About Me I'm Stacy - a disciple of Christ, an Army wife, and a homeschooling mom to our 7 year old daughter. I spend my days doing fun science projects, going on field trips, cooking gluten-free meals, taking photos, reading, blogging & managing the home. I'm constantly behind on scrapbooking and want to learn how to crochet more than scarves, but there are only so many hours in the day.
I believe that shoes should always be optional, life is better at the beach, and chocolate is a necessary food group!
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By Midlife Army Wife, on August 31st, 2010
Last week Hubby installed hardware in Lovebug’s room for a sensory “cuddle” swing. It ROCKS! I plan to go get some material and make another swing, but even the temporary one works just fine! We had purchased one not too long ago, but I was very disappointed in the quality when I received it, so back it went. I knew I could make one myself and be frugal at the same time! Sensory products are expensive, so if I can make it myself and save money – all the better!
Swinging and rocking are incredible tools for calming her down and giving her the pressure she needs. We do this almost every night before bed.
Before this, Hubby and I used to rock her in a blanket with each of us holding one end. She’s only 30 lbs, so it wasn’t bad, but we needed to move to a method I could do by myself once he left.
So, we tied a knot in one end of the blanket, then attached it to a Mommy Hook, which was attached to this hanging bar on her room. That way, the hook/bar took the place of one person holding the blanket, and I could do it myself. I know I have a picture of us rocking her in it like this somewhere, but I can’t find it at the moment, so here is the bar:
Now the swing looks like this:
She’s in there…..See?
The hardware at the top:
It doesn’t match the decor of her room, but it works. It will even hold a grownup up to 300 lbs. So I can get in with her if I want to get my ribs kicked.  I want to change out the material of the swing at some point anyway with a stretchy-but-not-too-stretchy material, and Lovebug would like it in PINK. Ha Ha! Oh, and yes, there are 2 hooks set up. We put one closer to the corner to keep the swing out of the way when she’s just hanging out calmly, or we can move it out to the center (where it is in the picture) if she wants to swing wider.
It’s AWESOME!! She absolutely loves it, and so do I. Hubby worked hard getting it all set up before he left, and I’m so thankful!
By Midlife Army Wife, on August 31st, 2010
We are officially starting school next week the day after Labor Day. I’m so excited and looking forward to getting back into the daily routine. I wanted to post what curriculum we are using this year. I’ll check back in from time to time with how each of these are going and our opinions of them.
Heart of Dakota’s “Little Hands for His Glory” – This will cover Bible stories, Memory verses, Science, History, Art, Dramatic Play, Thinking Games, Rhymes, Gross Motor Skills (we will do extra on our own as this is an area we struggle with), and Music. This program also has Math & Phonics, and allows for me to use my own choice of curriculum for those subjects (listed below)
Math U See – We will be using the Alpha package.
Stevenson Learning – Phonics. Lovebug is reading well beyond her age, but we haven’t covered all the phonics rules, so she struggles with sounding out words to spell them. This is said to be a great program for bridging those two areas. We will be using the Overlapping Strategy Set.
Handwriting without Tears – A multi-sensory handwriting program designed by an OT. AWESOMENESS! We did this a bit for preschool, and it is amazing the difference it made for Lovebug. We were shedding MANY tears before switching to this program.
Doorposts – a Bible based Character Training Curriculum. Lovebug and I are going to be working through “Polished Cornerstones” – Projects for daughters on the path to womanhood” together.
We will also include the following:
* Fine Motor & Gross Motor (daily)
* Montessori type Life Skills (weekly)
* Home Economics (weekly)
* Sensory Activities (daily)
This isn’t really extra work because many of those work into our day naturally, but I just need to make a point to include them on the schedule so I don’t miss anything.
