Mommy Fabulous

Tell It Like It T-I-Z Tuesday... on Thursday.

2012-01-27T09:10:00.002-05:00

I know it's not Tuesday, but I have to speak and I have to speak TODAY! So Tell It Like It T-I-Z Tuesday is happening on Thursday and you can join in and respond and join in with a TELL IT LIKE IT T-I-Z on your own blog!

It's coming back on election season and while I haven't been active or vocal as of lately, there are just some things that get under my skin where politics are concerned.

I'm going to start with the President's trip to Phoenix yesterday.

I really wish I'd gotten to see Obama since he was in Phoenix just three hours away from us. It would have been great if he'd come to Fort Huachuca to talk to the Soldiers and their families. I would have been front and center!

What got me was the fact that the visit to Phoenix was barely discussed. Instead, the news has been flooded with the GOP Governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, blatantly disrespecting President Obama with her FINGER IN HIS FACE.

Are you kidding me? I think she's lucky the First Lady wasn't there because I can clearly see Michelle losing her cool, taking off her heels and going back to her Chicago roots on Mrs. Skeleton Finger!

What gets me is how this shows such disrespect for the President. Never before has it been allowed for someone to just outwardly be defiant to the President of the United States, in open public, nonetheless. Whether there are disagreements or not, Governors, senators and politicians alike have been at least respectful to the most powerful man in the World. But uh uh, not Mrs. Skeleton Finger and not the leaders of this term.

In the past, something like this would not have been tolerated and would have been cause for punishment in some way, but not in the great United States of America today. Not when the President of the United States is a Black man.

Marinate on that a little bit...

Is the GOP so set on winning that they have completely lost respect for America? Who are we to other Nations? What do you think they are saying about how America? "The Most Powerful Country in World" would rather see itself fall apart than have a little support and respect for the President.

Marinate on that for a little bit...

Now, let's talk about Georgia, my home, Georgia on my mind. I have only heard pieces of this story, but is there really a judge that has subpoenaed Obama to court to prove his legitimacy as a citizen??? I thought we were done with these ridiculous "birthers" with back when Donald Trump challenged it! Now, in an effort to get Obama's name removed from the ballot in the coming election, Fulton County's arrogant Judge Malihi, has decided that he will fight to get THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES in court to prove he is a citizen of the US, which, MIND YOU, is a country he has been running for... how many years now? What United States President prior to our African American one has ever been ask to PROVE he is a citizen of the United States? Hmmm? And they say racism doesn't exist in today's America.

Marinate on that for a little bit...

Regardless of how you vote, right is right and wrong is wrong. Politicians have become venomous and it is obvious that politics today doesn't follow that of our forefathers. It's obvious to me it's no longer important to respect one another and play fair, but fight dirty and win at all costs.

1st post of 2012: Wha this girl's been up to!

2012-01-18T14:06:00.001-05:00

Miss Missy is homesick today. This is the first time this school year. She's pretty miserable. It started on Saturday. She went to a friend's birthday party and when she came home, she laid on the couch and I could see the sickness come over her fast!

She had a fever and stayed on the couch all day Sunday and most of the day Monday. By Monday afternoon, she was off the couch and eating and talking, so Tuesday, she was off to school. Well, Tuesday afternoon when I picked her up, she was sluggish and quiet. She came home, laid on the couch and was asleep. This is the child that never took naps, so I know she's not feeling well. Last night, I looked up her symptoms and found that she may have STREP THROAT.

YUCK!

Fever, sore throat, stomach ache, lack of appetite, coughing, sneezing... yeah it's not fun! So off we'll go to see the doctor today. If it's Strep, she may be home for the rest of the week....

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WHERE HAVE I BEEN?!?!

I know you're all wondering. (All both of you that actually read this blog! LOL!)

BUSY!

School, work, kids, Facebook!

Yes, Facebook has taken over and is a huge distraction!

Okay, I work mainly on Facebook. I work for a school called Meditec and we offer certification course like Paralegal, Pharmacy, Medical Transcription and Business Administration Certifications. We are paired with the MyCAA program to offer Military Spouses these courses FOR FREE! I spend a lot of time online spreading the word to military spouses.

Huachuca Wives is also keeping me busy! I really like what the page has become and I try to keep it updated and informative. I REALLY like when the girls talk about the friendships they have made and the appreciation for the help they have received. They are so helpful and supportive of one another. They are certainly a great group of girls.

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Update in Pictures:

Christmas

Christmas is less that a week away!

2011-12-19T13:04:00.000-05:00

It the Christmas Holiday.

The kids are out of school and I'm letting them do last minute shopping to each other today. The are getting more and more excited as the days pass, wondering what Santa will bring.

They have fairly decent lists. Nothing too hard, nothing too expensive.

They are great kids (aside from the fact that Miss Missy and Cam CAN'T STOP ARGUING AND ARE DOING IT RIGHT NOW AS I SPEAK!!!!!!!!!). The are really good kids, so based on the fact that they should be on Santa's "GOOD LIST" they deserve to get a few things off their list.

As for me, I didn't really have a list, but I did have a thing or two that I would have liked.

A Sassy new camera bag would have been great. Something nice cute and girlie to carry my camera in..
A Black Coat. Last year, my mom got me a white one from Kohls and it was AWESOME. But I'm not doing too well with keeping it clean, so black would be a great choice this year.
Boots are always great, because what girl doesn't love shoes??
A gift card to Cato, because, well, that's one of my favorite places to shop!

Why are guys so clueless to hints? I have dropped a few hints to Hubs and he still asks me, "Uh, so what do you want for Christmas?" I don't want to have to tell you what to get me. I want you to know me well enough for it to be a "surprise"!

Oh well. I'm not really caring what I get or don't get. I just can't wait for everyone to wake up on Christmas Morning and just be happy!

In case I don't return, Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Giving Away Something SWEET!

2011-11-12T14:31:00.000-05:00

This year, I have been a very busy mom. As most of you know, I've always been very active in my kids school. At the kids' school in Georgia, it was easy. I was PTO Vice president. All 3 kids were in the same school and I knew everything that was going on, because, chances were, I had a hand in planning it.

Since I've been in AZ, that urge to be active isn't the same. It's not as welcoming here and I don't feel the loooooove in the PTO at my son's school and I have only spent time in Miss Missy's class at her school.

But, I haven't stopped giving to the school. Boxtops for Education gives parents who can't (or choose not to) give there time in the school the opportunity to still help out. Boxtops for Education is great because all you have to do is collect boxtops from some of the popular brands, like Betty Crocker, turn then in to the school and collect cash to go towards education!

MyBlogSpark and Betty Crocker have come together to spread the word about Boxtops for Education and are allowing me to give away a fun prize pack on my blog today!

Prize Pack includes:

Cupcake iclips
Cupcake bag
Cupcake notepads
Box Tops for Education pencils
Neoprene Lunch Sack

Want to win? I'm making this one VERY easy! All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog telling me your favorite Betty Crocker dessert.

The winner will be chosen randomly on November 14th. DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!

Want more chances to win? Spread the word on your blog, FB Page or Twitter and leave the link in the comments for an extra chance. And YES you can enter ONCE each day it's open!

SO GO!

Kay

Helpful Links:

Box Tops for Education Website http://bit.ly/btfeweb
Box Tops for Education Facebook http://on.fb.me/btfefbook
Box Tops for Education Twitter http://bit.ly/btfetweet

Betty Crocker Website http://bit.ly/bcbtfeweb
Betty Crocker Facebook http://on.fb.me/bcfbook
Betty Crocker Twitter http://bit.ly/bctweet

11-11-11 - Happy Veterans Day!

2011-11-11T13:42:00.010-05:00

Happy Veterans Day!

As a military spouse, it is my humble opinion that Veterans should be celebrated more often. And as a military spouse, thinking about Veterans and the sacrifices they have given is an everyday thing, especially when you live on base and you see soldiers from every walk of life every single day.

I wasn't able to attend the Veterans Day program and either of the kids schools this week, as they really don't send out reminders of these events the way they did at their school in GA. They have a small gym and would prefer not to have a lot of parents at many of these events because they don't have enough room to compensate everyone.

THIS IS SOOOOO NOT CRE!

Well, this past week, I was invited to attend the Resilient Spouse Academy, which is a conference put together to give spouses information about military life, coping with life in general and creating bonds withe families and other spouses.

I was inspired! I was a chance to meet with some wonderful ladies from all walks and phases of the military life, share ideas and gain and understanding for the hand we have been dealt, whatever that may be.

As a senior spouse, I felt blessed to be a part of this group. We are now one year shy of retirement and there are so many things I just didn't know. There are tons of programs out there now, many that are through the ACS (Army Community Center) that are there to help families with ANYTHING they might need.

NO ONE has to go through ANY situation alone!

Buying a car, dealing with finances, raising your kids, building a stronger marriage, going though hard financial times, or just needing someone to talk to. ACS has you covered!

Okay, I'm behind on the updates here, but I will do my best to get better with my blogging. For those of you that are NOT on my FB page, you probably don't know that I now have a Work From Home contracting job!

(insert applause HERE!)

I am a program advisor for a school called Meditec and my job is to spread the word about the MyCAA program to Military Spouses, giving them the opportunity to enroll in a course at Meditec for FREE with the $4000 MyCAA grant.

Easy, huh? Well, you'd think that women that qualify wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of a free education, but not so. So, I continuing inviting ladies to spread the word about the program, and I love being able to help military spouses make a difference in their lives.

I may have found my passion for now. I really love working in a job that informs spouses of their benefits and I really love working with spouses on my Huachuca Wives page on FB and being able to give them information that might be beneficial to them at some point and being there to help answer questions as well. I simply love the fact that I have the ability help in some way.

Basketball is still on for Middle School!

2011-10-30T15:10:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons I am glad soccer season is coming to an end, besides the fact that it's TOO FRICKIN HOT to be outside!

The other reason is that Basketball reason has started and I have one kid playing.

I don't remember if I mentioned this on not, but CJ made the Basketball team for middle school!

He was so excited. He loves basketball (and soccer, and football... and just sports!) Now, he's playing for the school and traveling around the area and I'm going to be VERY busy!

Soccer Season ALMOST OVER!

2011-10-30T14:18:00.000-04:00

Soccer Season is coming to an end soon and I must say THANK GOODNESS!

While I have enjoyed watching the kids kick butt on the soccer field (They are athletic like their Momma! LOL), I have not enjoyed the fact that their practices have interfered with my classes!

They have all done very well for their first year of soccer. I don't want to brag (because it's all about having fun, right? Riiiiiiight!) but each of them have been one of the best on their teams. EVEN MISS MISSY is doing great, which surprises me being that she is a very girlie girl!

So here are a few pics from the season. My babies are AMAZING!

The Newest Reporter on the Daily Planet!

2011-10-07T01:44:00.000-04:00

There's something to be said about taking on volunteer work!

Today I added on another project to my busy schedule. But I'm really happy about it. I'm going to be volunteering for the Scout, Ft. Huachuca's post newspaper. This is VERY cool for me because I get to go out and take pictures and caption them to be printed in the paper. I'm starting small, you see. I mean, I figured I wouldn't take over on my first day! I'm going to hold off on my take over until at least December! LOL

If you know me, then you know that I have a love for writing. Hence the blog. However, I've never exactly written an article of any kind in the past. I simply can't imagine how it would feel to get something published!

