visits with Santa

We've enjoyed getting into the holiday spirit with a few christmas activities. Prior to Heather's participation in the coldest Christmas parade I have ever seen we stopped for our first Santa visit. Heather and Charlie were happy to sit with him, take pictures and tell him what they wanted. Cameron settled for a five and stood next to the kids (with me not far off) for a picture. The next day Santa was at K-Mart and the kids again talked with him briefly. Since no one was around Cameron studied him for a bit and decided that he would give it a go and sat with him. He was fascinated with the beard and soft suit and pretty cute. This morning the kids school had a breakfast with Santa and we enjoyed pancakes served by elves and reindeer. Santa made his appearance and the kids waited for a visit. Cameron decided he would go first of our crowd and headed right over to sit in his lap. Very cute and I think there may be a picture of all the kids to share. Believe it or not we've actually done some non-santa christmas things including packing boxes for Operation Christmas child for 3 kids our kids ages and making cookies with mom and grandma.

telling the kids "it's a girl"

So we took the kids to a restaurant to tell them about the baby. Jeff had them guessing at different things we might get them for their birthdays in March..."A pet" from Charlie, "close but not a pet" said Jeff, "a person?" from Heather. "yes" from Jeff. Heather looked at my belly, to my head, back down and up with a great, undescribeable look on her face and I started cracking up. Charlie caught on a few seconds later and they were thrilled to find out it was a girl. Heather would have been "not excited at all" if it had been a boy. Now they're busily trying to figure out names and talking about when the baby will come, how long mom will be in the hospital, and who can come stay with them while we go through that time. It's pretty exciting and hopefully we'll find out soon how the baby is doing.

Time flies

I guess we've been busy or I don't have as much good computer access as I used to!! We have been very busy since my last post, enjoying time with family and few weekends alone at home (which has been nice actually!) We took a trip to Athens for a 24 hour stint with my parents which included a basketball game and trip to the park in addition to fun time with grandma and grandpa. The next weekend we headed to my sisters for another 24 hour stint which also included a basketball game, some leaf jumping, another park, and pizza. The kids just love their baby cousin Adam and want to hold him, talk to him, and smother him at all times. Luckily he's somewhat used to it at daycare and he is a great sport about it. We tried to get some cute pictures in the leaf pile of all the kids together but there was minimal cooperation on any part so the pics were pretty limited...A few days later we headed to Cleveland for Thanksgiving with Jeff's entire family. It was nice to all get together and hang out. The kids had fun with their cousins, enjoying time at grandma's and also a museum the next day. Maybe down the road a sleepover will be in order! A 2 am trip to ToysRUs increased the "holiday" feel and Jeff and I had some quality bonding time with the other crazy people (we did stay up playing games with his family prior to that!!) Aside from our weekend trips to family the kids are still doing gymnastics (H), Basketball (C), and 4-H both to stay busy.

Halloween

Prior to the actual trick or treat night we enjoyed some pre-halloween festivities. A few weeks ago we met up with my sister and parents at a pumpkin patch and the kids had a great time at some of the little activities, picking pumpkins and shooting others out of a pumpkin cannon and corn shooter. They loved seeing their cousin and we got some cute pictures of the crew. The kids picked out costumes, Heather a witch, Charlie a Bakugan draganoid, and Cameron a lion. We tested out a few trick-or-treats following their school parties (cute!!) including one at the greek houses on campus, the main street of town, and then the "traditional" neighborhood outing. The kids had fun each time, the first two on our own and in the "hood" with a few different friends. Cameron had no fear going up to houses and did pretty well with his thank you's when prompted. He was a cute little toddling lion although he mostly did not want his hood up so he was in his natural "mane" most of the night.

soooo behind in blogging

We've been so busy and Cameron doesn't like for me to get the computer out so blogging has become a non-entity in our life. We have been picking up more and more activities and our week includes 4-H after school for both kids, gymnastics for Heather, soccer for both, and girl scouts for Heather. The kids have loved soccer and seem to be developing pretty well. Charlie has a go to the goal mentality while Heather is looking for a pass or kicking the ball ahead all the time. We celebrated Jeff's birthday on a rainy day which ruined our park and picnic plans. Then our anniversary (10 years) plans were also shot when the b&b that we wanted to have breakfast in (the same one we did two days after our wedding!!) turned out not to do breakfast. Still it's been a great 10 years--probably deserves a post on where we've been and some statistics--maybe for 15! We've also enjoyed a few football games and tailgating. The kids have had fun, especially at the second game where we sat with some friends in the end zone seats which were great! Cameron is especially taken with the mascot and seems to spend most of the game looking for him and making sure that all are aware of his location. Despite his interest we haven't been able to get a "hi-5" out of him at the soccer games where we've come close to it. Jeff's been busy with school but has a very flexible schedule and can spend a lot more time at home or doing stuff with the kids. We are loving fall, a few weeks ago took a very nice hike to a waterfall and the kids seemed to have fun skipping along, sliding through a little cave, and having a picnic by the waterfall.

soccer, soccer and more soccer

Heather had her first soccer practice on Thursday and really enjoyed it. She joined right in with 8 other kids and a coach she didn't know and had no problem with the drills and learning the skills. She had her first game Saturday morning and was really excited. She did pretty well, hesitating a bit when she gets close to someone with the ball but did a nice job kicking it ahead a few times and passing to her teammates. With only 6 kids on the field it is much easier to keep them spread out and passing the ball. Unfortunately the other team was quite good and scored a lot on Heather's team. Although she got frustrated she would just keep at it and had fun. Charlie had his practice and game on Friday night. They practice for 30 minutes and then play after that. He got off to a slow start but scored about 5 goals over the corse of the next two quarters (not that we were counting ;-). For the last quarter he played Jeff told him he had to play defense and pass over the center line to his teammates. He did a great job and really prowled the center line keeping the other team off his side of the field. (they did sneak by once for a goal!!). Playing 3 on 3 with no goalie gives the kids a nice chance to all touch the ball and feel a part of the game. We followed up Charlie's game with a trip to the women's and mens soccer game. The kids had a good time and Heather had all the girls sign a poster with the soccer team on it (the giveaway for the day). The game was exciting and the kids really got into it. We only stayed for a short bit of the men's game and it was fun as well.

