life with the lieutenant

• It hasn't been a full month since I last blogged, so you know what that means- I'm winning.
• The kids are also napping today and it makes me wonder what I used to do with myself during all the naps of the past. Did I do anything productive? Did I just blog more? Surely I didn't waste ALL of that time... It is such a nice, weird break now. I love it. 
• I can't remember now if I told you about taking the kids to the high school football game. And if I didn't, well, I'm telling you now. We took the kids to a high school football game. Their first.

• We didn't tell them where we were going because there had been some pushback in the past about going to a football game (so boring, Mom!), so we just said they'd have to wait and see. As we were walking to the stadium, we could hear the marching band (there are something like 400+ kids in the marching band here) and Salmon Molly were really digging the beat. So when they asked again where we were going, we told them, "to see the band." Well. THAT excited them. Even as we were standing in line to buy tickets, Sam was dancing around declaring his love for the band and how he couldn't wait to go SEE them and wow they are really good at playing their instruments. And if you're wondering, yes, it made my little band-geek heart happy to see them so excited over music. Since the band takes up approximately one half of the entire stadium, we ended up sitting on the visitor's side, next to their band and the kids were nothing less than enthralled with all of it- cheerleaders, mascots, kids running around talking to their friends, and last but not least, the football game. We watched the halftime show and then told the kids that the game was over and it was time to go home. No one thought to question us, despite the fact that we were some of the only people exiting the stadium. They were just going on and on about how cool the band was and those girls dancing and how "duh-wish-shush" the chips were. (Oh yes, they got chips. Special day.) They asked if we could go to another football game and were very disappointed to learn that they only take place once a week. And so the long wait begins.
• Steve took me out for a date the next night and after we were sufficiently stuffed full of Italian food (we MISSED real Italian food!!), we walked around a cute little town near us and listened to live music, took in some chalk art (made me realize how lacking my chalk skills are), and said hi to the Pope.

We did give him a high five. Don't worry. Didn't leave him hanging like that all night.

• Church the next morning...

• We think we found a parish we like. Since there are so many Catholic schools up here, there is not as much church involvement for the kids (or so I've found), and that's been disappointing, but what can you do? I was counting on the kids starting CCD like I went to when I was a kid, but it looks like our only options are either Catholic school or "Catholic enrichment" - both options are bit $$$$$. Will have to brainstorm more on that one.
• At some point we took the kids to Ikea (no doubt to see how much they'd give us for Sam or my blood plasma or Molly's hair) and they reacted just like I wanted to when I first walked into Ikea- much running and excited yelling and lying on all the beds and touching everything while proclaiming it to be "the most incredible place ever!" I agree, my children! Some of my DNA has prevailed after all.

Just designing a new kitchen, no big deal.

And one last family photo before we shave Molly's head and see if her hair is worth the things we need to buy (not pictured: di$hwa$her...$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$)

• We've been working over at the new house quite a bit. Usually we leave the kids with my in-laws while we work because there are still plenty of random unsafe-for-children things there, but one day Steve was the only one who could do any work (remember? I'm so pregnant and disabled and must only supervise...), so while supervising Steve doing some painting (he calls me Quality Control and I take my job very seriously) I also put these two to work weeding out the vegetable garden. Molly was really into it and did a great job pulling up anything green. Sam apparently takes after me and assumed a more managerial position and instructed Molly on which pieces of "salad" needed picking. Hopefully next year we have actual FOOD planted here instead of just weeds!

• The kids and I went down to Aberdeen Proving Ground to visit with a friend from our Fort Campbell days. She watched Sam for me while I was delivering Molly. She also introduced me to Aggie and I will never be able to thank her enough for that. Heather is such a sweet friend, and Steve was a little jealous he couldn't go down with us because she is also a very talented cook. We met them at a CUTE little marina with a darling lighthouse and I took a whopping ZERO pictures because I was too busy running my mouth. I did remember to take one of all the kids together before we left though.

• These children were loud with a side of crazy. And in typical military-kid fashion, they had no clue who the others were, but took to each other like best friends. I asked Sam if he had fun playing with Luke (he doesn't remember, but he used to have frequent playdates with Luke at Campbell) and he said, "Yeah... Luke is my boy!" Hoping we can get together a lot more while they're stationed so close!
• At some point, Steve and I drove to Delaware while the kids were at preschool to spend a kafrillion dollars on hardwood floors. We didn't anticipate the boxes being so large, so Steve had to lie down in the trunk next to the boxes while I drove home. 

