life with the lieutenant

• As promised in my last post, Monday kicked off our do-nothing week. We did, well, nothing. Mountains of laundry, baked a new banana bread recipe (subbed applesauce for oil and added in 1/2 cup of wheat germ to beef it up) (healthy and tasty- I recommend! slathering peanut butter on it while it's still warm), took out recycling, played on the playground, naps (GLORIOUS NAPS), dinner, a board game, baths, and bed. I like a good do-nothing day.

New Anna (from Frozen) headband she got for her birthday. So fancy.

• Tuesday was preschool in the morning!

• My one major goal while I was alone was to clean out the sun porch (aka "our only closet") because I know that once the weather turns hot, it will become the most miserable task ever. It only took me an hour (wut) and then I marveled at all the cleanliness and order. I also took a bunch of crap to the recycle pit and then cleaned our nook outside our front door so that I won't break my hip trying to free the unwieldy double BOB from its grasp.

Behold.

• Since there were a few semi-recent fires in the high rises in our area, our apartment complex has really been cracking down on fire safety. Apparently, if our neighbors are trapped in their apartment due to a fire, they are supposed to be able to kick this wall down that separates us (it is like one big piece of plastic) and escape through our apartment. And, well, up until this point, I had this wall blocked with crap since this is our one and only storage area (and it is teeny tiny!). So my neighbors can breathe easy about their fire escape route because there is nothing standing in their way now! Yahoo. They will only have to worry about how we will get down 13 floors with three kids while being chased by a fire.
• After naps, more squirrel game.

It was at this point that he was singing, "I winnnnn this gaaaaaame againnnnnnn!!!!"

• Sam started off Wednesday morning right by eating two bowls of cereal (with milk), a yogurt, a damn metric ton of strawberries, and more dry cereal. I have yet to confirm where the little string bean puts it all.

• My children then proceeded to pour Cheerios and Rice Krispies into Molly's new tea set and "drink" the food out of it, spilling it everywhere. I made vague, meaningless threats like, "We will not go anywhere today until you pick up every speck of Rice Krispies out of this carpet!" and then I realized that basically I was the only one being punished here. We got ready and met Steve at work for lunch.

Easter is coming!

Swung by McD's to get nuggets for the kids.

God, I love a meal where people are restrained.

Steve is in a CAV unit right now and we spent lunchtime watching soldiers complete the Spur Ride. It was thoroughly entertaining and quite hysterical.

• It's supposed to rain the rest of the week, so we skipped naptime to soak up the sun and the super clear air!!

my treasures

• After the playground, we had to head up the commissary for dinner stuff. It is nearly impossible to buy produce here that doesn't spoil a day after you get it home, so I feel like I am up there every day or every other day. Molly insisted she wear her sunglasses in the car because "sun so bwight!"

elevator kisses- We waited a mother-lovin' eternity for the elevator to creep its way back up to us and then once we got all the way to the car, I realized I left my keys in the apartment. OH DEAR (as Sam would say)

• After a rowdy time at the commi and mailroom, we made it home and I pleaded with everyone to just let me make dinner and then your father will be home and will wrestle with you and answer all the questions that I've answered 600x today already. I started in with making the pizza (dough was made before the playground time). Got to use my food processor for the first time! Whoop!

avocado sauce to drizzle on pizza.... yummmmm

what was left of the pizza by the time I remembered to photograph it

• This pizza, y'all... I ran out of regular pasta sauce, so I used some of the garlic-basil pesto my mama sent me (it's from Walmart of all places and it's absolutely amazing). Then I stuck tomatoes and red onion on top of that. Then mozzarella. Then baked it. Then chopped up avocados. Then the avocado sauce (blended avocado, mayo, sour cream, milk, salt, and pepper). It might not be pretty, but it was pretty delicious. And if the stars ever align and I have two avocados that need to be eaten at once, I will make this pizza again. A very good, filling, meatless meal.
• Sadly, Steve had to go back to work after dinner (because idiots) and he left right after Molly bit Sam (broke the skin! through his shirt!!) over a book or someshit and shortly thereafter, the kids went to bed. Before 7pm. Because no naps and too much togetherness. Meanwhile I popped a bottle in celebration over that pizza. Cheers. Steve came home around 11:30.
• If I could re-enact Thursday morning, I would need to find a chicken, chop its head off, then have it run around making muffins, dressing children, dressing itself, chugging coffee, and hustling everyone out the door. Slightly chaotic. I went through our pantry on Wednesday to see what sort of meals we would need to be eating these last few months (sob!) so as not to waste, and found some spice cake mix that needed to be used ASAP. Thankfully I had a can of pumpkin and some chocolate chips, and I promised Steve that I would whip up some muffins and deliver them to his work so he could eat breakfast. (Because when you work til 11:30, you naturally have to be at work very early the next morning...)
• I ran the kids to preschool (had to wake Molly up after sleeping 14 hours!!), went back home, popped the muffins out of the pan, arranged them on a tray, drove up to post, dropped them off with Steve, then drove to Bible study with more muffins. Only 15 minutes late, so I high-fived myself because that is clearly a win. Forgot my notebook and (womp womp) my Bible, so clearly that is a loss. I just explained that I was the fellowship committee that day and my job of bringing muffins and witty conversation was my contribution to Bible study. Back to the winning side.
• I enforced naptime and it was a total success. Then I made dinner (more pantry item usage!) and made bulgogi with broccoli and rice. More laundry, baths, bed! I took one awful, grainy picture today and it was while I was putting off making dinner. "Oh, you want me to read one more story to you? Of course, my dears. Anything for you."

