Summer 2011: Trip back home

When we went home for the summer, we took Luke and Scratch. I was heading home with the kids to welcome Recruit 1's baby boy to earth! We took our time driving the 1500+ miles. On the road trip out it was just Grammy, (my mother in law) Recruit 4 and Recruit 6. And of course the pups!

I stopped early enough thinking it would be an adventure to let the boys swim some before dinner and we could all get a good nights rest. What I didn't count on was LUKE freaking out in the hotel room. Our room's window faced the pool, so I opened the window. Now he could see his boys in the water. Um, yeah, anyone wondering if I had forgotten he's a full blooded, home grown LABRADOR. Water is one of his greatest joys. And his boys are just over a fence in water. Without him.

 He tentatively put a paw out. I admonished him and slunk back into the room. See the dark head in the picture below? Old Scratch was wanting to check things out too.

There's Recruit 6 who was getting concerned about the dogs. I was just annoyed. Not only was Luke trying to get to the pool, he was being very vocal about it. Not a manly bark either but a yippy puppy bark.

Old Scratch couldn't get up in the window. His hips are bothering him. He did however manage a random old man dog bark. Just think of what James Earl Jones would sound like if he were a lab. That is who I think of when Scratch finally deems something bark worthy.

There's Recruit 6, who is the main reason I felt we needed some down time. 25 hours in a car with him isn't always conducive to good mental health.

But seriously, look at that face. He and his brother were both wonderful on the trip out there.

Recruit 4 finally couldn't stand how upset the lads were getting so he climbed through the window to comfort Luke.

Grams was hanging out by the pool the whole time while I ran between the window and the pool. I was glad to have her on the trip!

Recruit 6 thought it was safe to get back in the pool, that Luke understood he couldn't join him.

Yeah, Luke was right back up there ready to leap out. He's spotted other folks in the pool, he was quiet for about 2 minutes. So we ended pool time earlier than we meant to. Fortunately the time we did spend outside unwinding from a day of driving was just enough to have the desired effect. Recruit 6 was passed out which meant a restful evening for the rest of us!

Marine Corps Ball, Holidays, and Career

So first of all MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I am quite pleased to say everyone was home for Christmas to include my wonderful Mother. She isn't in the picture because she was not feeling well and went to bed a little earlier. I only have a second to pop in but wanted to share our family, because they are fun! and wanted to share where I've been blogging lately:

I am now an official blogger for Military OneSource. I love writing and life has been crazy and not allowed me the time to write. So I am fixing to cheat. I want to post the "official" blogs I've been writing for military lifestyle on the Military OneSource Blog Brigade, and who knows... I might just find the inspiration and time to get back Krazy Eights!!!

Military Life

When Your Service Member is Home More Than Gone

Reflecting on the Marine Corps Ball


Some Holiday Posts

Where did your joy go?

When Kids Leave

Setting Expectations for your Teens During Holidays


Careers

Juggling Career and Family

Sweet Sixteen and never.... oh well, Sweet Sixteen...

Today is my number 3 Recruits Sweet Sixteen birthday. She received her birthday in sections. Sunday we gave her a present. She, insisted, or maybe I insisted... I don't remember. Below you see her a whole year ago. She has had quite a year... But I think her birthday pictures from THIS year reflect who she is truly becoming....

Recruit 3 on her 15th birthday

Should I worry?

She had a friend over. Just one. It's a school night. 

There are no words....

 Actually, this child is quite a beauty when she isn't snarling her nose or shoving icing in her mouth...

 This morning I wished Recruit 3 happy birthday... Via Facebook. We were leaving for seminary and she was MAKING ME LATE...
and as we were leaving she said, "you didn't wish me a happy birthday!" I looked at her and said, "yes I did, I did it on facebook"....
My how they don't like it when the tables are turned.

This child has always been the enigma. When ever I say
that, she always has to look up what enigma means. You'd think she'd remember. It's an enigma to her....