Anywho, yes, it's volunteer, so it's on my time, which means that my paycheck is the same no matter how many hours I put in. But I'm excited. This is a great opportunity to see if being a journalist is a career I would love. It also gives me the opportunity to explore the base, an opportunity to get to know the people and an opportunity to step out of my "Clueless Army Wife" heels and into my "Guru Army Wive" heels!

AND......

She "put me on assignment" right away! I feel like Lois Lane!!!!

Pillsbury's Got Something New For Breakfast!

2011-10-01T17:15:00.000-04:00

For the most part, when it comes to breakfasts and lunches, my kids are pretty independent and ofter make their own. That's why, in my house, there have to be things that are easy to make, easy to pop in the microwave.

That's why I was excited when Pillsbury and BlogSpark got together and sent me some breakfast products to review!

Here's what they have to say about the products:

Pillsbury Grands! Biscuit Sandwiches and Pillsbury Egg Scrambles heat up in minutes in the microwave and are available in your grocer´s freezer.

Made with quality ingredients like real egg, tasty meat, cheese, Grands! Biscuits and Green Giant® vegetables, this new line of quick and delicious frozen breakfast dishes comes in six flavorful choices:

Sausage & Cheese Biscuit Sandwich

Bacon & Cheese Biscuit Sandwich

Ham & Veggies Biscuit Sandwich

Bacon & Veggies Egg Scrambles

Sausage Egg Scrambles

Sausage & Veggies Egg Scrambles

SOOOO, what did the kids think ? Let just say that the breakfast sandwiches flew out of the freezer. And Mom loves them because it something else that I don't have to cook, because I'm SOOOOO not a morning person!

Vist the Pillsbury Website for more information: http://bit.ly/pbbreakfast
Like them on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/pillsburyonfb

Wise

PCSing and the Military Spouse.

2011-09-20T04:08:00.015-04:00

PCSing is a challenging time for any military family. Okay, moving in itself is hard, so I'm not trying to discredit any of my readers who aren't military and have had to move, but there's something to be said about moving in the military.

PCS or Permanent Change of Station is a term that shouldn't be used because when it comes to the military, our change of station is never permanent!

I think that one of the hardest things about PCSing is the fact that you know that you will have to do it again within the next 2 to 5 years. 5 years for those that are lucky!

A few days ago, I asked my Huachuca Wives this question:

What is one thing that could have made your PCS to Ft. Huachuca easier?

Most of the responses revolved around having someone, a sponsor, to show them the ropes when they got here.

I had to agree.

Okay, as many of you know, moving to a new place is hard work. Moving to a place where you know absolutely no one or nothing about the area can be down right discouraging.

The units are suppose to assign each in-coming soldier a sponsor to help your family out when you arrive. Not always the case. Also, an FRG Leader should give you a call to welcome you to your new duty station. Not always the case.

One thing that I think would have been nice when we moved here would have been if there was a family, similar to our own, sponsoring us, showing us the ropes, telling us about the schools, the ins and out, the ups and downs. Until I started Huachuca Wives, I didn't know anyone in the area. I felt alone in the desert and I was in need of someone to talk to. Huachuca Wives has given me a group of ladies who can help guide one another, learn from one another and support one another.

I know that I can't greet every spouse that comes to the post feeling the way that I did, but I want to use Huachuca Wives to help those that are new here and in need of a friendly face.

I'm getting a lot of positive feedback from the girls and I know that while I'm here, I want to be a positive asset to as many people as I possibly can.

Just being there in the very beginning of a person's new adventure can, if nothing else, give my fellow Military Wives a good first look at what to expect here.

PCSing isn't always easy, but having a friendly face waiting there for you can make a world of difference.

15mph PLEASE!

2011-09-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

It seems that every morning I have to motion for someone to SLOW DOWN in the school zones.

Here on Ft. Huachuca, school zones are 15mph, which is a snail's crawl.

It's pretty obvious when a car isn't going 15!

I often try to control the speeders in the school zone where my child crosses the street. Now, I know that it's not my job to do this because I'm not an MP, but I am a parent and I have 3 kids that use this school zone 5 days a week. I want people to take heed to the school zones!

I wave my hand every morning to motion for SOMEONE to slow down. Do you know that the majority of these drivers are women?!? You'll find drivers throwing up their hands in defense as if to say "Hey, I'm not speeding." But there's a hug difference between 25 and 15.

Granted, the school zones signs in our area are very confusing because there's not sign that says END SCHOOL ZONE, so in the defense of these drivers, some think that as soon as they get past the the yellow crosswalk they can go back to normal speeds. That's not the case. And granted, unlike what I'm use to on the east coast, the school zones speed limits are for the entire time that school is in session, not just during the times that kids are going to school and coming from school. But that's beside the point.

I'm not perfect by any means. I have a lead foot very often, but I feel that when you are in a school zone during the times when kids may be crossing, it is a driver's duty to keep the kids safe and drive slow.

So, until someone tells me differently or drivers suddenly decide to adhere to the 15mph signs at all time, I will continue to play mini-cop and warn these drivers about speeding.

Those are MY kids out there!

Things To Work on Thursday: Organization and Career

2011-09-15T12:52:00.001-04:00

There are a few things I have trouble with.

One is staying organized.

Lately, with so much going on, I have trouble finding time to keep it all together.

Have you seen my calendar?

(Yes it's sideways! I couldn't figure out how to rotate it!)

It's color coded for each child and myself for all of the things that I have to do during the day.

My iPhone reminds me of every appointment, event, class, practice, game, conference, field trip or luncheon that I have coming up.

If I don't write it down AND set a reminder in my phone, it's likely it will fall into the I FORGOT pile. Often, that pile is where I find folding laundry. (Perhaps purposely put there.)

My point to it all is that I'm very busy these days and that's WITHOUT a traditional job!

I can only imagine how it all will get done when I have to go back to work.

Ahhh, work! I feel that lately the husband has been throwing (pretty hard) hints about me getting a job. He's been talking a lot about me getting my resume together every since he went to a resume class and has even mentioned a few websites for jobs here in AZ.

I know what he's saying, but the problem with me finding a job (other than that fact that I don't want to) is that everyone is so competitive here, with their fancy degrees and such.

Shoot! I don't have my degree yet and my confidence is way low... when it comes to competing for a job anyway.

Where is that perfect stay at home career that I have been waiting to fall into my hands? You know, the ones where I don't actually have to get up and go to a place of business EVERY DAY?? HUH?

Coming together for Brunch

2011-09-15T00:49:00.000-04:00

First of all, I have great news.

I made a 91 in my Macroeconomics class!

YES! The class that I HATE!

The one I thought I was going to FAIL miserably!

I got an A!

Well, technically it was an A minus, but an A, nonetheless.

Can you say THRILLED?!??

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

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I'm really liking the way that the Huachuca Wives group is going. So far there are over 50 members and there is tons of communication and participation with the discussions and posts. I'm trying to maintain a group with a positive atmosphere and so far, it's working.

Today I got together with some of those great girls. I invited the group over for a potluck brunch.

I ended up wit about 7 girls, and they were a great group. I invited Deborah, the crossing guard that I met last year who is just absolutely darling! She's a retired spouse. She and her husband live in a small travel trailer and she LOVES kids.

Have you ever read the books about Mrs. Piggle Wiggle? It's a series of books I read when I was a kid about a little old lady with who loved kids. She never had any of her own, but she lived her life being around kids, playing with kids and having imagination adventures with kids in her neighborhood. Anyway, Mrs. Deborah reminds me a lot of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. She has the greatest spirit and the biggest heart.

The ladies I met today were great. It was nice to be in a positive environment with some positive people. It's great to be able to shoot around thoughts about the area and ideas about what to do to make things better. One of the girls, a girl that I asked to be my co-admin on the FB page, made me so happy today. She told me that the site has helped her realize that she can do this Army Spouse thing and she told me how appreciative she was that I created it.

And that, my dears, is success! If I have touched 1 person's life in a positive way then Huachuca Wives is successful and I know that my goals have been met!

Repost from September 11th 2008

2011-09-11T02:59:00.000-04:00

There are some things that you never forget.

I figured that in light of the 10th Anniversary of September 11th, I would repost the post I wrote remembering this tragedy. It's so vivid to me still and I wrote a post on this on my Huachuca Wives page a few days ago which was very similar to this one. The precise memories of what I was doing that day will never fade away.

September 11th.

As all of you, I remember where I was on that horrific morning 7 years ago. I was sleeping in late that day, pregnancy was not agreeing with me one bit. I remember that I was going through this major depression, unhappily pregnant, unhappily married, just miserable. So I didn't want to get out of bed that morning, but I did. Went into the living room and turned on the TV.

As I sat on the couch. I remember wondering why was this movie on my TV instead of Divorce Court, which at that time I was watching faithfully (probably due to my marital situation). Surely, I hadn't left the TV on one of my premium HBO or Showtime channels. Nor had I ever seem this movie before. I changed the channel and it was there too.

One of the Twin Towers (which I really knew nothing about at that time being from the south and all) was burning. The Today's Show commentators were sounding solemn and nervous. I watched for a few minutes, thinking what in the world could have happened to that plane to cause it to crash into a building? Then came the second one.

Oh my God! I sat on that couch with my mouth wide open in disbelief thinking, "What the hell is going on?" The voices on the TV were fractic and I picked up the phone to call Hubs, who of course didn't answer the phone, usually unable to get reception from his office at work. So I sat there, alone and afraid and a little thankful that my 1 yrs. old slept soundly in his bed.

I watched as the flames burned the people started jumping. Then the first building went down, I started to cry.

Today, and every year to the date since, I think back to those events. I always say a little prayer for those people that were in those buildings and their families and those that fought to saved them, many losing their lives. I say a prayer for those who have lost their lives since because of those terrorist attacks, and those still losing their lives even today. That tragic day. September 11th 2001 changed our world forever and for every year on this day forever more I will remember.

Labor Day at Sea World!

2011-09-06T18:08:00.000-04:00

So how was your Labor Day Weekend?

As a Family Chick, it's inevitable that a good holiday weekend is going to revolve around family stuff.

So, lucky for us as a Military Family, Sea World is being generous to offer free tickets to military families! They call the program "Here's to the Heroes" and there is a free admission to Soldiers and up to 4 dependents. Which was great because we only ended up having to buy one ticket and because we purchased it at MWR before we went, we even saved almost twenty bucks on that ticket as well!

So off to San Diego we went on an 8 hour drive from Ft. Huachuca.

Even better, we have friends that live at the Navy base in San Diego and were able to spend time with them as well. They were our neighbors in Georgia and I was so happy to see her! It's so true what they say about how military friendships often just pick back up where they left off!

Every since I was a kid, I always wanted to go to Sea World. We lived in Georgia and that's about 8 hours from Orlando. We took a trip to Disney, but never got back to visit Sea World. Back then, the Free Willy movies had come out and I wanted nothing more than to see Shamu!

Well I finally got my chance! The kids had an AMAZING time! We didn't do the rides, just the shows and they still talked about how much they enjoyed it.

It was a great Labor Day Weekend. My only complaint is that the 4-day weekend didn't las long enough!

A mom's work... well you know the rest!

2011-09-02T12:27:00.000-04:00

I know I shouldn't say this out loud and I know that I'm being a bad influence for my kids, but homework is going to have to wait!

I have been flooded with "things to do" and I'm starting to think that I might want to slow my role a bit. I haven't had time to go to the schools to volunteer my time this year. I seem to not have time for anything with the school days being so short and the kids getting home starting at 2:10 rather than the 4:15 time they got off the bus in GA. That's 2 hours off my day!

