I'll spare you the picture... for now.

I went rollerskating with Sammy last night and forgot my camera. Why do I keep doing that? I charge it and then forget to bring it. ...But that's not the picture I'm talking about.

The skate was for kids of deployed parents. I went expecting to watch (and listen) to Sam whine all evening but someone generously offered to keep an eye on Ralphie so I could skate with Schmitty. I nervously donned my skates, something I hadn't done in many many years.

We got out there and after a couple laps of wall hanging he agreed to hold my hand. We zipped around the rink but eventually my luck ran out. I fell right on my kiester. I forgot how much that hurts... Anyway, I'm sure it'll bruise up nicely and that's the picture I will spare you all.

We had a really good time, it was the first time in a long time that I got to interact with Sam without Ralphie taking priority. I think it was important, I forgot how much fun we have sometimes. I even told him maybe we could go back just the two of us when Dad gets home. He was pleased, he thought Dad had to be deployed for us to do that.

What the Heck??

I just came home from Schmitty's football practice. I spent the hour laughing and talking to the other parents. As I was logging in to Blogger I realized my shirt is unbuttoned from the chest down. I've been walking around since God knows when with my shirt unbuttoned from Ralphie's last feeding!!! I'm completely *Agh* I can't even think of the right word! Well, I'm sure all the ladies enjoyed the peeps at my white fleshy belly.

Yagopuchae ordered me some fair trade coffee. I haven't been able to try it yet because I have to use up the rest of our unfair trade coffee first. I'd just like to validate my addiction to Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream by saying they use fair trade coffee.

I'd also like to blame Mickity and StuckinMD for falling off the wagon. The Ben & Jerry's wagon. Mickity got me back in to eating ice cream with her proclamation of Creme Brulee yumminess. I thought it was innocuous enough since I couldn't buy it in Germany. But then StuckinMD reminded me of my Coffee Heath Bar Crunch habit and I just bought one little pint... What could go wrong? Unfortunately, I started looking for reasons to go to the commissary and I couldn't pass up a pint of ice cream. Each time I promised myself I would only have a scoopful per serving. But every night one thing would lead to another and I'd be scraping the bottom of the container wishing I had more. Thanks.

It's been almost two weeks since I've had any but I think about it every time I stop by the commissary.

Runaway Fingers

I read my last post and wonder what the heck my fingers were doing when my brain was telling the what they were SUPPOSED to be typing. Holy crap, I sound like a retard. Whatever, I'm always in a hurry with the background "music" provided by Ralphie. I'm lucky anything makes it to the keyboard.

I thought of something cool that I could send Yago today but I didn't write it down and now for the life of me I can't remember what I was going to fill the box with. Hmmm.

Disruptions...

I haven't been able to blog or email much because I moved Ralphie's "crib" in to the computer room in hopes of a better night's sleep. Now when he naps and sleeps it's in the office. That's when I normally would used the computer, when it was quiet. Hence, no emails or blog entries.

Little Ralphie has a cold, poor guy. He tries to eat and blows snot in and out. Very gross since he's still nursing. I've been trying to get him to take a bottle more with mixed results. We was doing all right until he got sick.

Anyway, I had plenty of amusing antecdotes but can't remember any of them now. I'd better go watch Judge Judy, er, I mean do some housework.

The Green Green Grass of Home

I realized last week the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Again.

I've been kind of looking forward to a chance to work again, even if it's as a Reservist. I fantasized about interacting with people where the commonality wasn't our children. Our children wouldn't be the foundation of all our conversations. I could interact with people that would make jokes and perhaps even pull a prank.

Then I went to put Ralphie on the CDC waiting list.. Later that day I watched him start to doze in his carseat and he was so adorable. I didn't want to leave him with anyone else. I didn't want him to have a day separate from mine, if that makes sense. I didn't want to fret about what or how he was doing. Was he upset? Crying? Screaming?

