Flight Tracking & A Kiss Jar

Josh's flight taking him overseas in now officially in the air. We were able to talk to him a few times today. Dylan and I were both excited to hear his voice. I'll be even more excited the next time, I'm sure. I have my computer open and I'm tracking his flight. Is that obsessive or is it reasonable? I can play off the whole justified thing right?

We had a rough night last night. I think Dylan was really missing Daddy and refused to go back to sleep for me when he woke up in the middle of the night. I only got a few hours of sleep and I'm worried that tonight won't be much better. I know I'll feel much better when I know my husband's cross-country flight is over. But, wait, I'm pretty sure I won't feel like myself again until my husband is back on American soil. 

I had my first 'kiss' from my Kiss Jar today. Right now there are 369 kisses left. Not that I know exactly how many days he'll be gone...I'm sure I'll have to do some math once we get a better grasp on his return date. Whew, 369 kisses left? That's a lot!

I'm so grateful for all the support everyone has given Josh leading up to his departure. And I can't thank my family and friends enough for being there for me. Not only do I have an amazing family, but I have great friends. I really want to thank all my parents and grandparents, Colleen, Allie, Jon, Katie, Shannon, and Matt for checking up on me. Having so much support is what's going to keep me sane throughout this upcoming year. 

Playing outside the library

In the spirit of trying to stay busy today, my mom met Dylan and I at the Library today to pick up a few books for the two of us. I made a point of trying to not waste my precious time with Josh by reading or watching much tv, so I am diving back into my books and trying to catch up with all the season finales that I missed. By the way, watching a bunch of overly dramatic and emotional tv shows while your husband is traveling overseas for deployment is probably a horrible idea. Oh well! Apparently, I'm just going to be torturing myself this week.

On a happy little note, Here's a photo I took the other day of my boys while having lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. Dylan is so lucky to have such an amazing Daddy. It's easy to see why he's such a Daddy's boy.

My boys

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put a sappy season finale on tv and watch the tiny little airplane on my computer screen travel further and further away from where I am.

Deployment Day

The dreaded day has come and gone. Today was the day that Josh boarded a plane here in Illinois for the first leg of his journey overseas. It’s almost impossible to prepare for a day like this. I had every intention of being strong and composed so that Josh would feel my support. For being an incredibly emotional person, I I’m not sure why I thought I was going to pull that off. I hope that he could still see support through the tears.

My boys

We had a little time this morning to all snuggle together before heading to the airport. I'm sure Josh was thrilled to get one final fix of Mickey Mouse before leaving. I had to take a photo of my happy boys this morning.

(By the way, it's hard to tell in this photo, but Dylan's t-shirt says, "Taking car of Mommy until Daddy comes home." It was made by Katie Runnels for Dylan to wear this year. I figured it was quite appropriate for today.)

Once it was time, we loaded the car and started the trip to the airport. Josh's parents and sister, Michelle, my mom, and Bob all came to say goodbye. We all got passes so we could go through security to his gate. 

"Goodbye Daddy"

After some goodbyes, the rest of the gang headed out so the three of us could have the last few minutes together.

Dylan didn't understand the significance of the moment. But he didn't hesitate when I told him that Daddy had to go bye-bye and we were going to give him huge hugs and kisses.

Dylan has a few things to help when he is really missing Josh...

Dylan's Daddy Doll

Katie Runnels and family sent him a Daddy Doll. I had heard about them, but hadn’t seen one before. She took a photo of Josh in his uniform while he was at their house in Georgia. It arrived here last week. Both Dylan and I love it! Dylan loves to hug “Daddy” and cuddle with him. I do too! Thank you Runnels Family! What an awesome idea!

Josh also bought Dylan two of the recordable books from Hallmark (a Superhero book and a bedtime story). We read the ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ before bedtime tonight. As soon as I opened the book and he heard Daddy’s voice, he snapped his head around to me with huge, excited eyes and a huge grin while laughing. It made him so happy that Daddy was reading him a nighttime story. We read it twice.

