Makes me Scratch my Head

*edited since original post*


I've got to do another post on my precious second born child. She's my quiet one, for the most part. Trouble doesn't find her like a heat seeking missile. Contrary to The Boy. She doesn't talk ninety miles an hour in a bid for the fastest mouth like her sister. She just skims it right below the radar. I see her winning on Survivor one day.


A week or so ago, when we were walking in to W-mart, the greeter dude was handing out 3-D glasses. She and The Boy both got a pair. I didn't think twice about it. Later, I was informed that these were for some concert the mouse channel was putting on. Ahhh. I had confiscated The Boy's pair while shopping and I remembered putting them in the truck somewhere. Kenna had misplaced hers so these that were left? Were golden.



Last night was the concert. THE concert, Internets. It was *Lilly Louisiana*. Where the use of 3-D glasses were required. My girl was all a twitter over it.



Showtime.



Squeeeeeeeeeeeaaaalllll.



Bouncy bouncy bounce.



Wringing hands.



Can I just say it's murder on the eyes to watch a concert/show in 3-D with no glasses.



I watched her fondly and recalled a night many years ago when I was around 14. It was a concert on HBO. My best friend at the time, Michelle (not of Tiddly Winks fame), and I were at a family friend's home watching Duran Duran in concert. We squealed. We bounced. We wrung hands. We sang every word to every song and almost cried when it was over because we were unable to record it on the VCR.



What a girly girl my baby was. The Man and I weren't too thrilled to watch it, but we did because she was just enthralled.



Now, we get to tonight.



We're watching a movie while waiting on our show to come on. Right at the good part, we see the timer come on in the corner of the screen indicating that it was going to start recording in two minutes. What?? My husband asked what was set up to record and went to check the schedule.



Myth Busters? What?? He went to skip the recording so we could finish what we were watching and Kenna jumped up and hollered...."Wait, I gotta go to the other side and set it up. Jaime is wrestling a shark tonight!" Then she took off.



She knows their names? On Myth Busters? Apparently one of her favorite shows.



Along with Avatar. And Harry P*tter.



I don't get her. At all.



She makes me scratch my head.

Singing along and knowing every single word.

No shame. What so ever.

**Apparently the Lilly Louisianna threw people off. This is my play on words. I'm referring to Billy Ray's daughter who has her own show with the state Montanna used in the name. Hope this helps those are unfamiliar with the tween shows! Sorry for the confusion.**

Sleeping In

Sleeping in. What the heck is that? Three kids later and I can't remember for the life of me what that is.

I lie. I can remember. When my girls were younger, I could sleep a little bit later on Saturday. Paige has been self sufficient since an early age. She may have been premature and got here seven and a half weeks early, but that sister has been trying to take care of herself since she was around 4. When she was 7 and her sister was 2, she could fix them a bowl of cereal and hang out with cartoons for a short while. She'd even change her sister's diaper if it smelled bad enough.

The Boy is 4. He is nowhere near that capable. I know. I know. You aren't supposed to compare kids because they're all different and yadda yadda yadda. He, under NO circumstances, can be left unattended. For even five minutes. Sure, he might get up, turn the television on, and settle in for a good 30 minutes if the show is good enough. But, chances are, during that 30 minutes, he'll start hollering for milk. And you better get up and fix it or he'll do it himself. It's better to just get up. The resulting mess of dozing even 3 more minutes isn't worth it.

The Boy is a morning person. Mama is not. Never has been. I have had to learn to be one, though. After 30 something odd years, I have learned to be a morning person. I don't even fight it anymore. There's no use. I foresee having to do this indefinitely. Now, The Man will get up with him normally on weekends. I sleep til when? 8:00 a.m.? I might get a 9:00 a.m. out of it if The Boy isn't loud and into his Power Ranger shows. I guess you can consider that sleeping in if you've never enjoyed sleeping through breakfast, dozing through brunch, and awaking to a lovely lunch.

Now? I get it on up and pour a cup of coffee before I even open my eyes good. I sit down with the laptop and start tooling around while surrounded by the sounds of children's television viewing. I'm not functioning at 100%, but I'm up and that Boy is supervised.

Thing is? I'm still a night owl at heart. I can't help it. I love night time. I love watching the television. I love night. I tell myself I'm going to bed at a decent time, yet midnight will come quickly. I lay in bed to go to sleep and as I look at the red numbers on the clock, I automatically start counting how long I have to sleep.

What I can't handle now? Afternoons. They KILL me. I can do the mornings and love the nights. Afternoons are my downfall. My gas tank is empty and I am falling down on the job. I find myself inching towards the recliner (which I will testify in a court of law has ether in the material), telling The Boy he has to come sit with me. I find that if I can close my eyes for 30 minutes to an hour....I might just make it. I love my afternoon snooze. I crave it. It's like an unexpected calorie free chocolate dessert in my eyes. Too bad I can't claim it every day.

Even at the supper table last night we were telling The Boy that he was going to have to lay down at school and rest. Which made him lift an eyebrow. Paige said....Man, I wish I could lay down after lunch at school. That would rock. The visual in my mind was of all those thousands of high school kids laid out in the hallways, heads on desks, earbuds in their ears...snoozing away. It might not be a bad idea.

What a long post about sleeping in! Or not being able to sleep in.

What are the chances of me finding a job (when my nest is empty- or doesn't need me at home ALL the time) where an afternoon siesta is a normal course of action? I love that commercial where all the adults are sleeping on the office floor with mats and blankies. It tickles me every single time.

Sleeping in. Maybe I'll discover it again. One day.

Peeve-ish

I hate answering machines. I can't really explain it coherently, but I hate them. In fact, I don't own one. Correction. There's no answering machine at my house. I refuse to buy phones that obligingly come with a built in answering machine. They bug me.

I don't like voice mail, either. My V-carrier uses voice mail and apparently it's part and parcel with my cell phone. So what did I do? I left a voice mail that informs the caller that I don't check my voice mail and you'd be better off to send me a text message. You can use your own discretion. I might check voice mail once every 6 months. That is no joke. Got witnesses who can vouch that my voice mail message says so.

