The thrill of being a military family

There is so much thrill for me being a military wife. I love moving. I love being in new homes, new places, seeing the country (world). We are hoping to come down on orders to our next location very soon and I'm so excited. We will for one be closer to family, but far enough that we aren't local. 

I am having a really hard time as my local BFF is preparing to leave El Paso. We hang out several times a week. Her child and one of my child are smitten with each other. They can spend hours together and never get bored of one another. They truly enjoy each other and I enjoy hanging out with my friend. Her leaving is one of the reasons I've been pressing to get out of here, despite how much I love El Paso. 

We had such a blast PCSing last time that I'm ready to spend that time with my husband and kids again. However we are taking a vacation this year and will spend about 10 days together traveling to and from vacation location. 

I'm trying to enjoy the life I've been given. Make my kids and my husband happy, while still doing things for myself. 

My time is over and a little one is screaming for his bed and milk. Off to tend to a blessing. 

Cuddles

Today little Mase climbed up on my lap. And just cuddled me. It's amazing how special your babies are when they do that. He finally fell asleep because that's how he used to go to sleep is cuddling. He's not quite 14 months, but he's a crazy busy little boy. He really is a blessing to our family. I'm so glad God gave him to us.

However during my cuddles today I realized that you never know when the last cuddle like that will be (and I don't mean due to death), but when your babies just out grow it and it will never happen again.

I think it hit me because a few months ago Tony was in the field for an exercise and I asked Zach to sleep with me. He said he would lay there until I fell asleep, but he was too big to sleep with me. Where the heck did time go? He's 12 and won't sleep with him mom (and Mase).

Parenting really is one of the most special and amazing times in your life. If nothing else I have been so blessed to get to parent all 6 of these kiddos. They really are my favorite kids.

Hug and cuddle your babies because they are only little for a little while.

Back to school I go again.

So for about 3 years I have been 1 (3 credit) class away from my Associate's degree. The class is College Algebra. I'm not good at math like I was as a child, and I have this view of "I've gone 10 years without needing this info and I'm doing what I love so what on earth do I need this for?". I finally gave up on just completing it through the community college I was enrolled in because I could never make it through the course because, while it is an online course, there were 3 test that I had to go into a testing center for. My life is unpredictable as a military spouse and a homeschooling mom with 6 kids. I can hardly plan anything that I need childcare for and almost never commit to anything that is kid free. Then finding a place that is flexible to get the testing done or nearby or with in the tiny time frame I am ever without children.

I finally switched and will be attending Grand Canyon University starting the end of this month. All classes are 7-8 weeks and I have 14 classes to finish a bachelors. It seems to be all online and should take 2 years to finish the degree. This college is a bit over my pell so hoping to either use part of Tony's or we'll just pay out of pocket the $1135 a year that isn't covered.

Tony is also going to be attending GCU starting the end of June. He will have to go longer as he doesn't have as many credits transferring over as I did. However it should help when it comes to promotions for him.

Learning new things

We're learning new things in this house.
     Last fall I bought Zander the book "Learn to read in 100 easy lessons". I have been very nervous all along when it comes to teaching my children to read. My sister and I read at 4, but all my older 3 have learned to read in public school kindergarten between 5 and 6.
      Zander is his own being. He is totally different from his big brothers and has been a new adventure all around. I know I have a few more months to a year and a half before he has to start kinder, but he's so smart and so ready. A few months ago he looked at the clock in the kitchen and read me the time. No one had taught him to do it, he just did.
     Yesterday I found the Learn to Read book on the table. I didn't put it there, but there it laid. So after doing lessons at the table with the big kids, I called Zander over and opened the book. We went through Lesson 1. He loved it. We moved very quickly through it and then practiced writing the letter/letter sounds we had learned. We made the letters out of cheerios and he got to eat those.
     Later in the day yesterday I again asked him about his lesson and he remembered what he had learned. So today we sat down to do it again. He again whizzed through the lesson. I am loving seeing him learn and do these Lessons.
     I don't know where we will end up with this, but for now he's loving and it and I'm loving it. We'll do it until it's not working and then see where we are.

     Then there is Mason. Our little free range baby. We pretty much let him do anything he wants. He had his first birthday last month and is just a learning/developing little thing. He has mastered walking and is almost running. He can stoop and stand back up. He can stand from holding on to the floor. He loves to be outdoors with his brothers.
     But Mason's biggest accomplishment is learning to fall asleep on his own. We do not want him to cry himself to sleep or feel alone or abandoned in bed, so until the last week or so he was put to sleep and then transferred to bed. Tony decided one night after me trying to lay him down, when I thought he was asleep, to comfort him and rub his back until he settled (Little secret, he's much better for his dad than me.) I said as long as Mason didn't cry he could do that.
     Well it has been such a blessing because I was sometimes fighting Mason for 30-45 minutes to fall asleep. We now nurse and snuggle and then Tony or I, go in with him until he's asleep. He's a good sleeper and needs his naps, but sometimes with the commotion of 5 older siblings and anything else we have going on his naps get messed up. He has also been sleeping better at night.