Try to hit the pavement or the gym most days out of the week right after I drop Miss Missy off at school in the morning, and by the time I get home, take a shower, check my email and FB... it's lunch time for Hubs. He's home and I can't do homework during that time, of course. So, he goes back to work and most days, that gives me maybe an hour before Miss Missy needs to be picked up.

Then it's "Them" time. Can you read this? Can you sign that? Can you help me do this? blah blah blah! UGH!

One they are home and in homework mode, it's time to get ready for soccer practice 4 days out of the week.

Monday - no practices - this is going to be the only day of the week I can do homework!

Tuesday - Miss Missy

Wednesday - The boys

Thursday - Miss Missy

Friday - The boys

Their games start this weekend.

Miss Missy is going to miss her first game because we're taking a mini-vaca for the 4-day! Yay-ay!

It's been really busy lately, but I'm looking forward to adding in a little volunteer time at the school and a few things through ACS as well. AND I run a FB group for the wives of Ft. Huachuca. Oh and of course, I do the Soccer Mom thing for 2 out of 3 of the kids' teams.

Gotta Love being a Stay at home mom!

Do you curse around your parents?

2011-08-29T14:55:00.000-04:00

There's something to be said about respect for your parents.

Growing up, there was no way my brother and I would raise our voices and disrespect our parents.

NO WAY!

My sister was another story, but hey, she was the baby and got away with a lot more than we ever did.

When it came to our household, respect was something that all adults got, no matter what. You spoke when you were spoken to. You answered yes or no. You didn't get to have an opinion.

We were raised in the "Kids should be seen, not heard" fashion.

Talking back? Nuh-uh!

And profanity of any kind would have gotten me smacked in my mouth. I know this not by experience because I was never brave enough to try it.

As an adult, not much as changed. I still will in NO WAY use profanity of any kind around my mom or dad. Not even over the phone where it is impossible to be smacked. I never lost that kind of respect for them because I believe it is a well deserved respect.

My momma has a friend who argues and curses with her children on a regular basis. She once told my mom, "Oh come on. Lorie. Don't act like your children have never cursed in front of you before."

My momma confidently answered, "NEVER!" We knew better. Even as a grown behind woman, I couldn't see myself using profanity around my parents. I get called out if I use a four letter word on my blog, so I can only imagine what my mom might say if something slipped out of my mouth!

Do you ever curse around your parents?

A new dentist for the kids.

2011-08-26T06:49:00.000-04:00

The kids had their first visit to the dentist since we've been in Sierra Vista.

I wasn't crazy about taking them to the dentist because in my mind NO DENTIST could ever live up to their dentist in Augusta. The pediatric dentist we've been going to from the beginning was absolutely great for kids! It was decorated with an Arctic Wonderland theme and had toys and video games. The hygienists did a great job and were all sweet and patient. The dentist would come to take a look in the kids' mouths once the hygienists finished the cleaning. He had a perfect set a teeth himself and a great smile. Very easy on the eyes too! LOL! Dr. Lee Baker's Pediatric dentistry certainly holds a place in our family's hearts!

So going to the dentist here wasn't something I was looking forward to. However, the experience was not all that bad. We went to Cochise Children's Dental Center. The waiting room is set up to entertain young children with table trains and wood puzzles on the walls. For the most part, my kids didn't take interest.

What I didn't like was that they did one kid at a time. The dentist was the one who did the cleaning and the assistants were just there to set up and hand him the instruments. That meant that each child was done one at a time and the visit took almost 2 hours, being that it was our first visit.

I guess I can't expect everyone to live up to the standards of our old dentist, but other than the time it took to do 3 kids, this was a great dentist. At least there were no tears and no cavities!

The Animal Rights Activists Would Have My Head!

2011-08-25T13:25:00.000-04:00

Ginger and I went on our morning walk. The weather this morning was bearable for a good walk/run. There sky was cloudy, just the way I like it in the morning to block out the HOT sun. I added in a little extra today, even though my legs are cramping like crazy. Other than that, I felt great.

But.....

Poor Ginger obviously wasn't feeling the same way. Halfway through the running part, she STOPPED! Yep, just STOPPED and layed down in a shady stop.

Of course, we are in Arizona, so there aren't many shady spots because there aren't any TREES!

But she managed to find a shady spot next to a wall and... STOPPED!

"Okay," I said. "I'll give you a minute." I gave her a little wtter from my waterbottle, snapped a picture of her and it was time to pick up the pace.

Well, after about another quarter mile, something was slowing down my stroll.

I take a look back at the dog, who was now WALKING in slow motion. SHE. WAS. DONE!

For a minute, I thought we were going to have to sit down and wait out her exhaustion. She would not walk faster than a slow crawl.

So, we walk the rest of the .25 mile at a snails pace back to the house.

When we get home, I spray her down with the water hose. I'd called my mom on our crawl back to the house and she suggestion the poor dog might have heat exhaustion.

Now, she's laying next to her bowl, drinking ice water and panting heavily.

Ginger is NOT that dog who enjoys exercise! Maybe it's time for a Golden Retriever puppy.

Who am I? Putting it in Writing.

2011-08-25T06:36:00.008-04:00

I am Kay.

I am a woman,

A mother,

A wife,

A student,

A stay at home mom,

A volunteer,

A path seeker,

A dreamer,

A writer,

A blogger,

A lover of photography,

A social media nut,

A non-domestic goddess,

An optimist,

A scatterbrain,

A smiler,

I am an American,

An African American,

I am of Indian decent,

A Democrat,

A non-denominational Christian (in the works)

An Army Brat,

A traveler,

A Georgia Peach at heart,

A current Arizonian,

An Army Wife,

A Daughter,

A Sister,

A Grand Daughter,

A Niece,

An Aunt,

A Cousin,

A Friend,

I am a protector,

A provider,

A cook,

A chauffeur,

A cheerleader,

A nurse,

A counselor,

A shoulder,

A supporter,

A drill sergeant,

A mediator,

A referee,

A homework checker,

A teammate,

A coach,

A bike mechanic,

A toy fixer,

A beautician,

A nail technician,

A designer,

A battery replacer,

But I am not a maid.

I am dog walker,

A dog washer,

An aspiring runner,

A workout partner,

A lunch buddy,

A a person to talk to,

I am Kay

Take a moment to write down who you are. A person has many co-cultures and this is a great way to see who you are and what you do. You are not JUST A MOM or JUST A STUDENT. YOUR Job doesn't define you. Write it down. See how quickly your list grows!

Late Birthday Wishes

2011-08-24T13:15:00.001-04:00

This morning was a day that I really thought that the devil on my shoulder was going to win the Lazy Day battle and knock the Angle on my shoulder who wanted to go for a run out. But the Angel Won and I went out and did the dang thing, even with my cold and even with this being the first day of Aunt Flow's visit. I feel great right now.

Today's question on Family Feud: We asked 100 women, how much weight have you gain after getting married?

The number one answer: 10 LBS

Who did they ask????

Newlyweds after the first year?

My answer is well over 10lbs. Well over 20lbs!

I'm more in the 30 lb range. I'm still blaming to on baby fat, even though my baby is about to turn 7. I guess it's time to own up to the fact that this is no longer baby fat, huh?

*****************************************

My Husband and my Mom share a birthday. On August 22nd, my husband turned 38 and my mother turned..... uhhhh... 36!

For many years, my mother was 29.

Somewhere along the line she turned 32. When she realized that I was catching up to her, and the fact that she remarried and her husband was the same age as MY husband, she decided to up her age to 35. I believe that this year she turned 36.

So how old is my mother... really?

Like the number of licks it takes to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop....

THE WORLD MY NEVER KNOW!

Happy Birthday to two of the most wonderful people in my life!

***************************************************

Run Ginger Run!

2011-08-19T13:46:00.002-04:00

I'm really shocked that there have been 2 deaths here on post within days of each other.

The first, a man was found dead at the middle school by a sanitation worker! Yes! The Middle School. YES, The Middle School that my son goes to!

You can imagine the concern I had all weekend when this news was released later that afternoon with no other information other than "There is no immediate danger to the post."

So we go on wonder what happened and should I be sending my son to school Monday.

Well, apparently it was a custodian who worked there and a possible suicide. I couldn't help but think how sad a person must be to do something so tragic. The problem doesn't go away. It just makes more issues for your loved ones. I wish someone had been able to catch the signs sooner.

On Thursday, a friend and I went to the gym. There was a lot of commotion going on in the area with lots of emergency personnel rushing through the area. With the amount of chaos, I assumed it was a practice or something, but it wasn't. A training police office passes out on the field while doing a Physical Agility Test preparing for the DA Police Academy. He died shortly after. He was only 29 and had a wife and 3 kids. How sad is that?

************************************

Anywho, after taking a few days off from my run, I was back out there on the pavement this morning. I made it through my 1.5mile power walk and another 1.5miles in running. I'm not loving the way my shins feel when I run. I think I might need another pair of shoes.

I'm not understanding why my dogs butt is looking much bigger these days when she and I get so much more exercise that she has ever had! Okay, maybe I can, because I'm not losing weight myself according to that HORRID scale. But Ginger seems to be getting bigger. I think it's time to change her dogfood because now that she is actully doing some physical activity, she is actually eating more. Kibbles and Bits, from what my vet tells me, is not the healthiest brand for dogs. It's all I could get her to eat though. Canned dog food has me cleaning up a mess I can't handle, so she has to eat dry. I've tried several but that chick is PICKY!

She is, however, doing much better on our runs. I told her that if she didn't start picking up the pace I was going to have to leave her at home!

She can make it through the entire 1.5mile run without trying to pull me backwards. Except when we ran on Tuesday... in the sun... and I think we BOTH almost passed out that day!

Getting back into a routine.

2011-08-15T12:29:00.000-04:00

School started here on Wednesday.

YAY!

The kids all LOVE their teachers and classes. I'm so happy to hear that. When I when I picked them up I asked each one of them how their day was and the responses I got were,

"Excellent!"

"Awesome!"

"Good!"

This could be a great year.

********************************

On the second day of school, Kid 1 wanted to ride his bike to school. Of course, he's in middle school now and always the most athletic, so a mile ride on his bike was no problem for him. Even with his bummed foot. Did I mention he kicked a ROCK?

I mean, if my mom wanted to take me to school every day, I woulda been first in the car! But QUE SERA!

So, on the second day, I let him ride with his friend. RELUCTANTLY because his foot has still been bothering him.

Well, we're in Monsoon season here. Anyone ever lived in AZ?

Well, monsoon season here means short scattered thunderstorms. Unually no big deal. You can look off in the distance and see it raining at say, Walmart, but barely get a drop a mile away.

Well, I picked Miss Missy up from school because it started to sprinkle right when I went outside to walk across the street to pick her up. I had to drive. She's a girl! No way could we have her walking home in the rain and getting her hair wet! By the time I reached the school, (I can see it from my front door, by the way) the rain had stopped.

Cam had ridden his bike to school as well so I didn't bother to pick him up because there was no rain. He came in and all was fine.

But MOMENTS after he finished greeting me, THE SKY OPENED UP! I mean THUNDER, TONS OF LIGHTNING STRIKES! The WORKS!

MY BABY WAS OUT IN THIS?!?!

I made a beeline to the car and rode along the trail that I knew he would have ridden to get home. There were poor kids walking, drenched from head to toe, running in TONS of water, jumping over puddles and desperately trying to make in home. All kids within a mile are required to walk home.

