Catching Up

I have tons of stuff to do today, but it seems like that is never ending. I always think I'll sit down and catch up when I've done all my chores, but that will never happen, so I'm doing it now instead of counting the number of batteries I need for Christmas morning or balancing the checkbook like I should be doing!

So. . .a lot has happened since I last posted. Actually, a lot happened before that, and I didn't get a chance to write it down! Let's see. . .Nov. 3rd my little sister got married. I can't believe that it is legal for a 10 or 12 year old to get married! Or. . .maybe she's actually older than that and it is just hard for me to believe that she is a grown up. That's possible. Hmmm. . .

It was a BEAUTIFUL wedding. It was also so perfect for HER. I love when ceremonies are such a reflection of the persons involved. Just to tell you what I mean, here are some things that happened through the day. Right before she walked down the aisle, I went to the hallway to get her and she was sitting on the floor in her wedding dress singing "If You're Happy and You Know It" with the flowergirls and ring bearer. Other people would be irritated that the kids couldn't be still. My sister finds joy in children being children, and she loves them for it!

Through the service, the little ones would go back and forth from the front row (with Nana and Pop) to the front (where their moms were!) It didn't bother J. one bit! She loved it. When my sister-in-law tried to make her daughter be still, J. actually waved at her that the kids were fine! She really is so good with kids. It is definitely a special gift that she has.

They had a "sand ceremony" instead of a unity candle. They each had a seperate color of sand that they poured into one bottle. Good for two reasons: 1) the wedding was outside and a unity candle would probably have been blown out--I don't know what that would have said about the future! and 2) they got engaged on the beach, so it was very personalized to their own story.

Two days before the wedding I was telling J and her mom that you have to try not to freak out about the things that go wrong. Everyone wears a dress, says vows, takes pictures, eats cake, does a first dance, etc. Your special stories that make your wedding unique--the things you'll remember and laugh about and tell your grandchildren 50 years from now, are generally the things that go wrong. . .they both just about hyperventilated as I was talking.

So, fast forward to the day of the wedding. C. (mother of the bride) and my dad switch cars so that she can have the one with more room to transport stuff. She takes his golf shoes out of the back of his car and is quite annoyed that he didn't get that stuff out ahead of time so she'd have more room. A couple of hours later they meet up. He says "Where are my tux shoes?" She says "Huh? I don't have your clothes." He says "They were in the back of the car with my tux." Hmmm. . .maybe the golf shoes were actually the tux shoes?? She says "I think they are in the floor of the garage."

No problem. . .we have a good hour before the ceremony starts. C's friend Sheila gets in the car and speeds toward the house. I decide that even though J doesn't want to put on her dress yet, I want to get it out of the bag so I can fluff the petticoat and get it ready. I ask where it is, and J says it is in one of the David's Bridal bags. No. . .it isn't. Those are the bridesmaids dresses. . .who was supposed to get the dress??!!?? It is hanging in C's closet!!! Does J freak out? Only a little! Her mother bursts into hysterical, uncontrollable laughter--probably because her brain has to do that or cry or just plain explode!

No problem. . .Sheila is already on the way to the house! She'll just get the dress too! See how things work out? Good thing the shoes were missing, because that gave Sheila a 20 minute headstart on picking up the dress!! J just kept saying "This is one of my stories, right? The ones that make my wedding different?" Right. My most used saying of the day? "It is fine. It is already taken care of." Total lie in most of the cases, but we got it taken care of before anyone knew better!

Here is a picture of my beautiful 10 year old sister who keeps insisting that she is in fact 26 1/2, and totally a grown up:

What else has happened?

I ran in my first race. It was only a 5K, so not a big deal to most people, but I haven't run competetively since I was a kid. I guess I shouldn't say "competetive" because they didn't adjust the start times, and I wasn't in it to win. . .but it was a timed event with a finish line. I officially came in 11th for my age group, but I didn't get to start for about 45 seconds after the real start time. Next time I'll know to start at the front so I get a more accurate time! I did get a pretty cool Tshirt.

S. ran with me, and I had made him promise for DAYS that he wouldn't go off and leave me. About 100 meters into it, I could tell he was going nuts. I told him to go on, that I would be fine. And I was! I actually had quite a nice talk with myself about not always needing someone around to accomplish something. I am perfectly capable of finishing a race by myself and being alone for a while.

Toward the end, I wanted to walk for a while. I was running a LOT faster than I usually do, so I was kind of tired, but I think I was actually just accustomed to walking--it wasn't that I actually needed to. Because, just as I decided to start to walk, a Marine unit in formation came up along side me. They were calling cadence and had their guidon in front. Well, how can you quit running when that is right next to you? I told myself not to be such a wimp! These guys are running and singing (yelling) and they kept taking turns grabbing the guidon and sprinting around the formation. I decided that as long as I didn't let the WHOLE formation get past me, I would be ok. So, I turned off my Ipod and ran to their cadence. I stayed with the front frow the whole time and finished at a personal record! I ran 9 minute miles. Not a great time, but better than normal (although I am usually pushing 110 pounds worth of kids and stroller. . .)

I did learn why it is good to train for an even though! You definitely work harder during your workouts when you know you have something to get ready for! I only decided to run about a week before the race, so I only had 4 days of workouts, but I ran a lot harder in those than I had been before that--and I hadn't even realized that I wasn't work as hard as I could!

Next event. . .

The boys finished up the soccer season. Sadly, R. never did score a goal. I was really praying for that, but he seems fine with it. He and J are going to play in the spring on base and they can be on the same team. This time it will be a 3-5 year old league, so R will be one of the oldest. I hope that will give him some time to shine!

N. finished the season as truly one of the most amazing goalies ever. As I'm typing this, I feel like I have posted it before, so if that's the case--sorry. Anyway--his coach talked about him at the team party and said "I have been watching soccer since I was a little kid and I have NEVER seen someone play this position at this age with the skill and talent that N has." I, of course, already knew he was amazing, but I thought it was because I was his misguided, biased mother. Turns out, he actually is good. Coaches of other teams were even telling us how great he was. Everyone was talking about him playing up a league next year and going to the competitive league, but S and I have definitely decided against that for now. We want him playing a variety of sports because you learn different physical skills and different life lessons in different sports. There will come a time when he'll have to "specialize" but for now. . .he plays everything. In fact, basketball practices started 2 weeks ago!

What's next?

For Thanksgiving, we went to Fresno to visit the sisters' families. My mom and G met us there, so it was almost a complete family reunion. My brother and his family weren't able to make it. We planned to take a picture of all the kids and photoshop their kids into it. . .but we weren't able to corral all the kids at one time to do that. . .maybe individual shots and photoshop those. . .

We really had a good time. It was so fun to watch the kids play together, and to get to hang out and talk to the grown ups! We also went to Yosemite which was beautiful! I can't wait to go back in the spring when the waterfalls are running fast and we have more daylight to be able to hike through the giant sequoias. They are just amazing to me. It was too dark by the time we got to them to get any good photos--but I will next time we're there!

The kids did a couple of cooking projects with the grandparents. The little ones lost interest pretty quick, but N and K hung in there. They made fudge and helped with cheese logs with Oma. Then a couple of days later they made cupcakes in ice cream cones with Opa. They loved that!

We had Thanksgiving dinner at J's (different J than the wedding story above!) house. They haven't lived there long, so we hadn't seen the house before. It is really pretty and they had big tables for everyone to be able to sit together. We did manage to set the timers on the cameras and get a few shots of everyone in front of the fireplace!

We had dessert at B's in laws house. They are really fun and S always enjoys talking to Bob (B's father in law.) They went to the same military school (42 years apart!) and have a great time talking about the "traditions" (read HAZING!) that are still the same! I'm going to send the photo to the alumni magazine!B and I got up at 3:30 the day after Thanksgiving and went shopping. We got some amazing deals and we totally filled up her SUV--not even thinking about the fact that I would then have to get everything in my van, with my kids, and get it home. Not to worry, though, my husband--the packing genius--made it happen with almost no effort. He's awesome.

