Goodwill: Hate Me or Love Me, Here I Come!

Every transfer I have experienced with my family, we do a few things.

1. Sort into piles of: Keep and Not Keep
2. Sort the Not Keeps into Sell or Donate
3. Hold a Garage Sale and pray you sell it all
4. Bring the unsold items with the original donate items and DONATE IT ALL.

I have made 3 trips to the Goodwill Donation Truck. And can I just tell you, I breathe only sighs of relief as I empty out my trunk into the hands of the donation person and they give me a receipt for my goods.

I think I was hereditarily born a hoarder. My dad keeps everything. You need a 1967 stapler? He's got it. And not just one of them, he's probably got 3 of them. The difference between him and the hoarders on those shows, is that he's an organized one. He buys the most random stuff, but he has a place for them. Sometimes, being in his house is like being in a really clean flea market or antique show.

Example: I called him last night looking for a Polaroid Camera. (I know, so random, but I have a purpose for it.) I only called him because I know if anyone has one, he does. Of course, he has one...but due to film complications on my part, I'm not going to be able to use it. I digress, because my main point is that he has everything. And here I am...trying to get rid of what I can.

So, I have this tiny grain of guilt everytime I bring a bag to donate because I do go through the thinking that maybe, just maybe it'd be worth keeping that puzzle with the two missing pieces...or the dinosaur that is tail-less. But then I think about unpacking all that into a new place at our next duty station and I'm back to feeling that cleansing sensation I had when I started that post.

With weeks left, I'm finally seeing an end to the donate piles and whatever is left in the house is basically coming with us or is just waiting to be tossed. What a feeling though...and it shouldn't be for just us military families that move every 3-4 years. If you have stuff taking up room in the garage that hasn't been touched for years, it might be a nice opportunity for you take it out, sell it or donate it...it's nice to purge every once and a while...I highly suggest it.

Just For Laughs

I have often complained about entertainment and it would be that with only weeks left here in Tampa...that I would discover the high entertainment factor a place like the Tampa Improv would offer an adult of legal drinking age.

A couple weeks ago, two friends and I went to see DeRay Davis. (I don't have pictures of that evening, unfortunately.) We didn't know who he was, we just knew we wanted some laughs. Mission accomplished. I realized that I thoroughly enjoyed leaving all the stresses of moving, of motherhood and just reality at the door for a couple hours of belly laughing. I had not one lick of alcohol and sore abs the next day, as proof of how much fun I had.

So it came as no surprise that I was totally on board for an almost last-minute girls night out to see Jim Breuer. (My picture, taken with the iPhone, didn't turn out as well as my friend, Lisa's did...so if I ever get it from her, I'll post that one!) It was hysterical. It was nice to have the chance to meet him and take a picture...funny guy, great comedy, must see.

And now that I've found my little niche of entertainment (that doesn't include fart sounds from a 3-year-old, scratch-your-head-in-confusement questions from a 7-year-old and just everyday entertainment from a 32-year-old husband...), I'm hoping to take advantage of the various comedy clubs I might be close to when we move. I know of one in Pittsburgh that I'm hoping to get to before we leave there!

But, if you have never gone or don't think you'd enjoy it, trust me, you just have to give it a go. Be open for laughs. Try not to get offended. And just enjoy yourself. I know I did and I wish I had more time with my friends to see more of the upcoming shows...

Devastated at Seven.

You can't blame her for being emo. (That's short for emotional.) She's been at this elementary school since Kindergarten and is leaving before the end of the year.

Hence, the crying herself to sleep two nights ago...

Riley and I have been through an emotional rollercoaster together. We disagree just like most mother/daughters do. We go through spats. We crave time together. We are both emotional. And so it was that when I walked into her room on Sunday night to give her a kiss and talk to her before bed, she broke down, with her hands cupping her face, wailing:

"I'm so stressed! What if I don't make friends at my new school? Why do we have to move?"

I wasn't quite prepared to have that talk with her. Last time we moved, we both cried, but she was only 4 and not completely aware of what was happening. She left her friends and was upset, but somehow, we were able to get through it once we made it to another state. This time, not so easy.

She's attached. She has BFFs. Her BFFs are also moving (they are military too). It's just an all-around traumatizing event surrounding us. I tried my hardest to comfort her. What can you say when you know this is part of the life you live and that we have to do our best to adjust to that situation?

I told her I'd be going through the same thing with her and that we'd have to stick together and make new friends together. She wants to know more about where we are living and what's around -- so I'm going to get her more involved...but beyond that, I'm sort of lost.

