August in PA

After time in Alaska with family and a much needed week off for Andrew included in that trip, we were back to reality with no one here to entertain except good old Mommy. By this point Andrew was 4 months into a very long and taxing (on all of us) rotation and nights where he saw the kids were few and far between. I had to get creative and we spent a lot of time hanging out with friends and doing fun stuff to pass the time. Really the only things that I kept thinking was, the kids start school soon, that will take us to September. September will fly by and that will get us to October when we get to see Daddy again! Horrible I know, but true. I can't complain too much because he has told me that this particular rotation taught him so much, but I think later on, when I try and remember the good things about residency, April-October 2012 will not be included in that discussion. So! What did the kids and I do? Well, here are some of the activities in pictures. 

On a night when Daddy was home, we shucked corn and cooked it up. We did this a lot in August.
Corn and peaches, peaches and corn and more of both.

The kids hung out in boxes and watched morning cartoons while I rested on the couch. 

The kids' Sunday School class had a picnic at a house that is on a very nice property. They
played in the creek and caught cray fish. John watched small caterpillars.

We bought zucchini and made chocolate muffins with it. Then more bread. And cooked it plain too.
Basically, I've had my fill of it for a while. 

The resident's auxiliary hosted a family night where I took the kids to see friends.
They played golf and did the driving range. Free fun and food. Double great. 

The Montour-DeLong fair is small, but a nice way to spend an evening with friends.
We saw animals and ate good (not good for you) food.

We cuddled on the couch and rested before bed.

Peter built a fruit loop train after breakfast when we were at the hotel up by where Andrew was working one weekend.
He was pretty proud of his sorting.

This pretty much took us up to the end of the month when we got ready to start the kids in school and all the other activities that September brings. August had some hot days, but for the most part, we enjoyed the last month of sure warmth. This was our last August in Danville, (sad) and we ate as much produce (corn, watermelon, peaches, squash...) as we could. We kept saying that we couldn't believe all the things we did that month we wouldn't do again next year. As we prepared to start Ella in Kindergarten and Peter in pre-school, it seemed a little emotional, but they got more excited as the days went by and that helped us get excited with them. Time really is passing quickly and we are trying to make the most of each "last" here as well as cherish all the "firsts" that are happening for the kids.

July ~ Took us to Alaska.

Alaska, the land of "big," the place people often say, "I've always wanted to go there," the environment in which large biting bugs eat up my children, and most of my family still resides. In the woods there, I'm always on alert for fear of large mammals that may or may not be moody and ready to attack. I've not been hiking there since I had little ones to look after, or was pregnant and couldn't outrun anything after me. I know my family thinks I'm "dramatic" in my outlook of the forest there, I like to call it, "careful." I've seen too many bears, been chased by one too many moose, and just in general like to stay in proximity to civilization or with someone who has a weapon. (In the woods, not the city). However, that huge state seems to have a pull on us no matter how fearful I am of the wildlife or how far we have to travel to get there. It's beautiful. It has the best fishing. No one this side of the Mississippi knows how to make a chai quite like my favorite little shop up North. We still somehow manage to think that the possibility of living there is maybe a good idea. That was the point of Andrew taking his trip there this year. He met with Air Force docs and chatted about the odds of us making it on base next June. They seem optimistic. He seems optimistic. I'm waiting until March when we get official orders, but it's hard not to get a twinge of "happy" when I think about how much closer to all of our family we would be. One flight to just about anywhere the rest of the family is. Granted, the cost of living is atrocious and could give me an anxiety attack thinking about the price of housing after living in PA, but that's details. Big picture, it would be pretty nice. I won't get ahead of myself though, we went there just to see the new babies and visit the rest of the family. We were able to catch up with friends and go to some of our favorite places. Andrew fished and spent time at the base hospital. It was a nice time catching up with those we love and would love to live closer to. 

Potty Training and Pregnant

It was literally the very day that I found out I was carrying another child 

that I had it in my mind to potty train John. He was ready and willing and I certainly was over changing diapers (at least for 9 months of the past 6 years). Ella and Peter were on board and excited to help as well. For Ella, the reward was chocolate chips, for Peter it was race cars after so many successes, and for John, he wanted matchbox airplanes. So I bought a few and made a chart. He only had a few accidents the first few days and was eager to be like his siblings. 

They sat by him and read him The Potty Train, they cheered him on, as well as informing me of any mishaps. Which, thankfully were minimal. I only had to throw away one pair of undies the whole time. I'm not a saver of poo-filled underwear. My gag reflex was at an all time high and a few dollars in the trash was worth keeping my lunch. 

John was a trooper and earned himself a handful of airplanes before proving to us that he didn't need rewards anymore, not wearing diapers was good enough. 

As you can see, the book got a lot of face time and I am one glad mama. I don't have any fancy tricks and tips for potty training. All three of my kids, once they were ready were pretty much a breeze to train compared to some of the stories I've heard out there. The first go around with Peter was bad, but he wasn't ready, it was just out of convenience for me that I thought we'd try. It lasted 6 hours and we were done. 6 months later, he did great. So I guess the best advice would be to wait until the kid has the ability to convey his/her need to go, and be ready to hit it hard until it's down. I've not had to buy diapers or pull ups for almost 3 months and it's great. I am soaking it up until January, when diapers will once again soak up most things in our house. 

Who doesn't want a smoothie while "sitting and waiting?"

Grandma's Here, the Beach, the Parade, and turning 30.

Back to catching up with my summer, I figured that I couldn't be able to post many more pictures without explaining the fact that we are adding to our family because I'm starting to show in some of them or at least enter that "is she pregnant or just gaining a lot of weight?" phase. So yes, from here on out, I am pregnant in my pictures and had been since the end of May. 

When my mom got here at the end of June, the heat was intense and we tried to find things to do to keep the kids occupied. We took them to different pools, played in the sprinkler in the yard, and eventually we just ended up out at the beach. The funny (well, not so funny) thing was, it was just as hot there, unlike the west coast, where you go to the beach and cool off. The water was nice, and we had a good time, but it wasn't the place to get away from the heat. It was our first time to Rehoboth Beach, a popular destination for many friends we know. We ate good food, rented a bike to get around the town on the 4th, and enjoyed time away. Our hotel was in Dewey beach, just down the road and we were able to see 4th of July fireworks there too! It was also a trip to celebrate Andrew turning 30! 

The 4th of July Parade in Lewisburg was great, as it always is. It is sad for us to think that everything we did after June will be the last time we experience those things out here. We are trying to fit in as many types of local activities as we can before next summer. 

Handmade donuts from the "Fractured Prune" in Rehoboth. It is a must-visit
little place. 

Strawberry Pie with a buzz lightyear candle. Happy 30th Andrew!