Woo to the Hoo!

My wonderful husband graduated today.  He has to take one massive comprehensive final yet tomorrow for the master’s degree part, but then he’s done, done, done!  I’m so proud of him.

It has been a long year. Sometimes enjoyable, sometimes not. Walking into the ceremony today, there was a large sign instructing you to take a headset if you needed translation services, whether that be Spanish to English or vice versa.  I will not miss that part at all, I know it’s very culturally insensitive of me, but I am glad to be headed back to the regular world of the English speaking Army.  To not have to walk into a room and feel ill at ease because I am not fluent in Spanish (but I didn’t need the translator, I can understand the Spanish well enough, I just can’t speak it.  Don’t ask).

What was hard was realizing that we will likely never see some of our international friends again.  Well, I can’t say that I’m sorry to say adios to a few of them but many of them are truly wonderful people.  And watching our other Army friends already moving out of the neighborhood… it’s going to feel like a ghost town by next week.  The dutchkid is talking non-stop about how her bestest friend M.P. is moving to “Japam”.  She also asks if we will see her “when she comes back to her house.”  I don’t have the heart to tell her that it is likely none of us are ever coming back.

Sigh.  Welcome to the Army life, my darling.  On to the next place!

Inadvertent

I don’t know why it is that I always have stories about the commissary.  Although I did have a staff person ask me if I was there every day (Um, you think I would come here for fun?!).  I suppose other people go to the commissary without incident, but then again they must have really boring blogs. 

Today started as a good trip, even though it started pouring rain just as I was about the put the dutchkid in the car. That’s ok, we don’t mind getting wet.  It made for fewer crowds. We cruised through in less than 45 minutes. As a treat for being so cooperative (if a bit loud – she had been serenading passersby), I let her pick out some animal crackers in the cute red box.

When we loaded into the car to head home, I realized that I forgot to save them out and they were in the trunk with the rest of the groceries. So after I buckled the dutchkid in, I told her I would go look. “Oh no, Mama, they’re right here!” she says proudly, opening up the little play purse she had with her. Sure enough, there they are.

My girl, a thief at 3. 

I even talk to her frequently about how we always pay the nice lady before we open or eat anything from a store!  I was so tempted, standing there in the rain, to just get in the car and take her and the stolen goods home.  But I couldn’t do it.  After the whole fiasco with the birthday cake!?  I’m lucky they even let me IN the commissary. We went back inside.  Paid for the crackers, all $1.10 of them.  She must take after her daddy.

Memorial

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This picture is becoming a Memorial Day tradition around this blog. But I love the WWII memorial and this is one of my favorite quotes. I hope that you and yours have a fantastic day today, but also that you took the time to remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

I know that for me and my dh, the past year living at this particular Army post has brought back many memories. We were stationed here before, early on in my dh’s Army career.  We met many other couples whom we would get to know well. It was here that we met our friend and neighbor who would later go on to pay that ultimate price. My husband knows many others, but for me he was the closest person we’ve lost. Sometimes I feel a little haunted by that here, remembering conversations, parties, even what car he and his wife drove. His memory seems more alive for me in this place. But no matter where we are, we won’t ever forget you, Charlie.

Sewing & Odds and Ends

Last September, I made a little smock for the dutchkid. You may remember it, it looked like this:

At the time, my mom said that she remembered making me an outfit like that when I was a little girl. When I was home, look what she found!

I’ll be darned if it doesn’t look exactly the same. And don’t I wish patterns were still $1. I can’t wait to give it a try, that rick rack is calling my name.

I remembered too, that I had forgotten to show you what the little dress for my niece looked like all finished, although I’m sorry to say I forgot to take a picture of the diaper cover that went with it.

Anticlimactic, really. It’s McCall 5083, and honestly I was less than thrilled with it. The dress itself was fairly simple, I think really I was wishing I had chosen something a bit “fancier”. The diaper cover that went with it I didn’t think was sized all that well (it seemed very small as compared to the dress). My niece is adorable, though, so she will make it look beautiful.

I’ve decided I’m really going to miss that spot on my porch after we move. Where will I hang up stuff I’ve made and photograph it? Have a great rest of your Saturday, I’m off to celebrate my 11th (yes, I got married when I was 12) anniversary out on the town. Just checking to see if you read this far

Rituals

I like them.

Now wait a minute, not the scary creepy kind, but those routines that are part of your everyday. I live a rather, well, helter skelter existence, so I need the structure of such things. I try to think about what makes up my days, otherwise I find myself scrambling around without ever feeling like I’ve done anything worthwhile. Maybe that’s a stay-at-home mom thing, I don’t know. Leya of Curious Bird is starting a weekly photo project featuring daily rituals and I’ve decided to join in.

