Sugar Sand and Mojitos

With the packing behind us, on Saturday we packed up and headed to the beach for one last trip. We stayed with Alex and Venusja, but didn't actually see them until the evening. (Venusja had fallen at work and had to get x-rays on her jaw. They sat at the urgent care for 5 hours. Nothing was broken.)

Since Alex and Venusja were busy, we headed straight for our favorite beach spot, Grayton Beach. We tried the state park there, and it was perfect. I looked down the coastline to Grayton and the beach was packed. But it wasn't too bad at the state beach, and we had a wonderful afternoon. Bean Dip's new favorite beach thing is to run all the way down the beach, and back. He did it over and over. G's favorite thing? To sit in the shallow water and get pounded by the waves. They'd almost knock her over, she'd get water on her face, and she'd just laugh. Over and over until she started washing away. Both kids went out in the water with us. We built sand castles and ate fruit and sandwiches and generally had a great day at the beach.

Alex and Venusja left us a key, so we stopped by their house to clean up, then headed to Seaside for dinner. It was packed, but we found a parking spot, and ended up eating dinner right on the beach -- on the Deck at the Shrimp Shack. So somehow we managed to get a front row seat of the sunset on the beach, and delicious shrimp to boot. It was not fancy, but you couldn't beat the view.

After that we pretty much headed straight back to see Alex and Venusja, who were finally home. Poor Venusja, she slipped in bleach at work and fell, hitting first her jaw on the sink, then falling back on her back, neck and head. She was in a lot of pain. But we stayed up, chatting and drinking mojitos.

Packing Day

The kids safe in the "no pack" room.

Friday was packing day. I was all prepared at 8 a.m. for an army of movers to invade the house. Instead, it started with a trickle of one, then two, then finally a total of 5 packers. The first one came at 8:30, and the last three didn't show up until 4 p.m. They didn't finish packing until 7:30. It was pretty disorganized and a little hectic, but I think they did a pretty good job packing. It was very nerve wracking for me, and really hard to sit and watch. The one lady took pity on me and let me pack my books, which helped a lot. Everyone was very friendly. Win took the kids out for a day of fun at the Aviation Museum and to get lunch.

Parent Teacher Conference

Last Tuesday was BD's final parent teacher conference. I went alone, while Win watched the kids. Ms. Cox is BD's teacher, and she only had wonderful things to say about BD. She said he always listens, always offers opinions and answers questions, and is always helpful. She said he is a joy to have in class, and loves how he gives her a hug goodbye everyday. And she had a huge folder of all his paperwork -- any art projects he hadn't brought home, his writing sheets, and also pictures they'd taken of him throughout the year. It was a stack of at least 50 photos. He even got his own diploma. So once again, it was very sweet and made me so happy we'd found the class (it was the CDC part day preschool program on post).

BD did not get to say goodbye to Ms. Cox, because her daughter had just had twins. I did not mention it to BD, because I knew it would make him sad. Even though he'd said goodbye to Ms. Sandy, a few days later he woke up sad because he hadn't given her a kiss.

Last Day of Preschool (Thursday, May 26)

On Thursday was Bean Dip's last day of school. It was a picnic at the riding stables on post. His teacher, Ms. Sandy, owns horses, and the day was about horse safety and care, and horse and pony rides.

Bean Dip was a little cautious about Ms. Sandy's horse, Spanky. He was big and beautiful, but BD kept his distance. He informed us all that he would ride Domino the pony, but not the big horse. And he did just that. After a long wait (mostly) in line, it was finally his turn. His first time on a pony! He put his helmet on, and then with Win by his side and Ms. sandy leading, off he went. He didn't smile too much, but he enjoyed himself.

After BD's ride, Spanky was without a rider, so I asked Ms. Sandy's husband (he was leading Spanky), if I could ride with G in front of me. G had started crying when Win and BD went off on their ride, and she started crying again when I handed her to the teacher while I climbed on. She kept crying and crying so we had a short ride. But I got my ride too, and first time for me in an English saddle.

After the rides and a little playing on the bleachers, we had our picnic lunch outside by the clubhouse. The riding stables on post are really beautiful. Maybe if things had been different, I could have taken my riding lessons there.

By 10:30 everyone was hot, sweaty and tired. It was time to go. A big hug for Ms. Sandy and Ms. Holmes, and lots of waving and yelling goodbye to all his friends. I have been so happy with this class, it has really been a wonderful first school experience for BD. He is already talking about going to school in Kentucky, and he said he's ready to go everyday.

Grayton Beach

Panama City Beach

Beach

Ed and Katherine left early Friday morning (a very short visit!), and we headed down to the beach. I don't know what my deal is with finding hotels in Panama City Beach. It's like a Bermuda Triangle for me -- I fail every time. Including this one.