I'll leave a message on someone else's answering machine, but only if I HAVE to. I figure, for the most part, that caller I.D. abounds these days and they can see who has called them if they are so inclined.

Paranoia rules me over having my voice recorded. I sound like a backwards hick and it grates my butt to hear myself recorded. So goes the curse of having a Southern accent.

Another thing that craws my very butt is people who call my house and let it ring. Didn't your Mama teach you that six rings on your end is sufficient? To let it ring for 25 rings is downright rude. If I am not answering the phone by the sixth ring? Then....I MIGHT BE BUSY AND UNABLE TO DO SO!! Think about it, would you? I have internet and cell phones, and electricity...and don't forget satellite television. It would stand to reason that I would have caller I.D. also. I can provide witnesses (again)(I think I might have been a lawyer in a previous life) who will say that they've called and gotten no answer and I've called them back momentarily apologizing and then inquiring as to what they needed.

I have had to a few "Come to Jesus" talks with Paige's friends who call and find it necessary to let it ring until the end of time. I embarrass (what else is new?) her to no end, but I tell her that if their parents aren't going to teach them proper manners, then I'll sure do my best to.

It might take me an extra moment to answer my cell phone because I have "Brown Eyed Girl" as my ringer and we all enjoying dancing a little bit and singing before cutting off that song goodness. The ringer makes us happy. I got unlimited text on the blooming thing, so use it if you need to!

I was just busy as all get out a while ago and someone called my house and I promise you...they let it ring over 15 times. I quit counting after that. I was unable to get to the phone to answer it but my blood pressure was climbing as it rang over and over and over again. If I had had a gun? Yeah. I would be without a home phone right now.

Miss Hope might answer the phone with a smile, but if you let that sucker ring over 20 times? You do not want to be reading my mind at that particular moment.

No big plans for the weekend here. Got a few cleaning details I want us to take care of tomorrow and I might find a few minutes to take Paige shopping for some jeans for school. You know...the place my children go and will be starting attendance NEXT FRIDAY. I am all a quiver with excitement. The Boy starts August 4th, but I'm cool. I'll have one last day at home with just the two of us. We might even go do lunch.

Keep an umbrella handy if you're in the area. God forgot to turn the faucet off.

There Are Times

There are times in the life of a family where there is give and there is take.

For instance, when children are small, they have no qualms about pitching fits in public. I'm talking meltdowns of massive proportions where each sound out of their sweet mouths is blood curdling and you totally expect some kind of law enforcement to show up and demand to know what you are doing to this poor innocent soul. (Can you tell I've been there recently?)

Then, by Jove, these precious human beings that you lovingly gestated underneath your very own heart will grow to be teenagers. Every breath you take will embarrass them to no end. You have to watch every sound you make lest it send them into anxiety land where all the other teenagers reside who have parents with no ability to know what set them off. You mostly tolerate this because, believe it or not? You can remember when you, yourself, were a teenager and would slump down in the back seat to avoid being seen with your so not cool parents.

In between those tantrum meltdown years of toddlerhood and the tantrum throwing meltdown years of teenage-dom, you got semi-normal kids.

Like my Kenna. God love her. I know I do. I hated to do this, but I must arm myself for the future, Internets. I have to bank my own personal store of blackmail, so to speak. I'm already getting the occasional eye roll from her, so that leads me to believe she will hit the teen years wide open.

I said all of that to show you this:

This is what happens when you have a sleep over the night before and you think staying up until 2 a.m. is a cool thing to do and then you get up really early the next morning. Five minutes in the vehicle and you are out like a light. The kid next to you that is screaming doesn't faze you a bit.

This is the screaming kid next to the sleeping kid who has been pretending all day long to be a puppy. He has also lost his mind when observing that Mama was taking pictures of MuMu and not him. Therefore, to make the high pitch screaming stop? Mama takes a picture of him so he will just.shut.up.

For Me????

The other day I was visitin' all my blogging friends, when I saw over on Chelle's blog she was giving away some kind of award. What??? I was just minding my own business and she decided to grace me with a cool little thang to put to the side of my writing for all to see. There's a catch, though. I have to pass the love on. I believe I might be up to the task.

7 people have to feel the love.

Do I even know 7 people? Of course, I do!

Let's see now.....

1. Get off My Lawn comes to mind. He's up Canada way and I enjoy his thought provoking posts. He and Miss Sugar (the Misses) are two people I admire a great deal. They are in the middle of nowhere doing their best to educate. Family is nowhere near and although snow shoe'ing is probably a lot of fun....I'm sure it might get a little old after a while. He walks on frozen water on a regular basis! I just can't fathom it. How about pay him a visit and tell him Miss Hope sent you North.

2.Coty at lovemarriagecarriage makes me smile. She's a fellow sub-wife with the most precious baby boy. I know for a fact that he's as cute in person and I can even go as far to say he has the best neck sugar in town.

I am so proud of her in so many ways. She knows I got love for her.

3. Miss Krys. I can honestly say this is one good blogging friend here. We email each other outside of blogging and I feel sure we will meet one day in person. She has such a busy full life. I enjoy reading about her bizness and hope you do, too.

4. Then we have Cat. I admire Cat like nobody's business. She is amazing and probably the strongest person I know. Her writing touches me as you "feel" what she is trying to say. If I can read something and it draws a tear? It's good stuff. I hope she never stops writing.

5. I was torn over this one and I'll tell you why. I gotta recognize my guy Hung. He now has a private blog, but he and I go way back. The link I have to the right takes you to his old blog where he stills has a good stuff hanging around. He is a lover of 80's music and movies. That was our time, Internets! He never fails to put up a good tune or video. He reminds us the classic movies...you know the ones made in the 80's? Even if you can't see the new one, I gotta do a little recognition.

