Dog Show

We spent the last two days in Bainbridge, NY at a dog show. Chase showed Country Pride's Jelly Bean and my mom showed Country Pride's Dilly Jam and Country Pride's Sir Valtrin Odin. They did a great job and had a lot of fun. Dilly earned another point and got "Winner's Bitch" which means she was the best girl bulldog there. She competed for "Best of Breed" with the famous bulldog Champion Cherokee Legend Rock. He won and she got "Best of Opposite."

In between all of our shows we had fun looking at all of the other dogs and crazy dog show people. Here are a few of the pictures I took. There are tons of shih-tzu because I am infatuated with the breed right now.

Next Blog

Have you ever noticed the little link at the top of the page that says "Next Blog"? Sometimes it is fun to click on it to see where you end up. Often times I see blogs in foreign languages that I can't read. (They are usually my favorites.) Anyway, I saw this one today and thought I'd share it:

http://stylus-fc.blogspot.com/

The drama never ends!

Really, my week could not get any better ... Kenny chipped a tooth today at the park. We're going to try to get an appointment at the dentist tomorrow to have it fixed. It isn't like I have anything else to do (like a ton of homework for my online classes)

The talk

This afternoon the boys and I went to visit my Aunt Carol and my cousins Suzanne and Colleen. We sat and talked and really enjoyed our visit. I have been a little stressed lately with all of the traveling we have been doing and the worrying I have been doing for my friend Chris who recently lost her husband in Afghanistan. Well, that led to a very early, unexpected visit from another relative of mine ... my Aunt Flo (aren't you glad you decided to read my blog today?!?) This left me in a very embarrassing situation at my Aunt Carol's house today. The worst part was that it forced me into a "talk" with the boys that I had not anticipated having today and was not prepared to have. So, on the way home I gave them a very scientific explanation of what was going on. When I was all done explaining everything I asked them if they had any questions. Chase had very intelligent, equally scientific questions. Kenny asked me if I thought PJ's hair was going to get lighter as she got older. Ahhh ... the life of a parent ... always exciting. I am starting to think I should have used Jennifer's reasoning to explain everything to the boys. It would have been easier and I definitely would have felt better after a couple of shots of tequila!

Herkimer Diamond Mine

On Thursday we took the boys to the Herkimer Diamond Mines. You pay to break open rocks and look for quartz crystals. It was fun, but the only thing you are truly guaranteed to get is blisters! The boys did find some interesting rocks and a few really pretty crystals, but only after they started working harder because my Mom offered them $10 to quit and go to the gift shop to buy a crystal (which I vetoed). Of course we were all hoping to be as lucky as the girl in Arkansas, but we weren't! We did get some cute pictures though...

Traveling

On Monday (6/18) we drove to Austin to start our trip. We went to the Texas State Capital Building for a tour. The boys really liked that.

Then on Tuesday morning we got up very early to fly to NY. Everything went extremely well for our first flight and I was very happy with how easy it was to fly with two older kids (the last time we flew Chase was 4 and Kenny was 1) and a dog. She did very well in her little carry-on kennel. Unfortunately our good luck ran out in NYC. I opted to give up our seats on our 1:15 flight in exchange for seats on the 4:00 flight and three $400 flight vouchers. It was pretty exciting until our 4:00 flight was delayed until 6:00 and then we sat on the airplane until 8:30 waiting for a storm to pass. Then at 8:30 they cancelled our flight and we stood in a customer service line until midnight. Kenny fell asleep on the floor a couple of times. Chase made conversation with everyone around him that wasn't so angry at the airline that they wouldn't talk. At midnight people were being told that the next confirmed flight to Syracuse would be on Friday (yes, three days later). Passengers were being given stand-by spots on other airlines for the next day. And nobody was getting hotel or meal vouchers -- they were handing out tiny blankets and pillows so that people could sleep in the airport! It was our turn in line and the customer service rep was having trouble finding us a flight because there were three of us (and a dog!) when all of a sudden a woman came running around the corner asking for four people for seats that were empty on a flight that was leaving for Syracuse -- right then and there. I fought for three of those seats! I mean, I yelled and argued until I won them ... it was very unlady-like and very mama-bear like! 30 minutes later we were in the air and at 1:30 am we finally landed in Syracuse. My dad got up in the middle of the night to come and get us. The boys had fun playing in an empty airport while we waited for him. We got to Oswego around 3:00 am -- exactly 24 hours after we woke up in our hotel in Austin to make it to the airport on time. We were exhausted, but glad to be here. Kenny is still telling everyone who will listen that it is "all my Mom's fault" that we were stuck in the airport for 12 hours. And then I tell anyone who will listen that it was worth it because the next time we decide to embark on a flying adventure it will be $1200 cheaper!

