Fun in Lake Jackson

The really nice thing about living in the States this year is knowing that my kids and I get to spend some much needed time with family. Yesterday Sami, Katy and I drove to Lake Jackson to stay the night with Grandma & Grandpa Simiskey!

We had a really good time just relaxing and visiting. Don't these looks like some happy grandparents?

Grandpa Simiskey likes to be a bit of a goofball and Samantha loved every minute of it! Who couldn't like hanging out with such a silly Grandpa?

Katy had to get in on some of the action too. She really likes going to Lake Jackson. It is the first home she lived in and she definitley recognizes it when we drive up for a visit. But we did have a bit of a problem. Sweety Katy Belle has anxiety issues. This trip she got all worked up because of the car trip and then soon after I left her alone at the house while we went out to lunch.

I put Katy in the backyard when we left. When we got back she was in the front yard sitting under the Pecan tree panting like crazy! Thankfully she didn't run away since she wasn't wearing any dog tags!

Anyway... back to the point. Katy had a pretty severe anxiety attack. Her breathing was extreme and she couldn't stop panting really hard for about an hour. I really thought I was going to have to take her to the emergency vet. Thank goodness her panting did calm down. And today she is doing much better. Even the car ride home was pretty good. Katy is currently laying next to me on the bed snoozing away!!!

Graduation Day!

Wanted to share some photos of my nephew Ian's graduation. I'm glad I got the chance to attend. It's not often I get to share in events in my family's life because of our overseas travels. Ian graduated from high school and the ceremony was held in the Toyota Center in downtown Houston.

Is the proud father of the graduate asleep?????

Caught in the act! Casey wasn't sleeping. He was messing around with his iPhone during the graduation ceremony.....

Grandma Loui, Packa, Emily, Madeliene, Casey & Pearlette all paying rapt attention! Olivia, Samantha, Tristen and Maegen were in attendance as well.

Here are a few after shots outside the Toyota Center. Those are some proud looking parents! Congratulations Ian!

After the graduation we had dinner at "Sweet Tomatoes" restaurant. Pretty yummy salad bar and a nice time visiting. Although it was really, really crowded that night. Here's a shot of Madeliene, Ian, Pearlette and Casey across from us in the salad bar line.

A Girl and Her Toothebrush

Samantha and I have a daily ritual now of brushing our teeth together. Nothing like starting a good habit early! She gets so excited when I tell her it is time to brush our teeth. She toddles into the bathroom, very carefully gets up on the bathroom stool and then she squeals with laughter. It is so cute and makes me smile and laugh every time. What a cutie!

Here are a few more pictures of Sami just for fun. Now she seems to really like the camera and she likes to show off her new teeth! Good thing she likes to brush them!

Bicycle fun!

With Olivia gone on a trip with Grandma Loui & Packa it is kind of quiet around here. I've got Samantha and Katy to keep me company though. And both require plenty of attention! I've been a bit slow in getting blogs out this week.

But I have been busy trying to get our home in order. We leave in about a year so I want to get everything unpacked and organized soon. The earlier the better. Then I will actually feel like I got to live here for a while! I know... I'm a bit mental!

So I haven't been taking a lot of pictures lately but I decided to post some photos of Olivia riding her bicycle just before she left on her vacation.


She loves to rider her bicycle! It is new. We promised to buy her one when we returned to the States. I also promised her I would buy a bicycle for myselft too. She wants us to go riding together. Sounds like fun to me!

This picture of Olivia and Samantha is one of my favorites. I gave Samantha this blanket so she could have one like Olivia and sit on the couch with her. She thought it was so much fun. They are so cute together. Sami follows Olivia around all of the time and tries to do everything she does. Just how a little sister should be!

For Daddy

Olivia wanted Daddy to have this picture. So here you go Daddy! You'll have to ask her about it so she can tell you her rendition of it. We miss you!

Steak & Shake

Went to lunch today with my girls, Packa & Grandma Loui. It has been too hot outside and it was nice to be inside someplace cool! And the mint oreo cookie milkshake was yummy! I should have taken a picture of it to share!

Anyway, here's a couple of photos to share...

Grouchy is as grouchy does!

I really dislike grouchy days! I woke up grouchy and I'm going to bed kind of grouchy. Who knows why.... could it be because I'm really tired and didn't get enough sleep? Could it be because Matt got on an airplane today and flew to the Middle East? Could it be that it is so freaking hot here that it's no fun going out in the sun? Could it be that I'm just plain hormonal?

I do know one thing for sure.... tomorrow I am going to have a better day!

