Wamego, Kansas

Not to far from our new home of Manhattan (Kansas not New York) there's a cute little town called Wamego. It's tiny and quaint and we considered moving to a house there when we got here. But there's also the Wizard of Oz museum there.

 

So of course we went.  It was a fun little place. Apparently they have an Oztoberfest every year. I think we'll be going next year. (And when I say we I mean probably just me) but there's a munchkin lookalike contest. 

 

 

Angry Birds

Right. So this is December, but I thought I'd share pictures from Halloween. Jeffrey decided he wanted to be the black bomb angry bird for Halloween. So about a month and a half before I started thinking how I was going to make a costume for him. I found a great tutorial online (which I can't find right now) that showed me how to do most of it. I have to visualize things for a while before I start making the pattern so I pondered the arm and neck holes for a LONG time. Long enough that my mom had come by then and told me how to do it in like 3 seconds.

We moved on the 28th so we were able to go to Cory's work trunk-or-treat which was pretty fun. What's an angry bird without any pigs to squish? So we made shirts to go along with him and since Sugar was here to help us move, she got to wear one too! Cory was the king pig, I was the mustache pig, and Sugar got to be the regular pig.

(I've said it before and I'll say it again, my mom has amazing eyes!)

Jeffrey is making the angry bird noise in this picture. He totally embraced the character of the angry bird.

Here they are playing a real life version of the game. Have no idea what we're talking about? You should get the app from iTunes, very addicting launching birds at all those pigs!

I locked my pack out footlocker in the shipping container. This is a small footlocker of items that precede us in our road to deployment so that we may meet up with the items shortly after arrival. There is not much room in our bags we carry with us for personal stuff, so this is a chance to get ahead of the game by sending pillows, novels, DVD collection, or a guitar. I will hand carry my camera, but it was great to pack out a light stand and umbrella.  

Jeffrey gets upset when I come home from work and have to do homework instead of playing with him. I have made a commitment to myself to eat a quick breakfast and brown bag a lunch each day so that I can do homework at work. I would rather stay a little late at the office and arrive home ready to give him my full attention than to disappoint him even for a 20 minute use of the computer.

This 10 inch Toshiba notebook I picked up back in Oklahoma serves me well. It is easy to keep my planner, homework, and even Photoshop with me. Target had some small notebook cases just big enough for the computer, mouse, and plug. 

FT Riley has some great facilities, but the dining facilities are the worst. I took one bite of my pancakes this morning and put up my tray. I will need to look at a FT Riley map and find another place to spend my $2.30 in the morning. That is one thing I miss about FT Carson. Most of the dining facilities there were like restaurants.

A Broken Foot

So I was getting ready for the Oireachtas (regional Irish dance championships) and had driven to Colorado with my mom for a few extra practice sessions. Late on the 2nd night that I was in class, I fell pretty hard and landed on my right foot. I knew I had done something to it, but I prayed it wasn't serious. On the drive home it hurt to drive so I pulled over and asked my mom to drive and I took a look at my foot. It was swollen to about the size of my head and had started to throb with pain. I've had a broken foot before (same bone other foot) and knew what that felt like and was pretty sure it was the same thing this time, except that the pain was like 8 times worse.

We called my friend that we were staying with and explained that instead of coming to her house we were headed to the emergency room and not to wait up for us. She offered to come and pick up Jeffrey and take him back to her house. Fast forward an hour or so and this was the results we got from the radiologist:

• Fifth metatarsal has approximate 2.5 cm long vertical oblique lucency involving distal and mid shaft most compatible with acute fracture with some medial displacement and mild lateral angulation of distal end with greatest medial displacement involving medial cortex region of distal fracture fragment. 

Didn't understand that? Well I didn't either, they showed me a picture of the fracture and it was pretty messy, I had shattered the bone in a few places and then bowed it outwards in another. The ER doctors exact words? "You have a really interesting break." Well my motto is if you can't do something right don't do it halfway.

Holiday Wishes

I leave the house for work each morning at 0500. That gives me plenty of time to take the scenic route to FT Riley and arrive at the company well before physical training begins. I leave the buffer of time in there just in case the front gates back up or something else in the miles between home and work comes up. With my scriptures with me, I can make the best use of the 20 minutes before formation. Sometimes it is hard to find a significant, consistent, and quiet time to read the scriptures. I have found that if I am willing to read in less than ideal conditions there are many daily opportunities to read and refresh myself. Sitting on a generator at the back of the supply cages is good enough for me.

