V is for Volcanoes are awesome!!!

Well, not awesome with the massive destruction and spewing of hot rocks and choking ash.
But awesome because they make the planes stop.

Bad for the people on those plane sure.....But Great if one of those people is my extra super awesomely amazing sister-in-law who I haven't seen in a couple years!

Confused yet?

So there I was sitting at the computer, reading the news LoLCats, when my brother-in law called.
Seems his wife and her sister are heading up to Alaska and were told "Nope, no way Jose. Mount Redoubt is blowing her top off as we speak"
So after we talked briefly about the situation and my approximate distance to SeaTac airport my sister-in-law called.

She is currently trying to rebook her flight, but will most likely be spending at least the night at Casa Abplanalp.
Yay!

Do you think she'll mind the full "slumber party" activities? Paint our nails, do our hair, make a fort in the living room?

A girl can dream.

UPDATE: Sadly, my awesomely amazing sissy was able to get on another flight and left before the slumber party. Thankfully they made it safe and sound. I'll keep the party supplies for the next time.

OPSEC Schmopsec

Please click the above comic to get the full effect.



Yes, this is how the conversation goes. No, I am NOT lying when I say "I don't know"
OPSEC is a very real and very omnipresent being who will sneak into our homes, steal our sugar and toss over our laundry baskets if we divulge any information.

I know. Being that I live in the same house as him and am privy to all sort of personal information regarding Chris...the Navy doesn't seem to think I deserve that TS clearance. Therefore I am on a "NEED TO KNOW" basis. If they think I need to know, they might tell me. Otherwise, I am as clueless as the rest of you.

Of course the are required to tell me when he is coming home. But I swear, many MANY times, I don't know until 24 hours in advance.
If I don't call you as soon as I know...forgive me. It's not that you are being "ignored" or "deliberately left out" I promise...I'm not that mean. At least.....I'm not that mean when I know Chris is coming home :)

When he leaves quickly and without warning please understand that saying things like "does he even live there anymore" are hurtful and mean and simply show your lack of knowledge on how the military operates. That's ok, that's how they like you civilians to be. Clueless.

Also, if he doesn't call you when he is shipping out with 24 hours notice...maybe it's because he wants to spend what precious few hours he has left with us, his family.

So ends my lesson on "How the military doles out information to the families" If I've offended you...I am sorry, But then again....maybe you need to think about WHY you are offended.

So I am sorry I can't tell you more. I am sorry I don't know when he can write you. Heck, I don't know when he can write ME or his daughter! I can tell you that submarines do NOT have telephones and therefore the chances of you getting a phone call are slim to not gonna happen.

A very special THANK YOU! to Julie Negron, the creator of "Jenny" the comic seen above! You should check her out at http://jennyspouse.com/

G is for....Gracie is Gifted!!!

Yes, you read that right!

Warning: Conspicuous Parental gloating. Read with caution!

Today I had my tri-annual parent teacher conference. You know, where you sit in little chairs in your child's classroom while the teacher tells you all about what they are learning, where they are strongest and where they need improvement.

Ok, so first I have to say I have serious "teacher anxiety." Some subconscious impulse in my brain tells me that I'm going to get in trouble for passing notes or whispering to Sarah. If I know the teacher well enough I get over it. Like Gracie's kindergarten teacher in Pullman was a good friend of mine and her kindergarten/first grade teacher in South Carolina I got to know on a first name basis after a year and a half working together. Not to mention she was almost a decade younger than me. I know, scary. But I digress....

Gracie's second grade teacher....is much older than me and reminds me of a composite drawing of all my elementary school teachers combined.

So there I am, sitting in the little chair at the little desk waiting to be told I can't pass notes anymore. We go over her papers. She's doing great in math, reads at a 6th grade level but I am assured that she can read much higher. Perhaps not comprehend the material but can read at an 9th grade level "at least." She told me the highest the test goes is sixth grade but Gracie is higher. Ok...good. She reads 182 words a minute and can comprehend what she read. Good. Very good.

She told me she is sensitive and mature, kind, considerate, organized, focused and responsible. Ok, I know most of these things...however the 8 year old girl who lives in this house hasn't cleaned her room in roughly 8 years, and is slightly spastic and hyper. But I'm glad to know at school at least, she is "organized, focused and responsible." Especially considering my biggest gripe from teachers was I daydreamed to much and wasn't organized.

So far, so good.

So then she tells me areas that need attention. Handwriting. Surprise. It's a genetic trait. My husband writes like a brilliant doctor on crack and my teachers always got after me about sloppy penmanship. Her teacher noted that Gracie seems to be in a "race" to be done the fastest. So she writes sloppy in her effort to be first.

Could be worse.

Then she pulls out the test scores. Recently they took a gifted program cognitive abilities test. Guess what, Gracie is in the 98% in the nation!
She is officially "gifted!" It's on her permanent record and everything!
As if I were somehow slow in comparison, she spelled it out for me. "If you take 100 random students from all over the country, she would be smarter than 98" I had to laugh a little. I'm sure the drool puddle and mouth agape may have made her think I wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box, but I assure you, I was just stunned.

