September 22nd, 2008 by Missy

The kids went to the doctor on Friday for vaccinations.  They’ve actually had quite a few shots over the course of this year, but this is the first time that Dan was able to go with us (as we scheduled the appointment for after school, whereas previously Anya was only going to half-day school and we made appointments for while Dan was at work).

Getting shots is always a big undertaking.. the kids sob and scream, then we go get ice cream and usually pick out a toy.  Apparently, however, Alex decided that Daddy being along meant he had to be brave.  Firstly, he declares that he is getting his shots first today (normally he and Anya fight and try to make the other go first).

Then, he asks the nurse how many shots he needs to get, and she says two.  So he replies with…

“Two?  Hah, I laugh when I get two shots.”  So she gives him the first shot, and we hear “Waaaaah-ha.. ha.. ha.. hah.”  I wish I had a recording of it.  He so obviously wanted to wail but he forced out the most fake laugh I’ve ever heard.  It was adorable.

September 6th, 2008 by Missy

So, Thursday Dan and I are sitting down at our computers, Alex is in the kitchen eating a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich.  Next thing we know he walks around the corner looking like this, and we both just started busting up laughing.  I love when you know someone so well that you just KNOW what they’re thinking, and we were both thinking “WTF Joker”.

Anyway, now for the promised Alex quote.  We’re outside and I’m working out on the Bowflex, Dan is treadclimbing away.  The kids are playing in the nearby sandbox, having a tea party on the concrete, picking flowers, running around like nuts, etc.  Anya comes up to have a chat with me while I’m working out and screams and says that a bug ran across my butt.  I didn’t feel or see anything, but I took a glance around, didn’t see anything.. and got back to working out.

The next thing I know, I look down and an ENORMOUS spider is ON MY LEG.  And when I say enormous, I’m not just being a girl, it was seriously enormous, even Dan admits it.  He estimates 4″ across, perhaps a little bigger.  A fuzzy, hairy, disgusting thing.  So I scream at the top of my lungs and jump up… the spider falls on the ground, Anya is trying to scale me to get away from it..

Alex just kind of stands there looking at it and Dan stomps on it to shut Anya and I up.  The two of us are practically hyperventilating while the boys are just standing there.  I asked Alex, “You weren’t scared of that spider?”

He gave me this look like I was a complete moron and said “No, I’m a man.”

July 26th, 2008 by Missy

So we finally, finally get a night to ourselves, and what do we do? We go out to our favourite restaurant, of course.  Then we sit around and talk about how we can’t think of anything to do :p So finally… we drive down to the gaming store to get some movement trays.  Talk about all dressed up and no place to go.  I think everyone in there thought I was a whack job or something.

But seriously, I can’t believe we couldn’t think of a single thing to do (rather, a single inexpensive thing to do, since we’re saving money for the move right now) when we finally had a night to ourselves.  We ended up renting some movies at Blockbuster and then snagging some ice cream and going home to lie around on the couch.  We watched “Definitely, Maybe” which was cute up until maybe the last thirty minutes or so and after that it sucked.

I wish the kids hadn’t trashed the house so spectacularly this week.  We rented “The Karate Kid” as well, which I haven’t seen in ages and I want to watch it with Dan today, but he’ll be cleaning like all day with the way the house looks right now.  I suppose that sounds kind of off.. “he’ll be cleaning all day” rather than “we’ll be cleaning all day”, but I’ll admit it — Dan does all of the cleaning around here.  He actually does like.. all of the everything around here except for cooking.  How did I manage to get so lucky?

July 25th, 2008 by Missy

Well, today is our sixth anniversary! I’m 24-years-old, so by my math.. that means that I have been with this man for a quarter of my life. It’s amazing to think of how quickly and slowly the time goes at the same time. On one hand, it honestly doesn’t feel like six years have passed, but on the other hand — it feels like Dan and I have been married forever.

It’s probably wrong and unromantic or something, but each year when an anniversary rolls around I can’t help but feel self-satisfied and a little smug. We got married quite quickly after we met (a matter of a few months — three, was it?) and we gave our families about a weeks notice that we were going to tie the knot. We’d originally been planning to get married in October (2002), but found out that we had exactly one week to get married or we wouldn’t have enough “time left in station” to move out of the barracks and into a house together. So we figured, “hey, why not?”. We were going to get married anyway, so we just pushed it up and tied the knot. I think just about everyone who flew out for the wedding was in tears, and not wedding tears. These were tears of “why the hell are they doing this?” and I can’t count how many times we each got told that it was stupid to get married like this and that it would never last, etc, etc, etc..

So yes, I always feel smug and self-satisfied when we have another anniversary and all of those people who told us that it wouldn’t last have to send us ANOTHER happy anniversary card.

I should probably just be feeling all gushy and romantic and in love today, but there you have it. I feel gushy and romantic and in love every day (in fact, my family makes fun of me for it all the time :p apparently I am “obsessed with Dan”), so I guess it is hard to feel different on our anniversary, aside from being surprised at how much time has passed. Before I know it, all of those people will be sending me cards that say “Happy 10th Anniversary!” and then I can really chuckle to myself.