When I made it to the school he was nowhere to be found!

Back home I flew, as fast as the 15 miles per hour school zones would allow me to go.

When I pulled into the driveway, his friend's mom was pulling into the driveway as well. She'd beat me to them, thankfully!

But that wasn't the end of it. As we pulled his bike out of the jeep, of course it didn't come out easily and she and I ended up SOKED from head to toe.

Now, my neighbor's kid and grandmother was waiting at my house as well. The poor 3rd grader was in tears... literally terrified.

They were inside the house and when the lightning struck, it set off the alarms in the house! The carbon-dioxide alarm and the smoke detectors. Again I went out into the pouring raining, unsuccessfully dodging the river of water flowing down the street, to go to see what the problem was in their house. The boy was terrified and the grandmother NO SPEAKA EEENGLEESH! Sure enough, the the sirens were blaring so loud I couldn't concentrate and there was no way to turn them off. The boy said he'd seen lightning hit the backyard, but who knows where a kids imagination could take him during a lightning storm.

So they waited out the storm at our house, waiting for his mom to come home to the rescue.

*********************************

Saturday Morning. I would have preferred to stay in the bed and SLEEP. But I'm on a mission to a healthier me. So I got up and Hubs and I went for a walk/run. Well on the way back I think I may have pushed my already sore legs to the limit as we sprinted a short distance. I'm limping and I'm taking the day off from my walk.

The Mommy Fabulous Back to School Guide for the Fabulous Mom

2011-08-09T15:03:00.000-04:00

Okay, Ladies! It's time to send the kiddies back to school. Chances are, most of you have spruced up the kids wardrobes with fabulous duds and shoes and bought great school supplies. The kids are ready and raring to show off the inches they've grown, accompanied by a stylish pair of jeans or khakis, a new do and a Victorious or Phineas and Ferb pencil pack.

They're looking snazzy for the first day, first week, and even for the first month.

THEY'RE READY!

But are you?

It's all to often that we moms forget about ourselves at this time of year because this is their time to shine. But even so, it's important for us not to forget just how fabulous we are and to do a little for ourselves.

1. First DO NOT drop your kids off in Betty Boop pajama bottoms and fuzzy slippers!

HUGE No-No! Okay, I know I've often said that being Mommy Fabulous is not always about about the way you look, but about the way that you feel. In this case, scratch that idea! Pajamas and slippers are for the house......... ALL THE TIME. Checking the mail, maybe. But even THAT depends on just how far you have to walk!

Do you ever pick up your kids only to find that they walk WAAAAAY ahead of you? It's probably not because they're excited about going home, girl!

When you pick up and drop off your kids, try to remember that yeah, they love you, but they also love their friends. Try not to embarrass them! I'm not saying dress up in 4inch heals and fully made up faces just to pick them up (although, that's what I do). All I'm saying is to put on a pair of jeans or a pair of shorts before you leave the house. And heals are not necessary, although they sure do look great, but flip flops are okay... sometimes. Aaaaand it wouldn't hurt to add in some lip gloss and a nice pair of hoop earrings.

2. DO YOUR PART

I know many people think that volunteering your time at the school is a bad idea. You've got your own things to do at home, right? You work too many hours, right? I know that if you've had kids in school for a while then you've probably heard the horror stories about the "Cliquish" PTO or PTA, right? Yeah, I was there. But, do you know that the more time you spend in your kid's school, the better grades they get? The better students they are? They happier they are? It's true! Studies have proven it.

So take a chance. Put in some time at your kid's school. Volunteer to run a booth, bake something (or FAKE n BAKE like I do!), or plan a party. If you're REALLY brave, become an active member of the PTO/PTA. I'm sure that you have a talent that they can use! (but, if your talent is belly dancing, please just bake something) I can bet you'll find that not only is it not as bad as you thought it would be, but you feel appreciated and accomplished as well. And that, girls, can help lift your Fabulousness ten-fold!

What's this got to do with being Mommy Fabulous? Well, like I've told you, being Mommy Fabulous is not about the way that you look everyday. Being Mommy Fabulous is about being there for your kids (Looking fabulous in the process is just a bonus!)

3. GET OUT WITH THE GIRLS!

The kids are away for about 8 hours a day. (4 if you have a pre-schooler in some areas) So this is the perfect time to connect with a few friends and other moms and have lunch or a late breakfast! One of my favorite things to do when the kids are away during the day is to invite a few friends over for a potluck lunch and have a little girl talk. For the most part, we are all on the same schedule, so we can enjoy one another until the cows come home. Uhh, I meant kids. It's a fun time to unwind before the stressful part of the day begins, You know, doing homework, preparing dinner and getting ready for the next school day. This is also a time when you have a reason to dress up and look FABULOUS!

4. ME TIME

The kids are away and it's your time to spend with one of your favorite people. YOU! This is your time to find a hobby or work on your passion. Don't go back home and jump back in the bed unless you had a really long night the night before ;-). Get up and do something. This time is perfect for going to the gym to lose those extra pounds you've been talking about losing, taking a trip to the mall WITHOUT KIDS or taking that long walk you so desperately need to unwind. Many of you will find that this is the time you need to work on you Work from Home job. Others will find it the best time to do something that you love. Read that book that has been in your nightstand drawer for months. Finish that scrapbook you've been trying to do since your 11 year old was 2. Sew those curtains you've been talking about putting in your bathroom windows since you moved in. Or is that just me? I think you get the picture.

My point is, I know that housework has to be done and it's a never ending job, but don't forget about yourself in the process. The perfect time to do the things you love or have been meaning to do is now! When the kids are back in school.

5. BE READY TO LISTEN.

When the kids get out of school, they are riled up and ready to talk about their day. Be there to listen. I know everything is hectic, but try to stop and give your kids your undivided attention. I like to give the kids 30 minutes before they start they're homework of my undivided attention. The 3 of them can chat forever, but they know that for the 30 minutes out of school, while they are fixing snacks it's their time to shine. They appreciate knowing that what they have to say is important to me. Listening to them makes them more confident kids.

So there you go. The Mommy Fabulous Back to School Guide for the Fabulous Mom. Being there is the key to being FABULOUS for your kids. Being beautiful inside and out is key to being a Fabulous YOU!

Finding my Passion

2011-08-08T14:22:00.000-04:00

Passion is something that drives you. Passion is the glue in your life that makes you stick to accomplishing your dreams, the reason you keep going ever day, the reason you strive to do your best at something. Passion drives you to whatever it is that you want to accomplish, what ever it is that you love.

For years, I have watched people around me make huge accomplishments in their lives. I have watched people succeed and wondered what is the driving force behind why they push to succeed.

Passion.

In life, you have to have a passion at something.

I'm still looking for mine.

I'm a creative spirit and sometimes I flow with the wind. Today, I might want to sell houses, tomorrow I might want to take pictures. What I want to do with myself changes more than you will ever know. Other than those 3 kids in my life, I haven't found something that drives me that I can stick to.

As you know, I've been reading The Digital Moms Handbook. The very first thing they talk about when it comes to starting your own business through your blogging is to FIND YOUR PASSION.

So what's mine?

What is the driving force behind why I do what I do?

What do I really want to be when I grow up?

I don't remember wanting to be much of anything when I was a girl. I've always just wanted to be me.

But who is that?

At 33, I feel that there is a need to find my passion. Reflecting, I know that I've always loved to write. I know that one thing I've always wanted to do was write a book, be a great author, be on the best sellers list and make a lot of money. But who doesn't want to do that?

For many years, I've want to be in real estate. I've dreamed of showing big beautiful houses to people and helping them fulfill their dreams of owning their perfect home. I became discouraged first in the fact that I absolutely SUCK at math, then in the fact that the market for selling crashed. I couldn't afford to work for free while waiting on that commission of a lifetime.

I absolutely love photography, but you know how you might love something, but you realize that you're not really that good at it? Yeah that's where I am with that one. I don't have the confidence in myself to try to turn that into a career.

So here I stand, wondering what is it that I have a passion for and what it is that I can do to that I would absolutely love?

Wouldn't it be great if I could combine the 3 and become a real estate photographer who write great articles to help agents sell houses?

Hmmm...

What I'm reading now

2011-08-03T20:58:00.005-04:00

Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Of course you have! Who hasn't, right? All a part of being a mom.

I have been desperately trying to finish my midterm for my Macroeconomics class. I'm NOT loving this class. I thought I could handle this class because it doesn't involve any math. If you know me, you know that I LOATHE math.

This is not a math class, but I think I LOATHE this class just as much!

The midterm has taken me hours upon hours to make it halfway through!

************************************

School is starting in a week!

I'm pretty excited. And not because the kids will all be out of the house for 8 hours...

WHOO HOO!

PAR-TAY!

although that is icing.... but because they are all so excited to go back to school. With one starting middle school, one going to the 4th grade and one so very excited about being a first grader, I plan on having a busy year. They are all going to be at different school, because of you remember me talking about it last school year, the elementary school is split K-2 and 3-5. Two separate schools.

That means 3 different PTO and 3 different schedules.

This should be interesting.

*****************************************************

My Huachuca Wives project is going well. I have over 30 people actively involved and I'm hoping to get closer to these ladies and get to know more once school starts and I have more time to devote to this project. It's a lot of fun, actually. I met one of the members personally during VBS last week. She's very sweet and she thanked me for starting the page! Imagine that? Someone who was appreciative of me starting a group focusing on the good of Fort Huachuca!

******************************************************

Lastly, I want to share with you all my newest read.

I know! Who has time to read, right?

Well, I purchased a book on iTunes so that is with me everywhere I go. I can pull it out and read it whenever I can.

The book is Digital Moms Handbook, by Audrey McClelland from MomGenerations.com and Colleen Padilla from ClassyMommy.com.

It's all the buzz around the Twitter world. But when I read the review that fellow blogger, Renee @ Cutie Booty Cakes had on her blog, I knew I needed this book!

After all, I'm a digital mom, right? I'm constantly stuck to my Twitter, Facebook and blog! I don't go to the bathroom without my phone! It's by time I learn to put those skills to good use right?

Well, I read the the first couple of pages and I was hooked. Downloaded immediately. For me, that's amazing because I have tons of previews of books downloaded to my iPhone, but this is the first purchase I've actually made!

(Next will be The Help, because I really want to read how that ends up before the movie comes out on Netflix!)

So, that's what I'm reading and so far, it's really good, although I haven't gotten to the meat and potatoes of the book yet. When I finish, I'll let you know all about it, love it or hate it.

Kay

A Letter to my little sister.

2011-07-30T19:04:00.000-04:00

Dear Bree,

It seems you and I have come a long way. When you were little and I was just beginning my teen years, you drove me crazy. You were quite possibly the most terrorizing little shit I knew. I was MORE than happy to move away and get away from you when I got married and moved to Germany. You were more than happy for me to leave. I don't think we ever talked much even over the phone without some nasty words being exchanged.

I'm thankful that our relationship has changed over the years. Thankful that we can now talk to one another without me wanting to scratch your eyeballs out. Very thankful that we actually enjoy one another now.

Having a sister is a blessing. A little sister is someone that you can share your knowledge with and give advice to. I do my best to do that without stepping into you life. "You're Grown", right? Well, at this point, your big sister still has a few pointers for her 21 year old baby sister.

Don't ever move too fast with a guy. People show you who they want you to see when you first meet them and when they are trying to get to know you. Take your time and get to know someone before you start thinking of moving up levels with them. Judge Mabeline always says, "Look Deep before you leap." GREAT ADVICE. Never let your heart get in the way of good judgment.

