In The Sand Box.....

I started the blog to blog about my daily comings and goings.... The little things in my household that make it run or that don't really work for us... from the military wife's perspective of course.
So here we are. In the midst of another deployment.... But dont feel too bad. Yes, it is always dangerous to be in the sand box, but this is a short trip, and also one where my guy is in a situation that is much different than before. So while yes, the area is dangerous and it is always a place not to be taken lightly, this is easy.
The time line is amazing! It could not have come at a better time. Noone is having a birthday, no special occasion, and in this economy, we can DEFINITELY use the extra money. I am so at ease with it too. I really am enjoying my time with my girls and such a relaxed schedule. I usually try and get things done by a certain time so that we can all eat dinner together. I know if I dont get some house hold chore done, my hubby will just jump right in there and do it to help out. So I really want that time where both he and I are just chilling out together and not worried about the house. Now, there is no time line, if I dont get it done, oh well, so it will either get done later, or tomorrow. I LOVE that.
I guess one thing that does not like the deployments are my computer. It is running hot every day (figuratively) I am checking and re checking to see if an e-mail has popped up. Is he ok, is the schedule still the same, does he miss me too. I do not obsess over the little things, but I do hang on the e-mails because let's face it. This is not my business man going on a work trip, this is a war zone.
So since there were no e-mails today, and I knew that if I hit hotmail again, just like opening the fridge door when you are hungry, the same things would still be there, or in this case, not there. So, I decided to blog it.
I will not compalin about the havoc reaked on my house, but my sweet little girls do turn into evil little sprits and with the extra pair of eyes and hands gone, seek out and destroy anything possible... To name a few from only the past couple days
Nail polish all over the bathroom (and a brand new, 1st time worn baby nay dress)
Family sized old fashioned Oatmeal container dumped on the carpet
Crayon all over the wall
And my finger is sliced open due to my oldest saying she was sorry she was lazy and put the potato peeler in a drawer that you have to open with a finger hole, and it was facin blade side out.....

Boy I love deployments! Who's with me on that one? So as I type this out (with a smiley face band aide on my pointer finger) I am complaining, but not really. I have been through many deployments of varying lengths.. This one is more like a visit to the sand box, so I am still alone, but this time it is not coupled with the stress that they ussually are.... The stress of worrying over the saftey of the person you love so much. Ihave friends who are dealing with that,a nd it is by far, not an easy road.... You think if you are strong than you can deal with, and then you are faced with your friends husbands not comming home and reality creeps in that this is war and that is where your husband is at.... And you get scared..... And then there are days you forget to be sad or worried, and those days are amazing! So I write this on such a short deployment, buut not the same perspective I would have if he were doing something other than what he is over there doing now...... And to my friends who have husbands who are, I think of you all the time, and I dont know if today is a good day or a more difficult day for you, but you are in my thoughts and prayers and I pray you have more good thatn bad days ahead of you!!!!

A girl and her dog

I know, I know, so many pictures of the baby (my baby anyhow) ... But yes, I do have two other children! I will have to get some posts with them on here. Anyhow, I snapped a few candid pictures of my puppy (well, he turned on at the end of January) and when I started my Emmary girl had to then start loving on her puppy, so I could not resist the power of the big floppy dog picture and his girl.
I love the fact that I got him in Germany a year after she was born. He is the sweetest guy ever and I am definitely NOT a dog person, but for him, I am completely in love. As are all of us, but it is sweet to see her growing up with him. Yes, she can be a little toddler and just plop herself right on top of him, but I am amazed that he just looks over at her and blinks his big black eyes like "well, hello you" He reminds us of Peter Pan, the dog "Nana"... Definitely a dog I can say "Glucklich where's the baby" and he goes and taps her with his nose.....

One day Emmary escaped out the fron door. I live on the beach, so this is not a good thing, but I thought she was downsatirs with daddy and that our oldest went out the door, but being vigilant I looked out the window, and who was walking on the boardwalk, but miss. sassy girl! I freaked of course, but to my absolute amazement, I saw Mr. Glucklich right by her hearding her to stop! It was so funny! (funny now) That he knew she was being bad and was out of bounds, so her walked right out the door and stayed by her side.

I could go on and on, but I will spare you that! Just had to gush over the only guy in the house right now.... It really does make us feel safe as they were bred to be NON agressive, but as guard dogs, so he will make an intruder feel like he is having one very bad day... That is the plan at least :)

Here are a few of the boutique type bibs I have been working on. I know, I am doing so many crafty projects for the little one on here, but I made a dress for my second born which I have not posted... maybe I will later. And my oldest daughter said I can make her a necklace or a book cover..... I can not believe she is almost at the stage where anything I could make would totally lame, but for now, she will still accept a few things so, I will work on something for her next and post it on here. No more new felt dolls yet, but I have plans for those little ladies!
The bibs are made with some funky cotton material on the front that I like, and the back of the pink are done in dot minky, and the blue is done in a faux suede. I used a mother of pearl type snap closure and love these bibs so much for my little toddler. I really hate when she is wearing something cute and I have to cover it up with an ugly bib. I bought similar bibs for 12 US dollars on ebay whille I was in Germany and used them all the time, but the shape was the traditional style, and I think this is cuter for a girl who feeds herself with a big kid fork, spoon, and cup. She does not need the tiny baby bibs anymore anyhow, but the way I made these bibs, the back can fold down over to adjust the fit and make it more snug, plus the minky on the neck can only feel cozy. I pulled hers low in the picture to show that.


Anyhow, I am going to try and sell some of these babies to see if I could make money on them. I love them and have used these from my sweet infant who would need them when feeding, through teething, through first foods, and now with just using them for self feeding..... I can not believe how fast they grow, no matter how many time people said it, it seems like time flies faster and faster with each little lady I have!

