The Best Thing About Saturday

The best thing about Saturday mornings, I'm slightly embarrassed to say, is that Thomas the Train is on Alabama Public Television (PBS). Lem adores Thomas, and he gets so excited to see new episodes. We have six Thomas DVDs, and we've watched them more times than I can count. I'm not too sure about these new Thomas episodes, though. They are now completely animated, instead of the model trains used in the older ones. The trains look good, but the people don't translate as well.

So on this Halloween morning, we are watching trains, it's raining, and Win is out bow hunting (for deer). I suffered the same fate many hunter's wives have suffered this morning. The 4 a.m. alarm, the husband flipping on lights, waking the baby, crashing around the kitchen, and searching for last minute, vital items. He gets up at 5 every morning and doesn't make this much noise; why does hunting require it? This is only his second time hunting here, and like I said, it is raining. So we shall see how long he stays out.

Gwyn had her two-month well baby appointment yesterday. The health clinic on post seems nice enough. They don't have a pediatric clinic, just a family practice one. She now weighs 11.13 lbs. and is two feet long. She got three shots, which meant lots of crying and then a long nap. Lem came along too, because Win had a dental appointment at the same time. He was extremely well behaved, hanging out in his stroller, playing his game and eating Tic-Tacs. So after the shots, I let him play on the wire-and-bead toy in the waiting room until he was ready to go. We sat there for almost an hour; he was fascinated by it.

Still no idea if we will be trick-or-treating tonight. Lem is not at all interested in dressing up, or anything related to Halloween.

Settled (Almost)

So we have been in our new home three weeks now, and I think I'm finally starting to feel settled. Still no furniture, but our couch and kitchen table should be coming next week. We do have the chairs and table Katherine gave us, which Win was finally able to pick up after buying his truck. We have a new dishwasher, after almost three weeks of hand washing dishes. I also have a proper trash can and recycling bin (believe me, it's the little things). And I have all the unpacked boxes shoved into the third bedroom, where they can be forgotten for a time.

Gwyn has her two-month well baby appointment today at the post health clinic. I'm interested to see what it is like. Lem's coming too, because Win has a dental appointment at the exact same time. Next week Lem and I will go there to get our flu shots. Gwyn is very smiley now, especially in the mornings. She loves it when I say, "Ciao" to her. She's also starting to make adorable noises. I think she likes to be right in the middle of things. Yesterday she cried when Win and Lem finished their dance party and left to go get movies. She is fascinated by Win. She'll just stare at him, especially while he is eating dinner. It's funny.

Halloween is tomorrow, and so far Lem has showed no interest in it, even with us telling him he'll get candy, and all the Halloween shows he's been watching. I showed him his costume the other day, and he said, "No way! I don't like that!" I told him he had to dress up to get candy and chocolate (he loves chocolate), and he said, "No way! I don't like candy! I don't like chocolate!" So who knows if we will go trick or treating this year. He is in the stage where everything he says starts with "No" or "No way." I have to ask him things twice because he will always say no first, even if he really means yes. He'll say things like, "No, Mama! I need more milk!" I haven't told him he can't how milk, that's just how he starts every sentence now.

For Toos

A More Manly Vehicle

Bye-bye, red car

Hello, Steven the Truck ( I wasn't allowed to name this one)

We have traded in my red car for a truck for Win. He says now he feels more manly. I am happy because it is a good fit for him and sensible for us. It has a crew cab so we can all fit, and now we can haul stuff. (Like the chairs Katherine bought for us that are still sitting at the PX.) And now I get to drive Beemy.

From Palladio to Boll Weevils

The Boll Weevil Monument

Downtown Enterprise

The stroller

We had a good weekend. It was beautiful fall weather, and we went to the Fall Festival in Enterprise on Saturday. It was nice, low-key, with live music, vendors and games for the kids. Gwyn was happy in the Baby Bjorn, but Lem was pretty tired from playing outside all morning. He wanted to go in the bouncer but there were big kids in it. We hadn't even finished paying for his turn, and he was already crawling out. I think the downtown has suffered from all the big chain stores that surround town, but we did see a couple nice places there, like a great wine store. We can go there when we are missing Italy.
In the center of town is the Boll Weevil Monument. This used to be cotton country, but back in 1910 or so, the Boll Weevil came and destroyed the cotton crop. So why the monument? Alabamans needed a new crop, and they started growing peanuts. The peanuts were a way more profitable crop, hence the monument. It's the only monument dedicated to an insect. You can read the whole story here.
Saturday night we went out for BBQ at Larry's Real Pit BBQ. We think it's a local chain, and man, it was delicious. Every time I've driven by it, the parking lot has been packed. We we went in, however, it was nearly empty (fine for us with two little ones). We quickly figured out why. It was the fourth quarter of the Bama game, and the restaurant has no TVs. Alabamans know how to do BBQ.
I also got my stroller. It's not quite as robust (as Win said) as the BOB, but I like it and both the kids like it. It's smaller and pretty light. We took it for a test run last night and both Lem and Gwyn fell asleep.

