Precious Time

Sorry for the brief hiatus...Josh has had the past two weeks off work so we've been getting in as much quality time as possible.  While I've loved loved LOVED the luxury of having him home, I really don't love the reason why.  And I also don't love Airy's disgruntled attitude at having him return to work; she was in trouble three times before 7:30 this morning.  THREE.  Ahh! 

We have had two wonderful fun-filled weeks.  And we will have one more wonderful week before he leaves for the year.  So...I will keep this brief so I can keep on enjoying that precious time with my husband.

Highlights for the week:

Airy is inside that sack.  Yep.  You
read that right...inside.

• Josh got to come to one of Airy's playgroups and mommy and me tumbling classes.  Needless to say, with the help of Daddy, Airy went higher than any other kid in tumbling class.  And Mommy almost had a heart attack. 
• Airy and her little friends had fun chasing a bunny at playgroup one day.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for the rabbit) the bunny was on the other side of a fence.  Earlier that week Airy and I had tracked that same rabbit at the park. 
• We went home to Arizona for the weekend so Josh could get in some "see you laters".  Not only did we see family, the girls and I saw some wonderful and dear old friends.  It's always nice to see that no matter how much time passes, our real friendships always stay the same.  And we got to see my sister-in-law for the first time since she announced she is expecting.  I am so excited I get to be an Auntie!  (And she is so cute...it is almost not fair how cute she is at 16 weeks pregnant.)



Hannah and her Auntie, taken by this almost Auntie!


• Hannah got her first Kindergarten progress report.  Satisfactory in everything (which is the highest).  Smarty pants!  :)




Going down the family slide at the patch


• We went to the pumpkin patch this past weekend.  Now, 95 degrees isn't really pumpkin patch weather.  But that's probably the best we're going to get in El Paso.   
• We also went to the Farm and Ranch Museum in Las Cruces, New Mexico.  We got to meet an older gentleman who has been blacksmithing (Can that be used as a verb?) for the past almost 60 years!  Amazing!  If we go see him again, I will like to call him Smithy. 
• Airy had a repeat of her Hobby Lobby incident.  This time while grocery shopping.  And this time she made it.  Score!

• Hannah told me this week: "Momma, on the ends of our hands, we have phy-langies."  When I said, "Or fingers", she replied, "Yes, but scientists call them phy-langies." 

Y'all betta stay aways from mah cob.



Sisterly love <3



Blessings...name them one by one

It is no secret that yesterday was a precious day for Americans, fraught with importance and significance.  For us, it was no different.  I know some people would say especially since we are a military family...but for me, military or not, September 11, 2001 was a day that changed the face of the world for everyone. 

This year we decided to explain a little bit the significance of that day to Hannah.  I say "a little bit" because it can be hard for a 5 year old to really wrap her mind around what happened.  And it was.  When I explained to her that some really bad people did a really bad thing, her first question was, "What happened to them for doing a bad thing?  Did they get in trouble?"  It is so precious how black and white it was for her; such a marker of her innocence that she felt that since someone did a bad thing they should get in trouble.  It was hard for her to understand that sometimes no punishment can rectify a wrongdoing.  She didn't understand the sheer number of people that tragedy affected.  She couldn't fully understand the heroism of those who gave up everything to help strangers on that day.  And, like all of us, she did not understand why people would want so badly to hurt someone else.

What Hannah did understand were the tears rolling down my face as I told her about that day.  She hugged me and asked me personal questions...like what I was doing, where her Papa was, what Daddy does when he finds the bad guys.  She understood when I told her how important it is for us to appreciate the goodness we have.  She understood what it meant to honor the sacrifice of so many when she told us that we had to wear red, white, and blue to remember 9/11.  She realized that finding the joy in life and America is the best way to commemorate every sacrifice.  Holding tightly to what you are blessed with is the most wonderful way to honor that day.

Two of our blessings.

Highlights of the week:

• Hannah started her actual homework in school, doing something everyday.  Part of it is practicing new sight words every week...and she already knows all of the sight words she is supposed to know for the MONTH.  Yay!
• Hannah started Girl Scouts!  She is now a Daisy.  And guess who gets to be the troop leader?  Me!  We are so excited.  And you all better get excited for some COOKIES!  (And we will also be selling nuts and magazines--random, I know--this month.  Get ready!)




One of her favorite pastimes. 
She can draw for hours.


• Airy has been talking a lot for a while now but I am always so amazed at how much she can say (mostly because her words came a little later).  She has so many sentences and questions.  Always asking, "What sound?"  "What smell?"  "What this?"  And saying things like, "I sad."  "I scared."  "I hungry."  "I got it."  "I draw."  Now she can actually hold a conversation.  Which can be a good thing...or a bad thing.

  

  We picked up a little Hello Kitty
  at Comic Con!

  



Hannah's fave
super hero!

• This past weekend we went to El Paso Comic Con.  Nice.  It was something I never thought we'd go to.  Ever.  But Josh and I were having a dispute over the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and we were able to settle it with the help of the original black power ranger.  No need to say who won.




Airy and her friend.  Aww...


• We also went to one of Airy's best bud's birthday parties.  The girls were happy to play in the dirt and get sugared up on cookies and cupcakes.  I was happy to spend time with some of my close friends.

Enjoy your week and remember to name your blessings! 

 

Exciting (or not) Adventures in Parenting

So...if you happened to be in the Hobby Lobby of El Paso a couple weeks ago, here is what you might have seen: 

A crazy lady literally threw her stuff down on the nearest endcap and told an employee, "Sorry...I'm leaving these here...got to rush to the restroom."  (Really, who does that?  She could have calmly placed her items on a shelf.)  She picked up her child football style and sprinted from the front of the store to the back.  (Was that necessary?  I mean, couldn't they have simply walked swiftly without creating a scene?)  As they were running, dodging in and out of aisles, her child was yelling, "HURRY!  HURRY!" and she yelled, "HOLD IT!  HOLD IT!"  All....the...way...to the restroom. 

And this crazy lady was ME.  And, yes, everyone was looking at me.  Ah...the adventures of parenting.  (By the way, she almost almost made it.) 

I mention this story because sometimes being a parent can be ridiculous.  But these are the stories you take with you.  Because sometimes ridiculous is just what you need to make you smile. 

Highlights of the week:

• Hannah had Open House/Greet the Teacher night.  It seems kind of early to me but it was nice to see her classroom.  And it's always nice to hear the teacher compliment your child.  :)
• Airy has a new word:  MYSELF.  However she pronounces it "I-self".  Needless to say, this has tested my patience a lot this week.  Especially when it's super hot outside and she insists on buckling herself into her car seat "I-self".  I do love seeing her independence though.  She's our little firecracker.
• I said something at the dinner table that I've never said before, "We do not stab people with our forks."  Please tell me that is normal dinner conversation.

This week has been pretty uneventful...which can be nice.  It's always refreshing to have somewhat of an easy week.  Hopefully you all enjoy refreshing and easy weeks too!



Yes, that is Josh on Hannah's bike.



Relaxing at home.


Josh's adventures in
parenting this week...