It's good to have a reminder every now and again that I made the right decision to get out of the AF, even if I did give up A LOT of money over my lifetime.

Of course it's easy to say now because Ralphie's sleeping...

My Little Buddy

Little Schmitty is so smart and makes me proud. He had cub scouts last night and they were supposed to talk about their state flag. (They're military kids so they don't really have a home state.)

I told him I'd look up some stuff online and go over it with him after school. We chose the Oklahoma state flag because it was more interesting than the Nebraska one. I was rushing around while we talked about it and he asked me to write some of it down for him. I jotted down some quick notes and we went to the den meeting. Unfortunately, we left the notes and the little flag at home.

During the meeting we went around the table so the kids could talk about their flag. There were pictures in the book of the flags but only 2 other kids even knew what state they were supposed to talk about. When it was Sam's turn I could tell he was nervous but he remembered everything. The other parents were looking to see if he had all the information written down and were amazed that it was from his memory.

The shield is from the Osage warriors and is made from buffalo hide.

The six white crosses (stars) represent high ideals.

There are seven eagle feathers that hang from the shield.

The peacepipe and olive branch represent peace.

The blue background represents the flag the *Choctaw soldiers carried during the Civil War.

*He forgot the Indians were Choctaw.

Identity Crisis Part II

Guess who I met at the commissary today? That's right, Ms. Hall. Schmitty pointed her out in the parking lot but I couldn't see her, her back was to us. I studied her back side (not her derriere) and thought her hair was pretty yellow but maybe that was because she was wearing a yellow sweater. I decided to give her (me) the benefit of the doubt and think the sweater wasn't flattering to her hair color.

Inside, I got to see her close up and saw her face. My God! She must have been 50!! I was very disappointed. Stupid me, spending all those years trying to get a suntan. Yagopuchae would still be peeing himself laughing if he had been there.

Identity Crisis

Thursday night was Open House at Sam's school. When I entered his classroom his teacher, Mrs. Whalen, looked taken aback. I greeted her and she told me I looked just like a Kindergarten teacher named Ms. Hall. Hmph. Didn't think too much of it.

After talking to Ms. Whalen we went to the free spaghetti dinner put on by the PTO. We ate and left the cafeteria. A little kid followed us in to the hallway and yelled, "Ms. Hall! Ms. Hall!" I looked around and realized he thought I was Ms. Hall. I told him I wasn't her and he went back in the cafeteria.

I grinned and shrugged at Sam. He said, "Well, you do look a lot like her." I said, "She must be a very pretty lady..." Sam gave me a sideways look and didn't answer. I don't think that was very nice of him. Yagopuchae thought it was hilarious.

Whiny Kids

So much for a holiday today. I was looking forward to taking Sam bowling and hanging out but we battled instead. I always feel like I'm losing the war.

The thing is, I think Sam is genuinely a good kid but he has spells where I just don't know what to do with him. In the middle of it I would just like to throttle him (but don't). I try to stop the yelling match and make him calm down and I think we're making progress until he loses control again. He starts talking (yelling) back and it sets me off again. It's a downward spiral. He screamed and hollered so loud today I was humiliated because I knew people down the street could hear him. I couldn't get him to stop. God. He used to be so cute.

Aging Rock Stars

Anything more pathetic than an aging rock star? You bet. An aging fan. I watched part of the Diana concert earlier and when Duran Duran hit the stage I had to laugh. Middle-aged women dancing and singing along. Poor Duran Duran. I bet they think about all the hot women that attended their concerts 20 years ago every time they perform. I'd give up performing just so I wouldn't have to watch the old ladies swing their hips. They look like they're barking at the moon. Hooowwl. (I must admit I sang along with Ralphie on my lap and he look quite puzzled about my singing.)

Sammy went skating with a neighbor that he can't decide if he likes or not. Now I'm sitting here lonely with a lemon bundt cake I just made from scratch. I know how it'll turn out and it's not pretty.

Baby cries and momma signs off.