countdown

On the day that TED left L and I decorated his very own jar and carefully counted out M&M's, one for each day Daddy would be gone, with a few extra thrown in just to make sure we wouldn't run out before the jets pulled back onto the line.

Yesterday as L picked his M&M for the day he looked into the jar and announced that there weren't very many left and that Dad will be home very soon.

We have made it to January, homecoming month! TED will be home very soon and we are getting so very excited. We still don't have an exact date but we are praying that the days go quickly, the squadron replacing them is timely, the jets are healthy and that we don't run out of M&M's!

Extra helping

Had lots of pictures of Little man this week so I thought I would share an extra to make you smile this weekend...



He and I wish you a fun and relaxing weekend.

LM Monday #7

Little man received a package from Iraq. He was far more excited about the box and the paper it was wrapped in then he was about the gift inside.

Don't let this picture fool you. Little man's favorite things to do with crayons are 1)eat them and 2) walk around the house with them to see how many things he can narrowly avoid coloring while his Mom nervously follows behind him.

On a side note, can someone please tell me where my baby went? This little boy has been showing up in all of my pictures lately.

Holiday trauma

Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for when I put him in this Halloween costume...


What the heck am I supposed to do now, other than put him in it every day between now and the squadron Halloween party and hope that he.. ummmmmmm get's used to it??? Any chance that will happen?

I'll keep you posted and perhaps go buy another costume or 12, you know just in case

LM Monday #5

LM Monday #4- Video Edition

I finally finished the last video for LM's first year. Sorry it is four months late.



Little man from ERIN on Vimeo.

Leavin on a jet plane

Crap, crap, crap.. We are flying home tomorrow morning. Have I mentioned how much I hate flying with a toddler and how I really wish 3M was here with us? Oh, that's right I have.

Crap, crap, crap.

Wish us luck and good weather as we make our journey home...

Speaking of home, we had a Realtor preview our house for an out of town buyer and he said it was his favorite of all the homes he looked at. His buyers are going to be in town next week and he will be bringing them over.

Crap, crap, crap.

Don't they know that they should have looked at my house while we were gone, not now that we are back and LM can destroy a house in 3.5 seconds. Hrmph.

LM Monday #3

Totally not impressed by my Mom's ability to take a picture of us or her attempts at getting me to make a surprise face..


Perhaps it is because she will not let me have coffee...

Truth in advertising

I know this doesn't actually count as a post but I just love LM's new shirt.




Come back tomorrow and I promise to tell you my horrible encounter with Judy, the ridiculously rude and horribly innapropriate post office clerk in my parent's home town. It was a good one.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Today was one of those days. LM is still struggling with the one nap thing, also referred to as you were the one who decided to wake up when you are still tired so why are you taking it out on me thing. Most days he is still taking two gloriously long two hour naps and going to bed at 7:30. All is right with the world on two nap days.

Today was not a two nap day.

I was about ready to throw myself out a window after having to ask him to get out of the refrigerator for the eighty billionth (yes, that is a number) time in two minutes. Or wait, was it after the throwing himself against the cabinets while screaming "kaaakaah" (cracker for those of you non-LM speakers) six gazillion (again, a number)times. Oh no, it must have been one of the twenty hundred (amazing you with my math skills aren't I) times when he brought me over a book to read and then head butted me as he got up and walked away while I was trying to read the FIRST page to him. No.. it was one of the five catrillion (would it frighten you to know that I was once an algebra teacher) times when he kept throwing his food to the dogs and then screaming "nonono" when I took his plate away from him, and then giving it back to have him repeat it all over again.

Definitely one of those days when bedtime could not have come soon enough. In honor of his joyous mood and exceptional behavior he even went to bed a 7:00- praise the lord!!!

After I unwound and I stifled my desire to drink an entire bottle of wine I decided to look at the website for 3M's next assignment, which is a Resident PME program- short-version he is going to a military college in order to have the courses necessary to be promoted.

While cracking the hieroglyphics, also known as the academic calendar, I learned that 3M would not have to go to class for half of June, ALL of July, and most of August. How amazingly wonderful is that!!!

So, I am feeling a little better. Now, if you wouldn't mind could you please say a prayer that tomorrow is a TWO nap day that involves little to no refrigerate expeditions, cabinet raiding and food throwing.....

LM Monday #2

If only I knew how this thing works...

A rare moment of quiet...

Little man Monday #1

Welcome to take six thousand four hundred and fifty two of this blog. I have decided that with the remaining 76 days we have of this deployment.. GO AHEAD AND READ THAT AGAIN... the part where it says 76 days I'll wait....

Ok, so as I was saying. I have decided that I have lots to say and lots of things going on so I am going to start posting on a... wait for it... regular basis. Shocking isn't it...

So in honor of this new beginning I have created Little man Monday's..

Discovering that everyone in the family has teeth...

Perhaps not the best choice in playmate

Smile

He speaks

As little man hits 14 1/2 months old he is really starting to talk- or at least his version of talking. Some of the words commonly found in his vocabulary-

* dada
* car
* cracker
* cat
* dog
* pool
* diaper
* shoes
* banana
* apple
* truck
* ball
* bubble
* all done
* peek- a- boo (pronounced a-booooo)
* uh-oh- which can be dragged out many, many times- uh,uh,uh,uh, ohhhhhh
* hello
* bye- bye
* pretzel
* outside
* close

Notice anything missing from this list?