DO NOT use hotels.com. What a rip-off. I didn't mean to book through them, but somehow I gave my dad the number to them instead of the actual hotel. He booked a room, asking three times if they were on the beach. The guy said yet.

Guess what? NOT on the beach. And not only that, they had a surprise non-refundable $100 cleaning/damage fee on top of the room price. Also, we couldn't even check in because they didn't have our reservation yet. Finally, I called hotels.com, and they cancelled and refunded our money. We headed straight for the Holiday Inn and got rooms immediately for $139. And guess what? It was perfect. We had a view of the beach, were on the beach, and the hotel was actually a resort. So it had a pool area with a bar, evening entertainment, and a splash park for the kids. I highly recommend staying there, especially if you are only going for a couple nights. We found out it is one of only a couple places in PCB that doesn't charge cleaning/damage fees (stupid spring breakers!)

So we got settled and headed immediately for the beach. A couple of beers and a swim, and we were all happy. We did not want to drive anywhere for dinner, and the hotel restaurant was too stuffy and expensive, so we ended up at the pool bar. But the food was delicious -- hot dogs for the kids, mahi-mahi sandwiches and a gyro for the adults, french fries and fruit. And we sat outside and the kids danced up on the stage with the DJ. Maybe not very fancy, but it was perfect for us.

After dinner, the kids were done, so we went back to the room. We watched the Polynesian fire dancers from the balcony. After that they showed Tangled on the pool deck, but I was disappointed that they turned the screen away from the rooms. But what a good idea for a family resort. They even handed out popcorn.

Of course, we were up again early Saturday morning. We had breakfast, then decided to check out the splash park before checking out. The kids had a blast -- it had slides and water guns. G actually went down the slide twice, first feet first on her stomach, into about a foot of water. She came up laughing that time. the second time she went the regular way, and freaked out a little because she went under and couldn't find solid ground right away. But soon she was spitting out water and laughing.

Then we packed up, checked out, and headed to Grayton Beach. Alex met us, and we spent a couple hours on the beach there. The ocean was rougher this time, with waves perfect for body surfing. Venusja showed up as we were packing up, and then we went to the Red Bar for lunch, where we inhaled the mahi-mahi sandwiches. Then it was time to head home.

We were all wiped out and sun kissed, and spent a very lazy Sunday watching TV and reading. My parents headed home that morning.

Graduation Day

Wings

I've changed my header and blog title -- it's fitting because we are starting yet another chapter of our lives.

Win graduated on Thursday. His parents and my parents arrived on Wednesday afternoon. The kids were beyond excited. We spent the afternoon relaxing in the backyard, then had grilled chicken, salad, pasta salad and strawberries for dinner.

The graduation ceremony was wonderful. It was in the Aviation Museum, and thankfully not very long. Both kids behaved (I was worried they would want to run around). The keynote speaker had his son in the graduating class. Win looked fantastic in his uniform, and the kids came up with me to pin his wings on. Then G started crying when we had to go back to our seats. Like I said, very clingy lately.

Immediately following was a reception/luncheon at the Landing Zone on post. I thought it would be casual -- refreshments and appetizers. No, it was a sit down luncheon. But it was nice too -- pulled pork and sweet tea, a video of sweet helicopter maneuvers, and then a little ceremony to honor us spouses for putting our soldiers through flight school. We got a little certificate and then our soldiers presented us with our own wings -- a necklace. Cheesy but sweet.

The best part of the day was next. Win's class arranged a little family day at the flight line for the families to see a Fox model, because we didn't get to during the first family day. So we got to hang out on the flight line and crawl all over a Fox Model. Very cool for everyone, and Win got to show off a little.

Then it was home for a rest and to cool off. We ended up going out to dinner at Beef'O'Brady's instead of a fancier place. I told Win it was up to him since it was his big day, and that's what he decided. And of course, it was much more fun for the kids, who'd had to be so patient all day.

I will try to post some pictures, blogger is acting up again.

An Unexpected Gift

After my grandfather passed away in October, my dad and my aunts started the long process of going through things. Among the things my dad found was an unfinished quilt. My Nana was a wonderful quilter, and this one was just the embroidered top. My dad took it to the convent where he works, and the nuns there finished the quilt. What a surprise for me when my mom brought it down in February. I think it is beautiful.

Landmark Park

On Saturday we spent the afternoon at Landmark Park in Dothan. I checked the website beforehand, and found out they were having a Wild West show that day. Double bonus!

Landmark Park is a huge park dedicated to Alabama life during the pioneer days. They have a working farm, and a long walking path. We, however, didn't make it much farther than the awesome playground right at the entrance. The kids loved it.

