Day 181: Busy Day = No Pictures

Before you even begin, if you're here for the pictures, there aren't any.  Today happened at full speed.  This morning I didn't get to capture Madison screaming at Daniel while he tried to fix Caleb's lunch and our lunch.  I didn't get to get a picture of her screaming at her brother for looking at her, and I didn't get to photograph my sweet 9 year old who refuses to look into a mirror before coming downstairs.  Instead, you get the story of how today went, with as much detail as I can share.

Maddie woke up in a decent mood and Daniel got her dressed.  I stayed upstairs and finished getting ready as he took her downstairs.  As he tried to prepare lunches, she screamed for cereal, grits, and anything else she could think of.  Caleb tried to do something with her and she screamed at him for talking to her.  Seriously, I think she needs coffee or something to start her morning.  She's a little mess!  Caleb did great and got everything he needed done in time to get on the bus.

Daniel and I left for work and made it in to a day full of work.  We have a lot going on this week and we have a lot of planning and meetings because of it.  I stayed at work until 7, but Daniel was able to come home and meet the bus to get Caleb.

Maddie had a bad day at school.  She wouldn't listen and didn't want to clean up or do anything with her class.  At one point she refused to go along with the group, so sat in the floor and took her clothes off.  Daniel said she was much better at home even though she decided to dump an entire bottle of water out of her bath onto the floor.

Caleb had a good day at school today.  He's enjoying his last week and getting in extra play time with his friends.

Daniel FaceTimed Tara this evening once the kids finished up with their baths.  We got the tour of her new house and also got to visit with the kiddos.  All of the kiddos seemed to enjoy it!  When I got home I joined in on the chat and got the tour myself.  We're incredibly jealous of her yard!  It was nice to catch up and hear about how they were doing.

I took the bus home and picked up some strawberries on the way.  I love having fruit at almost every corner!  The strawberries I got were delicious and they were incredibly cheap.  The downside is when a few months roll around and they're not in season, they'll cost a ridiculous amount of money!

Maddie chose a few books and I tucked her in, read to her, and then laid with her until she fell asleep.  Daniel tucked Caleb in and the nightly routines were over.  Our babies are growing up so fast.

After everyone else was taken care of, Daniel and I tried to clean up and get showers.  That didn't happen thanks to having no water.  We won't have water again until 5AM.  I really wish I had remembered this "scheduled outage" because maybe then we could have planned a little better.

Tomorrow will be crazy, so we're hoping for a full night of rest.  Goodnight all.

Day 180: A Day of Exhaustion

At some point in the middle of the night Maddie joined our bed. Throughout the morning 3-6 AM she would scream out and cry for a bit. I'm not sure if she was having a bad dream or waking up and getting mad, but Daniel and I are exhausted, regardless of the reason.

Maddie got up around 7 in an okay mood. She clung to me, got ready for school and went right to her teacher when I carried her over. 

Caleb was able to get off to school without any issues. He has a few more days before he's out for the summer! He's very excited!  

Daniel and I had full days of work. We have a lot to review over the next couple of weeks. Vacation is coming soon and it will be much needed!!! 

Caleb went with a friend to an indoor play area. They had such a great time. They played, ate pizza, and got extra sweaty!

He's getting spoiled! 

Daniel, Maddie and I enjoyed dinner and then took baths. Maddie played with some bath markers and had such a great time. 

She also enjoyed giving herself stamps on her arms and legs. 

We were ready for bed at 6:30, so hopefully when we lie down we go right to sleep. Goodnight all. 

Day 179: Restful Sundays

Caleb spent the night with a friend and Maddie woke up at 8. Overall, our morning wasn't too bad. We were able to start on a few chores and lounge around. 

We met friends for lunch and got Caleb back. We talked a bit and enjoyed the summer day. It was finally warm with sunshine. 

After lunch we all came home and cleaned up some more and tried to rest. Maddie took a nap and Daniel and I watched a little bit of TV. 

