As Yet Untitled

Don is away.  Most of you already know this, but for those of you who don't, Price and I are currently hanging out in Guam, alone for an untold number of days.  Don is off doing his job, helping the victims of the earthquake in Indonesia.  I am really proud of him.  This is what he signed up to do, I know he is doing a great job.  I hate that he's gone, I hate that he isn't getting to spend his birthday with us for the second year in a row, but more than anything I am proud of him.  The whole time we were in Ohio, Don and I talked about how we hoped the next assignment was at a more traditional base, where we could experience "the real Air Force."  We are definitely getting what we wished for!

I am once again wearing my big girl panties and holding down the bunker while he is away.  Although, as my mom joked, I think the elastic is starting to wear thin- and I may need a new pair soon.  Things are going ok, we avoided being hit by two separate typhoons in one week.... what more can a girl ask for?

Peek-a-Boo

Since Don's been gone, I have come to (once again) really appreciate what single parents go through.  Price is a wonderful child, but my goodness!  I am so happy when I put him to  bed at night- just so I can take a breath and have some me time.  I also have discovered how McDonald's stays in business.  Last night (and again tonight if I'm being honest), I didn't know what to fix for dinner, was completely unmotivated and had it been just me, would have skipped dinner or had cereal.  I stood in front of the pantry and then the refrigerator and then the pantry and then the refrigerator  for 30 minutes thinking that maybe something new and inspiring and quick and easy to fix would have magically appeared, but alas nothing! (By the way, trying to wish ingredients into existence while fending off fridge/freezer diving kiddo is a good aerobic exercise- you should try it some time).   I wondered: Couldn't I just give him 2 bottles instead of one before bed?  Would I go to hell if I just threw him in the car and went and got a Happy Meal (I also understand the name now, it's not because the kids who eat them are happy, it's because the mother who gets out of making dinner is happy to have that and a screaming, tired child off her back happy)?  Couldn't he just eat some Cheerios and call it a night?  But no, I didn't trip over the line and settled on Velveeta Shells and Cheese with chicken and veggies mixed in (so much for my "From Scratch Project,"  that's shelved until Don comes back).  Simple enough, boil some water, add some stuff.  Apparently, I am either stronger than I think or they have started making the macaroni bags out of easy open plastic (I'll pick stronger since I am in Being a Military Wife is My Super Power mode these days), because when I went to open the bag it tore and the shells flew all over the floor.  Of course, my little helper stopped rearranging the pantry long enough to help me get the shells off the floor.  He did this by popping uncooked pasta shells into his mouth.  So there we are, Price and I crawling across the kitchen floor scooping up shells while I am simultaneously laughing and crying.  Oh the hilarity that is my life!

Pre-macaroni spillage.  Everything that is on the floor(except the Diet Coke) used to be on a shelf, until P-Man rearranged.

Don being gone has also turned up my internal pressure to get out and meet people.  I was so desperate yesterday, that had Price and I not been doing our best white trash impersonations been dressed in more than a diaper and dirty t-shirt holding a sippy cup (Price) and an inappropriately low cut t-shirt and grungy sweat pants (me), we would have walked across the street and introduced ourselves to a woman playing with her two dogs and son who looked close to Price's age.   But, I didn't want our appearance to be our first impression so we just stayed on the patio and watched the Thunderbirds practice their manuever's for today's airshow.  That was a neat treat- 3 days this week, the Thunderbirds have been practicing or performing right over our house.   We didn't make it to the airshow today because Price decided (THANK GOD) to take a long nap.  We did however, finally, make it to story time at the library.  It was not what I would call a success.    I was hoping there would be lots of other moms with lots of kids Price's age to meet.  Not so much.  Price is still too young for this story time.  Oh well, there's always the stroller strut class and the personal ad I'm planning on taking out in the base paper.

And we have a new pet!  We officially have a lizard living with us. He's cute, he's small and I hope he stays up in the a/c vent where I saw him.  I thought we had lucked out and gotten a lizard free house- I was wrong (I should have known better after all the carcasses we cleaned up when me moved in).  Oh well, I'm sure he's helping keep the insect population down.