The Loony Bin

Six Months Old

2006-03-09T09:13:00.000-10:00

I can't believe my baby girl is already 6 months old! She's growing up WAY too fast.

At her 6 month well baby visit, she weighed in at 17 pounds, 14.4 ounces and was 27 inches long.

She has been eating solids for a couple of months now. We have just started feeding her Stage 2 baby food. She is such a good eater! She barely makes a mess (except when Shawn feeds her and that's do to feeder error).

She can roll over both ways, and does so often. She never stays in the same place anymore. It won't be long before she figures out the crawling thing. She can't sit up on her own yet, but if we sit her up, she'll stay that way for a couple of minutes. She is constantly "talking" to us and even tries to wave bye bye.

So much for her staying little forever!

Flat Stanley

2006-03-09T09:05:00.000-10:00

A few weeks ago, we hosted a Flat Stanley for a lady I met on a message board. Flat Stanley flew all the way out here to Hawaii from Pennsylvania.

We had fun showing him around our beautiful little city. Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to take him many places, but he did get to see Pearl Harbor, the Iolani Palace, the beach, and Diamond Head.

For some reason, my goofball boys like wearing pants even though it's 80 degrees outside. I haven't been able to break them of that habit.

I would love to do another Flat Stanley project someday, but unfortunately it won't be here in Hawaii.

Valentine's Day

2006-02-15T15:15:00.000-10:00

So, yesterday was Valentine's Day. I love to get the kids a little something every year. I LOVED having a girl this year because I got to dress her in a cute little Valentine's dress. Isn't she precious!

I bought Abby a little white stuffed puppy dog. It is so soft and cute! I bought each of the boys a little stuffed devil, a little box of chocolates and Bambi II.

Unfortunately, Shawn wasn't home for Valentine's Day this year, so I didn't get anything (unless you count the box of turtles I bought for myself). I did buy him a a little gift basket that contains two little bottles of wine, some kisses, and a little stuffed monkey, along with a box of chocolates. He just got home today after being out for 2 weeks, so he'll get them tonight when he gets home. I'm sure I'll still get nothing, but that's okay. He bought me roses for our anniversary.

Gymboree

2006-02-09T20:02:00.000-10:00

Gymboree is hands down my most favorite place to shop for Abigail's clothes.

I mean, look at her. Isn't she just adorable!

They are having a great sale right now. And you earn gymbucks. I picked this outfit up for her today and I placed an order online. I bought a bunch of stuff for her to wear next winter in Washington. Everything I bought was on sale. It's really not as expensive as some people think.

They have cute boy stuff too, but definitely not as cute as the girls stuff.

It's going to be a sad day when Abby outgrows their stuff. Luckily, that's a LONG ways away.

My Grandpa Rzonca

2006-01-23T16:50:00.000-10:00

My Grandpa, Ben Rzonca, passed away today. This is a picture from the last time I saw him, 2.5 years ago (July 2001).

The boys and I had sent him some pictures last Tuesday (the boys drew him pictures and I sent pictures of the kids) and I am told that it was one of the last things he saw this morning before he passed away. My dad said the nurses had shown Grandpa the pictures and Grandpa understood what they were and who they were from. They said the pictures made him happy. I am glad I could do that for him.

I am terribly sad that I didn't get to spend more time with him and that he never got to know my children. But I will always remember the fun I used to have with him as a kid. He called us "zipper buddies" because we had both had open heart surgery. We joked with each other all the time about the other one being our pillow. He watched golf all the time and loved to play too.

He will always have a very special place in my heart. I know he is in Heaven now with my Grandpa Jack watching over me and my children.

I love you Grandpa! You will be forever missed.

Decision Made

2006-01-23T16:44:00.000-10:00

As I've stated before, Shawn is up for new orders this year. I mentioned previously that I had no clue what we were going to do.

Well, we finally made a decision. We have decided to extend onboard Shawn's current boat and transfer with it to Washington in the fall for decommission. Actually, the boys and I plan on moving in late April/early May.

We really didn't have any other choice. The detailer was pressuring us to either extend onboard or stay in Hawaii. He pretty much refused to send us back to the East Coast, which is where we both really want to go. We figured we'd do what he wants now and hopefully, if what everyone is saying is true, once the boat is decommed, we can have our choice of available orders.

So, now I have to get busy and start getting ready to move. April isn't that far away!

Zackery's Birthday Party

2006-01-23T08:43:00.000-10:00

Zackery's birthday is tomorrow, so we threw him a birthday party yesterday. We had it early so Shawn could be there (his schedule is never certain). He asked for a GI Joe theme, which led to it being an Army theme.

It was really cool! We set up an obstacle course. First, there was a wall climb that the boys had to crawl over. Next came the balance beam they had to cross. Then the rope swing over a tub of water. That was followed by a stomach crawl. Finally there was the "tires" (we made them out of rope tied into circles). The boys loved it. Shawn stood there yelling at them like a drill sergeant. We were cracking up.

Shawn also set up a battlefield for a capture the flag/water balloon game. I think the boys had the most fun with that. We also had some water guns they played with. The adults couldn't fill the water balloons fast enough. Shawn had set up some rules of the game, but they were quickly set aside in favor of an all out war.

Zackery said it was his best birthday ever, which made all the time and money we put into it well worth it.

Abby's Eating Vegies

2006-01-22T09:42:00.000-10:00

We decided to start feeding Abigail jarred baby foods this week. She has been doing well with the infant cereal, so we felt she was ready to move on.

What better vegetable to start with than...carrots!

Yummy, yummy carrots!

She did awesome with the first 2/3 of the jar. I don't know what happened after that, but she just flat out refused to eat the rest. We even tried adding a little cereal to it, but she wanted nothing to do with it.

Luckily, it was a one time deal. The next two nights we fed her carrots and she ate the whole jar in no time flat. I think our little piggy likes baby food.

Happy Anniversary!

2006-01-18T08:39:00.000-10:00

Today is our 10 year anniversary. I still can't believe we've been married 10 years already. Sometimes it seems like only yesterday.

January 18, 1996: It wasn't anything fancy. We picked a JP out of the phone book and then pretty much just randomly picked a day in January (the first day where both of our work schedules worked out). We were married in the JP's office in downtown Charleston, SC. I don't remember everything about it. I'm pretty sure we were both wearing a nice pair of jeans and a nice shirt. We had it tape recorded, but sometime throughout the years, we seem to have lost the tape. I remember us both giggling during the vows. Afterwards, we went out to dinner where Shawn ate too much and ended up getting sick.

