MilSpouse Friday Fill-in #6

I have noticed some of my blogger friends doing this and it looks like fun! This is the first time I'm doing a Mil Spouse Friday Fill-in.

Head on over to Wife of a Sailor to check it out and join in!

What is your spouse’s best feature?

I love his smile and his laugh!

Mild, Medium or Hot sauce?

Medium to hot sauce.  Depends on the food I'm adding it to.

 What is the worst uniform you had to wear for a job?
I had to war a Tim Horton's Coffee Shop uniform that was maroon and beige. It itched and it was not flattering at all!
You have invisible powers… where is the first place you would go?
Spy on my kids when I wasn't around. Follow my younger sister around and drive her nuts! LOL


What’s left on your “to do” list for this summer?
I have to go to Ducky's kindergarden interview. I have to get a big girl bed for Chicky, and organize the house. I know that will take a couple of months so it will be an extended summer project.

OH and get ready for hubby to come on leave from Afghanistan!!

Dog Walks

When you think of dog walks you would mostly think of a bunch of dogs barking at each other, owners getting pulled left and right, dogs jumping on you and just absolute chaos!

When my mother mentioned to me that they do a weekly walk with a huge pack of dogs I hesitated to go. "Oh they are really good!"

And they are! A pack of 9 dogs enjoying the great outdoors, no leashes, all well behaved. Even my parents dogs who used to try to chase the cars don't seem to be bothered by them now. An hour long walk on Thursdays, locations change every week and Ducky has a blast with them!!

If you want to join this band of four legged friends, you have to be screened by the top pooch! OK, he may not be the biggest of the pack but if your pup gets a "no" from Ehlabah you don't come back. He is the Alpha dog and what he says goes! This 11 year old poodle keeps the younger pups in line. His name is translated from Flemish as " Hey you there!".

From those who have made his seal of approval there is my parents Bouviers Teun and Chapick.  They have their very own bandanas that they wear specifically for the occasion. And when they are on, they know it's time for the walk and you can't do anything else. We pick up another dog named Marley who is the most energetic animal I have seen! She is the only one who jumps and at the end of the walk almost everyone has a Marley signature paw on your clothing. There seems to be a silent agreement that she is allowed some transgression mainly because the owners are always away. Marley has become more of a community mascot.

Then there is Marley's family of Australian Shepherds. Cash, the mom; Tango, the dad; and Karo, the baby. Smitty is the owner of the three and it's an amazing sight to see the dogs come out of the back of his car in a wave of barking dog hair and drool.  Karo was a very sick pup when she was born. When the tail was cropped she lost three brothers, because they lost a lot of blood. She survived by being fed Karo, a brand of corn starch syrup day and night, hence the name.

There is also T-bone and Abby. T-bone, a poodle mix, is the only one who seems to stray from the pack for better ventures. Most conversations usually end with "Where's T-bone?". Abby, a miniature schnauzer tends to slog off in the back with begging eyes to be picked up. In her old age of 12 her owner has her very own canine snuggly, in which she is carried like a princess.

It's a sight to see the dogs when they first start the walk. They all run around greeting one after the other, so happy for the adventure to begin. These walks by far are social (not only for dogs but for the owners too. People without dogs have been known to trek with the pack), civil and amicable. Cesar Milan would be proud and envious!

Wordless Wednesday~ Wishing You Were Sitting Here With Me

The GD Hills

Visiting my parents the first time, I was eager to lose the baby weight. Eager but not willing to put the work in. So for the first two weeks I complained about but never did anything about it. 

Until my father got involved. And he's worse than the best drill sergeants. After day two I would gather Ducky, put him in his stroller and go for a walk but first I would have to leave my parents driveway which is a feat in itself. I'm not kidding! It's a straight walk up a mini Mount Everest. Every time we go down the driveway by car it feels like the car points straight down... I hope I've painted a perfect picture of the insanity that is this driveway.

Next, the walk. It's not as bad I thought it would be. Catch your breath from the climb out of the driveway and off you go. Keeping at a good pace, listening to some music all perfect until...

The God Damn Hill!

This hill is almost as bad as the driveway. And if you want a shower, food, internet... you have no choice but to walk up the GD Hill.

A horrible hill. Pushing a stroller is worse!

But once you get up there the sense of accomplishment is immeasurable!
After 5 years, it's still the GD Hill. Instead of pushing a stroller Ducky is trying to get me to run up the hill. Yeah, keep dreaming!

Momversation Monday: Am I Becoming My Car?

Ladies and gentlemen watch your steps as you enter the vehicle,  Momversation Monday is talking about our cars. Did you buy a minivan? Do you have to look for a new car, and if you do what car do you want?

All my life there were two cars I would never purchase even if my life depended on it. Station wagons and minivans. Jessica Gottlieb is right a minivan does make my ass look big!

I brought up the topic of cars with my mother recently and how I loved the SUV she rented to come get us for our trip. Mom mentioned minivans and I cringed. After my parents had a minivan I just refused to buy one. My mom tried to pass off our Lumina minivan as something else. Dad told me that the main reason they purchased the Lumina was because there was a window for everyone!

