Since Tom has been home, he’s already taught Katie “chicken butt”—she almost always reacts to it the same way PLUS she’ll say it on her own.
Slush Fun
The sun was out and everything was melting so today was slush fun instead of snow fun. We went out during Katie’s nap because she would have just gotten completely soaked and/or muddy. It was actually so warm in the sun that I took off my sweatshirt and just hung out in a tank top!
Owen was telling me an imaginative story. At this point I think he was reenacting Spiderman.
Playing iPad games together
This never gets old.
So. How big does a hole in your hand have to be before you should consider getting stitches?
I was washing knives this morning—being careful!—yet I still stuck myself. Right in the middle of my right palm right down a major line. Ugh. I kept pressure on it and didn’t think it was all that serious, so I posted the above question on Facebook. These were my favorite responses:
Can you see thru it? 🙂
A little duct tape will take care of that!
If you have to ask, you probably need stitches.
In all seriousness…between all the responses, a quick Google, and talking to David (my ex-PA stepdad), I decided to go to the ER. However, there was one problem—all the roads were still completely covered in ice. I had a brief thought that maybe the main roads would be better (like at home, Roberts Road can be horrible, but once you cross North Down it’s clear) but DUH, this is North Carolina. I felt okay going slow (25 in a 45) but as I got closer to town, I saw a line of cars slowing down, some stopped, and some turning around. I wasn’t even halfway to town by that point, so I just turned around and went home. (Come to find out later, it was at least a tractor-trailer accident and someone caught another accident on their phone while stopped for the previous accident.) And the police were telling people to stay off the roads. So I made the right call. If my hand had been lots worse, I may have pressed on—but it wasn’t.
However. The more I waited and watched, the more paranoid I got. It hurt—but it was most likely just normal bruising and not (my paranoid side) that I cut a muscle or nerve. It had stopped bleeding—but started again when I opened my hand too much. By this time it was after dinner and dark and there was no way I was going out on the roads…which meant even if I decided to go to the ER in the morning, it would be past the general 12-hour cutoff for suturing a cut. Ugh.
So I popped some more pain pills (a naproxen at first this morning, then a hydrocodone this afternoon, now Tylenol tonight), slapped some Neosporin and a bandaid on, and called it good for the night. If it’s still oogy in the morning, Tom will take me to the ER. He wouldn’t have to take me, but he has to report to work tomorrow at 11…unless, of course, he’s dealing with me. 🙂
P.S. I just realized the pic makes it look like one big hole. Trust me, it’s not a gaping hole…it’s just blood making it look that way.
Previous Throwback Thursdays
Getting ready for s’mores at our house on Valley Ridge Lane (during Tom’s first deployment in 2005) with Ursula Mitchell.
One of my favorite pictures from our wedding day—Jessica was our flower girl and she DID NOT want to take a picture with me no matter what.
In Traverse City at my apartment before heading out camping and to Mackinac Island in September 1997.
Circa 1991 at Tim Hough (now Nolan)’s graduation party. Who would have guessed we’d someday become cousins?
Trip to Baltimore in 2005 with our good friends Tom and Karen Trimble.
A somewhat recent Throwback Thursday (11/25/10)—with Kelly King.
Just a few years ago (2007—seems like yesterday)…one of my all-time favorite pictures with good friends Nancy and Kelly.
Camping with cousins Lisa and Lori in high school—I’m guessing ’89 or ’90?
I had completely forgotten about the trip to Toronto we took with Sue McLaughlin and Pam Williams—maybe 1988? 89?
TiVo friend + Etsy + Fate
A TiVo friend of mine throws pottery and has an Etsy store. I’ve been looking at this large vase for over a year but couldn’t bring myself to buy it because I just didn’t need a vase. But I happened to be on Etsy recently looking at something else and thought if it was still there, it was meant to be mine. Amazingly it was, so I ordered it! 🙂 He threw in the small vase as an unexpected bonus! (As a side note, he’s the same guy I did the smoothie in a bread bowl for and the same one Tom and I got our gnomes from. Which reminds me I haven’t told you about the gnomes yet. That will be another day.)
Throwback Thursday
Throwback Thursday happens on Facebook and I love posting pics. I need to post some of them here because the blog doesn’t go back that far for most that I post…so stay tuned for that. However, this is what I posted today.
Beach time!
Everyone is in the water at the “beach!”
Picnic on the beach!