Art Lilley

My friend Chris lost her husband in Afghanistan on Friday. Here's a link to a story that was in the local news from their hometown and a link to the official Army press release.

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_168173421.html

http://news.soc.mil/releases/News%20Archive/2007/June/070616-05.html

With a little help from my friends...

The Army Ball was last night. I was able to pull together this great outfit with a little help from my friends (and some strangers too!) Thanks to Lisa for the necklace that looked so great with my dress. Thanks to Joanna for the shoes and earrings. I wore the same shoes in her wedding a few years ago and they were too comfortable and matched too well for me not to ask to borrow them again! Thanks to Jo's sister Debbie who sent me the earrings that she had at her house because she had borrowed them from Jo for her college graduation. Thanks to Tisha @ the salon who put my hair up so nicely. Thanks to the nice lady in town who put this gorgeous dress in the consignment shop for only $32. And last, but not least, thanks to Crest White Strips and Spanx. Where would I be without my Spanx?!? ;)

We had a pretty good time and I am relieved to say that my social duties as a 1SG's wife are done until the Christmas party. (The boys and I are conveniently going to be in Missouri during the company picnic)

From left to right: CPT Will Jumper and Precious Jumper (B Co Commander), CPT Scott Starr and Jennifer Starr (A Co Commander), 1SG Eric Ludwigsen and Kelly Ludwigsen (B Co 1SG), Brian and me (A Co 1SG)

This is Scott, Brian and their senior drill sergeant, Drill Sergeant Furman. She is tiny, but tough! And smart. And nice. And very, very organized (which Brian loves!)

Here is a student taking pictures with Brian and Scott. They were like celebrities all night. Jennifer and I started teasing them about their paparazzi following.

Here are some classy examples of good Army soldiers!

Now we can focus on getting ready for our big trip. We're heading to Austin tomorrow and flying to New York from the Austin airport on Tuesday morning. We're really looking forward to a nice, long visit with my parents, my brother & his girlfriend. It's always great to be home -- especially during the summer when the weather is pleasant (70's) and the snow is all gone!

Stupid College!!

They increased tuition rates about 48 hours after I turned down the student loans that were offered to me. I was willing to pay for books, but now I am feeling like I need a loan to buy books AND the higher tuition rates. Of course I learned about it in today's paper ... which I didn't read until after 5:00 ... and we are leaving for our vacation on Monday morning before the financial aid office opens !!!! UGH!!! What a pain!!!

Saturday

We had a great weekend with the boys. I want to share some of the pictures I took.

First we went to the Twin Buttes to do some shooting. That really is fun entertainment for us now that we are Texans. Really! While we were there Chase got to see a snake eating a frog. That's the kind of thing you only get to see on nature shows on TV, or at the Twin Buttes apparently! Here are some pictures from our target practice:

Then we went to set up our campsite. I have this great new tent from LL Bean that I just love! It was the perfect size and very easy to set up. Even though it was big enough for all of us, Chase wanted to set up and sleep in a smaller tent. He thought that was great.

By the middle of the afternoon it was really hot so we went to the GAFB Rec center and swam in the pool:

Then we went back to camp for some more fun, fun, fun!

The whole weekend was a lot of fun. The campsite is only a short drive from the house so planning and taking care of the dogs was not a problem. Brian works such long hours at work that it was almost like a mini-vacation to get out and do something purely for entertainment on a normal 2-day weekend. And speaking of entertainment, if you want a laugh (at my expense) make sure you read my post about the snake ("Hiking on Sunday morning")

Hiking on Sunday morning

We went for a little walk/hike on Sunday morning. It was fun because the boys rode their bikes way ahead and Brian and I got to stroll together -- it was almost like a mini-date. Then Brian and the boys went climbing while I went for a longer walk by myself. When I got back to them I saw this:

At first I thought he was dead. I was on the trail and the boys were here: (my camera is zoomed all the way)

This is how the conversation went between me and the boys: (we had to yell but I won't be rude and put it all in caps)

Me: Boys! Did you see this dead snake down here?
Chase & Kenny: No, where is it?
I walk over to the motionless snake, point down and yell: Right here!
Chase: Pick it up!
Me: NO WAY!! (I yelled that extra loud)
Kenny: Come on mom, just pick it up.
Me: You guys come down to see it.

