Clone is moving up in the world..or at least in our house

Clone doggedly insists he is my favorite child.  No amount of discussion can sway him from this conviction.  Even relegating his artwork to be displayed only in our bathrooms all these years has not persuaded him otherwise. 

So I have finally given up my non-verbal cues against his insistence and have now prominently displayed his artwork in my entrance hall.  You can't get more prominent placement of your artwork than just inside the front door.

I just hope he won't gloat in his perceived victory in this matter and be unbearable to live with while visiting or his head be so big  he is unable to get back out that front door when its time for him to head to Japan.

Innovation

Sunshine does not like to chop onions but she does love to be helpful in the kitchen.  Recently while I was making a pot of soup, she was her typical self, eagerly offering her assistance. When I asked her to chop the onions, I was met with the expected reluctance.  However, her enthusiasm to help soon overcame her fear of the teary eyes which are a given when one chops onions.  She dashed out of the kitchen and returned minutes later with a pair of swim goggles and cheerfully got to work, once again being my little helper.

Have it your way...really

Finding decaf coffee over here can be a challenge so I decided to take the plunge and buy, gasp, instant coffee for our travels.  I know, I know but caffeinated coffee and I are no longer on speaking terms and well, tea over here is great, but its.just.not.coffee if you know what I mean.

I did buy organic fair trade coffee if that helps!  Anyway, today I made a coffee for a test run...why pack it if it tastes like mud? (It didn't. It was actually pretty good.)

Even if it had tasted like mud, the chuckle I got from the directions was worth the price of the coffee.

Here they are in their entirety:
 

How to Make a Perfect Cup of Coffee

This is how we do it: Always use fresh water. Boil and leave to cool for a minute before pouring over coffee.  The rest is up to you.

True Love

You know you are loved when you announce to your man that you are pretty sure there's a dead mouse somewhere in a closet that you want him to take care of when he gets home and he replies, "that's not for 3 days, its gonna really stink"

And you reply, "I've got Febreze and I don't care. Its been a tough couple weeks and I'm tired of being the adult and I don't want to take care of anything messy anymore."

To which he replies, "I'm ready to be home and will be happy to take care of it for you when I get there."

I am indeed a blessed wife.

Choosing to be thankful

Some days you just gotta CHOOSE to be thankful because some days you just don't FEEL it.  Especially on a rainy, cold day on one side of the Atlantic Ocean while your lovely, talented daughter is on the other preparing for her junior piano recital that you are going to miss.

So today I choose to be thankful for this military life in spite of the distance...and the ocean... it places between my Swan and me on such an important day for her.

I am thankful for this life that has grown a strong marriage for MWC and me through all of its new beginnings, trials, and adventures.

I am thankful for this life that has enabled me to see much of the world.  I have been in 14 countries and 40 states.  Not all of these have been related to our military life, but I can assure you that the list would be
SIGNIFICANTLY shorter without it.

I am thankful for this life that has helped us to be a close knit family.  We've relied on each other through thick and thin and have always had each other when we've had to say good-bye to everyone else.

I am thankful for this life's contribution to my older children's independent, responsible characters.  They have faced hardships, challenges and adventures and grown into self-sufficient, capable young adults of whom I'm very proud.

I am thankful for this life and all the wonderful people it has caused me to meet and love over the years.

I am thankful for this life because it is so awesomely suited for MWC's talents and gifts, and has enabled him to serve our great country happily, proudly,  and well.

I am thankful for this life because it has provided us with a financially stable life with job security in a time of such economic hardship for many others.

I am thankful that MWC is able to be there for Swan so she has at least one parent for her recital.

And mostly I am thankful for this life because it has caused me to continually look to the Lord for my joy and contentment, when my real nature would without a doubt seek those things in the temporary things of this world.

So today, I CHOOSE to be thankful.

Homesick Mom, Happy girls

So today I was making a meal to take to an ailing friend.  I wanted to take a special treat and planned to bake some chocolate chip cookies.  However when I went to the cupboard for the chips, there were no chocolate chips but 3 bags of butterscotch chips.

Why did I have 3 bags of butterscotch chips? I'm not sure, but it probably has something to do with Oatmeal Scotchies being Frog's favorite cookie.