By Midlife Army Wife, on August 31st, 2010
Yesterday, Lovebug (my 6 year old daughter) and I said “See ya later” (not goodbye) to my husband as he left to join the Army. He just re-enlisted after serving for 7 years and being out for 13. He signed the paper months ago, but today he actually left. The Army calls it “shipped out”, even though he left on a bus. We’ve had plenty of time to prepare, but it’s still tough when the time finally comes. I can handle it pretty well I think, after all, Hubby and I have been married for 8 years. I know logically that this is temporary and I will see him again. I know our marriage is strong and our love does not lessen with distance. I can even look forward to getting some things done with my free time in the evening. It works differently with kids. Telling them “5 months” might as well be “next week” or “next year”. They don’t have the same grasp on time that we as adults do. No matter how excited Lovebug has been that Daddy is joining the Army, seeing him drive away on a bus brought on a little sadness. Not too much though, because she couldn’t wait to get home and get started on Tip #3 below!
Thankfully, I had done a little research in the months leading up to this and found some great ways to make the transition easier on kids and help the time pass. I’ll tell you what we did, and maybe if you have a husband that travels, or who decides to join the military, you could use these tips!
1) Hubby video recorded himself reading many of her favorite books, so that every night we can watch one (or two) and she still gets her bedtime story from Daddy. I think we ended up with almost 30, so we’ll just cycle through them a few times. Last night we watched two of them and I could see in her eyes and huge smile how much it helped. It was as close to having him here as we can get right now.
2) He also video recorded a special message just for her that he surprised us with after he left by leaving me directions to it in an email. It was probably less than a minute long, but was filled with love and blessings for her. It’s something she will watch again and again and keep forever, I’m sure. (He did the same for me, and words cannot express how much that meant to me!)
3) The “Daddy Box”! We picked out a special Rubbermaid container, and labeled it “Daddy’s Box” using my Cricut and some vinyl. Anytime Lovebug colors a picture for him, makes a craft for him, or just finds a rock she thinks he would like, she can put it in the box. Once we get his address, we’ll be able to send some of the things to him, of course, but this box is special. We’ll store up these precious items so that when he gets home they can sit down together and go through the box. They’ll spend precious time together as she tells him about each and every thing she put in there. I have no doubt she’ll have a story for each one. Today’s the first day of him being gone, and there is already a special picture in there for him!
By Midlife Army Wife, on August 30th, 2010
It’s like being at the top of a huge hill on a rollercoaster. As long as you are climbing up the hill, they can still pull the brake, stop the car, and you could get out if necessary. But once that car goes over the hill and starts the downward ascent, there is no stopping it!
It’s official! I’m married to a soldier. I’m an Army wife now. I took the kids to watch Hubby’s swearing in ceremony today, and I’m so glad I did. It was a long day, but worth every minute. I think as long as I remember the Army motto of “Hurry up and wait”, I’ll be just fine.
Here is how the day went:
8:00 AM – The time Hubby had been told to have me there by to see the swearing in ceremony. I woke the kids up early to make sure I was there on time. After finding parking across the street, and getting through security, I made it up to MEPS with 5 minutes to spare.
Then we hung out with Hubby and waited….and waited…and waited.
10:30 AM – Someone said 20 or so more minutes till the ceremony. Then they served lunch to all the waiting applicants. So much for 20 minutes.
12:00 NOON – They called his group in to take the oath. It was short and sweet. They allowed us as family to go in and take pictures, even standing in the stage behind the guy giving the oath. I thought that was extra nice. I got a couple pictures, and I took a video of the swearing in. Unfortunately, for some reason my camera didn’t focus before it started recording. I think it was the extra bright light behind all the applicants. So, I have the video and you can hear what they are saying, but the people are a little (ok, a lot) out of focus. Oh well, at least I have something. Hubby said it was no big deal since he’s done it before. Sure, my it’s MY first time to see it! J
After the oath, then it was time to wait again. This time for travel arrangements. He was going to be going on a bus, so they took care of all the people who needed to get on a plane first. A little harder to hold a plane if running late.
1:15 PM – Up until now, Hubby thought they were going to go downstairs to a bus station across the street somewhere before leaving. So when they announced for his group to go line up, Hubby came back and said “Meet me downstairs outside to say goodbye, but don’t go to the bus station”. So, I grabbed the kids and we went downstairs and outside.
