we are ready...

we 

are 

ready

flags in place.

check.

 sign up.

check.

fresh flowers

 in full bloom.

check.

just waiting on one last thing...

hurry

up

2:30

get 

here 

fast.

one more week

giddy.

i am.

in just about one week

i get mr. man back.

the same guy who would volunteer
in his daughter's 

kindergarden class

to be the guest reader.

 the guy who used to let
his girls push him in the pool
(yeah...not any more.
guess who does the pushing?)


 the guy who knew
just what to say to his
scared little twins
coming off
mr toad's wild ride
at disneyland

 the guy who
assembly-lined his daughters
to get in a hair washing
after swim.

this is how

the girls welcomed him home

summer of 2001

we all can't wait 

til our guy is back among his

team-estrogen.

hurry, daddy.

we are waiting for you.

wardrobe wednesday: what i do when hubs is away

exhibit a:

one blue button down

(mens)

can you see where this is going?

nothing like 

walking around all day, 

knowing who's garb you are in.

especially when 

he's far and away

ah.

get back soon.

holiday cookie-ornament exchange: fayetteville style

 it's that time again.

time to 

gather

celebrate

eat 

and 

exchange

set up was pretty much 

same as last yeas in dc

minus my two 

out-of-town v.i.p.s.

okay

i lied.

this year we added

berries in our champagne

who couldn't use some antioxidants?

found boxes

with cellophane tops

for guests to take cookies home in

added a little sparkly  monogram

(you know how i love me some monograms)

and topped it off with a little personalized calligraphy 

ornament pile

lovely guests

am i the luckiest?

how do i always seem to 

find the most amazing 

women to surround myself with?

thanks, ladies,

for an amazing kick off 

to this holiday season.

would love to know

what traditions you've got

to kick off your holiday season.

when daddy deploys...

military families do it every day.

kids endure it.

mom's muddle through it.

families stand tall because of it.

deployment.

ain't always an easy road.

in fact, 

it pretty much stinks in a lot of ways.

but this is no pity party.

in fact,

quite the opposite.

 this is  my way of rooting for the home team

which is why i've compiled a

 humble how-to

on making the 
most of 
military deployments

(according to little ol' me)

1.  know going in,

there are going to be roadblocks.

arm your friends, your family and your handymen.

they will be called upon 

at any ungodly hour 

on any day.  

murphey's law.

as soon as hubs pulls out, 

fridge will break, 

toilet will need repair

and you'll get a flat.

plan on it.

but know who to call.

and you can do this!

2.  busy is good.

stack the calendar.

plan stuff, 

be places,

have things to do.

yes.

you will get tired of running around, 

being here and there

but let's face it.  

busy is good.  

another day down, baby...

3.  say yes to help.

sometimes i forget that i don't wear a cape 

and have super powers to do it all: 

 manage the family, deal with all the emotions that go with 

single-parenthood-by-deployment,

being the mom, dad, counselor, nurse, taxi driver, tutor, cook, do i need to go on?

when friends offer up help...just say yes.  

whatever it is: dinner together, a quick coffee on the run, 

an encouraging phone call.

allow your friends to fill you up.  

you are both better for it.

4.  celebrate the little things.

whether it's weekly, monthly or daily

celebrate how far you've come.

 'kisses from daddy':

stash enough hershey kisses in a jar 

(enough for each family 

member for each day daddy is gone).

eat one kiss a day, every day counting down 

his big return watching the jar get fewer and fewer.

ode to the dadster ala chocolate!

who doesn't love that?

celebrate your anniversary:

 treat the fam (or yourself) to a special 'outing' 

on the once-a-month

anniversary declaring 'another month down'.

starbucks?

mcdonalds?

golden corral?  

your choice...but celebrate.

we once made a paper change marking each day daddy would be gone

(yes, that sucker wrapped around the entire

downstairs twice, i think).

we decorated special rings marking the halfway point 

as well as each month anniversary.

those were the special days, 

making sure we commemorated properly.

regardless of how you do it, celebrate

every calendar milestone you accomplish.

you are his team,

keeping it real back home.

5. surround yourself with good

 good peeps: 

seek out the friend who isn't going 

to let you sit in your own muck too long.

the one who's going to tell you

how strong you are and how you can and will do this,

then pour you a glass of wine and let you vent.

 good habits:

eat well.

we all know the convenience of mickey dee's

but not every day. 

okay?  

promise?

good sleep:
go to bed early.

we need to be on our toes

to handle what comes next.

good habits:
exercise.

find the time.

it will prove you well.

we can do this, peeps.  

this is the stuff our country was founded on.  

and one thing i know for sure. 

we are stronger than we think. 

with God behind us,

we are invinsible.

our guys are counting on us.

now this next part is for all you

non-military out there.

i know you mean well. 

very well.

i'm going to let you in on a wee secret.

here are the things said (however well meaning) that don't
always bode well

while we are in the thick of things.

