13 years and just 7 more to go

I can’t believe that I spaced Rodi’s anniversary date.  He enlisted in the Navy Jan. 4th 1996.  On Jan. 4th 2009 I was too busy watching Molly give birth to Faith that I completely forgot we were one year closer to Rodi’s RETIREMENT!!!!  Okay I know it is still seven years away but it’s ONLY SEVEN more years.

I long for that day.  I am proud of Rodi and the great job he does.  I am thankful for his service and the service of all our military members.  But I also can’t wait for this ride to be OVER.

I am looking forward to celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays with him in the same country as us.  This week he will be gone for JJ’s very first sectional gymnastics meet.  That was the two biggest events on the January calendar.  He will also miss Moe’s b-day, Nina’s b-day, My b-day, JJ’s b-day, His b-day (can you really miss your own b-day?), Bubba’s birthday next January, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years 2010, and possibly our anniversary this year and next.  I am sure there will be many other events he will miss along the way. 

Again I know this comes with the job, I am just ready for that part of our life to be done. 

I don’t mean to sound selfish, I guess I am just in a mood today.  I love him and the FANTASTIC job he does.  I even encouraged him to put in his paperwork to become a Supply Officer 9 years ago.  I think I knew then in the back of my head that we were in this for the long haul.  I know if he had stayed in the Nuclear field that he was in when he was enlisted  we would not still be doing this Navy thing. 

I am thankful for the opportunities we have had to travel across Europe and live in Germany those three wonderful years.  I have made long lasting, wonderful friendships along the way that I TREASURE.

I am thankful some of the things my children have been able to see and do because of our lifestyle.  I am also sad about some of the things they have had to endure.  I think I struggle with that part the most. 

Ahhh, okay, enough venting for the day.  Just came on to post about the fact that seven years from now Rodi will be able to retire….. now we just have to wait and see if he will actually do it.  That is an entirely different story!

Life WITH Rodi

It is taking a bit of time but I think we are all getting adjusted to life with Rodi amongst us again. 

I think the one who is having the hardest time adjusting is Sunny.  Rodi seems to think Sunny is a bit too loud at times.  Sunny wasn’t here before Rodi set sail this summer so they are still trying to get acquainted with each other.  This may take some time I have a feeling.

Moe won’t leave Rodi’ s side and every time that Rodi has to go somewhere Moe runs to me and says  “Dad on Boat”  I think he is very fearful that he is going to disappear all over again.

I had to laugh last night as we were driving down the interstate on our way home and Moe sounded off with his favorite Moe-made noise…. a siren!  He is very good at this imitation and has the volume of an actual siren at times.  Rodi didn’t know what to do.  He was trying not to laugh but was upset at the same time that Moe wouldn’t be a bit quieter.    There we were Rodi was trying to talk on the phone Nina was upset and crying about something, a DVD was playing to keep the kids quiet (worked well can’t ya tell) and Moe was playing police man.  It really was fun to show Rodi a bit of what he had been missing.

Now we are heading into a new week and trying to prepare for JJ to turn 9 this coming Friday.  I told her she wasn’t allowed to have a birthday, she isn’t allowed to get older.  She didn’t think that was a great plan.  So I guess the cake will get made anyway.

YeeeHA! HE’S HOME!!!!

That’s right Rodi is back!  He came home late Saturday night while the kids were still sleeping.  We surprised them with the biggest surprise of their lives around 6am.  That was a priceless moment that neither I nor Rodi will ever forget.

I will post more later but I have a hubby to go and enjoy!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

For Rodi…..

Someday soon you will be home where you belong. 

Someday soon we won’t have to talk via e-mail or phone.

Someday soon we won’t have to exchange pictures to show what we have been doing and where we have been.

 Someday soon we will be able to look at the clock and not have to count forward or backwards to know if the other should be sleeping or awake.

I am counting the days until that someday.

Missing and Loving you!

Amazing!!!! LOL

JJ:  Mom did you know that they invented Etch a Sketch in 1960?

Me:  Sure didn’t

JJ:  Isn’t it amazing the technology they had back then?  The people who made that must have been super smart. I bet they were like hero’s or something.

 Kids are great!  They say some of the best things.

Last Sunday Nina had a conversation with me that went like this:

Nina:  Mom do they make all kinds of things for dinner on Dad’s ship?

Me: Yes

Nina:  Like Pizza?