I love you honey, and I’m looking forward to many more years of self-satisfaction with you!

July 24th, 2008 by Missy

School starts so early here.. Anya’s first day of Kindergarten is August 7th! Gosh, in Connecticut we didn’t start school until the very end of August — sometimes not until September, even. I know that they start early here to get the kids out of school before the really hot summer rolls in, but honestly, this seems kind of stupid to me. It is MUCH hotter now in the beginning of August than it is in the beginning of June. I can only think that it would be better to start school in late August and end in June, rather than ending in May. Ah well, no point complaining about it.

Anya is ridiculously excited, and can’t wait to ride the school bus. I always drove her for preschool, of course, and now she’s going bonkers over the idea of riding the bus. Now if only I could get her excited over the idea of waking up before 10am :p School starts at 9:10 (ends at 3:40) and the bus arrives at the bus stop at 8:48. I have a feeling the first few weeks of school are going to be one big fight over bed time and waking up.

There is another thing that confuses me.. school ends at 3:40 and the bus won’t be dropping her off until 4:06.. but we literally live like.. a mile from the school. How can it possibly take 30 minutes to drop her off here? Dan thinks that they drive all the way out and drop off the furthest kids, and then work their way back in, but again — that seems ridiculously stupid to me. Why not drop off the closest kids and then move out? Once the novelty of riding the bus wears off, I imagine I’ll end up picking her up from the school rather than waiting for her at the bus stop.

Anyway, off to actually work on that Varghulf x.x I don’t know why I’ve been slacking so badly lately with my painting. I think it’s because I’m not happy with how the model is turning out, so I keep putting it off…

July 17th, 2008 by Missy

So Dan and I are in the shower a few minutes ago, and Anya comes in the bathroom and asks if she can make some Toaster Strudel for Alex and herself. We said yes, of course, but not to make any for us since we weren’t hungry.

We get out of the shower and she yells out to us that breakfast is ready and we should come eat. I asked her what she made, and she tells me she made meatloaf with a gravy of peeps (those Easter marshmallow bird things). At this point, I figured that she had put down some empty plates and we were supposed to pretend that she made meatloaf with peep gravy..

That’s what was sitting on the table in four different place settings :p It’s bologna, not meatloaf of course, but like…. QQ I didn’t even know we HAD peeps. I guess they were in the cabinet on top of the fridge that I like.. never go into.  I guess my creative cooking techniques will be passed down o.O;

June 23rd, 2008 by Missy

Well, Jamie got the news today at her ultrasound (today was also her first wedding anniversary ^_^) and it’s a girl! So sometime in November-ish Dan and I will become an Aunt and Uncle for the first time to little Lilyana.

They’re thinking either Kate or Madison as a middle name at this point in time. Anya’s vote is for Lilyana Alicia and Alex’s only input is that they not name the baby “Transformers” because Transformers can be very mean.

June 23rd, 2008 by Missy

I finally have an Alex quote to impart! This day shall go down in history, or something..

In a moment of drunken idiocy (always the best kind) Katie jumped off of her friend’s roof and into her friend’s pool and slammed her heel straight into the bottom.

Anyway, the next day my grandmother took her to urgent care to get some x-rays and find out if it was broken. When they came home Katie was on crutches and in a walking cast type of thing. Alex sees her, gasps and says “Aunt Katie! What did Grandma Joan do to you?!”

March 18th, 2008 by Missy

… Alex will bust out with something really funny and I’ll be able to post it here. Until such time, I will continue to regale my captivated (nonexistent) readers with Anya quotes.

Anya and Alex were sent to their room to clean. Dan pops in to check on their progress and sees that they are just about done.

“Good job! You’re done with the hard part, now it’s just the easy part — putting away your movies.”

“That’s not the easy part. It’s all the hard part. The easy part is sleepin’.”

March 12th, 2008 by Missy

Had a root canal yesterday x.x Man, my face hurts. That whole side of my head is throbbing. Ah well, I suppose it can’t last too long. Got the results back from my MRI as well and, disappointingly, absolutely nothing. Not that I was hoping for a brain tumor or anything, but I really was hoping to find out what’s up with the headaches / passing out.

Anya had a doctor’s appointment recently as well (ear, nose and throat) since she snores like a fiend. Not that I ever could have guessed it, but they want to take out her adenoids and tonsils. Seems like it’s pretty much standard procedure, tbh. Most people I know have had one or the other removed :p She’ll tell anyone who’ll listen (which is everyone she talks to, since she’s so cute) that she’s going to wear a mask so she falls asleep and then they’re gonna take out her thingees with a knife!  But it’s not gonna hurt, because she’ll be asleep!

I love how she’s so bossy and know-it-all and can’t ever stop talking. She reminds me of Dan :p