I waited a few minutes, and then he called me asking where I was. I said I was downstairs. He said he told me to go outside. I told him I WAS outside…the same side I came in on. Turns out they were leaving on busses from THIS building, and they were not even on the same side of the building as I was. He said they were on the side of the building loading busses and about to leave. I started crying thinking I was going to miss it. He told me to calm down and just hurry. So, there I am, downtown…..running down the sidewalk on a major street pushing a stroller with one hand, and holding my 6 year old’s hand with my other as she’s running behind me! Thankfully the bus driver waited till we got there (just took a minute), and we all got hugs and kisses goodbye. I was able to give Hubby my letter that I had written for him and sealed in an envelope for him to read on the way out.
Then, I broke down, but held most of it inside so I didn’t scare LoveBug. As I got in our car, I was shaking and crying because it just wasn’t the goodbye I wanted, or thought we would get. I was also stressed from almost missing it. You know how your whole body shakes after almost missing a car wreck? That’s how I felt. I thought we would get to walk out together, calmly, and give hugs and kisses and say goodbye. I thought they would give the families time for that. Maybe to snap a couple pictures. I mean, I had 5 hours of hanging out waiting, you would think I would have taken more pictures…or ANY of Hubby and I together, but NOPE. I thought I would do that at the end. So I was mad at myself for not doing that. For not getting to tell Hubby once again how much I love him and all the things I’ve told him many times and that he already knows, but that I wanted to say again. What, did the Army think? That we said our goodbyes yesterday? That would have been smart, I guess.
Anyway, as I was driving, I was talking to myself and trying to talk myself out of this sadness. “So what you didn’t get a long goodbye? You got to spend the last 6 hours with him. You’ve got friends whose husbands are either deployed or about to be deployed. There are going to be more times when you don’t get to talk to him when you want, or see him when you want, so you can’t dwell on this.” I really didn’t want to let this bug me. I wanted to be stronger than that. I AM stronger than that. Maybe it was just because all I’d had for the past 6 hours was a cup of (bad) coffee. “Ok, get home, get some food, have a cup of real coffee, and you’ll feel better. God is watching over Hubby, so I don’t need to worry about him. Besides, Hubby is probably just fine with the shorter, less emotional goodbye.”
And then….Hubby sent me a txt message telling me he loved me, and all my stress, anxiety, and sadness melted away! Just hearing from him one more time made it all better. Amazing how that works!
To top it off, Hubby sent me an email (which he had obviously planned ahead) telling me sweet things, and directing me to some pre-recorded videos he had made (2 for me, and 1 for Bug) on our home computer. I just about melted! I love that man so much, and I am so blessed that he is so sweet and thoughtful. It seriously made my day, and I know that re-reading the email and listening to that video will keep me going while he’s away.
So, now I’m ok. I’m tired after spending 6 hours at MEPS with the kids, but not quite as tired as Hubby is. He got to the hotel late last night (10:00 PM), then went for a run before bed. He was up again at 3:00 for another run before being picked up to go to his weigh in. He spent the rest of the day at MEPS going back and forth between sitting in hard chairs or doing paperwork. There was a room with a TV and sofas, but evidently if they caught you sleeping you got in trouble, so he stayed out of there. I saw several people sleeping, but didn’t get to witness the trouble part. We did overhear one new recruit complaining about it being cold in there, and an retired Army vet telling him to “Suck it up!”. Seriously. Your life is about to get so much harder than dealing with a little too much air conditioning in Texas in August.
Here we go! We’re off to the start of what’s sure to be a wild ride. We’re excited to see where it takes us.
By Midlife Army Wife, on August 30th, 2010
This is it! Hubby’s swearing in ceremony is this morning. Then, he is off to the airport or bus station. We don’t know which yet. It’s ok, I figure it is one of many things we will know when we need to know. I’ll update more later after I’ve had one last goodbye with my love. We are excited! Here we go!
By Midlife Army Wife, on August 27th, 2010
I like the song “I wanna talk about me” by Toby Keith just because I think it’s funny, not because I really relate to it. I really do work hard to be a good listener, and I’m not what I consider an “all about me” person (I hope you don’t either), but this time I am going to talk about me!