Next year she will take part in their gifted student program and as her teacher kindly pointed out, is on the right path to "Harvard or MIT" Wow! MIT and she's only in second grade!!!

Ok, so she will have to actually finish elementary school first. Then high school.....but Wow!
My baby is like, all smart and stuff! I for some unknown reason am having a total Bill and Ted moment trying to describe it. But I am unbelievably proud of her.

Congratulations Gracie! You Rock!!!!

Random Acts of Kindness

So I have been dying of a cold for the past 4 days. Ever since I watched my husbands sub pull away I've felt sick. Really, truly sick. Like the flu. Not he's leaving sick...but real I have a fever sick.
Today I felt a tiny bit better and so decided to go to Starbucks.

So there I am, waiting in the drive thru. The truck in front of me has USMC stickers and a "retired Marine" license plate frame. He also has various hunting stickers dotting the back window.

I look at his mirror, he's looking back at my car. He smiled, I smiled. That was the end of our encounter.

My Mom is with me, so we order two venti drinks, an oatmeal and a slice of lemon loaf.

I have to add, as he is at the window, I notice he hands the girl his travel mug. I'm pleasantly surprised that this retired Marine and avid hunter is also concerned with the environment. Surprise #1 of the day.

So Mom and I are chatting away about little things.
Finally it's my turn at the window. The girl had told me when I ordered that it would be $14.95. I have my Starbucks gold card ready to take off 10% when the girl at the window says

"Oh, the man in the truck paid for yours. He said he wanted me to thank you for your smile and your service to our country"

What? He what? Ok, I have been to Starbucks many, many time while they are doing the "pay it forward" thingy. People pay for the car behind them. But never has it happened unprompted. Never once has someone genuinely wanted to pay for a strangers coffee.

This Marine, when he smiled at me could see my DOD stickers on my windshield. Being a retired Marine, he actually knew what they meant. he knew that the blue sticker at the bottom means active duty officer. Not a civilian or contractor. Active duty. Real military.

I in turn played Pay it Forward. The car behind me was a $5 tab. So I paid it. Beats the $15 I was going to pay. I felt like sharing the wealth. Passing it along to another.

I wish I could meet that Marine and thank him. His little random gesture meant so much to me. Chris deployed on Saturday. He had no way of knowing that...but our "Service to our Country" is felt that much more right now.
You have no idea how heartwarming it is to be thanked.

So thank you Random Retired Marine at the East Bremerton Starbucks Drive-thru. You have made my day.
Now, go out there and thank a service member, or their spouse.

God Speed Boys.....

Today is the day. The other woman aka the USS Kentucky took my husband on a Pacific cruise for a few months. Of course being a vengeful harpy, she decided he needed to leave his family at roughly the same time the bars close.
Needless to say it was pitch black, cold and miserable when we dropped him off. The goodbyes went as smoothly as they can in that situation.

Chris and I do our very best to "rip the band-aid off quickly" as we like to say. In other words, we hate long goodbyes and getting teary eyed. So to an outsider, we look like it's just another day. A quick hug and kiss then he's off. To the rest of the world it may seem cold and unattached but it's how we cope with goodbyes. Not to mention, I have to teach my daughter that it's ok to cry, but it's not ok to dwell on it. I know people who focus on the negative and teach their kids that it's ok to get sympathy for it.

This is our life. This is what we do. This way of life puts a roof over our heads, food on our table and clothes on our backs. It's normal to miss Daddy, but we have to deal with it. Stiff upper lip.

Gracie is awesome. She handles deployments like a trooper. I am so proud of her. She cried a little this morning, but was thrilled to see the sub leave and waved and yelled and was all smiles when her Daddy's boat went by. Don't get me wrong, she is a total Daddy's girl...but she is proud of him and what he does. She knows his job is important and doesn't resent him when he has to leave.

Oops...I got sidetracked. Anyway, he is gone. Off to save the world and play hide and seek.
Oh...did I mention he was driving the boat today? Yeah, he was. Pretty cool huh? That's an awesome sight, a submarine. Then top it off with "my husband is in control of that" Wow!!! How many people can say that?? Like .0000005 % of the worlds population? Yeah....I'm a little proud. Thanks for noticing.

Fun with the Fishes

Yesterday I chaperoned Gracie's class field trip to the aquarium.

100 second graders (5 classes), a ferry boat, a five block walk and a crowded public building filled with hundreds of others second graders. That my friends is a recipe for fun and excitement!

I was lucky. I had Gracie and three of her closest friends in my group. So it wasn't so bad. But man alive, what a zoo.
The aquarium has undergone some renovations and looks fantastic. A lot of the place is the same as I remember when I was little and driving my own Mom crazy on a field trip, but so much has changed.
The kids loved the sea lions, otters and harbor seals. They played and hammed it up for the kids. That was a treat. The touch pool was another hit. Lots of ewwww's and yucks when they touched the sea cucumbers and starfish. The Giant Pacific Octopus was another big hit. He tried to climb out of the mammoth tank, much to the delight of my daughter and her friends.

