Two days left...

We go were the Army takes us...

The movers will be here on Monday! I cannot believe that the time has flown by so fast, it seems like we just got into this house. We went to our new town the other day because Travis had to do some work up there and I wanted him to drive me past our new house, because I didn't remember what it looked like anymore, and lucky for us the landlord was there painting so we got to go inside too. It was a bit smaller than I remember in some aspects but some of the rooms were larger than I remember. Totally going to have to do some furniture rearranging in my head.

So with the move coming, this past week has been all about "deep cleaning." I'm telling you if it is made out of fabric and not sewn down to something then it went in the laundry. I have washed over 18 panels of curtains, all of the couch cushions, the duvet covers (to include the ones that we only use in the winter), the mattress covers, the decorative towels, the cleaning rags, etc. We cleaned the rugs, we made a table for the kitchen, we made garment hangers for the new "closet" (Germans don't have closets in their homes, they use shrunks and armoires), we've thrown out things that we no longer use, and with all of that being done I still don't feel like we are ready.

I have to admit, I have not been looking forward to this move. I have been a bit of a "Negative Nancy" about it but seeing the house again and cleaning this house has started to make me feel a bit better about the whole thing. I also came across some literature about the new city and even though I haven't had time to read it, just knowing that there is so much to do there is starting to make me excited. I'm a little sad that we are leaving the place that we made Clark and the home that we brought him home to, but in reality home is where my husband and my son are and that is all that matters.

I also happened to meet a lady on post that has a son that is two months older than Clark, our husbands actually flew together down range a few years back and so they know each other too. Hopefully we can hang out with them, because we don't know too many people with children Clarks age.

Anyway, I'm off to wash something...

Do you have any suggestions for making a move easier?

Father's Day

I am really excited about Father's Day this year. It is the first Father's Day for Travis and Clark and I so I am working on some gifts for Daddy. Yesterday I purchased a bunch of Candy Bars to use on a poster to tell a story, totally got the idea from Pinterest (man do I waste some time on that website), and I made salt dough to make footprint imprints for Travis. I had extra dough left over so I invited the neighbor children to come over and make their father a gift too. Here is what we came up with:

I know it is difficult to read so here is what it says:

Dad, Mom and I were chatting and she says that you are a "Hubba Bubba" and that the three of us are the "3 Musketeers". That being said, we wanted to do something special for you for Father's Day. We were going to give you a "whoppers"ing 1000 bucks but the money slipped through our "butterfinger"s! We didn't have any "extra" stuff to sell and it wasn't "payday", we figured that two dogs were enough so we didn't buy you a "KitKat", there is no trip to New "York" or "Orbit"s around the "Milky Way", and Mom said no to the "Swedish Fish" hooker. We do want to wish you "mounds" of "Almond Joy". We hope this card made you "Laffy Taffy" a little. Love, your "nerds" "Clark" and Momma
 P.S. Mom says you might "Skor"

Cute, right? Travis liked it.

I hope that you all had a great Father's Day.

It has been one heck of a busy week! Travis has been gone since last Sunday so it has just been me and the boys. The dogs have been behaving particularly well this week, I don't foresee that lasting... Clark and I have been getting along wonderfully, though I am really worn out. He is such a great baby but he really takes a lot of work 24 hours a day. I do not know how single mothers do it. My prayers are with them!

Clark had his first bout of vomit yesterday. You see my boy likes to keep everything down; he has only spit up a handful of times in the past 6 months. Literally, I can count the times on my fingers and toes. However, yesterday is another story all together. I think that the combination of it being so hot and him gagging on some milk is what caused it, regardless he tossed up every ounce that he had taken in. I mean it came out of his nose and all. He was such a trooper though, he didn't even cry or act as though it surprised him at all. I was more freaked out about it than he was. Afterwards I gave him a bath and we went on with our day as normal. Okay, not completely normal, we didn't go for a run because he was not feeling the stroller at all in the morning while it was still cool enough to get out there.

Thursday we went to our first ever meeting of Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPs), and had a lovely time. Our neighbor invited us to go with her so that I could meet other mothers that are moving to the same town that we are. The meeting was not the usual get together, it was really more like a hail and farewell to the old and new board members but I still got to meet some lovely ladies and I am hopeful for the next few years. This in and of itself is a change since I've really been dreading the upcoming move. I have really been slacking in my fellowship, and in my studies of the bible. I am glad to head back in the right direction.

