marieshecticlife

moving

2011-10-07T17:40:00.000-04:00

I was in the need for something new. So I have moved my family blog. This is my last post on here. But you can keep up with the Turner family here...

Marie's 5 Lil' Monkeys

Family Reunion 2011

2011-08-01T11:52:00.000-04:00

Day 1

While most people came on Wednesday evening...the reunion "technically" began on Thursday.

How to sum up the first day? Hmmm...
*talking
*laughing
*talking
*eating
*talking
*picture taking
*talking
*playing
* did I mention talking?

I loved being with my family and just...well BEING. We didn't have to do anything special, we just enjoyed being together.

**For those interested, there were a TON of pictures taken. If you want to look at more you can find them on Facebook **

Heather, this one is for you (:

2011-07-28T09:19:00.000-04:00

This weekend, my family is getting together. A "mini" family reunion if you will.

My sister and her family were the first to arrive. My neice Heather gets out of the car and says, "Aunt Marie, you really need to update your blog!!"

So Heather, this one is for you!

While a million and a half things have happened since January, I will not even try to update you on all of them! The major things would be:

**Ben is home
**Ben is home
**Ben is home

Somehow I survived an 8 month deployment and am still alive to tell the story.

Summer is in full swing and we have been busy with scripture camp, cub scout day camp, vacations...lots of fun things.

So Heather, as much as I would like to do a great post to get you all caught up (and everyone else as well) there is just too much. I will just start again later ok?

Who's the boss?

2011-01-14T20:01:00.000-05:00

You would think that it would be me. If that was your guess, you would be SOOOO wrong. It is this little man.

At a whopping 18 months old weighing in at 27lbs he is the ruler of the roost.

If you are sitting somewhere, he will come and either get on your lap or drive you so crazy that you just give up the seat.

If you have any food that he wants, he holds out his hand and screams and cries until you give it to him.

If he is crying for any reason, anyone within ear shot has to give lots and lots of loves or he will keep going.

He refuses to share his Mom, and will try to physically remove anyone that is with her.

If he sees a stuffed animal, no matter whose it is (his absolute favorite thing) he grabs it and keeps it. He will also put his hand out and tell the person "no" if they try to get it back.

The other day Harmony told me that, "Mason's stinkiness is starting to cancel out the cuteness."

We really do love our little blue eyed Masor the racer though (:

He's BACK!

2011-01-12T19:43:00.000-05:00

(I stole this picture off of the NMCB3 Facebook page. Not sure who took it to give them credit but...this is the convoy headed back to base)

I wish I could say that Ben was back, safe and sound in my arms but...that is going to have to wait. He is, however, back at the main base. More importantly, he has internet!

It was a really hard month not being able to hear from him, and I really can't imagine what it was like for military wives before email, facebook...not sure I could have handled it back then!

whew...

2011-01-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

(the kids hanging out with a "Who" at Universal Studios. Ivan looks thrilled, doesn't he?!)

(family photo outside)

(the crazy 18 month old)

(I found Ivan sound asleep like this one night. What can I say? The kid was worn out!)

(Harmony's favorite Christmas gift! A box filled with packs of gum. She said she is about half way through it already!!!)

(Christmas Eve, with the required new pj's in front of the tree picture)

(this was the destruction found in the living room on Christmas morning!

(chasing after Santa! The Camarillo airport has a Santa in his sleigh that flies over on Christmas Eve. I think it was the highlight of Ivan's night!)

Has it really been 4 weeks since I blogged? Sorry! I don't know where I used to find the time for this! I used to blog regularly. Now it is quick catch up posts. I guess some is better than none but...still!

Starting at the top, Ben. Oh how we miss him!! I got a call from him in the first few days of Dec. saying he was leaving the main base and headed for a smaller one. There is no internet connection where he is and except for 2 emails and a 5 min. phone call, we haven't heard from him in a month. I can't wait until he is back at the main base and we can hear from him again. I complain a lot about his watching sports, but I wish he was here tonight! He has been a Duck fan...practically since birth. Tonight is their Championship game. I hope wherever he is, he gets to watch his beloved Ducks!

Harmony is still doing well. She gets frustrated with her brothers at the drop of a hat but...what are you going to do right? She still calls them "little bothers" instead of brothers. She is turning into a pretty responsible girl and I love that I can start to rely on her for more things. She is very thankful to her Aunt Darla...because she has a cell phone now! Oiy!

Ethan is so cute. Mason says one word constantly (besides Mom, of course!) and that is E! E! He can get "E" to do whatever he wants. Ethan always tells me he isn't going to let Mason boss him around anymore, but I don't see that happening! His whole life right now is video games, scouts & school.

Connor is my little sweetheart. He really just has the sweetest heart. It doesn't stop him from doing things he isn't supposed to do though! I always find him with candy wrappers, his DS, Legos etc where he is not supposed to have them. He wants to get a cell phone so that he can text. I asked him who he would text and he said, me, Dad and Vale.

Ivan has had a lot of adjusting after his big winter break. He thrives on a scheduled routine and it was a hard week back at kindergarten! He is so excited to be turning 6 next month. We are going to have a party with just his church primary class. I am not up for a big party without Ben being here! He wants an Indiana Jones party so I am going to have to get creative!

Mason is a total pill. He is 18 months old today and drives his Mom crazy. Seriously. I have had to purchase 4 baby gates, 3 handle door locks, and more in baby proofing gear. We also were the recipients of a new toilet. Mason threw a big black Lego wheel in and flushed. Our maintenance people came out and couldn't get it to dislodge. So they had to take the whole thing out and give us a new one. Anyone want to adopt him?!

Seriously, I wonder if my life will ever change. I am not nearly as exciting as the kids are!

My bad

2010-12-12T19:41:00.000-05:00

**I have tried to move these pictures around a million times. It's not working so you are going to have to have them as is. Sorry!

I promised Ben that I would keep this blog updated while he is gone. Uhm yeah, he has been gone for 40 days and I haven't updated yet. Soo, no apologies or excuses, here is an update on the Turner fam.

Like I mentioned, Ben has been gone for 40 days. To a normal person, that may sound like a long time. But for a military wife, when you know you have a LOT more to go, 40 doesn't sound like much. We are able to chat with him somewhat frequently, but wish it was easier. His connection will go in and out the whole time. He doesn't share to much about what he is doing because he thinks I would be bored.

Harmony is lovin' band. I can't tease her about being "a band geek" though! She had her first concert the other day. She had a lot of fun. She is playing clarinet but she also plays the keyboard. We went to the ward Christmas party, and she snuck into the primary room and played on the piano.

Ethan is bored now that chess club is over. The "only" thing he does is Scouts. He complains all day about having to go to Scouts and than talks non stop about it for the rest of the week. He has a lot of fun and the program here is really good.

Connor loves Scouts too. He really likes to wear his uniform. I am always finding him with his Scout shirt on. He got a very good report card with very sweet comments from his teacher. One of the things she said is that he is "academically strong." Connor has been walking around saying, "wow, my teacher thinks that I am strong." I don't think he heard (or understood) the academic part.

I was very pleased with Ivan's report card also. He is right on target with his peers. There are still things he struggles with but education wise, he is where he should be. He hasn't been feeling well, he catches anything that goes around, and has had watery eyes. So he keeps telling me that his "eyes are sweating". Precious.

Mason is one word...annoying! I forgot what this age was like! He has discovered markers/crayons/pens/pencils and will write on the walls. Or get into the pantry, use his teeth to get a box open, and then scatters the contents everywhere. He ripped open hot chocolate packets and then licked them off the floor. He is into everything and I can't turn my back on him for a second. Luckily for him, he is cute!

This is why...

2010-11-03T19:02:00.003-04:00

Look at that devilish grin!

our house is never clean. This little devil...I mean boy.

Now that Mason is walking, he is into EVERYTHING. Nothing is safe. No room is safe.

We are constantly finding things in the toilets! Connor found him one day with a sucker (from someone who left their trick or treat bag unattended!) dipping it into the toilet.Luckily Connor grabbed it and threw it in the garbage, only to make Mason scream and cry!

The other day, Ivan came into tell me that, "Mason dumped cereal in the playroom". I thought he meant from his little snack cup...nope, he meant from the box. PB Cap'n Crunch all over the playroom. I get that picked up and head into the kitchen to unload the dishwasher.

I hear a noise and go to check on him. He found a box of macaroni and cheese, chewed the top of the box off...and proceeded to dump all the macaroni out. I clean that up, with him clinging to my leg.

I head back into the kitchen to finish unloading the dishwasher when he comes over to "help" me by pulling the utensils out, and putting crayons and lego's in.

Finally he is put in his cage...er high chair so I can finish the dishwasher. I get that done and...all of his crackers are on the floor.

This all happened in 15 minutes tops. So if you come over and there are macaroni noodles and cereal and...heaven knows what else...it's all MASON'S FAULT!

Costume Parade

2010-10-29T17:18:00.008-04:00

My gorgeous boys (:

A grumpy Indy

He was actually walking backward to school!

The boys school had a costume parade today.

Ivan, although he has been wearing the Indiana Jones costume for weeks, went as a pirate. I drew some facial hair on him and he washed it off. He told me, "Mom, that made me look HIDEOUS!" Not even sure where he learned that from!

Connor went as Indy instead and threw a HUGE fit. Connor's life is never fair and his complaints were just silly. Once he got to school and got some compliments from his friends, he did much better. For a calm, quiet kid he sure can put up a fuss!

Ethan went as Harry Potter. He sure has grown in a year. It was small on him last year but today I noticed how short the arms on his cloak were. I guess he will have to get something new next year.

Harmony wore the poodle skirt that she got in Girl Scouts last year. She made a very cute 50's girl! I didn't get any pictures of her 'cause we were a touch late getting to school today!

For Ben...

2010-10-26T17:16:00.009-04:00

Mason loved getting a ride with Daddy!

playing in the spider web

Air born!

Look how tall Harmony is! She is going to be taller than her Grandma (and her Mom) soon!

(It was Boo at the zoo while we were there!)

Ben keeps asking me if I am going to update this blog more once he is gone. Apparently he isn't interested in the the things on my other blog...recipes, kid tips etc (:

So I am going to try RRRRREALLY hard to keep this updated, ecspecially for him!

This past week, we were happy to have Ben's parents come and visit. Can I even tell you how nice it is to not have to wait years between visits, like we did on Guam?

We took them to the Santa Barbara zoo on Saturday. We really like the SB zoo, because it isn't the biggest in the world but not the smallest either.

After a week of rain and chilly weather, it was nice to have a warm day to spend walking around.

We have a membership, so if you come and visit, we'll take you too! (:

Uhmmm...

2010-10-08T22:21:00.007-04:00

I can't believe that I have not updated my blog since August! Holy Cow. It has really been a while. I have been working so hard on my other blog and have just ignored this one. So here is a nice looooong update for you!

Harmony started 6th grade this year. She is now in middle school. She had a rough start but has started to get in a good groove. She has made a group of friends and is enjoying school a lot more. She loves playing the clarinet in band. Not a big fan of p.e. but she is getting used to it.

Ethan is a busy boy with school, scouts and chess club. He has been so excited about chess right now. Apparently the coach is very funny and makes it a lot of fun. He has made some great friends in school and loves riding his bike everyday. Every Thursday he complains about having to go to Scouts, only to talk non stop about it for the rest of the week!

Connor is enjoying school also. He was elected as room rep and is so excited about it. He is a very good student but sooo quiet! On Monday he is headed for an appt. with a specialist. He has never really had a good control of his bladder. So he has an appt. with a urologist to get everything checked out. He has such a good attitude about all of it. He also loves Scouts. He has made a lot of friends and has plenty of play dates.

Ivan is getting used to kindergarten. He has his good days and bad, but he is learning and growing. His teacher is very tough and not very friendly &open. That has been very difficult for all of us. I am not the only parent who is having a hard time with her. Hopefully all of these growing pains will get worked out. Ivan is such a funny boy and keeps me on my toes. He loves riding his bike to school every day!

Mason is a busy, busy boy. Anything that is opened, he closes. If something is full, he empties it. He loves to get all the pots and pans, tupperware etc out of the cupboards. He is walking all over the place and is such a big boy. He has the brightest blue eyes and the sweetest smile you have ever seen.

We have less than 20 days left until we say goodbye to Ben. His battalion is getting ready to deploy. We are trying to fill our last few days with lots of family activities. A trip to Lego land is included in that schedule!!

Me...well there isn't too much to say. Just keeping up with my "tribe" is enough drama for me!

Space Dogz

2010-08-12T12:15:00.005-04:00

(the stage)

(the leading man)

(the rowdy audience!)

My kids worked for awhile in producing their first play. Harmony did background music, Ethan wrote the script. Connor and Ethan were actors. They tried to give Ivan a part but he wasn't interested. So he got to be part of the audience.

They were very cute, using their Webkinz as the characters. They were pretty humurous and the play was a cross between Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Harry Potter...pretty much all of their favorite movies.

When the audience got a little rowdy (ie. Mason) they ended with a bow. And we were only charged a .5 entry fee! (:

A Baby Story

2010-08-08T22:18:00.007-04:00

(We took Harmony out for a clothes shopping trip. This was her favorite outfit!)

(such a sweet girl)

(enjoying dinner with Aunt Darla)

(enjoying her birthday dessert at Olive Garden)

Once upon a time (Aug. 9th, 1999 around 10pm) a beautiful little girl was born. Her parents were so happy and fell immediatley in love.

