Where does she learn this stuff?

CC just asked me if today was Friday (she gets to bring her school work home today). When I told her yes, she got very excited and said, "Yay! I have lots of drawings to show you. They are for papa, grammy, my cousins, and all of the people in my life."

A fun day at the farm!

After several days of being cooped up in the house due to sickness, we decided to venture out of the house. We made a trip to the Hunt Club Farm with Chris and Skylar. As you can see from the pictures, CC and Deuce had a great time!

Go Pink!

Nutz and CC were talking via Google video. Nutz told her, "Go Blue!" She promptly responded, "Go Pink."

Restoring Honor Rally: My Personal Story

On Saturday, August 28, I attended the Restoring Honor Rally with my 3 year old and 5 month old. When my husband and I first heard about this event, we knew that we’d attend. However, right before Christmas, my husband found out that he’d been mobilized and would be heading overseas after the first of the year for a year-long deployment. I promised him, and myself, that I’d still make the trip to Washington D.C. to attend the Restoring Honor Rally. I knew it’d be hard with two children in tow, but I also knew that I needed to be there to represent all the people that couldn’t attend, like my husband.

I was fortunate to have some “adopted parents/grandparents” who were making the trip and allowed my family of three to “tag along.” We left the Norfolk area on Friday, August 27 around noon and arrived in D.C. later that afternoon. My three year old, CC, was excited to attend this “party” for which we had been invited by Glenn Beck. Believe it or not, she knows who Glenn Beck is and can easily recognized his face on television and his voice on the radio.

We woke around 6 am on Saturday, dressed, packed the double stroller and backpack, and headed to the Lincoln Memorial. I’m sure that I was a sight to see: I had my 5 month old strapped to my front in the baby carrier and my backpack of baby/toddler goodies strapped on my back. And, a toddler holding my hand and pulling me along to the “party.” We joined Grandma Kathie and Papa John and started our 2-mile trip to the Restoring Honor Rally. I knew there would be a lot of people in attendance, but I was still amazed at the number of people that walked with us. As we neared the Washington Monument, I was in awe at the number of people making their way to the Lincoln Memorial. When we made it to the Washington Monument around 7:00 am, I could see that none of us latecomers were going to even get close to the Lincoln Memorial. We didn’t mind, we were going to get as close as we could. What mattered is that we were there. We ended up under the trees near the Vietnam Memorial.

As we recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the National Anthem, I was extremely proud to be an American. CC stood proudly next to me and sang every word as she held her hand over her heart. Tears welled in my eyes as I listened to the people around me sing and show their patriotism.

With a husband serving our GREAT country overseas, this day had special meaning for me. I made shirts for both of my children. Deuce’s onesie had a picture of his daddy and read: “My daddy is serving his country, but my mommy brought my big sister and me.” CC’s shirt had the same picture and read: “My daddy is serving his country, but my mommy brought my little brother and me.” Since Nutz couldn’t be with us, in person, we brought my daughter’s daddy doll. Her daddy doll has a picture of Nutz in his flight suit on one side and his civilian clothes on the other side. So, even though he couldn’t attend the rally in person, he was still with us.

We met and talked with people from all over the United States. The family next to us had been on a motor home vacation and attended the event with their two young children. While waiting in line for the restroom, my daughter and I talked with a gentleman who had driven his motor home from Washington State to attend the event with his 13-year-old grandson. I also talked with people from Utah, Florida, Hawaii, California, Virginia and Maryland, to name a few. Some people drove, while others flew and rode the train.

I’m so glad that my children and I attended the Restoring Honor Rally. It truly was a historical event and one that I’ll be able to look back on and say, “We were there.” God Bless America!

CC Dreams

This morning CC awoke at 5:25 am. She quickly informed me that she couldn't sleep because she dreamed that her daddy wasn't here.

More CC sayings...

CC looked at one of our wedding pictures and said to me: "That was you when you married my handsome daddy."

CC to mommy after I finished dressing for work: "Mommy, you're missing something. You need a necklace."

Funny Stuff...

Mommy to CC: Did you toot?
CC to mommy: I think it was daddy in Djibouti.

Happy Anniversary, Nutz!

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. ~Mignon McLaughlin

CC's take on marriage

CC to mommy: "Daddy married you because you are a princess. You're going to have a happy versary (anniversary)."

Yes, Nutz and I will celebrate six years of marriage on Sunday.

My sweet girl...

