Oh, a present? For me?

It was the constant refrain all day. Isaiah is very excited to get presents, and can answer the question: "Who's birthday is it today?"... but still doesn't really understand what's going on. That is to be expected. He's only 2 and it really is super confusing. It's Jesus' birthday, but we get presents.

All the same, it was amazingly fun. Lots of time with family and now we're exausted... and it's taking forever for my pictures to load. So, I'll have to update tomorrow because I'm exhausted.

The main point, we are so grateful for all we have, all our new toys and all our friends and family. Blessings to all this Christmas.

Get Baked! ... it feel me better, maybe.

It's been an interesting weekend.

We started off our weekend with dinner at the Suttons. A wonderful time to connect with a family we met in Gulfport who is also stationed out here.

On Saturday, I woke up early and hit the stores. Other people fight the crowds on Black Friday, I pick my own day. It was a little distressing to Dan when he called me at noon and I told him I only had 2 stores left. I came home with nearly every gift bought, a few more online to follow. Then the packing and wrapping begins.

While I was out, Dan and Isaiah went to church to pick up a beautiful 6 foot Nobel Fur. It is amazing. Once Isaiah got up from his nap he had started to cough a bit and seemed a little warm as Saturday continued. We skiped church and all lazed around. We also starting giving Isaiah mortin, which brought about the saying, "Thank you for my medicine. It feel me better, maybe." It has been a common saying for everything from juice, hugs, and seeing Daddy.

Sunday night I made scalloped potatoes for dinner and started a batch of Molasses spice cookies. Isaiah was super-eager to eat a cookie, so Dan brought him over to watch me prep the dough...
Dan, "Should Mommy put those in the oven?"
Isaiah, "Yup. Get baked!" (a command to a cookies)

This is our life. Other 2 year-olds are screaming and crying. Our child is commanding cookies and using proper grammar to describe what the medicine will do for him.

On a sad/funny note: tonight I packed up the leftover scalloped potatoes and put some together for Joanna who's husband is deployed. One small dificulty - Joanna lives in Gulfport.

Yup... he's your kid!

A picture from last night's farmers market. This is Isaiah in Dan's arms. In the back you can make out very little girls dancing on the back of a flatbed truck. I'm not sure if I'm impressed at their inventiveness or appalled at their exploitation. :-) Isaiah thought it was fun.

And a fun moment from today: At dinner Dan and I were sitting around waiting for Isaiah to finish eating. It was a good food day for the little dude. He ate cheese tortellini until ALL of it was gone from all of our plates, so I offered him a bowl of cereal. More food is always better for Za.

He at the cereal then picked up his bowl and drank the milk. - This is Daniel's son!

Then, with just a few ohs left, his started to pick them up with his fingers and eat them. On about the 3rd one, he realized his hand was dirty and exclaimed, "Oh, Oh, my fingers has milk on thems. Oh!" Dan reminded him that he was holding his napkin with his other hand and order was restored. - This is my son.

It's good see a little reflection ever now and again.

So... do you think Coke can rinse off dirt?

It's been a wonderful day off. We continue to ponder driving up north to visit friends this weekend... we've yet to make a decision. (Yes, tomorrow is Friday.) I went to Target, Dan and Isaiah played at the Barns and Nobel while I bought yet more foaming hand soap (5 bottles total) and little garbage cans for the bathrooms (all 3). Isaiah took a nap when we got home.

Then, a trip to the library! Well, they were closed but the Oceanside Farmers Market was only a block away! What a wonderful way to spend an evening... you'd think! As it turns out, I'm slightly insane and need to prep a bit, mentally, before entering crowds of people, downtown, with a 2 year old. It was very fun, and we took a few pictures. We ate a stake sandwich and Isaiah ate a hotdog and danced. You'd never guess - the hotdog fell on the ground! So we rinsed it off with coke and he went on eating. -- Do you think that works?

I know, another fancy day in our little lives. Now, a little tv then off to bed. More unpacking tomorrow.

What did I do today??

Ever had one of those days were you've seemed busy all day but you can't think of what you've done?? Well, I can't even think of one box I've unpacked!

Dan had his first day of work today. They call it "Checking In" and he did. Went in to his bosses office who is out until next Wednesday. Checked in to the payroll office. Then came home at about 11. He'll be home for a week. :-) Not a bad deal!

We went to lunch at Pick-up Sticks them home for a nap for Isaiah. I went to the grocery store. That was an accomplishment! About half way though I just got tiered of being there so I finished up rather quickly and headed home. I never thought I'd miss the commissary!! Plus, chicken at $6 a pound!! That's just wrong! I think we'll try the commissary here tomorrow.

I also made dinner at home.