6. Next is Boy Crazy. This lady has her hands full with two boys and a surprise little girl. I get the biggest kick out of reading about her life. I am still jealous of her new home and know how she feels with having a kid that gets into EVERYTHING. She's a smart cookie doing her best.

7. I have to save the best for last here. Because The Man is the best in my eyes. He hasn't been able to blog much in the past month due to his surgery and recovery. He is very passionate about his political views. TRUST ME. When friends bring up politics? I groan and bury my head in my heads. He's educated himself and can back his views up with references. He's anal that way, you know.

I have the coolest list of places I visit on a regular basis. Some have already received this particular award and so they should have. I am sorry I couldn't just put up the whole blooming list and share the love with everyone I know.

Miss Pike, of the Pikes Pickles fame, blessed me with a sweet gift the other day. (look to the right) She's a fellow Navy Wife that I do believe I shall claim as a friend. Her oldest is heading off to college this Fall on the East Coast (while leaving Mama on the West Coast (sorry Stef for the reminder)). I have offered to step up and be the East Coast Mama (I see a tshirt in there somewhere). If I'm lucky? I'll get to meet this beautiful young lady and hopefully give her Mama a tiny peace of mind!

That concludes Miss Hope's award ceremony. I hope you enjoyed your commercial free entertainment, coffee, and complimentary chocolates (sugar free for my Mama and those who prefer it that way-although I can't imagine anyone eating sugar free anything on purpose unless dictated by health.).

Surprise!

Miss Hope got one pulled over on her this weekend, Internets.

Three weeks ago, my friend Lu told me she was coming for a visit. It had been a while and she and her girls needed to come to Georgia visitin'. I wasn't going to argue because my side of the family tree doesn't come for visits hardly at all. I was excited about their arrival because it was the weekend of my Chief's Wives meeting and I wanted her to meet all my people I've found here.

She pulled up in front of our house after a long drive filled with rain and stupid drivers on the interstate. We all went out to greet her and she told me to open the back door of her vehicle to let her girls out. I opened the door....

AND THERE WAS MY MAMA!!!

I was thrilled beyond words as I threw my arms around her. I had tears in my eyes and kept saying, "My Mama is here!" I can't tell you how happy I was.

I had mentioned a week or so ago that I wished she would come and visit with Lu. She hemmed and hawed and I just gave up because I figured she wouldn't. I almost got miffed over it and then did my best to shrug it off.

What's one of the first things Mak said to her? "Nana? Can you cook for us?" Of course, Nana complied. Before we went out to supper for my "meeting" on Saturday evening, she whipped up some chicken and rice, butter beans (she brought me a few bags of that goodness), and fried squash. My husband was not bothered with watching all the kids because he had some of Southern good cooking to eat while we were gone.

During the day Saturday, I was able to take them downtown to do some looking and shopping. I had to purchase a birthday gift and they (Lu and Mama) had no problems with looking and a purchase here and there. I took them to a quaint little tea shop that has amazing food. I know local friends who read this will know exactly where I'm talking about. That's good stuff, right girls?

Alas, the visit was short as they left to go back yesterday around noon. I really hated to see them drive off. Lu? Girl, you rock for bringing my Mama along with you.

Now I get to start my count down to the school starting NEXT FRIDAY. You read that right. I send The Man back to work tomorrow pretty much healed from his surgery. That Man needs to go back to work. He's had most of the summer off and that's just not natural. He'll still be wrapped up til mid-week, but he'll survive. Paige has FOUR book reports due the second day of school. I've been on her all summer long to take care of them. She is now seeing she might need to do some major work. No Sir. I do not feel sorry for her at all.

Visitors have left the Edge...and there have been plenty of them this summer of 2008. Now it's time for Miss Hope to kick it up a notch. I've got stuff on my plate that needs to be done. No rest for the weary.

Another Boy Story

I have told this story to a few friends here because it has just tickled me to no end.

We have been riding The Boy on being careful about Dad. He's always used The Man as his personal jungle gym. They wrestle on the bed (which makes me unhappy as it's MY bed) when Dad gets home from work and is changing out of his uniform. They pretend box at the drop of a hat, throwing up hands so the other can practice a left hook. The Man being injured has really put a damper on their activities and it's been hard on the kid. He can only understand so much at age 4, you know?

The Boy does very well sleeping in his own bed. Every once in a while, he'll come climb in with us in the middle of the night. We're cool with that. We've had to stop those night time trips because he tends to kick every once in a while and that's a definite no-no on The Man's abdomen. He's been pretty compliant with this, which is surprising. The kid is nothing but stubborn and determined.

The other morning....REALLY early...he came into our room.

The Man was on his side with his back to The Boy. Very gently, that boy tapped his Dad on the butt.


The Boy: "Dad."

*tap*tap*tap

The Boy: "Dad."

The Man: "What, Son?"

The Boy: "All the lights are on in the livin' woom."

The Man: "What?"

The Boy: "All the lights are on in the livin' woom."

The Man: "Who turned on all the lights in the living room???"

The Boy: "I did."

I have gotten the best laugh out of this. My son went on to inform his Dad that he needed to get up since the lights were on. And he did.

I'm so glad he doesn't do this to me.

Over Already?

This is going to be a catch-up post as I blinked and a month was gone out of my life.

The Mom-in-Law left out this morning for her driving trek back to the mid-west. She arrived exactly a month ago and time just flew so fast. I tried to convince her to stay just a little while longer, but she has obligations back home she needs to take care of. We get a little selfish when we have her because there's so much time between visits. The two of us meshed into living together with no problems. My goal and aim was for her to have a true vacation where she could relax and enjoy being with her son and grankids (and me too, of course). Besides getting sick a good solid week, I'm pretty sure she accomplished her mission. I hate to see her leave because it leaves a hole here in our home. A hole that takes a while to close back up because we miss her. I will forever be grateful she was here for The Man's surgery. With her backup, I was able to take even better care of him. I'm pretty sure when she would make him a sandwich or get him something to drink....he felt even better being taken care of by his Mom. All I know is she will be missed. A lot. Safe travels home, Mrs. M.!!!

