Pow-wow

Sunday was the perfect day to attend a pow-wow. The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect to spend the day outdoors. Off we went, to see Indiana Jones.....or at least that's where Eric thought we were heading. I had told him we were going to see Indians but he had Indiana Jones on the brain. I hope he wasn't too disappointed when we got there!

He did end up having a good time despite the fact Indiana Jones was nowhere to be found. We all had a really great time.

                                       We got to hear beautiful Native American music....

                                      There were beautiful Native American arts & crafts......

We saw plenty of people dressed in Native American garb....

The boys got to make their own little Teepee....

and get in touch with their inner Indian......

It was a really nice way to spend the afternoon and with a little luck, maybe next time Indiana Jones will be there. 

Where has the time gone???

Today my oldest son turned 18! It seems impossible that he could be that age. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday but here he is, a full grown man.

I find it hard to believe that I could be old enough to have 2 full grown children. I don't feel that old...at least most of the time I don't! But obviously I am.

Being a mom has been very rewarding. It isn't always obvious, especially on those days when they're all fighting and whining and not listening to a word I say. But when I see what kind of people....what kind of adults....my kids are turning out to be, it makes me very proud to say I am their mom.

Happy Birthday Russell

Saying Good-bye

Today was a sad day in our house. We had to say good-bye to one of our family pets.

We "adopted" Tinker six years ago when we found him and his sister (Belle) abandoned in the apartment complex where we lived at the time. Of course being the softies that we are, we couldn't just leave them to fend for themselves. At the time they were still young kittens, probably about 6-8 weeks old, so we took them in and gave them a home.

Tinker was a very affectionate and loving cat. Though at times he could be a pain in the butt and he shed EVERYWHERE we still loved him.

Yesterday evening when I was outside playing with Sebastian, Tinker came up to me and I noticed his skin color was very yellow. I knew right away that there was probably something wrong with his liver. I was hoping not because I knew if it was his liver, the outcome probably wouldn't be very good. He was still behaving like his usual self so I would like to think he wasn't suffering.

Today my daughter took Tinker to the vet and when the vet saw him she said it was probably his liver and chances are the prognosis wouldn't be good. They took Tinker to run some blood-work and told my daughter they would call with the results. Sure enough the vet called and said Tinker was in liver failure. She thought he might have gotten into something toxic. She stated his chances for survival were not very good. We decided it would be best to put him down than to prolong his death and have him suffer any.

After I got off the phone with the vet I had the hard job of breaking the news to Eric, my 5 year old. I told him that Tinker was very sick and he wasn't going to live. One of his first questions was "When will Tinker come alive again?" I had to explain that when someone dies they don't come alive again.  He was upset and wanted to know if people die too. I told him yes. He wanted to know why. I explained that sometimes the body parts that keep us alive get sick or stop working the right way and if it isn't working the way it is suppose to, then the person or animal can die. He then said "My heart is working the right way." I told him yes, his body was working the right way.

At that point Eric wanted to know what happens to someone after they die. I told him that we bury the body and we remember the person in our hearts forever.

It was a rough night and I hope I don't have to do this again anytime soon.

We decided to have Tinker cremated and his ashes will be spread over a memorial garden.

Tinker, you pain in the butt, we already miss you. RIP.

2004 - 9/24/2010

A change in plans.

When Mark first got his PCS orders to Florida, our original thought was I would stay behind with the kids until the house sells and then join him. Well, he's been gone now for just a week and a half and we have already decided that this living situation just isn't going to work for us.

It's not that we are not use to being separated because of the Army. He has traveled enough with his job that I am use to taking care of things on the home-front by myself. But this time feels different. It think it's because I know he has moved to Florida and except for visits every now and then, he won't be returning home. With all his other trips, he always returned home.

Eric also feels the difference. Before Mark left we explained to Eric that daddy had to go to Florida for work. We had to explain that it wasn't like the other trips where daddy could come home when he was done. We told Eric that daddy has to live in Florida and he will come back to visit but that he would always have to go back. Every day Eric asks when Mark will be home to visit. He misses him terribly.

So, Mark and I have started talking about renting out the house. This is something we were hoping to avoid but unfortunately we haven't had but one showing on the house since we put it up on the market. Our real estate agent has told us showings are down across the board. At least it's not just our house! As I drive around town I notice a lot of houses with For Sale signs. We have a lot of competition!

We are currently looking into the ins and outs of being a landlord. We will probably need to hire a property manager since we will not be in the area. I dread all the hassles that could arise from renting but I know I don't want to have my family living in separate locations for months on end.

Mark will be back in mid-October for a visit. If we don't have any offers on the house by then we will probably start looking for renters. We've already started looking for places in Florida for us to rent. I've got Mark scoping out the different neighborhoods. Our hope is that the family can be in Florida by the end of the year or early next year.

 I don't like the idea of being a long distance landlord but it's better than being a long distance wife! If anybody has any experience with being a landlord, any advice would be appreciated.

Finally, a quiet moment....

I've been trying to get this blog up and running but it's been a challenge to find a moment to sit down and gather my thoughts.  Finally, the kids are asleep and I have some quiet time to myself. So, what is this blog about??? Well, I guess a little bit of everything. Whatever happens to be at the forefront of my mind on any given day that I sit down to blog will be what I write about. I make no claims of being an expert in anything, I can be somewhat opinionated, and yes, I will brag about my family from time to time. Hopefully someone will find it interesting enough to read!

Since I got off to a late start with this post, the thing at the forefront of my mind at the present time is sleep! As it is, I get very little of it. My youngest is a very poor sleeper and wakes me up often throughout the night. My bed is calling to me and my little guy is sleeping for now. I think I should take advantage of the moment and close my eyes for a while. It probably won't be for more than an hour but every little bit helps.

Tomorrow is a new day and hopefully I'll get to blogging a little bit earlier. But for now, this is all I've got.