All in all, not a bad day. Maybe I'll get our bedroom unpacked tomorrow while Dan runs after Isaiah. ... I know, wishfully thinking.

Still Unpacking...

It's 8:45 am. Dan just got back from a run, Isaiah has been up for about 20 minutes and is drinking some milk while watching "Sid the Science Kid" and I'm trying to write this little update.

Here's the quick history:

• August 26 - Orders Received
  
• September 11-18 - House Hunting Trip
  We decided we'd live on base.
• September 12 - Isaiah's California Birthday party
• September 19 - Isaiah's Mississippi Birthday arty
  
• September 28 - Packers pack
• September 29 - Loaders load
  They checked us out of our apartment and we camped there that night
• September 30 @ 4am we hit the road
  We intended to drive 6 hours a day... drove about 10 so got to CA in 3 days!!
• October 2 - checked into South Mesa Lodge on base
  On the way we realized that they wouldn't take Shadow so we spent the day driving and trying to make arrangements for Shadow to stay at a kennel. That was not a fun day.
• October 3 - Decided we'd probably live OFF Base - started house hunting again.
  
• October 4 - Emergency room trip with Isaiah - Croup
• October 5 - found a huge house to rent
• October 6 - signed the papers, bought a fridge
  
• October 7 - Movers unloaded, fridge delivered and installed
  
• October 8 - Checked out of the Lodge
  This was probably the smartest thing we did as Isaiah got to take a nap and sleep in a rather normal environment.
• October 9 - Cleaned the kitchen!! Doctors visit (Isaiah's getting better)
  Every shelf was covered in grease and dust! It was so nasty and we got hardly anything unpacked. This meant another day of eating out.
• October 10 - Schlatter Klan came to help unpack!!
  We got the whole kitchen unpacked and Isaiah's room and the guest room cleaned out!! It was amazing and we'd never be this far if not for them. Dan even got the car pulled into the garage! It was amazing
• October 11 - to church on base, to Panera!! then a wonderful Sunday afternoon nap.
  I also got to go the grocery store and actually make dinner (leftover pizza from the day before) and we ate on real plates like real people. Very fancy.

And today, a trip to Lowes to get various things for the house. Dan starts work on Wednesday, so the plan is to get rid of all the boxes by then. It's amazing hard to unpack when you're also trying to keep track of Isaiah.

We'll also have a chance to see both sides of the family AND Mississippi friends who are also relocating to Pendelton before the month is out. It's a good life. We still miss our little gange of friends from Gulfport tons but we're glad some normalcy is starting to set in again.

Upcoming tasks: Get Dan a car!!

Box-ville USA

We are so blessed to have movers. Today, at about 8:30, 3 people showed up with A TON of boxes and paper. At about 3:30 they were done and now everything that wasn't in the back bathroom is in a box. It's really impressive.

And... while we were doing all of this, Dan and Isaiah went to pick up our new car. We traded the RAV4 and the FIT for a Honda CR-V. We love it and are so glad we don't have to drive 2 cars across the country.

Then, once they returned and we all had pizza for lunch. Isaiah and I went for his 2 year well baby exam. Dr. Helo said he was "certainly advanced." I would have jumbed around and given him a hug, but Dr. Helo's not really a huger.

Well, I'm going to try to update from the road each night, so check back. Tomorrow the big truck comes and they load all the boxes and furniture. Isaiah's been doing great so far... we'll see what tomorrow brings.

It's like a whole new day.

I got up this morning after a very busy weekend, took a shower, realized the load of laundry that I've washed 3 times still smells a little funky, and am sitting looking out our deck windows. (And for those wondering, yes, I still put on the shirt from the slightly funky laundry. I won't miss the water in MS. You can drink it straight from the tap, but you can't wash your clothes in it.)

Isaiah is still asleep (it's about 8am) after a rather fitful night. He'll be the first one of us on California time. He got to spend some quality time with Daddy this weekend and I was preparing for a sermon and a party!

I have been, for the last 4 months, the President of the Navy Officers' Spouses' Club. I know, not something you'd think I would do. My goal was to through a wonderful Welcome Event... and with the help of the Board, we did a wonderful job! It was a little work and a million emails but it went over really well. About 50 people came and seemed to have some fun. And now... I get to give it all away. What a wonderful thing!

So, the goal for this week is for Dan to get in touch with his new CO and see when he needs to be at work in CA. He'll also learn which Unit he's with and when they are deploying. I will call the housing office at Pendelton and get on the list for housing near the beach!! (Dan's still not a fan of living on base, but we'll cover that later.) Oh, and if I could find the floor in the house, that would also be wonderful.

To ad to this odd-little-drama, we have a friend who's 36 weeks pregnant. Is it wrong that I hope she goes into labor before we leave for house-hunting??

