Life in Goldsboro

Well, I have a ton to catch up on since 2009, but I think I will take it slow, and just update from May when we moved to NC.


I was really sad when we left Pensacola. We made a million memories in that house. JJ had just turned one when we moved in, and was nearly 4 when we moved out. We moved in with one kid, and moved out with three. Cacao Lane will always be my favorite house. Not only because it was across the street from the sound, or because we made lifelong friends. But mainly because it will probably be the closest we will have ever lived to both sides of our family.

Both Taz's parents and mine live in Niceville, just five minutes down the road from each other. And as hectic as it may have been to split every holiday or make sure we spent equal amounts of time at each house, it was still pretty wonderful.

So, when we arrived in Goldsboro, I made an effort NOT to be happy. I did not want to like our new house. I did not want unpack boxes and get "settled". I just wanted to go back home, to Pensacola.

Then, I realized that my reservations about the move wasn't going to bring me back to Pensacola. And I needed to show the girls that change is good.

So, I sucked it up, got involved, and found some of the greatest people and places in Goldsboro. I have several support systems that made this move more manageable. From my family back home, to my sister in DC, to the Moms groups and Squadron Spouses, I've found plenty of encouraging people.

And now that we're here, I don't want to leave. It will never be Pensacola, but I'm attached. I love the people who call this place "home", and maybe someday, I can, too.

The Mini-Blog

I thought I would be great at blogging, but so far, I'm just as good at this, as I am at keeping a journal!

But I'm going to attempt this one more time! I've been using Facebook as a "mini-blog", giving a few sentences to describe great moments. For example, I compiled a list of some of the things my status update has said in the past... and as I read them, I can remember exactly what happened that made me post.

• ate a booger 6/1/09



• got JJ into a Preschool



• fell off the wagon, and back onto the Internet



• just got asked to “Put Big-A back” in her tummy because JJ no longer wants her



• just remembered why we use Pre-cut Cookie Dough... an egg on the floor, shell in the dough, and mysterious teeth marks in the butter stick. JJ the Gozerian strikes again!



• wants to know what kind of Daddy brushes the crumbs off the highchair, onto the floor, and then puts Big-A down there to eat them???



• lost her wedding band at the beach :( Mother’s Day 09



• has had enough. Motherhood has truly kicked my A!



• had a rough weekend... trip to the ER, Chiropractor, and JJ's finger in a pencil sharpener... it was like a scene out of Kill Bill... ugh.



• hates when Taz has the night shift! It's impossible to keep a 2 y.o. and 7 m.o. quiet all day while he sleeps!!!



• is glad to be home. All it took was 5 straight hours of Doodlebops and intermittent crying! 4/16/09



• and the Family are driving 7hrs. to Mickey's House... thank goodness my kid is still young enough for Pull-Ups and we won't need to make "Potty-Stops"



• thinks Big-A is fine, and that the Pediatrician thinks she's Gregory House. And though... I do appreciate a thorough Ped, I don't think my baby is a "rare case" and needs all this hoopla.



• is impressed that JJ put a Temporary Tattoo on ALL BY HERSELF, with out me knowing! How long before she gets a REAL one in the same manner?!?



• says JJ has been consistently pooping in the potty with out nagging from Mommy! I wonder what else she can do when I quit nagging... Imagine what my HUSBAND could do???



• J pooped in the potty with out me asking, and Big-A can scoot forward instead of just in circles! Progress has been made!!! 3/25/09



• I am amazed that JJ crapped a turd on the couch and DIDN'T get it smooshed everywhere... where the heck were her underpants???



• thinks her profile picture is an accurate depiction of JJ's behavior this week... grrrr (lipstick on the carpet)



• had such a busy week, she forgot that Big-A rolled Back2Front for the first time!!! Hooray for Baby Milestones! 3/7/09



• thinks we're back on track... it wasn't a completely smooth morning, but at least I didn't yell! :)



• tricked JJ into going back to bed for another 2 hrs! Hahahaa... thank goodness for Bribery!



• is floored. JJ played quietly by herself, then put herself down for a nap!?! 2/26/09



• wonders why I bother cleaning the house when JJ just dumps a bottle of Shampoo into the carpet, crackers on the couch, and juice on her pants.



• overheard JJ tell her babydoll, "You're a GENIUS!" (from when I sarcastically tell Taz, "You're a genius you idiot")



• should not be in charge of a 9, 3, 2, and 1/2 year old at the same time... I'm lucky they all still have ten fingers each!



• and JJ are singing, "Ooochie goochie goo, Baby I love you!" to each other. She's so sweet to me... sometimes.



• is an amazingly fast healer! I feel AWSOME!!! :) (or maybe it's just the drugs???)



• is allergic to laundry and dishes... how unfortunate...



• is mad at herself again... just heard JJ say, "Dagummit, look what you did!"



• is going to Wal-Mart... Woop-de-freakin-doooooo!



• is extremely upset at JJ for pooping on her carpet, but still SO IN LOVE WITH HER as she sings B-I-N-G-O!!!



• says "ShamWOW" is more like "ShamSUCKS". It can't clean up two cups of apple juice, 1 pee-pee on the floor, let alone a bathroom covered in water, thanks JJ...



• hates having to drive 20 minutes, take the girls out of their carseats, drag them into the post office, wait for 30min., just to mail a package.



• wants to cuddle with JJ because she was SO stinkin' sweet today. She's growing up TOO FAST! :(



• is too busy for her own good. My calendar is stacked!!!



• got her job back! I forgot how much I got done when Taz was at work all day! I'm a Full-time Homemaker again! 1/20/09



• is going to the Gym to "Ess-ser-zize"... as JJ would say.



