Ughhh. I hate half days!

I feel like I just got the boys to school and it's now time to run upstairs to shower before I go pick them up. I did get the living room picked up and a few loads of laundry done. Now to fold them so they can put them away when they get home and they have to clean their room. Our house is now a gated facility. ;) We have 2 gates up now to keep the baby monster in the living room where he crawls around in big circles. Zavier went to go to the bathroom and saw I had put up the second gate blocking the way to the bathroom and he's like "How do I get through?" It was funny cause he's been scaling these things for years. lol The other thing about half days that suck is that Zander would like to take a nap now. 50 minutes before we need to leave to get the big boys. I hate that. He has sleep very well the last 2 nights in comparison to the nights before. Night before last he slept from 11:30-4:30 and then about 5-8 in his crib both times. Then last night he slept from about 10:15-3 and then 5-8 in his crib. He gets up to eat and then won't go back to sleep until he's back in his bed. At 6:15 Zachary brought me the fussing baby and I got up and put him back in his bed where he slept until 8. He just has to be wrapped up so that he can't get up on his hands and knees to crawl away and pull up.

Crazy Busy

That's the style of life I have. We put in our paperwork to move to post this summer. Hoping to move the first week of July. Got Zavier signed up for preschool. Hopefully he can get in in the fall. He'll only go part time, but he and I need him to go to preschool. My mom is getting ready to come and we're very excited. Going to try to hit up Seattle fish market and Ocean shores or somewhere like that. Zander crawls now, pulls up and cruises the furniture. He eats big boy food with his 5 teeth. He has his first ear infection, that has caused him to be more fussy than normal, but hopefully that is beginning to feel better. So much is going on this week and Tony is spending it out with the unit. Zander had a dr appt yesterday, Zachary had baseball. Tomorrow Zavier and Zayden have baseball and a half day. Thursday is a half day then I have to meet up to sell some stuff at the px, grab some groceries, and then have parent teacher conferences, which I will be taking everyone to. And then friday again another half day, Zachary has practice, and hopefully hanging with some friends. Then everyone has baseball saturday and Grandma comes Sunday, leading us into spring break. While Tony is away, I'm trying to lose a little bit of left over baby weight. Watching what I eat, but I love food. It is so yummy. :) Day 2 is going ok. Started yesterday at XX7.2 and today was XX5.6 so just watching what I ate yesterday was helping. Today I had my morning bowl of cheerios, lunch I had a turkey and mustard sandwich, and a iceberg lettuce salad with 1 T of ranch. Then for a snack I had more cheerios. I did learn when I did WW before that cheerios and raw carrots are good munching snacks. So I eat my cheerios to pass my cravings for a snack.

Just checking to see how linking my blog works.

Do we stay or do we go?

That is the constant problem playing over and over in my head. Do we move to post or do we stay here?
Pros About moving to post: available childcare, possibly a 4th bedroom, pets allowed, gym w/childcare, pool, commissary, px, skating rink, movies, spray park, parks/playgounds all over, hopefully a tighter community, closer to Tony's work, safety feeling for me when/if Tony deploys, more cheaper sports/activities for the boys, no more dealing with the rental company, more families in the same situation as us, hopefully more support should Tony deploy, hopefully join the chapel on post, possibly find a playgroup for Zavier to make friends, possibly find a preschool for Zavier, I don't want to stay in Washington when Tony deploys if I don't move to post, shorter commute for Tony getting more time home with the family, save money on bills, gas, rent and if we're able to conserve energy like we do here we could make a tiny bit of cash.

Cons About leaving Yelm: A move when we could be stable, leaving the school the boys like, leaving their friends, probably small house, no garage or only 1, have to move, have to wait for housing, possibly homeschool if we don't like the schools, possibility of living in a du/triplex, Have to figure out how to transfer our cable/internet/phone and possibly pay for it, Tony's not to excited to move to post, but know that it would make me feel better when he deploys.

I really just want prayer for when I go into the housing office this week that our options are more layed out for us. If they said 4 bedrooms there would be NOTHING holding us back, because sharing a room with this baby isn't working out. He sleeps with us which I'm ok with, but I would prefer he fall asleep in his own bed and then join me. I am exhausted. I just want God to show us the right path. Zachary is very upset with the consideration of a move. He wants to stay here with his friends, failing to realize he may have tons more on post. We've been debating this for a long time, but I'm now ready to act on it. I just hope it's not me making the wrong choice as I seem to make.

What a good day

Yesterday was and today is heading that way also. Had a nice dinner together last night as a family and up until basketball started that was an every night thing, but now 2 nights a week are disturbed by basketball, most often at 6. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn and gravy the kids loved it and all had seconds.
The guy to repair the leaking window, that is leaking into the garage is suppose to be coming today and our bathroom sink. Sometime between 9 and 11, but now it's 10:21 and Zander just went down, so the sink isn't going to be working out today. I won't be waking my baby. Also the Rental company lady is coming at 11:30, but she isn't going to be going into my bedroom either.
Well I guess I was just trying to put off doing my school work so I'll get on to that now.