The drama will continue. Stay posted.

A great, dreadful trip.

We've been in California since Thursday and have had a wonderful time being with family! I've gotten to see my folks, both of my brothers and their families. I also had a chance to meet with the Bishop's staff here. (Thanks to all of you who have been prayng for me.) The meeting went great and it seems like they're really willing to work with me... if and when we finally get out here. Now there's more paperwork to do and more waiting.

We left Southern California on Monday after my meeting and met friends from Seminary on our way north. We had a wonderful lunch and Isaiah got to play with their little Joshua. Then we got back on the road... only to get into a car accident before leaving he city limits. Everyone is just fine!! The car, a rental of course, will need to have the from bumper replaced. This would be a part of the day I would have rather skipped. The other car will need to have both side door panels replaced... We called our insurance.

After about an hour of trading info and waiting for the Police, who don't do a report if everyone is ok, we got back on the road. I continued to drive so I wouldn't be car sick.

We got to Pismo. Above you can see Isaiah being schooled on how to play with trains by his older cousin August. Below, Isaiah is returning the favor by teaching his younger cousin Carston how to say different letters of the alphabet. We're a very educated household.

Now we're staying with Dan's folks and brother and sister-in-law. And we're close to Kim and Gerrit and their girls who we got to see last night.

All in all, a good trip... with one small crunch.

Clean, Dry Pants!

It was an interesting start to the day. When I went to change Isaiah's diaper after he got up, he wanted to wear his underwear! What as I going to say?

We'd had a week of busy schedules, going out ever day. I wasn't planning to go anywhere, so on his underwear went and every 15 minutes ALL DAY LONG I said, "Ok, let's go potty!" Off we went. Except for 2 accidents, he was clean and dry all day long!

The strangest thing is the amount of pride I took in this whole thing. After all, I was the one who had to keep an eye on the clock. :-) Now, tomorrow will be different as we're traveling to Brandon. We're staying at a hotel. So Isaiah will wear a diaper all weekend! Maybe he'll be mostly dry too.

Life is exciting.

All kinds of things...

This morning at 4:30 am I got up to see off very good friends of ours, the Noel's. They are headed to see family before leaving for England for 14 months. Their little one, Jagger, and Isaiah are about 3 weeks apart. They were with us for 2 weeks and today has been really hard...

Isaiah had a bad morning. We took lunch to Dan, which helped. Then Isaiah and I both took a 2.5 hour nap. Isaiah slept in his new big-boy bed!! Then, tonight I made leftovers and set the table for 4 adults and 2 kids... It was hard to take those extra plates off the table. What was even harder was DOING THE DISHES!! Andrea and Brian have kept the kitchen clean all week. Andrea would wash and Brian would unload.

These last few weeks we've gone to the aquarium, completed swimming lessons, soaked in our pool here a few times, and spent some really great time with the Noels. (Are you seeing a pattern?) We've also braved 110 degree days and enjoyed the comforts of our beautiful air conditioner.

A funny story to close: We drove through a Starbucks last week, on a rather hot day. I ordered a medium late anticipating putting it on ice when I got home. The server asked... "Do you want it hot?" Yes. "Do you know it's 110 with the heat index." Um... yeah. I'll be ok. Thanks! It was sweet but a little funny.

What a crummy day,,,,

Isaiah is getting better, but today was not fun. He wouldn't nap, even after an hour of dread. I preached at a local church this morning, and because Zah was sick, he and Dan stayed home. This meant that when I got home I gave Dan a break... the day went down hill from there.

Thankfully, Isaiah is currently asleep. I'm watching Law and Order: CI and then will go to bed. And Dan will finally get a little break. :-)

Oh, and I'm the new President of the Navy Officers Spouses Club here. I know... It goes against everything I stand for.

Sick little one...

Isaiah has been running a fever all day. He's drinking plenty, but not eating much at all. I think he's finally cutting the teach that have been giving him a runny nose for about a week, but who knows. He's a but fussy, so it's nice that we're both home this weekend and I'm the only one preaching (locally).

Other than that, life is much the same. It's been another busy week. Grandma and Grandpa Spies were here for the weekend. VERY FUN!! They left Tuesday. Wednesday was early-to-rise for a Change of Command for our very good friends, the Noel's. They then left for vacation Thursday. Today was to be a day home getting laundry done... but that didn't happen.

Hopefully tomorrow will be more productive on that front.

Waiting for Visitors

It's been a few weeks since this video was taken, but he's still super cute!!

I've got one more week at Nativity this Sunday (my 6 hour weekend drive). We've done transition stuff, parties, and now all I have to do is make it through the sermon and back to Gulfport and I'm all done!! I think we'll go up one more time next month for the instillation of the new Pastor.