Then they blinked and 11 years passed. And that precious girl is now a beautiful pre-teen.

With a love for music, animals, Pokemon, reading, writing and art.

And her parents are still totally in love!

Happy 11th birthday sweet girl!

summer clearance

2010-08-06T12:56:00.005-04:00

(fun stuff!)

(Ivan concentrating very hard!)

Don't you love how fast stores change their seasonal items?! I love getting summer toys at 90% off...in Aug!

The other day I bought squirt guns, 3-d sidewalk chalk and play doh. With the kids being grounded from video games...all these toys came in handy!

park play

2010-08-05T12:16:00.010-04:00

(the heart attack contraption)

(seriously, is this not a heart attack waiting to happen?)

(hanging out)

(just one place for a Mom to have a heart attack)

(Harmony says she misses the Guam palm trees)

(taking a little nap break)

(sliding down the huge slide)

We love our housing!! Parks are everywhere! The kids, because of bad behavior have lost all video game privelages. Yesterday boredom had set in so we went for a walk.

We walked down to this one that we hadn't played at yet. The kids scared me to death by hanging from some of the highest spots!

I asked Ethan if he was trying to give me a heart attack and he replied, "maybe"!

We LOVE the zoo

2010-08-04T23:59:00.010-04:00

(fish pond)

(poor Mason with sun in his eyes)

(the smelly goats)

(fountatin at the top of the picnic area)

(zoo poo)

Although the Santa Barbara zoo is not very big, there are a lot of fun things to do & see. When we need a break from the house, it is a short drive up to Santa Barbara.

A few days ago, we packed up a picnic lunch and headed up. We sat at a table near the "sliding hill". The kids were prepared with boxes to slide down.

They spent forever looking at and feeding the fish. We also spent a lot of time in the petting zoo area. Stinky.

We have yet to take a train ride but have decided that on our next trip we will.

I brought the wagon and a stroller so I ended up hauling Connor and Ivan around!

We ended our trip with a visit to the gift shop. Ethan was a little worried about the bag of "zoo poo".

Mason grabbed a stuffed monkey and hasn't put it down since! (:

House pictures pt. 2

2010-08-04T23:32:00.011-04:00

(the boy's door with vinyl lettering)

(Ethan & Mason's room. When I finish decorating he is going to have a space theme)

(Ethan's verrry red dresser)

(view 2)

(1st view of the boys' Spongebob bathroom)

( oh how embarrasing! Connor and Ivan's room. When clean and I finish decorating, they have a sports theme)

(her door with vinyl lettering)

( the side of her room)

(her verrry green dresser)

(Harmony's room! Her favorite colors are orange, blue & green)

OK here are a few more pictures. These are of the kiddo's rooms. I would just like to say now that after asking Connor & Ivan a thousand times to clean their rooms...well, they still didn't.

House pictures part 1

2010-07-27T20:50:00.013-04:00

(Shelves that Ben put up for me!)
( my scrapbook desk. This is built in and I quickly declared it as MINE)

(just ONE side of my craft closet)
(upstairs hall)

(She loves having her own bathroom)

(our boring bedroom)

(Our master bath. Love the two sinks)

(Our nice big walk in closet!)

u
(Can you guess whose side of the closet this is?!)

The other day, I tried to get a few pictures of our new place. This is just some of the upstairs though. So I will try to get the rest up later!

Oops

2010-07-23T13:16:00.008-04:00

(Outside the museum)

It's been awhile. Yikes. So what has happened since the 4th of July?

**Mason turned one!! A sad but happy occasion! I can't believe he is so big...

**we had a wonderful day at the Santa Barbara National History Museum. Where I fell and twisted my ankle while trying to take a cute picture!

**celebrated 12 years of marriage to my best friend and sweetheart

**have forgotten what Ben looks like as we hardly ever see him :(

**sent the big boys off to Cub Scout Day camp

**the kids constantly going outside for "a roll" down the grassy hill

**lots of the mundane things: grocery shopping, laundry, meals, cleaning, video games, family bonding time over Wipeout...

I am honestly going to try harder to update but you know, "life moves fast. If you don't stop to look around once in a while, you might miss it!" I don't want to miss anything!

the 4th

2010-07-08T10:44:00.006-04:00

For the past seven years, we have sweated our way through a variety of fireworks shows. While the East Coast was having record breaking temps, we were sitting in camp chairs covered in blankets!

Normally, our new ward, has a big 4th of July bbq. However, with it falling on a Sunday this year, we just spent our time watching fireworks and enjoying hot cocoa.

This was Mason's first 4th of July. Last year, on the drive home I started having major contractions. 6 days later there he was!

Ivan oohed and ahhed over every firework he saw. It was so cute. I think that is one of my favorite parts of motherhood, just being able to watch things through my childrens' eyes!

pool time!!

2010-07-02T23:52:00.005-04:00

The other day, the kids were turning into zombies. Their beautiful eyes turning into red squares and their thumbs and pointer fingers were cramping up. So, I braved the pool...with 6 kids!

The 5 older kids, went to the "big kid pool", while I took Mason into the baby pool. I don't think tat kid has ever held on to me so tight!! He was not sure about it at all!

I carried him over to the other kids, thinking he may have more fun being with everyone...but nothing doing! One taste of chlorine water and he was done! So I dried him off and sat him in one of the pool chairs.

He had more fun paying with my hat then he did in the pool.

If he is like the other kids though, he will be a water baby soon!

Oh what do you do in the summertime?

2010-06-29T12:07:00.009-04:00

(splish splash!)

(taste test)

(yum!)

(picnic basket)

(sidewalk chalk)

(new books)
(In N Out burgers)

When all the world is green?

** You stay up late
**You sleep in
** You play with bubbles in the yard
** You have picnics
** you go to the zoo
** you play video games
** you play legos
** you have picnics in the backyard
**you play at the park
** you taste test strawberry jam
** you stay up late for movie nights
** you get forced to do errands with your Mom
**you bowl in the backyard
** you drive your Mom crazy with "I'm boreds"
**you get to play with your cousin at the pool
** you read books
** eat yummy cheeseburgers
**write messages and draw pictures with sidewalk chalk

Oxymoron

2010-06-24T23:34:00.008-04:00

(Ivan loved this and didn't want to leave!)

(All pictures were taken on our first trip)

While on Facebook one day, I laughed as a friend wrote, "The term summer break was not named by a Mom. It is one of the biggest oxymorons ever!"

And this morning as the kids uttered those dreadful words, "I'm BORED" 2 minutes after breakfast was over, I found myself anxiously awaiting for school to start! Unfortunatley, CA schools have only been out for a week!

The kids asked if we could please go back up to the zoo. It is not far and we purchased a membership...but I wasn't too interested. I mean we had just seen all the animals the other day.

However, they didn't want to go see the animals. Not really. In the lunch/picnic area, there is a little green hill. If you have a piece of cardboard, you can use it to slide down the hill. They had their boxes all ready to go.

When I realized that was the only reason they wanted to go, we nixed it. But I am sure we will do it sometime soon!

Santa Barbara Zoo

2010-06-22T22:06:00.007-04:00

(at the enterance)

(looking at an exhibit)

(2 cute little monkeys)

I recieved an email from a friend, asking if we wanted to meet her and her boys at the zoo today. Needing a break from the house & unpacking, we jumped on the chance.

This was Mason's first time at the zoo and Ivan's first time...that he can remember. The last time he went was...uhm...yeah I don't remember.

Harmony's favorite animal: Snow Leopard

Ethan's favorite: "that is an unanswerable question"

Connor's favorite: the lions & snakes & snow leopard & giraffe

Ivan's favorite: flamingos

It was a very fun day. I did start going Northbound on the freeway instead of Southbound on the way back but I got us back (:

bath boys

2010-06-16T12:41:00.005-04:00

(bubbly kisses for Mason)

(bath buds)

(Mr Wyatt)

I think every single one of my Mom's grandchildren (and great grands?) have taken a bath in this tub. Sometimes with siblings, sometimes with cousins. But no matter who is in there, it is always cute.

Mason was taking a bubble bath when his cousin Wyatt decided to jump in with him!

goodbyes

2010-06-15T12:21:00.003-04:00

Although we got to spend plenty of time with family, we still had a few goodbyes. I think this one was the hardest for the kids...saying goodbye to Astro. Our new housing doesn't allow pets, and so my parents very graciously, said they would keep Astro. He has been enjoying his time chasing after birds and squirrels, and not worrying about being on a leash.

Both Harmony and Ethan were in tears as they bid Astro goodbye.

after a month...

2010-06-15T12:14:00.004-04:00

(Connor and Khalil)

(look at all those boys! Poor,poor Harmony!)

it was time for these cousins to say goodbye. We enjoyed getting to know Khalil and Wyatt over the time that we were at Mom's. I was laughing as Khalil gave Connor a kiss goodbye, and Connor replied, " A hug is enough." (: Gotta love kids!

Since my brother Tom, and his family live in Maine, and we have been on Guam, it had actually been a few years since I saw my *little* brother. It was good to hang out with him also.

Altan Baker park

2010-06-15T11:02:00.009-04:00

On the first day of our trip, we decided to stop in Eugene for lunch. In case you don't know, Eugene is seriously one of Ben's favorite places in the whole world! (: He loves the UofO and Eugene holds a special place in his heart!

Anyway, we drove past one of our old apartments and stopped at a grocery store to pick up lunch. The kids were freezing but we knew we wanted them to get some energy out before another few hours in the car.

I had such a fun time watching the kids try to protect their lunch from the ducks! We took them there when they were teeny-tiny, so it was fun to bring them back.

We got them back in the car, swung passed Autzen stadium, let Ben get an Oregon fix and then kept on going.

Oregon ducks...

2010-06-11T22:41:00.002-04:00

meeting some other Oregon ducks! (:

abc's of being home

2010-06-06T23:04:00.008-04:00

(entering the Discovery Center)

(Discovery Center)

(happy to be reunited again!)

(lots of rain!)

(cousins eating pizza at Spooky's)

A- airport to pick Ben up!

B- boys! Lots of them! Brothers, Uncles, Grandpa's, cousins...

C- cousins. The kids have had a blast playing with their cousins!

D- Discovery Center in The Dalles

E- entertainment. There is never a dull moment around here

F- family time

G- getting to know Grandparents again

H-hanging out

I- Ice cream from Dairy Queen.

J-jumping on Aunt Amy's trampoline

K-Kennedy relatives

L-lego tables

M- movies before bed

N-naps for Mom!

O- overindulged by Grandparents

P- playing outside without sweating

Q- quiet? Only when the kids are asleep...and sometimes not then!

R- rain, rain and more rain!

S- sweatshirts

T- Turner relatives

U- uniforms are non-existent

V- value meals that are actually cheap

W- waiting to go to California

X- hmmm...sorry I am not that clever (:

Y- yawning

Z-zzz's, and a lot of them as we are still gettng used to the time difference

pickle eater

2010-05-26T13:39:00.003-04:00

Most babies, when given a pickle, pucker up right? Not our Mason. He grabbed it. Sucked on it...and wouldn't let go of it. He didn't pucker once. Never made a face. He loved it. He must be his Mama's boy! (:

Reunited

2010-05-26T13:24:00.006-04:00

...and it feels so good! Maybe for Harmony! Monday morning, Harmony and I headed out for a day of shopping and to pick Astro up from the airport. It was a long day and suffice it to say, nothing went perfectly! However, the two were finally reunited. It looked like Harmony was going to cry when she saw him again!

He is now here at my parent's home and is also trying to get acclamated to the weather. He loves having so much room to roam. Although he doesn't have any gecko's to chase, he has found plenty of squirrels and birds!

Park Fun

2010-05-26T13:04:00.009-04:00

(my new favorite picture of this kid!)

(no matter what he is doing, Connor always stops to pose for me! )

(trying to keep his balance on the "plank")

(She did this over & over)

(cousin-ly love)

(I made them pose for a cousin picture)

Yesterday, the weather was a balmy 60 degrees. (: So we decided to take advantage of the weather and head to the park. The kids liked the one by our house on Guam, but absolutely LOVED the "Castle park". There was a lot of playing Knights, being pirates making others walk the plank, hide and go seek and tag. It was a lot of fun to watch the kids run around and play. Instead of sweaty heads and sunburns, there hands were cool and their cheeks were pink from the play. We love OREGON/WASHINGTON!!

Sharp Shooters

2010-05-22T22:30:00.006-04:00

The kids are having so much fun with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. However, the other day Grandpa Kennedy took the boys out to shoot his bb gun! Harmony felt that was a little to "boy" for her and so she didn't do it. The boys thought it was very cool!

culture shock

2010-05-18T22:33:00.004-04:00

(my new toy)

(view from my parents deck)

On Monday Ivan and I went to go and pick up my new car. Afterward I wanted to stop and get some groceries and a few other things. So we stopped at Fred Meyer.

Ivan, because of good behavior on the plane, was allowed to pick out a Lego set. We started walking into the store he asked me if this is where we got Legos. I said yes. Then he asked where we had to go to get food. I told him in that store also. He looked at me like I was from Mars.

In Guam, the BX and the commissary aren't next to each other. So you have to drive from place to place.

Then as we were walking into the store, Ivan stopped and said, "Mom! They have phones outside!!" Apparently he had never seen a pay phone before!

As we were grabbing a few groceries, Ivan was looking at all of the different choices and said, " I like the food here better than the ones on Guam."

The cutest however, was on our drive home. We drove on a highway next to a damn. His eyes were huge as he asked what it was!

