Kindergarten, kangaroos, and Karats

So we are about 8 weeks or less away from John coming home and I can't wait.  I'm sure this is no NEWSFLASH to those of you that know me, but I haven't had any time to blog.  I am lucky to have time to post on Facebook.  Part of me thought that this whole blog thing and Facebook would be redundant and I kind of believe that to have come true, but here we are again.

Things have not slowed down here a bit.  Here's a little update on what we have been doing and where we are now....

• Harper flushed my wedding ring down the toilet.  We had it custom designed about 6 years ago and paid a little under $5000 for it.  I went back to the jeweler today to get an appraisal for the insurance company and it was $12,241.  Yep, that's right.  Harper flushed 12K straight down the toilet.  Mr. Rooter (God bless them!) spent 2 8 hr days over here trying to retrieve it with no luck.  Needless to say, if we ever move, I am digging out the entire septic tank.  I may have to sell the ring to pay for it, but I will find it.  Harper still feels bad and my stomach turns knots if I think on it too long.

• Our church had an outreach weekend and Sean Michel (from Benton, AR who was on American Idol) came and did a concert at church.  We had a good turnout and he was amazing.  I can't wait to have John hear the cd.  He will love it.  It is real Bluegrass and Old Country, sounds a lot like Johnny Cash
  

• Linzi came to visit last weekend.  We went to see Miranda Lambert in concert, and Camden and I actually got to see Miranda Lambert in person.  She was nice, very quiet, and it wasn't quite what I had anticipated.  But we were fortunate enough to have the experience, and for that I am grateful. 

Camden:  (to Miranda) My daddy says hi.
Me: Do you want to tell her where your daddy is?
Camden: (to Miranda) My daddy is in Afghanistan.
Miranda:  Well, tell your daddy thank you very much

This meant a lot to Camden.  It is hard with John gone and when she talks about it and people show their gratitude, she feels proud and stands up a little taller and smiles a little bigger.  I can just picture emotional release as tension leaves her. 

• Camden started Kindergarten!  Did I just say that?!  Camden started Kindergarten!  I think I need to take a break and get some Kleenex. Day one was good...day two is a different story.  She told me today that she is annoyed that she has to sit in the same chair everyday.  She said she is sick of coloring pictures for so long.  She also told me it was stressful to split into two groups to go to Art, because she doesn't even like art.  (This comes from the child that draws in a journal everyday)  She told me that she doesn't want to go back.  We forgot to pray before school this morning and we rushed off to the bus.  I think that tomorrow will go more smoothly.  She is pumped up about PE tomorrow.  Maybe she'll get some resentment to conformity out in kickball or something.

• Harper started a new day care.  She isn't sure how she feels about it yet.  She is strangely fascinated with talking about the sleep room, where she gets to take a nap with, and I quote, all five of her friends.  Apparently she just lays down on her cot and goes to sleep peacefully. Why will this not translate to night time bed time?! Ugh, so annoying.  I can put her in bed at 7:30 after bath, teeth brushing, and book and she is up until 10.  She is wearing me out.  Tonight was better.  Maybe she played in enough sand at volleyball to make her tired.  It is 9:46 and as far as I know, she isn't laying in the hallway or on the bathroom floor, which is progress. 

So the adventure continues......

Gram looked at me the other night during dinner and said, "This is a great meal if you are hungry."  Im thinking that was a little bit of a sideways compliment.  You know, if you are starving, you will eat anything.
 Yes, I know Chicken Voile is not ideal, but we added extra broccoli and it is ready in 10-12 minutes, so it is what it is.

Working out lasted a whole two weeks.  I cannot bring myself to get up at 5:30 am to workout, or start at 9:45 when Harper finally stops coming out of her room.  One day last week, I ran 2 miles in the morning before work, came home and did Insanity, met up with Sarah and walked almost a mile, and then played volleyball for 2 hours.  Yes, I could still walk the next day, and I was surprised at how easy it was.  The next few days I ran occasionally and Camden even ran 2 miles with me.  I pray that I can get back in shape before John comes home looking Manorexic.  The skinnier he looks, the fatter I look....no matter what.

Well, I said I would get in bed before ten so I bid you adieu.  