The Man had his follow-up appointment yesterday. The love of a good woman is seeing that man to a full recovery. I have been on top of the instructions that were given to me at the hospital. I got an argument here and there, but we all know he was high as a kite at the hospital and therefore, has no clue if I was telling the truth or not. As a result? He pretty much listened to me. (You gotta love good legal drugs.) He's doing so well, he was given driving privileges and you know I handed those keys back over for the drive home. I am not about driving down in the Jacksonville area. Those people are crazy! Add in the fact that I'm driving the equivalent of a small bus. Oh yeah. I'll do it if I have to, but I won't like it. The Man will be heading back to work the first of next week while I prepare for another Compass session. Golf will still have to wait a month for him. I believe that was the first question he asked the doctor. From the Doc.'s reaction? He's used to golf having high priority.

Pardon me a moment whilst I do a small happy dance. The girls start back to school in 16 days and The Boy starts back in 19 more days. Miss Hope has started picking up school supplies in preparation. Clothes have been bought along and along. I almost started to piss and moan about how hot it was here and how it never seems to cool off but for one six week time period around January. Now? I realize I can buy shorts and tshirts and really get my money's worth out of them. How can I argue with that?

Time to get cranked up again. Lu and her girls are coming to see us this weekend. I haven't had any true girl time with her in forever so I'm really looking forward to it. Makenna and the twins will be inseparable with lots of giggles thrown in. Monday will find me working on our upcoming Compass session. It's busy work for two weeks leading up to and the week of, but I believe it is so worth it in the end.

Right now, though? I'm going to take me a little time and go visit some other homes in this great land of ours and do some blog reading and commenting. I got a nice big cup of coffee, The Man is dozing in the recliner, and The Boy has his new favorite show on. Be warned. I'll be snooping around to see if you got any chocolate!

Recovery Room-Edge Style

The Man had him some surgery this past Wednesday. For those of you just joining in? Here's a past reference so you can catch up. I figured since I had diagnosed him initially, I'd let a professional do the actual surgery. I don't dig the thought of messing with guts and blood.

We headed out before dawn Wednesday morning for the drive to the Naval Hospital in JAX. Man, that is one busy town early in the a.m. We arrived with just a few minutes to spare.

Can I stop the story a second here? Thank you.

As we all know, I come from a civilian world. Civilian hospitals and what not. I am not accustomed to seeing an abundance of male nurses (a.k.a. corpsmen) in military uniform. I am not accustomed to being in such an old looking facility. I am not accustomed to the snarly looking faces and the lack of personality. When I worked for a hospital, we took training on how to deal with the public. When we wore the name tag with the facility name on it? We had to keep a smile on our face and greet all visitors with friendliness and offers of help. Not the case here. The only people who offered to help were in khaki uniforms. I did not feel good about this as we found our way upstairs to check in.

*Now to the rest of the story*

We were shown The Man's room and preparations started. The Man Upstairs must've known my anxiety was starting to climb because he sent the absolute bestest corpsman to my husband. He just oozed personality. Told stories of his home (St. Thomas-Virgin Islands) to keep us entertained. He was incredible and I was appreciative of his thoughtfulness. Instead of getting off at end of his shift, he ended up staying as long we did. I hated it for him, but was glad to have such an attentive person for my husband.

It wasn't long before The Man headed to surgery. Mrs. M. (who, God bless her, went with us) and I grabbed a bite to eat and settle in to wait. I was starting to get antsy and worried when his hour and a half surgery was trying to turn into a three hour wait. The doctor finally came out and filled me on how things went well. Whew. We headed downstairs to pick up his medicine and call family members awaiting news.

When we got back upstairs to his room, he was being wheeled in. Let me tell ya, that man was feeling NO pain. We got quite a few chuckles out of him. Apparently, they had to use a Foley catheter to drain the bladder so as to see the area better. Well, crap. Anyone who has had one of these done can tell you going to the bathroom that first time is almost impossible to do. (speaking from experience here) Many ounces of juice/water/soda/coffee later....he finally was able to do enough to deem him able to go home. I was helping him get dressed to go and he made the comment that he felt like The Boy (I was holding his pants for him to step into). I told him I was a professional at helping people get dressed, so he was in good hands. I didn't remind him that the people I help are usually a lot younger and shorter than me. Pants are pants, people!

It made for a long day and driving home (again, during the beginning of rush hour) was hard. I was tired and had this individual high on pain killers beside me. He kept coming and going .....suffice it to say he had great entertainment value.

It's been a good couple of days. Pain killers are the key the first few days and he's doing way better than I anticipated. Today was shower day and when I unwrapped him (he's bound around the waist), I was met with what I didn't expect. Was I supposed to take the bandages off? Was I supposed to leave them? After a call to the hospital, where I was transferred a half dozen times, I spoke to the doctor himself! How about that? He was great to talk to and said all sounded fine. I was told how to handle the bandages and if I had any questions, to please don't hesitate to call back. I was shocked I spoke to the doctor. Score for the Naval Hospital on that one. We go next Tuesday for a follow-up. If he keeps going like he is? I think all will be just fine.

In fact? He's sitting at the table right now doing homework for Statistics. Shoot. I'd be all over the couch doing what little I could. I'm just saying. I think those pain pills are working a little TOO well.

Have a good weekend, Internet. We're keeping it cool and on the interior. The Jaw-ja Skeeters are out hunting prey.

Like I said...he was feeling nooooooo pain.

Check it out!!

I am a blog skipping reading junkie. I love to read about every one else's bizness. On a regular basis. I'll read comments when I post my own and if another comment looks interesting enough? I'll take it upon myself to head on over to their "house" and sit for a visit.

While doing this a few weeks ago, I came across a new blog that was save-worthy. That means it got added to my favorites so I could visit more often. I discovered this blogger had another blog where she would review new products and what not. Oh, how I want a job like that. I would be the perfect person to do such a thing. I know lots of adjectives and am so not afraid to speak my mind. (I got people who'll testify to that one!)

