Sweetest Hair Bokeh…

July 31, 2009 | Filed Under Daniel, Deployment, Eliza Dove, Eve, It's What's For Dinner, Military Life, Photos | 13 Comments

Maybe it’s because I know just how sweet she smelled. Or that I could feel her silky baby skin under my fingers. Or seeing how lovely the little curls looked at the nape of her neck…

Maybe that’s why I love this photo of my fresh from the bath, in her birthday suit, baby girl.

Or maybe it’s simply the hair bokeh.

Either way, any way, she’s my sunshine.

We have a little game we play; I say: “Lizey, who loves you?” and she answers: “Mama” in the softest sweetest voice you’ve ever heard. My heart bursts with love every time I hear her say that one little word:

Mama

We held our first complete conversation yesterday evening. I’ll never forget it. Thank you Lord for little girls named Eliza.

Tonight we had a simple, delicious dinner. Brown rice, farmer’s market green beans, and salmon burgers. I am perfectly satisfied with the simplest of dinners. Especially when I have three shining faces looking at me from across the table.

Lest you think I lived some sort of charmed life, I will let you know that dinner wasn’t perfect. Eliza baptized some of her dinner in her water cup, she squished half of her rice onto her diaper, Judah was s-l-o-w, and I was totally hot and sweating because my seat is in the sun and we have no a/c. But, perfect or not, it was a wonderful meal that I was able to eat with my children. Daniel would give just about anything to have been at that table with us.

The sadness in his voice today while we talked about how much the kids are changing, was heart-wrenching. I knew that it would be hard for him to miss so much of the kids changing and growing but to hear the sadness in his voice, to hear the pregnant silence of his disappointment, was really tough. I stopped for a moment to really allow myself feel what it would feel like to be separated from my kids for such a long period of time; the pain of it took my breath away. It was unimaginable. To leave three children in one state of being and to come home six months later to what may seem, entirely new children… my poor husband’s daddy heart is broken.

But, we’ll keep the torch lit and the pictures sent and the skype on. It’s the best we can do. What he’s doing in Iraq is important, he’s making a difference. He needs to be there. And we are desperately proud of him.

Sometimes reality just hurts.

D is for…

July 30, 2009 | Filed Under 26 week deployment and alphabet adventure!, Daniel, Deployment, Eliza Dove, Judah, Photos, Recipe | 26 Comments

We are up to our ears in the letter “D” this week! I haven’t done as much with the kids as I would have liked but we still have a few days left. We have plans to visit a dairy farm, make doughnuts, have dessert for dinner, and… oh, anything else that we run into that involves the letter “D.”

So far Mama has…

Bawled her eyes out when she came across this photo of “D” for Daddy (who is also known as Daniel. Double whammy!)

We have visited with….

“D” for Dad (or GiGi to the littles) who also bears the name “Don!” Another double whammy!

And…

“Diana” whose name to us is Grammie Chips. (She’s the originator of this delicious coffee cake recipe. If you haven’t made this delightful confection, well, you must! A one of a kind, melt in your mouth, moist coffee cake.)

We were surprised by a special delivery from Daddy in the desert…

Dinosaur stamps! Our cut out letter “D” was decorated with these awesome (and perfect for little hands) stamps. Daniel is such a thoughtful Daddy.

It has been a very enjoyable week so far. I am amazed at how these letters have made our time away from Daniel seem to pass more quickly. And to have purpose. We are on a new, surprising adventure each week.
It’s truly a wonderful distraction.

She’s Not So Much…

July 29, 2009 | Filed Under Eliza Dove, Life Stuff, Photos | 21 Comments

She’s an angel…

She’s a giver…

She’s not so much…

She’s almost two…

Eliza Dove… she’s mine.

This evening the kids and I, along with my parents, went for a swim over at Amanda’s house. It was raining. It was dark. And it was so much fun! It was nice to end this day on a happy note. I had kind of a tough, sad evening; missing Daniel and missing home. The Daniel part stemmed from making tortillas.

I know, how can making tortillas throw me into great sadness? Well, it wasn’t so much great sadness but more of an aching heart…ness.

You see, Daniel and I always make the tortillas together. I mix them up, roll them, flatten them and put them in the pan. Daniel flips them for me; I call him my “Flipper.” And he is very good at the flipping. Unfortunately, he’s not here now and he wasn’t here when I made my tortillas so obviously I made them alone. For some reason that made me more sad than normal.

The missing home part came from a lengthy text-versation I had with my friend, Brandi. She lives at the end of the cul-de-sac where we use to live in New Mexico. I miss her, I miss her kids, I miss hanging out with the girls. I miss my life. She said our house – you know, the one we moved out of so I could live up here, wasn’t filled yet. It made me smile to hear that because I was just laying in bed last night wondering if our house had a new family yet. I hope the house gets filled before we move back to New Mexico; it would be so easy to move back into that house again, but I want to live in a different house. Preferably one with appliances created prior to the year I was born. And one closer to our friends.