Guess What I Won

So I totally won a cruise for two to the Bahamas. The Nissan dealer here had a promotional event/sale and I won. It is for two nights and three days, and we can use it anytime in the next year. But, with the whole Army thing, we will probably have to use it sooner than later. So I am going to call today and find out what our options are. But how cool is that??? The only things I've ever won before were the games at baby showers where you guess the mom-to-be's belly size. (I won that at both Samantha's and Patricia's).

In other news, I bought a couch. Well, a loveseat, for our TV room. Both kids fell asleep on the way to the store, so Win stayed in the car with them, and I went in and picked one out. So in seven to 10 days we will have something to sit on. I also found a kitchen table set there that I'm going to buy as well.

Let me just explain our house set up for a minute. We have a huge family room but it is set up in a way that doorways lead from each corner. One wall has our huge bookcase, the other long wall has French doors. To solve the problem of where to put the TV, we decided the best place would be the dining room. We don't have a dining table, and the monster computer desk had to go in there because it is taller than the doorways. The room is small, but cozy, and only a loveseat will fit. Now we have a big empty living room (for now), and we spend all our time in the tiny dining room. I guess we like small places ...

Yesterday afternoon we were all outside, and our neighbor from across the street came over to introduce himself. Jim is retired Army, and lives here with his son. He is from St. Charles, Mo., originally, and was really nice. He said he has five grandsons in Washington state, so I think he got a kick out of Lem.

Everyone here is SO friendly. The saleswoman at the furniture store gave me her card and her cell phone number and told me to call her if I ever need anything. She said it is important to know locals. Most people say, "God bless you," as a goodbye, and I've barely heard a bad word since I've been here (except for a couple soldiers).

Book Time

Here are the books we are currently reading.


My mom gave me this book to read, and it is really good. It is about an Australian journalist who lives in India for a year. She spends a lot of time checking out the different religions in India. It's fascinating.


Win is reading this. It's about Vietnam and, of course, helicopters.

We are attempting to read this to Lem at bedtime. I'm not sure if he's really ready for chapter books, but he seems to like it so far, as long as we read a couple tractor books as well.


I read this book before I started Holy Cow. It is a novel about a twenty-something who's boyfriend is deployed to Iraq for a year. It is fiction, so I didn't feel like there was any pressure to read it and be inspired (like nonfiction books about this subject). But I think the author must have experienced this herself at some point because she pretty much gets it right. It's also very funny; written in the style of Sophie Kinsella or Jen Lancaster. It was a nice surprise book my mom found at the library.

Like Father Like Daughter

We had a nice afternoon at a lake on post. Win fished, the kids napped (at first), and I took pictures. I guess this post is covered with great fishing lakes, as well as lots of trails for walking and running. It's really nice.
Tonight, as Gwyn was having her nightly unexplained screamfest, Win got her to quiet down. By playing her hard-hitting gangsta rap. As in not the kind they play on the radio. She stopped crying and fell right to sleep. She is definitely her father's daughter.

Understanding the Value of Sleep

So Gwyn celebrated her two-month birthday by giving me a present. She slept for five hours that night before waking up to eat. AND, she slept in her basket! If any of you remember Lem when he was this age, he absolutely refused to sleep anywhere but with me or on me. And forget about sleeping for five hours at a time. Last night she was back to sleeping about four hours at a time, but even that is wonderful. I loved sleeping with Lem when he was a baby, but it's different with Gwyn. Now I am usually so tired and wanting my own space. I know I sleep better without a baby by my side. And also, Win is here this time around, and I don't feel as comfortable having her in the bed with both of us. I am really hoping that she will sleep through the night by six months or so ... like the doctors and books say babies should be doing. (Lem didn't stop nursing at night until about one year.) But is so wonderful having a little baby curled up at your side. It's so cozy.

We've made two big purchases this week. No, it's not a table and chairs or couch. Instead, I bought a dryer to go with my washing machine, and a jogging stroller. The day we moved in, I went out and bought a washing machine, figuring that was a vital necessity (it is with two kids). I have been using my drying rack from Italy to hang everything up. A dryer was needed as well.
I have been thinking about investing in a jogging stroller for a while, and have been doing some research on them. The PX doesn't sell them here, and online, I couldn't find any other places around here that has them. So last night I just went ahead and ordered one online. It is a double (of course!), and I can't wait to get it. Our neighborhood is huge, but has no sidewalks. This way I'll be able to put both Gwyn and Lem in the stroller and get some exercise.

