Our Big Adventure

Well the time finally arrived. It felt like we were telling people (and ourselves) that we were going to be moving forever! We learned that we would be moving to North Carolina last October. So this move was a long time coming. Now it's finally here. My mom flew out and helped me transport the kids across half the U.S.  We covered almost 1200 miles in four days! 😳 And there has been a lot of craziness but honestly it hasn't been too bad. 

The kids have been super excited to go on "Our Big Adventure." We have been talking about this move, talking about our new house, their new rooms, the cool places we will be able to go, how close we will be to Mimi, and Poppy, and Gaga and Grandpa. Lucas still told us he didn't want to leave his house and he wished we didn't have to leave all his friends. But he was also excited about the new adventure.  Juli wasnt really clear what is going to change but she was so cute the day before we left. She kept walking around the house and picking up things and telling me she wanted to take them on our big adventure. Chocolate raisins, a stuffed dog, a car, pajamas. She wanted it all to come.

This trip would not have been the slightly crazy but mostly fun adventure it has been if my mom wasn't with me. She rolled with the crazy and was a second set of hands to help with the kids. Almost like I had cloned myself. It was amazing. I love her and am so thankful she was able to be here with us for this. 

We left Ben behind in Oklahoma to oversee the move, repaint the few walls that we had painted, and check out of the house. This was going to make things easier for everyone, not make the kids sit around an empty house and watch their stuff go away, and just let him get stuff done. However, the Air Force has, of course, thrown a wrench into this plan and is sending him to a day of training on Friday. Which means he had to scramble and push his move out from Friday to Thursday. Then the movers said they would be delivering our stuff on Monday. Which means Ben has to be checked into seymour Johnson by Monday. Anyways, our carefully made plans turned into madness and luckily our friends the Garretts, and a buddy of Bens from work really helped him get everything done back in Oklahoma. 

I was originally planning to fly the kids to my mom's house because on our last long road trip we discovered that Juli gets carsick. But we made plans to stop often and for long breaks, I packed some emergency Zofran, and Clorox wipes. Surprisingly, she didn't have any carsickness! We were very thankful. Lucas was the easy traveller on this trip that he has always been. We would tell him our plans, so he would be ready and excited for whatever was coming up. Over the four days of travel, we went to:

 

A trolley museum and a trolley ride in Fort Smith,

A really cool Discovery Museum in Little Rock,

The zoo in Birmingham,

Met up with Jake in Macon,

Rode carts in hotels,

Took naps in the car,

And helped Mimi push the crazy amount of bags we lugged everywhere. 

Now our big adventure is over. But it's time to start our New Adventure- living in Goldsboro! Let the unpacking begin!!

Lucas's Fourth Birthday

Tonight, as I rocked Lucas before bed, I told him about the night he was born. How excited I was to meet him. To see his face. To hold him. 

I told him how the first words I said when he was laid on my chest were "he's perfect." How daddy cut the cord that had attached his belly to me. How everyone was so excited and happy to hear that we had a baby. How we called all his grandparents and aunt and uncles and friends. How people sent flowers. How we chose the perfect name for him, and what other names we thought of. 

And he laid against me and listened with a huge grin on his face. "Tell me more about when I was born." 

He loved hearing about his special entrance into the world. But most of all, he loved hearing how special he has always been to me and Ben. How we couldn't wait to meet him, and how we have loved him each day since then. So I told him more. And I think I will tell him this special story every year on the night before his birthday. Because four years ago, tonight, I was in labor, waiting to meet my first child. And it was terrifying, and painful, and exhausting, and emotional. But it was the beginning of my life as a mother. And I love the idea of remembering that night and all the joy and love that it created. 

My baby turns four tomorrow. So I'm taking the time to remember the beginning of his life now. Because the years go by so fast. And I don't want to forget any of it. 

Life As We Know It

Life has been pretty crazy here for the past few months and it is about to get even crazier! Ben has been gone for training for 12 weeks out of the past four months. The kids and I stayed here for the first set of five weeks, and my parents came out to help for one week. Then Ben was back for a bit, and when he left again, I took the kids to my parents for three weeks. Then we came back here and it's been about four weeks of being a single parent here in Oklahoma. Ben should be home September 10th. My mom flies in the day before. Lucas has a birthday party on the 12th. Then we are scheduled to be packed and moved on the 16th. Should be fun. 

The first chunk of ben's training (five weeks for SOS) weren't too hard. Everything was the same except Daddy was gone. Lucas was still going to school two days a week, we still had lots of friends here to make plans with, and the kids were their normal selves. 

The second chunk of training (nine weeks at IFF) has been more chaotic. Ben drove me and the kids and Kayce to the airport the day before he left. So we said goodbye to him and flew to Mimi and Poppy's house. 

The kids knew he wasn't going to be going with us. They were excited about the trip and didn't expect Daddy to be there. So their behavior  on the trip was really normal. Then we came home. They knew daddy wasn't going to be there, but it was still weird for them to be home and not have daddy. 

