Kids and Great Grandparents

I very vaguely remember my great grandparents. I think most of my memories are actually just pictures and home videos that I remember.

I remember MaPrewitt the most. I remember MaBettie bringing me to the Nursing home almost every day when I would come to visit. MaBettie would make one of us (the grandchildren) go with her, and since I was the youngest at the time, I was elected to go.
I remember being so scared of that hallway. MaPrewitt was at the end of a very long hallway and always in the bed. But there were a lot of other people who sat outside their rooms and tried to reach at me and talk to me. I didn't understand (at 5 or 6 years old) that they were just longing for human touch, and never saw young children in there.

I remember eating a green snocone right before we went to the nursing home one day and having an asthma attack when we got there. I remember MaBettie setting me in front of the swamp cooler and telling me to breathe in that cold air and to calm down and I would be fine.

Those are the only real memories I have of my great grandparents. I know the home video of us being at Ma and PaBurchfield's house. I watched it over and over again as a little girl. And I know the hundreds of stories Mama told me about them. My favorite was always the story about my mom and her sisters playing dress up with big floppy hats and then trying to get in a crate behind the mule. Their hats spooked the mule and he jumped the fence and PaBurchfield had to chase after him.

I have countless good memories of spending time with MaBettie and Grandad. So it's only natural to want my kids to have the same. I was so glad that we were able to stop and spend some time with them on our way through to Florida.



Vivi and Grandad





Vivi and MaBettie



Mom's Survival Kit in 2010

In every house we've lived in, I collect my to-do things on the corner of our bar. It's a place I pass by often, and things that need to be left out for a particular reason stay there until I deal with them, then I put them away.
On this particular day, I found my leave out pile rather interesting.

I'll send a prize to the person who can come up with the best story for why I needed all of these at the same time. Items are as follows:

a sippy cup
empty box of yogurt raisins
Pottery Barn Halloween Magazine
cocktail recipe book
utility knife
pair of poopy bloomer pants

You've got 3 days :)

Carter's New School

Carter started preschool today. He was sad to leave his friends and teachers at the CDC at Edwards, and I was really nervous about starting all over with the crying and sulking for two weeks again, but since we've been here for about 2 weeks, it's time for him to go back to school.
Cory was able to go with me and tour some schools last week.
We decided on a place called Montessori Children's House.
It's a very cute, red little school house outside the city limits.
There are 3 teachers and 24 kids in his class. They are separated into groups of two, and switch classes once per day.
They work on letters and numbers and writing and recognizing words. They have directed work time, and free time and are taught to be self reliant. He'll go Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:45-3.
And while I was nervous for him to go today, the teacher said he did wonderful and made friends and didn't cry at all!
In fact they have a drive-thru system at drop off and pickup (ohmygosh, it's my dream come TRUE!) And this morning, he just hopped out and walked right in! No tears, no anxiety. He was ready!

I am so proud of him and can't wait to see all the fascinating things he'll learn.

What he's not showing you is his Star Wars lunch box that he was so excited about.
He was holding it behind his back back to surprise everyone at lunch time.

Our friend Jenna took our family portraits. I've been trying to get family pictures for almost 2 years now. I wanted something that wasn't in a studio. My kids CAN'T SIT STILL in a studio. I wanted someone who would be patient, someone who was creative. Someone who didn't mind that my 2 ambulatory children can simultaneously run in 4 different directions.




I also wanted someone who didn't charge me $1,000.




I had a friend who took pictures in Korea. I was stoked to finally get some, and the morning we were getting ready, one of my best friends called to tell me she was in the hospital because her water broke...13 weeks early.

Needless to say, that day was spent making phone calls and getting to Seoul. Not taking pictures.




We called the shoot off 2 different times that day. It was raining and bitter cold. I was so upset because we were destined to not have good family pictures! It was our only shot (since she was booked solid until after we were to PCS) and I told her unless it was physically raining, I wanted them. Alas, the sun came out! It was still very cold, and we did all the pictures in 30 minutes. But I didn't care. I finally got my pictures, and they're great! Don't you think?

Christmas Morning 2010

I was thrilled that I got to spend Christmas with my parents AND my brother and sister in law. I haven't spent Christmas with all of them since sometime in high school I think. The last time I spent Christmas with my parents was right before Cory and I were married 5 years ago.

We all crammed into my parents house. It was crazy, and the house was a DISASTER with all the kids, and eating, and cooking, and presents...but definitely a memory that will last a lifetime. I hope it's not 8+ years before we do it again.

Santa brought a kitchen!

Clay loves to makes something and shout out, "Dinner's Ready!"

Vivi got a maraca in her stocking. Perfect.

If you look closely, you can see Clay's smile as he sees that it's Jesse the Cowgirl

The same thing here. Carter was stoked to get Slinky Dog

Clay loooooooves him some basketball.

