The Marine Amidst the Infantrymen

I've never been one to live the full military lifestyle or surround myself with hoo-ah Army. In fact, the boys have so little exposure to ACUs (Army uniforms) and other military traditions, that they refer to all people in active duty uniform as Marines. This is because for five years we lived less than 10 miles from Quantico, and took bimonthly trips to Quantico to purchase groceries at a discounted price. The only men they ever saw wearing ACUs or carrying guns were the Marines standing at the guard shack at the entrance.

I assure you that the men and women of 3rd Infantry Division do not want to be referred to as Marines, and so I quietly tried to correct Keagan as we stood in line at the Barbershop in the PX yesterday. But he announced in the only voice he has - LOUD - that he wanted a Marine hair cut like those Marines in the PX.

After that one experience three years ago of having my boys' hair cut at the barbershop on Quantico and having our Christmas pictures ruined with little Marines standing next to the Christmas tree instead of happy little boys anticipating Santa's arrival, I promised to never go back. I was hesitant to try any military barbershop again, but after searching endlessly for a Cartoon Cuts and then Pro-Cuts here in Hinesville, I knew that I had no other option, and we headed for the barbershop on post.

I found a nice lady that was willing to use scissors on top instead of a number two all over the head, but Keagan would have nothing of it. He had to have a "Marine haircut."

And he got it. 

Completed with a Civil War pistol because not only are we Marines, but we are also fighting Civil War battles for the North.

We left the barbershop, and Keagan said, "Evan, let's go home and play war. You be the Army and I'll be the Marine."

Baptistries with no Water Hoses

We are in the search for a new church and we visited our first on Sunday. After spending five years at a church plant that met in a school cafetorium, a traditional church is anything but traditional for us. We entered the church building on Sunday with the big cross as a steeple, sat on cushioned pews, and began the service with a baptism in the baptistry located behind the choir loft. When the girl came back up from the water dripping wet, Evan said, "Whoa! Was that God magic? Where did that water come from? There is no tub or hose!"

Clearly, we need to have a talk with Evan before we entertain the idea of visiting any additional churches.

Fort McAllister

We just can't get enough related to the Civil War, so we have continued our battlefield tours in Georgia. Last night I suggested we drive to Fort McAllister which is a short day trip from our house. Here's what transpired:

Me: Hey, boys! You wanna take a trip to a Civil War battle site and look at bunkers?
Keagan: No, thanks. I am not really into fighting wars right now. I don't think I am old enough to shoot adults.

That kid! Since all of the dads on the cul-de-sac are currently deployed, I guess he assumes that he will be next. When he realized he wouldn't actually be expected to fight, he was content with pretending to fight.

The park was beautiful! And hot! But we didn't find any wild boar. I still expect to see one any day now.

Week of Playdates

We refuse to say good-bye to our friends here in Virginia because we feel certain that we will be back in the area in a few short years. But that didn't keep us from filling our last weeks with farewells, dinners, and playdates.

Friday afternoon football with the Cliftons:

Keagan, Isaiah, Noah, Ruthe, and Evan

Monday night dinner and icecream with Pagels:

Coen, Keagan, Campbell, and Evan

Sunday Lunch with Davis' and Wires:

Jonathan, Chloe, Keegan, Evan, Kale, Keagan, Cody

Caleb, Eliana, Liam

Wii Games and Football with Mason and Charley
Park Playdate with Trace
Dinner with Isaac and Juliet
I wanted so badly to document all of the "lasts" for the boys, and I carried the stinkin' camera with me everywhere to do just that. With the good-byes, I totally forgot to actually use the camera.

The boys are missing all of you already.

Bookworm Withdrawals

I was having withdrawals. I hadn't seen a shopping center in almost a week. And forget clothes. I buy them all on-line anyway. I could spend hours browsing the aisles of bookstores. When in college, Wes and I used to spend every Friday night in Dallas shopping at all of the bookstores off of 75. Today our boys love the opportunity to book shop, and it is fairly common for them to request a trip to the bookstore.

Unless you count the "Super Wal-Mark", there is no bookstore in Hinesville. As Keagan says, "they got lots of corn yards" but not much else. So when Wes suggested a trip to Savannah to do a little shopping today, I didn't hesitate to jump at the chance. In fact, I was so excited that I left the house without full make-up. That means true excitement in my world, or in the least, the desire to avoid anything that might make me hotter than the already 105 degree heat. In addition to my excitement, we really needed another set of blinds for Evan's bedroom before the little girls down the street get an eyeful one night.