Happy Birthday Cameron!

A bit late but better than never! Cameron turned two on the 15th of Sept. He got a double party, celebrating with Grandma and Grandpa Mick as well as Kelly and Adam. He loved blowing out candles and moved quickly from one present to another. He is a very happy guy--loving attention from his brother and sister and doling out big brotherly love for his baby cousin. Cameron can say so many words I can't even count. He pretty much has a word for everything--and most of it can be understood. He will start to go on a tangent and say lots of words together which is a bit hard to follow. He also figured out how to actually jump and get both feet off the floor and it's fun to watch him demonstrate his new skill. Cameron asks about his brother and sister and dad at least 10 times a day, when I tell him they're at school then he decides we should wait on the porch for the bus to come. They get BIG hugs from him off the bus and he is delighted to have them back home. He likes to walk them to school each day and gets mad if he doesn't get a goodbye hug. We had a second family party with an ice cream cake (the first non-homemade cake any of the kids have gotten for a birthday!) that Jeff and Cameron picked out and candles. We shared cake with the neighbors for a sort of celebration.

first day of school

Today was the kids first day of school. They got up pretty excited, had a decent breakfast and stood for a few pictures before heading out to meet up with our neighbor to walk to school. They were both nervously excited to get to their classroom but went in/sat down at the table with no fuss or looking back. Cameron and I then walked Jeff to his class and headed home for a bit before Jeff and a highschool friends family came to walk around campus a bit. Jeff's schedule is great right now as he hasn't gotten in too deep with work and can be home much more than usual. The bus should be bringing the kids home soon so we can hear all about their day ;-) I made them each their own pencil cake to celebrate their first day at school.

catching up with life

We've been very busy since we've moved back to the states. We spent a weekend in Ohio with my parents, brother and sister (and new baby!!) to celebrate my dad's retirement and birthday. It was great to spend time with family although challenging at times as well. The kids love spending time with their grandparents and enjoyed some time for tennis, gardening and playing on the cement by the house. The retirement party was nice and people had very nice things to say about dad as a leader and friend. He had an unprecedented number of years as director (Ok so there was only really one director before him but still...) and did great things for the program as well as his staff. Cameron loved to climb up in my dad's lap and give him hugs--it was really cute--a bit overwhelming for dad at times but much love was offered by cameron. We had a nice picnic for his birthday including some swimming and fun.

We then headed back to our house for a few days before my brother came back east to visit. It was great to have him swimming with the kids and he even set up a tent and they "camped" for a night. Kelly even came over for an overnight with Adam which the kids loved, "Adam coming to my house" cameron said over and over. After we sent them off we headed back to my parents for a night and then up to Mt. Vernon for a birthday party for the kids cousins. They had a great time playing with kids and getting to know their cousins better--never takes long since they are so close in age and they are fast friends. We then headed back home to get ready for the first day of school!!

2 busy 2 blog

We've been so busy unpacking and exploring our new home and town that I haven't had time to blog. We've had the help of Jeff's mom unpacking and playing with the kids. We've done a lot of typical moving stuff, buying new cleaning supplies, brooms, food, and a few fun things--a big TV, surround sound and loft bed for Heather. We drove through the rain, bought a tarp on the way, loaded it (fortunately not in the rain) and drove through a huge thunderstorm on the way back. Now it's drying in the garage. I forgot how cool (and kind of scary) thunderstorms are when you can see the lightening off in the distance. We are now spending time with my parents to celebrate my dad's birthday and retirement. The kids love being with grandma and grandpa--especially Cameron who will go over to my dad and try to climb up in his lap and just give him hug after hug. Dad's not quite sure what to do with him but it's so cute to see ;-) The kids got a chance to go to the park this morning and then tried out the slip and slide and pool my mom got for them to play with.

cousins and a new home

We headed for Kelly's to meet baby Adam and the kids couldn't have been more excited. Charlie jumped out of the car and both were running for Kelly's house "baby adam here we come" they shouted. All the kids delighted in the chance to hold him and look at him. Even cameron sat so still as Adam was in his lap and he seemed so proud to have "his turn" to hold the baby. The kids slept terribly and got up early. We took Adam on his first park and beach adventure--he slept and ate his way through the whole thing. The kids had a good time at a cute state park with a lake that had floats and a slide. We took care of Adam while Kelly and Bryan went out to dinner and had a nice walk around unsucessfully looking for geocaches.

Tuesday afternoon we headed for our new house and the kids were again excited. They ran around the empty house looking at their rooms, playroom and the pool. They were so excited to get to try the pool that we had to get in as soon as we had unloaded the car. Jeff's mom came that evening. The next day our stuff from long storage was delivered and the kids loved finding toys and stuffed animals that they hadn't seen in a long time. We got all the boxes unpacked but have a few more moving around of things to do. The kids enjoyed a few dips in the pool and played with our new neighbor. So far the move has been very smooth and we are excited to start exploring our new space.

The Long Trip Home

Friday morning everyone got up and we frantically finished shoving things into bags. Mid-morning we headed out for final errands and a trip to the park where Heather couldn’t overcome her fear of sliding down that darn pole. It will forever be unconquered!! Our friend made us lunch which was really nice, then Jeff and I headed over to a CE lunch before dropping off our bags. Sad goodbyes after final frantic packing…it’s always the kids who set me crying because they change so much! So a hug from Isabelle was all it took to start the waterworks. We said our goodbyes, one more picture in front of the house, and went to wait for the plane. At about 8 (we’d been there for 2 hours) they announced that the plane would not be leaving until tomorrow and to stick around for a showtime. An hour later we were heading for the Oceanview restaurant for a later dinner and an early showtime. We surprised a few friends, played some games and crashed late—another good “last” night in the Azores! Saturday we got to the terminal at 8, boarded a plane at noon and made it to Norfolk safely. The kids were pretty good on the plane ride as usual. We picked up our car and had dinner with a guy Jeff deployed with 3 years ago and then headed to the hotel to crash (well Jeff took Heather and Charlie swimming and Cameron and I crashed).