So, the swimming in the dark, in the rain, and under the water without caring about the make-up running down my face or my red hair leaching color, was good for me. I laughed and I played and I smiled. It was a good happy ending. And we all love a happy ending, don’t we?

(Oh, I walked for 1 hour and 20 minutes today. In the rain. With not a single word of complaint from the littles. Apparently they either:

a. like getting rained on

b. are use to their crazy mama and her ways

You decide which is correct. Just wanted to let you know that I did exercise and it felt good. Though, we may be revisiting the “felt good” part tomorrow… )

An Experiment

July 29, 2009 | Filed Under Eliza Dove, Uncategorized | 27 Comments

I have been rolling this idea around in my head for a week or so now. I wanted to make sure that I could really commit to following through before I put my idea out there for all the internets to see.

There are two specific areas in my life that I can always count on to make me feel better. One is blogging and the other is exercise.

So.

I decided two things about blogging… First, I am going to blog every day for one month. I am not holding myself to writing a magnetic post every.single.day because well, that just isn’t going to happen. But I will post something of substance. Every day.

Second, I am going to rejoin the world of commenting.

To be perfectly honest, I became overwhelmed with commenting on every one of the blogs in my bloglines and on the blogs of you sweet people who comment on my own blog. So I just basically stopped commenting, period.

What I decided I could do, without becoming overwhelmed and quitting again, was to comment on each person’s blog that leaves a comment on mine. I have found that replying using my commentluv in the comment section of my blog is super easy. And easy is most definitely where it’s at right now.

As far as the exercise, I am setting my mind to exercise once every day. Every day. I had been thinking I could do Crossfit at the gym a few towns away, but right now with being on my own with the three kids and all that my job as “Mama24/7″ entails, it’s just not feasible. I have to exercise in a way that involves the kids. Which brings me back to the exercise I have previously done: walking miles and miles with two in the double stroller and one in the backpack.

Yup, I am back to being the crazy walking woman.

I am interested to see how these two separately good things, done side by side for a month, will affect my outlook. I am thinking it’s going to be good!

Wish me luck!

Dairy-free, Egg-free Lemon Raspberry Muffins

July 25, 2009 | Filed Under Eve, Photos, Recipe | 9 Comments

I promised you a recipe and look! I brought you a winner… Not only are these muffins delicious, they are oh so healthy, and they are kind to those with dairy and egg allergies.

And in my book… that is happiness.

First off, you need a beautiful little helper in a found at a garage sale vintage apron.

Here is the recipe for the ‘exceedingly healthy without compromising taste‘ muffins:

Mix together:

2 cups of whole wheat flour (or 1 cup spelt flour, 1 cup kamut flour)
1Tablespoon baking powder
1/4+ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed

Mix separately:

1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons lemon extract or the juice of 2 medium or 1 large lemon
zest from at least 1 lemon (but 2 is better)
1 cup plain unsweetened soy or rice milk

After mixing the wet and dry ingredients together, let the batter sit for 10 minutes. Add in:
1 cup raspberries

Completely fill the muffin cup with batter.

Bake at 425 degees for 14-18 minutes
When the muffins are finished baking let them rest in the muffins pans, on a cooling rack, for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely. Try not to inhale them all in one sitting.

We love them and hope you do too!

Being Green-ish…

July 24, 2009 | Filed Under 26 week deployment and alphabet adventure!, Eve, Military Life, Musings, Photos | Comments Off

As you well know, the kids and I are working our way through the alphabet during Daniel’s deployment. While my original intention was to buy the big, chunky letters from Lakeshore, it occurred to me that I can create my own letters!

I am not at all crafty but I can cut out an alphabet letter from a piece of cardboard, right?! Well, kinda. The letter “A” was rather tall and skinny because of the weird size the Rice Dream box was that I cut it from…

The letter “B” was rather wonky and had grease spots because I used a pizza box top…

“C” is just downright boring.

But hey! I’m saving money and being semi-green. Plus, the letters have character. And I am all about the character. I have to admit, I am nervous about cutting out some of the letters. Our imaginations may need to be employed.

Here’s to finishing out “C” week well! Chocolate cake is in our very near future…

A Very Colorful Day…

July 22, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Yesterday was a very colorful day for us! A totally appropriate theme since we are smack in the middle of “C” week here at “Operation Have Fun During This Deployment”.

We visited my very small home town’s farmer’s market..

Sunflowers, blueberries, green beans…

My kids ate those green beans out of the bag, like candy.