So I baked Oatmeal Scotchies and took some to our friend, and saved a few for us.   While eating them in the kitchen tonight, I commented that eating them made me homesick for Frog and asked Sweetness and Sunshine if it had the same effect on them.

No! they both said cheerfully.

Why?

Because he'd eat them all!! 

Good thing I have 2 bags left..one batch for Frog when he's home and one batch for the rest of us to share.

Ode to my home state

After countless hours of dealing with the Maryland MVA over our daring to take our cars out of the state and country and insure them elsewhere with the tags still on them (and following the receiving locations laws) my frustration with the bureaucratic hassles of moving are at an all time high this week. 

So here's My Maryland Song

 

Born and raised, ne'er moved anywhere,

Maryland my Maryland!*

Many loved ones still live there,

Maryland my Maryland

However, with bureaucrats galore

I desire to live there nevermore,

They lost me in an MVA war,

Maryland! My Maryland!

 

Having no roots is not fun

Maryland oh  Maryland

When thoughts of retirement have begun.

Maryland oh Maryland

I know that God has a plan

We'll be safely in His hand

I just hope *there's* not His command

Maryland! Not Maryland!

 

Gotta love the honesty of children

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...I found this letter on our coffee table this morning and had to smile. It gives a very accurate description of what goes on at our house almost every evening after dinner.

In case you can't read the letter it says, "Dear Dad this is you reading Adam of the Road.  I like when you fall asleep because we get more drawing done.  Love your daughter, (Sunshine)"

Unexpected school holiday

I'm sure you've heard of school being called due to snow, teacher strikes, inclement weather, maintenance issues and various other assorted reasons.  I bet I have one you haven't heard of...school called on account of hormones.

Yep, you read that right...on account of hormones.  Its a first for me too.  However, after morning devotions, a brownie and Nutella for breakfast, a retail therapy break involving 3 pairs of boots, 3 dresses, 3 pairs of leggings, and 2 pairs of tights followed by more brownie and Nutella for lunch eaten while watching the latest episode of Downton Abbey did nothing to appease the beast, this mama decided to call it a day after one math lesson and a half finished English test (completed in the car on the way to retail therapy no less).

It's no secret I'm entering those years, and I have two daughters who appear to be approaching those years at the other end of the spectrum rather early.  Yesterday, it seems as if it was all clashing together at once in one hormonal apocalypse.   It was just too much to handle.

You may say what you want about the evils of Facebook but yesterday, I'd like to think it saved my daughters.  No, not because I spent the day playing on it distracting myself, but because of a quote I read there last week which made me realize, calling it a day was the wisest course of action.

That quote:  Be careful how you speak to your children, one day it will become their inner voice. (I googled it and found it is attributed to Peggy O'Mara.)

I've been thinking a lot about that lately, unfortunately, too often, AFTER I've already spoken, but I am trying more.  (My apologies to Clone, Swan and Frog for their inner voices!)  Realizing pushing through just to say we got our schoolwork done,  was just not worth the risk and we called it a day with little done.

It means today will be way more packed as a result but that's okay.  If I prevented just one negative inner voice by my decision, a longer school day today is a very small price to pay.

Conspicuous absence of boyish influence around our house these days

Today as I was sitting at the kitchen table doing schoolwork with 2 lovely young ladies...both in dresses, one with a headband and LARGE flower clip in her hair and the other in stylish boots that match her dress, I was reminded of a photograph of another young lady I sat with at the kitchen table once upon a time, and I had to chuckle...and wonder.  Wonder just how much siblings and birth order really influence us.

You see, this young lady was raised sandwiched between two boys who loved anything Star Wars, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Knights and Dragons and military!

 

These 2 young ladies are growing up with just each other most of the time.  It does make one wonder.

And lest Swan be scandalized that I would insinuate she has grown up to be a hatchet throwing lumberjack, I must include this picture to prove she does clean up rather nicely and is quite a lovely feminine young woman. (with a delightful sense of humor as well.)

Kids *see* the darnedest things

Overheard at the family dinner table this evening:

MWC:  I get to see the Wing Commander tomorrow.

Sunshine, perking up as she overhears this interesting piece of news: What's the Wing Commander?

MWC:  He's the colonel in charge of the whole base.

Sunshine: Does he have wings?

