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!

Cinderella’s night at the ball

DIDN’T END LIKE MINE!

The ball was wonderful, Mike Ditka was an AMAZING speaker, Prince Charming and I managed to get in our dance for the year, The band was actually good, and my feet didn’t kill me until the very end.

We called it a night and headed back up to the 12th floor to our room with an ocean view.  Rodi did such and amazing job this year getting our room and making sure we didn’t leave the ball until they played just the right song for us to dance to.  Have I told you how much I love this man?!

If Cinderella’s magic hour was midnight mine must have been about 1a.m. That is when instead of cuddling with my handsome Prince Charming I was hugging the cold white toilet!  Yep leave it to me to get seriously ill the one night a year I have alone with Rodi in a beautiful setting like that.  Since we don’t drink I know it wasn’t that I had had one too many.  I think it was maybe the salmon I ate for dinner or a touch of the flu?  Whatever it was I was not impressed!

Cinderella….well sorta

So tomorrow night is the Naval Supply Corps Ball.  Yes a Ball.  Formal attire and all.  As I sit here and type I have on jeans, a t-shirt, ans slippers.  There is no make-up upon my face and my hair well let’s just say there is a lot of work to be done before I would venture out and about town.  And this my dear readers is how you would find me most days.  I do not get dressed up to stay home though some would say maybe I should (any fly-babies out there?)

It is hard for me to get jazzed about these balls yet every year there is one to attend.  Rodi would say that I enjoy going.  HA really the only thing I enjoy is getting my one dance a year with the man.  Last year we didn’t get the chance to dance (long story) so maybe this year I will get 2.  I am not getting my hopes up about that though.  One of these years maybe he will realize that it would be much cheaper to turn on the tunes and twirl around the living room a time or two.

This year I am wearing the same long black skirt I wore last year paired with a new top.  I love separates!  I will post a picture once I have one.  Trying to keep a modest look and still feel 30 something is NOT an easy thing to do.  Most of the formal wear out there is either WAY too revealing or make you look like you are a grandma.  Don’t get me wrong I hope to be a grandma YEARS from now.  I am just not ready to try on that look.  Oh and it is February, can we say COLD why is it that all formal wear must be sleeveless?????

I will quit my rant for now, I am just happy I found something to wear and I won’t look like a granny.

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.

The past 3 days in review….

Saturday

took the girls to cheerleading practice at 9

went to the post office at 10:30 to pick up Rodi’s MASTERS DEGREE (Whoo-HOOO!)

at 11 we went grocery shopping.  between store deals and coupons I saved $75.11 but my bill was still more than I would have liked.

12:45 unloaded groceries and fed the kids lunch.

at 3 we left for the field trip to the fire station

not much to report for Saturday.

Sunday

Went to Church in the morning

came home fed the kids lunch and sent them outside to eat a pudding pop MMMMMMM….

Watched as they happily played in the yard together (sometimes a rare sight)

Saw Moe scream in horrible pain and lift his foot off the ground.

tried to find the source of the pain to no avail.

Tried to convince him to walk…. he turned to all fours and crawled holding that one foot in the air.

Took the older kids to my MIL’s so I could take Moe to the ER

Waited 2hrs to be seen

They took no x-rays and said he had been stung but could not show me where.

I left the ER with a limping Moe and no real answers.

Monday

Woke up to Moe screaming as his foot hit the floor upon getting out of bed. 

Watched him limp and cry as he tried to get to the door.

Sat him down to look at his foot again only to find NOTHING

15 minutes later he seemed fine.

E-mailed Rodi but was interrupted by Bubba screaming that the Cows had escaped.

Used sweet feed to lure the cows back to our pasture (as if you could call it that ….darn drought)

When all 4 were safely secured in the back pasture I investigated the fence to see how much time the repairs would take.

Made calls to set up appointments for the week and check out a lead on a round bale of hay.

Fixed the fence

Gave Moe a bath. 

Tortured him by washing his hair…. I know what a mean mom he has.

Put him and the others to bed.

Now I am just mentally preparing myself for tomorrow. ….

Wrestling Season Begins… AKA No Life for Mom Season.

Wish me luck

Oh and in case you were wondering we have this week off of school (fall break?)  It was a planned break for next week but we moved it up a week…. chasing cows and all *sigh*

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.