Blue October

One of my favorite bands is Blue October, I was introduced to Blue October by Sophie Christoff by way of a mixed CD (I think for a birthday gift) and I instantly wore the CD out and had to ask for another.  Finally I got bright and burnt it to the computer and then the new album came out and I was in love all over again.  So when I saw they were coming to a small venue here in Columbus I was more than psyched!  So my cousin Rachel and I went (I was close to the oldest person there, not the oldest but close) downtown to OSU to a tiny closet/bar/concert hall.  No seats just standing and we got really close, and we waited and waited and finally after what seemed like forever Blue October came on and it was SPECTACULAR!!

Collin sayings

Tonight as I put Collin to bed, I say, you need to put your pajamas on, and he says, "nope I'm fine in what I've got on" (underwear), so I say to him, "alright, but I don't wanna hear in 5 minutes that you want your PJ's on you hear me.". To which he replies, "that's okay I'll do it in 4 minutes". I laughed out loud and said well alrighty then, but it got me thinking of a few other things he'd said this week.

For example, Collin has really been wanting to buy lego's in particular Jack Sparrow lego's , he wants them and he wants them NOW. He says the other day, "I'm going to buy some lego's today", I ask where he's getting his money from and he tells me "I'm going to use my money, the money that's in your pocket..." hmmmm, smart cookie!

Another time this week, I tell him to get out of his PJ's and get dressed and he says, I'll only get dressed if we go to the store, and I tell him no that's not happening. He retorts with "well mom, I guess we are staying here all day long then..."

This morning, Collin wakes me up and says I ate 2 gummy vitamins but the 3rd one accidently got my spit all over it, should i eat that one too... I said how did you open the vitamins, and he informs me he turned and turned and turned it and it finally opened for him.... wowzer!


And as if on que, as I'm typing this, he comes out and sets his head on my arm and says my head hurts, well I say mid type, "It's because your tired, go to bed", he says, "nope, it's because my head always hurts when it's not watching cartoons" and looks at me... he is in bed now... :)

Halloween

This year for Halloween we had a Green Lantern to protect us with his lantern ring, we had a Black Spiderman (not Venom and you would be corrected sternly by Spiderman too if you said that) and we had a Ninja that all of a sudden turned into an Army guy at the last moment. I felt well protected at the Boo at the Zoo

and at the trunk or treat at church



and at the Preserve, where I love to go each year because I have tons of friends that live in the subdivision and my kids always have to use the rest room at some point during trick or treating.

Josh's short trip

It was amazing to have Josh home even if it was for a short period of time. I can't imagine doing what he does, I have the boys and my friends and family. He has his soldiers and guns. I sleep in a comfortable bed for 8-9 hours a night. He is constantly on different missions and getting sometimes no sleep at all.

He is an outstanding man and what a great father. The boys absolutely adore him. I am glad he was able to come home even for a brief period of time. I will miss him this year and wait for him to hurry home to me.

It's great to be 8

Cregan turned eight on Friday, he was super excited. He turned 8 and got to have his dad home for his birthday. Josh flew in on Wednesday night very late and left on Sunday. On Cregan's birthday, Josh and he went shopping just the two of them he got this SWAT outfitand then, we all went to Chuck E. Cheese. We tried convincing him of going to the Olive Garden and a movie but nope... it was Chuck E. Cheese all the way. He had a blast playing games and getting tokens and then picking out the presents he wanted, after that we went to Steak and Shake and got milkshakes. It was a fun evening.The next morning was busy, like most of my Saturdays are now. First, Clay and Collin went to the church for practice on the Primary Program and then rushed home to get Josh and Collin and take them to soccer game and then back to the church to pick up kids and set up the church for Cregan's baptism!!

At 2pm, we had a double baptism for Cregan and our friends son Andrew. It was such a fun and spiritual baptism. Andrew's brother gave an outstanding talk on baptism. Bob (Cregan's grandfather) baptized him and then Tanya (my sister in law) talked on the Holy Ghost. I was so happy with how it turned out.

After the baptism, we had an ice cream bar in the gym and the kids were all jacked up on sugar so that was a lot of fun as well!

Soccer

I recently signed up Cregan for soccer with 3 of my other friends that I go to church with. And it feels great to have this huge cheering section at every game, all of us cheering for each others kids and bundling up against the frigid dropping temperatures.... They are the Crew and now I wanna take him and the boys to a soccer game in to see the Columbus Crew.... we shall see about that.

But I'm pretty lucky to have such great friends that are there for me while Josh is gone and ask if I need help with getting the chairs outta the back of the van, or ask if Cregan needs a ride to practice. I should have done sports like this years ago.... live and learn

When Josh came home from training for a week and a 1/2 we decided to do not much as far as going on vacation, seeing as we had been vacation like 3 times.... So for the first couple of day, we just hung out together and then 4 days before leaving, he decided to paint the outside of the house. Of course, we fought about the colors because we fight about everything that goes into the house, see here to read more about that.

I thought the colors were too dark and that it wouldn't look right. I... was... wrong...

And although we rushed to get the front and the back and it rained for a few days oh and I stained the front porch during this time as well...! It was not as difficult, like I thought it would be. All in all it turned out nice, and tons better than the eye sore we had before

Pirate Party

Here's a belated post about our friend down the street Andrew. He turned 8 recently and had a pirate party on the Santa Maria downtown.

The kids all got dressed up as pirates and went to the boat for a private party, it was loads of fun and included a treasure hunt and sword fighting

Another year away

Josh left last Sunday, ironically on September 11th, for active duty in the Army. He's National Guard unit will be attached to a unit in Afganistan in a few months and he'll be there for a year. It's really hard having him go, he is such a help with the kids and frankly being a single mom sucks... but it's more than that... I will just miss him...

On Monday we went to a wonderful closing cermony, the speakers (and there were plenty) did outstanding jobs. Tanya (Josh's sister) and her kids came up too and after the ceremony we all went out to eat. It was a lot of fun sitting there laughing and talking.
And as I sat there and looked around trying to take my own mental photograph, a thought came to my mind, I was going to be OK this time. My kids are a little bigger, and that small difference will be huge. When Josh left for Iraq the kids were 2, 4, and 7 and now are 5, 7 and 10. That's a huge difference...


It won't make him being gone any less painful, but easier? Maybe, I don't know yet... I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Collin

My baby turned 5 today!! We are celebrating his birthday until his daddy comes home from training but I am so excited for him. Everyday for the past 2 weeks, he would wake, put both of his chubby fingers on my face and say "my birthday is today?", so when I woke him up this morning and told him today was his birthday, he was beyond himself with joy, he screamed and squeeled for a good 5 minutes!!

The cutest thing he did today was as we were sitting in church, he says with news bent down, I look like a 4 year and then he would pop his legs back to normal and say, now I"m a 5 year old... a friend suggested I should put him on a chair and say now your a 13 year old... but I don't think he would get the humor..