UFOs and Evolution

Tonight I realized that Evolution is a load of poop. In my case literally! After dinner of cheese ravioli I gave Eric a bath. He played and laughed and then I inspected the water a little closer and realized why he was playing and laughing... We had UFOs!!! That's right Unidentified (what did he eat?) Floating Objects. I scooped him up, got him dried off and dressed and then went back to fish them out of the water. Tonight I have to go and clean everything! He laughed and thought is was the funniest thing in the world. This incident made me think about the theory of evolution and how we all evolved from monkeys etc. I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! There are days I could use a tail to open the door when my hands are full or an extra set of arms to carry all the groceries in. If we had evolved, labor wouldn't hurt so bad and the baby would just slide right out. I guess that one could argue that we have evolved into a nice little technologically advanced society but I for one want my tail back!

Patches aka "No No" the Horse

I tried to get my Christmas shopping done early this year. Since I don't have help and have 2 flights of stairs to go up I put Eric's Christmas on lay a way. Over here if you see something and don't buy it, it won't be there when you go back to get it... even the next day. I found little Patches the rocking horse and thought how wonderful it would be for Eric. The best part was that the box was light and I could carry it and Eric up the stairs, so I bought it. While I was packing I decided that Patches came in a nice lightweight sturdy box that I could use to pack clothes and shoes in to ship. What I didn't expect was for Patches to come with thirty something stickers. I began putting them on being careful to make sure that everything was in the right place. Eric loves stickers! He tried to pull them off as I put them on and I said "no no" Now Eric understands what No means and he can even point to the things he isn't supposed to touch. I finished Patches and I felt proud that he actually looked like a horse. I gave him to Eric and he walked up to him, pointed to him and said "NO NO" and walked away. It took me an hour or more to convince him that he could ride his horse and that he wouldn't get in trouble. He kept giving me this look like "Lady, I know it is a trick! You just want a reason to put me in time out so you can get a break! I am not stupid! You can keep the horse!" Needless to say I learned yet another important parenting lesson. Put stuff together after the baby is in bed. As of today (2 days later) everytime he gets on Patches he looks at me just to make sure it is ok.

Cheetos

Apparently it takes me a while to learn a lesson. I should know by now that anything left in Eric's reach is fair game. I gave him cheetos for the first time a few weeks ago and he loves them. He just loves them! I gave him a few at lunch for a treat and I left the bag on the edge of the table. I was getting us ready to go out and I heard a rustling noise. I came out to inspect and this is what I found. In a matter of seconds, Eric had dumped the Cheetos on the floor and had two in his hands with bites taken out of each one. The look he gave me was priceless. It was ha ha I am smarter than you are... I guess that it is time to invest in chip clips. Hey if anyone needs a Christmas gift idea there it is.

Packing

No we are not moving again, we are just coming home for a semi extended stay. The holidays are hard like we knew they would be so we are on our way. I decided that it would be smarter (and cheaper) to ship clothes, toys and Christmas presents home instead of attempting to carry all that luggage plus a car seat and a tired baby As I started packing Eric made it his personal mission to make sure that I was packing the right stuff. He found his little box of toys which contained his books as well and decided that suddenly he just had to play with them. Now mind you there are two baskets FULL of toys, actually overflowing with toys and a big basket full of books. He looked at me like I was crazy for wanting to pack his stuff up. I just hope it all makes it or he may not forgive me for losing his Doggie book.

Little Pumpkin

Halloween was really fun this year! I think that I was just as excited as the kids in the neighborhood. Trick or Treating began at 6 so I got Eric dressed early which worked out great because it took me a while to get pictures. We went downstairs and I opted to use his umbrella stroller so that he could get candy, be safe from cars and other kids and so we wouldn't spend an hour and a half getting to five houses. He can run like there is no tomorrow but he is so interested in everything that we would never had gotten to half the houses we made it to. At first he couldn't understand why I was taking him up to strangers to get candy but after a few houses he began to understand that if he was cute and played the shy card then they gave him lots of candy. I ended up carrying the bucket because he had a piece of candy in each and and the bucket got heavy. He had a blast! He laughed at the people all dressed up and was so excited to see so many other kids out. It was really a lot of fun. We ended up sending (most of) the candy to Daddy.

Two things to be happy about this morning!