Then I decide that I should be the cool mom and just pick the darn thing up. After all it's dead, right? I look closer and say: It hasn't been dead very long. It isn't even dried up.

So then I poke it's tail with my foot just to check if it is stiff enough to pick up without getting all grossed out. And the damn thing moves!! Towards me!! With it's tongue out!!

Chase later explained that meant that it was only smelling me, but I didn't care. It looked like a threat to me.

So one nano-second after it moved I really started yelling ... and I mean LOUD, SISSY, GIRLY SCREAMING! And running. Which was followed by laughter from Chase & Kenny. Lots of it. Then they had to practically run down the hill so that they could see it before it slithered away. Not my favorite experience from the weekend.

A Major Decision

Literally. I have finally made a decision regarding my major. Well, if I am being honest, I have made another decision regarding my major. A month ago I registered for six classes that would help me get my degree in Sociology (with a minor in Psychology). The schedule was great and the idea of being done by the end of summer '08 was very alluring.
But then I spent a month feeling like I was not following my gut instinct. I want to teach. I love to teach. I want to make job charts and calendars. I want to make little froggies that hop from green to yellow to red when the kids misbehave. I want to wipe snotty noses. Yes, I really do. I am not sure I want to deal with the politics of the school system, but I will cross that road when I get there.
So today I applied to the education department to officially make teacher education (ECH-Gr. 4) my major. I dropped my six SOC and PSY classes and added six classes that will help me progress towards my degree in education. It will take me a little longer to finish. And there's a chance this could all get royally messed up if we get orders to leave GAFB before I am done. But that's a chance I need to take because I need, need, need to follow my gut!
A great big THANK-YOU to everyone who wrote or called and helped me sort through my options and the pro's and con's of each major. Hopefully I won't change my mind again between now and when classes start. Once I have started, there's no turning back. Wish me luck!

Good News!

I found out today that I got a Pell Grant from the government to help pay for college. I also received a Carr Scholarship -- a local scholarship given at the college that is based on grades. My scholarship award was $3,500 and my Pell Grant was $1,960. I am taking 18 credit hours in the fall and 19 in the spring. The tuition for the two semesters adds up to $5,473.80. So Brian and I only have to pay $13.80 out-of-pocket towards my tuition. Yes, thirteen dollars and eighty cents! I will still need to pay certain fees and buy my books, but I am very excited and grateful to be getting $5,46o in free college money :)
Of course if I was sane (Cherie, should that say 'if I were sane'?) I would only be taking 12 C.H. each semester and I could actually make some money on this deal. But you all know my husband. And you know he likes to move way too often! So I am cramming in as much as I can in as little time as possible.
Speaking of which, my two online summer classes started on Monday so I should probably be working on them and not playing with my blog. Ta-ta for now.

I've been tagged

I've been tagged by Jennifer to come up with 7 random things about myself. So here goes ...

1. I agonized over this assignment all weekend --- I even had a dream about it last night! I have some really funny friends... just look at Cherie's blog, Jennifer's blog or Tracy's myspace! They are clever, witty, funny and I am not sure I can live up to that. (I think Tracy's myspace might be private so you'll just have to take my word for it)


2. I hardly ever cry -- maybe 2 or 3x a year. I think it's because when I was a kid and I cried my Dad would always say, "If you want something to cry about, I'll give you something to cry about!" Then I'd be embarrassed and I'd stop. So if you make me cry, or if you see me cry then you know something is seriously wrong.


3. I spent the first 20 years of my life in one town and have moved 16 times since then.


4. I think my neighbor's house (which is empty) has a peeping tom in it. The window blinds that face my bedroom window have been recently moved.


5. If I dream about someone I feel like God is telling me they need me to pray for them. So I do. So if I dream about you, I pray for you. It is really the only way I can explain the random dreams I sometimes have about people from my life that I have not thought about consciously since grade school!


6. I am scared that someday I will be the cat lady -- you know, the old lady in town who has 50 cats in her house. I love to take care of kids and animals and my kids are sure to leave me eventually.


7. I spend an unnatural amount of time planning what I will do to try to save both of my boys if my car goes over a bridge and into a large body of water while we are on a road trip. I probably spend 1/2 of my time in the car thinking about that. They think I am listening to the music, but I am really planning. I am thinking about buying some of those little inflatable life vests to put in the glove box. It would cut down on the planning time so I could actually listen to some of the music I carry along on those long trips!