In Texas

Finally returned home. So glad to not be living out of a suitcase (kinda of... still haven't unpacked.) Got home Friday night. The house is a mess still from the big move but I will work on it some each day.

Yesterday I got some work done! The girls are so happy to be home with their toys that I got to spend some "alone" time. Even Sami played and played and played and let me get some work done. Nice!

Later that afternoon I decided to load up the girls and head to Casey's house to visit family. Checked the mail on my way out. Hit the curb, twisted my foot and fell to the ground. Ouch! This is the same foot I sprained while in Moscow and it still hasn't healed all of the way. Drove to my brothers and my foot ached the entire way. I did put some ice one it when I got there.

Then I noticed my belly was itchin'. Got to lookin' at it and realized I had a big welt. Something bit me I guess.

Then on my way home I noticed one of those lights on the dashboard of my car was on. Warning me about one of my tires. Dad met me at the gas station and gave me a mini tutorial on how to fill up a tired with air. Then I headed home again. Again... the light came on. Same problem. So I still haven't checked my car this morning to see if the tire is flat. Hope not! 'cause I need to head to church!

Speaking of church I need to go and get ready! Aaahhh... I'm late!

Lil' Chefs

Grandma Loui made some adorable little chef aprons and hats for Olivia and Grace. So they donned their new gear today and did some baking! Here are some fun pictures for you to enjoy! So cute! What a nice grandma!

And I have to add one extra shot of Samantha being bad..... she has learned to crawl up onto the big table!!!!! Ahhhhh! She's getting a little too brave for her britches!

A great movie & 80's flashback

Went to a movie with my sister today. We saw Letters to Juliet. Cute movie! Made me cry. I took Shaleign for her birthday. Nice spending some alone time with her.

Then after the movie we came home and helped her girls get ready for an 80's dance. It was so fun doing their hair, makeup and clothes! Here is the end result.

Don't they look great? They all thought their hair was messy and too big! Brough back a lot of flashbacks for me and Shaleign! Way fun!

Olivia and Grace are lovin' life! They have been inseperable since Monday when we arrived here in Durham. They play and play and every once in awhile they come up for air. Today I saw them digging in the dirt with hand spades, riding bicycles, coloring together, watching a movie, taking a bath, playing some b-ball, exploring in "the woods", and who knows what else...


After their bath tonight Gracie pointed out that Olivia had a tick on her back. I took a look and sure enough there was a tick! Personally, I have never experienced a tick and I don't know how to remove them. I know it can be tricky. But Grandma Loui was prepared. She showed me this nice trick. They have a little plastic tool that with a slide and few twists just took the tick right off and didn't leave anything behind. Nice! Olivia is traumatized though. Grace told her that ticks "suck your blood!" Olivia cried and said "I don't want to go into the woods Mom.... Hey Mom, you're a good head remover... You're a good ticker remover...." So I guess saved the day!


Now as an added treat to the blog... April (my niece) took this cute photo of our dog Katy and sent it to me on my phone. Isn't she cute? Although it's a bit hilarious... There are four other dogs here and they are all smaller than Katy. Two of them are chihuahuas. Any time Katy makes any agressive behavior all four of them really gang up on her. A real "pack" mentality. Katy just cowers and seems confused. Rosie, the smallest chihuahua, is the ring leader. If Katy thought about it she could probably whip all four of them in a dog fight! Too funny! Poor Katy...

Just an update this time

Not a lot to blog about today. Spent the morning replacing my cell phone. Happy now to have another one!

I also started a new book today. "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens. I kind of have a goal to broaden the spectrum of books that I read. One goal is to read more books written by some of the "classic" writers. I've also decided to read more books on history and some biographies. (Like I have so much time to do all of this reading.) Of course I always like to read even just a little bit right before going to sleep at night. Helps me to relax and get my mind off of stressful things that might keep me up at night.

This afternoon/evening drove to Wade, NC, and hung out with my Sis & Sami at Mom & Dad's house. I'm really enjoying spending time with my family here in North Carolina!

I am exhausted though. Need to get more sleep!

The Cell Phone Blues

Lost my cell phone today. Majorly bummed out. And disappointed. I was having a great day and took some nice pictures. Blahhhh!

Here's a pictures of my long lost phone.......

Things to be grateful for...

Being with Grandma Loui & Packa is a lot of fun for my girls. I'm glad they get to see both sets of grandparents a lot during the next year. I guess there are good and bad things about the Baghdad tour. At least I get to visit with a lot of family while in the States!

It's kind of a nice break for me right now. Olivia is having the time of her life. She is playing, and playing, and playing with her cousin Grace. In fact I barely even see her during the day. She just disappears and pops up now and again so I know she's alive. I am so glad she finally has someone to play with.