At 1600 each day SSG R. and I put down our work and pick up books that will help us in our own professional development. There is a lot of work to accomplish to get ready for deployment, but we cannot forget about expanding our learning in our own diverse specialties. It is easy to become expert at the work of the day and out of touch with advancing fields in theory and practice.

Manifesto

In the coming months I will be back in Afghanistan again. In preparation for this deployment, Tricia and I have talked about the things we can do as a family now to get into good habits of communication. You are reading one of those ideas right now. We have neglected our family blog for a long time. Our commitment is to get back to it right now and make it a part of our daily routine no matter how busy we feel now. Making it a priority at this time will help to ensure we continue it when I have to leave. This will also keep our family and friends outside our home informed and up to speed on what we are doing. A natural consequence of writing a blog is increased interest in reading the blogs of other families and friends of ours. 

Tricia has also noted that in my zeal to make great photographs for my own journal on CoryMacNeil.com I neglect to take the needed family photographs of our every day and routine stuff. Point noted. Along with an increase in our use of the blog I will accordingly bring out my camera to illustrate. I will take my 30D to Afghanistan with me, so you can expect that I will have the tools needed to illustrates some of my adventures. Tricia will have the G10 back here for photographs and video of her own. 

My laptop has a built in camera that I will use to make a video for Jeffrey each day. I have already packed up my microphone to use in making stories for him as I did on last deployment, but I think video will help as well. Jeffrey is at the age now that I need to start focusing on teaching him about numbers, letters, and some of the basics he will need in preparation for school. The video will give me a chance to teach a short lesson in a visual way to get his full attention and make learning memorable.

As soon as the novelty of my arrival from Oklahoma wore off Jeffrey was ready to get out and set up his geo tracks. I took this picture to help me recall how to use all of the pieces as I did making up this track.

Jeffrey loves to play Angry Birds. Tricia is working on a design for an angry bird costume for him to use as Halloween. We will pack that on the top of the trunk when we move to Kansas.

Even on a 2 inch screen Jeffrey is entertained by Phineas and Ferb. 

This is the cleanest bike in the neighborhood. When I clean the cars Jeffrey asks for his own bucket of water to clean his bike. 

Though I am off from work for a few days I still need to keep fit. The Air Force Academy has a great trail to run on just outside of its gate.

I am back from Oklahoma! I made many good friends there while spending nine weeks learning about electronic warfare. This is a new, growing, and exciting field for the Army. The Navy, Air Force and Marines have had personnel in these fields for a long time. The Army is playing catch up to get on board with the need to control the electromagnetic spectrum in military operations.

I also made good friends while attending church in the Lawton ward. By the time I left I attended a pioneer celebration, ate at Adair home, taught a Sunday School class, and even gave a talk on the last Sunday present. If I stayed any longer I might have been called as an Elders Quorum counselor.

I took the scenic route getting home. A search with Google Maps let me know that I could either rush home in 10 hours seeing freeway most of the way or take my time in 12 and enjoy the country side. The extra two hours of travel was worth the time.

My second day of travel I arose at 0400 to leave the hotel. By 0830 I was home and called Jeffrey from the front yard. He came outside in his Batman underoos to greet me. All morning he kept telling me how much he loves me and missed me. I spent the rest of the day with Tricia catching up on the small details of around the house life. It is good to be home again.

The dino museum at Thanksgiving Point

 So all of the venues at Thanksgiving Point in Utah were $2 on Tuesdays in August. Sounds like a good idea right? Well, only if you want to be there with 8 million other people who want to take all their kids for $2. I don't love crowds (I get claustrophobic) and I don't like it when people take their kids and then just let them do whatever they want...while they talk and ignore the fact that their kids are being a little mean. Whatever, rant over...

Grandma Whittaker took the day off work and got our tickets for us earlier (thank goodness!) and so we walked through the museum. Last time we went Jeffrey was 2 and didn't have a lot of interest in anything. He was 4 this time and didn't have a lot of interest in the dinosaurs, but found other things that he liked. The tunnel with the stars was his favorite, I think he went though about 8 times. He would have kept going but Mommy got hungry and the museum got really crowded.

His other favorite game was to bury the bones rather than uncover them. He had a brush in both hands and would brush it away until he saw there was something there and then cover it back up with a huge pile of sand. It was so funny to watch him, no matter how many times we explained it to him he just kept doing it his way. That's my Jeffrey, independent and stubborn as all get out!