Snow Kids
The kids were desperate to get out and play! I love the mashup of outfits since we don’t have winter clothes! (Well, Tom and I do, but it was a lazy day so we were all in jams and comfy pants.) Katie’s wearing jams because they’re the best thing to keep her belly covered—and she has non-winter boots but they didn’t fit over the jammie feet so we put her in a pair of Owen’s old lined Crocs which fit perfectly. Owen has boots but they’re on the small side so didn’t fit over thick socks.
Afternoon outing:
Ice Table
Everything was preventatively cancelled for today because of the threat of snow and freezing rain…and nothing happened until about 3:30 when it started getting colder and the freezing rain started. I thought the table looked cool—it’s a sight you won’t see much in North Carolina!
Cookie Monster Kitchen
I found this small kitchen for Katie about a week before Tom came home. Owen saw it in the back of the car and was SO excited about it (even though I told him it was for Katie). He wanted it up right away but I said it would be after daddy came home and we took the tree down (because it was going to go in the same spot). So today was finally the day! They both loved it!
Snakes and Poppers
Owen earned some fire snakes and poppers for using the potty and he wanted to save them until daddy got home! So when Katie napped, we went out and did them today!
Welcome home dinner outing!
Daddy wanted to go out for sushi and of course I’ll never argue with that…
Getting ready:
Then we stopped at Owen’s school to get Tom registered (for pickup and drop off) then had time to go to the playground!
“I’m stepping on your heads!”
DINNER!
Less than 10 minutes later:
Katie tried a bite of sushi and ate it but didn’t want more (but she’s been in a phase of only eating 1-2 bites of something).
Them we went next door for frozen yogurt! Katie was wiping daddy’s face.
Ahhh. Back to normal. Life is good.
A Belated Christmas
Daddy sent home a present for him and Owen that they opened first:
Katie jumped right in to help daddy open a gift from Grauntie Marge:
And we saved some of Grandma Marsha’s presents for the kids so Tom could watch them have fun opening:
Covered Katie
Owen and daddy had fun covering up Katie with animals.
It’s a good, good morning.
The plan was for me to go in to Owen’s room as usual and then have Tom come knock on the door. Tom was up super early (before 5) and once I knew he was up and moving around I was paranoid that Owen would hear/see him and ruin the surprise…so I got up and dragged Tom back into the bedroom while we watched Owen on the monitor. Owen dutifully waited until his nightlight turned green at 6:30 before turning his bedroom light on and I went in shortly after.
I thought he would have been much more excited…but it was still sweet. And then people (on Facebook) pointed out his wiggling feet and I guess that’s how he shows excitement. He also sounds a little choked up toward the end. (Facebook only got a snippet. This is the whole thing.)
The Facebook comments were great:
- I like the wiggly feet…..
- Awwww. This is priceless. I think he was very excited. His little feet!
- The wiggly feet give it away!! So sweet!
- Those feet!!!!!
- Awww. Those feet! I totally cried. Both times.
- The boy who emotes with his feet. What an awesome moment.
- I love the little foot wiggle.
Then first things first—he had to show daddy his Lego book!
And then it was time to surprise Katie. She doesn’t seem to recognize him at first…but don’t worry, she was saying “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” the rest of the day and didn’t want him to leave her sight.
And daddy even did the morning diaper change!
Welcome home, Tom!
He wasn’t scheduled to land at MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) Cherry Point until 6:30, at which point they had to unload and do admin stuff and only THEN get bussed an hour to Camp Lejeune. The official ETA was 10:15, so I planned to leave at 9. But it’s the military, so surprise!
The easiest way for me to do this is follow a direct timeline according to my texts and Facebook posts. 🙂
6:28 Owen tells me he wants daddy to pick him up from school tomorrow and “Mama, you can stay in the car.” He’s going to have such a big surprise in the morning!
6:44 Tom texted: Landed
6:44 I texted back: Woohoo
6:45 I posted to Facebook: The eagle has landed. (It was Liked by 72 people.)
8:01 Tom texted: On the move. (He sent a Glympse so I could follow his progress.)
8:19 Tom texted: I should be ready by 2130.
8:20 I texted back: 9:30?!? I need to leave earlier.
8:24 I texted my next door neighbor (who was coming to stay with the kids) asking if she could come over a bit earlier.
8:40 I pulled out of the driveway.
9:03 & 9:13 Following his progress—if I had left about 10 minutes earlier, I would have likely been following the bus on base:
9:17 I posted this picture on Facebook: So close, yet not quite.
9:21 Tom texted: At armory now.
9:21 I texted back: I’m watching. 🙂 (I could still see him walking around on Glympse.)
9:26 I posted this picture on Facebook: Bags are unloaded from a separate truck first, ahead of the guys.
9:27 I posted this picture on Facebook: This is what the scene looks like.