I finished almost all of the Xmas shopping that day, so I've only had to hunt for a few things since then. I completed all of the shopping Sunday when I got that one last gift!!

We took family pictures at the beach for the Christmas cards. . .I got a lot of good ones of the kids--

The one that makes me misty eyed:

The one that makes me proud of their friendship with each other (when they aren't trying to kill each other!) See all the rocks at the same time??

The one we used for the card: (aren't they beautiful--and big!)

And the one of all of us:

I'm sure there are a million more things to write about, and hopefully I'll do that as I think of them, but for now, I have only one more interesting (sort of) thing to say. About a week ago, I took a test to be certified as a personal trainer. I'm sure that some of you don't think that is a big deal, or it might seem kind of flighty, but it was quite a challenge for me.

For one thing, I haven't been tested on ANYTHING since May of 1996. And, I'm not even sure I had to take any finals then. . .it may have been as long as December of 1995!! So, that made me nervous.

Secondly, I was the oldest in my class--by a lot. There were only 3 of us, but that just made the differences more obvious. Also, they both had more experience than me. One of them is getting a degree in sports medicine, and is currently an intern as the assistant trainer for the football team at her college. The other girl is a kickboxing instructor, and has already completed the certification for group exercise instruction.

What they did NOT have was the experience of having spent 2 years on Weight Watchers and 2 years working out with a trainer. So, a lot of the information was stuff that I have absorbed over the last 2 years as I've incorporated it into my life.

The technical anatomy stuff was quite a challenge. I never figured I'd need to learn that stuff--names of muscles, joint actions, cardiopulmonary systems, rish factors for cardiopulmonary disease etc. Why should I learn it? I have parents who are a nurse, a nurse practitioner, and a trained coach. I have a best friend who is a physical therapist, her husband who is a PA, and my own husband who is a soldier. Why would I need to learn that stuff when I have all the resources to just ask when I have a question??!!

Anyway--I did learn it. I could rattle it all off to you right now! That's not to say I learned all the stuff they know. The first thing they talk about in the class is to know your limitations and know when to refer someone to a medical professional. But, I know enough to know that there's a whole LOT involved to working out!

So, I know I did well on the written test. I took it twice and compared my answers. Even if I missed all of the ones that I wasn't certain on, I still made an 88 or so. But, I came home and looked up the ones I could remember, and I know I got at least 6 of those right, so I did ok. The practical part, I'm not sure of.

The grader said that she would stop you when you had covered everything that you needed to. While I was teaching my "client" I asked her to do 2 more reps. As she started the second, the grader said to move on to the stretches. I'm not sure if she stopped me because I had covered everything, or because I had painted myself into a corner by saying to do 2 more.

After that, she said to two progressional more difficult exercises for the opposing muscle group. That would be hamstrings. I did hamstring curl machine first. Obviously, that is correct. But, I woke up in the middle of the night and thought that the second exercise I did was for gluts--not hamstrings!! CRAP!

I went to my gym and talked to the manager (the one who encouraged me to do this in the first place!) and she assured me that it WAS a hamstring exercise, because they are worked isometrically. Great. She also said that I didn't mess up with the first thing, because all the time you hear trainers say "Do 2 more." and they do 2 and then the trainer says "Do 2 more." So she is certain that the grader stopped me because I had covered everything.

She also said that it has always been her experience that if you failed the practical part, they told you right then. So. . .if she's right, I probably passed. You have to get a 90% on the practical. We'll see in about 4 to 6 weeks. Which really sucks--she's sitting RIGHT THERE! She knows my score as soon as I finish, so why couldn't she just TELL me?

Who knows. But, I did hear her telling another girl that she should go and retake the practical as soon as possible. So, she must have failed.

The gym said they would hire me as soon as I get the certification. That would be great experience, and then hopefully the next place we live will be hiring trainers on post! While we are here, it would be good money--if I can just get some clients. Doing group training, it would be about $64 and hour, and I wouldn't have to pay for child care! Keep your fingers crossed!!

So--I'm done for now. Off to help with N's class walking field trip to Christmas Card Lane. I'll have to post about that soon. One of my favorite parts of living in this neighborhood!

6 Year Old Project

I haven't done many projects lately (unless you count "soccer mom" stuff) but this one is something I really like. It is pretty simple, but it took me 6 years to do. . .waiting for each of the kids to be exactly the same age! They are all just past their second birthdays in these photos. I made it for the breakfast room. It is actually in a frame, you just can't see the sides of it in the photo. I realized after I took the photo that the first two lines were backwards, so I took them off and fixed them, but I didn't take a new picture. Sorry!

November 13th

Yesterday was the 3rd anniversary of the death of S's friend, Sean. It is amazing how many emotions can be wrapped up in one thing. Guilt, sadness, fear, anger, and on and on.

The feelings he has about all of this are not something S can share with me. He had to go tell Sean's wife. He still carries that guilt. He hated it. The fact that he could never be a comfort to her as someone who was friends with Sean, because he would always be the face at the door. Not just that he had to tell her, but the whole story behind the lead up to the deployment as well. That day, after he told her, when he came home, he left right away. He went to talk to some other friends. He stayed there the whole evening. It was like he could not look at me. It was a comfort to them, that he was there--their husbands were still deployed, and they were scared and sad. But, I still felt left out--and guilty. The guilt is still the biggest thing.

S. still can't include me in this part of himself. Even at church--on Memorial Day and the Sunday closest to the anniversary of Sean's death, he won't hold my hand, and he pulls away when I try to hold his. I guess I'm not much of a comfort. The fact that I exist, the kids exist, he still exists--it all creates a lot of guilt. I don't know if it would have been different if the command slate hadn't changed. Or if S didn't have to go tell her. All I know is that we both still feel terribly guilty, and we can't help each other with it. We don't even discuss it.

S. has his own little "ritual" that he does to honor Sean on the 13th of November every year. He doesn't include me in it. He waits until I go to bed. It is no big elaborate thing. But, it reminds me of the lyrics in a country song:

"he remembers the fallen,
as he orders a tall one--
and swallows it down with his tears."

November 13th of every year--A Guinness For Sean:

In Honor of Veterans' Day

So, on Memorial Day it was really important to me that people acknowledge the sobriety of the meaning of the day. I think I ranted and raved for 2 or 3 days about boycotting all businesses that said "Happy Memorial Day" in their ads.

For Veterans' Day, I have kind of a different attitude. I think it is basically just supposed to be a day to honor those who have served and are serving. That's kind of vague--especially as a family member. Other people spend the day coming up to the soldiers and saying "Thanks"--which is great. But as the wife, I'm not going to spend all day telling S. "Thanks." Come on! Who needs that kind of bigheadedness around the house? (Just kidding!)

Anyway--I treat it as a day to celebrate the differences between a soldier and a civilian. There are lots of the typical things like willingness to die for your country, noble sacrifice, etc. But here's the important thing to me--it is very sexy! Especially infantrymen (sorry--I know all my army wife friends aren't married to infantrymen. . .I'm sure that to you your branch is better!)



So. . .I just think the macho kick ass attitude that they have is very appealing (sometimes it is a pain in the ass, but. . .you know.) Every time I hear a story of a soldier who has been injured. . .the story always ends with "How soon can I get back over there?" It amazes me. The "warrior spirit." I think that is probably the "thing" they have that the rest of us don't. We all have bravery at some point, we have patriotism, we have attachment to our friends, so it is hard to define why THEIR bravery is greater, their patriotism deeper, their attachment to friends closer. I haven't ever been able to put words to it, but I think that's it. The Warrior Spirit.

Here is my example for the week: (by the way--the guy isn't infantry--he is EOD!!!) And it is true. You can check it on snopes.