Well, it is 7:30am my time which means that all of my friends in the states are sleeping as we start our day. Eric has been really sick the last two days and I got very little sleep last night. I woke up this morning (for the 50th time) to a child with a normal temperature and a normal appetite. I went online to check my mail and saw that the results are in... OBAMA WINS!!! I don't usually let my political views be known but I did vote for Obama. In all honesty, we can all find fault with someone and I know that some of you are dead set against him but from my point of view and in my situation we definitely need a change. I am happy to say that I lived to see the day where we looked past race and saw the bigger picture. Well, I have to go and chase after Eric. He knows that I am dragging and can use that to his advantage. I should also probably start cleaning up a little since when he gets sick everthing else goes and the house is a mess. It is going to be a SUPER FUN day. I just hope no telemarketers call me or they may regret it.

Funny Things

Eric had developed a funny personality along with the typical toddler attitude. He wakes up every morning and starts jumping in his crib. He has a nice mattress so he gets some good height. He has also learned how to say "hey me" and "hey Mommy". He has a whole list of words and knows how to operate the DVD player, the ipod and what the web cam is. He pretends to talk to daddy on his little play computer and on his play phone. The conversation goes something like this.

Eric: Hi Daddy! Babble babble babble. Love you! Bye!

I wish I knew what he was saying and that he would tell me he loves me! I take care of him 24/7 and what do I get... well, I guess I can't complain because I get cute baby kisses and sweet baby hugs. He knows how to do all of the parts of the bus on wheels on the bus. He can make the motions for Popcorn Popping and can sing parts of Bad to the Bone. I think that is his favorite. We make it fun and silly! We are working on I'm a Little Teapot. He is obsessed with Elmo and Blue's Clues and he also loves Veggie Tales. He loves to play outside and run around. He also does some of the funniest things like putting everything in the bathtub or the trashcan when I am not looking. He loves to climb in his cabinet and play "Where's the baby?" He always responds "There he is!". I just wanted to let you know how he doing and let you in our life a little. My next goal is to teach him how to change the channels, make toast and get his own milk. Maybe then I can sleep in once in a while.

What's up with us

A lot of you have been asking how we are doing and well here it is... life is hard. I miss my husband so much and Eric misses his Daddy. Everytime a plane goes by he says "Bye bye daddy" We are surviving. I hate living on the second floor and how everything is set up. Taking out the trash is the biggets pain. That is why I only take the trash out every so often. Over here we have to sort our trash into paper, plastic and then the rest of the stuff. I put it out on the balcony until I absolutel have to take it out. Actually bringing in groceries is the biggest pain. I have to go down one flight of stairs and up two to get to our door with Eric trying to get what he wants out of the bags. I am so exhausted by the end of everyday that I fall into bed and just want to sleep. Eric wakes up every morning literally jumping in his crib yelling "Hey Mommy!" at the top of his lungs. I would be remiss if I didn't say that I am grateful. I am grateful for the families in our ward that treat us like family. I am grateful for all of the sisters and Young women who give me much needed breaks and encouragement. I am grateful for the shoulder that is always there for me to lean on when I need it. I love living in a military ward because we are all in the same boat. At any given time there are husbands and wives deployed from our ward and we all know what it is like to be there struggling. We all band together and I think that that is what has helped me the most. We have been invited to several Thanksgivng celebrations and Christmas dinners. Even people who are new to our ward are so friendly and so giving. I had one brother who just got back introduce himself to us in the Commissary. I know his wife and daughter but he reassured me that I was welcome to come over to their home any time and just hang out if I needed to because he understood what that meant to his wife while he was gone. I am also grateful for my family and their support. I am most thankful to my Heavenly Father and the safety he provides for Elmer and for us. I know that the next several months are going to be hard but in the end it will be worth it. We just have to keep pushing forward and not look back. Thank you all for your prayers and support. They really mean a lot to us.

Trunk or Treat

Tonight we had our annual Trunk or Treat at church. Halloween isn't a big to do over here with the locals but we make sure that the kids get pleanty of fun and candy. The activities board did a Candyland theme with games in each room. We did the Mr. Mint room and had a mint relay. It was fun. There is also the chili cook off and the scary dessert. The kitty litter one won this year. Let's just say that it looked too realistic to try. Eric wasn't too sure what trick or treating was all about but he caught on quickly. We only went to a few trunks because he can't eat it and I don't need to eat it. We did have a good time and I just think he is the cutest pumpkin in the world! I can't wait until Friday and we get to go around the neighborhood. It should be loads of fun!