My friends from WVU came to visit the day after we got back. The kids loved seeing them, but it was not their normal and they were a little off, behavior wise. Then the friends went home. Kids were ok for a few days and then things got ugly. They were whining. Fighting. Arguing with me and each other. Crying. Disrepectful. It was insane. I work really hard to keep my kids happy and healthy. I love that I can be a stay at home mom. But for about a week I just wanted to get away from the crazy munchkins!

 I knew why they were acting out. Everything was different. They had had pretty constant stimulation and attention from lots of people for weeks and all of the sudden it was just mom. Boring. And there wasn't as much to do here. My parents basically live in a resort. This is their community swimming pool

Seriously, I'm not kidding that is it. The kids never wanted to leave the neighborhood. But we dragged them to the beach, bowling, and some other torturous activities, too. 

So being back in Enid with just Mom was a definite step down. Also, daddy wasn't home. Also, lots of our friends aren't here anymore. Also, they (mostly Lucas) know we are moving soon(ish). So I knew why they were being crazy. I just had to ride the crazy out and I did. Thank God. They have been markedly better for the past week. We settled into the new Normal. We still have had a few bad days, but they both have a little summer cold so they aren't feeling their best and even though I try my best, enid just isn't as much fun as Mimi and Poppy's! So we are just hanging out here until the middle of September. Then a new level of crazy will be reached as we attempt to drive across the US and stay with my parents until we a. Get a house and b. Get our things delivered to it! 

But overall, I can't complain too much. This has been the first time in the five years that Ben has been in the air force that we have had to spend any long amount of time away from him. That's pretty unheard of. And the unusual bad behavior of my kids does make me grateful for their usual good behavior. Although, as I told a friend earlier this week, it's not an accident that I have well behaved children. I have very high expectations of what their behavior should and can be. I know that they can act a certain way, so that is what I expect. And I don't tolerate anything less. We work constantly on good manners, thinking of others, respect, and consequences. My kids are my top priority. If I can't wrangle them into their best behavior now, what is going to happen when they are teenagers?? Sorry for the tangent!

Anyways, life as we now it has changed dramatically over the past few months, and will be changing again soon. So I'm just trying to stay as consistent and on top of things as I can be. And buying some wine for when it just gets to be crazier than I can handle! 😜 

Here are some pictures from the chaos! :)

Splash pad at mom and dad's pool

What are we going to do without Kayce?? 😢

Beach babies

Sitting on the screened in porch during a thunder storm

Aunt Jenn Jenn came to visit too 

And so did Gaga

And grandpa 

We went on boat rides through the lakes in my parents' neighborhood 

We love the beach!!

Bowling night!

First time flying by myself with two kiddos. They did amazing. 

Pseudo grandma reading stories with the kids

Lucas being a cheese burrito. 

Tickles with Tristan! 

Sweet friends. 

Summer Lovin

Ahhhh summertime. I just love summer. Sunshine, pool, tans, beach- these are a few of my favorite things 🎶☺️ May was a gross, rainy, cold month this year. Then June came and it is glorious! Yippee!

Lucas finished his pre school on May 21st and we told him that after school was summer. So he immediately wanted to go to the pool after his last day of school. Unfortunately, it was raining and 60 degrees for the last two weeks of May. So he had to wait a little while before "summer" came. Now, every morning he wakes up and asks if it is still summer. Which basically means "can we go to the pool today?" And the answer has been yes! For the past 5 days. Haha. If it is sunny and hot, we are at the pool from 11-1:30. Then we come home, watch Sesame Street for 20 minutes, while mom unpacks all the food and wet stuff, and take amazing naps. It is beautiful. I hope we can do this all summer long because I love it. 

So do the kids. Lucas is a swimming machine. He loves the water, just always. He plays so well in the baby pool, still, but this year he doesn't wear his puddle jumper in there. He only wears that in the big pool. He swims in the big pool so wel. He can swim without any help from mom or dad about halfway across the pool! He has his "swimmy" on, which keeps him mostly floating. But he paddles and kicks and keeps his head up. He loves it. Just has a blast. He also turns into an ice cube about 5 minutes after getting wet. I swear his lips turn blue! He warms up by sitting on the hot cement or (as shown above) wrapping up!

This is Juliana's first summer of really playing and swimming in the pool. Last year she was still so little that I basically held her if she got in the water, or she might have sat on the first step in the kiddie pool. But this year, she is ready to go! She toddles around the kiddie pool with her puddle jumper on, and is a happy girl. She can get in and out of the pool by herself, on the stairs and on the sides. She also enjoys the big pool, but adamantly tells you when you are taking her in "I hold you mom!" And basically has a death grip on me for a few minutes. Then she relaxes and we bounce, swim, kick her feet, blow bubbles, dance, and just have a great time. 

I love sharing this time, not only with juli and Lucas, by with our friends here. I am going to miss everyone when we leave! It sucks being in the military sometimes, but without the military, we wouldn't have these amazing friends! Talk about a catch 22. We will continue to enjoy our friends, until we have to say "see ya later" in September. 

