Last Week's Chaos

As I'm sure you noticed, I didn't post much last week. We were busy with Vacation Bible School "Outrigger Island". I think those 4 year olds kicked my butt. Or was it my very active son, who was with me because we don't do child care? It may even be the events that took place getting my car a/c fixed or replacing the 2 windshields we have gone through in a WEEK that made me pooped. I know, it had to of been the result of stressing about a future trip after doing travel research! Whatever it was, I'm ready to crawl into the beauty salon drinking a virgin pina colada and ask them to whack my hair off start a new week. One that involves having someone diagnose why Max's "check engine" light came on yesterday, and hope I can get Bear in for his dental work before Max's boat takes a couple week pleasure cruise to a place I'd love to go. Truthfully, that place could be anywhere outside of a five mile radius that doesn't involve visiting family. Not that I don't like visiting, I would just like a family vacation for a change...not a vacation to visit family. It made it to the list, in fact it's the last thing on the list.

VBS theme: Outrigger Island (she is also doing "Space Camp" this year)
Kalee enjoyed it. In my younger years I was never involved in VBS so my only experiences were limited to Japan. I will say after the third day I was a bit disappointed that the Bible stories and music portions were not presented like I was used to. I asked how she liked it and what she learned. Would you believe that girl started telling me details I didn't even observe about Jeremiah and Baruch (Jeremiah 36). I'm amazed! (a study Bible for me to understand stories a little better is also on the list- I just discovered that in our Life Group last night) She learned quite a bit during the week and that is what it's all about. Motto: Know the truth! Speak the truth! Live the truth!
"Teach me Your way, Lord, and I will live by Your truth." Psalm 86:11

Went to bed late and got up early because Bear fell off the bed. Poor kid gets that from me...something I didn't grow out of until my late teen years. Now they are off to watch a Leap Frog video while I work on the bathrooms and try to kill the laundry weed while Max's is on duty. First I have to distract Bear from trying to juggle 2 eyeballs that he took out of a book. He's frustrated and growling while putting his hands on his hips. Humm. Or I should teach him the difference between aimlessly throwing them at the window and throwing them in the air?

Cooking Advice

My brother e-mailed me a recipe today in response to this blog I wrote a few days ago. Yes, my brother. Of us two, he got the cooking gene.

"haha Sis don't worry your brother can cook. Here is an easy one that works pretty well..."

..and he proceeds to give me the chicken recipe...but it's Zizzo classified material, so I cut that part out.

"...then put it in a pan on the stove and cook it. The dressing works well as lube for the chicken in the pan. Cook until it's done duh!"

Um, lube? It might just be me, but I thought of other things when I read the word 'lube'...you know, like my car. ;) But I wouldn't say that C-A-R word around Max's ride. He drives a "mini-truck"....that has the same trunk space as my car. ...just so you can stop guessing, who would have known that fat free Italian dressing was a good marinade?

"When that one gets old then put chicken in the oven with some lemon pepper seasoning on it BAM! It's done of course after you cook it."

Well, I'm glad you clarified that! It could have been you I blamed for giving me a bum recipe of uncooked chicken that got my family sick. Rest assured, I can cook it til it's done. Max made it easy for me and recently installed one of those built in automatic ceiling timers closer to the kitchen. Dragging a stool to all the way upstairs to remove the battery from the timer so I can stop the beep I could hear over the vacuum was getting old. I'm still amazed at how those things know when dinner is fully charred cooked.

Kalee's Wheels

Our baby girl is growing up. These 2 wheels claim her fame this week.

and more... (never mind the flower garden in my hair... I forgot to remove it after VBS)

Bear decided to serenade us. Just in case you don't understand Japanese :) he's singing Twinkle-twinkle. Really, it is Japanese!

I ask you pardon his attire. Every, and I mean EVERY time he gets a splash of water on his shirt from washing hands, or a macaroni and cheese noodle drop on his clothes, he changes. Matching the clothes has become a useless chore. If it weren't for my OCD I'd prolly hang the clean wet shirt in his closet. Only my son would pick out long sleeves in 90 degree weather.

Devotion Conversation

Kalee and I were going a lesson from her devotional Bible today and I have to tell you about our conversation. We were reading from Genesis 42:3-4


Her challenge question was "How many brothers did Joseph have?"


"(3) Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. (4) But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others because he was afraid that harm might come to him.


