"Where the Army sends you", "Where the heart is", "Where you make it." All of those are true yes but home...well ask any of my kids where home is and where they are from and they will tell you Pony. I am not exactly sure how it came to be, but somewhere along the route of Alaska, Washington, Georgia, Kansas, and now Georgia, Montana became their home base. Maybe it was because of the insane amount of love they receive there. Maybe it's because we return no matter what. Maybe it's because they actually went to school there with their Grandma and their Aunt as their teachers and it's where their Mom and Aunts and MJ and Erik went. Who knows! But somewhere along the lines they formed bonds, not just with family but the community. They love Ralph who gave my two older ones a smile every morning on the bus, they love Mrs Cooper who actually made them workout and have a real PE class (which is something they get highly annoyed at everywhere else LOL), Lori because after all she is the most amazing lunchroom cook (and now makes the best ribs EVER I hear whenever I make ribs LOL) . They adore Maxine because Maxine is just the most amazing lady ever. There are SO many people I could name that my kids constantly refer back to. Most importantly they found role models.
I guess growing up in a small tiny community like Pony, Harrison, Norris, you fail to realize what the REAL world is really like until you step foot into it and travel all over and just how lucky you were to grow up there. We were so blessed let Typhoon and Tsunami go to school there for just a few months while Josh was deployed. In this life, many kids when you ask them where they are from they will tell you their last duty station...mine currently say well we came from Kansas, but really Montana is home. It has always made me chuckle and shake my head at how they have two places. It is amazing knowing these kids have a solid home base to return to. It gives them a sense of security in knowing that no matter where we go they can always go "home."
Last night it was made clear where home for them was. All three kids were gathered around Facebook with me constantly refreshing hoping for an update. It is just a Class C High School basketball game. They don't even truly know some of the girls as they are from Willow Creek or are new. But...a few years ago a little girl (AKA Typhoon) entered that school as a 1st grader not knowing anyone (except her teacher because... well it was her Auntie!) She soon found she didn't know the little kids but she DID know the bigger kids. She knew Austin and she knew Robin all because of her MoMo (MJ, Morgan whatever you want to call her LOL)..and by knowing those girls she got to know Kristen and then Britt (and of course they were in her Grammy's class at that point so she got to know them a little that way too). Now Kristen is a Senior, Britt is a Junior and that little first grader is now an 11 year old basketball player. She watched those two play when they were junior high girls and now sees them playing and knows how hard they have worked. She hears about them on our summers home. She knows they are great in school, they are always sweet and say hi to her if they see her and all of that makes an impression. She of course strives to be like her MoMo, who well as we all know has been her main role model since she was about 18 months old..from sports to injuries to attitude :). But by establishing a home base and letting them have Pony and Harrison truly be their home, they have found true "peer" role models, especially with Typhoon and those two basketball players.
This life has us living in a place 3-4 years at most and so the idea of older kids guiding those younger kids that happens so abundantly in small towns, is missed often in this lifestyle. The bonds that are formed from the time they are babies and the "big kids" are elementary don't exist in this lifestyle very often. So I guess my kids are right. Home is still the Pony, Harrison, Norris community that was my home for 18 years, because even though they don't live there 100% of the time, they still can go home and for now (because well Typhoon is quickly becoming one of those older kids) have bonds there from when they were little. We are one lucky military family to be able to call one single place "home".
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
I don't make homemade baby food and I am ok with it
I had such great plans before Tiny Tornado was born. I was going to be Super Mom. I was going to breastfeed, make my own baby food, use cloth diapers and make sure she only had the most essential things so she didn't get spoiled. All her clothes were washed in baby detergent and we were all ready for her to make her appearance. Oh how plans change when the baby actually arrives.
Breastfeeding was not happening for us no matter how hard I tried. All of the pictures and videos made it seem so easy but for us, it involved screaming, crying, and extreme frustration. A starving baby who was the color of an orange was not a good thing and so that plan was amended. I pumped numerous times a day and onto the bottle she went. That worked for us even when people judged that I was giving my tiny baby a bottle. I just would smile and say yes she takes a bottle. No need to explain it was still breastmilk because it wouldn't matter and they don't need to see inside my life.