More man time with Uncle Scott

 When we were in Utah, we stayed with Paige for a little while (until baby came) and then went to stay with Uncle Scott. Jeffrey loved it, even though the dogs made him a little nervous he loves them. While we were there he got to do some yard work with Uncle Scott. I love the look of determination in his face on the picture below. He makes me laugh!

Jeffrey misses his daddy a LOT! Yesterday we sat on the bed and had a talk after one of his tantrums. He told me he wanted to go to Oklahoma to see daddy and that he missed him and that was was made him feel angry and sad. While my heart was breaking for my baby, I thought it was good progress. A year ago Jeffrey wouldn't talk about any of his feelings at all and I felt helpless when he would have a fit, now he can recognize his feelings and he's getting better about explaining how he feels.

The "Up" House

 Me: Hey J, do you want to go see the Russell house when we go to Utah?

J: YES! Will it fly away with all the balloons?

Me: No, I think it landed there so someone could live in it.

J: Could we live in it?

Me: I'm sorry buddy, we don't have enough money to buy it.

J: Well I just want to live there? Who has enough money? Uncle Scott? Could he give us money to buy the house?

 Me: I don't think he has enough money to buy the Russell house either, bud.

J: Well I just don't like this house that we live in, it's so boring. I just want to live in the Russell house!

Me: We can't go live there, but we can visit when we go to Utah.

J: Will it have a chicken on the top that they can use to steer the house when it gets to para-nice (paradise) falls?

Me: Well it looks like there's a chicken on top from the pictures. Should we watch the youtube video again?

J: Yes! And then let's tell daddy so he can get us money to buy the Russell house!

Me: Ok, we will see what we can do.

 Me: Look buddy, there's Carl and Ellie's hand prints on the mailbox.

J: Like in the movie when he gets paint all over?

Me: Yep. That was silly of Mr. Fredrickson.

J: That was daddy and I am Russell.

 Me: Oh I didn't know. Did you help him get to Paradise falls?

J: Yes, we just dragged the house with the hose and then we fell on some rocks and then Charles Muntz burned the house and then we had to save Kevin.

Me: Wow! You guys have been busy.

J: And then I gave Kevin some chocolate and he followed me. "An explorer is a friend to all, be it ant or fish or tiny mole. Hey! That doesn't rhyme! Yeah it does. Hey Look!" Mom and then you say "Hey get down from there."

Me: Oh I'm Mr. Fredrickson now?

J: Yeah and Kevin is eating the balloons and you say "Hey get down from there" and then he pops the balloon.

Me: Ok.

 J: Mom, why do balloons pop? Is the ground sharp?

Me: You mean the balloon that the tree popped when we were at Sugar's house?

J: Yeah, why did it just go pop?

Me: I don't know bud, balloons aren't very strong and if something sharp gets them then they pop.

 J: Like when my balloon popped?

Me: Yep. That's what happened.

 J: Mom, let's watch Russell and I'll be Russell and dad can be Mr. Fredrickson.

Me: Who am I?

J: You can be Ellie.

Me: And I can form a club? And say "You and me, we're in a club now."

 J: Yeah, let's watch the movie about the Russell house again.

Me: Ok, look the house even has a chair like they have in the movie.

J: Mom, can we buy the Russell house when we have more money?

Me: I wish we could, that would be fun to live in that house wouldn't it?

J: Yeah, this house that we live in right now is boring, I don't like this house anymore. I thought I did but I don't.

 Me: Well, I wish we could, but remember we are moving to Kansas.

J: Mom, who can give us money for the house? Do you have money?

Me: Not enough for that house.

J: Yes you do!

Me: Where?

J: In your wallet.

Me: That isn't enough to buy the house, maybe we could go see it though.

J: Yeah, mom, let's just watch the movie about the house again.

Man time with Uncle Sam

Jeffrey misses his daddy a LOT when he has to go away for work. Mommy just isn't good at wrestling or doing the boy things that daddy does. So when we went home to Utah, Uncle Sam went for a bike ride with Jeffrey. He didn't make it very far, just up and down the street a few times, but he enjoyed it. He always loves heading to Utah to visit everyone!

My Grandma's Cookies are better than your Grandma's cookies!