Then he was so excited to see a train! He hadn't remembered ever seeing a train in his whole life.

The best was when he was able to go in 2 tunnels!

My son who has seen carabou's walking down a highway, many, many different cultures represented at his school/housing, wild boars being chased by boonie dogs...had never been in a tunnel.

It is like he is discovering a whole new world!

a quicky

2010-05-17T01:21:00.002-04:00

It is 10:20 on Sunday evening. We have traveled, what feels like, halfway around the world! I am exaughsted and getting ready for bed. I did want to let everyone know that we are here. Tired...but here.

Pink Sunset

2010-05-12T23:25:00.004-04:00

The other night, I was trying to rock Mason to sleep. Harmony & Ethan were watching tv. I looked outside and noticed that the sky was almost completely pink. We all jumped up, grabbed our cameras and got some pictures of a cool pink sunset!

who is this?

2010-05-11T04:12:00.005-04:00

(my little spring flower)

(is that not a cute little tail?)
(uhm yeah, just ignore my fatness and focus on the cuteness that is Ivan!!)

(Ivan and his friend Fallina)

What a difference a year makes!

Last year, Ivan had a Mothers Day program in his class. He stood in the back and hid. Then laid on the floor and screamed and cried. Eventually, we took him out of the situation. It broke my heart in a million pieces.

This year, he did a Spring Concert. And he was a rock STAR! One of the loudest singers. He sang, he danced, he shook his "tail". He was not happy with the spotlight in his eyes, but other than that...it went so well.

I am so glad that he is getting over some of his "issues". That boy makes me so proud with all he has accomplished!! Go Ivan!!

Bye bye

2010-05-10T01:29:00.014-04:00

(Stephanie, Line and I)
(so cute! Harmony and Freddy were wearing matching shirts...and they are the same height!)

(Line and Grace..." we only sing at church"

(singing Livin' on a prayer!)

(I can't get my pictures to rotate! This is our total island baby, rockin' out to the music!)
( 2 of the Moran boys rockin' out!)

(ok so not the best picture of Stephanie! lol She is Mason's "Phillapino Mom")

( I interrupted them mid conversation!)

(Such a fun group! Love you all! )

I wanted to have a going away party, but decided it wouldn't be good manners to throw a party for myself. Luckily, my friend Stephanie had one for us! We had a great time, laughing, talking, eating pancit, and doing video-karaoke. The kids had a blast staying up late running around with their friends. By the time we got ready to go, Ivan was half asleep on their couch! We are going to miss our fun Guam friends! Thanks for the memories! (:

9 years old!

2010-05-09T02:48:00.007-04:00

Now that our time is down to a week, I have found a little bit of time to update my blog. Amazing isn't it?!

This week my "baby boy" turned 9! I can't believe it. Ethan is such a sweetheart and he just melts my heart.

So here are 9 reasons why my 9 year old is the BEST!

1. He has no problem admitting that he is a Mama's boy!

2. He is an amazing big brother.

3. Even though at this age, he finds church "sooo boring", he goes because "I love you Mom and I will do what you ask me to do"

4. He is very, very smart.

5. He is a fabulous artist.

6. He has a tender heart.

7. When he gets in trouble for something, he cries more about what he did then about getting in trouble.

8. He is very responsible.

9. He writes me the sweetest notes!

Ethan decided that he didn't want to have a party, but just to go to Tarza ( a local waterpark) with his best friend. So we arranged for a babysitter for Mason, and spent the day having fun in the water. We came home extremely sunburnt, but we had fun. It was a great way to spend one of our last weekends on Guam!

The Waiting Place

2010-04-26T07:51:00.003-04:00

You know the book "Oh the Places You'll Go"? It just happens to be one of Ivan's favorites.

Lately I have been feeling like I am in a waiting place.

We haven't left Guam, although life as we know it here is wrapping up fast! I filled in my calender for the next 3 weeks and it is filled with lasts. Last Cub scouts, last Girl Scouts, last Achievement Days, last beach trips, last days of school, going away parties and dinners...On and on. So we are just kind of "waiting" for this time to end.

But we are also waiting for our new life to start. One at "home" and one in CA. So we are just waiting for our itinerary. Waiting to pack our luggage.
Waiting to fly out.

I have been feeling a bit...well melancholy about it all. I am starting to feel very sad at the thought of leaving what has become our second family. But I am looking forward to seeing biological family. Such a mix of emotions.

3 weeks left in the "waiting place"

The Adventure begins

2010-04-20T21:23:00.004-04:00

(the boys room...or what is left of it!)
(our very HOMEY living room...doesn't it look comfy?!)

I am sitting on our cold tile floor. We have no table or couch etc. The movers came bright and early on Monday...and left with most of our worldly possessions yesterday!

Right now we are living with air mattresses and camp chairs! However, our loaner furniture is supposed to be here some time today. I hope soon because my bum is killing me! (:

The kids of course are lovin' it! Connor told me he was "addicted" to his air mattress because it is sooo comfortable. I told him it probably wouldn't be as comfortable if he weighed over 50 lbs!

We are hanging in there and I will try to update later when I have something better to sit on!

First bath & baby model

2010-04-15T23:33:00.005-04:00

OK, so this was not Mason's FIRST bath. However, it was his first bath without any crying!!

Since Mason hasn't been able to sit up until just recently (which we have to put him in that position) he has had to lay down for every bath. He HATED it. Screaming and crying. The older kids would say " cover your ears, Mason is taking a bath!" Then I would get teased that I was torturing him.

Well, he was covered head to toe in goo, and there was no way I could put a bath off. He held on tightly as I tried to place him in. But then he did fine! Splashing and playing with toys. He was precious!

Unfortunatley, my nice camera died and I look at these pictures and realize just how much I miss it. Mason hates the flash and so I can't get any pictures of him with his eyes open. He is still cute though.

The other picture is just this funny pose that he has been doing lately. His physical therapist calls it his super model pose!

An update...finally!!

2010-04-13T00:29:00.009-04:00

(My nice camera broke :( So the only pictures I get of Mason he has his eyes closed. He is not a fan of the flash!)

(We filled Ben's car with balloons on April Fools Day!)

The other day, as Ben was surfing the internet, he said, " do you realize it has almost been a month since you updated your blog?" Yikes. My only excuse is that we are BUSY. With 32 days left on Guam, there is soooo much to do. But here is a recap of what we have been up too!

Harmony is as cute as ever. She is still absolutely loving piano. I think she is able to play by ear as she has taught herself how to play a couple of songs. She is also currently writing a song. She is winding down with all her activities as we are getting closer and closer to our move.She has been writing and re-writing her list for the things she wants with her on the plane!

Ethan is such a smarty pants. He constantly amazes me with the things that come out of his mouth! We had recieved paperwork to have him tested for gifted and never filled it out. (Bad Mom!) Hopefully we can get it going once we get into his new school. He is a good kid and loves Mason. He is always trying to get him to smile...which is actually pretty easy!

Connor is as sweet as ever. We attended the base Easter egg hunt and he only got a few eggs. Then, he got some stolen out of his basket! Poor kid. He declared that it was the worse Easter ever. However, after Mom loaded him down with candy he was fine. The poor kid though, has been getting food stolen out of his lunch. Ben says to quit making him such fun lunches. Poor Connor!

Ivan is growing every day. Not just in height but in the things he is learning. He is learning so much and is doing a great job at school. His daredevil ways are really starting to scare me though. They even had to let me know at school that he was hanging from one of the highest toys. Oiy! The other day he slipped a note under the bathroom door where he had written his last name. Such a big boy.

Mason , I swear practically lives at the doctor. From well child exams, to physical therapy to opthamology and with his appts. with the specialist...whew. He remains a very happy and content child. His physical therapist feels that he is developing well. He has just learned to do certain things on one side and so prefers it that way. He just has to exercise the other side. We are so happy to hear that he is doing so well. He has two new teeth and is starting to get on all fours. Very exciting times!

Ben and I are busy, busy, busy. Our daily phone calls are starting to consist of who got what done on our to do list!! We are so excited to be going home soon. However, we are starting to feel sad about leaving our friends behind.

That's it for now. Hopefully I will update in a week...not another month!

This week's update

2010-03-22T01:43:00.010-04:00

(This is for Grandpa Kennedy! Ethan has the same "talent" that you have! He can touch his tongue to his nose!)
( I caught Ivan red handed getting into Ben's lego's in the garage!)

(One of Mason's favorite toys...Astro's dishes)

(They are sitting at the piano at the church. Harmony has been teaching Ethan some songs)

(Connor got an infection in his foot from something at the campout. He got to spend a morning in the ER!)

(Right before his baptism)

I am suffering from a cold that is just wearing me out. So I wanted to update while I am still somewhat coherent! Nyquil has been making me feel loopy!

Harmony is, as always, a very busy girl. From Girl Scouts to Achievement Days to piano to school things. Balance all that with sleepovers, friends, playing at the park and well...she is busy. She is loving piano and I never have to bug her about practicing. She is constantly playing and is writing a song. She also has decided to enter a short story contest in American Girl magazine. Her creativity just amazes me!

Ethan continues to do well in school. We are amazed at some of the ideas, questions and answers that he comes up with. He is such a big helper with Mason and loves to get him to smile. He has been testing his limits lately and has been trying to get out of going to church. I am not sure where this is coming from, but I hope it is a phase that he gets out of soon.

Connor has had such a busy past few weeks! He had a big luau for his birthday party, a scout campout with Ben and Ethan and than was baptized. He was so cute on the day of his baptism as he showed me his clean hands and said, "look how clean I am!" Later he had a dirty face and I told him he needed to wash it. He looked at me shocked and said, " I thought you don't have to take baths after you get baptized." So sweet.

Ivan also had a busy time with his pirate party. Ivan is really doing well in school right now. His behavior folder is full of green bears (the best you can get) and he is so proud of it. His autism diagnosis needs to be reevaluated. However, we are kind of getting the run around. There is no one on island who can diagnosis him, the one who originally did will not be traveling here, and because we are moving so soon, they won't send us to Tripler. Right now he is on a waiting list and "they will call us". We are frustrated but are getting help from the school and his teachers.

Mason is now the big 8 months! He "combat crawls" everywhere! You can always tell how clean or dirty our floors are by Mason's shirts. He has a tooth that is just dying to break through. Although he drools a lot, his mood has been pretty good. He had therapists come to the house and evaluate him a couple of days after he turned 8 months. They are coming back on Friday and will tell us the result of that evaluation. If he is or isn't "bad enough" to recieve therapies. We are anxiously awaiting Friday and the news it will bring with it.

Ben and I are always busy...and tired! We are getting ready for our move and even have our pack out scheduled!! I can't believe our time on Guam is coming to an end. We are really excited for what comes next!

A time for everything...

2010-03-18T20:39:00.002-04:00

Almost a month with no posts? Yikes. Well, the fact is that we are a busy, busy, family. Life moves fast and it is hard to keep up.

I have kept this blog up for over 5 years now. Can you believe that?

I have been really busy getting my home blog up at Martha Wannabe I have found a lot of fun and enjoyment in it.

For now, I will be using this to just do a big old weekly family update. Probably either Saturday or Sunday. If you feel like you are just rrrreally out of the loop, Ben, Harmony and I are all on Facebook. Plus I have my home blog and email.

So look for an update all of our happenings once a week!

FYI

2010-02-25T02:41:00.001-05:00

Even with all the craziness around here, I have been updating my home blog like crazy. It is a good outlet I guess! Anyway, if you didn't know I had one, you can check it out. I have a link at the top of this blog that says "Maries Homemaking blog". I am also having a giveaway for a fun cookbook, Pioneer Woman Cooks. So you can check that out here

a Mason update

2010-02-23T17:58:00.003-05:00

Looking at this sweet little face, it breaks my heart that he is having problems. I feel guilty for not noticing the problems earlier. I, however, have not been trained to notice what he has been doing, where as a doctor is. Ben tells me it's not my fault, and in my heart of hearts, I know it's not. I guess I just feel that as the Mother, if something is wrong,it's my fault. Ugh it has been a rough day for emotions. If you are reading this and are thinking, "what on earth is she talking about?" Well here goes...

At Mason's last well baby exam, the doctor was very concerned that he wasn't sitting up yet. He was exactly 7 months old. She tried working with him and she just couldn't get his left leg to rotate. She was trying to spread his legs to give him a wider base, but he just couldn't sit up. I was given a referral to have him checked out by an occupational therapist.

She came yesterday. Mason rolled around on the floor and showed her "his tricks". She watched him for an hour and a half and noted that there was a problem.

1) His left side is a lot weaker than his right. As you grow, you do have a side that is more dominant, usually the one you write with. But as a baby, there shouldn't be a preferance.

2) He drags his left leg when he does his "army man crawl"

3) Although he is moving, he is using rolling as his main source of getting around.

4) He won't go on all fours.

5)He can't sit up.

6) His left eye goes to the side. He is not cross eyed, but one of them looks at his nose more.

7) He reaches for things with his right hand almost every time, and keeps his left in a tight fist. He rarely has his hands open and not in fists.

These are just some of the major things she noticed. Unfortunatley, being so small, he can't say what's going on. So our next step is, after March 10th (when he is exactly 8 months) they will bring 3 specialists to our house. They monitor all sorts of areas of development. Then they will determine how much/if he is delayed. She did tell me that some of these things he should have been doing by 5.5 months.

He also, even though it doesn't have to do with the others, is tongue tied. Because of this he will have speech problems and need to get it clipped.

