We started attending church at Holy Cross Lutheran on 3 May. The kids didn't oppose hanging out with Ms. Ginger in the nursery, so we decided to return; however, the kids weren't so eager to go to the nursery the following weeks.
We started a Sunday routine of dropping recycling off, washing the car, going to church, and picking up lunch at Atlanta Bread Company (It's the closest thing to Panera in this area, but C is never completely satisfied with the lunch menu items--just the bagels) to eat at home. The kids usually fall asleep in the car on the 8 minute ride home, though, making nap time a bit tricky. When that happens, one of us stays in the car with the kids, while the other runs into the commissary for the week's groceries. There's nothing like good teamwork!
I set a goal not to buy any packaged sandwich/toast bread (this does not include pitas, tortillas & bagels) from the grocery store when we moved here. So, I've been making my own whole wheat bread every week or two. When the week's activities don't allow for it, though, I pick up a fresh baked loaf at the Atlanta Bread Company. My bread loaves turn out to be tiny, perfect for Amelie's mini sandwiches, but C wasn't too fond of having to make himself 4 little sandwiches to equal one normal-sized sandwich, and so the pursuit a breadmachine investment began. What a fresh and delicious difference!
May 1st: Safelite repaired the crack in the matrix's windshield, registered kids for child care and make my day program at the Tincher child development center, ordered BOB double jogger via REI, using 20% membership discount, ate at Tia Rosa's Tortilla Factory and loved it!
May 2nd: Spent the day at the Science Museum and purchased membership passes for the family. Had a horrible dining experience at Spaghetti Warehouse and reported it to management. We received free meal vouchers in the mail, but don't care to use them.
May 4th: We ordered cable! I guess we thought we could watch a little TV for 6 months...though it results in one of sleeping on the couch most nights...not healthy for intimacy! Evil cable! Took the kids to the library for 10 am playgroup.
May 5th: CJ's 9-month well baby appointment. (18 lbs, 5 oz; 27 in) Took the kids to the RecPlex for "Bike Day" with the Explorer's Club. CJ slept through it all, and Amelie was reluctant to participate with the new group. We hosted the Rhineharts for a Cinco de Mayo dinner of Fajita Stacks, chips and salsa, fresh mango, and icecream.
May 7th: Library playgroup with the kids.
May 8th: Kids' first day at the Tincher Child Development Center (CDC). Lots of tears shed... The BOB double jogger arrived! Art for All Festival at Shepler Park. Lots of fun wine tasting with the Fornes family.
May 9th: Mother/Daughter Tea Party at the library. Strawberry shortcake, juice, suckers, homemade salt scrub, feathery and sparkling tiaras. Uncle Chris visits and is treated with an applesauce cake decorated with whipped cream, blueberries, "3" and "0" candles, "Happy Birthday" singing, and an elated niece! Dinner at Meer's Steakhouse. Hiking atop Mount Scott.
May 10th: Mother's Day! Clarence and I began the "Love Dare" book. Each morning over a family breakfast we'd read the Daily Bread Scripture and the Dare for the day, excited to carry it out by the day's end.
May 11th: C begins Field Artillery Captain Career Course 4-09. It was a short first day: 8-11 am.
May 12th: 8:35-A begins her running training with the BOB double jogger. 35 mins in the chilly drizzle. 10-library playgroup. 11:30-Lunch buffet at the Patriot Club (former officer club) 2-"Kite Day" with the Explorer's Club. Am made her own kite, and then broke it trying to fly it...6:30 pm-Marine Detachment Spouse "Coffee" number 2. Bunko night and Sangria! No winnings...
May 13th: C ran a PFT. 5:30 pm-CCC 4-09 spouse orientation at Snow Hall. Evening tornados all around us!
May 14th: C had the day off. Unpacked more boxed while kids went to the CDC for a few hours in the morning. Explored the city of Duncan, 20 minutes east of Lawton. 6:30pm-continued an evening family walk to the playground routine.
May 15th: Popsicle Friday at the Old Calvary Neighborhood Office and playground fun with friends. "Movie in the Park" on Butner Field "Picnic Park/Playground" as Am calls it, directly behind our house. Mosquitos were awful! "Hotel for Dogs" didn't start until dusk...too late for a 2 yr old and 9 mo old!
May 16th: 10 am-Armed Forces Day Parade in the rain. The skies cleared for the festival at Elmer Thomas Park in the afternoon, but the wind never let up. Am met Pvt Baca in line for festival food. Played on the playground.