I stopped in for a visit last week to find out there was a giveaway going on! What?? I wanted to play so I surely left a comment. The product was too cute and I already had visions as to what I could do with it.

I won!!!

First time EVAH. I was beyond thrilled. The company contacted me via email and got the information to get that prize sent to The Edge. Prize was received yesterday! And it's even better than what I've seen online.

Without further ado.......

Please visit Musings of a HouseWife to see what she's got going on. I already see another set of goodies ready to be won! Then, head on over to Reviewsings to see what Miss Hope won. Cuz my name is there in all its glory. PakNak charms were the prize, and I'm telling you, they are adorable in person. As soon as I figure out what exactly I'm going to do with them, I'll let you know!

Please go visit the above sites and see what it's all about. I'm still tickled to have won something and those PakNak ladies were on the ball getting it shipped out!

Proof that Miss Hope won her a little something:

I LOVE the size of the charms. Peace sign-Paige's. Pink flower-Kenna's. Bug with green head- The Boy's. Green frog-not sure yet. Dolphins- something to do with my hubby being a submariner....just not exactly sure where the brain storming is going to lead.

*Ding*Ding*Ding* goes the Trolley.....

We wanted to do something fun while both of The Man's parents were visiting. It was decided we would head down into Florida to Saint Augustine for some Trolley riding fun. This way, we could see the entire town and Mr. C. wouldn't have to do alot of walking on his bad knee. The weather was perfect and ocean breezes kept it from being miserably hot. I highly recommend doing this if you get this way. The place is just rich in history and tradition. You almost get whiplash looking left and right trying to take it all in. We had a marvelous guide on our trolley who made the experience ten times better than we could have anticipated. We chose this particular trolley company (there are two (maybe more?) there) because we found out they support the military. We tend to support those who support us. Just call it a mutual appreciation society, if you will. A quick visit to the ITT office (discount tickets place) on base scored us some cheap tickets to the Ripley's Believe it Not located in Saint Augustine. Three stories of craziness we all enjoyed...even The Boy. Mrs. M. and I drifted along at our own pace as we read every single display that was labeled.

We were right tired at the end of the day, but all agreed it was worth every single minute. I was sad not to be able to do some shopping in the market there, but I don't live that far away. I might get a chance to do so later on.

Now I get to do some Edge Show & Tell. I love me a good picture post.

One of the girls can always be found near that Poppies.

The Boy did especially well on the ride. Oh, and yeah, that's a harness he's wearing. Got to be safe when out in public!

I took a picture of MiMi taking a picture of Vitt. Confused yet?

We took quite a few pictures between two cameras. Mostly, I just wanted to share some of the beautiful buildings we saw so you'll want to come see it in person. It's shaping up to be a right decent summer here at the Edge.

Life Lesson #27

Life lessons. Gotta love 'em.

This particular lesson belongs to Kenna. She can own it and learn from it.

Last night, Mrs. M. and myself did not go watch the fireworks. Mrs. M. is still recovering from her sinusitis and I opted to sit at home with her and relax.

The crew got in late due to a delay in the fireworks display. Kenna come crying that she was STARVING. I told her to get a small something and take it on to bed. She decided to cook a toaster strudel in the microwave. Which was fine. She's done this a few times and has had success.

This was the first time she put it on a styrofoam plate.

And hit the 2 minute button.

And walked away.

By the time we (in the living room) heard the *ding* indicating that it was finished....the awful smell of something burning was rolling through the house.

We ran to the kitchen to find it thick in smoke. Windows were thrown open. The patio door was flung open. Fans were cranked up.

Have you any idea how bad styrofoam smells when it burns?

Once I saw the remains of her strudel, my heart did a little skip. That had potential to turn ugly.

Life Lesson #27: Do NOT evah put styrofoam in the microwave. Especially for two minutes.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury? I give you ............

Exhibit A. What do you think? Lesson learned?

Part 1 of the 4th of July

The Edge digs the 4th of July. It's all patriotic and stuff like that, you know. Since we're a military family, holidays related to the red, white, and blue are close to our hearts.





The day started with plans to go downtown and view the parade. This little town loves a festival. I almost believe we have one(festival) going on here or in a near by town once every other week. Our guests declined to attend with us as Mrs. M. is sick with the sinusitis. Bless her heart, it's nothing but crud and she feels horrible. She did visit a local urgent care yesterday and is now armed with drugs that should make her feel almost like new in a few more days. Mr. C. decided to stay with her in case she needed something. (I personally think he might've needed a break from The Boy's high energy level. And if that's the case? I can't say I blame him.)





The parade was slated to start at 10 a.m. and we were running late arriving downtown around 20 til the hour. The Man found a decent park to be so late. I was pissing and moaning about how away we were from the downtown area itself, with all it's goodies and booths of junk. We decided to make the best of it because the show was about to start.





From now on, we will be parking in this area. I realized quickly that floats and trucks have LOTS of goodies to throw into the crowd and they are quite anxious to get started a throwin'. Therefore, I now believe that the beginning crowd scores much more than the end. I was blown away by all the freebies being given out and we got our share.

Can you believe this? Fans, frisbees, koozies, candy, squishies, beach balls, key chains, etc etc. Crazy, isn't it???

That concludes the first part of our day. Now we'll keep it inside during the hottest part and eat good stuff. Later, our plans are to head back downtown and maybe see a booth or two before the fireworks are launched. Good times, Internets.

God Bless America.

A Request from Cat

Miss Cat has asked that I participate in a little meme she has going on over on her blog. I usually don't get involved with all that, but I like her and this one makes me think. Plus, I like to try and post something on a semi-regular basis for your viewing entertainment.

Here's the deal. Think back on the last 15 years of your life.What would you tell someone that you hadn't seen or talked to for 15 years? How would you sum up your life? You get 10 bullet points. A list of 10 things to summarize about you. At the end of your list, tag 5 more people and send on the love.

