Back in Spain

We're back from Texas. For those of you who didn't even know we were gone I will give a better update of the past 20 days soon. It's been a stressful month, but we're still a happy and thankful family. I took very few photos, but I did take some that I'll probably post.

While we were in Texas I got the call that my Aunt Vita passed away (on Monday the 23rd). Her painful battle with cancer is finally over. She passed in her sleep after a few very rough days. I'm glad she's not hurting anymore, but we're all really going to miss her. The funeral was today in Ohio. I've been thinking of her and her family (my family) all week. I might write more about that later, but honestly I just don't feel up to it at the moment. I love you, family. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

It's 5:30am... I didn't sleep on the plane, didn't sleep for more than an hour at home. I just can't seem to let slumber take hold. Too much on my mind I guess. It's nice to be home, but it's always bittersweet to say goodbye to family.

Still Happy!! HOORAY!!

We're still going strong with our happiness levels out here. Yesterday was a little bit rough because Tristan was especially whiney, but today was amazing :) We got our grocery shopping done and even managed to have fun doing that! Noah and I were singing Christmas songs already while Tris and Bren laughed at us. Tristan sometimes piped in with a "all the way" when we were singing Jingle Bells. Noah was cracking up when I sang him the Batman version :D





After all that excitement the 2 wee ones went down for their naps and Noah and I gave Bosley a bath with his new tea extract shampoo. He looks and smells so wonderful now :) He was in such a good mood after that too! Noah made a concoction of plum leaves, olives, dirt, and paper which he called "olive a cado". While he was doing his own grocery shopping I was taking some macro shots with my new focus point knowledge. I'm very happy. I thought I loved my camera before!





Anyway... We also built a little grill and cooking spit in their clubhouse. The clubhouse is just a little corner of the yard that was fenced off with vines growing all over it. Noah calls it the Secret Garden. We ransacked the catalpa tree for "bananas" and huge dinner plates (aka leaves). The leaves were as big as Noah's entire torso!







We spent the rest of the day outside. All... day... long... until it got too dark to play. I fixed Noah's bike so he could ride again, and he most certainly did. He rode around the house and all through the yard. Tristan followed him on his giraffe. Everyone played really nicely today. No one got hurt. We all enjoyed each others company. Everyone was mellow, even Bosley. Tristan and Brennan took turns poking and pulling on him and he just let them. He didn't whine or flinch or growl. He even rolled over haha. He's such a great family dog. It's nice to have him home :) The boys quietly watched "Chicken Little" in the living room while I made dinner and then ate all their food, took their baths, and went right to sleep. I took a few videos. I will probably upload at least one.









Today was a great day. All that was missing was Josh! Soon enough. Oh... Happy Halloween, everyone!

Changing My Outlook

Last weekend was hard on me, despite the photographic cuteness... really taking pictures is sometimes my escape. Usually it's therapeutic for me because I get to do my own thing, but I am still there for them when they need me. Well it didn't really work. I tried going on a drive and listening to my music and that didn't work either. I was still on edge and frustrated, very sick of certain things Tristan would do or Noah would say. Then I had a sudden change of heart. I don't know really what triggered it... maybe it was all the exercise I've been getting. Maybe it's Josh being on a new shift. Maybe it was staying off the computer from 10am-8pm (unless they're asleep). Maybe it was writing in my journal again. Whatever it was we've had a great week. I've actually been having fun with them and I am a patient and loving Mommy again.

Today we had an early dinner and then went back outside to play hide-and-go-seek in the dark with our flashlights. FUN FUN FUN!!! It was Tristan and I vs Noah and Bosley. I rolled Brennan around with us in the stroller the first few times, but he watched a couple times when we hid in some smaller places. He was perfectly content, as always. Bosley was such a jerk!!! He would follow us and then sit there until he heard Noah and he'd start barking to tell him where we were. I kid you not. He also played fetch today! Bosley had never played fetch with us before, but he's like a puppy here :) Yay yard!!

Yesterday we didn't do anything extra special because Noah was being bratty and Tristan was being whiney. We did watch a movie together and had a few tickle fights. Sometimes you have to tickle the bad moods out of little boys ;)

Tuesday we played castle. We developed our brilliant plan to rescue Princess Fiona at our hideout (the greenhouse). Then we stormed the palace gates on our noble steeds (scooters)... but quietly so as not to alert the massive guards in the tower. We discovered the castle was completely surrounded by a croc-infested moat... back to the hideout. ONWARD we go again!!! Armed with sticks we built a bridge over the moat. We fought the guards off one-by-one until we saved the dear Princess Fiona. Noah put her on a plane back to her village so she could become the Queen, he told me.