We did use cloth diapers for a time but only because we had a diaper service that dropped them off, picked them up, and washed them for us. Otherwise, this would have become a distant wish as well. As I have said before I hate laundry, so why I ever thought I would want to wash poopy diapers is beyond me. Once we moved away from our big city, away the cloth diapers went and Tornado was in disposables. Yes, we are destroying the environment but saving our sanity.
At 6 months, we started her on baby food. We were in the middle of a cross-country move so we started with jars of food. I told myself once we were settled I would get into a routine of making my own, freezing it and it would all be perfect. I think the Tornado can read my plans and laughs as she makes her own. I made one batch of pears that I cooked, pureed, and froze. Then I did a batch of sweet potatoes. These were both foods that she loved from the jar so I thought perfect, this will be easy and she will love it. She absolutely refused to eat any of it. By this point, she was eating an entire jar two or three times a day. She should have loved the food I made her. The disaster that occurred all over the highchair indicated she did not. Out of the jar she would eat like she was starving. Anytime I tried to give her a homemade puree she spit it everywhere. Finally I gave up trying.
My plan of being Super Mom was quickly dashed. There are all these expectations set forth for moms in today's society. You must breastfeed, don't feed chemicals, don't feed food that is processed, don't use disposable diapers because they have chemicals that can affect their organs, don't vaccinate, do vaccinate but whenever you want, vaccinate exactly on schedule. What I have learned in the last 14 months is that as much as society tries to manipulate us there is only one thing that matters. It is that Tiny Tornado has food-even if it is sometimes frozen chicken nuggets and broccoli (which she thinks is a cookie), a safe home even if it means sometimes she has to fight with animals over space, and love. Love is definitely present in our home from the cat that insists on snuggling with her during naptime to the dog that allows her to eat his food and sit on him in his kennel. Never will Tiny Tornado doubt that she is loved beyond all measure. To me that makes me Super Mom for the moment. At least until the next battle of wills which is likely to occur after naptime.
Breastfeeding was not happening for us no matter how hard I tried. All of the pictures and videos made it seem so easy but for us, it involved screaming, crying, and extreme frustration. A starving baby who was the color of an orange was not a good thing and so that plan was amended. I pumped numerous times a day and onto the bottle she went. That worked for us even when people judged that I was giving my tiny baby a bottle. I just would smile and say yes she takes a bottle. No need to explain it was still breastmilk because it wouldn't matter and they don't need to see inside my life.
We did use cloth diapers for a time but only because we had a diaper service that dropped them off, picked them up, and washed them for us. Otherwise, this would have become a distant wish as well. As I have said before I hate laundry, so why I ever thought I would want to wash poopy diapers is beyond me. Once we moved away from our big city, away the cloth diapers went and Tornado was in disposables. Yes, we are destroying the environment but saving our sanity.
At 6 months, we started her on baby food. We were in the middle of a cross-country move so we started with jars of food. I told myself once we were settled I would get into a routine of making my own, freezing it and it would all be perfect. I think the Tornado can read my plans and laughs as she makes her own. I made one batch of pears that I cooked, pureed, and froze. Then I did a batch of sweet potatoes. These were both foods that she loved from the jar so I thought perfect, this will be easy and she will love it. She absolutely refused to eat any of it. By this point, she was eating an entire jar two or three times a day. She should have loved the food I made her. The disaster that occurred all over the highchair indicated she did not. Out of the jar she would eat like she was starving. Anytime I tried to give her a homemade puree she spit it everywhere. Finally I gave up trying.
My plan of being Super Mom was quickly dashed. There are all these expectations set forth for moms in today's society. You must breastfeed, don't feed chemicals, don't feed food that is processed, don't use disposable diapers because they have chemicals that can affect their organs, don't vaccinate, do vaccinate but whenever you want, vaccinate exactly on schedule. What I have learned in the last 14 months is that as much as society tries to manipulate us there is only one thing that matters. It is that Tiny Tornado has food-even if it is sometimes frozen chicken nuggets and broccoli (which she thinks is a cookie), a safe home even if it means sometimes she has to fight with animals over space, and love. Love is definitely present in our home from the cat that insists on snuggling with her during naptime to the dog that allows her to eat his food and sit on him in his kennel. Never will Tiny Tornado doubt that she is loved beyond all measure. To me that makes me Super Mom for the moment. At least until the next battle of wills which is likely to occur after naptime.