For anyone who is reading this and thinking "how pathetic", we did have a big church wedding a couple of months later (March 4). The JP thing was just so the Navy would pay to move us both when Shawn transferred in February. I do agree that the whole JP thing was pretty pathetic though. But it's a good memory to look back on and laugh at.

10 years. Wow!

Where Did The Time Go?

2006-01-17T21:18:00.000-10:00

How has it been a week since I've posted anything? I thought I was doing really good, but I guess not.

All the boys have been sick. It started in the middle of the night Thursday with Nicholas. Sometime during the night he hung his head over the side of the bed and puked. Then he crawled into bed with Zackery.

When he woke up, he said he felt fine, so I sent him to school. Of course I get a call telling me he puked all over his desk and I need to come pick him up. Saturday morning he feels all better.

Saturday afternoon rolls around and Zackery starts complaining his stomach hurts. He's outside riding his scooter when his brothers come in and tell me Zack's puking all over the street. Turns out it wasn't the street, it was the neighbors driveway. He comes inside and throws up some more all over his bed.

Sunday comes and goes. Monday comes and goes. I'm starting to think we're out of the woods. Then Tuesday night rolls around. I'm dead asleep and then I freak out because I hear someone in my room. Turns out it's just Joshua and he's sick. I had to get up and clean up his bed so he could go back to sleep. I learned my lesson from Friday though and so I kept Josh home with me today. Now I'm just waiting for me or Abby to get sick. That'll be fun (NOT).

Speaking of Saturday, the boys had their first soccer games on Saturday. Zack's was at 9:00 and we all got to watch most of it. He did pretty good. I had to leave early, so I don't know if he won or not (AYSO regulations state that his age group and lower doesn't keep score). At 10:00, I watched Josh play and Shawn watched Nick play. Josh's team was so cute! They are so little. Josh played the first quarter, sat out the second quarter, was supposed to play the third quarter but decided he didn't want to and sat out the rest of the game. Nick, on the other hand, kicked butt from what I understand. They were scoring goals like crazy. And Nick actually scored some! I'm watching Nick next time.

Shhhh!...Do You Hear That...Silence!

2006-01-10T08:19:00.000-10:00

After 3 looooong weeks, winter break has finally come to an end. Yep, the boys went back to school today.

I'm going to miss them. It was nice having them home with me. What I won't miss is their constant fighting. Other than bickering with each other, they were pretty well behaved for the past 3 weeks. Nicholas started acting up real bad the past couple of days, so I think he was definitely ready to go back.

Zack and Josh got up this morning with no problem. They took a shower and got ready quickly. Nicholas, on the other hand, was a bear. I had to force him out of bed and stay on him to take a shower. He was not happy to have to get up so early.

Now it's just me and Abby.

Soccer Mom

2006-01-09T19:25:00.000-10:00

It's official. I'm a soccer mom again.

This season, all 3 boys are playing. Zack is in U8, Nick is in U6, and Josh is in U5.

I realized today that I needed to see what equipment we needed. Turns out we were short one pair of shinguards and all 3 boys needed soccer cleats that actually fit.

So this is what we ended up with. I like to let each kid pick their own shoes so we always end up with some interesting choices.

It's going to be a hectic season with all of them playing. Zack had his first official practice tonight. They decided they'd have practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-6. Tuesday's are not good for me. I'll have to figure out how to make it work. Josh has his first practice on Wednesday from 5:15-6:00. Not the greatest time. Zack has to be to scouts at 6:00, so we'll either have to leave practice early, or find someone to pick Zack up for scouts. I haven't heard from Nick's coach yet. Hopefully I can convince them to have practice either on Mondays or Thursdays. If not, then I don't know what we'll do.

I must be crazy for thinking I can actually do this. It would be one thing if Shawn could actually help out and run the kids around, but he's never home. I am, for the most part, a single parent when it comes to kids activities.

Let's hope I survive it!

That Brings Us To January

2006-01-09T07:28:00.000-10:00

We are up to the beginning of January now.

Our New Year's Eve was pretty quite. Shawn had duty, so we went down and had dinner with him. Afterwards, we came home and Nick and Josh got in trouble and had to go to bed. I wasn't going to stay up, but Zackery wanted to, so I decided that we'd try. Surprisingly, we both made it to midnight and then went straight to bed.

Our New Year's Day was also quite. Shawn was home but we didn't do anything special.

He started back to a regular work schedule on January 3. It's not too bad though. He hasn't had long hours like he did when they were in the shipyard.

January 6 was my birthday. I turned 29. This is my last year of being "20 something". Right now it doesn't really bother me like it does some people. I am of the opinion that your age is what you make of it. I refuse to completely grow up, so I'm good.

I am in the middle of trying to plan Zackery's birthday party. He turns 8 on the 24th and we've decided to have a party for him on the 22nd. He picked an Army theme and I have tons of cool ideas for it. I'm really hoping a lot of the kids will show up. He's inviting 16, so we'll be good if half the kids come. I got all 3 boys camouflage outfits for them to wear for the party. They are going to be so cute. Shawn got an outfit too, which surprised me.

This week marks the beginning of our hectic schedule. The boys go back to school tomorrow. They haven't been that bad this break and I'm going to miss having them around during the day. Scouts start back up in full force this week and all 3 boys start soccer. Things are going to be crazy!

Let's Go Back To: Geocaching

2006-01-09T07:14:00.000-10:00

So, we started the holiday season off with Shawn having 10 days of leave, half when the boys were still in school and half after they got out. I had all kinds of ideas on stuff to do. What actually happened was we spent that entire time either shopping or cleaning. Big disappointment for me.

They started standdown a couple of days after he went back to work after leave. For just over 2 weeks, he only had to go to work for duty every 4 days. The rest of the time he had off.

We decided we weren't going to waste that time.

We got to go Geocaching. Something we did a lot of in New York, but haven't really had the opportunity to do here in Hawaii because Shawn works all the time.

Geocaching, for those that don't know, is like a worldwide "treasure hunt" with your GPS. People hide caches (small containers that at the minimum contain a log book, and usually also contain little trinkets) all over the world. They post the coordinates on the website, www.geocaching.com. You log onto the website, find a cache that's close to you and then go and see if you can find it. It is really a lot of fun and a great family activity. We were able to go out 4 different days to find a total of 13 caches.

Let's Go Back To: December 28, Schofield Days

2006-01-08T21:32:00.000-10:00

The Army here in Hawaii does something really cool. Every year, during the week after Christmas, they host what is called "Schofield Days" for all the local Cub Scouts. The only rule is that you must be 7 years old, so the Tiger Cubs aren't allowed to participate.