Mama always told me, "Never let anyone steal your joy." It meant a lot when she told it to me. It was a time when joy was hard to find. I want to tell you the same thing and take it a step further with your joy, your self-confidence or your ambitions. You're my sister, which makes you at least HALF as gorgeous as I am :-)! Don't ever forget that. Don't ever let anyone make you feel differently. If dad didn't instill anything else in me, it was confidence in my self. Be beautiful inside and out and that light will shine on to others. Also, steer clear of the dream killers. Some people are negative and don't want to see you do better for yourself. Dream Killers will have you doubting what you can do and who you can be. Be ambitious, little sister. And if you want to do something, DO IT! If you're going to dream, dream big and then go forth and accomplish!

You want to surround yourself with positive people. Those people will guide you to do positive things. Surround yourself with people who are looking toward a brighter future, people who want to do better and be better in life, people you aspire to be like and people who are going places. When you do this, you start to think like these people and they teach you to do the same.

Enjoy Life, Girlie! You only have one!

Your Big Sister,

Kay

Thank You, Soldiers.

2011-07-29T14:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday while I was registering my son for middle school, a family walks in and the wife is pushing the husband in a wheelchair. At first, I thought nothing of it and continued with my paperwork.

The wife was greeted by the Middle School Staff and was asked how she was doing. She walked over the the secretary shaking her head, stress on her face.

"He just got home," she said.

"What happened to him?" asked the secretary.

"An IUD," she responded. "He was in the hospital for two weeks after his surgery before they let him come home. It's been hard. This was his 3rd time over there, you know?"

"I'm sorry to hear that Mrs. Jones (Name changed)? I know that's tough, but thank God he's alive!"

The woman shook her head and agreed.

As a military spouse, I certainly pray for all of the soldiers. But sometimes I forget just how close we are as military families. We may not know them, but they are our family. I forget just how blessed my own family is that our Soldier returned home safe, healthy.

Every family doesn't have the luxury of saying that their Soldier returned home uninjured. Some don't have the luxury of saying that their Soldier returned home at all.

Yesterday was the first time I felt compelled to stop a Soldier and just say THANK YOU! I've had many people stop my husband, and myself, and thank us for our service to the military. I've hugged many Soldiers returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq as they stepped off the buses to greet their families. I have a Soldier at home who has done the same as these Soldiers and has put his life of the line in a war zone. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own stories that we forget to acknowledge others. I've thanked Soldiers on my Facebook page and in my writings on my blog. But I'd never stopped a Soldier, out of the blue, and thank him or her for the freedom we have here at home, for serving and putting his or her life on the line.

Yesterday I did. I will continue to do so.

Why are the kids next door to me so LOUD?

2011-07-29T06:14:00.000-04:00

Mind you, I do understand that kids playing can be a very loud thing. I know loud. Cam. Is. Loud.

But, there are so kids whose voices carry way too much and that's when it's time for the parents to step in.

Has she ever told them to SHHHH?

My neighbors kids yell no matter what they are doing. I hear them through the walls in my house when the windows are shut. There are some mornings when she lets them out before 7 in the morning and they are YELLING at the tops of their lungs.

AT 6 SOMETHING IN THE MORNING? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Their talking voices.... LOUD!

Their playing voices... LOUD!

Their crying voices... LOUD-ER!

Those are two kids I would never offer to babysit!

Oops, was I suppose to say that?

My Baby is Growin' Up!

2011-07-28T16:58:00.000-04:00

Today was one of those days when I realized my baby is growing up.

I signed him up for middle school.

(insert Awwwwwws here)

They talked about lockers and changing classes and in-school sports and I just can't believe that I have a middle schooler.!

He's not even big enough to be a middle school! He's so PUNY that I'm afraid someone might try to stuff him in one of those lockers!

But, never the less, my son is growing up. I'm expecting things to change from this point. While he still enjoys Legos and playing with his little brother now, I expect that teenage attitude to kick in and for him to start wanting his own space, spending more time in his room and finding a lot more things to be BABY STUFF.

Puberty! Pimples! Public hair! OH MY!

Oh the joys of my baby growing up!

I'm Participating in Mama Kat's Writing Prompts this week. I chose to write on the prompt:

Choose a writing prompt from the list provided that inspires you most.

Drop and Give Me 150!

2011-07-24T15:30:00.000-04:00

My husband is driving me CRAZY!

Weekends in my house sound like a cleaning boot camp!

Once he's up and about, EVERYONE should be up and about, cleaning the house spotless.

Sleeping in is not an option most of the time because he is the early bird and literally starts making noise before 8am. Too often, it’s starting a load of laundry.

NO I CANNOT SLEEP with the washer spinning!

Of course, that noise is going to start the sleepers in the house to start rustling in their beds until they can’t sleep anymore.

Well, once they are awake, it’s Drill Sergeant time.

Did you clean the kitchen?

50 push ups!

Didn’t I tell you to sweep the floor?

100 push ups!

Why isn’t your bed made?

Don’t ask to go outside today!

Did you brush your teeth?

Put away the dishes.

Clean the bathroom.

You didn’t clean your room.

That’s 150!

It’s not that he makes them clean up that gets on my nerves. It’s more the extent of the fussing and the fact that “Everyone is nasty!”

As their mom, that’s more or less a direct hit on me because I feel like I bust my butt to make them keep the house clean during the week, and he comes home and complains about how nasty everyone is. I’m not perfect, nor do I expect to live in a perfect house. My home is clean but lived in.

Yeah, there are things on the 6 year old's floor that she decided not to clean up after playing Barbies.

Yeah there are crumbs on the floor from having potato chips at lunch and yeah the boys may have left video game controllers in the middle of the floor in their rooms, but I’m okay with that.

I’m okay with NOT being perfect.

I’m also okay with having the kids learn responsibility and learn how to clean.

Y’all KNOW how much I make them clean. All too often one will come to me and say, "Mom, we're the only ones out of our friends that have to do chores." And, I'll say, that's because your friends' parents are CRAZY! You're going to learn to be responsible for yourselves. Your friends who don't have chores will grow up to me messy and irresponsible." And their okay with that. They feel that chores are a necessary evil.

What I’m NOT okay with is that I do all of this and because it is no longer perfect when Hubs gets home, I feel like I’m insignificant as he becomes the drill sergeant yelling about what isn’t done. I feel like I’ve failed as a stay at home mom when he yells at them for what hasn’t been cleaned. But that’s a feeling I’m going to have to work on, I guess.

My father was the same way. When he was home, he made a big fuss about what was not done around the house. I wonder if it’s a Soldier thing. I wonder how my mom felt.

Today is NOT the day

2011-07-22T11:40:00.000-04:00

Today is NOT the day.

But I guess I felt the same way yesterday.

But TODAY is NOT the day.

Between the fact that I didn't sleep well and really want to go back to sleep and the fact the mensies are kickin my butt., today I really want to avoid the morning walk.

I don't think today is the day!

But, I hate to disappoint Ginger. She loves the walk. Well at least until the walk turns into a run. Yesterday, once the UMPH kicked in, I was able to hit the pavement with a jog. That was after walking about a mile and a half first, in the heat. Well, Ginger wasn't too happy about that and I ended up pulling her and pepping her to run most of the way.

Lazy Dog.

Today doesn't feel like a day where I want to get out and hit the pavement, but at least I better walk, right? I always feel so much better after a little exercise, even if it is only a mile or so walk. And even though I didn't sleep last night, I can always come back and take a nap. It's not one of my busy days.

Today is going to have to be the day.

I may not be able to do any working out tomorrow. It's Saturday. Lots going on. Lots of plans. Not sure if I can squeeze it in.

Today IS the day. I'm tying my shoes, drinking my water and putting the dog on the leash.

TODAY IS THE DAY, because tomorrow's not promised to be the day either. so TODAY, I have to push my excuses to the side and make it happen!

Today IS the Day!

Getting to know the community.

2011-07-21T03:03:00.001-04:00

Back home in Georgia, one of my favorite things to do was to invite the girls over for a lunch date. Not because I'm a gourmet by any means, but because I had a love for entertaining and being around my girls.

For the most part, these lunches were during the school year... for obvious reasons.

The fewer kids, the more adult conversation we could get in.

And who doesn't love a little adult conversation?

Since I've been here in Arizona, I haven't met many friends, but the few ladies I do know, I decided to invite over for lunch today.

Didn't happen. Had to cancel when Hubs told me he needed a chaperone to his MRI. Since there were no other options, I had to take the job.

Lunch cancelled.

Well, my neighbor didn't get my 2 voicemails and the 1 text message I left on her cell and she came over with a plate of yaki mandu. If you've never tried this dish you need to RUN to the closest Korean restaurant and place an order for at least a dozen!

Anywho, I was very apologetic for not having the lunch and not getting the message to her about the cancellation. But I assured her that her yaki mandu would NOT go to waste!

I told her that I would reschedule and she was more than happy to hear that. She started telling me how lonely she was and how for the first 4 months of her living here on Ft. Huachuca, she didn't talk to ANYONE. She told me that now, other than the people at her church, she really doesn't know anyone in this area except me.

She's been here a little longer than I have.

Now, last week, I decided to start a Facebook page called Huachuca Wives. I wanted to put together a page that illustrated all of the things that there are to do in this small community and the near by areas. I wanted to put together a page where spouses could meet other spouses, form friendships and share information. It's hard to live in a small, community in the middle desert and it's hard to find things to do.

I'm starting to gain members. I'm up to 29, which is great. There was one comment similar to the conversation with my neighbor where a wife here on Ft. Huachuca talked about how she'd been here (...) months and she hadn't met many people. This got my wheels turning. There has to be many more that feel this way. There has to be many spouse that just want to get out of the house and meet people, right?

So the page will offer tons of community information. I spend the better part of my morning after my walk looking for things to do in the community to share with others I also hope to get some of these ladies together soon. We'll see. For now, I want to focus on getting the word out of things to do in the area. I know how it is when you have days where you just seem trapped in the house in the middle of the desert.

I'm already glued to the internet for many many hours of the day, so I figure why not use my love for social media to help others, well, push away from the social media table and get to know their community?

Giveaway Winner!

2011-07-18T12:11:00.000-04:00

I'm feeling great this morning and I'm in a great mood, despite the fact that I woke up earlier than I wanted to. Hubs decided to get his workout on with music blaring in the living room this morning. He tried to be respectful and closed the door to the bed room, but the sound of E93 Jamz and the sound of whistles blowing. I'm think it was coming from his Droid ap, counting out his push-ups.

Today, I opted not to do my morning walk because the boys had a friend sleep over and while I might leave my own for a short time in the morning while they're sleeping, I figure it wouldn't be a great idea to leave someone else's rugrat, sleeping or not.

So instead, I folded 2 weeks of laundry. Yeah I despise folding laundry!

Oh I know I had to brag on FB, but I didn't get to brag to you all about my accomplishment.

I MADE THE DEAN'S LIST!

It's amazing how smart going back to college has made me feel. I finally feel accomplished, like I'm doing something worthwhile and meaningful.

I'm signing the kiddos up for soccer today. This will be their first time play this sport, but they are all so excited. I can't wait to see "The Princess" out there in the heat. If my memory serves me correctly, cheerleading didn't go over too well with her because she didn't like sweating.

This should be interesting!

*********************************************

YES I'm late, but today, I'm ready to announce the winner of the Fiber One 90 Calorie Giveaway!