Monday, February 17, 2014
What You Say Is Important, What You Do Is Even More So!
As my kids are little bit older it is becoming more and more clear that actions speak louder than words. Just in the last few weeks the examples of this have been amazing.
1. They are required to read non-fiction books as well as fiction in the elementary school. Tsunami brought home a new non-fiction book to read. To my surprise instead of being about horses or dogs or any other animal it was a book on archaeology. This semester I have anthropology. One of my books is dealing with different cultures and she has fallen in love with it. By showing an interest in anthropology (even though it is not one of my favorite classes), a new door has opened up for her to view with an open mind and positive attitude.
2. Studying: It has become an even bigger habit in our house. Because I am usually studying one thing or another, my kids have taken it upon themselves to keep up. This has turned into Typhoon, who is working on genetics, to quiz me left and right about things he is learning (which is a great thing considering it is right in line with what we are doing in anthropology!) It has turned into Tsunami quizzing me over simple machines and mass and other physical science facts. Thunderstorn has taken it upon himself to quiz me on his math which in 2nd grade is super easy, but he is still in turn learning them himself. These study sessions are just the beginning of great skills that have been neglected.
3. Baking: Throughout their lives we have used Wheat Montana flour. This is because 1. I know where it comes from and 2. I love supporting people I "know" and 3. It really is an amazing flour :)!!! Well because of this Tsunami has decided this should be the only flour we use. All by just observing what Mom does. Typhoon went to school today and rocked his cooking demonstration and when asked to actually bake his cookie dough (he was just demonstrating how to use a rolling pin) he told her well I believe its 375 for about 10 minutes. It definitely isn't because he is helping me bake them at home, but he has definitely been observing whats been going on around him.
With all of this just happening in the last week or so it brings to mind that all of us need to really pay attention to what we are doing ourselves! We ask so much of our kids but in many cases we don't do those things ourselves. We are truly models for the younger generations and it is sad to think that so many of us get so busy caught up in life we forget that there are little eyes upon us. We want kids to be less dependent on technology for entertainment...WE need to be less dependent on technology for entertainment! We want our children to be more active and fight obesity...that begins with the adults and role models around them! This last week has been so eye opening for me as a mom. It has brought back into focus the importance of still teaching them and not letting things slide by the wayside just because I am super busy.
1. They are required to read non-fiction books as well as fiction in the elementary school. Tsunami brought home a new non-fiction book to read. To my surprise instead of being about horses or dogs or any other animal it was a book on archaeology. This semester I have anthropology. One of my books is dealing with different cultures and she has fallen in love with it. By showing an interest in anthropology (even though it is not one of my favorite classes), a new door has opened up for her to view with an open mind and positive attitude.
2. Studying: It has become an even bigger habit in our house. Because I am usually studying one thing or another, my kids have taken it upon themselves to keep up. This has turned into Typhoon, who is working on genetics, to quiz me left and right about things he is learning (which is a great thing considering it is right in line with what we are doing in anthropology!) It has turned into Tsunami quizzing me over simple machines and mass and other physical science facts. Thunderstorn has taken it upon himself to quiz me on his math which in 2nd grade is super easy, but he is still in turn learning them himself. These study sessions are just the beginning of great skills that have been neglected.
3. Baking: Throughout their lives we have used Wheat Montana flour. This is because 1. I know where it comes from and 2. I love supporting people I "know" and 3. It really is an amazing flour :)!!! Well because of this Tsunami has decided this should be the only flour we use. All by just observing what Mom does. Typhoon went to school today and rocked his cooking demonstration and when asked to actually bake his cookie dough (he was just demonstrating how to use a rolling pin) he told her well I believe its 375 for about 10 minutes. It definitely isn't because he is helping me bake them at home, but he has definitely been observing whats been going on around him.