Me: So Kalee, how many brothers did Joseph have?
K: Ten plus Benjamin... so eleven?!?!
Me: Yup! Good job! (then I turned it into a math word problem) So, how many more children would Daddy and I need to have to equal eleven.
K: Um....nine!
Me: Yup! But don't get any ideas. Nine is a LOT of children!
K: No it's not! 100 is a lot of children!


If I think I play hacky sack with the 'girls' now only having 2 children, I'll be tripping over them like a Basset Hound trips over their ears after nine. I would be able to throw it over my shoulder while driving to feed the baby instead of pulling over. But officer, how could it be a distraction to other drivers?

Fix-Cook-Bake Whatever!

Me cook? I'm warning you those words are a bad combination. I can bake. In fact I can fix....not cook... anything that has the magical ingredient called sugar. OK, so about that horrible dinner. Let me start of by saying I hate pork (just as much as I hate deep frying)! I'll eat bacon, but I won't cook it. Gelatin and deli ham are the only other occasional things in my diet that is from a snorting animal. Well I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone a little and 'try' different things. Last week Farm Fresh had a sale of pork chops. I bought some. I Googled "easy pork chop recipe" and found one within my kitchen abilities:

Beat eggs and milk
Mix Italian breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese
Dip pork in egg then cover in breadcrumbs
Pan fry for 5-6 min then bake at 350 for 25min.

Should be easy, no? I shouldn't be able to jack this one up unless I forget to set the timer. As I pulled it out of the oven it looked even more gross then when I put it in. I guess blood leaked out of the bone and discolored the breadcrumbs. ICK! Then I cut it to fix the kids plate tasted it and made a disgusting gagging noise I don't quite know how to interpret to English...not that I speak or type in English anyway. I finished serving everyone, took my apron off (I'm so gunna have to post a pic of my cool apron form my Step-Mom and Dad) and it was Bear's turn to bless the food. He belted out with this song:

Tank you pa-der (thank you Father), por awe pood (for our food), an-na-na-bessing (and our many blessings), Ah-ha men (Amen)....I do plan on using Max's underway camera, when I get him to bring it home form the ship and take a .mpg of Bear singing it.

Max took a bite, what a good husband, his face changed colors but he swallowed it and looked at me. I laughed at him trying not to offend me "Don't eat it babe....sorry, I made lots of pasta At least I get that al-dente every time." For the record Max is not big on pork either. No more pork chops in this house! I'll stick to natural beef and chicken and slip in sea food every now and then. So, I'm welcoming recipes, but prefer ones that don't involve cooking. :) As an incentive, for every one you give me I'll give you a "sweet" one.

Night Before and Homecoming Day

The night before party at the place locals call the Zoo.

Eat this!
Mom, is my mouth this big too?

What a tangled web they weave...

The famous 18 foot long "Carrier Cake" that I swear they served me a 9lb piece of.

The morning of his return. We left the house about 06:00. Bear slept until we saw the super-structure through the cranes from afar.

Sharing the stroller with a sign that says "look over here Daddy".

The R from the RocaWear symbol on the stroller. Good sleeper...

Awaiting the arrival of her Daddy.


I see it! I see it!
Bear couldn't find it. He only saw the helo flying in circles above it.

See it now? Full dress manning the rails. Simply breathtaking.

One of several signs she made him.

Getting closer. The back of that guys shirt said Kitty Hawk...um, wrong ship, heck, wrong country dude. Those streamers were EVERYWHERE! But I tell ya it really puts the size of the ship in perspective when you see them unroll and not touch the water.

Sleeping Beauty got smart and used the sign to cover herself.

Mom, we are tired of waiting. The longest 5 hours of my life. Wake us up when he gets off. Yup- that's a child of a Sailor who has experienced a FDNF ship for ya.

Hey it's DADDY!
I know that man!
She's looking back and saying "I got my Daddy!" and I'm saying "Whew, my man looks good in uniform!"

Happy the Navy returned their Daddy.

I had to post this.
me: Kalee is the guy with the red body and heart your Daddy?
K: No, it's God!
me: Oh?
K: Yeah God is bigger then anyone. He's bigger then Daddy. He's bigger then Daddy's boat. God has a big heart Mom!
me: Your absolutely right my Dear!
K: (sings from VeggieTales)
You're big! I'm little. My head only comes to your middle. But I say little guys can do big things too!
We painted and used chalk on the floor in my formal living room. Did I mention I ripped up the carpet? ;) I wasn't kidding!

