Figurative and literal walls.
Our more recent adventures involve twice weekly gym time. Because all the money and those years I sat pool side with swimming lessons have to pay off sometime and after they can all pass the "you won't likely drown" swim test, they get a swim card which allows them to swim without me in the pool. BUT what I learned about a month ago is that if allows me to NOT EVEN HAVE TO STAY IN THE ROOM with the pool. This is fabulous, I can go play on the other gym equipment, they can exhaust themselves and get exercise. I call this a win.
Of course they have started complaining that it's "boring" but less so once they get there and I have recruited a friend with a 12 year old boy to join us and anytime there is new blood around they generally get less "bored"
However, last week, I have no idea exactly how it happened (not being in the room and all) but according to the child and the 4 other witnesses, he swam into the pool bottom, apparently at a pretty hard clip judging by the road rash on his face.
Life lessons- look before you leap or something like that. That particular child has been not particularly quick at learning that lesson...
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sunday, February 21, 2016
In the( likely? unlikely? who knows how likely?) event of a move to Cuba
I have a running list of things that need to get done but a growing list of things that I have questions about.
Such as:
1. Internet. It's such a common thing here in the US, but everyone I've talked to who's been there says it's miserable at best AND that you should bring satellite dish with you to accomplish this. So, after online chatting with people who tell me that it is impossible to take a dish with you outside of the continental US and from forums which say you need a bigger than average size dish, wouldn't you know- the #6 thing on my google results list is that "prisoners get satellite TV and soduku and happy meals" in GTMO. So riddle me this, joker- how is it that the PRISONERS there get satellite tv yet the families stationed there cannot? There has got to be a way, I just haven't fount it yet. I can get dial up. yeah. However, since we haven't had TV service in forever, we are used to streaming entertainment regularly. This will be a problem. Also a problem-if you use satellite internet you are limited to a certain about of data a month. If you've seen my kids binge play online games, I'm pretty sure it will be a problem here when we hit that limit in about 6 hours.
2. Pets. So we can bring our pet(s) no problem, The problems is that when we arrive, unless there is a house waiting for us, the pet have no where to go since there is no boarding facility and you cannot bring them into the hotel.
3. Passports. Why can adults renew by mail but kids must be done in person with BOTH parents present. Also. Why does there have to be 2 different passports? Can't we use the passport with the most clout? Or, neve rmind, I remember the class I had to sit through on being a terror target and it probably goes back to being a low priority target.. And if so- why don't they re-reimburse for those?
4. Vaccines. Don't get me started. But we are not almost vaccinated enough to live in the US....
Such as:
1. Internet. It's such a common thing here in the US, but everyone I've talked to who's been there says it's miserable at best AND that you should bring satellite dish with you to accomplish this. So, after online chatting with people who tell me that it is impossible to take a dish with you outside of the continental US and from forums which say you need a bigger than average size dish, wouldn't you know- the #6 thing on my google results list is that "prisoners get satellite TV and soduku and happy meals" in GTMO. So riddle me this, joker- how is it that the PRISONERS there get satellite tv yet the families stationed there cannot? There has got to be a way, I just haven't fount it yet. I can get dial up. yeah. However, since we haven't had TV service in forever, we are used to streaming entertainment regularly. This will be a problem. Also a problem-if you use satellite internet you are limited to a certain about of data a month. If you've seen my kids binge play online games, I'm pretty sure it will be a problem here when we hit that limit in about 6 hours.
2. Pets. So we can bring our pet(s) no problem, The problems is that when we arrive, unless there is a house waiting for us, the pet have no where to go since there is no boarding facility and you cannot bring them into the hotel.
3. Passports. Why can adults renew by mail but kids must be done in person with BOTH parents present. Also. Why does there have to be 2 different passports? Can't we use the passport with the most clout? Or, neve rmind, I remember the class I had to sit through on being a terror target and it probably goes back to being a low priority target.. And if so- why don't they re-reimburse for those?