Leading the fight is Gunnery Sgt. Michael Burghardt, known as "Iron Mike" or just "Gunny". He is on his third tour in Iraq. He had become a legend in the bomb disposal world after winning the Bronze Star for disabling 64 IEDs and destroying 1,548 pieces of ordnance during his second tour. Then, on September 19, he got blown up.

He had arrived at a chaotic scene after a bomb had killed four US soldiers. He chose not to wear the bulky bomb protection suit. "You can't react to any sniper fire and you get tunnel-vision," he explains. So, protected by just a helmet and standard-issue flak jacket, he began what bomb disposal officers term "the longest walk", stepping gingerly into a 5ft deep and 8ft wide crater.

The earth shifted slightly and he saw a Senao base station with a wire leading from it. He cut the wire and used his 7inch knife to probe the ground. "I found a piece of red detonating cord between my legs," he says. "That's when I knew I was screwed." Realizing he had been sucked into a trap, Sgt Burghardt, 35, yelled at everyone to stay back. At that moment, an insurgent, probably watching through binoculars, pressed a button on his mobile phone to detonate the secondary device below the sergeant's feet.

"A chill went up the back of my neck and then the bomb exploded," he recalls. "As I was in the air I remember thinking, 'I don't believe they got me.' I was just ticked off they were able to do it. Then I was lying on the road, not able to feel anything from the waist down." His colleagues cut off his trousers to see how badly he was hurt. No one could believe his legs were still there. "My dad is aVietnam vet who's paralyzed from the waist down," says Sgt Burghardt. "I was lying there thinking I didn't want to be in a wheelchair next to my dad and for him to see me like that. They started to cut away my pants and I felt a real sharp pain and blood trickling down. Then I wiggled my toes and I thought, 'Good, I'm in business.' "

As a stretcher was brought over, adrenaline and anger kicked in. "I decided to walk to the helicopter. I wasn't going to let my teammates see me being carried away on a stretcher." He stood and gave the insurgents who had blown him up a one-fingered salute. "I flipped them one. It was like, 'OK, I lost that round but I'll be back next week!"

Copies of a photograph depicting his defiance, taken by Jeff Bundy for the Omaha World-Herald, adorn the walls of homes across America and that of Col John Gronski, the brigade commander in Ramadi, who has hailed the image as an exemplar of the warrior spirit. Sgt Burghardt's injuries - burns and wounds to his legs and buttocks - kept him off duty for nearly a month and could have earned him a ticket home. But, like his father - who was awarded a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for being wounded in action in Vietnam - he stayed in Ramadi to engage in the battle against insurgents who are forever coming up with more ingenious ways of killing Americans.

Random Fire Related Pictures

Here is a picture of the kids in their masks that they still have to wear if they are outside for a long period of time. They got very good at sitting still so we could tie them, but we still got elastic strap ones for restocking the emergency box!This is the stuff we donated to the "free store" for the fire victims:This is the sky 1 week after the fires. You can still see the line between the smoke and the clear sky. I didn't get any when the sky was really black. L got some. . .I will get her to send them to me so I can post them.

Halloween Costumes

The kids were a big hit at the halloween parade at school today. N. was a little nervous when we got to school, because he didn't have a"typical" costume like other kids would be wearing. But, as we walked across the blacktop and kids started going "Whoa! Look at that! That is so AWESOME!" he got really excited about it! And of course, R and J are always so cute!!

They let the preschoolers participate, so when we got there, J. said "I'm gonna be a parade too." I figured it was fine. He was in costume and he had a mask on so no one could tell he wasn't a preschooler! R. held his hand and they were SO good the whole time! It was really fun too.

N's class N's class did a "performance" that was a little rusty, since they didn't get to practice very much. (Being out of school for a whole week messed up a lot of plans!) It was cute though. They really had a good time bowing!R's class had a sort of "party" too. They decorated cookies and stuff like that! They were thrilled to be in the "big kids" parade!

J. and I came home and got ready for N's class party and then went back to the school. We had so much stuff with us that we had to take the wagon!! The crazy stuff I did for the food for the party went over pretty well, and the party was a lot of fun. I made witch's brooms out of pretzels and string cheese, pumpkins out of rice crispies treats and gumdrops and they had apples and caramel dip. I also got "aqua pod" water bottles, took of the label and drew jack o lantern faces. Then, I painted the tops green. Yesterday, I poured the water into a pitcher and made orange juice (I had to add food coloring because orange juice is actually pretty yellow!) it made pretty cool jack o lanterns!We went to the C family's house for pizza and trick or treating, and then came home. It was a really good day!S. is a VERY good pumpkin carver! He lets each kid pick out a template, and they look forward to carving them for weeks! This is what they did this year:

N's

J's
R's

Mommy & Daddy's

These are pics from R's class trip to the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago!

Our Lists

So, I have worked out my lists of what to have in the emergency box, what to get out of the house if we have to leave, and what to do in and to the house before we go. Keep in mind that the emergency box is not only for evacuation. It is also for if there is an emergency and you are in your house without power or water or whatever.

Now, you may read this and think--"Come on. That's a little extreme." Or, "Oh please. She is going way overboard." And here is what I have to say to you "HEY!! Who was just evacuated, me or you? Don't give me any crap Mister! (or Missy!) I know what I took, what I needed when I got there, and what I forgot. . .so THERE!"

Don't argue with me, man. You don't have to put all this stuff in your box. You can just put some saltines and a sleeping bag if you want to--but guess what--if the time comes to evacuate, you're gonna HOPE you're staying in the same shelter as me!

Seriously though, you might have to add to yours. Pet stuff, prescription meds, contact solution, etc. Imagine if you were going on a vacation, and pack like that. Then add everything you would take if the vacation was to an uninhabited island (no power or water) and that you wouldn't be coming back (don't forget Grandma's pearls!!)

You'll notice that this list is in a wacky order. Again I say "Back off picky! I just got freakin' evacuated! Give me a break!" Just kidding! Really it is because I wrote out my inventory as I put things in the box (to be sure I actually HAD them and wasn't just planning them and then they get stolen by the hurricane boy before I got them into the box!)

Here we go:
Emergency kit:
make a list of everything that you put in the box and keep it either on top or on the outside of the box. That way, you don't freak out and start digging through it "just to be sure" you have whatever. Also, list the experation dates of the meds, and check it yearly to replace.
Paper plates and bowls (preferably microwaveable)
paper towels
handi wipe reusable dish cloths
Plastic forks, knives, spoons
foil pans (cookie sheet and 9x13 baking pan)
3 large lawn and leaf trash bags
ziploc bags (gallon, quart, and snack)
twist ties
5-10 plastic grocery bags
mesh laundry bag
rubber bands
masks (air filter kind) preferably with elastic--the tie ones make kids crazy
goggles (swim ones work well for kids, since they don't cover their noses)
baby wipes
kleenex
toilet paper
antibacterial wipes
hand sanitizer
sewing kits (w/ non waxed dental floss--it is stronger than thread)
insect repellant w/sunscreen
chem lights
swiss army knife
cigarette lighter (just in case the emergency is so bad you decide to take up smoking! ha ha!)
feminine hygeine supplies
super glue
manual can opener
first years disposable sippy cups (you can use the cups without lids for grown ups)
crayons/notepads/coloring books
beach balls (they're smaller and quieter than soccer balls!)
list of emergency phone numbers (family/friends in area and out of area)
list of information phone numbers, TV stations, radio stations for local area
hand crank radio (so you don't need batteries)
crank or shake flashlights
2 way radios
batteries for 2 way radios
ponchos
poncho liners, sleeping bags, or blankets
local/state maps
inflatable sleep mattresses
pump
camping pillows
personal hygiene stuff: cleanser towelettes (they have soap in them and you just get them wet); baby wash towlettes; shampoo/conditioner; toothbrushes; toothpaste; ponytail holders/hair clips; shaving cream/razors; lotion; deodorant; brush/comb; tweezers; nail clippers
medical kit: kid and adult versions of everything: ibuprofen; acetominophen; benadryl; sudafed; neosporin; eye drops; saline nasal drops; pepto (chewable tablets can be for kids and adults); immodium
digital photos of all electronics, paintings, furniture and other "high dollar items"
list of serial numbers/make/model of electronics

Things to get out of the house:
copy computer hard drive to external hard drive and take it (or laptop)
proof of address (insurance card, mail you've recieved, etc.) you might need it to get back into area
blankie/stuffed animal for each kid
documents--birth certificates, passports, powers of attorney, wills, etc.
year end summary of investments
medical records/shot records
scrapbooks
baby books
wedding album
photo boxes
kids memory boxes
address/phone book
digital camera
stroller
3 sets of clothes for each person--plus a set for the opposite weather
jacket
closed toe shoes and socks
jewelry
uniform
cell phones and chargers
portable dvd player + dvds
food: granola bars, dry cereal, peanut butter, bread, crackers, canned soup, honey, milk (if you can take a cooler) water
diapers
tool kit
toys for inside (puzzles; legos; cars; whatever the girl versions of these are. . .)

