of the lucky "givers" for World Book Night 2012. If you haven't heard of this before, that's probably because it's so new! This is actually the first year they will be doing this in the United States, and I am hoping that it is a HUGE success and they continue to do this for many years to come.

Basically, a lot of publishers and bookstores get together and donate books in an effort to increase literacy and a love of reading. There were 30 books on the list this year, and I was lucky enough to receive Ender's Game to give out!

Ender's Game is one of those wonderful books that I read when I was younger and it stayed with me for years. As a matter of fact, during last year's deployment I picked it up again for a reread. Afterwards I found out that there were multiple sequels and (of course) I had to go read those as well. It's a science fiction book about children and war and... Well, it's kind of hard to explain honestly.

I was actually surprised to find that this book is actually on the Navy's recommended reading list. Wow!

Mmmm....Books...

I picked up my box of books from the local Barnes and Noble earlier today, and I'm totally psyched. Now, the point is to give the books to people who wouldn't normally read. I received 20 books, and 2 are being set aside for a couple people that I'm hoping will enjoy the book as much as I do.

The remaining 18... Well, I was going to just go stand outside WalMart and hand them out. Then I thought, maybe I should just go hand them out by the NEX. I mean, it is on the reading list anyway, right?

Then I started thinking about it. I know a TON of people who could really use some books right now. People who are stuck watching the same bad movies over and over again because there's nothing else to do. Or playing the same video games over and over.

Who better then deployed service members?

So I'm currently trying to get a hold of the Chaplain on the USS Enterprise to see if there's a way for me to send this box of books out to them. I know the men and women there would love to have some fresh reading material. PLUS (as I reiterate for the third time) it's on the damn reading list!

So hopefully it all goes according to plan and I can get these mailed out to them shortly. World Book Night is tomorrow, and so there's no way for the sailors to actually get the books ON the day, but it's the thought that counts, right?

Hopefully the organizers of World Book Night will be as excited as I am with this plan. The best part is, it would go in the ship's library. Instead of only a handful of people getting to enjoy the book, many more will be able to borrow it and read it.

Yay, books!

My Mental Health Day

2012-04-21T18:27:00.000-04:00

During last year's deployment I prided myself on my ability to keep up with everything. The house was clean (most of the time), projects were fully completed and my kid was happy and well cared for. I therefor assumed that this deployment would be much the same.

I was so, so wrong.

I forgot to take into account the face that Baby Girl was now walking, running and destroying my house on a daily basis. I forgot to consider the new puppy we got right before he left. I forgot to account for how God-awful tired I was going to be.

Yesterday was probably the worst day so far of this deployment. Though it started off rough with sickness and things breaking, I had managed to keep a sense of humor about it all. I laughed it off, joking about how ridiculous it was that we all seemed to break down the minute he left. Yesterday my sense of humor broke, too.

I was losing my temper so quickly that I was actually worried. My list of things to do was growing daily, and I couldn't even manage to finish one task completely. At any given moment Baby Girl needed me, or the puppy needed me. Sometimes it was another MilSpouse who needed me. I was so frustrated at my inability to do everything.

My hedges are half trimmed, and my yard is half-mowed. The only time I can do either of those things is when Baby Girl is napping, and naps have become things of myth and legend. Dishes in the sink, house in utter chaos... When was I going to catch up? I was spending all my time trying to do everything that I was actually accomplishing nothing.

So today I decided to try something new. I said to hell with the cleaning. Yes, all of it.

After breakfast I took Baby Girl and the puppy on a walk. We all needed the fresh air.

I took a trip to the store and bought a bike, hooked it up to the kid's trailer I got for Baby Girl and went for a ride. (Note to self - Exercise more! My knees were about to give out on me...) There's nothing like a bike ride with your kid yelling from behind "This is fun!! This is fun!!

When we got back I made an easy lunch, then we sat down to watch Sesame Street. Baby Girl fell asleep on the couch for a full hour. SHE FELL ASLEEP. Instead of running around cleaning during this time, I took a time out for myself and called my grandmother. It's been a while since I've been able to chat with her and not feel rushed.

When Baby Girl woke up I took her outside and filled up her kiddie pool. I sprayed her and the puppy with the hose and spent some time playing and taking pictures. While she was entertaining herself I planted some vegetables I'd been meaning to get around to. This playtime excursion lasted nearly 2 hours.

Then we had dinner. Since I was feeling lazy today, we had a breakfast-for-dinner dinner. Eggs, bacon, biscuits. Yummy stuff, but easy cooking!

There will be ice cream for dessert tonight. And some bath time fun. With any luck, she'll sleep well tonight and I'll have some time to myself. I might clean. Maybe. Or maybe I'll just hire someone.

I know I can't brush off the cleaning and chores every day. They'll have to get done eventually. But I'm going to go ahead and consider this my "Mental Health Day". It did me a load of good. And I know it was good for Baby Girl as well. She wasn't competing with dirty dishes for my attention today.