Are you ready???

The Winner Is.

Marina!

Congrats to you! Contact me with your mailing information so that I can get your prize out to you!

Thank you to all who participated!

*************************************************

Am I becoming... GULP... OUTDOORSY?

2011-07-14T14:47:00.001-04:00

This morning I allowed all of the kids to intrude on my morning walk. Normally they're asleep (or at least 2 out of 3) so I usually take to dog out for a minimum of a 40 minute walk. Today, I woke up the boys to put the trash cans out on the curb because it's trash day.

Oh did I mention we got blue recycling cans this past weekend? I was pretty excited because when we first moved in I asked the Command why we were not recycling and I was told that it just wasn't in the budget. In my opinion the benefits of recycling had to outweigh the cash and was sure to cost the post less in the long run, but who can argue with the Garrison Commander? Anywho, 4 months later and VOILA! Blue recycling cans! YAY! (Why things like this excite me, I don't know.)

Anyway, I got the kids up and let them ride their bikes while Ginger and I did a speed walk. I even had it in me to take a longer route than normal AND run on the way back. I have to admit, I expected lots of complaints from Thing One and Thing Two, but they were actually pretty good on their bikes. I'm sure they wouldn't have made it on foot.

The idea of waking them up in the morning is not a bad idea. They get in some exercise, we get to spend some time together and they begin to learn the importance of living a healthy life. I'm just starting to learn this so I'm hoping to get it instilled in them early.

On the other hand, on the mornings that I don't take CJ with me (I take him because he does the least amount of complaining), the walks are my "me time" to think and organize my day while enjoying music via online radio all the way from Savannah, GA. It happens to be my FAVE radio station, even though I haven't lived in the Savannah area in years. If you love Hip Hip and R&B and you love today's music mixed in with greats from the 90s on up, listen here:
http://tunein.com/radio/E-93-931-s28412/

There are so many things to do and so little time to do it. The summer has flown by and it almost feels as if I just haven't done ENOUGH with the kids this summer. The last two weeks have been much of nothing exciting. I'm glad that the weather is changing and thanks to the monsoon season, it's not scorching hot outside anymore.

Shhh, I'm about to surprise you.

Ready?

I think I'm becoming the outdoorsy type!

Yeah, I said it.

I'm starting to actually want to do things outdoors.

I WANT to hike to the top of the mountain. Really, I do! It amazes me that I'm even considering the idea, but I want to get out and hike up the mountain. I'm inspired by the people I see doing it. I'm not expecting it to be easy and I think that's why I want to do it. I will never be able to climb mountains at home in GA unless I go up north, so I want to do it while I have the opportunity.

Okay, you can get off of the floor now. I know that's a shocker because I can't hike in heels.

So stay tuned. I have a feeling that day is coming soon!

Stimulate Your Mind, MAN!

2011-07-10T01:27:00.000-04:00

My Microeconomics class had a interesting discussion this week. It was about whether or not to legalize Marijuana for economic stimulation.

If you watch the town hall meeting Obama did recently answering question posed through social media, you'd know that he was asked about legalizing marijuana. Apparently this is on MANY American's minds.

This is my discussion post:

As teens, my brother and I use to joke about how the government should just go ahead and legalize marijuana.

A couple of months after I moved here to Arizona, the news was flooded with reports that medical marijuana was now legal, with a prescription, of course. Marijuana is sold in clinics and shops across Arizona. Billboards went up everywhere. Jobs opened up for those who could show users how to use the drug “responsibly”. Pro 1 – Job growth

Living on the border where much of these drugs enter the country, I find myself again asking, "Why not legalize it and take the thrill out of it? Make some money for the country in the process?" And apparently I’m not the only one with these thoughts.

President Obama addresses the question of legalizing the drug in the United States. It was a question raised by many online users wondering if legalizing Marijuana would stimulate the economic status of the United States.

The President’s response? “The answer is,no, I don’t think that it is a good stragey to grow our economy.” Of course, he’s suppose to say that. He is the President of the United States and constantly under extreme scrutiny.

But let’s look at this. Many states have played with the possibility of legalizing the drug. Amsterdam considers it a soft drug and although it is not necessarily “legal” to sell weed, export or import it, there are several “coffeeshops” that sell it. California has proposed many benefits for the state:

· Save $200 million in law enforcement on arrests, prosecution, trial and imprisonment of offenders.

· An excise tax of $50 per ounce would raise about $770 – 900 million per year.

· Retail sales would range from $3 - $4.5 BILLION. Generatin another $240 - $360 MILL in sales tax.

One benefit would be that less African Americans and minorities would be flooding the jails for procession and selling marijuana. They would be free from prison to purchase marijuana legally, therefore stimulating the economy.

On the con side, legalizing and taking marijuana could easily cause people to move to illegal, less expensive and tax-free drugs instead. Also, marijuana makes you lazy. It’s a strong possibility that the more people free to use weed, the more people would become lazy and lose jobs!

If you stuck with me this long, feel free with leave your personal opinion! Thanks!

Resources

Time Magazine. Kline, 2009. Why Legalizing Marijuanna makes sense. Retrived from April 2, 2009. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1889166,00.html

Kay

Okay, so SHOOT! What ya got? What's your opinion?

Kankles and Lunch Lady Arms. UGHH!

2011-07-08T04:25:00.002-04:00

My treadmill has been sitting stagnant for months. Well, it may have been used by Hubs, but it certainly hasn't been used by me.

And it shows.

As I get out the shower and stand in the mirror, it shows around my 12-pack abs.

It shows on my thighs.

It shows in the knees and once had and down to my kankles. Yes, kankles. Knee-like-ankles!

Its shows with my lunch lady arms that keep waving once I stop my Mrs. America Wave. And it show with the two extra chins that have joined the first one that God gave me at birth.

Don't get me wrong! I'm stunning. Beautiful! But I don't want to become that girl with the pretty face.

We all know what it means when someone says she has a pretty face, right?

It means there's something wrong with the rest of you.

It means that whether you are too big or too small, COVER UP! And you may only wanna go to the beach in a Burkini!

I'm not sure why I torture myself in this cruel way. Stopping and starting this workout thing over and over. I just don't LOVE IT. I can't stick to it. But something's gotta give. I'm "The Big Girl" in the group these days, and either I'm gonna have to find some new friends, or I'm going to have to get to know my treadmill all over again!

So what's it gonna be?

Review and Giveaway... Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies

2011-07-07T17:55:00.009-04:00

How many of you have

Struggled to lose weight?

Gone on a diet?

Changed your eating habits to a healthier diet?

MEEEEEEE!

What's one of the hardest things to stop eating when you're trying to do one or all of these things?

Did you say sweets because I know that's what was ringing in my head?

Well one thing is for sure, when I want to cut back and get my eating habits in check, chocolate seems to want to hold on to me. And it holds on tight to my stomach area every time I give in to the craving.

Well I've recently become a fan of Fiber One products because 1) The box says fiber and fiber is suppose to be healthy, right? And 2] They have some things that taste like, well, GOOD.

Well, General Mills and Fiber One asked me through MyBlogSpark to give the new Fiber One 90 Calories a try and already being a fan and all, I was like

OKAY!

Brownies? Why Not?

And Again, it has the word FIBER on the box. FIBER is a healthy word, right?

Well, I got to try out these

and these

The consensus of of the house hold was so so. I liked them. They're a small healthy chocolatey snack that's great for taming a craving.

My oldest LOVED them and pretty much scarfed down both boxes and said that I needed to buy more.

Middle child, ...eh. He's a food connoisseur. A gourmet cook. Apparently they didn't taste homemade.

Little Miss Missy doesn't like chocolate and wouldn't give them a try, but she loved the jump rope included as one of the healthy life goodies that came with the Fiber One Brownies.

Hubs, eh. Not a fan.

So, for those in the house that gave them a try, the consensus was fifty-fifty.

So, if you want to give them a try in your family, Fiber One and BlogSpark wants to give one lucky reader a chance to give them a try!

Here's what they have to say: Cool, right? Well, all you have to do is leave a comment letting me know what favorite sweet treat you are willing to give up and replace with a Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownie!

Have we tempted your taste buds? If so, let us know and be among the first to try these new brownies. We will provide you with a Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownies gift pack that includes a box each of the Chocolate Fudge and the Chocolate Peanut Butter brownies, as well as a Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownie themed duffel bag, jump rope, water bottle, snack case, headband and bracelet. We will also provide you with an additional gift pack to give away to one of your readers.

Cool, right? Well, all you have to do is leave a comment letting me know what favorite sweet treat you are willing to give up and replace with a Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownie!

One comment a day, please!

The winner will be drawn randomly, probably by someone with very small stick fingers out of a random hat.

Deadline: WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011

I need a bath

2011-06-30T14:48:00.001-04:00

I know I've asked this question before, but I'm going to post about it again.

What is your ME TIME moment?

I know that for many moms, finding that moment in time to just "get away" from it all, even if it's just hiding in your room closet can be rare.

Al lot of mommies say that a good bubble bath is when they have their me time. I, however, have lived in this house for almost 6 months and I have used this nice tub maybe twice.

Taking a bath was already too much of an issue when you have people knocking on the door to ask questions and say, "Moooooom, he won't leave me alooooooone!"

Me time for me is escaping to my computer to read blogs or "play" on Facebook. Now that the kids are out of school and I'm a full-time mom (hee hee), me time is usually just an escape in my mind and not necessisarily time alone. It's that time I can mentally get away and IGNORE what the kids are doing or saying. And I can do this well, until someone is crying. You'd think that these twerps would cry less the older they get, right? HA!

MOOOOOOOM, he puuuuushed me!!!!

So where do you find YOUR me time during the summer, because as a full-time mom in the summer time, I'm NEVER ALONE!

Kay

Monsoons AND Fires? Oh, Arizona!

2011-06-29T20:55:00.000-04:00

Late Morning today.

Must be the weather.

You know how I always say that the sun here in Arizona seems to come up way too early?

IT'S MONSOON SEASON!

The rains have finally arrived.

The day is cloudy, and other than hubs who had to be at PT at 5:30, everyone slept in until 10. Is that amazing or what? Well, it was amazing for me. I haven't been able to do that since we got to this extremely bright state.

Now, while I'm excited to see some rain because of the fires, I'm sure I'll be back complaining real soon about how horrible the rain is and how I can't wait for them to go away.

But for now, Thank Goodness for the rain!

Okay, yesterday, the rain bought in some thunderstorms. The lightening started yet another fire here on post behind the mountains behind really close to our house.

UGH! Can't win for losing around these parts!

The Monument Fire was 90% Contained as of yesterday. And if the rain got to the mountains, we may finally be done with it. YAY!

This fire was put out in a hurry. Saw lightening then heard sirens, went out to see what the commotion was only to see dark smoke coming over the mountains! I really couldn't believe the fact that I was just panicked to no end about the HUGE Monument Fire and her goes another.

The planes were ON IT though! Over our heads flew in the slurry plane. For those who have no idea what that is, like me, it's the stuff they drop on fires to get them under control. They were up and fighting that fire. I commend the firefighters for the great job they have done here. I also see that a firefighter will never be bore in this state! If you need a job, become an Arizona Firefighter!

********************************

Also, my classes are DONE for this semester!

Can you believe that I have completed my first year?

Good News!

2011-06-29T17:02:00.000-04:00

The doctors said, "2 years."

God said, "Trust in me. I GOT this!"