Dan is also preaching this weekend, so we're super-glad that Ron and Linda will be in town. They will get to love on Isaiah while I'm out of town and Dan's preaching. They'll also get a chance to see Dan preach (if Isaiah lets them), which is increasingly rare. We're looking forward to a wonderful visit.

Dan also has a few days off while his folks are here, so we're planning on a little family project. On Friday afternoon we're going to shop for Isaiah's big-boy bed. That means rearranging his room, putting away all the storage bins, lotions, etc. I don't think he'll sleep in it for a while, but it's always nice to have extra hands with a project like this. Plus, it's nice to point out the things that Grandma and Grandpa got to help with.

Isaiah's new thing is screeching whenever he hears a loud noise. It started a few weeks ago during a thunder storm. He does NOT like thunder. It has continued with loud trucks, motorcycles, dog barks... hopefully this is short lived.

Welcome Ada!

My "Mommy Friend" Andrea, who I

bond with at least once a week, just had their second child Ada James!! Very cool.

We had the opportunity to host Jagger (about 3 weeks older than Isaiah) last night. Usually, when we're together, Jagger and Isaiah practice their "power moves". (stealing toys, "hugging" each other, etc.) They have played together wonderfully! You can see them reading a book that Michael and Jenn got Isaiah. And, it's hard to tell, but the second picture is one of Dan (big legs), Jagger, Isaiah, and I (big hand) ALL holding hands on our walk last night. It was very fun.

The night went really well, this morning was great, and they are now both napping. We'll go see the new baby this afternoon and then Jagger will head over to another friends house to spend the night. If all goes well, the whole family will be home on Wednesday. At that point, we'll plan strategic outings with Jagger to give Mom and Dad a little time with just one baby at home.

It has been so fun to help in this way. Thanks Andrea and Brian. And welcome Ada!!

What color is that car?

"White. White truck."

OK - so someone has taught my son the colors white, red, and black. Since we're not sure who, there may be other colors we just don't know about yet. Now, if this same person can teach Isaiah to go down for a nap without fussing, that would be great!!!

Life here has been a little busy, but quite wonderful.

- The church I sub at (the one that's 3 hours away) has found a new Pastor!! So I only have a few more weeks up there. Though I will miss the people, I will not miss the drive. And I miss, so much, going to church with my family and friends. It will be wonderful to pug into our chapel community again.

- Isaiah is using little sentences. Last week, while Dan was away, I got him to say "I love you, Daddy" to Dan on the phone. I felt so proud. He's starting to figure out possessive pronouns and he has a few adverbs... or are they adjectives... "nice bike," "good cake," "yucky coffee."

I'm sure there's other stuff but he's up form his nap, hanging out in his bed with his puppies. Sooner or later I'm going to have to change his pants. :-)

I know, I'm living the good life.

Cheating the Universe

A few times a month, Dan has to remind me that I don't actually have the power to control the universe. You know what I mean... "If I say X will happen, then the opposite is sure to happen." Apparently, I don't have anything to do with most things. :-)

Well, Dan and I decided that we were going to try to break the pacifier habit. Isaiah only has it when he sleeps, but it doesn't seem to get any easier to take it away as they get older. This has been my issue of great interest over the last few months, so I've asked every mom I know and been reading like crazy. I know, no 18-year-old goes to college with a pacifier... but we're giving it a try this weekend.

So, Dan got home from work at 4:30, then we drove to Panera (60 minutes away) and had a wonderful dinner. We, again, ordered Isaiah his own sandwich (PB&J) and he only wanted to eat our Tomato soup and chipotle chicken - no more special sandwitches for Isaiah. He's a super cute little guy. Then, at 7:30p (his usual bedtime) we went to Barns and Nobel. Isaiah had a wonderful time walking around the store with me following behind. Dan got to shop this time. We finally headed back at 8:30 and got home an hour later.

We gently carried in our half-asleep little guy, put on his pjs, gave him puppy and towel, sang him a song, and put him to bed... no paci! He was, thankfully, to tired to notice.

So, did we cheat the universe? I guess we'll find out tomorrow when we try to put him down for a nap and he screams for 2 hours.

More to come...

A Great Helper

Well, after all the traveling, and the ball, and everything else, Isaiah and I are having a nice morning at home. We watched Sesame Street, had a wonderful breakfast, did dishes and laundry (I know, I'm still living the dream) and then....

Our extra room is currently missing a bed. It is on loan to an international student and his wife and will return in the next few weeks. I thought this would be a great opportunity to put together the quilt whos top has been done for years!! So, today or tomorrow we will venture out to the fabric store and get the backing, lay it out and bast stitch it. So far, Isaiah has been a perfect helper.