Right now we drive a Mazda 3 and it's not the car I intended on purchasing. Not that it's a bad car, I would have wished I was there for the entire process of buying a car. My husband got the car without me, he was out with some of his friends when they were getting cars and the next thing I new he came home with a basic model Mazda 3. No power windows, no power locks, no cruise control. BUT it did have an attachment for my iPod.

My car is small and it only fits the four of us, with the car seats. So long drives are tight. I would love to have an SUV, mainly for the space factor. 

Minivans are too much of a mom car for me, that's not who I am, yes I am a mom but I just don't want my car to scream "mom". I always figured that I would get a minivan only if I had more than two kids. I'm with Jessica on the carpooling thing, I hate the idea that people would assume that because I have a minivan that I become the carpooling mom.

As for right now my Mazda will be fine.

What kind of car do you drive?

Far From Home

So for those who don't watch reality shows like the Real World you might not know about the guy I'm about to write about.

His name is Ryan Conklin and he was on the Real World Brooklyn. Ryan was inspired to join the Army after the September 11 attacks. He was in the Army for three years and spent an year in Iraq. During the show he was called back to active duty.

He expressed his experiences of his tour through music and this was one of the songs he wrote while he was away.




A great song!

Wordless Wednesday~ Some Of The Animals We've Seen So Far

Can you believe they are all out on my parents backyard?

FOOD WARS!!!

Happy to be at the table?

Ducky and Chicky as you may already know are picky eaters. OK that's not true, they are stuck on their own idea of what they want to eat for lunch and dinner.
Breakfast is an easy solution of cereals, milk, fruits and your typical breakfast foods. Lunch and dinner would generally consist of sandwiches, mac and cheese, spaghetti, McDonalds, pizzas and other food that are not generally considered the healthiest of choices.

So I've asked for the aid of my parents help me win the War of Mealtime! The first couple of days were rather frustrating because they refused to eat and they've gone through the extreme measures of gagging and fake sleeping.

Until my father read an article that said that they might be trying to control the situation by not eating. So dad and I decided today that we are going to follow some of the advice given in the article:

Set the timer for 20 minutes, that will be the time given to them to eat their meal. After the 20 minutes are up take the plate away and they get nothing else until the next mealtime.
I forgot to do that this morning but in the end Chicky, who was testing the realm of control, finally gave in to eating her last three pieces of waffle, then at lunch ( we have dinner during lunch and have a light meal at dinner time) they ate with a bit of resistance from Chicky only because she has a hard time with long spaghetti.

So as the war continues we have won some battles. They have now eaten eggs (a Ducky battle), papaya, cantaloupe, fish, meats, rice and beans ( another Ducky battle), carrots and potatoes (mashed were a bust but we were able to get them to eat what we now call "potato pancakes" cutting them into small pancake sizes).

Some of the things we are finding that motivate them to eat:

• We've stopped giving them drinks with their meals. They were filling themselves up with them and wouldn't eat.
• We've given them an incentive to eat. Some TV time after lunch, a dessert or for Ducky he's on his way (sort of ) of earning a toy if he ate his food without complaints. Behaviour at the table had been added to that now. My favorite is telling them to eat their new food first and their favorite food would be waiting for them when they were done.
• If they are thirsty between meals, water is the only option.
• Snacks ONLY if they have had their meals. I know it sounds horrible but my dad made a great point yesterday of the kids not eating their meals and then stuffing themselves during snack time.
• They stay with us at the table until everyone is done.

Some work better somedays than others. What are your food battles? What have you done to solve them?

wordless Wednesday~ Flowers in My Father's Garden!

MOMVERSATION MONDAY!!: What's So Wrong with Being an Overprotective Parent?

Momversation Monday time!! And this one is being posted on Tuesday because of the big destination announcement!!

And this topic is a good one especially since we're now in a different environment.
OVERPROTECTIVE PARENTS.

Yes! I am one! But where it counts!

I'm particularly anal when it comes to my kids safety! I'm an overprotective mess when we are in a large crowd or an area I"m not used to. I'm petrified of my kids getting injured especially in a different location and when Cpl. Mayhem is not around.

And because my parents live in a mountain I'm crazy scared of them falling down the hill. They are klutzy, I'm not going to lie, my biggest fear them falling down a hill.

I don't believe I'm a helicopter mom. I've never been on to hover over my kids when they are at the park or playing at home because kids are going be kids. They have painted their faces with marker and eating things off the floor. But I'm cautious when they are in a new environment or if they are going to a friends house.

I have no problem making a play date and being there first before my kids go there on their own, as a matter of fact I expect people to come to my house before they leave their kids with me too. I'm not insulted by it, we want our kids to be safe and feel comfortable where they are.

But the term overprotective parents is kind of an insult to many mothers. In fact I think we need to chage the term all together. I'm not one to to put my kids in a plastic bubble when other kids are sick, I don't rush my kids to the hospital for a scrapped knee or runny nose. I think we need to call ourselves "Common sense parents".

