Long Weekend

At the beginning of long weekends I always have lots of plans for all the fun we can have and chores we will get done around the house.  A few days later I find myself still wearing yoga pants and making excuses to not leave the house unless its for Dairy Queen or something equally important.

Since D had a 4 day weekend this weekend we got to spend lots of time hanging around and doing nothing.  Friday night we headed out to the sandwich shop and then up to the Halloween movie in the park that our town puts on.  AJ had the best time.  She was running around like a crazy woman and got to star gaze with D, in addition to her nutritious dinner of lemonade and french fries.

On Saturday I did manage to make it out with AJ in tow for some shopping.  We hit up Michael's, Old Navy, the commissary and the Halloween store.  I can't stand those Halloween stores that pop up around this time each year, but we needed a piece of AJ's costume and they were out at Target and Michael's didn't have them, so yeah.  It was basically my last option.

I do think I am officially the crazy lady though because when we were at Michael's we bought a bunch of wooden Christmas ornaments for AJ to paint as a little craft project.  They were only $1.50 each and we had the paint left over from last year's Christmas craft.  On that note, Michael's looked like the holidays threw up on half the store.  Its so weird to see all the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff all jammed together.   Can't we just wait until November 1 to bring out the tinsel and trees?  And I mean, I love Christmas more than most people.

I also bought AJ a winter coat at Old Navy, which seemed silly because it was approximately 87 degrees outside when I purchased it.  What can I say, it was $15 and I know she'll need it eventually.  Apparently though, everyone in town got the same email as me about the $15 coats, because the line to check out was literally from the registers all the way back to the boy's section.  I had been entertaining AJ for 15 minutes by the time we got to what is known as every mom's personal hell.  You know, the toys and candy they put right along the waiting area?  Ugh.

We had a rather uneventful trip to the commissary after that and headed home for lunch and nap.  AJ refused to eat any food, so she went straight to bed and was so tired (probably from being up late the night before and all the shopping)!

After the fun and exciting start to our weekend we kind of fizzled out.  We went to a bonfire at our neighbor's house on Saturday night and just stayed home and watched football all day on Sunday.  The temperature dropped by 25 degrees from Saturday to Sunday, so we wore shorts and t-shirts on Saturday and jeans and long-sleeves on Sunday... Maybe fall is officially here?

Today was another low-key day, D and AJ went out for a run and then he mowed the lawn.  It was chilly again, so I'm hoping that we can at least keep the temps below 80 over the next few weeks.  It really bums me out when the weather doesn't match the season.  I guess its the Midwestern girl in me--I want chilly weather and the opportunity to wear hoodies and boots.  Granted, come February, I'll be done with it, but who cares?!  I want it now!

Rainy Saturday

Yesterday after we dropped D off at the airport we made a trip to Trader Joe's to cheer us up.  AJ snagged a mini shopping cart that she drove like Nascar through the store.  When it was time to leave she threw a massive fit and now won't stop talking about the little cart.  Its too bad the nearest Trader Joe's is like an hour away.  While we were there we picked up some mini pumpkins and some heirloom tomatoes (amongst other things) to snack on.
 
My college football team is playing today and the game is on tv here where we live, on the other side of the country.  Its not often that I get to watch my boys play anymore, so I'm doing what any sane football-loving person would do, I'm DVRing the game so I can watch it and get other stuff done, like a trip to Tarjay with my little lady.  I love watching home games on tv because I get little glimpses of the beautiful campus and Midwestern foliage that I miss so much now that I live in the South.

Anyway, its rainy and cool(er) here today and D is gone, so I packed AJ up and headed down to Tarjay for a little retail therapy/grocery shopping.  What a great idea, huh?  Payday + Rain + Saturday = Worst Idea Ever.  it was seriously so ridiculously crowded there were no shopping carts left.  How does that even happen?  I decided that since it was insanely crowded, and I was already in what I can only describe as Purgatory, that I'd open the Target red card that is linked to your debit card and get the 5% off every time  you use it.  If that wasn't bad enough, it didn't go through so the cashier lady was trying to figure out what we wrong with their computer and ended up just giving me $3 off my bill, which was nice.  I almost never go to Target, unless I'm already running other errands in town, mostly because we live like 45 minutes away so I figured that getting 5% off would be a nice reward for the few times I actually need something there.  No dice.  Oh well.