School is starting up again...

For me that is. I'm not sure how this semester will go considering I have 4 kids and a hubby who has long days at work. In a way I'm excited, but fearful of that the work that will be involved since I'm taking 12 credits again, broken into 5 classes.
Zachary is being difficult in school lately. I know part of it stems from Tony being in the field these last two weeks. After this last deployment Zachary isn't letting Tony get very far without him. However now that Zachary is playing basketball, he and Tony get to spend some guy time going to practice and being there.
Zayden's just lost in the middle. :) So just kidding with that, he will not be left out or forgotten. He is going to play T-ball in the spring with Zavier, while Zachary plays soft ball. That will be crazy for me so hopefully I can get to both most of the time. Zayden is doing awesome in school most days. I think his problems come from being such a helper that he just wants to help others in his class, causing him to be out of his seat.
Zavier had a cold this week and threw up the week before Christmas, but being as that he's the only one that has been sick makes things easier. So far we're not passing it from child to child or adult. He just tags along to whatever I'm doing or what big brothers are into. He likes to get down on Zander's playmat and play with him.
Zander has a little cold, his first, but keeping up his nursing is the best medicine anyone can offer. He's gaining the interest to roll from back to belly, but not there yet. He's been doing push-ups to work out those tiny baby arms in prep for crawling, however I wish he'd just stay put for a while longer. He is sitting completely unattended, however I don't leave him for long just to make sure he doesn't fall over when he gets so excited he's sitting alone. He is rounding the corner in sleeping better at least for naps. I get about 3 two-hour naps out of him everyday and that is defiantly helpful in getting things done.
Tony spent 8 days/nights in the field. While I was able to hold the fort down here at home without him, once the colds hit the two little ones I was struggling. However I am hopeful that this year should mostly just be field exercises. Maybe a deployment in Dec, but hopefully not until 2012.
I am excited that we paid off our washer and dryer this week. We have the pay off amount for our van and will hopefully be paying it in full by March 1st, 17 months early. Our goal this year is to get out of all debt and this just may be possible so we are very excited. Then Tony will probably pick up a deployment to build our savings before we're at the line to decide what will be next, re-enlistment or get out.

Merry Christmas to all.

What a wonderful this year has been for my family. We were basically able to spend the whole 12 months together, other than the 6 weeks I traveled to the states before Tony. We started the year having just welcomed Tony home from 12 months in Iraq. Near the end of January we got to see our little belly baby. He was there and growing. We had follow ups checking on the little bean in Feb and March finding out and the end that he was our fourth little man. We excitedly announced our blessing on April 1st.
In April we enjoyed the company of my mom and sister to visit us in Germany. We were able to take the kids to Disneyland in Paris, the Eiffel tower, Le Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Looking through the pics today while looking for another picture made me realize how blessed we have been this year. Our Paris trip was expensive, but so worth it for the memories the boys made from being there. A chance that many don't have.
May quickly passed. Which brought June in which on the 2nd we got our orders to Ft. Lewis Washington. We quickly decided we didn't want to pass them up and the kids and I flew out 18 days later so that the traveling could be during a safe point in my pregnancy. We visited in MO and got things together for our move out to Washington. We were blessed to find our house to rent.
Come August Tony joined us up here in the northwest and just 9 days later we were blessed with our little man Zander. We enjoyed the time Tony had off just being together and without TV we worked hard keeping ourselves entertained.
September was excitedly welcomed as Zachary started 2nd grade and Zayden started Kindergarten. Zavier, Zander and I fell into the daily routine of walking them home from school everyday and Zander very much enjoyed being in his wrap against me.
October quickly passed all the while my little boys were growing bigger and bigger. In November Zachary turned 8 and has taken on even more responsibilities here are home being the big brother to three. He has enough friends that he had a wonderful party. Enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving here at the house as a family.
Then came December where Zavier had his big number 4 birthday. He had an awesome party with a joint kick off to Christmas break from school for the boys. The other exciting thing in Dec was Tony's long awaited promotion to SGT. He's been promotable for about 2 1/2 years and joining this unit has really worked out for him. Although getting this promotion moved him within the unit and he wasn't excited about that, but it will be ok.
Today the 19th we finally got the tree up and I was just thinking about how blessed we have been this year. Even if it hasn't been financially just as a family. We had a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby and Tony has been able to be here everyday with him. I am hoping that we get as much family and together time in the next two weeks. January will start the rest of the school year plus Tony has two 3 day field exercises.
So to each and everyone that may read this may the true meaning of Christmas be remembered and each of you be blessed this upcoming year.