So we made the long trip to Savannah, the shopping mecca, and stocked up on a supply of books, blinds for the bedroom, curtains for another room, and a deep desire to eat at Krispy Kreme because I had no idea when we might return to the shopping mecca, and I am pretty sure that the "Doughnut Delights" located three miles from my front door can't come close to comparing to a Krispy Kreme doughnut.
In the end, we were all satisfied with our purchases. During evening quiet time, this is what we found. 

 I think we might have all been experiencing

 the same withdrawals. 

Jekyll Island

Our first venture outside of Hinesville included a day trip to Jekyll Island. We were one of six families on a ten mile stretch of public beach. 

Beautiful. Peaceful. Perfect. 

So who wants to come for a visit?

Dear Moving Company

Dear Moving Company,

Although I am very grateful for your service and even more grateful that the Army pays for your service, I have a few helpful hints that you might want to consider in the future.

1) Although very valuable in the eyes of my five year old, Thomas the Train and his friends do not have to be individually wrapped and placed in a box. It took me 15 minutes to unwrap all 57 trains. They could have been thrown into a box with no complaint from me, and we would have easily saved the lives of multiple trees with all of the packing paper you used.

2) I admit that my OCD with organization is over the top, and for this reason I separated EACH Star Wars figurine, each Super Hero, each Bakugan, each Pokemon, each car..., each of every toy my boys own prior to your arrival and ensured that each toy was placed in the appropriate and labeled plastic bin. I almost fainted when I found that you dumped the bins and wrapped the plastic toys. Really? Plastic won't break. I know this as a proven fact because if my 7 and 5 year olds haven't already broken them, then they are safe from destruction.

3) Please close all spices before packing them into your five layers of packing paper. Nothing says welcome like a shower of seasoned salt or a layer of pork rub in my hair because the tops were not secure when we unwrapped your masterpiece of paper with a touch of seasoning.

4) When you take my boys' beds apart, please place all nuts and bolts into a baggie and attach to the bedframe. Because after sleeping on the floor for four nights, nothing is more appealing than a bed. But a broken bed? Not so much.

5) Don't jack up my husband's bike. I know he only rides it when the temp is 76 degrees and the sun is at a 43.4 degree angle in the sky, but he likes the bike.

In your defense, Mr. Household Goods Packer, after 36 hours, we have all 263 boxes unpacked and organized with only three damaged items. I guess we did need all of that packing paper, just not for Thomas trains.

Until our next move. Please make it no more than 24 months from today.

First Impressions

This morning marked my fourth day awaking in the new house. I have spent three solid days in the house unpacking, organizing, cleaning, and decorating so my impressions of Georgia are limited to what I have experienced within my cul-de-sac.

First, we have been invited to church by two people. Both, as different as night and day, invited us to attend the same church. Nothing says welcome to small-town in the South like an invite to church.

Every house on the street has kids. Our kids are the only ones outside - even when it is 95 degrees. The boys say it's hot. We say you won't know hot until you attend soccer camp next week for three hours a day in the blazing sun. Now, go outside and acclimate.

There might be 75 houses in the neighborhood, but we are living in the country. Not just a neighborhood with a few trees, but the COUNTRY. We go to sleep with the sound of frogs croaking and crickets chirping. Keagan asked the first night we arrived, "WHAT IS THAT SOUND?" Animals, Baby, Animals. Thank God it wasn't a wild pig we heard. I am still afraid I will awake to one rooting around in the yard just as Tamera warned. We smoked ribs for dinner tonight. Maybe that will keep them at bay.

We aren't "talking like Georgia people" yet because our entire neighborhood is comprised of military families all originating from the mid-west. However, I had to have a translator for the guy who delivered our household goods on Monday. Perhaps that was due to his missing four of his front teeth, but nevertheless, I didn't catch a thing he said.

Flies. Everywhere. Buzzing. More flies. Keagan became so annoyed today that he killed two by just slapping the air. As they fly around our room as I type, we feel like we should awake Mr. Myagi to kill the one currently annoying us.

