An aerial view of half the backyard. :)

Fun with the gratuitous amount of packing paper

& first day of boxes (thank goodness we are 75% done!)

Emma defending the nest. (VB Aquarium Trails)

This is their first reaction to the new house

All Moved

We are all moved and tucked into Virginia Beach, VA.
Yay? Not so much. Yay that the move is over...definitely. Not so much because the weather here is insanely hot and can only be described as the 7th circle of hell. Not so much because the kids really really miss home. Emma keeps asking if we can "Go to Grandmas?" or "Go lunch with Ms. Lisa?" Wyatt every few days right before bed will do big ole' tears along with "I miss all my friends soooo much. I miss everything about Racine..." and so on and so on. So we have taken up with calling people right before bed on those nights and Wyatt chats and chats.....and chats....and chats.....and chats......
Its a work in progress here. We'll get the hang of it.

The house. The house is great. Really great. More modern than I'm used to from my Racine cottage. The backyard is HUUUUUUUGE. The kids LOVE it. The whole thing is carpeted...which I can now safely say that when we purchase our forever home it WILL NOT have carpet.

Our neighbors are....I dont know yet. We had GREAT neighbors in San Diego and even greater neighbors in Racine.  Apparently on this cul-de-sac street parking in front of your house is crucial and you will be strung up in a tree and prodded with red hot pokers if you park in front of someone elses house. WHICH...is hard considering 2 of the houses on this street have 5 cars each. So...people are parking front end to curb (not alongside) and double parking. Its so weird and looks tacky as hell. So yeah...Its going to be an adjustment.

Wyatt is all registered for school. He is fairly excited for 1st grade although "skeptical" describes him more. His school is ginormous. 900 kids in one elementary school. His class size though...is 2 to 15. Isnt that crazy? Such a small class. Its nice. There are 9 1st grade rooms. yowza. We'll give it a year.

Still don't have our "doctor placement" yet. We are so close to Military Treatment Facilities that we are supposed to go there rather than civilian docs. Which means our insurance picks who we see. Which means...we still don't have doctors. Which means...Emma still has sleep apnea and still has trouble spitting out sentences. Shes tries so hard though. Her vocab is great, but you can see that she struggles to spit out words. She swallows every 3 words. Poor girl. I hope Tricare pulls their heads our their asses soon so I can get my daughter in surgery. By all means, take your bleedin time.

Randy's schedule sucks. Every 5 days he has duty ... which means he doesn't come home that night. His ship is in and out and will be gone completely for the month of October. That should be a nice surprise for the kids. Cross that big ass freakin bridge when we get to it.

I tried signing up with a few mommy groups. Waa waa waa waaaaaaa. I got stood up twice. That was unpleasant. I've met with 2 more groups since then. I'll try to give it a few more shots before I throw in the towel. The problem, I think, is that I had such a well organized and familiar group back home. I never felt out of place there, I knew everyone, we knew their kids. I now have a profound respect for people that enter into a new mommy club and don't know a soul. It's hard to crack that nut. I didn't realize just how hard it is to get accepted into a new group. I've been in one so long that Id forgotten.

Anywho. We are not all unpacked yet. Its a work in progress. With the absence of a basement, Its making things tricky.

I'm off for now...someone is coming over to take all the empty boxes. kids will be sad...boxes made a good fort and all the packing paper was fun to throw around.

I'll upload the pictures when Randy gets home tomorrow night. They are all on his computer. bleh.

So much.

So much has happened. Which is why I've nixed the postings lately.

Emma has turned 3. My sassy little handful, Emma. We had an early morning cake as is tradition here. I went in and decorated her room with streamers and balloons the night before (which she still is not allowing me to take down!) I let her pick out a toy at Toys R Us...she chose an electric toy guitar. Which really...as far as battery operated toys go...isn't all that annoying.
I will load up some pics just as soon as I load the new program for my new camera that replaced the last one after i dropped it on the lens. My bad.