Things to do before you leave the house:
close all windows and turn off lights
unplug anything you can
try to find out if the utility companies want you to turn off water or gas before you do it
take digital photos of things you are leaving--including wide shots of each room
put a towel on the floor inside each door
turn on sprinklers (I guess this is just for wildfires, but you understand that I must include it, right?)

So, I'm sure you now think that I am a completely paranoid freak or that I totally have PTSD--but, if the day comes. . .you'll wish you had at least copied down the lists, even if you didn't actually get the box together!!

Today

This evening I went to an information meeting about the Billy Graham Disaster Response Organization. They are setting up a headquarters at our church, and recruiting volunteers. One part of their organization is "Samaritan's Purse." (You may have heard of them through Operation Christmas Child--shoeboxes of Christmas gifts.) Anyway--they are the "hammer and nails" portion. The other part is the Chaplains and Ministry Assistants. That's what tonight's meeting was about.

As my mother anticipated, all of the "trauma response training" was stuff I have either taken classes on, or experienced--or both. So, that part wasn't that informative to me. The rest was an orientation to their organization. I'm not sure it is really practical for me to volunteer for them right now (on a national basis--I am working for them here locally during fire recovery) since I still have little kids and it would be almost impossible for me to "deploy" to a disaster area for a week or two at a time. But, I got a lot of information about crisis response training that I might start looking into. It can only be helpful in the army life, right? Most of the information seems to be stuff I already have taken classes on, but it might be good to get the credentials. . .we'll see. . .

Now, on to the majority of my day. I finally felt comfortable to unpack all the stuff that we took with us during the evacuation. I also needed to restock the emergency box. I also had a ton of party decoration stuff in my kitchen because the Friday and Saturday before the fires, we had a surprise birthday party for my friend, and my neighbor had a sweet 16 party for her daughter. In addition to that, we had all the laundry, school stuff, etc that needed to be put away from the week before we left. AND--I am the room mom for N's class, so I have a bunch of Halloween party stuff everywhere, getting ready for the party on Wednesday. Plus, I have 18 picture frames to finish for the end of season awards for the kids soccer teams. So--I really really needed to get my house cleaned up. (I also haven't cleaned in about 2 weeks). So, we got home from the gym and I started working on it. Here's my observation:

Did you know that you can actually go BACKWARDS in cleaning your house?? It is truly possible. Particularly when you have a 2 1/2 year old hurricane child living in your house. The little boys had already eaten lunch, so I thought that the potential for messes was minimized. In fact, I thought that they might lay down and take a nap. Who was I kidding?? I took a basket of laundry upstairs and put it away. I came out of my bedroom to find hundreds of tiny pieces of Starburst wrappers--along with parts of the candies--all up and down the stairs. Apparently, some of the flavors don't interest J. much.

I gathered a bunch of miscellaneous shoes from around the house and hung them on the rack in the closet downstairs. Midway through J yells from upstairs "Mommy! I spilled the goldfish!" (Crackers--not aquarium). Ok--WHY are the goldfish upstairs? HOW did you spill them? They are in a container with a top with a TINY opening that only allows one fish out at a time--specifically for this PURPOSE! I threatened to eliminate all snack food from the entire house if he didn't pick up the stinkin' goldfish.

He came back a few minutes later, "Mommy! There are crumbs of goldfish everywhere." No kidding?? I can't imagine. So, underneath my desk (at which I am currently sitting) there are about 100 crushed goldfish ground into the carpet! He did, however, pick up the whole ones. He put them in the container and left it under the desk. Of course, I didn't know that until I kicked it over when I sat down here to write this!

The pillows on my couch are NEVER on my couch. They are always on the floor or being thrown from one child to (or at) another. Books. . .they are all over the floor too. They are slick, and when they are on tile and you step on them. . .you WILL do the splits.

I made the bed. J jumped on it until all the pillows AND the quilt bounced off. I put away everything on the bathroom cabinet--he took out all the brushes and hairdryers and drug them all over the upstairs. I finished N's halloween costume--J wadded up tons of newspaper and threw it all over the house and tried to attack R with the staple gun.

So, I spent about 5 1/2 hours cleaning up my house today. I never got to vaccuum the ridiculous crumbs and the kitchen floor is disgusting and there are still party supplies all over. I could have probably finished all of it in about 2 hours if I could just find a good boarding school that doesn't require students to be potty trained!!!

Amazing Community

I know it will eventually fall off, but right now, there are more volunteers than there are spots! All of the "official" organizations--Red Cross, Humane Society, etc. have all of the supplies they need and all of the volunteers they need. This is with more than 2000 homes burned! As time goes by, I am sure that they will start needing more. . .but it is heartwarming to hear that. Of course, they are still asking people to put their names in the volunteer database! They can always use more names!

Tomorrow our area is hosting a "free store" for families affected by the fires. (In our school district, reported so far, 20 staff members and 350 students have lost their homes.) We spent all day today going through clothes, sheets, and kitchen stuff. We ended up with about 15 large lawn and leaf bags full of stuff. It made me feel really bad. I can't believe that we had that much stuff that we could so easily give away. But, most of it was kids clothes, and since we have 3 boys--we keep everything for hand me downs. Today we went through every size of clothes and anything that we had several of, we sent some to the donation area. It was good to help, I guess. Still feel kinda bad about it.

I am going to go work at the store tomorrow. I am thinking of volunteering for Rebuilding Together San Diego. It is a year round organization that rebuilds people's homes. I'm not sure what I can do, but I am good at projects. I can always paint walls or dig holes for flowers!

The irritation and frustration and impatience is starting to surface, as many people are returning home, and a few must still be out. They don't have power restored, or they have no water, but the residents just want to go home. It is natural, I just hope that the media doesn't seize on that. There are so very many good angles to this story. . .

Interesting Fact

This is the largest evacuation since the Civil War. And the Civil War evacuation was over several battlefronts over a period of 4 years. Crazy, huh?

Well, not really. I have been telling my neighbors and friends since we moved here that everywhere we have been stationed has had a record breaking weather related emergency while we were there. Everyone laughs, but is it any wonder that I'm prepared?

North Carolina--record breaking ice on ground. More than 6 inches AT THE AIRPORT!
Missouri--record breaking snowfall in one day (16 inches in 12 hours)
lowest temperatures on record
Europe--record breaking floods
highest temperatures on record
coldest winter on record
Now here--driest conditions in 130 years, largest spread fires

Seriously man--when I say get ready--I mean it! (No one is ever going to want to rent to us again!)

Our Family through the Fire

For "evacuees," we really had the best situation possible. Not only did we have a hotel room instead of a sleeping bag in a gym, our hotel room opened into a sitting area, and we shared it with our friend and her kids. We also had a community kitchen on our floor--and it was next to our room! We were on a military base so we had immediate access to the medical clinic (I'm still sick) the commissary, the exchange, etc. That made it a lot easier to pack, because I didn't bother with too many clothes or toiletries or food. We just went over and got what we needed.