Tomorrow we venture out to mingle with the locals. I am fairly certain that this trip into town will include a slushie from Sonic during Happy Hour and browsing the aisles of Lowes. That's about all there is to do here, but we are fairly optimistic about it as long as we don't encounter any wild boar.

Flag Day

Not that I have anything against politically correct Christmas programs that are re-named Winter Programs and include songs about snowmen and reindeer, but I was really relieved to see Evan's class announcement for a Flag Day program. It seemed to me the perfect learning opportunity: the meaning of patriotism and the blessing of being an American.

 

On Monday we were able to see the performance, and it was great! With the first song, Keagan whispered in my ear, "The music makes me really sleepy." To all of those that we attend church, it should not suprise you that by the third song, he was out. Maybe it had something to do with the warm elementary school cafetorium and the daily playdates we have had for almost a week now. But he slept, and he slept through the standing ovation.

We felt certain that after a month of practice and rehearsals Evan must have learned something special about being an American, but when I asked him what he had taken from the unit of study, he eloquently announced, "NOTHING!" 

And for this, I am so glad we decided to remain in Virginia for the last week of school. Because I assure you I could have walked away from the last week of school with a bunch of middle schoolers with no problem. The sacrifices you make for your kids to learn "nothing." 

i-9 Football

Sadly, football season has come to an end.

When Evan was awarded an end of year trophy and a medal for showing sportsmanship on the field, Coach told Evan he expected to see him on TV in a few years playing college ball. Hence the big smile. Evan (and maybe his mama) share the dream. 

Evan had several great tackles and a really good run in today's game. He wanted to wear his Silly Bands from the tooth fairy to today's game. I was able to persuade him to believe that there is nothing tough about wearing tye died animal Silly Bands to a football game. In the end, he agreed. I even suggested he wear the tangelo stained wrist bands instead. At least the wrist bands are related to sporting wear. There is nothing athletic about boys wearing bracelets.

Coach Byrd, Keagan, and Coach Lynch

I love this shot because it just shows pure concentration. The ref told us after the game that Keagan was his favorite player in the pee-wee league because he is always so intense. I told him he comes by it naturally, but the ref already knew that. He saw me running along the sideline next to Keagan giving him "encouragement" during his fifty yard run.

Team Buckeyes - We celebrated the end of the season with doughnuts and trophies. Keagan was also awarded a medal for showing sportsmanship on the field. It is now bedtime and Keagan still hasn't removed the medal. I foresee our attendance at church tomorrow with the boys wearing Silly Bands and football medals.

United Farewell

We celebrated the end of Team United's spring soccer season tonight at an indoor soccer facility in Manassas. The kids were able to play soccer for the hour prior to the trophy presentations. To our surprise, our wonderful coach bid Evan farewell with a DC United jersey with his name on the back. It was such a generous gift and completely unexpected. 

On a side note, Evan attended the party tonight with one top tooth hanging in the gum line at a 45 degree angle. I tried numerous times this afternoon to pull it out and it wouldn't budge. Tonight I was finally able to get it. As we got ready for bed and placed the tooth in the fairy box - the very box I purchased in Poland seven years ago for this very event, Evan wished aloud, "Tooth Fairy, please bring me Mighty Beanz with the football bean and some Silly Bands."

I have no idea how the traditional one dollar bill has evolved into a specific toy list, but it has. Evan now believes the Tooth Fairy takes requests much like Santa.

However, I heard the request and almost fainted because although I have had the Mighty Beans purchased and hidden for several days now, I had no Silly Bands. So I did what any mom would do at 10:00 at night. I dressed and headed for the 7-Eleven. It was with great relief that I found the animal bands, and I opened my wallet to count out quarters for the anticipated $1.00 purchase price.

"$3.14" Clearly the accent of the Indian clerk got in the way of my understanding. Because everyone knows that a pack of ten rubberbands can't possibly cost more than a dollar. Even if they are tye died. I asked him to repeat the price.

He repeated, "$3.14." What could I do?

Nothing except put away the quarters and pull out the dollar bills.

Home Sweet Home

After our housing fiasco at our current duty station (three houses in five years), I vowed to never rent a house again. If there is one bright side to the Army moving us south, it is cheaper housing, and thus, our ability to purchase our first home.

