Army Wives

I got asked the question today.....Are you Army Wives like the girls on the show? Now people ask me this with a certain tone in their voice....almost like they are not sure if its OK to ask such a thing. I am a proud Army Wife but living away from a post is so different. What are the chances of someone asking you that in Ft. Stewart or Ft. Bragg...the answer is slim to none. However here in the burbs of Chi town its fair game as an Active Duty soldier is rare. People will come up to you and give you a hug or just shake a soldiers hand to say thank you. It's a nice change because you see that people do appreciate the military. But back to the question at hand. I am sure that many people have different opinions on this but I will share mine as candidly as I can. First by posing another question...Do you thing the surgeons on Grey's Anatomy reflect the real doctors in a major hospital? The answer is no. Not all of us cheat and have so much drama going on. Yes there are the ones that do but that is a fact in military and civilian life. It's a life you cant begin to understand unless you have lived it. There is a big difference between your husband going on a business trip and your husband boarding a plane with a rucksack on his back and a gun slung on his shoulder. Can you really project on a TV screen the emotions you feel as you watch the one you love disappear into a plane or bus.....knowing darn well that that may be the very last time you will ever see them. I remember Donte's last deployment to IRAQ....You hold onto every second like its forever, you take pictures and videos, I remember closing my eyes as he gave me my last hug goodbye and trying to etch the smell, the feeling into my brain......just in case. I remember holding the tears back to be strong for my boys to assure them that Daddy knows what he is doing and he will come back to us. I also remember looking him dead in the eyes and telling him "if its you or them you KILL them before they can harm you!" I remember the first night of the many to come when sleep was hard to find. I remember us going home and calling Kimmie. Then like a net they are there my fellow Army and Air Force wives. We have many different backgrounds but no matter what the background when the bonds are formed they are there and they are stronger than most could imagine. It's like your family away from home. They know your ups and downs and how to help. They know when to back off and when to push. Donte was gone when I was involved in a horrible accident. My girlfriends were there. Nikky sat by my bedside until they released me from the hospital and another girlfriend brought her kids and stayed at my house until Donte's flight came in. They held my hand made sure my babies were OK and that I wouldn't have any additional stress. I made it through with the support of my family and my friends. The Army life is not for all but for those of us that love our men we make it the best that we can. Through the moves, the separations and all the trials of military life it's worth it. There is no way that a TV sitcom could ever define what a true Army Wife is. It's easy to see....shes the one that is washing the cars in the driveway, the one that is toting her kids to all the appointments that come up,the one that juggles her job with her home...making sure that her home ALWAYS comes out on top, she is the one that smiles with a deep sadness that is left in her eyes, she is the one that has bags under her eyes because for the last year her other half has been gone and she just tosses and turns at night, shes the one that stays strong for her other girlfriends that are going through the same thing, shes the one that organizes 1001 events to make it through that year with out needing a straight jacket, she is the one that has as much grace as any woman can possibly have and in the same moment be able to put someone in their place if they step out of line and she is the one that starts crying as soon as she sees the wheels of the plane that is carrying her husband touch ground on the flight line. Just don't be so soon to judge her because of what you see on a program, take the time and listen and you will be able to understand what an ARMY WIFE is really all about.

Puppy Doggggie

My husband, the tough as steel, buff, hardcore soldier taught our sweet little puppy how to SPEAK!! Why oh why oh why.......It's not bad enough that we have two Jack Russells but now we have one that thinks if he barks and sits he will get a treat. Lord help me get through this!!!

Michelle.....This ones for YOU!!

Michelle I FEEL YOUR PAIN, I UNDERSTAND, I SYMPATHIZE.....wanna go get a drink? Michelle is one of the sweetest, caring, fun to be around people that I have ever met. She is also the assistant principal at the boys old school in NC. In our years there I was solely a MOM. I didn't work in the school system, in fact I worked eons away on a post called Fort Bragg. I honestly didn't realize the impact that parents have on the staff that take care of their children for the majority of a school day. Now before I get hate mail I understand that every child and every teacher is different. I have had my share of teachers that should have chosen a different path.....one that had them sit in a chair ALONE with no contact with kids. I also understand that some kids are a bit more difficult to work with but when you choose to teach you should choose to have compassion, love, understanding and most of all patience. I'm in the office so I don't get the wrath of Mom and Dad directly on me but WHOooooooaaaa Nelly can they get feisty. Its funny you see if you ask any kid in the school they will tell you that Michelle will get you if you mess up...they usually say this with fear in their eyes and a funny little twitch that goes down to their toes. I have never once seen her raise her voice in an ugly way, be mean or demeaning to child but I have however watched her tell a child that THIS is what needs to be done so they better get to it. I have seen her talk to children...not talk down to them. RESPECT is what she commands and RESPECT she has. Ms. AF is the AP here in the school I work at and guess what, same attitude. I LOVE IT. Its so nice that with all the new aged do this, try that and whatever you do BE AFRAID to tell the child what they need to do, that there are still people out there like Michelle that have a knack and are honest and treat kids and people alike with Respect and in turn she gets the respect that she deserves. So to Michelle, and all the other staff that work at any school, anywhere...THANK YOU for being patient, caring and loving, for returning calls instead of running from them, having the guts to steer kids in a path that is less chosen, that may be a longer harder path to follow, but is the right one for that child, for having the love to console a child until they are OK and pushing them ever so lightly that they may stand on their own feet with the knowledge that someone is there to catch them if need be, to show parents that it's OK to get emotional over their kids because for every ounce of love they have for their kids you have the same for your own, for having the sound mind not to reach across the desk and put your hands around someones throat and squeeze...they know they deserve it sometimes, and for me I thank you for being you, that even if my family wasn't born and raised with yours, that your family always had open arms for us as Donte, I, Donnie and Dannie have for all of you. We miss you and your family a lot!!! I think Donte is still having withdrawals from being away from your Mom and he refuses to coach here...what would a ball team be without Donnie, Dannie, Charlie, Jacob, Jaggir and Taylor? OK I gotta quit before I get sappy! When we come visit we will have to go and grab that drink!!