My photo for today features my piano, of course. It is an unusual day where I don’t sit down and play at least a little. I would like to say that it’s all for enjoyment, but as many of you know it’s mostly because I am actively preparing to audition for a school of music. Not that there’s not enjoyment there. Many people find satisfaction in the act of creating beautiful things with their hands… the knitters, sewers, painters and photographers out there come to mind. And while I like to dabble in a few of those things from time to time, playing the piano is really what my hands do the best.

You can visit the Flickr pool if you would like to see what other people’s daily rituals are.

Back in Black

Or something. Nothing like AC/DC in your head on a Monday morning.

My sister’s wedding went well, which is a minor miracle since it rained almost constantly on her wedding day and an outdoor ceremony was planned.  The rain broke just long enough to do the ceremony.  I got teary during my toast but stuck it out and did not cry (yet another miracle).  She and her new husband are now in London, where they will be living for the next few months.  And I’m thrilled to report that they have started a blog, of their adventures.

I returned home with the dutchkid in tow, to find that some kind, thoughtful man had replaced my grumpy grad-student of a husband. The house was spotless, and he made us a heavenly dinner. Evidently, class ended last week with little fanfare and other than a last comprehensive final he is FREE! I’m glad to have him back. 

Just in time for the real moving preparation to begin.  A little over three weeks until D-day and I can’t wait to get this show on the road.

The toast

I’m back home in Michigan this week.  My sister is getting married, and asked me to be her matron of honor, which made me feel simultaneously honored and old.  Mostly honored.  Since I’m quite a bit older than her (almost 11 years to be exact), for many years I have been perceived as desperately un-hip.  I’m probably still just as uncool as I ever was, but now she is past the age where she feels compelled to remind of that… at least most of the time.    She does however, tell me when I write boring posts (always useful advice).  

She is having the antithesis of the wedding I had, if you can even call it that (I eloped).  And it occurs to me, here just days before the big day, that I have yet to write my toast.  I have been enjoying the time just hanging out with her and helping take care of some of those irritating little things that inevitably take twice as long to do as you thought they would.  I’m feeling like I have something to prove, seeing as I felt like such a tool when she got engaged.  And since I am very old and married, I should have some good advice to give.  I don’t want to just give the “We love you guys!” version of the toast.

I don’t know.  I’m not sure how I can condense all of the things that are running around in my head.  How proud I am of her, the amazing woman she has become… confident, talented, smart and beautiful.   How bright her future is, and how happy I am that she has found someone to share her life with, someone who will love her as she deserves to be loved.  That while I know that marriage is far from the idealized picture of love, champagne and roses, I also know that no matter what life throws at her, she will go through it with strength and grace.  Even though sometimes I look at her and wonder when it was that she stopped needing a babysitter. 

Mostly I’m going to try not to cry.

PCS checklist (Happy Milspouse Appreciation Day!)

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!!

I think it’s only fitting that I am bumming around my house today, since that’s my favorite thing to do. I was in my pjs until just recently.

In honor of today and our upcoming PCS, I thought I would share my big bad address change and cancellation checklist with you. Updating our address is one of those things that I feel so scattered about unless I have a list. And inevitably, the cancellations get lumped in with address changes, because with things like utilities you get your deposit back and they need your forwarding address to send it to you. We have moved so often that I keep a master list with phone numbers and website addresses. Some things change, but some things don’t (you always have to update DEERS). And here’s my helpful tip for today: I try to update it when I call to set up the new utilities at the new place because I know I’m leaving wherever I’m living eventually.

I tried to make it generic enough so that pretty much anyone could use it, although obviously some things won’t apply to everybody. (Feel free to laugh at all those magazine spots, my dh is a magazine junkie). I hope it helps someone out in the craziness that is PCS season. Let me know if you think it’s useful (or not). Enjoy!

PCS Checklist

Just a little peek

At my niece’s present

My brother and sister-in-law read the blog from time to time, so that’s all you get for now! I was going to make it yellow, but decided against it. I have a thing for white eyelet. It’s just so innocent, and I think it’s perfect for a baby girl. Hopefully it will fit her before the end of summer, it seems big. I will get to deliver it in person when I fly home next week. Welcome to the world, little one!

Time, time, time

I think that I need serious lessons in time management skills. I mean really, I read lots of bloggers (many of whom have several more children than I do) and I have no idea how they manage to do half the things they do, much less blog about it too. Evidently I belong in the remedial mommyblogger class. But in my defense, we have been trying to make the most of our time remaining here, spending a lot of time outside in the warm weather.

I’m working on a few things… cute presents for my adorable new niece…of course prepping for the move by purging our junk, and by finding new junk at the post yard sale last weekend. I’ve also been trying to run regularly again. I’m thinking that if I wait until after we move to try to get back into shape that it’s going to be ten times worse in that thin mountain air. Plus, if I finally get to run with ABW she’s going to kick my butt.

So that’s what I’ve been up to. How about you?