Happy Easter all.

Just like a Cinderella...

It's been a buys few weeks but it all ended with a wonderful weekend. On Saturday night was the SeaBee Ball. This is a yearly event celebrating the birthday of the SeaBees of the Navy. We didn't go last year and I was very glad we did this year . Isaiah had a sleep over at the Noel's with his friend Jagger. Dan and I got all fancy (as seen here), at a wonderful dinner, watched an interesting and short set of presentations, and then realized how very OLD we are. As soon as the "dance" part of the evening began I was very impressed with how loud the music was!! Now, please keep in mind that if they were playing David Crowder or Casting Crowns, I'd want it turned up!! I know, I'm old and picky.

We headed home at about 10:30. As Zah was already sleeping, he stayed the night - thanks again Noel's - and we went home. We brought over breakfast when we picked up Isaiah the next day, went to church where Isaiah turned into Dr. NOOOOOOOOOO, then out to lunch with friends. After lunch, a long nap for all, then a quiet evening with a frozen bag of dinner. Then to bed.

Quick highlights:

• Dan- no official orders yet, but his wife keeps asking him about it.
• Dawn- out of a job in a few months, very excited and a little apprehensive.
• Isaiah- stringing together little sentences, getting pronunciation right more often, and starting to play on his own a little more.

Big plans for the week:
Writing an Easter sermon - such fun to preach Easter Sunday - and making plans for a summer vacation in Central California.

A Quick Update

We have returned from a wonderful trip to California. Isaiah and I both have a runny nose but are otherwise well. He's transitioning back from CA time, as am I, and that has made for some interesting bed times.

I'd love to give you all the details, but I'm exhausted. Obviously, I'm also dealing with the time change too. More to come...

Getting Better, Getting Worse

First, Carston says, "HA." He enjoyed some time with a new toy today.

Now, just looking back on the past few hours, today had not turned out so well. Isaiah has a fervor again, refused to eat dinner, and threw up! On me!! When it happened I asked Terence to get a towel and the first word Isaiah said was, "messy." I do love this little boy. - He's sleeping now.

If, however, you start the day from the beginning, it was a pretty good day.

August got up a little early and went to visit with T. Carston got up a little later than usual which made everyone wanting breakfast at the same time. This was a little more challenging but everyone was in the mood to eat, so that was a wonderful change. Isaiah seemed to be feeling good so the boys loaded up at about 8am and headed out.

I spent the morning running errands: Target, Peets for coffee, takeout from Salsa Fresh for lunch. I know, I'm living the life! Carston didn't nap as long as usual today, so I didn't get a nap either. Left to get Zah a little early and to bring Tia Reigna a little gift. Flowers and a thankyou note written in Spanish (thanks to my sister-in-laws amazing translating skills). Za and I went through the drive thru at Jack-in-the-box and got a strawberry shake to celebrate his last day at day care. Yes, this is what was evacuated later in the evening.

T and August got home in the midst of this and we went to Taco Bell for dinner. I saw August eat more tonight than he has all week! 3 taketo halves. He ate joyfully and quickly AND even took a break to use the bathroom!! He made it through the whole day without an accident and without much drama.

All three boys went to bed without much fanfare and Wendy comes home tomorrow!! Let's pray for a restful, night filled with healing for Isaiah and a good welcome home tomorrow.

TGI Thursday

We're way past the haft way mark and things are starting to settle into a bit of a routine. We didn't have any drama at dinner or getting to bed. August went potty twice tonight without too much sadness. But the real fun was this morning.

Last night, I came up with what seemed like a fantastic idea. Leverage August's love of his Thomas trains to help get things moving in the morning! Doesn't that sound like a good idea? It resulted in a little meltdown at the beginning when we tried to get August to go potty. Back to bed for a few minutes what T's idea. August came back, calm and pottied. Ate breakfast with one of the trains then went to his room to find his friends. With each discovery, the article of clothing was put on and the Thomas friend was put into a special box to take a nap until he got home from school.

I know, I'm gifted. :-) This won't work tomorrow but we'll try.

Thankfully, that was the most exciting thing that happened today. I also gave Carston a bath. 1 clear tote + 1 towel + 1 inch of water + washcloth. He loved it and I was able, I think, to get all of his folds cleaned out. This was a little new as Isaiah didn't have many folds.

Tomorrow will be a day of errands and saying goodbye to Tia AND preparing for Wendy to return.

Good August, Sad Isaiah

Today started off for both T and I at about 6am when Carston woke up. We changed around the child configuration so that Carston could try a night in his room. Isaiah moved into my room and August stayed in his. Once we got everyone to bed, which took some doing (see yesterday's post), the night went along wonderfully...

