Today was Brandon's first official day as a doctor and he starts his rotations with OB/GYN. I got a text message around 11:30 this morning that he had already delivered a baby. They are set to have about 120 deliveries this month, which would be a record if it happens. We'll just have to see! The next few months are going to be long and busy for him, but he's looking forward to it.

It was also mine and the kids first day alone with Brandon at work. I was prepared for a really long, hard day since it was supposed to rain all day. (I've learned sometimes it's better to expect things to be really hard or bad and then whatever happens seems great.) Thankfully we had a really great day. I thought I'd share some of the particularly funny things that happened:

Christopher wanted to go for a walk when the rained stopped briefly and once we got around the corner 2 jets flew overhead. He gets VERY excited about this and always jumps up and down trying to catch them and yells, "Gotcha!!!!" It is hilarious to see and difficult to not laugh out loud. While I was laughing I said, "I love it!" to which Christopher followed with, "I love it too!"

Later, while I was doing the many piles of laundry that had piled up we found a dead roach under the cabinet. Christopher sees it and I tell him to not touch it. Next thing I know he has gone to get his shoe and starts to hit it over and over again trying to kill a bug that is already dead. This happens again hours later when we find a beetle that has also already died, but he doesn't realize it. If I can only get him to do that to the live ones.

Hopefully the next few days will go just as smoothly and with just as much humor.

This week we tried another vegetable. I thought I'd stick with vegetables for a while before introducing fruits, just in case we like the sweets too much. I did that with Christopher and it worked. So go with what works, right??? Although Christopher did help me blend up some bananas for when we are ready. Sorry there's no photo this week. Too bad though because we had it everywhere!

Food: Peas

Result: Liked it, but only mixed with rice cereal.

Check back later to see what else we experiment with!

Yesterday I was sitting on the floor playing with the kids and Christopher found a soft toy and started to throw it at my head. We are trying to explain to him which toys you can throw and which you can't. I feel like most of the time he can't, so I thought we'd go with this one since it was so light it couldn't do any damage. Well, he got to laughing so hard at me trying to hit it away every time he threw it that he started to try hitting it when I would throw it back. Sophie is trying to sit up and so I had her propped up in my lap and she thought the whole thing was hilarious and she started to belly laugh. She's kind of done this before, but only when I'd tickle her, which soon turned to crying. She is completely in love with her brother and this was just perfection in her eyes. She was just staring at him in awe and shaking with laughter. I tried to get Brandon to catch it, but by then the game wasn't as new and funny anymore. Maybe next time.

Ok, so the last few days have been GREAT! By that I don't mean easy, but I finally feel like I'm making a dent in turning our house into a home and ignoring the kids a little less in the process. On Tuesday, my new best friend, Kara (who you will be hearing a lot about in the next few years), helped me paint the kitchen red and yes, we got it right the first try! I've always wanted a red kitchen and now I have it. (The trick is finding something that is the shade of red you want- mine was my everyday china- and going with it. Just guessing isn't worth it! Been there done that!) It just needs some little valances and it will be done. I'm very excited! Yesterday we went shopping. Well, I shopped, she pushed the kids in the stroller, and I was finally able to purchase some of the items that I have had to forget about because one or both of the kids were crying and I just had to leave. I couldn't have done it without her!

Next is my little cheap project for the porch. The afternoon sun lights it up like crazy and I wanted some kind of curtain to to block it out. I found some green, yellow and white striped table cloths on serious clearance at Target, bought some ring clips, hung up some wire and, as Christopher says, "Ta da!!!" it is done! Felt like I was on Design on a Dime.

Last, but definitely not least, Sophie ate rice cereal today and liked it!!!!!! YEAH!!!!! Christopher never took it. She also held her own bottle. I feel like I'm finally doing something right. She just woke up, so I better run. Until next time!

I know some of you have been anxious to hear about how the move has been going, so I thought I'd update you while I had the chance. (Sorry, no photos yet, haven't had time to take any.) We moved down on Memorial Day and spent the night in an empty house. Christopher ran all over the place yelling who's room was who's, all excited about his new house. An hour after unloading the cars, we are off to one of the many playgrounds in the neighborhood. Several of the neighbors are out with their kids and Brandon, being the outgoing person he is, jumps at the chance to meet them. One of them asks if we need anything and we realize we don't have any towels and so the wife runs inside to grab a couple for us to borrow. I'm already liking this place.

The next day the movers arrive and so I load the kids up and head to the BX, Garden Center and Commissary to buy things and groceries for the house. We stop in the food court to grab some lunch and I have Sophie in the bjorn and Christopher on his bear leash. I grab my tray and head to get my drink. So far, so good. I realize that I don't have any napkins and the woman I'm passing happily tells me where to find them. I turn, Christopher doesn't, my large drink drops to the floor with a crash splashing onto the woman who just tried to help me. I'm completely embarrassed and start to bend down to clean it up and hear someone say, "Don't do that, I'll get someone to come clean it up for you." I look up and see 3 people running towards me to help. (I'm starting to get tears in my eyes, just remembering it!) I couldn't believe it. I'm trying to figure out what to do and the woman who's feet I just washed in root beer tells me she will watch Christopher while I get another drink.

We finish lunch and head into the BX to see what we can find. Then we head into the Garden Center to buy a few more things. THEN we go into the Commissary to get some groceries. By this point, Christopher is tired of riding in the buggy and Sophie is just tired. About every 10 feet someone (mostly senior citizens) stop to say how cute the kids are and want to tickle Sophie. They are all very sweet to us and I'm so thankful, but about halfway through our shopping Sophie starts crying , and for those of you who have heard her cry, know what that feels like. Christopher starts fussing because I've let Sophie our of her "container" and am carrying her, but he is still stuck in the buggy. I get in line to check out and a woman working there is trying to make me feel better by talking cute to Sophie, but she's just crying louder and louder. I finally make my way down to the checkout and am trying to unload all my groceries when all of a sudden and older man comes out of nowhere and says, "Let me help," and takes all of my groceries out for me. Once I pay I told the bagger that I was sorry, but had parked all the way at the other end of the parking lot and so she just put the bags in my cart and sent me on my way. She was the first unhappy person I'd seen all day. (But in her defense, she couldn't help me because I'd parked too far away anyway.)

Thankfully everyone has been incredibly nice, we've been invited to cookouts, playdates and a birthday party and borrowed items from neighbors that we couldn't find yet. We've played at the splash pad and numerous playgrounds on base. We've gotten bug bites and killed roaches and barely had a sunburn. And have I mentioned how hot it is here? But those are really the only bad things about living here so far, the bugs and the heat. We have a beautiful view of the water from our house (there's a street behind us that has a better view) and so far we love it all! We visited a church this morning that we really liked too, so things are looking up! I'll post photos when I get them and let you see what it all looks like. Sophie is awake and so I better run, but if you are ever headed near Destin give us a call!