9:37 Tom texted: We are half way done. 15 minutes. Getting back on bus. Four guys left.
9:40 I posted to Facebook: I was so excited to get out of the house that I forgot it was freezing. I have no hat, gloves, or scarf. I’m frozen.
9:43 Tom posted to Facebook: M4, M9, and NVGs turned into armory. On bus to see Jen and do the Sea Bag Drag.
9:45 I posted this picture on Facebook: Waiting while freezing my fingers off.
9:46 I posted this picture on Facebook: They’ve rearranged the bags three times now.
9:54 A friend took these pictures of our reunion. Not quite as romantic a picture as you’d probably imagined. 🙂
And of course our traditional selfie (we did them before they were a thing):
9:59 After Tom found his bags, we took this selfie with the iPhone so we could post it on Facebook: He’s home! Better pics later! (It was Liked by 127 people.)
10:04 A buddy of Tom’s helped haul all his gear to the car and then took this picture:
10:48 Maggie welcomes daddy home:
Katie, I’ve got to show you something cool.
They obviously hate each other and hate baths AND hate taking them together.
Katie will be over in 3…2…1.
Katie always comes over when she sees Owen on my lap, so when she wasn’t paying attention, he came over.
And true to form, Katie made her way over within a minute. 🙂
My furry cuddle buddy.
Gee, what a surprise–Owen likes hot chocolate.
I tried to get him to try it a week or so ago and he flat out refused. REFUSED! I told him he loves chocolate and chocolate milk, and this was just was warm chocolate milk. Nope. I promised he’d love it. Nope. I promised him a piece of chocolate if he tried it. Nope.
/urge to throttle him
So today I was drinking some again and he said he wanted to try it.
And imagine that—he loved it. 🙂
Lego Helper
Katie helped to put all the Legos in the bucket, then..
After Dinner Surprise
It was her first time in the big tub and she was a little freaked out (like actually starting to cry!)…until Owen got in with her. Then it was game on! 🙂
Then Owen was splashing and they were both laughing and in constant motion so I’m amazed I got a picture when they were both looking!
A snippet of the fun:
Owenisms 36
Talking about his new Paintball Guy Lego on the way home from school.
Me: Does he have a happy or sad face?
Owen: Ummmm. He has a get ready face. He’s getting ready to paintball someone.
There was a bird chirping quite consistently.
Owen: Mom, you hear that?
Me: What is it?
Owen: A bird alert!
Coming downstairs in the morning:
Owen: Oh Katie…I have a guest for you!
Me: A guest?
Owen: A DOOOOG! Here’s MAGGIE!
Watching Owen give Katie a hug and kiss while playing: I have to go away tomorrow. I’ll miss you.
Trying fish sticks:
Owen: I like it! It tastes like…a French fry!
Me: Great! Do you want another one?
Owen: No thank you.
Me: Will you finish that one, please?
Owen: I only like the insides.
Me: The insides?
Owen: Yes.
Me: Well you can peel off the outsides if you want.
Owen: No, I like the outsides.
Me: :/
I love looking out to see this.
I was getting dinner ready when I look out to see this.
Mystery Trip #6
First we had the beach with Gramma Jean. Second we did the playground. Third we did a movie. Fourth we did a different playground. Fifth was photos with Santa at the mall. I think that brings us to number six (though I should ask Owen—he’d know for sure!)—Jump In Jax, an indoor bounce arena. We met friends there for a play date and he was off like a shot. Luckily he takes care of himself because I have to stay near Katie to keep her corralled in the under 4 area.
Then I tried to at least get one picture of Owen. 🙂
I also had to have a little talk with Owen… He kept coming back to play in the toddler area with the blocks. Seriously? The kid I have to tell at least three times a day to stop jumping on the couch isn’t jumping on the bouncy things? I told him it’s okay for a few minutes—if he wants to come play with Katie—but otherwise he should be BOUNCING. We’ll see what happens the next time. 🙂
I hate waking a sleeping Katie.
I hate to ever wake a sleeping kid, but sometimes life calls for it. Unfortunately Katie doesn’t nap consistently so I can never make plans—or if I do, I might have to wake her up…like today. (One day she might only nap for an hour until 12:30, but the next day I have to wake her up at 2:10 in order to pick Owen up at school.)
Thankfully she’s happy when I wake her up—and usually hears me open the door and jumps up. Today, however, I felt even more guilty than usual because she was OUT. She didn’t even stir when I opened the door…or when I took TWO pictures (complete with sound and flash!)…
But then Owen came banging in the screen door and that did it. 🙂
So then it was off to our mystery trip!