Felt babies...

Holding my new babies....

So these are the latest creations for my little girls. This was an idea I had to do with my mom when she came to visit. There is nothing like giving my mom a craft project to do to keep her busy! Well, we were so busy doing other things and the time flew by so fast that she and I completed a meager two dolls, so she went back home and brought the material with her. Her little fingers started flying and what do you know? We got a box filled with little dolls! She said she went to the craft store to make new ones and we talked ideas for the next ones, so I will post the new ones on here, but aren't they cute? I thought we (she) did a great job! I told her how I now realized how great of an idea it is to outsource cheap labor!
Anyhow, here are a couple other pictures of the dolls. I will be making more and using each holiday to make cute new patterns.... It is great as my third daughter is finally the one who, even though she is rough and tumble, LOVES LOVES LOVES babies and is the sweetest little mama tot hem I have ever seen! It is like looking into a looking glass from when I was a little girl climbing trees, giggling, playing by the pond, and spending hours upon hours playing with my dolls!

All the sleeping babies in a row.

Want one? I have enough to share :)

And then there was one....

I know what some people may think when they read this. They may think "but you said you were not competitive with others." I am sticking to that point. I am not and do not like people who push their competition onto me or others in an area it does not belong. However I do love to compete with myself and set goals for myself.
I have an over use injury. It is a hip muscle called the Tensor Fascia Lata. What is that? Ok, here it goes,

Tensor Fascia Lata Aids in muscle movements and can also provide an attachment site for muscles and act as a cushioning layer between them. The tensor fascia lata runs from the hip down the thigh and provides stability for the leg as well as medial rotation, or rotation in toward the other leg. It is a muscle I used to think nothing of, but when it hurts, you think of it evrytime you walk, run, sit, stand, go to the bathroom, lay down..... You realise how much one little musclle aids in your body movement....

Now, I have Physical therapy to do and am supposed to lay off of running. I am not a doctor and never second guess one, but I think to myself, How many contestants on the biggest loser lay off a work out? And then I think " Rock it out sister!"
Do not think I am nuts, as I would not try and hurt myself and have backed off slightly, but I am pushing forward on this. I do my Physical therapy and I have to say it feels a hundred and fifty percent better in one day than it has in the past month.

So now for the reference to the first picture. I have backed off of my track workouts. I will be using my track workout too, but I am incorporating some indoor Elliptical stuff too. I have been for the past week. I just have to say..... I am the first one in the cardio room and the last one out. I spend 2 hours on that Elliptical and I am focused on myself and my workout only... Until I turn my head and see I am now the only one in there again as those who came after me and trinkled in are now gone..... That is such a feeling of being proud. I do not know them or think twice about the individuals, but what I do think is that I am kicking my own buttermilk buiscuits in that room and I push longer than most. I know this is no world record, but it is a marked sign of my effort level to me and it makes me proud of myself.

Today I cleared the room twice! TWICE! And people come in all the time, but to see it empty twice made me feel like, I am pushing through this stupid injury. Also, my cardio ability has gone through the roof! I still struggle in areas like my speed during my long runs needs to get faster, but I make smaller goals for myself like distance, and then time.

I am not going to give up because my body is building each muscle back up as a result of me tearing it down. I know how muscles work and since I let all mine take a hiatis, they are all going to tear down, and build back stronger than ever!

My next blog will be on my sit up routine I think... Man..... And to give you a little glimpse I will leave you with this statement, I am no spring chicken!

Closing the gap

5 MILES: Recently each and every day I have been hitting the synthetic track.... Why? I have roots in cross country, not track. But for me it is a numbers game. I can push myself to do better than the day before purely on numbers... Time, distance, whichever. I do not compete with my fellow runner friends. I actually hate when people do. I rather find common ground in the pursuit of running and being in better shape, and for each of us that is a different goal. I love a supportive spirit, but not a pushing one, as my husband dances right on that line sometimes, he does not mean to... I think it is a boy thing.
I am back in the game now.... And so happy. I checked out for a while with many different reasons and circumstances coming together in a relatively short period of time, but now that I am at the just over 6 month mark of being settled in at the new location, I am back in the game and ready! Bring it on is all I have to say!
*I over worked my hip muscle yesterday- BRING IT ON!
*I had to push the baby in her stroller and all her toys today the whole time- BRING IT ON!
*It started to rain today while I was out there with her, and all I thought was..... You guessed it, BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel like me again. I had even gone to my doctor thinking something was wrong.... Most all my check ups came back just fine. (I say that because some I get the results for next month, but why wait when your motivated?) So I thought Now is my time to get back in the game. So for a while now I have been hitting it at 5 miles. First it was walking, but slowly closing the gaps and pushing myself harder each time and harder on myself than any trainer could be. I am on a strict eating schedule and so the food blog part of this will not look so round, yet a skinnier version of my old stand by recipes.

I am locked in and focused! I have my eye on the prize and if I have to beg, borrow, or STEAL my time, it is mine again! I am selfish right now and it feels great. I actually have a great plan that fits into the family schedule, but I think my husband looks at me a little differently, like he used to (and that is pretty hot), because I am dead serious about this one and there is NO turning back.

Mom's visit

A quick update and more to come later.
So, my mom came and went, and we miss her very much! It was very lonely to come home and not see her here. It is funny how I could not wait to get out of my house when I was a teenager, but now I long for my mom time with her so much... I am sure it has something to do with the fact that she is so ubber helpful around the house that I do not have to pick up a finger, or the fact that I am just comfortable around her being myself.... Or maybe that I just needed that mom time to reconnect with her after being gone for so long and being so far away. Either way, it was great to have her here and I will be excited for the next time we can enjoy our time together....