Final Countdown

Our last few days on the island were great! The weather was pretty nice and we got to do the last few things that the kids had to do. Wednesday the kids played in the morning while I ran some errands and we all went to the beach with several families. The kids had a good time and I even go in the water with Cameron—had to do it once before we moved!! After the beach we headed for one final bullfight at a friends in Fontainish which was really fun—definitely a great thing to get in before we left. I ended the evening with one more glee night and then crashed! Thursday—Our last full day on the island we took a few spirit house pictures of the kids, got t-shirts and looked for kindereggs (none to be found) before heading back to base so the kids could play with friends. When we got back we went to a park on base for a picnic then to library time where they did the final library summer program day. It was fun—the librarians Anna and Anna are awesome and we will miss them. Finally dinner at a friends and games, games, games at our house.

making the most of our time

Friday we made the most of a beautiful day playing outside at a few parks, Heather had her last day of summer school and we celebrated with a picnic lunch. Friday night we took the kids to the pool party on base. Cameron loves the water and can’t wait to play in the pool that we’ll have at our new house. Jeff tossed him up in the air and Cameron would go under and come up sputtering but want more. The other two kids did great swimming around on their own with friends or sliding the slide or off the diving board. There was a raffle for prizes and we won four of the eight prizes (our friends that we came with also won two). Not that we really needed anything but it was kind of fun to win—now where to fit those giant darth vadar m&m guys in our bags…Saturday we packed in a lot of fun starting with a water birthday party in the neighborhood. All the kids got along great and played for hours with water, balloons, slip-n-slides and more. We will really miss the fun neighborhood activities that we’ve become used to over the past 6 years of base life. After a bit of rest we headed out for exploring around the rocks in Porto Martins and our last dinner at a fun restaurant which ended up being full. We managed to console the 5 kids and head to Praia for dinner at another little place. Sunday we did a bit more organizing and then headed out with some friends to a few geocaches and the Angra park. Again the kids played for hours (not quite as peacefully but still very well) before heading out to find a geocache (Which we did not find) and then home for dinner. We found our neighbors playing a game so we crashed their house for games. Yesterday we played around the house then went down to the pidgen park which was on Heather’s “to do” list. Today we headed to a cook out at a new families house in Biscoits. They had a pool and a beautiful view so everyone had a lot of fun! It is a beautiful place here and we will miss it a lot! (oh yeah and we will miss our friends a lot too!!)

fitting it all in

We're trying to fit in everything the last few weeks we're here. Friday Jeff and I decided to go out on a date for one last time and left the kids to go to a movie with a sitter (cameron sat in her lap the whole Shreck 4 and they all got to see the whole movie!!). We chose a place called the whale restaurant (it has a Portuguese name) because there's a huge whale diving through the outside wall and two dolphins hanging from the ceiling. We sat with a view of Angra and the ocan and enjoyed a delicious "steak on a tile" where we got to cook the delicious steak ourselves. It was probably the best meal (and most expensive) that I've had on the island. After we went to walk the walking strip in Praia and got a crepe with ice cream and caramel--it was DELICIOUS!! A beautiful night with the waves crashing-I am quite certain we will never stay in a place like this again...Saturday we took it easy and cleaned in the morning when it looked a bit questionable outside. Our friends had a going away type cookout and the kids played and played with their friends. Saturday night the kids had two friends over to spend the night and had a great time. In the morning we all headed for a park that the kids wanted to hit one last time, had a picnic, and then enjoyed the beach. We finished up with more playing outside.
Heather is enjoying the last week of summer "school" and had parents day today where we got to see what she had been doing. Charlie and I got the turtles ready to go to his teacher at the Santa Rita school where they wil l live their happy turtle lives. The kids were sad but knowing they were going to some other kids made it better. We've eaten with friends several times this week and have enjoyed a few game nights and just hanging out. We took all the kids and three sets of friends and their kids to the whale restaurant on Tuesday night so that they could enjoy. It was great and Heather was overwhelmed with the coolness of the place.

baby Adam

My sister had a baby two weeks ago and he's a cute little red-head with doting mom and dad and grandparents. We can't wait to see him in a few weeks until then we've gotten to see him on skype and the kids (especially cameron) like to say "hi" and point to him. Cameron is pretty good at identifying "be be a um" on the computer and now most babies in books are "be be a um". I can't wait to see what he does when he sees the real thing! Congrats to kelly and Bryan and we can't wait to see you guys ;-)

easy mondays

The kids have settled into playing all over the place on nice sunny days. I usually keep up with everywhere they are but with cameron napping and trying to get a few things done today I lost track. So nice to live in a place where I can let them just go from house to house and run around the neighborhood without worrying that something will happen. The kids are really enjoying their last few weeks on the island. I got to go out with the girls for dinner last night to a restaurant right on the water looking over split rock. We got chicken in a tile and they use roof tiles (not used ones) to cook the food and it was really good! Cool presentation and a nice time with friends who I will really miss (and know that because of the friends that have already left that I miss ;-(). We had a bit of trouble finding the place and stopped along the way to ask a lady with a pot of beans if she could give us directions. She spoke enthusiastically in Portuguese and then got a guy driving a truck to give us directions...you just go this way and then left and it's right there down. Clear as mud--we found it with no problem and a lot of laughs!

sleepover, friendship parties and the island from top to bottom

Heather and Charlie are trying to have as much friend time as possible so Heather had 3 friends spend the night on Friday. They played outside a lot and enjoyed High school musical as they sang and danced out of tune and off beat--the best way that 7 year olds can. It was very cute and Heather will really miss her friends from the island. Charlie spent a lot of the evening with a neighbor friend as well but decided not to spend the night--although he was enticed to stay with the offer of the wii. Saturday we took it easy and the kids got ready for their "friendship" party. They decided that the "going away" party they wanted to have should be changed to a friendship party. So the usual gang got together and we called it a special party so that Heather and Charlie could feel celebrated. The kids played outside and made friendship bracelets with pipe cleaners and beads. Did I mention that Cameron has pink eye--oh yeah! His assumed allergies seem to actually be pink eye according to our new neighbor the optomitrist. The kids had a great time and lots of fun was shared by the adults as well. I told one of them it was just a cookout and Heather responded, "it might just be a cookout for the adults but it's a PARTY for the kids".