I want to wish Recruit 3 a wonderful and eventful and joyous
year 16 of her life! I'm so glad she is mine!

If the Marine could move her off his truck he would have... He had already left to head back to Marine Land with the boys. Football season was starting. Recruit 3 and I had the truck! I'm totally serious. It's a whole blog worthy entry I know... 

All the sass in these purple boots are just but a small part of what's in the gal wearing them...

Hurricane Preparedness with Recruits

Hurricane season often gives our family a chance to work together. Usually in the 11th hour getting ready for an impending hurricane. Or the potential for an impending hurricane. I took these last year and never took the time to post them. So, I'm sitting in the den listening to something about heavy artillery. Not by choice.

The guy just said the "the thing about heavy artillery is it's heavy..." Oh my gosh... I could have written that text... Anyway, back to hurricanes. I'm blocking out the Military Channel.

Let me walk you through my pictures. Here you see the Marine giving direction and guidance to the recruits. We have to make room in the garage for our fence. It's an awful vinyl fence that has to be taken down every hurricane. It's a pain. The reason, it's awful and vinyl and we live on a corner lot. The winds whip through here like... well like a HURRICANE!

Everyone works. The two little recruits had on their headlamps. They were ready for a power outage. At any moment. They blinded me several times. They blinded The Marine. I haven't seen their headlamps recently now that I think about it... Note to self, hurricane season is starting again, get new headlamps for recruits.

The Marine continues to guide and educate the Recruits. See the paint can in his hand. He's not holding it up for hurricane preparedness. Someone had spray painted the shelves on the other
side of the refrigerator and freezer you see in the garage there. Someone did it. No one admitted to being Someone.

What I think is hysterical, only because I was behind the camera and not helping, is the Marine asks, "WHO SPRAY PAINTED THE SHELVES". Then he is surprised No One speaks up. So now they all get the talk. I don't remember the details of the talk. But the talk usually follows the same format. 1. What the offense is; 2. what he is going to do to anyone caught committing said offense; 3. and finally what will happen to EVERYONE if it happens again, usually involving horrible and undesirable body part removal.

Recruit 2 working, you can see it's not exactly a pleasant climate out. Hurricane season is inconveniently during warm and humid weather.

Recruit 3 was helping too. I was still taking pictures. It was important for posterity.

At one point Recruit 6 is distracted. I wasn't sure what was going on, so I watched him. I thought maybe a ball or something had rolled under the bush.

He was still busy crawling around and had called Recruit 5 over. I stopped him for a picture.

Now I realize that they are actually looking AT something instead of FOR something.

Yay for mom and her headlamps. They came in really handing when checking out a bush in the dark when they were supposed to be helping prepare the yard and the house.

And what were they checking out? A disgusting Frog. They made me squat down there and take a picture of it!

Then we had to do a posed photo of them together. With their headlamps. I love hurricane preparedness. I love headlamps! I've got to go to the store...

This is a BAD DOG

I couldn't find Luke. I kept calling him, then I looked out the back door. He was a very very naughty puppy.

But he looks so handsome and regal! He usually jumps up and runs to me when he sees me.

I'm thinking he was thinking if he just stayed really still I wouldn't see him.

He only moved enough to pull his head back a little but NEVER took his eyes off me. He really should have been barbecued for this.

To make matters worse, I could recognize the toilet paper, but I have no idea what else was torn up or where the back to that office chair came from.

Sigh... Boys and puppies. There's a lot of clean up involved...

HODGE PODGE

I was looking for a picture to write about and none jumped at me today. So I decided to write about church with The Marine. He usually sits on the end with maybe ONE child between us. This leaves me with the others all to my left.

I end up missing half the talks because I am busy shoving boys off of me, snapping my fingers a the older ones, and saying SHHHHH a lot.

I have also been getting tapped a lot lately. Tap Tap Tap. In fact, this is not the first post I have written about being tapped. I really can't stand to be tapped. I even gave them options tonight at dinner instead of tapping me.

