Military Wife Motto:

You may be surprised to know that the unofficial military wife motto isn't patriotic or has anything to do with how proud of our soldiers we are. But it has everything to do with our crazy way of life:

"Write EVERYTHING in pencil!!"

Nothing seems harder for friends and family to understand. When I try to even explain to a friend that I never really know when my husband will get home each day they are all like:

Yep! It's crazy! And I'm having to embrace this motto more and more during "training season." I don't know that training season exists for everyone, it just seems to be that this time of year my husband is gone for a month here and there. Holidays and birthdays are threatened to be incomplete without his presence. You would think there would be an official declaration of events for these out of town trainings but even when you think you've got the official word, there are those pesky Army rumors that make you question everything.

 For example:

Come February, I will be moving. It could either be back to my parents (husband deploys) or Alabama (husband gets picked up for flight school). That will be big year for us with Will going to kindergarten then. I don't know if he will be enrolling in my old school or a completely new one! Then I hear the deployment is actually in February so I might be moving in January. The BEST part of this whole little scenario? I won't know where I am going until January. That's right! I won't know where I am moving until four short weeks before I have too! I am wigging out guys! 

Plans are never set in stone and 95% of the time I am left saying:

And:

I wish someone had told me about this because I am a planner. I would like to actually own one of those super nice Franklin Covey planners but my handwriting looks horrible in pencil. And there would be eraser shavings EVERYWHERE!

Ultimately I'm going to need one of these when I make it through this with even part of my sanity intact:

SUCCESS!

Summer Fitness Challenge: Week FOUR!!

I have actually learned something. I used to think I hated to run...but realize now that I love it! What I hate is people staring at me when I do it because:

Last Sunday I had someone tell me that their husband saw me running and tried to wave at me. I was basically mortified! And hoped he saw me at the start of my run and not at the end where I am a sweating panting mess. It's not even a hot mess guys!! It's just gross. I can't wait until invisibility cloaks become available to muggles... I would use it for this a lot! And laugh when people see a double stroller charging down the hill :)

Until that glorious moment occurs I am stuck with this:

Awkward glance at me all you want people! It may not be pretty (graceful or coordinated) but its healthy!

I am at a whopping 35.43 miles! And that means something!!

Like THEY say (Because they are so smart!..sometimes):

"If you still look cute at the end of your workout,
YOU DIDN'T TRAIN HARD ENOUGH!"

Tacoma Nature Center:

Saturday we went to the Tacoma Nature Center. To be honest...I wasn't too impressed. When I read the trail went around Snake Lake I was expecting a lake. But it was more like a bog. But the walk was good! The park was cute but not as epic as some of the other parks Tacoma has to offer. I did learn about a new species of ant I had never heard of before!

Thatcher Ants! I'm not going to lie, with how many there were, scenes from Indiana Jones (The one with the Crystal Skull) ran through my mind. 

(These guys don't dig...the build! This hill was COVERED in ants!)

All in all it was a fun day but not what we expected. 

Kids in Stroller Tips:

This Summer Fitness Challenge has been awesome. I know I sound like a broken record but really it has been a blast! I am going to start compiling a list of ideas on here that I have used to keep kids busy while on the longer runs:

1. Pinwheels! They are great for keeping kids entertained and they motivate me to stay on pace :)

2. Snacks! Ok this one is obvious but it REALLY helps my kids.

3. Run with a friend and swap kids! I got this from a friend and thought it was genius. Switching a kid so that they each have a new travel buddy is a great way to keep them entertained. 

I'm actually glad we only bought one:

We have two boys, which means when we get toys, we have to buy two!

Two windmills, two hot wheels, two everything!

For some reason, if we only have one of something, even if it is the lamest toy I've ever seen, both boys will want THAT one. 

We try to avoid this as much as possible...

A couple of weeks ago, however, we somehow lost all our parenting know-how and only bought ONE!

Meet Mimi. This little girl was the result of a $5 donation to our local zoo. Little Man has a whole pack of stuffed dogs like this so we thought we would just add to the collection! Totally spacing the scenario that was about to unfold. We handed the puppy to Will and sure enough, Caden began to cry...

Parental FACE PALM!

We tried to solve it by taking the toy from Will until we got home and Caden wouldn't notice, but then he started crying. I thought the contention would only last during our trip but I was wrong.

That first night started off awful. Both boys wanted to sleep with it. We had obviously bought it to go into Will's pack but we never thought Caden would care so much!

So I decided to let Caden sleep with it first, I thought Will needed a lesson in sharing. Will went into  hysterics. The kind you know just won't end until he gets what he wants. But I knew I couldn't reward the behavior. So I try to tell him that we are going to have joint custody and that he gets her tomorrow. But he couldn't hear me. He wanted Mimi NOW!

Then the most beautiful thing happened. Caden climbed up and handed his distraught brother the toy. Not expecting anything back he climbed down and into bed. I was SHOCKED!

Caden is in nursery and at the age where mentally it is almost impossible for them to understand the concept of sharing let alone with no egging on from a parent! The nursery manual even says that the leaders aren't supposed to make children share. TRUE STORY!

I praised Caden to Heaven and back to make sure I solidified that he did a GREAT thing. William thanked him and Caden responded with "Ah welcome!"

Now this wasn't the end of the fights. Heck they are fighting over her right now. But they have also been sharing a lot more too! A LOT MORE!! Not just with each other but with other kids also! 

For once I am glad we only bought one!