The bowling alley let us bowl for free. The movie theater usually shows one movie each day at 6:30. They moved the grown up movies to 8:30 and showed kid movies all day, for free. The gym had supplies for us like laundry soap, razors, shower gel, baby wash, masks, etc. The laundry facilities were free. I am ashamed to even say we were "evacuated." It is almost like we just went out of town for a few days!

The 6 kids all got very attached to each other quickly. They got used to having 3 parents too (B's husband is deployed--only a few more weeks!!) At one point, her daughter was walking from the car to the hotel room. B said "Wait just a second." She was getting the baby out of the car. H waited for her, but as I walked up from my car, she just went along with me. Assuming that one parent is as good as another!

The kids played well together and for the most part, were really really good. They were kids, of course, so it was hard to get them to be quiet in the hotel room, but overall--really good. We went bowling the first two days, so the third day, as soon as they woke up, they asked "Can we go bowling now?" They didn't want to wait around the hotel room while we watched the news!! We ended up going to Chik Fila and Chuck E Cheese instead, but as we were packing the car to come home, they asked if we could go bowling one more time before we went home!

They got kind of sick of us. For one thing, my kids are not used to being inside. They never play inside. So, that was making them nuts. And, they aren't used to having us right on top of them. They usually play outside all day, with me sitting in the driveway making sure they don't get run over or kidnapped. I don't really interfere with their games, and they don't really pay attention to the fact that I am there. So, it made them crazy to have us constantly saying "Don't do that. Come over here. Be quiet." They were pretty proud of the fact that they had come up with all kinds of games and things to do. They would have been happier if we had just gone in the bedroom and left them alone! (We pretty much felt the same, by the way!!)

It was very strange as we followed B to her house. The kids and I felt sad saying goodbye! We have never lived in the same house with them before, but all of a sudden, we didn't want to be apart from them. Maybe it was because the fires still aren't totally out, but for some reason, it feels like we should stick together! I guess it is probably just my inability to say goodbye!! I seem to be feeding it to my kids, even though I try really hard not to!

The air quality here is still stinky, but not too bad. There is no ash in the air, and the smoke doesn't hurt your eyes or lungs. We will still probably wear masks outside the house for a while. We were under orders to do that on the base, and we are a lot closer to the fires up here. You know that you are a wildfire evacuee when your 2 year old stands perfectly still to have his mask tied on his face! The first time or two that we put J's mask on him, he fidgeted and fussed, which we expected. But, he quickly figured out that if he put it on, he got to go outside, so he got good at it pretty quickly. When we got home, I opened the door to the van, and the kids got a whiff of the air. Someone said "Mommy, where's my mask? It stinks here!"

Most of our neighbors are home. One family is still gone. They had a tremendous trauma last summer, with their trip to Lebanon and the mom really had trouble when they got back. . .She was taking care of 3 little kids and a handicapped mother in law through all of it--you can imagine that her Post Traumatic Stress was pretty bad. They all went through it--but she was responsible for everyone. . .you know--the mom!! Anyway--the dad does not want them to have ANY awareness of the trouble for now. He doesn't want them hearing the sirens, smelling the smoke, or watching the news. He took them far away to a resort on the beach. School is out anyway, so they are just using it as a vacation. I think it is smart!

Some of our neighbors came back early, before the evacuation order was lifted. I think that was a bad choice. For one thing, the air quality is bad. Not only can it make you sick now, the long term effects are bad. Your lungs can only recover so much when they've been affected. Especially small children.

Secondly, if something were to have happened, and the firefighters had to come BACK to get them out--it puts the firefighters in danger and takes them away from the fire that they should have been fighting. It might LOOK like the fire isn't close, but if there wasn't a chance it would come this way--they wouldn't still have us evacuated.

Third, if they need to drop water or flame retardant--they won't do it if there are people in the area. So, a smaller fire would not be able to be put out as quickly, and it would grow. All of those things make it seem ridiculous to me that someone would stay.

Also, if you are under evacuation order, they are not going to REevacuate. So, if the fire heads this way, no one is going to warn you. They are assuming you are out, BECAUSE THEY ALREADY TOLD YOU TO LEAVE!

Finally, it is a rule. If the fire dept says evacuate--you are supposed to. I do not like when people decide that rules don't apply to them. Parking in the fire lane to pick up their kid at school, not making their kid do homework, and STAYING in the neighborhood when you've been TOLD to EVACUATE.

Anyway. . .

I thought that I was fine. I got everything out that I had to have and most of the stuff that I wanted to have. We didn't have to rush out, and we had a good place to stay. We told the kids that we were leaving because I was sick and the smoke was making it harder for me to breathe, so we were going somewhere that I could breathe better. So, they weren't freaked out. I didn't freak out. We were fine in the hotel, and not really getting on each other's nerves too bad. So, I'm not really sure why I had a little mini meltdown last night after we got home.

I was sad leaving B. The whole drive home, I was looking for the smoke, flames, burned areas, etc. I kept having this overwhelming feeling of wanting to call everyone who means anything to me and say "Just wanted to call and say you mean so much to me!" Then, we got home and I started listening to the answering machine. It was mostly me, since I figured that if I called the house and the answering machine answered, that the house was still standing and the power was still on. But, there were a few friends with worry in their voices. . .heard C.'s and then S.Mc's and had to delete them as soon as they said their names. Instantly I was crying. S asked me if I even wanted to hear what they said. I said no because I already talked to them and now it would make me cry.

I swallowed those tears and was fine again, and went to call to check in with my brother. My sister in law said hello and I had to give the phone to S because I started sobbing! Ridiculous! I think I was just giving up on the "everything is fine" facade, since I didn't have to pretend anymore! Kind of like when your kid gets hurt, and you are totally in control and fine until you give them over to your husband or a doctor or whatever--then you melt down. Or, you stay in control until the doctor comes and tells you that everything is ok. Then you sob. It was like that. I was ok after about 30 seconds. . .but it made me realize that I probably need to rest some today. Writing all of this down helps! If you're reading this, I hope you know that I meant you when I said I was thinking of everyone who meant something to me!

The only thing that worries me now is that I am supposed to go to my sister's wedding next week. I'm not sure I can leave. I'm glad it is not this week, because I have some time to get it together, but I don't know if I can do it that soon either. S. went in to the office today, and even though he said he'd come home by 10:30, I'm still scared about it. I want us all together all the time. I won't tell them all that, because there is no need to freak out the kids. . .but I would really just rather have all my chicks (and the rooster) in my nest and keep them here. Is that a form of PTSD? Who knows. . .I will be better when I am doing something for someone else.

I will take today to rest, but then I must find a way to help. I don't think they need more donations at the evac shelters, and I can't volunteer there with all the kids. I am thinking that I can do something for the firefighters. My friend's friend's husband is a firefighter from Arizona that is here working. I'm thinking that if I can get in touch with him, I could offer him and his unit a place to sleep and eat. Since they are far from home, they don't have a station to go back to to rest. Maybe they'll all come here, or I can take them food. They can either sleep all in my house or I'll go to all my neighbors and make them open up their guestrooms. . .I don't know if you know this about me, but I can be a little bossy. ;) If not, I'll go to the fire station down the street and ask what I can do. If you have ideas of what I could do--let me know!

Everyone I've talked to has said "I wouldn't even know what to take if I had to evacuate." Well, due to my obnoxious obsession with organization, as well as my morbidity--we were pretty well prepared. But, we definitely thought of things that could have been better. (You know you are a military family when the WIFE gets to the hotel room and says "OK--let's AAR this.") AAR is After Action Review. It just seemed appropriate. . .