The military discount at the Home Depot made this purchase sting slightly less. But it still hurt. A lot.

• We have been trying to buy used as much as possible (because we are so hip and into vintage things; also, very poor after giving our money and kidneys to Ikea and Home Depot), and two of those purchases were wooden headboards for the kids off of Craigslist. We managed to get Molly's headboard right before the Pope made his way into town.

Odie wonders what happened to her former life of leisure.

"resting pug"

Always always taking notes

• One weekend we went to an arts and crafts festival because it advertised that they would have children's games and activities. Well, besides drawing with chalk on a piece of paper, they kinda lied. And we kinda draw with chalk all the time. So the kids were kinda disappointed. And when I say kinda, I mostly mean extremely. We told the kids that we would go to Chick-fil-A for lunch and they could play on the playground there to make up for the lack of fun that morning. Except I asked that they finish their lunch before crawling all over the germ-center playground, so they did. Molly finished first and went straight in there to play. As Sam slowly finished his lunch, a few 7-year-old girls giggled and ran to the front of the restaurant to announce that some kid barfed in the race car and it's been a minute since I've seen that many parents hustle in such a panic. Of course I ran in, assuming the worst- that Molly was the kid who barfed. Luckily, she was standing at the top of the stairs smiling and assuming that I was coming to play with her. I told her that we had to leave because someone got sick and as soon as we got back to the table, Sam announced that he was finished and "going to play on the slide!" Oh man. Buddy. I'm so sorry. I know we said you could play on the playground because we didn't find any kid games this morning, but someone got sick and now we can't go in there anymore.... Luckily, exchanging the toy for ice cream seemed to pacify everyone. That day kinda bombed... We made up for it by bringing home a chocolate cake that weighed about as much as a three month old baby. 

Amen and hallelujah for Costco and their American-sized cakes

• I told Steve later that evening that I would most likely freeze half of it because there was just no way it was going to get eaten and I really can't stand to throw away cake. And then, a few days later, it was gone. Gone, but not forgotten.
• Another Sunday

Another terrible loss for Auburn the day prior, but War Eagle anyway.

• I'm sure my in-laws will be so torn up when this three-ring circus vacates their house and stops terrorizing their belongings.
• I took a bunch of cute pictures while we were fishing a few weekends ago, but have since dumped all of the contents of my phone onto the computer and for some reason, those pictures didn't make it over. *sad* Here is one that did though!

• While the kids were at preschool the next day, Steve and I got a wild hair to pressure wash the house. It proved to be A Very Dirty Job.

Luckily Steve isn't scared of a little dirt.

Everyone loves a good before and after photo. The real after will be when we rip up this hazardous walkway and put down something that won't cause us a lawsuit.

• We also moved some things. Because you've gotta make use of my pregnancy Hulk strength while I've got it.

• Steve has declared that he's never moving again. I declare that we are just never moving ourselves again. 
• Finally got the kids an appointment with a new pediatrician. Molly's pediatrician in Clarksville didn't fax over the correct information (Korea didn't send any of her records either- so helpful!), so Sam was the only one who could be vaccinated that day, and he was none too pleased about it.

• Molly was super cooperative and thought the whole experience was fun. (Until she got croup later that night, and THAT is Reason #4,692 that I hate going to the doctor.)
• The rest of the week was rainy and cold and Steve and I spent a lot of time working at the house while the kids watched a lot of tv under the guise that they were recovering from the croup.
• Another Sunday where we are inappropriately dressed for the season. (Our express shipment from Korea - full of fall and winter clothes - arrives today!!)

• After church, we ran home to change and take the kids into Philly to see Monster Jam for Sam's birthday. He had no idea where we were going. He did keep commenting on how so many people were wearing monster truck shirts and how cool that was. 

At the pit party, which proved to be a little overwhelming for Sam. He wanted to look at the monster trucks and drivers from afar, not so much up close.

Aaaaaand Molly slept through half of the show. Not sure how, since you could feel the monster truck engines through the seats.

• We decided that Monster Jam is like the WWE of Nascar. Pretty extreme and very staged. All the kids (and one very enthusiastic grandma) got a huge kick out of it though.
• And lest you think Sam and Molly willingly pose for every photo I request...

Exhibit A through I

• This week is full of kitchen installation (!!!), Korea deliveries, and Sam's 5th birthday! Eek!