It was a sad day in our house, but I am so blessed to have such a wonderful and supportive family (and friends). And I know that Josh is feeling the support from all those who have sent him cards, messages, and calls. Please keep your thoughts and prayers with my amazing husband for the next 12-15 months while he is serving our great country overseas. 

Bouncing Around at Monkey Joe's

On one of our last days with Josh in town, we took Dylan to Monkey Joe’s. We wanted to get there right when it opened, but we were a little too punctual and arrived 15 minutes before the doors opened. So we drove across the street and checked out all the animals at Petco. Dylan loved seeing all the ferrets, fish, lizards, and kitties. It was like little boy heaven over there!

We killed the necessary time and were the first ones in the door at Monkey Joe’s. I was amazed when we walked in. The only other bounce house place I had been was in Georgia and it was nothing compared to this! I immediately sent Katie a text because I wished her and Elleah could’ve been there with us. Elleah would have lost her mind with all the fun there!  

There was even an adult area with couches and a big screen tv (turned onto ESPN, of course). It could've been called "The Daddy Zone." Give the men a beer and they could stay there all night long!

We were ready to play! Dylan was a little apprehensive at first. All the bounce houses were much bigger than the ones he is used to. But the nervousness didn’t last long. He was running around like a wild man in no time. Josh and I took turns going into the different ones with him. I think he had more fun when Daddy was with him because Daddy was being just as silly as he was. My boys are quite a pair!

At one point, Dylan was laughing so hard he was almost crying. He started laughing every time he fell down…that’s almost every other step in a bounce house. He was loving it!

He got really adventurous and wanted to try every one. We wore that kid out. He hit his fun limit in just under an hour. It was getting close to nap time and he just couldn't handle any more fun. But it was $6 well spent. I'll gladly go there again...and so would Dylan!

"I love it here!"

Bumper Bowling

One of the things I really wanted to do while Josh was here was to take Dylan bowling for the first time. We went to Sam’s on an afternoon. The place was deserted, which was pretty nice for us. As soon as we got there and Dylan saw all the open space, he wanted to run around. He was not happy with me not putting him down while we got our shoes and tried to get organized. I’m sure the guy working the counter was thinking, “oh great, these people brought a crier in here and it’s going to be awful!”

But everything calmed down once our shoes were on and the search was on for the perfect ball. We got Dylan the lightest one we could find (the 8 pounder) and headed back to our two lanes. The guy gave us two side-by-side. One with bumpers (for Dylan) and a regular one (for us).

Dylan helped Daddy put our names on the board while I tried to get the camera out, because we all know how photo obsessed I am! Dylan had no idea what was about to happen, but he knew it looked exciting.

Josh stood with Dylan and had me bowl once to show him what he was supposed to do. Then it was his turn. Josh carried the ball up to the line for him and Dylan followed. Only, I think he was trying to walk up all fancy like I did. What a ham! I can't tell you how happy I am that I got this little movie of his very first attempt at bowling!

We took turns bowling and helping Dylan. He had such a great time. We got him two 8lb balls so that we never had to wait for his ball to travel back up. I think it's a little much for a 1.5 year old to understand why he has to wait for his one ball.

His were the two on the left in the photo. I think he also liked how brightly colored they were.

But he also shared the spotlight. He wanted us to take our turns. When Dylan wanted one of us to take a turn he pointed to our bowling ball - yes, he figured out which one was Mommy's and which one was Daddy's. Then he'd either sit down on the floor or stand there patiently and watch. And he really liked cheering us on.

My parents showed up about halfway through to see Dylan's first time bowling. Dylan really started to show off once they were there (He gets like that when Grandma & Grandpa show up). We got through one whole game for Dylan and were almost done with our game when he hit his limit.

"Go, ball, go!"

In true toddler form, he started to throw a bit of a fit once he decided that he was finished bowling. Grandpa Bob saved the day and took him for a walk. Josh and I finished up our game and turned in our shoes. When the three of us went to find Grandpa & Dylan, we ended up finding them playing the race car game. Dylan was in charge of shifting and Grandpa was steering. I think they make a good team - even if they didn't come anywhere close to winning the race.