MWC, stifling a chuckle:  No.

Sunshine: Ahhh, that's not interesting then.

While technically, the Wing King does indeed have his own wings, they apparently aren't of the variety that interest little girls.

Old habits die hard

Probably the single most scary thing about moving to the UK was the knowledge that I'd have to learn to drive on the *wrong* side of the road.   "At least they speak your language" (well sort of, but that's another story), I could tell myself when moving here, but I could not hide the fact that my 30+ years of driving experience were all backwards to how I must drive here.

So I have been very proud of myself for never driving on the right (as in direction, not correct) side in the 3 months of being here. Until yesterday that is.  And because I obviously do not believe in goofing up mildly, I did it in front the SP's at the base gate. Thankfully, no one came after me but I have to wonder how many families enjoyed the story of the goofy red BMW on the wrong side of the road.

I came out of the commissary which is right next to the gate.  Typically I just head out the gate and head straight home, but yesterday was not my typical commissary day and I had to head back to MWC's office so instead of getting into the far left lane to make my left out of the roundabout by the gate, my brain was telling me to get in the right lane to go around the roundabout.  However, out of habit, my hands heard that "right  lane" and got all excited and took me to the far right lane.  It wasn't until I noticed a Ford F150 enter the roundabout that I realized if he wanted to turn left, I was in his way!

As you can tell--how else would I be writing this post?-- the huge Ford did not enter the lane I had inadvertently commandeered, I was able to quickly enter the roundabout and get out of the way of anyone else coming, and I somehow avoided legal action in spite of the audience. (Shhh, don't tell MWC but I was relieved that I was going to his office to switch cars with him immediately following that escapade, should they decide a man(or woman) hunt for the crazy driver was necessary.

I think today may just be a good day to stay at home....

Just another Sunday evening drive....NOT!

Our junction (US English translation: exit) was closed tonight as we returned home from evening worship service...we obviously lingered too long socializing.

So we started following diverted traffic (detour) signs which made no sense because they were putting us back on the dual carriageway (highway)  going the opposite direction so MWC tells me to whip out the GPS and we'd get home the back way and ignore their signs.

As we drove the winding, narrow, pitchblack road in heavy fog, I commented, "Well this is an adventure!"

To which Sunshine replied, "This is NOT an adventure. This is SPOOKY!"

All in the way you look at things my sweet..  (My beating heart...40 minutes after our return home..would tell you Sunshine was more right than I!) 

So much for those plans..

27 years ago today, atop a beautiful mountain, MWC proposed and in a millisecond or less, I answered with a resounding YES!

We had a life plan all mapped out.  A life plan which did NOT involve his being an MWC or in the military.  I thought I was signing up for a reasonably calm, serene life married to a professional businessman with our 3 children (He'll tell you it was 2, but anyone who knows his memory will take my side on this!) within a few hours drive of our families.

Boy was that life plan thrown out..in a hurry too...less than 6 months after our wedding, our plans turned completely upside down and we were planning to run off 3000 miles from home to grad school for him to change careers.

3000 miles wasn't so bad. It would only be for 5 years and then we'd head back and pick up our life plan where we left off, living a few hours from our families, and start our family of 3 children. The only change would be instead being the wife of a businessman, I'd now be the wife of an MWC.

Again, our life plan and God's life plan were not the same.  While in grad school we got a head start on those 3 children and had 2, and we decided MWC should do his internship with the USAF.  It would only be 4 years and then we'd head back home living a few hours from our families and get on with a reasonably, calm serene life.

Well, we know how THAT 4 year plan worked out and how close we now live to our families.

So by now, I'm sure you get the picture.  I did not get the life I was expecting when I said YES on top of that mountain.

I got way better than I ever dreamed.

Kids say the darnedest things..

Sunshine:  Mommy, why did you tell me I was adopted.

Me: Because you were adopted.  Why?

Sunshine:  Well, I didn't want you to. I wanted  you to wait until I was ten and surprise me!

The perks (and perils) of 2 for the price of one

Shortly after arriving here, I broke my glasses.  Even a year or two ago, that would not have been much of an issue, however, I am now at the age, where they are necessary if I wish to read anything.    So when I went to get a new RX and to replace the glasses and saw the "get your 2nd pair of glasses free" banner, I thought to myself, "Great, now I can have one pair for home and one to keep in my purse."