We are throwing a "going-away" party for her and Ronan...getting them together with their closest friends and I'm hoping that helps a little. I plan on having an album there for all the kids to sign and put their addresses and with a polaroid camera (I still have to procure), I'm hoping to take pictures right then and there and throw them in the book for the kids to sign.

I'm hoping that helps. It won't cure it. It's just a band-aid, really...but I need to get through the rest of this month...

Who would have thought this was going to be so hard. I know I'll miss my friends, too...but I know how to cope with it. I guess I just never put myself in the shoes of a little 7-year-old who has whole-heartedly invested herself in school and her friends...I fear the next move, 4 years from now! What are we going to do then?!

If you have suggestions of what we can do to ease the situation, I'd love to hear it...

Freezer Burn

...narrows down the dinner options, that's for sure!

With only a few weeks left (days are dwindling down for sure!), we've had to push ourselves to eat at home (for the most part) and most of that requires a long stare into the freezer.

With an overabundance of chicken nuggets, tater tots, and frozen veggies...our dinner outlook is starting to look like a kids version of those Hungryman meals my dad used to buy for us as kids. I love me some chicken tenders dipped in buffalo sauce, but I don't know how much of it I can handle. We had some last night and I'm actually dreading dinner tonight, because I have no desire to eat that and what's left in our pantry isn't too appealing right now either...

...so lies the cons of moving. Who wants to take a major grocery shopping trip when you know you don't need all that food...

Take-out anyone?

First/Last Trip to Busch Gardens, Tampa.

(Here are the nuggets on the tram on the way to the car from the park...)

I am a Disney Snob. What else can I say? I guess I was expecting something different...something more conducive for little ones and I should have known better than to think it was anything like Disney. Because it's not.

Great for teens. Great for adults. Not so great for kids that aren't exactly close in age, or kids that one likes coasters and the other doesn't. And not so great when the one that likes the coaster just so happens to be the younger and shorter one.

They were able to ride one ride together. Then, we stood in line to find out that Riley was too tall...got in another and found out Ronan was too short.

Oh well...hopefully they will have more fun at Kennywood, in Pittsburgh...I'm pretty sure it was more family friendly there...

O.N.G.

Kids are parrots. They repeat everything. Hence, Riley's first words being, "oh shit." Yeah, I know...Mother Of The Year. Hey, who would have thought that all those days of me holding her and dropping stuff, it would actually affect her vocabulary...although for her memory's sake, she'll just know she said "momma" first.

And now that Ronan is Mr. Chatty Chuck, he's repeating the most random things. He recites parts of television commercials, songs from his favorite shows and his latest, saavy texting vocab.

You can imagine the smile on my face when he was annoyed at my offering to him of healthy foods when he exclaimed:

O.N.G., Momma. No fank-you. No Ban-ya. I want some-fing wike diff-went. Some-fing in the cwoset.

Translation: Omg. Mom. No thanks. Why would I want to eat a banana when I can have chocolate chip cookies that are perched on the top shelf of the pantry.

23 Days.

That's right. 23 more days in Tampa. I'm mentally checked out and ready to go. I'm so looking forward to seeing my friends back home, spending quality time with them, going on a real honeymoon with my husband and moving to our new home.

I'm sorry I've been slagging on the blogging. We've done a couple fun things here and there, but with all there is to do around here (laundry. laundry. and more laundry.), I have been putting the big blog posts off.

I'll eventually get back into it...so please don't give up on me if you are a loyal reader. I promise, I'll post more updates. Soon.

Modge Podge Blog Post: Catch-All

With so much going on in life, I haven't had much time to blog...so here is catch-up for everyone!

A few weeks ago, my dad came in from Pittsburgh to visit us. My mom was staying with us, so it was a nice family reunion. My brother came into town and we hung out for the 36 hours my dad was able to be here. Ronan spent the greater part of his Pa's visit trying to impress him with his batting skills...and he did.
Riley enjoyed scooting around and getting out early from school to spend time with her Uncle Mike and Pa...

Then, came Ryan's big 3-2 birthday. With my mom visiting, we were able to get out and go on a date... I don't know about you, but I think he looks great, for 32! Happy Birthday, Ryan!

Along the way, we celebrated 9 glorious years of marriage. Truly, it has flown by so quickly and lucky for both of us...we are still in love with each other and are looking forward to many more years! We didn't go crazy with a celebration, we did do dinner...but we plan to do it big next year. 10 years is going to be a BIG deal!

But, the big news. On April 1st, Ryan advanced and made Chief! He's officially Chief Egal! I'm so proud of his accomplishment and having been in a little less than 14 years...I feel like it's a huge deal. I was so honored to be a part of his day and held back tears when I heard all the nice things that were being said about my husband...