• is so proud of JJ for using the big-girl-potty regularly! (except for public bathrooms and ni-nighttime, hahaha...) 1/19/09



• Big-A is set for the next two years! 92 Pairs and counting!



• is feeling guilty as she hears JJ repeat, "I hate my life". Next time I'll vent AFTER the kids are in bed!



• is an idiot, and she's not really stranded, just blind.



• is stranded. Taz took the infant carseat to work and won't be home till 8pm.



• wonders why the Retirement Community always roams around Wal-Mart the SAME time she decides to go and get 2 items!!!



• is fixing JJ's amazingly long hair. I hope the curl never straightens!



• is happy Big-A no longer has to sleep in the closet! 1/8/09



• is laughing at JJ on the DanceCam!



• loves her girls... they BOTH sleep throught the night 8 to 8! Knocking on wood...



• made bacon and eggs for JJ... and all she ate was bacon. She IS her mother's daughter...



• and her family get to have 3 Christmases!



• is happy, not a creature is stirring, not even a JJ.



• is hoping a carpet steamer will clean up the sunscreen lotion JJ played with.



• is listening to JJ sing Big-A a lullaby. 10/08/08



• is loving this "Mommy of 2" job! Not as hard as it could be! 9/26/08



• is feeding Big-A, playing with JJ, folding laundry, and dying for a GIANT COKE!



• is having to pack in case the military evacs us.



• is still having contractions... grrrr 8/24/08



• is sweating like a dog... actually, just sweating like a pregnant lady in July.



• This is what happens when you're pregnant and just don't care anymore... She's so purty! (lipstick all over J and bathroom)

Inspired

Everyday I find myself inspired by people. I feel like I'm a sponge just waiting to absorb all I can from others.

I have piles of books about Parenting and Marriage, with great advice on how to be "Good Mom" or a "Good Wife". But despite all the books, I think I learn best from the women around me.

One of my Fellow Mommy Friends (FMFs) I recently met just seems to have this love for her family that I can't explain, but I know I feel as well. She has daughters, like me, and she loves the same things about them, that I do about Jaelyn and Autumn. When I hear the stories of the cute things her kids do, or the crazy things that drive her nuts, it's a reminder that I love my kids SO much, and not to take them for granted.

Another FMF does SO much for her husband. And he does the same for her. They managed to remain a "couple" and not just "parents". They go on dates, even if it is once a month. They hold hands, and she sits in his lap like they're teenagers. They haven't forgotten the reason they fell in love, or they somehow reinvent reasons.

My favorite FMF seems to have it all, even though I'm sure she has her fair share of tough times. She always has the neatest products, highest quality fashions and furnishings, and loves to cook, which is a passion I have, just not the talent! Her husband loves her to bits, and her son is the kind of son I would want... if I EVER get a BOY! But overall, she's REAL. She's REFRESHING. She lets me vent when I need to and reminds me that what I do is worth it. Everyone needs a FMF like her, because she gets you through when you need help finding the lighter side.

Other FMFs are just a joy to be around. My FMF in Alabama has 4 sons, and a personality to go with it. She went to a "Passion Party" and brought the stuff home to her husband. Afterwards, he said, "You spent $100 on that???" Jokingly, of course, but it's good to have a sense of humor in the bedroom.

More of my FMFs are educational, I have learned so much from those who cloth diaper, use steel bottles, give birth naturally or even at home. I have FMFs that have explained health care, taxes, and first-time home buying to me. It's amazing how I can make it to 25 and not know so much about the world!

My Christian FMFs are awesome because I think having faith is inspiring in itself. It's a powerful thing to have someone to believe in. And to pull Motherhood and God together, it's a wonderful experience. Everyday I feel I am blessed and undeserving.

My two favorite Moms aren't just FMFs. They are my mother, and my sister. My mother for obvious reasons, but my sister mainly because she is a working mom. Most of my FMFs are Stay-at-homes, and we can all relate about the "domesticated life". But my sister, she brings a whole new perspective to light. She's also a childcare teacher and SO creative. I love her two sons as if they were my own. And she is always thinking of others even when she has nothing to offer.

I hope after reading this you are reminded of all the people in your life who inspire you. I always feel I have room for improvement, and I love when I meet people who touch my life and make a change. Like my family, it gives me purpose.

Blogger Impaired

Just so you know, I just wrote an AMAZINGLY insightful post, and then I clicked on the "Layout" tab, and had no clue that it would delete everything I had written under the "Posting" tab.

Note to self: Click "Publish Post" BEFORE navigating the rest of this site!!!

You're a genius, you idiot.

3-2-1-Blast Off!

This is my "Official Launch". I have never "Blogged" before, so as boring as some of these posts may be, I'm sure it will be beneficial to my emotional health.

Ahhh, sweet release! Today was a good day to start. Dr. Phil has "Angry Moms" on his show, and I sometimes feel like I could be one of those Moms. I forget all the great parenting tips I learned, and I find myself yelling at Hurricane JJ for destroying the house once again. I read chain emails about the mom who bumps into a stranger and says, "Excuse, me", but then bumps into her child at home and says, "Move out of the way!". I bought a book about Yelling at your Kids, and had to throw it away when JJ spilled juice all over it. (And ironically, of course, I yelled at her for that, too.) Don't get me wrong, I don't berate her all day. But I do let things build up, and when something really bad happens, I YELL!!! Not just at JJ, but my husband as well.

I hope that this Blog helps me take a step back to remember all the fun things about being a Mom and Wife, and provides an outlet to all the things that stress me out. Please feel free to comment on anything I have to say, whether it be good or bad criticism. I'm sure whatever it is, it needs to be said, and I need to hear it.