Me:  Yes I suppose they have pizza on the ship.

Nina: Then how does the pizza man get the pizza to the ship?

Just because

Just because I should be sleeping and am instead sitting here at the computer I thought I would share what I never thought I would be doing when I grew up…..

Never in a million years did I think I would live where I live and have COWS.

Never did I think one of the things on my to do list would be “call Mr. E about getting a round bale of hay”

Never did I think I would be on the board of a youth wrestling league

Never did I think I would be homeschooling my children

Never did I think I would be married with FOUR children

Never did I think I would be e-mailing and talking long (very long) distance to my husband rather than eating dinner with him and discussing the daily events.

Never did I think my Faith would play such a HUGE  role in my DAILY  life.

Never did I think I would be  interested in politics

Never did I think I would clapping and cheering for events such as going “poo in the potty”

Never did I think I would dread doing laundry quite as much as I do.

Never did I think that all these things would make my life feel so full and wonderful.  Some may seem to be a great challenge at times, but still, they make me who I am and for that I am thankful. Very thankful.

A rundown of our day….

We had a slow start this morning.  This was mostly my fault as I stayed up way too late last night.  Of course I wasn’t doing anything constructive with my time just couldn’t go to sleep for some reason.

When we had finally all finished our breakfast and made ourselves presentable for the day we jumped into school work.

Nina started off with Math while Bubba and JJ began their handwriting worksheets. 

Nina finsihed her math lessons and moved on to her spelling book.  She LOVES this book.  I must say I think it is pretty swell myself.  Then she moved on to reading.  Today she read to me The Story of Miss Moppet by Beatrix Potter.  She is getting to be a fairly good reader these days.  She really struggled in this area a year ago.  When she was done reading to me she found some of her other favorite books and found a comfy spot to read for a bit longer.

 While Nina and I were busy Bubba and JJ were busy with their own studies.  JJ is reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass.  Today she had to do some writing exercises to go with her reading.  She is really enjoying this (these) book(s).  Here is a bit of what she had to do for her assignment:

1. Name 10 things you know for a fact are true

2. Name 10 rules you follow without hesitation

3. Write 10 sentences beginning with the words “Adults are”….

4. Write 10 sentences beginning with the words “Growing up is”….

I have looked for her completed paper tonight but can’t seem to find it.  She is usually really great about putting all finished work in the “Grade Me” folder.  I will ask her about it and then share some of her best answers (my favorites) with you tomorrow.

Bubba is reading Robinson Crusoe….uhhh let me rephrase…. Bubba is trying to read Robinson Crusoe.   He just can’t get into any of the classics.  He can read Harry Potter in 2 days flat but throw Gulliver’s Travels or a Mark Twain novel at him and it is like pulling teeth to get him to read.  Today he had a huge Vocabulary worksheet to go with his reading.  There was a long list of words that he needed to look up in a dictionary and then write down the definition.  I am hoping that he will keep this close by as he reads so that he can use it when he reads.  It could make reading some phrases that much easier for him.  He also had to compile a list of 10 things (we like the number 10 today *grin*) he would take with him on a lifeboat if he were on a sinking ship.  Here is his list:

1. First Aid Kit

2. Matches

3. Fishing Pole and Hooks

4. Hatchet (for a tree cutter downer) *his words not mine*

5. Gun (to hunt with)

6. Bullets ( to load the gun)

7. Pot to boil water in

8. Sewing kit

9. Flashlight (duh! to see in the dark)

10. Life Jacket in-case the lifeboat tips.

He is definitely a hunter gather type *grin*

After Bubba and JJ were done with those things they went to the dry erase board for some brain teasers.  Today it was turning Milk into Pail in 4 steps…. 

Milk…. Mill, Mall, Mail, Pail 

They did a few of these together and seemed to have fun seeing who could figure out the next word first. 

Before I knew it it was time for lunch and then we were out the door for P.E. class at the YMCA.  Today it was the girls class.  They ran 17 laps in the gym, did sit-ups,  push-ups, the shuttle run and an obstacle course.  They were 2 tired chick-a-dees an hour and a half later.  The boys and I usually swim during the girls class but today there was another class in the pool so there wasn’t open swim.  Bummer.

We came home only to face the jungle I call our lawn.  Yep time to mow again.  I mowed and the kids raked the loose grass to feed to the cows who were very thankful for the extra green stuff.

Then it was dinner and time for baths/showers before bed.