4. Vaccines. Don't get me started. But we are not almost vaccinated enough to live in the US....
Thursday, February 4, 2016
So where are you from?
I have a lot of pet peeves. Sometimes I think I should read a few more self-help books to work through them, but at the very top of the list is that phrase "where are you from?"
I know to most it's just an innocuous phrase used in 'get-to-know-you' conversation but it's just such a loaded question when you ask that to my kids and it really brings out the protective (or overly guilt wrought?) mama bear in me.
My oldest 2 have lived in 5 homes - not including our 3 month stint in the camper or the 1 month stint in Florida. We've seen the entire country, more than I had ever seen growing up, our lives have been rich with diverse friends and acquaintances yet every time someone asks that question, I cringe.
Living in a military town it's still not as uncommon a question - largely because it's a very very young military town and this is the first place they've lived outside of their mama's house. And they like it here because they have never lived elsewhere. But even then, it's often asked as a way to figure out accents or personalities or 'WHY on earth you'd request THAT duty station?'
It gets weirder now that officially this week neither my parents or inlaws live in the state DH was born and raised in and I spent most of my childhood in. While I have nostalgic memories, there is less there that has me needing to go back (sorry, Greg, we will still try to visit sometimes) unless we actually can convince you to leave, too. I promise you winter it totally overrated.
So in my effort to completely immerse my kids in everything possible so we'd have things we miss here I have them in sign language classes. And this past week one of the vocabulary phrases we covered was "where are you from?" to which the kids look at me with confusion (or guilt inducing glare) and I say, well, you've lived in California the longest time, so go with that. Or make something up. Apparently "military brat" was not a covered ASL sign, but when all else fails you can finger spell it, it just takes far longer than a simple state abbreviation.
Even if we walked away from the military and went into a real life, I think the damage is done. We are citizens of the United States and have little bits of many places and locations tattooed onto our souls. I'm ok with that, just don't expect a simple answer to your simple question "where are you from?" better to stick with "hey, how are you?" because you're more likely to get a one word answer "good/fine" or, in the words of the Marines at the gate checking ID's:
Living the dream
try not to be jealous.
I know to most it's just an innocuous phrase used in 'get-to-know-you' conversation but it's just such a loaded question when you ask that to my kids and it really brings out the protective (or overly guilt wrought?) mama bear in me.
My oldest 2 have lived in 5 homes - not including our 3 month stint in the camper or the 1 month stint in Florida. We've seen the entire country, more than I had ever seen growing up, our lives have been rich with diverse friends and acquaintances yet every time someone asks that question, I cringe.
Living in a military town it's still not as uncommon a question - largely because it's a very very young military town and this is the first place they've lived outside of their mama's house. And they like it here because they have never lived elsewhere. But even then, it's often asked as a way to figure out accents or personalities or 'WHY on earth you'd request THAT duty station?'
It gets weirder now that officially this week neither my parents or inlaws live in the state DH was born and raised in and I spent most of my childhood in. While I have nostalgic memories, there is less there that has me needing to go back (sorry, Greg, we will still try to visit sometimes) unless we actually can convince you to leave, too. I promise you winter it totally overrated.
So in my effort to completely immerse my kids in everything possible so we'd have things we miss here I have them in sign language classes. And this past week one of the vocabulary phrases we covered was "where are you from?" to which the kids look at me with confusion (or guilt inducing glare) and I say, well, you've lived in California the longest time, so go with that. Or make something up. Apparently "military brat" was not a covered ASL sign, but when all else fails you can finger spell it, it just takes far longer than a simple state abbreviation.
Even if we walked away from the military and went into a real life, I think the damage is done. We are citizens of the United States and have little bits of many places and locations tattooed onto our souls. I'm ok with that, just don't expect a simple answer to your simple question "where are you from?" better to stick with "hey, how are you?" because you're more likely to get a one word answer "good/fine" or, in the words of the Marines at the gate checking ID's:
Living the dream
try not to be jealous.
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