Sunday we got off to a late start but accomplished some new island things (hard to believe that's possible on this little tiny place). We tried to go on a beach that we hadn't been on since last summer but it was closed (due to flood damage in the winter we think) so since it was clear we headed up to the top of Santa Barbara--the tallest point on the island--a volcano. It was pretty cool to be able to see all around the island almost in any direction to the water from a few different vantage points. The kids took pictures of each other and us and we headed to check out the inside of a different volcano. The Algar do Carvo is one of the few volcano's that you can actually go inside and see out the top. We went there with Heather's class and decided to take the rest of the family. It was very cool as anticipated. We headed back home for a short time and the kids played in the neighbor's sprinkler which was lots of fun for a few minutes. Jeff picked up a new couple to the base and we took them into Praia to walk on the beach, dip toes in the ocean and have some ice cream on the walking street. Dinner from the chicken house completes a great day!

On a Cameron note he is becoming very stubborn and exhibiting his free will more and more by running the other direction when told to stop. Throwing things when told "no". and doing just whatever he wants most of the time...with a smile on his face. He's cute but trouble--hopefully his will will become a bit more tamed and will mesh a bit more with mine...

happy fourth of july!!

We had a great day--started off by everyone sleeping in until about 7:45 after going to bed at 8 last night (we were a tired group!!). We enjoyed some pancakes and the kids played outside a little before lunch. Jeff took Heather and Charlie to the pool for a couple of hours while Cameron took a nap. After showers we headed to our neighbors for a cookout of delicious food and friends. We really kicked off the day around 6 when we headed for the fourth of July festivities on base which included bouncy castles, face painting, bands, dancing, and lots of food choices (i chose funnel cakes!). The kids had a blast running around with their friends and enjoying the safety that we feel here to allow them to have fun without seeing them every second. Eventually the fireworks show started and like last year here it was great. It's so fun to share the "freedom celebration" with so many friends and people in the military with music and enthusiasm that our little base offers. We had a blast and thanks to all our friends we shared it with--especially those that have spouses deployed right now. Heather made it through with flying colors, Charlie would have fallen asleep if I had let him and Cameron was out but enjoyed the start of the fireworks.

Sao Miguel--by heather

Heather kept a journal of or trip so we're sharing her version of our adventure--word for word with spelling corrections...

On the way to Sao Miguel
We were waiting for a boat to go to Sao Miguel. We waited and waited. Then the boat came. My dad drove the car in the boat. Then we got on the boat. The boat was so big and long. It took a long time to move. Then it started to move. It was a pretty view from the water. We san on some seats. Me and my mom watched for dolphins. then we saw a lot of dolphins. It was so cool. Then Charlie had daddy play the bean game. Then we saw more dolphins--like a group. Then we had lunchables. Then mom saw one dolphin. She told me and Charlie. I saw two, then three. And the most important thing of all...we saw a whale. It was really cool. I saw a dolphin by the whale. It was so cool. Then we saw a shadowy spot. It was the island. We went around the island and they stopped so we could get out. Then my dad drove the car where we were. Then we got to a house lomebody loaned us. I had some things to eat and I remembered I wanted to write in my journal. That's why I wrote this story.

The second day on Sao Miguel
First we were at the house. Then we got in the car. I was reading a book. We were in the car for a long time mom got out of the car. She took pictures of the flowers. Then mom got back in the car. It took a long time until we got there. I got out of the car and saw a beach because my dad said hat we couldn't go to that beach. so I got back in the car with my dad. We drove longer. Then we got out again and walked down some steps. Then we got to a beach. There was a cave. We climbed up rocks tto the cave. It was raining so we stayed in the cave for 15 minutes. Then we got out of the cave. We climbed down the rocks. When we got out of the cave we saw a waterfall. Then we went up some stairs and in to the car. Then we drove more. We got out of the car and went into a house. It wasn't any kind of house, it was a cave. We went down some stairs into a cave. We got to put on helments so our heads wouldn't get bumbed on a side of the cave. It was really cool. Then we went to the greenhouse. We saw pineapples.

The third day on Sao Miguel
First we went to the furnaces. We drove for a log time then we got there. We looked really close to them. It was really cool and stinky. Next we climbed a tree. We found three holes in the tree. There was a small one, a medium one, and a big one. Me cameron and charlie put our heads in the holes. Then we went to look at the humongous lake. Then we got some food. We got five plums and bread. Then we went over to the ducks. We saw ducks and one cat. Then we went back to teh car and drove to the pool. We got to the pool, mom and dad and cameron had to change into their baithing suits. Then me and mommy and cameron got into the pool. The pool was orange and hot. Me and mom and cameron swam to the middle of the pool. Then we got out of th epool. Then we walked around the lake and saw a waterfall. Then we changed into clothes. Then we went to see a lot of flowers. After that me and daddy and charlie stepped on rocks that were in the water. Then we ate dinner and went back to our house to take showers. Then we watched bakubon. last we went to bed.

The fourth day
First we got in the car. Then my mom told us a story about the princess in the shepherd. They cried for a long time becuase the princesses mother said she could not marry the shepherd. The shepherds cry was green. The princess's cry was blue. The we went where the princess and the shepherd cried. It looked like a lake. Then we went to a whale watch but it was cloudy. Then we ate lunch. Daddy asked if we watned to to to a natural swimming hole . Me and charlie said no. Then we went to the north side of the island but it was raining. Over in the north side of the island we looked for geocaches. Then we went to a rocky beach. Me and charlie and mommy and daddy and cameron found some shells. Net we drove some more. Then we got out of the car and looked at the pretty church. Then we looked for the geocache. Then we took pictures by the ocean. Next we say puddles. We played in the puddles. It was fun. Then we changed into our clothes. Then we went somewhere else to finda geocache but we didn't find a geocache. Then we ate dinner and went to bed.