• 1993 found me married to the girls' dad. Nothing doing but I had to have the full dream by having a baby. I almost pulled a Princess Diana because Paige was born 11 months after our wedding...5 to 6 weeks early. Growing up fast took on a whole new meaning watching my baby in an incubator for almost a month.
• 1996 found me with a body makeover obsession. My marriage wasn't a dream...more like a nightmare. I sought to fix it by fixing me? Still unclear on that one. All I know is I lost 107.5 lbs to become this person that scared me. I was looking good and had a husband who was so jealous, he couldn't breathe right. I found that by being obsessed with working out and not eating kept me from going crazy over a marriage that didn't seem to be working out. It was the one thing I had control over.
• 1999 found me having Kenna. I was borderline anorexic when I got pregnant with her. I remember my Daddy looking at me and telling me if I didn't eat, he would put me somewhere and make me. I gained 80 lbs and almost had a nervous breakdown over it.
• 2001 found my baby turning 2 and by the end of the month....their dad moved out in a huff. I wouldn't let him back in. I was turning 30 and knew that I did NOT want my girls raised in a home full of a man screaming and carrying on. When he left, I found out I was stronger than I ever thought. There were quite a few people who verbally beat me down...saying I needed to take him back. I stood firm because I knew what had been happening in my home while no one else did.
• 2002 found me with a divorce under my belt and dealing with the loss of my Grandaddy. I had met The Man by this point and I was hard case. He had to date me a year before I'd let him become a part of my children's lives. In fact, he told me I loved him and that we were going to live happily ever after. I was struggling to make it on my own with two kids, but it was okay. I was making it.
• 2003 found me giving in, admitting The Man was right and marrying him. He made Chief and while he was going through a mind numbing initiation into that coveted Club, I was planning our wedding. He was pinned on the 16th, we were married on the 20th. We had one night for a honeymoon before jumping into married life.
• 2004 brought The Boy in our life. He completed our family and it was decided three kids were enough. (My uterus rejoiced over this.) I then discovered the anxiety of awaiting orders for the next duty station. And they wonder why a lot of military wives are on nerve pills. Orders came through for Norfolk and we decided to send The Man on alone as it was only supposed to be for under a year.
• 2005 was a blur for the most part. The Man headed to Norfolk in January and we rarely saw him the whole year. Six months turned into 18 months before we knew it. By Christmas, we knew he would be in Georgia the next year and I considered going to Georgia as the single parenting gig wasn't in my plans long term.
• 2006 was the most life changing year of my life thus far. We moved away from everyone we knew and our lives as we knew it. I floundered and stumbled in a new place while my husband was gone out to sea more than he was home. He got injured and we had to ride the anxiety train again not knowing how life was going to turn out.
• 2007-present. I learned that even if I am older, I can adapt and make a home and a life for our family. Issues were settled as The Man found a perfect shore duty to finish out his 20 years. We are now living life happy together. Raising our children together. Looking into a future that is still a bit cloudy past retirement, but it'll all work out. I feel sure of it.

That's the past 15 years in a nutshell for Miss Hope. There were alot of details left out, but you get the general idea. Now I get to pass the love on and ask 5 of my blogging friends to participate. Hmmmm.....who do I want to be nosy about?

I'll take:

• Pike's Pickles- I know I owe you one! I haven't forgotten!
• Miss Krys- I adore me some Miss Krys.
• Tiddly Winks- I know you don't like these things, but the past 15 years have been crazy for you, too!
• Queen of This Kingdom- fellow subwife here. She's one to be admired.
• Random Thoughts- Miss Em is another fellow subwife. The past ten years alone for her have been a wild ride!

Now I have to go shave my legs because I have the dreaded yearly woman's visit (that I haven't done in 4 years) this afternoon. Oh joy.

Reason #12 to Wake Up Quick

Paige's toilet has an issue from time to time with flushing. I think it all started when The Boy flushed his cars the first time way back when. Ever since that episode.....the poor toilet hasn't worked right.

Carla & John are bona fide home owners and therefore have some cool gadgets like a plumbing snake. I asked if we could borrow it and see if that would help Paige's toilet. They obliged and Fred decided to work on it a little while ago.

Now, during all this, Paige is sleeping in. Nothing pressing had to be done and I don't mind her sleeping in once in a while. Shoot, my own Mama let me do it when she could. (My Daddy had issues with it and would come wake me up) So, she's sleeping while Fred is in her bathroom "snaking" her toilet.

The Supervisor, also known as The Boy, got a brief lesson on what his Dad was doing. He then proceeded to run in Paige's room to say:

"SISSY! THERE'S A SNAKE IN YOUR TOILET, BUT DAD GOT IT OUT!!!"

Suffice it to say she woke right up.

Empty Shelf

I do believe I shall never win any Parent Of the Year awards. My parenting shelf is going to remain empty from here to friggin' eternity. No pretty trophies with my name anywhere on them to be found.

Remember how I said I had to make vision appointments for me and Paige? Yeah. We had those appointments today.

I am smooth. The glasses I got two years ago for night driving are just fine. I'm reading great and the eye Doctor told me keep it as it was. Sweet. No age related vision problems catching Miss Hope. That's right, Internets. I dodged the old lady reading glasses yet again!

Paige has been swearing up and down she needs glasses. So my kid loves to hang on the drama side sometimes. I'm just not a parent that goes running for medical intervention at the drop of a hat. I'll surely take you if you're sick, but please don't abuse the system people!

I informed the eye tech and eye doctor that she was wanting some glasses. I felt it my duty to forewarn them she would probably do what she could to score some. They welcomed my advice, patted me on the back, and sent me out so they could face her down.

After a short while, I saw my daughter coming down the hall way with the doctor.

Gall dangit.

She's got 30/50 vision.

Are you serious?? I honestly thought the doctor was trying to pull one over on me. She had an eye exam in July of 2006. Got fully cleared. What is up with this??

I was just floored.

I let her pick out a pair of glasses there. Very spendy, modern, perky, adorable, diva-licious glasses. I got her prescription so as to buy a cheaper spare pair.