The red spot on his head? Will probably end up being removed.

Can you see why I feel so guilty? I feel helpless. Kind of like the way I did as we were learning to help Ivan. It's been a long week, what can I say? Prayers and encouraging words are always appreciated!(:

Happy Birthday Connor &Ben

2010-02-20T15:01:00.005-05:00

(how big is that chocolate milk?!)

After the huge party that we threw for Ivan, the idea of getting another party done in just two weeks left me tired! So we decided to hold off until the 27th. Although the plans for his luau are in full swing, we still had to do something for his birthday right?!

Harmony had a big GS activity yesterday and we ended up being gone until almost 1pm. So unfortunatley his day wasn't very exciting!

It is a tradition to let the birthday person pick a restaurant to go eat at. Harmony is all about Ruby Tuesday or Planet Hollywood etc. What did Connor want? Taco Bell. Ivan chose McDonalds on his birthday. Is that the difference between boys and girls? (:

Connor had already picked out 2 lego sets before his birthday, Ben got a new ipod for his birthday, so Connor was gifted his old one. He also got a fun new beach towel, pj pants with a skateboarder on them, a Bakugan book and some cool markers. But the big gift was the skateboard!! Doesn't he look so cute riding around?

He ended with his favorite, a "C" dinner of mini corn dogs, chips, chocolate milk, cinnamon rolls eaten at the coffee table while watching Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Happy Birthday Connor!

CALIFORNIA...here we come!

2010-02-14T02:26:00.002-05:00

For those who don't follow us on Facebook, we finally recieved our orders! We were very excited. For those who aren't military, you can do all the planning you want, but until you have those official orders, NOTHING is set in stone. Now the busy-ness begins. Purging, packing, getting passports, planning pack outs, cleaning...There is a huge list of what we have to do.

We had made some plans and were thrown a little when we received Ben's deployment schedule. He is now leaving before Christmas :( and will be doing quite a bit of training before that. We aren't sure how much we will see him after June.

The bright side is that we will be HOME. We can't wait to spend time with everyone.

We have enjoyed our time on Guam and will miss our friends here. Right now are feelings are very bitter sweet. I think that is where Shakespeare came up with, "parting is such sweet sorrow."

7 months

2010-02-14T02:15:00.005-05:00

(the biggest Daddy's boy EVER)

(hanging out at the spelling bee)

Mason just turned 7 months! I swear his first year is flying by...and I hate it! I wish I could go back and savor all the little moments instead of just trying to get him to go back to sleep! (: He is a total sweet heart and his blue eyes and sweet smile just melt everyone!

We went in for his 6 month well child (yes a month later, what can I say, I am on top of things!) The doctor was concerned that Mason wasn't sitting up yet. She tried to help him and as she spread his legs to give him a wider base, he cried and cried. She asked me a few questions and kept looking at his left leg.

Finally, she said she would like him to see a specialist. She is concerned that his leg may not be rotating out of his hip like it is supposed too. When I called to make an appt. no one was answering the phone. So I have to keep calling. What happens after that we don't know. Physical therapy? A brace? Nothing? Who knows. But we will keep everyone updated.

Mason was almost 20 lbs and is in the 50th percentile for weight. However for height he is in the 90th! What a big boy!

Like I said...it's going way to fast!

Harmony and the Bee

2010-02-14T02:06:00.004-05:00

One day Harmony came home from school and very casually said, "Mom I am the finalist in my class for the spelling bee."

She was very excited. I asked her when it was so I could be there. Once again she was very casual and just shrugged.

A couple of days later, while dropping Ivan off, one of the other Mom's mentioned attending the spelling bee. I asked her what time and made sure I was there. Ben was also able to come for a little while.

I swear I have never been more nervous for her! She made it through 3 rounds and then was one of the 12 finalists. They had to continue on to get the top 10. Harmony got out the very next round.

She started walking over to me and just burst into tears. She was so upset. She kept insisting that she spelled it right. Unfortunatley, she didn't.

I am really proud of her. The 5th grade in their school is huge. There are over 100 students. So to come in 12th was really good.

I can't wait to see if she competes next year!

whole lotta postin' going on!

2010-02-14T01:39:00.011-05:00

(How cute is she? Our friends daughter crashed on the couch. Nothing was waking her up!)

(present time)

(hanging out)

(cake time!)

(Harmony handing out loot!)

(Ivan with his best friend Shawn. Ivan didn't want his picture taken, can you tell?)

(our friend made this fabulous cake for Ivan!)

(Not only did Ben put up the bounce house, he did it while holding Mason!)

(the pirate cupcakes!)

I hope you are sitting in a comfortable chair! So much has happened with us and I am going to try and catch everyone up!

First things first, Ivan's birthday! What a fun time we had. The day before, I made cupcakes with gold coins and jolly rogers for him to take to school. He was ecstatic and loved showing them to his friends. When I went to pick him up from school, he was holding a gift bag and a balloon. His friend Jayden wasn't able to come to his party and so brought him a gift and the balloon.

Ivan absolutely loved the balloon! Probably his favorite gift of all! (:

The day before his party was busy,busy,busy. We got a bounce house (ok Ben got it). Of course the kids wanted it set up the night before. They bounced around as I got the decorations put up. We made yet more jolly rogers ( I swear if I make another one it will be to soon!) a big pirate cut out, banners, balloons and got a treasure hunt figured out.

Ivan did pretty well at his party. There were times when he was overwhelmed but I am proud of him.

We enjoyed a wonderful day with friends, food, fun and a totally cool FIVE year old. Ivan said to me more than once, " Can I stay 5 all week?" Apparently it was so much turning 5 he wanted to keep doing it!

pirate party fever

2010-01-31T20:09:00.003-05:00

I can not believe that this sweet boy will be turning 5 on Thursday. We are having a party for him on Saturday. Because he has been known to get a *tad* overwhelmed (understatement of the year) at parties & other activities, we have never had a friend party for him. But as we watch him grow and change every year, we feel this is a good time to try it out. We have invited an insane amount of kids, got a bounce house for all those kids to burn off energy, treasure hunt, pirate cake, decorations...Whew. So that is what we will be working on this week. So if you don't hear from me, I will be buried under jolly rogers, balloons, streamers and eye patches! HAPPY BIRTHDAY IVAN!

tongue bath

2010-01-27T00:32:00.006-05:00

We were all entertained the other night with this scene. Both of them are pretty patient with each other!

staying connected

2010-01-22T16:39:00.005-05:00

(yes she is almost as tall as I am!)

I know that I can't be the only one who is having trouble keeping up with blogs! I find I don't have the time in my day to update my facebook status, update my blog, leave comments, reply to comments etc. However, I love the fact that we have so much technology to keep us connected. So please forgive me when it takes me a while to respond! (: I honestly love hearing from everyone and reading what your families are up too.

As for ours, it is amazing how much our family can pack into a week!

Last weekend was a fun one for us. Ben and I were able to get out for a date!! We enjoyed TGIFridays (thanks Mom and Dad). Then it was on to pick up GS cookies with Harmony. She and I also hit the BX, library and commissary. When we got home, Harmony's best friend asked if Harmony could come with them to "Movie Under the Stars" in our housing. I packed up the boys and we all headed out to watch G Force. The weather was fabulous and we had fun. We can't wait for the next one!

Monday ended with a bang for Ethan, literally. We have a large tree in the backyard, that the kids dub the club house. Ben and I were in the living room, when Harmony came running saying Ethan had fallen out of the tree. He was very brave and held his tears in (he didn't want to cry in front of the neighbors)but once he got home he broke down. He bruised his tail bone and spent the day laying on his stomach. He was sore the next morning as he headed to school. I told his teacher what happened, so he has been spending his class time either on his knees, standing or sitting on a pillow. Poor guy!

Ben has accumulated a lot of leave time. So he is currently trying to burn some of it up. Every six weeks, he is able to take a week off. Since he has been home, I have been able to do all the stuff I normally do...just kid free. It has been so nice. I forgot how easy it is to go to the store with Harmony vs. with Ivan and Mason! I think these weeks are good for Ben, he gets to see what I do all week!

We fit in a lot this week, including lots of work outs, grocery shopping, programs, meetings, piano lessons, GS etc.

Yesterday I attended Harmony's DARE graduation. As I was leaving, I realized that I didn't have batteries in my camera. I stopped quickly at the mini mart and grabbed some. I got to the school, started to put them in and realized...my memory card was in the computer. Luckily, one of Ivan's teachers was there, and let me use her camera. Oh how I love digital! (: She emailed them to me last night.

Also I had my 2nd week of Biggest Loser and lost 4 lbs. It was very exciting. I hope I can keep up the momentum. Thanks for everyone's kind words and encouragment. I have a long way to go but I know I can get there! (:

mad skillz

2010-01-12T01:17:00.011-05:00

Two posts in one day?! How exciting! Well while Mason has been doing his big boy thing of eating his weight in baby food every day...Ethan and Ivan have learned some new skills.

Ethan put off learning to ride his bike for the LONGEST time. We finally convinced him to hop on...and he was riding in about 5 seconds. Seriously. Up the hill and back down. He had a nice flip over the handlebars once which I thought might end his career. It didn't though! He is a pro!

And never one to be left behind, Ivan figured out how to ride Ethan's scooter! He is such the big man! I think I know what he will be getting for his birthday next month!

Happy 6 months Mason

2010-01-11T22:48:00.005-05:00

(he loves his big brothers!)

I can not believe how fast six months has flown by! Mason is growing like a weed! He is eating a whole jar of baby food and a bottle at every meal! We are going through baby food fast!

He is such a smiley happy baby. Although he can't talk, he lets his wants be known. While walking around the commissary, he would start screaming (not crying, screaming) if I was not entertaining him and you know doing something like...picking out a box of cereal.

Mason's favorite toy is pretty much...his toes. He hates it when I put socks on him or footy pj's. He sucks away on his toes constantly.

Being the slacker Mom that I am, I haven't made his 6 month appt. yet. But Ben weighed him the other day and he was 18 lbs! He's got chubby little thighs to prove it!

He loves when the older kids play with him and he is a total Dad's boy!

We love our Mason! Happy 6 month chunky monkey!

Quicky update

2010-01-03T17:27:00.003-05:00

(pretty intimdating huh?)
Ahh...Monday morning and the kids are back in school. Mason is playing in his bouncy toy and Astro is asleep. The house is quiet...I LOVE IT! I am not sure who came up with Christmas break but it obviously was not a Mom! (:

I am going to be off the computer today as I need to do some repair from having all 7 of us home for two weeks. But I thought I would do a quick update.

Ben gets to start studying for his next test. He has two left and if he passes all of them, he will be able to get his Architects license! Exciting stuff. He was dissapointed that the Ducks lost but I think he was happy they made it as far as they did!

Harmony is starting out the new year with a new teacher. Her previous homeroom teacher moved to Germany with her family over the holiday. Hopefully it will go well. She also starts piano lessons this week!

Ethan was so excited to go back to school. 10 minutes before the bus came however, he decided to heat up some pancakes. He missed the bus and had to ride the "Mommy bus" with Ivan. Ivan loved having him!

Connor was not as eager to go back. That kid could sleep all day if you let him! He and Ethan have been fighting non stop though so I know they are ready for a break from each other!

Ivan was up in the middle of the night crying because he wet the bed. :( He was so upset with himself. He has done so well and so I know he was bummed. He was very excited to go see his teachers again, even though he kept saying, " just 10 more minutes Mom!" and would go back to sleep!

Mason is the big man and is the proud owner of a new high chair! He has been munching away on squash, carrots, applesauce etc. Of course he has the diapers to prove it! I am calling today to get his 6 month check up! He has grown so fast!

Me? Well I have so many goals/resolutions and thoughts swirling. However, I haven't got them to all make sense and be cohesive...yet.

And there you have it!

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T03:49:00.003-05:00

There is no way that I can possibly update you on everything that has happened in the past few days/weeks. Life has been so busy. We have...

**gone to a concert/play for every one of the kids
**enjoyed Christmas parties
**wrapped gifts
**watched Christmas movies
**sang Christmas songs
**baked
**shopped, shopped, shopped
** read How the Grinch Stole Christmas countless times
**opened gifts
**decorated
**ate too much
** played with new toys
** got stomach bugs
** have spent a lot of time together (which has been both good and bad!)
**gone on lots of walks
**lots of bike rides
**candy canes eaten
**said goodbye to good friends

We had a wonderful Christmas and are excited for the New Year and all that it has to offer!

all tuckered out

2009-12-16T18:00:00.002-05:00

Mason pretty much sums it up for all of us. A busy and tiring week! Lots going on! And sometimes, you just need a nap!

poem by Harmony

2009-12-15T00:19:00.002-05:00

A Christmas Acroustic by Harmony Turner

Members of family flocking the house
Evergreen scent fills the air
Roast beef in the oven
Remember the true meaning
Yum, yum figgy pudding

Candy canes, delicious!
Holiday spirit in the air.
Remember your manners.
In happiness we greet the
Singing Christmas carolers
Toys sitting 'round the tree
Mistletoe hanging
Amazing gifts for everyone.
Share the experience far and wide!

Didn't she do a great job?!

Happy to be Home

2009-12-11T15:44:00.006-05:00

( My kids are all so tall that they get put in the back row. So I always get pictures of just their heads! Annoying. This is before it began!)

(Ethan's teacher told them a story about a boy messing up during a concert, and his Mom posted the video on You Tube. Ethan made me promise I wouldn't do that!)