We visited Stony Brook for some amazingly fun times including creek hiking complete with painted blue toe nails…

You know, I forget that I have red hair. I have worn this red for ten years now (with a year break after Judah’s birth… obviously a hormonally charged crazy decision), this color is as much a part of me as my blue eyes are. I just don’t think about it… until I see a photo or someone comments on the color. Like yesterday… Whoa! Hello RED. My friend Ana from Sunrise on the Water took this photo of me hauling a soaked Eliza away from playing in the dirt. I wasn’t really interested in dealing with mud. Turns out, she got muddy anyways. I should know these things by now.

Purple flowers tucked in green shrubbery lined the paths…

We were suppose to eat vegetable lasagna for dinner but during a very cool thunderstorm, we lost power. For 6 hours. So, no veggie lasagna for us. It was pb and j instead!

My parents came over in the evening and saved me from certain insanity. They watched the kids so I could have some quiet time away. I went shopping. Of course! With flourless chocolate cake in mind… I splurged and bought these turquoise ramekins.

On the fun scale, yesterday was a 7. On the color scale… definitely a 10!

I…

July 19, 2009 | Filed Under Andrea, Eliza Dove, Eve, Judah, Life Stuff, Photos | 17 Comments

I took a self-portrait today so that my husband could see my face clearly. I’m a blurry blob of a girl on Skype and he is a blurry blob of a boy. But this picture… clear. Besides, I straightened my hair today and I felt pretty. (He says he likes the color photo best… I prefer the drama of the black and white.)

I have a washer and dryer now. Let’s hear it for clean clothes!

I am really, really tired. Being alone with three kids all day, every day is completely and totally exhausting.

I need a regularly scheduled babysitter for my kids so that I can have a break.

I could really use some breaks.

I had a lot of fun with “B” week.

I can’t decide if eating “b” for berries

was my favorite part. Or if it was the “b” for bacon

I loved the blue nail polish part of the week too.

I am looking forward to “C” week which means eating crab legs and singing carols and making a cake and coloring with crayons and eating at Chilis and playing with cats. Among many other fun “C” things.

I wish my kitchen sink didn’t drip incessantly. It’s awfully annoying.

I think my kids are incredibly cute. But then, I am biased.

I wish the weather here in New York would warm up. And that I had an a/c unit to combat the heat should sun and heat ever decide to grace us with their presence.

I write a love note (email) to my husband every night. Getting one in reply is the very best part of my day.

I am mildly obsessed with Mother’s Peanut Butter Bumpers. I must eat them whenever I get the urge. Nobody had better get in my way! P.S. I totally don’t pay 5.09 a box. Yikes!

I need to exercise. Regularly. I am annoying myself by not.

I miss my husband in a way that words can not express.

I am feeling quite narcissistic so I am going to wrap this up for now. Maybe I will add to it. Maybe I won’t.

I hope you are having a fantastic day!

If You Do Say So Yourself….

July 17, 2009 | Filed Under Musings, Photos | 9 Comments

I don’t have a lick of decorating sense in me. Not a lick.

For some people (my amazing mother-in-law) it seeps out of their pores. Their very touch is magical. They look at something, anything, and suddenly it is transformed into perfection.

Me? Not so much. So I subscribe to the theory that less is more. And if I can’t make something out of nothing, well then, I will accessorize the nothing. With flowers.

Flowers are my fall back. My fail-safe. If I can’t make something look good on it’s own I throw some fresh flowers at it.

And so we have my kitchen table….

My great grandfather’s heavy dining room table, a handmade, vintage table cloth found at a garage sale for four dollars, my great-grandmother’s passed down Peter Pots vase, and some bright pink snapdragons.

All of that combined makes for a peaceful table.

And I comfort myself with the knowledge that even though I can’t decorate, I can cook. And bake. And I have an overwhelming amount of really fantastic ideas swirling around in my brain… just don’t ask me to carry them out, ok.

See, I am great at some stuff, if I do say so myself.

What are you great at…. if you do say so yourself?

Daniel Doing Desert Duty

July 15, 2009 | Filed Under Daniel, Deployment, Judah, Military Life, Photos | 10 Comments

Still working out!

A couple of days ago, Daniel sent me these photos that a friend took! I was so excited to see pictures of him and his life. All of these photos are from a trip Daniel volunteered to be a part of. It was a trip a team of guys took to a remote base to fix some electric, plumbing, AC, etc. equipment. He didn’t know at the time he volunteered but this meant a couple of rides on a Black Hawk helicopter. I was so happy for him.

Reality is, we can’t be together right now; we can’t be sharing life… you know, doing the parenting, go to work, go to school, clean the house, mow the yard, change the oil, pay the bills, together thing. I want to walk away from this time with wonderful experiences and I want him to walk away from his deployment with wonderful experiences. That little trip he took provided a few of those great experiences for him. I know it was tough; he worked his tail off. And it was wicked hot and wicked dirty and very dangerous but he had a blast. That is all I want for him.