It was great in theory.  Reality has not been as I'd imagined.  Reality is that now I have 1 pair of glasses at home that I consistently misplace, and a 2nd pair of glasses that should be in my purse but are currently on my face....again...because the house pair have gone AWOL....again.

I always say "Look on the bright side!".  My family now has double the fun playing The Find Mom's Glasses Game.

She's growing up!

Still shining brightly, our little Miss Sunshine is now 8 years old.

A Father and a son...and their faith in one another

It is no secret that raising Frog has been quite an adventure. (just ask the newly expectant first time parents who we traumatized with Froggie stories recently)  Raising such an intelligent, confident, promising, strong-willed young man took nerves of steel and calloused knees. His great potential was evident at an early age, but it took much prayer and hard work to guide it and help him realize it himself and to pursue it.  I would be lying if I said, we never despaired and we never feared for his future.  However, I can honestly say we never thought for a moment that he couldn't succeed at anything he pursued,  if he would only choose the right path and set his mind to it.  We are so thankful that he did just that and is on the path that he is on.  It was our desire to be obedient to the Lord in our parenting and that faith in Frog that gave us the stamina and courage we needed in raising this remarkable young man.

However, we have also learned that is not just parents that have faith in the success of their children, but children can have that faith right back.  Frog is such a child.  One year ago, when MWC's promotion board was to meet, Frog hung signs up all over the house (one which stayed up until the day we moved out of the house) congratulating his father on his promotion.  While the rest contemplated other options for a future at his current rank, Frog knew without a doubt, that his father would get that promotion.  Being "passed over" as they call it in military lingo, was not even an option in his mind.  MWC never voiced it, but I strongly suspect, it was Frog's faith in him that helped him keep hope alive during those long months as we awaited the results of his promotion board.

So it was extra precious to me recently that on the official date of MWC's promotion, we were with Frog observing him living his dream: father and son, both airman in the world's greatest Air Force, celebrating together.

Out of my league

I'm very proud of MWC and his sense of duty, hard work and integrity.  I also marvel at God's blessings poured upon us and the worldly honor he has bestowed on MWC.   MWC has been officially promoted and is now at the highest rank he can obtain in the USAF.  It was a promotion he was told he'd never make and he didn't actively pursue.  He didn't ask for the *right* jobs, he didn't make the right sacrifices.  He set his mind to serving the Lord, and balancing serving in the military while raising a large family.  Yet the Lord kept putting opportunities in his path, and that path lead to this promotion.

I confess I didn't want this promotion.  I wanted retirement. I wanted out.  I confess I selfishly prayed that he would not get it.  Yet, as I shared a while ago, the Lord was merciful to me in changing my heart when it came time for us to hear the news and I truly wanted this promotion because MWC wanted it, and I wanted him to be happy.

Well now he has officially "pinned on".  Its odd to see that rank on his shoulders.  Its odd to see the extra respect and level of responsibility that goes with it.  He had to explain to me how things are different now for him from a military point of view.  I didn't get it.

To me, MWC is still the man I love. The man who still takes too long in the bathroom, snores at night if he isn't wearing his Breathe-Right strips, and still forgets to pick things up for me on base if he doesn't write it down (or more likely call his office and leave himself a message on voicemail).

And I'm still me.  I'm still the slightly overweight, increasingly forgetful, happy to be home with my children mom, who doesn't really know how to behave as the wife of  "one of those guys."  I've got a new world opened up to me socially now and feel new expectations placed upon me.  I feel I should be classier, more sophisticated, more worthy of reflecting my husband's new rank.  But I'm not, I'm still me.

And I wonder, why do I put these expectations on myself? Why do I tell myself I'm out of my league?  Why do I listen to Satan's lies that I have to be a certain someone or be a certain way because my husband happens to have a certain rank on his shoulders.  It is the cross that dictates how I should live my life, not a set of wings perched on my husbands uniform.  It is the cross that gives me my worth and my importance and it is the One who died for me ON that cross that I should reflect, not the rank ON my husband.

It is that cross, not the wings, that MWC has kept his eyes on all these years as he's gone about his daily duties.  I am thankful for the godly example my dear husband has been to me, and I shall endeavor to follow that example.