Three and a half years later, after a bout of chemo the MRI was clear and my dad's brain is TUMOR FREE!

What a mighty God we serve!

Family Pics 2011

2011-06-27T13:07:00.000-04:00

Getting the family together to snap some good pictures is certainly not an easy task. Everyone has to be at their best simultaneously. That almost never happens.

That means Miss Missy has to have a fresh hair-do.

The boys have to have a fresh haircut.

Hubs, of course have to have a fresh haircut.

And me, well, I'm almost always looking my best.

Finally, everything fell into place. Everyone was on top of their game... except for the fact that my hair was not cooperating, but I could handle that because everyone else looked great.

So I took the fam out to snap some picture. Something we NEVER to as a whole.

Here is what we got:

Love when friends visit

2011-06-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

I haven't had much to blog about since we moved here to AZ.

There is so little to blog about these days.

I'm in a rut. A repetitive rut.

Other than the fire, I have very little exciting doing on.

I've gotta get out more!

We did get a visit from the East Coast. Cam's 2nd and 3rd grade teacher (who was also CJ's 2nd grade teacher) came to AZ for a visit. She toured the area with friends and made a day for us.

I have to say, she was the best teacher for my kids and she would have taught Miss Missy if we wouldn't have moved. She and I also became great friends over the years.

The kids were so excited to have their old teacher come to visit. She'd promised Cam she'd come and he couldn't wait for her to get here.

We spent the day doing mini golf and the arcade and then had dessert at the Cheesecake Factory It was my first visit and YUM! I had a Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake and it was so great. CJ had the Red Velvet one and YUM! And she had a Chocolate Sundae one and THAT I think was my fave, although they were all GREAT! Why have I waited so long to visit that heavenly place!

Now, she's gone and I have to laugh because her pictures show her going more in Arizona in one week than we have done in the 5 months since we've been here! I'm JEALOUS! So, I've decided that since I have to be here in the desert, I may as well make the best of it!

Off we go today... somewhere... anywhere!

Ft. Huachuca Wildfire update

2011-06-20T12:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a hard day. My nerves were on edge as the winds went crazy here in Ft. Huachuca.

On a normal day, the high winds in the 100 degree weather would have been welcomed with open arms. The winds felt wonderful.

But on this day, the wind was the enemy.

With winds gusting up to 50mph, the fire spread like... well like WILDFIRE! The planes were downed for most of the day for the safety of the pilots. The winds were just too strong. And boy did that fire take advantage of those downed planes!

Up to this point, the only thing we've been able to see from our home here on base was the smoke coming from behind the mountains. Yesterday, the winds caused huge plumes of smoke to fill the sky again and flames were able to be seen coming over the top of the Huachuca Mountains.

I'd never admit this to my husband, but I began to panic. I glued myself to the internet as the posts on Facebook updated every second and the police scanners kept everyone informed of what was happening.

Yesterday, people lost homes and businesses. Reading to the desperation of people wondering if their homes were still standing and worried for family and friends safety was so heartbreaking...

Many of my neighbors laugh when I tell them, but my bags are packed and ready to go. I have never been in a wildfire zone and although we are not in the pre-evacuation zone YET and the fire is still 10 miles away, I'm not taking any chances of losing or forgetting something important to me if they do call for us to leave. These things seem to be unpredictable and, no, the winds are not blowing the Monument Fire in our direction, but when I can see flames from my house, I need to be ready to go at the drop of a dime!

Open Heart

2011-06-18T22:26:00.001-04:00

You know what's funny?

God has a way of making you rethink some of the things you might think are the best choices for your future.

Have you ever made a decision, then have a natural disaster have you second guessing yourself?

Have you ever thought you knew best then see commercials or TV segments with statistics that pinpoint the exact issues that you are facing?

I can't pretend that I know what roads are best, and because my faith is not where I want it to be, I can't pretend that God has spoken directly to me to tell me what's right and wrong.

But what I do know is that God sends everyone signs. It's up to us to have a heart open enough to receive them.

Kay

Hair Horror!

2011-06-18T03:49:00.000-04:00

I went scissor happy a few days ago. I have been going crazy with my hair breaking like crazy, coming out from the roots. So, I took the scissors and chopped off about an inch in the back.

I just heard every hairdresser GASP in horror!

Didn't really make sense now that it's done. Cutting hair because it's falling out probably wasn't the answer.

It's the shortest its ever been. Doesn't even touch my shoulders. But it has been very unhealthy and I just want to get it back to growing and looking healthy.

I found a blog a little while ago with a lot of tips for black hair. I was so intrigued by these tips that I went to Sally's today to buy some of the products she uses.

I haven't exactly been taking very good care of my hair. Miss Missy's either. Apparently, the key to black hair growth if moisture. I haven't done well in keeping my hair moisturized and I thing Miss Missy's is just as dry. And since we've been in Arizona, OMG the dry scalp is crazy!

So, here begins my journey to getting my hair healthy and growing again. I haven't relaxed my hair since January. Not sure if that's good or bad because I am now between nature and relaxed, but without the Georgia humidity, I haven't had a reason to relax.

Of course, Miss Missy is nature. Her hair is thinning and shorter as well. There is so much to do from this point as I am gonna to start washing her hair more than once as month, as I had been doing.

YES I said ONCE A MONTH.

So, Join me on my journey to regrow our hair and make it healthy again!

The Ft. Huachuca Wildfire

2011-06-18T03:17:00.000-04:00

There's something to said about watching approximately 2400 acres go up in flames right in front of you. I could not believe the rush of adrenaline I had from the fear of seeing a fire start right before my eyes today. With the Monument Fire only about 10 to 12 miles from the post, it was all I could do to keep from passing out when I saw smoke in front of the mountains closest to us instead of climbing to the peak of the ridge behind it.

I started throwing everything I didn't want to live without in boxes and suit cases around mid afternoon today. I'd already packed important documents, like birth certificates and tax papers, and pictures and memorable things that you just can't get back.

The clothes, well I figured I had time.

Who woulda thunk another fire would start out of nowhere right here on base!

They put the fire out, but not before scaring me and the rest of the post half to death. My subdivision was the closest to the fire.

Like I said, I. watched. it. start!

We would have been the first to go. I glued myself to Facebook and watched the thousands of comments and updates on the fire on the Fort Huachuca page. Thank goodness for Facebook. It helped me to keep a level head knowing that someone was monitoring the fire's progress and keeping the families of updated.

Once the adrenaline came down, I felt like I could pass out from exhaustion!

So now, we've decided not to unpack the boxes as of yet. The Antelope Fire, as it was named, is 100% contained and is of no threat. In a way, it may have been a blessing in disguise as it put a barrier between us and the Monument fire by charring all of the grasslands in between us and the fire.

I've had dreams about the fire coming on base for the last few nights and haven't been able to sleep well. I'm sure tonight will be no different. The kids, however, seem to be taking it with a grain of salt. They say they don't want to evacuate, but to them, they fires is more of a spectator's sport as they sit on the fence and watch it with their friends. All they need is a bowl of popcorn!

Last night, they asked that the tenants of few other subdivisions here on base start preparing for pre-evacuation by turning on their sprinkle systems and clearing debris from their gutters. Those areas are surrounded by more mountain than we are though, although we are actually closed to the fire.

As of now, we are okay. This is so new to me, as I have never had to deal with wildfires. I'm thinking I'll take the humidity of the east coast over these terrifying fires ANYDAY!

Fire near Ft. Huachuca.

2011-06-15T12:55:00.004-04:00

I've got a lot to say today so I'm participating in Seven Clown Circus's Wordful Wednesday. If you've got a blog, participate! Go over and read what others who just have to talk have to say today! Dream of fire kept me tossing and turning last night. The wildfire has me worried.

It's only about 10 miles from our house here on base and that's quite scary!

The Monument Fire, as they call it, started on Sunday afternoon. I noticed it when I went outside to check on the kids that were playing around the bend in the street. So I took a few steps to make sure that they were all together and off in the distance I looked behind my neighbor's house and say a cloud of smoke.

Uh oh. A new fire. I thought. We already have one off in the distance which has been burning for about a month and a half. The Horseshoe 2 first started back at the beginning of May. Being that this is my first time in dry land, all of this wildfire stuff is new to me! I was already planning my escape plan! The fire was off in the distance and I could see it burning over the mountains. To me that was close enough to run!

This one, however is much closer.

Yesterday, I was on the phone with my mom on my way to the mall and she asked me about this new fire. I told her that I'm riding in the direction of the fire and it really didn't look that bad.

I went in the mall to by Hubs' Father's Day gift, came back out about 20minutes later and my mouth dropped open at the site of a massive cloud of smoke in the mountains!

There were people stopped and staring all through the parking lot.

The fire looked terrifyingly huge!

Okay, so I don't know why, but I was compelled to get a closer look. We drove towards the outside of the city limits because honestly I'd never seem anything like this. Of course, a sista like me was only gonna go so far!

But I had to snap some shots!

Scary, huh? This sudden burst of smoke was apparently caused by a "fire storm", a period of winds from 40 to 50 mph. Wind is the enemy right now!

Today the smoke has died down, but we're at about 5200 acres burned the last I checked.

It's not in the least bit contained at this point, but they are working like crazy to get it under control.

I'm just hoping the winds stay away!

Edited to say: We are fine. Although the fire is close, Fort Huachuca is to the north of the fire and right now the fire seems to be burning to the east. But the winds are unpredictable, so we are still on alert.

She's everywhere!

2011-06-12T21:09:00.002-04:00

Every Child has a TV in their room.

Every TV is on the same channel.

Every Child is outside.

And what do you think is on EVERY CHILD'S TV?

None other than iCarly!

Sigh... That's how iCarly became my soap opera of choice!

Falling teeth

2011-06-11T14:01:00.002-04:00

Do you ever have strange dreams and wake up wonder the meaning?

I don't remember most of my dreams, but the ones I do remember, I sometimes wonder if they mean something significant or I've I'm just that creative (or crazy).

The other night, I dreamed that my teeth were falling out. You ever had that dream. One by one and even 2 or 3 at a time (I didn't know I had that many teeth) they would fall out when I ran my tongue across them. I kept spitting them out in my hand and wondering what the heck was going on.

So, curious me, I had to look up the meaning of that dream. It must mean something, right? I have this same dream often.

This is what I came up with on Dream Interpretations website.

1. Anxiety about how you look
2. Anxiety about how others think you look
3. Fear of being sexually impotent which may occur once you grow old.
4. You may be having the fear of being made a fool of in a particular situation.
5. Some interpreters say that since teeth are used to eat, bite, chew and even tear some particular food, they symbolize power. So if you lose your teeth it simply signifies that you are left with no power anymore.
6. Recent research also shows that women who are having menopause have such tooth falling dreams. This could be related to their anxiety in getting older.
7. Sometimes teeth falling dreams also signifies that you are insecure about your finances.
8. Fear of being lonely or deserted.
9. Traditional interpretation of such dreams would mean you are suffering from malnutrition.
10. Spiritually, a falling teeth dream represents that you are deviated from the word of God and are concentrating more on following someone else other than Him.
11. In the Greek culture, such a dream is associated with some sickness or death of your loved ones.
12. The Chinese say that you could have such dreams if you might have lied to someone about something.
13. Some say that the tooth falling dream is based on an old fairy tale. It represents money and if you can keep your tooth under you pillow you would earn a lot of coins.

I AM vain. But not any more vain that I've always been. :-) I have however been pretty concerned about my hair lately and about how dry my skin is since I've been here in Arizona.