Once Maddie was awake we FaceTimed Rhonda. She got to see Maddie showing off and finding empty Easter eggs. She also found the two chocolate bunnies that were in hiding. Maddie played with her doll and her doctor kit, too and was so funny jibber jabbering. 

This is her staring at her baby. It was hilarious. She went from smiling at it to giving it an intense stare down. 

Loving on her baby. 

After dinner, we got Maddie out of her high hair and she went to play. Daniel and I were cleaning up and Maddie was in the living room. After a few minutes Daniel saw what she was doing. She had unwrapped the bunny and was eating its ears. 

She was so proud. She was bouncing in the chair as she ate it so we felt like she had eaten more than enough. 

The kids took baths shortly after dinner and went to bed. Maddie fought going to sleep this evening. She was not interested in it at all. After an hour or so, she finally gave it up. 

Now it's my turn to crash. We have a busy week ahead of us! Goodnight all. 

Day 178: Color Run Fun

This morning Maddie decided that she needed to pee and then play on the phone at 4 am. I tried to take her to potty but she pitched a fit for Daniel. So, he took her and then refused the "we're waking up to play" attitude she had. She cried for a minute and then passed out until 7. I got up and brought her downstairs to play. We read numerous books, and ate breakfast. She loves her grits so she demanded those. 

After a little while Daniel got up and joined in on the craziness. Maddie then went back to bed to read books. She loves to keep us on our toes. Caleb slept in for a while! He definitely needed to catch up on his sleep. 

We took Caleb to his horseback riding lesson at 12 and hung out there for a while. The owner told us how well he was doing and said it was nice having him there. 

We headed back to the house afterwards and Maddie fell asleep on the way. She took a great nap. 

We woke her up so we could leave and get to the color run 5K that we had signed up for. I am not a runner and when I heard we're almost to the half way mark, I wanted to cry. Caleb wanted the same. He did great but it was really tough. We ran through all of the color stations and got covered in the different colors at each station. It was a lot of fun. I was very proud to accomplish that but even more that Caleb pushed through and finished. 

This is our group (minus one) before the race. You can see how crazy the colors got. 

We had a great time!

After the race we went home and cleaned up. We then went to a friend's house for dinner. We had a great time catching up. We also told friends that we'd see them later. It's always tough saying goodbye!

Maddie had a great time and was in such a great mood. She was talking nonstop. She counted to 13 in English, 10 in Polish, and sang her ABCs. She also started asking, "how are you?" So that was sweet and funny. Madison is definitely picking up on so much right now. 

She fell asleep on me while watching Cinderella. The movie was great so she missed outside . While the girls watched TV the guys hung out on the back patio and talked. 

Now we're home and we're off to bed. Goodnight!

Day 177: Long Days and Wine Nights

Today started out pretty well. The kids were up at an okay time and everyone made it off to work and school on time. 

Caleb had a great day. He got to experience what the next grade would be like. He said he had an American teacher from Chicago and he had a great time. 

Maddie had a great day at daycare. She loved telling us all about her friends. She will name each one and it's the cutest thing. 

I worked late today. I had a lot going on that I needed to finish up. Thankfully, I was able to knock out the majority of my to do list. 

Once I made it home we tucked the kids in to bed. As I was putting Maddie down she asked for me to read to her. She held the book and I read off the pages. It was a great time. She's growing so fast and is talking more and more each day. 

This evening after Maddie was in bed, we went to our neighbor's house for a wine night. She had some great food and wine available and we also socialized with people we don't see very often. It was a great time. 

When we got home we tucked Caleb in and wished him a good night. He's becoming such a sweet, well rounded kid. 

Until tomorrow! Goodnight!!

Day 176: See Ya Later!

Today Daniel was gone for training, so the kids and I made do. Maddie didn't want to wake up. She insisted that she go back to sleep. Once I got her up, she got ready and sat on my hip until I took her to her teacher. Caleb was tired, but got ready and made it out the door on time. 

He had a great day today. At the assembly he earned a certificate for one of the clubs he was in. He did volunteer work and helped other kids. It was great that he was acknowledged for it. 