Anyway--I have three lists now. . .things to keep in the emergency box, things to take out of the house, and things to do before leaving the house. I'll post them sometime if anyone is interested. One important point that I bet you didn't know. . .when you've been evacuated and you're going back--you have to have proof of address. This is to prevent looters and stop people from going back to areas that are still closed. Guess what? If you are a military person--your driver's license probably doesn't have your current address on it! You can bring some mail addressed to you or something. We had our insurance cards in our car. . .

Well, I need to get started on the day. Time to go fix breakfast! Hope to hear from you all soon!

Home Again

Yesterday at about 3:30, they lifted the evacuation for our area. We waited around a while to watch the news. I was concerned that if the active burns were still near our house, the shifting winds could bring the fires back on us. I was also afraid that the air quality would still be too bad to be healthy. After a while, an updated map was put on the air, and we felt comfortable coming home.

We got here at about 6:15 last night. Our neighborhood is fine. We (so far) never even lost power. There are people who lost everything--and we didn't even have a gallon of milk spoil. I am having some guilt over that. When they had the Scripps Ranch fires here (4 years ago--TODAY) over 2200 homes burned. And yet, there were some neighborhoods where al thehouses would burn to the ground--and one would be left untouched. Apparently, some of those people had a really hard time dealing with the guilt and loneliness caused by being the only ones to not be burned out. I can only imagine how they felt, because I feel so guilty and my neighbors are all ok!!

The city and county (and state and federal) agencies have done an amazing job. The organization of the evacuations, the shelters, the response plans, everything is so well done. I am furious with the lieutenant governor who said on national TV that the reason the fires weren't out the first night is because the California National Guard is deployed. The DAY BEFORE HE SAID THAT the commander of the National Guard gave a press conference and gave the true numbers. California has 20,000 national guard troops. 3,000 of them are deployed. That leaves 17,000. Additionally, when they planned the deployments, they knew it would be fire season, so they didn't deploy the firefighters.

The fires weren't out the first night because the air assets couldn't be used because of the winds. No one's planes or helicopters could fly. Not the city, not the county, not the military, not NASA. I suppose God could have flown a plane, but at this time in history, God personally doesn't generally use industrial technology.

I wish people would educate themselves before making moronic statements. Apparently, people don't understand that the military can't just "step in." They (the national guard) have to be mobilized by the governor and the active duty troops have to be requested. It's called posse comitatus. Here's Wikipedia's explanation:

The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1385) passed on June 16, 1878 after the end of Reconstruction. The Act was intended to prohibit Federal troops from supervising elections in former Confederate states. It generally prohibits Federal military personnel and units of the United States National Guard under Federal authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity within the United States, except where expressly authorized by the Constitution or Congress. The Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act substantially limit the powers of the Federal government to use the military for law enforcement.

So--THEN--someone asked "Why didn't the governor just mobilize all of them then?" Well, moron--what would we do if there was an emergency 2 weeks from now? And all of our National Guard troops were otherwise engaged? The fact is, San Diego city and county know what they are doing. They have a plan. They practiced it. They knew what assistance they needed and they've gotten it. THEY ARE HANDLING IT.

Another issue: People keep comparing the to Katrina. Here are the differences as I see them: 1. The city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana sat back and said "Why isn't anyone taking care of us?" (Meaning the federal government and FEMA) The city of San Diego stood up and said "We're going to take care of ourselves."
2. New Orleans waited 'til the last minute and said "Everybody get out. We don't know how. Just go." San Diego evacuated people early and conservatively, so that there was little strain on the traffic flow, and everyone's nerves.
3. New Orleans is something like 11 feet below sea level. They knew that a hurricane was going to happen eventually. They didn't bother to plan for it. San Diego is in the middle of wildfire country. They knew it would happen eventually. They had a fabulous plan.

There are some differences tha tmade Katrina harder to deal with than the fires. Here, our shelters are out of harm's way. Once you get to them, the power works, the water is running, etc. So, the conditions are better. It is also easier to donate supplies, because you can drive straight to Qualcomm and drop off a sleeping bag or whatever. And, they can use the parking lot as a staging area. There was so much water standing in New Orleans, that you couldn't get to the stadium.

But, the lack of coordination inside New Orleans' stadium was shameful. We have National Guard soldiers patrolling--very visably--so no one gets any funny ideas. They have the box suites set up for elderly and people with disabilities. They have food service areas (even one for kosher food!) and playrooms for kids. They are helping people set up tents or blanket "forts" like my kids make, just to give them some privacy in the big open areas.

I'm also amazed by the spirit of the people here. Everyone is staying calm and focused. People are calling in to TV and radio stations and offering their farms for evacuation of animals or even just their guestrooms for people to stay in! I wish it didn't take a tragedy to bring out the best in people. This has really given me a boost in my belief in the human race. . .I wish it would last. But, I anticipate that as this goes on, someone--whether in San Diego or the national arena, maybe politicians, maybe news media--someone is going to dig and dig and find a bad spin. It is really disgusting.

I'm going to stop this ranting post, and start a new one that is more about our family. I have a picture of the boys in their masks. . .I just have to find the camera!

Funny Story

One more thing really quick. . .as we were trying to leave, we got to the light that is about 1/2 a block from our house. The guy who lives on the corner of our circle was there, in the turn lane, with a dead battery (he's a car salesman, so he always has several in his driveway!!) S pulled up next to him, and asked if he needed help. M. parked the car and ran up to get a truck. I pulled behind M. so I could put my hazard lights on and protect his car. We were taking up both lanes at that point. S. was just standing there waiting for M to get back, but all the other cars (from all directions) were just sitting looking at him.

I thought they were mad about his car, so I jumped out and pulled it up on the sidewalk so one lane was open. They still just sat there. I looked around and they were staring at S. I finally jumped out and yelled "Honey--you are in uniform. . .they think you are in charge!!" Immediately he went from neighbor towing car to soldier in charge. He started directing traffic in the intersection (2 lanes in each direction on both roads!) It was so funny!! Even when the light was green, they wouldn't go until he told them to! A guy in an RV was sitting behind my car, and he didn't move, probably because he thought he was waiting for me to go. S. pointed at him and waved him forward (it is funny the difference between anyone else directing traffic and a soldier doing it. Those sharp arm movements. . .) The guy didn't go when S waved, so he took two steps toward the RV and pointed at the guy and the man gunned his engine and started moving!! So funny! The guy was SCARED!!

A couple of seconds later, M got there with the truck and S went right back to "neighbor towing car"and helped get the chain on the bumper and got behind the wheel of the other car. Then we left. I'm sure that for a few moments the people in our area thought the national guard had been brought in to direct traffic!!

One more thing. . . the reason I am always so afraid to go to sleep when S isn't home. As we got ready to leave, I ran next door and banged on the doorbell. Our neighbor is a widower. He was asleep. He had no idea we were being evacuated. Even if he had woken up at a normal time, he would have had time to get out. The traffic would have been bad, but he would have been ok. But--what if?? Our neighbors had decided that if we weren't evacuated, we would have a watch where we took turns staying awake and watching the horizon and the news. But, if you are home alone, you can't get any sleep if you need to be watching!

Evacuated, but OK

We have evacuated our house. Our neighborhood was given the evacuation order at 6am yesterday, and we left at about 7:15. We had everything prepared, we just had to get it in the car and decide where to go. We each had 1/2 a tank of gas in the car. . .thank goodness for that. The lines at the gas stations were outrageous.

We spent the morning calling around to our closest friends, making sure that they were ok. We do have a couple of friends who decided not to leave, and I'm really shocked. The air quality alone should be enough to make you leave. The smoke and ash in the air makes it impossible to breathe without coughing or keep your eyes open without getting them filled with ashes.

The biggest concern was where to go. We sit between I5 and I15, north of 56. 15 was closed going north. 5 was sitting like a parking lot, as was 56. We cosidered getting on 8 and going east--even all the way to Arizona, but we decided against it, since many of the fires are in east county, and it is all brush and countryside. We figured that the fires spread much faster there, and we would be overtaken by them. Turns out we were right, about the time that we would have hit Alpine, we heard on the radio that the freeway had been closed because the fire had jumped and was on both sides.