Done Breastfeeding

I weaned Lucas when he turned one. I knew we were going to try to have another baby soon, and wanted a couple months without nursing or being pregnant. With juli, we weren't planning on trying for another baby (at least not any time soon) so I didn't really force her to wean. I just let her do what she wanted to do. Which turned out to be gradually cutting out nursing sessions, and eventually only nursing before naps and bedtime. Then from about 15 months to 18 months, she just nursed at those times. She was adamant about it though, demanding "nurse!" When I would rock her. 

Then, about a month ago, she just abruptly stopped asking to nurse. One day she wanted to, the next day she didn't. Then she went a few days, would ask to nurse, go a few more only nursing once or twice, and so on. Finally, she went a week without nursing at all. Then one night she decided she wanted to nurse. And I said no. There is no way there was anything for her to get. And I didn't want to start a cycle of her either comfort nursing, and have to stop that, or of her getting mad that nothing came out. So I said no, for the first time. I refused to let her nurse. And she was fine. She didn't throw a fit, or cry, or really do anything. She went to sleep like she has been doing. And that was when it really hit me. I'm done nursing her. 

I'm much more happy than sad about it, but it is a little bittersweet. She is my baby. But she is getting so big. We haven't decided for sure if we are going to have more kids. She may be my last one. That may have been my last time nursing a baby. I have such beautiful memories of nursing my babies. I also have horrible flashbacks of the rough few weeks at the beginning. ☺️😳 But overall, I have loved being able to nurse my babies. And it's done, for now at least. Good news is- I'm ready for sangria this summer!🍹

Loving this Phase

It's been awhile...again...since my last post! Life is getting crazy, and it's probably going to get worse before it gets better. But that doesn't mean things aren't good! Ben has been at SOS for the past 5 weeks, and comes home Thursday. So I've been manning this ship by myself for the first time ever. It was definitely an adjustment at first, but after the first insane week, we got a good routine down, and things have gone surprisingly well. School is almost done. Friends have moved, and are going to be moving soon. We have a few months left before our move, but we will be spending most of July with my parents, so I'm sure these last few months here are going to fly by. 

The kids are just in a great stage right now. They are playing more and more together. Juli is an early talker, like her brother, so they are able to talk to each other , and are constantly cracking each other up, telling each other things, or getting on each other's nerves 😄 I love how sweet Lucas can be to his sister. He is always looking or for her, making sure she is ok, and helping her. The other day they were playing in the sandbox in our yard while I was in and out of the house, probably cleaning up and getting things done. Lucas yelled for me to come here. I went to see him and he said "I have to go to the bathroom, can you watch juli?" 😂 it's little things like that, where he just shows that he is thinking of her and wanting to keep her safe, that make my heart melt. 

I just love this stage, where they are becoming friends and playmates. I can't wait to watch them grow as individuals, and as brother and sister. 

16 Months and 3 and a HALF

I realized about a month ago that Lucas was close to being three and a half. It feels like he just turned three! How has half a year already gone by? My babies are getting bigger and so much is changing or happening soon. We finally got our dates for all Ben's upcoming training and our move. We should be moving in September. Ben has two different training things to do before the move, one is five weeks long, the other is nine weeks long. The kids and I will be staying in oklahoma for those. I just feel like this is going to be easier for all of us, and less stressful. Moving to a new place is going to be awesome. But it's also going to be a huge transition for everyone, especially the kids. Even over Christmas, when we flew to New York, Lucas kept checking that we weren't moving. That we were coming back. I hate that he has to even think about that. But it's just part of the military life. 

Anyways, the kids are doing great. Lucas is loving pre school. I just had a conference with his teacher last Friday. She had such great things to say about him! She said he doesn't have bad days. He's always smiling. He plays and interacts with the other kids. He is really smart, remembers so much. Loves reading. I was so happy to hear all of this from someone else! It's easy to think you have a smart, happy kid. I'm kinda biased. But I'm so glad that Lucas is flourishing in his school environment. He loves his friends there, and tells me what he did each day. He remembers the bible stories they read, he tells me about the toys he played with, the games the played, the snacks they ate, who he sat with. I just love that his world is opening up to include so many other people. 

Juli is also blooming before our eyes. She talks. All the time. 

Uh oh. Oops. Sorry bubba. Thank you. Love you. I sit. I sad. Baby! 

She knows so many animal sounds, parts of her face and body, people's names. She knows all the characters from Mickey Mouse and Frozen. (Disney mania runs in her blood) She is just so interactive right now. She loves playing with Lucas. She follows him around and is his little shadow. When he goes to school, she asks where he is. "Bubba? You go??" And is happy when we go pick him up. 

I love seeing her little personality, which is mostly sweet but a little sour sometimes! She is so silly and happy most of the time, but also tries to get away with things. She is just a lot of fun to be around. 

I can remember when juli was a newborn, I would tell Lucas that one day she would be able to talk to him and play with him. And now she is. It's crazy. I love watching them play and talk. I could literally sit back and enjoy that all day. It makes my heart so happy when they enjoy each other's company, make each other laugh, or help the other one. I'm just hoping that it continues once they get a little older!