Ok, Abby, Cherie & Rebekah ... it's your turn. You're it :)

More cell phone drama

I just got a call from a nice boy in Idaho who works for Nextel. Apparently the good samaritan that called to let me know she had my cell phone decided she wanted to use it. She was supposed to be throwing it away. I told her that the antenna was missing, the buttons didn't work, and the volume was almost non-existent. She found it after a good old fashioned Texas thunderstorm and it took days for the thing to dry out. I guess I shouldn't have trusted her to throw it away just because she actually made the effort to call me and ask me if I wanted it back. So much for the kindness of strangers.

This is why I have cats

Lately the grass has been growing like crazy because we have had tons of rain. Earlier in the week I cut the grass in our front yard and the neighbor's front yard. He and his wife were recently moved to a retirement home and their house hasn't gone on the market yet so Brian and I have been keeping it up. Well, I was exhausted by the time I was done with the front and side yards (although I did get to count it for 3,312 steps of my challenge) so I didn't cut the grass inside our privacy fence or the neighbor's privacy fence. Brian had the day off today because nobody in the Army at Goodfellow Air Force Base has had a D.U.I. in a year (a miracle around here) so he decided to go out and cut the grass in the back yard this morning. When he went outside he saw Maisy (one of our three cats) playing with something in the grass. It was a snake!! The boys have already found two smaller grass snakes this spring. We let them go in the back field but I was really freaking out about this one so I made Brian kill it! It doesn't help that I found a scorpion in Chase's room last month. This latest finding is not making me very happy. To say the least, Brian is on snake-finding duty and he will be the one cutting the long grass in my neighbor's back yard!

Cell phone adventures

I have had the craziest cell phone problems since we left North Carolina. When we first started trekking across the country I knew we were going to go way over our minutes so I called Nextel to see what I could do. The operator helped me out by eliminating a great deal of our overage charges (a couple hundred dollars!), Brian said his phone worked great in his new building (quite a change from Bragg), and we had been pretty happy with our Nextel service thus far. So I decided to go ahead and sign up for a new 2-year plan that gave us more minutes. Brian was going to need the minutes anyway for all of the phone calls he'd be getting from his soldiers and drill sergeants.

As soon as we got to our new town, the trouble began! Brian wanted a local number. Nextel doesn't have local numbers here. Brian lost his antenna. I gave him mine. My sound/volume stopped working properly and I could only hear if I put my caller on speaker phone. My numbers would only dial properly if I had the timing just right .... push a number, count one mississippi, two mississippi, push another number, etc. We only got service within the city limits. Driving to Abilene, San Antonio, or Fort Hood meant knowing we'd have to stop and use a pay phone if we needed to communicate with the outside world.

We decided to switch to Sprint so Brian could get his local number. Nextel and Sprint are partners and we write our check out to "Sprint" every month so you'd think it would be ok. Well, we have Nextel walkie-talkie phones. We were going to have to pay full price for our new phones. I tried to get out of the contract altogether with our military orders, but that didn't work because when I called to change plans I changed our billing address too. So they don't think we've moved. I tried to get out on the basis that they don't have local phone numbers, but that didn't work because they don't care!

Two weeks ago when I was on my way out the door in a rush I put my cell phone on the trunk of my car so I could have a free hand to take out the trash. Then I drove away. I realized what I had done within two miles of the house but couldn't find my phone anywhere. It isn't like it was bright yellow or anything (it was). Really, I don't know why I bothered to carry it with all of the problems I had been having, but now I didn't have to worry about carrying it at all because I was certain it was in the bottom of Lake Nasworthy.

Today I got a call from a lady in Idaho. Yes, Idaho! She has my phone and she wants to know if I want it back. Apparently she found it after a big rainstorm, took it back to Idaho with her, and her daughter was able to make it work enough to get my home number out of the contact list. I told her to go ahead and keep it since it obviously works better for her than for me!

So, to make a long story even longer ... on June 1 Brian and I are being rewarded for being such loyal Nextel customers. After 2 years as customers we are going to each get a $150 credit towards a new phone. It's funny that they give us credit for the 18 months of North Carolina Nextel time even though they wouldn't recognize it when I tried to get out of our contract with Brian's military orders. We're going to take our $150 credit and get new phones (that are Sprint compatible), switch to Sprint (for real, not just Nextel/Sprint ... apparently there is a difference), and keep our old numbers. Brian has decided that he doesn't need a local number since he is planning to get back to Fort Bragg as fast as his combat boots can carry him there.