Today I was tapped by three of them almost simultaneously. Again the Marine looks at me as if I am the most intolerant woman on the planet when I exclaim in a stage whisper "STOP TAPPING ME".

In addition to being tapped out... LOL, sorry a little wrestling humor which I only know about because Recruit 6 was sitting on Recruit 5's back one day yelling "TAP OUT TAP OUT".

As I was saying. In addition to being tapped out, I was hot. Not like "ooh baby" hot, but like "oh my gosh I am going to pass out Peri-menopausal" hot. I know the Bishopric saw me fanning myself like crazy with my print out for my Sunday school lesson. I think they thought it was funny. I didn't see them smile, but the Marine was laughing at me and they are all in cahoots. I could feel it.

So what was the Marine's solution? He made me move to the end seat and put himself between me and the children.

I was moved. Not emotionally moved, but physically moved. By the Marine.

He says he was protecting me. I think he was isolating me and protecting them.

It was actually nice. The Marine had to lean over several times. AND Recruit 2 was drawing on Recruit 3's dress because she wouldn't circle the words he found looking over her shoulder at her word search. (It was a New Testament word search in case people are wondering why she was doing a word search in church).

The Marine gave Recruit 2 the eyebrow. Recruit 2 gave the Marine the "grin". I sat on the end and fanned myself trying to catch the Bishop's eye to tell him I was hot and going to pass out. The Bishop didn't see me.

The Marine did. nuts.

The Marine: "Who are you talking to???"

Kelli: "no one"

The Marine: "Yes you are."

Kelli: "nuh uh. I was singing the hymn..."

The Marine: "No you weren't you were mouthing to the Bishop you were going to pass out"

Kelli: "Well so, it doesn't matter he didn't see me anyway, and besides, I am going to pass out"

The Marine: some sort of disgusted grimace at my irreverance. Probably the lying too, but I'm not sure. I didn't bring it up again.

I did stop trying to send the Bishop a message though. Next time I'm just going to go punch the button for the controller and make it cold.

So then after sacrament I taught the 12-13 years olds for a friend of mine today. They weren't as bad as I expected. Recruit 4 is in there. He was just as bad as I expected. However he answered some of the questions and accurately.... He is an enigma.

Recruit 3 and I left before the third hour started. She got hit on the side of her face with the lacrosse ball yesterday and her jaw/ear area hasn't stopped hurting.

We got x-rays. She is just bruised/sore. But the x-ray tech, one we have never seen before amazingly enough had heard of Recruit 3, or rather the avulsion fracture she had to her occipital (occiput) bone on the back of her head in December from a fall during cheer practice doing the death dive stunt. She is famous. or rather her skull. The crack head.

I came home and took a fabulous nap. I need it. Nothing beats a Sunday nap....

Now I am ready for bed. 0500 comes early in this house and the week starts again!!!

P.S. I think the Marine was protecting me today. I've decided that's what I am going with.

Recruit 6 and Sacrament

Every Sunday we attend Sacrament meeting. Every Sacrament meeting with the exception of Stake conference or General Conference which each occurs twice a year, we have the opportunity to receive the sacrament bread and water. This is not a new or unusual event in Recruit 6's life. In fact, it's as familiar to him as any other family activity, event, or tradition we have.

So it never fails to amaze me when one of my children need additional teaching about Sacrament and why we are there. It also never fails to be DURING SACRAMENT when we have these lessons.

Recruit 6 "When are we eating?"

Kelli: "What?"

Recruit 6: "I'm hungry"

Kelli: "shh, we are not eating, you get a piece of bread and little cup of water and your supposed to be thinking about Jesus right now."

Recruit 6 slumps back, picks up his church back pack, unzips it and pulls out a giant conch shell Elder "E" gave to him last Sunday before he left on his mission. He holds it up to his ear. I ignore this. Mostly because I was touched Elder E gave it to him and because I miss Elder E too. And if it would keep him still and quiet then super.

Recruit 6: "Mom, Mom, MOM, MOM"

Kelli: "STOP IT, shhhhh, WHAT?"

