Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Thoughts and Happenings.

The boys and I waiting to check out of our hotel last weekend. Totally unrelated to the post, just a photo for word heavy post. We spent the morning at the pool again. Really no big surprises there. It's a fun way to spend time together and it's one of the few options I have on camp to entertain these two guys in the heat.

This time we went to the pool in the Hills with water slides. Well, slides, with water running through them. More like playplace slides from McD's or BK. It's rather comical really. There aren't even stairs, there are the wierd alternating platforms to get to the top. You get the picture right, yup, just like a play place.

So much that Carter spent half the time pushing Owen's legs up so he could reach the next platform to the top. Have I mentioned how great of a big brother Carter was this morning, he takes the blue ribbon today.

Carter spent the morning going up and down the slides like a champ, hit the water and swam to me using his circle arms, real strokes I tell you, REAL strokes. I think the kid is getting it!

He spent time leaping into the water from the side of the pool turning around and swimming to the side without me. He wanted to do it ALL by himself. The progress he's made in two months is astonding to me and I love every minute of it and that cute kid in his swim goggles.

Later when we came home from lunch he told me. "When I get big like you, I'm gonna swim in the big pool by myself." In fact not a day goes by where he doesn't tell me something he plans to do when he "grows big like a giant." Does this mean I'm a giant?


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Bare with me... More thoughts and happenings from the past few days.

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Progress on Carter's birthday party are continuing. We decided to throw him a chef party. I made 12 toddler aprons and am having them embroydered in town. Is 2.60 (1o SAR) a name a good price?

I'm just happy the four year old party go-ers won't look at the details of the aprons. I'm not a great seamstress. I can do straight lines, basic things. I pushed my self to get these done and I like the latter ones better than my first attempts. It took awhile to figure out how to deal with bias binding that was too thin and working with the limited supplies I found here. My heart aches missing Hobby Lobby. How easy would it make this all.

Continuing with party plans. I now have 12 kiddos attending. Yikes, how did five turn into 12?

We were going to make chef hats, but I lucked out and found paper chef hats in town. I could have done cartwheels in the isle. I also scored some checkered table clothes that totally say pizza parlor to me.

I also scored a few things of Pillsbury grand rolls for half price (yeah, really more like the price you would normally pay for them back home). This will make perfect pizza dough (thanks again Lisa!) and will make life so much easier the morning of the party.

I really have felt like this week was my week for shopping. I found just what I needed and in only one trip. This hardly happens in the sandbox. It was meant for me I keep telling Mike.


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Things are continuing to heat up around here. Usually the lunch hour is unbearably hot. Which is the exact time the boys get out of preschool and playschool. Yesterday we needed to run into the commissary at this time. The boys were miserable!

We walked maybe half a football field from the parking lot into the store. It wasn't far. The entire way Owen cried "mommy, help me walk" which really means CARRY ME.

And Carter cried as well, "It's so HOT. It's too Hot. It's really, really, really, hot outside." In general is was not a fun little trip for milk. I agree it was too hot to do anything and this is only the beginning.


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We're trucking along. There's a hard transition coming. Going back to the States. Trying to find the balance between here and there. Most moms and kids leave for the summer. Most have homes to go back to. We plan to stay with Mike's parents for the most of the summer and it will be great, the boys are thrilled. Carter talks constantly about his cousins and pappa.

But I suppose I am just homesick for Houston. Our friends, our doctors, the shopping, the awesome food and our old house. Not the location- just the house. :)

It's almost like I'm moving all over again. What will I do with the boys for six weeks, other than the gym and swim lessons for two weeks. Then when we get back to SA, do things just fall back into place?

The life of an expat is truly remarkable and totally overwhelming at times.
Miss you all. Can you tell?
Hugs, A

Another just because photo. This one Carter took of us after church last Friday. Owens face in this photo melts me. What a boy that Owen is.

2 comments:

lynette said...

you should have emailed me a list of what you needed at hobby lobby--i would have sent you a box in a jiffy! :) but, i'm glad you were able to find everything you need. it sounds like carter is going to have an awesome party!

i'm sure you'll love your trip back to the states! my advice--pack as little as you can and stack empty suitcases inside each other so you can shop, shop, shop and take back all of your favorites!

you'll be surprised at how when you return you feel like you're home and life returns to normal.

until then, try not to boil! :)

Marie said...

Hmm... What will you do in Boise all Summer? If only you had a fun friend with kids to hang out with... :)