Until about 6am. Carston finally woke up after sleeping straight through for 8 house!! (Yippie!) When he finally did stir, I woke with a start and kicked off my covers - which woke up Isaiah. Thankfully Terence also woke up and fed Carston while I tried to get Zah back to sleep. Carston sucked down a bottle in 30 minutes and went back to sleep for 2 more hours. Zah got up at 7, ate a bunch!, got dressed and was ready to go. August got up at about 8 and AMAZINGLY got out of the house at 8:45!


T dropped them off at Tias. Carston and I had a great day of napping and Target shopping. I did plan to get coffee today... but I forgot. T also picked up the boys and met me, Carston, and a salad at the Millers. Isaiah sat at the table and ate Harrison's Round Table Birthday Pizza just like a big boy!! And after an unfortunate accident and an unexpected bath for August, there was desert for all.

It's at about this point that Isaiah lost it a bit, so home we went with Carston who gladly sat in his bouncy seat while Isaiah took a bath. He has a 102 degree fever, so I drugged him up and he went right to bed.

Then, a very cool and exciting thing... August let ME put him to bed!! Snack, PJs, books, a song and no drama. T encouraging him was also pivotal. Amazing and very, very fun!!

How Long?

Carston slept longer than Terence last night!! We put him down at about 10p and got up at 7am!! He only woke up one other time, at 5:45 and just wanted his pacifier.

What an adventure!

The best day yet.

Isaiah and August left with Terence this morning to go to "school." Apparently, they both hit the door running and hardly looked back. Isaiah took a nap today and, when I got there at 4:30 to pick him up, he was sitting like a little man in a little chair at a little table eating mangoes and peas with the rest of the group. It was so cute!! First August saw me and ran over. This is one of the few times when August is super-happy to see me. I'm just there to love him. I'm not asking him to go potty or eat or put pants on.

Then Isaiah finally noticed I was there and came running. Also, a very sweet moment. We headed home and August stayed to play more. T came to pick him up after work.

During the day I made veggie lasagna, did yoga, washed dishes, at a bagel sandwich and watched WAY TO MUCH of The Office (which I am still doing now). Carston was super great and took a 3 hour nap over lunch which made all of this possible.

Once we were all "home" we ate in shifts, took baths, talked to Wendy and the Grand Spies' and got ready for bed. Isaiah had a hard time settling down so, after two tries, we got some juice. That went well. Then I thought I'd have him brush his teeth, which I always forget to do! So, in the middle of it he steeped off the side of the stool and smacked his face into the the sink. Yup, we ended the evening with a bloody lip and tears. I know, I'm talented.

Terence managed to measure out a dose of Advil for Zah while feeding Carston - very talented. After wrestling it into him, Zah calmed down rather quickly and it seemed that his lip had stopped bleeding, though he wasn't really interested in letting me look too closely.

Overall, it was a good day. A few little bumps, but a few solutions too. We created and awarded 2 "August Big Boy Bucks" for clean big-boy pants and going potty at home. I know, we're living the life here in San Fran!

More tomorrow.

Lots of Sleep

Saturday night Carston slept for 4 hours straigt!!

3 on 3

How hard could it be for 3 grown adults to care for 3 small children? Well, everyone is still alive, but it is a bit of comedy to watch.

Terence had Carston last night, so he was a little groggy. Isaiah and August slept like champs until about 8am. It was wonderful.

The day was nice and filled with Indian food. We met the Millers for lunch at an Indian buffet. Everyone was on their best behavior and good food was had by all!! Then a nap. Then an evening at home. Then we unloaded the fridge of all the leftovers and Dan's last night in California was spent eating a variety of the foods we had already had the week before. Not a bad night.

The boys were a little stressed. Isaiah refused to take an afternoon nap which made going to bed a nightmare. August was done sharing his house, Dad, and stuff with Isaiah. All this made me even more stressed about filling out all the paperwork for Isaiah to stay at Tia Reina's this week. This is, indeed, a special treat... and a little stressful. I would have the day with only one little child and Isaiah would have a day filled with play. That seems like a good idea?? Right??

And what did we talk about at dinner?? The plan for the night! Carston will sleep in his swing in our room. Dan and I will get up at 5pm to go to the airport at which time Terence will take the littlest Spies. Sounds like a great plan.... we'll let you know how it works.

Wendy Flies Away

Dan and I have been in town for a few days now, visiting with the fam and getting to know a bit about the routine in the CA Spies house. It has been very fun to see little Carston and to see Isaiah and August hang out. So far, they're having fun together. We'll see how that goes.