(after he was done)

Just looking at my calender for next week makes me want to cry!! It is jam packed. This season is such a busy & full time. We have gift exchanges, Christmas parties, field trips, Christmas concerts, GS, and more.

Yesterday I...
dropped Ivan off at school
Went to the commissary for a few things (it's never just a few is it?).
Recieved a phone call from the school nurse.
Scheduled a hearing/eye exam for Ivan.
Dropped Ethan's homework agenda off to him ( he left it on the couch)
Made it in time to watch his concert.
Meet with his teacher to get some paperwork.
Pick up Ivan
meet with his teacher about IEP's & assesments for him
dole out snacks
get home
walk Astro
get Mason down for a nap
bring in groceries
get Ivan some lunch
plant him in front of Tom & Jerry's Christmas Capers
breathe...

All before noon! Yep it was a long one. But as I was running around, I was hit by a wave of gratitude. I am so grateful that I can be an at home Mom. I can't imagine doing all that and trying to hold down a job also!

avoiding housework

2009-12-02T17:58:00.005-05:00

(the water buffalo shared by our neighborhood. Nothing like having a "block party" while filling buckets of water!)

( just so you know, the boys LOVED the porta potty.They thought it was great to not have to come all the way inside! Ivan used it and said, "Mommy, we have a potty OUTSIDE!)

There are piles of neatly folded laundry sitting on the dining room table...being completely ignored! I will get to them...eventually!

Remember when Guam was on all of those typhoon/tropical storm warnings? Well I made a vow then that I would get my food storage/emergency preparedness up and going so that I wouldn't be one of those crazy people in huge long lines getting last minute supplies?

Well the storms passed with nothing but some rain and wind. So I...well...put off getting anything. I figured I had prepared for the storm (candles, batteries, flashlights etc)and so would be fine. We are near the end of the typhoon season and so I felt that I could relax.

I had set out a plan to get items, and Ben reminded me of our upcoming move. I didn't really want to go all out buying stuff, but then again, what if there was another storm?

The weekend before Thanksgiving we were given a notice that we would be having a 9 hr. water outtage the following Tuesday. I groaned but honestly, this wasn't our first one. However, I forgot about it. So Tuesday when Ivan was trying to wash his hands and no water came out...well I remembered. We have a water cooler, but the jugs are rrrrreally heavy so Ben has to change it. I had forgot to have him change it and ours was empty. I realized that I had no way to make Mason a bottle!

I had a few errands to do, so I hopped in the car and went and bought a gallon jug of water. Crisis diverted right?

Well that 9 hour outtage...turned into 36 hours of no water. I had only bought one gallon jug. And using it to make mac & cheese, used up over half. The water did come on for about 5 minutes, so I filled some pots and boiled them. I sent Ben to get more water.

Wednesday, they let us know that they weren't sure when the water would be back on, and they brought us...A PORTA POTTY. Yuck. And our whole cul de sac got to share. They also brought in a water buffalo so we could fill jugs & buckets.

Can I just say, that it was the dirtiest, nastiest 36 hours? Yuck. We all stunk (except Ben who went to the gym to take a shower!!)Harmony & my hair was greasy. The kids had to use wipes and sanitizer everytime they went to the bathroom. And the toilets were not flushed.

I can tell you that this was the first Thanksgiving that I had been so grateful for water!!

So what did I learn from this? Be prepared. No matter what. I found some awesome food storage/emergency preparedness sites and have begun to get some food storage. I have decided every time I go grocery shopping, to use $20 to buy essentials. I have a notebook where I keep all of my menus/shopping lists. That way I can keep track of what I bought the previous trip.

Yesterday I bought flour, sugar, water, tuna fish and top ramen. Not much, but it is a start.

So are you prepared? Do you have any ideas or suggestions? I would love to hear 'em!

Growing pains

2009-11-23T17:59:00.005-05:00

With the 3 older kids gone all day, I feel like I mostly facebook/blog about Ivan and Mason. They are the ones that I hang out with the most. But the other kids are alive and well. (:

I was laughing at my sister's Halloween post, as she described her son's "costume" as a "moody pre-teen". But it's not so fun when you are the one dealing with it!

Harmony has always been a *tad* dramatic. Enter puberty and you better watch out!

She is constantly mad/grumpy with everyone in our house. Her teachers are all mean and picking on her. She has no friends. She is not good in school...etc. etc. Life isn't fair right now. (All of this is according to her)

Every night between 7-7:30 she tells us " I am tired I am going to bed." Growth spurt maybe?

Lots of changes including BO, and buying her first...well I promised not to tell about that, and yesterday she woke up with a zit on her forehead.

She was washing her face and I told her that unfortunatley, that was just a part of growing up. She said, " I am just not ready to grow up."

I am not ready for her to grow up either...

sleep deprived

2009-11-22T19:34:00.005-05:00

(This picture is actually kind of an old one. I just didn't want to go grab my memory card!)

Our sweet little Mason. So cute. So smiley. So stinky!! I am not sure what to do with that kid. Please do not get out the pitch forks but...Mason sleeps on his tummy. All my kids did.I know, I know, "back to sleep". But I can never get my kids to sleep on their backs. Anyway, Mason is now rolling from his tummy to his back. How fun right? Not so much. He keeps rolling over in the middle of the night and waking up. He won't sleep on his back so he just cries and cries.

I tried rolling up blankets and "wedging" him in...didn't work. I have tried letting him cry it out...hasn't worked. He just refuses to sleep on his back. Meanwhile we are having to make sure he is SOUND asleep before putting him down. Where just a few weeks ago, he was going to sleep on his own, and sleeping all night. It feels like I am back at the newborn stage. I do not know what to do with him. I spend all day rocking him. I know I should enjoy it, but I have other things that have to be done too.

3am is the new 7am for him...and this Mom is tired!

update

2009-11-20T20:09:00.006-05:00

(anyone want a recorder?!)

(this is actually an old picture from Halloween. We told Ivan to go get his jammies on after trick or treating. We found him on a blanket on the floor with just his shirt on sound asleep!)

I swear, I don't mean to go a week between updates. Hmmm, I guess it just happens that way. So let's see, where shall I begin.

Ms. Harmony got to go visit the eye doctor yesterday. We knew that her glasses were no longer the correct perscription but was SHOCKED to find out that hers were worse than both mine and Ben's!! At the rate she is going, she is going to be legally blind by age 12. We went to a GS activity on Tuesday where she spent half her time goofing off with our neighbor. She explained that in the two hours they hadn't seen each other, they were having seperation anxiety! What? I showed her the pictures I took of her and her friend, and she replied, " oooh I really like my outfit". Can we say tween?

Thursday was parent teacher conference day. Before I left, Ethan said, "Mom, when you get home, will you tell me if it was good or bad?" I looked him in the eye and said, "trust me Ethan, if it is bad you will hear about it!!" Lucky for him, he has been a very good boy. Ethan is an ice cream fanatic. Seriously. But yesterday, he got to try pumpkin pie. He looked at me wide eyed and said, " I think I might like this more than ice cream!!"

Connor was caught with his DS in his bed, on a school night, at 9pm. He lost it. For a long time. He just barely got it back. He has barely blinked since. Connor is still adamant about joining the military. His favorite song is Danger Zone and his new favorite movie is Iron Eagle. Let me tell you, you don't realize how many swear words are in a movie until you let your kids watch it!!

Ivan is doing very well. He has surpassed all IEP goals and may be saying goodbye to special ed. We are not sure as he still needs to be tested by our pediatrician and a developmental ped. Once they look at him we will see where he is placed. It is exciting to see how far he has come. He keeps me on my toes but I just love that little man!

Mason is the happiest, smiliest baby you have ever seen. He has figured out how to go from his tummy to his back. He doesn't go the other way yet! He was just about 17lbs at his 4 mo. well child. He has chubby little thighs and just gets bigger every day. Just a precious little boy.

Ben and I are busy. Always. We are gearing up for Thanksgiving next weekend. We have 7 people coming over (so far) and I find myself getting a little nervous about cooking for that many people!! I am sure it will be fine...right?

math problems

2009-11-13T01:20:00.003-05:00

( I found this picture on my camera the other day)

How come I haven't updated for a while? Let's tell it in story problem form shall we? If you take...

1 Mom +
5 kids +
a 4 month old who is teething +
same child who won't sleep for longer than 2 hours +
a Mom who doesn't get more than 2 hours of sleep +
1 10 yr old who has Achievement days & Girl Scouts +
2 cute boys who are doing Scouts +
1 cute little 4 yr old who is struggling in school right now +
3 kids and a Dad who have sore throats, coughs and runny noses +
a Dad who is busy with work +
church +
cooking +
mountains of laundry +
homework +
a dog that is not potty trained +
meetings +
social obligations =

No blog updates. Life is busy. We are worn out. Mason and I have slept a grand total of 9.5 hours the past two nights. Yes that is our accumulative for TWO nights. Tonight we are staying in. Here is one more math problem...

ordering Dominos + renting movies + popcorn + blankets + pillows= family movie night!

heart sick

2009-11-05T17:47:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, Mason and I hurried to the BX on the Air Force base to get some formula. We got out of the car and I noticed 3 security vehicles pull into the front. Lights flashing. Guards were carrying huge guns and not letting anyone into the building. Everyone who left the store, was stopped, taken their ID card away,and not allowed to leave. We all sat in the heat wondering what was going on. Finally, we were given the all clear. Apparently, an alarm had gone off and they couldn't let anyone leave until it was cleared.

Only a few days later, as I was driving home from picking up Ivan, we were stopped by security cars. On the side of the road, there were 4-5 soldiers with a man face down on the ground. His vehicle pulled over to the side. I looked and realized that the man being handcuffed, was in uniform. Later a friend told us not to worry, it was just security doing an exercise.

We also drove by as a car was pulled over and searched. It was said that there was a suspcious package.

I have always felt so safe living on a military base. But with the events in Fort Hood today, my sense of security is a little shattered.

I am grateful for those who are here to protect us. Thankful to those guards that stand outside and check id's, search cars, and makes sure that we are safe. I often complain about having to show my id to come into my own home. Or annoyed when they let me know that I need a new sticker. But I know that they are to there to keep us safe.

My heart breaks for those in Fort Hood. The military is like a big family. Despite being in different branches we all have one thing in common, we are all united in our desire to protect the freedoms of this country. So sad today...

motor mouth

2009-11-05T16:01:00.004-05:00

There was a time, not so long ago, that we were very concerned about Ivan's speech. At two he really didn't talk. By three he wouldn't engage in conversation and did most of his communicating by grunting/pointing/screaming.

Well, believe me, we are not worried anymore!

The other night, I decided to go to the store to grab some pizza. Ivan told me "I can go with you because I have my shoes on." So I let him come.

In the half an hour that we were gone, he didn't stop talking. Not once. Question after question. It went kind of like this...

" What store are we going to?"
"Why are we going to that one?"
"Why does Daddy's car have a cd player?
"Why can't I watch a movie in here?"
"What is that bird doing?"
"What do dragonflies eat?"
"Did you know that I love to have pizza?

We get to the store...
"Why is that ice cream up there?"
"Why are there posters on the ceiling?"
"Did you get that one?"
"If you run around in the store like a crazy boy you will have to sit in the cart."
"I don't like the cart Mommy."
"What do bugs eat?"
"Why is that hanging from there?"
"Can we buy this Mommy?"
"How much is this? Do we have that many dollars?"

On the way home...
"Why don't we have stairs at our house?"
" I really like stairs Mom."
" I wan to live in that house because they have stairs."
"I live on the down from Shawn and he lives on the up. (Meaning he lives up the hill and we live down it.

It was a long trip to the store, believe me.

But the cutest happened the other day. He was watching Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. At the end ( hope you all have seen it) Indy and Marian get married. So I said, "Ivan did Indy get married?"
Ivan "yucky, no"
me- "What getting married isn't yucky! Are you going to get married?"
Ivan "no"
Me- "So are you just going to live with me forever?"
Ivan " No, I just want to live with Ethan forever!"

Our first last

2009-10-31T19:26:00.011-04:00

(The graveyard cake...what do you think?

(Ivan won the cupcake walk, and chose one that he and I made! Awww)

(as soon as Ben heard "family picture" he was out of there! Stinker. He said he didn't hear me say it, and just went out to get the trunk ready. Hmmmm...)

( Harmony went as Marie Arnold. Don't know who that is? It is the main character in the book she is writing!!)

( the older kids hamming it up)

(Expecto Patronum!!)

(One of our Indy's. Connor was also Indiana Jones)

(arrrgh! Hanging out in the carrier. I bought this for $1 at a yard sale and I have to say it was worth every penny!)

( me with some friends at the trunk or treat)

With just a little over six months left on our sentence...I mean time left on Guam, we are starting to experience some lasts.

As we walked around housing for 2 hours last night, dripping sweat in the 80+ degree weather, trick or treating, we thought about the fact that this is our last Halloween on Guam! It was the first of many lasts that we will be experiencing. It is amazing how fast time really does fly!

Friday night was a busy day. I sent the kids off to school with an orange & black lunch (mac & cheese, oranges, orange juice, purple grapes and oreos) with Halloween stickers and jokes. I also placed a spider ring in their mac & cheese. They told me that their friends were fooled...but not them!

After picking up Ivan,I spent the day baking. I made a graveyard cake as a treat for the trunk or treat. I wasn't very happy with how it turned out but Ben told me to "let it go, it's not important". I am not sure if I agree or not. But, it doesn't matter anyway because it was devoured 48 hours ago!! I will try again next year and see what happens!