Tomorrow I think we are going to the Museum of Life & Science here in Durham. Should make for a fun and interesting day. I just hope I get some sleep tonight because we need to get up early!

Today was a day of errands. I took our Honda to the dealer to get it fixed. Strange thing.... in Houston we noticed the car sounded like an airplane taking off when we accelerated the car. They said it was the wheel bearings on the right front side I think??? Anyway... it was all covered under warranty. But then while on our trip to Washington, D.C. we noticed the left side was making the same noise. So I took it in today and same problem. At least it was all covered under warranty. And good for me!.... I actually accomplished something I would normally send Matt to take care of!

While at the mall today Samantha played in yet another playplace. I think she had a good time. Here are a couple of shots of her playing.

Sami was so funny with the raft. It was about as tall as her chest. She wanted to get in because a lot of other little ones were in it. She would make loud noises and point to it trying to get my attention. Finally I helped her in. Then she wanted right back out... of course. So this time I showed her how to lay on her belly, straddle it and then go over the side. She figured it out and then she had to do it over again... and again... and again... and again......

The second mall we went to today had a pretty nice carousel. When Sam saw it she got really excited and bounced around as much as she could while being strapped in her stroller. I was surprised at her reaction. When I didn't stop and just rolled her right on passed boy was she mad!

Seperation Anxiety!

This has been a sad day for me. And a happy one as well. We, our family, fought, cried, played, fought, cried, played..... kind of a viscious cycle. Everyone is stressed. Tomorrow is the day we leave Matt and won't see him until August. Never been away from him that long before. He's heading for Baghdad next week.

Olivia is not taking it well. She knows what's happening but her stress has manifested itself in temper tantrums and a lot of crying. It has been difficult to deal with because we, Matt and I, don't know how to deal with it. It has really worn both of us down. And I dread dealing with it on my own in the next few months. We tell her we love her. We hug her. We reassure her. We play with her. We try to reason with her. And we pray with her. She is such a sweet little girl who is having to deal with a big issue.

Samantha is oblivious to Matt leaving. But she does pick up on the stress in the family. She is a shining light for all of us. She brings laughter to the mix. And she is a new toddler so that brings a whole new set of problems! But it is fun to watch her grow and learn.

I am a mess. Emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually. But I know I have to take it day by day. I know Matt loves me and the girls. I know I can do this seperation thing. And I have my family to give me backup! I'm not the first woman to send her husband a world away and I won't be the last. We have prepared for what's ahead.

Matt is strong. He is excited for this new adventure. And he is very sad to be leaving us behind. I know he worries about me and the girls. I am proud of him.

We may not have it all together but we are a happy family! We love each other and that's what counts! Pray for us in the next year.

Washington, D.C.

Tonight Matt, Samantha, Olivia, my brother Casey and I had dinner together at a Korean restaurant in Annandale, VA. It was good.

But after was even better! It was getting dark but we did a quick tour of Washington, D.C. for Casey. He hadn't seen much of downtown and so we went! Got to see the White House, Washington Monument, Capital Building, Supreme Court Building, the Smithsonians, Jefferson Memorial, Madison Memorial, Iow Jima, and the Pentagon.

This was a 2 hour tour. Of course all were outside views except for the Jefferson Memorial. But it was a beautiful night! Clear sky, crescent moon..... just nice. Casey and I were even able to squeeze in a geocache!

I didn't have my camera with me so I didn't get any photos this time.

If you ever get a chance to go to Washington, D.C. then go! It is really worth it to see those buildings, monuments.... everything that seems to symbolize our country. And the best part is most of it is free!!!

Water makes everything better....

Today just some shots of the girls playing at the water sculpture behind our hotel. We are at the Residence Inn Courthouse, Arlington, VA. This is one of their favorite places to play here. And oh so convenient for us to have it at our back door!

The Water Sculpture

Relaxing....

Samantha Exploring the Water

Olivia My Big Girl

Footprints

Water Over the Toes

Water Over the Toes Again....

Sami's New Floppy Hat

We really enjoyed our day in the sun! Let's hope tomorrow will be just as beautiful.

At the mall

I am so grateful for indoor mall play places! It was another cooler day here in Arlington, VA and we don't have any warmer clothes. So.... I remembered the Fair Oaks mall had a play place Olivia really enjoyed the last time we stayed here. Using my new fancy GPS I was off!

Only one minor wrong turn (not the GPS's fault) I made it to the mall safe and sound. Whew! Driving in Virginia drives me crazy!

