my first tag! should I cry or cheer?

So, I have been tagged and I decided to go ahead and take the plunge! My wonderful friend M at Faith, Hope and Love tagged me. The process was rather amusing to me, as I had watched this tag float around a few blogs I read and finally it came to rest here on me. I really thought I had dodged the bullet, but the bullet has come home to rest.



The Rules: In order to accept this Bloggy Award/Tag, you must do the following.....

1. Write a post showing it, together with the name and link of who has given it to you.
2. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in their content or design.
3. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Honest Weblog’.
4. List [if you can and/or dare] at least ten honest things about yourself. And then, pass it on.

10 Honest Things About Me! (does it get more egocentric than this?)

1.I love the smell of babies. I think that the smell is second only to the smell of coffee. No, really, I don't know anything better then the smell of babies. Actually, I don't think there is anything better then that baby smell. I will be down visiting my friend again soon and I will be frantically sniffing that baby every chance I get. My friend will have to beat me off with a wet burp rag.

2. I am pretty good at many things, but I don't feel that I am VERY good at too many things. I feel that while I can do art and I can do a bit of writing and I can do a bit of speech stuff and I can do a bit of decorating and a bit of gardening, I don't feel that I have any one area that I am stellar in. I am not complaining... I just feel like I am good at many things, but not amazing at any of them. I am content with this.

Isn't he a cutie!!!

3. I love my husband more then I probably should. He is my rock and I stand amazed by him everyday. He is strong and patient and loving and kind. He has a very common sense outlook on life and he sees things for what they are. He is able to be to the kids what I cannot be. He relates to them in ways that I cannot. One of my favorite things is watching him play with the kids and watching him read to them or watching them and their love for their daddy. He balances me and I do need that. I can be very artistic and spontaneous and flighty and forgetful and he is able to bring balance to my force... sorta like Anakin Skywalker.

HA! He would be so proud of my Star Wars reference!

4. I do not eat breakfast unless I actually cook something and I certainly do not cook breakfast everyday. I do however drink coffee. Everyday. Without fail.

5. I love my life as an Air Force wife. I am very proud of my husband and I enjoy being a military spouse.

John in Iraq.

I like talking to people about the military and what is is like being part of that culture.

The garage door decorated for a homecoming from Iraq.

I remember what is it like being civilian looking in and I understand the questions that people have. I have no problem answering them, actually I welcome them because if anything, the military needs more people to understand what is going on now in our little culture bubble. We need people to understand how to help military families as our spouses are deployed again and again.

You see my kitty keeps trying to grab me in this picture. She likes me too!

6. I like animals a lot. If I had my way I would have a small zoo here. Fortunately, like my earlier post stated, John keeps me in check. He allows me to have the one beautiful puppy and the one sweet kitty and the one boring sucker fish. If it were up to me, I would have another 4 or 5 pets. Then I would start going crazy cause I can't bring balance to the force of the litter boxes and the tanks and whatnot. It would get scary people and that is why we have Anakin... er... I mean, John here.

7. I have this really weird tendency. I talk for things. Things like animals but also things like tea kettles. My tea kettle doesn't just whistle it yells. No kidding. The tea kettle will be whistling away on top of the stove and my kids will yell at me to let me know, cause obviously I cannot hear the screaming tea kettle in the room with me and I will start talking for the tea pot, "HEY! I'M HOT!!! TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF! I AM HOT!!!" I will also speak for animals that are in videos or pictures or just out. I am afraid it is a sickness. I will talk for our pets. For example, the dog will be looking at me and her eyebrows are dancing and I will be saying something like, "Are they talking about going for a walk? I can't tell cause they have learned to use that code word. Maybe they are! I would love to take a walk, but then again, I would love to snuggle them. I love everything cause I am a goofy Lab and I just love life! I love my pillow and I love my dog dish and well... I love my toy! Yippie! Mommy is getting out Peanut Butter! My favorite!" Do you see how this is a disease?! The problem is when I do not feel like doing this and the kids really think I should. They ask me constantly, "Mom, what is that bird saying?" If I am tired of it I will reply, "Nothing. The bird is saying nothing." They beg. They just know that the bird is saying something SO funny in their momma's head.

"Nope, I don't hear the train coming, but I may or may not hear a herd of buffalo."