On the upside, I bought AJ's Halloween costume while we were there and I told D that it was like divine intervention!  They only had one left and it was her size, plus it was only $20!  I even bought a 5 pack of fake mustaches for her to wear.  She is going as a pirate this year because I figure next year (and every year after) she will insist on dressing as a princess and this might be the last year before she has an opinion.


Also, on a super random note, I recently discovered that you can order Peppermint drinks at Starbucks all year long.  Who knew?!  While we were at Target today I ordered myself a half-caf Peppermint Mocha, which was heavenly.  Speaking of Starbucks, I think this is the first time ever that I've actually completed the Millenium Cohort Study that the military conducts every year.  My reason?  They are sending me a $10 Starbucks gift card.  I'd say 45 minutes of my time is worth 2 cups of over-priced coffee.  ;)

So, obviously my life is just about the most boring thing ever right now since I managed to write an entire post about shopping.  My apologies to you all.  I'll try to be more entertaining in the near future.

Our Weekend

AJ wasn't feeling all that great this week and by the time Friday rolled around, we all were ready for a nice, relaxing weekend at home.  I'm glad we didn't make any real plans because she ended up coming down with some sniffles yesterday and was pretty sad.

Saturday we just stayed home, D mowed the lawn in the morning and then during nap time I ventured out to the grocery store for our week's worth of food.  D recently told me that he wants to eat healthier, so naturally I made some super unhealthy snacks for game day!  In my defense, we were planning on watching some football, and I had planned on making the stuff before he told me that, honest!

I was really considering going to the Commissary for my groceries because its much, much cheaper than our local grocery store, but luckily decided to just stick close to home.  I'm glad I did, because I totally forgot that the Commissary was having a case lot sale this weekend and I heard it was a total madhouse!

After I got home I made the snacks real fast and we got to watch the second half of the Army v. Northern Illinois game while munching on Buffalo Chicken Dip and Lil Smokies in BBQ sauce.  It was super yummy!

Today has been the official starting day of potty training, take 50.  AJ has just been having so much trouble with it, mostly because of the power struggle.  Every time we start to try it I decide she isn't ready and we go back to diapers.  Well, this time is starting out a lot like all the other times, but D and I are ready for her to be done with diapers, so we're going to really stick with it.  She has the ability to do it, but she doesn't care, so that has been our struggle so far.  Not to mention that she wants to do what she wants to do, when she wants to do it.  Have I mentioned she's 2?

Cross your fingers for us and if you have any helpful tips or words of advice for us on the whole potty training a strong-willed child, please, pass them along!

This afternoon we're heading across the street for a birthday party.  AJ's BFF turned 2 last weekend and today is her party.  With potty training and the sniffles, I'm not sure how long we'll last over there, hopefully long enough for some cake!

Weekend Wrap-Up

We had a pretty fun weekend! On Friday D didn't get home until 7, but that is okay because we were planning on having some of the guys he works with over to our house for a little get-together. I made cheese dip (Velveeta and Ro*tel) for dinner at like 5 when I fed AJ and then later that evening we had brat burgers, hotdogs, steak and lots of other goodies like chips, more cheese dip, and brownies.

The guys all said they were glad they came and it was nice for me to get a chance to meet the people that D has been working with (and will be working with when they're in the field in a few weeks).

Saturday we got up and got moving because we had a lunch date with some friends. They have only been here a few weeks (maybe a month or two) and they just found out that they're PCSing again (very unexpectedly). By random stroke of luck, I was able to find them a house to rent in our neighborhood and they took us out to thank us. They have a daughter who is a little younger than AJ and the girls get along so well. Its fun to watch them together.

After that we just basically spent the rest of the day laying around and being lazy. After AJ went to bed I made an early Valentine's Day dinner for me and D to enjoy. I have been saving a recipe for Penna a la Vodka for a while and I finally made it last night. It was fantastic and I plan on sharing it with you all soon!

On Sunday morning D got up and headed over to our next-door-neighbor's house to help them take down their temporary fence so they can get their permanent one put in next week. AJ and I literally layed on the couch in our jammies for the morning and then did more of the same all afternoon.

I made more cheese dip for the Super Bowl and we enjoyed watching the commercials. We don't really care about either team, so it wasn't really about the game for us. As fun as it would have been to go to a party, we're both pretty happy that we stayed in a spent the time relaxing together.

I've got some information on the status of our move and the possibilities that await us, so I'll be back soon to update you all on that!