**heather didn't journal the last two days but we tried to go to another lake and it was really foggy. We headed for a waterfall where we could swim. The water was supposed to be warm but it was cold. We drove up to the north coast and crashed a parade that consisted of lots of horses running through the streets with colorful decorations. Then we headed over to Nordeste where there were beautiful waterfalls, almost got the car stuck, and ate at a restaraunt all on our own. The last morning we went to swim in a pool by the ocean but had to wait for the guy to clean it and fill it with water which only was up to the kids knees when we had to leave. The boat trip back was rocky and no dolphins or whales joined the boat...

fathers day, "graduation", and packing

We celebrated father's day with a typical island adventure! The kids helped with crepes and happily carried up their cards and his breakfast with hugs and kisses. We headed out with some friends to a bullfight in Angra however it was really hot and the kids were not as interested in the bulls running on the beach and in the water as they usually are so we scrapped that plan and headed for the beach. Cameron slept in the car for a while then joined his brother and sister who were happily playing in the sand and surf. We headed home after that for a dinner of steak kabobs to top off the day. The kids love spending time with their dad and enjoy all the adventures that he leads us on.

Charlie finished preschool on Wednesday with no real celebration. I told him we'd have one but it's been so crazy with packing (wednesday) that we didn't have time to celebrate. I taught him the song that heather sang (going off to kindergarten) but never got him to sing it for me as a "graduate". He had a very different pre-school experience than typically kids have, however I think he really enjoyed the Portuguese school that he went to with several friends. He spent his first day "off" playing with his friend and enjoying the beautiful sunny weather that we've been having. Heather spent her first week "off" at vacation bible school that the chapel on base held and she's had a great time. Despite not being in the same group as her friends she's come home every day to tell me all about what she's been doing and how great it was.

Our first shipment is packed and waiting for a boat to take it stateside. We shipped 3 crates but I'm not really sure what all was in them. The house is still cluttered and we seem to have what we need. This will be a less is more lesson to me--maybe we'll just keep it all crated until we move again ;-). Off to Sao Miguel (another island) tomorrow for more adventures!

lots of catching up to do

We have been really busy and I've been terrible at blogging!! It's going to get crazier but to catch up on some fun things...

CHARLIE'S A TWO WHEELER
A few weekends ago Charlie wanted to go out and try his bike on two wheels. On a blustery drizzly day we headed out to the parking lot where Heather started on two wheels last year and he gave it a go. His bike is so low that he can touch the ground easily if he starts to lose his balance so once he figured out how to get started he was off. Jeff gave him a few pushes but before the video camera could even get rolling he was on his own with the biggest smile on his face! He still rides with lots of pride that he's mastered this two wheeling task but he's a little crazy with his riding and how fast he goes around our little circle so he's wiped out a few times.

HEATHER CHOICE DAY
Heather had a day off that Charlie still had school so she got to choose what to do. Although the day was again rainy we headed out for some geocacheing with another family. We found several caches and the kids and dads were quite persistent with trying to find them despite the chilly wind and rain. We had lunch with friends for her day of fun.


BASEBALL
Baseball came to an end last weekend. The kids both had a great time this season despite disliking practices. Heather was hitting the ball pretty well and was confident in the field. She got two hits in her last game and got to score twice so she was very happy. She played near the pitchers mound and wasn't quite quick enough for most of the balls that came her way but did seem to enjoy going after them and trying to make a play once she got one. Charlie's game was good as well. He seemed a bit distracted in the field when the other team was batting but he loved running the bases and made sure that I was watching with a "hi mom" and a wave when he headed up to bat. Jeff helped coach each team even though he wasn't "official" and the kids LOVED having dad in the action.

SWIMMING
The swimming pool has opened and Jeff's taken the kids a few times while Cameron's been sleeping. They have had a good time and both kids are going down the slide and off the diving board with no life jackets and even with Jeff standing on the side of the pool (practice so if I take them with Cameron on my own they know they can do it). While Heather played with friends last time Charlie put his face in and started stroking a bit. Mostly he doggie paddles to the side looking tiny in the big pool. This is great practice for when we move and have a pool (fenced) in the yard. Now if putting on sunscreen was so easy!!

FRIENDS
We've tried to spend time with friends as much as possible as they PCS out. It's very sad to say goodbye but we've learned that keeping in touch is possible and although the daily interaction is VERY missed we can still keep up with them and what their families are doing. Heather had her friend over to spend the night as she leaves this week and is planning her own going away party for later in July.

The weather is finally looking sunny around here so we're getting out and enjoying it as much as possible.

first grade field trip

I got the pleasure of accompanying the first graders on a field trip to two of the caves on the island which turned out to be quite fun. We got to ride a school bus and Heather picked the very back seat for us to sit in. We toured through two caves on the island--the first was the only volcano that you can walk in (?) which was very coo. It was a cave formed when the volcano which is now extinct erupted and you could see out the top where the lava exploded. The second cave was the "gruto natal" which we had gone through with our family. Heather got to crawl through a small space along with some friends so she thought that was pretty fun. We then went to the gardens in Angra to have a picnic lunch and on to a volcano museum which was educational but not so interesting to the kids. We then wandered down to the marina for a short time where Heather played sharks and minnows with the boys--and she kept up pretty well. Apparently she has been participating at lunch time and is attempting to draw in the other girls to help her out. After a fun bus ride home I was ready to crash for the day.

pictures

Our friend is a self-employed professional photographer (if he's not a "professional" he's good enough to be) and does stock photography which is generic pictures that magazines can use for a small fee--he gets a small fee for them through the website he uses. He has taken pictures of the kids and taken some of our family pics as an unofficial tradeoff. He took a nice family picture and some cute ones of the kids but the kids weren't cooperating with a picture together or with me (oh well). Otherwise we have some cute pictures which I'll probably try to post on facebook...After playing around in his studio and having lunch we headed down to the town below his house--Villa Nova where they were having one of the holy ghost festivals (you can google it to find out more) which are held each of the first 6 sundays after easter. They have huge loaves of bread that they hand out, wagons with food in them for family and friends, and wine that they just pass a cup around and refill--the guy stands there while you drink it which was a little unnerving...It was fun to walk around the Portuguese who were all dressed up and smiling and listen to the little band that was there. They really have fun with their small little festivals and celebrations. The kids liked the ice cream we bought them the best.