My Baby

He's no so much a baby anymore but to me he will always be my sweet darling Chubba Bubba. You couldn't tell now back when he was just a little pip squeak he was chubby little thing. He will be 8 in 10 days. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around it, that he no longer needs me to kiss his boo boos and pick out his clothes....where do they get off doing all that growing up. INDEPENDENT has a whole new meaning when it's your child wanting to be free of you. OK so hes not wanting to be completely free of me just a little bit free of me. Is there any difference in that last sentence??? Oh well, on with my story. As I said before I work in the Front Office of the boys elementary school. I have two co-workers that sit in the same area as I do. I have mention L before, she is sweet and kind and just a good soul. A is a hoot, I love her, shes funny and could literally juggle a boatload of monkeys on her toes. A also has a jar on her desk.....C....A.......N.......D.........Y. Why oh why. I asked her to put fat free taste nasty candy in there but she aims to please the chocolate lovers and jolly rancher lovers in the world. This would include both of my kids. Now there are rules in a school and one of the rules state that when you walk in the hallways you have to be quiet. So as I sit at my desk plugging away on the computer I notice that it's time for my little one to come in from recess. I see his class coming in and there he is. L points him out and by the look on his face I could tell that he was up to something. I don't know why but when your a Mom you learn to read the slightest looks and hone in on them like a sniper with a target. He is smiling just a bit too wide and his eyes are dancing a jig. I take a deep breathe and brace myself.....meanwhile all the kids are very quietly walking back to the classroom and then Daniel walks in front of the office door and God bless him he just couldn't hold it in....."MOM AFTER SCHOOL CAN I HAVE A PIECE OF CANDY OFF OF MS. A'S DESK?" with that I put my finger to my lips and stifle my laughter which is more than I can say for L and A who laughed out loud. Thank goodness he has a great teacher who understands that kids just sometimes have to be kids.

My little CHUBBA BUBBA...don't you just want to cuddle that sweet angel of a baby?


There he is a few weeks ago in the white shirt, at Six Flags leaving poor Mom behind. At least he looked back to make sure I was in his sights.

Mission Box!!

Donte's station made mission box!!! WOOOOOO HOOOOOO. This means that they recruited enough recruits for the year. The Army states that they should get XXXX amount of soldiers to sign up for the year. If they dont get their numbers they are in big trouble but if they make it they get an atta boy. So Donte is actually home this weekend. I am down with a bug but Donte and the boys are outside fishing. I am actually sitting on the couch looking out of the window at them. I thank God for my three men. The boys were too cute this weekend. They hate when I get sick. Usually they can climb into bed with us and get their cuddle time but when I am sick I keep them at arms length. I dont want them to catch what I have. They absolutly hate this. Especially Daniel he was standing at the door to my bedroom, quiet as a mouse. The conversation went like this.
"Daniel, whacha doing?"
"nothing"
"Dannie"
"can I come in"
"no honey Im sick and I dont want you to get sick"
"ok" (he says this in an itty bitty voice that just makes my heart melt)
"Mom"
"yes"
"I love you"
"I love you too baby boy"
"see you later"

He is off and I can hear him running down the stairs. Oh to be a little kid again.

Tornado Drill....Ooops I mean TORNADO THE REAL THING

School started Thursday before last and the day started out busy as ever. New kids coming in. Parents crying at the thought of their kids entering kindergarten. Me misting up a bit because I now have a 3rd and 4Th grader. The energy was great. The staff had been busy getting ready and were more than ready. The kids were a buzz, new teachers, old friends, new friends and of course showing off the new school clothes, backpacks and shoes. We settled into the day and to tell you the truth I was feeling pretty good. The school day ends here at 330 and around 230 we get a fax in about a storm coming our way. I had watched the news and knew that there was going to be rain and a storm. clouds were forming and the sky started to grow a bit darker but hey its just a storm right........WRONG. We kept getting more in for about the storm and then we got the news that a tornado was spotted. I swear what was five minutes felt like three days. Parents were calling and the switch board lit up like a Christmas tree, at the same time parents were coming in signing their kids out. Then the police dept called and NO ONE, absolutely no one was supposed to leave the building. By now its pretty dark and the wind is going the rain is pelting down and we have a school filled to the rafters with scared kids and worried parents. The Principal and Assistant Principal are out in the lobby as are the teachers and they are making order out of a very chaotic situation. We are checking Id's and getting everything as orderly as we can in the office. I am calling the police department every 15 min to get updates and to tell you the truth I am a bit scared because my kids are in the school too. They just aren't with me. But L advises me that they are safe and in the best place that they can be in. I finally get the all clear that the tornado would not be hitting us and that the parents can get the kids and go. It was roughly 445. So about 1 1/2 hours had gone by and we did it, we made order out if chaos. We worked together as a team and not one little hair on any ones head was out of place. Not bad for the first day of school huh. Who said that working in a school was boring?

