Classic Zac

Pictured here going in for the grab of a small eel at Scenic Beach

Thought I would share the story I just emailed to Jay about Zac for everyone to read....so today while I was pricing things in the garage for the yard sale I'm having on Saturday, Zac was out playing in some dirt in the cul de sac.  I noticed he had his blue water bottle with him but didn't think anything of it.  Then suddenly I hear "mom, I put a worm in my water!".....Ew. So I orderd him to get it out and leave the poor worm alone.  End of story, or so I thought.  A while later, I went inside and saw that his water bottle was laying on the playroom floor, so for fear of him drinking out of it again, I brought it to the kitchen and tossed it over by the sink to be washed.  Hours later, as I'm finally getting to the dishes after putting the boys down, I get his water bottle and go to rinse it out and holy flippin' crap, that damned worm nearly fell on my hand when I opened up the lid.  AHH...WHAT THE $*(&^$!!!!  GROSSSSS!!!  After letting out a squeal and flicking it away, I lost track of it.  I think it went down the drain, but I really can't confirm that, so I have a feeling this fricken worm is going to haunt me and I will find it stuck to a dish somewhere.  Ah, it's only just beginning.... 

Trying to fit a sea snail in his bucket....

to bring home to mommy perhaps? bleh.

Amazing Mother Nature

This picture was recently taken out in the middle of the ocean from Jay's ship. 

Chimacum Cafe

There is a little hole-in-the-wall cafe off the side of the road in a small town called Chimacum.  Its a tiny one-stop town on the way to Port Townsend out on the peninsula.  We have to pass thru there on the hour-long drive to Heidi's eye vet so I like to stop there on the way back if we have time.  I always make a point to bring one of the boys with me and use it as a Mommy/Son outing.  The cafe is a bit of a greasy spoon, but it has significance to me because my grandmother, Joyce, worked there as a waitress back in the late seventies, maybe even early eighties.  She was married to her second husband then and they literally lived in the sticks.  I have vague memories of visiting them out there, but I have an old article that my mom saved that shows my grandma serving someone behind the counter.  Its kinda cool to be in a place over 30 years later that my grandma had once made a living.  She was my mom's "real" mom and passed away in 1997.  My grandma in Prosser is really a step-grandma, but God help you if you ever referred to her as that, so in order to distinguish between the two, we would refer to Joyce as "Crabby Grandma"....she was a grouch for sure, but I loved her just the same and I feel close to her whenever we pass thru Chimacum.

Don't blink or you will miss it

Out in the country indeed

Sitting at the counter, probably the same formica as when she worked there!

Mmm...greasy diner breakfast

Motherhood

I have carried a child within my body. Slept with a baby on my chest. Kissed boo boos and mended broken hearts. I've been puked on, peed on, pooped on and spent many sleepless nights in the rocking chair. I've spent the last five years wiping someone or something.  I've traded hair salons for pony tails, date nights for playdates and a luxury car for a mini van.....but I would not trade IT for the world.  (These words were inspired by a fellow mom's post- thanks Heather).

Sometimes I get very discouraged and wonder about the job I am doing and the influence I have on my boys....is it good enough?  Am I being too hard on them or too lenient?  Am I teaching them the right things and are they learning them?  You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his mother....so what kind of impression have I made on them at this early age?  Lord knows I am not perfect and I do not know all the right answers and actions.  What I do know is, when I look in the mirror I see a MOM and I feel blessed.  There is no greater purpose in my life, no job more rewarding than to be a mom and I am so thankful that I get to be that to three awesome little boys. 

To all my fellow Moms...Happy Mothers Day...thank you for your part in raising the goodness in our past and our future.  And to my mom - thank you for your everlasting impression on me.     

They're Baaaaaack......

This time they are teaming up with the Backstreet Boys.  O.M.Gsh.  Nik, we are SO there!!

Easter Blessings

It's Been Awhile

Realize its been weeks since I last updated this blog, what has come over me?  Oh maybe that I have about zero energy to spend typing on a computer, that's it....

Jay left two weeks ago for a three month patrol.  Here we go again.  This time not as long as last time, but still, it's a long time.  Once he returns we have about two weeks to prep for the big move north.  TWO WEEKS?!?  Actually, we've been prepping since February.  Good news is, we have all been medically approved for our OCONUS orders and we have already found renters for our house - a fellow Coastie family coming from Virginia.  We've also found a house to rent (from a fellow Coastie family) in Ketchikan, which I hear can be slim pickens there.  So though Jay is gone, we really can't complain about anything and life is good.  My dad is holding steady and has started radiation therapy.  My niece is about to graduate from high school and my other niece is planning a school-sponsored trip to Europe this summer.  The family is well.

As for the boys, Trev is here, there and everywhere now.  He took his time getting around to crawling, which suited me just fine.  Scotty was walking at 9 months and Zac by 11 months....and here Trev is at 10 months just learning to get up from the low-crawl to a normal baby crawl.  But that's okay.  He can take his sweet time on everything as far as I'm concerned....I can't believe my baby is two months shy of a year old.  WHERE DID THE TIME GO?!! Waaaaah..... 

Zac has now decided his little 10 inch bike is "boring" and wants to ride Scotty's bigger bike....so with the seat lowered, he gave it a whirl the other day and did great.  Now that's all he wants to ride.  Maybe the Easter bunny has something planned to remedy this situation...

As for Scotty, I think separation from daddy is getting to him because he's been having bad dreams and imagining things happening that are out of his control, like earthquakes, floods and fires.  To prove my point, here is a note I found he wrote the other day...

Jay is very good about writing emails to the boys for Scotty to read aloud at bedtime, but nothing can replace his physical presence obviously.  Last night, he said he was thinking the water from the bay just down the road from us was going to come into the house.  So I told him to think good thoughts and draw about something that makes him happy on his doodle board, which is something he does every night in his bed with his lantern before he falls asleep....I snuck in there later and found what he had drawn and it made me smile.  We are planning a big family camping trip when Jay gets back, with trailer and all, and it is obvious Scotty is looking forward to it.