I can't believe it.

My baby is blind!!!! At least that's what she told her Nana when she called. "I tried to tell Mama I can't see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Whatever.

Sometimes I feel like I am so screwing up this parenting gig I'm doing.

Trucking right along...

We're doing that thing. You know, where you move on along with life. Days slip by you and next thing you know? A week has passed and you didn't take care of a few things you might've needed to. I hate when that happens.

I have GOT to make myself take care of a few things that have fallen by the wayside this week. Like dental appointments for the oldest and myself. Vision tests for me and the oldest. The Boy got put in the wrong class at his new school and I got to go begging that he be changed if at all possible.

The Man is busting his statistics class wide open. He has proven that he has the self-discipline to do his work and turn in his assignments on time. So far so good on his grade. Lowest grade so far is a 94. Well, it was originally a 92, but Mr. Anal checked his work and emailed the professor about it. Mr. Professor emailed him back and said there was, indeed, an error in the book and adjusted his grade accordingly. Way to go, Man. Methinks he'll be keeping an even closer eye on returned grades from here on out.

Paige is learning Navy Brat life the hard way. Her very bestest in the whole wide world never to be replaced friend is leaving. M.B.'s dad has retired and entering the real world. And it's not here. Life is ripping these two from each other's lives and it's all just plain out sucking right now. They are already making plans to save money so they can buy plane tickets to visit. Thing is? Paige will really do it. That sister can plan a world take over if she puts her mind to it.

Instead of soccer for The Boy, we are contemplating some martial arts class. That means we are THINKING. Not committing. Because if he gets some skill in that brain of his? He might just whup up on his sisters all proper like. He's just got the energy of a nuclear power plant. I told my MIL last night that once it gets past 5:30 p.m., my nerves just go raw until he's in bed. Nothing is sweeter than putting him down for the night. You can sneak back in his room an hour later and he's sprawled out on his bed looking like he's dead. I could literally lick him then.

Mak had her first golf tournament yesterday. She and The Man left out at 11:00 a.m. for the afternoon. Lunch was served before they tee'd off. I am quite miffed that The Man didn't take pictures for me. Because I'm all about the first of anything in their lives. His reasoning is that they got started and was focused on the game, man. Whatever. There were two age groups. Each age group(8 couples) played 9 holes with a parent. Out of her age group, she placed 3rd. Yay, Mak!! She's so competitive about it all. She was huffy about how she and her team mate didn't do better. Their score was a 56. PLUS, she was the only girl competing. How cool is that? Because of that, when Mr. Golf Pro handed out caps and sleeves of balls to the kids....she got to go in the pro shop and pick out her own "hat". In the form of one very nice pink visor with built in sweatband (her words) and the golf course name embroidered on it. She was right proud of that visor. We're right proud of her. I'm glad she's found something she enjoys so much. Plus, I think the golf pro has a soft spot for her because he let her drive a golf cart.

That concludes my mini-update for all the nosy people out there in Internet Land. We're enjoying our summer, yet still looking forward to the new school year.

Life goes on. You get done what you can, when you can.

And just where have you been?

I've been visiting with family, that's where I've been.

The Man and The Boy have been kissed and hugged by three women a gazillion times a day. When The Man leaves the house, he has to go around pass out sugar to me, his mom, and his cousin before he can hit the threshold.

Paige has more female opinions to get.

Makenna has a better chance at getting some attention without Vitt sucking all of it away.

I just got things to talk about and share, but I'm tired.

Today was Mrs. M.'s birthday. We slept late. Ate a carb filled breakfast. The Man got off of work early and we headed to the beach for the late afternoon.

I had Mandi (Maker of All Cakes That Are Awesome) do a Bailey's Irish Creme Cheesecake. Trust me when I say it was beyond amazing and we are enjoying every single rich bite we can get past our locked jaws.

Let's just say good times are being held all the way around.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MRS. M!!!

I always love a Feet Picture.

We looked like a Gypsy family as we gravitated to the water.

Update....

Still on the sick side here. Coughing kills me! The Man and I have been coughing so much it's not even funny. Of course it gets worse when you lay down at night and the sinus drainage kicks in. Our past few nights have consisted mostly of dozing and trying to cough in harmony. I'd rather sleep.

Now, I'm on the fast track (isn't that a ride at Disney?) to getting my house as straight as possible before the Mom in law and The Man's cousin get here this evening. It won't be perfect but it'll be clean.

Got a big juicy roast cooking in the crock pot so supper should be mostly taken care of. Crock pots rock.

Just a small ditty to share with you from last week.

We came home from our visit to SC. Most of the time we were there, The Boy stayed with my brother and his family. The Boy refers to my sister-in-law as "Ma". Doesn't bother me a bit. He knows who Mama is.

After arriving back in Georgia, we were mostly busy with getting back into the routine and getting sick. (Lovely combination, huh?) Next thing we know? That kid is dressing himself, packing a bag, filling his pillowcase with pillow and toys, slipping on his galoshes (it was raining) and was telling us he was going to Carolina. Uh...excuse me? Yes ma'am, he informed me. He was going to Ma's house to play with Cayden. I see. When asked how he would get there, he replied "big truck". Now where this truck was coming from, we had no clue. We had to start keeping a close eye on him because he would slip out the house with all his hobo essentials to go sit on the sidewalk/curb. We believe he was awaiting the big truck to come get him for the ride to Carolina. Each time, he was brought back in kicking and screaming and crying. Poor baby. He had such a good time. Who can blame him for wanting to go back?

I just realized yesterday that I now have to purchase my boy a backpack for school. That makes it more formal, you know. I am a big fan of Land's End backpacks. Makenna has had the same one since 4k and it's not hurt a bit. I even wash the sucker when the pencil marks get bad and it's still holding like a champ. (Yeah, a little free advertising here) When asked what kind of pack he wanted, The Boy insisted it had be...what else? Green. Can do, my baby. He better like green for a long time, because Mama gets her money's worth out of these things. At least 4 years worth.

