a nice perk

So about a month ago a friend of mine posted something pretty similar to her blog, so I am kind of copying, but after last night I couldn't resist any longer.

I've decided being stuck in training status at the Oakwood has a very nice perk, not just free food, but also CLOTHES and TOYS. People go to pack out and leave some toys behind to play with but decide not to keep them and hand them off. We have been the recipients of about a dozen loads now that we've been here 9 months. Not just from friends either, I've actually been stopped walking back from the playground, asked which building I lived in and given random stuff.

Although we are not packing out, we will be moving and I have tons of boys clothes that I just can't use on Maggie because she has more than enough clothes. Since I've been so blessed in receiving 2 huge bags/boxes of winter clothes for Finn, and a huge duffel bag for Maggie I felt it was time to let go of his stuff too. In a small way that was also my way of saying, I'm not going to be having anymore babies. Letting go a little bit at a time. That door's not completely closed yet, just ajar.

So Mike totally didn't understand this, but I know all my mommy friends will. Last night he went to the laundry room and there was a bag with a sign that said FREE baby clothes, I told him to take it. It was mostly boy stuff, but I am not opposed to putting my girls in boy stuff. I think I spent the first 3 months of Maggie's life telling people she was actually a girl :) Anyway, I've been feeling this total need to wash, fold and prepare baby clothes and now that I've been able to do it I feel "ready". So yeah we don't have a car seat, crib, bouncy seat and my essential balance ball...we do have tiny baby clothes :)

Catching up

Ah! I'm so bad about keeping up on this, really, it's been a while and lots has happened, kinda.

First off in mid August we found out that we will be adding another girl to the family, yippee...

We Shall call her #3 until we can agree on a name.

After that we rushed off to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to spend 2 weeks with Mike's family. Me crazy? Not really, I like his family a lot, although there were dramatic points, most of the time was spent playing. Part of the trip there were 7 children under 7 in the house, two of which were pretty well contained in bouncy seats, but the rest were on a rampage. Learning boundaries testing the limits and driving two moms crazy! If anything the trip taught me that I need to loosen up a little on my patience level. It's very low and I've been cringing, waiting for the day that Finn turned into more than my baby, which he has been doing for years, but has recently learned how to "just joke" in his words, argue well, and test my patience over and over. The trip taught me that I really need to take it all in and figure out how to stay strict on my rules but also let Finn be a kid, these are natural things a kid has to learn to be a productive adult...right? Either way, I hover less at the playground, interfere less when other kids do things I'd consider rude or mean, and let Finn fend for himself, until situations just get too out of hand. Oh and the 4 cousins spent most of their non beach time in the basement of the house playing tigers.




I was so hoping that the time with lots of people all the time would get Maggie saying more, but nope, it just taught her to be more creative in the way she communicates. Although this happy mama is proud to say that Maggie will now say Mom! Yes, she knew mama, but would never say it directly to me, and now she does :)




We were very happy to make it back home just before school started for our friends and got to do some good playing and spent the first week of school trying to figure out what to do, but luckily we're not at a loss now that Finn started Preschool!! Now, I've been at war with myself wondering if I should bother, he'd learn everything he needed at home with me right? Well, yes, but he was just so sad that ALL his friends were in school. For a while he was against going and not wanting to make new friends, but once he went to his classroom and met his teacher, he was more than ready to let me be by myself. Plus side, Monday, Wednesday, Friday this pregnant tired mama gets a short nap in! Maggie on the other hand is not so thrilled to have her big brother gone.

Mike's Lao training is going well and he's even coaxed me into learning some of the language. After reading another FS blog today I found it funny that it seems all the languages, whether it's Lao, Arabic, French, Spanish....the people don't start simple. I can tell you how to say My husband works at the American Embassy, but I can't tell you the word for spoon or shirt...although we do know how to say crab, pinch, got ya, elephant and tiger.