Sleep Issues

I've never had a baby sleep 12 hrs straight... not 10 hrs or even 8 hrs. I've heard of this happening, it just never happened for us. I LOVED my newborn babies, I just never figured out how to do it right! I'm still waiting for our "babies" to sleep through the night and it's driving me crazy! They're two and four... beyond old enough to be sleeping on their own.

Coleman always seems to want a drink in the middle of the night. Giving in avoids the screaming and chance of waking Caden up. Bad cycle. Caden was doing pretty good, then we took the rails off his crib. I figured he was old enough to be potty trained, we could do away with the crib. Now, he thinks that he needs to get in bed with us every night. He's smart to go to his daddy's side of the bed- it's a free ticket in every night.

If there's one thing I hate more than being woken up, it's kids in OUR bed. I can't stand them taking my space. Jim knows this and quietly takes Caden to the spare bed most of the time. So, now I'm losing my husband to the spare bed and waking up to deal with kids. For some reason, sleep is so much better in mom and dad's room. Either on the floor or in the bed, it doesn't matter. Something has to change- soon. I'll take any suggestions.

Daddy's Boy

If there's anyone in this world who comes close to loving my husband as much as I do... right now, it has to be our little Caden Luke. Usually, Mondays are extra hard on him when daddy has to go back to work. When daddy is around, Caden is usually glued to him, which is just fine with me! He wants his daddy to do everything... including wipe his booty, put him to bed, feed him, give him his bath... it's great!

Today was another one of those difficult mornings. As soon as he realized daddy was at work, he had another melt down. Last week, he locked himself in the bathroom for an hour. Today, he just cried next to the door. He doesn't just cry- he sobs! It's so sad. There never is a happier kid than Caden once daddy comes home!

Happy Easter

I love Easter! It's finally Spring and the warm weather is just around the corner. One of my new favorite things about Spring in Kansas are the new calfs out in the pastures. Any direction we drive from our house, we pass by fields with cows or horses. The new little guys are just too cute- love babies!
We enjoyed a nice quiet day together. The big boys have grown out of coloring eggs, but the little boys had a great time! It was a little stressful for Daddy... after a couple cracked eggs. Caden just isn't too gentle with anything!

Coleman J is finally 4!

What a fun weekend we had! Coleman finally turned four... a day he never thought would come. We were surrounded with Spiderman... and webbing all over the place. He's the easiest for his birthday dinner... pizza and cake- that's it. He's definitely my only kid I don't cook for! Such a great time... now he wants to know when he's going to be five... Can't they just slow down?

A Military Benefit

I was so down on the military last week. I don't think I'm really that negative of a person- generally pretty cheery. So, I've been thinking about what good military life has to offer. It's been an attempt to change my negative attitude and thoughts. I don't hate the military, I just don't understand so many things. Common sense is huge with me and so many parts of the government simply don't get it. I know this is not a new concept, I'm just late catching on.

Anyhow... after almost eight months here, Jim discovered a secret benefit of the military! He stopped by the commissary the other day to pick up a few things. This is normal since we go through about a gallon of milk a day. To our surprise, our commissary has what they call Wacky Wednesdays with crazy deals. It's not an announced sale- a man shopping let him in on the details. Every other Wednesday at 4:00, they have these blow outs. Specials like we've NEVER heard of before. This week, cereal was part of the craziness. Huge boxes of GOOD cereal and it was all 50 cents a box! Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch... Even the double-bag of Cheerios was just 50 cents. This is huge for us. With four growing boys, we go through so much cereal.

They also had super cheap candy bars- something that we don't need in our house... but, how can you turn down a good deal? A six-pack of Snickers (the regular size, not the minis) was just 61 cents! Of course, as soon as he got home and began explaining the extra bags of groceries, my brain was dividing it out. That's just over 10 cents a candy bar! What a deal, what a benefit. Thanks, Air Force!

After a lifetime of shopping at the commissary, I still get excited about prices and specials they offer. I can admit if we did get out, that would be the one thing I would miss the most.

