Carter and Friends

One thing I really love about being here in Osan is all of the social interaction Carter gets. I think he is really benefiting from learning how to act and play with his peers. I think he understands empathy better and sooner than he would have normally (as a first born) and not only that, but he has a GREAT time playing with kids almost EVERYDAY!

It will be hard for him to leave all of his friends in about a year, and I don't think he'll like living the 'normal' life of just every now and then play dates when we get back to the states.



Here is Carter and Izzy on our most recent ITT trip, Izzy and her parents were at DM with us before. And although they're a year apart, they play together great!



Here is Carter and Izzy and Masyn all on the ITT trip bus. Carter and Masyn are 4 months apart.


Here's is Carter best buddy Charlie. They are 7 months apart and Carter loves trying to do all of the big boy things Charlie can do. They like each other so much they've even started bickering like brothers when they're together. Here they're enjoying a 7am banana while Charlie's parents were at the DMZ.



Here is Carter lovin' on his very first and best friend, Masyn. No joke, they were friends in the womb. Masyn's mama is one of my very best friends and the very first friend I shared motherhood with. They have literally grown up together.


Here are Carter and Masyn at Masyn's 2nd birthday party today! Masyn's mama and I already have their marriage arranged.

Busy doin' a whole lot of nothin'.

This past week has been so busy I can barely keep my head straight. I haven't talked to my husband, other than during passing, for almost 3 weeks and we haven't even gone to bed at the same time in who knows how long.

I recently started an exercise swap with my neighbor Kathee which has been going great! I workout on Tuesdays and Thursdays while she works out on Mondays and Wednesdays. We each get two hours a day (8-10am)! So that means that two days a week I have a 7 week old, a 4 month old, a 2, 3 and a 5 year old! 5 kids! Holy Moly! So far I'm really glad I've been able to get the exercise thing started but it has been kicking my butt!
I've been doing a "chisel" class that's going to be the death of me. I do plan on being able to wear my Rampage bikini by the time I go home this summer though!
Cory's had "work related very important yada yada" going on it seems all month and we will both be so glad to see this week over!

Also, Cory and I have been trying to plan our mid tour and deciding the best cost vs benefit of the whole big shenanigan.
For those of you wondering, we don't have exact dates yet but the kids and I will be arriving in TX probably the second week of July, Cory will join me after he goes to Red Flag. We'll then press on to the Chicago area, to Colorado Springs, back to TX and then fly back here together the beginning of October.
Trying to figure out flying, renting a car, logistics, costs and dates is driving us crazy, but we'll get exact dates soon.

Carter was really sick last week with some stomach/lower respiratory thing and we've been nursing him back back to health (along with doses of amoxicillin, prednisone and albuterol) all week.

Clay started rolling over (one way at least), we went on an ITT trip that changed last minute and ended up climbing/descending stairs for about a mile with two kids and a stroller on Saturday. We've just been...busy!

Etiquette

Here a quick question for all of you.

We were woken up by this strange sound this morning. Rrrrrrrr-smack. Rrrrrrrrrrr-smack!
It was coming from outside and it sounded like it was right outside our bedroom window. (Our window is open since it's so dern hot inside these days) I figured it was the workers doing something outside. So I reluctantly got up to take the dog out (because it had woken her up) and saw that it was a teenager practicing jumping the curb on his skateboard. AT 6 IN THE MORNING. Don't teenagers like to sleep in? why would he be awake other than to to be writing a last minute paper or sneaking to see his forbidden girlfriend?
Anyway...I didn't say anything to him. But Cory's sleeping in this morning because he's working late tonight and I wasn't sure who had the right-of-way here.
Should we have closed our window and not said anything (just like we did)? Or do we have the right to say, "Hey could you please not do that this early in the morning? It makes a lot of noise?" I know we don't own the side walk right outside our window and all, but....I know a lot of other people on this side of the building have their windows open at night too, so they can probably hear it.
What's right?

Happy Easter!

We took the kiddos to "Turumi Park" aka some grass behind a building, to pick up, I mean hunt, some eggs on Saturday Carter had a pretty good time even though it had been hours past nap time and it was really hot out. On Sunday morning the boys woke up to some nice surprises from the Easter Bunny. Saturday night we had a conversation that went something like this:

"Carter, do you know who's coming tonight?"
"Ho HO Claus!?"
"No, The EASTER BUNNY"
"Oh Wowee! ~pause~ Ho Ho Claus take Carter's binky, Bunny Rabbit bring back Carter's binky? Carter have binky like baby Carter again?"
"No, remember, Santa took Carter's binkies in exchange for presents."
"Bunny Rabbit bring Carter presents?"
"Yes!"
"And binkies?"
"No."
"Waaaaaaaaaaahhhh"

Carter soon forgot about it and was so happy to have a ton of tiny play-doh's and HIS VERY OWN PERSONAL BASEBALL AND BASEBALL BAT! He hasn't put them down since. We invited some single guys to Easter Dinner on Sunday. Cory was kind enough to take Carter to the Easter brunch at the O'Club so I could start cooking. They met the Easter bunny and had a good breakfast with several of our married friends who were there as well. I was really proud of myself for the Easter dinner and even made my own carrot cake from scratch! I was even more proud of myself for doling out every single leftover so that we wouldn't be tempted by them all week and stray from our diets! Speaking of diets, Cory and I both lost 5 pounds this week! Woo-hoo!

Read this NOW

Here's my soapbox. I feel so stongly about this I could scream.

http://www.dooce.com/2009/04/07/word-or-two-about-vaccinations

Dooce sums up my feelings perfectly

Fatty McFat Pants

I've been moaning and groaning about my postpartum weight now for oh...since the day Clay was born and I've decided I hate it when people bitch about things and do nothing to fix them.
So, the huz and I have decided we're going to lose weight, together. We've signed up for Weight Watchers and it's a count down from now on out. Today was our first day and Cory's done much better than I have. Without realizing what I was doing I wasted a ton of 'points' on orange juice this morning and so I was really hungry the rest of the day. I tried to fill myself with some "zero pointers" but I'm just not in the habit of eating raw veggies. Both Cory and I want to eat healthier and be in shape, especially as role models for the boys.
I know some people are thinking, "OMG you don't need to be on a diet, blah blah blah." but I plan on having a few more kids and I've started GAINING weight now with what I'm eating. If I keep on an extra 15-20 lbs every time I have another kid I'll have a LOT more weight to lose later, and I'll be older, and it'll be harder.
It's much easier to lose this smaller amount right now. And, I want to feel good about the way I look, not have the desire to only look at "face-up" mirrors.


So here's to string bikinis after two kids!

Keys

Several of my friends I won't mention any names (Anna and Anna) have, on occassion, made fun of my keys. They take them in their hands and laugh about how useless 99% of the items are.



Little do they know, that I think in the future. I plan on leaving this joint one day and be able to rack up DSW points again, or that I won't have to resubscribe to Blockbuster. I won't have to send in that dumb little postcard with my info on it for another PetPerks card, ACE hardware card, or Fry's Grocery card.

When I'm enjoying shopping, both of them will be in wrist ace bandages from carpal tunnel from filling out all of their rewards cards.

And yes, I DO need keys to our file drawer at all times, Yes, I support March of Dimes.
Yes, one day I might need to get into my parents house in Texas while they're not there and yes I might need that key to my clarinet crystal mouthpiece case that I had in high school!