Monday was baseball day. I pitched to Noah and he hit almost every pitch! He hooked one into the hedge and when I went to shake it out I discovered where all the buckeyes had disappeared. Apparently Tristan was fascinated by the way the hedge swallows objects thrown into it so he had thrown them all in there. I shook about 20 out of that bush. Tristan squealed with joy when he saw them on the ground... and then they all went right back into the hedge :) Tris played a little baseball too. He likes to throw me the ball and then yell and run away, laughing his little butt off at nothing hahaha. Fun times!

Tomorrow is Friday. Who knows what we'll do. There's a Halloween party on base, but I don't know if we're going to attend. I'll see how tomorrow goes. Noah mentioned camping today and I thought a little camp-out in the backyard would be really fun. Maybe maybe... and maybe I'll take pictures this time. I hope I can keep up my positive attitude and patience through the weekend. Then I only have to make it until next Friday. Josh will be back and it won't be nearly as difficult to maintain a positive outlook. I'm getting so much accomplished so that helps. I'm already getting my Christmas shopping done! I'm carrying on with Tristan's scrapbook even though I am out of the clear protective sheets (they'll arrive in the mail eventually). I've got the order ready to go for Brennan's scrapbook. Things are going well.

October Photo Shoot

I finally got around to getting our Halloween Photo Shoot done... though I guess it's more like just a Fall shoot since they're not wearing costumes. But, they all have on their orange shirts and corduroy pants! Hey Michelle, it fits!!! There were many many cute shots, but not of all of them at the same time haha. Bosley just had to get in there and give everyone kisses at least once, but for the most part he stuck with me out of the way. Here are the ones that made the cut. Consequentially, I just figured out how to move the focus point and change the focus area on my camera (after the shoot, as luck would have it) so expect the pictures to get even better... cuz it's fast and easy and amazing. I can't believe it took me this long to think about it :P Oh well, learn something new every day! I have no formal training so I will give myself a break ;)













We harvested most of the almonds from our tree this weekend and got to work shelling them. Tristan was a better helper than Noah as far as consistency goes, but I think he was just in it for the snacks. He would put one in the bowl then take one for himself. Just so you all know toddlers can't digest almonds... yes, I had lots of fun all day today finding that one out. He tipped me, though! I found 5 eurocent in his diaper this evening. Let's hope he didn't eat any more change! He's lucky he was able to pass it. Noah thought it was hilarious. Tristan tried out some more new words today: shoe, food, eat, done, out, buckeye, pinecone, apple, baby, and more. There are probably more than that, but those are just ones from today! He's up to 2 syllables now!! :O woooooooooow. He's so proud of himself and we're proud of him too :) His black eye still looks pretty bad, maybe even worse now that it's really "settled in". It's starting to change yellow and green, which means it's healing.









I let Noah stay awake late on Saturday and he ended up falling asleep in the playroom at around 10... he made it pretty far considering he was up at 7! We had another date today during nap time. We sat outside drinking our cocoa and played a game of "sight word bingo" that I made last night. Then I had him go through all 30 words again before we could play Mancala. I had to kind of lecture him a good 500 times about paying attention and thinking about the word instead of just guessing. He has a real problem with listening. Tonight I thought it would be a good idea to read him his book without letting him look at the pictures so he would be forced to listen. It worked out pretty good, actually. I kept stopping and asking questions too... he'll learn eventually (I hope). We're also reading "Hop on Pop" together a couple times a week. It's a great book for beginning readers! He's doing pretty well, but he looks at words like pictures, and if there are pictures on the page he won't even look at the words. He'll say "on" is "under" because of the picture, not even bothering to try and read the actual words. Slowly but surely we're going to break these bad habits. Noah has so many wonderful attributes though. He's a very patient and loving big brother. I think he's more patient with Tristan than I am sometimes. Tristan will fall and I'll say "get up you're fine" but big brother Noah will run to him and exclaim "oh no! poor Tristan, are you ok?" and give him a hug. Noah will not walk through a room where Brennan is without stopping to coo and giggle with him. Brennan ADORES him for this! His little face lights up when he hears Noah coming.









I had fun with them this weekend, but I am also very impatient with them lately. I can't believe Josh doesn't get home for another 12 days. I need to figure out a way to de-stress before I become "mean Mommy", which kind of already happened today. If I would just call the few people I know and hang out with an adult for a while I'd be fine. Tomorrow I have plenty of errands to run so that will help. Starting next Thursday I'll be taking the boys to a "Music & Movement" class they're offering for free on base for infants and toddlers. I hope people show up! I found my journals and poetry books from years ago and I am thinking of writing again. Yes, with an actual pen and paper :O haha. I miss writing. It made me feel smart.