With all of this just happening in the last week or so it brings to mind that all of us need to really pay attention to what we are doing ourselves! We ask so much of our kids but in many cases we don't do those things ourselves. We are truly models for the younger generations and it is sad to think that so many of us get so busy caught up in life we forget that there are little eyes upon us. We want kids to be less dependent on technology for entertainment...WE need to be less dependent on technology for entertainment! We want our children to be more active and fight obesity...that begins with the adults and role models around them! This last week has been so eye opening for me as a mom. It has brought back into focus the importance of still teaching them and not letting things slide by the wayside just because I am super busy.
It's time to bring days like this back!
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Thunderstorms, Typhoons, and Tsunamis Oh my!!!
As you read our blogs you will be introduced to many natural disasters. We thought we should explain who's who and what belongs to who!
Lindsey has the Tiny Tornado and she is a busy little bee. She is just almost 14 months old and brings a bunch of joy to her Momma and her Daddy. She is starting to toddle about and has a love for animals just like her mama...although her kitty, Hemi, is her favorite!
Stephanie has a hurricane that lives in her house. Hurricane is a sweet little 18 month old who keeps her Momma busy, busy, busy and creates many hurricane disasters everywhere she goes. The little hurricane is learning to clean up her natural disasters but sometimes its not successful, sometimes it's just shake your head and giggle and say "thank you for your help" as you return everything to its proper spot.
Ami has the typhoon, the tsunami, and the thunderstorm. The typhoon is a great 13 yr old boy who brings lots of teen adventures and crazy incidents and a love for wrestling and Jiu Jitsu. The tsunami is a sweet 11 yr old girl who is constantly bringing joy and smiles. She is an active, sports loving little girl who loves Jiu Jitsu and basketball. The thunderstorm is an 8 yr old boy who brings laughter to all those around him and is quite the adventurous little man. He has once again fallen in love with Jiu Jitsu and is getting ready to play some football once fall arrives.
Yes, we all have weather events as our children, destructive ones at that. If you know our families, you understand why. Life is never calm (well rarely calm) and they keep us constantly on our toes. We are all in different phases of our lives, in different locations around the US and learning so much as we walk through this life of ours.
Lindsey has the Tiny Tornado and she is a busy little bee. She is just almost 14 months old and brings a bunch of joy to her Momma and her Daddy. She is starting to toddle about and has a love for animals just like her mama...although her kitty, Hemi, is her favorite!
Stephanie has a hurricane that lives in her house. Hurricane is a sweet little 18 month old who keeps her Momma busy, busy, busy and creates many hurricane disasters everywhere she goes. The little hurricane is learning to clean up her natural disasters but sometimes its not successful, sometimes it's just shake your head and giggle and say "thank you for your help" as you return everything to its proper spot.
Ami has the typhoon, the tsunami, and the thunderstorm. The typhoon is a great 13 yr old boy who brings lots of teen adventures and crazy incidents and a love for wrestling and Jiu Jitsu. The tsunami is a sweet 11 yr old girl who is constantly bringing joy and smiles. She is an active, sports loving little girl who loves Jiu Jitsu and basketball. The thunderstorm is an 8 yr old boy who brings laughter to all those around him and is quite the adventurous little man. He has once again fallen in love with Jiu Jitsu and is getting ready to play some football once fall arrives.
Yes, we all have weather events as our children, destructive ones at that. If you know our families, you understand why. Life is never calm (well rarely calm) and they keep us constantly on our toes. We are all in different phases of our lives, in different locations around the US and learning so much as we walk through this life of ours.
TORNADO
HURRICANE
TYPHOON, THUNDERSTORM, TSUNAMI
It's The Little Things
After becoming a mom a year and a half ago, (wow has it really been that long? Just about!) I have learned more and more that it is the little things that matter most. It's your husband putting his dish in the dishwasher instead of the sink, it's the 5 second hug and quick kiss as we run out the door in two different directions, it's the moment when your daughter says "mom!" and then continues telling a story in baby talk that really matters.
Last night as I was getting my little hurricane ready for bed, she decided she didn't want oatmeal for a bed time snack. This ALWAYS means we will be up in the middle of the night for a 2 am snack. It never ever fails! But she was exhausted, so we gave goodnight hugs and kisses and put her in bed. The thought that crossed my mind was, "So much for a full nights sleep tonight...oh, the life of a mom."