I'm not afraid of being lonely or deserted. My kids won't leave my side!

Suffering from malnutrition? Hmmm. Have you SEEN me? Uh NO!

I could agree with the Greek on this one. Sickness on a loved one has been weighing heavily on me lately. My dad's chemo is taking a toll on him. He's sleeping a lot and eating next to nothing. He's down 9lbs in the past 2 weeks. It's hard to be so far away and have to hear about it all over the phone. So perhaps that's why my teeth are falling out in my dreams. Smart Greek!

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Oh, and by the way, I WON the photo contest! YAY ME! Thanks so much to all of those that took the time to vote!

Kay

Vote for me AGAIN and Memorial Day Weekend Pics.

2011-06-02T13:02:00.002-04:00

Memorial Day Weekend Pics!

The Kids had a ball!

It was a fun wet Sunday at the Water Park. The kids had a great time. It wasn't too crowded and it wasn't too hot!

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If you haven't had a chance to vote for our picture in Mocha Dad's Photo Contest, please do so! If you've voted, vote again! One vote per day. Ends TODAY! Puleeeeeeeeze!!! I want to WIIIIIIN! Click on the Link and type I VOTE FOR A SOLDIER'S KISS in the comments.

THANK YOOOOOOU!

http://www.mochadad.com/authentic-fatherhood-photo-contest-may-2011-a-soldiers-kiss-by-kay-w/

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My dad is going through chemo and it's taking a toll on him. I hate that I'm so far away. Being on the other side of America makes it hard to jump in the car and go see him. He will be celebrating his 50th birthday on the 15th of June and he wanted to go to Michigan to celebrate with his mom and family but he's afraid that the chemo won't allow him to enjoy his time up there, so he may not go. He'll be doing treatments for 3 months. It makes him really tired. I hope it doesn't get any worse.

I'm very behind in my homework, so if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm playing catch up. Been slackin' and getting sidetracked with things like FACEBOOK (someone take it off of my computer!), and kids. I'm I'm gonna play catch up and get back with you guys soon. There's always much to tell!

Happy Memorial Day! Oh and Vote for ME!

2011-05-30T15:32:00.001-04:00

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank a Soldier today! To all of those who protect the freedoms we all enjoy everyday. To those who serve, have served and will continue to serve on our behalf. Thank you for your bravery and thank you for giving your ALL so that we may be free!

Thank you to My Husband!

Thank you to My Dad!

Thank you to My Sister!

Thank you to my MANY MANY Friends of the Armed Forces!

Now, Please take a moment to vote for our picture, A Soldier's Kiss in Mocha Dad's Photo Contest. Click Here and type, I vote for A Soldier's Kiss in the comments!

Here's the Pic!

Isn't it awesome?! He was about to get on the plane to go back to Iraq to finish his year tour after his 2 week visit.

But you have to leave the comment in the link's comments!

Thank you! and have a very Happy Memorial Day!

Wanted: New Blog Design

2011-05-28T12:54:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I'm ready to redesign my blog. Any suggestions?

Looking for a blog that can really capture the many faces of Mommy Fabulous.

I'm boring right now and I want something that will pop. Like ME!

On the way to search the web!

Being Mommy Fabulous when you're not-so-fabulous

2011-05-27T15:33:00.001-04:00

I'm not one to go to my kids' schools looking any old kinda way. I'm almost always in heals and makeup just to go to the school.

Yeah, I'm THAT mom.

But yesterday, I decided to run to the school in my morning-wear. Exercise pants, a big shirt and gym shoes. I was dropping off Caprisuns for the boys' classes for the last day of school, so only had to go as far as the office and run back home.

Well, I get there, only to find out that an awards ceremony is going on!

"I didn't hear anything about an awards ceremony."

"Oh, well we put it on the school website and had a sign here in the office. I hope your kids weren't getting awards."

(thinking) Do you KNOW my kids?

(straight-face)

"Well we don't advertise it because we just don't have room for all of the parents and all of the students."

Are you kidding me? Parents are not invited to see their kids receive awards because you're afraid too many parents will show up? WOW! Is that not bass-ackwards? Don't schools usually want parent participation?

So, being the supportive mom that I am, I went into the auditorium in my exercise pants, gym shoes, messed up hair and (GASP) no CAMERA in time enough to see CJ get the Principal's Honor Roll Award for ALL A's! Embarrassed as I was to be seen at a event looking like this, I stayed until the end and went over to congratulate CJ on his accomplishments. He came over and hugged me, seeming not to take notice of my ragged attire, just happy that I was there. Cam's class had already gone back to the classroom, but not before he spotted me and enthusiastically smiled waved from his seat. He is on A/B Honor Roll!

Being Mommy Fabulous isn't about the way that I look, although I'm normally not the mom that comes to my kids' schools in pajamas or sweats. Being Mommy Fabulous is about being there, when ever you can, however often you can. The kids care more about seeing you there to support them. Being Mommy Fabulous yesterday meant swallowing my pride and showing my un-made face, and un-kept clothes to support my babies. I felt Fabulous anyway!

~Mommy Fabulous~

Fires to the left! Fires to the right!

2011-05-24T01:34:00.001-04:00

Moving to Sierra Vista has posed more problems than I care to continue to keep on complaining about... at least not in this post. But, here's another reason that I'm sure that Arizona is going to be the death of me.

We're surrounded by wildfires.

There has been a wildfire brewing to the east of us for the last 3 weeks. It's been far enough at bay that I've only been slightly concerned, keeping the thought of renting a Uhaul and packing up my entire home and livelihood in the back of my mind.

Today, I went out for a stroll around the Walmart. Walmart gets a "the" when it's like "the" mall of the city. It's the only thing there is to do for fun around here.

When I left the Walmart about an hour later, (that's about my normal time of strolling the Superstore) I was standing in the parking lot surrounded by smoke.

Now the smoke is to the southwest as well.

This is a picture I took from my doorstep. The smoke is coming right over the mountains. I've seen several planes, which I'm assuming are going to assist in trying to put the fire out. The air was filled with smoke and clouding my lungs when I went outside.

So that's 2 fires. One on the left of the city and one on the right. The air is contaminated and I couldn't walk if I wanted to... not that I was planning too... but just in case I was, I couldn't.

Writer's Prompt: My Dreams at 18

2011-05-18T06:55:00.002-04:00

This week, I decided to blog with good ol’ Mama Kat. I haven’t blogged with her writing prompts in a while. As a matter of fact, I’ve been quite the slacker on this blogging thing since… well, a long time.

This week, I’m choosing #1 of her five writing prompts to help get my creative juices flowing.

1.) What was your big dream for yourself when you were 18 and had graduated from high school?

If you’d like to blog with Mama Kat, you can choose this prompt or any other of her 5 prompts for the week here.

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When I was 18, I have to admit that I didn’t have a whole lot of ambition to do much with myself. I was not college material and was not about to waste my time or my parents’ money pretending I was. I had plans to go into the Air Force.

My father had just gotten out of the Army and I was use to being an Army Brat. For me, it was an obvious choice. I, like most teenagers, was more than ready to get out of my parents’ house and be grown.

What was I thinking?!?!?!

I was young, ready to do my own thing, and had NO intention of having any kids! Nuh uh! Wasn’t going to happen. Didn’t like kids. Had a sister 12 years younger than me and I was scarred. Not scared. SCARRED! She. Was. A. Demon!

Aaaanywho, I procrastinated on this dream for the summer after graduation and on through the following year.

And then I got married.

To an Army Soldier.

GREAT!

That meant that I’d still get the benefits of being An Army Brat, without actually having to do the hard work…

Or so I thought!

Being an Army Spouse is quite possible just as hard as actually being the Soldier! Oh, and that part about not having kids…

Morning comes too early.

2011-05-17T09:52:00.000-04:00

Up early this morning. Sleeping after 5:30 is hard around here. The sun comes up before 5 and when I manage to sleep longer, the construction trucks start work at before 6:30.

Sleeping in is darn near impossible. Is Arizona closer to the sun?

Today, I'm heading out to buy some dark curtains for my bed room. I don't know what has taken me so long. We've been in this house since the end of February and I can't get a good sleep unless I sleep on the couch.

So, I'm up. And cranky. Wishing I was a coffee drinker. Researching multivitamins that might give me a boost of energy in the morning. Any suggestions? I take my prenatal vitamins right now (before you ask, no, I'm NOT!), but as of lately, nothing I do gives me the energy or motivation to get up and workout.

Today I will also be purchasing a pair of curtains for my bathroom window.

Yesterday evening, Hubs too the boys for a bike ride. Behind our house, they are doing a lot of construction on other houses and other structures. Well, it was coming up on dark and when they came home, Hubs told me that they saw me in the bathroom. The window is that frosted window that people put in bathrooms. How much could they possibly see? Well, Hubs took me out for a walk to that I could see for myself. When we got up the hill behind our house, the silhouette of Cam was was jumping around in my bathroom. I knew it was him and I could see the blue shirt he was wearing.

Not good. You could clearly see a person standing there and you could probably clearly tell of said person was naked or clothed.

That window is right in front of my tub. Luckily no one lives in the houses behind us yet, but could you imagine?

"Hey CJ! Saw your mom in the bathroom last night. She has some big...."

OMG! Heading to get curtains immediately!

Please God, don't let me die an Arizonian!

2011-05-16T12:20:00.000-04:00

My new motto is NO EXCUSES!

That's for my working out and my education.

So, let's see how long I can abide my that. Been feeling less than motivated.

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Please God, don't let me die an Arizonian!

This weather is sure to kill me.

If it doesn't kill me, I'm sure to leave here looking like an old wrinkled woman!

It's amazingly horrible how DRY this air is, how DRY my skin is and how DRY my hair is!

Living in Arizona is detrimental to my health!

Nose - My nose is constantly burning because of the dry air and I wake up with a nose full of blood and mucus. Eeww, I know, but this is why I think that I'm sure to end up in a casket before our two-year tour is over.

Breathing - And, I have tried to run in the fabulous outdoor weather, only to find out that I get maybe ten steps before I'm gasping for air. Okay, keep in mind that Sierra Vista is way above any altitude I've every lived in. We're pretty much in the mountains. Surrounded. Beautiful, yes. Ideal for running? No! Well... especially considering the fact that's I'm not a runner. Why am I kidding myself.

Hair - Miss Missy and I have SERIOUS hair issues. She has lost at least 3-4 inches off of her length and mine is dry and breaking off like CRAZY! I couldn't take it anymore so I too a trip to Sally's and spent a whole lotta money on hair products to try to regain some moisture to our dried out, damaged tresses. I'm so thin in the back that I really would probably benefit from cutting it all off and starting over. Miss Missy, however, however would simply choke me in my sleep if I even thought about cutting her hair, so I'm working on treating it. I never had this issue in Georgia.

Skin - OMG! Why do I look like a LIZARD?? I have scales! My hands are so dry because I'm constantly washing them and even though I SLATHER myself in everything from deep moisture lotions to cocoa butter to coconut oil to Vaseline, not lotions or potions seem to take the dry itch away! I read somewhere that this kind of weather ages you fast because it sucks all the moisture out of your skin cause you to get... (gasp) WRINKLES!

SOMEONE GET ME OUTTA HERE!

I CAN'T get wrinkles! I'm so vain! who ever heard of a... 21 year old... yeah I said it! .... being all wrinkled?!?!

Hearing this solidifies my decision. I'm never going outside again! I'm going to fill my tub with cooking oil and live in it!