I also learned a few things. On the ferry ride home one of Gracie's friends told me that his Mom never volunteered for anything at school because "her job is to important." So I asked him where she worked. He told me the name of a Doctor's office locally and I replied that "yes, a doctor is a very important job and people really need her to be at work" you know, trying to make him feel better. He then replied "oh she's not a doctor, she sits at a desk and plays on the computer and talks to people on the phone all day" then he took a long pause and added "come to think of it, that's not very important because that's what she does at home too"
So I think I just sent this poor boy into a sudden realization that his Mom doesn't take an active interest in him or his school. Oops!

Other than early therapy for the friend...it was a successful day. Gracie and I had a great time and plan to get back there very soon. It was a lot of walking and my thighs are angry with me and currently not speaking to me, but they'll get over it and thank me for the exercise when they feel better.

Wee Bit O'Blarney or, 10 Things you didn't know about the Irish

Today is St. Patrick's Day. The day everyone claims Irish decent, searches their yards for four leaf clovers, seeks the elusive leprechaun and his pot of gold, eat corned beef and cabbage and drinks green food coloring laced with beer.

Well, I don't claim Irish decent only on March 17th. I am Irish 365 days out of the year. My grandmother was born in Macroom, Co. Cork, Ireland. She had one heck of an accent and taught me the ways.

I'd like to dispel a few myths for you that irk me something fierce.

1. We don't eat corned beef. It simply isn't a food in Ireland. Cabbage...yea, lots of that...but corned beef is an American dish.
Our traditional food on this day is the usual fare....stew. Which is in the slow cooker as we speak!

2. Soda bread does NOT have raisins. Ok, I'm guilty of this because frankly...it's better with them. However it's not traditional. if your soda bread has raisins, it's actually called "Spotted Dog"
Real soda bread is bland and has very little, if any sugar. No butter and none of the extras to make it tasty. It's a filler. Dip it in your stew and it tastes good. Other than that....make Spotted Dog.

3. the only Green food item I can think of is cabbage. Green food coloring does NOT make something Irish. Seriously...that's like saying all Americans eat Red, White and Blue food. yummy, dyed blue hot dogs. Tasty. Get my point? Quite frankly, there is nothing appetizing about green food unless it's a vegetable.

4. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. Not the patron saint of the beer keg. I grew up with this day being a religious holiday. Church, followed by a big family dinner....of stew. Think Thanksgiving....with soda bread and boxty pancakes.

5. The Irish do make a tasty beer. nobody can argue that. However, just because I'm Irish does not mean I'm a drunk. In fact, I rarely drink alcohol. A good Guinness is fine once in a blue moon...but I don't drink all that often.

6. That brings me to pubs. The pub is short for Public house. Where the town folk come to socialize. Drinking is optional, but just like any other culture alcohol is a part of it for many reasons including health! Children are allowed in the pub. Think of it as an old fashioned chat room with music and food.

7. Yes, potatoes are the staple of Ireland. So those of us of Irish decent have indeed eaten our fair share of potatoes. In fact, I can cook a potato 1000 different ways. You take away my potatoes, I'll break your face. that said, I also know the difference between russets, yukons, red Potomac and Jersey royals.

8. Dancing...."can you dance a jig?" Seriously? How stereotypica....yea, I can. However a jig is really just a set dance (you've seen Riverdance) of girls lined up with their arms board straight at their sides making happy clicking sounds with their fast moving feet. I prefer a Ceili. Group dancing. You know "the Waves of Tory" Oh, well, my second grader does...so there. On that note, when I was a kid Riverdance was just one of the many gender-bending thoughts in Michael Flatley's head. So I had to learn the hard way....from my family. Luckily for my little Clare, Irish dance was all the rage when she was born, so there are schools and Feis' and all the fun stuff that only happened in Boston until 5 years ago.

9. Someone said this to me not a week ago "The Irish and the English are basically the same"......deep breath.......find a happy place......No, they are not. I won't go into the Catholic vs. Protestant debate. You are intelligent people, if you want to know....go forth and seek. I will simply say, that statement is like saying America and England are the same. Why did they bother with that silly revolution?

10. We are devoutly religious. My Grandmother crossed herself a good 752 times a day. Had a prayer for everything from waking up alive in the morning to making bread to tying her shoes. No joke. Being deeply religious also lends itself to being deeply superstitious. I remember being tossed outside when I was a girl because I was whistling in my Grandmothers kitchen. It's bad luck for a girl to whistle in a house. If you find a four leaf clover (a real one, not a hybrid) always keep it on you and never show it to anyone! Bet you didn't know that one!

Have fun today. Take some time to remember why we celebrate the day and go to the local pub. Enjoy a Guinness without the food coloring. Try some soda bread and stew. Put on your green and enjoy the day.

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone
Beannachtai Na Fheile Padraig!