Turning 32 a New Job and Getting Sick

I was called in early to start my new job. I was hired at the local elementary school to work in the front office. I had often played with the idea in NC but never acted on it.....I really wish that I would have. I absolutely love my job, love the kids, and love the people that I work with. The hours are perfect and my kids get to hang out in the office before and after school so I don't have to worry about daycare. Their homework is done before we leave and we are home at the very latest by 430. One of the nicest parts is that we truly work as a team. It's nice to work hard and actually get credit, at my last job I would work hard and our psycho leader would gobble the credit up like she did something special. She had a knack of causing rifts between the workforce and somewhere inside she loved drama because if there was drama to be had she made sure that it was in our section. It's funny how when you are in the middle of something detrimental you don't see it, but when you leave its clear as crystal. Don't get me wrong the job itself was not bad, it was doable but the people you work with make a huge difference. Lets just say my morals are good and so are my intentions. I do not believe in stabbing people in the back and I do unto others as I would want done unto me. I believe other than one other person in the office I was the only one that lived like that. I guess I was a little hesitant when I went into my new job here but after the first few minutes I saw that the school was a whole different ball game. A good one. The ladies in the office are great and we work great together. It gets hectic at times, like the tornado the first day of school (coming in a new post), but we worked together and came out unscratched. The principal and the Assistant Principal are two of the best people to work with. Their attitudes are great and they have an appreciation for people period. Their is no animosity between the ranks and everyone is respected for what their speciality is. From the janitor to the head of the school everyone works as a team. The only thing I didn't take into account was the fact that kids harbor germs...lots of them!!! My poor immune system was in for a shock. I went to work Thursday feeling great, by lunch I felt a little funny and by 3 I was ready to crawl into bed. I spent yesterday in bed with Gatorade, theraflu and Tylenol. I swear I have used at least a box and half of tissue and my nose feels like sandpaper. My dear hubby went out and bought me some Vick's and cough drops. I hate being sick. I haven't been sick in a very long time and since it came out of the blue it really knocked me on my hiney. Of course this weekend is perfect. Highs in the low 80's and sunshine everywhere. Oh boy....yup.....I'm feeling pretty sorry for myself. I turned 32 on Thursday and was so looking forward to celebrating with Donte and the boys but my date was with my bed and a box of puffs. I actually can breathe out of at least one nostril now and hope that by tomorrow I can breathe out of both. I know TMI......but it's my blog and I'll tell all if I want to!

It's Raining it's Pouring the Old Man is Snoring

Its been raining for what seems like forever. Our cute pond in the backyard looks like it could hold Noah's Ark. aaaaahhhhhh and every morning when I leave for work its as if the Gods say "OK that's our signal, shes going to work, let it start to pour". I made a deal with my friend Angie today, shes in Orlando and they need rain and we need their sunshine....so we are gonna swap!!! Aren't we brilliant? THE ANSWER IS YES. Well not only is it raining....this girl is yawning and my bed is calling.

Battalion Organizational Day

Well life has been busy with the kids getting ready for school. They called me in a week early so everything has been smashed together. Friday we had our battalion organizational day. We were off to Six Flags Great America. We were supposed to meet at the entrance of the park at 10 in the morning. We were there and ready at 9:30 and waited until 10:45 for everyone else to get there. If your military you are used to the hurry up and wait but never have I had to wait that long....again another joy of the recruiting lifestyle. We got into the park and started enjoying ourselves. Now I am a big chicken!!! No way was I getting on those roller coasters, uh uh, NO WAY. So I waited in line and then gracefully stepped aside and went to the exit of the ride. The kids were having a blast to say the least. Daniel had never met the height requirements so he was more than ready to give the roller coasters a try. They have their Dads stomach for that and truly enjoyed themselves. The battalion had a picnic lunch set up for us. The times were from 1300 to 1430. Not bad I thought as I figured that this would be a perfect way to meet some of the other spouses and relax a bit. Well I did meet some nice spouses but it wasn't the same. There was no familiar family feel and again I am an Army Brat and have been a Army Spouse for over 11 years now. It was alien to me the way some of these women acted...I know you get the good and bad in every situation but seriously I felt embarrassed for them and their family members. The food was good and the kids were more than ready to head back to the rides but yet another surprise came up. The higher ups felt that it was necessary for everyone to hang around so they could give some awards out...OK that's nice to recognize people that do above and beyond. Dontes station even got recognized for closest to year end mission, they were only one away and of course we were all very proud. So I figure 30 minutes top and these awards would be done....15 min.....20 min.....35 min.....come on people, its hot out here (did I mention that we were in the sun)...finally a hour later we were released. One of the veteran spouses said that they usually wait until ATC to do that and that she had never seen it take so long. I just politely smiled and nodded. You see I vent here, I let the steam pour out of my ears here because frankly I don't know what this life is supposed to be like. Are we supposed to be happy that everything is late and that we are made to bake in the sun on our family togetherness day....perhaps the reasoning is that we should be happy that our soldiers are actually able to spend some special time with us...I don't know, this is all new and I am still trying to get used to this. Now I am not ungrateful that my husband is here on US soil with us I thank God that Donte isn't deployed, its a been there done that many times situation for us and I am thankful that he is here with us. We had a good afternoon and I even went on the water ride where I got completely soaked. We went home tired and eagerly welcomed the softness of our pillows under our heads.