bye-byes, birthdays, and base ball

We spent a lot of our time the last week with friends who left on Friday. We did dinners and games and lots of hanging out. Thursday was my birthday and I got the best of most worlds--the kids made cards which I opened along with a few gifts (wii remotes) while we ate breakfast and they got ready for school. Our friend watched Cameron while Jeff used his birthday pass (supposed to be for his birthday but why not use it on mine!!) and we went to Angra (the "big city" of the island) for some shopping and lunch. We found the oldest jewelry store on the island and I selected my "big" present--a lava rock necklace and earrings. We then wandered around a bit before heading out to a tile shop that we had found on the coast of the island. It was fun to just explore and stop to take pictures on the way back home without kids screaming and wanting to be home, hungry, etc. (although since Jeff and I explored so much and missed lunch we were kind of hungry). Then I got home and played with the kids a bit before heading out to Lucky Squares (bingo that can't be called bingo) with a few friends. Although I didn't win anything it was a fun way to spend the rest of the evening and Rory's last night on the island. Friday we put our friends on a plane and saw them off. I wasn't really too emotional until I hugged little Lanie (2 1/2) and thought about how different she would be the next time (if ever) we see them again!

Baseball on Saturday was great! It was a beautiful day and the kids were excited. Charlie had some good hits although he also missed the t like 6 times before hitting one (he NEVER misses so it was odd!). He also played first base and did pretty well. He got the ball once and ran over to first and then they threw it to him a few times and he picked it up and tagged first--although he was in no real hurry to do so. Heather had a great game also. She plays around a shortstop position (with all the kids playing the field it's a bit hard to tell exactly where she is...) The first ball that came her way she got and ran over to 2nd and touched the base just before the runner for the 3rd out of the inning! She was pretty happy with herself. She only got to bat once during the game but she made a nice hit (i think to the left of the pitcher) and made it to first. She then was safe all the way home on the next few hitters. She seemed pretty happy about the game. Saturday afternoon Heather went to a birthday party at the bowling alley and Charlie and I had a bowling date. It was fun and I even treated him to ice cream (that's how I got jeff!!) while bowling over 100 each game despite losing to charlie in the second game for the first 3 frames (no I wasn't using bumpers.)

bridging and going aways

Some of our best friends here will be leaving in about a week which is very sad. We very much enjoy what the island has to offer but really almost anywhere the people make the experience great. They have been here since we moved in and both families went through deployments at different times with dad's stepping in as babysitters and surrogates as necessary. The kids have spent time probably 6 days a week together and we will REALLY miss having them around. Jeff's squadron had a going away for several people in the flight who will be leaving so we had lunch all together and then went out to dinner. It was nice to get out without the kids for a change and they were well taken care of while we were out. Today we got up and did a run with the kids--a kids run--where the kids went 1 mile. Charlie was due for the 1/2 mile but we kept both of them together and he and jeff outran heather and mom. Both kids ran almost the whole thing and seemed to have fun. Heather did an art project at the craft center which she enjoyed and then we headed off to the daisy bridging ceremony. Heather crossed over into brownies (very shyly and quickly) with several friends in a cute ceremony with the other girl scouts on the island. The kids and sara ended the day at a going away for Heather's scout leader and then a campout as a last hurrah!

mother's day and art show

I enjoyed a nice mother's day last sunday starting off with banishment to my room. I was greeted downstairs to breakfast of smiley face crepes, eggs, and bacon with cards and a book from heather. It was a very nice start to the day then we headed to the duck pond to find a geocache which was nicely hidden in the green mossy rocks. With all the rain that we've had the stream was really pretty and the kids had some nice photo ops together. We headed home for a late lunch and cameron nap before heading out to a friends for dinner. Heather and a few girls posed for some pics to be used as possible stock photography--so keep your eyes out for her in magazines ;-). A friend showed us how to make pancit which Heather really liked so despite the effort it takes I will have to try to make it for her. It was a nice relaxing end to another busy day!

On Wednesday Heather's school did an art show and had an opening night with snacks and art displayed on the walls everywhere. The kids had a good time looking at their friends pictures and finding their own on the walls (We found 4 of Heather's and she said that they were only supposed to have 3!!) She was very proud of her work.

baseball, spelunking and bull fights

We had a busy week filled with rain and sun mixed in each day--more rain than sun most days ;-( Charlie decided to stay at school all day most days and seemed to really like it so I got a few minutes in the afternoons to myself--and my friends laundry, dishes, dinner...My friend and I have started watching glee and are so addicted--this week we were the moms that get together and watch soaps (i've heard of them) but instead we caught episodes of glee. It was quality time for the kids to play together ;-). Friday Jeff and I went to a yummy asian heritage lunch and then the kids enjoyed the carnival at their school. Just a few games, bounce house. Heather and Charlie did the cakewalk and since jeff didn't know what was going on Charlie picked out some goodies while Heather played the game and actually won! They each brought home a plate of goodies that they "earned." I went out to dinner with some friends afterwards and had great food, company and crepes to top off the evening. I came home to find that Jeff and 3 husbands, and 10 kids had played games until about 10 and then all headed to bed. Apparently it was also boys night and kids night as well.

We started out today with some tired kids and rain which surely would cancel baseball but no. Charlie and the t-ballers were out there playing in the drizzle and wind. Charlie does great hitting the ball although the coach has to be reminded he is lefty (he hit pretty well righty the first game when no one told the coach...). His fielding needs a bit of work as he does not charge the ball and by the time it would get to him usually someone has picked it up and made the play. Apparently he made a nice play at first, picking up the ball and touching the base, however I was tending to cameron so i missed it. Heather followed and the sun had come out to join the game. She didn't get the ball in the field, only one came her direction and a faster boy went and got it--I think she was planning on picking it up if it had rolled 10 more feet...She hit a foul ball her first at bat but ultimately didn't get a hit in her allotted pitches. Her second at bat she made nice contact past the first baseman but wasn't quick enough to get to first before she got out. She was a little sad but seemed to be OK. Jeff decided it was a good day to take tired kids on a hike in a cave with a friend. When we got to the entrance of the cave and looked 20 feet down into a rocky black hole I decided that Cameron and I would not be making this adventure. Heather and Charlie armed with bike lights taped to their bike helments carried on into the cave with Jeff and our friend Rob. They had a good time until Heather bumped her head and they had to turn around. They were in some pretty narrow spots that the kids had to crawl so it sounded pretty impressive that they were able to brave it--not sure that I would have liked it even if I went and Jeff said definitely not for Cameron yet! Cameron and I explored around the entrance to the cave which was quite pretty and watched some doodle bugs crawl around. We ended the day with a street bullfight at a friend's house. Again it was pretty much a social event with a bull wandering through every so often--but still fun and full of Azorean culture. It was a VERY busy day and I am amazed that the kids made it through all of our activity seemingly without any trouble.