This year, Shawn took Zackery. Like a good scrapbooker's husband, he took lots of pictures for me. I was suprised at some of the pictures he thought to get. The boys had so much fun learning about the Army. They got to check out the guns, cross a rope bridge hanging upside down, repel, ride an Army vehicle (Zack was chosen to ride in the front), and paint their faces. Can you find Zackery in the first picture. I wish I could have gotten to go, but it was a good opportunity for Shawn to spend some quality time with Zack.

Let's Go Back To: The Day After Christmas

2006-01-08T21:23:00.000-10:00

We spent the day after Christmas at Hawaiian Water Adventure Park. Our friends, the Thompson's, went with us.

I finally talked (bribed) Zackery into going down the Shaka with Shawn. It only cost me one GI Joe Sigma 6 figure. Then, I told him I'd buy it that day if he went down again because I didn't have my camera on me the first time they went down. He's so easy to convince.

Abigail is adorable in her swimsuit. Like her brothers, she LOVES the water! We bought an infant carrier that was made to go into the water so that she and I could have more fun in the water. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it. She went around the "lazy river" with Shawn and didn't even flinch when they went under the waterfall. I am blessed with kids that love the water (or maybe it's cursed depending on how you look at it).

Let's Go Back To: Christmas

2006-01-08T20:20:00.000-10:00

As you can probably tell from the pictures, we had a really good Christmas. The kids all got a bunch of cool stuff. Favorite gifts are:
Zackery- GI Joe Sigma 6 figures
Nicholas- computer
Joshua- Imaginext dinosaurs
Abigail- Jumperoo

Shawn and I don't exchange gifts because we usually buy whatever we want throughout the year, but the kids got us stuff from the school Christmas shop and we each got the other one a gift from the kids that they picked out. They bought me a piece to my Christmas village and they got Shawn a video game and a compass.

Let's Go Back To: Picture With Surfin Santa

2006-01-08T20:15:00.000-10:00

Let's Go Back To: Beginning of December

2006-01-08T20:08:00.000-10:00

A few pictures from the beginning of December: Abby in her Santa hat, Josh hanging ornaments on the tree, and Nick playing in "snow" at Winterfest.

Let's Go Back To: Thanksgiving

2006-01-08T19:51:00.000-10:00

To catch everyone up on what's been going on around here, I'm going to do a series of posts titled "Let's Go Back To". We will start with Thanksgiving.

Abby turned 3 months old on Thanksgiving. This is my attempt at getting a good portrait of her. I love this little dress!

We had a pretty nice Thanksgiving. We went over to a friend's house for lunch/dinner. Shawn fried a turkey and we had a complete feast. Afterwards we sat around and played board games for a little while. That part was really fun. There were 3 couples, including us. The first game we played was Cranium. They decided it was guys versus girls. I hate playing that because the guys always win. The guys are all nukes. They have genius brains. Of course they're going to win. Actually, we did pretty good. I have low self confidence and we suffered because of that. Had I have spoken up and participated more, we probably would have won.

I wish we got together and played games with other couples more often.

Bad Blogger

2006-01-08T19:45:00.000-10:00

Apparently I'm a bad blogger. It's been almost 2 months since I've posted anything. I guess my only excuse is that life got in the way. The holidays weren't that crazy, but I've been enjoying spending time with the family. Shawn had a lot of time off, which was AWESOME and the boys have been on a 3 week break from school. I will try to spend the next few days catching up on everything.

My Stylin' Boys

2005-11-14T11:05:00.000-10:00

What boy doesn't dream of getting their haircut however they want?

My boys decided they wanted mohawks. Shawn and I talked it over and decided that it was just hair and that it will grow back, so, why not.

So Nicholas and Zackery both have mohawks now. It took me awhile to get used to it, but I think they look pretty stylin'.

I've been waiting all morning for a call from school telling me I have to come pick them up. No call yet, so I guess it's okay.

Hopefully as they grow up, they'll remember, and appreciate, how cool their parents were.

I Turned Into The Wicked Witch...Again

2005-11-13T19:09:00.000-10:00

I always swear up and down that I'm not going to do it this time. I hate being like this. But for some reason, I just can't help it.

Shawn went into work Friday morning at some ungodly hour. He said he'd be home Saturday evening. So, 9 pm Saturday night rolls around and he FINALLY calls and says he won't be home. I try to question him, but he gets rude and says he has to go.

I went to bed and cried my eyes out. I mean, it was a good, long cry until I finally fell asleep.

Then today, it was around 1:30-2:00 before he called and says he's coming home. I was confused because I didn't expect him to be home today because he has duty. Turns out he was only coming home for a couple of hours. He'll be home tonight around 10, but we'll all be sleeping by then and then we have to rush around in the morning to get everyone out the door.

I was a total witch when he came home today. I wouldn't kiss him or even look at him. I know it's not his fault, but I'm so sick of this life. I'm tired of being alone all the time and feeling lonely even when he is here. I'm tired of always coming second.

He's supposed to take leave in December, but I doubt they'll approve it because I doubt they'll be home. And if they are home, they're short on guys, so there's no way they'll let him have time off (even though everyone else will get their leave still).

I just want it to all be over.

Check Out My New Ride

2005-11-07T20:22:00.000-10:00

So, it's official. We traded our 2002 Ford Expedition in on a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan.

I didn't think we'd really do it. Shawn didn't get off work in time to go out Sunday, but this morning he didn't have to be in until 11. We decided we would go looking and ended up coming home with this.

It has all kinds of cool features. It has a 6 disc cd changer and a dvd system. It has an extremely complicated ac system. It has a computer thingy at the top that tells you all kinds of stuff like how many miles you can go before you need gas, hom many mpg you're getting, how many hours your trip has been, how many miles until you need service, and a couple of other things I haven't checked out yet. Both rear doors automatically slide open as does the back door. It has the Stow and Go seating. All kinds of cool stuff I haven't been able to check out yet. It's much easier to get the kids in and out AND it actually has more storage room behind the seats.

I am sad that we got rid of the Expedition though. I really loved that truck. Shawn isn't exactly happy about it either. He refuses to admit he owns it. It's mine, not his according to him. I promised him that we would get another SUV as soon as the kids are all out of carseats. I don't think he believes me though. I guess we'll see.

The Unthinkable Has Happened

2005-11-05T21:59:00.000-10:00

I seriously never thought this day would come.