7. My husband is helping me out here, so for this one, he says that I need to put down that I talk in a very "theatrical way." He says that I sound like I am narrating a play when I talk all the time. Maybe I should ask him what that means? Does he like this? He has never mentioned it before? Does it grate on his nerves and he feels like he finally got the chance to tell me? Who knows... I am not going to risk asking him. He will just have to deal with the narrator's voice for the rest of his life, cause I do not think I can change that.

8. I love my coffee. I have teased you all here in the past about me quitting my addiction, but I do not think it is going to happen anytime soon. I have even bought that Teechino stuff and I have not brewed ANY of it. It is supposed to help me break my coffee addiction and it was expensive. It is still sitting on the shelf in my kitchen. I have contemplated brewing some in the evening for a nice warm drink, but I haven't even thought seriously about brewing it in the morning. That is crazy! I stumble into the kitchen and start my coffee making and I have never contemplated brewing Teechino for my morning brew because at that point my body needs only one thing. Caffeine. My body needs it bad. I know my whole house will be happier if I just have my caffeine, SO I just have my caffeine. Ah well. Anyone want a full bag of Teechino?

9. I am Obsessive about things. I am not OCD... I am just obsessive about things. When I get interested in something, I get REALLY interested in something. When I want start learning about something new, I mull it over in my head constantly. I dream about it, I watch information on it. I read about it. I check out books from the Library on it. My friends have to listen to me talk about it constantly. I am sure it is a chore for them, but they must be good friends cause they are still around. My poor friend Kristen has seen me through many of these obsessive times with me. I am sure she was ready to pull her hair out during the WoW faze. I am sorry Kristen. What can I say? My husband was deployed?! I don't know. I am hanging my head in shame. Honest.

K10 and K26 checking out a brand new egg!

When I was going through a Bald Eagle Obsessive time, we were watching the Bald Eagle web cams and reading up on Eagles and we went on a field trip to a Birds of Prey sanctuary and one morning My Girl came in to ask me a question when I was stil mostly asleep. She asked, "Momma, who are Doodle's parents?" I replied in my sleepy stupor, "K10 and K26 of course." Then I stopped and paused and woke up slightly and said, "No, they aren't. K10 and K26 are EAGLES and Doodles is a cat. We don't know Doodles parents." My daughter went away confused. Poor girl.

10. Sometimes I take really, really random pictures.

It is sorta scary,

but you never know when you are going to get a really great shot.

Right? You just never know.



Now, I am supposed to tag 7 people. Are you worried? Oh, come on, this is fun!

Anyone and everyone who reads this blog is tagged. That should be about seven! hehe... Now, all of you, go out and type up ten true things and hit publish on your blog. If you don't have a blog, make one. If nothing else, it is therapeutic and a great way to waste time on the computer!

been thinking...

About a few things. John is TDY this week and this is the first time in a long time that he has been gone for a bit.

I think he is supposed to leave for these periods of time for a few reasons.

1. The military wants him to. They own him... they get to send him to Vegas if they want him to gamble. Granted that is not what he is doing, he is just taking a boring training class in Jersey, but still.

2. It reminds me of how amazing he really is AND how much he does around this house. Just like sometimes a man needs to be left to do everything without the wife to appreciate what she does everyday, I need to be left without John to realize how very much he does here to help me.

3. It reminds me in the slightest way what I had to put up with during those last two deployments and makes me grateful he is not deployed... again.

4. It helps me have some perspective on the Single Mom. Though I still don't fully get it since I do not have to provide income for my little brood... I am all alone. I cannot run to Lowe's to pick up PVC for an art class I teach without VVVEEEEERRRRRYYYY SSSSSLLLLOOOOOWWWWWLLLLLYYYYYYY corralling my kids through there and back out and without losing one of them or accidentally shoplifting something, or accidentally tying one of them on the roof instead of the PVC. It could happen you know. They are just as unweildly. No lies there at all.

On that note, someday I will count how many times I call my daughter's name in a given day to get her back on track. My rough guesstimate is around 400. I am not kidding AT ALL. Just ask anyone that is around us... or sits through a gymnastic class watching her... or teaches her at church or Co-op... or ballet.

Alright, so you get it? I suppose I should say that yes, once again, I have woken up to the fact that John does a lot. Life alone is hard. I hate shopping ANYWHERE with kids and yes... I have grown to love the shift key again.

SO, on that note. I now have to run and cut 30 odd pieces of PVC pipe so that the kids and I can make didgeridoos tomorrow in our Art class during Co-op I should also find my kitchen table. I think it is somewhere out there under the mess we made on it today. OH! And I forgot... I need to compile the Australian Meat Pie that I am making for the Co-op potluck tomorrow. We are studying Australia. I am sure you couldn't tell.