the rest of the weekend

We continued our busy weekend saturday night, Heather Charlie and i made derby hats (after being inspired by some pre-derby coverage) to wear for the Kentucky Derby. They kids had a good time desigining with feathers, beads, foam, stickers and more. Unfortunately I read the times wrong and the derby wasn't on here until 10:20 so the kids watched a movie and fell asleep instead. We got up in the morning and decided to try out a hike that we hadn't tried. We hiked up Mount Brazil which was quite fun. With Cameron in the backpack we made it to the top with minimal complaining. We looked for a geocache along the way but couldn't find it. Then at the top there was another that we found, however it was just a small roll of paper in a film canister that we signed our names on. Heather was then VERY angry that we hiked all the way to write our names on a piece of paper and was a bit grumpy the rest of the way down. Cameron took a nice nap and then at the bottom the kids enjoyed some time at the Angra playground. They fell asleep on the way home and took a nap in the car with Jeff.

Opening Day

Today was opening day for baseball here--Charlie started the day off with the longest inning of t-ball in history and did great batting but never got the ball hit near him in the field. He seemed to have fun and I think he enjoyed having Jeff out there helping out with the game. Cameron was a good spectator, clapping occasionally while munching on granola bars. My favorite part of the game was where Charlie ran to third and then looked behind him (where we were sitting) and gave us a classic "hi mom" wave with a big smile. Heather's team was next--back to back is kind of nice--she spent charlie's game running with her friends who also have siblings on the little team and warming up with her team before the game. She didn't get the ball hit near her in the field and got two at bats. The first time she swung at 5 pitches but didn't make contact (it's coach pitch). Despite my concern she wasn't upset and just headed back to the bench with a shrug and hi-fived her coach for effort. Her second at bat she hit the 4th pitch foul and missed the next--fortunately they gave her one extra shot for her foul ball and she got a little hit to the third base side. She was pretty excited and made it all the way to third on the next two hits. Both Heather and Charlie were pretty happy about their games and Cameron seemed to enjoy being out and about as well.

a week at home

sure feels like a lot more but it's just been a week since we got back from our whirlwind trip to the states. We made it on the flight, then got delayed 12 hours (until 1 am) so we hung out at the BWI terminal at the USO and the upstairs play area with a family who was PCSing to Lajes. Jeff knew him from a few trainings and the kids got along well so it was nice to have company. We time adjusted eventually although it was kind of a rough road getting Cameron and Sara back to normal. Heather had her first t-ball practice on Thursday and did really well. Some of the kids told her she hit the ball farther than one of the older boys (she didn't but whatever) and she was pretty proud. It's coach pitch and she probably hit about 1/3-1/2 the balls pitched to her which was pretty good (the coach is apparently a better pitcher than I!!). She seemed to have fun although getting her to the field was kind of a challenge. We had the new family over for dinner a few times and helped them out with figuring things out and they were kind enough to offer to watch the kids when we had the chance to go to an arena bullfight. We took them up on the offer and had a nice time at the bullfight which was really interesting. Some of the guys (the most prestegious i think) rode on horses and tried to place a decorative spear in the bulls back (it's not as bad watching as it sounds). The horses were very impressive doing just what the guys asked them to do and only a few times got knocked by the bull and they were within inches many times. There were also matadors with the capes who distracted the bulls while the other guys entered and exited the ring. Finally there were these crazy people who lined up across from the bull, taunted it into charging and the the lead guy jumped on the bull literally catching it between the horns. The rest of the guys jump on the bull and the guy until submission. It was pretty crazy! Upon returning home we found that Cameron was nicely sleeping however Charlie had thrown up. That was the trend for the rest of the night--well actually cameron joined in a few times. Charlie was much better the rest of the weekend so we hit some birthday parties and time with friends who are leaving. Unfortunately Sunday night Heather decided to join the sick club so it was a rough start to the week.

house hunting

We decided to try to travel Space A to look for houses at the college town where we will be living next summer. Unfortunately the planes got grounded that we had hoped to go on so we had to leave a bit later than expected. It negated the chance of getting to grandparents, however it ended up working out better because Sara's parents came down and stayed with us. The kids were soooo happy not to look at houses after only 1 day of looking--it would have been quite a struggle to get them through the other 7 houses we looked at. After looking at 3 terrible houses we looked at 2 good ones then a few more that were in locations we weren't sure about (just farther away). After a lot of deliberation we went back and gave a house one more look and made a decision. Along the way the kids got to try out some parks and spend time teaching grandma some new games. After settling on a house we headed on to my sister's house and spent about 24 hours with her and her husband before heading back to Baltimore to try to fly back. Currently we're waiting to see if we will keep the seats we have (3, 4, 5, 6, 7 out of 7 available) on the plane ;-)

easter

We celebrated a rainy easter with an egg hunt and easter baskets. The night before Charlie said, "how does the easter bunny hop into the house?" Heather responded, "Well it's not actually a bunny--it's a person in a bunny costume." So close yet still so fun!! The egg hunt at the community center the day before Easter was quite fun. The little kids went first and Cameron was more interested in observing than picking up eggs. He did get some but mostly wanted to see what the other kids were going to do. Luckily there was lots of room for the kids to spread out and be their slow little selves...The big kids was another story. The outfield of the softball field was filled with eggs and the kids fanned out along the grass and mass chaos ensued when the "go" was given. Heather and Charlie held their own and got enough eggs to make them happy. Easter morning was rainy so eggs were hidden in the garage--which took the kids a while to find. They were pleased with their baskets and we spent a nice morning with everyone getting along. We shared Easter dinner at a friends house with some other families who didn't have spouses or were unaccompanied--it was a very nice time for all ending with a rousing game of cranium!

charie's birthday party

Although Charlie's birthday was the 30th we had his party with friends on April 3. Jeff called it the kids "fake birthday". Charlie wanted to have his Bakugan birthday at the bowling alley. Jeff and the kids did another piniata and we made a cake using charlie's bakugan as decorations. Charlie had 15 of his friends and neighbors come and create chaos at the bowling alley. When we got there conveniently there was another birthday party with similar age kids in the 3 lanes next to us--because we weren't enough chaos in our 3 lanes!! Charlie had a great time bowling and breaking the piniata which held strong once again.