That's just fine with me. My phone works better there anyway!

The puppy has a name (still)

Here she is ... all 3.4 pounds of her! She had just come in from playing in the rain. She is not the cute, little cuddle bug I had envisioned. She is fiesty, independant, strong-willed, and still named P.J.! "Penelope" won by a small margain, even with Jennifer voting for Tally three times. I love her just as much as she loves her toys. I am considering doggy prozac to make her want to cuddle with me while I watch Grey's Anatomy. Once a week wouldn't do any permanent damage, right? But really, she is still doing great. She sleeps all night, runs to her kennel when she wants a nap, plays well with the other animals, already knows "sit" and how to play fetch, and doesn't hesitate to go out to potty, even during the rain storms we have been having lately. She is just about perfect and I can only hope that when she slows down a little (maybe by the time she is 2!) she'll realize how much I want someone to cuddle with on the soft, mushy recliner.

Fashion challenged

Many of you know that I am just about the most fashion challenged person out there when it comes to formal-wear. I bought a dress for the Army Ball last night. It was quite an ordeal that required plenty of planning. I don't like to go shopping on the weekends because of the crowds. I don't want to go shopping with the boys because they last about 5 minutes in a store without getting bored. So I had to have everything ready at home so that I could jet out the door the minute Brian got home. It didn't take long before I found a dress that I decided was pretty and comfortable. Not a bad combo! But the hard part starts now. What kind of shoes do I wear? What color? Do I carry a purse? What color? How big/little? A shawl? It didn't come with one so what are the chances I could find one that matches? How do I do my hair? Up? Down? What kind of jewelry do I wear? Should the necklace be long or short? Should I wear a bracelet? Earrings? I am clueless when it comes to anything beyond jeans and tank-tops so if you have any suggestions feel free to send them :) HELP!

Before & After

Here's Chase's before picture. He wasn't so sure he wanted a haircut, but we convinced him that it would be easier to take care of during our hot Texas summer. And I bribed him with a milkshake and the elimination of his debt (he owed me $1.50)

It was definitely worth it!

Kenny was the one who wanted a haircut. I was sad to see those beautiful curls go, but he was ready for a change.

He looks so handsome!

What a day!

This morning the boys had to go to Lamar Elementary School for more testing. I guess the school district wanted to make sure we hadn't just spent the entire school year skipping the homeschooling and watching cartoons. The boys both tested yesterday and today. Kenny is done, but Chase still has one more day of testing. They did very well and will most definitely be going to the 5th and 2nd grade next year. Yesterday the counselor told me I could leave and that she'd call me when they were done. 25 minutes later she was calling me! I had just finished checking out at the commissary on post and had to book it over to the school to get them. Today I decided to wait and it took almost 2 hours. For the first time in my life I read the entire newspaper ... cover to cover!

After that was done we came home for a quick lunch, a short walk, and then headed over to the college. I needed a transcript evaluation from the sociology department. I am really split 50/50 on the teacher education/social worker decision. The person who did my evaluation was not very friendly with me at first. He acted like I was a stay-at-home mom who wanted something to do in between manicures and facials. Then he started looking at my transcripts, grades, and military classes (can you say Russian linguist?!?) He was seriously impressed and by the time I left he was trying to sell me on the sociology department just the same way a car salesman tries to sell the latest sports car to a 45 year old bald man! He doesn't need to know I have forgotten most of my Russian and that the reason I have a 4.0 GPA is because I only do my homework as a result of not having enough money to spend my time getting manicures and facials!

We left the college just in time to get home and into the garage as a huge storm hit the house, er, I mean city. The kids were worried (think Wizard of Oz) and the animals were all trying to hide under furniture. I didn't think the storm was that bad, but watching all of the animals (kids included) in the house act like that was interesting. I thought it was a great opportunity to watch a movie and stuff my face. Hey, I walked 2 miles earlier today so I can get away with it, right?

Now it's after 5:00, the sun is shining, and we are going outside to play in the mudpit that used to be our back yard. If anyone has any advice/opinions/help on the teacher education/social worker debate, please let me know. I have until Monday to accept or decline a scholarship I was awarded so I'd like to have a major by then!