Maddie and Caleb had great days overall and enjoyed playing outside this evening. The weather was great! 

Daniel and I attended an event for a lot of ones who are leaving post. There were a lot of good byes and some see ya laters. It'll definitely be a different world come August. 

We had a great time at the event and loved catching up with the sitter and Caleb when we got home. We were able to give Caleb goodnight love and tuck him in. 

Goodnight all. 

Day 175: Staying Busy!

This morning Daniel left for work around 4:30, so the kids and I managed to get through the morning without too many issues.  Maddie woke up in a decent mood but didn't want to play nice with Caleb once she came down stairs.  She has been a little moody lately, but overall she's growing so fast.  She is speaking in sentences, dressing herself, and is very strong minded with what she wants.  She also says Caleb now instead of her version, "Geeduh."  She still says it some, but not as often.

Daniel and I have stayed busy at work, so there's nothing new to really report there.  I'm definitely looking forward to our upcoming vacation plans!

Caleb got to enjoy Sport's Day today at school.  He placed 2nd in the javelin throwing.  He also did relays and had a great time playing with his friends.

When Daniel and I got home for dinner we played with the kiddos, ate supper, and then took showers/baths.  Maddie loves bath time.  She swims around in the tub and splashes.  She asked to go to sleep tonight, so we know she was tired.  She's been a daddy's girl lately, so Daniel read to her and then put her to bed.

We're all getting ready for bed and looking forward to another busy day tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Day 174: Zoo Field Trip

This morning Caleb was up and ready to go. It took Maddie a little longer to get on the same page. 

Daniel and I got the kids off to school and then headed into work. We had a busy day, but nothing too extraordinary.

Caleb was so excited that he got to go to the zoo today on a field trip.he recently did a project about rain forest animals and he saw a few of these animals at the zoo. One example, was the poison dart frog. He loved showing us his map and telling us about all of the exhibits he got to go into.

Madison had an okay day at school. She had two accidents, which is not normal for her lately. She did a better job of cleaning up her toys though, which was something her teacher said she needed to work on. 

This evening we all enjoyed supper and sitting around talking and playing. The kids loved jumping on Daniel and having him tickle them. He and Caleb rolled around on the floor for at least 30 minutes.  Maddie would jump in every now and then to help one or the other out. At one point she used her babydoll's hand to hit on Caleb. That was pretty funny. 

Maddie didn't want to go to sleep tonight, so she sang and talked to Daniel. She finally gave it up, and I hope she sleeps well throughout the night. 

Goodnight all!

Day 173: Back to Monday

This morning was nice. Maddie was still asleep when Daniel and I got up and we were able to get dressed without fighting with her. Caleb slept in through his alarm clock, too. 

After we got dressed and got almost everything ready to go, I tried to wake Maddie up. She smiled at me and then rolled over and said, "sleep." She tucked her knees underneath her and then closed her eyes. She didn't get to go back to sleep and she was also in a good mood while getting dressed. She's been very independent lately so she likes getting dressed herself. 

Caleb got off to school great and had a great day. He practiced for sports day in PE and practiced a relay race. He also got to ride home with his friend. He played with him for a little while and then we picked him up to run errands and grab supper. 

We enjoyed pizza at a new place. It was pretty good overall and the kids had a good time. Once home, we got the kids ready for bed. 

It's been a very busy day and I'm definitely enjoying the fact that I'm in bed by 9. 

Goodnight!

She loves to scream "carry you" from the bottom of the steps. 9 times out of 10, this is what she gets. 

Day 172: Happy Father's Day

This morning Maddie greeted us with her presence around 7am. I got up with her and began to play. She and Caleb had fun doing arts and crafts and made Daniel a Father's Day painting. 

Once Daniel was up we enjoyed breakfast and just hung out and played. 

This afternoon we laid around the house and FaceTimed with Nana and Poppy. After that we went to a softball game with all of Caleb's coaches. Daniel hit a homerun and had such a great time!