Brushing your teeth never looked so good!

Eric is learning how to brush his teeth which roughly translates to he can suck the toothpaste off the brush and then gives it back for more. He is starting to get the hang of it. I just thought this picture was too cute to resist. For those of you who watch Friends go back to the one with the prom flashback and look at Ross. This pictures reminds me of that. He wants to look cool. I love his little expressions and how everday there is a new adventure.

I love this man!

For those of you who don't enjoy mushy romance, don't read this one.

One of my favorite commercials is the one where the older couple is walking in a European town and the man stops and yells at the top of his lungs "I love this woman" He says it several times and then gives her an anniversary ring that you could probably feed a small country on. I think it was put out by Kay. Anyways, that is how I feel about Elmer. I just want you all to know that he is a wonderful man. He is so sweet, caring and special. I can't imagine life without him and this is killing me right now. I don't feel complete. We are so close and have grown even closer since he left. He is an amazing father and the man every woman dreams of. There isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't make me feel special. I just want the world to know "I LOVE THIS MAN!" and I am so glad to be his for eternity. Thank you Elmer for everything!

My Birthday (Sorry it is so long)

I celebrated my 25th birthday this year on October 25. Sadly Elmer was not here to celebrate with me. I did recieve some wonderful surprises! On the Thursday before my birthday he sent me roses. On my actual birthday some super friends took me out to dinner at an amazing German restaurant. The dinner I had must have had enough calories to kill me but it would have been worth it. NOTE: IF YOU ARE COUNTING POINTS OR ON ANY FAD DIET STOP READING NOW!!! For dinner I had one of the specials... it is a slice of deep fried bread covered in gravy then they put a sliced beef steak marinated in something out of this world and they cover it in a holindase sauce that is to die for. If that isn't bad enough they serve it with a huge platter of fries and veggies. Needless to say I ate lite for the next few days. It is one of my favorite meals. Since mail is slow over here (people get Christmas cards in April) I didn't recieve my birthday box until Monday. I was so excited and a little nervous. As much as I love him, Elmer makes me nervous when he picks out gifts. For my first birthday after we were married I got a pair of boat shoes and Crazy Bunny. For those of you who don't know the story let me inform you... Elmer got me a plastic rabbit statue that had bugged out eyes. Even to this day he still can't explain why he got it for me. Since we had only been married a couple of months I didn't want to hurt his feeling so I did what any wife would do... I put Crazy Bunny in the bathroom. I didn't want to put it out where other people could see it and honestly it kinda creeped me out. After Elmer did his business he came out and handed it to me, at first I thought that I had hurt his feelings but he handed me Crazy Bunny and asked that I find a different place for him since it creeped him out and he couldn't use the bathroom with it in there staring at him. This year was different. After almost 9 years together and 5 years of marriage Elmer got it right. He got me an alarm clock that allows me to plug in and play my ipod! He also got me a Twilight calendar, the Twilight soundtrack, a Dilbert desk calendar and some candy. Even though he wasn't here I still felt special. I just want to thank all of you for helping me through one of the tough days.

Shoes!

Eric has developed a fascination with shoes. He hates his! He constantly tries to get them off but he is in love with every pair of mine. He especially loves my running shoes and my church heels. He love the sound they make. He doesn't like my flip flops because they are too much work. I feel bad because with Elmer gone he spends so much time with me and has developed some strange interests. He knows what a blowdryer is for, he wants to get into my makeup and now he can't stay away from my shoes. The only thing that reassures me that he will grow out of this phase is the gross little boy stuff he does like eat dirt and play in the toilet. Yes, it is always clean! I am just never fast enough to get to it before he gets his hand in there. Anyways, enjoy the pictures.

Arguelles Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

I think Eric looks more like me now. When he was born it looked like I was his stepmother because he looked so much like Elmer and nothing like me. This was really easy and fun to do. I wonder if they have ever had any kids that look almost 100% like one parent or the other. That would be an interesting discussion! Enjoy.

Twilight addiction!

