Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Snow Day

Yes, I am still here.  I guess our schedule has really picked up since school started!  Today is a snow day so no school and no other plans.  The cable is out because of the snow so I have no excuse for ignoring this blog any longer than I already have.

Both kids are still enjoying school at Olympic View.  I think they both are fortunate to have really great teachers.  I am not going to know what hit me when we end up with a teacher I am not crazy about... we have been so fortunate so far!  Even Mom goes to school one day a week.  I volunteer as a reading tutor at the school on Tuesdays.  I work with about 8 kids (individually), K-2, on their reading.  I love seeing them improve and they are all such sweet kids. 

The Fall soccer season came and went and I have just signed Tessa up for Spring soccer....practices start in March.  So we anticipate more late nights on a cold, wet field...and a 25 minute drive home to a very late dinner.  Tessa loves to play and I really enjoy watching her (and all the girls) play and improve their skills as the season progresses.  Better get the pink jersey out... Hot Pink Strikers here we come.

OK, so I assume you all watch the news and you are aware that the US has pulled out of Iraq...so fortunately that means that Scott's unit will not be deploying right now.  Unfortunately he still has to go back to TX to complete his training.  Plans can always change, but right now it looks like he will be gone March to June. 

Scott's new unit was in need of an FRG leader (FRG =Family Readiness Group).  I have never even been to an FRG meeting, but guess who has "graciously volunteered"?!  Yup, that's me!  I will go to some training sessions, but they aren't scheduled until March.  Right now the unit is very small, with only a few families, so it should be manageable....at least that is the hope.  My first meeting will be this week. 

The kids and I are excited to be planning a trip to California in a few short weeks.  For Tessa's birthday we are able to make a trip to Temecula, thanks to JetBlue offering a phenomenal deal on tickets.  I am hoping we will get a little sun and some warmer weather, but I anticipate that it might rain and/or be chilly.   Historically Tessa's birthday has ended up with decent weather, so you never know...

Overall we are enjoying WA.  We are getting used to the differences from CA and trying not to miss Temecula SO much! : )

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Back to School

We are finally, officially back to school. Yeah!  Tessa is enjoying riding the school bus, has already made friends, and is off to a good start in Mrs. B's 2nd grade class.  Troy attends the preschool program at Tessa's elementary school 4 mornings a week.  He is happy that his friend Emily is in his class.  He seems to be enjoying school and already wants to know when he can ride the bus too!

We did have a couple of warm weeks of actual summer weather.  We wore our shorts, and soaked up the sun.  This is officially the last weekend of the "summer" and of course it is raining today.

Tessa's soccer team, the Hot Pink Strykers, has a game this afternoon.  I am hoping the rain subsides by then, but I am prepared in case it doesn't.

We are eagerly awaiting Scott's arrival next weekend!  Lucy is flying to San Antonio so she can drive back with him and then visit with us for a bit.  So one more week to go...the cavalry is on it's way! Whew!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Zoo, Park, Allergist

We have a had a few warm sunshiney days intermixed with the gray, rainy, not so warm Washington weather.  Enough to make it seem like summer, I guess.  We have done our best to pack lots of summer activities in before school starts.  We have 2 weeks of our summer vacation left to go. 

Along with trips to the zoo, Northwest Trek, Portland, the beach, the spray park, and get togethers with new friends, we have also been to the dentist, the pediatrician, and the allergist...a few times.  Although we weren't able to eliminate any of Troy's allergies, the milk allergy seems to be less severe.  He can tolerate baked goods with milk as an ingredient.  We also got confirmation that he has many environmental allergies including almost all weeds, grass, and trees (as well as cats and dust mites).  So we will be starting daily doses of Zyrtec to the daily routine!

Tessa is signed up to play soccer this fall.  Just found out last night that practices start tomorrow!  Also found out that practices are 2x/week, from 6-7pm at a park about 20 minutes from our home! I am trying to stay confident that it will be worth it!  I know she will have fun...and hopefully it will make Lacey seem more like home.

So we have 2 more weeks to pack in the fun outings and get geared up for school.  I an tired already! I will definitely need a vacation from this vacation!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Good News and Bad News

Scott calls from Texas and says, "I have some good news, ... and some bad news".  The good news?  He is going to be coming home after the first portion of his training finishes in September. Yippie!  The bad news?  He is being transferred to a unit that is scheduled to deploy to Iraq at the end of the year.  Yup, you read that correctly, he is going to Iraq.  I need to digest this news... I knew it was a possibility but was not fully prepared for the reality of it happening.  I suspect I will never be fully prepared to be without my partner for a year. If anyone wants to schedule a visit to WA to see us in 2012, we'd love to have you!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Summer? What's that?