A friend of mine tagged me with this from her blog, so I thought I would answer these just for fun.
1. What do you normally smell like? Bath & Body Works “Brown Sugar & Fig”
2. How far away do you live from your parents? 15 minutes away from my parents…for a few more months.
3. Are you happy with your job? Yes, I am! I love being a wife, mother, and homeschooling teacher!
4. What did you get in the mail today? My new Beco Butterfly carrier, and some junk mail.
5. How do you like your steak cooked? Like charcoal. Seriously, I want it D.O.N.E – done. So I usually order salmon or shrimp instead
6. What do you usually order at Taco Bell? I used to love the Taco Supreme, but now that we are Gluten-Free, I stay away.
7. Have you ever sat all the way through Gone With the Wind? No, but would like to.
8. Have you ever been to Mt Rushmore? Nope.
9. Where is your favorite place (that you have actually been to)? I have 2 favorite places….At the beach, or in the woods. I love to be surrounded by nature! My favorite place I’ve ever been away from home would be Costa Rica.
10. What is your favorite candle scent? Food ones (vanilla, sugar cookie, apple cinnamon, etc) or Clean (cotton, fresh air)
11. Have you ever smoked cigarettes? Nope.
12. Have you ever been to NYC or LA? I was born in a suburb of LA, and lived there till I was 5. I’ve been to NY, but I was around 7 years old so all I remember is climbing every single step of the Statue of Liberty. I want to go back to visit, and LoveBug has had it in her head for 2 years that she will go to NY when she is 8, so maybe we’ll get a chance to do that.
13. Do you prefer to pack your own groceries? Most of the time, I would just as soon pack my own, but I haven’t had any bread or produce squished for a while so I don’t mind letting them do it.
14. What is your favorite snack? Popcorn
By Midlife Army Wife, on August 27th, 2010
I read this post by Pioneer Woman the other day, and felt a twinge of nostalgia. I’ve always loved Mason jars, and similar glass jars, bowls, etc. I love looking at antique stores at the old milk glass or depression glass and seeing all the beautiful colors, textures, and shapes. I don’t own much, but I would if I could justify it in my budget.
I also remember growing up, we used to go to a restaurant that served the drinks in Mason jars and I always loved that! How fun to drink iced tea or lemonade out of one!
So, the PW post got me thinking, and I’m going to start collecting Mason jars. I know you can buy them at the grocery store (as my sweet Hubby told me when I let him in on my new plan), and I just might start there. But I’m also going to keep my eye out at garage sales, and recycle the ones we get food in anyway. Just look though the PW post, and all the comments and there are so many great ideas! I can’t wait! Really, I’m excited about this. Probably more than I should be.
Candle holders. Pencil holders. Storage for my buttons and other sewing notions. Marbles. Candy (think M&Ms!). Vases for flowers. They are so multi-purpose! I don’t know why I haven’t done this before. It’s perfect for me. I love frugality and simplicity. I also like recycling food containers, boxes, toilet paper rolls, etc into other things. I have a huge box of “recyclables” that LoveBug and I make crafts out of.
We’ve been wanting to get rid of a lot of the plastic food storage containers anyway, and with the jars you can just wash them and reuse them – no staining!
So, I started today. I emptied a jar of Classico spaghetti sauce while making lunch, so I washed it out, used some Goo-Gone to wash off the label, found the Mason jar underneath, and poured in some iced tea! Love it!
Need more ideas on how to use your Mason jars?
50 Ways to Hack a Mason Jar
Mason Jars Are Your New Best Friends
Fun Uses for Mason Jars
Tip: Blender and Mason Jar
By Midlife Army Wife, on August 24th, 2010
What will you do while Hubby is gone for 5 months? I’ve heard that question a lot lately.
Starting in a few days, I will spend the next 5 months without my best friend, my love, my Hubby. He and I both agree that while we will miss each other tons, and we would choose to be together if we could, we might as well look at the silver lining too. So, while Hubby is gone, I’m planning to use my extra time in the evenings to do a few things.