I think sometimes we need to take a step back, breathe, and accept that we can't do it all. At least, not all the time.

What A Week!

2012-04-19T23:23:00.000-04:00

Or rather, what a couple weeks! Every time I think I'm going to have some downtime something else pops up. It's been great really, as it helps keep my mind off of this deployment.

Today I took Baby Girl to see the circus. I haven't seen Ringling Brothers since I was little, so it was pretty cool so see it again. Baby Girl sat there like a statue for the first 30-40 minutes or so. She was just amazed at everything that was going on. And the elephants. Craziness. She couldn't care less about the lions and tigers, the horses were ok... But if they brought out elephants she was glued to her seat.

During intermission I decided to get us some snacks. The snow cone lasted about 15 minutes before it ended up all over her. New record I guess. She was getting really figitty and bored though (not to mention soaked) so we left before the end. Still, it was totally worth going. I just wish Huzzy was around for it.


I didn't want to get in the picture, but she screamed if I tried to walk away...

Anyway, all in all a good day. Yesterday I went to our FRG meeting which was...interesting. I'll leave it at that. I'm supposed to be throwing a care package party in the next 2 weeks, and I'm really scared that no one is going to show up. Bummer. I hope at least a few people show some interest! I don't want to do this stuff all by myself!

I was all set to start potty training Baby Girl but she's having none of it right now. No matter what I do she won't sit on the potty. So I caved and bought more diapers. I'll start it up slowly I guess, and hopefully she'll be ready to train soon. It's one of my deployment goals, so I'd really like to have her at least halfway there by the time Daddy gets home.

I've been so busy I've totally been slacking on being crafty, so hopefully I will be able to do a project tomorrow. I need to pull out my sewing machine and dust it off. I think I'm going to start with something simple and see how it goes. I'll keep you updated of course!

Huzzy still hasn't gotten his Easter care package... I'm hoping that one gets there soon. I won't be sending out the next one until he's gotten it. I don't need him getting flooded with care packages and then running out of room!

World Book Night is on Monday, so I definitely need to run to Barnes and Nobles and pick up my box of books. I'll be giving out Ender's Game. Anyway read that before? Personally its one of my favorite books, so I'm super psyched to give it out. I'm thinking of mainly giving it to Navy and Navy families since it is one of those random books that is actually on the Navy's recommended reading list. Not that anyone cares I suppose. But hey, who would turn down a free book??

Well, the kiddo is asleep and I am bushed. It's time for beddy-bye. Hopefully I'll get some crafty stuff done tomorrow and have some wonderful updates for you. Keep your fingers crossed!

The Letter I Can't Send

2012-04-18T09:02:00.001-04:00

Dear Huzzy,

I'm so sorry. I know how much you miss Baby Girl, I know how much you regret missing all those milestones. I wish I was able to do anything to help you.

You ask for pictures and I send them, but I always feel guilty at the same time. I feel guilty that we are OK, that there are so many pictures of our daughter laughing and smiling even though her daddy is so far away. I know you want her to be having fun. You don't want us to sit around crying all the time missing you. But I still feel guilty when I realize that we are having fun and laughs while you are gone.

I feel guilty because I'm the lucky one. I'm the parent that gets to stay home with her all day and be here for everything while you've spent half her life away.

She's a toddler. For all the good and bad, I find myself needing time away from her. Just a few minutes of peace, please. I countdown to naps and bedtime, because that's the only quiet time I get. I suppose most parents feel that way at one time or another. It's perfectly normal, I know.

But I feel selfish. Wishing for my own quiet time makes me feel so horribly ungrateful and I hate myself just a little. I know you would do anything right now just to be here with us, with her. You wouldn't wish her to bed early or complain when she wants a piggy-back ride for the millionth time. Maybe it would be different if you were home more. Maybe I wouldn't feel so guilty. But you aren't, and you miss so much. So very, very much. And I find myself taking it for granted.

You ask how she's doing, you want to know everything. I'm so sorry. I try. I try to let you know what's going on with us without making you feel worse for being away. But I can't find the right words. I'm doing something wrong, I know it. I don't want to leave you out, but I don't want to hurt you either. I want you to know she loves you and misses you, but I don't want to tell you about how she calls out "Daddy, where are you?" every day. I don't want to tell you how when I say "I love you" she responds with "I fuv you" and immediately goes looking for you. If it breaks my heart to see her - this beautiful, naive child - always searching for her daddy, I can't imagine how it affects you.

No one wants to see their child grow up in emails, pictures and postcards.

I know we're both looking at that light at the end of the tunnel. When this is over and you'll be home for... Well, the longest we've ever had you.

Until then, I remain...