Well, we have made progress getting all our belongings sorted out and put away.  We finally have a car in the garage, only a few boxes left to unpack, and most things have found a place to call home.  I even have most of the pictures hung.  It's starting to feel like home.  Whew!

Unfortunately our 14-year-old kitty, Beamer (I-Beam) is no longer with us.  I am pretty sure now that he snuck outside.  We looked and looked for him, called and called, but nothing.  He was wearing a tag with my cell # on it, but no one ever called.  He was getting old, and his health had not been good since last year.  I suspect he had simply had enough and went off on his own to spare me another heart-wrenching kitty death.  We love and miss you Beamie!

Although I was promised 2 months of actual summer, it hasn't made an appearance yet.  We have had maybe 3 warm days in total.  Mostly it's in the 60's and it rains/drizzles off and on.  I don't mind the weather, but it sure would feel more like summer if we were wearing shorts and flip-flops instead of jeans and sweaters!  Maybe it's still coming....?!

While it's still cool here in the northwest, the midwest is suffering a heat wave.  So much so that my 95-year-old Grandma Helen was interviewed for the Wisconsin State Journal for her perspective on this heat wave in contrast to the record breaking heat wave of 1936.  And for those of you who know John and Dawn Ingham (my parents) you will be shocked to hear that they broke down and bought an air conditioner for the farm house.  For those of you who don't know them, and/or haven't been to the farm, it may help you to understand the enormity of this purchase to know that at the farm there is a conscious choice not to include many modern luxuries in the home.  There is currently no local or cable TV (occasional dvd viewing only), dishwasher, garbage disposal, or shower (claw-foot bathtub only).  When Jesse and I were kids there also was no microwave oven or central heat. We warmed by the wood-burning stove in the winter and we begged for trips to the swimming hole in the summer.  So I know it must really be hot if they bought an a/c unit!

While Scott has departed for San Antonio, the kids and I are keeping busy with soccer, swim lessons, and MOMS Club activities.  There is no outdoor swimming of course, but the indoor pool at the high school is nice and the kids are enjoying lessons there.  We still haven't found kids to play with in the neighborhood though...I am guessing the weather has something to do with this. Although school doesn't start for another couple months, both kids are enrolled.  I am sure hoping that friends will be made at school!

Scott is in Texas for about 4 months at training.  He should be back before Thanksgiving.  We are able to talk to him by phone and that helps.  We all miss Daddy!

We continue to miss Temecula and all our loved-ones there. I am quite sure they got an actual summer! : )

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Be careful what you wish for...

Well, the moving truck delivered!  Bob and the crew did an awesome job!  Unfortunately we grossly underestimated the space needed to house all of our stuff.  We have stuff piled up all over the house, every surface is covered with some type of pile.  It seriously looks like Hoarders in here ... ugh!  It's like a puzzle, we can't put stuff away until we have somewhere to put it, but we can't clear a space to put it without getting some stuff put away...  We have made several trips to Goodwill, and will likely make several more.  We made a trip to Ikea for some more, much needed, storage solutions.  The cars are both parked outside while we have the garage filled with overflow, but we hope to eventually get at least one car parked in the garage. Now I just have to put in the elbow grease to get everything put away ... somewhere.  This would be a great time for my good fairy to make her appearance (hint hint wink wink).

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Our grass is SO green!

Well, we finally got all our stuff sorted, the movers arrived as scheduled, and with heavy hearts we departed Temecula.  It's hard to imagine that I will ever again feel the same level of comfort, security, and love as I did on my little piece of happiness on Pegase Court...but I am keeping an open mind and looking forward to what the future holds.

After spending a few days at Grammie's in Portland, we just couldn't stand to be away from Daddy another minute so we drove those last 2 short hours up to our new home yesterday.  As Tessa looked out the window of her new bedroom she proclaimed, "Our grass is SO green!".  It's true, everything is green and there are beautiful plants, bushes, flowers, and trees everywhere.  All that rain has to have an up side, right?!  With any luck our moving truck will arrive the day after tomorrow and we will begin the grand puzzle that awaits...how to fit all of our things into our new smaller (albeit cute) home.  I anticipate that we will be able to feel more at home here once we have all of the things that make a house our home.