English as a foreign language

Britain and America are two countries separated by a common language is how the saying goes. (who to attribute it to is open to interpretation..Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde are among the possibilities.)

Having lived here now for over 2 months, I have to say I agree.

This morning at church, I caught myself ready to give the same wrong answer to the same question...again...but caught myself in the nick of time.

The question that threw me?   

How did you find it?

Google, of course, was my initial thought and then I remembered that I was not talking to an American but a British couple so I quickly swallowed my incorrect answer and replied.

Lovely, I like it here very much.

Another embarrassing moment averted, until tomorrow when some other "English" phrase throws me yet again.

Rats, oh phooey!

Living in a beautiful old farm house in England has many advantages. However, living in a beautiful old farm house in England next to a stud farm that has rats in its barns does present some challenges.

Daily battles with the spiders doesn't phase me beyond the nuisance factor of trying to keep my house clean. Mice on the inside and rats on the outside is quite another story altogether. Sure this little guy is kinda cute, however he is about 6 inches long and is just a "youngun".  In this shot, he is standing sentry at my front door.

If only he were a gourmet chef, he may have stood a chance around here.  

Another lesson learned from not getting my way

I obviously need this lesson, as I keep having it over and over again.

God's way is NOT my way and His way is ALWAYS better than my way.

Case in point:  MWC was in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany all week.  He had to go for a training conference.  I REALLY wanted to go with him. It was a favorite place to go when we lived in Germany.  However, our girls do not have the proper passports to travel anywhere besides the US and the UK.  We checked into getting the proper passports but it couldn't be done in the time frame we were looking at.

I confess, I moped and felt sorry for myself.

However, it has actually been a very good week.   It started with an impromptu lunch invitation on Sunday and a very nice afternoon with some new friends.   We also met and spent time with 2 families in our neighborhood, both within walking distance and both with daughters close in age to Sweetness and Sunshine.  I attended a ladies bible study and met many new women and got to know some acquaintances better, and the girls met a whole LOT of children.

In addition to a rich, social life, I was able to prepare for our schooling which begins on Monday and to spend some wonderfully, creative, relaxing time working on my scrapbooks.

So while a week in Garmisch with MWC would have been delightful, reality is it would have perpetuated my isolated world of just MWC and the girls. Instead the Lord, left us behind to venture out and expand our little world here in England, planting roots here and once again begin to confirm:
HOME is where the Air Force Sends You.

Finding Mr. Right

Being the mother of 3 daughters, discussions of marriage and husbands do come up every now and then.

In all probability Swan is closer to the altar than the younger two, so we do discuss it more often and more seriously.  However the dreams of marriage and a future life is also a topic of conversation with the younger girls as well.

Top of Swan's list for a good husband is, he must be a godly man.

Sweetness and Sunshine have other priorities at the moment. (thank goodness we have many more years of training before they walk down the aisle!)

To understand the list though, one must know that the plan is for the girls to have a farm together after they grow up. So having that important piece of information, enjoy the list.

1.  Their husbands must be willing to butcher the pigs.
2.  Their husbands must be willing and able to shoe the horses.
3.  Their husbands must be willing to live in the small part of the house because the girls will be living in the big part.

and finally, always followed by THIS one is a joke...(obviously the others are serious???)

4.  Their husbands must be willing to sleep in a pink room.

Easy Bake Ovens

I remember having one of those as a kid. I think they still make them even.  However, my girls will not be needing them.  Our REAL oven isn't much bigger.  Thankfully I do have 2..one convection and one fan.

I knew they were smaller than US ovens, but it wasn't til I got here and my cookie sheets didn't even fit in them, that I realized how small.

Not wanting to deprive my family (or myself) of cookies, cookie sheets were among my first purchases in our new country. It did take a little longer given only 9 cookies can be baked on a sheet at a time, but they were still delicious.  These are Orange Creamsicle Cookies.

Airman Frog Prince

I now have the distinct honor of having both a husband AND a son who serve in the United States Air Force.

Frog has officially been accepted into the Cadet Wing of the United States Air Force Academy.

An assignment is what you make it

There are two truths I try to live by, "there is no such thing as a bad assignment" and "an assignment is what you make it."  Sometimes that is harder than others.