Selfish, Human, Scared, Proud, Lonely, Grateful, Ungrateful

But Always Lovingly,

Yours

Month of the Military Child

2012-04-16T09:34:00.000-04:00

Hey all! If you haven't been over to Wife of a Sailor's blog, you really need to go! April is month of the military child, and she's put out a call to other milspouses for guest bloggers.

Well, today's my day! That's right, I've got a guest post on her site right now. How exciting!

So do me a favor and hop over there. Then please, leave a comment and let me know what you think! It's my first time writing a post for another blog, so I'd adore some feedback!

Thanks guys!

Themed Care Package Fun

2012-04-13T23:53:00.000-04:00

Well, you all know how much I love care packages. Huzzy has already gotten a few, which probably sounds like overkill since they've only been gone for a month but I swear it wasn't planned like that. I thought it was going to take much longer to get there! So the next one won't get sent out until the end of the month, but I'm so excited about it I had to share!

Since Huzzy is a BIG baseball fan, I decided to do a Take Me Out To The Ball Game themed package. He's not going to be able to make it to a game this year thanks to this stupid deployment, so I thought I'd take the game to him! We're Phillies fans, can you tell??

Decorated! Looks patriotic, but it's meant to be Phillies colors!

Wrote this on all four flaps.

Starting to fill up!

More and more goodies!

I crammed a ton of stuff in and then taped it all up without taking a final picture. But here's the list of what's inside...

Take Me Out To The Ball Game:

Phillies Napkins
Phillies Paper Plates
Phillies Red Paper Cups
Baseball Lollipops
Pretzels
Crackerjacks
Peanuts
4 Packs of Big League Chew
Phillies Pez Dispenser
Phillies Flip Flops (soon to be shower shoes, I'm sure)
Phillies Headphones (since he's always misplacing his headphones)
Phillies Pen (shaped like a baseball bat)
Phillies DVD (of their 2008 World Series WIN!)
Phillies Cookies
Random Decorations (in Phillies colors of course!)

What do you think? I'm pretty proud of myself for this one.

Do you have any fun care package ideas to share?

How Time Flies...

2012-04-13T11:35:00.001-04:00

Well, it looks like I haven't made any personal updates this whole week! I got into a roll with the military freebies and honestly I've just been swamped otherwise! Between meetings, dentists, fencing going up, exterminators at the house and a load of other things on my to-do list, I haven't had much time for a lengthy blog post.

And to be honest, I don't have that time now either! Here are some pictures from our holiday with family to tide you over. Well, not that you care so much. But I'm a doting mother so I'm going to post them anyway.

Expect a really really for-real update in the next few days. Once things settle here. They're still putting up our fence and it's pretty loud with all the tools going! >_<

Baby Girl loves her Pop pop's swing set.

Baby Girl with her cousins.

Baby Girl just chilling.

She's getting so big. She's not really a baby anymore I guess, but she'll always be my baby. Though I wouldn't be against having another little one... Huzzy needs to get home from this deployment because Baby Fever is kicking in!!

Knowing the Short Background of the All-Time Favorite Cheesecake

2012-04-13T11:26:00.000-04:00

Guest Post

Cheesecake is one of the best cakes that the world has ever created. There are lots of people who cannot imagine the world without it.

When you do a quick research, you will find out that this delicious cake was created a very long time ago even before its first factory opened. In 776 BC, the Greeks said to have served the first kind of this cake to the athletes at the first Olympics. The Romans followed soon and spread this divine-tasting cake to the entire Europe. The European immigrants brought the recipe to America.

Every region of the globe has accepted the recipe and adapts it to local taste and adding local flavors. Cheesecake is normally made with cream cheese base, which can vary the recipe in any region. Those that are baked in New York are known for its ultra-smooth texture and rich flavor, which is made possible by adding extra egg yolk. Adding lemon will make it have the taste from Pennsylvania Dutch or Chicago-style. Lots of American bakers found out that adding sour cream can make it very creamy and can be frozen without compromising texture and taste.

Moreover, those that are baked in Italy have ricotta cheese that makes them drier than those baked in America. Neufchatel cheese is the primary ingredient used by French bakers along with gelatine to make them light and have air consistency. Meanwhile, the German bakers normally use quark or cottage cheese. In the oriental regions such as Japan, they use corn starch and whipped egg white to make it appear similar to custard cakes.

These yummy cakes have made their way to every culture. Thus, they are enjoyed by everyone in the globe. Culinary historians note that the recipe of this cake dates back to the first century AD. As centuries pass by, additional ingredients were added to the recipe to make them extra tasty. Today, you can find all imaginable flavor and topping. However, the basic ingredients are still the same such as wheat, sweetener and baking creamy cheese.

You will be amazed at how cheesecake is able to come up with many variations. Today, you can find tasty flavors of these amazing cakes such as blue cheese, seafood, garlic, chiles and other cheese flavors. There are also vegan versions of these cakes such as those that made out of tofu. With all flavors available today, you will need more than a month to taste them all.