I was looking for four leaf clovers (and found one) and Maddie was trying to find the ladybug that she had just seen. She referred to it as a "widdle bug." 

When we got home I was able to talk to my mom and dad for a bit. The kids talked their ears off. Maddie kept talking and saying words to them and then she'd laugh when they acknowledged her. It was so nice talking with them and hearing the babies talk to them, too. 

Overall we had a good day and I'm pretty sure Daniel had a pretty great Father's Day. 

Goodnight!

Day 171: A Day Full of Fun!

We've had quite the busy day today. This morning we were able to get a few chores done and Maddie took a small nap before the busy took over. 

We started out of afternoon with Caleb's first horseback riding lesson. He loved it and did so well. He wants to go again, so he's excited for next weekend. 

After his riding lesson we were off to baseball where Caleb finished his last game of the season. Afterwards, both teams enjoyed a pizza party. They had a great time.  

We left baseball and then went to a friend's house for a farewell BBQ. We shared stories until after midnight. We had the best hosts and Maddie fell asleep on one of her favorite babysitters. 

Overall, we've had an incredibly full day and it has been a lot of fun. We're looking forward to tomorrow. 

Day 170: Friday Goodbyes

This morning was pretty good overall. We all wanted to sleep in but none of us got to. We were all out of the door around the same time. I had an early morning meeting so I had to be gone a bit sooner than usual. 

At work I stayed busy as did Daniel. I stopped by his office for a few minutes and we took a small lunch break and talked about our crazy days. We then joined an afternoon awards ceremony for some embassy staff being recognized. 

Daniel left that a little early to meet the Caleb after school. He also picked Maddie up who had quite a few accidents today at school. 

I worked late and met the family at one of our friends going away parties. They'll be leaving tomorrow morning so we wanted to make sure we were able to stop by and show our love. 

The kids played an had the best time. Caleb played in the park outside and Maddie got a purple flower painted on her arm. She loved it! She also loved running around and eating the tortilla chips that were out!! 

Both kiddos eating chips. 

Her purple flower. 

Daddy and Maddie dancing. 

We left there around 8:30 and got the kids home and in bed. Caleb has a full day tomorrow so we need as much rest as we can get. 

We've definitely been blessed with the group of people we have encountered and been able to call our friends. We're looking to a wonderful weekend celebrating many goodbyes and "see you laters." 

Goodnight all. 

Day 169: Routines and Baseball

Daniel left before 5 this morning so I was on my own getting myself and the kids ready. I managed to get the kids and myself out of the house on time and made it to work without too much anxiety due to traffic. 

I stayed busy for most of the day and broke away for a few minutes to chat with Daniel about some upcoming travel plans and ideas. We're tentatively planning our next 8 months and scheduling as much as we can when we can. 

After we got home the boys left for baseball and Maddie and I cooked dinner and played. She also watched Mickey Mouse while wearing her "princess shoes" featuring Minnie. She is a hoot walking around in them. 

Caleb had a great night and his team won 15-11. He almost had an in the park home run but he tripped over third base while running, so he decided to stay there instead of risking it. 

Maddie and I enjoyed our chicken and sides and read a story about Goofy. I then gave her a bath, put her hair in a bun, and read her some llama llama books (her favorites lately). She was asleep within ten minutes of going to bed. 

She's so peaceful when she sleeps!

Caleb and Daniel got back home a little after 8. They ate, showered and then got items ready for tomorrow. My day will begin early so I'm sure it'll be nonstop for me. 

This day has also brought on a lot of memories. Daniel's dad passed away 7 years ago. Caleb often talks about him and loves to ask questions and hear stories. Hearing Daniel tell stories is one of mine and Caleb's favorites. We all miss him dearly and we hate that we didn't have more time with him. But, we find solace in knowing that he's in a better place and we will see him again one day. Although the time has passed by, the memories and longing for a little bit more time with him still sits deep within us. I know we're not the only ones who miss him and long for more. 

Goodnight all.