The Wild West show was wrapping up when we got there, but we got to see some horse riding. I guess there is a new "sport" that involves riding at high speeds and shooting (with blanks) balloons. It was pretty entertaining.

After, we went to eat dinner at Cheeburger, Cheeburger, recommended by a friend of Win's. The burgers and shakes were delicious, but the best part was getting to sit outside and not sweat. Baby G, however, was not a fan, and had a very uncharacteristic cry fest toward the end. I think she was upset with the wind, the peppery fries, and not having a long enough nap. She cheered up when I strapped her in the car seat, gave her some Cheez-its, and shared my banana chocolate shake with her.

The Dora Cup

Yesterday, Baby G and I went shopping. I paused in front of the baby gear/cups, and G caught sight of a Dora the Explorer straw cup. She happens to love Dora and Diego (from Go, Diego, Go), so I had to get it for her. She was so excited and couldn't wait to drink some "duice (juice)" when we got home.

So ... Baby G got a cool new cup, but Bean Dip didn't. He said he wished I'd gotten him a super cool Transformers straw cup. He also wanted to check out G's new cup. I didn't tell him he couldn't, but I told him that if G asked for it, he needed to give it to her.

He did.

But as soon as she got distracted, he grabbed that cup and ran for his room, shutting and locking the door. A little later, he came out, and I asked him to put G's cup up on the counter if he was done with it. He said, "I haven't seen it. G put it somewhere." Then he ran off to his room again.

I knocked a few minutes later. The door was locked:

Me: Bean Dip?

BD: I still haven't seen it!

Me: Can I come in for a minute?

(Sounds of scrambling and the closet door opening and closing. Door opens.)

Me: What are you doing?

BD: (shifty eyes) I was just playing with my shaky bridge. (Bridge is clear across the room.)

Me: Well, I need to get a towel out of the closet.

(BD squeals and runs to stand in front of the door.)

Me: Why can't I go in the closet?

BD: (shifty eyes again) Uh, I have a pet animal in my closet.

Me: You do? Well, can I see it?

BD: (shoulders slump) Alll-right.

(I open the door. Dora cup lying right smack in the middle of the floor. I pretend not to see it, get a towel and close the door. Big grin from Bean Dip.)

So later, he comes out of his room with the cup, sets it on the counter and says, "I found G's cup! It was way up high in my closet, I had to climb up to get it."

So there you go, the sneakiness has begun. It was pretty funny, but next time I think I'll make him squirm a little bit more. I really should have found out what kind of pet animal he had.

Busy Busy Busy

Our time here is almost finished. We are down to the last two-three weeks. Graduation is this week, and next week the movers come. It is crazy how quickly the past two months have gone.

Now, instead of using my time wisely the last two weeks, I had my head buried in a book. I just finished Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. It figures that as soon as we are leaving the South, I'm now interested in it.

I loved the book. I didn't really think I would, since I've always thought the movie was a little cheesy. But the book was fantastic. An epic story, and even though Scarlett is so flawed, you can't help but cheer for her. And best of all, it was over 1,000 pages long. Perfect for me. I love a long epic story that I can't finish in a couple days.

Now the book is finished, and I've been busy cleaning and preparing for everything coming up. G has decided to be extra clingy now, crying whenever I leave the room. I guess that is normal. Bean Dip asks just about every day when we are moving. Win is busy out-processing. I'm spending all my other free time prowling www.zillow.com looking for houses. It's all very exciting.

So, anyone have any good Southern book suggestions?

I'll leave you with this from Bean Dip:

Looking out on the front porch tonight to see our pair of geckos, he yells, "No echos tonight!"

The '80s Called ...

In light of Bean Dip's new Transformers obsession, I Netflixed the original cartoon series, straight from 1984. Here's the fam watching the first episode.


Win and Bean Dip have found a comic book store in downtown Enterprise, so the house is littered with Transformers comic books.

Bean Dip was singing the theme song all evening:

"Transformers, more than meets the eye
Flying around (this is his addition to the song)
Transformers, robots in disguise"

Baby G

The Knife

One recent afternoon, while G was sleeping, the boys decided to go exploring. And to go exploring, you must take a knife. Bean Dip was wearing shorts without pockets, so with a little 550 cord, I fashioned a quick sling for his knife and sheath. Win put his own knife in his pocket, and off they went, to find blackberries and whatever else boys find when they explore.

Les Artistes de le Plein Air

Strawberry Picking Field Trip

Bean Dip's preschool class took a field trip Tuesday to go strawberry picking. It was exciting, they rode in the little white school bus off post to a farm in Ozark, Al. Baby G and I followed (along with all the other mamas) in our car. We drove right by a stage field and got to see Apaches flying. Apaches were flying over as we picked strawberries, too.

Part of going off post for a field trip meant all the kids wore a school shirt. Everyone, however, except for Bean Dip. He refused, saying he didn't like the color.