Our Zoo

I love going to the zoo- any zoo. I don't know if it's from my early, early childhood in California and the faint memories of the San Diego Zoo. My Aunt Bonnie used to give me a season pass to the Alaska Zoo and I loved taking the big boys. The Alaska Zoo doesn't even have very many animals and I still loved walking around. There's just something about a quiet stroll through a zoo.

Yesterday, the little guys and I finally made it to check out our zoo. Although Caden was tired before we got there, it was still such a nice afternoon. Sunny, sweatshirt weather made for a nice walk. Plus, there are new babies- my favorite part! It's a whole new world to the little guys who have only seen rhinos, hippos, giraffes,elephants, zebras, baboons and more in books and movies. Can't wait to go back...

March Winds

It's another windy day. I'm not complaining though. There's no snow on the ground, no ice on the roads and my bulbs are still coming up! It just dawned on me that March is supposed to be windy. I think it's not just a Kansas thing, but a March thing. Again, I'm amazed with weather outside of Alaska. I think almost every calendar I owned growing up had kites on the month of March. I never understood that concept since March in Alaska is not exactly kite-flying weather. I think maybe I should go get some kites... and fly them as soon as the temperature heats up a couple degrees!


Caden's my only kid crazy enough to go out on the porch in the rain to get blown over. He giggles like it's the most fun a kid ever had.


As a side note... gotta love that 2-year old stage of mis-matched clothing. He's hit the days of continually changing clothes and driving me crazy! I think yesterday I counted six different changes. I don't know if he's just so proud of the fact that it's one more thing that he can do by himself, or he's trying to get some use out of Coleman's clothes since he only wears boxers-his black Spiderman "Petes" STILL.

Growing Boys, Growing Gifts

This morning, Caden looked at me and said, "Mom- you forgot to get us lunch." I looked at the clock, actually thinking that it was past lunchtime only to realize that it was only 8:50! (Yes, they had eaten breakfast) It felt like it should have been past noon, at least by the number of messes I'd already cleaned up and running around I'd done. These little guys just get up way too early for a mom who isn't a morning person, plus- they don't take a nap! It doesn't matter what time they go to bed, they're still up by 6:30... so, they drop by 7:30 at the latest each night. (that's nice!)


I started to think of how fast they grow. It's fun for us having 10 years in between our sets of boys to enjoy both stages- big boys & little guys. When they're little, I just love the gifts that they bring home from school. The pottery is my favorite. I love the dinosaur that I keep next to my sink even though he has a couple of broken legs. The flower pots, flower pens, pottery bowls and other creations are precious. It's always so fun to get it and see how excited and proud they are that they made it. It's been a few years since either Justin or Ty has brought home a cool mom gift.


Yesterday, Justin brought home something new. I'd say, it's the next level of "mom gifts." I'm thrilled to have a new step stool/bench that he made in wood shop. My brother, Steele made a great bench that my mom has always treasured that sits in her living room. I'm so excited to now have my very own! Just like the Justin who brought home the funky pottery fish in 1st grade, he was so excited to explain every detail. "I hand sanded the whole thing... the finish is honey oak... I did two coats of polyurethane..." It will sit in my living room forever.

Military Wife Questions

Ok... I know when you join the military- you are the military. Jim joined 12+ years ago and I guess I joined when we got married! It's a totally different way of living, but we try to keep our life as normal and non-military as possible. Living 25 minutes away from the base helps. There are good things and bad things. Lately, I just don't understand a few things... Maybe someone has the answers for me!

1. No overtime. I don't get it. I think the active-duty military has to be the only occupation that doesn't pay overtime. Overtime is not an option and there's no compensation. How do they get away with that? Last week, Jim found out (not for the first time) that they'd be on 12-hr shifts this week. This is after he worked on his Saturday off and will be working next weekend, too. So, that's at least a 70-hr work week for him with no extra pay, and not even a comp day off. Isn't that abuse? At the airport, if I worked 5 minutes over my shift, it was extra pay... loved every extra penny I earned.