I crawled into bed and before I knew it it was 1:45 and I heard my little angel fussing. I drug myself out of bed, stumbled sleepily across the family room, around the corner and into my little angels bedroom. There she was laying in her crib, looking up at me with sweet innocent blue eyes, and her arms extended towards me. I picked her up, went upstairs to grab a granola bar (her favorite 2 am snack), and then headed back down to our favorite rocking chair. She had a bite, maybe two and then nuzzled herself against me. Snuggles? From my hurricane? This hardly ever happens!! We rocked and rocked. Little sucking noises came as she sucked on her bink, , she grunted little grunts as she made her self comfortable, and then came the noise of sweet little snores as she slept peacefully in my arms. It now made no difference to me that I didn't get a full nights sleep. I got snuggles from my babe and that was so much better!
The bright moon was shining in the window, I was rocking my little hurricane, and all I could think about is how blessed I really am. I have a wonderful home, a great job, a supportive family, a loving husband, and the sweetest, busiest little hurricane in the world. It was the little bonding moment in the middle of the night that reminded me it's the little things that matter in our life and that we must take time to bond with our babies. It might be a midnight snuggle, an afternoon stroll, a trip to the park, or a minute of playing horses or chase but it's the little moments that count.
So, please, take a little minute with your baby or hubby to enjoy life, make time for little moments and never take them for granted.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
5 Reasons I am Thrilled to Go Back to Work (So Stop Asking If I Will Cry Dropping off Tiny Tornado)
I am going back to work after almost a year of being without a job. This time as a stay at home mom was not by choice but due to lack of employment opportunities in a very rural area. I have worked since I was 15 and was in a professional job for 5 years and loved it. So when we moved I lost a large part of my identity. My job was who I was for much of my week. So staying at home has been extremely hard.
Don't get me wrong. I love Tiny Tornado beyond anything I thought possible and am glad I got to be with her every moment of her first year. Every single moment. I felt I needed to be the perfect wife, housekeeper, mother because that was my job now and I may be a bit of an over-acheiver when it comes to my job. Now that I am going back to my profession I have a list of things I missed about work or won't miss about home.
1: Laundry - I hate laundry with a passion. When I worked, my husband did his laundry and I did mine. Then if it was left in a giant, wrinkled pile I was the only one who had to worry about it. Staying home I took on most of the laundry responsibility. It still sits in a giant, wrinkled pile after it is washed but now I feel incredibly guilty about not getting it folded and put away. This will be reverting back to a split job and I am thrilled about that.
2: Mental stimulation - a 1 year old does not talk. Her biggest interaction is snuggling and handing me all her toys and books. Most nights I lay in bed and try to get my mind to settle down because it has not had any stimulation during the day so at night I can't stop thinking about every thing that I should have done different or better. Now at the end of the day my mind will be tired.
3: 30 minutes of me time - I will have a 30 minute commute each way for my job. I love that time. It is my time to decompress, to put the day at work behind me and get ready to be home with my family. It is time to turn the radio up louder than I can with Tiny Tornado in the car and sing along. I can just relax and breathe during this time and I need that time. I have missed that time because at home I am either cleaning or entertaining.
4: Puppies and Kittens - This might only be 5% of my job but it is the 5% that makes even the worst day amazing. Puppy breath and snuggles make me smile and I have missed them. Kittens are so daring and brave and fearless that just watching them approach a new person makes me squeeze them, gently of course. Those appointments when everything goes right, you get to bond with new families and help them start their pet ownership out is why we do our job.
5: Independence - I have a Tiny Tornado who adores her mom. She adores her dad as well but I am the person that she has come to rely on for everything and this has really shown in the last few weeks. She has not wanted her dad to put her to bed and has screamed at him when he gets her ready. It is time for her to learn that other people can take care of her and that she can do somethings for herself. She needs to learn that Mommy will not always be there to fix everything. She may only be a year old but she is a stubborn, opinionated little girl. I know that having a great babysitter will only help her to grow up to not rely on other people for her happiness.
I know that the first couple of days will be an adjustment for our whole family. I also know that I am a better wife and mother when I am working. I am a happier person when I am fulfilled professionally. This makes me a better person to be around. I will treasure my time at home and will make sure to focus more on my family when I am home. There may be times my job interferes with my outside life but my balance has been restored. For me this is necessary to ensure we survive as a family.
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