I think that GOD is really calling out to me because not only did I get the invite to MOPs from my neighbor but I also received a package, from one of my favorite aunts, of children's books from the christian book store. Isn't it funny how we can get lost in our daily lives and yet the lord will seek us out and remind us that he still loves us and is waiting for us to call on him?

So anyway, Travis is home today and we can resume our regularly scheduled programs. YAY!!!

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend and remember to take a moment to remember the lives given for our freedom!!

Parenting

Over the past week I have had multiple conversations about parenting styles. I must make note here that I have certain expectations of children and what they are 1) capable of 2) what is expected of them. This post is not only an observation of what I’ve notice in trends these days but also I hope that it will serve as a reminder in the future of what I’ve seen and how I thought the situation should be handled. I’m sure that parents want to hold onto the idea that their child will do no wrong, or is incapable of behaving badly but I remember the stuff that I got away with because my parents were oblivious to what I was capable of, my kids won’t fare so well.

You see, I think that children are too spoiled these days. They are given freedom too early in life, their parents are more concerned with being liked than they are with being a guiding force in the lives of their kids. I have a friend, who has a 16 year old daughter; her daughter basically runs her life. My friend is constantly chauffeuring this girl to and from her boyfriend’s house, so much so that she can’t even enjoy an evening with friends because she is constantly looking at her watch to see if she is supposed to be leaving to fetch her daughter.  I have a problem with this for a few reasons: 1) The girl has more than one D on her report card (one would be enough in my house to be restricted) 2) The boyfriend is two years older and has tattoos and earrings (yes, this might be judgmental but…) 3) When did boys stop picking the girl up for a date and returning her home? 

I think that my friend has lost it. I’ve told her that she is an enabler and that none of this would be happening if she didn’t allow it but she just makes excuses for the girl, “it’s her first relationship/ we’re moving soon, they only have four more weeks together / they don’t know how the train system works, etc.” Her husband on the other hand sees things the way that I do but for some reason unknown to me he won’t hold his ground. They argue about it but it always seems to go in the direction that the daughter wants it to and I think that it is because Mom doesn’t want to be the bad guy. Unfortunately that makes Dad the bad guy. I think that this will lead to a bad relationship between the father and daughter for a long time to come.

I’m not writing this post to bash my friend. I’m writing it because I think that parenting is like a slow dance between partners. I think that if the parents aren’t in sync, then like in dancing, someone’s toes are going to get stepped on.  I think that parents are doing a disservice to their children when they try to be their friend and not the guiding light in their life. Children need guidance and an explanation as to why things are the way they are, they need protection. Sometimes that protection is from others and sometimes it is from themselves.  Children aren’t always able to make the right decision, they are more interested in having fun then working on their grades, they would prefer to be with their friends instead of with the books, but as the adult in their life we need to take the reins and drive them in the right direction.  This might lead to disappointment or even a few cross words but it will teach the child that they won’t always get what they want, something’s are earned and others are privileges, that not everything in life is going to go their way. I think that today’s youth is spoiled, they are allowed to get away with way too much, and they aren’t being taught manners or what it is like to work for something. I hope that I can at least teach my children what that is all about.

Family Visits

Clark and Aunt Teresa

For the next two weeks Travis's Mother and Sister are visiting from Canada. They are super excited to snuggle the baby and to see some of Europe. We have scheduled trips for almost every day that they are here so they can see as much as possible in the short time that they are here. I think they will need a vacation from their vacation once they get back home.

They got here on the 26th and hit the ground running! Their first full day here they spent 8.5 hours visiting Heidelberg. The next day we took them to Mannheim for some shopping and Italian ice, followed by grilling in the back yard. Sunday we went to the Mai Markt and got to see some interesting sights. Monday they headed off to Venice for four days and we will pick them up from the airport late Thursday evening. Friday will be a little more Heidelberg or maybe Ladenburg and Saturday we will head off to Rothenburg O.D.T. with a follow up visit to NeuSchwanstein Castle and Garmish.

That will leave them with one more day here around the house before they head back to the other side of the pond. We will be sad to see them go, Clark certainly loves having them here!