Emma....
You have kept me on my toes these 3 years. This last past year more than most. You are just coming into a loving side. You will give me random kisses and hugs...and I whole heartily prefer it over the last year of 1 second bouts of affection. You still have your "devil eye" The look that you give someone right before you do something that you KNOW is going to piss them off. "The Devil is Free! hes speaks through me!" And the foot stomp! Gods help us the foot stomp! Love and hate it equally. Little Ms. Verruca. But we love you all the more for it. Wyatt is your best friend. You both play wonderfully together and I love to watch. You are about to get your tonsils and adenoids removed and tubes put back in your ears. Hopefully this will help you speak, sweety. I know you are trying so hard.
I love you sassy sweet bebe.
Mum.

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Randy will be home this Wednesday. Then the fun starts. Rummage Sale, Going away party, movers coming and going, finishing the house for the renters and then off to concrete hell....ahem ... err I mean Norfuck...ahem *cough* Norfolk, Virginia. whew.
We have a house. We have renters. We're off again.

I have no illusions. This will suck. I do not look forward to this move. I'm numb to this whole crap fest. Please do help me find the silver lining. But chances are I will be able to poo poo any suggestion you may have. Just sayin.

Updates

Wyatt is a Kindergarten Graduate!!

The kids did this cute program where they sang 2 songs (that Wyatt mouthed....thanks for humoring me kid!) and then they walked up got their diplomas (God in heaven don't say that its a "certificate" around Wyatt... you will get a lecture on how its a "diploma" NOT a "certificate") then they stood under the arbor and paused to accept their applause. Which Wyatt totally milked. He stood up there and accepted their applause with a HUGE smile on his face. So stinkin' cute. I cant believe how far he's come this year. I'm so proud of him.

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Emma needs to have her tonsils and adenoids removed. As well as having her tubes put back in. Doc thinks this will help her speech and may make her get an interest in food again. Apparently the sides of her throat are almost touching. Now we just have to decide whether or not were going to have the surgery here or VA. If we have it here, it would feel like were rushing through it. I dunno.

Oh... I made Emma a dress...

It was pretty easy. My friend Lisa gave me a step by step tutorial. Thanks Lisa! ;)

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The house is off the market and is now for rent. We've had a lot of interest, but not sure who we are going to go with yet. Seems everyone has a "story" and not one are the "safe bet" Its terrifying. We are looking to move right after 4th of July.

Yea. I just don't know.
Did you know a pull-up can be a hat as well?
Emma... Emma... Emma... This girl is so silly. I've always said she has this music playing in her head at all times. Shes got this whole rhythm to her that so uniquely Emma. She's the most challenging little thing but a lot of fun and never a dull moment.
He vocab has boomed. Although she prefers to speak in 2-3 word phrases. She will try to get her point across with as little words as possible.
She has also recently surprised me. I had no idea she knew all her colors, can completely undress herself/redress as well as write "M" as her name. Feels like all that happened overnight and she let me know all in one day that she could do these things. Its interesting.

The Penis...The Built-in Thermometer.

I ran a bath for Wyatt and M.
Wyatt gets in. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. My penis says thats the right temperature."
Me: "What...?"
Wyatt: "My penis. It talks to me and tells me if the water is too hot or too cold."


Seriously. So far out of my comfort zone on this one. I remain silent.

The Old Days...

Wyatt said to me today "I remember when I was a baby, those were good times."


Clearly child... our visions of "good times" differ greatly..but you're still cute.

Easter 2010

Wyatt: "I think he's coming tonight!"

Me: "The Easter Bunny?"

Wyatt: "Yes!"

Me: "I dont know... have you been good?"

Wyatt: "Have I?"

Me: "I don't know, have you?"

Wyatt: "Well... besides a few minor outbursts, yea."

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Easter was good. The kids each received scooters. They thought it was pretty awesome. We visited a new church. They both had their own learning rooms while I was in service. Emma loved it, Wyatt hated it. I think because church service ran 2 hours long! Yikes... wasn't even a Catholic service! But it was a very cool church. Its sanctuary was like a freaking theater, the first part was like this Christian Rock concert... I've never ever been to a church where people clapped after performances! It was a pretty awesome experience.