This is my grandma's chocolate chip cookie recipe. I found two copies of it in the recipe box at home and asked if I could have one. Remember when I said I had fond memories of making those cookies for my grandpa? Well now I can make them for my bean. I love, love, love that it's in my grandma's own handwriting too. I can picture her writing this and see her small hands now. I miss my gram!

Want proof that these are amazing cookies? I made a batch of 36 cookies and they were gone within 24 hours. Yep! It's the magic recipe! (The only thing that Gram and I disagree on is the nuts, I don't love them in my cookies!) Too bad I didn't have this when I was in my "man catchin" days, I'd have had Cory from the first bite. Instead I had to woo him with my mad dancing skills.

A Month of Vacation...

Jeffrey and I just got home from a month of wonderful memories in Utah. With our upcoming move to Kansas this was probably the last trip we could make before we head further East, but it was awesome! We had a great birthday party for the cutest 1 year old ever! I got to be an auntie all over again and hold the sweetest baby you've ever seen! And we had lots of visits with family that made the trip and the flat tire on the way home worth it!

Pictures and stories to come!

Single Mommy Chronicles

Being an army wife gives you the opportunity to live as a single parent sometimes. Not willingly, but then who on earth would want to be a single parent? Once when Cory was deployed and I was able to go to a Relief Society meeting with Julie Beck she made a quote that has stuck with me, "Even coal miners get time off," well this coal miner isn't going to complain when the other half of the team gets back.

Jeffrey and Cory are both morning people, like 6 am morning. I don't even consider it morning until after 8:30. (So don't try and plan anything early unless you want a grumpy me!) Jeffrey will pop out of bed bright and early and start talking. About his dream, about his plans, about a movie, how he wants to ride his bike, about primary, and on and on and on. And that's all before 8:30 when I decide it's time to start my day. He wants to always be busy, he rarely will just sit still. That's another Cory trait, if Cory sits still for more than 10 minutes, he falls asleep. So round about 4:00 in the afternoon I am usually exhausted and tired and feel like all I've done all day long is follow after Jeffrey cleaning up his messes, or pretending that they didn't happen at all. I'm starting to think, "When does my shift end?" (Jeffrey JUST brought me his shorts that he decided to wash in the sink by himself...dripping water all around the house!) Then I realize, I'm the mommy, my shift NEVER ends. Then I realize that I only have to do this for 9 weeks this time and maybe a year next time. There are women who have to do the forever, who don't have someone else to help with the swing shift. That's usually when I feel tired and start rummaging in the cupboards for chocolate (which is gone 85% of the time because Jeffrey continues to find my hiding spots!).

Bottom line, being alone sucks! I am lucky enough to be able to visit Utah this next few weeks for a little bit of sanity (or insanity, at least there will be others present!) and I am going to give Cory a big kiss when he comes back on shift and I can get a little rest. Family with mom and dad both present = Sanity for this mom!

First Steps...

For ten years I have been Irish dancing. For ten years I have wanted to be a certified TCRG (which is the initials for the Gaelic words for certified teacher). I started after an obsession with Riverdance when it came on TV. I had danced when I was younger and always loved it and when I got the opportunity to take an Irish dance class from Tina Shelley, I fell in love with the dance form and wanted nothing more than to be an Irish dancer for the rest of my life.  I began competing at feisanna and loved that even more.

Along came the love of my life who swept me off my feet and took me to Colorado where there is, thankfully, a very strong Irish dance community. I danced with the Bennett School before moving to Germany. I was worried that the move to Germany would put dancing out of my reach since there was only one certified school in the whole country. Thankfully I was able to take classes briefly with the school there and loved every second of that, when that became impossible I decided to teach beginning Irish dance on post to the dancers there.

Then came the other love of my life, Jeffrey, and I thought I was going to have to give up dancing again because mommies don't have time for dance. Thankfully I was wrong and realized that mommies need time to themselves in order to be good mommies and continued teaching my sweet little dancers in Germany, always hoping that one day I'd be able to be a certified teacher.

With a move back to Colorado I went back to dancing with the Bennetts and have been able to dance a little (with all my breathing troubles) and teach a little more. Molly has always been very supportive of me wanting to take the TCRG exam and so I've taken the first official step towards that.

Today I ordered Ár Rincí Fóirne (the ceili dance bible!) to begin memorizing the 30 dances required for the exam. Mind you that's only one section of six I have to pass, but it's the one that's the most overwhelming to me. So wish me luck and know that if you see me between now and September 2012, you'll probably see my little friend too!