My parents took off for home, and Josh, Dylan and I finished our bowling experience with a stop at Clints for pizza. It was an AWESOME afternoon.

Loving the Outdoors

Well, Josh is gone. After many LONG delays, rescheduling, and frustration (due to the crazy storms last night), he finally took off this evening heading to his last training school in California. I’m already sad that he’s gone (again) but at least I can sit here and smile as I continue to write about all the fun we had over the last two weeks.

There was a morning during the first week that Josh was here that I just couldn’t resist going outside. We’ve had some gorgeous weather over the past two weeks and we tried to spend as much of it outside as possible. That morning, we headed down to Ben Butterworth Parkway. For those of you not from the area, it is a walking trail along the Mississippi River that stretches for miles through Moline.

We took a long walk along the river and then let Dylan burn off some energy at the park. The playground is kind of shaped like a ship and there’s a really tall slide that, I think, is supposed to look like the crows nest? Well, Dylan wasn’t intimidated by the height at all. As a matter of fact, he climbed those stairs several times, passing up the smaller slides in favor of the huge spiral one.

He’s quite the adventurer! For being only one and a half, he’s such a rock star! I think he may have been showing off a bit for Daddy. Josh was at the bottom of the slide to pick him up and swing him around in circles every time, so that was probably another big part of why Dylan braved the top of the ship so many times.

On the other hand, he was not really a fan of the swing. For a kid who loves to rough house and be thrown around, he wasn’t all about flying through the air in swing form! Not even with Daddy holding him on the swing. But after clearly telling us he was through with the swings, he was running back to the tall, curvy slide in no time!

Back a home a few days later, Dylan got an early Easter gift from Grandma Linda, Grandpa Bob, Great-Grandpa Ben & Great-Grandma Cathie…his own slide for his backyard! He loved it! It was even better when Daddy gave him an extra push so he flew down extra fast! He also likes to stop himself before reaching the very bottom and then jumping off into the grass. Once again…such a boy!

We also got to celebrate Opening Day! I was happy to see that ESPN was celebrating the day by showing the Cardinals vs. Marlins game. Dylan and I got dressed in our awesome St. Louis gear while Josh wore his Tigers shirt. I am a baseball girl, and getting to watch the first game of the season with my boys made it the perfect evening. We even had my parents over for dinner! One of many great nights.

These two weeks together was so wonderful for Josh & Dylan. Dylan got to spend time with his favorite person (Yes, he’s a Daddy’s boy and I am totally okay with that. It’s easy when he’s got such a great Daddy).

And Josh got to really experience how much Dylan has started talking and communicating. He learns so quickly! Josh taught him a few really funny things while he was here and wouldn’t stop smiling the whole time. I’m sure it was the combination of how fun it was and how proud he was of his little man.

Blackhawk State Park

Only a couple days later, we had gorgeous weather again. So we decided to make the most of our afternoon and hike the trails at Blackhawk State Park. I hadn’t been there in years, but remembered loving it when I was younger.

We took some stairs down into the woods and we were off! Dylan wasted no time taking the lead and remained there for the entire hike. I was a little nervous about how our extremely independent 20 month old would do. For not even being two years old yet, he really loves getting out there and doing stuff! He was a champ.

There were only a couple tumbles (including the bottom 6 steps on this wooden staircase) but he hopped right up…after a few magic kisses from Mommy & Daddy, of course!

Josh was really proud of Dylan for putting him arms out while falling down the stairs so he didn’t roll as fast. “That was a good fall, Dylan!” I think Moms and Dads get proud over different kinds of things.

Dylan is all boy and loves to be outdoors. This hike was perfect for him! He loved being our leader and picking which trail to chose when there was a fork in the road. We never even had the option to lead. Heck, if he didn’t look back once in a while to make sure we were keeping up, he might not have even noticed if we were gone.