Uh, hi!

Sorry I totally fell off the face of the planet this week. It was a long week. D was in the field and AJ and I were busy hanging out all week. When AJ was sleeping I was furiously trying to finish my 600+ page book for book club on Friday night.

I didn't finish it, but I did come close! I only had about 20 pages left when I had to leave to pick up some of the other girls.

Saturday D and our neighbor C took AJ to the gun show while I went with C's wife to Ikea! We did some damage and had a great time shopping. D spent Saturday night putting together some new furniture and I caught up on Glee.

Today our plan is to hang around the house and enjoy the Spring weather we've been having around here. I feel like I haven't seen D or really relaxed all week, so it will be nice to have a low-key day at home.

I hope you all had a good weekend and check back here later this week to find some recipes that I promised a few people I'd post (they're really good)!

4 Day Weekend

As many of you know, today is President's Day and lots of military service members had what is known as a 4-Day (in other words, they had a 4 day weekend off work). We are no exception in this house, D has been here at home with us for the entire weekend and its been great.

I remember a time, not too long ago, when, due to the nature of D's job, a 4-Day typically meant more work and not less. I'm glad to be past that, even if I know that the day will come when he has to work all the time again. It just stinks to get called in on a long weekend because someone messed up again. It comes with the territory, I guess.

Back to the weekend! My parents came into town this weekend. This was the first time they've been out to see the new house. I'm pretty sure that they really came so they could see AJ and my dad could do manly things with D and his buddies. Since my siblings and I have all moved out, my parents are officially empty-nesters and I think my dad really enjoyed going on a trail run with D and a few other guys.

We were able to make a trip out to a neighboring town for lunch on Saturday and it was so nice! The weather was beautiful all weekend! My parents bought us a fire pit, garden hose, sprinkler and an axe as house-warming gifts. The axe was promptly used to chop down a dead tree in our backyard. Don't worry, we stocked up on extra bandages at the store and had 9-1-1 already punched into the cell phone, just in case. ;)

All in all, it was a good weekend. My parents flew home yesterday and we are back here, hanging out, D in the garage, me stuffing cloth diapers in the kitchen. I've got a trip to the grocery store planned for the afternoon. Oh, the exciting life I lead!

I hope everyone else is enjoying the long weekend and hopefully y'all got some of our nice weather, too!

Weekend Recap

I'm back from my crazy girls' weekend away with my college roomies and to say we had fun would be an understatement. We have been known to be a little overwhelming when we're all together and we always think its hilarious because we totally are! There are seven of us, so even if we didn't all have strong personalities we'd be a little intense, but it just so happens that we are all outgoing and tend to "talk over each other."

The first picture of the weekend (in the parking garage of the hotel).
L to R: Sara, Abby, Mary, Me

When we got to the hotel Friday night there was some sort of wine and food tasting going on and we could not figure out how all the 12 year old had gotten a hold of beers! One of my favorite lines from the weekend was, "I own t-shirts that are older than you!"

All the girls at "our bar" Friday night.
L to R: Lindsay, Abby, Mandy, Mary, Shelby, Me, Sara.

All in all, we drank a lot of beer (and Four Loco) and ate lots of greasy food (like fried pickles) and spent lots of money on school spirit gear! It was so much fun to be back in town and even though the football game was away this weekend we watched it at Buffalo Wild Wings and it was crazy! For the sake of PERSEC (personal security for all you non-military folks) I won't say which school I went to, but the game was intense up to the very last play.

Taking a shot with Mary.

The original four from Freshman year.
L to R: Me, Sara, Mary, Abby.

All the girls after the game.
Clockwise from top left: Shelby, Mandy, Mary, Me, Abby, Sara, Lindsay

Just a quick update to let you all know that date night went well and we had a fun day at the river yesterday. AJ and I only stayed for an hour or so, but the rest of the crew was there most of the day. They ended up back here last night and I made dinner for them.

Today I'm off to the USO to volunteer for a few hours. Should be a fun time.

In baby news, AJ has decided that she doesn't want to lay in her crib to nap anymore. She likes to be rocked to sleep and then as soon as you set her down she wakes back up crying. We're currently on hour 2 of trying to get her down for her morning nap. If you've got any, send some good "sleeping baby" vibes our way!

I'll be back tomorrow!