Saturday we were finally able to have Dontes promotion BBQ. It was great. His stationed showed up with their significant others in tow. Donte worked the grill like he always does and I swear that man knows magic to make the food taste like it does. The kids were having a blast and all scurried upstairs to play. We honestly didn't hear a peep out of them until it came time to eat or come down to snack. Towards the end the older girls came to the living room as well. I don't blame them. Hanging out with younger boys can drive you crazy. The guys were in the kitchen playing dominoes and talking......well I say talking but it usually resorts to jokes and picking on each other....I don't know something about smelling like BBQ is better than smelling like wet dog or bologna. Finally.....this felt right. We all had a great time and there was that old feeling of settling in coming back. Its hard to pack up and move but I have always made the transition easily....maybe this time it was just going to take a little bit longer.

The rest of the weekend was spent picking up the last few things for school and getting the kids shoes. They both picked out two pairs and of course in the same line as their clothes none of them matched each other. They are really growing up on me. They have their own sense of style and know what they want. I guess I can officially look back on the days where they would dress alike. **Sigh**

Starting From the Beginning

I remember when Donte came home and told me that he had been selected to be a recruiter. I was shocked to say the least and had heard numerous horror stories about being a recruiters wife. So I did what any smart Army wife would do.....I called my friend Melody because her husband had been a recruiter. Mel said they "loved it", hmmmm loved it huh....OK my nerves are relaxing a bit. She basically told me that they work a lot and that there are some long nights and some weekends where they work but over all its not that bad. There is no CQ or Staff Duty (soldier has to sit at desk and log phone calls and barracks checks for 24 hours, no field problems and no deployments. Essentially its as close to living the civilian life as you can get while still active duty in the Army. OK I am feeling better....

Fast forward to right before we leave Bragg....

Donte went to recruiting school, we had our house packed, painted, found a property manager, put the house up for rent, rented the house, had going away parties (sniff, sniff), and said our goodbyes.

We decided that we would drive both cars from Fort Bragg all the way to Chicago. We left after the boys got out of school and drove an hour to Greensboro (hubbys hometown) where we attended a family members high school graduation...it was very special as this beautiful high school senior that I had known since she was 8 was dying of a Brain Tumor. After numerous treatments and years of fighting the tumor had taken over. She was in a wheel chair and spoke with a slur that made her embarrassed to speak. We had just seen her a few months before and you couldn't tell that anything was wrong with her. She was her spunky little self and I am so glad that we had the chance to know her and love her. She lost that battle a few weeks after the last time we saw her. We then attended her graduation party that was hosted by the Make a Wish foundation. We spent time with family and friends before we headed to Waynes house. Wayne is Dontes best friend, he was our best man and is a huge part of our family. We spent some time laughing and reminiscing about all the good times and of course we got some much humored slack about moving to Chicago.

I went to sleep that night with a heavy heart and butterflies in my tummy. Chicago here we come...you cant get more exciting than that...on the other hand we were leaving our home that we had planted solid roots in.

We left a little late the next morning. The minivan packed to the rafters and the back seat of the Honda packed tight as well. Daniel rode with me and Donnie with Donte......with the assurance that they could switch off and on. They were so worried about getting equal time with both of us. It was like a game to them. I was so relieved to see that they were excited and had embraced this crazy Army life.

we drove through many states and a heck of a lot of rain and 10 hours later we were in Indianapolis. I called Embassy Suites from my cell and got us reservations for the night. We only had a few more hours to go until we got there so we decided to take it easy and even agreed that there was no need to set the alarm that night.

The next day we took off with the knowledge that this long car trip was almost over. We drove right by Chicago. I was so excited and then I realized that I needed Gas. So I call Donte and we take the next exit and land smack in the middle of a not so nice part of Chicago. We get the gas and take off. I am a little bit worried what if he has to recruit in an area like that? We continued on to Great Lakes Naval Base I tried to soak it all in. I do this whenever we move. I look at the buildings and the roads and imagine that in a few weeks it will all be second nature to me. It makes me feel better as if this new place will soon feel warm and comfortable....it would feel like home.

We checked into the hotel on post and unloaded the necessities. Donte hooked up the lap top so we could go online whenever we wanted. We all showered and got ready to go explore. Well we get to the minivan and my battery is dead!!! Oh Fun, at least it didn't die when we were getting gas! I had the battery replaced and prayed that this wasn't a sign of things to come.

Over the next few days we were visited by Dontes Station Commander, we will call him Famous Daves, he told us that the station was great and how great life was going to be. Hardly any long nights or weekends. After we went to the room I expressed how great this was going to be...Donte looked at me and said "don't count on it....I have heard different"...I should have listened to my hubby but I shook it off and went on with the tasks of getting a realtor and finding a place to live. Great Lakes was not only too far but they wanted to put us in tiny housing because the new housing was for people who had lived there for at least a year....sore subject.

