Writing

I think I briefly mentioned the other day that AJ has started writing letters.  It literally started over night.  I was upstairs putting the baby down for a nap and AJ was working on some coloring crafts to send to hubby in his next care package.  I came down and she says, "Mom!  I wrote my name!"  I looked and she did!  On her own, with no help from me!

I like this picture because I think it accurately represents how crazy she normally looks.

Now, I'm not, by any stretch if the imagination, what you would call a "home school" type of mom, but I figure that I can help her practice forming her letters fairly easily, so we've been working on them a bit.

We've been doing a few different things to practice.  We have a Step 2 easel that has a dry erase board on one side and chalk board on the other.  I'm not an idiot, so she doesn't normally have access to the dry erase markers unless I'm sitting right there with her.  This makes her totally willing to stand there and write letters over and over because it's fun and different and a treat!

The first few times we worked on the letters I got out our alphabet flash cards and held them up, one at a time and she said the letter, then wrote it on the board.  After we did this a few times I decided to challenge her a bit and see how she would do.  I didn't show her the flash card, but I said the letter and she had to think about what it looks like and write it from memory.  This proved to be a little more difficult, but there were really only a few letters that she had a hard time with!

Picture that we sent to Daddy

Now, I am sitting here thinking about this and I cannot believe that she is big enough to be at this point!  I feel like she was just born and now she is writing!  I am really very overwhelmed by it.  I can't even really adequately explain how proud it makes me to see my child learning and growing so quickly.  I can't really take full credit for it (or any credit at all, really), but I completely think that sending her to preschool has been the best decision we have ever made for her.

Anyway, my shameless brag post is over now!

All The Things I'm NOT Talking About

Sometimes I feel like I should be blogging the everyday things that are going on in our lives.  But the issue with that is, I am not doing anything blog-worthy.  At all.  For example, Breaking Bad ended last night, and I know this was a big deal because it's all over my Facebook feed.  Me?  I was busy watching The Real Housewives of New Jersey, but I'm 10 episodes behind.  See?  No one wants to read my thoughts on that!

I could write about the impact that a government shut down will have on our family, but I don't really feel comfortable discussing money on here, nor do I want to play into the hysteria that is currently sweeping the military community as the shutdown draws nearer (and becomes more and more of a possibility).

I guess I will tell you about how Amelia has slept 6-7 hour stretches the last 5 nights.  I put her to bed at 7 and she sleeps until midnight or 1, then goes back to sleep until about 7:30!  I can't tell you how wonderful it is to get to sleep like a real human again, instead of waking up every 2-3 hours like we had been doing.  Ironically, I think I am actually more tired now, though.  How does that make sense?

I got my haircut last week and I really, really like it.  Such a far cry from the last haircut I got.  You know, the one that was uneven and I was too lazy to get it fixed.  For six months.  What?  

AJ got invited to a birthday party for a boy in her preschool class this weekend.  We went and she was very excited about it.  Like most 4 year old birthday parties, they had a big bouncy house set up in the backyard for the kids.  Unfortunately, I apparently have the only child in America who is deathly afraid of them and refuses to step foot inside one.  This meant that I spent a large portion of the party trying to entertain her while all her friends bounced around.  This is as fun as it sounds.

AJ has recently gotten very into writing letters, mostly her name, but she will copy any letters I give her. I write them on a piece of paper and she will write them again on her own.  It is so awesome!  

I'm pretty bummed out because I'm supposed to go to Florida with a friend and her kid this weekend, but it's looking like that isn't going to happen with the uncertainty in pay.  I realize that this is not that big of a concern in the grand scheme of things.  I know that there are families who are worried about paying bills, but this is something I've been looking forward to for a while.

So anyway, that is what's going on around these parts.

My BIG Girls

We've had some fun around here lately and I figured you would probably rather see pictures of two cute girls than hear me talk about it.  So here you go!

My parents came to visit last weekend and we had great weather, which meant we went outside!  We went hiking at a local park and spent quite a bit of time just hanging around.

Hiking in the woods with my Dad and my girls

AJ showing my mom how to use the iPhone!

Stoic Amelia

Big girl sitting up on her own!

My dad and his two girls

My big girl

Hanging out outside with Mimi

Most likely complaining or whining about something.

Do I have something on my face?

Smiling at her sister's shenanigans

This one just cracks me up

Who is six months old?  This girl!

I'm Skipping Boots This Year

Maybe it's just me, or maybe it has something to do with postpartum hormones (can I still chalk things up to hormones if I'm 6 months postpartum?) but I am too dang hot to wear boots this month.  Anytime I even think about putting any of my boots on, I break out into a hot sweat.

It's strange.  I am a lover of Autumn.  I love pumpkin things.  And sweaters.  Heck, I just ordered several sweaters and some leggings online.  I usually love nothing more than rushing head first into Fall the first week of September.  The strangest thing of all?  It hasn't even been all that hot here lately, at least compared to past years.  

You would think that I'd be all about it, but I'm not.  I forced myself to break out the jeans the other day after I showed up at preschool drop-off wearing shorts in 60° weather.  I know, but 60° is downright chilly for these parts in September.  Not to mention the fact that I'm not-so-secretly wishing the next *ahem* several months fly by so we are closer to hubby coming home.  You'd think I'd be rushing each new season in, but I'm just not.

