I know, I know...

I've been bad at writing the past few months. Our trip just threw it all off.
I guess I can start from there & just give a shorten version of everything. Oh, and I am changing Tootie's name to Mr. Independent.

The trip...
The kids & I had a pretty good flight back to Virginia. We were there for about 2 days before the kids & I and Auntie H (aunt to the kids by (soon to be) marriage). drove up to New Jersey. Hehehe... boy was I sneaky on this one! Auntie H thought we were just going on a weekend trip for her to meet some of the family she hadn't met yet. Oh, I'm good! So our first day up there we trot off to a shoe store so I could find some shoes for a new sun dress I got. Well stupid GPS drops us off in the ghetto on part of a bridge where there is no exit. Apparently back in the day the factory that was there was also named DSW. Not only did Auntie H have her 1st true experience of *THE* ghetto, but also a brief tour of PA. Don't worry, I got her out in 1 piece. :) She knows that was one of the best car rides of her life,lol. ;) The next day we spend the morning to meet up with Aunt C (my aunt) and cousin J (cousin to Aunt C & my mom) for lunch (this is where my sneakiness comes into play). We go to cousin J's house to pick her up for lunch. Also this time Auntie H thinks Aunt C (I hope everyone is able to follow this) had a meeting at church. So we get to the restaurant &... SURPRISE!!!! We managed to get Auntie H up to New Jersey for a surprise bridal shower. I wasn't going to believe it was possible until I had her in the state of New Jersey. :) It was very nice. We had it at a tea house. There were yummy tea sandwiches, tea, punch, little desserts & of course - cake! Auntie H went back to VA the next day & the kids & I stayed for 2 weeks. We did all kinds of things while we were in NJ & I got to visit with friends (from high school) & family that we don't get to see very often. It was nice. Took the kids on a train ride, to Sesame Place, to the shore/board walk & had Princess' 1st birthday. I wish I could post pictures from that trip but the computer is refusing to read the burned CD. The pictures are on the CD because I can open them on other computers. I am waiting for the Pilot to mail back my large thumb drive so I can put the pictures on that.
Then we drove back to VA for about another 2 days. Traveling is exhausting!
We then flew to Florida. Spent a couple days with my grandparents (mom's parents) and then a couple days in Orlando. We took Mr Independent & Princess to Sea World. They had breakfast with the Sesame Street characters & saw a Sesame Street show. This started their obsession with Sesame Street (could be a lot worse, could be that purple dino.). We also took them to the Shamu show. Mr Independent calls him "Shoemoo". A few times he called him "Mooshoe". I had to explain to him that "Mooshoe" was something you eat (??) & "Shamu/Shoemoo" was the whale in the pool.
Then back to VA for 3 more weeks. Those 3 weeks involves a little less travel... thank goodness! I was wiped out by then. It was nice to spend time with family. :)

So since then we have been back about month. Not sure where this past month has gone & I am not going to question it. We about a month out from this deployment being over with. Thank goodness! I am so done with this one. I have my laundry list of things I need to get done during this time & I am only adding to it because my brain is buzzing with ideas. I gave myself a time line to get things done in & I have done pretty good at staying ahead. To the point that I took this past week off from the list to finish up some school work. I had to take 1 more class to get my Arizona license (loooong story as to why I have to get a license in a state I will never teach in). I am officially done with the class tomorrow. Another BIG thank goodness!! I had a teacher who seemed to be more focused on APA than any other teacher I have had. APA is not my strong area. I've also been pretty focused on the Olympics. I love to watch swimming & gymnastics. I also got into the diving. I'm ready for them to be over with only because it's seriously interfering with my sleep. All the stuff I want to watch is on late at night - like goes on past 11pm & midnight!! This momma can't do that anymore... but the Olympics are addicting. Phelps anyone??!

I know this is getting long & your butt is probably numb so I will end with updates on the kids...

Mr Independent... "I got it", "I ok", "I do it", & "I help" are phrases you will frequently hear out of his mouth, hence the name change. He's a sweet little boy, though. I'm working on getting him back to taking naps. I need that hour or 2. It's even better if Princess is asleep at that time, too. He experienced his 1st noticeable earth quake not too long ago. It was the biggest one I have felt since living here. It was a 5.2 or 5.4. The kids & I were out & about & stumbled across a store I decided to check out. I was asking the owner about something when all of a sudden the whole store started swaying back & forth. You could feel & see it! Then the ground rumbled for a while. Mr Independent stood there looking for my reaction with his eyes bugging out. I think because he saw me calm he was fine with it. We got outside & he pointed up & said "no more". He thought it was a helicopter flying over that made the building shake. We have one that flys pretty low over us & things in the house shake. I saw the connection. I explained to him that it was the ground. So he pointed to the ground & said "No more". He's talking up a storm now, too. I want to get him enrolled into a program of some sort. All the ones around here are pretty expensive. There is a Mommy & Me preschool program on base that I am going to check out.

Princess... She's getting so big! Her hair is lightening up & curls at the ends sometimes. She is the worlds messiest eater. I need to find her full rain gear. For some reason food tastes better if you run it through your hair 1st. This past week she's started taking an interest in letting go, standing for a few seconds (longer & longer each time) & has even taken a few steps. I have been rushing her to do this, but now I want her to wait until daddy is home. I'm thinking it will be right around the time he comes home that she will take off. This is much later then when Mr Independent started walking. He was taking off by his 1st birthday but he was also a late talker. She has a pretty good collection of words. She is definitely the talker of the family. She loves the phone & shoes, too. That's my girl!! She can say "no", "more", "dog(gy)", "mama", "book", "train", "mil(k)", & a few other words I am blanking on. I found a baby picture of the Pilot. Princess is the spitting image of him. It's scary. I wish I could find a picture of her in the same pose because it's all the same - the hair, the face, the smile, skin color & even the butt (which is cropped out).