For those of you who don't know there is a series our by a lady in the church called the Twilight series. Elmer and I love it! At first he couldn't understand my obsession and hated it when I dragged him to the release party for Breaking Dawn. I read the other three books in the series in a matter of 2 weeks and fortunately we were in the states when the book dropped so we went to Barnes and Nobel. He started reading it before he left and got hooked. I have even had to send some of our copies downrange for his soldiers to read. I read it for the romance and he read it because vampires got into fights and ripped each other apart. Go figure! I was watching Eric play the other day and I looked over and he was reading something. He loves to "read". He even makes up words in his own language to go along with the pictures. Anyways, I went to see what book it was and sure enough it was Breaking Dawn (the last book in the series). The funny part, was that he carted it around with him for a while and every now and then he would stop to read a few more pages. I realized that my obsession was rubbing off on him. I have all the books, a tee shirt, the calendar is on its way, the soundtrack should be shipped on the 4th of November and a whole bunch of the ladies in our ward are getting together for a Twilight movie night as soon as it comes out. I hope that eventually I will find some other series to get into but for now I am a shamless Twilighter and not afraid to admit it! Enjoy!

Highchairs...some assembly required!

With Elmer being gone I am in charge of furniture assembly. I recently bought Eric a new highchair because his old one was gross. We had it for over a year and it is the one he learned to eat in so needless to say it had survived many sweet potato battles. I opened the box and of course it came in like 15 pieces and I had to put it all together. It wasn't too bad once I realized what all the pieces were. I didn't even have any parts left over! The real test came the next day when Eric had to eat breakfast in it. He looked at me like "lady if this things falls I am never trusting you again". It has been several days and it is still standing!

Playing in the Leaves

I took Eric to the park after several days of cold, wet weather. He loves the playground and just running around. I took him over to an area under the trees where there were nice piles of leaves and just let him play. He loved it! He was so interested in the sound they made and how when he ran they went all over the place. I love this time of year because everything is so colorful. I missed that in Florida. Unfortunately palm trees don't change their colors. I hope all of you Floridians enjoy these pictures and know that when the snow starts falling we will be thinking of you in your 80-90 degree weather.

Pumpkins

Ok so I am really cheap. Every year the commissary brings out pumpkins way too early for Halloween and they over price them. I found that the longer I wait the cheeper they get. Last year I waited until the 25th until I went to get them and they were 6 cents a pound instead of 30. This year I couldn't wait that long so when I had some mommy time I went an picked a few out. The price was good and they were well worth it. Eric wasn't too sure at first and didn't want to color on his little one. Once I got the top off of the big one he was facinated with it. He learned the word 'ewww" a long time ago so the whole time that is all he said. he actually stuck his hand in and touched the gooey stuff inside. I gave him the top while I gutted out the inside and he tried to eat it seeds and all. Luckily he didn't like the taste so that made fishing the seeds out of his mouth a little easier. Daddy got to watch the whole thing via the web. I love technology and the fact that even though daddy is miles away we still get to see him and he gets to share our special moments with us. I decorated my pumpkin with stars. Getting a little fancy in my old age...

17 Month Pictures

Since Elmer's birthday is the 2nd of November I wanted to send him some pictures of Eric. I decided to take Eric outside and get some of him playing with a football. The ball is almost the same size as he is. We got out there and of course a cat walks by breaking all of Eric's concentration with the ball. Eventually he forgot about the cat and I got some cute pictures. He is such a ham!

Hey ladies! Introducing the cutest firefighter ever!

For fire prevention week the Air Force brought out Smokey the Bear and each child got a firehat and a football. Eric screamed when I took his football away to put his jacket back on him after leaving the store. He carried it around the rest of the day. He has a little firetruck rideon that he wheels around here all the time. It is nice until he tries to run me over and then it is a game of outsmart the baby. He loved the hat too. He even tried it on me which brings up to the expression in the third picture. Either he is disappointed that he didn't make the firefighter calendar or he is embarassed of his Mommy. I will laugh years from now if he actually becomes a firefighter. I will laugh and then spend the rest of my life worrying about him. I love being a mom!

The next Steve Irwin

Introducing Eric the next Crocodile Hunter! Eric loves animals. Right now everything is a goggie (Doggie). Cats, birds, characters at Disney...everything with fur is a dog. He wanted to wear his monkey backpack so I put it on him. The last time he wore it we were in the airport. The tail is the handle and it gives him freedom without really being a leash. He loves it and his doggie! Enjoy!