Moving to England has been such an assignment for me.  I know its crazy, England is an AWESOME assignment. I know it but leaving my 3 adult children in the states has made it a huge challenge for me.

So each little perk of being in England has been an encouragment to me and a great reminder of God's blessings poured upon me amidst the challenges involved in this life as a military wife.  Sailing with a new good friend.  A lovely visit to a tearoom with Swan.  An evening at the theater with friends. Multiple lunch invites by loving people anxious to welcome us to this new place.  These are just a few highlights of the many perks we have already experienced in our short time here.

As if these were not enough, the Lord blessed me with the opportunity to see not one but two Olympic games.   First we went to the USA v. Korea game, and as I blogged about earlier, I missed the one and only goal.  Certainly a disappointment but the truth is, I was still at a USA Olympic game.  Never in a million years, would I think that could happen to me.

Last night's USA semi-final game more than made up for that one missed goal. Being in a roaring crowd cheering for your country in a match that literally goes down to the last 30 seconds of overtime is a definite high.  Even watching the recap in this video on BBC's Olympic site, brings back the adrenaline rush.
USA v. Canada Womens Olympic football recap

So while a winning football game can not fill the space in my heart and home that has been left empty by the absence of all my children being with me, it is a reminder to me of God's abundant mercy in blessing me fantastically with good things in spite of the sinful, thankless attitude that is way too often present in me.

Priorities

This is a tough confession for a perfectionist like myself to make but here it is...

My house is dirty.  Dust covers the furniture.  Laundry needs to be done. Laundry needs to be folded and put away.  Floors need to be cleaned.  Clutter is piling up.  Dishes are in the sink.

However, the dust, the dirt, and the laundry will all be here with me next week.  My lovely Swan will not. So I will ignore the dirt and chaos taking over my home and spend time on the important things.

One second of a once in a lifetime opportunity

That is what Swan keeps saying, "Mom it was only one important second you missed!" out of a 90 minute game its really not that bad....

Really???  So what "one important second" did I miss?  The ONE and ONLY goal of the USA Women's soccer game against DPRKorea!

I had taken one very obedient little girl, who'd been told to "chug water so you're not thirsty during the game, drinks are expensive" out of the stadium to deal with the consequences of her sweet obedience.  Among toilets flushing, I heard the crowd go wild.  I'd told the man next to me they'd score when I left as I climbed over him.  I thought I was only joking!!

Later in the game, when things were getting a little stressful, he asked me if I'd like to step out again.  Uh, NO!!!

So, just how does one get over this disappointment?? One merely goes online and checks into purchasing tickets to another game.  We'll be making a trek back for the semi-finals...and it could be quite the interesting game if the betting odds are correct, it'll be USA vs. UK!!

AND this time, there will be NO water bottles accessible to anyone prior to the game.

Let the games begin!! London 2012

In the Olympic spirit, the girls' project at their first art class was to make Olympic posters.

The truth about roosters

I've always thought, thanks to the nice little storybooks, that roosters crowed at the break of day and then were done for the day.

I have come to the sad realization that that is not the case.  They crow all.day.long. and some, like the neighbor's, don't even wait for daybreak.

Frog living his dream

Training to become a Prince Airman.

 Sweetness wanted to know why he has to roll in the mud.  "Why can't he just walk through it?" She wants to know...and then added her feeling on the matter with a resounding "Yuck!"

The Three Musketeers.. Frog and his roommates

Happy Father's Day to Pop-pop!

Poor MWC missed out on our little celebration....and his very own crown.  

Another day at Longwood Gardens

Where once again the water lilies were my favorite..

Sweetness liked them too!

 But even more beautiful than the water lilies........

A day at Dutch Wonderland

First ride we did was the merry go round...

We could all right that one together.

Enjoying our picnic lunch

Favorite ride of all..I think they rode it 5 or 6 times. I did it twice.

Sunshine braved the bumper cars on her own...MWCis going to have to work with her if she's ever gonna try it again!

Sunshine and Sweetness learned to Crochet

Can't be at Mom-mom's and that huge stash of yarn she's got and not get a creative urge to do something with it.  We've got enough chains to connect to reach from her house to ours now I think!