I find overprotective parents are paranoid parents. I'm a common sense parents, I ask the parents what they are going to do, where they going, if there are somethings that I don't like in a house (guns, drugs, etc.). Common sense.  And there are somethings that I won't allow. I won't have people driving my kids somewhere if I have never been in the car myself or have them in their house without the knowledge of what's inside, and how they parent their kids. Once again, common sense.

But you will never catch my kids with masks on in fear of catching a cold or be in the ER with a splinter. I think that's where the different is.

Tell me what you think.

LIVE FROM....

PANAMA!!!

The view from my parents house.

Yes!! Here we are!! The Mayhem Troops in Panama where my parents have open their home and were willing to lose their sanity for the time that we are here.

It was a long trip!

Packing for two kids for the trip was FUN! (insert sarcasm!)

Chicky and Ducky were extra patient!!

Vovo and the troops ready to get on the plane!

Vovo keeping Chicky busy during take off...

Or was that landing?

The pitiful snack on board.

I needed to give a huge thank you to to the new new members of the Mayhem Troops, David and Linda for putting us up for the night while we were in Boston. The kids loved being there and playing with your piano. We appreciate it!

More adventures to come!!

Enroute

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, this is you captain speaking A Military Wife's Mayhem flight to a surprise destination is now boarding!!

We will be arriving at our new destination Saturday!!

STAY TUNED!!

My Top Ten Travel Tips!

As I'm packing my suitcase I'm looking around thinking, "Is there an easier way to do this"?
Oh course there is! There is always an easier way to get your gear, kids gear and it all arrives in the condition you put in your suitcase. We've all had shampoo spill on you clothes or your luggage doesn't meet you at your destination here are my 10 tips for for a stress free travel.

1. Pack healthy snacks for the kids- you know you are going to spend most of your trip eating crap, the grocery store now has pre packaged sliced apples and individual snack packs of crackers and carrots, raisins etc. This is useful especially during a long delay or the plane ride, and lets be honest, it's not like all the airlines are providing food on all their flights!
2. Always pack your kids a pair of PJs and extra clothes in your carry on bag- in case your suitcase doesn't make it!
3. Before you pack your shampoo and conditioners or anything liquid take the cap off and put saran wrap around the top then put the cap back on extra tight
4. For extra precaution put all your liquid items in a Ziplock bag
5. Put your shoes in a plastic bag- keeps the sand and dirt away from your clothes
6. Bring sippy cups for the kids for kids who still spill. You can't bring juice boxes on the plane so after you get to the area where you can buy drinks, just pour and the kids have their own cup from home- or a new one cause kids like new things
7. Gravol- I don't advocate drugging your kids for a trip, but if your kid is one that doesn't do well with long car trips, Gravol is your friend
8. If you carry DVDs (yes, that's how I roll!) put them in CD case that way you are not carrying 20 DVD cases on a trip- yes I did that once! Learn from my mistakes!
9. A trick my mom used to do to get us to sleep trough an overnight flight- ask for some extra blankets (remember this was around the time those were free, don't know if they still are) and cover over the seats you are in so it's dark for the kids.
10. Advil- I don't advocate drugging yourself fora trip but having Advil on had is a bonus!

Later days!

Robert Bailey Print- Wordless Wednesday

Had to post this pencil drawing- there is a back story, when I get I will write about!

ArtSkills Poster Prize Pack Winner Is...

Congrats to Emmi!!!!
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Emmi said...

following artskills on twitter
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What Do You Pack For Your Kids On A Plane?

Yes, I'm asking!

The last time we were on a plane the kids (and I) were lucky enough to have mini TVs on the seats in front of us and they had a blast watching some shows but spent most of the time playing with the buttons.

Since I can't be guaranteed that again, I need stuff to bring with us.
Here's my list so far:

1. Spare clothes and PJs (just in case)
2. Snacks
3. Movies
4. Activity books and markers
5. New toys (I promised them if they were on their best behaviour)
6. Gravol
7. Diapers and wipes
8. Brushes and paste
9. Books to read

And I'm out of ideas here. What have you brought with you to keep your kids entertained. Was there something you brought that saved you during an emergency (kids getting sick, lost luggage)? Tell me about it!

So Much To Do, So Little Time

Some many things to do, so little time.
But when you are leaving for a while there are somethings that you just have to do!

My list according to if my mother comes on Monday:

• Laundry
• Pack 
• Purchase medicine for travel and stay
• Pick up wipes and diapers 
• Scrub bathroom
• Sweep and mop 2nd floor
• Scrub kitchen down
• Vacuum sofa
• Wash dining room chairs
• Get rid of all the recycle and garbage
• Put away all the outdoor equipment and BBQ in garage
• Leave spare key with friend
• Sweep and scrub main area
• Gather all important info- Power of Attorney, Passports, notarized letters
• Pack kids backpacks with snacks, activities, pjs and extra clothes
• Make sure all equipment is fully charged- Laptop, camera, iPod, and Flipcam
• Clean car and car seats.

I know it sounds like a lot to do before you leave your house for a couple of months but I really don't want to go back home and have ants or anything like that. Besides it's nice to come home and not have to worry about a mess to come home to.

So little time!