• It also thunderstormed that night!!! Thunderstorms are super uncommon here and I just think they are the best. Sam doesn't necessarily agree, but I told him that it totally benefits his flower-picking habit. That answer seemed to quell the fear enough to send him to bed.
• Friday was supposed to be a day off for Steve, but he had to go in "from 6-9" to return some part and send a report. 

• He arrived home around noon. In the meantime, Sam and I did some yoga, made breakfast, more laundry (as I read through these past few weeks, laundry seems like The Story Of My Life), dishes, and waited around for Steve.

If you're looking for the dishwasher, I'm right here.

• I love this massive sink. In fact, I've measured it and will be placing one in my dream house some day. Huge, deep, and no dividers. However, my dream sink will have a garbage disposal. Fifteen minutes later and voila~

And you thought it wouldn't all fit. Psh.

• The kids actually played nicely together that morning. I had time to do chores and make some granola bars (even Molly eats them!).

• Steve arrived home in time for lunch and naps.. then we headed out to Pang Pangs to jump out some energy. 

• Steve and I had a blast there as well since our family was the only one there. Sam and Molly were ready to go home before we were. Being the adults that we are (ugh), we came home, did baths, had sweet potato tacos for dinner (with that avocado sauce OMGYUM) and the kids were in bed before 7:30. WILLINGLY in bed before 7:30. It was incredible. Steve and I watched a movie and had wine! Adult-ing isn't always terrible, I guess.
• Saturday morning- Storytime with Steve

• After breakfast, we headed out for a walk. Because no rain! We ended up at a sweet playground near the edge of town.

SPRING!!!! IT'S HERE!!!

Molly's face- she is so much prettier than Rose (from Titanic)

• It actually took some convincing to get Molly out of the stroller and onto the playground. But once she started, there was no stopping her! I'm proud (and sad) at how well she handles obstacles on the playgrounds now. BIG GIRL!

the backside of the playground

• Sam was there too, btw. Just either running too fast for a picture, or digging in the dirt. I think Molly got a kick out of all the attention though. Naturally we left the playground and everyone was "starving." Luckily there are convenience stores on every corner. Water and octopus chips. A little too fishy for my taste, but Sam and Molly killed the bag fairly quickly.

• Look at me and say cheese!

Or not.

• After naps, Molly decided to impersonate me.

Sunglasses are totally headband equivalents

• That evening we babysat for our friends so they could go on a date. The baby is going through some awful teething (5 at once!), so we went for a walk to see if we could distract her from the pain.

Did not get to wear Molly on my front very much because I don't think my spine would tolerate self-inflicted scoliosis well, but it is SO SWEET and I think Molly weighed this much at 6 months (this sweet thing is 12 months).

• She was so sweet and just hugged me and laid on my chest and activated my ovaries.
• We stumbled upon the children's street fair, drove cars, rode a carnival ride in a truck (!!!), and then played on a playground.

Sam got to try out lots of different cars since the batteries kept dying, but I think he liked that! Molly was off somewhere with Steve.

Aw hell no

My friend brought Sam and Molly "Cars" sticker books for helping with the baby and they are OBSESSED with these things.

The next morning..

• I decided not to do Easter baskets before church. Mostly because I need some sort of leverage for good behavior while we are at church, and if I give them all the candy beforehand, how does that help me?? It doesn't. So we didn't mention it (they have no clue that they are supposed to get Easter baskets first thing) and the Easter Bunny called me on my cell phone (!!) on the way to church! (Steve in the car: why are you using my phone? Me: just shut up and play along! I need my phone to ring!)

• They totally bought it. Easter Bunny told me that I needed to call him after church and let him know if Sam and Molly were good and paid attention. He also reminded me that Easter is about Jesus, not Easter baskets, so the kids have to understand that before he visits our house. Church went well, but there were a few times where I had to whisper Bunny threats to Molly.

• I am always running late for church (might have something to do with getting everyone else fed and dressed first?), so Steve took the kids down to the car while I set up for the Easter Bunny. 

• Molly's Easter haul- a $3 wooden puzzle from a Korean store ("animals from Madagascar!"), an Easter book (meh, it's ok, but there are better ones out there, I think), and some eggs filled with gummies. All nestled nicely in the dollar basket I got in Seoul. Better than the milk jug setup we used last year, right??

• Sam was beside himself with joy when he saw what the Easter Bunny left him. He kissed his book and his puzzle and then fawned over every piece of candy. I've never put candy in their eggs before, so he was just blown away every time he opened an egg and found candy inside.
• Sam got a picture of Steve and me- we do not fit into Sam and Molly's photo spot as well as they do.

proof that we exist- and that I occasionally wear something not made with elastic. Steve said, "let's hold hands!"

• Obviously, immediately after this picture was taken, I went to change into something that DID involve elastic and heard Sam yelling, "It's snowing! It's snowing! Yay!" and walked out to find this.

fun times

candy free-for-all!

• Taught Sam how to play Go Fish while Molly napped. It was SO FUNNY. At first I had to ask him to ask me if I had a 2 or a J or a 9. If I didn't, I would tell him to go fish.
• "Aw man! I got a 7."
• "Sam, do you have a Q?"
• "No Mommy, I don't. Let's go fishing!"
• When I initially told him we would be playing Go Fish, he stood up and thought we were actually going fishing. Cue some major disappointment.
• That evening, we had some of Steve's soldiers come over for dinner. But not the traditional ham and sides Easter dinner. Originally I was just going to make mac n cheese and bacon (I refuse to cook a big meal that no one but Steve and I will eat), but once I heard other people would be coming, I upgraded the menu to homemade sausage pizzas. We also ordered our favorite delivery chicken. And voila. Easy Easter dinner.
• Happy Easter! I hope there is a half-off Reester bunny waiting for me at the PX!