This is the pinning part...Ryan had asked me to do it, but being the nervous wreck I am in front of crowds, I politely declined and watched with my kids.

They read what his certificates said...

And then Chief Egal was asked to say a few words...

He held back his tears when he talked about his Grandfather and how he wished that he was there to share this moment with him...it was so emotional, but a great side to see of someone who is usually so strong...

And then here we all are...

I'll have to scan in his bootcamp picture at some point, but I swear, he just gets better looking every year.

Congrats to my husband on achieving what he has and looking forward to sharing many more of those moments with him in the future. I truly appreciate everything he has done for our family and the choices he has made to keep our family stable...love you, Ryan.

Ah yes, and then Easter. Well...we didn't do as big of an Easter as we have in the past. Mainly because our kids have so much and we thought about what else we could possibly do that would add to their stash of stuff. With Ronan's food allergies, it seriously limited our selection of candy...so I opted to not do baskets like I've done in the past and give each of the kids a few books. We did a cheap-y egg hunt at home...which they were totally entertained by...and just enjoyed each other's company...

We only have a few more weeks left in Tampa before we make the big move...so I'll make sure I try hard to keep the blog updated... We've still got some things going on here and I'll need to document those!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

All About Hats

We lead very exciting lives. So exciting, in fact, that occasionally, we'll head over to Target (on a random errand) and spend an immense amount of time in the hat section. Mentally having to get over the fact that my kids could potentially get lice...I let them entertain themselves and in turn, entertain us.

They can be such goofballs and where they come up with the poses, I have no idea. You would think they were auditioning for some music video sometimes!

(Riley actually wanted us to buy this hat for her...uh, no?)

(Ronan looks like a skater dude here...)

Ronan tends to do this thing with his arms...he crosses them like he's Vanilla Ice.

Gotta love these kids...and the free entertainment. Well, not exactly free. Who can leave Target without spending a little bit of money?!

Leave It To The Professionals.

Brief Background: Two months ago, I was feeling slightly gothic, so I decided to splurge on a box of Nice 'N Easy Black hair color. $6.97 at Wal-Mart. Went home, hit the bathroom and came out a newly topped girl. Shiny black hair. I liked it. It was a change from my blah-dark-brown and considering the mood I was in, it was fitting.

Fast Forward: Yesterday, 8 weeks after my goth hair color change, I decided that I wanted to go back to brown for the spring and again, splurged on a $6.97 box of #129B Brown. 25 minutes in a towel smelling like a chemical spill, I washed out the color and began the process of blow drying...because that's when you can REALLY see what you've done.

After blow drying upside-down, I excitedly flipped it all over and looked in the mirror. Oh. My. God. No. I. Didn't. What was supposed to be a new me, ended up be a shocked me. I had light brown roots and jet black hair. I looked like I had a new crown of light roots. No angle looked good. Not even a ponytail. I was freaking out.

Naturally, I texted Ryan and expressed my feelings. None were good. I was mortified that I had done this to myself. He insisted that I call Tony, my normal stylist, and schedule an appointment to get it fixed. I couldn't bring myself to do it though. I was so embarrassed that I was too cheap to go to him in the first place and pay the $65-95 he charges for color. But then Ryan said it:

"Get it fixed because I don't want to hear you complain about it." (In his most loving tone.)

Insistent that I wanted to save the money, I told him it was okay and that I would just deal with it until we moved...but as we were so close to the shopping center of the salon, I reluctantly walked towards it, internally excited and desperately hoping that Tony could fit me in sometime in the next couple days.

At 10 a.m. today, I walked in, sporting my ponytail and scared to see the man who would have to fix my hair. He gently played with it, reassuring me that I wasn't the first one to come in with this issue and that it wasn't "really that bad" and that he "had seen worse."

$149 later (not counting the gratuity), I left with a beautiful set of highlights and a new haircut. I'm happy. And, I learned a lesson...just because you are trying to save money doesn't mean that you actually WILL, especially when it comes to hair. This is just one of those times you have to leave it to the professionals.

Cocomae.com

A friend just launched a business online...she's got women's dresses, indie clothing, vintage clothing, junior clothing and so much more.

Would love it if you checked out her site (and let her know I sent ya!)

Go to www.CoCoMae.com and happy shopping!

A Post Baby Body.

I'm working on it, still. Uhh, it'll be 3 years, 3 months and 10 days (as of tomorrow.) I have aspirations, I do. I visualize my body, in a bathing suit. And frankly, it makes me slightly nauseous...which would probably help me lose some weight -- okay, okay, not a funny joke.

