Armed Forces

I'm an Army brat.

My father retired from the Army (after 20 years and 17 days) at the ripe old age of 38. He was good at it, and he loved it.

When I was young, I thought about joining the military all the time. I thought about the traveling, the camaraderie, the uniforms, and of course the benefits. The idea of serving the nation AND getting paid was heady.

My sister and I took one of those "what would you be good at?" tests during a College for a Weekend trip. Highest scores? She scored as a military officer, and I scored as noncommissioned. It made total sense-- Mary's very academic, and I'd rather get dirty. The seed that had been planted years ago was starting to germinate. Maybe I really could join the Army! We told our father, who put his foot down. No daughters of his were joining the military! He even kept my sister home from school on the day the recruiters came by to administer the ASVAB to the entire sophomore class.

Needless to say, neither of us joined the Army.

Now I'm married to an amazing man. I have the most adorable baby on the face of the planet. My domestic world is wonderful and I love it.

For various reasons, several of my friends are now enlisted or preparing to enlist, and I have to admit... I'm intensely jealous.

7 Quick Takes Friday (#4)

1. Oh man... it's Friday already? I'm starting to feel all the days blurring past me, like pollen on the spring wind. It's a good thing that I've decided to participate in the Quick Takes... otherwise, my blog would never have anything new!

2. I'm spending all day today trying to get Samwise to take a bottle. He'll be 3 months old next week, and I've decided that he really needs to be able to take a bottle on occasion. I've given half-hearted attempts in the past. Today and tomorrow, the bottle is all he'll be offered. One good thing is this gives me plenty of opportunity to pump.

3. One of my best friends is coming to see me tomorrow. I can't begin to express how excited I am! We have so much in common, it's hilarious. I think that people wouldn't think it to look at us, but we respond similarly to almost every situation.

4. I have come to the conclusion that parking should be a more intensive part of driver's license testing. And if you buy a large vehicle, you should have to take a second more intensive test upon purchase. I'm so tired of people that don't need large vehicles getting them. Especially men with large trucks. Stop trying to compensate.

5. I'm really looking forward to the arrival of spring this year. I'm hoping to add some great herbs to the already pleasant landscaping in front of my home. My top picks at the moment are: thyme, rosemary, sage, and lavendar.

6. My sister is doing really well in law school, and I'm very proud of her. She's definitely one of my favorite people, and an excellent writer. She has very strong opinions, and we have differing views on lots of things, but I still think she's as witty as they come.

7. I've decided to paint the master bedroom. I'll let you know how it turns out :)

Valentine's Day

I found this card at CVS earlier in the week and could not pass it up. It was technically a birthday card... but that never stops me. I simply inserted an "un" so it became an UNbirthday card. In honor of Valentine's Day, I have decided to share the message on the front with you.

:)

So, like there was This Guy in line at the Coffee Shop
And he's all like hitting on the Barista
and saying how some
Dumb BAND he saw at some Dumb BAR was like,
"The BEST live performance," he had ever seen,
and the Barista, she's all giggling a FAKE Giggle,
and all I could think was
"THANK GOD I don't have to FAKE Giggle anymore,
and THANK GOD I don't have to
talk to Dumb GUYS about
Dumb BANDS anymore,
and THANK GOD my weekends
aren't about Dumb BARS anymore,
and just THANK GOD my life
is about YOU and about US
and about STUFF
that's a whole lot different
and a lot less DUMB."

7 Quick Takes Friday (#3)

1. I usually don't get sick... if I get sick more than once a year, I'm doing pretty badly. And when I do get sick, I try to ignore it and push through until I just can't take it anymore. Samwise has been down with a cold for the better (or worse) part of the week. On Wednesday, I took him to the doctor because I'm scared to death that he'll get sick and I'll ignore it until it's too late-- the way I treat myself. Thankfully, the doctor didn't treat me like an idiot for bringing him in.


2. Speaking of doctors... lately, I've been having some really bizarre dreams. Last night, I dreamed about Doctor Who. There were a bunch of people, we were all in a gallery, and we were running. Of course we were running... there's always lots running with the Doctor. Then the Doctor shot his companion (Deanna Troi from Star Trek The Next Generation), and suddenly we were hugging and crying together. This is very odd because... the Doctor does not believe in guns.

