Throwback Thursday: 1975 jams

I now see where Thomas gets it from.

Brian, circa 1975

Wordless Wednesday: Marilyn Selfies

Say'in Goodnight

When the lights go down and the nightlight turns on,
say'in goodnight to Abby is usually an event all in its own.
Night after night, bedtime is probably one of Abby's favorite parts of the day.
She likes this opportunity to have you all to herself.
She doesn't just want an "I love you" and a kiss, she wants your undivided attention and an up close conversation.
She wants you to lay with her, look her in the eyes, and snuggle as you talk about anything and everything related to her.
She wants to touch your face, sweep your hair off to the side of your face, and tell you she loves you.
Abby is most certainly my love muffin.
It's never easy to leave her room simply because I love just laying next to her and talking.  For so many years, there was no real talking.  And now there is and I just love it.
There is no other way to describe here... pure love.

Road Trip 2014 Plans

Brian and I have begun to piece together our summer cross-continent road trip itinerary - which will bring us from Alaska to Florida, our final PCS location as Brian ends an amazing Air Force career after almost 23 years. The beginning part of our trip (meaning the first 5 days of travel) will have us traveling along the Alaska Maritime Highway.  Below is the M/V Kennicott, our vessel for which we will be traveling along the Alaskan coastline.  It will be a great opportunity after spending 3 years in Alaska and not having travelled yet along the Gulf of Alaska to so many of the small harbors and islands.  How exciting!  But probably one of the best points of taking the Ferry in addition to seeing some incredible sights is that we will NOT be driving the entire way (like we did in the summer of 2011)... the kids will not be cooped up in the car!

 

Our Ferry trip will begin in Whittier, Alaska (about 65 miles from Anchorage) and we will head south into the Gulf of Alaska and  to the numerous islands of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska’s Inside Passage.  Our two major port-of-calls will be Juneau and Ketchikan.  The first major stop is Juneau, one of America’s most beautiful state capital.  As Alaska's southern most port or “First City”, Ketchikan is the first major community reached by travelers heading north. Founded as a fishing camp, and built on the steep hillsides overlooking the Tongass Narrows, it is also where Brian lived for a short time and ended up graduating from high school there.  I'm very excited to be stopping there (even if it is a short time) and seeing a little of where Brian has lived.  Both of these stops are considered to be on the "Inside Passage" of the trip and I'm quite sure it will prove to be absolutely stunning and beautiful.  Our final stop will bring us into the Lower 48 at Bellingham, WA (located approximately 80 miles north of Seattle) where our road trip will officially begin!

We are still working the road trip itinerary but we already know that it will include stops in Seattle, Las Vegas and Dallas to visit with lots of old friends from year's past, as well as a few short days in Oakland to stay with family.  What an opportunity we have to see more of the country on Uncle Sam's dime, see friends and loved ones and experience so much with our 3 kiddos as we get ready to transition for good out of the Air Force and into a permanent civilian way of life.

Lunch controversy

Packed lunch vs. Hot lunch? 

I've always been in favor of packing lunches for my kids.  In my eyes, its healthier, it's fresh, it's also more cost efficient and I know exactly what my little kiddos are eating each and everyday.  On top of that, Thomas has gotten a chance to pick out what he considers to be a cool lunchbox and thermos that he proudly toots to school each day.

 

Over the course of last year, there have been a few times where I have given Thomas lunch money to buy a hot lunch at school (I'm embarrassed to say that one of those times was because I ran out of bread to make a sandwich and I was extremely low on fruit... oops). Each time, he shared with me what he ate, what he liked and what he did not like about buying lunch at school.  It really never seemed to be a big deal at all...until this year.

 

Last week, he forgot to bring his lunch box home from school one day.  The following morning, when I went to pack both his lunch and my lunch, I remembered that he left his at school.  Instead, I left him some lunch money and a love note to bring with him that day.  I'll spare the details, but I will say that he put up more than a fuss with Hannah that morning when he realized there was no packed lunch for him to take.

 

Later that evening, after getting the full report on his fussing and whining, I asked him what was the big deal today with buying a hot lunch.  Let me review his reasons for NOT liking it at all:

• He doesn't like what the choices are.  Apparently he is not impressed with pizza and tater tots.
• More kids bring cold lunch.  Apparently he doesn't want to be singled out or not in the majority.
• When you bring your lunch, you get to go right to the lunch table and start eating whereas the hot lunch kids have to wait in a long line.  Apparently that also means more social time which he has always been in favor of.
• He really likes his cool lunchbox & thermos.
• He likes the surprise of opening his lunch each day to see what I packed him & to see what his note says.

There is however one perk to buying hot lunch - the choice of plain milk or chocolate milk... and he always picks chocolate milk. :)

Roommates?

It shouldn't be any surprise to us that the girls have mentioned several times recently that they would like to share a room together.  I mean, they are only 21 months apart.  They spend the majority of their days together, they enjoy a lot of the same things, and they most recently have declared that they are "best friends!"

I'm not opposed to the idea of them being roommates; it sounds like a ton of fun.  Two beds (singles or a bunk bed), more toys in one room, more books & more babies to play with.  Someone to whisper and giggle with after lights have been turned out for the night.  Someone to wake up with in the early morning hours.  Someone to share funny stories with while you hide under the covers and pretend you're camping.

