Grateful

At least one of my kids appreciates oatmeal for breakfast!

Today I am so happy to be home taking care of a sick Jacob.  He had a fever last night, and still has it this morning.  So Scott is teaching my Sunbeams class (2 kids) and my friend's CTR 4 class (her family is sick too).  I'm not happy Jake's sick, and I'm not happy to be missing church (although the quieter house IS nice).  I am just so happy to be able to stay home with the child who needs me.  For the past six months, when someone was sick on a Sunday, I always had to make the big decision on whether they were sick enough for all of us to stay home or if they were well enough to suffer through 3 hours of church so the rest of us wouldn't miss our church meetings.  Sometimes its hard to believe Scott was really gone for so long.  Other times, like today, I am so grateful to have him home.

Part of me wishes we could be somewhere, and just enjoy being there.  It feels like we are always getting settled, getting ready to unsettle, getting ready for Scott to go TDY or deployed, and so on.  I am really, really sad to be leaving my friends so soon.  But, the Air Force has given us some exciting opportunites in the next few months, and I'm trying to focus on the positive aspects.  We are thankful we can stay together for Scotts training school, even if it means 3 days of driving each way.  We are happy to be moving to Colorado Springs, we like seeing new places.... I just wish we could bring our friends with us every time.

• I feel pulled in so many directions lately.  Life is good, but full & busy.  Lately I find myself wondering what I'm supposed to give up in favor of some of the things I've been neglecting.
• I still haven't blogged about our lovely trip to Washington.  The kids got to play with cousins, and Eden started some school work from our homeschool curriculum.  I got to jog outside for a change.  Even got a run in at Cougar with Robin, Elise, and Dana.  It was awesome.  Here are a few of my favorite pics, and for a more detailed description of the Dixon shenanigans, read here, here or here.  My sisters did a great and timely job documenting the reunion, plus they were there for the main event (Tricia's wedding).

• Scott came home almost two weeks ago, and even got in a few hours early!!!  We have loved having him home. 

• We celebrated by finishing off our Christmas celebrations.  We opened presents, and had Christmas breakfast for dinner that first evening together.

• We have joined the ranks of Wii-owning families.  Eden's favorite is making new Mii characters and dancing, Andrew loves the Star Wars light-saber duels, Jake likes to wear the remote around his wrist and play along, Scott likes the tennis and golf (he says the light-saber duels are rigged), and I had a fun time dancing to 80's music with Eden.

• Scott and I have completed 3 days of P90X.  I am sore and doubt if I'll ever do any pull-ups, but I feel SORE like I'm  getting a good work out.  And really is fun to be doing this together, even if I'd rather run a marathon or something like that.
• Speaking of extreme, Jake has taken toddlerhood to a level never before known in this home.  He sleeps LESS and climbs, dumps, yells, & wreaks general havoc MORE.  Fortunately, he's still pretty adorable.
• I started homeschooling Eden.  At first, it was great.  She was super happy, and the work was pretty easy on both of us.  Lately it's been a little more difficult.  The work is definitely still within her capability, but there have been more distractions around here. (see all of the above)
• We are headed SOUTH for 5 WEEKS and I haven't prepared a single thing.  Scott has to do a training school at Maxwell AFB in Alabama.  We are going with him, largely subsidized by the Air Force.  We'll even get to visit my brother and his family in Naples, FL.  I am so excited to leave winter behind for a while.  If anyone has recommendations on fun things to do while we're there, please let me know!
• Before I know it, we'll be in Colorado Springs!  Again, not a thing prepared yet.  I hope we can get everything done that needs to be done without going completely nuts or collapsing from exhaustion.

some things I want to remember... although I'm not really sure why.

I know I have plenty of news to blog about, but I'm trying to make my blog more of a journal for myself.  So, that means you all may be subjected to things that do not interest you at all.  This is one of those times, consider yourself warned.

- Jake HATES taking a bath. Not just the hair-washing, body-scrubbing part (I consider that fairly normal, at least for our kids), he cries and screams the entire time he's in there. And now that he's bigger, he tries to climb out too. So, I make it a quick ordeal, get him out and put his jammies on while the others play. But, then I can't keep him away from the tub! He gets soaked just playing over the side, but then he screams some more when I take his wet clothes off. He's weird.
UPDATE: Yesterday, Jake played happily for 5 whole minutes! Then he was done.

- Last Sunday, during the passing of the sacrament, Andrew used the bristle blocks (which are supposed to be for Jacob) to build a gun. He even had a little sight piece and laser attached to the top of the barrel. Then he starts shooting at me (very quietly, since this is sacrament time after all). And I must have been in a good mood (it was the last Sunday before Scott should be home), because I was just trying not to laugh at the irony- my little boy shooting his gun at me in the middle of what should be the most reverent time of the Sabbath day. sheesh

- Further evidence that I have some wierd kids: In a week I wash about 3 pairs of Eden's socks and about 12 of Andrew's. AND, he freaks out if he doesn't have socks that he approves of to wear. He likes to put them on first, even before his underwear. I have succeeded in convincing him his feet should 'breath' at night. So, AFTER he's all tucked in and warmed up, he asks me to help him take his socks off. In Eden's case, I'm pretty sure her sock number is so low because she doesn't wear socks all the time, not because she uses dirty socks over and over.  I've caught her a few times even putting on her black 'leather' boots without socks- ew!