Fun in the sun

Last weekend we enjoyed an awesome visit with the in-laws including an absolutely beautiful spring day. My little bear was able to show off his playful antics. The look in his face is priceless and says it all!

Devil's in the details...

This week we went from planning hypothetically, to whipping out the calendar and picking dates. The Army has a million layers of red tape that we have to go through each step along the way. First, little r and I have to be fit for travel. Yes, believe it or not, the Army does not want the liability of shipping us overseas if we aren't "fit" to travel and live there. Gotta love the bureaucracy... Happy to report, several appointments, vaccinations, phone calls, and faxes later, we are fit to join the hubby on this adventure. Well, at least the 'ol Doctor's believe that we are. (When was the last time you got a booster shot? OUCH! Now I know why little r screams when he gets his shots!) One big milestone conquered, only a million more to defeat!

We are soaking up the abundant advice from folks like a sponge. Between Big R's sponsor, and awesome Army wives stationed in Germany, we are getting excellent guidance. Our most helpful coaching has come from the Colonel and his wife. Not sure what we'd do without our fearless leader. The Colonel has done two tours to different posts in Germany, and he and his wife are oozing with information answering questions we didn't even realize we had. Long story short, after a dinner out with these special folk, we now have a good idea of what we are taking, leaving in storage, and tossing to the curb. We also got enough information so that our schedules could be more informed.

More to come on this part of our adventure. Big R is in the process of working with travel for his flights, and little r and I should be receiving our official orders this week. The devil is definitely in the details and since that devil refuses to sit still, I'll wait to nail down some of those particulars before sharing to avoid boring you with the constant changing minutia.

Music

My little bear loves music, and this makes me a very proud mama. Not only does he love music, but he is hip and has an ear for groovy tunes. Could be all the commuting I did when I was pregnant blasting the most recent pop rock tunes or all the times we danced to Brittany Spears and Lady Gaga... Yes, I am that mom... the one that still thinks she's 15 and listen to all the pop rock tunes that makes Big R's head spin. Even though I agree that music is just not what it used to be, there's some sort of release in blasting the number 1 song from the radio and learning all the words to the song every kid in high school knows by heart. Of course, memorizing such a thing is easy when it's played on the radio 5 times an hour. That said, my all time fave is grooving to the Shins during a car ride, or singing KT Tunstall at the top of my lungs.

All that aside, I'm not all about pop rock music, but better yet, neither is little r. This girl has always loved it all, and I'm hoping to raise my son to be the same way. Little r does love his Lady Gaga though.

The latest music love for our family is Broken Bells. If you haven't heard of this band or its music yet, you should give it a spin - it'll truly change your life! Not only is the music awesome, but the lead singer (from the Shins) and song writer is a poet with the most incredible lyrics. Little r loves this music so much that he cheers every time we put it on. He jams in his carseat or does his beloved Frankenstein dance (promise to get this on video soon!) and then claps screaming "yay" when the music ends. The only other band he gets this excited about is the Beatles, but then again, who doesn't?? (I have one friend that hates the Beatles, you know who you are, so just look away, my dear, look away.)

My hope is that little r continues his adoration for music. For now, here is his favorite tune:

Lists...

Big R recently received an email from the "transportation" crew stating that we are officially within the 90-day window before his report date. My reaction should have been, "cool, we still have three months before we leave." Instead my reaction went something like this,"HOLY SH*@! We only have three months to get everything ready!" Yes, I can be a little dramatic sometimes.

But seriously, 90-days is really not much time for a type A personality like mine. I always wish I could be that person that just lets the movers come in the door, pack up our things, and meet us on the other side. My little pea brain doesn't function that way. No, I have to plan and coordinate everything. Although it might create a dab more stress in the preparations, the theory is that it will make things much simpler on the other end. In other words, I'm going to lose my sanity, just to keep it.

As soon as Big R got his Orders, my wheels started spinning. Where to begin? I was literally overwhelmed not knowing where to start first. What room to tackle, what are we storing, what are we bringing, what can we throw away? Yes, it was time to make some lists. That's not a typo, I am making several lists. Being paranoid I'll forget something drives my motivation to make these lists. I even put things on the list that I had already accomplished, just so I could check some of them off. Considering one of my lists was 3 pages long, I felt that tightness in my chest ease as I put careful "checks" next to several of the items. So, what's left you ask? Pretty much everything, but at least I have it all written down so that the burden is put in some sort of order.

No stress. That is my mantra. At least we still have 90-days.