* I will do some purging of our belongings and try to get rid of things that we don’t need to move with us, wherever we end up going. I can’t pack anything because the Army will do all the packing for us when it’s time. In fact, if I do pack it, they won’t insure it, so there’s extra motivation to leave it alone!
* I want to work on (and complete!) LoveBug’s baby book. Seriously. She’s SIX! I’ve got thousands upon thousands of pictures of her, but I haven’t managed to finish her baby/1st year scrapbook. I’m close, and I need to stop overthinking it and Git ‘R Done!
* Editing & purging photos. Those thousands and thousands of pictures I mentioned? Yea, I need to go through them. I need to delete the extras, the bad shots, the ones I don’t want, and I need to organize them in a way that will allow me to actually FIND what I’m looking for. Having them all in folders by the date I uploaded them is pretty useless most of the time. I at least need them organized by month or season or something.
* Sewing. I used to do a lot of this and have gotten away from it. I have a list of projects I’ve been wanting to do for a while now, and I’m planning to make some time for it again.
* Keep working on my photography & Photoshop skills. We’ve got a nice camera that one day we will get better lenses for, but until then, I have no excuse not to keep practicing with it. I know how to do some editing with pictures, but would love to learn more about Photoshop since I know it does WAY more than I’ve dabbled in. I don’t have any notions of doing photography as a business, but it’s something I’ve always truly loved doing, so I’d like to get even better at it.
* Of course, I will also continue to homeschool my daughter in Kindergarten, raise our Little Bear and take them to various activities, playdates & field trips!
By Midlife Army Wife, on August 21st, 2010
Hubby ships out in 8 days to start his re-enlistment training! It’s like being on a roller coaster ride at the top of the huge hill, and just tipping over the edge on the way down. Here we gooooooooo!
Hubby had his last day at his previous job yesterday. This next week our family is having a “staycation” in order to truly enjoy our last week together. We plan to enjoy every moment, cherishing our time together, and looking forward to our upcoming adventure.
Today we spent the morning getting our family pictures taken by a good friend, Heather. She is an awesome photographer, and I can’t wait to see the pictures when she is done with them! Don’t worry, I’ll show you as soon as I can! We took the pictures at a local park that also has fountains coming up out of the ground, and a long “pool” about 2 feet deep that kids (or grownups!) can play in. After being extremely cooperative during the photo shoot, LoveBug was rewarded with some free play in the water.
Tonight, we are headed to a party for a good friend who is also in the military. He’s celebrating his birthday tonight, and also leaving soon to head out of town for some training.
Tomorrow, our family is blessed to have the chance to go to Great Wolf Lodge for a night! It’s a huge hotel in a nearby city with an entire waterpark inside the hotel! My parents gave us this special gift so that our family can enjoy this time together. They are also going to join us at the hotel for a couple hours and watch our baby boy so that Hubby & I can have special time playing in the water with LoveBug.
I’m not sure yet what the rest of the week holds, but I know that Hubby’s ship date will be here all too fast, yet not fast enough all at the same time. I know that doesn’t make sense, but once you know something is just around the corner, you just want it to get here so you can move on to the next step.
By Midlife Army Wife, on August 19th, 2010
Lovebug LOVES flashcards! She gets absolutely giddy with excitement over a new package. Take her ability to read and remember information, combine it with being a visual learner, and a box of flashcards are like an encyclopedia in a box!
The Target dollar spot was a treasure chest for us today. Flashcards, flashcards, and more flashcards! (why does my blog editor keep wanting to capitalize the word flashcards?)
We came home with:
U.S. Presidents
U.S. Animals
World Aminals
Insects
Landmarks
Homonyms
They had space and dinosaurs too, but we already had those. Lots of math ones too, but we are set on those as well.
I guarantee she will be quoting facts to me for days…many of which I will not already know, or will have forgotten. Who is the teacher again?
Photos:
1) As soon as we got home, while I was making lunch.
2) In her room at quiet time.
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