In May of 2001 we bought a brand new 2000 Ford Expedition. We were getting ready to have baby #3 and we had to upgrade vehicles. There was no way in hell we wanted to drive a minivan. We stumbled across a brand new 2000 Expediton on a lot full of 2002's. Needless to say, we got a slamming good deal.

I have been so proud of my SUV. I love it! I was even okay when Shawn traded it in on a 2002 Expediton in April of 2004 just because it had a bigger engine. My heart swells with pride every time I drive that thing. I affectionately refer to it as my 5th baby.

But, since baby #4 has come along, I have to admit it's become a bit of a pain to get the kids in and out of. My first configuration had Nick and Josh in the third row and Zack and Abby on the second row. Nick doesn't need a booster seat in the third row and he would always buckle Josh into his booster. Abby sits in the middle of the second row and Zack would take care of her.

Well, we started having problems with Nick buckling Josh. Not to mention Nick sits back there and terrorizes Josh.

So I switched Zack and Josh around. Now it's a pain in the butt to get Abby and Josh in and out.

So the day I never thought would come, is here. I want to trade my Expedition in on a minivan. Not forever. Just until the kids are all out of carseats and can buckle themselves in. It would make my life so much easier.

Shawn doesn't like the idea, but he is absolutely wonderful and willing to give me whatever I want.

Here's the kicker though. We can afford to drive a big honking SUV, but we might not be able to afford to trade it in. We owe too much on it still (thanks to Shawn trading in our old one on a newer model).

When/If Shawn gets some time, we are going to research it and go look at minivans to make sure it's what I really want to do. What I really want is for my kids to just all be out of carseats so getting them in and out isn't such a hassle, but since that isn't going to happen for another 6 years, I will go look at minivans.

Disaster At The Dentist Office

2005-11-02T17:03:00.000-10:00

The boys all had dentist appointments right after school today. Usually visits to the dentist go well. None of the boys have ever been scared and everyone is well behaved and does what they're supposed to.

Well, when we first got there, Zackery had an attitude problem. He couldn't play nicely with the toys and his brothers, so I made him sit in a chair by me. He proceeded to bang his head against the blinds covering the window. I made him move to a non-window chair.

Josh was called back first. I couldn't go with him right away like I normally do because I was feeding Abigail. They were half done by the time I got back there. They went to put the flouride treatment in his mouth (you know the little tray thingies) and he starts gagging. The guy tells him to relax and continues to try to fit them in. You guessed it. Josh puked all over himself. I felt so bad 1) for Joshua because he seemed really embarassed and 2) I was holding the baby and couldn't help clean my son up. The guy was really nice about it. He kept reassuring him that it was okay. Luckily Zack is into wearing t-shirts with button-ups over them (kept unbuttoned of course) and he let Josh borrow his t-shirt. I asked if that happened often and he said yes.

So they get Josh finished and I was heading back to the waiting room when the receptionist tells me she needs me. Apparently while I was with Josh, Zackery took a toy from Nick to give to another little boy and Nick hauled off and kicked Zack in the face really hard. Everyone in the waiting room was shocked and they were all giving me that I'm-glad-it's-you-and-not-me look. Zack was crying and being consoled by a women that was waiting for her kids. She told me what happend and then said, "You have your hands full with that other one don't you."

I just wanted to crawl in a hole and disappear. I was SO embarrassed. I am sure we will be remembered at the dentist's office for a long time.

We Hit The Motherload

2005-11-01T05:59:00.000-10:00

Last night was Halloween and I had the honor of taking the kids trick-or-treating. Shawn had to work late, so I got one of my friends to come over and pass out candy for us. I almost didn't take the boys because they were misbehaving.

We had a Captain America, a Riding Cowboy, Snow White, and Electrovolt Ninja (although everyone kept calling him a Power Ranger much to his irritation.

They raked in the candy. There were TONS of people home passing out stuff (which isn't normal in our past experiences). It took longer for the boys to get tired this year, so we were able to go to more houses than normal too. Josh and Zack wore out and Nick wanted to keep going. They got SO much candy. This year we officially brought home more candy than we gave out. And most of it is good candy. We only saw a couple of pieces of "bad" candy.

The boys had a blast! Abigail fell asleep in her stroller while we were walking around. I can't wait until next Halloween !

The Pumpkin Patch

2005-10-31T08:31:00.000-10:00

Yesterday I talked Shawn into going to the pumpkin patch. Our friends came with us. Let me tell you, a Hawaiian pumpkin patch is a totally different experience from any other pumpkin patch I've ever been to.

First of all, judging from the boxes marked with a mainland pumpkin farm, we're pretty sure they shipped a bunch of pumpkins in and rolled them out into the fields. Although some were obviously grown there (most of the ones that looked like they were grown here were rotten).

Secondly, instead of serving doughnuts and apple cider, you could buy hot dogs and root beer floats.

My kids (well, a couple of them anyway) were in shorts and short sleeves instead of pants and coats. They had a staged pumpkin scene where you could PAY to have someone take pictures. You couldn't take pictures there yourself, you HAD to pay them (we skipped that).

BUT, we still had lots of fun. The boys each rode one of the carnival type rides (something else that was different). We went on the hayride. Then we walked around the fields and found a pumpkin to bring home and carve. I also took some really cute pictures. You could see all over the fields where people had arranged pumpkins just so they could get a cute picture of their kids.

Nicholas Turned 6

2005-10-28T09:27:00.000-10:00

So, I'm really late with this post, but this past Tuesday (Oct. 25) my little guy turned 6.

We had cake and presents for him, even though he probably didn't really deserve it. I made him this chocolate cake and we bought him a Doodle Monster and 2 games (Guess Who and Chicken Limbo).

He was so proud of himself all day. He took cupcakes to school and they sang to him.

We are supposed to be having a party for him this upcoming Saturday. Because Shawn wasn't going to be here to help (which turns out he will be now), I only let him invite 6 kids from class and a couple of our close friends.

Well, no one (except for my close friend) has RSVP'd. I feel so bad for the little guy. I don't know what to do. Originally, when I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday, all he said was he wanted to do something with Keri (the little girl who IS coming). I kind of pushed him into a party and now no one is coming. I know I got him excited about a party and he's going to be really disappointed when nobody shows up. I guess, if that happens, then we'll take him out and do something special with him.

Decisions, Decisions

2005-10-28T09:04:00.000-10:00

Yes folks, it's that time again.

Time to decide where we want to go next. Shawn's PRD is Sept. 2006 (it used to be July 2006, but someone on the boat decided they wanted to keep Shawn until Sept.).