Awake at 2 am, eyes burning.

I had a bad dream. It went something like, someone stole Johns truck from a kids birthday party and we went and found out where it was and stole it back from some dude at an apartment complex and it ended up in a high speed chase down 540 where our friend was in the bed of the truck because we were giving him a ride home on the way back. Then the guy we stole it back from opened fire on the truck with a pistol and lit us up, while Eric was in the back, of course, while I was driving. Ugh. Stupid dream, now I can't sleep. I know, I'm a baby. Now I'm creeped out and the dark is scaring me.

I went and got Camden out of bed and put her in bed with me, I know, like a four year old can really protect me. Maybe it is like my mom senses will kick in with her in here and I feel tougher and more equipped to deal with obstacles, you know made up ones in my dream. I know, dumb.

Before the game tonight we had chick Fil a. Their toys were recalled due to safety, so they were giving ice cream. Harper had to sit and watch Joie and Camden eat it. I told her she couldn't have any because she didn't go to sleep and she said she would go to sleep so she could get some next time. Tonight she was much more passive when it came to bedtime. It was 10 by the time we got home, but regardless, I didn't have to get her back in bed more than once. We will see if this continues tomorrow when I attempt to put her in bed at 8.

All in all, Camden's birthday spent at the Naturals game was a success. Even though I had to work by representing the organization Smile for a Lifetime, having friends there to corral children helped. Thank you to Jeremy and Alicia, Sarah, and Brandi.

Okay, my eyes are burning because they are so tired, and without a computer to use, they are having to work to hard and focus on this phone.

John: How do you lay them down and they just roll over and go to sleep? It's like you are the Kid Whisperer. Ugh, tell me your secret....now!!! :)

Too tired to shower, let alone blog.

So my fears of starting this blog were realized this past week.  I have had SO much going on and haven't had time to blog.  I will struggle to try to remember what I did last week and share it.  I think I left off last Tuesday with volleyball and Camden telling me I'm fat.  I have no idea what occured from Wednesday to Friday. I know that my mom kept the girls so our babysitter could go to VBS, but everything between is a blur. Let me try to sort this out. 

Wednesday I had a Smile for a Lifetime meeting at Jose's in Springdale. I had big plans to order the most amazing meal ever, on the office of course, and I got busy and forgot to order.  Meeting adjourned, I was still starving.  I think I had a sleepover at my house with a girl I work with.  We were working on a project for a Christmas present for her boyfriend.  We watched the movie "P.S. I Love You."  She hadn't seen it before and I assured her it was an amazing movie.  Maybe I should have remembered it was amazing the 3rd or 4th time you watch it, but gut wrenchingly sad the first time.  She cried the whole movie.  I felt horrible.  I was so tired and my eyes were so dehydrated I didn't cry, but I cried inside.  lol 

Thursday and Friday must have been uneventful, sorry to anyone I did something with those days and can't remember.  Wait, wait....Thursday night we went to Gulley Park Concert Series, a free concert in the park in Fayetteville every other Thursday, with some friends.  My mom came, we ate Q'doba and stopped at Sonic on the way home.  It was a good concert, Joe Giles and the Homewreckers, but not as good as the one before. (pictures posted below)

Friday night we went to Wal mart and I had a healthy grocery list planned. I get to the register and she rings me up, I go to grab my card and its gone.  I go to grab my checkbook and its gone. AHHHHHH!  Panic sets in.  Wait, I have some cash, after I take $50 worth of chicken and fish out of our cart, we paid and I get my change.  GET THIS.... a $1 bill that I spent earlier in the day in Fayetteville at Sonic, I got back in change at the Wal-mart in Pleasant Grove!  WHOA! That was insane.  I knew it was mine because I wrote one of the girls orders on it in blue ink--Large cherry limeade.  I could NOT believe it! 

Saturday I hosted a last minute Premier Jewelry party for a friend so she could meet her goal. Fruit and mimosas and a few friends.  It was a success for being thrown together 2 days earlier. We went to the Firefly Fling Festival at the Botanical Gardens in Fayetteville.  It was a lot of crafts, people dressed up like fairies, and fun.  There was a fire twirling show that was pretty unbelievable.  Because of the burn ban, they cancelled the release of the lit paper lanterns, but all in all it was a success.  (pictures posted below)  Thank you to Sarah for sharing all of these fun things with us.  The girls really love Pippi and Felix. 