Whenever I start to feel stressed, I just look at this face:

How can you not smile with this bundle of cuteness looking at you?!

Sniffles...

This winter season has been a doozy for our family. We keep getting pumeled again and again with some iteration of the flu. Somehow the hubby has escaped barely scathed, but Little R and I have taken a beating. Sinuses are overrated. Little R and I found out that you don't need to breathe to live, at least not well. As I am not the biggest fan of antibiotics, we held on for the ride. Little R continued to lose most of his brain matter out of his nostrils and developed the nickname "rudolph" at daycare, and I was fighting to hold onto my voice and learning to sleep sitting straight up or in some instances standing. It was a joy, and I finally gave in and sought care from the old doctor. Little R's pediatrian is a miracle worker. I was uncertain, but the doc convinced me that four weeks is long enough to suspect an infection brewing. My experience with three doctors and a round of antibiotics later was not as pleasant, but we both somehow recovered eventually. Now that we were healthy again, Little R and I had the most amazing past two weeks. After daylight savings blessed us making the days longer, but more importantly, allowed the sun to rise a little later, my little bear started sleeping like a champ. I'm not putting this lightly either. The kid can sleep, and you will never hear me complain. When is the last time someone told you they had to wake their 18-month old up on a weekend? It's been a nice ride... But this blessed season refuses to end, and it just can't make it's mind up here in Virginia. I feel for those living in the northeast or out west where winter is endless, but Virginia is just plain confused. The yo-yo weather pattern is wreaking havoc on the health of us Commonwealth folk. Add in the wonderful airborne allergens that plague us this time of year, and we have a perfect storm. And yes, Little R and I are at it again. Snots a flowin' and coughs are back, which translates into cranky toddler with a rudolph nose and a short temper. For the first time in weeks, my sweet little sleeper woke crying for his "daddy." Everything important to this child is "daddy." (Big R doesn't understand just yet how special that is). In this instance it was the beloved blankey that needed rescuing. When I entered his room he nearly jumped out of his crib and gave me his big monkey grip begging for some masterful snuggling time. Little R sweetly fluffed up his blanket, or "aukee" as he likes to call it, and rested his head gently on my shoulder. As I rocked that little sweetheart, all I could hear was his Darth Vader breathing. Poor child could hardly get in a breath and his aukee was drenched with snotty "brain matter" - yes, gross. I miss these snuggles with my little one. While I was holding my little bear, I realized he is getting so big. When did he become this little boy? Well, I hope the sniffles don't stick around so long this time, and the magical doctors will not need to be called. Until then, I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to some more snuggle time...

Great beginnings...

I'm entering a new chapter in life - yet again, and this time it has inspired me to share the adventure through writing. Being as this adventure is going to take us across international waters, it seems only right to bring you along for the ride. My life is one comical satire after another fueled continuously by little R, my 18-month raucous bear, and my adoring husband whose Army career helps keep him grounded. Add into the mix a 12-year-old pup, a wild tiger, and a fluffy ragamuffin, and the stories abound! My life has been one adventure after another, and I find myself still wondering what my adult life is going to look like. Suppose you could say I'm refusing to grow up, or maybe it's just that I'm enjoying taking my time or I've somehow lost the ability to know when I've gotten there.

Army life is an interesting one. I'm not a stranger to the military, and you could say based on the love-interests of my past, that I've been drawn to men serving our country. My mom was an Air Force wife for nearly 20 years. Being as I saw it from the eyes of a little girl, I can't say whether it was different than being the Army wife that I am now. In many ways though, I find myself paralleling her life. The Army is taking us on a new adventure to Germany. Little R will be nearly the same age I was when my dad took our family to Germany. Man, I hope Germany is ready for my crazy little bear. He will be in German kindergarten singing German songs and doing his little Frankenstein dance (maybe it'll be more hip over there). His blond hair will hopefully win over the locals (ok, yes, it's red some days, but I'm sure that the red will flame out!).

The biggest part of this adventure for me will be staying at home. It is truly a new chapter in my adult life. The stars will align, won't they? If my past has taught me anything, it's to believe in myself and let life lead me where it may. So, I'm diving in, or taking off, or tripping? My past has also taught me that too much work can weigh you down, and balance isn't just a cliche, but a necessity for sanity. So sanity, here I come! Did I mention that before I get to experience such sanity, I have to prepare my life for this move? Ah yes, and so the blogging begins. The adventures start with the preparations, as they always should...