Now I must go upset my daughters' slumber. Things must be finished around here before the big arrival and I fully intend to incorporate child labor. Hey, I had to labor to get them here, didn't I? Turnabout is nothing but fair.

Ugh and Atchoooooo

I know it's been a week since I posted last. And, no, we weren't gone that long. Got back Monday.

I came home with the intentions of getting my house all ready for the mother-in-law to arrive the first of next week.

Ah. Good intentions.

When my husband was going through his health problems recently, they decided to go through his medical records. Saw that he was late on some yearly blood work (like AIDS testing, etc etc). They also saw that he didn't get his flu shot last year.

So they gave him one.

The first week of June.

Now tell me how much sense that makes???? So he missed it last year. He didn't get the flu. Catch him this year how about it?

Nope.

It made him sick.

And guess what happens when you live in close proximity of someone that is sick?

Yeah. I got the fever, chills, coughing, and all around nasty feeling.

In June.

I do not have time for this, you know. My life and all it holds does not include time for sickness.

Do you know how gross it is for your neck to sweat??? Think about it. When you're sick and got some fever going on, your neck sweats. And it's about the nastiest thing. Yuck.

I have lovely pictures from a sweet graduation I shall post soon. Right now, I just want to sit here in my chair and sip on my coffee.

And be right pissed at the Navy for doing something stupid like giving my husband a friggin flu shot this time of year.

Best Money

A few months ago, Carla and I deemed it so that we needed passes to our local water park. It's not a grand huge one, but sufficient enough to keep our 6 kids entertained. Not to mention it lets us get a better handle on our sanity. Nothing is better than kids who are worn out from sun and water. Emily got in on the deal with her sweet Noah and we have lovely times at least twice a week. Jaime grabbed the idea, too, with Jordan and we just have good get togethers! It's nice having season passes. We don't have to buy a day pass for a big family and then stay for 4-6 hours to get our moneys worth. A couple hours here and there and we got some good sleeping kids that night. There's always some one there we know to chat with and I'm pretty sure we have stock in some sunscreen company somewhere.

On Thursday evenings, the park stays open until 8 p.m. It's called Late Swim. We have decided that Thursday evenings will belong to us. We pack a picnic meal and head off for water fun around 4-5 p.m. Can't beat it with a stick. Last night was the first Late Swim of the season and we did it up in style. It was good stuff and I think we made the right decision to make this a habit.

Kids remember stuff like this, you know. They remember small things from their childhood like picnics. Driving across country when Kenna was 4, we stopped at a rest area in Mississippi for a quick lunch. She still talks about her picnic in Mississippi. The next year when we went through again, we stopped at the same area and did another picnic. I think that one small thing we did, she will remember forever. I want my kids to look back and remember the cool simple things we did as a family.

Now I'm off to pack us up for a weekend trip to South Carolina. Not looking forward to the gas it's going to take, but looking forward to seeing my people. I miss them. We all miss them. Another memory for my babies. The small road trips here and there. What grand adventures, huh? Heck, we live closer to the Mouse in Orlando than we do our home town. Methinks a trip there might be in order some time.

Have a wonderful weekend. It's graduation time all over the country. That's the purpose behind our trip. I can't wait to see this young woman I held in my arms as a baby walk in her cap and gown. Where's the waterproof mascara???

I'll leave you with the word "fun" defined:

Need a Pill

Dudes. I'm letting myself get overwhelmed here!

I got The Man's family due to arrive the end of next week. I'm so excited about seeing them I can't hardly stand it! But, the house isn't right yet. And I need it to be right. At least for the first few days. It ain't happening like I want it to. Argh!

I have to send out my very first newsletter for the Chapel program this week. D-Day, so to speak. Our first week alone. With our beloved Chaplain gone. Sink or swim time. I can't swim!!!! Where are the floaties????

We're going home this weekend for a graduation. First visit to SC without a home to go to. This doesn't faze my family there. They still have their homes. We have been put in my Grandma's house since she is ill and residing with my Aunt. Are you kidding me? You can eat off of her floors! I have three kids. Makes my nerves bad thinking about it. Plus, I have to face it head on that my home of 15 years is gone. No longer mine. I so don't want to do this.

I am not having a good rational thought kind of day. Ever have one of those? Might be a combination of PMS and the summer joy of having chaos surrounding me all day long in the form of my kids. There's no downtime to be found at all.

Add in the fact that your husband is busting his butt to do online classes in order to get a degree to better support this family and you know he has to study and work hard and you can't keep the house quiet for him and dangit it just sucks you have to do most of it but you'll do it because you know how important it is and you want to support him because you love him. It's kind of like a sea tour with no sea time. He's here in body but his mind is in the statistics book.

See?

I need a pill or something.

Dang.




p.s. And I can't believe you guys didn't think the post on The Boy wasn't funny. We're still laughing over it.

Pay Attention

We must be ever diligent in raising this boy of ours.

*Admit it...you've missed stories about The Boy.*

My son is of the independent sort. He may be only four, but in his mind and heart, he's at least ten and capable of much.

Take reading, for example. I believe he thinks he can read.

Yesterday morning, he and Kenna were watching some Saturday morning goodness, as kids have a right to do. He grabbed the remote because what was showing on the screen was not to his liking. I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention because ....well, I just wasn't. I was doing something here on the laptop (about 3 feet away).

Next thing, I know, Kenna was screaming "NOOOOOOO". She grabbed the remote from him and changed it. I asked what was going on and she said Vitt ordered a channel on the satellite. She told me to hit recall to see what it was.

I did.

Uh oh.

My son, in his Independence, had ordered the Playboy channel.

I immediately hollered for The Man to call the satellite company right that minute to tell them we most certainly did not want that channel.

He did. They were totally cool about it and made a note on our account. Which was right nice of them.

I've never had to implement parental controls except one time. That was all in my first marriage and so not worth mentioning here.

I guess it's time to brush off the parental lock here and now.

Can't have my people getting educated up on Saturday mornings.