I am, however, wondering if they have any real idea on what they are asking for?
No personal space.  No space to call their own.  No place to go and close the door when they each get frustrated with each other... or even the rest of the world.  I don't mean to sound like Negative Nancy, but I'd hate for them (and us) to regret moving them into one room when in fact there was plenty of space for them to have their own bedrooms.

As we prepare to get rid of baby furniture for good and set our sights on a new house in Florida by next summer, this will most certainly be a big decision to consider for the girls. 
Roommates: To be or not to be?

Last Alaskan Halloween!

Abby = Sophia the First

Thomas = Power Ranger (Gray)

Marilyn = Super Girl

In action...

No snow.

45 degrees.

Light breeze.

Light sweatshirts.

A warm Halloween holiday.

Is this any indication what our winter will be like?

 This is why we cannot have pumpkins in Alaska.

Someone in our neighborhood got a hefty fine this week for feeding this yummy snack

to a local moose.

Wonder Twin Power!

Glory and Marilyn... Best ever Super Girls.

I decided to take poll tonight as we sat around the pile(s) of candy enjoying some sugar.

Favorite all time favorite Halloween candy:

Daddy - Nerds

Mommy - Reece's Pieces

Thomas - Dots

Abby - gum

Marilyn - Halloween fruit snacks

Throwback Thursday: Halloween 2007-2013

2007

2008

2009

 also 2009

2010

 more from 2010

2011

more 2011

2012

Wordless Wednesday: Sleeping Beauty(ies)

Playing hooky from school

Me that is, not Thomas.

I got to play hooky from school today for one of the best reasons - chaperoning a 1st grade fieldtrip with my favorite boy & his classmates.

Today's trip was to the Alaska Junior Theater to see the opening performance of "Little Red Riding Hood & other Fairy Tales."  No sooner did the school day start, we loaded up on a school bus and headed downtown.

Thomas & one of his buds

The boys

Once inside, we were super surprised to find that we had the same mezzanine seats that the kids & I had at the last performance we attended last season.

As we waited for the theater to fill up with 100s of other students from other schools, Thomas & his friends relaxed & talked "boy talk" which included dinosaurs, monster trucks, & racecars.

What a morning.. alone time with my one & only baby boy, Thomas!

And ya know what? 

 He still wanted to hold my hand, give me a kiss and tell me he loves me all

while his buds were nearby.

I know this won't necessarily last, so I tried to savor every last moment of it.

It was wonderful.



Clean Teeth & All Smiles

Look which baby girl just had her first dentist visit... and is all smiles!

And look which guy had his first dental xrays taken and did great!

Would you believe that the same 4 wiggly teeth that he had 6 months ago are still hanging on?

Xrays showed everything looks great... maybe in the next month or so the Tooth Fairy might come for a visit!

And of course this sweet girl has clean teeth and an amazing smile!

On the horizon

Change is on the horizon.
8 months to go.
Last winter in Alaska.
Final PCS road trip plans are already in the works.
Plane tickets for Spring Break to Florida to house hunt.
Already thinking about schools & neighborhoods to live in.
Next year will look entirely different than this year.
Networking & connections will help me with my career move.
Recertification (once again).
Returning home to family after 3 years.
Military retirement is bittersweet (for me, anyway).
Having to say goodbye once again to dear friends.
Getting rid of "snow stuff".
8 months is going to fly by.
Change is absolutely on the horizon.

BOOtiful decor!

My extra tiny helpers (and painters)!

Friday Night Leftovers (the planning has begun edition)

TGIF All!

• I can say with almost certainty that this will be the last snowless weekend we have this year.  Snow and cold are in the forecast... for the next 6 months.
• We are mid-season for basketball and we continue to be in awe of how much Thomas has excelled this year with his skills.
• We are still waiting for the official email announcing Brian's retirement date for summer 2014 (the waiting has been a bit frustrating, as well as finding out more about how this whole process works); meanwhile, we have already begun the travel planning for our return home to Florida. 
• Speaking of planning, it feels crazy that we are to that point AGAIN.  Where has the time gone?  Wasn't I just pregnant with Marilyn and thinking about how we were going to drive 5,000 miles with a 4, 2, and newborn baby over the course of two weeks?
• Have I mentioned that I am an excellent sleeper?  So much so that my husband makes fun of me every time I sit down on the couch (even with the kids) and knows that I will close my eyes and bit drifting in dreamland.
• I think, I said "think" I'm ready to tackle my last winter here in Alaska.

I love my chaos!

Wordless Wednesday: My rocker boy

bump in the night

The girl loves to get cozy and snuggle.

Some times she is happy, relaxed and just enjoying some loves from her Daddy.

 

 

But when a little girl goes bump in the night

and introduces themself to the corner of the wall in her haste to go downstairs...

 ... sometimes you just need to reach for the Boo-Boo Bunny and get cozy on the couch

with Mommy.

Eventually the smile comes back (and the swelling goes down) and someone is back to their old self.

But one thing is for sure, Marilyn Jane loves her some cozy time on the couch with someone special!