Don’t you just love the dirt stains covering the butt of his jeans? I think that it’s a successful day for a little boy if you have dirt all over your butt! Success!

The park is alongside the Rock River and you can see it from the paths. Dylan kept pointing to the river and saying “Waa-waa.” “Yes, Dylan. That’s water…that’s the river.” Either he wanted to make sure we saw it, or he wanted us to notice that he knows the word. This Mama was proud.

After a while we started making him take a break whenever we’d come across a bench or a log so he could take a drink (and pose for a photo).

Pretty soon he started stopping on his own, sitting down, and then patting the bench next to him for Josh to sit. Once Josh was there Dylan pointed to me and would flash me his fake smile. So I would then pull the camera out and take a photo. I’m not sure if I have him trained, or if he has us trained! Either way, it adds up to a lot of photographs!

No obstacle was too big for our fearless leader. Whether it was a downed tree, an incline, a hole, or a big rock…he conquered them all!

And he stopped at every tree along the trail to touch it and say, “TEE!” “Yes, Dylan, that’s a tree.”

As a special treat, he even stopped at a mile marker to play a drum solo for all the forest creatures. I’m not sure the animals enjoyed it as much as Josh and I did. The drum solo also came with some singing and dancing.

And apparently, once was not enough. After he finished he walked about 8 steps, turned around, and came back for an encore. Kids are just awesome!

We made a giant loop around and were ready to head back to the car. But Dylan wouldn’t let any photo opportunities pass us up. He made Josh sit down on the rocks with him before we left the trail so we could get this photo. I’m glad he did, it’s a cute one!

Dylan also make us take one more before going to the car. He just wouldn’t leave until we captured this moment of them with a road blocker. Ah, the memories…

Easter Egg Scramble

Obviously, being a “single” mom when you have a husband is quite difficult. And moving halfway across the country without him was something I don’t ever want to do again! But after a few weeks of getting settled into our new home, and trying to get into our new routine, we got a temporary break from our separation. Between his training schools, we get Josh for 2.5 weeks! He got here late on Mar 28 and is staying until this coming Sunday morning.

We’ve been keeping busy while he’s here. Our first big event was going to an Easter Egg Hunt on his first Sunday here. The City of Moline was putting on an Egg Hunt for different age groups so we decided to go for the 2-yrs & under scramble. After a week of gorgeous weather, it had cooled off a bit, but we threw on our jackets and went looking for some eggs!

When we were all lined up, waiting for the whistle to blow, Dylan was really excited about the eggs! And he was awfully mad at his Mommy & Daddy for not letting him run out and grab them all before the other kids! By the time the whistle blew and there were people running all over the place, he was more interested in why everyone was rushing around. So there was more aimless running around than picking up eggs. Josh did manage to get Dylan to grab a few eggs. Josh did not, however, resort to what I saw some parents doing...shoveling as many eggs as they could into their kids baskets while the kids watched. Really? You need the one peppermint per egg so bad that you'll snatch eggs away from 1 year olds? Wow! But Dylan had fun...so that's all that matters. (Notice the cracker in his hand while egg hunting? I swear, we moms will do anything to keep our kids occupied!)

After carefully placing 9 eggs in his basket, Dylan was ready to meet the Easter Bunny. He spotted him from across the field and really wanted to go check him out. Lucky for us, Dylan wasn’t afraid of the bunny at all! He gave him high fives and posed for his photo.

I, on the other hand, was a little concerned that it was probably the worse Easter Bunny costume in the history of costumes! I’m glad Josh has a smile on his face and not the expression that I’m sure I was wearing while taking the photo.

After our photo with the scary Easter Bunny, we went over to check out the fire trucks. They were letting kids climb in them and sit in the front seat.

Overall, it was a pretty simple morning and we were back in our car in less than 45 minutes. But we had a good time and made some memories. That was the plan for the next two weeks…fill it full of memories.

Christmas at Marlene & Larry's House

When we left the Quad Cities, we were headed East to Josh’s sister’s house for the Christmas weekend. We had such a wonderful time with Larry, Marlene and family. Dylan was completely loved on the entire time we were there.