Stories to come later. I think I'll start with last nights cooking adventure! I need some easy healthy recipes...quick...or Max is going to start eating in "Hell's Kitchen" (on this ship the motto is "give em' hell"). Hey, I wonder if that is why he had to work late several days out of the week when we lived in Japan. Gosh, my food must be horrible if he's turning to the galley?!?! Or did my friend send her husband extra food to feed mine? I know she made duty day Subway runs for them...

*sigh*

I know, I know....I'm slackin'!

I have sooooo much to write about but I'm pooped! Max IS home!!! It was a loooong day when he pulled in ...mostly because he insisted on going to Lowe's that evening. Not 24 hours after the ship moored he started our next project...tile... all of the down stairs. WOW! We are almost done and he returns to work soon so I'll be back. Can you believe we made it through this deployment without swiping our VIP card in ER? I'm astonished! A whole lotta months!

I'll post homecoming pictures as soon as I get then off my camera. I'll do that after we finish the grout...but first we have to mix another batch of thin set... lay the edge pieces... finish the bathroom...

Zzzzzzzz (snore) Zzzzzzz (snore)

I Love Ya, Tomorrow!

Tonight my "Mom lesson" included a science experiment...

K: running out of the tub naked, "Moooom, brother put some weird little gooey balls in the bath."
Me: "huh?"
B: "Ehhh! Ah-Mah! Poo-poo!"

I bolted down the hall and into my bathroom to find Bear in the bath tub with his Cars Pull-up (not cloth today because we went to the zoo) that is now the size of a bowling ball. Seriously son! What the heck? I learned that the nasty toxic goup of one pull-up, can fill about an inch of the bath tub. Hopefully Max can get Bear out of the habit of throwing towels....clothes....bath mats....diapers or anything else that doesn't belong, in the tub. What would be even better is if Bear got in the tub naked instead of dressed as he so often insists to do.

So yes, today we went to the Zoo for the night before party. We indulged in a 9lb. piece of the "Carrier Cake" that was 18 feet long! No I'm not exaggerating it really was eighteen feet long! A replica of the ship with chocolate aircraft, on top of another cake that resembled the ocean. They had to assemble it on site. I did get pictures...but your gunna have to wait until after the homecoming.

This Zoo was... I'll be nice with my words and say.....I guess I got spoiled in San Diego. I walked in circles looking for the rest of it. The highlight was watching prarie dogs...yeah, THAT sad!

Tomorrow! Yes, tomorrow is it! I'll be up at the butt crack...if I don't hit sleep on my alarm too many times. Eeks....what a day for the alarm clock to fail me huh? I'll post pictures later in the week.

Did I mention?

Tomorrow is my last full day without my husband!

Now it's time to let the cat outta' the bag. All this time I have been blogging about ripping up carpet and linoleum...you know it has sounded too good to be true. I will say I'm even proud of the stories I came up with. All is still in tact. Nope, I didn't touch a thing. Me try to do all that work by myself while taking care of kids? HA! I know I'm unique, but doing something like that is just plain nuts. It will all come up this weekend when Max is back. I feel bad for the trash man next week.

Did I mention I can count the hours by ten's on one hand before I get my husband back?

Here is an example of conversations Max gets to come home to...
Me: "Hey guys, want me to make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch?"
Bear: "Yes ma'am"
Kalee: "I want one but will you make him a boy cheese sandwich?"
Me: "luckily grilled cheese sandwiches are unisex. But if I ever make you a girl cheese, I'll be sure to make him a boy cheese."

Yup, he'll get to hear them talk like this first hand in a couple days!

My neighbor watched my kids for a little bit while everyone was playing outside in the kiddie pool so I could mop my floor. It was so nice to accomplish that task with out hearing "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy...(slip) Whaaaaa!"

Did I mention Max will be home soon?

One thing you'll quickly learn about living this lifestyle is we celebrate birthdays and such any day of the year. Today I just so happen to be celebrating April Fools! Yes I did rip up all linoleum in the entry way hall closet and bathroom and carpet from the living room and formal living room (still have dining room carpet because I can't manage to move my hutch) Today, Max called me to explain step by step how to rip a wall out. He seriously though I was going to be stupid enough to do another crazy task like that without him. No, I'll be stupid enough to accomplish that task WITH him in a few days.

Did I mention.....

MAX WILL BE HERE IN LESS DAYS THEN TEETH KALEE'S MISSING?!?!?!?!