And, he's great at it.

TPS Gradution

I still think that December of 2009 was the craziest, busiest year OF MY LIFE. So I'm just going to apologize that blogging wasn't in the forefront of my life during the 4 weeks that we were in charge of TPS graduation (That's equivalent to throwing a wedding for 400+ people, just so you know), hosted guests, moved out of our house, painted said house eleventy times to pass our final housing inspection, drove half way across the country, lived in a 1200 sq ft house with 10 people (whom I love and appreciate dearly) had husband recover from an emergency appendectomy, tried to go out and celebrate our 5th year anniversary all the while knowing that the baby is screaming at home because she is insulted that my mother would dare GIVE HER A BOTTLE, drive the rest of the way across the country with 3 kids and a dog and a spider that fell into my lap somewhere around Pensacola, FL. paint new house, move into new house, unpack 13,000 lbs of goods, contract for a fence, find a preschool, and then pass out every night at midnight with my mouth still hanging open....probably hatching baby spider eggs that are still hiding on me somewhere. I can feel it.


However, at the beginning of all that madness, Cory graduated from Test Pilot School!
How awesome is that? He's a real life test pilot! And I'm married to him? I don't know how to do a lot of things, but I CAN pick a darn good husband.

He won most studly Test Pilot...(okay just kidding, but in my contest he did)

Us and my parents

Cory getting his 2nd Masters Degree...jerk

Bob Hoover was our speaker! Way cool!

My best buds, Oh, I miss you Amber!

The Spouses of TPS class 10A

And...all the students

Cory and me in front of the MiG 15 - and yes, Cory flew it!

In front of the flight line at Edwards for the last time (well, for about 3 years anyway)

Father teaching son how to fly an F16.

I think he'll need a phone book.

Carter getting his 'diploma' from TPS.

Clayton

A handful of the kiddos getting antsy during the Commandants speech

...the patch...

Carter, you're 4!

Dear Carter,

This has been one of the busiest months of my life. Therefore, it's been one of your busiest too. You have done remarkably well with all the change and I am very much looking forward to this next year with you.
2 was a very hard year for us, 3 was almost harder but I have a lot of hope for 4. About 2 months ago, our daily battles began waning and we have been able to overcome a lot of our struggles with each other.

It is so hard as a mom to not know what 'works' with you for so long. My default style of parenting was making your outbursts and tantrums even worse, and it took me awhile to realize it. We have really come a long way since I was able to take a step back and re-evaluate our problems. It's something I recommend every parent of a strong willed child do, from time to time. It has given us a new lease on our relationship and for that, I am forever thankful.

I don't want people to read this and think all I have to say is negative. I have a lot of good to say. I love you, of course I do, you're my son. But because I love you, I want to remember our time how it really was. This blog is my real life journal. My real life feelings and memories. It's not something I do just to waste time on the computer. Since I am not good at keeping mementos, or scrapbooks or baby books, this is it. And I want to write about everything, the wonderful times as well as the hard times. I want you to read this when you have toddlers of your own and realize that it's not easy for ANYONE and that you're not alone, and that you can come to me and your father, because we've been there, and here's the proof.




You are incredibly intelligent and compassionate. For as much of a rule breaker you are, you are such a rule follower. You get so upset when people don't follow the right rules or do things the way you know them to be done. You thrive on schedule and routine. You love your family and your dog very very much. You love spending one on one time with mama and daddy, and you love arguing with your brother. Sometimes you don't even know what y'all are fighting about....but you have to disagree.

You do love Clay and tell him he's your best friend. However, when you don't like something he's doing, you tell him,"You're not my friend anymore!". I'm assuming you learned that at school?
Your last day of PDE at Edwards was on Friday and your teachers were very sad to see you leave. They made you a very special poster of pictures to remember them by. I am also sad to see you leave them. You liked Ms Grace and Ms Amanda very much.
We have been talking about your new school in FL, and you tell me that you won't cry when you go 3 times. That's when you'll get used to it, and you won't need to cry after that. I tried to explain that you don't need to cry on the first time, but you've got it stuck in your head for some reason.

You are very good at identifying letters and numbers and simple words. You believe that you already know how to read because you have memorized lots of books. Therefore, you don't ever let me try to work on it with you. Ugh.

You love anything with dinosaurs and can identify a lot of them. You also really like Star Wars, guns and swords and He-Man.
You are so much....BOY and I am surprised at how much of a KID you are now. There's no baby left in you. You are so coordinated, so articulate and so smart. You are so stubborn, strong willed and I love you.

You love adding and puzzles and 'reading' books. You are very nervous that I have mentioned taking off your training wheels. You do not like to keep trying at things, you want to be good at things the first time.

I love you and you are my special first born. You are my big boy, you are so bright, and you can do anything. Happy 4th Birthday!