One is Silver....

Anybody who has done anything with girlscouts will know this "Make new friends, but keep the old..."Everybody sing! "One is silver and the other's gold"



This could be the theme song for military life. The challenge was staying in touch with the old as you were out meeting the new.

20 years ago if you didn't keep up with letters or phone calls than all you could pretty much do was think to yourself "Hmmm...I wonder what so-and-so is up to these days. I really wish I had held onto their address."

10 years ago, it got a little easier with e-mail.

Now? Now it is so easy to look up old friends that you almost don't have an excuse not to keep in touch. Aaah, were would be with out MySpace and Facebook.

Here's a great example for you. I got into Facebook about a year ago. At first all of my Facebook Friends were just family or people that I currently know. In the last 6 months or so, I have started connecting with people that I knew in high school and even middle school.

I think the best "skill" that I have gotten out of military life is the ease in meeting knew people. Along with that is learning how to connect with people even when you wouln't think you would have anything to say to a person.

Case in point: I recently connect with an old friend that I last saw in 1995. That was 14 years ago. We've IM'ed a few times and now have started talking on the phone. Before I called this person up, I was thinking to myself, "What in the world are we going to talk about? I have see this or talked to this person for almost 15 years, we probably have nothing in common anymore. I have a feeling this is going to be a very awkward phone call." I was so surprised!! The first time we talked, we talked for a couple of hours. The next night, we spent all night talking! I think the only reason we hung up the phone was because my phone battery died.

The friends you make in the military may not physically be around you for very long, but they are the friends you make for life.

Money Matters

I attended the monthly parish concil meeting tonight for the base chapel. As president of protestant women of the chapel (PWOC), that is one of my obligations. This was I know what is going on at the chapel (events past and upcoming and very important money matters) and I can let the chapel know what is going on with PWOC.

Tonight was a blessed night for our chapel. Even in this crappy economy, our chapel has been able to donate to various charites. So far for fiscal year 2009 (starts Oct. 1, 2008 and ends Sept. 30 2009) our little chapel (and yes, I would say it is little compared to some churches in the central arkansas area) we have been able to give over $39,000 to charities and I am most certain that the majority of these charities are local.

Isn't that awesome!!!

My Mastercard Moment

Removal of appendix for oldest child: $15,000

Therapy for middle child: $200,000

NICU stay for youngest child: $75,000

Having Tricare? Priceless!

Getting A Break

As of right now, my "un-official" count is 8 days, 22 hours, and 45 minutes until school officially starts. Not that I am excited or anything! :) I am looking forward to getting a little bit of a break. Four kids in the house everyday tends to grate on your nerves a little bit. Especially since this summer the kids have learned what their sibings buttons are and how to push them. All I hope for when school starts is that my oldest doesn't pull that at school.

Who would've ever thought that gong from 4 kids to three would feel like a break.

Pity Party

I was re-reading my posts the other day, why? not really sure. But anyway...I noticed a common theme that has been bugging me for the last few days. What a downer!! I didn't start this blog to whine and say "poor me!". Granted, I'm not good with witty humor like some people but when I first thought about doing this blog that's what I had in mind. Wow...I didn't realize just how much I sucked at the witty humor until I re-read some of the stuff that I wrote. See?!? I'm doing it again...here's what I have to say about that:

NO MORE PITTY PARTIES!!!

While I can't promise that the woe is me isn't ever going to happen again I will try to keep it to a minimum.

Tune in later for more.

Give Away!!

I'm not giving away anything (maybe in the future if I can get this site to be fanatically popular...here's hoping!!), but I am always on the lookout for good deals, especially free stuff or chances to win free stuff that don't require and money or that much effort. I stumbled upon this blog http://theivanovskys.blogspot.com/ today totally by chance and happened to notice that they are doing a give away for a totally cute reuseable grocery bag and bonus! it comes stocked with a month's supply of Kashi!! If you are a military mama, or any other kind of mama for that matter, go check it out!!

Day From Hell Pt. 2

Oh my goodness (not my first word of choice, but I would like to keep this relatively "clean"), I am out of milk, bread and, most importanly, baby wipes. I have my own three children plus the baby that I take care of during the week. What is a girl to do? I am going to brave a trip to Wal-Mart. I don't want to. I could go without the bread and milk until after the baby goes home, but I cannot go that long with out the wipes. Bring it!!

All four kids are packed and strapped in the truck. Everyone is in there proper seat and whining is at a minimum. Hmm, just how long will this last? Not long, I'm sure.

We arrive and so far so good. There are two decent spots available. One near to the door, but one next to a cart return. I take the latter so that the kids can go in a cart right away. The baby seat locks onto the seat part of the cart (is there a technical term for the seat part?) and the two little girls go into the basket. I look down at my oldest, "Ok, put one hand on the cart while we're in the parking lot and let's go" Now the great debate begins.

"I don't want to walk. My legs are tired"

"You're legs aren't tired, you haven't been walking"

"I don't walk. I want to get in the cart, too."

"You can't. There is no room."

"I don't want to walk. Why can't I ride?"

Now I try to appeal to the male ego.

"You get to walk because I can trust you to be a good listener. You're a big kid, not a baby."

"I don't want to be a big kid."

"Too bad. Put your hand on the cart and let's go."

I can tell from the sullen slap of his hand hitting metal that this is not going to be a good trip.

I won't bore you with all of the details. For anyone with an iota of imagination, you should be able to visualize it. For anyone with children, I can see you all nodding your heads and saying been there, done that.

Here we go:

I have lost count of how many times I have yelled at the oldest one to stay by the cart, do not walk away from me, and quit touching stuff! It does not belong to you!

I have yelled at the oldest little girl to quit messing with her sister, it's not nice and do not touch things that do not belong to you!

The middle little gir has gotten yelled at and her hand smacked for messing with the baby's sun shade on her seat.

The baby is being pleaded with. Please don't cry. There is nothing wrong with you. You were fed and changed just before we left the house. Please don't cry!

At this point I remember something my dad told me once. He said that when he was really mad at us kids he would bite the insides of his cheeks to keep from hurting us. Sometimes he bit his cheeks so hard that they bled, but the trick worked. I can't bite my cheeks. I've chewed on them so much that the scar tissue keeps me from feeling to much. Instead I bite my tounge or my lip. I tell you what, it works.