2. If he or she is in uniform, you can't hold hands or show other displays of public affection with the military member. In my case, my husband. The first time Jim told me this, I thought he was joking. We were just walking into the commissary after he got off work. I don't get it- we're married, shouldn't holding hands be ok? And, don't forget that hat has to be on... I complain less about that rule.

3. Promotions. This one totally baffles me. As if it's not bad enough waiting to see if you make a rank after testing... you get to wait longer. The last rank that Jim made, he tested in February. He didn't find out until June that he passed and would be promoted to the next rank. I was excited... a little raise, little more respect. Nope, he didn't get his raise or rank until the following June. Even worse, he was one of the guys in the Air Force the least amount of time, so he had to wait until the last to get his promotion. If it takes you a long time to pass a rank, you get to sew it on quicker. How crazy is that- a whole year of waiting to get that raise. Shouldn't it have been in effect immediately? But, on the other hand, they add the responsibility and workload of the new rank as soon as the results are in. So, Jim tested this year in February, should find out in June if he passed and if so... his raise should kick in by next year- about the time I'm ready for him to get out!!

4. Moving. Why is it beneficial to move military families around so much? Moving costs are huge. Relocating is an adjustment for anyone. Yes, I understand there are adventurous families out there who like to expose their kids to new places. That's great- for them. Why can't there be a choice? I think it takes a while in any job to just get comfortable with it, learn the job and increase efficiency. How efficient is it to be continually training new guys? I would be a little more bitter on this subject if we had ended up in Dover or Minot, North Dakota... Guess it's not so bad for me, since I'm in a place I like. Here, it's hard for anyone to get OUT of Kansas. Most of the guys in Jim's shop have been here since they got in the military and can't get a transfer out. Again, this makes no sense to me.

5. Base housing- not such a good deal. I really don't understand this. The amount of housing allowance you get depends on your rank- easy enough, everything in the military seems to revolve around rank. If you live on base, base housing takes your entire housing allowance for rent. So, if you've been in 10 years and the guy next door has been in a year, it doesn't matter that you're paying $700+ more each month for the same housing. Where else do they charge rent based on your income? Shouldn't the 4-bedrooms be a certain price? 2-bedrooms a little less? Base housing makes so much money, that's all I have to say about that...

6. The benefits are good, not great. I will say, it is nice having good health insurance. We don't have to worry about co-pays or extra bills if our kids end up in the Emergency Room. But, other companies offer great health insurance too. May not be as cheap, but it's still great insurance. Yes, we get a housing allowance that is added to our pay. On the other hand, I think without the extra housing pay, they could would have to increase the base pay- so it works.

7. Deployments at the drop of a hat. Not too long ago, they decided to do a mission here and deployed a bunch of guys. They told them on a Friday they were going to Africa and they shipped them out on Saturday. I was complaining about Jim working extra on the weekend- I better quit.

My list could go on and on... There are those who are in and are perfectly content, but on the flip side, they wonder why so many guys get out.

Signs of Spring

I can't believe it...
First, my bulbs are coming up. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. Doing anything with the little guys is an experience. Some are easier than others to just let go and let them have fun learning. Our bulb planting in November was one of those times that I really wish I could do alone, but of course they had to be in the middle of the action. I carefully mapped out my strips of dirt and which colored bulbs would go where- it looked great on paper. I was so careful to keep them separate- for about the first 15 minutes- until I gave up and just let Coleman & Caden go for it. I was hopeful that out of the 150 bulbs we put in the dirt at least one would make it. Now, I know at least a few made it- YEAH!

Second, it's only February and my bulbs are coming up! I just happened to look over at one area this morning while running out to the mailbox and caught a glimpse. Heck, they could have broken ground a couple weeks ago, which would have been mid-February. In my Alaska mindset, I wasn't even thinking that I should be checking already for signs of Spring. Yesterday, it was about 72 degrees outside, and yards already look like they're raked. I can't figure out if 1. Kansans don't have to rake in the Spring, 2. it just looks raked because there isn't a ton of gravel and garbage on the grass from 6 months of sanding icy roads and tons of snow, or 3. this is normal for Spring. Tomorrow is March and it really is Spring. Crazy thing is everyone here says this has been one of the worst winters in a long time. It felt pretty mild to us. One of Justin's teachers said... "Leave it to Alaska (a.k.a Justin) to bring winter to Kansas. Hey, we'll take this kind of winter any day... especially to see bulbs in February!