Sunday we woke up late and missed church, AGAIN (UGH!!).  I decided that I would clean out the garage so I went at it.  I threw away an old trampoline that we had hopes to put up in the back yard.  I rearranged and organized and ate tons of dust in the process.  But it looks amazing.  You could park a car in it, I wouldn't eat off the floor, but its clean. 

John:  Be prepared to be mobile when you get home.  I don't think we've been at home more than one night in a row since you've left.  I may need a few days to myself to sleep.  I plan on partaking in Nyquil tonight to try and get some sleep.  Oh, and you are welcome for the garage Summer clean.  :) 

Ugh.

So the day started with a bang. I went to turn on the tv and there it was...the recording of the tummy tuck commercial. Ugh.

Yesterday, Camden gets up and asks me to turn on her show. When the tv comes on, she tells me to stop that I might benefit from this thing on tv because my stomach is kind of up. I pay closer attention and realize this is an infommercial for Tummy Tuck, a waistband that claims to melt the fat away. Thanks Camden. Operation Anoerexia has commenced. Ugh.

Today was a great day at work, we got our bonus from last month and then we got to draw from the money bucket for meeting production goals. We had to stay late, but who cares...I came home $130 richer.

I had to get the stuff ready for the Boys and Girls club second pick up do I start cleaning house in the garage.. As I pondered a late night illegal dump, it dawned on me that our friends have a giant blue dumpster in their front yard because if their recent move and rennovation start. Bingo! Thank you Jeremy and Alicia. Had I known how therapeutic that was to stand in the back of the truck and chunk trash that I have loathed for months, I would have brought much much more!

So back home we went, Cooper in tow, to help them out as Jeremy took their oldest and mine to VBS and Alicia had a photo session.

Aaron texts me in a panic that they need a volleyball. Volleyball at Wilson Park was booted off the agenda much earlier in the day, but I wanted to help so we loaded back up. I was so proud of Harper and Cooper for just chilling next to the court as I squeezed two games in. They even refused Sarah's offer to go to the playground. I know, right?!

As we walked back through the door at home, Gram drops a brand new jar of bread and butter pickles all over the floor. So I kick her out of the kitchen, quarantine the sandy children to the dining room, and start cleaning up glass and the most repulsive smelling liquid ever. I am pretty confident my feet will smell like bread and butter pickles for days. Ugh.

So here we are in the kitchen cooking grilled cheese at 9:30 pm as I explain to Camden that VBS stands for vacation bible school and Harper is making up a freestyle rap involving "VBS and woot woot." I don't know if these girls will ever be in bed, let alone fall asleep before 9 pm ever. School starting is a month away! Ugh.

John: Thanks for leaving the truck here. I'm making good use of it and I promise I will get the oil changed....someday soon. :) We love you. Don't forget to check out the videos the girls made for you. I posted them on Facebook.

Wacky Saturday

We started our day going to our good friends' house so I could take a family picture of them with their dog, that was going to be put down later that day. She was around when we were in college and was just an overall great dog (see pic below). So when they came to put her down, I loaded the kids up (their 2 bits and my 2 girls) and we went to Sonic and the car wash.

We came back and Camden and Cohen played superheroes (see pic below) until we got ready to go see Madagascar 3 at the theater. When we got to the theater it was PACKED. After about 15 min of musical chairs and deciding which parent would sit with which kids, Jeremy found a row of 4 seats at the very top and two below. Alicia spent most of the movie sitting on the stairs, which she swore was comfortable.

After the movie, and only two trips to the bathroom and tons of snacks) the kids were wound up and there was Freedom Fest going on at the mall. There were jump houses galore and tents everywhere. (see picture below) The kids got to go inside a fire truck and shoot Daisy BB guns (see pictures below) A bunch of soldiers in uniform (granted they were Army, not Airforce,) were manning the stations and I got a little emotional.

We capped off the night with an entertaining dinner at Copelands with some other friends. Thanks to Taylor and Brittany for riding with us and making the trip very laughable with the girls!