I do have to say, this shower sure leaves a lot to be desired.

I’ll take my porcelain tub any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Thanks.

Oh, and the scorpion… dear LORD that thing is terrifying to look at.

All in all, Daniel is doing good. He’s pretty tired all of the time; between the heat, the work, and school, he is going non-stop. But, he’s good. And he is happy to be doing his part.

I’ll post more photos as he sends them. He doesn’t have a camera yet but once I can send him one they will be more and often.

Andrea got a letter…

July 14, 2009 | Filed Under Deployment, Deployment Blog, Lovers, Photos | 12 Comments

Can’t help but sing:

Andrea got a letter

Wonder who it’s from!

In my head, of course. Thanks a lot, Steve from Blue’s Clues…

And I know who it’s from because nobody else in the whole world calls me “A.” Just the one who writes me love letters.

I had a hard week, last week and I didn’t want to bore you with my angst, hence the lack of posts. If you are like me and are of the curious sort, you can peek into the angst over at my deployment blog “Dear Me.”

Thankfully this week will be better. I just know it. I have some fun (at least to me!) posts that I am working on; photos of Daniel in Iraq, a recipe post, and some fun photos of our letter “B” week.

And just because I want you to know, I really appreciate having you around. You never fail to make me smile and generally make my life a happier place. Wish I could make a huge plate of cookies and sit and eat them with you!

The Why’s of Personalities…

July 9, 2009 | Filed Under Judah, Musings, Photos | 16 Comments

Andrea has a question for the people who are much smarter than she is…

Why is it, as a mother, I struggle most with the child it is most similar to me in personality?

Is it because his behavior models my behavior which consequently brings to light all the things about myself that I struggle with? Is it because the expectations I have for myself are suddenly thrust on my child and he is unable to live up to them? Is it because he knows just how to push my buttons? Or is it simply because he’s three and I am reading too much into things?

This afternoon I took all three of the kids outside to berry pick. Eve had been begging and pleading to go outside to pick berries. I consented and out we went; Eve took off to the swing set immediately, singing songs at the very tip-top of her lungs. Eliza was content to be wherever the action was which turned out to be was where Eve was. And Judah, my little three year old man, stuck to my heels, mason jar in hand, picking berries with intensity. He didn’t eat any while picking (I never do either) and stuck to his job, happy as could be.

I started thinking about the way things are with regards to my children, birth order, personality, and temperament…

Eve, she is a tough one for me to read. She has many first child tendencies but she throws me for a loop with a lot of things. You’d think she would have been the one picking berries, not allowing herself to get distracted by anything. But she was the free-spirit, swinging and singing without a care in the world.

And then there is Judah, my second child and only boy. He is so similar to me in personalty, temperament, ability to handle stress… but decidedly not looks. He acts more like a first born in so many ways. It confuses the crap out of me.

For some reason this afternoon’s berry outing got me contemplating as to the reasons why he and I struggle the most in our relating. Why is it this way when we are so similar? Why is it I can’t remember to relate to him in the way I would like to be related to? It should be so easy but it’s not.

I am certainly not qualified to be answering any of these questions. But maybe you are? Or maybe you struggle with the same thing. It would be nice not to feel alone. It would be nice to have some clarity. But mostly to be able to love and relate to him even better and in the right ways.

Week 1: A

July 9, 2009 | Filed Under 26 week deployment and alphabet adventure!, Photos | 12 Comments

We have begun on our 26 week journey through this deployment and the alphabet!

This week is all about the letter “A.”

So far we have:

Eaten apples with our breakfast…

Visited the library to check out a nice stack of books that start with the letter “A”….

We visited the zoo with our friend, Amanda (need a photo of her!!), and saw three grouchy looking alligators…

Had our picture taken with yours truly, Andrea, and our friend Autumn who has a beautiful blue streak in her hair…

We have visited Applebee’s where the kids yelled “Aaaaaaaaaaa!”…

Where we drank some apple juice…

And also ate some awesome, doesn’t start with an “A,” fries…

We have had a fun week so far! There are still four days to go and we plan on filling them up with more fantastic “A” activities and objects. If you have any “A” suggestions, please pass them along!

Anyone Recognize This…?

July 7, 2009 | Filed Under Military Life | 25 Comments

Unbelievable. They have followed me even here… Will I ever be free?

Eliza’s Button

July 4, 2009 | Filed Under Eliza Dove, Life Stuff | 5 Comments

Hey Li-Li… Where’s your button?

Oh! There it is!

I love that soft, not so little belly.