Tonight at bedtime, CC said to me: "Mommy, I'm going to dream about daddy tonight. And, Cinderella's castle, too." :-)

A Sunday with Friends

Today we spent the day with the Broussard and Behr families. It was a fun-filled day of sun and swimming.

Deuce Rolls Overs

This morning while playing on the floor with CC and me, Deuce decided to roll over for the first time. And as luck would have it, I had turned away. CC said to me, "Mommy, G just rolled over." He had. I'll try to get a video or at least a picture when it happens next time.

Check out CC's writing....

she's getting pretty darn good at it!

Makes sense to me.

Source: http://flowingdata.com/

The Purple Crayon (or CC's interpretation of a purple crayon)

Today, my sweet child decided to give herself a haircut AND color her face purple. No, not at the same time. The haircut was on Ms. Amy's watch and the purple face was on my watch. In fact, I sat in the chair and let her do it! I figured, why fight it? It will wash out and she was really having a fun time making me laugh. After she was finished coloring her face, I told her to go to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. She exclaimed, "Mommy, I look like a purple crayon."

Our trip to the Outerbanks

Last week, we took a week-long trip to the Outerbanks with Bonnie and Bella. It was nice to get away BUT, it's certainly no vacation when you've got a toddler and baby AND no husband around. We missed you Nutz!

The Dinner Diva: Cherish your Children by Leanne Ely

Indulge me for a moment, will you? Today's column is more about food for the soul, than for the tummy.

Years ago, I was watching TV and I saw a commercial for diapers. I don't remember the entire context of it, but the commercial showed a baby in the crib, then, later, as a toddler learning to use his pull-up diapers and go potty like a big boy.

I almost got teary over that commercial! I don't know what it was about that ad that landed so hard in my heart. After sleeping on it all night, I realized exactly what it was.

I spent a good portion of my children's childhoods wishing it away. Instead of cherishing the moments, I would say to myself, "This is so hard. It will be so much easier when they're older."

My children are there, now, at 18 and 20 years old. They're close in age, 21 months apart. When they were little, I had double everything: stroller, car seats, diapers, you name it. Their babyhoods were a blur — I was nursing one and trying to keep another happy. I was tired, stressed out and wanted motherhood to be easy and perfect — like it is in magazines. The reality was quite the opposite: I was overwhelmed and spent an inordinate amount of time looking ahead instead of loving their sweet heads. "When they are older, THEN I will (fill in the blank)."

Why am I telling you this? Because I have guilt and regret and can't move forward? No, it's because I finally realized that even if I did wish away too much time when they were babies, now that they have gone away to school, I thoroughly cherish each moment that I have with them. Oh sure, there were times they were rotten and need straightening out, but I am not trying to tell you that life becomes perfect when you're looking wistfully back on their childhoods. The root of all discontent, however, is expecting "perfect" out of anyone (child or adult) or any situation; I am thankful I learned that while they were still home.

Here's a way to put this important lesson into practice: instead of constantly trying to correct and PERFECT your children's table manners, consciously try to have a dinner table that welcomes the stories about your son's day, your daughter's dreams and laugh together! My heart's memory book is filled with memories from those kind of interactions and (thankfully) not the guilt of nagging at them constantly.

My children grew quickly and were gone before I knew it. One thing that really helped me enjoy them and love them each day was breaking bread each night together at the table. Having dinner together not only blesses those at the table, but it blesses the hands that make it.

Wherever you are in your journey as a mother, you can begin to cherish your babies now — no matter what age, even if they have children of their own! You are still a mother and you still have moments, God willing, left to cherish. The past is one thing we can do nothing about, but we have today!

Take a moment today and look at your children's faces and understand that they are there in your care by divine appointment. It is no accident that God gave you that child or those children. They were hand selected to belong to your family — no one else's. What a gift!

So tonight, when you are gathered 'round your family dinner table, thank God for giving you each child even if you can see their tonsils with mouths full of spaghetti. Treasure your sweet children and love them like there is no tomorrow. They are gifts to be cherished at each meal, with each moment.

Happy Birthday America!

Letter to daddy

Mommy to CC: What are you doing (as she rummages through my closet in the office)? CC to mommy: I'm picking out a birthday card for my daddy. :-)

As she was writing on the card she was talking aloud. She said: I love my daddy. He's part of my family. He needs to come home from Djibouti forever.

M&Ms

Mommy to CC: What would you like for dinner? CC to Mommy: I'm eating M&Ms for dinner.

I'm so exhausted that I'm okay with this. :-)