Inevitable or Avoidable?

...and then there was one. I'm it- the only one left. It all started with Justin about two weeks ago. He brought the flu to our house and it's stayed and spread. Coleman was second and has probably had it the worst. He's on an all-water diet, with occasional sips of Gatorade or juice. He doesn't want soda any more because he thinks it makes him throw up. Can't blame him since he he's been sick just about every night for the past week. He's a chocolate-milk kid and doesn't want to be anywhere near the stuff- pretty telling sign that he's sick. Caden had a bad bout and has been quite cranky on top of it. He's also had a nap every day this week- sure sign of illness in a kid who hates to sleep. Jim couldn't avoid it and actually missed the last two days of work. Pretty bad since he's only had one sick day in the last 12 1/2 years. I thought Tyler and I were the strong ones, until Justin told me this morning that Ty was up in the night. So, now I'm wondering if it's inevitable or if I can escape it.

I really don't have time to be sick- like any other mom in the world with responsibilities and running around to do. I don't go too many places, but our house is enough running for me. I'm starting to get little butterflies in my stomach- not the kind that come when Jim's on his way home from work... a different kind. Is there such thing as sympathetic stomach flu? I feel the need to hurry and catch up on everything just in case I'm down for a couple days. Kind of like that nestling feeling before having a baby. Oh, I hope I don't get it. Guess I'll get busy just in case!

Sibling Rivalry

Poor Tyler. He's such a sweet kid- so loving. He's the first to give me a great big hug when he comes home from school and never forgets to kiss us goodnight. He's so smart- carries straight A's and is even getting a little more organized with his scatterbrained personality!
I know there's a strong rivalry between Justin and Ty- always has been but, last night it a new low. I did haircuts and Ty was so excited to have a bigger pile of hair than Justin. Who cares? Tyler does... especially since it seems that Justin does everything first, faster, stronger, bigger... Why not count hairs? The hardest thing for Ty is being so much shorter than Justin and always just a little weaker. He hates that Justin's the one who always gets to help dad with the heavy stuff. Or, Justin's the one who can touch the ceiling. He loves when he's a little hungrier... might be a growth spurt in his eyes. It's really not fair.

He hasn't hit his growth spurt yet, although I keep assuring him and warning Justin that he's going to sprout up one of these days. I told him that he has no choice but to be tall- I'm 5"10"... his uncles are tall and strong... But, what if he doesn't? What if he has to live his whole life a bit smaller and shorter than his older, competitive brother? I sure hope that my encouragement all these years won't be for nothing and for his sake... he'll grow- SOON! If not, I may never be hear the end of it... from either of them.

Infant Swimming

My friend, Teresa sent me this link to watch this amazing video. I was going to forward it, but decided to just post it- it really is incredible.

Prepare to be AMAZED! A “waterproofed” toddler, barely 1 year old, follows a ball into a pool. ‘Bet it will put a lump in your throat! Be sure to watch the final 10 seconds of the video.

http://www.childdrowningprevention.com/index.html

Caden's Lost

The flu has arrived at our house. It's horrible stuff- Justin has been fighting it all week. Last night, it hit Coleman. As a result, Caden is lost. He just doesn't know what to do with his best buddy down and lifeless. He wasn't up all night (like Daddy) to hear or see how sick Coleman was. Caden woke up like any other day- ready to play with his big brother. He's ready to wear "Petes," catch their Mulvane bus and do his homework. All activities that Coleman instigates daily and Caden loves to play. He started badgering at first for Coleman to get up off the floor (I tried to make his bed on the couch- he choose a spot on the rug instead...) and even got his own blanket to be next to him. Now, he's wandering around looking for something to do. It's just not the same on your own- so sad. He and Tyler will probably be next to get the bug. We'll see how Justin and Coleman react without their brothers in action.