The kids had fun doing their usual thing. Playing games, making crafts, eating way too much sugar etc.

Saturday we went around housing and filled buckets. Mason was in his carrier and so we forgot the stroller! By the end of the night, I was carrying Mason, 2 Indiana Jones hats, 1 "leather" jacket, and 3 treat bags. Ben was carrying Ivan.

As the kids complained about the heat, and how far they had to walk, I just laughed! Our kids have it made. In White Salmon, homes were not that close! We had to walk a lot farther than up and down a few streets! I told them they would not have cut it as trick or treaters "way back then".

And of course, they were all up at the crack of dawn, counting, sorting and trading their candy. Let the teeth rotting begin!

Let the Haunting begin...

2009-10-28T21:37:00.007-04:00

( his class all lined up)

(with his teachers)

(Holding a "bubble" in his mouth. The teachers do this when they want the class to be quiet. Ivan held his bubble the ENTIRE time!)

(walking in the parade)

I have quite a few friends who are big Halloween fans. Me...not so much. But the kids, of course, love it. How can we not share in their enthusiasm right? So far, the Halloween costumes have been sitting on top of the freezer just calling to them. But I haven't let them play with them. We paid a pretty penny for a couple of them and I do not want them getting ruined!!

The older kids have been having Red Ribbon week. They have enjoyed wearing their clothes inside out, wearing ties and today they are sporting their pj's. I swear they have never been ready for school so fast! I wish every day was pj day!

Ivan however got to have a character parade. My original idea was for him to dress up as a pirate and be from the book, "Pirates Don't Change Diapers". Mason is going to be a pirate this year so I thought it would be cute. Ivan said, "no pirrrrrrrrrrrrates!" to that idea. So he wore Ethan's Harry Potter costume.

With Ivan, change is never easy. Even if it is something fun. Our morning went like this...
" Why do I have to wear a costume?"
"What is a parade? Where do I walk to it?"
"Why does Harry have a scar?
"Why is it shaped like that?"
"Do you have to wear your rain coat on a costume?" (He just got his new rain coat on Saturday and has been wearing it every day since then)
"Ms. Adams said there is no snack in the parade."
"How come we are doing this?"
"Can you wash this scar off? I don't like this."

On and on it went. By the time we got to school, his frustration level had risen. He wasn't happy. He hid his scar, hid behind me. No eye contact. Finally after a little convincing he put his costume on and was a happy little wizard. I love the pictures, he looks so cute.

Honestly, if he didn't want to wear it, I wouldn't have pushed him. But I am glad that he decided to just go with the flow! Fun times. He is now eating a ghost shaped sandwich. (:

Tomorrow he has snack so we are making fun Halloween snack bags. We also have our trunk or treat tomorrow. I will be busy baking and decorating but looking forward to it!

To do List

2009-10-26T21:29:00.002-04:00

Found these today and laughed until I cried! (: Enjoy!

a sick day

2009-10-18T18:16:00.009-04:00

( my favorite 4 year old!!)

( I have rotated this picture about a million times and it just doesn't want to go the way it is supposed too. Sorry! Ivan has decided that he doesn't want to get pictures taken anymore!)

(avoiding the mamarozzi)

(big brother kisses)

( Cute little boys in red)
Yesterday, Ivan started coughing. He was grumpy. This morning his little body was all warm, he still had a cough and very dramatically kept pointing to his throat saying, " that hurts". So it is official...he has his first cold of the season.

Mason came home from church yesterday and went to bed at 5pm. We have that lovely 1-4 church schedule right now! Anyway, he went down and I decided to just let him sleep. Unfortunatley, he didn't sleep as long as I hoped. Isn't that the way it always works? We were up at midnight, back to bed at two and than up at six. This Mama is a little tired!!

So we are taking a sick day. The house is so quiet and peaceful. So I thought I would take the chance to update my blog. Unfortunatley...there is not much to update! We have just had our normal busy-ness! But here you go anyway!

Harmony is a busy girl enjoying Girl Scouts and Achievement Days with church. Unfortunatley they both fall on the same night. So every other week she is missing Girl Scouts. But it works right? She is struggling a little in school with her lack of organization. We are working on it. She is growing up so fast.

Ethan is turning into such a BOY! He was watching Raiders of the Lost Ark and felt the need to watch the "melting face part" over and over. He has been playing outside a lot lately! He even used his own money to buy a jump rope from the PTO. He is also becoming a really good reader.

Connor is our sneaky little boy! He lost his DS, 4 out of 5 (seriously!!) lego bins and more. Hopefully his behavior will improve soon and he can have some things to play with! He is a sweetheart though. He loves to make Mason smile and laugh. He is drawing constantly and is doing such a good job on his art.

Ivan has been driving his Mom crazy with just three words..."why?" and "how come?" He is constantly asking me why! He has been doing well in school lately. He is so proud when he comes home with a green bear in his folder. He really likes his teachers. Primary is still a work in progress though!

Mason got off his schedule...and I really hope we can make it back!But in the meantime he loves to delight us all with his sweet smiles and laughs. He is actually playing with his gym so it is nice to have a few minutes to get things done.

Ben and I are busy. Always busy. It seems like that is just the way it goes! Ben was just called to be in Cub Scouts and so he and I will be working on that together. Otherwise I am trying to get some ideas flowing for the holidays.

So like I said...not much going on. But at least you know we didn't fall off the planet! (:

oh for the cute

2009-10-11T20:10:00.008-04:00

(Do you love those chubby legs? What you can't see are his rolls!)

(he likes that monkey!)

(love, love, love baby feet)

( Don't you just want to pinch those little cheeks?!)

( His cute little "island" shirt that he got from Grandma Turner)

Although it is hard to believe, Mason is already 3 months old!! Where did the time go?

We are feeling very frustrated, because thanks to the wonderful people who work at Guam Naval hospital, Mason is still not on our inusrance. Otherwise known as Tri-Care. They had him entered as "Baby Boy" instead of Mason. So we had to show them something with his actual name on it. I went and got his Guam birth certificate but we still have to go back.

So unfortunatley, he is STILL not on our insurance and STILL has not gone to the doctor. However, he is such a little chunky monkey that we know he is feeding just fine!

We had him blessed last weekend. Mason was the first baby to be blessed in the Dededo Branch. How cool is that?

He is able to roll over from tummy to back...if he gets mad enough! He has also been blessing us with sweet, gummy baby smiles...of course not for the camera though! I wish he would but I have yet to capture it.

He is a fabulous sleeper and has been sleeping through the night since he was about six weeks old. He spends his time, sleeping, playing on his baby gym, being entertained by his siblings or eating. He is staying up for longer periods of time. All we can say is he is the cutest little thing and we love him to death! (:

my rambling thoughts

2009-10-07T18:32:00.003-04:00

So I am not sure this is where I want to post this. Sometimes, no offense loved ones, you just "don't want to hear it". You have your excuses and you don't want anybody else to bug you about it. LOL But once again, I have to remind myself that this is MY blog. MY place to write down MY thoughts. Whether you agree or not.

Now with that opening you all think I am going off the deep end right? Not quite...

Once again it is about my "weighty issue"

I KNOW that I need to take care of myself.
I KNOW that I need to be a good example to my family.
I KNOW that if I don't take care of myself, I will not be able to take care of my fam
I KNOW that I am at risk for like a zillion illnesses & health problems if I don't
I KNOW that I am not happy with the way that I look

For one month, I made very small (is giving up caffiene cold turkey small? Hmmm) changes. In one month I lost 4 lbs and 8 inches. Go me right?

Well this month, I think we may have sat down for a family meal twice. Seriously. The house has/is a disaster area. I am tired constantly (no caffeine = naps). I am grouchy. My grocery budget went through the roof. I am crazed. Life is...not necessarily better.

Right now, I am at a point when my kids still need me. My husband needs me. I want/need to be there for them 100%. I want my home to be warm and inviting. I want home cooked meals sitting on the table when Ben comes home from work. Am I old fashioned? Probably. But I am honestly good with that.

I am already thinking ahead to the fact that I do not want to look awful when I go to Ben's Christmas party or to our ball later in March.

I feel frustrated. I don't want to give up on myself BUT I don't want to do it to my family either.

Deep thoughts at 8:43 in the morning...

C is for...

2009-10-02T20:34:00.003-04:00

Connor! The other night, we had a Communication problem. (: He thought we were having pizza for dinner and was bummed when he found out that he wasn't. So, since I thought we were leaving the kids with a babysitter last night, I told Connor he Could pick whatever he wanted for dinner. He Chose one of his favorite C's...Corn dogs! So while I was at the Commissary, I also noticed Cheetos were on sale. An idea formed in my mind and we had a "C" themed dinner. It was so fun! On the menu was..

Corn dogs
Cheetos
Cucumbers
Carrots
Chocolate milk and
Candy Corn for a treat.

Then we all watched Fred Claus.

The kids had so much fun using "C" words and eating our "C" food. (Get it, see food?!lol)
It turned a normal family movie night into something even more special.It really is the little things isn't it?

Ethan told me later, since we are doing it in alphabetical order I get to go next right? I honestly hadn't planned to do all of them but it will be fun! I think I will do them once a month and just go around and around. Fun times. So I will be racking my brain for Ethan...eggs and egg nog? eggplant? We'll think of something!

However it turns out the best "C" Came this morning...CANCELLED! The storm watch over Guam has been lifted. We are so grateful that our little island has been spared. Thanks for all the prayers on our behalf!

Not done yet...

2009-10-01T21:45:00.006-04:00

( Housing did this, I don't know about you but I am not sure duct tape is going to stop winds at 30+ mph...)

(Grey sky in the morning, sailor take warning)

( Our "backyard" in the first storm)

The last storm blew by us without any problems. I felt like I had panicked for nothing.

However, we knew that two more storms were coming.

While at the commissary, I got a call from Ben letting me know that the base was going to go to TCOR 2. This is how they measure how high the winds are and how far away the storm is. I can't remember exactly what it stands for though. The last storm, the Gov. of Guam went to TCOR 1, while the military stayed at 3.

Now the military is going to 2 by three o'clock and 1 by midnight.

The typhoon is( according to local news) will be reaching Super Typhoon status. Also according to local news, the storm is starting to move to the south west. It WAS moving up North and out of our way.

We are bracing to get hit, and hoping to get lucky like we did last time. There is one more storm coming up right after this one.

Keep praying for us as we face this.

Also, many of our Guam friends have lost loved ones in the storm that hit Samoa. Others are still looking for their families, both in the Phillipines and Samoa. Keep them in your prayers also. I can't imagine what they are going through.

I'll keep updating as long as we have power.

Sept. 17, 2003

2009-09-28T21:54:00.005-04:00

**************UPDATE*******************UPDATE***********
According to our local news, we are now on a tsunami watch also. They are already opening up shelters across the island. As all of you as my witnesses, I will never again ignore the prophet's counsel to get a food supply and 72 hour kits. As soon as this passes, you better believe that I am getting my emergency preparedness kit READY!

Step back in time with me for a moment...

The weather was bright and sunny. The humidity was relatively low.Not a cloud in the sky. Nice beautiful day in Norfolk, VA. My sister Susan and her family were visiting. It was also Harmony's first week of pre-school.

Sept. 18, 2003...Hurricane Isabel hit. Power lines were down. Trees were knocked down and floating down the street. Rain and strong winds. Our family sat in a 100 yr old home, and watched as the water poured from the sky.The wind gusts were so strong that our gate was knocked over. Huge limbs were literally floating down the street. We were one of the lucky ones that didn't even lose power. It was a crazy storm.

The weather yesterday (our Tuesday) was bright and sunny. White puffy clouds in the blue sky. By afternoon, it had started to turn a little grey and windy.

The storm has now changed direction and we are expecting to get hit early tomorrow morning. There are also two storms coming up right behind this one.

I spent Monday fighting the crowds at the commissary and gas station. But I feel that I have everything I need. We have batteries, candles, canned food, water,paper products, clothes etc.

Our home is made of solid concrete. Ben describes it as " a concrete bunker". We honestly don't believe that we will suffer any damage. We figure we will lose power and that is about it.

As for now, our kids have a half day today. We will find out today if school will be in session for the rest of the week.

Although we don't feel like anything will happen, we ask you to please keep us and our family and friends in your prayers. Guam hasn't seen a typhoon in a long time and it looks like we are going to get hit.

Not to alarm anyone but, with the loss of power, we also lose our phones and internet. So if that happens, we will not have a way to get a hold of you. We will keep you posted as much as we can. We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers!

the long awaited blog update

2009-09-24T01:36:00.013-04:00

(Oh for the cute!!)
( Connor in his classroom)
(Ethan's teacher's last name is Byrd. So this is him with his "byrd nest".
( by her all about me poster outside of her classroom)
("Ethan if you want a new shelf, you have to sand it yourself!" )

(Mommy's sweet pea)
(pre-k wears Ivan out!)
( Lots of love for Mason)
(Ivan waiting not so patiently for cookies)
(Why we like having Daddy home early!)
I hope you are sitting in a comfy chair, cause there is a lot going on around here!