Lunch at grandpas house then by the time we got home the kids were pooped.

It was a good day... would have only been better if Daddy was home.

Body Modification

Every few years or so I get the itch for body modification. Be it piercing, tattoos etc.

The force is strong these days. I will eventually cave. Its been 4 years since I've had something pierced. Far too long I say.

Im thinking this. Ladies and Gentlemen... The Marilyn

Potty Time!!

M has been flirting with the potty for a week now. She sort of just sat there and camped out a while. I let her, because well, its not hurting anything and I figure the longer shes on there the greater the chance of her having to actually pee.
It all panned out yesterday.

She was sitting on the potty forever when I came in and told her to get up its time to go. With that we hear "tinkle, tinkle, tinkle!" She whips her head around to stare at her nether-regions and this foreign liquid emanating from said region. We both gasped. And she looks up at me with a look that can only be described as a light bulb going off. "Ooooh! THAT'S what you wanted me to do while I sat here unravelling the toilet paper roll!?" She was so stinkin excited and proud. Since yesterday morning she has went 4 more times.

Never in my life would I thought I'd be so damned proud of someone peeing in a toilet!

Tonights Dinner - "Public Enemy No.1"

I cooked Kings Squares for the first time today. Made it using taco seasoning.

Wyatt: "Never cook Kings Squares again. Its the enemy of your mouth!"

Wyatt: "What is a number higher than 100?"
Me: "101,102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109,110?"
Wyatt: (shakes his head slowly) "I will never understand you for a 110 years."

Soup

We are in the grocery store when Wyatt asks me:

Wyatt: "Mom, do you want to make cannibal soup?"

Me: "What?!"

Wyatt: "Cannibal Soup! Ya hungry for it?"

Me: "Whaaat?!"

Wyatt: "ya know, it tastes like chicken?"

Me: "Whaaaaaat?!"

Wyatt: (Pointing to a can of Campbells) " This one!"

Me: "ooooh. No thanks, somehow Im not hungry for it right now."

Sock Hop

Me: "Hey Wyatt! You know you have a Sock Hop at school tomorrow?"

Wyatt: "Yea! I would like to go to that."

Me: "Do you know what a sock hop is?"

Wyatt: "Yes. Its when you hop around in your socks only."

Dying

Wyatt has been tip toeing around death. Questions, I mean. It started a few days ago with a few general questions here and there. No biggie. Excepting for the fact that Im VERY uncomfortable with death as well as talks involving heaven etc etc. Its unfamiliar ground, if you will.
Tonight before bed we had this conversation :

Wyatt: "Do parents die before kids?"

Me: (ok, so my mind is racing, do I say yes? or do I say sometimes?) "Parents dont usually die until they are very very old. Then they go to heaven to be with God."

Wyatt: "But you said you stopped growing"

Me: (I told him yesterday that Im all done growing and I wont get any taller) "Yes, Im done getting taller, but everyday I get a little older. Everyone does. Everyday people get older."

Wyatt: "Am I going to die? I dont want to die!!"

Me: (Careful mom) "Not until you are very very very old"

Wyatt: "Are you going to die?"

Me: (DANGER, DANGER!) "Not until you are a very old man with a wife and kids of your own."

Wyatt: "Whens my birthday?"

Me: (OH THANK GOD! We have moved on from this conversation)
"In a little under a year"

Wyatt: "THATS WHEN IM GONNA DIE?!"

Me: (SHIT!) "No! Good gravy Wyatt!"

Wyatt: "I dont want you to send me away to heaven!"

Me: (Well played mom, well played) "Where do you want to go!?"

Wyatt: "I just want to stay in the house!"

Me: (Kind of wish the floor would just swallow me) God Wyatt! *kiss, kiss* You are not going to die, Im not going to die, we are all going to get old and be happy, go to sleep, dream of a playground or a swingset or a freakin' swimming pool!"

I swear next time Im lying. "We are going to live forever." I think I made it worse.
Yikes. Is all I can say. I seriously would rather have a conversations about penises and vagina's, and proper condom usage than have another discussion about death.