Today, very early, after a LONG night of packing and procrastinating, Terence took Wendy to the airport. I do wonder, if left to her own devices, if she would have found a way to miss her flight. :-)

The littlest Spies (Carston) slept and ate a bit after they left. Isaiah and August got up and ate breakfast. I wonder if there will be some competitive eating contests in their future. Well, only if they compete against each other.

The day was very full. We hooked up with the Millers and headed for the beach. I think this was Carston's first trip! It was a little cold and very windy... and we didn't stay long because it started to rain, but we had a super fun time.

On the way home we picked up Taco Bell for lunch. Mmmmm the Bell. Then, naps for all. Yup, Isaiah and August, Carston, Dan and Dawn all slept a bit. A few hours later, Terence took a little nap too. The Millers went home and a few of them got a little extra sleep too. To me, a big fan of "the nap", it was a wonderful afternoon.

As the day progressed, we began to see a little competition between August and Isaiah. Over toys? No. Over trains? No... Over DADDIES!! Isaiah happened to be standing next to Terence when he started asking for Daddy. August took this as a personal threat to his territory. Now, this was a little stressful for both boys... but VERY FUNNY!

The remaining Spies had dinner at Fresh Choice, resulting in a very happy Dan. Then, after a long day, we headed back. You wouldn't think that it would take 3 adults to put 3 children under 3 to bed... but it did. We'll need to practice a bit more before we get this right.

A Perfect B-Day

Flowers when I got home yesterday for a LONG drive - pink and white tulips. Lunch with Dan and Isaiah. Running errands on base with Dan along, a very rare treat on a work day. Dan came home early and took us out to dinner. A very perfect day!

And EVERYONE said HA in some way today. I feel loved and very blessed. Thank you all so much.

Now, I'm exhausted and the little laundry gnome seems to have gone missing, so I'll need to help out with that. A wonderful project for tomorrow.

Poop, Glorious Poop!

Today is the second day that Isaiah has gone without his Iron drops and already things are returning to "normal"!

On Tuesday we went in to get Isaiah's blood taken for the larger Iron panel plus special tests that the hematologist ordered. Isaiah did a great job AND found a way to get 3 qualified military hospital professionals to sing Old McDonald. The Moo's were his favorite part.

On Wednesday we got a call from Nurse Cindy who told us that his Iron was UP and he didn't have to take the drops any more!! I was so surprised I didn't really understand at first. i still don't really understand how he can just go off of the supplement without having the level drop again, but we see Dr. Helo in 2 weeks. That should be enough time for his body to adjust a bit and I'll ask him to run it again. Or he'll explain it and we'll simply be happy.

Many thanks to ALL of you who were praying for us. God did a great job healing Isaiah and gave Daniel and I the peace to walk through this AND remember to give him his Iron everyday. (And those of you who know us know THAT is a little miracle all by itself.)

In other funny news. We have a friend, David, who is currently in Kuwait. He and Susan gave Isaiah a plush Clifford Dog for his birthday. Every time we mention David, he goes to get the little dog and everyone must kiss him. This has changed our evening prayers. We don't pray for David before bed unless we have the dog in hand. - We do pray for David at other times. :-)

How much bleach is too much....

for your hands!! And is it odd to bleach your hands. Should I wait until Isaiah goes to sleep so he won't know how insane I am??

As we sit having a wonderful lunch of sushi and corn dogs, Isaiah says, "poo-poo." This is met with wonderful encouragement from me. I'm told that being able to identify that he's going is a step toward being able to identify it before he goes. Ahh... pre-potty training. As Isaiah continues to grunt I slowly loose my appetite, all the time encouraging him. When I start to see it seeping through his shirt I decide it's time to move.

We started at the changing table and soon determined that even with Dan's trick of taking his onsie off from the top down (Dan is SO smart) that it would be too nasty. To the tub for a shower. Isaiah loves the shower. He squeals and puts his head under the water.

Keep in minds, while he's enjoying a rare mid-day shower I'm washing poop off of him. And yes, I have managed to go 18 months without getting much more than a smear of poop on me.

All in all, we survived. I opted for washing in really hot water and a double dose of purell. Isaiah is running around the house in a diaper having a ball... and somehow has managed to get the last piece of his corn dog to munch on too. He's inventive and clean. A good day.

Lows and Heighs

It's been an interesting week. Dan's been out of town (about 2 hours away) and Isaiah has been missing him! Naps and night time have been a little stressful for Za so tonight was perfect! We drove out to meet Dan for dinner and when we got home, Isaiah went right to sleep. Daddy fixes everything.