But in all honesty, I know I have a deadline now. It'll be 11 weeks until the hubby and I head to Key West on our first-ever-without-children-vacation/stress-about-not-being-with-the-children-for-the-first-five-minutes vacation. And between me, you and my treadmill....I'm panicking.

I am not overweight. I know that. In fact, I'm probably the healthiest weight I have ever been, since I was 7-years-old. But, those of you that celebrate birthdays, that have had children, or that enjoy chocolate as much as I do, know that as the days pass into years, the body begins to settle in ways you never knew it could.

I mean, how was I to know that my hips were going to shift two inches in AND out? And in my younger days, would I have ever really considered participating in the vibrating machines at the mall to get rid of my cellulite?! Probably not...although now, I'm wishing I had one of those things at my house!

I'm getting to the point where anxiety to firm up is clashing with the fight against eating that one last chocolate chip cookie -- just so I can get it out of the house. Do I really need to wear that $100 bikini vs. the deliciousness that is a chocolate chip cookie made with Ghiradelli chocolate chips?

I'm kidding. Obviously, I'd choose the bikini. (For one thing, I can't return it now...they have a 'No Return' policy.) But, I DO want to look decent for my vacation. I want to feel good when I walk around...I just want to know why it has to be so much work? Whatever happened to a metabolism?!

I guess I'm just venting because right about now, I'm wishing I had a quick-solution weight-loss pill or a trainer and personal chef on hand to help me get through it. Oh well...enough blogging, time to sweat it off. Wish me luck.

Sweet Thought Shoppe

I'm a huge fan of handmade items. It's even better when the person making them is part of your extended family: The Coast Guard family...

One of my fellow "Coastie Chicks" handmakes these dresses (among other things) for a reasonable price. You can find more of her items at her store, The Sweet Thought Shoppe or visit her blog for more information.

(Neopolitan Dress)
(Red Hot Dots on Teal Smocked Dress): notice the smocking...so cute for spring! She makes kids and adult sized items!

***She's offering a 10% discount to my readers. Just mention my blog when you place your order!***

Potty Mouth...not Potty-Trained

(Not meant for sensitive readers...)

If I didn't want my kids to know what I was talking about, I would spell out words... Ryan and I would have almost this secret code between us -- when talking about something serious or secretive while the kids were around. Example. Did S-A-N-T-A buy the gift or did W-E? That works for a while...until your kid learns to read and suddenly, she answers back: What did Santa buy?

After that phase ended, it was evident that conversations not meant for children ears would have to be held in private OR, until after bedtime. I wish I would have had that in mind during those moments when I would drop the S-bomb around my son.

Thinking that he didn't know what I was saying or even pick it up, I internally reprimanded myself to not do that again. And then it would happen. I'd drop my phone. Forget to replace the toilet paper. Get splashed while doing dishes. Shit Shit Shit Shit Shit.

And then it really happened. While sitting out in the lanai for dinner last night, my little innocent 3-year-old knocks over his cup of water to which he then responds with a hand on his cheek: Oh Shit.

Quickly to clean it up and get out of the room to belt out a laugh, I couldn't believe I heard those two words come from his mouth. To not make a big deal and draw attention to it, I did not bring it up. He didn't say it again.

Until now.

While playing Batman with him, my necklace got caught on the hook of his toy and when I turned, the Batman tower fell over. Like a knee-jerk reaction, Ronan's first words in response were: Oh Shit. Softly, I said to him, "What did you say?" And nonchalantly, he responds, "I say Oh Shit." Like it was nothing. I didn't respond back. I honestly don't know what to say. And now, being that I had to run to the computer to blog about it, it's too late to bring it back up.

I'm thinking I'll just tell him it's not a nice thing to say the next time it comes up and hope that it doesn't interfere in our everyday conversation again.

Lovey Dovey Ronan

Just had to share what a lovey dovey my little man can be...

Had an awesome visit with his Godparents, Rochelle and Steve, this weekend. While Ronan was playing monster trucks with Steve on the floor (consisting of rolling these trucks back and forth and back and forth...) Ronan blurts out:

"I wuv you Teeve."

To which Steve responds..."What?"

While the rest of us in the room are saying "awhhhh..."

And Ronan responds to Steve: "I said I wuv you."

Honest to God. How cute is he? No prompting from us. He's just a lovey little boy...when he's not hitting his sister.

Can't wait to hang with R&S soon...love you guys.

Prayers for a friend, please...

I've posted in the past about little Rowan before...but if you wouldn't mind sparing a little time for prayers, it would be appreciated...

My sorority sister, Liz, posted an update on his Caring Bridge site and it's taking everything to not burst into tears for what Rowan and his family have been going through...