Maybe it's because there are so many cute flats available this season.  Maybe it's because I just have a feeling that our next duty station will legitimately warrant the wearing of boots for more than a month or two each year.  And for the record, no, we are not PCSing, I'm just speculating.  Maybe it's because, despite the shorter days and cooler temps, it just doesn't feel like fall to me yet.

Whatever the reason may be, I hope I snap out of it soon, I have a bunch of boots upstairs that aren't doing me any good just sitting on a shelf.

Having a Baby and a Preschooler

In some ways, having a second child has been much different than I anticipated.  I kind of thought I knew what to expect since I already have a child, and much of what I remember feeling and doing in the months after AJ was born has been the same this time around.  What I was not prepared for, though was the differences.  I briefly mentioned last week that my girls have very different personalities, which plays a role in that, but it also has to do with the simple fact that this time around, I have a preschooler to care for as well.

Caring for a baby when you also have a 3 year old at home to look after is challenging.  The surprising thing though, is that it is no where near as hard as I thought it would be.  I won't sugar coat things, I was terrified before Amelia was born.  AJ was not what is known as an "easy baby" and I was really worried that I would have another challenging baby and a strong-willed preschooler to balance.

I should have listened to everyone who assured me that things would be fine.  All those parents who told me that their kids couldn't be more different from each other, they were on to something.

Aside from personality differences in my girls, I also have to comment on the parenting differences.  When AJ was a baby, we were home every day from 10-11:30 and again from 1:30-3:30 so she could have her two solid naps.  Part of that was due to the fact that I could schedule my errands during other times, but it was also because she needed those naps.  AJ has always been dependent on getting enough sleep.

Amelia does not seem to have that same need.  Not that we would know!  We are so busy with play dates, school and errands that we are rarely home during the morning hours.  Its in her nature as a second child, she will spend her early life being toted to her sister's activities, fitting naps in during the commute when she really needs them.

As hectic as all that sounds, I also find myself wondering what I ever did when I just had AJ.  There are some days when Amelia wakes up from her nap before AJ does and I find myself wondering how to entertain her.  I think I depend on AJ to keep her occupied and when I'm alone with her, it feels strange.  Its interesting that three and a half years ago I couldn't imagine what my life would look like with kids in it, and now, only five and a half months after the birth of my second child, I can't imagine my life without either of them in it.

Photo Dump

I figured since I've been MIA on my blog for so long, I should probably post some of my favorite recent pictures of the girls and our family.

Amelia doing her best skydiving pose.

AJ playing in the tub.

Three ladies before AJ's first day of preschool.

Amelia on the beach during block leave.

AJ playing in the ocean.

Family photo-op about 10 minutes before the storm hit!

Swimming with my dad.

AJ showcasing her attitude in the backyard.

Amelia showing off her strength.

She's officially sitting up!

Cute college game-day picture taken by AJ!

Playing in the water table.

My big, red-headed, sitting girl!

I hope you enjoy, there will certainly be more to come!

Goals For Deployment

Before hubby even left on this deployment, I decided that I wanted to create a list of things to do with the girls while he is gone.  I thought it would be a good way to do some special things and add some variety to our otherwise very routine lives.  The list includes big and small things alike, as well as a few ongoing things that I want to get in the habit of doing.

1.  Decorate bathrooms

2.  Finish paying off debt

3.  Attend the town's Christmas tree lighting

4.  Go to the children's museum (DONE)

5.  Have a picnic in the park

6.  Take kids Trick or Treating

7.  Go see a movie in the theatre with AJ (DONE, Monsters University)

8.  Pumpkin patch/hayride

9.  Plan birthday parties for both kids

10.  Have AJ paint canvases for both girls bedrooms (DONE)

11.  Get passports for girls/renew mine

12.  Get carpets professionally cleaned

13.  Save at least $10,000

14.  Plant veggies and flowers in the spring

15.  Go to the playground once a week (already failed at this one)

16.  Go to church regularly

17.  Carolina puppet theatre

18.  Go to the zoo

Monthly

1.  Get frozen yogurt once a month

2.  Go out to eat at a sit down restaurant

3.  Run a 5k

4.  Host dinner at our house

5.  Read at least one book

There are a few I've already done, some ongoing goals that I have already failed at, simply because I didn't do them in August, but I figure I'll keep them on the list and keep trying!  We got frozen yogurt last week, so we're well on our way for that one.  I can't say that I'll have trouble with that one going forward.  ;) Running a 5k every month might be a bit more challenging.  I was panning on running the post 5k at the end of August, but they canceled it because it fell on Labor Day weekend (so its not my fault I failed at that one!).

Overall, I am mostly excited about my list.  I think it should be fun to try and keep up with and I'm just hoping that I don't find myself scrambling to finish things right before hubby comes home.  The point is to keep things lively and spice up my life, not run around and do things just because they're on the list.

Is there anything you would add to your list?  What things did you do to stay busy with kids when your spouse was deployed?