Day 31: Double booked

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Congrats on scoring a VIP room and getting your own toilet. We had Cub scouts and girls basketball today. 

Same bat time, different bat channel.  Got it done though.

We miss you.

Love,

Me

Translation: Using clones leads to ulcers

I am woman, I am a Navy wife, I can do it all!  Actually, I can’t.  That is one of those life lessons that I have learned in the last few years.  That is why I need an army of clones.  Since I misplaced mine recently, that means using the network.

Illusive Middle Child arrived at Cub Scouts to turn in his “land sub”…named the USS Augusta in honor of his dad’s first boat.  So, we weighed in, attached wheels…broke the axel shaft…repaired the shaft… then dropped him off for the Pack Meeting (the first that Illusive Middle Child has made all year!). 

This was a good thing, as his den had flag ceremony, and Illusive Middle Child was the only one “brave” enough to call colors. Then we headed out with Girl Friday.

At basketball, we made sure that Girl Friday’s ride would have no problem dropping her at the church.  Basketball gets out at 8, and the Pack meetings usually get out between 8:30 and 9PM.  As her ride goes to our church, no problem!

The pack meeting was expedited due to the Pinewood Derby tomorrow, and ended at 7:45. Problem.  Cell phone left at home. Problem.  OK, help clean up and wait, and wait, and wait.  Practice went late, and Girl Friday arrived at 8:40, just as MR and Oldest Child were headed home to pick up our cell phone and find out where Girl Friday was. (It took me less than 10 min to get from drop off to church).

Crisis averted. Micro ulcer…on its way.  Must find my clone.

Day 30: Back to normal

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Sorry that internet is not cooperating.  We are back in the routine.  I even convinced Illusive Middle Child to paint his Pinewood derby car due tomorrow.

Hope you reach your endpoint soon!

We miss you!

Love,

Me

Translation: To shop or not to shop?

Ok, we have emptied the refrigerator.  Now, with another windy weekend, we are unsure as to whether or not we should power shop to restore our fridge, or go day by day to make sure that we do not have to pitch yet more food.

Oldest Child went back to CCD today.  He is all excited about the upcoming retreat day with the Archbishop (He was willing to use his savings if we could not afford).  I guess, if there is one thing that we have done right with our kids, it has been to instill a sense of worship and faith in them… especially in our oldest.

Also, Girl Friday is channeling her inner Martha Stewart.  Either she has done something supremely naughty and we are just waiting for the other shoe to drop, or she has become supremely helpful in a wonderful, desperate plea for positive attention.  Today she put the dishes away, set the table, and helped me make breaded chicken strips and tater tots.  Not was asked, but she volunteered.

We have good kids.

Day 29: School is Back in Session

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Thank goodness! School is back in session, so we should get out of school before the 4^th of July!

I guess that means that basketball is back on the schedule tonight. Hope that your travels today are safe! Get your Passport stamped.

We miss you!

Love,

Me

Translation: I need a nap!

After the kids went to school today, I took a two hour nap.  I do not think that I had been aware of just how little sleep and how much stress I have been under with the power outage and your transit at the same time.

But, life goes on, and that means that Illusive Middle Child had basketball.  He was excited to be tapped to lead the team in warm ups (as he is by far the most in shape of them all… or at least has the greatest stamina).  He also got fouled and scored his first basket during the end of practice scrimmage.

He is so cute.  He is torn between liking basketball and thinking that he could be good at it if they had more practices, and wanting to do off season wrestling next year so that he can compete for states and nationals.  To have such issues as a child!

Keep Safe! & I Love you!

Day 28: Week #4, Snow Day #5, & time to Clean Up!

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

Too funny that Oldest Child’s school ride never got the memo that there was no school today, and showed up ready to go…with all our kids still asleep.  Today was a cleaning day.  We also paid it forward to MR and helped with their downed trees in the evening.

Glad that you have gotten some rest! Happy 1 Month anniversary.  Tomorrow starts Month #2!

We miss you!

Love,

Me

Translation: OCD Me goes postal on the Refrigerator

Ok, the refrigerator did smell like death.  It was scary.  However, before we started to fill it up with food again, it needed a thorough scrubbing. So, I turned the refrigerator off and took it down to its “studs” with bleach and warm water.  The thought of food poisoning due to 4 days of warm food is just not on my bucket list!

We also helped out one of our Cub Scout friends.  They had a bunch of trees come down on their property, and in exchange for dinner and some red wine.  I was more than happy to have my kids help out as slave labor and pay it forward.  Girl Friday cut twigs and hung out with Ms. M, Illusive Middle Child was the primary hauler, but took a break to help cut when we were not fast enough for him.  Oldest Child kept trying to light the fire.  Even I could not light the fire, but that was ok, because I still got wine!