Recruit 6: "Mom, um... you can hear the ocean. Do you want to hear it?"

Kelli: "no thank you."

The sacrament prayer is given and the bread is being passed. Recruit 3 passes the tray to Recruit 6 who starts to grab with his left hand. We teach our children to take the sacrament and pass the tray with their Right hand. I correct him. This throws him off. Completely.

He drops the piece of bread he had picked up, became agitated and now didn't know what piece to take. So he fishes around.

Recruit 3 is trying not to laugh. I'm having a hot flash and getting irritated.

The Marine is in prayerful, peaceful contemplation next to me completely unaware, or ignoring us.

Recruit 6 locates the piece of bread he is actually going to take and passes the tray to me and I hopefully grabbed the first piece he had put back. I can't do anything about all the other pieces he hovered over. I apologize to those behind us today. Which is most of our side of the chapel. We are in the fourth row of chairs from the front. He took a bath a few days ago. His hands were fairly clean.

We pass the tray on and Recruit 6 leans over: "I need water".

I just look at him.

Recruit 6: more insistent, "I need to get water"

Kelli: "We are fixing to bless the water. Just hush"

Recruit 6: "Well can I have a big cup? Do we get the big cups?"

Kelli: "NO" (last Sunday they ran out of the regular little sacrament cups and we had to use bigger ones and he was annoyed because he was not one of the recipients of the bigger cups that day either.

The water is blessed and passed without incident. The first speaker begins their talk.

Recruit 6: "I need water, can I go get water?"

Kelli: "No"

Recruit 6 takes out his shells, his pens, his paper, zips his back pack, pokes me a couple of times, packs everything up zips his backpack back up, sits on me, gets off of me, sits on me, pokes me.

Recruit 6: "Mom, Mom, Mom"

I really was about to lose it. Meanwhile on my right side sits the Marine oblivious to it all, or ignoring us.

Kelli: poking Recruit 6 in the chest repeatedly. "Do you like that? STOP poking me... now what?"

He giggles and says noooooo. I didn't mean for him to giggle.

Recruit 6: "If you break something, it's still something"

Kelli: "True" I turn back to the speaker.

Recruit 6 goes on. "Like a dollar bill, if you crumple a dollar bill, it's still a dollar bill."

Kelli: "True" both times I acknowledge him and return my attention to the speaker.

Tap Tap Tap "MOM"

Kelli: about to completely lose it not to mention the hot flash setting in. "What?"

Recruit 6: "Can I go get some water?"

Kelli: "NOOOOO"

Recruit 6 with big green eyes gazing up at me somewhat mystified as to my response, "But why not? It's so good for my body?"

I turned away from him. Took a deep breath and turned back and explained he could go once Sacrament meeting was over. He could get a drink then before his class.

Meanwhile the Marine is annoyed at me for all the movement and my obvious growing irritation and impatience with our precious son. The darling.

Marine: "You need to relax and just let him do his thing"

Kelli: with a hiss "You are completely unaware of what is happening here, and I am hot and he has been touching me repeatedly and zip zip unzip unzip zip zip... I cannot take much more."

Marine: "That's because I am focusing on the talks" and said with a very pointed tone of voice at me. As if I am purposely playing around. Oh that smug old man. I wanted to poke poke poke him a few times. I refrained. I was starting to sweat. He gave me that "ha, your in menopause look". I wanted to poke him harder.

Meanwhile I have now raised his awareness of the zip unzip poke poke poke and he leans over, and tells Recruit 6 in a VERY MEAN, all Marine-y voice to put it up and set his backpack down. Recruit 6 is now completely wounded and begins to cry. The Marine steps in to assist me just as the closing song is being sung. I've already endured over an hour of this. NOW he helps?

And I have to get Recruit 6 quiet by the end of the last verse so no one hears his sobs during the closing prayer. We are not in a very big chapel.

I'm sitting at the other end of our row next Sunday.

Alone.