We found a great house in the suburbs, 2500 square feet, two car garage, pond in the backyard with a fountain and a school that was located in the subdivision itself. We registered the boys for school (NC would not promote them because they still had 4 weeks of school left there, even though they could have made straight F's and still passed) and set up delivery dates for our household goods (HHG).

The boys were excited and scarred about going to a new school and to tell you the truth I was a little nervous myself. We were out here by ourselves, no other military families to lean on. No Army Brats for the boys to connect with......Please God let this go smoothly.

We walk into the school and are greeted warmly. Both boys teachers have their desks set up with their names and books ready. The other kids come up and welcome them and I can breathe a big sigh of relief. Donte and I decided to speak with the principal and the assistant principal. I was still a little nervous and wanted to make sure that they knew the situation in case the boys were to get upset or start feeling sad. I also had to speak to them about the boys missing the last two weeks of school so that they could go to Sri Lanka for their Uncle Adams wedding. They were both great and as we sat there talking I mentioned that I was looking for a job. They had a position open in the front office and explained to me how to go online and apply. I did apply and two interviews later I received my job offer and was all to ready to enjoy my summer with my family....because he wouldn't be working late nights and weekends....RIGHT??

more to follow....

GO ARMY......Recruiting

Well as most of you know my darling hubby is now an Army Recruiter. He was selected by the Department of he Army for this.......so NO WE DIDN'T ASK FOR IT. So I thought it would be fun to share my perspective on this. Army life has basically been the same from post to post....but this assignment is NOTHING like regular Army life. I am an Army brat myself so you would think after growing up Army and being married into the Army for almost 11 years I would know what to expect. I am as green as a cucumber when it come to this. Please buckle up and hold on tight. You will be tuning into a whole new way of life.

Laptop Crash, BOOM, thwaaaark!!!

Well last night as I sat on the laptop piddling around on my email.....the unthinkable happens. First it shuts off....I immedialtly make sure that the power supply is plugged in....it is.....and then I try to restart but I get this black screen with white writting saying that my system is unstable and then it gives me various modes that I can restart in. I invain tried each and everyone and the blasted thing would not reboot. So upstairs I went to search out the recovery disks and other disks for all the software. After I gathered all the above I was just plain upset that this computer that goes everywhere with me has now decided to take a break....I mean these things are not supposed to happen right? Well I decided to let it wait until morning because I had promised the boys that we would go to the movies.

So this morning I got up and started recovering the laptop. Everything went well but my wireless internet button was missing. Hmmmmm I call Comcast who tells me that I need to call Compaq and get the driver update or go online. Well since the phone was there I decided to call....What in the world did I do that for. The bright shining light on the other end informs me that the drivers are in the computer but I will have to pay a fee to talk to someone who can tell me how to get it done..now he says this to me like I am a dumb ass..So I said No way am I paying another red cent to get this laptop working and that Compaq sucks and I should have gone with another company! You see I didnt want another repeat of my Alltel situation so I just said what I had to and hung up. Plan B. My brother and his wife have a roommate his name is Ron and he is GREAT. He told me where to go online and what to do and said if I couldnt get it he would be home on the evening to help me.....what a saint!!! So I went online downloaded all that I needed got my key to unlock the majic pearly gates of the wireless internet and Bada Bing Bada Boom......I am gleefully connected. Now I am updating the system and am currenty on number 57 of 77 updates. Then its just the printer and the scanner and I am done. Thank God I have everything saved to my external hard drive!!!!

A big thanks to Ron the computer genius.

Skinny Bitch

My girlfriend Kari, who also happens to be one of my old neighbors from North Carolina and a dear friend, called me the other day and told me that I HAD to read this book. The name of the book is Skinny Bitch. You see we are on the same diet...one that is working for both of us. So she tells me if you really want to get into this whole diet thing read Skinny Bitch. So off I went to Barnes and Noble and of course they didn't have in stock so I ordered it online and finally got here last Saturday. I picked it up on Monday and decided to start reading and man did it open my eyes. Now some of the stuff was a little far fetched. I am a carnivore and will not give up meat....even if it just decaying flesh, but you know what bye bye soda and bye bye most dairy. The book also has references through out so when your one eyebrow raises at some of the info you can actually go look it up.....its scary what we are taught and what the effects are. To each his own I say but weather you feel like changing your habits or not its an interesting read. And to tell you the truth I haven't had soda in about a week and I kinda miss it but feel good that I am over it. I can give up milk no problem...I think its gross YUK.....its the cheese and the ice cream that will be hard but you have to start somewhere right. Now one of the thing that I liked about the book was the frankness...and when I say frank I mean it. There is no sugar coating what so ever, it's blunt and to the point. I loved it!!

