and living with this child is an experience. Let me share with you some examples from this past week that make you scratch your head and laugh at the same time.
The babysitter caught on to Liam's office supplies obsession and gave him a whole sheet of file folder labels. He decided to label a light switch for us:
(as a side note, he is really beginning to read well and his teacher told me Friday that he is very advanced!)
I found this set up the other morning before school. They were either checking out library books or waiting for shots:
And I have NO IDEA what this is. But, I do know that when it fell down one night and he saw that the next day he fixed it right back to exactly this set up:
And as for his little brother...well, we'll just let his shirt speak for him:
Yep, to know these boys is to love them. And love them I do!
That's what we've been all about this summer. Trying to figure it all out. New House. New Camp. New Schools. New Babysitters. New Yard. New Playground. New Weather Patterns. New Everything. And most importantly...what brought us all here to all this "new"...Daddy's new job.
Since Taylor hasn't been doing the traditional Army thing since the last time we were stationed here 4 years ago, we've noticed the boys are very confused on what exactly Taylor does all week when they don't see him. He is gone before they get up and back after they're going to bed.
We did get to see Sesame Street Live on post one day, so George has decided that Daddy must "play games with Elmo" at work. Liam has can't figure out why Taylor wears the same thing all the time and still thinks that Taylor is going to school. These boys are confused and we can't have our good little Army boys not knowing what it's all about. So, today we thought we'd give them a clue.
We headed out to see exactly what a Battalion XO does.
Liam asked TONS and TONS of questions...like...do you have highlighters?!
While George decided that he just wanted to stick with Daddy...
Liam was overcome with excitement about all the desks and office supplies
While George was more concerned with taking charge and keeping Liam out
The boys got to eat lunch at the DFAC with Taylor. George managed to bring silence to the room with his commanding voice (probably the quietest it's been ever) and introduced himself to the Brigade Commander by showing him his "milk belly".
Overall, I'm not so much sure that they can now tell you what exactly an XO does, but I know that they LOVED being able to see Daddy in the middle of the day. George, particularly had a tough time letting go as we walked to the car (notice his death grip on Taylor):
He did not want to say goodbye at all, because Daddy makes him feel like this:
Well, we're still unpacking boxes. But we're here and doing our best to get settled.
The past couple of weeks have been BUSY! First, we celebrated one of CGSC's latest graduates...
and then baptized Mr. G...
Most of our families came in for the big events. It was nice to have the baptism quiet and low-key.
The next week was spent with packers and movers. The boys and cats drove with me and Lily rode with Taylor. It was a long two days, but we got here and are loving the house. We rented sight unseen (we had photos) and it's an older house, so we took a huge gamble, but it seems it's going to work out great. Our favorite things (and the reason we took it) are: it's a single story house, it's unique, it's close to Liam's school (7 minute drive), in about the nicest are of El Paso, and it's HUGE (3900 sq. ft). It's nice to have some space for a bit while we take a couple of years to sort everything out. Easier to do when you can actually see everything.
We are still unpacking and getting set up. The biggest challenge has been trying to keep two little boys happy while we unpack. George, in particular, seems more uncertain about everything going on and not dealing as well with change in routine. We just keep reminding ourselves that things will settle down eventually and, overall, this will be a great experience.
The boys and I also decided to take some time off from packing and enjoy our new bubble machine on the back porch.
Ignore some of the mess as we are still working on everything here. We are trying hard to finish up some bigger things this weekend so we can get some pictures posted.
I haven't written. A big reason for that is soon after my last post we traveled to visit what will be our new home in El Paso. To write about everything going on in the past few months would mean that I'd have to accept that these changes are happening. I'd have to acknowledge them when all I really want to do is just stay still for one minute.
But, as an Army wife, I know more than many that change happens and there is nothing we can do to stop it. So move we must.
Really, though, as I sit back and ponder on the past few months, I can recognize that change has been happening all around us while I thought we were staying still.
Crazy boy here outgrew most of his cloth diapers. My not wanting to even attempt potty training with a long drive and big move coming up has us back in sposies for a few final months.
Mr. L has begin writing. He writes us notes all. the. time.
The snow has (finally) melted and we've switched over to the glory that is Spring in Kansas. I'll never get tired of the amazing clouds and storms they have here. It is truly God's work and the skies here can take your breath away.
Mr. G here has increased his vocabulary ten-fold and begun to sing, sing, sing with me.
With the final day tomorrow, my baby has finished his preschooling and will be a Kindergartener.
And with all these changes I find that the most important thing stays the same....our family of four and the strength that we gain from the love we do have for one another and the simple fact that we are not alone when going through these changes. We go through them together, this Army family of ours. And so, whether we are in VA, TX, or KS, we can enjoy the simplest of experiences together and appreciate that life is awesome when you make it so.
So, yes...change is hard.
But some things stay the same...
the love I have for these boys...
the love they have for each other...
and the love for where it all began...with a knock on the door of my dorm room from a cross country runner who thought he might join the Army.
So, on my 9th anniversary, the changes seem okay. I feel like I can handle whatever God sends our way. For the simple fact that I have these three on my side...
and a lifetime ahead with the best father, husband, friend that I could have asked for. And knowing that marrying that runner would bring move after move, house after house, deployments, new jobs, leaving friends, meeting friends....I would marry him all over again if he asked.
Should I be sad that I walked into G's room to see that he had stripped off his PJs...
or happy that he put them in the laundry on his own?
Either way, I was not happy to walk into G's room an hour into his "nap" to find he had removed his sleep sack AND diaper and was jumping around in his crib with just a shirt on.
Two year olds.
As I told someone today, G is my "come to Jesus" child.
Man, do I love that kid so much. It's his saving grace.