Charlie turns 5

We continued our busy birthday month as charlie turned 5 on March 30. He had some friends come over in the morning to play until lunch. They had a good time being boys (5 year old boys apparently bring new language and gestures to being a boy which I hope to squelch!) and had a nice lunch and cupcakes together. Once Heather got home from school charlie got to open some of his presents which were numerous! He received some bakugon, books, power rangers and a transformer that only Jeff can transform. He went back outside and played with some friends until we had his chosen dinner of steak, broccoli, and tater tots (i forgot to get french fries for him..5 is a new fun age but we hope that charlie continues to be his sweet, giving, loving self and maybe can get a little less clumsy (he is hurt all the time!!)--but we love him anyway!!

more pictures on facebook

i posted more pictures on facebook because it's easier to upload. If anyone who reads this is not on facebook (i will be shocked!!) let me know if you want more pics and I'll get them to you ;-)

charlie's haircut

whew! Between Heather's birthday fun I forgot that Charlie got his hair cut (a lot!) I told Jeff when he left and kept saying "short" that I might cry when he came back but Charlie looks pretty cute with his new look. Different but cute!!

Heather's birthday party

Heather invited 15 of her closest friends and neighbors over for a party. Ideally the weather would have been nice and they would have played outside lots and lots, however it was not great so we started out inside. Filled with "ocean" activities we managed to keep the kids entertained and then let them out after cake to run around and get some of that sugar out of their system. The kids worked on some picture frame crafts, creating creatures from under the sea, pinning the tail on the dolphin and smashing a piniata. Oh yeah and dinner and cake were served also ;-). Jeff and the kids worked hard on a dolphin piniata which turned out REALLY cute and very sturdy. The kids all had lots of chances to break it before our friend helped it with some scissors and serious shaking. He also drew a nice dolphin for pinning the tail on (it was amazing how almost EVERY child was able to find that dolphin tail spot!! The cake was cute--dolphin that jeff drew and some birthday lingo (Really I did stuff for the party as well ;-). All the kids seemed to have a good time and Heather was allowed to have 3 girls spend the night. We borrowed a projector from a friend and the girls are watching a movie on the wall in the garage.

heather's birthday--the day after

Whew--Heather had a day full of picking what she wanted to do all day long and it wore us out (and her as she took her first 20 minute nap in the middle of the day!!). She got up at 6 and decided she wanted to open presents immediately. I told her she had to wait until everyone was up and she was not allowed to wake anyone up so it was a long 2 hours until charlie rolled out of bed. She opened her presents and Jeff made crepes for a special b-day breakfast. After that she took her scooter out to scoot around and did so successfully for quite a while before falling and running into the house with a scraped knee and hands. Once she calmed down we headed to the arts and crafts center to paint a ceramic cat (heather) and butterfly (charlie) which was what she's wanted to do for her birthday for a while. Then off to the chinese restaraunt for lunch with friends and a garden park nearby to play. Whew!! On the drive back Heather and Cameron fell asleep but upon her waking up we skyped grandma and grandpa mick so they could see her open presents. Then she out back to play with friends. When we made it to dinner more friends came over for Heather's chicken leg, green beans, and mashed potato dinner followed by cake and candles. Finally our neighbors fired up their firepit and had s'mores (doesn't get much better than that to end a b-day). A campout and a movie in the family room with dad ended a seemingly perfect (minus scratches on the knee and an Ohio loss in the round of 32) day! Happy birthday to our little girl!!

Happy Birthday Heather!!

Seven years ago at 2 am Heather joined us and has been a presence ever since! She started out baby HAH (which she hates us to mention) then turned into a curly haired toddler with lots of energy and smiles for everyone. When we moved to MS she got a little bit shyer but still loved her friends, preschool and playing outside. Now she's a big 7 year old filled with her own ideas and attitudes.

Dad's back!!

Yeah! About two weeks ago Jeff called to say he would be coming back a week early. I was very excited but didn't want to get the kids hopes up in case flights got cancelled as they often do so we continued to count down to the 19th. Finally Jeff was almost to his last leg so last Friday when Charlie got home from school I asked him what was the best surprise he could think of: "going to Disney" no "going to grandma's" no we're not going somewhere. "grandma's coming here" no not grandma. "daddy? We already know daddy's coming" but daddy's coming today. "TODAY" then lots of excited jabbering and celebrating in his seat, "oh yeah, daddy's coming today. oh yea" Same question to Heather, "dolphin stuff" no "pet shop stuff" no it's not a thing--Charlie--we might be going to Disney. No it's not going somewhere. "Daddy's coming home" TODAY. Heather then jumped from the couch to the floor and ran in circles until I finally told her she needed to settle down and stop. We went out to the base food place for dinner and headed for the airport to find out Jeff's flight was delayed 2o minutes--ugh--45 minutes to kill in the airport!! When Jeff finally walked through the doors the kids ran over to give him hugs and Cameron walked right over after Heather and Charlie gave him room. He gave Jeff a hug and stayed with him and they've been best buddies since. Thank goodness for Skype and phone calls to keep them connected!! We got home and Jeff enjoyed the sings and decorations we had put up in addition to his favorite yummy treats. Everyone enjoyed the weekend together and things have fallen right into place like he never left. He had to go into work a bit on Monday and Tuesday but has the rest of the week and next week off. We spent the week doing fun things like playgroup, lunch with Heather, and taking Charlie to and from school. Fun fun, fun. We're sooo glad to have him back!