Day 62: Girl Scout 100th Anniversary Songfest

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Spent the day at the Outlet Supermall to join hands and sing campfire songs with girls all around the country to celebrate the 100^th Anniversary of Girl Scouts.  Oldest Child also finally finished building his bed.

We miss you.

Love,

Me

Translation: So-so songs and bed build complete

Girl Friday was so excited for today.  She asked if she could wear my Girl Scout vest (that my mom had saved for me –Thank you Mom!)…because it is vintage…and vintage is a fancy word for old (thank you Fancy Nancy).

Again, I was a little underwhelmed by a scouting event.  However, it is not my impression that counts, it is that of Girl Friday, and she had a grand time.  We got bandanas and patches and got lost trying to find the speaker (we were directed to the activities area on the opposite side of the mall of the singing/ speaker event). 

When it was time to sing, there were not words to sing along, so all the Daisies and Brownies were lost.

Afterwards, at the activity area, Girl Friday got the chance to be recorded for the “Girl Scout time capsule”.  She was an interview natural.

They also had a faux campfire for campfire songs and camping tips…

…and of course, we had to ride the merry-go-round before we went home.

At home, Oldest Child had spent the day working on his bed build (when not playing Xbox).

It was a lot of work, but many confusing IKEA steps later, the last drawer was installed, and it was time to move out of the guest room and onto his new bed!

Day 50: Happy Valentine’s Day

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Divine providence that you finally got your box with your Valentine’s Day cards… three days after it was supposed to arrive.  However, maybe that made it sweeter, as you were able to actually enjoy them on Valentine’s Day!  Try not to OD on the sweets that arrived!

We miss you!

Love,

Me

Translation: Mmmmm… chocolate.  Now get in the car.

Tuesday is a rough day on a slow Tuesday, let alone a holiday. 

This morning started early, 5AM early, as the little guys were excited to see what Valentine’s goodies had been placed at their seats while they slept.  They were especially excited about the little stuffed animals that “Dad” had sent them (way cooler than the chocolates that Mom had gotten them).  In his haste to extricate his Valentine’s mouse, Illusive Middle Child managed to maim his mouse.  It was earth shattering, and required an ER- stat.

After that emergency, it was off to school.  Then it was back to school after Illusive Middle Child realized that he left his box of Valentines in the front room when he put them down to put on his shoes. (However, he did have his mouse).

After school let out at noon, I had three kids high on sugar buzzing about the house.  All that comes up, must come down.  So, by the time that dinner was ready, the little guys were ready to crash and burn.  However, the sight of heart shaped, banana chocolate chip pancakes with whip cream and sprinkles, bacon, and sparkling apple cider was more than enough to perk them up.  Which was good, because the evening was just starting!

First, we dropped Illusive Middle Child off early at his basketball practice (they were working on tip offs in the picture), then we picked up oldest child from wrestling practice and dropped him home for a solo Valentine’s dinner and shower.  Then we got Girl Friday to her Daisy Scout Valentines party…only 10 minutes late! (Woo Hoo! Almost on time!!!)  After getting a slot for sight sales for Girl Scout cookies (Girl Friday is definitely going to be selling less this year as we have only one slot right now), it was back to boys’ basketball.

Now it was time to reverse the process, and go from basketball to Daisy Scouts, to home (to pick up the now fed and sanitized Oldest Child), to Boy Scouts, to home to get the little guys ready for bed…then back to Boy Scouts.

I guess it is a good thing that you were not home and expecting to go out on a date! LOL!

Day 36: Lots of Homework



Girl Friday helping make Green Ravioli



Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Wrestling is still running late.  This coupled with Honors homework for the end of the quarter means no Boy Scouts tonight.  However, we still have the craziness of boys basketball and Daisy Scouts at the exact same time…in different places.  Well, at least everyone is late!

We miss you.

Love,

Me

Translation: …And I Still have to go to Scouts?!

So, it is great that Oldest Child is mature enough to realize that homework and grades trump Boy Scouts…especially when grades are due for the quarter on Friday, and his Grammy promised him $25 if he could pull up his grades to five A’s, and #5 is teetering on the brink.  However, it seems that it is parent planning night at Boy Scouts, so I still need to attend.

The thing is, the universe would be running so much smoother, if the middle school wrestling coaches could tell time, and we were not always double booked for activities.  Luckily, our kids are pretty resilient.  So, dropped Oldest Child home to reheat dinner and do homework, dropped Illusive Middle Child off at basketball practice, and as soon as he disappeared into the gym, we put the car back into drive, and were only about twenty minutes late for Daisy Scouts.

At Daisy Scouts, we planned the spring activities, and the girls made cookie posters to sell cookies at the end of February.  Fortunately? Daisy Scouts was running late, so I left Girl Friday at Scouts, picked up Illusive Middle Child from practice (small plus is that there is another team scheduled immediately after him for the gym, so they cannot run late), then went back to Daisy Scouts.  Then the little guys got dropped home with their brother, and I was off (30 min late) to Boy Scouts.  I did not miss much.  Tuesdays are rough!

Day 10: Homemade with Love

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Glad to finally get to speak with you!  Sorry that our conversations were so brief though.  Oldest child has realized the perils of no assigned homework over winter break.  Double homework in January!  Girl Friday won a ribbon at the powder puff derby.  She is so proud that it is "Homemade with Love".

We love you and miss you!

