HEART ON HER SLEEVE

I've been following Celebrate the Boy month over at Made. Even though my boy wouldn't be caught dead in anything I'd make for him. Luckily for me, Grace is little and any complaints out of her can easily be bribed away with cookies.

I failed to heed the addiction warning, and started making the "90 minute shirt" that Dana has on her site. 

No relaxation during nap time yesterday.

 

Guess how old she'll be next week?

 

I've another already started. I might need an intervention. 

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BASE HOUSING AROUND THE WORLD

With the possibility of a PCS on the horizon, I've been busy day dreaming and meandering about the web - looking at photos and  info on different bases and the available housing on each. Much more fun than laundry.

I thought I'd share. These are all exterior shots of base housing that could house my family of 4.

Mildenhall AB, England

 

McChord AFB, Washington

 

Anderson AB, Guam

 

 

Yokota AB, Japan

 

Minot AFB, North Dakota

 

Osan AB, Korea

 

Eielson AFB, Alaska

Ramstein AB, Germany

 

Hickam AFB, Hawaii

 Shaw AFB, South Carolina

Random bases for the most part. We've actually lived at 2 of these bases, though the houses we were in are too old to and ugly to be shown.

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IT TOOK A SWAMP

to make this Alaskan grown chick realize how magical snow could be.

 

Perhaps it's because I don't have to shovel here, as it has melted just as fast as it fell.

 

 

More than likely it was because I got to enjoy it with my kids.

 

And a goofy dog.

 

 I really hope everyone had a fun but warm weekend.

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INTERVIEW WITH A BRAT

 

Meet Sky.

Sky is my oldest brat. I generally forget that he is also a military brat, and out of curiosity I recently asked him what that was like to have a dad serving active duty with the Air Force.

I asked him what he thought were some of the good things:

     Mom you're weird.  See, that's why he's a brat. Well I guess that I like that we get to move and see cool places a lot. And there's tons of neat things to do on base that normal people don't get to do. And Operation Purple camps are cool too. 

Ok. That wasn't too rough.

So then I asked him what were the bad things:

     Dad deploying duh. And being far away from Grandpa, he knows how to fish. Also I'll have to give up the guinea pigs when we move, because they can't fly now. And having to wait till I'm 10 to get my ID card, that's dumb.

 

 

 

 Up next, I asked him what kind of advise he might give another kid whose parent might be joining the military:

     Well they'd still be a regular kid. I mean, I still have chores and homework. But I guess I'd tell them to try and go with the flow. I used to worry a lot when Dad had to go on a deployment, but now I know about all of the important things he does to help people. It kinda of sucks sometimes. But if you do lots of fun stuff when they are home, then you have lots of good memories when they have to leave. I'm really proud of my dad.

Aww, what a sweet kid he is.

 

Sometimes. Generally the "brat" title fits him pretty darn good.

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A DIFFERENT KIND OF BLOCK TUTORIAL

Ok, it's more like a I-forgot-to-buy-a-gift-and-it-needs-to-be-in-the-mail-now! tutorial.

My Dad's birthday was early last month. Every year I agonize over his Christmas gift, and neglect to consider his birthday gift is due only 2 weeks later. And mail takes about that long to get from me to him.

He lives in Alaska, and has this odd assortment of art depicting the various wildlife that lives in the local area.
 So I asked, "What don't you have?"
"A raven."
Done.

*Sorry in advance for the lack of photos, I was under a time crunch after all.

First assemble your supplies 

Scrounge around the garage, and your kids' neglected art supply box for things to use.





I used:
 - A chunk of pre-treated 2x6
 - Krylon spray paint, flat black and clear varnish
 - An old piece of sandpaper nailed to a block
 - Various colored acrylic paints and a dried out brush found amidst legos and model plane parts

First you'll want to spray paint your wood block with the base color, in my case black. Do two or three light coats, or until you can no longer see the wood.

While the wood dries, Google you're intended subject. Then rough sketch a design to your wood block gently with a pencil

After you've got the simple outline done, go ahead and whip out those paints and go crazy. Well - crazy enough to make it look how you want it.

Once your painting dries and looks amazing, take the sandpaper and swipe it across the painted surface to give it a distressed or aged look. Be careful to not obliterate all your hard work. Go down to the wood in some places to make it more intriguing, like around the edges and corners.

Then shake up the clear varnish and apply one or two coats to the entire block - just to make it shiny.

Here is the finished piece I sent off, albiet a couple weeks late.

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QUILT TURNED FLOOR PILLOW

I was sewing up this little would-be quilt when Sky came home from school yesterday. He and the noise-maker that lives next door, plopped themselves down at the kitchen counter and started inhaling snacks.

I had finished the top and was attaching it to the back. Just simply pillow turning it with one of Grace's old fleece crib blankets. I figured that if she didn't want it, the local children's home where Sarge volunteers would.

And then Sky said (though a mouthful of crackers mind you) "Geeze Mom don't you think that pillow is a little big?!"

Friggin' genius. Runs in the family ya know. 

 

So now Grace has a a very girly patch-work pillow to park her rump on. 

 

 

Or just haul around the deck.

  

Baby yoga anyone?

 

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THE JOY OF ASSIGNMENT SELECTION

Some people say that they hate moving. Or they'll complain that they are too far from family. Or that they have trouble adjusting to the different customs that far flung places and people always have.

While I politely pretend to listen to these obviously deranged people, in my head I'm doing the crazy loopy finger by the head thing. I  mean come on, I rearrange my house weekly just to stave of boredom. Doesn't everyone?

In the last 5 1/2 years, Sarge and I have moved  no less than 4 times. Only once to a new assignment though. I just have a thing for moving boxes.

But the process involved to get those PCS (moving) orders is much like that old Plinko game on Price is Right. Where some goofy person with big dreams has to drop a tiny disc down a humongous board filled with pins and hope that it lands in the itty-bitty box far below that wins them the big prize.

Note: This is not the only way that someone might get orders, just the one we are currently dealing with.

First off, Sarge has to be at a base for a certain amount of time before I he can even dare hope to get his next assignment. This time frame can vary depending on a number of things. Like rank and career field.

- plink - plink -

And then they put up this list. Kind of like try-outs for the varsity team. It shows all the bases that have openings based on career and rank. So after looking at the possible places to go, Sarge can go and update his information saying where he'd like to go. That's called his "Dream Sheet". Notice the "Dream" part, that should be a sign to all us itchy-to-move spouses. And it should have lots and lots of neon. And flash.

- plink - plink -

Did I mention that he is competing against all the other people in his field, that are the same rank - who also need/want to move in the same time frame as him?

- plink - plink-

Then they match up people and bases while I he waits. It can be an agonizing month for poor Sarge. Hopeful for somewhere new and wonderful to wander off and explore.

- plinkity - plink - plink -
(I will always hate the futility of that game)

I'll be crossing every available appendage for the next few weeks, in the hopes that his little disc can find its way to the big prize box this time around. So that I can rearrange my furniture some place new.

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LOVE IS IN ...

... the cupboard?

 

How sweet was Sarge to hide a valentines card for me before he left? 

Lucky? Yes I am.

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