We went straight to the play place and it was closed for cleaning! Ahhhh! But luckily it looked like it would be open soon. So I dragged a whining Olivia off with me the JC Penney to look at clothes for me while we waited. We made it back to the playplace after a little while and it was open! No kids in sight! We had the place to ourselves.

About 5 minutes later.... the play place was hoppin'! Kids everywhere! But Olivia and Samantha had a great time! Olivia even found a new friend to boss around!

Some of the time Samantha didn't know what to do. But she soon figured it out!

I was really grateful to have a place for them to play and get out some of their energy! But... now I am prepared! After playing we went to Gymboree and I bought both girls each a lightweight jacket to wear in the cooler weather. Thinking ahead of course I bought both jackets one size bigger because I know in two weeks when I am in Houston the jackets will head to the closet until late fall!

Then we had ice-cream! Yum! Then I realized I am a shop lifter!!!!! I had picked up a sweater to buy for Olivia and hung it on the stroller. Didn't even realize I had strolled right out of the store with it hanging on the back of the stroller without even paying for it! Oops! Feeling extremely guilty I took it back to the store. Told the sales lady what happened. She smiled and thanked me for being "honest." Feeling a bit proud of myself and foolish at the same time I headed out the door as quick as I could.

Just as we were headed out of the mall I notice Olivia "dancing". Yep.... she needed to pee. We walked quickly to the restroom. On the way we passed Build-a-Bear. Olivia stopped and begged me to let her go in. I told her "NO! You've got to hurry to the bathroom!" So crying once again because I "hurt" Olivia's feelings we hurried to the bathroom. Just outside the door she squats on the floor moaning! Oh no! Yep... she couldn't hold it.

Now I was REALLY (not) happy..... so I took her to Sears (the closest store) and spied a pair of nice looking jeans for Olivia on a clearance sale for only $3.99! Can you believe it? Got an awesome deal!

At least two things good came out of the mall visit! The girls got to play and I got a good deal on a nice pair of jeans for Olivia! As for the whining, crying and complaining.... All in a days work!

Here's to a year in Baghdad!

I've decided to try and be better at blogging and maybe detail some of our lives for Matt since he will be gone for the year! We'll have to see how it goes! My history at blogging hasn't been so great. Since Matt is gone for the next two days I will start today.

Poor Olivia! She has a UTI. If you've ever had one you will know they are painful! But we got her to a doctor today and got her some antibiotic. In order to test for a UTI you have to pee in a cup! That was entertaining! Olivia....not so willingly finally gave up some fluid after a lot of coaxing, a lot of water, and some bribes! When finished she ran to the front of the clinic and announced rather loudly and to the amusement of those in the waiting room that she peed in the cup!

Went to CVS to fill her prescription. They gave her a liquid antibiotic without any flavoring! Yuck! I asked them to include grape flavoring and they charged $2.99! That was almost a third of the cost of the medicine itself! Ridiculous! Flavoring should come included with nasting tasting medicines!

We also went to a park to play for a little bit today. (This was part of the bribe at the medical clinic.) VERY disappointing park. Not much there and the equipment was kind of old. But hopefully we will find a better place to play tomorrow. Now I've got to entertain the girls for 4 more hours before bedtime! Kind of hard to do in a hotel. But I will figure out something!

Almost Christmas

It has been snowing all day. I love it when it snows. This is my first winter in Moscow. Last winter I was in Charleston, SC preparing for Samantha's arrival. So far I haven't been disappointed by the weather. It's five days until Christmas and there is snow on the ground. We had a few days were it was really cold. So cold my snot froze!

Funny thing. I noticed someone put a wreath on a random tree out by the dumpsters here on the embassy compound. I've walked by it several times while walking the dog. Each time I thought "huh... wonder who put that there." Then I got to looking at the wreath and realized that it was the same wreath I had thrown away in the dumpster about two weeks ago! I guess someone fished it out and hung it up. Who would have thought.... now every time I see it I laugh at my own private joke!

Olivia had a preschool Christmas party last week. They had a program all prepared for us parents. They acted out the book "My Many Colored Days" by Dr. Seuss. They played music to each color and acted out their feelings. It was very cute and fun to watch Olivia's reaction to each color. Later at home I showed Olivia that we had the same book at home. She was so amazed and of course I had to read it to her right away. So I got the performance again and again and again! At the party they also sang Christmas songs and played and of course had snacks. Olivia also gave us a rocking horse ornament she had painted for us. Santa came for a visit too and she gave him the rocking horse instead. But.... she told him to "bring it back tomorrow." I thought that was pretty funny.

We are expecting Kristy Thomas for a visit. She's flying in on Wednesday. Should be a lot of fun sight-seeing with her and just spending the holiday together!