Mandating Vaccines

Talk about a slippery slope. Many of the states in our "free" Country are heading down a path to make them mandatory NO MATTER WHAT, as an over reaction to this measles "outbreak". What the heck? I don't even care where you stand on vaccines, step back and see the bigger picture. We are losing another choice that we are allowed to make for ourselves and our children.

Where will it stop once it starts? Will they just continue to manufacture more and more vaccines and add them to the already long list of vaccines? Will there be any supervision to protect us? They don't care if the vaccines we already have are safe, so what's to say they will start now.

Once I became an adult and a mother, it became clear to me that I was pro-choice. I want to be able to choose what I think is best for my body. It is no one but my choice, and my husbands depending on the circumstances.

I am not pro-abortion, in fact that makes me sad knowing how much love and joy my kids bring to me. HOWEVER not my body, not my choice for others. I have 6 healthy, happy children because that is what God gave me.

All I ask is that you don't take away my rights to choose for myself and my children (until they are adults). Make your choice and I'll make mine. My choice does not affect your choice and your choice won't affect mine. Unvaccinated children are not out carrying around vaccine preventable diseases. They really, really aren't. When an "outbreak" occurs do they trace back to where it started, or to the first unvaccinated person they find?

I'm going to skip all the politics and fear-mongering news info about what side is "right". Point is this is a choice for everyone to make. This is a right a freedom to be protected.

Too much baby stuff

As a first time mom I had it all. We had a crib, a bassinet, a swing, a bouncer, a walker, an exersaucer, a pack-n-play, a carseat, a stroller, johnny jumper, and a baby bjorn. I had this tiny precious human and I just moved him from device to device because that seemed like that was the purpose. You have all these items, that were suggested from any baby registry. I would still hold him, but I also played pass the baby when others were around. That was just what was expected of me. Zayden and Zavier also were cared for basically the same way. Mainstream and sheepish.

When we moved to Germany in 2008, I eliminated all the baby gear to make less to move. When we had Zander in 2010 we had 2 bouncers, a boppy, a jumperoo, a playmat, and a crib. I also started practicing baby wearing to be close to him. I wasn't as dedicated to it as I am now, but it was a beginning. With Abbie, we got rid of the jumperoo and added a swing. Tony deployed when she was less than 4 weeks old and I knew that I would need to put her down to care for the others sometimes.

This time with Mason we have 1 bouncer, a boppy, a playmat, a walker, and a bed. But he spends so much time just being held by me. I'm amazed he's so mobile and pulls up so much already as he wasn't put down any more than he had to be. I still hold him just to go to sleep. He sleeps with me (which many of the kids have). He loves being next to me. I know so much more now as a mom that I wish I would have been encouraged from the beginning to just enjoy them as babies. Hold them, carry them, rock them to sleep. You can't get these first few months back.

Do what comes naturally to you and just comfort and sooth your little baby. Love them as much as you can as they really do grow so fast and that chapter of your life is over. I would sleep with all my kids now if they didn't wake each other up off and on all night long, and the bigger 2 maybe 3 are too cool for that.

One more thing, just talk to your baby like it's a real person. It is a real person. Right after Mason was born and as traumatic as it was for me (actual delivery), some of the first things I said to him were that I loved him and was so glad he was here, but I also recognized to him the pain he was likely in. Birth has got to be painful to be squished out. I told him I knew and I felt the pain too and just cuddled him.

Now when they become toddlers and up, that's a different sort of problems. But while they are little just hold them, show them the world while safely snuggled up against you.

First ER visit in over 16 months

Finally had our first required ER visit since we moved to El Paso. It has been our first visit of any sort actually. I must say it went well and the fear I had of a quick and easily handling of the situation was not necessary. Zavier has been having trouble with his breathing after long outdoor exposures. He has a tree and grass allergy, and who knows what else wasn't tested for. He had 2 breathing treatments and an x-ray too make sure it was just allergy related. He was given a few more treatments for the next few days hopefully to strengthen his body enough to not be on med permanently.

Now to decide if I eventually want to follow up with an on post appointment. Which right now would mean dragging all 6 kids into the dr. so that's still up in the air.