Day 27: Let there be light!

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

We got the power back this afternoon, so we are back at the house.  We even have internet!  We have cleared the fridge of rotten food.  I hope that Kuwait is just like you remember it!

We miss you!

Love,

Me

Translation: What does power smell like? Fabric softener.

We woke up warm and toasty in Super S’s house to the news that you had successfully made it to Kuwait.  I hope that you can finally get some sleep.  We had pancakes !

At lunchtime, we trekked back home to check on the cat, the melt out of the freezer, and to pick up some extra supplies.  Oh, and to get a little Jack in the Box.  The town still looked like a war zone, we even passed a downed power line near the Little League fields.  However, *ta dah* we DID have power (by the clocks, it turned on 6 minutes prior to our arrival).

What does power smell like? Outside the neighborhood it seemed like every washer and dryer was going.  The air was thick with the smell of fabric softener.  Inside, however, it kind of smelled like death.  If you have ever defrosted your deep freezer, you recognize that smell.  Yeah.  Four days of no power in the only heated room in the house had thoroughly defrosted the refrigerator and freezer (as if the ice cream soup was not a big hint).  So the task for the evening, was to unload, catalog, and dispose of the entire refrigerator and freezer contents.   Six trash bags later, mission accomplished! (So sad to see all those salmon steaks go!)

Day 26: Power Loss Day #3, Phone Lines Down Day #2

Just a few of the tree limbs in the lines.

 Dear Fabulous Spouse,

I hope that you are enjoying your one day layover in Germany.  Sorry that we missed you on Skype.  I hope that you get some sleep soon.  I know that I need some.

We miss you!

Love,

Me

Translation: Thank Goodness for Facebook

I think that I officially have to take back about 85% of the bad stuff that I have said about Facebook.  After talking with you in the car (aka the world’s most expensive cell phone charger) at 6AM, I posted that you were safe, and that we were still without power.  Within half an hour, I had two offers to house us for the remainder of the outage from those with power!  We had accepted Super S’s invite first, but thank you Miss K for the offer (and I was not so sure about going over the scary Tacoma Bridge with the ice dropping).

We packed our bags and spent the morning at Cutters Point again.  Yesterday’s post went up, and we kept hoping for a hint of you.  Alas, it was not to be.  I assured the kids that there was probably important military stuff you were doing that prevented you from showing up, despite our hustle to get there for our Skype date.  They may have been a little disappointed, but they know that you have no control over the military stuff.

By 12:40 the natives were restless and hungry.  So, we packed up and headed to Super S’s via McDonald’s drive-thru.   It was great to be someplace warm, lit, and customer free!  Super S and her family made us feel at home.  She really is the best. 

The kids played in the giant tree house, and in their rooms, and of course Oldest Child retreated to the basement for some quality time with his laptop and Bloons Tower Defense 5 (it’s not Xbox, but it will do).

Finally, he emerged for dinner, and just when he was going to retreat back into his cave heard those two little words: Hot Tub.

For the kids, it made it all better, magic even.  Thank you Facebook, and thank you Super S.

(Sorry, had to use the flash on this one and blinded everybody!)

Day 25: Snow Day #4, Power Loss Day #2, Phone Lines Down Day #1

Dear Fabulous Spouse,

I hope that you are enjoying your overseas travel.  Today we had ice cream soup for breakfast winning me necessary mom of the year points.  Not much else going on, as we are an icicle wonderland!

We miss you!

Love,
Me

Translation: Thank goodness for coffee shops with internet access!

For starters, here are pictures from our slumber party by the fireplace.  Must.  Keep.  Warm. LOL!

It took forever to get them to bed, but I think that they will remember it for a long time! (Note: Girl Friday's American Girl doll is sleeping in the laundry basket.  It was too cold for her upstairs.) :)

I really thought that we had a chance of getting the power back.  Alas! It was not to be!  So, now that the cold of the freezer and refrigerator are failing, we had ice cream soup for breakfast!  Yes, that is how it came out of the freezer that had not been opened since we lost power.  So, I also called the homeowners insurance to let them know that a claim would be eventually coming to replace the food in our freezers and refrigerator.

The highlight of the day was when we went to Cutters Pointe Coffee for Wi-Fi, warmth, and to recharge our electronics.  Oldest Child was treated to a “big boy” drink of a White Chocolate Mocha, and the two little guys had hot chocolate (that, as I was informed, was much more awesome than the hot chocolate that we have at home).

Friday is typically Pizza and a Movie night, but as we were not going to have a movie, we did have Papa John’s deliver (as there was going to be no baking tonight) and ate it by candlelight.  Power should be back by Monday… we hope!