Uh-oh

Little man and I have been taking advantage of our backyard quite a bit this summer. We spend lots of time outside on the patio in his pool or his sandbox.

Yesterday I did not have him in a swim diaper or bathing suit so when he decided to take matters into his own hands and climb into the pool I decided a little skinny dipping would be a better solution than going back inside for a swim diaper while carrying a wet toddler.

LM found this newfound freedom wonderful. He ran around the backyard pointing out all of the things he saw that he recognized.. bah-ble, ball, bahd, pewl.

After proving his prowess with words he decided it was time for a swim. He climbed into his pool, stood up and grabbed his package. That's right my little 14 month old son stood in his baby pool grabbing himself.

I turned to get the camera figuring this would be a funny thing to send to 3M and before I turned back around I heard "uh-oh, uh-uh-uh-oh". I turned to see his little hand is raised towards me and there is #1 flowing into the pool.

Yes, little man "uh-oh" is right.

Anxiety.. It's what's for dinner

LM and I are flying to my parent's on Wednesday.

There are many, many things about that statement that are giving me anxiety, in mass quantities.

1. The last time LM and I flew there was copious amounts of mind-numbingly loud, gawd-awful embarrassing, want to jump out of the emergency exit screaming.Only some of it was coming from me. And, no I am not exaggerating.
2. Our flight is at 0630. What in the hell was I thinking, signing us up for a flight that early.
3. I have no choice but to drive us and all of our stuff to the airport at the butt crack of dawn.
4. Do you have any idea how much stuff I have?
5. I have way too much stuff (little man, suitcase, car seat, wheel attachment thing that makes the car seat a stroller, carry one bag, my sanity) that I need to figure out how to get out of the car, into the airport, through security, onto the plane, off of the plane, through the Atlanta airport, onto another plane, off the plane, and out of the airport.
6. re-read number 5.
7. No seriously, did you re-read number 5.

Hold me...

So lucky

I finally was able to get the pictures together from little man's first six months and turn them into a movie. What a journey it has been...






little man the first six months from theteds on Vimeo

The Week of Milestones... Part One

Last week was a very busy one in our little house. It marked little man's first birthday, two-months since 3M's SBVIED attack, his first extended trip/mission since the SVBIED attack, and one month until he comes homes for his R&R. I am happy to report that we survived each of the milestones relatively unscathed and in some cases pretty darn excited.

LM's birthday began with huge amounts of rain. Rain that I must mention we have not seen in months. I can't help but believe that it chose to rain on this day because I had taken my procrastination to epic levels and needed to go to the store ASAP or our party guests would learn that I am actually a terrible hostess. So off I was to Wally world while my Mom, who was in town just for LM's birthday, stayed with the LM and enjoyed all things grandson. I managed to survive the rain and the strangely creepy people that inhabit Wally world on a rainy Wednesday morning and got home in time to get everything done.

I haven't shared but I was feeling very conflicted about how to celebrate LM's birthday, since his Dad would not be here to mark such a huge occasion. 3M and I finally decided that I would invite over our neighbors and closest friends here for dinner and birthday cake. I thought this was a good solution since I am confident that LM didn't understand that all of the people in his space were there in celebration of his day, though he LOVED having everyone here.

LM had baked ziti for the first of what I am sure will be many time considering that I grew up in the Northeast where Italian food in mass quantities is pretty much mandated at social functions; really there must be a law about it- google it. He loved it; though really what is there not to love- pasta, cheese and more cheese!

The cupcakes were not as big a hit.
He took a few bites and then decided that this red (red velvet, his Dad's favorite and a condition for throwing the party) thing was not all it was cracked up to be. Thankfully his guests did not agree.

Also not a big hit was the present opening. LM had little interest in ripping through the paper and even less interest in seeing who gave him the presents. The presents themselves, however, were HUGE hits.

I am glad that we celebrated LM's day but it felt like a big part of the celebration was missing because 3M wasn't there. Hopefully this will be the last one of LM's birthdays that he misses for a while.

Birthday Boy

I have a rather long post about Little Man's birthday, the two month anniversary of 3M's SVBIED attack, his first extended mission since the SVBIED attack, and officially having only one month until 3M comes home for R&R but I am tired and lazy so you will get that post tomorrow.

Today you will get some pictures of our adorable little boy who is know officially a year old!!!

Hair raising experience

Exhibit A:Problems with Exhibit A:
1. Little Man's hair may at any moment consume his entire adorable little face leaving me feeling a bit too much like Kate Hudson.

2. If said hair gets some more body and curl there will be no need for the $20 purchase of this beauty .

Solution for Problem with Exhibit A:
3M can hurry up and get his butt home for R&R so he can take the LM for his first haircut. Any bets on whether said first hair cut will involve the words high and tight??? I kid, well hopefully I kid as I did tell him he could do whatever he wanted.. In retrospect that could have been a very unwise choice.

Have a good weekend!