Setting the table for our Christmas meal

On Christmas Eve, we went to church for the Christmas service and then headed back to the house for a wonderful Christmas meal. Marlene and Larry cooked up an incredible feast.

And we had to have Christmas toasts! There was a Sparkling Cider toast and a Corona Christmas toast. Good stuff!

On Christmas Morning, the younger kids were SO excited to open their presents, so we had an early wake-up call.

However, Marlene and Larry did tell them that they had to wait until at least 6. So, I was woken up at about 6:09 and present unwrapping commenced at about 6:15. I left Dylan in bed, but he heard all the excitement and woke up anyway. He was a little too tired to get into it like the other kids but he tried. As you can imagine, there was an late morning nap in store for him.

Cute Side Story: When we opened an 8x10 photo of the family (taken last summer at Grandpa West’s funeral) sent from Joe & Cindy, Dylan was very interested. He inspected it closely, and found his Grandma Cindy (you can see him pointing at her in this photo). He still likes looking at that photo. I keep it on a shelf low enough for him to reach. He carries it around the house checking everyone out.

We tried taking a family photo, but it was a little early for all of us and Dylan wasn’t really in the mood. Oh well, it works.

Strangely enough, I think Dylan’s favorite Christmas gift was actually Larry’s. He got a massage chair. Dylan saw all of us trying it out and decided that he wanted a go at it. We put it on the lower back setting so it was perfect for him. He sat so still and was so serious the entire time he was getting massaged. I thought it might freak him out, but he loved it. How crazy is that?

We left on Christmas afternoon to start our drive home. I know Dylan enjoyed his time at Aunt Marlene & Uncle Larry’s house just as much as we did. It was so special to be able to spend the holiday with them. We are very blessed to have such incredible people in our family.

Dylan and his cousins 

A Busy Early Christmas Eve

We spent the weekend before Christmas at my parents’ house. Since we were leaving a few days before Christmas, I convinced myself that Saturday, Dec 17 was Christmas Eve and Sunday, Dec 18 was Christmas Day. Santa came early, we did stockings on Christmas Morning, a family meal and presents - the whole she-bang. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to our Early Christmas Eve…

Dylan and I had been in Moline for almost two weeks without Josh. He was at a two week training school in California. Once he was done, he flew into Moline on the red-eye from San Francisco. I went to pick him up at 9:30 am on Saturday morning while Dylan had breakfast with Grandma Linda & Grandpa Bob.

Josh and I got back to the house right about the time that Dylan was getting a little cranky and ready for his nap. Not quite the welcome that I was hoping he’d give Daddy, but what can you do? While Dylan took his nap, Bob & I took Josh over to see the house that Dylan and I will be moving into in a couple months. Yes, it has been decided. Dylan, Oscar and I are going to be living in Grandma Gisele’s house. She moved out of the house and into an apartment a while back. The house didn’t sell and the contract was up with the real estate agent. So, instead of resigning with her and putting it back on the market, she offered it to me. It’s a win-win for all.

On the way back from the house, we picked up Hungry Hobo (always on the list of must-eat places when I’m in town) and brought it home for lunch. Dylan had just woken up before we got here and was a brand new boy. He was incredibly happy to see Josh. As a matter of fact, he was having a hard time looking away from him. Josh had to eat his entire lunch kneeling down next to Dylan’s highchair. They shared a turkey sandwich, lots of laughs, and lots of hugs and kisses.

After lunch, it was time for Josh to take a nap (he was REALLY tired after taking the red-eye) and it was time for Dylan and I to go pick up my step-mom (Nana Connie) at the airport. It seemed like everyone was coming into town that day! Dylan was a little shy at the airport, but warmed up to Nana by the time we got to Aunt Karen’s house. Then Dylan was getting spoiled with love by Nana and Great-Aunt Karen. He read books, showed off his dancing skills, went up and down the stairs a few times, and even got to pet the dog! What a lucky boy! My Grandpa Charlie and his wife also stopped over to say hello.