3. My husband sent me a link to this story, which I found beautiful and touching. It's always so encouraging to know that there are modern heroes. I'm mostly impressed by the young woman who made so much effort.

4. I've been doing a lot more "serious" baking in the past few weeks-- breads, cinnamon rolls, etc. The smell of yeasted doughs rising and baking stir very strong emotions in me. Opening a bakery is really a long term dream of mine. Sure, the wedding/birthday cakes are nice... but for me it's all about the artisan breads and great pastries. I want it to be a place where people stop in for a coffee and pastry-- on their way to work, on the weekends, for first dates, etc. I feel such a connection to people when I feed them-- I want to be a part of the everyday life of others.

5. There's a former Sonic Drive-in location that's up for sale about 5 minutes from my home. Every time I drive past it, I think "Man, if I had money... that would be the perfect spot for a little pastry shop/cafe with a drive-up window."

6. My husband made a card for me for Valentine's Day. It was beautiful and sweet, and he made sure to put pictures of calla lilies on it because they're my favorite. I think it's the best Valentine I've ever recieved.

7. I like to surprise people-- with food, gifts, packages, etc. It's fun and uplifting for both parties :)

7 Quick Takes Friday (#2)

1. I have come to the conclusion that I am one of the most obscenely prideful and self-centered people I know... trying to work on that.

2. Staying home with Samwise gives me a lot more opportunity/time/energy to love my husband. I enjoy being able to prepare dinner, take care of the home, do laundry, etc. I've always been very domestic, and no, it doesn't make me feel like a slave. I always feel very whole and happy when I've had a very successful day at home.

3. I am contemplating cloth diapers. The progress they've made on those things is ridiculous! It would be a very expensive initial investment... but since some of these companies promise a 3 year life, it would pay off in the long run. Especially since they could be used for more than one child.

4. Jeremy and I watched Smokey and the Bandit last night, and I decided that a former co-worker was just like Jackie Gleason. It made me spitefully happy... until I realized that it goes hand-in-hand with #1.

5. I love early mornings, but I don't like getting up early. Does that sound nuts? Once I'm up (especially if I can get a shower asap), I'm good. It's just the getting up that's hard. My son wakes up at 7:30, and it is my dream to start getting myself up at 6:00. I figure that means I could have up to 1.5 hours for myself before the days starts... shower, coffee, a little reading and prayer. I think I would be a much happier, calmer, and more effective person. So... maybe tomorrow.

6. Samwise was doing soooo well at sleeping for several weeks. 9:30pm-7:30am with one feeding around 3 or 4. All of a sudden, he's up multiple times a night again. This too shall pass.

7. My (very Baptist) mother freaked out, at Samwise's baptism a few weekends ago, about the painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe that was hanging in the sanctuary. She urged me to ask the priest about the symbolisms in the painting-- something about horns and a man underneath. I looked at the painting more carefully and did some research online, then sent her an email explaining that it was a cresent moon and an angel, and told her about the symbolism. She was not satisfied with my research and insisted again that I ask the priest. ::sigh::

Some discoveries

Early in our relationship, Jeremy and I found that sick days were some of the best times we had together. He would lay on the futon with his head in my lap. I would cook and spoil him. We would be ridiculously and utterly lazy, spending the days and evenings in conversation or watching our favorite movies and shows.

This weekend, my husband was sick. He took a sick day on Monday. It was the first time that he was this sick since our Samwise was born in November. We noticed the striking differences between the sick days of old and this weekend. When Jeremy coughed or blew his nose, I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed that Samwise wouldn't wake from his nap. I would have spent time fixing fun meals for us, but instead I was spending my time entertaining our son, and trying to keep him from wailing and waking Jeremy. We quickly discovered that sick days are not fun anymore.

Something I realized this morning: Samwise is 10 weeks old on Friday... and it's still like I'm feeling around in the dark. We keep trying this whole "routine" thing (which my husband thinks is wierd and unnatural)... and I'm struggling. Sure, there are some good days. And yes, Samwise usually sleeps most of the way through the night. But my son almost never naps the way I want him to. He doesn't eat the way I think he should. I'm still trying to find the balance between playing with him without smothering him with attention and getting things done around the house without being totally negligent. Let's also throw in some meals and alone time for me while we're at it. How does that work?!?!

I'm learning.