I was a little worried last month when our realtor sent pictures of the interior, and the kitchen colors didn't match what I had envisioned with the on-line color palette the builder sent. Then it came time to select flooring, and the nice man helping me over the phone claimed, "We don't do concrete floors in this neck of the woods." When I asked to see samples of the standard carpeting and hardwood, our builder said, "M'am, I don't use email and stuff like that to send pictures. I am doin' good to use this phone." That comment didn't sit well with me either. And then there was this fleeting moment when I thought that tractor pulls might be the bright spot in my move to the "woods" where no one uses technology.

However, Wes is in Hinesville this week for the closing, and he assures me that the house is beautiful. It is ready for our arrival, and in ten more days we will be spending our first night in home sweet home number eight. 

Fun Run

Don't let the name fool ya. There was nothing fun about my first 5K race. With 85 degree temps and 500% humidity, it was hotter than Hades. It was inevitable that retirees and small children would pass me before the one mile mark, but I never, ever imagined that I would also be passed by a lap dog. It happened. And I wanted to step on its leash because there was no need to throw in my face that I am slow, but I never caught up. Poor dog. He has no idea what almost happened to him.

For two years I have had this impossible dream of becoming a runner. I have tried training on a treadmill, running in the neighborhood, and trying various on-line running programs. I am still not where I have always envisioned myself. Namely, running without breathing like I am dying and running without a face so scarlet red, that passersby contemplate seeking medical attention for me. But I DID IT. I RAN MY FIRST RACE! Because I now have a bib with my name on it, I feel like I can officially classify myself as a runner.

The highlight of the day was not my finishing my 5K run. The boys ran the Husky 1 miler and they ran a 9.26 minute mile. I couldn't believe that they had made it under 11 minutes. They approached the finish line running side by side like they had been training for months. I have never felt prouder of them.

And they don't have scarlet red faces. I don't know how they did it with such ease.

Last of the Dragons

After eight seasons and more games I can count, we finished our last PWSI soccer game today. Keagan's team celebrated the end of the season on Saturday night with a party at Coach Bob's house. 

Here's the rundown:
Inside dogs - big 100 pound inside dogs - that shed.
Noise makers as party favors.
Pinata filled with candy.
Squealing girls in a Barbie car.
Cupcakes.
More squealing of little girls.
Need I say more?
Thankfully, Wes and I were treated with libations upon arrival.

The Dragons ended the season today with a miserably hot game and a win.

Inzone Celebration

Keagan spent two weeks trying to determine which inzone celebration was the most appropriate for his next touchdown. As a family we voted and narrowed it down to the following:
1. The "Thanking the Heavens" Move that you see all of the pros do. You might need some imagination for this one.
2. Retro Disco Move
3. The Robot

Unfortunately, Keagan's touchdown on Saturday was called back to the twenty yard line because the ref said Keagan stepped out of bounds. I couldn't believe he called it back when it was surely just his big toe that touched the white line. "Give the five year old a break," I almost yelled until I remembered I promised to be quiet while on the sidelines.

However, Evan did score a touchdown this week - his first because he almost always plays quarterback. This week he asked the coach if he could play running back, and Coach agreed. The first play of the game Evan ran it the length of the field to the inzone.

I was not quiet. I did not sit. I was yelling wildly, "That's my baby!!!"

I saw the guy on the opposite side of the field grin; he was transfixed by my own celebration dance that included shrills, shrieks, and lots of jumping. I decided apologies were not necessary.

As for Evan's celebration...he decided on his own. Hands pumped into the air in pure joy. I have never seen him happier!

Super Hero Camp

Keagan is attending Super Hero Camp this week through the local rec center. He was certain that costumes would be allowed, but since all of our traditional super hero costumes have holes in all the wrong places, I persuaded him to wear a Star Wars t-shirt instead.

When he returned home to say that his team won the toilet paper contest and wrapped the villain with the most paper in one minute, I was able to visualize immediate future success in life. Especially if he plans to attend bridal showers and make wedding dresses.

He says it was "a really fun time", and I guess he really did enjoy himself. He came home with lots of stories and even earned a prize for being the best listener. He says he will go back tomorrow, and since I have paid for the camp, that works well for me.

Tomorrow he says he will learn how to see through walls, leap tall buildings, and climb skyscrapers.