Harmony has become a major bike rider. We always worry about her because she is not into sports AT ALL. She likes to spend a lot of time playing video games. However, one day she went out and decided to try again. The next thing we knew...she was all over the neighborhood. Now every day she hurries out to ride. Harmony will be starting Girl Scouts again. Her leader is our neighbor...very convenient! She is a junior GS and is looking forward to it. 5th grade has been good so far. We had open house last night. Her teacher let me know that she is very disorganized. Tell me something I don't know!(: She is supposed to be bringing a folder home every day and I haven't seen it once. We set up a reward chart and I hope that will help her!

Since it is my blog, and he is my child, I can brag a little right? Last night his teacher told us that he is ahead of every child in his class!!! He has to do seperate math problems so that he is challenged. He also is the highest reader. Go Ethan! Ethan hates wearing his tie to church every Sunday. I get new excuses every week. Last week I sat him down and asked him if he knew why we think it is important. He said no. I said well when you are twelve what happens? Exasperated he said, "I know I know! I have to go on a mission!" I started laughing, I told him unfortunatley they don't let us send boys out that early!

Connor also got a glowing report yesterday! His teacher let us know that he is consistenly finishing first. So she has him correct other people's work. He seems to have the most homework of all the kids. He and Ivan are now sharing a room. Connor and Ivan are both very messy. Ethan CAN be, but when it comes time to clean up...Ethan was all in his own. So I moved Ethan out. We are trying to teach Connor a little more responsibility...we'll see how it goes! I feel bad for Connor because he is such a night owl. But they have to be up at 6am every morning.Sometimes we are literally dragging him out of the bed. He is drinking instant breakfast in the car every morning since he is not awake enough to eat breakfast!

Ivan...well that is a whole post in itself. Ivan is so special to me. I know he is not my baby but the whole mother hen thing is...Ivan had a really bad day at school. If you follow me on facebook, you probably read about it. It was rough. On him. On me. The next day was better and every day just gets better and better. He started speech today and he said it was fun. He was so excited to show me the bear that he made in his class today! Ivan got to bring the snack in on Wed. He was soooo excited. He showed the bucket to everyone. Just Ivan and I went to the store to pick it out. I was worried because he wanted "black bears" aka chocolate teddy grahams. I was couldn't find just "black". But he took it well. Phew, crisis diverted. I worry about Ivan but we are taking one day at a time.

Mason is still known as "newborn or babyboy Turner" in all of the military programs. Like our insurance. One person tells us to go here, that person tells us to go to another. One big loop. Unfortunatley he hasn't been in for his 2 month appt. because of all this. Ben got on the scale with him a while ago and he weighed in at about 13 lbs. A nice big growing boy! He is sleeping through the night and has been for awhile now. I am grateful for all the sleep! He has a fussy period between about 4:30 to bedtime. It makes it difficult but I try to remind myself to enjoy it! Instead of reminding myself of all the other things I have to do!

Ben is now working about 5 minutes away from home. I love his short commute! We have been able to play at the park, go for walks and just enjoy having him home more. His job down here is not as difficult as his old one. So he has been studying for the next series in his tests so that he can get his architects license. He also is my own personal furniture maker. I keep him busy! He recieved his unofficial orders and is looking forward to being in a battalion.

I just got called back to the primary. I have been in a primary calling since I started going to a married ward. I figure I still have lots to learn because they keep putting me back in! This week I will be teaching sunbeams but I was actually called as the 2nd counselor. I also have been going walking and making healthier choices. I decided to go caffiene/pop free and have been since Sept.15th. Every time I get a headache or feel tired I miss it, but otherwise no. It has been a good choice for me. Other than that...well the kids keep me busy. I love the afternoons when we get to be a touch lazy.

So that is it. Whew...is anyone still awake? I will try to do better with posting it has just been kind of crazy. Plus I couldn't get my memory card to work. But that has been fixed now so no worries!

change

2009-09-17T20:18:00.003-04:00

I have been having a hard time keeping up with my blogs.

I have been having a hard time keeping up with laundry.

I have been having a hard time keeping up with the dishes.

I have been very, very tired.

I have been making changes in my life. I know that once I am used to it, it will be a GOOD thing. I haven't quite made it there but I will.
I am giving up caffiene. Yep. I have made decisions regarding "my weighty issues" post. The first thing I decided to do is give it up. I have now gone 3 full days without any. I know it's not much, but it's a start.

There are other things that I am doing about my weight. But in a move that is completely unlike me, I am not going to share. The reason why? I am just not quite ready too.

So if you notice a lack of blogging, I am probably just taking a nap!

SOAKED

2009-09-13T18:47:00.003-04:00

Guam is currently bracing itself for a Tropical Storm. The sky is dark and we had a nice down pour as I dropped the kids off. The toys are all put away. Ben is filling up water jugs. I am charging DS's, ipods, etc. I don't know if anything will happen but you know what they say..."If you are prepared you shall not fear". That is the mantra we are going with.

I think warm homemade bisquits and soup are in order! We are supposed to have 6 inches of rain by the end of the day!

Oh and can you believe that this is MY 900th POST!!!!

Pre-K

2009-09-10T22:22:00.006-04:00

( Right after I took this picture, the kids came to a drinking fountain. There was a stool in the way so all the kids walked around. Except for Ivan...he went right over and jumped off!

When Ivan's teacher, Ms. Allison moved last May, we had no idea what would be in store for Ivan. And once we moved him up to Anderson Elementary...we really had no idea! His IEP (Individualized Education Plan) called for at least 2 days in a regular pre-k and 2 days in his PSCD class. Also any therapies that he might need.

We talked to the principal & teachers and found out that Anderson does a full inclusion for their PSCD kids. What does that mean for Ivan? Morning pre-k (7:45-10:15) Monday thru Friday. He is in a regular ed class and his the pscd teacher comes into his class, to suppport the teachers and help them. So technically he has two teachers and one aide.

School starts early here and because we no longer live just up the hill...it means for an early wake up! I had to pull Ivan out of bed this first day, and his breakfast was a bag of cereal and cup of milk in the car!

He was so excited to be just like the big kids. No "special" class, and being able to go at the same time as the older kids.

I think that when your child is "special" the little things mean so much more. I got misty eyed as I watched him walk off with the other kids. My big man.

After I dropped him off, I headed to the commissary. IT WAS THE MOST QUIET TRIP I HAVE HAD IN A LONG TIME!! Mason slept the whole time. The store itself was very empty. I got everything done really fast. But as I was walking down and aisle I noticed that 2 birds were sitting on a shelf. Ivan loves to see the birds in the store. I started to say, "Ivan look" but realized that my little buddy wasn't there.

He's growing up. I will miss my little sidekick this year. My new sidekick is still all quiet and snuggly. Harmony thinks that she is closer to Ben because they are both the oldest.Ivan and I are both the 2nd to last children in families with 5 kids. Maybe that is why he just holds a special little place in my heart. Or maybe it is because through all the trials and struggles, we are still hanging in there. I don't know, but boy I love this kid!

Kids are funny...

2009-09-07T20:58:00.002-04:00

Some funny stuff going on around here...

Harmony and I were discussing something ( I don't remember what) and she didn't agree with my view of things. I looked at her and said, "are you fighting with me?" Her reply..."maybe, but I don't want to get into trouble."

*****************************************************************
Connor had smelled some baby oil and said, "hey this smells just like Mason!"

*******************************************************************
Ivan brought me a bag of chocolate chips and said, " If I give kisses then I get some of these for a snack."

After much convincing, I put 4 in his cup. "What?! Only four?" I told him, "there are four for my four year old." Ivan: "But I am 16!" I started cracking up and put some more in. He ran off happily and said, " I like being sixteen!!"

Ivan starts pre-k tomorrow and although I am going to enjoy the quiet, I know I am going to miss this kid!

One day at a Time

2009-09-07T01:07:00.002-04:00

The words "I hate Guam" were muttered (ok yelled a couple of times) a lot during this weekend. We have endured no water pressure, so many gnats we can't even count, maps that aren't labeled correctly...it goes on and on. Some people think that living on an island = paradise. Let me tell you, it's not true.

A lot of our friends moved away from Guam this summer. Almost all of them talked about the things that they would miss. After this weekend, I racked my brain but really couldn't come up with anything. It's sad I know. I will miss friends that we have made, but other than that...hmmm.

This morning, I got up to go walking. It was not quite 6am and the sun was coming up. The moon was shiny and bright, but the sky was pinks and oranges. The palm trees were swaying in the breeze, and I thought, "well this isn't so bad."

So I decided to take it one day at a time. Find one thing every day that I appreciate about this island. I am still counting down until the day we go home, but maybe I just have to adjust my attitude a little. So while I didn't have my camera with me on my walk, this is one of my favorites while I have been here.

Why God Made Moms

2009-09-03T20:55:00.002-04:00

Mason has been crabby for about 12 hours now.
He is finally sleeping.
Ivan is screaming his head off because I won't let him watch The Simpsons movie.
I get to go to an IEP meeting for him in 1.5 hours. Oh joy.
I shelled out $56 dollars today for random school stuff.
I have volunteered to bake for the PTO.
I have volunteered to bake and get crafts ready for Ivan's class.
Harmony doesn't think I know whose agendas need signed, who needs money for recorders, who needs book logs filled out. However, I do.
Ethan's teacher sent home a "Additional School Supplies Needed" list. We haven't bought enough yet?

So today when my friend Heidi posted this...I knew I needed it. It made me laugh a lot and cry a little. Hormones. Oh hormones.

WHY GOD MADE MOMS

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice..

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

How could I forget?

2009-09-02T23:47:00.002-04:00

Having 2 blogs and being on facebook, I forget when and where I post certain things. I forget that not everyone reads my blog (!) or some people aren't on Facebook. So for those of you who haven't heard...

We got our officially unofficial orders. Why are they considered unofficial? Because they aren't on paper. And if they aren't on paper...they are easily changed. BUT the fact that Ben is allowing me to publicly announce it is saying a lot. Anyhoo...our next duty station is...PORT HUENEME, CA!

I am absolutely ecstatic to be going so close to home. We have not been within a day's drive of family (let alone 2 hours)since the last time we were stationed there! And at that time, Connor was only one!

I am already plotting & planning. Trips over holiday weekends,visiting CA friends, trips during spring break, holidays with family...ahh I can't wait.

Seriously everyone is going to get sick of us! I can't wait!

A weighty issue

2009-09-02T01:05:00.003-04:00

Today is my "Guam birthday". Although I am not technically 31 yet...there is nothing like a birthday to make you stop and take notice of your life.

Last year as I entered my 30's I told myself this was it. It was my time to get healthy. Once and for all. I wanted to look in the mirror and liked what I saw. I wanted to run and play with the kids. I wanted Ben to think, "boy I am so lucky to be married to such a hottie", I wanted to be a good example to Harmony. A little less than 2 months later...pregnant.

I gained 15 lbs during my pregnancy. Although I seriously struggled with the gestational diabetes, my doctors were impressed that I had kept my weight gain so low. I was impressed because I wasn't doing anything to help it. Seriously.

On the 4th of July, I was dialated to a 3. I was tired, cranky, contracting constantly. But I wanted to have fun with the kids at the fireworks. I spent the night sitting in a chair. My back hurt. My legs were tired. I was tired. Ben would have to help me get out of the camp chair. Yes part of this was just being pregnant. But part of me kept thinking, " I hate this. I don't want to not be able to keep up with my kids."

At the end of every one of my pregnancies I feel huge. And it's funny because as soon as I have that baby, I feel super skinny!! Lol

Today I have been feeling:
1)hungry
2)tired
3)lazy
4)unproductive
5)grumpy with Ivan

My diet since Mason has been born is a lot of chocolate and diet coke. Diet of champions right? I spend so much time in the rocking chair that I feel lazy.

Although I don't feel healthy, all in all, I am very content with my life. I am happy with where we are. I just don't like looking in the mirror.

I am not sure what to do.

My roadblocks are:
my sweet tooth
putting myself last
Mason is very fussy at dinner and I often find myself not eating dinner until 10 pm, breakfast (if at all) at 11 and lunch around 2 or 3
I love cooking and baking but don't find making healthy stuff as fun
I have a grocery budget
I have lots of other people to cook for
I don't want to be hungry
My strengths:
I like to exercise..when I find the time
I am a morning person..so I like to get it done first thing
I have support from my family
I have a husband who loves me
I have kids who love me

So questions...
Do I follow a low fat diet and not worry about calories?
Do I count calories?
How much exercise do I do?
Can I drink Crystal Light instead of water?Does that count?
Should I follow a plan like weight watchers?
Should I do a South Beach diet and watch my carbs?
How do I balance healthy eating with what I feed my family?
How do I do it so we all eat one meal, not the kids eating one and me something else?
How do I get rid of my sweet tooth?

Questions, comments and help would be appreciated. I know a lot of my family and friends are very fit and healthy. Help a girl out, I want to be among your ranks!

Then again, should I just screw it all and wait until I am 41?

Back to School

2009-08-30T18:09:00.008-04:00

(We are currently having a gnat infestation all over Guam. They were swarming at the bus stop!!)

(5th grade already? Sigh)

( big 3rd grader)

(big 2nd grader)

(It was so humid outside I had to keep wiping all the mist off of my camera lens!)
Mason woke up at 3:30.
Ethan woke up at 4:30.
Ivan woke up at 5:00.
Harmony woke up at 5:45.
I forced Connor awake at 6:15.
Bus came a little late but is usually here at 6:50.
Backpacks loaded.
Haircuts.
New shoes.
Lunch bags packed with a love note from Mom.
Bus passes tied to backpacks.
The house is quiet.
Pure bliss.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-26T22:41:00.007-04:00

Summertime and the living is easy...