"deployment?  again?
oh, you must be used to it by now."

nope.

never.

we never get used to it.

much like childbirth.

just because we've experienced it, 

doesn't mean 

we are used to it.

another doozy, 

probably not going to go over well...

" gosh.  4 months already?  

wow.  that's going fast"

not so much.

believe me, 

we are counting down each day,

sometimes each minute.

you get the drill.

just put your sensitive hat on.

we can be very fragile

so go in gentle.

we are strong but not perfect.

best thing about deployment, however,

homecoming.

more on that later.

any thoughts on this subject?
experience?
please share.

8 weeks in fayetteville

we've been here in 

fayetteville

just shy of 8 week.  

now i understand it's no

washington dc

or 

my beloved san diego.

but here is my 

top 5 

reasons why

my little fayettie is carving out

 quite the place in my heart.

1.  when i take my daily morning

jaunt around the hood

at o'dark thirty in the morn.

each and every single driver who passes me

also gives me a morning wave.

can you say southern hospitality?

love a morning waver...

love.

2.  the brand spanking new library

just down the street.

oh how i love thee

and your brand new smell

3.  the lovely

fresh

organic

produce stand 

on the way to the library.

who doesn't love locally grown produce?

not to mention

paying it forward 

to a local homegrown business.

3.  my little fayettie is

teaching the heathen west coast family

some old fashioned manners.

my girls are quickly learning that 

a good old fashioned

"yes, ma'am" 

and 

"yes, sir"

is a good thing around here.

even momma is learning.

4.  we live in the absolute best

"stomp-the-sewer" 

neighborhood of all time.

plenty of:

kids

cul de sacs

unfenced back yards
with just enough humidity to make

it some good 

sweaty fun.

gates four

kids unite!

5.  my front porch 

and 

back deck

 

perfect to

reflect on how lucky i am

to have been given this opportunity.

after completing this little list,

i realize the things that fill me

are the simplest things

in life:

a welcoming, warm environmnet,

a good book,

fresh food,

the sounds of my kids enjoying the moment

and a spot to enjoy it all.

God is good.

10 days in: move-in complete

it's official.

after 19 years of moving

we have a new record.

10 days after
household goods were delivered
all boxes have been put away,
rooms are complete,
stuff on walls,
junk put away.

yee haw.

whoopee.

not sure why this is so.

perhaps
three hands-on teenage girls
put us into
hyper speed.

team brookes in full effect.

we clinked our glasses last night
to a collective
job well done.
(3 milks, one wine and one beer)

feels good.

nothing gives you more confidence
than good old fashioned hard work,
and a job accomplished.

not much better than that,
except perhaps this...

...waiting for me
when i woke up

mr. man is back to his
lovely routine.

if you aren't sure what i'm referring to,
see this post.

today is going to be a good day.

all i'm saying.

tell me about the last time you
clinked your glasses in celebration.

cornier the better...
you know me.

wicked recap

where do i possibly start?

wicked.
june 18, 2011.


unbelievable.

before the show.
giddy with excitement.
can you tell?

must mention mary who did
all the ticket purchase organizing,
dinner reservations and all around
kennedy center tour guide.

thanks, mary.
you're the best.

we were lucky enough to
talk otay ranch heather into joining us for the day.

unfortunately we couldn't sit together.
but not to worry.

if you squint you can see heather in the row behind us...
on the other side of the theater.
squint really hard.

hi heather.

i'm not sure which was more thrilling for me.
the show...
or the venue.

kennedy center
was to die for.

would you spy those
grand chandeliers?

I know.

and forget about the draperies.
who's going to clean those?

famous bust of kennedy.
ginorm.

at every turn,
the kennedy center just got better and better.

one more...

this is what we did during intermission.
until mr. security officer had a chat with us.


mary watched over the seats
while heather and kristy sipped on peligrinos

*thank mary for letting us know
we could pre-order drinks before the
show ready for us at intermission.

we were total tourists,
snapping photos every chance we got.

roof top terrace.
amazing views of dc.

look how happy the girls were
at the view

wendy, kristy and heather
otay ranch reunited

so grateful that our little move
didn't derail our big wicked plans.

it was a great day.