Military lifts ban on Social Networking Sites

I survived a Tsunami..well...sort of

Well, I am sure you all have heard about the Tsunami warning we had here on the islands of Hawaii. I was awake when the earthquake hit Chile so I had a head start on most ppl here on the island. It was around 1 am or so, so I was able to run out to Wal-Mart and get some supplies before things were really crowded and hectic. The sounded the horns at 6am and told everyone that was near the coastline to evacuate. That included my family. We headed to my husband military base and were able to stay there with great ppl, keep up with the news, get some much needed sleep, etc. The ban has been lifted as of a few hours ago and we are now back home. It was pretty scary trying to figure out what to do with a big gazillion foot tall wave coming at ya, but, luckily all is well now. I hope that we won't have to deal with anything like this for the remainder of our time here on the island!

Teething...Not Cool!

Teething Ring...check

Orajel...check

Tylenol/Motrin...check

Cool cloth...check

Sanity...ugh..what's that?

I have to admit this teething thing is NOT COOL AT ALL! The lack of sleep coupled with night weaning has added some beautiful bags under my eyes. I am starting to get that raccoon look. Nice. Pretty soon I will be running into walls and mumbling strange things to myself if I don't get some rest.

My oldest daughter got her first teeth at 6 months of age. No problems. I didn't even know she had them until the babysitter called me at work to tell me. This time around is a different story! My poor child is nibbling on any and everything she can get her little swollen gums on. Even me! I feel so bad for her being that there is not much more that I can do.

She will be nine months old soon! Let's hope that those pearly whites hurry and pop through. For my sake and hers!

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Sesame Street Live

My husband and I were brave enough to conquer Sesame Street Live with a 4 year old and a 7 month old. It was brought to our military base via the USO Experience for Military Families. What an awesome experience! Besides waiting for over an hour to get inside, because I am definitely an early bird when it comes to these types of events, my children loved it! The USO (United Service Organizations) has been offering this free traveling tour featuring some America’s favorite Muppets, and we all know that Elmo is like all the free candy in the world to most toddlers.

They sang songs with positive themes that addressed feelings, missing a parent during deployment, etc. They gave every child a free elmo toy and had free dvd's and reading materials for parents to share with their children to ease the stress and anxiety of deployment. There were also activities before and after the shows, and the children were able to meet the characters. For the past two years the USO have traveled throughout the US and Europe at more than 64 military installations. You can visit their Sesame Street/USO Experience photo album and their website for more information on the USO.

There is a new blog on the block.....

There is a new blog on the block. Yes I am new on the block too and I hope I don't go into foreclosure soon, but http://4quartersofamother.blogspot.com/ is where Mandeek makes me smile almost daily! She adds a humerous touch to my day as I read about her life, and I look forward to continuous reading of her blog. So, Mandeek this is to you...my Mandeek Monday so to speak hehe. Keep making me smile.

Feel free to follow her and I am sure she will return the favor. Happy reading!

FREE Nursery Water Bag and Pouch

As a mom of 2 young children I always have a tote bag attached to my hip. I can't go anywhere without bottles, sippy cups, diapers, toys, etc. I have lots of bags already but I can always use another! So, when I saw this offer I had to jump on it.

Nursery Water is giving away up to 100 bags per day while their supplies last. The bag also comes with a cute little storage pouch. You can't beat that! They run out quickly so go snag yours while you can. There were 20 bags left when I requested mine earlier today. Inventory is reset at 12pm EST, so check back if you don't get yours on your first try.

Will I Ever Lose the Baby Weight?...Tips Anyone?

My House...The Battlefield

Help! This green-eyed monster called sibling rivalry has invaded my 4 year old and made my 8

month old her target! She takes away her toys, blocks her path when she is crawling, and makes faces at her. She is constantly terrorizing her, for lack of a better word, but maybe terrorizing is fitting in this situation. I swear that by the end of this week I will only have 3 strands of hair left on my head! I have heard of children being jealous of one another, but this is BAD. I am trying some different techniques to diffuse the situation. I will let you all know how it goes. Until then, keep your fingers crossed!

Military Wives and Depression

I started thinking about this topic earlier this week after speaking with a few military wives. I have been a military spouse for over 7 years. I have seen tons of soldiers, mostly those that have been deployed to a war zone, be diagnosed with

sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health conditions. I am sure this number will likely continue to increase being that we are fighting multiple wars. I know that the Army, and I'm sure other branches of the military, have started to take notice and have implemented programs and services for soldiers to get counseling and deal with their issues. But where does this leave the spouses?

I have met lots of military spouses, even through forums on websites created to establish a network of moms/wives and girlfriends/fiances in the military community. I have noticed that lots of them have to take meds while coping with a deployment, or multiple deployments, or some other issues that have come to a head in their lives via the military. Yes, we all have issues in our marriages, some big some small. But if you are a civilian and have never lived the military life, trust me, you have no idea. Out of the seven years of my marriage my husband has been gone for about 4 years! Although, I have not had to take meds to deal with his abscence during those times, I can see how many people have to. Taking on ALL things "husbandy" for a year to 15 months in some cases, and suddenly turning into MIGHTY MOM can put a lot of stress on a person. Also, coupled with uprooting your family from one foreign place to another every 3 or so years, in my current case, overseas in Hawaii, with no family and having to make friends all over again is a big stressor. I know that there is sometimes a stigma associated with a soldier who seeks mental health treatment so I imagine that may be the case when the spouse seeks treatment.

I have decided to do some research on this subject for a future post to discover resources that are currently available for military spouses who are having to go through this difficult journey. If you know of some resources please feel free to share them with me, even anonymously if you choose. Also, if you are a military spouse going through this I would love to talk to you about your experience. Feel free to comment!

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My Trip(s) to Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor is the most visited attraction on the island of Oahu. Of the

many things to see and do here, this has been one of my faves. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a BIG history buff. I taught fifth grade history and luv luv loved it! So when we arrived here on the island this was on the top of my list of places to visit.

This is my husband and I with our oldest daughter in 2007 (before we even knew there would be a daughter #2). A lovely tourist took this snapshot, probably after feeling sorry for my husband and I taking turns with my Kodak cam.

One of my good friends came to visit last April and I took her there also. It brought her to tears.

This is my mom and sis with my daughter in January 2010. They enjoyed it! My whole fam loves history.

So yes, I have gone 3 times total, and honestly, it didn't get old. The fact that I am into culture and history played a role as well as being a military wife. Knowing that my husband has put his life on the line several times, recently returning home from Iraq after being injured, definitely put this place into perspective for me. This is a rare treasure, yet somber. Knowing that hundreds of men were entombed below me weighed heavily on my heart. Our soldiers put their lives on the line everyday for our freedom no matter where they are, and I was more than honored to pay my respects to those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor. If you are ever able to come to Oahu, this is definitely a site to visit.