I also just started reading the Blog of War. This one is much harder and I am only a few pages in but it really hits home. I can't begin to count the number of close friends and comrades that we have lost. The one that left his wife and two boys behind that are the same age as ours. He gave it all and did it proudly and we are forever thankful to him......I often think about his wife and two boys and my heart breaks. I think of the soldier that would come to our house in Germany and want hot wings and then I think of his wife and three little children that will never hug him again. I think of the man that went off to war and thought that he would make it back and retire and enjoy it....he never got to turn in those retirement papers. I thank them all, for their honor, duty and in the end their ultimate sacrifice. When I look at my husband I thank God that he is here. That every time he faced danger that he faced it with courage and determination and because of that and the grace of God he can still have the joy of tucking our boys in at night. I don't know how long this book will take me to read. I find myself putting it down a lot even though I have the need to keep reading because I want to know but in the same instance I already know the out come so I know the pain that comes with it.

Frustration and Self Control at its Best

I can not STAND companies that pride themselves on customer service and then turn around and hire tweedle dumber and tweedle dumbest to work for them. As most of you know Donte and I moved to Chicago on military orders...yup that's right we didn't just decide to move we had to. So we get here and lo and behold the cell company that we had is not available in this area and after a few months of dropped calls and missed text messages I called and complained and the rep for the said cell company told me I would be better off to disconnect and go with a carrier that had local towers. OK made sense so off we went and found Verizon. I then call old cell company to disconnect. I get a rep named Lisa and she is as sweet as can be and says "please just fax your military orders and it will be done within 24 hours".....Great I think....this will be easy. Well 48 hours later I call back and they say "no ma'am no orders please fax again". So I call Donte ask him to re fax and to make sure that he gets a confirmation letter out of the fax this time. He does this I call and they say 24 hours again. So I call back ....this time its dumb as rocks one

DAR1 (Dumb as Rocks One)...."No ma'am we don't get faxes"

Me..."WHAT??????I just spoke to two people in three days that said fax to this number and now you say there are no faxes."

DAR1..."no we don't get them."

Me..."Please put me through to your supervisor"

me on hoooooooooooooooooooold forever.

G (Supervisor)....."yes Mrs. Slade we have received both your faxes but our faxes go straight to email and the person that it went through to is out."

Me...."OK well cant someone go and get them. It has been over three days and two faxes later and you still have not closed out my account."

G..."let me see what I can do"

Me.....on Hooooooooooooold again

G..."OK we will have it taken care of in 24 hours."

Me..... "Great Thank you do I get a confirmation?"

G....."someone will call in 24 hours."

72 hours later.......................................

I Call in the morning cant remember what time. Get in touch with another supervisor (this company has way too many supervisors)O

Me....I explain the situation

O....."I will get it done." (in his best superman voice)

Me....."good thank you."

O....."I will call you back in 20 min."

Me.......(slight hope that this will work) "Thanks."

45 min later I call back

Me......"O, this is me, can you tell me the status?"

O......"the lady that has it is out until 1130 so I will have to call you back at 1200 this gives me the time to get it all settled."

Me. Annoyed but still polite... "Thank you"...I hang up the phone and whisper dumb ass he should have called and at least told me that

One o'clock comes and I call back....notice that I am the one doing all the calling back

Me...."I have called three times today. You give me time frame for a return call and do not call. I would like to know whats happening with my account....I am getting a bit frustrated."

O...."yea ma'am I am still waiting on the fax...we are really busy."

Me..... "I know that you are busy (I wanted to scream, how busy would you be if I put my foot up your ...but alas I didn't.)but its ridiculous that I have been dealing with this for days and no one there can seem to figure it out."

O..."I apologize ma'am as soon as I get the fax I will call back." ( at this point he sounds like Charlie Browns teacher and there is steam starting to come out of my ears)

Me..... "OK and just to make sure that we are on the same sheet of music we are military they are military orders so the one phone still under contract we are cancelling with no penalty."

O..."ummm I don't think so. Its a case by case." ( CASE BY CASE IS HE KIDDING???)

Me...."I talked to the supervisor before you and the statement made to me us that if you have military orders and you are moving to a place where you do not offer service we can cancel that contract without penalty."

he then proceeds to give me some mambo jumbo and I calmly state through my gritted teeth that "there is no fee...call me when you get the fax."

Called for the 4Th time by this point I am highly aggravated. They patch me through to stinky attitude, I need a life girl who thought that she was the cream of the crop. "We cant patch you through to O you will have to deal with me." ( Is she for real, I may sound sweet but hell I was raised an Army Brat, am an Army Wife and my parents didn't raise a sissy...yes I am respectful...but I have a limit.)

Me......I state that I have been working with a specific person and would like to keep working with him as I do not want to have to explain myself for the 100th time.

SAINALG (stinky attitude, I need a life girl).…unreasonable and rudely said that she could not get o on the line and I could hang up and call back if I wanted another supervisor.

Me....CLICK!!! You guys just don't know how close I got to screaming but I had to get my account straight and hey she has to live with herself right?...Right now I am so not liking being a mature grown up and just want to bring her down a few notches.

I call back for the 5Th time at 2:55. I get a Rep who is trying to locate O (who I would like to throw a pie at) and here I am on hold again!

Finally I get another supervisor, we will call him "L" who actually had some brain matter that worked and thanks to him and me scanning what he needed. We are now out of our contract, with no early disconnection fee!!

Me...."Thank you for getting this resolved, but what happened to O?

L...."hes standing here but was a bit confused, I am so sorry that you have had this much trouble." .....uhhh you think!!

Me.."Thank you again L have a nice day."