Newness

2009-08-24T00:55:00.005-04:00

(This picture has nothing to do with anything on this post. I just didn't want to leave it picture-less!)

The only thing we can count on is change right? Or is it death and taxes?

So where should I begin?

This summer, with hospital visits, Mason's birth, Ben being out of town... our church attendance has been less than stellar. And when you miss one week (or 2 or 3...)you miss out on a lot! We found out on Sunday that our branch is splitting. We will now be members of a brand new branch! Part of the new Dededo branch. So that means a new building, a new primary, a new sunbeam teacher for Ivan to get used too (so not looking forward to that) new people...This next Sunday will mark our last Sunday in the Barrigada branch.

I took the kids to new student orientation. A new school. Their school is kind of like a college campus. I am guaranteed to get lost a couple of hundred times. So we have a new school,new routines, new teachers, new bus routes, new school supplies.

We weren't exactly sure what Ivan would be doing this year. We are not sure if he is still labeled as "mild autistic" or just developmentally delayed. But because of his age, he is able to attend pre-k full time! Not just a couple of days like last year!He will still be getting services as needed. He will have an aid who is in his class full time. We are excited that he will be attending school 5 days a week! Ivan does not do well with change but I know he is going to love being at school more.

Ben is almost done with turn over and will finally be up closer to us! He spent last week down on the Navy base. This week he is back and forth. I can't wait for his commute time to go from 45 minutes to 5!

As I put the kids into their new school, it really hit me. We only have 9 months left on Guam!! (The kids and I are leaving earlier than Ben). And then we will be on to more new-ness.

Looking forward to all the changes and what life will bring us next!

interesting fact

2009-08-20T01:16:00.002-04:00

I read this fact today and thought it was interesting...

**Men who kiss their wives goodbye in the mornings have a lower percentage of heart disease than those who don't?**

So kissing is GOOD for us, it's not just for fun! :)

Gold Diggers

2009-08-18T23:38:00.005-04:00

( I know that I have a million and one pictures of those two together but just couldn't find a more recent one!)

The other day, I was feeding Mason and the two older boys were playing legos in the living room. We were watching tv and one of those "cash for gold" commercials came on.

The boys started talking about what they would do if they had millions of dollars. I love listening to them because they always include each other in their plans. No matter what. It is never what "I" will do with the money, or the toy it is always what "we" will do with it. It just makes this Mom's heart happy! Anyway, they decided they would go buy their own house and have their own flat screen tv, wii etc.

After some planning, they decided to go gather up all the gold in their room so they could send it in. I asked them what gold they had. They said their baseball trophies. Too cute. So I explained to them that while it was a gold color, it wasn't real gold. They trudged off to their rooms to go look for more.

A few minutes later they come back grinning from ear to ear.

boys:" Mom we found some more gold and we even found silver to send in!!"

Me: "what is it?"

boys: "Our scout stuff!!" They hold up their kerchief slide and the silver belt buckles that they had earned.

Me: (cracking up!!) well those aren't real silver or gold either."

boys: "how do you know?"

Me: "Well, because I bought the slide for like $2. And if it was real it would cost a lot more to buy it."

boys: sighing, " well can we have some of your gold?"

Me: (because I have sooo much gold lying around lol) "sorry boys but no."

Ethan:" I guess we will just have to save our allowance."

Good idea. Cute little boys!

How do you spell drama?

2009-08-15T19:21:00.006-04:00

H-A-R-M-O-N-Y!!!!

Picture the scene: Mason is screaming his head off in his swing. I am trying to hurry through "Oh the Places You'll Go" so that Ivan can go to bed. The older kids are SUPPOSED to be playing nicely. I hear Ethan crying and here comes Harmony...

H: " I just want you to know that I am trying to make Ethan feel better."

M: "Well why is he crying in the first place?"

H: "Because Connor and I told him that we were sick and tired of him."

M: "Why on earth would you say something so mean to him?"

H: "Well don't worry, I am trying to make him feel better."

M: " You shouldn't have said it in the first place. You and Connor just earned a one way ticket to bed."

H: "THAT ISN'T FAIR! I WAS TRYING TO GET HIM TO STOP CRYING!" Walks out of the room and slams her door.

I go make her come back to Ivan's room and walk back into hers without the hissy fit. I than said, " I don't know why you are acting like this." Her response:

" I don't know either. I am just a bad person aren't I Mom? Admit it, that is what you think about me too!"

Huh? What?

Me: "just go to bed. Not one more word. Not one. Just go to bed."

If she is this bad at 10, how bad can the teenage years be?

This is why I only have one girl.

catch up

2009-08-11T19:04:00.004-04:00

******Blogger won't let me upload pictures. So I will try again later!*********

Mason decided that he and I didn't need any sleep the past two nights. That we should just stay up and rock and cuddle and watch whatever is on tv at 2 am! And of course, he is sleeping the morning away while I am up with the other kids. Ahh the life of a newborn!

Last Sunday my oldest turned 10 and the next day, my youngest turned a month old. I realize that it is totally cliche but, "WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?" I swear, as soon as you have kids time just speeds up.

Harmony had probably one of the most laid back birthdays that we have had around here for a long time. We are trying to get on a rotation of every other year we have a friend party. So she is on the family one this year. Thank heaven because with Ben gone, I don't think I could have handled anything else!

The Saturday before Ben left, he took her out to lunch, the bookstore and to do a little shopping. On Sunday I made her her favorite breakfast (scrambeled eggs with him and poppy seed muffins). I let her open her gifts before church. Then we came home and I made her favorite dinner (fettucini alfredo with brocoli and chicken and strawberry cake with vanilla frosting and strawberry ice cream). Then we all laid around and watched National Treasure 2.

Like I said, nice and laid back. I don't know where we will be next year but I am sure she has some plans for a more exciting party!

What will the double digits bring? We will soon find out...

The Rainy Season

2009-08-05T22:25:00.008-04:00

(The pond outside our house. We didn't know we were living in water front property!)

(The back of all the teachers eating at the table!)

(Another side view of the whole thing)

(The boys with their creation. There are the 4 different towers for all the houses.)

(On this one, you can see part of the great hall. The people are the professors sitting at the head table. The big neon green lego is part of one of the towers)

(A side view. I didn't take the pictures, the boys did. But I think this is the herbology classroom)

Ahh Summer. The beach, pool, popsicles, ice cold lemonade, warm weather, right? Well that may be what our life is like during the other 9 months of the year, but summer here means RAIN. And lots of it! Which is not fun when you are trying to keep 4 kids entertained. We have had downpours for the past week. Not a light rain. Down pours. Thunder and lightning, wind etc. We have lost power more than a few times. It has been wild. The kids are stuck inside. They are driving me crazy!!

One day while talking to Ben, the boys sat and asked me question after question. Apparently they didn't notice the phone in my hand. I finally sent them off to their room to play Legos. "But we don't know what to build!" I suggested they go and build Hogwarts. And they did!

It took them 3 days and they did a fabulous job! The boys love to get kits from movies like Star Wars or Indiana Jones. But we don't have anything from Harry Potter. They just used their imaginations! The great hall had all the different tables for the houses. Complete with the professors sitting at the front table. The herbology class had all the different plants that they could find. A few of the men had wizard hats. The potions class had barrels for all the different potions. All the 4 towers were made. They were going to make the stairs to go to divination but had a little trouble with it. I loved seeing all the hard work they put in to it. Now they want me to send their pictures into the Lego magazine!

walking zombie

2009-08-03T01:38:00.002-04:00

I have to say that for the most part, Mason is a pretty darn good sleeper. He will even sleep (sometimes) for a good 4-6 hours at a stretch. It makes those long nights a little more do-able.

Ben has been gone for a week. That is it. Last week seemed to drag but also went by fast. If that is possible. However, besides the fact that Mason is sleeping well, I find myself very tired and worn out. Maybe it is because...

**I am taking care of 5 kids by myself all day every day

** I am a slave to the couch/rocking chair during feeding times

** I don't have time to recharge my batteries.

Last week Harmony went to Girl Scout camp. Well Friday she was getting ready and I was putting her hair up. And then I felt her forehead. She was burning up. Fever of 101. OK no camp. That day she complained a little but not to much. Next morning she was running around feeling fine. Until we got home from the store...

She had started complaining and by the time we got home...whew boy watch out. Her fever was up to 102.5 She was hot and miserable. She spent the day in my bed. And the next. And the next. Then she decided to pass it to Ivan. He was hot, miserable and spent the day on the couch.

Then last night Mason decided that I only needed 5 hours of sleep. After yelling at the big kids all morning...I don't think they agree with him! But I have learned that you really do need sleep to function. How do I know?

**was so happy with myself that I got dinner in the crock pot. 6 hours later I started wondering why I wasn't smelling anything. It wasn't turned on.

**While in the kitchen, I also noticed the pkg of frozen Rhodes dough, rising in it's pkg on the counter

**I remembered to get the garbage out...twice

** went out to the car to get something...and realized I had already gotten it earlier

**and yesterday I let Astro out...and forgot about him. An hour later I sent the kids out to find him. Oops

What can I say? This Mom needs some sleep!

random

2009-07-29T20:44:00.006-04:00

(There is a whole lotta this going on around here!)

(the cute little toothless wonder)

(How adorable is this kid? Thanks again for the outfit Beth!)

Here is a random list of what's going on in the Turner home...

**Connor lost his other top tooth! Too bad the tooth fairy forgot! I told him the tooth fairy was confused because Connor lost his tooth on Wed but it was on Guam. In the states it is still Wed. So I am sure she will be coming tonight!!

**Harmony is having a blast at camp! She has made lots of friends, is Liesel in the Sound of Music, wrote a script for a skit they are doing, and is having a fabulous time. I am so happy to see her come out of her shell! It just makes my heart happy.

** The boys have named our house/van etc as the "boys club"!

**They are also pretending to be characters on movies and tv shows. In the car, they were watching Tom & Jerry. So they "called" the character that they want to be. It is cute but annoying when they fight over who gets what character.

** A long time ago, I participated in a lot of homemaking meme's. I kept putting them on this blog but I didn't want my followers to have to read them if they didn't want too. I created another blog as a place to put them. Well after I got preggo, I stopped updating it! Too much work. Now that I am back in the swing of things, I have started updating again. If you want to read it the site is here

**Mason does what Mason does best. Eats, sleeps, poops. But oh how cute is that little boy! The kids and I can't keep our hands off! :)

**Oh and the bugs are gnats. They are attracted to water and light. So with it being the rainy season here, we just have to wait it out. The pest control guy told me that we don't have as much as other people. Gross. So I just get to sweep up bugs 10 times a day. OH joy!

And that is it! You are updated!

pity party

2009-07-27T19:23:00.004-04:00

(Just imagine this...all over our house. Blech!)

(It's kind of hard to see because our door is black but it is covered!)

There is a phenomenon that occurs every time Ben is gone. Actually, I believe it is a military wife thing. Once your husband deploys. And what is that phenomenon? Everything goes wrong. Seriously. I have had some nightmare situations in the past. Last summer was a whopper...Ivan's diagnosis, tv problems, van problems, vacums dying, Astro leaving his messes all over...You get the idea.

Ben has only been gone for 6 hours and I get to deal with the situation in the above pictures. Can you tell what it is? Bugs. Bugs everywhere. Last night they started appearing. We thought it was because of a window left open. When we got up to go to the airport...there were tons. It grosses me out like nothing else. They are everywhere. I called housing and they can't get anyone out until tomorrow. Ewww.

Connor keeps saying we have a bug "infection". I am letting myself have today to whine and pout and than the pity party is over. I promise. I just wonder what all can happen in 2.5 weeks...

2 weeks

2009-07-25T03:35:00.003-04:00

Whew, this was a fast 2 weeks! Ben and Harmony are out on a date, and I am supposed to be making cookies for the boys. So this will be a quick update...

Ben is getting ready to leave for 2.5 weeks. I don't want him to go! :( I realize that 2.5 weeks is not that long of a time and I really shouldn't complain. But I am going to anyway! He will be home for a few days and than will be headed to Utah for a class for the rest of the time.

Harmony will turn 10 while he is gone. I can't believe that! The time has really flown. She is excited to head to Girl Scout day camp on Monday. She is leaving me with all the boys all day long! She is getting ready for school to start but is a little nervous about changing classes!

Ethan was lucky to have a dog walking companion while my Mom was here. He let me know on Thursday that he didn't want to go by himself. I had to tell him too bad! He has been playing a lot of video games and I think he is getting ready to go back to school too!

Connor has been fighting with Ivan non-stop. Those two are just driving me batty! He loves Mason though! I think he is a little nervous around him, but he loves to feel his soft hair and look at his tiny fingers and toes.

Ivan is really doing well with potty training. I can't remember the last diaper of his I changed. I hope he continues with his streak. My lucky Mom (sarcastic) got to share a bunk bed with Ivan. He was on the top but has loved being able to move to the bottom. He invites everyone to come and lay on his big boy bed!

Mason had his two week check up on Thursday. He weighed in at 8 lbs 12 oz. So he got back to his birth weight and gained some! We have noticed that he is starting to fill out some. He still has his blue eyes and is starting to get a little more hair. We were also told by the dr. that he is tongue tied. The skin(is that considered skin?)that connects your tongue to the bottom of his mouth is too short. She said it is not bad but he could have speech problems later. However, it is very easy to fix. You just clip it. She didn't seem to concerned about it.

The kids have all been great helpers. We are slowly settling in to this new routine. I think...