By the time we headed back to Mom & Bob’s house, Dylan was passed out in the back seat. Fun overload! While he took a quick nap, I woke Josh up from his nap because we had company coming. Mike & Liz came over for an evening of carry-out Chinese food, early presents, dance parties, and (once again) too much fun!

Dylan got to open an early Christmas present from Grandpa Bob & Grandma Linda. It was a Honda 4-Wheeler! When he saw it, his eyes got huge, he started clapping, and tried to climb on before we could get it out of the box.

He drove that thing around the house for about an hour. Then, he started getting ridiculous and wanted to stand up on the seat. I have such a BOY! He's a dare-devil. I am in so much trouble for the future.

Dylan was so happy to see his Daddy. He hardly let him out of his sight all night long. They played and snuggled all night.

It was a great early Christmas Eve. We saw SO much family and had WAY too much fun. We all slept well that night! And when we woke up…Christmas Morning!

Our Sitko Thanksgiving

It is the last day of the 2011 Thanksgiving weekend and I have been thinking about all of things I am thankful for this year. Let me tell you about our Thanksgiving while I mention some of those things.

Thankful Thing 1: My boys. I am surrounded by testosterone in my home and I couldn’t be happier with it. Even my cat is a boy!! But those boys that live in my house are absolutely the thing that gives me joy. I have a husband who loves me for who I am, a cat that cuddles with me, and a son that couldn’t be more amazing. If I had to pick what I am MOST thankful for I wouldn't hesitate when I said, "My boys."

We spent our Thanksgiving over at the Runnels home. I spent lots of time the day before prepping the food, and then cooking in the morning before heading over before kickoff of the first football game. The Daddies hung out with the kids and watched the game while the Mommies put on our matching aprons and got to work in the kitchen. (Yes, we have matching aprons. Katie is a creative whiz and made me one when I freaked out over how much I liked  hers. Mine says “Domestic Goddess!!” By the way, the fact that our outfits underneath the aprons matched as well was just an awesome coincidence.)

Thankful Thing 2:  I am so thankful that we have made friends like the Runnels here in GA. Anyone in the military will tell you how difficult it can be moving around and constantly having to start all over at the beginning with friendships. But on the other hand, I have made friends with people I would have never even met if it wasn’t for our military life. I really lucked out this time in my friendship with Katie. We have so many things in common and we can completely be ourselves around each other. And it doesn’t hurt that we have children that love playing together.

While we were busy cooking, the men kept the kids entertained with an entire playroom, coloring books, sticker books, and (of course) some roughhousing that involved a bean bag chair, Daddies roaring, kids squealing, and some flying through the air.

Thankful Thing 3: The man that I married turned out to be such a wonderful father. In the past, I had seen him interact with his nieces and nephews who just adore him, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that he is so amazing with Dylan. But I still find myself smiling while watching them play and cuddle. I don’t it take for granted.

We had a HUGE meal with turkey, corn casserole, dressing, potatoes (mashed & sweet), chicken & dumplings, and more. It was enough to feed the entire block! The good news is that I haven’t had to cook anything since!

Thankful Thing 4: My son is growing into such a little man! Not that I want him to grow up so fast, but I am so proud of him every day. Not only is he the sweetest thing I’ve ever known, but I feel like he is always trying to learn something new. The joys of Motherhood are amazing.

After our meal, we all took some time to relax together and play with the kids. We really had the perfect day. Full bellies, happy kids, and football on tv. The kids were so happy that they were, literally, hugging and kissing by the end of the night. (I won’t tell you how many times they had to kiss to get this photo!) SO CUTE!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with reminders of all the things we have in this life to be thankful for. I hope I continue to remember mine and don't take any of them for granted.

Thankful Thing 5: I know how blessed I am to have such an amazing family and wonderful friends. You all know who you are, and I am so happy to have you in my life. Even though we couldn’t be with everyone over Thanksgiving, it doesn’t mean I’m not incredibly thankful for each and every one of you.