Our choices seem to keep getting more and more limited.

But this time, we are kind of in a unique situation. Our current boat is doing a change of homeport due to inactivation. This is going to happen towards the end of next year. They will be going to Washington for the inactivation.

So, if we wanted, and they said it was okay, we COULD decide to stay with the boat and go to Washington. This would mean 1-2 years more of sea time that isn't spent at sea. We would get to see a part of the United States that we've never seen before. The biggest problem with this option is housing and cost-of-living. The housing wait list is *supposedly* really LONG for both 5 bedrooms and 4 bedrooms (unless we want to live in what everyone keeps telling us is crappy housing). If we can't get into housing, then I know we can't afford to live out in town. That is really my only concern about this option. I would say yes without any hesitation if it wasn't for the housing/cost-of-living problem.

Another option is to try and have Shawn's PRD changed back to July. I really like this option for a reason I can't state here. If we did that, then we would either try to go to a Trident Submarine in Kings Bay, Georgia (not very likely) or go to Prototype in Charleston, SC (there's also a tiny chance Shawn is interested in going to the Tender in Guam, but I'm not sure). There would be NO housing problems in Charleston. We could either get a 5 bedroom in Navy housing, or we could afford to rent a house out in town.

The other option (one which is more likely than the previous one) is to transfer at his PRD (in Sept.) and go to any of the previously mentioned places.

The decision we made last night (or probably more like *I* made) was to try and route the paperwork to have his PRD shifted back to July. We both know that isn't likely to happen, so I wanted to get that option out of the equation. Once that fails, then I think we should go with the boat to Washington and try to make it work somehow.

Today, I'm doubting our decision again. I would REALLY love to see Washington. And we already plan on driving up to Alaska if we're stationed in WA. But big, new changes scare me.

Of course, none of this could matter if the Navy does what they say they're going to do and starts kicking out people who fail their PRT next summer. If they do that, then it's time to start looking in the civilian world because Shawn's name will be on the list of people to go.

I look forward to moving, but I just wish THIS part of it would be over with. It is SO stressful.

Halloween Party

2005-10-25T08:29:00.000-10:00

It's been forever since I updated this thing, but I wanted to share these pictures from this past Sunday.

We went to a Halloween party put on by the boat's Family Support Group. The kids had a blast. I convinced Shawn to dress up. Not bad for a costume we got at the last minute on clearance from K-Mart's leftovers. The boat wasn't supposed to be here, so we didn't buy him a costume beforehand. He even won a prize for his costume, a $25 gift card to Chili's that he doesn't plan on sharing with me.

Abigail won a prize for cutest girl costume in the 5 and under category. She was an adorable Snow White and I the evil queen.

Josh was a cowboy with his horse and won a prize for cutest boy costume in the 5 and under category. Nick was Captain America. And Zack was a Ninja and won the prize for scariest costume in the 6-8 category. They didn't last long enough in their full costumes for me to get any pictures, so I'll have to post some on Halloween.

The only down part was that someone stole Zack's prize (a $10 KBToys gift card). That kind of surprised me considering the people that were there. I'm still upset about it, but it doesn't seem to be a big deal to Zack, so I guess it's okay.

We Survived

2005-10-05T22:10:00.000-10:00

This week is fall break for the kids. That means no school the whole week. They don't go back until Tuesday the 11th.

I was tired of staying home all day, so today I decided we were all going to run errands. I was dreading it, but it had to be done. I was convinced we'd all have meltdowns before the day was over.

We headed out around 10 am and went to Ben Franklin Crafts. I wanted to get a plaster kit to make a plaster of Abby's feet (I love her little feet). I also ended up getting some Halloween baking pans.

Then we headed over to the Navy base where I tried to get my Ombudsman decal for the truck but apparently everyone goes to lunch from 11-1. We did manage to drop the boys' scout shirts off at the uniform store though. Shawn was going to sew the patches on, but I got tired of waiting.

Next stop was Toys R Us for new bike helmets. I could have sworn you were supposed to try them on before buying them, but every last one of them had things attached so it was impossible to see if they fit correctly. They each picked out a really cool one and I just prayed they'd fit when we got them home. Got Abigail some new backup pacifiers and a pacifier keeper thingy and a new toy. I also decided to be nice Mommy and picked up 3 new 2 player games for the Playstation 2. TRU had them buy 2 get the 3rd free, so it was cool.

Then we had to run to the pet store to pick up new filters. I could write a whole 'nother post about our nasty fish tank. It was in desperate need of new filters. Only 1 store nearby stocks them on a regular basis and this particular store has limited parking and is REALLY small inside. I hate taking the kids there.

I won nice Mommy points again by taking them to Pizza Hut for lunch, but lost all the points when I dragged them to the grocery store as our last stop.

All of that and we managed to not have a single meltdown. There were barely even any fights (Josh and Nick fought a little in the truck). We didn't get home until after 3.

Five hours with all 4 children, by MYSELF. I don't know how we did it, but we survived.

He Did It!

2005-10-05T22:06:00.000-10:00

Nick will be 6 years old on October 25.

He just learned how to ride his bike without training wheels. He is such a stubborn kid. Every time we tried to teach him, he'd cry and give up. Shawn threw his training wheels in the garbage and told him it's either learn to ride or no more bike.

So I taught him on Tuesday. We just have to work on getting on the bike by himself and stopping.

I also realized at the same time that none of the boys' bike helmets fit them anymore. I guess it's been awhile since they've rode their bikes. So new helmets for everyone.

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

2005-09-30T10:20:00.000-10:00

The old man is snoring.

Yep, it's finally fall. The rain has arrived. I don't think it's rained more than an inch since we moved into this house in April.

Now it won't stop. There's the remnants of Tropical Storm Kenneth passing over the Hawaiian Islands and it's dumping rain on us.

We need it. Hopefully my brown yard turns green. At least for a couple of weeks.

Our Cub Scout pack was supposed to have a camping trip this weekend, but it was cancelled. Good thing we weren't planning on going anyway. Now, if they would just cancel Nick's football game for tomorrow. It's supposed to be at 9 am on the other side of the island. To make it in time, we'll have to get up at 6 am.

The rain is kind of sucky though because I'm totally out of formula for Abigail and I don't want to drag her out in the rain. Plus, my the kids get next week off of school for fall break and this isn't a very good way to start it. I don't want to be trapped in the house all week with the monsters.

We're also under a flash flood warning. Hopefully this neighborhood doesn't flood like our old neighborhood did.

I Love Shopping!!