Squeeze your kids a little tighter today...

Picky Eater + Illnesses = Frustration for Momma

I have posted about this before. Ronan is a picky eater. Beyond picky. Obsessive picky. Add in his allergies to peanuts, eggs, milk and treenuts AND his aversion to mushy textures and we've got problems. Major problems.

I used to take him to speech therapy for it. The therapist would make him touch all different foods I'd bring in (applesauce, cereals, breads) and we would sit in hopes that a trace of it would make it to his mouth. Rare. You expect your kids to put their hands in their mouths after they touch everything, yet my little man would turn on his "don't put my hands in my mouth with that applesauce on there!" radar and well, I'd be left sitting in this office, wiping his hands with a dozen baby wipes.

I'm frustrated, to say it nicely. We've catered to his allergies -- obviously avoiding them all so he doesn't get sick or end up in the hospital. I've been nice to him by making him his nuggets and tater tots and fetching his ice/water. But, I'm tired of it. I feel like everytime he gets sick, it's because of his crappy eating and frankly, I'm just exhausted...emotionally. What the heck did I do wrong? I'm used to being judged. I know people judge me all the time because of his eating habits and while I sit and justify all that I do...I don't feel like they understand what I go through and the tears I shed as I stand in the kitchen staring at the fridge just praying that maybe, just maybe, Ronan will hold the apple.

We eat fruits and veggies. Riley eats everything. She'll try anything just once. In fact, the girl loves fruits and veggies. Place Ronan into the same room with her and no joke, they are polar opposites. I don't know what to do.

Other parents/non-parents have said to me that they would starve the kid before giving in and cooking the nuggets. I get that. I have said the same thing. I have fought with myself mentally and outright have told Ronan he won't be eating anything until he eats a banana. It never works out. Battle of the wills and Ronan will win. I admit it. But, I am tired of the hypothetical advice...I need Supernanny with me to get me through that moment.

So of course, I researched. "Feeding picky toddler with allergies" and "toddler won't eat fruit and veggies" and "I'm ripping out my hair trying to feed my kid" -- and everything seems to go back to pureeing and hiding the veggies in fruit. I'd love to do that. I'd love to puree veggies and put them in pasta sauce. He doesn't eat pasta or pasta sauce. He doesn't like the wet texture. While we had him eating pizza (sans cheese) and extra sauce, he did a 180 one day and refused pizza, eating only crust. Do I want him to dip into sauces? Sure! Except he won't even play with it.

I get through the day thinking that it can't last forever...but when he lets out a huge cough or gets a fever, I blame myself because I can't get him to eat. I can't even get him to lick a gummy vitamin. Mother-of-the-Year nominee, right here, people.

Sleepover Success

Why I even worried for one minute, I have no idea. Actually, I do. I'm naturally a worrier, so even when it comes to 7 and 8-year-olds...I worry about whether or not they will have a good time. They did! (At least that's what they said when they started planning the NEXT one!) We made tie-dye tank tops (see above), puffy painted purses and I hot-glued flowers onto flip-flops as their sleepover favors. They did all the things you picture little girls doing at a sleepover...they jumped on beds, sang along with Taylor Swift, watched a couple episodes of iCarly, junked out on ice cream and stayed up past their normal bedtime, telling stories with flashlights and giggling.

It was great to see Riley go through this experience and I'm looking forward to her hosting her next one -- as I know what to expect the second time around...although I don't know what crafts I'll do then!

A Social Life, After Children.

I am thankful for my mom. Although not able to appreciate her growing up, I truly do now, especially since she's been visiting us for the past couple months. With her visit, it's allowed Ryan and I to have a social life again. Something we didn't really participate in, at least not the way we did 8 years ago (pre-Riley!)

This past Saturday, we went out with another couple to dinner and a piano bar and it was just so much fun to be out, spending time with Ryan -- realizing even more how much I love him and just enjoy being around him. (Doesn't hurt that he's hysterical when he's had a little bit of alcohol.) We're definitely taking advantage of having Grandma around, especially knowing that at our next unit, we'll know noone and I know it'll be forever before I can trust anyone to babysit our children...

Now, it's just trying to figure out what to do on our next date night out!

Tooth Fairy: $3.25 poorer

And Riley...$3.25 richer. It finally happened. At 8:55 a.m. on March 1st, Riley finally lost a tooth and couldn't wait to show us the tiny little bud she had bagged in her pocket. After telling us how it "didn't hurt" and that she just "twisted it and pulled it out" -- she's $3.25 richer and already looking forward to losing the next one...one that isn't even loose yet.