Oh we did hear from Rodi today.  He is doing well and is counting the days, weeks and months just as we are.

That was our day.  Nothing too exciting but they can’t all be made for TV sitcom days….at least I hope not!

Grumblings of the Military Spouse….

This week we received a bill that had me questioning things.  It was higher than it should have been by quite a bit. I happened to get a call from Rodi and I asked him about it.  He suggested that I call and ask about it.

 So I called the company…MISTAKE!

The bill is in his name, so they won’t deal with me.

I stated that I had power of attorney even one that covers this area.

 Nope they don’t care. 

I instead get this garbage about him (Rodi) needing to fax them permission for me to access the information I am seeking.

So I am thinking to myself okay Mr. Andre when you are in the need of medical assistance or say someone is attacking you and you need the police to come to your aid,  you would understand if they had to stop what they were doing to help you because their wife needed them to fax them permission for something the power of attorney she already had wasn’t proof enough.  Forget that they went to a lawyer to get said power of attorney. 

I thanked him for supporting his troops and the families that they have had to leave behind.  I made sure he knew that he was making the day of a military family going through separation that much easier.  Then I hung up.

The issue has since been dealt with thanks to good e-mail communication with Rodi but had he been on the submarine like his previous deployments this could have been a nightmare!!!!

LT. Rodi we miss you and are sorry we had to load all this extra worry on your shoulders.  Believe me I thanked Andre for you as well.  Not so sure he felt the love though.

Homeschool Schedules

Just when I think I have the perfect schedule ready to go something happens and tears my schedule to pieces.

Today when I took the girls to the YMCA for their PE class I discovered that my M,W,F schedule had been vandalized in a huge way. M,W, and F mornings were set aside for Bubba and I to workout in the fitness center while the girls were in youth watch and Moe was in child watch.  We would then do classes after lunch and if need be we would finish up after dinner.  Well that just isn’t going to happen.  They will no longer be offering the morning youth watch as of October.  It just really stinks because the only other time of day they offer it is from 5-8pm.  Once wrestling starts next month there is no way we will be able to go in the evenings. 

We are there on Tues. and Thurs. for HS PE but they don’t offer child care during those hours.  Today Bubba, Moe and I took advantage of open swim while the girls were in their class.  Bubba swam laps and got in a good workout.  I on the other hand held Moe the entire time and that was about it.

I have got to figure out how I am going to fit in my exercise.  I don’t do well with late in the day workouts so it may be a real struggle.

Right now a typical day finds us picking up the house for an hour before we begin classes at about 9am.  We break for lunch around 12:30 or 1 and then at 2pm the kids independently complete those last lingering assignments for the day.  Sometimes there isn’t much to do and they are finished by 2:30.  Other days they go until 3:30 or 4pm  Just really depends on how much we can get in during the morning hours. 

Tuesdays and Thursdays we try our best to start on time and stay on task so that we are done with our day before we head out to PE class.  No one, including me, feels like coming home to do more school work after 3:30.

When I first pictured HS’ing life I saw something so different than the reality of it now.  Homeschooling moms and dads juggle so many different things in their day and each of us does the “school” day differently.  I guess that is the beauty of it.  I am not forced to conform to a certain schedule because it is what works for others.  I am blessed to be able to schedule our day around what works for our home. 

I am sure once Rodi comes home our schedule will go through another series of changes.  Those changes will be met with gladness though as he will be here, and that can bring nothing but good things!

Bubba behind the camera

Rodi e-mailed today asking for some pictures of the family.  I haven’t been as good as I should about sending pictures to him via e-mail.  I had no problem getting the pictures he wanted of the kids but I wasn’t sure how I wanted to go about the picture he requested of me.  I was digging through the closet looking for the tripod when I had one of those “Oh yeah” moments.  Why not let Bubba take the picture?

Well who knew that this would turn into a full photo shoot?  He had ideas and poses and, well basically took charge of things.  The girls had picked flowers to put in their hair and let me borrow one for my “big shoot” with master photographer Bubba R.  You will notice the only thing missing from this “big shoot” was the make-up and hair people.  Oh well wouldn’t want Rodi to think things had changed too much since he left.  No sense making my self up for the cows. 

Bubba’s big idea was a “he loves me, he loves me not” photo.  Here are the photos that came from that idea.  I think he did pretty very well.  He even managed to catch one of the petals in mid-air as I tossed it.