2005-09-28T10:20:00.000-10:00

Especially for kids clothes.

Yesterday, I went to the mall. My plan was to go to Baby Gap and get some pajamas for Abigail since she's growing out of her gowns.

I got to the store and found 3 adorable pairs of pj's. Baby Gap pj's are SO soft! I had time to kill before meeting a friend for lunch, so I wondered around the store. I saw an adorable pair of camo pants that I knew Josh would LOVE, so of course I had to buy those too. Looked around some more and decided I had better get out of there before I spent more money (I just spent $160 there last week). I got 3 pair of footie pj's and the pants for just over $40. Everything was on sale. Not bad.

Still had time to kill, so I decided to walk around the mall. Figured I better stay upstairs because Gymboree was downstairs and that store is dangerous. Get down to Macy's and I remember someone telling me how they have really good sales all the time.

I go into Macy's and as soon as I hit the boys clothes, I see a pair of shorts on the clearance racks that I fall in love with. They are a size 8 and may still be too big for Zack, but I HAD to have them. He'll grow. Look around some more and see all kinds of stuff. The racks said 50% or 25% off. I swore the signs said price marked on item.

I pick up a shirt for Nick and a shirt for Zack and head over to the baby stuff. The clearance racks in the baby section mostly had boys stuff, but looking around I found an adorable Baby Einstein outfit for Abby that was marked 25% off so I grabbed it.

Again, I decided that it was dangerous to stay and I pay for my stuff. I got the shorts (originally $30 marked down to $7.35), 2 shirts, and the Baby Einstein outfit for $37.15. Apparently, the clearance racks were 50% or 25% off the lowest marked price. I'm already planning another trip back after payday.

I am addicted to shopping for kids clothes. BUT, in my defense, I barely ever pay full price for anything. Baby Gap, Gymboree, Macy's...they all have AWESOME clearance sales. I am a name brand junkie, so that's a good thing. I find that the name brands last longer than stuff from WalMart or KMart and I can usually get them for the same prices. Ebay is another great way to get name brand clothes dirt cheap. I LOVE Ebay!

I'm dreading the day my kids decide they want to pick out their own clothes (Zack is pretty much too that point already).

Mommy and The Princess

2005-09-28T10:13:00.000-10:00

My baby turned 1 month old on Saturday. It's so depressing! She is getting SO big. Everytime we see people that we haven't seen in awhile, they tell me how big she's getting.

I had to buy her new pajamas because she's already too long for the gowns. Her little legs poked out the bottom.

She is still a wonderful baby. For the past three nights, she has slept until 5 am. We keep wondering if it's going to last or not.

This is the first picture that I have of the two of us together since we came home from the hospital. I finally had to give the camera to Zack and tell him to take some pictures. Shawn is never around to do it and when he is, he's too busy holding the baby himself. Zack did a good job though.

I didn't think it was possible, but she just keeps getting cuter and cuter!

Silly Kids

2005-09-28T09:59:00.000-10:00

Joshua brought these funny glasses home from school. Apparently he won them as a prize. He was cracking up at himself every time he put them on. He asked if the baby could wear them and we thought it was the cutest thing. Josh kept saying, "Abigail looks freaky."

My kids are so silly sometimes!

2.5 Hours Wasted

2005-09-24T14:20:00.000-10:00

Today was Nicholas' first football game. This is our first experience with flag football so I had no clue what to expect (up until now, we've been a soccer family). It was EXTREMELY HOT outside today.

We get to the field at 11 am for the game which is supposed to start at 11:30. I thought we were getting there at a good time, but we were the last ones to arrive. Apparently the 1.5 long practices during the week (which last until after it is pitch dark outside) aren't enough and we were supposed to get there at some ridicuously early hour.

Noone has a clue which field we're playing on. Finally the cheerleaders show up and they figure out what field we're supposed to be on, but wait, there's still a game playing on that field and it's 11:42 already. So we sit and wait until almost 12:30 before our game starts.

The game goes until roughly 1:30. My son played about 5 minutes total (maybe). Seriously, I took pictures with the time on them. At one point he went into the game at 12:55 and was taken back out at 12:56 (because the play was over). How long do you think the coach's son got to play? Yep, the WHOLE game.

Keep in mind these boys are 5 and 6. In soccer, the coach's are required to play each kid an equal amount of time (I think each kid MUST play 2 out of the 4 quarters). This, of course, is for the little kids. At this age, it isn't supposed to be all about winning. It's supposed to be about having fun and learning how to play the game.

Also, in soccer (my experience is only with the U8 and under divisions; I know it's different after that), we aren't supposed to keep score (although everyone did) and we sure as heck aren't allowed to go around bragging about winning. Apparently, that's not so for football. Our coach made damn sure every one of those kids knew that we won the game and which of the kids was responsible for it.

I am so made right now!!! And to make it worse, Nicholas ended up losing the cool looking mouthpiece we bought for him.

2.5 hours sitting in the miserable heat with my 1 month old. What a waste of time!

Absolutely Shocked!

2005-09-18T19:45:00.000-10:00

Okay, so I shouldn't be. But I am. Sad, but true.

We were sitting around the house and Abigail was being fussy. Shawn was holding her trying to get her to be quiet. Out of the blue, he says, "Let's go for a walk and take the boys to the park. Abby likes walks and that will get her quiet."

I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

Even more shocking, on the way out the door, he tells Nick to get his football so they can play catch.

You have to understand that this is not normal behavior from Shawn. Don't get me wrong. He's a wonderful father. He just doesn't normally make suggestions like this. Most of the time he's tired and just wants to stay home and chill.

We had a blast! Abigail loves being pushed around in her stroller and she immediately got quiet. Shawn and Nick threw the football around while Josh and Zack played on the playground with some other kids. Then Shawn and I threw the football around. Zack came over and wanted to throw the ball too, so I played catch with him while Shawn pushed Abby around the field.

Afterwards, we decided to walk up to the mini-mart. It was so much fun! We have spent so much time inside lately, that it was really nice to get out as a family and get some excercise and fresh air. We even ordered pizza for dinner when we got home.

These are the kinds of things we miss when Shawn is deployed. Quality family time together.

Little Miss Princess

2005-09-18T14:25:00.000-10:00

So, Abigail has been with us for 3.5 weeks now. I haven't really had the time to update until today. The Princess is sleeping, the husband is at work, 2 of the boys are grounded to their rooms, and the other one is outside playing. I should have at least 15 minutes before one of them are demanding my attention again.