May 18th: Afternoon Play-doh fun on the picnic table with the neighbors.
May 19th: Found and walked the 5K track on the south end of the post with the kids.
May 20th: Started a weekly bike ride routine with the kids. 70 minutes of exploring.
Took the kids to the CDC in the afternoon for lunch and nap there...more tears at drop-off...
May 21st: Am and CJ were invited to splash in our neighbor's kiddie pool before and after dinner. What a refreshing and fun treat!
May 22nd: 11 am-Luau Hotdog Picnic Party. Amelie gotto put a hotdog in her tummy and a tattoo on her tummy! CJ got lei'd! 6 pm-First Baptist Church's monthly Kids' Night Out for only $3 per child for 4 hours! The CCC 4-09 Marines and wives went out to dinner at the Dry Beaver Supper Club. Not impressed with the food...
May 23rd: First day at the spray park! Lightening detector shut it down, though...
Walked to Medicine Creek and got caught in a down pour of rain on the way home. A sprinted barefoot through the street behind C running in flipflops with te kids screaming in the jogger. Fun times in crazy OK weather!
May 24th: Drove to Dallas. Ate middle-eastern food buffet at Ali Baba's in Irving, TX. A went to a bikram yoga class in Richardson, TX. C & kids looked for Galleria mall, but ended up lost and at a ghetto mall just long enough to use the potty and leave. Disappointing service at a Japanese restaurant for dinner in Las Colinas. Spent the night in La Quinta, Las Colinas.
May 25th: Found a nice playground with small splash pad in Grapevine, TX. A went to another bikram yoga class in Grapevine, TX. C & kids found Grapevine Mall to hang out at. Returned home full on quiznos and starbucks fraps. Walked through the Fort Sill cemetary to read names on grave-markers and say "thank you" in honor of Memorial Day.
May 26th: More playground fun with neighbors. First CCC Spouse "coffee" appetizer and dessert recipe swap and potluck. I made a Prevention magazine Almond "Blondie." Consumed a weeks worth of calories in one night! Yum! SO worth it!
May 27th: Library playgroup and story and craft time.
May 28th: Kids to the CDC in the morning...still tears. 10:30-took Am to spray park while CJ napped in stroller. 1 pm-CJ has a 102 degree fever! 4:30 pm-103 degrees. 5 pm-wasted trip to ER just for grape-flavored tylenol. (CJ's FIRST dose of tylenol in his lifetime)
May 29th: CJ's fever rises to 104 degrees! Hospital prescribes Penicilin for suspected step throat. (Throat culture results received Jun 1st were NEG! I gave my baby penicilin for 3 days for NO reason! He just caught a virus...that's all it was!) Am and neighbor Jack enjoyed an afternoon of chalk art on our front steps. 6 pm-Joined friends at the Fornes family house in Lawton for a "bring your own meat to grill" party! Fun times with awesome people!
May 30th: CJ's fever broke. 6 pm-attempted a hike with the kids on a trail near one of the dams in the wildlife refuge. We didn't get far with Am wanting to hike on her own instead of ride in the backpack, and then she needed to go potty out on the rocks.
May 31st: With the temps rising, we began a post-dinner spray park visit routine.
CJ moved...moves...all over the place...from his first official crawl on the last day in April to crawling at mach speed, pulling himself to stand, crawling up playground steps...and putting everything in his mouth...sticks, leaves, dirt, paper, shredded tire, rocks, coins, chalk...I'm a pro at the finger-sweep now.
Amelie became officially potty trained in May after switching to big girl undies on May 1st. She is totally independent now! There's not many things she requests help with anymore...where has the time gone? She's not a baby anymore! In fact, she is 2going on 20! See her nursing her baby while typing on the computer??? She runs a daycare for her animals complete with dressing, diaper changes, potty, hand-washing, snack-time at the table, story-time, nap-time, art, bath-time, time-outs for being naughty. She lectures me about being nice and tells me to say sorry when I snap or yell. Time outs are daily occurences, unfortunately, with her testiness. But she entertains me all day long with her make-believe play and the things she says. And I just love how she wakes up in the morning with such energy...running down the hall with her crazy mane of curls and says "Hi Mommy. May I watch Mickey's playhouse or Oso please? Ok, Yay! Wait, let me get dressed first. Oh, and may have toast and yogurt for breakfast please?" One thing hasn't changed...she is still obsessed with food. Asking about morning snack at breakfast, and about lunch at morning snack and about dinner at lunch!