We got a lot of strawberries and the kids ate plenty. It was fun, but it was 90 degrees, and way too hot and humid to be outside. After water and an attempt at a class picture (I got this one before everyone was settled. The minute everyone was sitting at looking, Bean Dip got up and refused to be in the picture. He was not in a good mood.), everyone piled back into the bus and went back to school for snack time. Bean Dip was much happier after his snack and was happy to go home and sit in the air-conditioning.

Beach Days

Baby G and Venusja sunbathing

Sleepy Bean Dip

Uncle Paul would be proud

Extreme beach mug

Mother's Day Weekend

My babies snuggled together at Alex and Venusja's

I had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend, despite having a cold. Win had a class Saturday morning (to get his civilian instrument-rated pilot's license). So after that, we drove down to the beach to see Alex and Venusja. We spent the night at their house, and ate piles of delicious grilled chicken and ribs, roasted potatoes and salad. Baby G and Bean Dip were so excited to have three flights of stairs to play on, and to try out the Kinect. And of course to see Alex, Venusja, and Shy Guy.

Sunday morning was an early wake up time of 6:15 by Baby G. She woke up Bean Dip, and they ran around until we were forced to get up. After breakfast, we went to the beach -- the private beach of Alex's boss. It was empty and beautiful, and we even saw dolphins fishing in the waves. Bean Dip didn't go in the water, but played in the sand and then had a little rest in the shade of the umbrellas (going to bed at 11 p.m. and up at 6:15 a.m. doesn't work well for him). Baby G played with Venusja and went in the water with me, laughing at the waves.

For lunch we went to Venusja's restaurant, The Red Bar in Grayton Beach. It was super busy, so we ended up getting take out and sitting out on the closed back patio. I had a salad with grilled mahi-mahi, smoked tuna dip and a guava mojito. Bean Dip fell asleep on the way there, so we put him in the stroller. He didn't wake up until we were back at the house, and then he cried because he wanted to go to the Red Bar. So next time, we'll be back.

We headed home after that, since Win had PT early the next morning. The weekend was so relaxing. It is our Mother's Day tradition to go to the beach. Next year, maybe we'll beach at Kentucky Lake?

Early Mother's Day "Surprise"

Bean Dip's class had a Mother's Day "surprise" snack time today. Surprise is in quotes, because we weren't supposed to know but of course we knew so we could come early. We had powdered donuts and green Hawaiian Punch, and Goldfish crackers. Bean Dip made me a nice card with his hand print, and a magnet. The magnet is decorated with different spices and smells really good.
On the poster where all the kids wrote why they loved their mothers, Bean Dip said, "I love my mom because she snuggles with me. "

I think we will snuggle a little more this afternoon.

With Calvin and Hobbes, milk, and Bumble Bee.

More Than Meets the Eye

We watched Transformers 2 last night. Win took Bean Dip to the movie store, and that's what they came home with. He was so excited. (On a side note, this is their "thing." Yesterday, however, Baby G wanted to go, too. She put on her sandals and her hat and stood at the door. All she had on besides that was a diaper. Luckily, she was easily distracted by cheese, and there were no tears.)

I was only going to have him watch the first half hour, but after Baby G went to bed I sat down with him, and we ended up watching the whole thing. Pretty bad ass. I have already requested the '80s cartoon on Netflix.

And today. Win came home with what else, action figures. (I was just wondering when this would happen. Another first.) We now have two Transformers in the house: Bumble Bee for Bean Dip and Optimus Prime (or rather, Octopus Prime) for Baby G. Bean Dip is in heaven. Baby G liked the guns but was way more interested in the 3D glasses that came with it. Maybe if I can figure out how to turn him into the truck, she will like him more. Win got her the "easy" one, but I cannot get it to transform. At least Win couldn't figure out "intermediate" Bumble Bee either. Maybe after a couple beers ...

My Little Bumble Bee

Just this weekend, Bean Dip developed a new obsession: Transformers. I have no idea why; I don't think he's ever even watched an episode. But it doesn't matter. All that matters is that he's not Bean Dip anymore. He's Bumble Bee. Don't bother calling him Bean Dip, because his name is Bumble Bee. He has been playing Transformers all weekend, running around and shooting bad transformers with his yellow and black dart gun (a perfect fit for Bumble Bee).

So when he is playing his game, Win is "Prime Octopus" (If you know Transformers, the guy's real name is Optimus Prime.)

Baby G's transformer name is "Poop Sandwich."

So is mine, apparently.

He will also inform you that, "Dada doesn't know all the bad transformers, but he knows one is named Star Screamer. But sometimes he's called Screamer, and he is super bad ass."

Yep, the kid says, "bad ass," too.