Abigail is a WONDERFUL baby! She is pretty easy most of the time. Lately, she's been getting a little fussy during the day and in the evening and the only way to quiet her down is to walk around with her. I don't really mind though as I LOVE holding her.

At night, she wakes up once around 1:30-2:00 am for a bottle. As soon as she's done eating and I change her diaper, she goes right back to sleep and doesn't wake up again until it's time for me to get up anyway. It's awesome!

Her brothers are absolutely in love with her. They are constantly wanting to hold her and touch her. I have a hard time keeping them away from her when she's sleeping. Joshua has woken her up more than once because he wanted to play with her. But I'm happy that they adore her!

Shawn and I are in love with her too. Shawn wants to hold her every free moment that he's home. He is so good with her. I love watching them together. I had forgotten how tender he can be with babies.

We think she's the most beautiful, most perfect baby in the whole world. But, I guess we're a little biased. I can't believe she is almost 1 month old already. Where did the time go?

2005-09-18T14:23:00.000-10:00

2005-09-18T14:20:00.000-10:00

2005-09-18T13:59:00.000-10:00

2005-09-18T13:54:00.000-10:00

Finally Lost A Tooth!

2005-09-18T12:12:00.000-10:00

In the excitement of Abigail being born, I have neglected to mention important milestones of my other children.

On August 23, my oldest son, Zackery, lost his first tooth at the age of 7.5. He thought it was the greatest thing in the world. It had been loose for probably a month before he finally managed to wiggle it out. Dad kept telling him he'd pull it out for him, but Zack wanted nothing to do with that.

Yes, 7.5 is a little late to be losing your first tooth, but none of the boys even got their first tooth until they were over a year old. It must be inherited because I didn't lose my first one until I was in 2nd Grade and my last baby tooth didn't come out until I was 18 years old. Talk about embarrassing.

Pictures From "Lost" Premiere

2005-09-15T09:18:00.000-10:00

"Lost" Premiere

2005-09-15T09:12:00.000-10:00

It's been forever since I've updated my blog, so I figured I should add something. I'm going to write this for now, then I'll try to update again later.

Last night, Sunset on the Beach in Waikiki was showing the premiere of "Lost" season 2. I have been wanting to go FOREVER, but figured Shawn would have to work. Well, here's our story:

So, Shawn didn't get home until 5:00 and of course he had to take a shower, so we didn't get on the rode until about 5:30. Traffic was HORRIBLE and what should have been a 20-30 minute drive took over a hour. Shawn didn't want to fight with trying to find parking close to where the event was being held, so we parked far away and pretty much ran all the way down to the beach. We thought going on the beach would be shorter, until we realized how far the tide was coming in, which made pushing the stroller impossible. We ended up sandy and wet.

Sooooo, we get down there at about 7 pm (the show was going to start at 7:20). It was jam packed and we couldn't get a good spot to stand, so we kind of huddled beneath some palm trees. Unfortunately, it started raining and as much as we tried to protect ourselves under the palm trees, the wind was blowing too. I just couldn't justify keeping the kiddos out in the rain.

SO, we only got to watch the first 5 minutes of the episode. I was really bummed about that, but again, we had the kids and I couldn't keep them in the rain. BUT, we did get pictures of the cast members that were there. Lucky for me, it was pretty much just the guys that showed up. Oh, and I didn't get their autographs because I didn't want to take my DVD set out in the rain. So that sucked too.

Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-01T10:15:00.000-10:00

I want to write about my thoughts and feelings on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but the right words won't come to me right now. I really feel out of touch being so far away from it all. I can't even begin to imagine what those people are going through.

So, for now, I will just say that my thoughts and prayers are going out to all those affected by this horrible tragedy.

Introducing My Beautiful Daughter

2005-09-01T10:00:00.000-10:00

Okay, so I'm a week late. But here she is. She hasn't been cleaned up yet, which is why she has red stuff all over her.

Abigail Marie was born on August 24, 2005 @ 11:oo am. She weighed 7 lbs, 15.2 oz and was 19.5 inches long.

The c-section went okay. I started feeling a lot of pain, so as soon as Abby was born they gave me some medicine that pretty much knocked me out. I did get to see her first though and I came out of it as they were finishing up.

Tripler wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. Everything went really well. The nurses didn't bother me that much besides what was necessary. I did get chastised for not waking Abigail up every 4 hours, but I just shrugged it off. We were stuck in the recovery room for about 6 hours because they didn't have any regular rooms available. That sucked. Overall though, it was a good experience.

We are all totally in love with Abigail. The boys always want to hold her and touch her. Daddy's mad because he had to go back to work on Tuesday and doesn't get any time with her anymore. I just can't hold her enough. She is beautiful! And she is a perfect baby. She doesn't cry very much and when she does it's usually because she's hungry, wet, or just wants to be talked to. I'm convinced she'd sleep through the night if we'd let her. We're not sure if we should let her or not though because of how young she is. The doctors and nurses keep telling us she HAS to eat every 4 hours.

She is beautiful and perfect!

My Last Day As A Mother To All Boys

2005-08-23T14:58:00.000-10:00

For some reason, this seems like a momentous occassion.

I've been a mom of all boys for the past 7.5 years now. That will all change tomorrow (hopefully) with the birth of our daughter.

Boys, for the most part, are easy. And they love their mommy! I always hear about girls being "Daddy's Girl". Everyone keeps telling me how spoiled she's going to be.

It's going to be weird having another female in the house.

To mark the occassion, I took the boys out to lunch for hot dogs at the BX Food Court. Then I splurged a little for ice cream. I can't believe such a small thing actually makes me sad. No more yelling, "Boys!" when I want all of their attention. No more telling people, "the boys are fine", "the boys this", "the boys that".

I will have to change it to "the kids". Starting tomorrow, I will be mom to 3 boys and a girl.

Ice Skating Adventures

2005-08-20T07:29:00.000-10:00

Last night we had our last Summertime Pack activity with the Cub Scouts. We went ice skating. Since I couldn't ice skate, I hired a babysitter to come along and help with the boys. Her whole family ended up coming and helping me out.

I was worried that the boys wouldn't even try to get out on the ice. Boy, was I wrong! Zack got right out there and tried going around once with his Den Leader. He didn't like falling all the time and switched over to the "walker" area. Those "walker" things were so neat and were actually a life saver. Nick and Zack both spent the whole time in that area skating. Josh kept going back and forth between that area and having the babysitter take him to the other area. His jacket and pants were soaking wet, but he was having a blast.