Now what I really wanted to say was......I better not they may suspend my blog due to the violence and profanity. I am all calm now after taking the boys to swim practice, cooking dinner, washing the dogs, doing a load of laundry (I really miss my cleaning lady...do you think I could get her a visa to the states...she probably wouldn't come...I wouldn't leave Germany either)Cleaning the kitchen and tucking the boys in.

so if you ever have a problem with ALLTEL....who I have to say were great until I had to disconnect....drop me a line/ L gave me his agent ID and direct line ....in case I ever need it. Trust me I wont but if you do and would like to cut through the crap to get your problem solved....drop me a line.

Photoshop

Well I went out and bought Photoshop a few weeks ago and have been playing with it ever since. Well I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday and on the sales nook guess what I found.....




Yup I was happier than a kid that didn't get caught in the cookie jar. PS is harder than I thought it would be and this book that cost me 9.98 tells me all the little secrets that I need to know. I started working on some pictures last night and tried out many of the different techniques and before I knew it, it was 1100 and time for bed.

I am working on the pics from the promotion and as soon as I get them done I will post them.

The boys have two weeks of swim left. I am sad in a way but glad in a way as well. Swim four days out of a five day work week was a lot of driving for me but well worth it. Donnie is now a Flying Fish and Daniel is a Fish. I am very proud of my little men as they worked really hard this summer to reach their goals.

Well I have a Computer/Game Room to set up so I better be off to it. But before I leave here is the first picture that I created with layers in it. A bit remedial I am sure but never the less I was proud of myself.

Here's the original the boys hanging out in the back yard by the Pond.


And here is the masterpiece....the boys relaxing in Bavaria overlooking a lovely lake and mountain.

CONGRATULATIONS Sergeant First Class Slade

Yesterday was the big day. Donte was promoted to Sergeant First Class, E7 and I am so very proud of him. As usual the day started off hectic as I scrambled to get the boys ready for Soccer, by the grace of God we made it and I explained to the coaches that they would be leaving early. No problem they say. I get a few errands done and go back to pick the kids up. The situation goes like this. I go to the soccer field...ummmm where are my kids....in fact where are all the kids? I turn around trek back to the building in the 198978735 degree heat.....OK high 90's but it felt like 198978735. There they were in the middle of the huge indoor track in the nice air conditioning playing with a ball the size of Jupiter. No kidding this ball was like a huge blowup beach ball that would crush you if you got caught under it. I stand at the door and try and wave my kids down...the little one saw me and then acted like he didn't. The coaches are all so enthralled with laughing at the kids that they don't notice me either. So now I had to debate....do I walk in and chance getting smashed by this ball.....Ummmmmm NO just ain't worth it. I finally get the coach's attention and he gets the boys. I tell them to come on we have to get ready and get this they are upset......why......"we didn't get to play with the big balls"!!! I almost fell down laughing at this. Oh the things that come out of kids mouths. As soon as I get them home and into the shower I hear the front door open. Donte is home and now all four of us are getting ready. I specifically tell the boys to shower, get there undies on and put lotion on. I get showered and start getting ready. Now my husband is in the room with me but I am moving at warp speed so he could have been 10 states away for all I knew. I got my clothes ironed, the boys pants ironed......and then noticed something...in the midst of all the excitement my loving husband is fast asleep on the bed. "UH HUM" HONEY I say, "can you iron the boys shirts while I finish getting ready?". "Sure" he says like we have all the time in the world. I explain to him that we women have to pluck, primp, blow dry, curl, and do 1001 other things in the effort to look great for the cameras at these events. He in turn looks at me like I have 4 heads and nods his head in agreement. So off to the ceremony we go. We get there in plenty of time and sit around while everyone else arrives. Donte has always had a good bunch of fellow soldiers but these guys and the poor lonely gal are hilarious. Never a dull moment. They read his orders and then they yank his E6 rank off and I very carefully place his E7 rank on and punch in square in the chest as hard as I can. It was very different from when I pinned on his E6, back then you had rank with the prongs and you made sure that the dammits were missing because what is rank if you cant cause pain right....ahhhhh the Army way. Donte then said a few touching remarks about God, his wife (that's me) and the kids. His fellow recruiters had the local store make cupcakes with E7 rank on it (was nice because this is nowhere near a military town) and with a little coaxing they all dug in and got there sugar fix for the day. The big party will be next weekend, here at the house. We will be having a good old fashioned southern style BBQ with all the fixin's and of course the beer.....yuk dont like beer but I know a few soldiers that will. I will post pics either tonight or tomorrow.