It seemed very scary to me to go south, since that seemed llike we were blocking ourselves in between the fires north and east, mexico south, and the ocean west. But, S.'s boss called and said he was at the office and the air was clear. He told us to come down here, so we did. We are at a Navy base in the bachelors quarters. (You know the single sailors are LOVING the invasion of families and animals, huh??) Anyway--we have with us my friend B and her 3 kids and 2 cats. Her husband is out on deployment (back in 27 days!!!!!!!) so we wanted to stay together with her. Fortunately, they had rooms for both families. We have a "suite" that is 3 bedrooms and bathrooms with a common living room. Another family has the 3rd room. So, it is a lot of kids in a little space and they are sleeping on the floor, but we are safe and basically comfortable. I forgot the kids stuffed animals and their blankets, so going to sleep was a little difficult, but other than that, we are totally fine!

We have told the kids that we left the house because the air was too difficult to breathe. We have not mentioned to them that our house is threatened, but that is still a possibility. It is remote, for now, but it is possible. I am strangely calm about that. Everyone I talk to on the phone keeps freaking out about it, almost like I SHOULD be freaking out, but I'm not. Part of that is because I got out EVERYTHING I have to have (that would be my 4 boys) and most of the things I REALLY want to have (birth certificates, marriage license, wedding album, scrapbooks, computer hard drive, etc.) and several things that I want to have (2 sets of clothes for all of us, school library books, etc.)

I got my jewelry, but I only remembered to get the drawers of my jewelry box--I forgot the necklaces hanging in the side doors. My pearls are there. That makes me a little sad. My pottery, antique furniture, college diplomas, etc. are all there. But, basically, if I lose those things, it would be a hassle. That's it. Just a hassle. Not a tragedy, not a life ending event. We are not only safe, we are comfortable. We are alive and our friends are too. Maybe it is because I am just a renter, but I am ok with it all right now. I know that if it does burn, I will be sad and will cry and go through all of that, but for now, my perspective is good. We had a very timely sermon about that on Sunday. Relying on God everyday for all your needs makes sure that you keep your focus in the right direction. If you start counting on yourself and thinking you're so great--you can quickly see what you are capable (or INcapable) of!

San Diego city and county teams are amazing. Their responses have been outstanding. They had a horrible fire here a few years ago, and they lost many many homes and people died. They have learned from that and from New Orleans, and from 9-11 and from all kinds of other things. There are so many ways that they are taking care of people. At this point, they are still pretty helpless as far as the fires go. They are mainly fighting from the ground, because the winds are bad, but they are keeping people alive, and the evacuation areas are safe and comfortable. There is OUTRAGEOUS amounts of food and supplies being donated. People are taking care of each other (these are people who's OWN houses are also threatened). Restaurants are donating food. People are calling in to radio stations and offering their land for animals, RVs, tents, etc. It brings me to tears just to hear the stories.

And of course, there is my beautiful military family. We came onto base and were immediately put into rooms. The bowling alley let us bowl for free. The movie theater changed the evening movie to a kid movie and showed it for free. They have extended our rooms through Monday for now. We take care of our own. That applies to all of San Diego right now--but it definitely applies to the military family too.

The only crazy thing is that I forgot something for S. to sleep in, so I had to get him something at the exchange. . .he is wearing a NAVY shorts and tshirt!! ha ha!

All 3 of our phones are working (we got N. one. . .that is another story. . .I can't remember if I've posted it before). Anyway--we are having trouble getting calls OUT, but we can recieve them. We can't talk long, because they are asking us to stay off the grid if we can, to allow emergency calls to be made. But, if you want to call us, you can. Our batteries are dying quickly--I guess because we were on them all day yesterday--but 8:30 they were all completely dead, we couldn't even talk on them connected to the chargers (sorry S&G--we couldn't find a way to try to call you back!!)

My sister, B, has offered to send out emails for me, so I will probably send an email to everyone in a little bit, so that she can just hit "reply all" to it and forward any info. I have access to the email at the hotel front desk, but it is several buildings away, and I only get 10 minutes and the line is long. So, if you don't get an email, send me one, and I'll add you to that list. I am hoping that if I do Bcc that it will still go out to reply all. I don't know if that works, but I know I'm not supposed to put anyone's email address where it can be seen--all that "netiquette" stuff!

Ok, more as it is possible!

Thanks!

Wildfires

The Santa Ana winds are blowing today. There are 3 very large wildfires in San Diego county right now. One of them is north of us by about 30 miles. We are not extremely concerned about the fire. The likelihood of it burning all the way here is not terribly high. However, San Diego in 2004 had a horrible fire that destroyed over 2200 homes. A shift in the wind gave people less than a minute notice before their homes were engulfed. That said, we are keeping a close eye on it.

The trouble with the Santa Anas is that they blow out toward the ocean. Normally, we have winds, especially in the evening and at night, that come IN from the ocean. They bring cooler temps and moisture. The Santa Ana winds have the opposite effect, and currently the humidity level is between 1 and 3%. That makes EVERYTHING vulnerable to fire. The biggest concern for us is that the winds blow so far and so fast, that flying embers could ignite another fire much closer to us.

Right now, our biggest problem is the air quality. The smoke is so thick that it makes it feel like the fire is just down the street. If you go outside, you get ashes in your eyes, and it is difficult to breathe. I have a terrible cough, and what seems like bronchitis right now, so that isn't making it any easier! The winds are so fast that the smoke doesn't have time to rise in columns, so it just comes straight at us still in full concentration, instead of disappaiting some.

The kids' school is cancelled tomorrow, due to air quality. A lot like the winter weather cancellations in Germany--the big concern is having kids standing outside in the weather at bus stops. I'm glad school is cancelled, because I wasn't going to take mine anyway.

I am sure that I am overreacting, and people who are from here are probably laughing at me because I'm such a foreigner, but I don't care. The schools all have evacuation plans, but the deisgnated emergency center for our kids would be the high school. That doesn't really work if there is a fire, because the high school would be in danger too! They are a block apart! Plus, how do you evacuate that many kids at one time--so quickly? I think their evacuation plans more relate to earthquakes.

Anyway--that's not my biggest concern. If the school has to evacuate the kids, they can't have a bunch of parents coming up and just taking the children. It would make them lose accoutability for the kids, because OF COURSE they would not be able to stop and write down which kids were gone with their parents, and they couldn't remember it. That would slow them WAY down, and the last thing they would need is distractions and interruptions. So, I totally understand that rule. But--I do NOT like the idea of not having access to my kids. I think it is a good rule--I think it is the only way they can expect to operate, but I would just rather not have my kids in that situation. So, I wouldn't send them if I thought there was a threat.

I just keep thinking back to Sept 11, 2001, when all the people who lived in my building in Heidelberg had their kids at the childcare center and they were all at work on other kasernes. Everyone was locked down where they were, and they couldn't get to their kids. My friend N. and I took care of several of them, but the idea of that just freaks me out. I had a hard enough time with the fact that S. couldn't get home, but if it were the kids. . .I just can't think about it.

So, the school district has solved it for me and is cancelling school. I'm sure that's not WHY they did it, but I appreciate it just the same!

This is one of the times that I am SO glad that I am an organization freak. It took me all of 10 minutes to get all the stuff together that I would want to take with us if we leave. I already made a list a long time ago. So, I got it out, and just put everything out in the hall. The only thing I couldn't find was my wedding album, because I had moved it and kept looking where my list said it was! But, I had my hard drive copied to the external hard drive, all the kids "special memories" boxes, my boxes of photos and scrapbooks, jewelry box, medical records, passports and other important documents, and 3 sets of clothes for everyone in the family ready to go. I got my new digital camera and took pictures of all the furniture for insurance purposes. Not that it would probably be a problem, since USAA is the greatest company in the world (I've had a couple of issues lately that they've walked me through--I truly love them!).

