Today Is Tuesday

I'm A Big Girl Now

Ava's favorite saying now is, "Mommy/Daddy, I'm a big girl!"

First Birthday Party

Tomorrow will be 6 weeks since I returned to work and the kids returned to daycare (school, as they call it.) Monday, Cooper received his very first birthday party invitation since starting at the center, and he's looking forward to it. I'm really happy that in just over a month, both Cooper and Ava have already made so many friends, and are already full swing into the fun and friendship that goes along with it.

Kids and Their Catalogs

Recently, we got a copy of Oriental Trading Company's Party Catalog; a catalog of birthday and other party supplies. It was on the coffee table, when Cooper noticed it and decided to "read" it. It became an interesting "read" for him, because, in essence, it's mostly pictures, and he immediately got idea that it was a magazine all about different parties. He started taking it around with him, reading it at the table, in the playroom, and, as you'll see, other places. Very shortly, he announced, and proudly showed us, which party he wants for his birthday party (10 months away.) He's chosen the Dinosaur Party (surprise, surprise!) And he's roped Ava in, showing her all the Princess and Dora parties she can have for her birthday.

Ava's Assessment

Ava's assessment with the county for speech continues, though less frequently, and we met at her daycare for a 3 month review. She did awesome! In fact, her assessor couldn't believe the change in language she displayed, and said with one exception, she was doing exceptional, hitting all language milestones. The one thing she didn't display during the assessment, was using "ing" words. Interestingly enough, when we got home (after a crying episode), she said "Mommy, I not crying anymore."

Little House, Little House of Sickies

Well, Heidi, Cooper and Ava lived in a cocoon for the past year, or so it seems. Now that we've all been exposed to others, our lives have drastically changed! Of course we went to playgroups, restaurants, etc., but 8-9 hours a day, 5 days a week exposure is more than a well sheltered immune system is ready for. In the first month since returning to daycare/work, Ava had the stink eye (pink eye), Heidi had had a 4-day head/chest cold, then Joey got the stink eye, Ava woke this morning out of sorts and vomited all over Mommy and is now sleeping it off, while Mommy woke to her turn at the stink eye. The only one, thus far, unscathed is Cooper. Keeping fingers crossed it will all end soon! :-)

Shopping Carts

Twice in as many days I saw people leave their shopping carts in the parking lots instead of walking them to the stalls that stores provide in the lots (or at the front of the store.) In most cases, the stalls are usually within 5 spaces of where anyone parks.

So here's my .02 on this; please people, put your carts in the stalls. I had Cooper and Ava with me, and once I a cart started rolling into the path of vehicles (slope of the road caused it to start rolling), and the second time, the abandoned cart caught a stiff wind and started rolling into straight into the driver door of a parked vehicle. It would have taken no time to return the carts, and avoid the damage that the cart users were, now, no longer there to witness. Both times, I was able to rush with the kids and stop them, but it still bothers me.

Because the store provides a place to return the carts, the store is NOT liable for damage to the vehicles made by shopping carts. In fact, the person who left the cart out IS. That would mean if someone left a cart out, and a witness saw that cart hit another vehicle and took their information and reported it, the individual who left the cart (not the store) can be turned in/sued for the damage.

Another way to look at it is this; if you were assaulted with a baseball bat in a sporting goods store, who would be responsible? Not the store.

September 11th Remembered

History Channel 9/11 Minisite

CNN September 11th News and Video

Time Magazine Video Retrospective

Mama Love

Ava: "My Mommy."
Cooper: "No, my Mommy."
A: "My Mommy."
C: "NO, my Mommy!"
A: "Myyyy Mommy."
C: (crying now) "Mommy, Ava says you're her Mommy! You're my Mommy!"
Me: "You guys are lucky! I'm both your Mommy! I was Cooper's Mommy, and then when Ava was born I became Ava's Mommy, too! Isn't that great!"
A: "My Mommy."

Ava loves to get Cooper's goat, she knows what gets him upset, and these days it's who's Mommy I am.

It occurred to me this weekend, as we were out with the kids, and they were fighting over who's Mommy I was, that they didn't do that when I was home with them. When I was home, we spent all day together, having fun, but also doing the day to day things; laundry, dishes, cleaning up the playroom. When Joey got home each day, it was a mad rush for Daddy; he was the one they cared to spend their evening climbing on, talking to, sharing with. Which was usually fine with me, I'd had them all day! But I did feel like chopped liver sometimes by the degree to which they emoted over him!

When I returned to work I was so worried about losing time with them, and concerned they would feel abandoned. While they might have been upset in the first few weeks, what seems to have happened is they've found me in a new light! When I pick them up, I get "Mommy, I missed you!" I get tons of hugs until bedtime, and stories about school.

On weekends, the time together is great. The art they do reflects their love of their family; Cooper was asked to draw himself on a schoolbus; he added Mommy, Daddy, Ava and Greta on the Bus. When asked to Draw his Grandparents, again, he added Mommy, Daddy, and Ava to the picture. And, he misses Ava. He asks almost daily when she'll turn 3 so she can move into his classrooom. This weekend he told me he "dreams about when she turns 3."

Going back to work hasn't been so easy, but the kids have made it much nicer, and easier to bear.

Exercise at Work

I had to attend a new employee orientation last week, which wasn't too helpful because, sadly, HR is similar here as other places, not too helpful. However, one need benefit I discovered, that wasn't ever advertized at Camp Pendleton (I don't think anyone knew of the order) is a Marine Corps Bulletin (MCBUL) that allows the Marine Corps to match an employees lunch break (30 minutes) with an additional 30 minutes if they choose to use it to work out/implement and follow a fitness routine! How great is that!

Scenes from North Carolina

Scenes from here at our house here in Maysville, NC during Tropical Storm Hanna.

More pillows...

Just to make daycare more special, I made the kids each one more pillowcase for their daycare pillows; SpongeBob for Cooper, and Disney Fairies for Ava. Now each week they can pick which special pillow they want for the week.

Wondertwins, Activate!

They kids LOVE to have us tie kitchen towels around their necks, and then run around the house yelling, "superpower!" But the towels are really nothing more than a shoulder cover, barely a cape, and so small they are hard to tie. But the love it! So I went to the fabric store last week and bought enough fabric to make them real capes!

Ava In Wonderland

22nd MEU Family Day

Now that Joey is with the 22nd MEU, we attended their Family Fun Day. The kids had a blast, and it was a nice event. I even ran into one of the other Mamas from my playgroup; her husband works with Joey at the MEU, so when they deploy, we'll have each other to talk about things with! Small world...

Laundry Helper