Weekend Recap

Friday night we went out to a local steakhouse for dinner with some friends. This place was out in the middle of nowhere and had an amazing view of the valley behind it. The walls on the inside were covered with signatures of people who had eaten one of their T-Bone steaks. The funniest part about it was when you first walk in, the front porch of the place is crawling with cats. Yep. They literally just lay around everywhere and we had to step over them to get inside!

The boys at dinner.

Yesterday while D did some homework took a nap, AJ and I went to the spring with some friends. It was pretty close to our house, but definitely hidden back in the woods. We had a super fun time! The place we went was where the spring meets the river and while the spring water is cold (58 degrees) the river is warm and shallow, so AJ was able to splash around a little bit. We will definitely be going back again soon!

Saturday night AJ fell asleep early which kind of messed up our plans to go to a friend's house for dinner, but luckily, they live about 4 houses down from us so we switched off. I sent D and his buddy, N, over first, then D came home and let me head over for some fun. After a while N was getting tired, so he came back to "babysit" while D and I finished out the night! All in all, it was a fun time!

We don't have any big plans for today, so I decided to write this update a little early instead of waiting for tonight. I think I'm going to go try my box of hair dye now. Eek!

Weekend Recap

My in-laws were in town this weekend. We had a fun and relaxing time and the trip was all too short! They had to work on Friday, so they didn't get in until late (well after I was in bed) and they left this afternoon.

Yesterday we hung around the house, rearranged some furniture (my father-in-law is an interior designer), hung some art on the walls, and basically just enjoyed each others company. Everyone always dotes on AJ which is nice because it gives me a little break from the everyday routine! We also ordered gyros from the yummy restaurant in town for lunch (yum-o...ew, so not a Rachael Ray fan, but whatevs).

Last night we watched the movie Where the Heart Is with Natalie Portman and made some frozen DiGiorno pizzas to have along with our cocktails. ;) (We seriously never order pizza because these are so good and at between $3-$5 each, why would we spend $10+ on something that tastes pretty much the same and is soggy by the time it gets here?)



This morning the plan was to head out to Cracker Barrel for breakfast before I had to volunteer at the USO and the fam headed back, but we got kind of a late start, so I just made breakfast for everyone here at the house. I made blueberry pancakes, plain pancakes and bacon. Mmmm. I love breakfast and its kind of my specialty! I can make a mean breakfast! The best part about having a big Sunday breakfast is that we have extra bacon, so that means we're having BLTs for din din tonight! Yipee!

Everybody's Workin' For The Weekend

We have absolutely nothing going on this weekend. It feels great!

Last night D came home and told me that his 1SG's son was competing in a dance competition near where we live today. We decided that since we have no life plans we would go watch. We were all going to go to lunch afterwards. 1SG says that the meet starts at 0800. Fine. I'm thinking its like a track or swim meet where you can go late and still get the idea.

This morning at 0730 I get in the shower and afterwards D is getting ready to take his shower when he gets a text from 1SG. The time is approximately 0810. His son is dancing now and awards will most likely be at about 0930, do we want to meet them for an early lunch at 1030? Haha! We totally missed it!

It's alright, we had a nice lunch (at Monster Burger!) and he's got another dance tomorrow afternoon that we're planning to go to. This time we have a better understanding of how this whole thing works, so we'll make sure to be on time! ;)

D is currently playing cleaning in the garage while I hang out with a sleeping baby. We made a trip to Babies 'R' Us after lunch and got a canvas tote thing for the car seat when we have to check it plane-side in a few short weeks! I also bought 2 swimsuits for AJ to wear during all of our hotel stays in case we decide to take her swimming! I promise I'll post pictures!

TGIF!

I think the title of this post says it all! This weekend will hopefully be a good one. To start it off right, I had an ice cream sundae for breakfast this morning. It really hit the spot. I usually try to be a good girl and eat something breakfast-y for breakfast, but for some reason, this morning I was just not feeling it.

I am not particularly crazy about breakfast food for breakfast anyways, but give me a bowl of cereal, pancakes, or waffles for lunch or dinner and I am there! I would rather eat pizza or leftovers for my morning meal any day!

Now I am trying to figure out what we are going to do this weekend. I think we are going to do movie marathons! I know D really wants to see The Goods, so we will probably see that tonight and then maybe even go see another movie tomorrow afternoon or evening, depending on the weather and what we have going on.

In other good news, I am 10 weeks pregnant tomorrow!