Shawn eventually showed up and I convinced him to go out on the ice to help the boys. That was one of the most hilarious things I have ever seen! He had a death grip on one of those "walkers" the whole time. Josh kept asking him to go out on the ice with him (in the known slow, little kid area) and Shawn wouldn't have anything to do with it.

When we left, the boys were already asking us when we could come back. I am so glad they had a good time and I think we will definitely find the time to go back again.

There's A Light At The End Of The Tunnel

2005-08-17T16:56:00.000-10:00

Today I am 39 weeks and 1 day pregnant. Any other hospital I know of would have given me my c-section yesterday.

But not Tripler.

They are waiting until I am 40 weeks and 1 day. Seven days away.

I can't believe it is almost here. The time has gone by quickly, even though it's been the most difficult pregnancy I've had. About 9 weeks ago, I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. Not too long after that they decided the only way to control my GD was with insulin. So not only was I on a miserable diet, but I had to prick my finger 6 times a day and poke my stomach 2 times a day.

The amount of insulin I was put on wasn't doing the trick, so they upped the dosage a little bit. I've been happier ever since. I can eat a little bit more than the original diet. I'm back to pricking my finger only 4 times a day. The finger pricks actually hurt a LOT more than the needle in the stomach does.

But only 7 more days of it. Maybe less if this little girl decides to come earlier.

I don't know if we're ready or not. I mean, I know we have everything the baby needs. But I don't know if we are mentally/physically prepared for it. Shawn doesn't talk about it at all. He doesn't even want to make plans for when I'm in the hospital. I partially blame his job for that. They're pushing him really hard and I think it leaves him exhausted, both physically and mentally. He pretty much is only home to sleep these days.

I haven't had an infant in 4 years and I'm pretty freaked at the idea of doing it all over again. I keep worrying that I forgot what to do with babies. Shawn says it will be fine, but I'm not convinced yet. It doesn't help that I know he's not going to be around very long after the baby gets here. I'll be on my own with 4 kids after about a week or so. Let's not forget I'll also be recovering from a c-section.

Joshua is really excited about being a big brother. He keeps talking to my belly and telling her to come out now so they can play. Nicholas has just gotten excited in the past couple of weeks. He'll pat my belly and tell her he loves her. He asks me every day how much longer. He keeps talking about how he's going to feed her. I'm pretty convinced he thinks we can feed the baby real baby food from the day she is born. Zackery doesn't really seem to care a whole lot. He rolls his eyes when I bring up the baby. I'm sure he's thinking it's just going to be more stuff Mom asks him to do.

Seven more days.

For My Wonderful Husband

2005-08-02T19:45:00.000-10:00

My hubby took a look around my blog today and got a little pouty because I didn't have a picture of him, so here it is.

This is actually both of us in April 2004 at the Turtle Bay Resort.

We won a package that included a free stay in one of their oceanfront cabins, massages for both of us, golf lessons, horseback riding for 2, and a meal.

It was absolutely heaven to get away from the kiddos for a couple of days and spend time, just the two of us. Something that doesn't happen very often.

Can't Life Just Be Normal

2005-08-02T04:06:00.000-10:00

Alright, so I really do appreciate the steady job that the Navy offers Shawn. I also appreciate the benefits that come along with it (although they aren't as great as the rest of the world seems to think they are).

But, dangit, I just want a "normal" life. I want my husband to get up in the morning and go to work. I want him to come home at a decent time every evening. I want him to have the weekends free to spend time with us. I want him home to celebrate birthdays and holidays. I want us to be able to chose when and where we move and for how long. I want my kids to have a close relationship with their father.

That's not asking too much, is it?

Apparently it is.

The Birthday

2005-08-01T10:08:00.000-10:00

Well, Josh's birthday went pretty good yesterday. Yesterday morning I had gotten up at 2:30 am because I couldn't sleep and then went back to bed at 5 am.

Josh was out of bed at 6:30 am yelling to everybody that it was his birthday. It was so cute. I could here him in the hallway saying, "I'm going to wake Mommy up and tell her it's my birthday." And sure enough he did. He was quite loud and I think he made sure the whole world knew.

By some miracle, Shawn actually managed to have the day off (which is truly a miracle and a whole other post). He had duty Saturday, so when he got from work we took the boys to Denny's for breakfast.

We had decided that instead of a party this year, we would just do family stuff. I wasn't really up for a party. So, after breakfast, we headed to the bowling alley. It was nice to be able to have fun as a family. The boys had a blast. After bowling, we headed to the swimming pool for a couple of hours. I love seeing Shawn play with the boys, because it isn't something that happens very often due to his work schedule. My boys are all little fish and I swear they would live in the pool if I'd let them.

Unfortunately, Nick had done some snooping and told Josh what one of his presents were. Guess I'll have to hide it better next time. I had bought him a little foamy Spiderman couch, HullaBaloo (a game) and 2 Color Wonder sets.

After presents, we had cake and ice cream, which after begging for it all day, the boys proceeded to not eat.

It was a fun, relaxing family day and I really think Josh enjoyed it (at least I hope so). Now I have 3 months to prepare for the next birthday (Nick's).

My Baby Turns 4 Today

2005-07-31T00:01:00.000-10:00

Today is my youngest son's birthday. He is 4 years old. I love birthdays and I am really excited for him, but another part of me is sad. He has been my baby for the past 4 years and that is all about to change in a few weeks. He is so excited about turning 4 and being a big brother but I can't help but think that he doesn't truly understand what that means. He has definitely been treated like the baby of the house, not only by us, but by everyone else too. I'm really scared about how much is going to change once the new baby is here.

Joshua has such an awesome personality. He is the friendliest little kid I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I worry that he's too friendly. He will say hi and hug everyone he comes across. I tried explaining the whole stranger thing to him. I told him if he doesn't know someone's name then they are a stranger and he should stay away from them. So now he'll point to someone and ask, "He/she a stranger?" When I say "yes" he'll immediately ask that person, "What your name?" I think everyone who has ever met him has fallen in love with him. He's only in preschool, but I think he's the most popular kid in the whole school, even with the "big kids".

And how can you not love him, with his blonde hair and big smile?

Lately Joshua has gotten an attitude, eerily similar to that of his bigger brother, Nicholas (who is 5.5). This is not a good thing. It's like my perfect, adorable little boy is going away and being replaced by a monster (it'll take a whole other post to explain my son, Nicholas). He's still cute most of the time, but when he gets this attitude, you had better watch out.

Joshy, as I like to call him, can bring a smile to anyone's face. I think he's going to make an awesome big brother, even if it does mean giving up his spot as the baby.