Love,

Me

Translation: Tears=Prizes or a Soap Opera lost its ingénue

There are some things in life where nature trumps nurture every time.  Girl Friday is definitely that force of nature.  As we have missed the first half of the year of Girl Scouts in favor of cheerleading, we only got our powder puff pinewood derby car 48 hours ago.  There are two things about the pinewood cars that I have always held fast, do it yourself, and no crying if you lose (because you DID do it yourself).

Girl Friday painted her cube of pine to look like a Van Gogh version of a Thin Mint Box, and she was very proud.  It did not win.  However, we thought that it might have a fighting chance in the creative category.  Not a chance.  Every girl was given a sticker for each category to pick a winner.  Girl Friday did not pick her own in the Daisy Category (because in her astute opinion, you should never vote for yourself) and was therefore the only one without a vote.

The tears started, as the pretty, sleek, shellacked cars kept garnering stickers, and hers did not.  Not a one.  It was OK to not win the race, but this was different.  This was an indightment of her creativity!

One of the other Daisies conned a Senior scout who still had all her stickers to put three of her four stickers on Girl Fridays paper…giving her 3 total votes (bless her).  The silent heaving and crocodile tears began to seize up.  Somebody loved her... art.  Not enough to win the Girls' Choice, but enough to not have nothing (Yes, I know that sentance looks like bad grammar.  It bothers me too.)

Then, the leaders made their choices.  Guess you got the Daisy Ribbon?

I am ready for my close up Mr. DeMille...

...and that is how Girl Friday won her first People's Choice Award. (Notice the still red eyes, but not a single tear).  Gotta love an actress.  Hopefully she will buy us a house when she gets famous.

Day 9: Back to School or Cat out of Hiding

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

The kids have finally headed back to school today! (Yeah!)   The cat was happy to have her house back.
  We had another 710: 710 visitors from the UK to my Scrapbooking blog.  Hope to catch you tomorrow, as Girl Friday has a Cookie Rally.  I will work harder to adapt to your new schedule.  After all, any communication is a cause for celebration. 

I Miss YOU!

Love,

Me

Translation: “Call Me!” –Blondie

Call me (call me) on the line
Call me, call me any, anytime
Call me (call me) my love
You can call me any day or night
Call me

Today’s Family Gram started out one way in my mind, and ended in another.  It was good to get everyone back into a routine… even if it means getting up early to do it!  As the resident non-morning person, 6AM definitely came early.  However, the little ones were more than ready to get up and go back.  Oldest Child on the other hand would have been okay with a 10AM start.  The cat has been snuggling all day, as if to say thank you for giving me my house back. 

It is good to have inside jokes.  Ours is 710.  When Fabulous Spouse arrived at his first seagoing command, it was hull number 710.  Someone said that we had better learn to love it, because you will not be able to escape 710 the rest of your life.  This was no Jedi mind trick, it is fact.  Things ship in 7 to 10 business days.  Macaroni and cheese boils for 7-10 minutes.  710s are everywhere.  I have a Scrapbooking blog, and today, I registered my 710^th new visitor from the United Kingdom.

Tomorrow, Girl Friday has her big cookie celebration to kick off the Girl Scout Cookie Season.  Just because we are not busy enough, they have decided to have the girls race pinewood derby cars…Seriously! Now if you have a boy… and I have two… pinewood derbies are a big deal.  Since we have been MIA at Daisy Scouts, we got ours yesterday… and it is due tomorrow.  Luckily, it is supposed to have a cookie theme, so it only took a little convincing to have her make a cookie box! (Yeah! No cutting or carving of the car!)

Finally, Communication.  I guess this is the part of the deployment where I have my first hiccup.  For starters, my “Mommy ESP” definitely does not work across three time zones.  When couples fail to make a communication plan, then there is bound to be miscommunication, and both parties will blame the other for the problem.  Make a communication plan.

In my circumstance, I was under the impression that Fabulous Spouse would “get off work” between 4 and 5PM, so that he could eat dinner and have free time.  And, that would be when he would be dying to call or Skype me to talk about his day, and all the cool, boring or awful things that he was doing.  Having never shared that opinion or expectation with him, it is no surprise, that eventually, we miss a call in favor of working out with his new friends.  Now, understand, I have strongly encouraged him to make friends and build bonds.  How could he be anything other than hurt I appear cross via text that he chose to hang with them.  I have been encouraging him to do just that.

Communications plan is the Key.  It prevents disappointed kids, dejected spouses, and hurt and frustrated service members. 

Also texting sucks (pardon my language).  There is no tone or inflection.  Things “sound” harsher…and probably less respectful then they should… and a sentence at a time it is easy to get out of sync or frustrated that your I keeps showing up as an o.  So make it easy and have a communication plan.

Day 8: Hails & Farewells

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Last day of winter break!  Went to the base for lunch.  Daisy Scouts, Boy Scouts and Church Planning meeting this evening.  Do you remember where we put the clone?

Oh, and Girl Scout Cookies go on sale January 13^th.  The new lemon cookie tastes like a lemon bar and a box of animal crackers had a baby.  Is that a good thing?

Miss you!

Love,

Me

Translation: Everyone is LEAVING…get your friends to buy cookies.

Hails and Farewells are a part of every military life.  If your friends are in the military…or military spouses there will eventually be a move involved.  That does not make it any easier.  So we celebrate with food.  However, due to Facebook and other social devices, we are no longer ships passing in the night.  However, who will now be my Margarita buddy? *sigh* Alcohol does not travel well via laptop (as Fabulous Spouse and the now disturbed little red laptop know).

Also, it is almost that time again.  It is time for Girl Friday to sell obscene amounts of overpriced (yet totally yummy) cookies.  Wanna buy a box?