So today I am putting the new dryer to the test and catching up on the masses of laundry. And also doing piles of dishes, because the dishwasher is broken, and they have yet to fix it. I shall be calling (again) about that today.

Two Months

Two months old

New Obsession

I have a new reality show obsession. "Million Dollar Listing" on Bravo. There was a marathon on yesterday while the kids were napping, and I'm hooked. The show follows three twenty-something real estate agents who work in the Beverly Hills/Malibu area. I don't know why I like it, probably because it is different ... kind of like "Say Yes to the Dress" (another new favorite). Five years of AFN have made me appreciate the wonders of cable television.

Ugg Weather

I finally found my Uggs! They were in the last bedroom box I unpacked this morning. And it is finally Ugg weather here, at least for now. We turned off the AC yesterday, and I think we might be turning on the heater tomorrow ... I wonder if this is typical Alabama weather.
Win got a lawn mower and weed eater today. We are really moving up in the world. He started cleaning up the yard -- what grass we have is knee high. I don't think it's been mowed since the last tenants lived here. I wouldn't exactly call what we have a lawn ... it's more sandy dirt with patches of weeds.
One other random thought before I go to sleep on our cozy futon mattress on the floor. Why did the (possibly drunk) Italian movers unpack things I had specifically packed myself, only to repack them in a worse way? Luckily, nothing was broken, but it annoys me, and I don't understand it. I am also missing random things, like one bowl, a ladle, laundry basket, etc. I think Win might be responsible for some things missing, or they may be buried in another huge box labeled "Miscellaneous." Next time, I'll supervise the packing.

Here We Are

Well, it didn't go exactly as planned, only better. The drive was uneventful, and the kids were better than I expected. We stopped on the way to visit Win's brother, Rich, who is in Kentucky now. He took us to a great Korean restaurant where you get to cook your meat at the table. (Sounds dangerous with a two-year-old, but it wasn't.) It was delicious and a good break from driving.
Win's graduation on Tuesday was really nice. It was at the Aviation Museum, so we were surrounded by helicopters and airplanes. After Lem and I pinned Win, we explored. There is a Chinook that you can go into, and we climbed in and out of that thing about 50 times during the rest of the ceremony.
After the ceremony, I called a realtor and she had one house available to rent. We went to look at it that afternoon, and loved it. They were putting in new carpet (yay!) so we picked up the keys Thursday and moved in on Friday. Win and Katherine drove to Atlanta on Wednesday to get Beemy.
It was great to see all of our things again. Once we unpacked Lem's toys, he played happily in his room all afternoon. The only thing, so far, that was damaged, was our futon frame. That futon was going to be our temporary bed; now we are just sleeping on the mattress on the floor.
So right now, we are sleeping on that, Lem is on his air mattress, and Gwyn is in the crib (most of the time). We have a card table and chairs in the kitchen, and cushions on the floor in front of the TV. I have started looking at furniture, and getting ideas. It is hard when you have to furnish a whole house!
By the way, we love the house. The carpet is great, and we have piles of room. We have a great backyard, with a patio and trees, and it's fenced in. The neighborhood seems nice, and quiet. I think most people around us are also military. Everyone is super nice and very friendly. It is also beautiful here, and not like I thought it would be. There are rolling hills and lots of trees. (I thought it would be flat and bare.) There are also lots of helicopters flying over.
I'll post pictures eventually. I think today I will search for more furniture places and clean. We had storms last night, and it finally cooled down. It has been in the 80's and 90's and incredibly humid.

Here We Go

I'm taking a quick break from packing to write this. Lem is outside, helping Grandpa grill chicken. My in-laws are coming for dinner. Gwyn is chilling in her car seat; she just had a bath.
Tomorrow we head South. I'm really excited. It will be a crazy week, which I hope will go like this:

Sunday: Leave
Monday: Arrive in AL
Tuesday: Win's graduation
Wednesday: Drive to Atlanta to get the car
Thursday: Find a house
Friday: Move in
Saturday: Unpack

Or something like that.
It has been a great last week. Lem and Gwyn got to spend some quality time with Uncle Paul, who's headed West on Sunday as well. We had two delicious dinners (and one breakfast) by our wonderful aunts and uncles. We've said goodbye to friends and family, and did all the last minute fun stuff that always precedes a move.

So. A two-day drive with a two-year-old, an infant and a grandmother. It should be some good times ... or at least give us some good stories to tell. OK, my laundry just finished so back to packing.

Happy Birthday to Samantha and Michelle!