Handsome Wee Lads

Tristan officially entered into the ranks of the two year old boy by running face first into the corner of our lovely brick stairs. No one was chasing him, he was not chasing anyone else... he just wasn't paying attention. I didn't actually see it happen, but I am pretty sure that's what happened since he was sprawled out on his back right behind it and there was a square-shaped bruise already beginning to form. Maybe he's had a growth spurt recently or something and his body is bigger. Too bad babies don't have whiskers! He's slowly getting out of the whining stage, which is great because it's driving me crazy. I've been encouraging him to use words and that seems to make him much happier. They just can't stand not being able to communicate. Plus he's probably bored because his brain is like a sponge right now and we don't do enough around here to keep it exciting.







Brennan is bulking up to enormous proportions. He's a solid blob of smiley rolls which make bathtime a little challenging. He's sitting upright in the bath seat extremely well now. He's not quite mastered the art of sitting, but he's no longer a novice... he can stay up for a good 5 minutes or more. He's not trying to get up and rock on his knees at all yet, but he does do a lot of break-dance moves to reach his toys at tummy time. He's the cutest, happiest little guy. He makes me happy... when Tristan won't stop whining, Brennan just smiles at me and laughs every time Tristan cries. He makes me feel so loved and wanted, but not in a needy baby sort of way. He's such a unique baby.





After I took Tristan's black eye pictures Noah asked me to take some of his boo-boo on his lip. This particular injury has been hanging around for much longer than anticipated because Noah constantly picks at it and opens it right back up again. Of course I hardly notice the boo-boo, I just notice those eyes! Be still my heart :) Noah's been learning so much at school! They're exploring proportions and comparing sizes in math class. They're studying the letters G and O this week... and still throwing P and A in there. He tells me numbers are digits or numerals. He spends most of the day sounding out words to spell. They've made pancakes, gone to a farm, counted pumpkin seeds after scooping them out, learned poems, read stories, sang songs, danced... no wonder he loves school! He gets the occasional orange face for not listening, but he usually comes home with a good report. Today he was singing "If You're Happy and You Know It" in the shower. I seem to recall singing this in the kitchen with Tristan just the other day and got a "stop that, Mommy! I don't like that song!" from Noah. I guess now he does! I think he just didn't know it yet. He's finally enjoying singing :O

I dread the day my boys are old enough to date. I am hoping they'll be smart enough to be socially inept geniuses so that I won't have to kill any little tween prostitots.

Sunday with my Boys

This was a pretty good weekend. Despite my frustration with being alone with all these living things to take care of, we have our joyful moments more often than angry ones. I got to take a couple cute pictures of my babies all together and they almost all cooperated at the same time. Believe it or not it was Bosley who was giving me the most grief! He kept walking into my shots!! He's in the background of nearly every single one. I tried to make him come sit by me, but he just has to be by his boys! They are still cute pictures :)









Brennan is almost sitting up all on his own now. He is still a bit wobbly and doesn't quite sit "up" yet. He mostly folds in half and happens to not roll over haha. Tristan is suddenly very interested in talking and actually has a vocabulary now! :O Today's new words were "bean" and "thank you" and "Bosley". He sounds so cute! I need to get another video.





Ever since Noah started school he's bored with us at home. Can't say I blame him since we don't do gym, art, Spanish class, math, reading, go to the library. All we do is one chore after another around here. So, while Tristan and Brennan were asleep I thought it would be a good idea for Noah and I to get some quality time together. It's been awhile! We started a batch of blueberry muffins and a pot of hot water. Then I taught him how to play Mancala while we sipped on hot chocolate and waited for the muffins to finish. He did so well! We played 4 rounds and he actually beat me twice. I helped him a little bit, but he's definitely got the counting thing under wraps. He was so excited and felt like such a big boy :) We even had time for a round of chutes and ladders, which he also won. It was a good date with my Noah.

Before the Warmth Subsides

We had a few really warm days this week and I noticed the weather report seemed to indicate they would be our last. So... out comes the water buckets! Yeah sure we have a pool, but nothing beats the simple pleasures of containers full of water outside on the patio. Plus the pool is drained and green. We started off with the idea to make some stinky stew out of buckeyes, almonds, madroños, olives, and whatever else we could find... but once the boys saw water they wanted to get their hands wet :)







I'm doing better. Not as stressed. I'm getting things done. I live my day to day. Sometimes I go out. Most of the time I don't. Brennan is slowly cutting out his numerous naps so I expect a change in the following months. He's also eating cereal twice a day... a LOT of it. I tried to buy some baby food veggies, but forgot... then I tried again and was out of luck because there were none to be found at that grocery store. Sigh. Oh well. There's always tomorrow and I need to go out and get my mail anyway so might as well try the store... again. Wish me luck! :P