Before Green Gables

I happen to be an Anne of Green Gables addict. I will honestly say that without any qualms. I started reading Montgomery's books when I was about 10 and I have never looked back. I consider them some serious comfort reading. I found Anne on the wonderful PBS channel growing up in Pittsburgh, PA. We would rush home from wherever we happened to be and the entire family would be completely glued to the TV watching the Anne series. I then found out about the books and requested them for Christmas. My grandmother, another avid reader, bought me the whole Anne series and I devoured them all in a very short time and wanted more. Slowly over the years, I have bought nearly everything written by Montgomery, I have reread these books more times than I can count. One of my absolute dream vacations would be to go to PEI; I keep thinking that someday The Girl and I will run on up to the Island and explore to our hearts content. I will need to wait until she is old enough to read the books herself... and then there is no looking back... we will burn rubber out of the driveway! Yes, I am addicted.

Today, I heard of this interesting article that discusses a "new" Anne book. This is a prequel that is authorized by Montgomery's family. L.M. Montgomery herself died during WWII, and so she has no say in the matter, but her family obviously thinks this is a good idea. I, however, do not but I am not making money on it, so take that as you will. I suppose it bothers me because I think Montgomery left enough about Anne's life to have it stand on it's own. In the books, Anne never wanted to discuss her time much before Green Gables though she did on very rare occasions. She did give enough information over time however, that you are able to piece together the basics. I don't believe that this book is necessary... and I don't believe that Montgomery herself would like it much. There is quite a bit to be said for leaving things to the imagination and I would think that Montgomery herself would have enjoyed us imagining all sorts of other endings and beginnings to the lives of her characters. Her characters have such large imaginations that I can't fathom her wanting us to have absolutely everything filled in for us.

All of that being said I will, unfortunately, be purchasing this book. How sad is that?! I know that I will not be able to help myself and I will report to the bookstore to check it out and then I will buy it and will probably not like it. Can I stop myself? I seriously doubt it.

I will post a review here just for all of you. Oh... and if perchance you have not read the L.M. Montgomery books, particularly The Anne series and The Blue Castle and The Story Girl, then run out and get them now. I am not kidding... they are more than worth it. There is a reason that Canada is making an Anne postage stamp to celebrate the 100 year anniversary and an Anne coin etc... etc... You will be missing out if you never read these books and it will be all your fault, cause I warned you right here on my little blog.

Walmart is Coming Undone at the Seams

We were away for a few days this last weekend helping some friends move and I stopped by Walmart for something I would normally just pick up at the friendly base BX. Anyhow, I walked the aisles looking for some hair bows for The Girl and of course didn't find those, but found 5 other things that I could use. One of those other things was flannel sheets for the kids. They were very cheap, on clearance even, and so I picked up a set for each of the kids. The Boy has been desperately wanting some flannel sheets ever since he snuggled with me in our nice set. I told him if he waited, I would get some on clearance since they would be much cheaper then and he really had sheets that were perfectly fine.

The moment had come!

He was thrilled and helped me select the sheets, as only a little boy can. I even pulled down some that had fun boy things on them, sports balls etc, but he decided that he really only needed plain blue, because it would match his bedroom better. Um... are you a kid? Then I showed him different ones for The Girl so that he could help me figure out what she would want and he decided that plain pink would be best for her because it would match her room better as well. I think he is weird, but he is right... so we got the plain sheets and went on back to our friend's house.

I washed the sheets yesterday and put them on the Boy's bed, but the Girl's sheets were still in the dryer so she had to deal still with the regular cotton sheets. This morning, I stripped off her sheets and attempted to put the flannel sheets on her bed except there was a problem. The sheets had a hole in the corner that I started with. The seam had come apart. I stuck them in the hallway so that I would remember to pull out my sewing machine and sew them, which I did this evening. The problem is that as I sewed up that corner of my brand new flannel sheets I decided to check every other corner on the set, and low and behold EVERY corner needed done. I begrudgingly sewed up every corner on the sheet and was very glad that I had a sewing machine, or I would be returning the sheets and I honestly hate returning things so much that sewing the sheets was much more preferable.

As I sewed up these sheets, I did contemplate why I even bothered buying things at Walmart anymore. It just seemed that this happens too often to put up with, and frankly, sewing up brand new sheets, happening even once is way too often.