On our way out of town this afternoon we stopped at Keesler for another blood test to check Isaiah's iron levels. He's been on the maximum dose of iron for 2 months. I talked to the Nurse just after the test and the results came back really quickly. She compared them to last time (2 months ago) and his iron numbers were LOWER!! Not a happy thing. She'll touch base with Dr. Helo in the a.m. and with me after that. I'd like to take a break from the extra iron for a few weeks to see what happens, but I'm not actually a doctor, so we'll see what Dr. Helo thinks. More on this later.

Before heading out for dinner, Daniel met with the Detailer (the person who places all the Chaplains) who happened to be at the same conference that Dan's at. They chatted and bonded and talked about where Daniel would like to be next. The Detailer thought Camp Pendelton sounded like a great fit, so TENTATIVELY we're headed to California!! We might even go early - September or October 2009.

Keep in mind, this is just the beginning of what will be a 1 year roller coaster. As I've said before, we'll know where Dan is stationed next about 2 weeks after we get there. But, for today, we've got a verbal commitment on Camp Pendelton and Dan will call on Monday again to get it firmed up.

Now, I'm going to bed too. Much love from Mississippi!

Where to begin....

Isaiah is running around and having a great time. On Thursday he was so naughty!! We actually gave him his first time out! Isaiah likes to climb up the stove door when he's not getting enough attention while I'm in the kitchen. After trying everything else, I finally gave him a time out. (It was that our lose my temper.) So, into his empty crib he went for 1 whole minute!!

We've done it a few times now and we know he doesn't really understand exactly what's going on but it works! We're getting into a really good habit of staying calm and following through. And, if Isaiah goes for the oven door now, all I have to say is "No Isaiah, don't climb on the oven. Go play with your toys... do you want a time out?" As soon as he hears it, he turns around shaking his head and saying "No, no, no, no" and goes to play with a toy.

I know, I'm impressive. :-)

Tonight, after being up in Jackson, Isaiah decided it would be SUPER-FUNNY to HIT ME! We'll see if the "time out" works for that behavior too.

Fear is a silly thing...

I had a wonderful day pretending I was a grown up today. I dropped Isaiah off with Andrea (thank you again, so very much) and headed to a Conference Pastor's meeting. Had lunch with them then headed back. It was almost like having a job for the day. Except its 100-times easier to drop Zah off with Andrea than at day care.

On the way home, with Isaiah dozing in his car seat, I hear about the plain that landed in the Hudson River. I immediately started thinking, "what if that happens to us!!." I know, crazy, but all the same... I don't think we'll be flying this week or next. :-)

Fear is an odd thing.

Who taught him that!!

It's been a pretty great couple of weeks. We're all healthy and happy and Isaiah is learning stuff like crazy. We've had two rather odd things happen. First, the piano...

Dan had been talking about learning to play the piano (he and I go through these creative "learn something new" streaks every now and again) so I finally pulled out the old Casio keyboard that Dan had. Isaiah immediately started to play it and sing. Keep in mind, we have NO IDEA where the plug is, so it doesn't make any noise by itself. So, we started wondering who taught him what a piano does? How did he know it was supposed to make music? He can't see the keys at church. It was very strange. Needless to say, I found 6 D batteries and now it makes music too.

A few days before I was cleaning out the closet in our extra bedroom and found a black-and-white picture of Jesus (a rather nice piece of art for a church). Isaiah was fascinated by it and immediately started tickling Jesus' beard and hands. I said "that's Jesus" and Isaiah said, clear as day, "Jesus". This is his first S too! So I put the picture up in the kitchen. Now Isaiah points at it and says "Jesus" and walks us back to the kitchen occasionally so he can point at Him and say "Jesus." And, no matter where we are in the house, if you ask him "where's Jesus" he runs to the kitchen to point. ... these are the things written on our hearts, because we sure didn't teach him this.

We did get some sad news from River Falls. A wonderful women, Kim, died of breast cancer on Sunday. She was amazing and is missed greatly!

The Hard Stuff... The Fun Stuff

I know it's been too long since I've written... but who wants to write about being in the hospital? Many of you already know that Isaiah spent the first weekend on December in the hospital with a bad case of croup. It was 3 days that I am starting to forget. Within a week, Isaiah was 100% back to his old-self.

He did loose his Mom and Dad... now he calls both of us mom unless you correct him. They told us that would happen. It will come back.

Well, we went from the hospital to Christmas prep to Christmas to family visiting to Carston's birth (my sister-in-law and Dan's brother had their 2nd on Dec. 26th) to New Years to today. I've been sending out Christmas cards with this fantastic photo inside. See, he's perfectly fine now.

Dan goes back to work tomorrow after 4 days off. I'm starting to do a little writing for the congregation in Jackson so they have sermons for Lent. Isaiah is practicing eating on his own. Today he finally used the spoon the right way! Our life is exciting.