This is crazy, but one of the things that I love about S. is how he handles emergencies. It is really attractive if you know what I mean. I remember once when we were driving from Texas to NC and N. was 2 months old. A car in front of us flipped over and went off the road. S. pulled over, threw the cell phone at me (we had borrowed my mom's for the drive) and said call 911. Tell them you are on northbound blah blah interstate between mile markers whatever and whatever. We just went under the overpass for such and such street. A car flipped and is in the center median and there are at least 2 people in the vehicle and they are still in it. Then, he jumped out and ran off. WHAT THE HELL? How did he know all that? He just does. I probably would have known what interstate we were on. I would have had to think a minute to figure out the direction we were headed. But the rest of it??? The mile markers? The number of people in the car? No way. I never even look at the mile markers unless I'm trying to figure out how far it is to the nearest bathroom!

He gets amazingly calm and methodical. He has this determined look on his face and all of his movements seem very purposeful. In the last hour he has gotten out flashlights, poncho liners, chem lights, and who knows what else. He's checked batteries and all that stuff. So, even though I am pretty organized, and had thought about things like water, diapers, clothes, and snacks--he's really the one that will keep us alive if anything ever truly bad happens to us. But, the things I remember will keep us together and comfortable, so I guess we're a pretty good team. I am going to try to get some sleep now, although I don't quite trust the notification system, so I'm not sure how much sleep I'll get.

Just know that we're ok and I'll keep you updated!

"Official" Soccer Photos

These are the photos from the official "Picture Day" guy. I have buttons with these pictures on them. I can't tell you how much fun it is to wear those buttons. I am getting so weird! Can you see how the "baby" is TOTALLY gone from N? And don't you just want to squeeze R's cheeks!! They are so red because it was terribly hot out that day (about 92 degrees) and we had pictures at 2pm!! Little R gets so red when he gets the least bit hot. . .there was no way he wasn't going to look like a beet! BUT--it is NOT sunburn!! I am truly truly careful to keep sunscreen on him almost all the time!!

This weekend's games were great. R. is so enthusiastic. I am sad for him that he is smaller than everyone else on the field (he is at least 1 year younger than EVERYONE else!) but he doesn't seem to care. His big brother reinforced Daddy's lesson about the importance of the assist, so he was pleased with himself at the end of the game. I would SO LOVE it if he could just score one time. Even if it was by accident. I think I would truly cry.

Anyway--N. is doing great as well. This week his team was just amazing. The coaches (one of whom is S.) have done an outstanding job of creating drills for them to work on whatever weaknesses they have in the previous game. You could totally tell it this week. The "flow" of the game was great. I use that term because it was so graceful. . .the passing back and forth across the field was just awesome.

And, N. truly is a gifted goalkeeper. I'm not exaggerating. Several of the parents commented this week. One guy came down and found me and asked if N. was mine. I said yes and he said "He is amazing. At the beginning of the season he was pretty good, but now--he looks like he is at least 5 years older. No one can get anything past him." It is true. He seems to have this gift of knowing exactly how to see the angles. If a shot ever gets by him (only one has the whole season) it is totally out of luck--he is really great.

I know this is becoming a blog where all I talk about is how amazing my kids are, but that seems to be my stage in life right now. Not that I'm complaining. I'm thrilled that I don't have anything to complain or cry about!!

Oh, my achin' muscles!

See post below. . .whole body aches. . .must take more motrin. . .must get to gym more frequently. . .

The Cure for Feeling Sorry for Myself

So. . .what snaps me out of feeling sorry for myself? Physical hard work and a great bargain! As background info, you have to know that our yard is a disgusting mess. We were required by our lease to have a "gardener" take care of the yard for the first year and a half that we lived here. We finally convinced the property manager to fire them after repeated problems. Now, we have practically no grass, our sprinkler system is destroyed, and the bushes, flowers, shrubs etc are basically dead.

Anyway--the next door neighbors are amazing gardeners. Their yard is gorgeous. They take care of the tiny sliver of grass between our two houses, but our side is getting progressively worse. We have these horrible trees with surface roots that take all the water and starve the grass. So, the lawn is really bare dirt. By our driveway there is a large patch of dead grass as well.

So, the high school near our house has been under renovation since we moved here in January of 2006. They are finally finishing, and are right now doing the landscaping. Today, they were laying sod. I saw them trimming around a tree, and I decided to stop and ask for the scraps. I figured I could at least fix the part of my lawn that you could see from the road.

The guy was happy to give the excess to me, and offered me as much as I wanted. They had a lot more scraps than just what they were cutting from around that one tree! I filled up the back part of my van, figuring that was more than enough. I saw another guy loading scraps in other places into a big white bin.

Well, when I got home, I had enough to fix by the driveway, as well as the spot between our two houses, so I went next door and borrowed the axe. My neighbor came out and helped me and we spent two hours chopping out tree roots and then laying the sod. So, we decided I should go back and ask for more sod scraps!

She watched the kids and I went up to the school. The guys were gone, but I remembered the white bins, and found them next to the curb. They were probably 5 feet square, and 4 feet deep. And there were two of them--full! I took as much as I could get in the van. When I got home, we finished the spot between our yards and a bare spot in her back yard. Then, I started chopping roots in my front yard.

When her husband got home, we borrowed the other neighbor's little pickup truck, and went back to the school. We loaded that truck bed over half full!! We completely emptied one of the white bins. We came home and finished my front yard and side yard and a BIG bare patch in my back yard. There isn't enough sod in the world to fix all the trouble in the back of my house. There are TONS of tree roots, and we hardly get ANY sun back there, but boy we made a big dent!!

I hope that the rabbits won't kill it before it can grow. AND--I hope that the tree roots will let the grass have some water! All together, my neighbor figures we had about $500 worth of sod--for FREE!!!

The only cost was that I had to order pizza for dinner, since I was too tired and filthy to cook, but--a small price to pay! The neighbors made chocolate martinis (which are wonderful--I've never had them before) and we had pizza and martinis in the driveway!

The boys thought it was such a treat--out after dark, dinner in the driveway, hanging out with the neighbors that they have adopted as grandparents. . .all together, a great evening.

So, we are missing Daddy, but at least tonight after filling up on pizza and scrubbing for 1/2 an hour in the tub, we are too tired to think much about it! (Unless he is reading this, in which case--we can hardly contain the tears and are desperately counting the hours until your return!!)

Photos from the New Camera

R. really really got into the game this week (the first half, anyway--after that he kinda lost interest--he sort of becomes like a mascot). He took the ball all the way down the field, and would have scored all by himself, but one of his teammates, who is faster, took the ball from him and kicked it in. R. was very proud, though, because last week, S. told him all about how the "assist" is way more important that the actual kicking the goal. He came straight off the field this week and told me "Mommy! I got another assist!" Good job Dad!!!

Still haven't gotten any GREAT shots of N. I get SO excited watching him play, that I forget to put the camera to my face until it is too late. These shots are OK, but they definitely don't do justice to the grace that the child has. By the way--he can punt from the 18 past midfield. (I TOLD you he's good!)

The precious little fan! He is such a good sport and is so well behaved at the soccer fields all day! He gets to paint his hair in the colors of BOTH big boys teams, so that makes everything pretty great! He always wears his cleats too--just in case someone might need a sub!

The beauty of watching my husband coach my children continues to bring me to tears. It is just rec league soccer. They are only 4 and 8 years old. I know that. Maybe it is the fact that this is not likely to be possible ever again. Maybe it is that I will never get to do it, since we don't have girls. Maybe it is how I can SEE him being a great parent in the way he talks to them, uses the right words at the right time to build them up--never, ever, ever to embarrass or demean them. Maybe it is that I think so many different life lessons can be learned through sports, and I love that he is teaching them. I don't know what it is. But I really really love it. I see them in photos like this and I am reminded of what a great man he is. I will be so proud if, when they are grown, someone says to them "You remind me of your daddy."