Lazy Days of Summer

Wow I cant believe that July is almost over. I swear this year has flown by and I have no earthly idea where it went. I still remember New Years Eve at our house with Chris, Ron, Alyssa, Jordan, Kari, Charles, Kaylee and the four of us. We had fun setting off the firecrackers in the rain LOL and Charles was making make shift mortar rounds in the ditch. Oh the joys of living in the country. I wish I would have taken pictures. I miss having them right next door. I have always been lucky enough to be friendly with my neighbors but a few times I have been even luckier to become friends with them. It was so nice last year this time.Our kids would play outside until we dragged them in to take their baths and then we would have to make them get into bed but after that it was just a few moments before they drifted off into a deep, peaceful slumber. Then it was time to hit the porch with Chris and Kari until our eyes just couldn't stay open anymore.....of course the large quantities of wine that we consumed had nothing to do with it. I really enjoyed going over to Kimmies too. Kimmie is such a dear friend and one of the sweetest people I have ever met in my life. I miss her and so do the boys. Her kids are the greatest and between them and Jordan the boys always had great babysitters at reasonable prices. Now I am a little anal about babysitters. I had NEVER let a teenager watch the kids until these three wonderful young people came around. You see I was always afraid that the boys would be plopped in front of the TV and be bored but with these teens there was no chance. They were playing board games, basketball, football, jumping on the trampoline and doing crafts. they watched the occasional show or movie but were always exhausted after a day of play. I wish I could have packed them all with me and brought them here. The summer days here have been good in a different way. This is the first summer in a long time that I have had off with the boys. I have really gotten to know what they are all about. They in turn keep asking if I am going to be off next summer too. I really hope that I am. I thought that I would go stir crazy but we have had a jam packed summer, starting off with out trip to Sri Lanka, swim, basketball, Soccer, Hip Hop and just doing things together. So here we are August starts tomorrow and we have 3 precious weeks left. I am excited in a way to get back to work and sad in another knowing that the lazy days of summer are going to be in the past until next year.

Is It Really Sunday Night?

We had a lot to do this weekend. Diggy had a vet appt on Friday and we had to find a new cell phone plan since there is no Alltel here in Chicago. I had been researching all the phone companies and narrowed it down to Verizon and T-Mobile. So Saturday Morning we got up and headed out to check them all out. First we went to T-Mobile and the guys was nice and knowledgeable but the plan and phones that we wanted were way to expensive. So we headed out to Verizon. Let me tell you....Great Salesman, Great Plan, and Great Phones. We were really happy and got a great deal. With our military discount its even better and I wish that we would have switched from Alltel a while ago. After all the cell phone shopping we decided to take the boys bowling. It had been forever since we had been and it sounded like a nice change from the usual movies that we end up at. Well we had a BLAST. The place was a little pricey but it was well worth it. They had couches for you to sit in while you waited your turn and a waiter could by and bring you pizza and drinks. The most fun part though was the Psychedelic Bowling where they turned the lights off and had strobe lights and fake smoke coming at you. We bowled for 2 hours and were completely exhausted. I had taken my camera so we played around with the settings and got some GROOOOOOOOOVY pics. Today we ran a few errands and had to update our new phones, and here we are Sunday night and Monday is right around the corner.....the only good part is that in 2 days and a wake up Donte will be getting pinned his E7.....YIPEEEEEEEE!

Getting Ready for School

The time has come to start getting everything ready for school. You know what I am talking about the book bag, the supplies, the clothes and to my two the shoes. When I was a kid it was Nike's and Keds but that was later down the line. Not elementary I honestly can't remember caring what brand my shoes or clothes were as long as they were comfy and cool. But in today's times our kids are so very aware of brands and not just for shoes but for clothes and what seems like everything else. When I was nine I had no earthly clue who Dolce and Gabbana were (don't think they were around then but even if the were)my parents would have admitted me and my brother to the psych ward if we had ever asked for a pair of jeans that cost over $100. Because back then you could have gotten a ton of stuff for $100. Now don't get me wrong there were certain things in the 80'sand 90's that we wouldn't get caught dead in but I don't think it was half as bad as it is now. We do dress our kids nicely and trust me they earn it. Both boys were Academic All Stars, they are both excelling in sports and they get compliments all the time for their manners. I will splurge on shoes but I do hit the sale racks for jeans and shirts. So yes they get the name brand stuff but trust me when I say that I get it on sale. Why pay full price when you can get it for half. I get this trait from my Mom....in fact it's a running joke in our family...when I come home from shopping I come home with bags not a bag and I used to always say "I saved XXXXmuch money today" so now my Dad will say "soooo how much did you save today?" So Come Aug 1st we will trek out to all the lovely stores to stock up on everything. The only difference from this year to last is that the boys will probably steer away from getting the same stuff and veer towards their own sense of style....it just isn't cool to have your clothes match your brothers. Hopefully I will get some pics of all the stuff we rack up on and I will include the prices as well. I am curious to see how much getting ready for school actually costs. One last note I am giving in and ordering the boys the L.L. Bean Deluxe Book Packs (Back Packs). I have friends that have had them for years and one of my friends bought on for her son in elementary school and he still uses it in High School. So there is the first expense. 2 Book bags + Shipping and handling = $97.75

The case of the missing goggles.

Kids......oh where oh where do I start. As most of you know the boys have been taking swimming this summer and are having a blast. They are actually really good at it and are excelling in all of their classes. I am trying to teach them responsibility so I make them responsible for their swim trunks, goggles and toweles. They do pretty good but for some reason they can not keep their goggles in one place to save their lives. I tell them time after time but God only knows what they are thinking. :) I have to laugh at this because you would think that the water would turn to cement if they didn't have these goggles. I truely believe that they would swim naked or just drip dry but dive in without goggles NO WAY. So I am sitting here writing this post and they are searching franticly......wonder if they have checked on top of the washing machine yet......would make sense since thats where they stripped and put their trunks in the wash. Well I have 25 min to go I think I will let them wait it out a bit. Oh they joys of being a Mom!!! :)